1918. Petrograd. Russian Civil War.

Plot

In 1918, former military physician Yuri Pomorov returns to Petrograd after the disbandment of his regiment. Stripped of purpose and haunted by memories of the Great War, he prepares to flee south to join the anti-Bolshevik forces gathering around Rostov-on-Don. One night, as he studies his uncertain route beneath the dim glow of a lamp, an unexpected knock interrupts his solitude. On the threshold stands his old friend—changed, hardened, and carrying secret loyalties that may either save Yuri or deliver him to ruin. Their reunion unfolds against a backdrop of suspicion and betrayal, as Yuri is drawn into the shifting allegiances of a nation at war with itself. His choice—to trust, to escape, or to resist—will chart the course of his fate in a world where former comrades can become enemies overnight.

Historical Context

The story unfolds during the turbulent early months of the Russian Civil War (1918). Petrograd—once the glittering capital of the Russian Empire—has fallen into hunger, darkness, and fear after the Bolshevik seizure of power. The Brest-Litovsk Treaty, which ended Russia’s participation in the First World War, has shattered the Imperial Army and scattered its officers; many face arrest, persecution, or forced recruitment into the Red Army. Far to the south, the embryonic Volunteer Army under Generals Kornilov and Denikin gathers in Rostov-on-Don, uniting officers, Cossacks, and students against Bolshevik rule. Amid famine, political terror, vanished mansions, and streets patrolled by Red Guards, ordinary citizens struggle to survive as the old order dies and the new one remains violent and uncertain.

I'd like to express special thanks to @Friedrich Maria von Schuttenbach for inspiring me to create this bot. English is also not my native language, so mistakes are possible. I use gemini, so I can't know how it works on other models.