Demons · Character

Arina Prohorovna

Virginsky's wife, a midwife and radical feminist.

minor

Also known as Arina Prohorovna, Arina

First appearance: demons

Arina Prohorovna shows up with force in VII: A Meeting. The page is where that presence becomes real.

Hostess who insists on procedural voting and maintaining secrecy by having Lyamshin play the piano.

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

In VII: A Meeting: Hostess who insists on procedural voting and maintaining secrecy by having Lyamshin play the piano. Later, in I:…

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Arina Prohorovna sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

Character Web

10 connections

A slice of how Arina Prohorovna sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Character groups

+5 more in the full Character Web

Story tension across the book.

This scene is the dramatic climax because it forces Stavrogin to confront the core crisis of his identity: his…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Arina Prohorovna appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

VII: A Meeting
Hostess who insists on procedural voting and maintaining secrecy by having Lyamshin play the piano.
I
Virginsky's wife, a midwife and nihilist, known for her boldness and greed.
III
The midwife is roused by Virginsky and agrees to come to Shatov's wife, though she speaks in her usual peremptory tone.
IV
Arrives to assist Marya Ignatyevna in childbirth, taking command of the situation with a pragmatic and unsympathetic demeanor.
VI
Arina Prohorovna acts as the midwife, managing the birth with stern efficiency and mocking Shatov's emotional outbursts. She leaves satisfied, planning to share the story with Virginsky.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Arina Prohorovna unlock in the free preview.