Laevsky is a clerk in the Ministry of Finance who has relocated to the Caucasus with a married woman. He avoids personal responsibility by attributing his dissatisfaction to his generation or the oppressive southern heat. Preoccupied with his own wants, he dreams of fleeing to St. Petersburg while masking his guilt with defensive anger toward his mistress.

Samoylenko is an army doctor who runs a hospitable home where he serves dinner to local young people. He behaves submissively toward his superiors while sometimes acting condescendingly toward his inferiors. His traditional values lead him to involve himself in others' affairs as a well-meaning mediator.

Nadyezhda Fyodorovna is a married woman living in the Caucasus with her lover. She seeks validation through male attention while internalizing guilt over her accumulating debts and indiscretions. Lacking social and legal protections, she relies on coquettish behavior to maintain an illusion of lightness against her mounting despair.

Von Koren is a young zoologist conducting observations of marine and natural life in the Caucasus. He operates strictly through positivist materialism, believing that individuals who do not serve the overall health of society ought to be eradicated. He extends his cold scientific methods to human interactions.

Pobyedov is a young deacon from an impoverished background who spends time with the local Russian community. He observes the people around him primarily to find humor in their behavior. He prefers to avoid rigid work, choosing instead to enjoy the heat and uncertainty of his current posting.

Marya Konstantinovna is a Russian gentry woman living in the seaside town. She upholds traditional social morals and organizes community gatherings. She views women who step outside societal norms with pity and harsh judgment.

Katya is the daughter of Marya Konstantinovna. She participates in social outings in the local Russian community under her mother's supervision.

Kirilin is a local police captain who interacts with the Russian expatriates. He uses his position and aggressive persistence to demand attention from vulnerable women in his social circle.

Atchmianov is a local shopkeeper's son to whom Nadyezhda Fyodorovna owes significant debts. He uses his family's financial leverage to seek sexual favors.

Kerbalay is a local Tartar who lives in the mountainous region. He views the Russians as touristic interlopers but provides them with hospitality and engages in theological conversation.