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

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

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Uncle Nikíta, Sierpukhovskoï

**First appearance:** 0057-kholstom-r

## Snapshot

An old horse who narrates his own life with wry dignity, exposing the vanity and cruelty of the humans who own him.

## Who they are

Nikíta has spent decades in service to a series of masters, and his recollections — of races won, of being gelded, of watching his owners' fortunes rise and fall — carry the weight of a creature who has seen more than most people admit. He is patient, observant, and quietly bitter, and his voice turns the stable into a vantage point from which human pretension looks absurd. His story asks what it means to be owned, and whether the difference between horse and man is as clear as anyone likes to think.

## In the story

### [Kholstomír](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/chapters/kholstom-r)

A ruined, despairing military man visiting a wealthy friend. He feels humiliated by the host's happiness and forced generosity, masking his shame and envy.

### [Strawberries](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/chapters/strawberries)

Referred to as 'Nicholas Semyónovitch', the landowner hosting the Petersburg gentleman. He engages in political debate, worries about his son's health, and represents the Orthodox, Slavophil landowning class.

### [Two Wayfarers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/chapters/two-wayfarers)

The name 'Serpov' is phonetically similar to 'Sierpukhovskoï'. The character is a former sublieutenant turned monk, now a self-proclaimed wayfarer who joins Borzin.

## Links

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