Polina

Polina is a vampire, the wife of Gennady and mother of Kostya, who lives in the apartment directly above Anton Gorodetsky in Moscow. She is a registered vampire, carrying a blue seal on her chest that marks her as a law-abiding member of the Dark Side, permitted to exist under the terms of the Great Treaty between Light and Darkness. Her family's presence in Anton's building represents the everyday reality of the Others' world, where vampires are not merely monsters but neighbors bound by the same rules that govern all supernatural beings.

Identity and Introduction

When Anton first crossed into the Twilight and saw his neighbors' true forms, he was terrified by the brownish-gray auras and the hideous pressure emanating from them. Polina, along with her husband Gennady and son Kostya, was revealed as a living corpse, a vampire. Unlike the rogue vampires Anton hunts, Polina and her family are registered with the Night Watch, their status confirmed by a blue seal visible only in the Twilight. When Anton froze in horror at the entrance, Polina looked surprised, while Gennady took the lead, opening his shirt to show the registration tag and commanding his wife and son to do the same. Polina unfastened her blouse to reveal her own seal, demonstrating her compliance with the law.

Life and Plot Trajectory

Polina's role in the story is primarily as a background figure representing the regulated vampire population. She is part of a family that has learned to coexist with the Night Watch, maintaining a semblance of normal life despite their predatory nature. When Anton first discovered their secret, he was initially paralyzed by fear, but Gennady reassured him, saying they had known Anton would become an Other someday. Polina's presence in the building is a constant reminder to Anton of the moral complexities of his work, as he must protect people from rogue vampires while accepting the existence of those who follow the rules.

Relationships and Conflict

Polina's relationship with Anton is defined by the uneasy truce between Light and Dark. After Anton's initiation, he invited the family for tea, an offer Gennady initially declined but later accepted. This gesture of hospitality, however fraught, established a fragile bond between the vampire family and the Night Watch agent. Polina's son Kostya becomes a friend to Anton, visiting him regularly to talk and borrow CDs, and Anton even provides him with donor blood. The family's existence creates a personal conflict for Anton, who must balance his duty to protect humans with his growing understanding that not all vampires are evil.

Change and Ending

Polina does not undergo a significant personal arc within the novel; she remains a static figure representing the established order of registered vampires. Her family's stability is threatened when Anton kills a rogue male vampire who was poaching in Moscow, an act that Kostya resents. However, Polina herself does not confront Anton directly. Her continued presence in the building serves as a constant test of Anton's principles, forcing him to live alongside those he is sworn to monitor.

Narrative Role and Evaluation

Polina functions as a symbol of the Treaty's compromises, embodying the reality that the Night Watch cannot simply exterminate all Dark Ones. Her existence challenges Anton's black-and-white worldview, showing him that vampires can be integrated into society as long as they obey the law. She is a minor but thematically crucial character, illustrating the moral gray areas that define the Others' world. Her family's registration and peaceful coexistence with Anton highlight the novel's central tension: the struggle to maintain balance between Good and Evil, where even the most monstrous beings can have a place if they follow the rules.