Chernov

"Are we to shoot them in the back?"

- Chernov to Reznov in Their Land, Their Blood

"The back, the front, the head, wherever you wish! As long as they are all DEAD!"

- Sgt. Reznov, answering Chernov's question

"This is not war, this is MURDER!"

- Chernov in Eviction

Private Chernov is a Red Army soldier in Call of Duty: World at War. He is one of the main characters that follows you most of the way through the Russian campaign.

Biography
First appearing in Their Land, Their Blood as one of the soldiers under Sergeant Reznov's command and with the latter rescues Dimitri Petrenko from 3 Germans. When ordered to execute the dying Nazis, he displays a pacifist nature by refusing to shoot fatally wounded German soldiers that were already bleeding to death. Reznov responds by handing Dimitri Petrenko a Mosin-Nagant rifle, saying the latter will help the Germans bleed faster. After rescuing Dimitri, Chernov and the others push into the German countryside, clearing a barn and a nearby German camp. He and the others then board the commandeered train bound to Berlin and push the Germans further into the German Capital and eventually reach the city itself. After ferocious close quarters fighting in a building, and after battling the disparate German troops on the city streets, the squad reaches a metro in which three surviving German troops plead not to be killed. Reznov will give you a choice, kill them fast or slow. You can shoot or knife them, which will lead to Reznov giving you a compliment; or you can wait for your comrades to burn them. Then you will enter the metro, and fight your way to the end. Chernov, Reznov, and Dmitri barely escape with their lives when the metro they were in is flooded by Germans in an attempt to kill the advancing Soviets. After surviving the tunnel flood, Chernov is seen writing in his diary. Reznov then grabs his diary and says to Chernov, "Which do you think will lead us home? Writing about this war, or fighting it!? No one will ever read this! If you lack the stomach to kill for your country, at least show me you are willing to die for it!" Chernov then takes the Red Army flag with him and fights through German infantry defending the Reichstag. When Chernov reaches the stairway leading to the Reichstag entrance, he is wounded by a flamethrower-wielding German and falls to the ground coughing and burned. Reznov sympathetically takes his diary saying "Someone should read this", in a blatant reversal of his earlier statements, and a tip of the hat to the fact that "nobody cares about you, until you're dead." At the beginning of the level Downfall, Chernov (in a voice-over) reads a portion of his diary, discussing Dmitri. Depending on the player's actions through the game, Chernov either disdains Dmitri or views him in a more conflicted light. It is unknown if Chernov survives but it is most likely he was dead after a few minutes of his squad entering the Reichstag. But when he is burned by a flamethrower his name is still displayed, and he also moves, twitches, and groans, possibly indicating that he might have survived. Chernov has a twin who might have died. He is promoted to Corporal in Heart of the Reich.

Personality and Traits
Although Chernov is loyal to his country and a good soldier, he is a pacifist by nature and is dismayed by his comrades and their cruel and unmerciful methods of waging war against Wehrmacht soldiers(particularly Reznov and Dmitri), whose cold-blooded attitude towards the Germans he does not understand. He appears to be nearly an opposite to Sergeant Reznov, shown by how he is against the unjust slaughter of the Germans (exemplified when he shouts in protest to the cruel execution of a German soldier, which in contrast, Reznov seems to relish in). Due to his pacifist nature, he is somewhat disliked by Sergeant Reznov, whereas the latter favors Dmitri Petrenko for being unmerciful towards the Germans whom he loathes. This manifests itself in the fact that Dimitri continuously receives compliments from Reznov, while Chernov is always being degraded and told to be "more like Dmitri" (Dmitri, you have earned the rest. CHERNOV! You have not.) Reznov also might believe Chernov to be a coward due to his refusal to commit the violent acts of the Red Army, but as mentioned above he is still loyal to his country. When Chernov gets burned by the flamethrower, Reznov actually showed concern by running to Chernov's aid and possibly killing the soldier that had done this. Reznov shows furter sympathy towards him by taking his diary when he had possibly died saying that someone should read it.

His clothing consists of a standard Red Army uniform, with the addition of a cloth tied over his head like a bonnet. He used a Mosin-Nagant exclusively, even on levels in which the weapon is not readily available or not even available at all (this is also true for Pvt. Polonsky as he uses an M1 Garand rifle on certain levels where it is not available).

Survival?
After Chernov has been burnt outside the Reichstag it is possible he died, if the player runs up to Chernov and looks at him, he is still alive, his face squinting from serious amounts of pain, at no point does he stop and die.

Trivia

 * In the starting cut scene in Their Land, Their Blood you can see Chernov picking up a diary which he found on the floor.
 * It is possible to have Chernov see Dimitri as a true hero, simply get to Their Land, Their Blood and DO NOT kill the nazis at the beginning (the ones who are bleeding to death). Then (having played no other missions) play the mission Downfall.


 * When the soldiers move in the train after Blood and Iron, Chernov is cloned.


 * During Their Land, Their Blood, when the Germans are all dead and Reznov stands on a tank. But if you look at Chernov you can see his eyes popping out.

He has a twin who might have died instead of him. His twin was also called Chernov and was a Pvt. This twin might be seen first time in the Blood and Iron, like the third trivia.
 * If you look at his face, it looks like had been burned before or something else had damaged his face/head, which is probably why he wears the blanket around his head to protect his previous injuries.


 * Despite Reznov seeming to hate him, Reznov seems to at least care about him a little, as he is seen showing concern for him as he is blasted with a flamethrower.


 * Chernov may die, as Reznov is seen leaving him behind meaning that there is nothing that can be done for him.


 * Reznov's angry attitude for Chernov may be Reznov's way of making him a better soldier, as Reznov is seen constantly telling Chernov about war.


 * Despite being pacifist, Chernov is shown shooting down many Germans heading towards Dimitri and on one occasion shot a wounded German on the ground. Maybe the makers are programming Chernov to shoot any enemy in sight, like another soldier.


 * Chernov is also seen throwing a molotov into a group of German soldiers in a trench in Their Land, Their Blood.

Quotes

 * "MY GOD!"
 * "RATS!"
 * "This is not war, this is murder."
 * "THIS IS MADNESS! Our rockets are tearing the city apart!"
 * "There is no point Sergeant, they are already bleeding to death."
 * "Sergeant, these men are trying to surrender."
 * From Chernov's diary. Alternate 1. "April 30th, 1945. When he first spoke of Dmitri, Reznov told tales of a hero. Someone we should all aspire to be like. His merciless brutality defines in more ways a savage, just like the rest of the Red Army. He is no hero."
 * From Chernov's diary. Alternate 2. "April 30th, 1945. When he first spoke of Dmitri, Reznov told tales of a hero. Someone we should all aspire to be like. At times I have seen him show mercy, and others complete brutality, I do not understand him. Perhaps, heroes need not question their actions."
 * From Chernov's diary. Alternate 3. "April 30th, 1945. When he first spoke of Dmitri, Reznov told tales of a hero. Someone we should all aspire to be like. His bravery on the battlefield is beyond question, but he has also shown mercy amidst the brutality of The Red Army. He is indeed a hero."
 * "MG42!"