| Krystyna Drohojowska | |
|---|---|
| The Trilogy character | |
| First appearance | Fire in the Steppe |
| Last appearance | Fire in the Steppe |
| Created by | Henryk Sienkiewicz |
| Portrayed by | Barbara Brylska (Fire in the Steppe) |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Krzysia |
| Gender | Female |
| Spouse(s) | Hassling-Ketling of Elgin |
| Children | one son |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | Polish |
Krystyna (Krzysia) Drohojowska (later Ketling of Elgin) is a fictional character of the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz, Fire in the Steppe. She is an beautiful orphan who marries Hassling-Ketling of Elgin.
In 1969 Jerzy Hoffman's film Krzysia is portrayed by Barbara Brylska.
Krystyna was an orphan in the care of stolnik Makowiecki. In 1668 she arrived (together with Barbara Jeziorkowska) to Warsaw and met Michał Wołodyjowski. He fell in love with her and proposed. Krystyna accepted his prposal, even though her feelings for him were platonic. Soon she met Hassling-Ketling of Elgin, Wołodyjowski's friend. Krystyna and Ketling quickly fell in love with each other but since she was already engaged, they couldn't be together. Krzysia decided then to enter a convent, but Wołodyjowski gave up Krystyna to his friend.
After marriage Krystyna and Ketling lived in Courland. They had one son. In 1672 Ketling went to Kamianets-Podilskyi which was to be attacted by Turks. Krzysia accompanied him. Her husband died after the city surrendered: together with Michał Wołodyjowski he blew himself up.
Krystyna is a young and very beautiful woman. She is tall and slender. She's got black hair, big blue eyes and pale complexion. She is a shy and passive but honest person. When she realized her love for Ketling, she feels guilty. She prefers to become a nun rather than marry unloved Wołodyjowski. At the end of the novel, she shows up to be very brave, she decides not to leave Ketling even during the war with Turks.