# Buzyga — Short Fiction character guide

> Buzyga in Short Fiction by Aleksandr Kuprin.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Buzyga

**First appearance:** 0002-the-river-of-life

## Snapshot

A Danube delta fisherman of gigantic strength and lazy calm, whose rare tenderness toward a ragged boy hints at depths beneath his indifferent, brutal surface.

## Who they are

Buzyga dominates the fishermen's camp not by noise but by sheer physical presence — slow motions, red-haired hands, a neck like a bull's — and by the casual authority with which he pours whiskey down a coughing child. He treats Vasil with a startling, sudden gentleness, calling him a future thief with something like pride, then forgets him the moment Kozel's story begins. His indifference and his flashes of warmth make him the gravitational center of the boy's dangerous education.

## Relationships

### [Onisim Kozel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/characters/onisim_kozel)

_rivalry_

Buzyga and Onisim Kozel are bitter rivals, constantly clashing over land and status in their rural community.

### [Vasil](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/characters/vasil)

_friendship_

Buzyga and Vasil are loyal friends and drinking companions, sharing a rough but affectionate bond.

### [Manuilikha](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/characters/manuilikha)

_social_

Buzyga is a neighbor to Manuilikha, interacting with her occasionally but maintaining a wary distance.

### [Onisim Kozel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/characters/onisim_kozel)

_rivalry_

Buzyga and Onisim Kozel are bitter rivals, constantly clashing over land and status in their rural community.

### [Vasil](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/characters/vasil)

_friendship_

Buzyga and Vasil are loyal friends and drinking companions, sharing a rough but affectionate bond.

### [Manuilikha](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/characters/manuilikha)

_social_

Buzyga is a neighbor to Manuilikha, interacting with her occasionally but maintaining a wary distance.

### [Onisim Kozel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/characters/onisim_kozel)

_rivalry_

Buzyga and Onisim Kozel are bitter rivals, constantly clashing over land and status in their rural community.

### [Manuilikha](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/characters/manuilikha)

_social_

Buzyga is a neighbor to Manuilikha, interacting with her occasionally but maintaining a wary distance.

## In the story

### [The Horse-Thieves](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters/the-horse-thieves)

One of the horse-thieves, startled by the wild boar.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters/i)

A legendary horse-thief described by Kozel as having double ribs and a clever head; his exploits inspire Vasil.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters/ii)

A tall, red-haired horse-thief with a lazy demeanor and hidden cruelty; he dominates the gathering and shows sudden tenderness toward Vasil.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters/iii)

Reacts with intense fury to Kozel's story, expressing a desire for violent revenge against the German.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters/iv)

The lead horse-thief; decisive, experienced, and unexpectedly kind to Vasil, covering him with his coat and speaking gently.

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters/v)

Horse-thief lying beaten and disfigured on the grass; refuses to betray his accomplices and is killed by the mob.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/characters/buzyga
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/characters