# Lavrovski — Short Fiction character guide

> Lavrovski in Short Fiction by Vladimir Korolenko.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** the sombre Lavrovski

**First appearance:** 0001-short-fiction

## Snapshot

The sombre Lavrovski watches a fictitious courtship unfold with the eager, envious eye of a boy who has only known life through books.

## Who they are

Young, boyish, and bookishly romantic, Lavrovski observes the strange alliance between the American lady and Urmánov, reading their arm-in-arm walks as a staged comedy he half wishes he were part of. He is acutely conscious of his own youth and inexperience, and his envy of Urmánov's role is mixed with genuine aesthetic delight in the performance. His watchful, self-deprecating narration shapes how the reader sees the villa's social theatre, making him the story's sensitive, sidelined witness.

## In the story

### [II: Queer Characters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/ii-queer-characters)

A retired and drink-sodden civil servant, formerly known as 'My Lord the Secretary,' now a tragic figure among the exiles.

### [V: My Acquaintanceship Is Continued](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/v-my-acquaintanceship-is-continued)

Seen sprawling in the meadow as part of the 'bad company'.

### [VIII: Autumn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/viii-autumn)

Lavrovski is a sombre, often drunk member of the 'bad company' who writes fair copies of petitions and lampoons.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/characters/lavrovski
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/characters