Answer:
Protagonist is Varlam Shalamov
Explanation:
In the story, Varlam Shalamov is portrayed as the protagonist of the story. This interesting story captures the struggles of prisoners during the Soviet era and the attempt of some to escape prison. Varlam Shalamov was in fact the author of the story.
His first-hand experience as a prisoner for some fifteen years in a Russian labor camp motivated him to portray similar experiences in his story, "Condensed milk”.