Turtledove
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Sergei
Fictional Character
"Black Tulip"
Set in OTL
Type of Appearance: Direct POV
Nationality: Russian SSR, Soviet Union
Religion: Atheist
Date of Birth: 1960s
Date of Death: 1980s
Cause of Death: Incinerated by the Dragon of Bulola at a battle
Occupation: Soldier
Affiliations: Red Army (Soviet war in Afghanistan)

Sergei was a young soldier in the Soviet Red Army. The son of a pharmacist in Tambov, Sergei was sent to Afghanistan during the Intervention in the country's civil war. He was sent to Baimain Province, one of the most conflicted regions of the country, as part of the garrison of the town of Bulola. The citizens of Bulola made no secret of how much they hated the Soviets. Despite having seen battle, Sergei was astonished by how hated he and his countrymen were, and held Afghans in contempt.

Unknown to the Red Army, an ancient dragon, slumbering for centuries, was awakened by the fighting between the Soviets and the Mujahideen who sought to retake the town. When Soviet forces sought to kill the dragon, the dragon incinerated the whole regiment, Sergei included.

Sergei's funeral was closed-casket. Small bags of sand were packed into a coffin, as his body had been completely incinerated.

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