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The subject of this article appears in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. The subject of this article appears in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky.

Sidorovich (Russian: Сидорович) is a major character appearing in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky. He is also mentioned in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat.

Background[]

Sidorovich is a trader established in the outskirts of the Rookie Village in the Cordon. He is known throughout the Zone and the underground market for being the only reliable connection to the zone of alienation from the outside world. He achieves this with the help of the commanders of the nearby checkpoint[quote. 1]. There is a common saying amongst stalkers that if Sidorovich can't complete one's shopping list, no one in the Zone can[quote. 2].

Sidorovich was one of the first people to enter the Zone[quote. 3]. At that time, detectors did not exist and the life expectancy for the average stalker was significantly lower, prompting him to never wander to the Garbage and stay behind to conduct business, saying that he's not the fighting type and won't survive long outside[quote. 4], and also that he's too old to wander around the Zone[quote. 5].

Over the years, Sidorovich established a reputation as a reliable trader and one of the main pillars of the Zone's black market[quote. 6], and began establishing connections with the military[quote. 7], which enabled him to establish a fragile peace between the military and the free stalkers[quote. 8]. He expresses concerns for the stalkers' behavior and hostility towards the military, as it threatens the stability of his business[quote. 9].

Sidorovich is very mercantile[quote. 10], and primarily views the Zone as a business opportunity[quote. 11], to the point he views the center of the Zone as an opportunity to make even more money rather than being interested by the mysticism of the area as most stalkers are[quote. 12]. He also describes himself as essential for the Zone's black market, in addition of being a peacemaker[quote. 13].

He has a large number of clients both inside and outside the Zone[quote. 14], such as jewellers[quote. 15], the defense industry[quote. 16], the fur industry[quote. 17] and clinics[quote. 18]. He also employs a large number of stalkers, such as couriers and diggers[quote. 19], or simply regular stalkers to find item and fulfill his orders. Stalkers regularly trade with him for various goods such as artifacts[quote. 20]. He also helps setting up tourist expeditions into the Zone, by hiring stalkers to ensure the safety of the areas[quote. 21].

Appearances[]

Shadow of Chernobyl[]

Sidorovich

Sidorovich in the intro cutscene of the game

So, Marked One, I saved you and I'm not gonna pretend I did it to win favors upstairs. You do some jobs for me, and we're even. Besides, keeping you busy might be a good way to deal with your amnesia. And I'll see what I can find out about your problem. I don't give a shit why you want to find this Strelok guy and mind my own business. If you want to kill him, well, you must have your reasons.
― Sidorovich

In S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, Sidorovich is the first person the player encounters. In the opening cutscene, the Marked One is taken into Sidorovich's bunker and examined by the trader before waking up. Directly thereafter, Sidorovich provides a short game tutorial and sends the player on his first mission. His, and Barkeep's, ultimate goal is to open the road to the center of the Zone[quote. 22].

From there, Sidorovich remains a steady fixture in the main quest, providing information at crucial points in the story and occasionally getting directly involved again. Most notably, the player is told to return to Sidorovich after completing the raid on Lab X-18, after which there is a special albeit optional mission which involves stealing a briefcase from the cordon military outpost.

The player can trade with him, but he has few items available for sale. Most notably, he sells the modified "Tunder" 5.45 at the start of the game, for a hefty fee (20 000 RU). After the player defeats the Bandits that took Nimble hostage, he expands his offer, selling basic weaponry, ammunition, armor and food, although at a relatively high price.

In the canon ending of Shadow of Chernobyl, as Strelok escapes from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant via teleportation gates, he teleports into the trader's bunker for a split second, causing Sidorovich to jump off his chair and cry out in shock: "Marked One, what the hell?!".

Trading[]

Related missions[]

Sidorovich provides the first main story mission, Get information from the scout, which requires the player to rescue Nimble from the Bandits. Afterwards, he provides the mission Work for the trader which requires the player to retrieve documents from the Agroprom Research Institute.

Sidorovich hands out a number of missions as listed below:

Clear Sky[]

You got away from the army, you lucky devil! I've got a feeling there's a reason for you being here. Pop in and see me if you're in the area.
― Sidorovich

In S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, Sidorovich has a smaller role than in the first game. Scar visits the trader after leaving the Swamps, asking Sidorovich for information on Fang. This leads to Scar getting involved in the conflict between the Loners and the Military in order to locate a small crate of exotic loot. After returning the loot box to Sidorovich, the trader reveals what he knows about Fang; after which he is available for normal trade and can answer a few questions about himself.

Curiously, Sidorovich's appearance changes rather distinctly between the games. He has hair in Shadow of Chernobyl, where as in Clear Sky he is completely bald. Also, he uses a desktop computer in Clear Sky. While in Shadow of Chernobyl he uses an Asus brand laptop, likely replacing his old computer with a newer one after getting richer.

Sidorovich's trade offer is more extensive than in Shadow of Chernobyl, but his prices are once again high, compared to the other traders (especially when benefiting from faction-related discounts). He expands his offer after returning him his loot during the main story, and also after the player obtains information about Fang in the Garbage. Returning him the loot will net a discount on many of his items and also increase the price at which he buys the player's artifacts, in fact offering the best prices for them of any trader in the Zone.

Trading[]

Related missions[]

Call of Pripyat[]

Sidorovich does not appear in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat, but is briefly mentioned at times. He is, for instance, mentioned when asking stalkers where to find tools, and they answer by saying that the last place they saw tools was back in Sidorovich's bunker[quote. 23]. Nimble also mentions him when asked about himself[quote. 24].

Quotes[]

Shadow of Chernobyl[]

  • "So Marked One I saved you and I'm not gonna pretend I did it to win favors upstairs, you do some jobs for me and we're even. Besides, keeping you busy might be a good way to deal with your amnesia."
  • "What are you standing there for? come closer."
  • "Not bad, some pretty good stuff you got there."
  • "That's my boy, you made my day."
  • "What is this shit?"
  • "Got anything valuable?"
  • "You got the loot?"
  • "Good hunting, Stalker."
  • "Marked One, what the hell?!"

Clear Sky[]

  • "Hello, anyone home?"
  • "Come on, tell me what you got for me!"
  • "Relax, don't be shy, what brings you here?"
  • "Don't just stand there, eh!"
  • "Hurry up with that case, alright?" - After receiving the mission to find the loot

Development[]

SHOC Beta Trader

The original Sid

Originally, Sidorovich's bunker had much worse quality and the man himself had a wildly different appearance. Instead of the balding fat trader model, it was a fat, sweaty model with a pudgy face and bright blonde hair in a white tanktop, jeans and missing his left hand and always carrying a shotgun. He was also known as "Toad"[1] or "The Dealer". In build 1537, he has a model.

Toad model

Toad's model in build 1537.

Build 1844[]

Sidorovich now received his final model, although his menu GUI is still the old "Dealer".

Build 1935[]

Sidorovich now looks as he did in Build 1844 but his voice drastically changes. In Build 1935's voice files, his voice sounds like that of a stereotypical old man with a bit of an accent.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R._-_Early_Sidorovich_Voice_Files_(now_with_transcribed_audio!)

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Early Sidorovich Voice Files (now with transcribed audio!)

Sidorovich's old voice files.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • In the back of his bunker, the player can see a fully upgraded Tunder S14.
  • In Shadow of Chernobyl, if the Marked One selects the trade option and exits out without giving or buying anything, Sidorovich will grumble and complain.
  • Humorously, if one is to throw a grenade before using the teleportation gates, Sidorovich can be "killed" by the explosion in Shadow of Chernobyl.
  • Andrey Podubinskiy, Sidorovich's original Russian/Ukrainian voice actor, has unfortunately passed away on March 23 2018, at the age of 74.[2]

References[]

  1. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Sidorovich: "I know the commander a little: he likes to take a swig as much as the next man. I'm surviving on here thanks to him."
  2. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Wolf: "That's a strange question coming from you. It ain't your first day in the Zone, but you're asking me about Sidorovich? Hell, everyone knows Sidorovich! He's the most respected trader in the whole Zone! If he can't fulfill your shopping needs, nobody can."
  3. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Sidorovich: "A long, long time. I was one of the first in the Zone. Back then we didn't have radiation detectors or suits, so your life expectancy in this place was real short."
  4. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Sidorovich: "That's why I've never been past the Garbage. That sort of thing isn't for me."
  5. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Sidorovich: "What's there to tell? I'm old and sick, so I sit here nice and quiet and do a little business selling medkits, some sausage for the boys... It's not a lot, but better than living on a state pension, that's for sure."
  6. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Sidorovich: "People who need me will find me no matter where I am. If someone's got a serious order or they need some quality goods, they come to me and only me. And sometimes they even wait in line, too. Why? Because if I can't get loot through the Cordon, nobody can."
  7. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Sidorovich: "I've got a few contacts among them...you know, people always need vodka and...umm, magazines, right?"
  8. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Sidorovich: "There used to be rules. The military controlled the area, took their cut and let people smuggle stuff in and out. Once in a while they'd give stalkers a hard time just to keep up appearances, but that was about it."
  9. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Sidorovich: "Poor bastards seem to refuse to see an inch beyond their nose. It's not like this is the end of it. Sure, the army boys are too damn scared to report on recent events to their HQ, because then their shady dealings will be exposed, but sooner or later there will be an inspection of the outpost, and it will all come to light. And then... well, we all know what will happen then: a special military operation. Trust me, one visit from a Spetsnaz platoon and there won't be a living soul left in this place. Oh, and all the jarheads at the outpost will be replaced. That means I'll lose all my contacts, and how am I gonna trade and smuggle once that happens?"
  10. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Kolobok: "But then again, it's Sidorovich: don't expect something for nothing."
  11. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Sidorovich: "It's a different, detached world, weird and dangerous... and attractive, too. And you know why? Because with a little luck anyone can get rich quick. And the closer you come to the center of the Zone, the higher you will climb on the money ladder."
  12. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Sidorovich: "It's a bunch of fairy tales... except I don't believe all that otherworldly nonsense. The one thing I do believe is that the center of the Zone contains a lot of valuable artifacts."
  13. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Sidorovich: "I'm like engine grease, without me the engine falters and that means people start fighting. But when I'm around everyone's happy."
  14. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Sidorovich: "Even though the Zone is full of wonders, the demand for these wonders is even bigger - be it from governments, special services, private agencies or fat cat collectors."
  15. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Find the Stone Flower artifact: "The order is from the jewellers, by the way, so let's try to make the pretty ladies happy, eh?"
  16. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Find the Night Star artifact: "Apparently, it's coming from the military, they're working on some new protection. Anyway, there's an order for the Night Star."
  17. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Bring over the tail of the pseudodog: "Winter's coming soon. And what do chicks like to wear there on the Big Land during winter? That's right - furs. So now there's a new fashion going around, making various accessories from the tails of pseudodogs. It's some sort of special fur!"
  18. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Find the artifact called Chunk of Meat: "There's an order for an artifact, the kind that heals wounds, called Chunk of Meat! They have a clinic of some sort."
  19. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Eliminate the bandits by the Agroprom Research Institute: "Some bandits turned up by the Agroprom Research Institute. They're disturbing my diggers when they sort through the rubbish."
  20. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Random stalker dialogue: "This place used to be pretty tame. There was an established routine: newbies kept to what they knew, stalkers gathered artifacts to sell to Sidorovich, and the military provided "protection" from the bandits."
  21. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Purge the area from mutants: "They want to bring some foreign tourist over. He paid some dough to my homies to get to look at the zone. And the area where they're gonna show him around needs to be cleared of mutants."
  22. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Sidorovich: "We're doing sort of an investigation with some other traders. We want to open up the path to the North, to the center of the Zone. And near the center someone or something is trying to hamper our progress..."
  23. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Random dialogue: "To be honest, the last place I saw decent tools was in Sidorovich's bunker at the Cordon. Sure, you have to pay for them, but they're new and not all that expensive either."
  24. S.T.A.L.K.E.R Nimble: "Then I worked for Sidorovich... paying him back for saving my ass."
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