Kalgonov

Kalgonov is a witness in the trial of Dmitri Karamazov whose confirmation supports the exposure of cheating at the card game in Mokroye. His testimony helps turn an episode of disputed play into a public humiliation for the two Polish guests.

Testimony at the Trial

When the defense lawyer Fetyukovitch questions the witnesses, Trifon Borissovitch is compelled, despite evasion, to admit that Pan Vrublevsky had substituted a different pack of cards for the one he supplied and that Pan Mussyalovitch had cheated during the game. Kalgonov confirms this account, corroborating the accusation rather than leaving it dependent on the reluctant admission alone.

Role in the Mokroye Episode

The card game belongs to the wider Mokroye episode, where Dmitri Karamazov confronts Grushenka’s Polish former lover and his companions. Kalgonov’s confirmation establishes the dishonesty behind the game and contributes to the collapse of the Poles’ standing: both leave the witness-box with damaged reputations, amid laughter from the public. His function in the evidence is specific but consequential—he verifies the cheating that the courtroom scene brings into view.