Bratva Oktyabrya

With a history tracing back to the time of Tsars and a strength forged in the fires of the Soviet prison system, Bratva Oktyabrya (pron.) is a colossus of Slavic organized crime in America.

## History

### 1956-1969

Bratva Oktyabrya came to America with the release of Soviet ex-convict Anton Dragunov in 1956. Upon his release, Anton traveled to America to start anew, setting in the Slavic-American neighborhood of Brighton Beach. What he found, however, called him back to crime.

Anti-communist sentiments, anti-immigrant ides, and anti-Soviet feelings made life particularly difficult for the Slavs; they could not prosper, and were often overlooked by the police. Gangs ran rampant, as for many of the immigrants and their families, crime was the only way towards a better future. Calling upon former contacts back in the USSR for support and naming his operation "Red October", Anton set about creating an organization that could do what others had not: unify the Slavs of Brighton Beach, and ensure their continued protection and prosperity. Starting with a series of bloody gang wars, Anton brought one gang after another under the new fold of Red October, and within five years, there was one, unified Slavic criminal voice in New York. A voice which spoke for the former Soviet citizens, and provided them with the protection and future the law would or could not.

### 1970-1978

In 1970, Nikolai Sokolov, Vor V Zakoke and Brigidir in Bratva Oktyabrya, finished his sentence in a Ukrainian prison and came to America to avoid future arrests. He found himself, much to his surprise, welcomed and among kin - with Anton having died in 1968, Red October was searching for a new leader, and felt a Vor v Zakoke would be the perfect candidate. The gang was handed over to Nikolai, and in turn made part of Bratva Oktyabrya .

Nikolai's leadership brought new possibilities - it brought increased connections to the Soviet criminal underworld, specifically smugglers and black marketers across the Bloc nations. Still guided by the principal of protecting and providing for those under its aegis, Red October expanded into a smuggling and black market organization in its own right, and by the time Nikolai died in 1978, it had established itself the feared and respected leader of the black market in American's east.

### 1979-Present

Nikolai's death brought a period of unrest. Although a successor had been appointed, he almost immediately made a series of bad decisions that put Red October's future in jeopardy. For a while, said future was up in the air, until in 2000, Dmitri Sokolov, Vor v Zakone and Kassir of Bratva Oktyabrya, came to the United States to work for the smuggling organization. Through sheer force of will and skilled leadership, Dmitri took control of the rapidly-failing Red October, and brought it back to its former glory.

In 2009, heavy losses of both people and territory during the Bitch Wars brought Bratva Oktyabrya to near collapse, and the result was a withdrawal from all activity across the former Soviet Union. To preserve their parent organization, the Komandiry of Red October allowed the remnant of Bratva Oktyabrya to merge with them - Red October took Bratva Okryabya's name, and became the central branch of the Bratva.

This, of course, bolstered both organizations. Although Oktyabrya had formally withdrawn from the former Bloc, its connections still remained and were integrated into the new, American incarnation to use in their smuggling; to counter, the merger allowed Bratva Oktyabrya to continue to exist, and its various members to find new safe havens, away from the Bitch Wars that ravaged the East. To complete the deal, the man who held it all together, Dmitri Sokolov, was appointed Pakhan, and a new era of the Bratva's history began.

## Structure

Although socialist ideals mean social equality, the Bratva Oktyabrya *does* have a leadership structure and hierarchy of power. Lead by the Pakhan (currently Dmitri Sokolov) and the rest of the Komandiry, then moving down, the structure of Bratva Oktyabrya is split into three groups: The Komandiry, the Soldaty, and the Shestoy.

Not all ranks have a direct English translation. those that do have their translation listed.

### Komandiry

Komandiry is a group of Bratva Oktyabrya's leaders. Consisting of two levels (Sovietnik and Kassir are of equal level), they guide the organization and make executive decisions.

* The **Pakhan** is the boss and controls everything, in the style of the Don in Italian-American mafias.
* The **Sovietnik** **(Counselor)** is in charge of handling affairs involving other organizations. They are similar to the Consigliere in Italian-American Mafia crime families and Sicilian Mafia clans.
* The **Kassir** **(Cashier)** oversees all criminal activity within the organisation. They are similar to the Underboss in Italian-American mafias.

### Soldaty

Soldaty are the primary ranks of Bratva Oktyabrya, consisting of two levels - one as a sort of 'officer position', and one as an 'enlisted position'. They take orders from the Otriad, but for the most part act with in a mostly autonomous fashion, forming cells called Otryadi.

* **Brigidir** **(Brigadiers)** are like captains in charge of a small group of men, similar to Caporegime in Italian-American Mafia crime families and Sicilian Mafia clans. They give out jobs to Boyevik and Shestyorka.
* **Boyevik** work for a Brigadier. They have a special criminal activity to run, similar to soldiers in Italian-American Mafia crime families and Sicilian Mafia clans.

### Shestoy

Members of Shestoy are not actually part of Bratva Oktyabrya, and if they will ever become one depends on their performance and liking for a life of crime. Due to their expendable nature, they are free to leave the Bratva if they feel they do not fit - or they can easily be 'fired' by the Otriad, for the reverse reason.

* **Shestyorka (Sixth)** are similar to associates in Italian-American Mafia crime families and Sicilian Mafia clans. They are errand boys for the mafia and are at the lowest rank. Shestyorka are assigned to some Brigidirs for support. They usually stay out of the main actions, although there might be exceptions, depending on circumstances.