Gleb Cherenkov (Gurgen Chirgizashvili)

Firstly, a Russian name made it easier to integrate into Moscow's criminal underworld. Someone with a typically Georgian surname and first name would immediately attract unwanted attention from both criminals and the authorities.
Secondly, the name change symbolized a break with his previous life. Gurgen Chirgizashvili remained a man who had arrived from Georgia without a name or influence. Gleb Cherenkov, on the other hand, was becoming a man who was about to build his reputation practically from scratch.
Over time, those around him begin to know him exclusively as Gleb. Even his closest allies use the new name, and his real name is almost never mentioned.

Upon arriving in Moscow, Gleb doesn't immediately become an influential figure. Initially, he carries out small assignments, gradually becoming acquainted with influential figures in criminal circles.
Gradually, a circle of useful contacts forms around him. He begins participating in operations involving weapons, territorial security, and forceful actions against rival groups. By the start of the campaign, Gleb already has some connections. One of his closest allies is Nigulas Nesterenko, a man Gleb trusts more than most.
Their relationship is built not only on mutual benefit but also on a shady military past. Nigulas sees Gleb as an executor capable of carrying out even the most risky plans, while Gleb values ​​Nigulas for his ability to gather information and assess the political situation in the criminal underworld.
It is this connection that becomes the starting point of the entire campaign: Nigulas orders Gleb to seize the former base of Vlad the Black's men, setting off a chain of events that draws them into a struggle for influence in the Moscow underworld.

Gleb Cherenkov's real name is Gurgen Chirgizashvili. He was born in Georgia to a Georgian family. Almost nothing is known about his parents, birthplace, or early life, except that his father was a gangster. His behavior and business practices suggest that from his youth, he grew up in a harsh environment where respect had to be earned by force and trust was rare.
Gurgen is a man haunted by ghosts from his past, primarily war, which prevent him from living a normal and fulfilling life. He is sociopathic and capable of committing murder and other crimes. However, Gleb is not a psychopath; he feels a strong need for friends and loved ones, sometimes appearing to be relatively self-controlled. Despite the lack of communication with his parents, he remembers his family. It was also mentioned that Gleb has a living mother, sister, and brother-in-law.
Despite his origins, Georgia was a place where a man without money or connections had virtually no opportunity to rise above his station. The reason why Gurgen joined the army is unknown, so it's impossible to deny or confirm whether he was a patriot of his country. However, it's a fact that the war broke him, changing him for the worse. At some point, Gurgen left Georgia and moved to the Ural Federal Socialist Republic (Ukrainian Federal Socialist Republic), an alternate Soviet reality where the events of the "The Kremlin Czar" campaign unfold. The exact reasons for his move are not stated, but the narrative suggests it was a conscious decision. Gurgen was looking for a place where he could start his life anew and achieve more than his circumstances in his homeland allowed.
In the URFSR, he quickly realizes that influence here lies not with the state, but with the people who control the streets, money, and weapons. It was here that he first encountered organized crime, which would later become a part of his life. After moving, Gurgen adopted a new identity—Gleb Cherenkov. He took it from one of the men he and Nigulus killed, a member of the sea crew from which they had stolen cargo.

Gleb is more than just a "crime boss," but a tragic character whose story revolves around trauma, betrayal, and a desperate attempt to find people he can call family.
Gleb Cherenkov
Real name: Gurgen Chirgizashvili
Nationality: Georgian
Place of birth: Georgia
Place of residence: Moscow, Ural Federal Socialist Republic
Occupation: former military man, mercenary, bandit, later an independent criminal figure.

Nigulas Nesterenko is Gleb's former mentor, savior, and closest confidant. Over time, he becomes Gleb's main enemy. Their relationship evolves from an almost brotherly affection to mutual hatred.

Efim Vafelev is a reliable ally and one of the few people Gleb continues to trust after Nigulas' betrayal. Together, they travel a significant portion of the journey and ultimately leave Moscow.

Evgeny Kedrov is a crime boss who sincerely takes Gleb under his wing, providing him with housing, a car, and a job. For a time, he becomes a surrogate father to him. Their relationship ends in tragedy after Kedrov's paranoia leads to an attempted murder of someone close to Gleb.

Starostin is a powerful arms dealer. After Kedrov's death, he is forced to cooperate with Gleb and helps him find Nigulas.

Gleb is a man who spent his entire life searching for family and trust, but lost them every time, gradually turning into someone he never wanted to become.

Initially, Gleb only wants to survive the war. Later, his goal becomes finding a place where he can belong.
After Nigulas' betrayal, his life is consumed by a thirst for revenge. By the story's conclusion, having dealt with the man who ruined his life, he attempts for the first time to renounce violence and begin living like a normal person.

Post-traumatic stress disorder. Hallucinations and flashbacks related to the desert war.
Triggers: sand, hourglasses, desert landscapes. Episodes of drug addiction after the war. Severe trust issues. Fear of losing someone she considers family again.

Despite his reputation as a killer, he derives no pleasure from violence. Most murders are the result of circumstances or the conviction that there is no other way out. Gleb has never, and would never, raise a hand against a woman, no matter what she does or says.
Gleb's strongest trait is his need for trust and family. He easily becomes attached to people who show genuine concern for him. This is precisely why the betrayals of Nigulas and Kedrov are so painful for him.
He's capable of cruelty, but he's never been a psychopath. He's tormented by guilt, memories of the war, and the consequences of his own actions. Gleb can give people second chances, but not third or fourth.

Gurgen Chirgizashvili was born in Georgia. Little is known about his early life. His father was involved in the criminal underworld, and Gurgen grew up virtually without family or parental support. Despite this, he never completely forgot about his loved ones. After the war, his mother continued to write him letters, informing him of his family and that his sister had married, but he found it difficult to respond.
Later, Gurgen finds himself at war in the Sahara Desert. It was there that he met Nigulas Nesterenko.
During the war, Nigulas becomes a senior comrade to the young soldier. He takes care of Gurgen, helps him survive, and becomes the man he trusts most.
It was in the Sahara that Gurgen killed a man for the first time and picked up a weapon for the first time. What he saw in the war forever shattered his psyche, leaving him with severe post-traumatic stress disorder. Sand, hourglasses, and anything reminiscent of the desert trigger painful flashbacks and hallucinations.
After returning from the war, he receives no help. Left alone to deal with his trauma, he begins using drugs (presumably ecstasy or other psychoactive pills) in an attempt to temporarily rid himself of the memories.
Remaining close to Nigulas, Gurgen gradually finds himself drawn into the criminal underworld. At first, he kills out of necessity, then on Nigulas' orders, and later, he adopts the rules of a criminal life on his own. It was then that they attack a sea crew, steal the cargo, and Gurgen assumes the name of one of the deceased sailors, Gleb Cherenkov. From that moment on, Gurgen Chirgizashvili virtually disappears, giving way to Gleb Cherenkov.
Over time, his relationship with Nigulas begins to deteriorate. Gleb realizes that the man he considered a friend and almost a brother is increasingly using him as a tool. Nigulas becomes more cynical, harsher, and less and less like the man who once saved him in the war. After a final betrayal, their paths diverge.

Over the course of the campaign, Gleb gradually transforms from an experienced but still dependent enforcer into an independent and influential figure in the Moscow criminal underworld. Carrying out assignments and facing increasingly dangerous opponents, he gains authority, expands his influence, and increasingly makes decisions independently. However, despite his successes, his past and the consequences of the war, along with his thirst for revenge, continue to shape his actions, preventing him from completely eliminating the man who once was Gurgen Chirgizashvili.
Gleb's development is the gradual transformation of a man broken by war into someone who determines his own destiny. At the beginning of the story, he remains dependent on Nigulas Nesterenko, whom he considers a mentor, a friend, and the only person worthy of his trust. It is the desire to maintain this connection that drives Gleb to turn a blind eye to Nigulas's increasingly brutal actions and carry out his orders, gradually sinking deeper into the criminal underworld.

After Nigulas' betrayal, Gleb's worldview changes dramatically. He stops blindly trusting people and begins making decisions independently. Meeting new allies, especially Efim Vafelev and Evgeny Kedrov, rekindles his hope of finding a family and a place where he will be valued not as a weapon, but as a person. However, history repeats itself: Kedrov, whom Gleb begins to regard almost as a surrogate father, becomes yet another person who destroys his trust.

Each loss makes Gleb more mature and independent, but simultaneously intensifies his inner loneliness. The thirst for revenge against Nigulas gradually becomes the main purpose of his life, but having achieved his goal, he realizes that revenge has not brought him the peace he longed for. In the alternative ending, leaving Moscow with Yefim, Gleb for the first time chooses not violence, but the future. He remains a man with a difficult past and unhealed emotional wounds, but finally gets the chance to become not a killer, but simply

After the war, Gleb strives to leave the past behind and build a new life. Moving and changing his name are an attempt to start over. Having entered the criminal world, he is driven not so much by a thirst for power or wealth, but by a desire to find status, stability, and people he can trust. To achieve his goals, he is willing to take risks, commit crimes, and commit violence, believing this is the only way to survive in the world around him.
Gleb's motivation was never based on power, money, or the desire to become the most influential person in Moscow. After the Sahara War, he lost not only his peace of mind but also his sense of purpose. Changing his name, moving to the Ural Federal Socialist Republic, and joining the criminal underworld weren't the fulfillment of a long-held dream, but a desperate attempt to leave the past behind and find a place where he could start anew.

Gleb's primary need has always been trust, a sense of belonging, and family. He gravitates toward people who genuinely care for him, and quickly becomes attached to them. This is precisely what makes the betrayals of Nigulas and Yevgeny Kedrov so devastating. Having lost those he considered almost family, Gleb is finally convinced that anyone is capable of using and abandoning him.

After Nigulas's betrayal, the desire to build a new life gives way to a thirst for revenge. Finding his former mentor becomes a goal that defines almost every step. However, even while following this path, Gleb does not turn into a mindless killer. He still tries to preserve the remnants of his humanity, helps those in need, is able to forgive mistakes, and give people a second chance.

By the end of his story, Gleb realizes that revenge cannot bring back what was lost or heal the pain of the past. Having dealt with Nigulas, for the first time in many years, he stops living for hatred. His new goal becomes an attempt to escape the endless cycle of violence, leave the criminal world behind, and find that peaceful life.

Gleb Cherenkov is a calculating man accustomed to hiding his emotions. The war left a deep mark on him: memories of the past haunt him, making him withdrawn and sociopathic. He is capable of killing and committing crimes without hesitation if he deems it necessary, but he derives no pleasure from violence and is not insane. Despite his stern nature, Gleb desperately needs loved ones and loyal friends. He deeply values ​​trust, remembers his family, and, despite his independence (which is likely not his own choice, but merely a protective imperative, after his past), he often allows those he truly trusts to lead him.
Gleb Cherenkov is a man who has been left internally broken by war and betrayal. He doesn't come across as cold or unfeeling—on the contrary, Gleb is deeply emotional, but rarely allows himself to openly display it. He desperately needs closeness, trust, and a sense of family, so he easily becomes attached to those who treat him sincerely. It is precisely this trait that makes him vulnerable: the loss or betrayal of loved ones leaves wounds on him far deeper than any physical injury.

Despite his criminal past, Gleb isn't cruel for pleasure. He's capable of killing, but he never views the death of others as entertainment or a source of pride. Every decision he makes leaves a mark on his memory, and guilt and memories of the war continue to haunt him even years later. He's willing to give someone a second chance if he sees genuine remorse, but there will be no third.

Gleb has a hard time dealing with loneliness and loss. He can be short-tempered, act on impulse, and make risky decisions, especially when it comes to people he considers his own. In relationships, he's loyal until he experiences betrayal. Forgiving lies is much harder for him than overcoming open hostility, despite all the horrors he's experienced.