Compassion and Loyalty in City of Thieves

His mother and sister also fled the city due to the ensuing war. The Russian army jail Lev for looting, and as it was the norm, he was awaiting execution. He is locked up with Kolya Vlasov, a former soldier that was arrested for deserting duty. Lev and Kolya get an option of survival with the condition that they should get a dozen eggs for the colonel’s daughter’s wedding. The period of the novel’s setting is during the Second World War. Lev does not like Kolya at first due to his annoying optimism. Kolya believes to be superior to Lev and even teases him for being a Jew. However, with time, Lev tends to appreciate Kolya’s character.

Kolya proves to be a gentle person with compassion and loyalty. Being a soldier, it is not expected that he would show love and compassion to strangers. They offer to fight the German soldiers to rescue the girls. As Lev and Kolya spend the night at Lev’s apartment, they talk freely about their experience in the cannibal’s wife. Lev shows compassion when he sympathized with the child’s ribcage in the cannibal’s apartment. Kolya also fights the cannibal’s wife by giving her an excellent punch. This further shows the sacrifices that the two characters are providing despite the impending danger they are facing. Lev and Kolya also show loyalty to each other. They stick together and overcome some of the German soldiers.