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.