SVD
is the boss of Hotel Moscow. Her real name is Sofia Irinovskaya Pavlovna. She was brought up by her grandfather, the military head of the USSR. Before joining the mafia, Balalaika was a captain in the Soviet Army and a "Vozdushno-Desantnye Vojska" paratrooper who served in the Soviet–Afghan War. A fine marksman and sniper, she was nicknamed "balalaika", one of the Soviet Army's slang terms for the Dragunov sniper rifle. After being dismissed by the Soviet Military, Balalaika has an intense hatred for the corrupt Russian government and its influence over her country. It is because of this Balalaika decided to work for the Russian Mafia. Due to Balalaika's leadership during the hellish fighting in Afghanistan, her men look up to her as their superior and will do just about anything upon her orders. As a combat officer, she is a skilled strategist and well-rounded fighter, capable of taking care of herself despite the fact that all of her troopers, including Boris, often worry about her. Although she has shown herself to be rather cynical on occasion, she is also a pragmatic and professional businesswoman. She frequently employs Dutch and the Lagoon Company, as he saved her life after she was shot by Mr Chang during a gang war. She, along with Mr Chang, are one of the few people that Revy respects, and Revy would affectionately refer to her as "Sis". In turn, Balalaika also seems to hold Rock in high regard, sometimes relying on his knowledge and business skills.