The House of the Dead · Character

Petrov

A convict of volatile temper and stubborn vitality, he becomes one of the narrator's closest and most unpredictable acquaintances behind bars.

supporting

Also known as this Petrov

First appearance: VII: New Acquaintances. Petrov

As a supporting figure in The House of the Dead, Petrov is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Mentioned as a convict who borrows money from the narrator on the first day.

In the storyII: First ImpressionsOpen this moment free

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Petrov belongs to the class of men who cling to life ferociously into old age, and his restless energy makes him both companionable and dangerous. He forms intense, shifting attachments — the narrator counts him among his few sincere friends by the last year, yet his moods turn without warning. His hunger for something beyond the prison routine keeps the question of escape, and of what men will risk for freedom, alive in the middle stretch of the book.

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See Petrov in VII: New Acquaintances. Petrov

Character Web

2 connections

A slice of how Petrov sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Diverse prison community
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it presents a profound psychological reversal: the narrator, a…

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In the story

Petrov appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

II: First Impressions
Mentioned as a convict who borrows money from the narrator on the first day.
VII: New Acquaintances. Petrov
A convict of impulsive and contradictory nature; devoted to the narrator yet steals from him; represents a type of man who can be both affectionate and criminal without conflict.
VIII: Determined Characters. Lutchka
Mentioned as someone the narrator initially took lightly compared to the storyteller Luka Kuzmitch.
IX: Isay Fomitch—The Bathhouse—Baklushin’s Story
Assists the narrator in undressing, washing, and dressing at the bathhouse, treating him with a nurse-like care. He refuses payment but accepts tea and vodka.
X: Christmas
Runs up to greet the narrator on Christmas, appearing already drunk, but says little before hurrying back to the kitchen.
The Theatricals
Accompanies the narrator to the front of the audience, explaining the seating arrangement based on contributions.
VII: The Complaint
A convict whom the narrator questions about the complaint; his simple-hearted perplexity at the idea of the narrator being a comrade crystallizes the narrator's understanding of his isolation.
X: How I Left Prison
Often meets the narrator during walks in the prison yard, silently accompanying him.

Chapter companion notes

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See Petrov in VII: New Acquaintances. Petrov

See Petrov in II: First Impressions