student involved in radical politics Anna Petrovna Ableukhova - Apollon Apollonovich's estranged wife and Nikolai's mother; lives in Spain Sofya Petrovna Likhutina (Angel Peri) - a socialite who runs an informal salon from her apartment Mavrushka - Sofya Petrovna's maid Sergei Sergeyevich Likhutin (Seryozhka) - a second lieutenant in the Gregorian Regiment; Sofya's husband; Nikolai Apollonovich's childhood friend Nikolai Stepanovich Lippanchenko (Lipensky) - attends Sofya Petrovna's salon; a provocator and leader of the radical terrorist wing of the party; based on Yevno Azef Varvara Yevgrafovna Solovyova - an intellectual well versed in Marxist theory; friends with Sofya Petrovna; involved with the party Nikolai Petrovich Tsukatov (Coco) - a wealthy man who hosts a ball attended by many of the main characters Lyubov' Alekseyevna Tsukatova - Nikolai Petrovich's wife Leib Hussar Shporyshev - attends Sofya Petrovna's salon Baron Ommau-Ommergau - a "yellow cuirassier"; attends Sofya Petrovna's salon Count Aven - a "blue cuirassier"; attends Sofya Petrovna's salon Herman Hermanovich Verhefden - a clerk in Apollon Apollonovich's office; attends Sofya Petrovna's salon Aleksandr Ivanovich Dudkin - a former political prisoner and local party operative reporting to Lippanchenko Zoya Zakharovna Fleisch - lives with Lippanchenko; probably a party member Pavel Yakovlevich Morkovin or Voronkov - possibly a secret policeman; possibly also a party member Mindalini (Mantalini) - Sofya Petrovna's Italian lover Matvei Morzhov - a yardkeeper Dmitrich Semyonych - the Ableukhovs' doorkeeper Ivan Ivanych Ivanov - a merchant Bessmertny - a shoe salesman Neintelpfain - a hack journalist Stepan Styopka - a friend of Dudkin's Grishka - a lackey in the Ableukhov household Analysis Bely drew many of his characters from historical models: Apollon Apollonovich shares many characteristics with Procurator of the Holy Synod Konstantin Pobedonostsev; Dudkin resembles the revolutionary terrorist Boris Savinkov; Lippanchenko shares many characteristics with the infamous double agent Yevno Azef. There are similarities with James Joyce's Ulysses. The linguistic rhythms, wordplay, Symbolism, politics, and general structure and themes of the novel have all been compared to Joyce's novel, as well as the setting of the action in a capital city (Dublin; St. Petersburg) that is itself a character and the unusual use of humor. However, the differences are also notable; the English translation of Bely remains more accessible than Joyce, for example. Bely's work is based on a complex rhythm of patterns, yet does not use such a wide variety of innovations as Joyce. The comparison of Petersburg to