Oblomov characters

Appears from the start

A landowner in his early thirties who lives in St Petersburg while others manage his country estate. Intelligent, gentle, and capable of recognizing his own failures, he nevertheless spends most of his days in bed, postponing letters, visits, and decisions. His passivity is sustained by income from serfs and by a childhood in which comfort was prized above effort.

Appears from the start

Oblomov's elderly servant, as untidy and resistant to change as his master. He complains constantly, mislays things, and quarrels with Oblomov over household tasks, yet his loyalty to the family is deep and genuine.

First appears in chapter 4

A forceful and unscrupulous acquaintance who visits Oblomov freely, borrows from him, and presses him to move into a house in the Vyborg district. His rough confidence makes him seem useful to a man unwilling to handle his own affairs.

First appears in chapter 10

Oblomov's closest friend, the son of a German estate manager and a Russian mother. Energetic, disciplined, and constantly employed, he represents a practical way of life opposite to Oblomov's inertia. He cares for Oblomov without flattering him and repeatedly tries to draw him back into society and responsible action.

First appears in chapter 16

A cultivated young woman in the social circle of Stolz and her aunt. Serious, observant, and impatient with empty convention, she becomes interested in the sensitive man concealed beneath Oblomov's habits and joins Stolz's effort to awaken him to a fuller life.

First appears in chapter 16

Olga's aunt and guardian, who maintains a respectable, orderly household and receives Oblomov without either romantic enthusiasm or hostility. Her presence gives Olga social freedom within accepted limits.

First appears in chapter 25

The widowed landlady of the modest Vyborg-side house where Oblomov takes rooms. Practical, tireless, and almost entirely absorbed in cooking and domestic management, she quietly makes his comfort the center of her household.

First appears in chapter 27

Agafya Matveyevna's brother, a government clerk who presents himself as a capable adviser. He handles documents and money with an authority that Oblomov, reluctant to examine practical details, is inclined to trust.

First appears in chapter 28

Agafya's lively household servant and Zakhar's wife. More competent than Zakhar, she brings order to the servants' work and answers his grumbling with practical good sense.

First appears in chapter 44

The young son of Oblomov and Agafya, named for Stolz and cared for in the sheltered Vyborg household.