# Question about Doctor Zhivago **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 1, 2016, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-doctor-zhivago/767328 "2016-10-01T01:39:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2016, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-doctor-zhivago/767328/1 "2016-10-01T01:39:20Z")
I just finished reading Doctor Zhivago and was wondering why Zhivago stayed in the little ruined village instead of following Lara to Vladivostok. Was there some detail I missed? It seems he just let her go and then started pitying himself. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2016, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-doctor-zhivago/767328/2 "2016-10-01T03:48:23Z")
Forget it, **KRC**. It’s Russia. Even their comedy is depressing. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2016, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-doctor-zhivago/767328/3 "2016-10-01T19:20:08Z")
The Reds were only keeping Lara alive with hopes that her husband, Antipov (Strelnikov) would come out of hiding to see here. Komarovsky, who has been obsessed with Lara since he first met her, tell Zhivago that Styelnikov has been found, condemned to death, and shot. Zhivago realizes that Lara and her daughter’s lives are in danger and lets Komarovsky take them away. However, he is too proud to accept Komarovsky’s help for himself, and further he realizes that he and Lara will be separated anyway, now that Styelnokov is dead. The corker being that Komarovsky lied and Styelnokov is still alive. Later he shows up in Vladivostok, talks with Zhivago, and blows his brains out. Depressing as hell, and it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me either.