# Prince Andrey Lvovitch — Short Fiction character guide

> Prince Andrey Lvovitch in Short Fiction by Aleksandr Kuprin.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** III Prince Andrey, Prince Andrey, Andrey, Andrey Lvovitch

**First appearance:** 0036-i

## Snapshot

A reckless young prince who burns thousand-rouble notes to light a lady's cigarette and cannot bear to be laughed at by a woman he desires.

## Who they are

Prince Andrey plunges into the gambling and carousing of Petersburg and Moscow society, squandering his fortune and his reputation in a whirl of suppers and races. When he falls for the beautiful, indifferent Marya Gavrilovna, her refusal to take him seriously stings his pride into wilder gestures. His encounter with the artist Rozanof, who calls him a fool for burning money that could have fed the sick, exposes the tension between his unrestrained nature and the claims of ordinary human decency — a tension that shapes his trajectory through the story.

## In the story

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

The last direct-line prince of the Belokon Belonogof family, a former Guards officer and world traveler who feels bored and seeks meaning.

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

Portrayed as a complex landowner: artistic, brave in bear hunting, harsh with officials yet generous to peasants, and proud in dealings with equals.

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

Lives on his estate, addresses peasants about emancipation, then goes to Petersburg and falls into dissipation.

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

Narrates his own story about a horse race wager, demonstrating his bold and reckless nature.

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

Continues his capricious behavior in Moscow; falls in love with Marya Gavrilovna and is stung by her indifference; publicly burns a thousand-ruble note to light her cigarette.

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

Forms a close friendship with Rozanof, sharing adventures and being restrained from impulsive actions by the artist's influence.

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

Lies on the sofa in despair, refusing food, after Marya Gavrilovna rejects his love.

### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters/ix)

Overcomes his feelings for Marya Gavrilovna, reconciles with Rozanof, and later loses his fortune when his bank fails.

### [The Prince's Artistic Awakening and Disillusionment](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters/x)

The prince, initially idle, discovers a passion for painting and studies diligently, but is ultimately disillusioned by Rozanof's masterpiece.

### [The Destruction of a Masterpiece](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters/xi)

Becomes obsessed with Rozanof's painting, grows sullen and withdrawn, and ultimately destroys the work before disappearing.

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

Prince Andrey is mentioned as the owner of the enormous black colt, a racer known for its strength, speed, and bad temper.

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

Referenced as 'Prince Andrey' in the canonical timeline event; the race is the context for his wager.

## Links

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