This page focusses on the eight most important characters of the Blood on Ice trilogy, from the wholesome and kind to the brutal and relentless.
Leonid/Леонид
Leonid “Lenya” Petrov Kadnikov (Леонид “Леня” Петров Кадников) is the protagonist of the Blood on Ice trilogy. At the start of the trilogy, he and his friends are twelve years old. His patronymic, Petrov, is later changed to Petrovich (Петрович). To find out why, see in the fine details page.
Lenya was born in Potokled, a small village in the cold and barren countryside of Belaya-Zemlya, to Pyotr Sergeyev Kadnikov and Vasilisa Ivanova Palavskaya. He has an eight-year-old sister named Ganina/Ganya (Ганина / Ганя).
From a young age, Lenya was mainly friends with two people: Yelena “Lena” Borisova Bozhetskaya (Елена “Лена” Борисова Бoжецкaя) and Mikhail “Misha” Vladimirov Dveltin (Михаил “Миша” Владимиров Двелтин). Alongside them, he grew up in dangerous times, as the Krasnaisski military, known for being malicious and cruel, occupied his country and eventually his town.
At the age of eleven, Lenya was given a glaza-kutiya (“eye-box”) by his grandfather. With it, he took dozens of shots of what went on around him, from the road out of the village being patrolled to the school he had to travel to later in his life.
A few years after Potokled was occupied, life changed dramatically. Its shops, school and church were all burnt down and in order to get food and schooling, the civilians were obliged to travel to the largest nearby town, Onoyelsk. There, Lenya, Lena and Misha attended the smaller of its two schools, being taught by volunteering soldiers about the revolution and propaganda, among other things. Meanwhile, they get accused of many serious crimes that they didn’t actually commit.
A few months after they started school in Onoyelsk, Lenya, Lena and Misha were all discovered by the military carrying bread and convicted of stealing it. After being harshly interrogated for the crime they didn’t commit, the three of them decided it to be too dangerous to stay in Bukhtyled, having learned plenty about the Krasnaisski’s malice while growing up. Lena was the first to leave the village, taking nothing with her but her money and writing materials. Lenya and Misha left two weeks later, headed for the capital city of Krasnaya-Zemlya, where Lena was also headed.
While he and Misha attempt to track her down, they embark on a terrifying and exhilarating adventure that shapes their lives forever.
Physical characteristics: Lenya is small for his age and has a round face that becomes more mature as he grows up. He has black, untidy hair and dark brown eyes. He also has a slightly dark complexion, typical of the people in that area- less than 10% of Potokled are fair. Though not muscular like Misha, Lenya is fairly agile, and because he’s small he can fit into cracks in walls and under tight gaps. He works by chopping wood, but isn’t good at it because he’s not strong. He has a very keen eye and is a born photographer. He has a crooked and toothy smile that always reaches his eyes.
Personality: Lenya doesn’t appear very smart, but he learns by observing, rather than just writing stuff down. For example, he quickly learns how to greet soldiers properly and sometimes gets a coin or two in exchange. He does this by watching people do it several times. Lenya is always very optimistic. Because of this, he gives people a sense of hope in the darkest of times without truly realising it. However, this kind of optimism makes him a bit irrational, too, and sometimes leads him and his peers in serious trouble, due to him overlooking the dangers of the situation. Because of this, he can get on people’s nerves. Like nearly all the people that live in Bukhtyled and surrounding areas, Lenya speaks in a strong northern Belaisski accent.
Yelena/Елена
Yelena “Lena” Borisova Bozhetskaya (Елена “Лена” Борисова Бoжецкaя) is Lenya’s best friend and one of the main characters. Her patronymic later changes to Borisovna (Борисовна).
Lena was born to Boris Ilyin Bozhetsky and Olga Vasilyeva Polkitsa, who were farmers. She has an older sister named Nadezhda/Nadya (Надежда/Надя), an older brother named Vladimir/Vova (Владимир/Вова) and two younger siblings; fraternal twins named Ivan/Vanya (Иван/Ваня) and Irina/Ira (Ирина/Ира).
Lena became friends with Lenya Kadnikov and Misha Dveltin when she was very young. Because she had male friends rather than female, she was incessantly teased by Nadya. As they became older and the Revolution broke out, she and her friends watched the world around them become intense and violent. Although Potokled itself wasn’t yet occupied by the Krasnaisski military, they could all sense something bad coming, despite what everyone kept saying about Bukhtyled being unreachable.
When Potokled did become occupied, life changed dramatically. Its shops and school were all burnt down. The only way to get food and schooling was by train to Onoyelsk, the largest town nearby. In school Lena, Lenya and Misha ended up in the same class, being taught by volunteering soldiers about the Revolution.
After a while of this, the three of them were given bread by one of Onoyelsk’s sympathetic civilians. Unfortunately, they were accused of stealing it by a soldier. After being harshly interrogated by the military and convicted wrongly of this terrible crime, Lena made the irresponsible but overall wise decision of leaving Potokled to get out of the Krasnaisskis’ grasp.
Physical characteristics: Lena is similar to Lenya in complexion and also has thick black hair and brown eyes. She has a slender build and is of average height. She has a distinctive birthmark on the back of her neck.
Personality: Lena is helpful and kind, but only to the people that she thinks deserve it. She’s the wittiest and cleverest out of her friends, and she’s particularly passionate about them. Having worked in the fields for most of her life, she knows about the countryside, but not what lurks in the wood like Lenya and Misha, who chop wood. Lena is innovative and likes to make plans, but gets frazzled if anything goes wrong or not according to plan. Because of this, she tends to struggle as a leader.
Mikhail/Михаил
Mikhail “Misha” Vladimirov Dveltin (Михаил “Миша” Владимиров Двелтин) is one of Lenya’s closest friends and one of the main characters in the Blood on Ice trilogy. Later in his life, Misha’s patronymic changes from Vladmirov to Vladimirovich (Владимирович).
Misha was born to Vasily Alexeyevich Dveltin, a lumberjack, and Anna Petrova Oktila. He has a big sister named Aleksandra/Sanya (Александра/Санья). He also lives with his uncle Bulat/Bulya (Булат/Буля), his aunt Olga/Olya (Ольга/Оля) and his cousins who from oldest to youngest are named Grigori/Grisha (Григорий/Гриша), Tatyana/Tanya (Татьяна/Таня) and Pavel/Pash (Павел/Паш).
At a young age, Misha became friends with Lenya Kadnikov and Lena Bozhetskaya, watching the world around them grow mysterious and hostile. When Misha and his friends were twelve years old, the town of Potokled, where they lived, became occupied by the Krasnaisski military.
After a while of being occupied, Bukhtyled lost its means of survival. Its civilians, including lumberjacks, farmers, priests and schoolchildren, had to travel every night and morning to work in Onoyelsk, the largest town nearby. At the school in Onoyelsk, Misha and his friends all learned about the principles of the “Red Regime”, propaganda and the history behind the Revolution which sparked the dramatic changes in both Belaya-Zemlya and Kasnaya-Zemlya.
As Misha became older, his life became even more unsettled. His father and his oldest cousin Grisha were both drafted to join the Krasnaisski army. When they refused, they were beaten and threatened with execution. His friends’ lives became equally dangerous. One day, the three of them were all given bread by a sympathetic civilian of Onoyelsk. However, they were stopped in the street by a soldier and convicted of stealing it. From then on, life in Potokled and Onoyelsk became too damn risky. In order to save the life if himself, his family and those of his friends, Misha has to endure a terrifying journey through unimaginable dangers.
Physical characteristics: Misha is middle-sized and very strong, because he’s been trained as a woodcutter since he was a small boy. He has dark brown hair and brown eyes, which wander off a lot when he’s talking to people
Personality: Misha is reserved and a deep thinker. He’s tough looking on the outside, but on the inside he’s a big softie; even as a adult he’s quick to tears. He’s the most serious and mature of his friends. From the age of fourteen, Misha puts himself in grave danger by being able to overlook what he’s taught in school. However, he doesn’t tell anyone of this, not even his friends. This is because the three share a very good understanding of each other and learn from each other by what they say. When he’s in more dangerous situations, Misha becomes incredibly serious and irritable. Because of this, Lenya’s constant optimism can really wind him up.
Ganina/Ганина
Ganina “Ganya” Petrova Kadnikova (Ганина “Ганя” Петрова Кадникова) is one of the important side characters in the Blood on Ice trilogy. She is Lenya’s younger sister, first appearing in the trilogy at the age of eight. Her patronymic later changes to Petrovna (Петровна).
Ganya stayed at home during the day with her mother until she was six, when she started going to school, quickly becoming top of the class. She and her big brother grew up in dangerous times, her home town of Bukhtyled becoming occupied by the malicious Krasnaisski military.
At the age of ten, Ganya and her family travelled back and forth between Potokled and Onoyelsk. However, when her brother gets convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, Ganya becomes almost alone in the world, faced with life-threatening decisions that could bring her family together again or tear them apart.
Physical characteristics: Ganya takes after her mother, with a tall build and slim features. She has thick black hair, which she covers with a headscarf in winter. She’s a fast runner with an acute sense of hearing.
Personality: Ganya has an ambitious and curious peronality. From a young age, she’s been interested in the creatures which inhabit Belaya-Zemlya and its neighbour Krasnaya-Zemlya. She’s also been known to ask questions a normal child wouldn’t ask. However, because of this, she can push her luck when she becomes curious in public.
Mama/Мама
Vasilisa “Vasya” Ivanova Palavskaya (Василиса “Вася” Иванова Палавская) is a side character in the Blood on Ice Trilogy. She’s just known as “Mama” by her son Lenya and her daughter Ganya. During the trilogy, her patronymic changes to Ivanovna (Ивановна).
Vasya lived a bleak but painless childhood in a farming family in Potokled, getting married to Pyotr Sergeyev Kadnikov at the age of twenty-two.
During the timeline of the trilogy, her role as the backbone of her family becomes more important than ever. Her son is pursued by the relentless Krasnaisski military into deadly territory; her daughter’s curiosity is putting her in danger, and Vasya herelf must lead her family alongside her crippled husband, working to find the light at the end of the tunnel.
Physical characteristics: Vasya has a tall stature and a thin face. She has light brown eyes and thick black hair, which she keeps tied up.
Personality: Vasya is a caring, earnest, but bossy mother. She’s only scared by the big picture, but knows who and who not to show this to. She doesn’t have many friends, relying on herself and her husband for survival. She’s not afraid to show the most horrible and ghoulish things to her children, particulary Ganya; partly because she’s a tough woman and partly because of Ganya’s overwhelmingly curious nature.
Papa/Папа
Pyotr “Petya” Sergeyev Kadnikov (Пётр “Петя” Сергеев Кадников), known simply as Papa by his children, is an important side character in the Blood on Ice trilogy. During the trilogy, his patronymic changes to Sergeyevich (Сергеевич).
Petya was born in Potokled, subsequently growing up there. He was the youngest of three brothers and one sister: Nikolai/Kolya (Николай/Коля), Valentin/Valya(Велантин/Валя), Yekaterina/Katyusha (Екатерина/Катюша) and himself.
At the age of fifteen, Petya followed in his father’s and brothers’ footsteps, mining in the mountains which surrounded Potokled. At twenty-four, he married Vasya Ivanova Palavskaya (Вася Иванова Палавская). He continued his mining job well after his son and daughter were born.
During the time period the trilogy happens, Petya and his colleages are re-employed by the the Krasnaisski soldiers, as well as other men and boys, to work on laying a railroad. Unfortunately, he becomes permanently crippled right before his somewhat estranged son runs away from Bukhtyled in search of his friend. Trying his best to keep himself, his family and their spirits alive, Petya struggles his way out of the darkest of times.
Physical characteristics: Petya is a stocky, small and dark man, with black eyes, hair and thin black stubble on his chin. He has a round face and two distinctive scars on the back of his neck.
Personality: Petya is willing to answer every question, but is bad at lying. He and his wife Vasya both take care of their small family. He’s optimistic, but doesn’t overlook dangers like Lenya does. If he were to organise a funeral, he’d celebrate the deceased’s life rather than being sad about their death.
Sergeyevich/Сергеевич
Vladimir Sergeyevich (Владимир Сергеевич) is a side character in the Blood on Ice trilogy. Note: Sergeyevich’s patronymic was always an “aristocratic” patronymic. Nobody except him knows what his surname is. Nobody calls him Vladimir, lest they be chased down and spat in the face.
Nothing is known about Sergeyevich’s early life. It was said that he was born into a bourgeouis family in Krasnaya-Zemlya, but was exiled to Potokled in Belaya-Zemlya.
In the trilogy, Sergeyevich speaks briefly to Lenya on a few occasions, always naming him by his full first name, Leonid. Other than Lenya and himself, Sergeyevich doesn’t talk to anyone and goes about his own business in life.
Physical characteristics: Sergeyevich has sea green eyes, a slightly hooked nose. He has a dull grey mane of uncombed hair and a beard of the same colour. He has a perpetual limp which can’t be explained because Sergeyevich doesn’t explain anything.
Personality: Sergeyevich is a mysterious man that everybody dismisses as a madman that exiled to Potokled as a young man. He doesn’t have any friends and spends his days outside his house muttering to his hand. Of his own accord, he begins to talk to Lenya about things he doesn’t understand. He always acknowledges people by their full first names when they walk past him. He speaks in a central Krasnaisski accent, making him of great interest to the Krasnaisski soldiers who occupy Potokled.
Gerudchev/Герудчев
Lieutenant Konstantin “Kostik” Nikolayevch Gerudchev (Лейтенант Константин “Костик” Николаевич Герудчев) is the main antagonist of the Blood on Ice trilogy.
Gerudchev was born in a town (not named) in Krasnaya-Zemlya. He dropped out of school at fourteen and joined the army, showing great leadership, strategising and combat skills.
When the Revolution broke out, Kostik and his colleagues, all privates at the time, helped give a backbone to the fledgling workers’ administration. He quickly moved up the ranks until he earned the title Lieutenant.
During the timeline of the trilogy, Gerudchev leads dozens, if not hundreds of troops, into the barren countryside of Belaya-Zemlya, occupying the village of Potokled. He grants the civilians the status of “the Zemlaisskie of the future,” forcing them to work on a new railroad leading to the largest town nearby, Onoyelsk.
Gerudchev grows incredibly suspicious of Lenya and his friends, accusing them of crimes he can’t prove that they’ve committed. When the three of them reach “the last straw” and flee Potokled in fear, he makes a deadly pursuit.
Physical characteristics: Gerudchev is a strong, athletic and broad man. He’s fair, with blue-grey eyes and neatly kept blonde hair.
Personality: Gerudchev isn’t in his right mind. He’s power mad and will do anything to get and keep control. When he’s planning an attack he’s articulate, but when he’s actually attacking, he goes mental. He has charm and intelligence, but also has an alarming and intimidating side to him, meaning nobody knows when he’s going to flip his lid or when he’s going to be a dignified gentleman.
