Count Vladimir Alekseivich Dragomirov, usually referred to as Count Dragomirov or simply Dragomirov, is the main antagonist of the television miniseries Sharpe's Peril.
He was portrayed by Velibor Topic.
Biography[]
Dragomirov was the colonel of the Third Native Horse, serving in India. He met Colonel Richard Sharpe at a reception. Unknown to anyone, he and his men had already slaughtered both a native village and the East India Company garrison at Kalimgong in order to steal their opium harvest. He later rescued Sharpe's party from bandits, at which point he learned that they were en route to Kalimgong. Learning that his associate, Philippe Joubert, had left the garrison commander Sir Henry Simmerson staked out to die rather than killing him outright, Dragomirov went to investigate and found Sharpe had already been there and buried the dead.
Dragomirov caught up with Sharpe, who tried to convince him that everyone was dead when he arrived. However, Dragomirov recognised Simmerson among Sharpe's group and realised from Sharpe's lie that he knew of his crimes. A brief exchange of fire ended with most of Sharpe's party escaping across a river. Dragomirov followed and was waylaid by the injured Major Tredinnick. Dragomirov tried to find out where the rest of his party had gone but Tredinnick refused to talk so Dragomirov killed him. He next encountered Sharpe and Marie-Angelique Bonnet, who had killed Joubert, and took them both prisoner.
Dragomirov took the pair to his headquarters where he was having the opium processed, explaining he had £70,000 worth which he was planning to take to China. He had a native worker thrown into a snake pit as punishment for poor work. He told Sharpe that if he helped him track down the rest of his company, he would merely hold them prisoner until he was ready to leave. He also offered Sharpe a place in his organisation as Joubert's replacement. When Sharpe hesitated, Dragomirov had Marie-Angelique drugged with opium and threatened to have her raped. Sharpe offered to lead Dragomirov to his friends, saying Patrick Harper, who he had left in command, would only surrender to him. Dragomirov left Sharpe chained in the snake pit overnight, but Sharpe and Marie-Angelique managed to escape.
Pursuing Sharpe again, Dragomirov found he had rejoined his friends. Sharpe confronted Dragomirov's men alone in a pass, despite fifty to one odds. Dragomirov was suspicious and tried to call his men back as they charged. Sharpe had Harper trigger an explosion, causing a rockfall that blocked the pass and killed some of Dragomirov's men. Dragomirov looked for a way round and came across Colour Sergeant Wormwood, who led him to the village where Sharpe's group had taken refuge. As Dragomirov paraded his men in an attempt to intimidate, Reverend Watkin came out to meet them and begged them not to spill blood on the Sabbath. Dragomirov coolly shot him dead, declaring "God does not work upon a Sunday."
When Dragomirov attacked however, his men were overcome first by Sharpe's organisation of the villagers and then by the arrival of British reinforcements summoned by Corporal Barabbas Hakeswill. Dragomirov entered the fray himself, wounding Sharpe in the shoulder with a thrown knife and fighting with Barabbas. Sharpe challenged Dragomirov to a duel and, although Dragomirov was the more stylish swordsman, eventually managed to strike the killing blow with a slash across Dragomirov's stomach before finishing him off by impaling him lengthwise through the shoulder.
