Dauria (1972) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

A passionate, loving young Cossack torn between loyalty to his family and the pull of the Red revolutionary movement. He longs for Dashutka and seeks the matchmaker’s aid, but financial constraints threaten traditional courtship. His journey through love, injury, and war tests his resolve and resilience.

• 💖 Romantic
• ⚔️ Impulsive
• 🛡️ Loyal

Roman’s uncle and a rising Red revolutionary who embodies the new political zeal. He leads and defends revolutionary aims, pulling Roman into the broader conflict. His devotion to the cause often puts him at odds with traditional family expectations.

• 🔥 Charismatic
• 🧭 Revolutionary
• 🛡️ Protective

The stern, traditional father who despises his brother’s Red affiliations. He shoulders family duties and attempts to shield his son from danger, even as war and shifting loyalties pull the family apart. His eventual fate marks a turning point for the village’s moral order.

• 🧭 Patriarch
• 🗡️ Authoritarian
• 🛡️ Protective

The village matchmaker who represents tradition and communal ties. She navigates social expectations and helps orchestrate rites of courtship, even when money and status complicate those traditions. Her role underscores the continuity of cultural practices amid upheaval.

• 🎎 Traditionalist
• 💬 Social mediator
• 🧭 Pragmatic

The powerful village leader whose authority shapes daily life and the course of local events. His decisions influence who fights whom and who receives protection, making him a pivotal figure in the community’s response to war and revolution.

• 🔥 Dominant
• 🧭 Strategic
• 🛡️ Protective

A strong-willed member of the Kozulin family, she embodies the personal and familial stakes tied to wealth, status, and social norms. Her presence highlights how money and reputation interact with traditional expectations during times of upheaval.

• ❤️ Family
• 🗝️ Status
• 🛡️ Protective

A key patriarchal figure tied to the Kozulin clan, whose actions reflect the tensions between old-money privilege and the revolutionary currents sweeping the region. His choices affect the fate of those around him.

• 💼 Wealth
• 🗡️ Power
• 🛡️ Guarded

A member of the village, described by the cast as Semen Nagorny, whose role intersects with the shifting loyalties of the period. He represents the everyday person swept up in larger political events.

• 🕊️ Peacemaker
• 🗡️ Courage

A maternal, protective presence within the Ulybin family. Her support helps sustain the family through hardship, loss, and the violence surrounding the conflict.

• 👩 Nurturing
• 🛡️ Protective

The elder Ulybin, a traditionalist who embodies the village’s memory and continuity. His perspective anchors family lineage as the world around him churns with revolution and war.

• 🧓 Traditionalist
• 🗺️ Keeper

A young figure in the story whose exact role is not detailed in the summary, but who stands within the Ulybin circle during a tumultuous era. His presence hints at the broader network of family and community.

• 🔍 Unknown role
• 🧭 Observer

A member of the group involved in the taiga-bound struggles and the conflict surrounding the bank raid and pursuit. His involvement underscores the danger and chaos of the period.

• 🗡️ Fighter
• 🛡️ Survivor

A Cossack figure that appears within the tapestry of the village’s dynamics during the civil conflict. He represents the martial aspects of Cossack life amid the revolutionary upheaval.

• ⚔️ Warrior
• 🛡️ Loyalist

Loyalty is tested as family ties collide with political ideals. Roman must navigate his love for Dashutka with the pressures of an older generation that sides with or against revolution. The conflict between allegiance to kin and to a broader cause drives the characters toward risky choices and tense confrontations.

The film centers on traditional Cossack life, including arranged matchmaking and communal ceremonies that define social status. When economic hardship blocks a father’s ability to afford a matchmaker, the plot contrasts old customs with new wealth and influence. These rituals highlight the community’s reliance on shared culture even as it is pulled apart by war.

Conflict erupts on multiple fronts: personal, political, and military. The bank raid, the fight between Red revolutionaries and anti-communist forces, and the executioner's brutality reveal a society fractured by competing powers. Violence reshapes lives, ends generations of peace, and forces characters to redefine their paths.