Character Analysis
General Kirsanov and Agafokleya Kuzminishna are the father and mother of Nikolai and Pavel Petrovich. General Kirsanov was a well-respected man who served in the military for 23 years (1812 – 1835). Vassily Ivanych, who was a military doctor under him, remembers him as a great man.
Agafokleya Kuzminishna came from a successful family, and she filled out the role of military wife quite naturally and easily.
Being a military man, Kirsanov expected his sons to follow suit. He gave up Nikolai as something of a bad case when he became injured before joining the service. It's clear that Kirsanov was much closer to Pavel Petrovich, who also pursued a successful career in the military.
After retiring in 1835, Kirsanov planned to settle down in Petersburg. Yet, he died of a stroke the same year. Agafokleya Kuzminishna, grief-stricken, followed soon after.