 The secondary characters, Pyotr and Stepan Verkhovensky, are based on Sergei Nechayev and Timofey Granovsky respectively.The novel takes place in a provincial Russian setting, primarily on the estates of Stepan Verkhovensky and Varvara Stavrogina.Stepan's son Pyotr is an aspiring revolutionary conspirator who attempts to organise revolutionaries in the area.