The Characters of Crime and Punishment
Cast of Characters by Family Association
A complete list of characters from the novel.
Each link will take you to a page for each character and will outline which chapters they appear in and provide links to the discussions on said chapters.
Raskolnikov family and associated characters
Raskolnikov, Rodion Romanovich (Rodya, Rodka) - main protagonist, a former student, aged 23.
Raskolnikova, Pulkheria Alexandrovna - Raskolnikov’s mother, aged 43.
Raskolnikova, Avdotya Romanovna (Dunya, Dunechka) - Raskolnikov’s younger sister.
Razumikhin, Dmitry Prokofyevich (Prokofich) (real name Vrazumikhin) - a friend of Raskolnikov’s, also a former student.
Luzhin, Pyotr Petrovich - lawyer, aged 45; engaged to Dunya.
Nastasya Petrovna (Nastyenka, Nastasyushka) - housekeeper in Raskolnikov’s tenement.
Vakhrushin, Afanasy Ivanovich - wealthy merchant; friend of Raskolnikov’s late father.
Zarnitsyna, Praskovya Pavlovna (Pashenka) - Landlady of Raskolnikov’s tenement building.
Zarnitsyna, Natalya Yegorovna - daughter of Praskovya Pavlovna; once betrothed to Raskolnikov but dies before the novel begins.
Zosimov - a friend of Razumikhin’s. Doctor who treats Raskolnikov.
Marmeladov family and associated characters
Marmeladov, Semyon Zakharovich (Zakharych) - government clerk.
Marmeladova, Katerina Ivanovna - Marmeladov’s wife and stepmother of Sonya Marmeladova.
Marmeladova, Sofya Semyonovna (Sonya) - Marmeladov’s daughter from his first marriage, aged about 18.
Polina Mikhailovna (Polya, Polechka, Polenka) - elder daughter of Katerina Ivanovna’s from her previous marriage; aged 10. She has a younger sister, Lida (Lidochka, later ‘Lyonya), and a younger brother, Kolya.
Lippewechsel, Amalia Ivanovna (Ludwigovna) - a Russified German; landlady of the Marmeladov’s tenement building. Marmeladov refers to her erroneously as Amalia Fyodorovna at one point.
Lebezyatnikov, Andrei Semyonovich - rents a room with Luzhin in Amalia Lippewechsel’s tenement building.
Frantsevna, Darya - an acquaintance of Amalia Ivanovna’s; presumed to be the matron of a brothel.
Svidrigailovs and associated characters
Svidrigailov, Arkady Ivanovich - Creepy, middle-aged man who tries it on with Dunya while she’s in his family’s employ as a nanny.
Marfa Petrovna - Svidrigailov’s long-suffering wife and town gossip.
Madame Resslich, Gertrude Karlovna - an acquaintance of Svidrigailov’s. Owner of his St Petersburg apartment.
Murder victims
Alyona Ivanovna - pawnbroker, widow, aged 60.
Lizaveta Ivanovna - Alyona Ivanovna’s half-sister, aged 35.
The Police and associated characters
Porfiry Petrovich - magistrate in charge of investigating the murders
Zamyotov, Alexander Grigoryevich - head clerk in the police station.
Nikodim Fomich - superintendent of the local police station.
Ilya Petrovich (Lieutenant Powder-Keg) - Nikodim Fomich’s assistant.
Mikolka/Mikolai (real name Nikolai, also referred to as Nikolashka) - painter and decorator.
Mitka/Mitrei (real name Dmitry) - Mikolka’s workmate.
Koch and Pestryakov - clients of Alyona Ivanovna’s; they show up at her door while Raskolnikov is still in her apartment after the murder.
Louisa (Lavisa) Ivanovna - keeper of a house of dubious repute.