Tatiana is a seventeen-year-old girl living in a crowded Leningrad apartment with her large family. Initially naive about the realities of war, she takes on a job at a factory and assumes the heavy responsibility of securing food and rations for her entire household. Her chance encounter with a Red Army soldier sparks a profound change in her life, forcing her to balance her fierce familial loyalty against her own desires.

Alexander is a twenty-two-year-old officer in the Red Army who speaks with a slightly unusual accent. He hides dangerous secrets about his past and his true origins from the Soviet state, making him cautious about who he trusts. Despite his intense immediate attraction to Tatiana, he finds himself caught in a complicated dynamic, dating her older sister to maintain his proximity to the family.

Dimitri is a soldier in the Red Army and a close associate of Alexander's from their time in Officer Candidate School. He holds significant leverage over Alexander due to their shared history, using this knowledge to manipulate his fellow soldier. He takes an aggressive interest in Tatiana, viewing her as both a romantic conquest and a tool to assert dominance.

Dasha is Tatiana's older sister by seven years, a young woman primarily focused on securing a comfortable future and a husband. She enjoys the attention of soldiers and often relies on her younger sister to manage the grueling domestic responsibilities of their household. She rekindles a past connection with Alexander, completely unaware of the immediate bond he shares with Tatiana.

Georgi is the patriarch of the Metanov family who makes unilateral decisions for his household. He often overlooks Tatiana's vital contributions to the family's survival while heavily favoring his older daughter and only son. As the war intensifies and conditions deteriorate, he struggles to cope with the changing reality and turns to alcohol to manage his stress.

Irina is the matriarch of the Metanov household, managing the increasingly crowded apartment as the conflict escalates. Like her husband, she expects her youngest daughter to take on heavy domestic burdens while shielding her older children from responsibility. She focuses her emotional energy on worrying about her absent son and securing a future for her eldest daughter.

Dr. Sayers is an American physician working with the Red Cross in the Soviet Union. He forms a close professional bond with Tatiana over their shared medical duties. He offers a rare source of genuine friendship outside of the military structure and becomes a vital ally as the war progresses.

Pasha is Tatiana's twin brother and the only son in the Metanov family. His parents desperately want to keep him out of the military draft, sending him to a boys' camp outside the city just as the conflict begins.

Colonel Stepanov is a high-ranking officer in the Red Army and Alexander's commanding officer. He oversees military operations and occasionally assists Alexander with personal requests regarding the war's impact on civilians.

Marina is Tatiana's cousin who eventually moves into the crowded Metanov household after losing her own family support system. She struggles to adapt to the severe rationing and often clashes with the rest of the family over scarce resources.

Anton is Dasha's best friend. He provides a brief distraction for the family before the war's devastation fully sets in, and attempts to offer comfort as conditions rapidly worsen.

Deda is Tatiana's grandfather. He represents the older generation's endurance and serves as a moral compass for Tatiana, who admires his genuinely good heart and attempts to emulate his kindness.

Babushka is one of Tatiana's grandmothers. She lives in the small, crowded apartment and depends entirely on the family's dwindling food rations as the blockade tightens around the city.

Babushka Maya is another of Tatiana's grandmothers who resides in the crowded family apartment. She requires constant care and portions of the family's strictly limited food resources, adding to the household's heavy burdens.