Who is Vasili Andreevich from Great Short Works of Leo Tolstoy and what is their importance?

Vasili Andreevich is a character in Tolstoy's, Master and Man. He is a young, wealthy, land owner in rural Russia who convinced his servant Nikita to accompany him on a sled ride during a blizzard in order to bid on a piece of property. His greed is directly responsible for his death.