# Poltorátsky — Hadji Murád character guide

> Poltorátsky in Hadji Murád by Leo Tolstoy.

**Role:** supporting

**First appearance:** 0001-hadji-mur-d

## Snapshot

A Russian officer whose easy warmth toward Hadji Murád reveals how the enemy's charm unsettles the very men sent to guard him.

## Who they are

Poltorátsky moves through the Russian garrison world as a friend of Butler, present at the social gatherings where Hadji Murád is received with wary hospitality. He is among those visibly pleased by the mountaineer's smile and bearing, a small but telling sign that personal admiration cuts across the lines of war. His easy responsiveness matters because it shows, early on, that the Russians cannot quite treat Hadji Murád as a mere asset or prisoner.

## In the story

### [Chapter III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hadji_mur_d_se/chapters/iii)

Plays cards poorly due to distraction by Márya Vasílevna, wins seventeen rubles, returns home in an ecstatic mood, and is assigned to the wood-cutting expedition the next day.

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hadji_mur_d_se/chapters/v)

Commands the wood-felling companies, leads the skirmish, and later escorts Hadji Murád to Vorontsóv.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hadji_mur_d_se/chapters/vii)

Visits Avdéev in the hospital to inquire about his condition.

### [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hadji_mur_d_se/chapters/xxi)

Hosts Butler in his tent, warns about Kozlóvsky's speech, and avoids meeting Butler's eye after his gambling loss.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hadji_mur_d_se/characters/poltoratsky
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hadji_mur_d_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/hadji_mur_d_se/characters