Major Ivan Raidenovitch Raikov is a high-ranking officer within Groznyj Grad and a parody of Sons of Liberty's Raiden. He is implied to be Colonel Volgin's secret lover, and subsequently has colonel-class authority even though he is only a Major. There are numerous references to Raiden, ranging from Raikov's likeness, his name, his fighting style, a locker poster, his effeminate nature and the shared voice actor in the Japanese version. Raikov even says some phrases that Raiden says in the end sequence of Sons of Liberty like "No, never heard the name before" and "We'll tell them together". To get him to say these things, the player must use CQC to interrogate him. The name "Raidenovitch" is also a reference to both the character of Raiden, and the suffix "-vitch" (meaning "son of") used in Russian patronymic names.
He may also share some sadistic tendencies with Volgin. A conversation with EVA reveals that he enjoys punching his subordinates in the face for no reason. When Snake questions this behavior, EVA explains it by saying, "Raikov's just that kind of guy."
Raikov also has a romantic relationship with Volgin, although it is only implied. He is also the only character Volgin actually likes. In fact, during Snake's boss battle with Volgin, if the player immediately dons the Raiden face mask (in the player's inventory at the start of the game), Volgin will drop to his knees in disbelief, leaving him vulnerable to an initial attack (although any repeated attempt of this trick will result in Volgin simply attacking with disgust).
Snake can choose to knock out Raikov or kill him in order to steal his uniform and gain access to the room where Sokolov is being held. If Snake chooses to kill Raikov, he will reappear later in the game in his thong as a ghost, covering his crotch with his hands, a reference to a part of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty where Raiden must sneak naked.
