And Quiet Flows the Don

Main Characters and Their Development

• Grigory Melekhov: a young Cossack whose life and conflicted attitude towards the Revolution and Civil War form the central storyline. Grigory experiences internal conflicts between loyalty to his people and personal feelings, especially towards Aksinya.
• Aksinya Astakhova: Grigory's love, a beautiful and passionate woman who struggles at the intersection of societal expectations and personal happiness with her feelings and desires. Her relationship with Grigory places her before many difficult choices.
• Mitry Melekhov: Grigory's elder brother, embodies a conservative worldview and traditional Cossack values. His life and career are also deeply affected by the historical events of the time.
• Pantelei Prokofievich Melekhov: father of Grigory and Mitry, strict and principled, his certainties and views on life, family, and duty are gradually tested by unfolding events and wars.
• Ilyinichna Melekhova: mother of Grigory and Mitry, a woman embodying maternal care and patience in the face of changes that devastate her family and home.