Ardalion Ivanovich Mayakov - Character Profile
Updated: May 15, 2021
Ardalion Ivanovich Mayakov was born in Tver, Russia, in 1872. He is an anarchist bookseller and owner of the bookstore, "Ardalion Books and Gifts," which is located right across from Harvey's Feingold's deli.
A womanizing, self-declared "agent provocateur" who enjoys riling people up and challenging social norms, Ardalion is a nihilist of the highest order. He dislikes the traditional order and just as in Russia, he seeks to challenge the "traditional" hierarchies of class, race, gender, religion, etc. that he sees in America.
He takes a special interest in bored, disaffected middle-aged women who are dissatisfied with their lives, such as Raisa.
Ardalion knows Lev since they are both part of the Bowery Labour Union. He feels that Lev is not daring enough and that he's too afraid of chaos to really be able to push for the changes that he claims to want to see in society.