A seventy-five-year-old, very wealthy, cantankerous, but vibrant landowner, and the aunt of the thirty-five-year-old general from Moscow society. She becomes enraged upon realizing her relatives are waiting for her death and inheritance via telegrams, and in an unexpected turn, she arrives in the spa city. No sooner has she arrived than she becomes obsessed with roulette; playing by her own rules, she initially wins large sums only to lose hundreds of thousands of rubles of her inheritance. She sees the expectations and deceptions of those around her clearly, teaching them the greatest lesson of their lives.
For years in Russia, she lived authoritatively on her own estates, well-versed in maintaining her wealth and power. From the start, she has looked down upon the General's stupidity and his coveting of her inheritance, insisting on doing things her own way. She has been in a wheelchair for five years because she cannot walk, but her paralyzed state has not weakened her spirit in the slightest.
Although she is in a wheelchair, she is a very tall, robust woman with shoulders and a body as stiff as a board. She has gray hair, a large head, sharp and striking facial features, and a face alive with the joy of living. She wears black silk dresses belonging to the high society and a white bonnet.
General
A fake nephew whom she critiques and humiliates mercilessly for waiting for her inheritance.
Matmazel Blanche
A rival whom she identifies as an 'actress' and an opportunist from the very first moments.
Aleksey İvanoviç
A person she views as a sort of co-conspirator and guide due to his youth, impulsiveness, and gambling addiction.
Polina Aleksandrovna
The only relative whose intelligence and honor she respects, despite finding her sharp-tongued, and whose loneliness she pities.