Samson’s Family
Samson Theophilovich Kolechko—the protagonist; a 20-something young man who must fend for himself when is father’s murder and political upheaval leaves him orphaned and uncertain; he becomes a police investigator
Verusya Kolechko—Samson’s sister, who died five years earlier
Zinaida Fyodorovna Kolechko—Samson’s mother, who died five years earlier
?? Kolechko—Samson’s (never named) father, beheaded at the beginning of the story; he had been a bookkeeper for a trading company until the previous year
People Who Help Samson
Dr. Nikolay Nikolaevich Vatrukhin—an eye doctor who treats Samson’s severed-ear wound
Sivokon—Samson’s father’s tailor, who later helps him solve his first case
Nadezhda Sigismundovich—a woman that Samson’s yard-sweeper’s widow introduces him to as a potential renter since she has a good job in the Provincial Bureau of Statistics nearby
Trofim Sigismundovich—Nadezhda’s father, about 50 years old
Lyudmila Sigismundovich—Nadezhda’s mother
Alexander Valentinovich Babukin—a former classmate of Samson’s who gives him information about jobs with agencies under “the new regime”
Employees at the Police Station on Tarasivska Street
Nayden—the head of the police station on Tarasivska (near Samson’s flat) who is impressed with Samson’s report-writing ability and gives him a job as police investigator in the newly re-forming police station
Konstantin “Kostya” Pasechny—the officer at the police station who had requisitioned Samson’s father’s desk
Vasyl—an elderly assistant at the police station; he’s spent most of his life as a clerk at the station and has managed to survive the regime change
Sergius “Sergey” Kholodny—a former priest and now with the police
Semyon Glukhov—a soldier and guard at the police station
People Connected to Samson’s First Case
Anton Tsvigun—a Red Army soldier who is billeted in Samson’s flat by Red Army requisition; later, Samson has Anton arrested for theft, creating his first case
Fyodor Bravada—a Red Army soldier who is billeted in Samson’s flat by Red Army requisition; later, Samson has Fyodor arrested for theft, creating his first case
Grigory Sheburshin—aka Grishka Fertichny; a Red Army soldier who’s working with Anton
Golikov—a cobbler whose materials were found among the stolen goods confiscated from Anton and Fyodor
Valerian Sergeyevich Paddomov—Nadezhda’s boss at the Provincial Bureau of Statistics who provides Samson with Kyiv census records
Friedrich Franzevich Balzer—a 52-year-old German tailor whose materials were found among the stolen goods confiscated from Anton and Fyodor
Luc Jeanovich Jacobson—Balzer’s 24-year-old nephew from Belgium who has been living with him and appears to be connected to the silver thefts
Nestor Ivanovich—a former fingerprint expert at the police station, who assists Samson with his case
Princess/Dr. Vera Ignatyevna Gedroits—a maxillofacial surgeon who leads Samson to Dr. Trattner; she advises Samson against getting a prosthetic ear
Dr. Trattner—a surgeon with the Iona Zaitsev’s Jewish Surgical Hospital who remembers a former patient, leading to the solution to Samson’s case
