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

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

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Volódya, Kozeltsóf

**First appearance:** 0004-sevastopol

## Snapshot

A young officer arriving in Sevastopol with patriotic fervor intact, eager to prove himself before the shells teach him what war actually costs.

## Who they are

Volódya comes to the besieged city fresh from Moscow, trailing the enthusiasm of a generation that greeted the Crimean campaign as a sacred cause. He is brave, vain, and desperate to be seen as brave — a boy performing courage for an audience he imagines is watching. His arrival places him among veterans whose quiet endurance will slowly strip away his illusions, making him the reader's eyes for the gap between glory and its price.

## In the story

### [Sevastopol](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/chapters/sevastopol)

The younger brother, full of naive, romantic dreams of heroism and death in battle. He is initially terrified of the danger but also feels aesthetic pleasure upon seeing Sevastopol. His illusions are challenged by the reality he encounters.

## Links

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