Character Relationship Map: Moscow Zero

Characters

• Owen (played by Vincent Gallo) — protagonist

  A newcomer to Moscow who claims to be Sergey’s friend and seeks the keys to Sergey’s house. He contacts Alec, joins the expedition through the underground tunnels, reaches Sergey’s crypt, and discover...

• Lyuba (played by Oksana Akinshina) — supporting

  A guide sent by Tolstoy to lead Owen toward the river and follow Sergey’s underground route. The armed guards and outcasts recognize her, and their acceptance of her passage suggests a connection to t...

• Tolstoy (played by Joss Ackland) — supporting

  A figure associated with the legends of Moscow’s hidden underworld. He is said to have first described the stories and sends Lyuba to guide Owen toward the river and Sergey’s route.

• Yuri (played by Joaquim de Almeida) — supporting

  A member of the group traveling with Owen, Lyuba, Pavel, Alec, and a priest through the underground tunnels in search of Sergey’s route.

• Sergey (played by Rade Šerbedžija) — supporting

  The subject of the underground investigation, who disappeared while studying the legends and descended through increasingly deep tunnels. Owen eventually finds him alive in a crypt, where Sergey warns...

• Alec (played by Julio Perillán) — supporting

  An anthropology scholar whom Owen contacts in Moscow. Alec explains the investigation into the city’s hidden legends and joins the expedition through the tunnels.

• Pavel (played by Álex O'Dogherty) — supporting

  A member of the underground expedition who is killed by a blow to the head. His body later disappears, increasing the survivors’ fear and confusion.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Tolstoy → Lyuba (Power Guide Assignment) — Tolstoy directs Lyuba's role in the underground expedition.

  Tolstoy sends Lyuba to guide Owen toward the river and to follow Sergey's route.

• Owen → Alec (Professional Investigation Contact) — Alec provides Owen with scholarly context for the search.

  Owen contacts Alec, an anthropology scholar, and learns from him about the investigation into Moscow's hidden legends.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Sergey → Tolstoy (Narrative Legend Investigation Link) — Their activities are connected through the investigation of the underground legends.

  Tolstoy is associated with the legends, while Sergey went underground while studying those same stories.

• Lyuba → Pavel (Alliance Expedition Teammate) — Their relationship is defined by shared expedition circumstances.

  Lyuba and Pavel are both part of the group following Sergey's route underground.

• Lyuba → Yuri (Alliance Expedition Teammate) — They cooperate within the underground expedition.

  Lyuba and Yuri travel through the tunnels as members of the same group.

• Alec → Pavel (Alliance Expedition Teammate) — Their connection is established through group cooperation.

  Alec and Pavel travel together with the expedition group through the tunnels.

• Alec → Yuri (Alliance Expedition Teammate) — They share the same dangerous investigative expedition.

  Alec and Yuri are both named as members of the group traveling through the tunnels toward the underground river.

• Owen → Pavel (Alliance Expedition Teammate) — Pavel is a fellow member of Owen's expedition.

  Pavel travels with Owen and the other members of the group through the underground tunnels.

• Owen → Yuri (Alliance Expedition Teammate) — Yuri is part of the group confronting the underground dangers.

  Yuri travels with Owen, Lyuba, the priest, Pavel, and Alec through the tunnels.

• Lyuba → Owen (Alliance Guide) — Lyuba helps Owen navigate the investigation and the tunnels.

  Lyuba is sent to guide Owen toward the river and along Sergey's route.

• Owen → Sergey (Narrative Seeker And Subject) — Owen's search for Sergey drives the investigation into the underground passage.

  Owen arrives in Moscow claiming to be Sergey's friend and seeks the keys to Sergey's house. He later follows Sergey's underground route and finds him...

Story Analysis

Owen's search for Sergey becomes a descent into a legendary underworld where the barrier between humanity and demons has been disturbed.

Plot Progression

1. Legends Beneath Moscow — Owen arrives in Moscow searching for Sergey and obtains information about the city's hidden legends. Alec and Tolstoy connect the legends to Sergey's underground investigation.
2. The Guided Descent — Tolstoy sends Lyuba to guide Owen toward the underground river. The expedition forms and begins following Sergey's path through the tunnels.
3. The Broken Barrier — The group discovers that subway workers diverted the river believed to restrain the demons. Armed guards and outcasts protect the gates, while Lyuba's recognition raises suspicion.
4. Death in the Labyrinth — The expedition follows Sergey's rope deeper underground, but Pavel is killed and his body disappears. The survivors rely on their maps to reach the Sanctuary.
5. The Crypt Without Escape — At the Sanctuary, the group encounters a chalice and a bound woman amid hostile inhabitants. Owen finally finds Sergey, but Sergey's warning comes after the river entrances have been blocked.