Who is Yevgeny Bazarov in Fathers and Sons?

In Ivan Turgenev’s 1862 novel Fathers and Sons, Yevgeny Bazarov is a young physician and the story's central character. He is a self-proclaimed nihilist who rejects all traditional institutions, forms of authority, and aestheticism, placing his faith solely in the natural sciences.123

Bazarov is depicted as rude, sarcastic, and forthright in his opinions, representing the rise of the nongentry revolutionary intelligentsia over the traditional gentry class. Despite his rigid commitment to scientific rationalism and his rejection of social bonds, he proves susceptible to love, which ultimately leads to his unhappiness.12

Turgenev’s portrayal of Bazarov is considered a masterpiece of objective characterization. While the character’s death at the end of the novel has been interpreted by some as the author’s rejection of nihilism, Bazarov remains one of the most powerful and complex figures in Russian literature, approaching tragic stature through his final experiences.21