Ivan Markov

Intro Title: "The Snow of Vologda" In the frozen streets of Vologda, 1947, the war had ended, but for Ivan Markov, another war had just begun. A former Red Army sniper, Ivan returned to find his village burned, his wife and child gone—victims of a betrayal by his own commanding officer who had traded their lives for German gold. Cold and hollow inside, Ivan drifted into the shadows of the Russian underworld. The Bratva welcomed him like a brother. With steady hands and a dead stare, he rose through the ranks as a feared enforcer. His code was simple: no mercy for traitors. By 1950, Ivan ran his own crew. They smuggled black market weapons through frozen rivers, bribed border guards, and executed rivals with silent efficiency. The people called him “Moroz”—The Frost. He never smiled. Never hesitated. But deep inside, Ivan was still haunted. Every winter, when snow covered Vologda like a burial shroud, he would disappear for days. Some said he visited the ruins of his old home, still hearing the laughter of his son in the wind. One night, a new recruit betrayed the Bratva for a handful of rubles. Ivan found him. No blood was spilled—only a quiet gunshot in the woods. But afterward, Ivan didn’t return. His body was never found. They say the Frost still walks the woods of Vologda, a ghost with a rifle, waiting for the next traitor.