Andrey Petrovich Chartkov
Andrey Petrovich Chartkov is very talented person, but he is poor and always indignant of his life. One day his fate decides to give him everything: money and fame. It is a summit of his desires, but after this he will be sorry for it. It appears that his fate tests him. In reality, the main character turns out to be a very greedy for money and self- loving. He lays a trap for himself and destroys his own life.
Icon painter
Icon painter is a man, who paints the portrait. The very portrait kills Chartkov. And maybe readers think that icon painter is a bad person, but it is not true. This man leaves his home and goes to the monastery. There he works the way up from the perpetration of the sin to the good. Painter repents his sins before the God and he tries to rectify this mistake.
Son of the icon painter
Son of the icon painter is a young fellow with good soul. He is a prototype of Chartkov. He doesn’t care about the glory and wealth. At father’s request, he tries to find the portrait and destroy it. But unfortunately this portrait disappears.