Pavel Petrovich is the older brother of Nikolai Petrovich and the uncle of Arkady. Despite being nearly fifty years old, he is not married, and has maintained a youthful grace and vigor. Above all, Pavel is defined by his great pride and adherence to principles. The amount of effort that he puts into his image is apparent in his perfectly maintained fingernails and his elegant aristocratic attire. Pavel’s vanity stems from the glamorous days of his youth. After studying in the Corps of Pages, a military academy in Saint Petersburg, he became a military officer and by the age of 28, had already attained the rank of captain. His strong reputation in the service, in society, and among women could be attributed to his strikingly good looks, self-confidence, quick wit, and irresistible charm (22). However, Pavel’s glory days came to an end one evening when he met a certain Princess R— at a ball. He fell in love with her immediately and decided that he would not rest until she belonged entirely to him. Although the Princess loved Pavel for a while, she quickly lost interest, grew tired of his insistence, and left Russia to travel abroad. Governed by his passion, the young dandy resigned from his position despite the protests of his peers, and followed the object of his love. After losing track of the princess, Pavel Petrovich returned to Russia, but he was never able to resume his life as he left it. For an entire decade, he lived a dull, repetitive existence, spending every evening drinking and gambling at the same club. In 1848, after receiving word of Princess R—‘s death in Paris, he decided to move in with Nikolai. Both men had suffered experiences of great loss and were able to comfort each other with their brotherly love.
When Arkady returns home from the university, Pavel Petrovich greets him formally but warmly with a handshake and three kisses in the Russian fashion. However, he offers no such gesture to Bazarov. With his self-admiration and strong opinions, Pavel clashes with the young nihilist almost immediately. As Turgenev writes, “his aristocratic nature was revolted by Bazarov’s absolute nonchalance (19). The elder Kirsanov feels like his territory is being invaded by an impudent and vulgar presence and his contempt escalates as time passes. Pavel’s inner frustration is finally expressed when he challenges his rival to a duel after catching him in the act of kissing Fenitchka. A firm believer in the ideals of honor and personal dignity, he finds it his duty to defend the honor of Nikolai. However, the old-fashioned and dramatic showdown that Pavel Petrovich provokes ultimately ends in his embarrassment and injury; far from killing his opponent, he misses and is wounded in the leg. During his recovery, he redeems himself somewhat by granting Nikolai his sincere marriage blessing, encouraging his brother to be united ceremonially with the woman who loves him (135). Although Pavel feels that he failed to secure his own happiness with Princess R—, he does not wish the same fate upon anyone else. The archetypal hopeless romantic, he spends the rest of his days pacing the streets of Dresden, mingling with some members of high society, and reflecting back on his tragic past, wondering why things never seemed to work out for him.