Disguised as American serviceman "Jefferson", a Russian soldier accompanied his superiors, Colonel Dovchenko and Irina Spalko, to infiltrate Hangar 51 in Nevada in 1957. He was also part of the Soviet expedition to the Amazon.
Biography
During Indiana Jones' escape from Soviet captivity, Jones accidentally swung back into the cab of a truck carrying Jefferson and Grant, surprising them. Jones threw Jefferson out first, then Grant. In Brazil, Jefferson was second of the four soldiers to enter the Temple of Akator and get sucked into the vortex.
Behind the scenes
"Jefferson" was played by Venya Manzyuk under the name "Veniamin Manzyuk" in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Manzyuk was credited as one of the four Russian Soldiers. Like many of the Soviet Special Forces who infiltrated Hangar 51, Jefferson shares his name with a US president, in his case Thomas Jefferson.
According to the insignia on his shirt, Jefferson was pretending to be a Private First Class in the U.S. Army.
While he and his companions are pulled into the vortex in the film, Jefferson and his companions receive a different fate in the comic book adaptation where the soldiers are incinerated by the piercing gaze of the crystal skeletons at the Temple of Akator. In the film's junior novelization, during the chase at Hangar 51, Jefferson is knocked out of the car with an elbow in the midsection by Jones after knocking Grant, whereas in the film, Grant is knocked out of the car after Jefferson.