Man Behind a Mask

A Soviet surgeon turned KGB spy faces the price of love, loyalty, and identity in a divided world.

A Soviet surgeon turned reluctant KGB spy is torn between duty, love, and conscience. As his double life unravels, he must face the cost of loyalty and identity in a divided world. Inspired by true events.

Main production country: Latvia

Producer's note

The Man Behind a Mask is a compelling international drama series inspired by real historical figures who lived and worked in Soviet Latvia between the 1950s and 1990s. It opens a window into the hidden bohemian world of Soviet-era academics, artists, athletes, politicians, and spies.

Through Nikolai’s story, we explore the cost of secrecy and power — not only for individuals, but for entire nations. The story spans Riga and Moscow to London, Berlin, Rome, Caracas, Kabul, Havana, and Washington, D.C. Each episode offers a distinct tone and setting — a romantic slow-burner with suspense in Italy, chaotic high-stakes drama in Venezuela, and the suffocating tension of war in Afghanistan.

The series connects the past with the present, revealing how the covert battles of the Cold War — espionage, power struggles, and moral compromise — continue to shape our world today.

Despite its historical background, the tone is playful and stylish. The focus is on character, drama, and thrill rather than politics, though history grounds the story where needed. The protagonist embodies the charisma, intelligence, trauma, and sophistication of a Cold War-era Bond figure.

Each episode intertwines three storylines — espionage, medical, and personal — some procedural, others continuous. The Man Behind a Mask is an English- and Latvian-language series for international audiences: intelligent, entertaining, and visually rich — a fresh, distinctive concept for streamers and broadcasters alike.

Screenwiter's note

The Cold War is often told through heroes and defectors, but I’m drawn to the grey zone — to those who functioned within the system not out of belief, but because it let them do their work. The Man Behind the Mask is about such a man, and the personal cost of living with compromise for too long.
What drew me to the story wasn’t espionage or politics, but the quiet implosion that happens when denial becomes unbearable. It’s about the lies we tell ourselves to keep going, the small concessions that slowly fracture something deep within. This series explores that breaking point — when pretending becomes too painful to sustain.
Set within a totalitarian regime, it shows a world where being right is impossible. You’re either a fanatic or a traitor, and the system, built on fear and surveillance, eventually turns on everyone. I witnessed this fallout in my own family after the USSR collapsed — loyalties shattered, identities dissolved, purpose turned to shame.
Nikolay isn’t a classic dissident. He thrives inside the system, manipulates it, yet never truly belongs. His God complex hides a sincere urge to heal, even when his patients are “disposable.” What fascinates me is how love and betrayal lead him to finally act beyond the logic of power — not through rebellion, but by saving lives.
Ultimately, this is a story about identity, compromise, and emotional awakening — about choosing who you are when every system demands that you be someone else.

Subjects:
history, mafia, science, individual vs society