Leo Demidov

Character Analysis

Leo Demidov is so cool that he's officially beaten Leonardo DiCaprio as our number-one Leo of all time. Sorry, Jack—our hearts really did go on.

Despite this affection, even we must admit that Leo has done some bad stuff in his life. The dude was a member of the Soviet secret police, after all, and his life has been dedicated to squashing anyone who dared oppose the Revolution. Still, his experiences during Child 44—and the hidden trauma buried deep within his past—reveal a man sincerely dedicated to doing the right thing, even if he fails at times along the way.

Top of the World

To be honest, Leo seems like the scariest MGB agent on the planet. Although he knows that he does some morally icky things as a part of his job, Leo tricks himself into believing that "all these horrors seemed small when placed beside the size and magnitude of the greater good" (2.7.45). We see this in action during the manhunt for Anatoly Brodsky: although Leo isn't convinced of Brodsky's guilt, he'll follow the man to the ends of the earth if necessary. That's one tough customer.

But it's also important to remember that Leo is a true believer. He's not pretending to love his country to gain higher status for himself—he really does believe that he's doing the right thing. Contrast that with Vasili, who denounced "his only brother for making anti-Stalinist remarks," despite having no patriotic convictions himself (2.5.38). That being said, Leo's experience with Brodsky leads to a collapse of this unflinching dedication to the State and, ultimately, his ouster from the MGB.

Bottom of the Barrel

Now that he's been driven from his position of power, Leo has no choice but to be himself. That's actually a good thing in this case, because Leo turns out to be a pretty awesome dude. For example, this transformation has a huge impact on his marriage: "Leo had been a symbol of the State" to Raisa, "but now he no longer represented anything other than himself" (4.36.5). Additionally, this downfall makes Leo realize that he must take justice into his own hands and hunt down the serial killer he was ordered to ignore as an MGB agent.

This investigation also helps Leo get closer to the Russian people. At some point, Leo had "'lost faith in the people of this country because [he had] been surrounded by the people in power'"—only now does he realize how wrong he was (4.50.23). Despite government oppression, the Russian people and their culture are alive and well, even if they have to keep things underground these days. More than that, however, Leo realizes that the truth can be your most powerful weapon in a world full of lies. That lesson comes right in the nick of time, in fact, because Leo is about to be hit with a truth bomb of his own.

Blast From the Past

The revelation that Leo and Andrei are brothersradically shifts our understanding of Leo's character. We now understand why he's so tough and resilient—he takes after his birth mother, Oksana. We now understand why he "behaved as if [his parents'] love was dependent on the things [he] could do for [them]"—he's afraid they'll abandon him like they abandoned the first Leo (4.37.44). More than anything, however, it makes us feel an immense amount of sympathy towards Leo, as the struggles he's endured are far beyond anything we could have imagined.

Leo's split identity is also reflective of the massive personal traumas inflicted on people in Soviet society. If Andrei has internalized the constant threat of violence inherent in this society, Leo, in a way, plays out the fact that everyone has to be double: they have to show a mask at all times and hide their true selves. When Leo regains his identity in the novel, it's both a literal and symbolic act. He finds his true identity, and he becomes his true self.

So yes, it's true that Leo has done many bad things. He's hurt a lot of people and broken up many families. But he says it himself: though he "cannot fix what happened [...] [he] can offer [...] a better future" (5.59.46). His quest to stop Andrei's murderous rampage might be the first step towards that better future, but it's certainly not the last.