The Mayor (Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky)
A typical Russian public servant, he is concerned mostly with appearances rather than actually serving the people. When he hears that a government inspector is coming to town, he orders his civil servants to make their institutions look efficient. He is deeply nervous about being found out for his own bad behavior, which includes bribery and squeezing his shopkeepers too hard. He thinks these are mere indiscretions, though, and is inclined to give himself a pass. When the shopkeepers complain about his various bad deeds, he protests that they are lying. Of course, the Mayor himself is also a liar, trying desperately to wine and dine Khlestakov and fill his head with inflated and inaccurate accounts of the way his town runs.
Ivan Alexandrovich Khlestakov
Khlestakov is described as a rather slight young man of about 23 years old, with refined features and light, darting eyes. His father supports him, and he refuses to do an honest day's work. He is prone to gambling and cares only for food, amusements, and ladies. He bullies those who do not do what he wants them to do, has no qualms lying and exaggerating, is irresponsible, and fully takes advantage of the situation in the town without giving any thought to anything beyond his own pleasures. He flirts shamelessly both mother and daughter, but he decides he should marry Marya to continue living this life of ease.
Anna Andreyevna
The Mayor's wife and Marya's mother, Anna is attractive but also gossipy and vain. She desires nothing more than to climb the social ladder. She enjoys Khlestakov's flirting with her, but she is equally pleased to let him marry her daughter when if it brings the family a wealthy new life in St. Petersburg.
Marya Antonovna
The Mayor and Anna's daughter, Marya is pretty and less rude than her mother, but still not particularly intelligent. She agrees to Khlestakov's proposal when she thinks he is a significant personage.
Pyotr Ivanovich Bobchinsky
A resident of the town, he is more or less interchangeable with Dobchinsky. He is not very bright.
Osip
Khlestakov's servant; he is low-class but intelligent. Osip rues his master's exasperating idleness and dissoluteness, wishing they could simply return home to St. Petersburg. He enjoys the treatment they eventually receive when Khlestakov is mistaken for the government inspector, but he urges his master to leave before their luck runs out.
Pyotr Ivanovich Dobchinsky
A landowner, he is more or less interchangeable with Bobchinsky. He is not very bright. He wants Khlestakov to legitimize his son born out of wedlock.
Postmaster (Ivan Kuzmich Shpekin)
Rather dimwitted, the Postmaster cheerfully admits to reading all the letters that come through because he is "dying to know what's going on in the world!" He is the one who learns that Khlestakov is not the real government inspector.
The Warden of Charities (Artemy Filippovich Zemlyanika)
A typical Russian public servant, he is concerned mostly with appearances rather than actually serving the people. With the Doctor, the Warden of Charities tries to make his institution seem like it is very successful. He is very frightened of Khlestakov, wondering if the "government inspector" will be filing a report on him. One of the ways he hopes to avoid this is by slipping the man some money, which nearly every official ends up doing. He also enjoys heavily criticizing the others to Khlestakov.
The Judge (Ammos Fyodorovich Lyapkin-Tyapkin)
A typical Russian public servant, he is concerned mostly with appearances rather than actually serving the people. The Judge mostly cares about hunting rather than his cases (he admits his records are in shambles); the courthouse is full of geese and the Judge's chambers are full of his own clothes. He admits to taking bribes, but he does not think it is that bad because he accepts Borzoi puppies, not money. The Mayor also points out that the Judge is not religious, but the Judge is glad that "I worked it out all by myself, with my own brains."
The Inspector of Schools (Luka Lukich Khlopov)
A typical Russian public servant, he is concerned mostly with appearances rather than actually serving the people. The Inspector of Schools often has trouble with his teachers. He is very shy and nervous about the government inspector.
The Chief of Police (Stepan Ilich Ukhovyortov)
A typical Russian public servant, he is concerned mostly with appearances rather than actually serving the people. He does what the Mayor orders him to do.
The Doctor (Khristian Ivanovich Huebner)
A typical Russian public servant, he is concerned mostly with appearances rather than actually serving the people. Along with the Warden of Charities, the Doctor prefers to "let Nature take its course" with the patients.
Mishka
The Mayor's servant.
Abdulin
A shopkeeper whom The Mayor lambasts for not giving him a new sword and for generally being greedy.
Svistunov, Pugovitsyn, Derzhimorda
Police constables.
Fevronya Petrovna Poshlyopkina (The Locksmith's Wife)
She comes before Khlestakov and claims that the Mayor ordered her husband to go away to war when he was supposed to be spared; she hopes that the man will be punished severely.
The Sergeant's Widow
She comes before Khlestakov to complain that she was unjustly flogged.
Fyoder Andreyevich Lulyukov, Ivan Lazarevich Rastovsky, Stepan Ivanovich Korobkin
Townsmen and minor officials.
