A mid-ranking, middle-aged civil servant who is vain, well-dressed, and fiercely ambitious. Raised by a father who taught him to value money over human connection, Chichikov possesses an uncanny ability to read people and flatter them perfectly. He travels the Russian provinces executing an elaborate fraud scheme: buying deceased serfs who are still alive on census rolls to mortgage them for a fortune.

A thirty-five-year-old landowner who lives like a wild, impulsive teenager. He is a compulsive liar, a notorious cheat at cards, and heavily in debt. Boisterous and aggressive, he quickly smells a rat when Chichikov makes his unconventional business requests and publicly causes trouble for him.

An incredibly wealthy alcohol monopolist and tax collector who serves as the moral center of the region. He actively encourages those around him to embrace Orthodox Christian values, advocating for self-sacrifice, honesty, and charity as the true paths to redemption.

Chichikov's thirty-year-old personal servant. He is a surly-looking fellow with thick facial features who harbors an unusual love for reading voraciously. He is mostly notable to others for his distinctive, powerful body odor, which follows him everywhere.

Chichikov's perpetually drunken coachman. He possesses a terrible sense of direction and often drives while intoxicated. His wild and careless driving frequently forces the carriage off the main roads, inadvertently leading his master to accidental encounters with local landowners.

A dreamy, indecisive, and overly sweet landowner. He struggles to complete any projects on his estate and spends his time reading unfinished books and fantasizing about idealized friendships. He is so eager to please that his manners frequently become fawning.

A large, bear-like landowner known for his physical strength and forthright, unrefined manner. He possesses a deep, almost sentimental attachment to his peasants and values clumsy, sturdy construction on his estate over European elegance. He approaches business with a ruthless, practical edge.

An elderly widow and minor landowning gentry. She is deeply superstitious, parsimonious, and cautious, frequently hoarding her money in small boxes hidden in drawers. She exhibits intense anxiety about being cheated in any unfamiliar business transaction.

A wealthy but deeply miserable miser who hoards useless objects while letting his massive estate fall into complete ruin. Once a cheerful family man, he became isolated and obsessively stingy following personal tragedies, completely abandoning the care of his serfs and property.

A young, unmarried landowner gripped by Byronic gloom and extreme idleness. He abandoned a civil service career to improve his estate, but instead spends his days drafting an impossibly ambitious treatise on Russian history. He nurses a stubborn grudge over a perceived social slight that ended his recent courtship.

A highly decorated, imperious military hero who maintains an authoritative bearing in his retirement. He harbors a coarse sense of humor and deeply resents officials who outrank him, though he easily falls for elaborate, amusing stories.

General Betrishchev's beautiful, idealistic daughter. She possesses a strong sense of justice and kindness, frequently arguing with her father to defend the virtues of her neighbors and expressing dismay at cynical behavior.

A highly corpulent, gluttonous landowner who delights in extreme excess. He practically traps his guests in his home, insisting they participate in lavish, multi-day feasts of rich foods and endless alcohol.

A handsome young man burdened by profound ennui and a general disinterest in his privileged life. He agrees to accompany Chichikov on his travels in a desperate attempt to cure his persistent boredom.

A wealthy, highly skilled agronomist who manages a thriving farming operation. He disdains consumer goods and European industrialization, arguing instead for the moral virtue of hard work, agricultural discipline, and closeness to nature.

A ludicrous landowner who has divided his estate into bureaucratic departments complete with mandatory paperwork. His obsession with complex administrative procedures and forcing peasant farmers to study philosophy has resulted in heavy debts rather than order.

A profligate and self-dealing landowner whose property has completely deteriorated. Despite starving peasants and massive debts, he stubbornly maintains a lavish lifestyle on borrowed funds, throwing extravagant dinner parties and hiring tutors he cannot afford.

A delicate young teenager whose initial roadside encounter with Chichikov sparks his interest. When they meet again at a ball, his awkward and intense attention bores her but incites a jealous uproar among the older aristocratic women in town.

The ranking official in the provincial town of N. He treats visitors like celebrities but presides over a deeply corrupt local bureaucracy.

Nozdryov's brother-in-law. He initially tries to escape from Nozdryov's wild plans in favor of returning home to his wife, but quickly yields to peer pressure and stays for the drinking.

Platonov's responsible brother, who manages a highly successful estate. He hopes traveling will cure his brother's mental hibernation and welcomes Chichikov's offer to mediate a local land dispute on his behalf.

A local landowner embroiled in a land dispute with his neighbor Vasily. He secretly engages in questionable business deals while attempting to maintain an outward appearance of propriety.

An unpopular and strict imperial appointee tasked with untangling the region's massive corruption and dealing with serious peasant unrest. He faces overwhelming bureaucratic tangles and relies on local counsel to navigate the crisis.