Crime and Punishment - Russian Names & Cast of Characters

[Gem , Moderator]

Russian Names

The middle name of all male characters end in "ovitch" and of all female characters in "ovna." This ending simply means "son of" or "daughter of" the father whose first name is converted into their middle name and is called a patronymic. For example, Rodya and Dunya's father was named Roman Raskolnikov. Thus, Rodya's middle name Rodion Romanovitch means son of Roman and Dunya's middle name, Avdotya Romanovna, means daughter of Roman.

A Note on Pronunciation

If the reader will remember to give strong stress to the syllable marked with an accent in this list, to give the vowels their "continental" value, and pronounce the consonants as in English, a rough approximation to the Russian pronunciation will be obtained. The consonant "kh" sounds rather like the Scottish "ch" in "loch"; the "zh" represents a sound like "s" in "measure", and the final "v" is pronounced, "f."

Cast of Characters

Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov (Rodya, Rodenka, or Rodka) - A poverty-stricken student who conceives of a theory of the "Ubermensch" or extraordinary man who has the right and/or obligation to trangress the laws of the ordinary man in order to give a New Word or idea to all of humanity. He uses this theory as a justification or rationalization to commit the crime.

Sonya Marmeladov (Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladov) A quiet, modest, suffering prostitute who will become Raskolnikov's chief redemptive figure.

Porfiry Petrovitch An official of the investigating department who is in charge of the crime.

Svidrigailov (Arkady Ivanovitch) A sensualist and vulgarian who asserts his own will in order to achieve his personal goals.

Dunya (Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikov) Raskolnikov's devoted sister who was previously Svidrigailov's employee and who was propositioned by him.

Razumihkin (Dmitri Prokofitch) One of Raskolnikov's student friends who will become enamored of his sister Dunya.

Semyon Zakharovitch Marmeladov A dismissed government clerk who is an alcoholic.

Katerina Ivanovna Marmeladov Marmeladov's consumptive wife had been previously married to an army officer by whom she had three children.

Pulcheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikov Raskolnikov's mother who is frightened of her moody and intellectual son.

Alyona Ivanovna The sadistic and nasty moneylender who becomes the victim of the crime.

Lizaveta Ivanovna The mild, likable half-sister to Alyona who is brutalized by her.

Polenka, Lyona, Kolya (Kolka) Katerina Ivanovna's children by a previous marriage. Sonyas greatest fear is that Polenka might have to enter into prostitution — Raskolnikov plagues her with this thought.

Marfa Petrovna Svidrigailov's wife who once assumed Dunya had designs on her husband.

Luzhin (Pyotr Petrovitch) A petty and miserly clerk in government who wants a poor person for his bride so that she will be indebted to him.

Lebezyatnikov (Andrey Semyonovitch) Luzhin's roommate who calls himself an "advanced liberal."

Praskovya Pavlovna Raskolnikov's shy and plump landlady.

Nastasya Praskovya Pavlovna's maid who befriends Raskolnikov and looks after him when he is ill.

Amalia Fyodorovna The Marmeladov's landlady who is particularly disliked by Katerina Ivanovna Marmeladov.

Kapernaumovs Sonya and Svidrigailov rent rooms from these rather depressed people.

Zossimov The doctor who cares for Raskolnikov during his illness.

Nikodim Fomitch A handsome police officer who was also at Marmeladov's death scene and reports this fact to Porfiry.

Zametov (Zamyotov), Alexander Gigorevitch The chief clerk at the police station.

Ilya Petrovitch A loud and somewhat overbearing police official to whom Raskolnikov makes his confession when there was no one else to confess to.

Nikolay (Milkolka) and Dmitri (Mitka) The painters who were working in the flat below the pawnbroker's flat at the time of the crime.

Meaning of Names

Raskolnikov, Luzhin, Svidrigaïlov, Zametov, Marmeladov and Razhumikin have some symbolic meanings in their last names. For every Russian reader, it is the obvious fact; however, in translation the meaning of names becomes lost.

Raskolnikov a schism, or split; "raskolnik" is "one who splits" or "dissenter"; the verb raskalyvat' means "to cleave", "to chop", "to crack", "to split" or "to break". The former translations clarify the literal meaning of the word. The figurative meaning of the word is "to bring to light", "to make to confess or acknowledge the truth", etc. The word Raskol is meant to evoke the ideas of the splitting of the Russian Orthodox Church under Patriarch Nikon.

Luzhin a puddle

Razumikhin rationality, mind, intelligence

Zamyotov to notice, to realize

Lebezyatnikov to fawn on somebody, to cringe

Marmeladov marmalade/jam

Svidrigaïlov a Lithuanian duke of the fifteenth century (the name given to a character rather by sound, than by meaning)

Porfiry (perhaps) named after the Neoplatonic philosopher or after the Russian word "porphyra" meaning "purple, purple mantle"

Sonya from the Greek meaning "wisdom"

[Lori, Moderator]

Thanks for this. I often get characters mixed up, and it's harder with Russian characters since they're often called "name + patronymic" by some people and "last name" by others - and then maybe a nickname that might not sound similar to their first name (Avdotya - Dunya).

I'm also reading the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation. It's a re-read for me, but I've forgotten much of the book.

[Gem , Moderator]

Lori wrote: "Thanks for this. I often get characters mixed up, and it's harder with Russian characters since they're often called "name + patronymic" by some people and "last name" by others - and then maybe a ..."

Glad it helps!

[Hedi]

This list is really great. Usually I write these myself while reading, but great that you have already done this. Thanks a lot!
As Lori said, it is not always easy to follow the Russian names, especially when there are a lot of different characters.

[Nancy]

I will also be reading the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation. I read their translations of Anna Karenina and War and Peace, and found them to be extremely readable and clear (although I certainly can’t attest to their accuracy since I do not speak Russian or French).

[Gem , Moderator]

Hedi wrote: "This list is really great. Usually I write these myself while reading, but great that you have already done this. Thanks a lot!
As Lori said, it is not always easy to follow the Russian names, espe..."

My pleasure

[Amy]

Can someone please direct me to the schedule for C & P reading?
It seems difficult for me to find that on the iPhone version I’m using.

[Lori, Moderator]

Amy wrote: "Can someone please direct me to the schedule for C & P reading?
It seems difficult for me to find that on the iPhone version I’m using."

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Gem , Moderator]

Lori wrote: "Amy wrote: "Can someone please direct me to the schedule for C & P reading?
It seems difficult for me to find that on the iPhone version I’m using."

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...-..."

Thank Lori. I'm only getting sporadic notifications. Weird.