MovieChat Forums > Doctor Zhivago (1965) Discussion > Why did Yuri's brother, Yevgrav, want t...

Why did Yuri's brother, Yevgrav, want to help his niece?


After all, he wasn't particularly close to Yuri. The guy seemed to be a cold fish.

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The film makes it clear, but subtly, that Yevgrav (1) admired Yuri and felt protective toward him (the whole scene from the time he observes Yuri stealing firewood through his intervention at the former house of the Gromykos and his voice-over during the scene where Yuri explains his thoughts), and (2) had affection for Lara. He says, towards the end, that he was "a little in love with her." That's why he wanted to help her find her daughter, and why he (we infer) kept up the search long after Lara herself disappeared.

There is also the suggestion that Yevgrav, the unrepentent Bolshevik, feels regret at some of the human cost of the Revolution (think of the scene where he talks to the manager of the dam at the beginning) and his search for Yuri and Lara's daughter is an effort both to heal some of the harm and to connect both to the past and the future.

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[–] palisade-1 9 years ago
The film makes it clear, but subtly, that Yevgrav (1) admired Yuri and felt protective toward him (the whole scene from the time he observes Yuri stealing firewood through his intervention at the former house of the Gromykos and his voice-over during the scene where Yuri explains his thoughts), and (2) had affection for Lara. He says, towards the end, that he was "a little in love with her." That's why he wanted to help her find her daughter, and why he (we infer) kept up the search long after Lara herself disappeared.

There is also the suggestion that Yevgrav, the unrepentent Bolshevik, feels regret at some of the human cost of the Revolution (think of the scene where he talks to the manager of the dam at the beginning) and his search for Yuri and Lara's daughter is an effort both to heal some of the harm and to connect both to the past and the future.


Beautifully written insight into Yevgrav's character and thoughts. Thank you! So many wonderfully complex characters in this one story.

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