Alexei Alanovich Shostakov (Russian: Алексей Аланович Шестаков), also known as the Red Guardian (Russian: Красный страж), is the first Soviet-Russian super soldier. During his career in the Soviet Armed Forces, Shostakov became an ally of General Dreykov, the head of the Red Room. In 1992, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he was sent deep undercover in Ohio to infiltrate and destroy the HYDRA-occupied North Institute within S.H.I.E.L.D., assigned with Melina Vostokoff to pose as an American family with two surrogate daughters, Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova. After destroying the institute in 1995, Shostakov returned back home, but was eventually incarcerated by Dreykov in Seventh Circle Prison for criticizing the Russian government.