# Delesof — The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories character guide

> Delesof in The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy.

**Role:** supporting

**First appearance:** 0009-albert

## Snapshot

A wealthy gentleman who takes in the destitute violinist Albert, discovering that charity costs more than money and tests the limits of his own patience.

## Who they are

Delesof moves through Moscow's drawing rooms with the ease of a man who has never had to ask for anything, yet he is drawn to Albert, a ragged genius whose music stirs something genuine in him. His attempt to rescue the violinist becomes a mirror held up to his own comfortable life: he wants to be generous, but the mess of another person's ruin is harder to bear than he expected. Their uneasy bond anchors the story's inquiry into whether goodness can survive contact with real need.

## In the story

### [Albert](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/chapters/albert)

A young, wealthy guest at the ball who is initially discontented. He is deeply moved by Albert's music and offers to take the musician into his home, hoping to rescue him from his wretched condition.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/characters/delesof
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/characters