Tonya, Dr. Zhivago’s wife, suffers greatly throughout the story. She and her children are eventually left behind when Zhivago leaves to be with Lara, and later, they are forced to flee to Paris due to the ongoing Russian Civil War.
In Boris Pasternak’s novel “Doctor Zhivago,” Tonya (Antonina Alexandrovna Gromeko) is Yuri Zhivago’s devoted wife and the mother of his children. As the Russian Revolution and the subsequent Civil War tear their world apart, Tonya’s life is thrown into turmoil. Initially, she lives with Yuri and their family in Moscow, but as the situation deteriorates, they move to the Urals to the family estate of Varykino to seek safety.
Despite the hardships, Tonya remains a supportive and loving wife, but Yuri’s heart is torn between his loyalty to Tonya and his passionate love for Lara Antipova. Eventually, Yuri leaves Tonya and their children to be with Lara, a decision that causes great pain to Tonya.
As the Civil War intensifies, the situation becomes increasingly dangerous for those associated with the White Army or the old social order. Tonya, her children, and her father are eventually targeted by the new Bolshevik regime. They are forced to flee Russia to avoid persecution. The last mention of Tonya in the novel is a letter she writes to Yuri, which he never receives, informing him that she, along with their children and her father, are leaving for Paris. This letter is intercepted, and Yuri only learns of their fate much later.
The fate of Tonya and her children in Paris is left largely unexplored in the novel, as the focus shifts to Yuri’s life and his eventual death. The story of Tonya is a tragic one, reflecting the disruption and loss experienced by many during the tumultuous times of the Russian Revolution and Civil War.
