The White Guard

Main Characters and Their Development

• Alexei Turbin — the eldest brother in the Turbin family, a doctor, and the head of the family after their father's death, he shows responsibility and care for his family, actively participating in the civil war on the side of the White Guard.
• Elena Turbina — sister to Alexei and Nikolai, she strives to maintain the household, providing comfort and warmth for her brothers, and throughout the novel, she transitions from an independent young woman to an awareness of the realities and hardships of wartime.
• Nikolai Turbin — the younger brother, spontaneous and emotional, he is drawn to romantic ideas of heroism and sacrifice, serves in the army, and faces a growing realization of the futility of war and personal tragedy.
• Viktor Myshlaevsky — a friend of the Turbin family, initially portrayed as a cheerful and carefree young man, but gradually drawn into the vortex of war, he reveals himself as a brave and decisive officer.
• Shervinsky — a cavalry guard and friend of the Turbins, known for his charisma, his views on life change under the influence of military events, leading to disillusionment with the romance of warfare and a reevaluation of his values.