Alexander Rostov
Alexander, the protagonist and main character of the novel is a Russian aristocrat. His parents died when he was young and his grandmother took over parental rights of him and his sister. He lives in a hotel in Moscow when he’s placed under house arrest for life for writing propaganda materials. Alexander finds it extremely hard to adapt to his new reality. He’s moved into a smaller room compared to the executive suite he was used to. Four years of living in the confines of the hotel make him mentally unstable and unsuccessfully attempts suicide. He decides to give his new life a chance by working as a waiter in the very hotel. He makes new friends and his life begins to have a purpose again. He adapts to his confined environment and finds freedom in it. Nina, a young girl who also lives in the hotel likes to explore the hotel. They become close. She is one of the people who give Alexander’s life meaning. In the later years, Nina is an adult, and she comes back to the hotel with Sofia, her daughter. She asks Alexander to take care of her as she goes to Siberia to save her husband. Alexander becomes like a father to Sofia, and they build a special bond. Alexander also has an intimate relationship with Anna Urbanova.
Nina Kulikova
At the beginning of the novel, Nina is a curious 9-year-old girl who likes to explore and wander the hotel. Nina is an essential part of Alexander’s mental recovery from his depressive life in confinement. She lifts Alexander’s spirit which gives him a sense of freedom and purpose. As Nina grows up she distances herself from the old ways of Alexander and becomes a supporter of communism. She finally sees the negative effects of communism and how millions of people are starving. Nina finally gets married and has a daughter, Sofia. Her husband is arrested in Siberia for opposing the government. Nina sets out to find her husband. She leaves Sofia with Alexander, never to return.
Sofia
Sofia is Nina’s daughter who is left in the care of Alexander at five years old. As years go by without Nina ever returning, Alexander automatically becomes Sofia’s father. She is so much like her mother as Alexander notes. Alexander has a sort of epiphany that his life was always meant to lead to where he was, as a father to Sofia. Sofia learns how to play the piano with Alexander’s help. She blossoms into a talented pianist. To save her from the restrictive Russian society, Alexander sets out a plan to extradite her to the United States where she accomplishes her dreams fully.
Anna Urbanova
Anna is a wealthy and successful actress. She has an intimate relationship with Alexander. Anna is among the people hit with the shift in cultural and social values. In most of her film roles, she acts as an elite in society. Since the Russian communist government was against aristocrats, she was seen as a relic of the old world. She, however, manages to get in front of the chaos before her career is irreversible. She takes on roles portraying common folk who are fighting for better jobs and wages for women. She successfully restarts her career and moves to the theater where she thrives. The relationship between Anna and Alexander is very strong. All through the years, they maintain their love for one another. When Alexander finally escapes the hotel, he goes to find Anna.
Mishka
Mishka is a poet and Alexander’s best friend. He’s not an aristocrat like Alexander, but they share the same values and ideas. He initially supports the incoming government, but he soon realizes the negative effects it has on many things including his art form of poetry. He is arrested and sent to a labor camp for disobeying a government’s order to censor his poetry. Mishka later returns to Moscow and later dies. Alexander later reveals that Mishka was the one who wrote the propaganda material which he was imprisoned for. They agreed to do it because Alexander would receive a lighter sentence than Mishka. They had a deep friendship full of love and sacrifice.
