Voshchev

Voshchev, a central figure in the narrative, has transitioned from being a machinist to a laborer tasked with excavating the foundation for a Soviet communal housing unit in the early 1930s. His disposition to "stop and think" cost him his machinist job at the age of thirty. Amidst the tumultuous changes within the Soviet Union geared towards constructing a new societal framework post-revolution, Voshchev is driven by an intrinsic desire to comprehend the "sense of the action” and the lasting essence of life. Compassion defines him as he perceives suffering universally. Ultimately, he delivers a fatal strike to the activist, penalizing him for his erroneous belief in possessing a sole grasp on truth. In the end, Voshchev's pursuit of truth is abandoned following Nastya's demise.

Prushevsky

Prushevsky is a young engineer and an intellectual at the age of twenty-five, characterized by a "gray" demeanor, influenced by his perception of the world as inert matter, which stifles his creative mind. Initially mistrusted by others, his ingenuity and enlightening knowledge eventually gain him acceptance. He conceptualizes the communal building for which the foundation is being dug, a structure aimed at eradicating individual ties in which he himself is deficient. Haunted by the memory of a lost love, a fleeting encounter with a woman, Prushevsky's inability to love leaves him mired in despair and contemplating suicide. His plight is emblematic of the emotional vacuum and existential disillusionment that pervade the novel's ideological landscape.

Chiklin

Chiklin, the leader of the digging brigade, is portrayed as strong, industrious, and generous. An older man with a "small stony head" and thick hair, he is more a laborer than a thinker, unable to articulate his emotions effectively. Completely dedicated to the revolution, Chiklin searches for and finds the woman he once loved, now dying, leaving her daughter Nastya under his care. Nastya symbolizes his hope for the future, but her death devastates him. In his grief, he digs her grave deep to shield her from the world's troubles, embodying the proletarian defender of the revolution. At the novel's conclusion, Chiklin is left bereft of faith, digging as his only recourse to endure his sorrow.

Zhachev

Zhachev is characterized by his leglessness, a result of injuries sustained in World War I, labeled as "capitalist." He showcases intelligence and a caustic demeanor, often exhibiting verbal aggression. His "brown, narrow eyes" reflect his hostility, and he exploits others' guilt over his disability to obtain food and services, driven by the "greed of the deprived." Despite his self-centeredness, Zhachev displays a selfless devotion to Nastya, whom he attempts to shield tenderly, viewing her as a beacon of life that will thrive beyond his existence.

Nastya

Nastya, a young orphan adopted by the diggers, is the daughter of the captivating bourgeois woman admired by both Prushevsky and Chiklin in their youth. She encapsulates the beauty of the bygone regime, now slipping away with the revolution. For the men, Nastya embodies the future's promise and the envisioned ideal Communist state, which remains distant. Her involvement in the emerging kolkhoz inspires hope and infuses their toil with significance. Her relentless dedication to the revolution is marked by her chastisement of backsliders and condemnation of bourgeois behaviors. Her death signifies the collapse of their aspirations, a poignant contrast to the collective farm's establishment at the expense of the kulaks' suffering.

The activist

The activist, an unnamed Party official, is charged with the task of liquidating landowning peasants and facilitating the kolkhoz's formation. Adhering rigidly to government orders, he subordinates his own emotions and thoughts to his zealous commitment to the Party's objectives. His fervor...