Ana Kuya

Ana Kuya
Biographical Information
Full name	Ana Kuya
Status	Deceased
Physical Information
Gender	Female
Affiliation
Nation	Ravka
Occupation	Housekeeper
Organizations	Orphanage at Keramzin
Appearances
First seen	Shadow and Bone
Last seen	Ruin and Rising

"Ana Kuya used to tell me that hope was tricky like water. Somehow it always found a way in." — Ana Kuya's beliefs, recalled by Alina Starkov in Ruin and Rising

Ana Kuya was the housekeeper at Duke Keramsov's estate in Keramzin.

Biography

Ana Kuya received the Grisha Examiners in the orphanage's sitting room and told them about Alina Starkov and Malyen Oretsev. She chastised the children for eavesdropping. Ana Kuya often had to discipline Mal and Alina at the orphanage, having boxed Alina's ears and taken a switch to her as punishment.

She taught all the orphans how to treat nobles respectfully, as well as general table manners, which Alina was later grateful for. Ana Kuya also told the orphans stories at night, among these happy tales of Morozova's stag and The Too-Clever Fox. She would sometimes hum as she closed up the dormitories at Keramzin for the night.

At one point, an old serf worked on the estate and told the children that the Darkling was truly evil. However, Ana Kuya fired him and refuted his words. She also told the orphans that the banya was barbaric and for wanton peasant behavior.

Ruin and Rising

When the Darkling invaded West Ravka, he burned the Keramzin orphanage to the ground. Alina used her connection to the Darkling to track him down, where he revealed to her that he killed Ana Kuya in the process, leaving Alina distraught and grieving.

Personality and traits

According to Alina, Ana Kuya had a hard, no-nonsense personality, and hammered good manners into the orphans at Keramzin. She was very strict and did not like disobedience.

Physical description

Ana Kuya was birdlike, with bony elbows and withered lips. She wore a black dress.

Appearances

• Shadow and Bone
• Siege and Storm (in flashback(s))
• Ruin and Rising

Trivia

• Throughout the series, Alina recalls things Ana Kuya said to her and Mal. After Mal and Alina leave the orphanage, they tend to reminisce about the orphanage, and Ana Kuya is a big part of their memories there.