# Kostromsky — Short Fiction character guide

> Kostromsky in Short Fiction by Aleksandr Kuprin.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** the astonished Kostromsky

**First appearance:** 0031-a-slav-soul

## Snapshot

A fellow officer whose name lingers in Petersburg's newspaper saloons, part of the boozy, cynical world of reporters and hangers-on that Schavinsky moves through.

## Who they are

Kostromsky belongs to the smoky, ink-stained milieu of 'The Glory of Petrograd,' where reporters drink, quarrel, and invent scandals about one another between deadlines. He is less a distinct actor than a fixture of that world — the kind of officer whose handshake is too violent and whose stories are too loud. His presence helps establish the raffish, morally blurred society Schavinsky navigates before the duel and intrigue begin.

## Relationships

### [Yureva](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/characters/yureva)

_romantic_

Kostromsky is a suitor to Yureva, pursuing her with persistent romantic interest.

### [Yureva](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/characters/yureva)

_romantic_

Kostromsky is a suitor to Yureva, pursuing her with persistent romantic interest.

### [Yureva](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/characters/yureva)

_romantic_

Kostromsky is a suitor to Yureva, pursuing her with persistent romantic interest.

## In the story

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

Mentioned as one of the celebrities of the Petersburg reporting world.

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

The actor Zhenin-Lirsky (Kostromsky) entertains the group with a gipsy song and later leaves with a woman.

### [The Song and the Dance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters/the-song-and-the-dance)

Not directly present; the name is used in the context of the narrator's earlier thoughts about the intelligentsia, but no explicit appearance in this chapter.

### [Hamlet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters/hamlet)

The actor who performs the role of Hamlet, delivering a triumphant performance.

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

The famous actor preparing for Hamlet, grappling with his fading talent and alcoholism.

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

The famous actor, feeling a growing indifference to the stage, is forced to find a last-minute replacement for Ophelia.

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

The actor playing Hamlet, whose performance captivates the audience with its emotional depth and irony.

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

Performs Hamlet; Yakovlef critiques his acting as that of a boy compared to Mochalof.

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

The aging actor whose performance as Hamlet fails to recapture past glory, leading to a painful realization of his decline.

### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters/vi)

Drunkenly insults Yureva during the play, showing spite and cruelty.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters/vii)

Watches Ophelia's performance with growing hatred, feeling his success is stolen; confronts Yureva backstage.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters/viii)

The once-great actor now drunkenly mourns his lost talent and fame, locking himself in his dressing room and later offering a heartfelt apology to Yureva.

### [A Legend](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters/a-legend)

The tall, thin, long-haired violinist who plays a majestic, fairy tune that inspires the storytelling.

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

The young landowner from Simbir, recently married and appointed justice of the peace, known for his patriotic bluster and naive silliness.

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

Mentioned indirectly as 'the astonished Kostromsky' in the context of Balunsky's memories, but not present in this chapter.

## Links

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