Ivan Bogatslav's Questionnaire

I live in Tomsk, a quiet city far from the noise of my past. After everything I’ve been through, I needed somewhere distant, somewhere I could breathe without the weight of old connections pulling me back. My home is a large, modest apartment in the basement of my father’s church. It’s nothing special, simple, functional, and sparsely furnished, but it’s mine. I’ve turned part of it into a workshop, where I craft things with my hands, a way to keep busy and focused. The surrounding woods give me peace and solitude, allowing me to reflect on the past and plan for a future I’m still trying to figure out. A smithing forge was make shifted using books and and questioning of older men.

Right now, I make my money through a mix of crafting and a bit of underground work. I sell the things I create, tools, custom items, and the occasional repair job, to people who need them. Most of it’s local, though I’ve had a few deals outside the city. I’ve kept ties to the criminal world, but I try to avoid getting too deep. My focus is on the craft and making something that’s mine, something that isn’t built on manipulation or violence.

I spend most of my money on materials for my work and living expenses. I don't need much, just enough to keep the apartment running and the workshop stocked. I don’t waste money on luxury; it’s all about survival and preparing for whatever comes next. I never put aside anything for emergencies, god will help me as long as I help myself.

My ambition is to establish a new Eden, a sanctuary built on a vision of Orthodox Christianity shaped by my own experiences in the criminal world. I want to reshape faith and power into something that serves those who are forgotten, those on the edges of society, much like I was. A church that’s rooted in survival, strength, and the raw truth of human nature, not the idealized version of it. I’m striving to become the patriarch of this new order, a leader who guides the lost not with traditional piety but with a hard-earned understanding of the world’s darker realities.

I’d go as far as necessary to make this vision a reality, no matter what it takes. I won’t hesitate to break the old rules and reshape them in my image, but I won’t be reckless. I will kill if it’s required to protect what I’m building. Death has never scared me. I’ve faced it countless times and come out the other side. I’m prepared to walk right up to its edge if it means achieving my goal, but I won’t die without ensuring this vision continues. It’s not about power for its own purpose, it’s about creating something that endures, something that stands as a testament to survival, faith, and strength.

The most defining event of my life was the moment I ended up in prison at sixteen. It was the first time I truly saw the consequences of my actions. Before then, I lived recklessly, with no real understanding of what I was becoming. But when I was thrown into a cell, isolated from everything, I had to face the reality of who I was. It was in that prison where I started to understand the world differently not just from the violence and chaos I grew up in, but from a place of reflection.

During my time there, I connected with older, more experienced criminals, learning things that would shape my future. It was also where I first learned to use my charisma as a weapon manipulating people, building alliances, and finding ways to rise in the hierarchy. But it was also the first time I truly understood that I was connected to something bigger, something older and more dangerous than myself.

This experience gave me clarity, though in a twisted way. I realized that I could survive, and even thrive, in any environment if I played the right game. It also gave me the drive to want more to take control and build something lasting, not just for myself, but for the forgotten people like me. It taught me that power and survival aren’t just about physical strength but about understanding the deeper workings of the world around you.

• Artyom Antonov (Father): Artyom is the man I’ve always known as my priest, but he’s far more than that. He’s a figure shrouded in mystery and power, a man whose influence stretches beyond the church and into dangerous networks. We’ve never had a typical father-son relationship, but as I’ve grown, I’ve come to understand that he was always there in ways I didn’t recognize. He’s distant, but I can’t help but feel that he’s shaping me in ways I don’t fully grasp yet.

• Maria Bogatslav's (Mother): Maria is the woman who raised me in a world of hardship. She’s tough, hard-working, and resilient, yet she’s always been a bit of a stranger to me. She spent most of my childhood working to survive, leaving me to learn from the streets. Our relationship is strained, but I can’t deny the love she still has for me, no matter how complicated it may be.

• Father Alexei (Closest Friend): Father Alexei is the one person I trust, the only one who truly knows the depth of my struggles and my ambitions. He’s a quiet, thoughtful man, a true believer in the teachings of the church, but with a certain understanding of human flaws that makes him different from the rest of the clergy. I’ve confided in him more than I have anyone else, and though we don’t always see eye to eye, his counsel has kept me grounded. He is the one person who still feels like family.