The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories · Character
Kostílin
A fellow officer captured alongside Zhílin, heavy in body and spirit, whose pessimism tests the limits of his companion's resolve.
supporting
First appearance: A Prisoner in the Caucasus
As a supporting figure in The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories, Kostílin is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
A fellow officer, stout and cowardly.
Kostílin is the kind of captive who counts the days and finds only reasons to despair, his bulk and his gloom making him a burden to himself and to Zhílin. Where Zhílin schemes and observes, Kostílin waits and worries, convinced that their situation admits no escape and no hope. His presence throws Zhílin's resourcefulness into relief, and their forced companionship becomes a study in how two men under the same sentence can inhabit entirely different prisons.
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Character Web
7 connectionsA slice of how Kostílin sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Caucasus Captives and Warriors
- Peasants and Masters
- Wronged Men and Rulers
+2 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional peak is Esarhaddon's shocking, direct confrontation with the truth that he and his victim are on…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingIn the story
Kostílin appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Kostílin unlock in the free preview.
See Kostílin in A Prisoner in the Caucasus