Leo Demidov

Leo Stepanaovich Demidov is the main character and principal protagonist of the novel “Child 44” by Tom Rob Smith. Leo is married to Raisa, and is an officer with the Communist State Security force known as MGB. Leo is 30, a World War II veteran, and was trained in special forces overseen by the NKVD, the forerunner to the MGB, so it was only natural that he was later made a part of the organization. Leo’s primary role as a State Security officer is to root out spies, traitors, dissidents, foreigners, and anyone who might seek to undermine the Communist system. Leo, though not as rabid as other State Security employees, is nevertheless brutally efficient. A legal absolutist and utilitarian, he believes the ends justify the means, and the means must therefore be as cruel and brutal as necessary in order to ensure the survival of the State...