Inside the story
Meet Nikolai Zubin
The Lieutenant-Governor of Ufa and father of Sofya Nikolayevna. After the death of his first wife, he marries again but becomes dominated by his cruel second wife, who mistreats Sofya. Following his second wife's death and his own paralytic stroke, he relies on Sofya to manage his household and official affairs. Though initially doubtful about Alexei Bagrov, he ultimately consents to their marriage.
On the page
An elderly man, feeble and shrunk to a mere skeleton after paralysis, with an exhausted, anxious face. He wears a loose invalid's bedclothes or dressing-gown.
