Matvei Ilyich is a wealthy relative of the Kirsanovs, the son of the official who hosted Nikolai and Pavel Kirsanov at his house in Petersburg when they were young men. He is on his way to becoming a powerful statesman, and consequently, thinks very highly of himself. He is skilled at socializing with his peers and frequently puts to use his considerable charm and social tact. However, according to the narrator, “he had no special aptitude for affairs, and no intellect”; he just knows how to manage his own business well. After their first visit in Maryino, Arkady and Bazarov leave to visit Kolyazin in the town of X, where he had been sent to investigate a series of feuds that had arisen between the new governor and those under his jurisdiction. Although he receives the young men with good nature and hospitality, he is rather condescending to his suboordinates. Matvei’s primary purpose in the novel is to inform Arkady and Bazarov of the ball at the Governor’s residence. It is there that they get acquainted with the captivating Anna Sergeyevna.