Piotr Vladimirovich Vatutin is the eldest child of Vladimir and Ilyana Vatutin, two celebrated Soviet Academicians responsible for many of Russia's medical advances. Ilyana's father was a hero of the Great Patriotic War which ensured a comfortable life for all the family.
Piotr's ambition was to follow in his fathers footsteps so at the age of eighteen he enlisted in the Red Army. He became a lieutenant in the 26th Guards Tank Division, the recently named 'Filitov Guards', and had an excellent record there.
In early 1980 Piotr volunteered to help test the army's new chemical protective gear - the Filitov Guards were always the first to receive new equipment - and to help determine if it was proof against the latest 'transform' agents. Unfortunately, the new suits did not prove totally effective, although Piotrs efforts did eventually allow them to be perfected, and he received a slight exposure to the agent. It was not a fatal dose, but it did affect Piotr's physiology bringing out latent superhuman powers and causing to become vulnerable to certain attack forms. The army were delighted to have their own superhuman, especially since he was a true New Soviet Man and an elite soldier already. The army refused to allow the KGB anywhere near him. He returned to his unit whilst STAVKA prepared to publicly announce him to the world as Krasney Schit (Red Shield) at the 1981 May Day parade.
Before this could happen, however, the superhuman now known as Durak escaped from a laboratory at Moscow University and began a rampage of destruction as he headed west from the city. He smashed straight into the Filitov Guard. Piotr and Durak fought a running battle for three furious days as the army's best division fought in vain to halt the crazed killer that was Durak. Piotr's powers saved many of his comrades lives, and he himself was nearly killed in his final encounter with Durak. However, their efforts did force Durak to head further south, away from the city of Minsk, and earned him Durak's undying hatred.
This exploit made Piotr an instant hero across the Soviet Union, especially to the ordinary soldiers. He was made a Hero of the Soviet Union as a result of this, and his parents gave him one of the miniature automedics they had helped to develop.
When Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in 1985 Piotr spoke out strongly in support of his policies. He also denounced the endemic corruption within the CPSU and the lack of individual freedoms within the USSR. This earned him the undying enmity of the KGB and other hard liners, but boosted his popularity with the people to such an extent that they could not act against him. Also, at this time Piotr changed his nom de guerre to Glasnost, and revealed his identity to the public.
Soon thereafter, Piotr was transferred to Afghanistan, probably in the hope that he would disgrace himself there. Instead, he worked hard to help the locals and reduce their suffering. He argued vociferously for tolerance and restraint on both sides, respect for each others heritages, and the withdrawal of Soviet forces from the country. His actions served to moderate the hatred of the Afghanis he helped, and earned him the wrath of Islamic fundamentalists everywhere.
Piotr left Afghanistan at the time of the Armenian earthquake, going immediately to the disaster area and working tirelessly in the relief efforts. During this time Piotr received a fair amount of exposure on Western television, where his charm, good looks and liberal attitudes made him very popular. One smitten young journalist wrote a very flattering piece on him which featured in an issue of Time magazine. He also met English Rose briefly and was favourably impressed by her, despite her cynicism.
After this Piotr spent several months helping to break the power of some of the more corrupt Party officials and KGB officers as part of a special task force set up by the President himself which later became responsible to the new Congress of Peoples Deputies.
In early 1989 Piotr was asked by President Gorbachev if he would be willing to go to the West as an emissary of Soviet good will. A Russian hero helping the West with its crime and supervillain problems, and hopefully working with other superheros, would do much to allay the suspicion and mistrust between East and West and hopefully help to lay the Cold War to rest.
Glasnost immediately appreciated the great potential of this, and eagerly agreed. The relaxing of border restrictions and travel restraints made life easier. It was agreed by the Soviet and American governments that Glasnost would be allowed to act like a semi-private citizen - technically allowed to do what he wished within the confines of the law, but with PRIMUS keeping an eye on things. The Golden Avenger was not best pleased by this, but Glasnost's honesty and integrity, as well as the KGB's antipathy for him, have mollified him somewhat.
Piotr now lives in New York and has established himself as a popular crimefighter. He has worked on a one-off basis with several heros and even some Silver Avengers, but has not yet established a firm relationship with any one group...
Since then Glasnost joined the Guardians, was transported to Winterworld with them, returned and like them was trapped for three years in a bubble of slow time in New York's Central Park. Shortly after they emerged from this bubble Glasnost left the Guardians and returned to Russia (as it now was) to help his country. Since then he has become leader of the New Guard and played a key role in defeating the attempted takeover by the Russian Parliament. He is a great popular hero in Russia and a number of other states of the former Soviet Union.
Glasnost also appears in the Moscow Superheroes game background, and his Champions and Everway statistics appear as an example of converting characters from Champions to Everway.