Grand Theft Auto IV
The ROMANOV Archive travels to Liberty City to dissect the overlooked layers of Eastern European identity, Eastern Bloc trauma, and post-immigrant disillusionment embedded in Rockstar’s brooding masterpiece: Grand Theft Auto IV.
With Niko Bellic as a reluctant anti-hero and war veteran-turned criminal, haunted by memories of the Yugoslav conflict, GTA IV is more than just a gritty crime sim—it’s a post-Soviet character study. The ROMANOV Archive explores how Rockstar wove elements of Slavic diaspora, war guilt, and immigrant psychology into the bones of the game’s story, pedestrian lines, radio stations, and world design.
From Vladivostok FM to Niko Bellic's futile pursuit of the American dream, the game subtly critiques post-9/11 America through the lens of someone who’s seen real war—and finds the capitalist chaos of Liberty City just as brutal.