The Kingdom of God Is Within You · Character
Peter Sidorov
A Russian peasant conscript who lays down his rifle rather than his conscience, proving that the divine life-conception can take root in the least likely soil.
supporting
Also known as Peter, Sídorov
First appearance: iii
As a supporting figure in The Kingdom of God Is Within You, Peter Sidorov is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Mentioned as an example of a Russian peasant who refused military service, illustrating Christian resistance.
Sidorov stands among the ordinary men — peasants, soldiers, sectarians — whose refusals Tolstoy cites against the charge that non-resistance is a philosopher's fantasy. His world is the barracks and the village, where obedience is survival and dissent means prison or worse. He matters because his quiet no dramatizes the book's wager: that the transition from social to divine life-conception is happening now, in actual bodies, under actual threat.
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Character Web
5 connectionsA slice of how Peter Sidorov sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Psychological
- Social
- Rivalry
- Other
Character groups
- Historical and biblical figures in Tolstoy's critique
- Protagonist
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Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt is the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of despair and co…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- Jesus Christ
psychological · ambivalent
Peter Sidorov is portrayed as a peasant who internalizes and struggles with the radical… How this plays out →
- Jacob
social · ambivalent
- Catherine the Great
rivalry · negative
Relationship notes
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See Peter Sidorov in iiiIn the story
Peter Sidorov appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Peter Sidorov unlock in the free preview.
See Peter Sidorov in iii