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Messages - Kemerovo

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31
Artem had expected to be able to get some advice from the Foreign Office before setting off but it was clear they were about as clued in as he was on how to best conduct the visit however seeing as it had been so long since anyone of them had actually done this kind of thing it was infact pointless. As such Artem would be flying by the seat of his pants so to speak. As he was waiting for final checks on his flight his friend Moisey Viktorov came to wish him luck and essentially have him the advice of treating it like a business meeting. Artem thanked him for his well wishes but his advice didn't really help much as Artem had very little first hand knowledge of conducting business.

The flight over the "Inner Karifan" wasn't a particularly long one and Artem was impressed with the greeting. He made a point of proudly singing his nations national anthem, he loved to sing and he had to admit to the hosting President that he was impressed with the vast size and majesty of the Churches. "Our homeland has put a great emphasis on smaller community Churches. The large Cathedrals like yours will come though." He smiled, "I think perhaps the main difference is that we lack the major cities to play host to them but as our cities are beginning to grow so will the space our people need."

As they arrived at the Duma the butterflies in Artem's stomach began doing aerobatics. It wasn't that he wasn't used to speaking in front of crowds it was the significance of what his words would mean to the people back home. He took a sip of water before addressing the Duma. "To be invited to speak on behalf of my nation before such a gathering of fine individuals is perhaps one of the produest, and most nerve wracking experiences of my life. However it is my hope those nerves will soon abate, for as the bible tells us "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them" Truly when the lands of Zaporozhia and Samantra meet, and it is long overdue, we gather in our shared love of our Lord and if he is among us we should all have nothing to worry about. Over the last few weeks I have been proud to watch as our two nations have almost rediscovered our respect and brotherly love. The distance across the Inner Karifan" he paused and gave a small laugh, "I should explain, perhaps one of the things that also unites us is our belief that historically Rodina have done a disservice to our region, holding it back from both progress and humanity. As such why should their name be given to such a region? Back home we have taken to giving it this name and while this ocean, whatever you wish to call it, separates our physical territory it is my mission here to ensure that the distance diplomatically, culturally and spiritually is as close as possible. I thank each of you for your welcome to your beautiful country and look forward to what lies ahead. My God Bless us all." He bowed his head respectfully to the Duma, let out a sigh of relief that he hadn't messed up.

Having grown up in the priesthood Artem was used to the smell of incense and during the silent prayers tried to think back to some of the inspiring words his mentor at  St. Abraham Church School's Theological College would say. He found the words, "The fact is that peace is first of all a gift of God. God is the one who establishes it, for it is he who gives to humanity the whole of creation in order to administer and develop it in a united way." coming to mind from one of the teachers who had taught them for a while about the History of the faith. He hoped now he could try and put some of that into practice. As the prayer came to an end he thanked the President for the relics. "Sadly our gift to you is not yet ready." Artem confessed, "You may have heard of the   Adeova Church restroration that is beginning. We hope that once it is completed it will include an extension with multiple smaller chapels. We wish one of them to be given to your nation and that as we seek to establish a religious college there you'll accept six scholarships a year there. It is our hope again that this will help bring our two nations closer together."


32
International News Networks / Re: News of Zaporozh
« on: December 30, 2021, 10:53:17 PM »


"INVEST IN PEACE NOT WAR" SAYS METROPOLITAN OF ZAPOROZH




Tikhon, the Metropolitan of Zaporozh has today spoken at a traditional service to celebrate the impending new year. During the speech he focused on his hopes for the year ahead.

"As we approach the beginning of another circuit around the sun I am amazed at news coming of nations investing what must amount to tens of billions into machines of war during a time that Mundus seems largely at peace. While I appreciate that nations must posses the means to defend their people we are seeing huge investments in weapons of offensive not defence. It seems to me we are now once more entering a period of what some could call an arms race and as of yet the battle lines have not been drawn but it is coming. Be that conflict brewing in the Kyne between those who interpret supposed international laws differently, be that between people whose concepts of justice differ or be that between rival groups intent on demonstrating that they are some kind of Alpha Dog for Mundus. Nations must invest in peace not war.

It is far too easy to invest in war. All a leader must do is ignore their neighbour and write huge cheques to faceless organisations intent themselves on pushing nations to utilise their war-machines in the pursuit of profit. To invest in peace is hard. To invest in peace you must be willing to do the hard things, compromise, show empathy and most importantly compassion. To invest in peace you must be willing to beat your swords into ploughs, a process I thought we had achieved when the nuclear powers gave up their weapons of Satan. That stood as a landmark moment in world history and had given an oppurtunity to show rivalries and fears of old had gone. Instead of the vast sums of money being spent on the upkeep of these abominations that money could have built hospitals, it could have built schools, it could have ended diseases but instead that wealth has just been diverted into the pockets of the military industrial complex to restart the endless rounds of military actions. We now see the Kyne, a sea that easily could be at peace, and I believe has been for several years, now in the grips of a build up between nations navies. I wonder if we count up the cost of these actions how many starving children could have been fed?

Mundus should be rejoicing. We are celebrating the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we are welcoming in a new year, we have witnessed nations across Mundus unite to give prayers to various Gods for the birth of an East Moreland Prince. This birth sees the exact same nations who are flooding the Kyne giving thanks and well wishes. Should we therefore not unite around Prince Llewellyn's birth giving thanks to God for the arrival of another Child who while I pray they are healthy and happy I also pray will find their way to love of Jesus. We should see that by the time this Moreland Prince gets anywhere near a throne they have no wars to fight, no armies to throw around and no navies to float around the world.

As we enter 2022 I will be praying those nations currently seeking to use aggression to find their agenda fulfilled reconsider their actions and turn to words of friendship rather than cast stones. May God Bless each of you."

The Metropolitan of Zaporozh has also called for the Christian nations of the world to set an example. "In days of old our faith established organisations and charities to do the work of the Lord. Let us see everyday Christian folk set an example for those who would claim to be Kings and Queens, most of which claim to be appointed by or in effect a God, let us Christians pick up the slack those without true faith have created by their obsession with war and the machines of death. In the coming days I fully intend to call for a meeting of Christian leaders to establish a network that allows us to do what others won't."

33
Diplomacy and Events / Re: Invitation to Petrograd (Samantra and Zaporozh)
« on: December 20, 2021, 10:55:55 PM »

To the President of the Duma of Samantra.

Following a vote today in the Family Council it was determined that Artem Lebedev will be sent to speak on behalf of the nation. This decision was made with 33 of the 61 person Families Council agreeing. During his visit Artem will be free to negotiate how he see's best in order to promote good relations between our nations however no formal agreement can be reached without a full session of the Family Council.

The Families Council has instructed our representative to take an active part in all the proposed schedule and will be accompanied by a representative of the "Holy Knowledge" newspaper which is run by the Church in our nation.

Finally the Families Council unanimously voted to approve several key documents that Artem will bring with him should they be needed during things such as the Press Conference or public speeches.

We thank you for this kind invitation and look forward to the successful return of Artem.

With Thanks

The Families Council.

34
Character Guides / Re: Zaporozhians
« on: December 20, 2021, 10:42:01 PM »

Artem Lebedev

Born in 1963 in the town of Horodets in the commune of Kovel. His family were co-land owners with the Viktorov family. He was the youngest of six children, four girls and two boys. As a result he was expected to inherit very little. At the age of 11 he was considered a very able student and his teachers tried to encourage his father to not take him out of education for more vocational upbringing as many Zaporozhians did. At school he was a considerably talented musician and the St. Abraham Church School offered him a place there on a musical scholarship.

By the time he was 14 he had made up his mind that he would become a Priest, as a 2nd son he was unlikely to inherit anything of worth and being a devout man he wished to dedicate his time to God. At the age of 14 he was accepted into the St. Abraham Church School's Theological College and began the process of becoming a Priest.

In 1984 he graduated from the College and was sent to the Cathedral of Myrhorod where he became the Assistant Choir Master. For the next five years he worked on curating and composing musical pieces for the Choir and toured all over the nation with them. In 1989 he was promoted to run the Choir and began working with various other choirs across the nation. In 1992 he was approached by the military to be the Chaplin of the Free Lands National Army and he accepted. His young age surprised many when he was offered the position but his connections with the Viktorov family helped him gain favour. He maintained this position until 2001. Many expected that soon he would earn a position as a Bishop however his elder brother died of pnemonia and this suddenly meant that Artem would inherit a significant amount of the families land and property however being a member of the clergy meant that this would be impossible and the land would instead pass to his elder sister and out of the family control potentially. As a result Artem was able to persuade the Church to permit him to return to his family while maintaining a position as leader of what was now the national Church choir.

In 2010 he became the Viktorov families own personal spiritual adviser and was instrumental in helping Moisey return to the faith. Despite being dedicated to the Church in most of his actions he was persuaded by his father to marry and in 2011 he married Aelita Sokolovsky whose family were influential artists responsible for decorating many of the nations Churches. The pair have two sons, Peter (born in 2014) and Abraham (born in 2017).

In 2014 his father died and Artem became the patriarch of his family. He has worked hard to ensure that the family are seen to be very active within the art community related to the Church and has also been consulted several times by the Family Council over matters of preserving historical churches and restoring them to their former glory. He is active with his friend Moisey Viktorov's political group known as the United Kinship Group (UKG) where he has served as a kind of spiritual and moral adviser to many of their members sitting within the Families Council.

During his time working with choirs he became friends with Tikhon, the Metropolitan of Zaporozh who has personally baptised his children.
 

35
International News Networks / Re: News of Zaporozh
« on: December 10, 2021, 11:11:48 PM »


KVITNEVE ACADEMY TO GET CASH BOOST


Opened in 1872 the Kvitneve Academy was established to help prepare the youth of Zaporozh for a career in the military at all levels as well as promoting Christian and Cossack values. The Academy has over its history helped countless young men become officers in the Police, Armed Forces and Commune Militia's enabling them to have effective careers. While the Academies role has not changed since its foundation its funding has been cut over the years as the Family Council preferred to direct funds into more mainstream schools. Today however Zaporozh businessman, Vasily Zima, has given the Academy a $5million gift and intends to pump a further $1,000,000 a year into the school which currently has 180 boarding students aged between 8-18. The funds were handed over today during a visit by the owner of Zima Distilleries to the Academy that he himself failed to be accepted into 30 years ago. Mr.Zima said to the assembled press. "As a young boy I grew up four streets away from the Academy and I would walk past its gates everyday. I always saw the Academy as an exciting place that helped make strong and proud men. I begged my parents to let me go there but sadly I failed their entrance exam because of my asthma but my respect for the Academy never diminished."

Over the last two decades the school's buildings have fallen into disrepair and students, who wear a military style uniform, are often mismatched. "As a boy we would see them in their black trousers and jackets, the proud red stripe down the arms and legs, whips of their belts and the older boys with sabres. Every Sunday they would march through the town to Church. I see the parades now but the boys look shabby in comparison, a shame for these boys willing to dedicate their life to our security and freedom. They deserve better." The funds will be partly used to ensure all boys have smart new uniforms and equipment is updated.

As Mr.Zima visited a group of 10 year old boys practiced with their whips, carried by many Cossack law enforcement officers as a means of controlling crowds or disobedient criminals. It was notable that the students even had to share whips for the various drills. One of the students was 10 year old Maksim Holub who is excited about what will happen in the school. "My father came here, and my grand-father. They both served as members of the Police and I want to do the same. Being at this school will help that. I'm sad though some days because our dorm windows rattle in the wind and it makes our room cold. We try and make our teachers proud but often we don't have all the things we need. Our teachers say this will teach us to be able to solve problems or be more tough. I'm happy we can learn properly now. I hope that I'll learn enough to be one of the boys who gets a sword one day."

The school is considered one of the most demanding within the nation however its future has been discussed several times as some have described the school as being "unnecessarily tough". Students raise at 6am for an hour of physical training in just t-shirt and shorts regardless of the weather. Students then have breakfast before attending classes focusing on language, literature, bible study, History and law. At midday all students attend a prayer service in the school hall before having a fruggle lunch of porridge and fruit. More lessons follow until 5pm when students are expected to carry out chores to ensure the school building and dorms are clean. Between 6pm and 8pm students take part in "Enrichment" sessions which can include such activities from choir, sports teams or shooting competitions. The school promotes a fierce sense of competition between boys with each class publishing a weekly ranking of students for that subject or activity. Students at the top of the ranking are given special privileges with their uniform and permitted to lead the weekly Sunday parade to Church. This schedule is kept for six days a week with Sundays seeing students allowed to lie in until 7:30 am before attending Church. After Church students coming at the bottom of the rankings are expected to carry out some sort of community service which can include taking meals to pensioners or helping clean the Church. Most students are then permitted to receive visitors on Sunday or take the day to relax in their dorm or utilise the schools facilities, many of which like the swimming pool, are in poor repair. The current head-teacher is Max Zelenko and students couldn't praise him enough. One student told us, "Master Zelenko has often used his own money to ensure we have equipment for things like football. His wife even once brought a car full of blankets into the school when our heating broke. We step out of line and he makes us regret it straight away but we don't want to disappoint a man who works so hard to give us a chance to reach our dreams."

Master Zelenko thanked Mr. Zima for his promise of funding and has stated that his aim is to not just ensure the school is restored to its former glory but also intends to surpass it. "I have read a great deal in these last few years of the Bene Gesserit Chapterhouse schools and their reputation for producing great scholars and, after their actions against the Soviets in Kaitaine, great soldiers. I am sure with our loyalty to Cossack ways and the Lord God we can surpass them. I hope to make our school just as prestigious and who knows maybe spread our schools across Mundus in the same way they have." Almost before the media had left teams of builders had arrived and even then the students were being put to work helping carry equipment and supplies. Master Zelenko explained, "Our communes and our kin have always tried to be self-sufficient. To do that we require a man to have a wide range of skills. We at the Academy see every task as a learning opportunity. While we make the school better our boys will learn bricklaying, carpentry, even how to be an electrician. Making our school better will make them better."

Applications to the school open on the 3rd of January and with news of this new funding and school improvement it is expected that demand for places will be much higher than the last few years.


36
International News Networks / Re: News of Zaporozh
« on: December 09, 2021, 11:19:10 PM »


CHURCH REGAINS SOME LOST LAND


During the 1930's a more Soviet leaning government confiscated a large amount of land from the Orthodox Church turning it into arable farmland. This land has been handed out to several families who were, at that point, pro Soviet. Today much of that land has been under utilised with the Farming Commission stating that the land is only achieving 60% of its possible farming output. The United Kinship Group (UKG) had been campaigning for the land to be returned to the Church and yesterday attempted to get the measure approved by the Families Council. While most of the UKG supported the wholesale return of the land a few members of the group didn't, however immediately after the vote tabled an amended proposal which did pass. The amendment stated that rather than returning all confiscated farmland only that land contains a "disused Church" and is identified as under-utilised by the Farming Commission will be returned. Any confiscated land that does not meet both these requirements will remain the property of the current owner who must pay a "pepper-corn" rent each year to the Church. The new amendment means the abandoned Church at Adeova that was once thought to be built upon the site of the oldest Church in Zaporozh will pass back into the control of the Church. While archaeology has since proven that the Adeova Church is newer than the one in Henichesk the Adeova Church still retains a historic significance as it housed several early theological scholars from Zaporozh.

Tikhon, the Metropolitan of Zaporozh welcomed the news of the return of land by saying, "The Church has always tried to utilise its land to help those most in need. We have allocated areas for farms to those left destitute, we have built upon the lands to provide for our flocks and we have used the funds it brings to go Gods work. While I believe it would be just to return all land seized in the 1930's it is I concede difficult to imagine taking land from some of those who have for the last 90 years made good on their opportunity and turned the land into something positive. We will begin repairs of the Adeova Church almost immediately."

Moisey Viktorov had tabled the original amendment and said that he was disappointed it did not pass in his own form. "The Church is the backbone of our nation, our culture and our way of life. Anything that has weakened it is a threat to those things. Restoration of everything would have been the right thing to do. I am disappointed we did not get things done how I had dreamt of but this shows how important our council is, everyman is born equal before God and that therefore means everyman in our Council is equal. We will see how this change goes and we can always revisit things in the future." Viktorov along with his brother in law Yelisey Baran Jnr have already pledged funds towards the rebuilding of the Adeova Church. Meanwhile as soon as the announcement was made 15 year old Vitali Viktorov and fellow members of his Church Youth League  group had cycled the 20km from Horodets to the Adeova Church where they were seen removing weeds and litter from the dilapidated building leading his father Moisey to say, "To see young people excited about the chance to rebuild one of our nations most historic landmarks is heart warming. I am proud of my son, and those who went with him, for they are showing that our nation is in excellent hands for future generations."

The land where the Adeova Church is located is currently owned by Samson Jankorokov whose grand-father was given the land in 1932. Mr.Jankorokov admitted following the announcement that the family had fallen on hard times and while he had done his best to try and care for the land he said, "I'm getting on in years. I'm 76, I have no children and no siblings. Its hard for a man of my age to farm the land and care for it. Perhaps it is best that the land returns to the Church now however I have yet to hear if or when I will be compensated for my loss of land." It is thought that those who have lost land will be paid a sum of compensation which will be determined in the coming weeks however no figures have yet been announced.

37
Character Guides / Re: Zaporozhians
« on: December 05, 2021, 11:12:28 PM »

Ilia Vasilyev

Born in 1973 in the town of Radovel, a small mining community that was too small to be its own commune. At just under 7ft tall Ilia has become very visible during his time in the Families Council, not just because of his height but also his push to get his hometown recognised as a Commune in its own right. Currently he is the elected representative for the Sivky Co-Operative   which is a collection of Radovel and three small farming areas.

Ilia's father was a coal miner and his mother was a cook at the local school. He is the eldest of four children.

At school Ilia was an average student and gained high enough grades to see his education through to the age of 18, narrowly missing out on going to University. Ilia was not a willing student however his father was very strict in supporting and encouraging his education as he didn't want any of his children to end up working down the mines. At 18 Ilia joined the Police Force which pleased his father greatly. In 1991, just three months into his new career Ilia was recognised for bravery in helping foil an armed robbery on a factories premises which saw him get stabbed twice. Ilia served with several commendations and awards until in 2006 he was promoted into the  Spetsialʹna Patrulʹna Syla (SPS) which is like a military police unit which supports local police units as well as dealing with terrorist threats. He served with distinction in the unit until 2012 when his father died and he left the service to look after the families affairs.

As the now patriach of the family he returned to Radovel and used his knowledge of policing and security to establish a private security company that has gone on to provide personal protection for several VIP's in the nation. He also started to get involved in local politics after his younger brother Gideon was injured in a mining accident. Ilia successfully campaigned for the local representative to get laws passed to ensure the safe operation of mines as well as better care packages for workers injured in industrial accidents. So successful was his attempts that in 2014 he gained 17% of the communes vote for representative of the Families Council without formally standing as citizens may write in a candidate of their choice. This prompted him to take politics seriously realising the potential changes he could make to improve his homeland. As such in 2016 he stood as candidate and was successfully returned as the communes representative. Within a few days of taking up his position he had started to form a friendship with Moisey Viktorov and was invited to join the United Kinship Group (UKG) soon after, an offer he accepted.

He has been active within the Families Council pushing for changes in the nations mining laws and been an unofficial spokesman on matters of law and order. He also manages the UKG's security when they hold rallies or events.

In 1992 he married a secretary at the local mining companies office. Daria and Ilia have three children, Mykhaila (born 1996), Fyokla (born 1998) and Nina (2002). In 2014 he and his wife adopted a baby who had been abandoned at the local Church. The biological family of the baby has never been discovered but Ilia and Daria suspected that as the child had Down Syndrome this was the reason for the adandonment. They named the child Kuksha after the saint whose feast day the child was discovered on.   

38
Character Guides / Re: Zaporozhians
« on: December 05, 2021, 09:44:52 PM »


Yelisey Baran Jnr

Born in the Henichesk Commune Barmaky in 1977 he is the eldest child of Yelisey Baren and Natalya. He is the elder brother of Nadiya Viktorov (Baren) and thus the brother in law of Moisey Viktorov.

Yelisey was always interested in machinery and every time the family began to carry out any maintainance on farm equipment a young Yelisey was always soon found to be passing spanners and other tools to those working on them. During his time at school his reports showed when it came to academic classes he was towards the bottom of the class however once anything practical came about he was best in the class. His school reports even show that in cooking classes he excelled. His love though was mechanics and at the age of 14 he left school to begin an apprenticeship with a company making large scale earth moving equipment and the at 17 he joined the military in the Army Engineering Corps. He was so successful that he rose to the rank of Sergeant by the time he left in 2013.

While in the Army he meet a military nurse called Veronika and the pair married in 1998. They have three children, Klara (born 2000), Samuil (born 2003) and Oleksander (born 2010).

In 2005 Yelisey found himself serving six months in military prison and was demoted after taking a handgun from base and threatening to kill his brother-in-law Moisey after his mistreatment of his sister. He was stopped from doing anything serious by his younger sister and was arrested by Military Police for going AWOL and removing a fire-arm from the base. He should have faced a more harsh punishment but his father's influence as a member of the Families Council was enough to spare him that fate. Today Moisey and Yelisey are both good friends.

In 2017 the patriarch of the Baran family died and Yelisey Baren Snr left his seat on the Family Council to run the families affairs. Yelisey Baren Jnr had been spending his time establishing a business dedicated to the repurposing of farm machinery and export to other nations. This business was handed over to his father to manage while Jnr attended the Council. Just as his father had Jnr added his voice to the United Kinship Group (UKG) and is considered their spokesman on military affairs.

Yelisey Jnr has also established the Nicetas Trust which is named after the saint Nicetas who is a former soldier who attempted to convert pagans. The Trust helps those leaving the armed forces readjust the civilian life and provides "Comrade Clubs" across the nation which act as a social club. 

39
Diplomacy and Events / Re: Request for interview
« on: December 05, 2021, 09:04:02 PM »

To -  Ms. Arina Zaytseva

On behalf of the Kovel Commune Press Office we would like to pass on our thanks for having an interest in interviewing Nadiya Viktorov. With that in mind we are pleased to announce that Nadiya has an avaliable time slot in her schedule to meet with you. If you are willing to travel to the Viktorov families holding in the village of Krasnoe which sits around 10km East of the city of Horodets. This is because in the run up to Christmas Nadiya will be helping prepare celebrations in the families homelands. We will be more than happy to help facilitate your journey and should it be required we can arrange accommodation in the communes properties.

We hope this is acceptable and look forward to welcoming you to the Kovel Commune in the near future.

With Deepest Respect
Viktor Khalizov
Chief Press Officer of the Kovel Commune.

40
International News Networks / Re: News of Zaporozh
« on: December 04, 2021, 04:45:05 PM »


FIRST OF THE VIKTROV AGENDA PASSED BY COUNCIL


Moisey Viktorov presented a plan for the future of the nation several weeks ago and today the first of a proposed 15 measures has successfully been passed by the Families Council. The motion of protecting the habitats of animals and sea life as well as membership of the Wild Mundus Organisation was passed by the council 43-18. The basic outline of the motion will see a series of "No-fishing" zones created with the navy given powers to enforce them. Anyone found fishing in these zones will face a fine of up to $10,000 per ton of fish they are discovered to have taken as well as the forfeiture of their boat. Repeat offenders will face up to ten years in prison. In addition a government body known as the Zaporozh Safe Seas Agency (ZSSA) will investigate further measures that could help promote sea life to prosper in those region. In terms of on land the Ministry of Agriculture will give subsidies to farmers who are willing to permit some of their lands to go "wild" and thus promote the return of wildlife. Speaking about the new motion Ilia Vasilyev who represents the Sivky Co-Operative United Commune said, "For us on lands spread wide across the nation the options for large scale successful farming are reduced, members of our commune have worked on small artisan projects and now being able to tap into the "Wilding" project will hopefully bring even more oppurtunities. It will be small coummunes like our members who help the larger ones. For example my own land will be used to create a series of wildflower meadows and carefully managed forests, this will certainly help things like the Honey-Bee thrive. I sit next to the larger Kovel commune where Moisey is from. I'm confident his families will see a benefit from our project, which will see us better able to produce things like honey for sale. This is a win-win for everyone."

The opponents of the motion generally didn't disagree with the idea of creating safe zones for wildlife but rather membership of the WMO. One of those who voted against it was Semion Markov who is a representative of the unaligned communes. He explained his decision saying, "The WMO will control aspects of our trade. If we want to use furs and ivory we should be permitted to do so. We should be responsible for how we use the materials of Mundus."

Moisey Viktorov spoke out against Markov saying, "We are custodians of Gods creations. We have seen how our ancestors were irresponsible and have wiped out creatures such as the Dodo from existence, other species stand on the brink. We in Zaporozh do not have such endangered animals in our borders but our desire to own things such as furs and ivory can tempt those who do to act irrationally with them. We can still wear furs, we just must manage our use carefully. Being a good caretaker of Mundus is not surrendering sovereignty. The WMO will allow us to ensure we are kept aware of which animals face danger and work with the world to keep as many species alive as possible. As Noah saved all creatures from destruction during the flood now we must build our own metaphorical ark and I believe the WMO is a vessel with potential."

Following the vote Viktorov also spoke about news from Samantra about words from their Patriarch. "I am happy to hear that Artem Shapovalov has been granted this honour, anytime one of my countrymen is recognised for their good deeds I am proud. Me and other members of the United Kinship Group (UKG) are asking a local artist to make a statue of the Saint which we will place in Horodets on a hillside overlooking the sea towards our cousins. I'm sure soon more of our people will follow in the saints footsteps and visit Samantra as we will begin to welcome them here."

 United Kinship Group (UKG) have planned to introduce the 2nd of the "Viktorov Agenda" reforms tomorrow when they attempt to change the way businesses pay tax by giving them more flexibility in how they pay. It is understood the Group are planning on getting the less controversial measures through quickly while behind the scenes negotiations take place to ensure the smooth passage of more controversial ones such as the return of Church lands.

41
Factbooks and Maps / Re: The Free Lands of Zaporozh
« on: November 28, 2021, 05:45:56 PM »


THE ARMED FORCES OF THE FREE LANDS

For a nation of the size of Kemerovo the armed forces seem rather small. The main reason for this is the fact that most Communes keep a force of militia for self defence and these are also capable of being called up for the national military. Most of the militia forces are well trained and most adult males have experience of being involved in them. Naturally owing due to the complexity of maintaining them a Navy and Air Force are centrally controlled. In addition there is a force known as the Spetsialʹna Patrulʹna Syla (SPS) which is like a military police unit which supports local police units as well as dealing with terrorist threats.




FREE LANDS NATIONAL ARMY

48,500 Soldiers
21,200 Reservists

100 x Tyhr II Main Battle Tanks
50 x Tyhr Main Battle Tanks
300 x Bizon Infantry Fighting Vehicle
100 x Nosorih Infantry Fighting Vehicle
150 x Yahuar Armoured Personnel Carrier
65 x Vovk Armoured Reconnessance Vehicle
120 x Hepard Mobility Vehicle
75 x Krolyk Mobility Vehicle
30 x Zayets Self Propelled Mortars
30 x Borsuk Self Propelled Howitzer
30 x Lysytsya Multi Launch Rocket System
15 x Norka Self Propelled Anti Aircraft Gun
15 x Kazhan Helicopter
20 x Koluho Combat Helicopter



FREE LANDS AIR FORCE
30,000 Airmen
10,200 Reservists

45 x Orel Multi Role Fighters
40 x Yastrub Multi Role Fighters
25 x Hryf Strike Fighter
10 x Alʹbatros Transport Aircraft
10 x Straus Transport Aircraft
10 x Kukabarra Transport Aircraft
20 x Sova Light Trainer
20 x Horobetsʹ Jet Trainer
3 x Zymorodok AEWACS Aircraft
5 x Pelikan Maritime Patrol Aircraft
10 x Vorona UAV




FREE LANDS NAVY
12,000 Sailors
7,800 Reservists

3 x Kosatka Class Submarine

1. Tymoschuk
2. Shevchenko
3. Yarmolenko

2 x Akula Class Destroyer

1. Pyatov
2. Rotan

3 x Lamantyn Class Frigate

1. Husyev
2. Shovkovskyi
3. Konoplyanka

2 x Piranʹya Class Corvette

1. Rebrov
2. Voronin

4 x Ryba-mech Class Fast Attack Ship

1. Husin
2. Stepanenko
3. Vorobey
4. Nesmachnyi

2 x Barrakuda Minesweeper Class

1. Vashchuk
2. Seleznyov

2 x Skat Minelayer Class

1. Holovko
2. Kucher



SPETSIAL'NA PATRUL'NA SYLA (SPS)
7,200 Officers
2,800 Reservists

50 x Drakon Mobility Vehicle
40 x Hryfon Mobility Vehicle
50 x Hidra Armoured Vehicle
50 x Kentavr Armoured Vehicle
100 x Minotavr Utility Vehicle
30 x Perevertenʹ Water Canon

42
International News Networks / Re: News of Zaporozh
« on: November 27, 2021, 11:12:39 PM »


FAMILY COUNCIL SENDS CONGRATULATIONS TO PRESIDENT LITVIN


The Family Council meet today and agreed by a vote of 22-0 to send a formal telegram of congratulations to the newly elected President of the Duma of Samantra. The motion was put forward by Oles Oliynyk of the Nizhyn Commune who counts himself among the informal grouping of Councillors known as the United Kinship Group (UKG). As the motion was considered a formality some of the 61 Councillors did not attend the vote instead choosing to use the day to meet with the residents of their commune. All 22 of those who voted were members of the United Kinship Group (UKG) which currently has 29 Councillors claiming to support the UKG. One of the most notable Councillors not to vote was Moisey Viktorov who is considered the most influential of the nations Councillors. The official motion stated simply. "The Families Council of Zaporozh wishes to pass its formal congratulations to the people's representative of Samantra. We wish President Yeva Litvin the best for her term of office and hope her stewardship helps the people she serves have a better future. Sitting at the opposite ends of the Rodinian Sea we are hopeful distance shall not be a barrier to friendship."

An hour after the official motion had been released Moisey Viktorov made his own announcement from the HQ of his families business in Horodets. "Had I been in the Council today I would have been proud to add my vote to those of the nation. Our nation and Samantra share much in common, a strong faith in the Lord God and his son Jesus Christ. We share a strong sense of an importance in diplomacy, and a strong sense of fierce independence. These foundations should form a strong place from which both of us can build a stronger future. I look forward to our government working with Madam President in the future." Councillor Viktorov is thought by many to be the defacto Head of Government of Zaporozh despite no such position existing. Speaking with the media after his statement Viktorov added that he already had a proposal for the new President. "As the official statement suggested our two nations are the Eastern and Western extremes of an ocean, I will not call it the Rodinian as that implies they own it and that shall never be the case. I myself shall begin calling it the Eastern Aranye Sea and I hope that one day the people of Zaporozh will be joined by others in the region to use this name. The very name is an insult to those of us who have struggled with our relationship with Rodinha. Perhaps soon President Litvin may also embrace the term." Viktorov has also donated to the Church in Horodets to have prayers said tomorrow wishing the new President well.


SURPRISE CHART ENTRY


The national Music Charts of Zaporozh are usually dominated by homegrown talent and a faith conscious youth leaning towards religious rock and indie music ensures that genre dominates the best sellers. This weeks chart however saw a rather strange entry when Samantrain band Hrdza's catchy folk song entered at No.2 in the charts. The song is a traditional folk song which reads as largely a form of love song. Svetlana Masilikova of the National Radio Corporation which announces the chart each Saturday evening said, "When I saw the entry was high as this I was rather surprised. If I'm honest at first play I didn't like it but its a catchy tune and it grows on you. We've been playing it during most shows at some point and its been well received. I think culturally it shares a lot of similarities with our own traditional styles so perhaps with that in mind we shouldn't be that surprised.

The charts were topped for the third week running by the religiously influenced rock band "The Prophets" with their single "Leave Me" a song that highlights the bands devotion and commitment to God.

[img=https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/802626411222401047/914291367511990362/unknown.png]
Spoiler: Lyrics • show

You are my dawn, You are a candle in the darkness,
You are my hope, You are calling to me.
You attract me and I follow You.
You call me and I hear Your voice.

I run to where Your presence is.
My heart has clenched to
You , You are more valuable than anyone else, dearer than life.
Better than music, than blue heights of the sky.

You will call me and I will follow You
There, where I have never set foot,
where is the blue river, where is milk and honey
Where no one will find me.

You will lead me to a place where I haven’t been
You open your eyes, you spread the dust.
You will show me what I have not yet seen
What did not expect, what did not foresee.

LEAVE ME - I WILL
RUN FOR YOU LEAVE ME, LEAVE ME

LEAVE ME - RUN FOR YOU
LEAVE ME, LEAVE ME


I want to be with You everywhere and always
I want to be with You all the days and centuries
I want to be with You, it doesn't matter what will happen
I want to be with you when the sun goes down.

I want to go where you go
I want to go where you go
I want to live where you live.
I want to be whoever you call.

Call me, draw me in,
Take me, love me,
I want You, I love You
I live You, I breathe You.

I am alive with you, I am sick with you.
It sucks without you. My God!!!

CHORUS:

I live by you alone. I breathe you and have fun.
In You alone is my destiny. My whole life is in You.

43
International News Networks / Re: News of Zaporozh
« on: November 17, 2021, 10:16:53 PM »


VIKTOROV AGENDA IS "LORDS WORK"




The Council of Faith, the nations leading religious body, has today meet for its monthly gathering. While they spent much of the day discussing the allocation of funds for the redevelopment of Churches, the establishment of educational posts and preparations for the approaching Christmas which is two months away. The Council also made time to discuss the implications of what is likely to become the nations guiding document for the foreseeable future, the Viktorov Agenda.

Under the guidance of Tikhon, the Metropolitan of Zaporozh, the Council have given their support to the Agenda. The Metropolitan was recorded to have stated " The Agenda is the first time in many decades that our government have a clear concept of the route they wish to take for the future. Previously Councillors have spent times worrying about single policy matters but now we have one single idea that seeks to join all the dots. While the document is not perfect it clearly is an attempt at the Lords Work. If successful, and we believe it will be, the agenda will ensure the strong moral code of this nation is followed through by an often weak judicary. The nation shall live in safety, protecting the faithful from outside threats such as the Soviets. Our military will be stronger and this will install in our youth a sense of pride and discipline. A fairer tax regime will lift people from poverty and hardship. While the increasing of Commune sizes will create a stronger support network for some of the less developed and run down areas of the nation while creating a sense of a stronger community."

The Agenda however was not without criticism as the Metropolitan described the proposed reuse of the death penalty as "an insult to the ten commandments, only God should appoint the time of our departure from this world." Tikhon has urged Moisey Viktorov, to rethink this part of his agenda and put "mercy and compassion" at the centre of his justice. The two men are expected to meet this week and discuss the Agenda before the first part of it is put before the Family Council early next week.

44
Character Guides / Re: Zaporozhians
« on: November 16, 2021, 11:18:56 PM »


Tikhon, the Metropolitan of Zaporozh

Born in 1944 in the Commune of Myrhorod.

Tikhon was the youngest of three sons born to a family of carpenters. He had a great singing voice and at the age of six was part of a national Church choir group. This got him entered into a Church run boarding school much to the delight of his very devout father. His father was so committed to the faith that he would do a great deal of work for local Churches without charge and encouraged his sons to do the same. To have a son who was in his view "selected by God" made his father very proud.

At the age of 12 Tikhon made the decision that he wanted to be a Priest and was permitted to enter training at the age of 16. He was considered a skilled orator and sent to University at the age of 18, becoming the first of his family to gain a degree. Equipped with his newly found knowledge he ventured into the hills of the country in 1966 to establish his own Church. The Church of Saint Anthony  was built in a remote area utilising caves as a form of lodging for those wishing to head their on pilgrimage. His Church soon became a popular place for young members of the faithful to stay while hiking and hunting in the area and Tikhon would preach to them and share his knowledge.

In 1971 he was made the Superior of a Monastery which had a reputation for creating artworks for the faith. He expanded the Monastery to include a seminary and began training priests. He also established a weekly religious newspaper which he believed would "help guide the souls of all our brothers and sisters towards the love of God." The paper known as the "Holy Knowledge" is still published today as a physical copy each week but with a daily updated website. The paper sells an average of 2million copies each week. In 1973 Tikhon was invited for the first time to give a blessing on the opening day of the Family Council, something he has now done on sixteen occasions.

In 1988 he was made Bishop of Myrhorod, the second most significant religious post in the nation. He ran various campaigns to persuade the Family Council to not change the nations stance on many significant issues such as abortion and divorce. He was rather successful in recruiting influential families to his cause and was considered by many to be the Churches spokesman on many issues of day to day life. It became apparent by 1990 that the  Metropolitan of Zaporozh, Joachim II, was in poor health and began preparing Tikhon to succeed him.

When Joachim II did die in 1991 there was no opposition to Tikhon becoming the most senior Priest in the country and taking the role of  Metropolitan of Zaporozh. He has maintained his passion of keeping the faith prominent in the nation by making frequent contributions to political debates and cultivating friendships with many of the influential families in the nation. He has also embraced the 21st Century well by making the Church active on social media, TV and even has helped establish a film studio which specialises on making TV shows and movies based on the lives of the Saints and well respected religious figures.

Tikhon is the god-father of Oleksiy Viktorov, the son of Moisey Viktorov, who was born in 2016.

45
Factbooks and Maps / Re: The Free Lands of Zaporozh
« on: November 16, 2021, 10:40:14 PM »
LAWS AND STANCES

•  Abortion: Not permitted. Women having an abortion in Kemerovo are charged with murder.

• Adultery: No legal stance. Generally seen as a major sin

• Affirmative action: Not practiced

• Age of consent: 16

• Age of majority: 16

• Artificial insemination: Permitted but freezing, discarding, or reduction of embryos is forbidden

• Assisted suicide: Illegal.

• Bestiality: Illegal.

• Birth control: No legal stance however it is seen as sinful. 

• Childcare: All children aged between 1 year and 4 years are given free childcare for 16 hours a week.

• Concealed carry: Firearms ownership is permitted for any individual over the age of 21 with no criminal convictions. Firearm ownership is common as most citizens are still involved in some way to rural industries.

• Death penalty: While still on the statute books the death penalty has been described by the Orthadox clergy as "premeditated murder and against the 10 Commandments" so has not been given since 1991. Theoretically the sentence could still be passed for premeditated murder, multiple murders and treason.

• Divorce: Permitted only if adultery or prolonged absence (generally considered 12 months) can be proven in court. Morally the Church has taken the view that ""it blesses the first marriage, performs the second, tolerates the third, and forbids the fourth". Widowed spouses are permitted to remarry without repercussion and their second marriage is considered just as blessed as the first.

• Double jeopardy: Not permitted

• Drinking age: 16

• Driving age: 16

• Education: School is compulsory for  all between the age of 4 and  16 however you may leave school at 14 if you find an apprenticeship that lasts a minimum of four years.

• Eminent domain: Not Permitted unless approved by local commune representative.

• Equal pay for equal work: No

• Felony disenfranchisement: Irrelevant as each commune sets their own rules regarding selection of representatives.

• Flag desecration: No legal stance

• Gambling age: 16

• Gun purchase age: May be purchased by anyone over the age of 16. Criminal record checks are carried out and then a 7 day waiting period begins. This effectively means that from buying a gun to being able to collect it is roughly 21 days.

• Homosexuality in the military: No legal stance.

• Human cloning: Illegal. Morally the majority of the nation take the stance of "humans are supposed to be created by acts of love between two people"

• Marriageable age: 16

• Military conscription: No

• Minimum wage: No

• Parental leave: No legal stance

• Polygamy: Not permitted

• Pornography: Legal

• Prostitution: Illegal

• Same-sex marriage: Not permitted

• School leaving age: 14

• Sex reassignment surgery: Not Permitted

• Sex toys: Legal

• Sexually transmitted diseases: Anyone knowingly spreading STD/STI's is charged with assault.

• Smoking age: 16

• State ideology: Officially None however the Orthadox faith is heavily influential in the nation.

• State religion: Freedom of religion permitted but the Orthadox faith influences almost all decisions

• Stem cell research: Only permitted using cells  which can be found in people's blood or in their bone marrow

• Taxation: As determined by a combination of Family Council and local Commune.

• Torture: Not permitted

• Trial by jury: Traditionally 12 jurors, six selected from the Commune in which the crime was committed and six selected from randomly selected Communes.

• Universal healthcare: For non-cosmetic cases.

• Voting age: Determined by individual Communes

• Women's rights: Protected in law

• Working age: No legal stance

• Working week: No legal stance

46
International News Networks / Re: News of Zaporozh
« on: November 14, 2021, 10:33:41 PM »


"ART FOR THE FUTURE" SCHEME LAUNCHED BY VIKTOROV'S


Following Family Council member Moisey Viktorov yesterday announcing a huge number of proposals he is attempting to get through Council it was today the turn of his wife Nadiya to announce a scheme to improve the nation. Nadiya Viktorov and her 15 year old son Vitali were visiting an Art Gallery this morning with the Church Youth League when the announcement was made. In her role as one of the Youth League's Advisorey Panel Nadiya explained "Hundreds of years ago our Church was full of skilled craftsman and artists making fantastic churches and celebrating our love of the Lord through beautiful art work. The mediums by which artists today express themselves have changed yet our Churches haven't. We must honour and value our past but at the same time give our young people a chance to explore and celebrate their own faith. Today we are setting up a scheme that will allow every young person under  the age of 18 to gain free access to any art gallery or museum in the nation with the Viktorov family ensuring this is funded. In addition we will be making sure funding exists to provide young people with materials and space to create their own works. Whether it is new styles of art, modern songs celebrating God or digital artwork we will help promote it."

Vitali Viktorov is the son of the nations most prominent politican and Nadiya Viktorov and was at the gallery with his mother and Church group today. "When we visit Church I think the paintings look spectacular but many of us don't really recognise who the people are. We just see the pretty pictures. I think we can learn a lot about our Saints and their stories if we honour them through art. I'm not much of a painter myself but I do enjoy playing the guitar. With this scheme my local Church is going to start running a weekly music group where I can take my guitar and meet with others, we can play music, write songs and hopefully perhaps even record things."

The Church has embraced the scheme with the Bishop of Barmaky stating in an interview, "I love seeing young people at Church, they bring a great energy. As a nation though we perhaps focus too much on our heritage of the land rather than our heritage of the heavens. Now we can help young people enrich their minds and hearts with cultural capital making them more knowledgeable not just about our faith but also the wider world. Many galleries do not just contain religious works but also a wealth of beauty from across Mundus. As we open our eyes to the Lord we must open our eyes to all his creation but just Zaporizha."

47
Character Guides / Re: Zaporozhians
« on: November 14, 2021, 09:47:37 PM »

Nadiya Viktorov (Baren)

Born:- The Town of  in the Henichesk Commune Barmaky

The Baren family have shared influence over the Henichesk commune for the last five decades with the Parziak family. The family own a small arms manufacturing business and a sizeable horse breeding empire which has produced several national champions.

In 1987 Nadiya was born as the youngest child of Yelisey Baren and Natalya. She has three older brothers and an older sister. Like many Zaporozhian girls she was destined to be married off and become a mother from a young age. At the age of 16 her father agreed with Vitali Viktorov that there should be a marriage between Nadiya and Moisey Viktorov. At first Nadiya was reluctant as there is an eight year age gap between them however after the family put pressure on her because a marriage between the two families would be beneficial to the Baren family she agreed. Two weeks after her 16th birthday she married Moisey in a large traditional Orthadox ceremony.

After relocating to join the Viktorov family things did not go smoothly for Nadiya. It was clear that Moisey saw her as little more than someone to breed with and spent much of his time out hunting, fishing and womanising. It was an open secret among the family that Moisey had several mistresses. After just twelve months of marriage she ran away to rejoin her family however Vitali Viktorov, the patriach of the Viktorov family, persuaded her to return home and was largely her mentor within the family. When he died in 2005 Nadiya ran away again and had to be persuaded to return. It was shortly after this reconciliation that her first son Vitali Jnr was born and named after her beloved Grand-Father-in-law. Things though did not get better but the young child ensured she at least had some focus in her life. In 2009 she grudgingly had her second child Vira after a period of short lived reconciliation between herself and her husband

Between 2005-2009 it was almost the case that Nadiya accepted the fact her husband would not be a good husband and did her best to focus on her son and duties connected to the Orthadox faith. She established the Viktorov Choir and also helped set up food banks for poverty stricken families. She devoted much of her time to working for organisations connected to the veneration of Saint Alypius the Stylite who is venerated by the infertile and a protector of children. She is well liked by the clergy for her charitable works and dedication to family.

Following her husbands admonishment by his family he returned from a period of military service a changed man. Nadiya puts this down to her prayers to Saint Fevronia who is a saint thought to work miracles for Family, Fidelity, Love and Marriage. In 2016 she gave birth to Oleksiy.

Since her husbands apparent reformation the two have been extremely active in political life within Zaporozh. She supports his career strongly by being seen as a very traditional woman dedicated to her children and extended family and is a strong matriach of the family she has married into. In addition she is active within the Church community and extremely popular among the clergy.


RL- Polina Gagarina

48
Character Guides / Re: Zaporozhians
« on: November 14, 2021, 08:41:13 PM »

Moisey Viktorov

Born:- The town of Horodets in the commune of Kovel in 1979.

The Viktorov's of the Kovel commune are one of the more influential families in the country. They have carved out an extensive holding of agricultural land and have turned that into a wealthy portfolio of  real-estate, construction and even a media company. As the head of the family Moisey therefore is well respected across the nation.

In 1993 he left school with no real qualification in order to work in the families construction business where he learned the profession from the bottom up as a labourer. His grand-father Vitali was then the patriach of the family and insisted that almost as a punishment for dropping out of school the 14 year old be treated so lowly. He did however get involved in weight lifting and strength sport because of the hard manual labour.

In 1997 he joined the Nations Armed Forces where he served as a member of an infantry unit until 2005 when his grand-father died and he began to help with the family businesses in more detail. He did though continue service as a member of the Kovel Militia Rangers. With his father Petro now in charge of family business Moisey was appointed to represent the Commune in the Family Council however didn't really take to the role. He spent much of his time riding, hunting, fishing and earned a reputation for being somewhat of a womaniser. In 2009 he was given a formal warning by the Council for not attending enough meetings. His attitude towards politics was so poor that in 2010 the unheard of happened and the Viktorov family did not retain the Kovel Commune's seat on the Council. For this Moisey was heavily censured by his father and threats to be cast out of the family were made. He was given 12 months to "get his act together" and spent that time full time with the Kovel Militia Rangers. Upon his return to family life he was seemingly a changed man with a new focus.

In 2011 he was returned to the Family Council and formed the United Kinship Group (UKG) which was a group of representatives loosely connected by inter kinship group marriage. This has since spread to others who share their political agenda of reforming the nations economy to make the nation stronger in terms of unity and militarily. The UKG also support the idea of Commune's maintaining a significant amount of autonomy over their own lands. The UKG have today grown to be a significant faction in the Family Council and many believe this has defacto made Moisey the Head of State.

In 2017 Moisey's father died and tradition dictated that he would give up the seat on the Council to the 2nd most senior member of the Viktorov family however that has not happened and Moisey has so far successfully managed the family while at the same time being an effective member of the Council.

In 2003 Moisey's grandfather, Vitali Viktorov, arranged for him to marry a member of the Baran family who were the most significant family in the Henichesk Commune. Moisey married the then 16 year old Nadiya Baren in a traditional Orthadox ceremony two weeks after she turned 16. The couple now have three children, Vitali Jnr, born in 2005, Vira, born in 2009 and  Oleksiy born in 2016. The marriage between Nadiya and Moisey was considered rather a turblunet one by the Viktorov family and one two occasions Nadiya ran back to her family because of Moisey's womanising and affairs. Since  2010 however Nadiya has described her husband as a "New man" and today describes their marriage as extremely happy.

In November 2021 Moisey unveiled the Viktorov Plan which he believes will drastically improve the nation

Spoiler: The Plan • show


1. Streamline the system of Communes. The limit to qualify as a Permanent Commune increased from 50km2 to 75km2. This will reduce the overall number of seats however will see more elected representatives.

2. Creation of an elected Presidential figure to deal with Foreign Policy only.

3. Increased punishments for organised crime, murder, kidnap and terrorism. The crimes of murder and terrorism to see the use of the death penalty.

4. Introduction of a flat tax rate of 13% rather than the current sliding scale.

5. Reduction in corporation tax from 35% to 22%.

6. Small Companies can choose either a 6-percent tax on gross revenue or a 15-percent tax on profits

7. Creation of a National Reserve Fund to be funded through the sale of mineral reserves. The creation of a 51% state owned company to oversee the extration of minerals, gases and the like. All future contracts to be given to this company when possible.

8. Creation of four Special Economic Zones. Goods manufactured in those zones by foreign companies can avoid taxes and tariffs.

9. Creation of three companies, the National Aviation Group (NAG), National Dockyards and the National Armoury to develop a better homegrown military procurement policy.

10. A policy to protect natural habitats of animals and sea-life. To include the joining of the Wild Mundus Organisation.

11. Restoration of Church lands taken in the 1930's.

12. Increase in the size of the standing army by reduction in funding for Commune Militias

13. Creation of a centralised Officer Training School

14. Commitment to spend at least 5% of GDP on military matters.

15. A commitment to enter into only bi-lateral treaties on a case by case basis.

49
Character Guides / Zaporozhians
« on: November 14, 2021, 07:50:19 PM »
INDEX

Moisey Viktorov - Significant Politician
Nadiya Viktorov (Baren) - Wife of Moisey Viktorov, significant social figure.

50
International News Networks / News of Kemerovo
« on: November 10, 2021, 10:33:37 PM »


"VIKTOROV AGENDA" LAUNCHED


Moisey Viktorov   is considered by the majority of Zaporozians to be the most influential member of the Families Council. The 42 year old is the representative of the Kovel commune where his family hold significant agricultural land and have invested heavily in real-estate, construction and even a media company making the Viktorov family one of the wealthiest in the nation. Having now been in the Families Council for the last eight years Moisey has gathered around him a significant number of other Council members to form a faction known as United Kinship Group (UKG). The UKG currently control 29 of the 61 seats within the Council with a further 7 members being considered "likely" to either link up with the UKG or at least vote in partnership with them. This effectively makes Moisey Viktorov the de facto Head of Government. Today Viktorov invited the media to an event to launch what he believes will become the guiding document for the next three years of the nations development. The event took place at the families stables complex and saw over 500 invited guests from the Kovel commune in attendance.

"Today I have gathered us together to make Zaporozh stronger, to make us capable of ensuring that the years ahead allow us to continue our ways, enjoy our freedoms show the world our pride. To do this we need a plan to bring us together rather than endless discussions in the Family Council that lead to the status quo. This plan will be put in place by me and my friends starting tomorrow."

The plan is outlined in its key stages below.

1. Streamline the system of Communes. The limit to qualify as a Permanent Commune increased from 50km2 to 75km2. This will reduce the overall number of seats however will see more elected representatives.

2. Creation of an elected Presidential figure to deal with Foreign Policy only.

3. Increased punishments for organised crime, murder, kidnap and terrorism. The crimes of murder and terrorism to see the use of the death penalty.

4. Introduction of a flat tax rate of 13% rather than the current sliding scale.

5. Reduction in corporation tax from 35% to 22%.

6. Small Companies can choose either a 6-percent tax on gross revenue or a 15-percent tax on profits

7. Creation of a National Reserve Fund to be funded through the sale of mineral reserves. The creation of a 51% state owned company to oversee the extration of minerals, gases and the like. All future contracts to be given to this company when possible.

8. Creation of four Special Economic Zones. Goods manufactured in those zones by foreign companies can avoid taxes and tariffs.

9. Creation of three companies, the National Aviation Group (NAG), National Dockyards and the National Armoury to develop a better homegrown military procurement policy.

10. A policy to protect natural habitats of animals and sea-life. To include the joining of the Wild Mundus Organisation.

11. Restoration of Church lands taken in the 1930's.

12. Increase in the size of the standing army by reduction in funding for Commune Militias

13. Creation of a centralised Officer Training School

14. Commitment to spend at least 5% of GDP on military matters.

15. A commitment to enter into only bi-lateral treaties on a case by case basis.

51
Sporting Hub / Re: MFA World Cups 2021 OOC
« on: October 31, 2021, 02:07:05 PM »
Zaporozh will like to send a team

52
Factbooks and Maps / Re: The Free Lands of Zaporozh
« on: October 22, 2021, 10:07:47 PM »
FAMILIES COUNCIL

The Permanent Communes

CommunePrinciple SettlementRepresentativeOther Details
OleshkyYitorna Rodya Kovalchuk
MelitopolZbuzhAnatoly Mikhailov
PolohyKosmachivRodya Mikhailov
BerdyanskZolotolynMykhaylo Tkachenko
VasylivkaStepanVarlaam Antonov
KorostenMel'nytsyaEvgeniy Oliynyk
PoltavaDviretsIsay Kovalyov
KhmelnytskyiMale VerbcheAgafon Naumov
ZhytomyrUkrposhtaYevgeniy Vasylyk
KropyvnytskyiKrychyl's'kPetro Lagunov
KovelHorodetsMoisey Viktorov
MykolaivIvanivkaArtem Bogdanov
NizhynUkrposhtaOles Oliynyk
PodilskAvtovokzalFima Yakovlev
StarobilskMalushkaYuli Ignatiev
VyshhorodYarynivkaLavr Pasternak
VinnytsiaAntonivkaRuvim Naumov
CherkasyKam'yankaViktor Novikov
BashtankaTry KoptsiDmytro Vasilev
SynelnykoveBoyanivkaRuslan Medvedvv
HenicheskBarmakyYelisey Baran JnrYelisey Jnr Profile
Bila TserkvaRivneValeriy Kovalchuk
SumyIl'pinBenedikt Petrov
Nova KakhovkaBohdashivAvdey Borisov
MyrhorodZdovbytsyaKhariton Kovalchuk
TernopilV'yunivshchynaSasha Kovalenko
KremenchukPloskeProkhor Vasilyev
IziumOzhenynAndrei Kravchenko
Kryvyi RihBrodivs'keAdrian Orlov
HaisynPochapkyAnatoliy Nikolaev
BerezivkaZhavrivVyacheslav Zima
LubnyRusyvelStanislav Tkachuk
OleksandriiaStovpynYura Shwetz

The United Communes


Unified Commune NameRepresentativeAdditional Information
Marynyn WoodlandsDenys Melnyk
Hubkiv UnionYevstakhiy Chayka
Mochulyanka AlʹyansLavrenty Petrov
Sivky Co-OperativeIlia Vasilyev
Batseve UnionDemid Andreev
Maidan NetworkTrofim Isaev
Sarnivka RiversideIpati Putin
Lisove Aly'yansMaksim Vasylyk
Lopatychi CossackSerhii Volkov
Olevs'k ForestTyberiy Aleksandrov
Rokytne MountainsOles Sobol
Zalavia Commune AllianceDenys Melnyk
Khmil AllianceSvyatopolk Lagunov
Dubno Co-OperativeSamuil Morozov
Poznan MarshesGrigori Alekseev
Shakhy UnionGennadi Mikhailov
Budymlia RivineOleksander Smirnov
Khochyn NetworkAndrey Sobol

Non-Affiliated Representatives

1. Fedya Konstantinov
2. Andrey Shevchuk
3. Fedir Vinogradov
4. Tyberiy Fedorov
5. Petro Tkachenko
6. Ipati Shwetz
7. Platon Bondarenko
8. Semion Markov
9. Illya Kohut
10. Tit Lebedev

53
Map / Re: Claiming Your Spot on the Map
« on: October 20, 2021, 10:43:29 PM »
Nation Name: Zaporozh

Nation Link:https://www.nationstates.net/nation=parbhani

Provinces you wish to claim:
1:P65
2:P64
3:P63
4:P62
5:P51
6:P58

Proposed colour of your nation on the map: Ach's Choice

I, Parbhani/Zaporozh, have read the rules set down above, and agree to follow them.

54
Factbooks and Maps / The Free Lands of Kemerovo - Please disregard
« on: October 15, 2021, 01:44:41 PM »


The Free Lands of Kemerovo
Pop= 48,203,837

Having hailed from Rodinha the Kemerovon people fled various pogroms during the 14th and 15th Centuries. They were a agricultural people keen to live in kinship groups forming themselves into larger communes as and when appropriate. The group rejected rule by monarchs and then democratic institutions instead preferring communal decision making. This however often saw them at the mercy of regional disputes and various communities would take up sides on either side of disputes that threatened the regional stability depending on their families opinion on what would best protect the families interests. The militaristic nature of the male kinship groups combined with the need to live of the land and reliant on horses made them prized cavalry soldiers and for centuries they enlisted in the armed forces of several nations that exist in the region today.

It was however not until 1709 that a formal "Nation" was carved out by the Kemerovon people. This was based on various kinship groups uniting and signing the Treaty of Kaynarca which was an agreement that the ten most powerful groups would unite and abide by communal decision making on major issues. The Treaty also set up a mechanism where others of the same ethnic and "cultural" outlook could subscribe to the Treaty and join what today is known as the Free Lands. Walking a fine line between aspects of monarchism and communism the nation was largely content with supporting both sides during the regional conflicts, sometimes siding with Rodinha while other times taking the side of nations such as Chistopol.  As Rodinha turned more communist and expansionist support for them dwindled and today they are seen as the nations biggest threat. Today the nation is content to try and be at peace with all.



GOVERNMENT

Today the nation is run by the "Families Council" a body made up of a representative from any commune with at least 50km2 of farm land. Currently that stands at 33 communes. Communes with less than that amount of farmland may join with others until they reach the 50km2 requirement and then all those uniting may pick a representative. This adds a further 18 representatives to the Council. Finally any Commune unwilling to join with others or unable to find someone to join with are invited to vote for a group of 10 representatives every two years.

No decision can be made that impacts the whole of the Free Lands without the consent of the majority of these representatives. Each Commune is however allowed to make its own rules regarding several areas of policy regardless of its size. Those areas are

*Environmental Policy
*Education Policy
*Infrastructure
*Local Taxation

Each Commune is assessed for National Taxation every two years and it is the responsibility of that Commune's local government to ensure this is collected and paid to the central government. Portions are however kept to fund some of the above. Local Communes can also establish local taxes ranging from a simple flat rate annual "Tribute" to sales taxes on specific items.

This form of government can be extremely slow as there is no single Head of State or Government. The Families Council select a Representative, who can not be a Council member, to deal with Foreign Policy. This person serves until the Council vote to replace them and sometimes this will be done should a person with particular knowledge or skills exist for talks with certain nations. In addition the Council selects a group of "Yesaul" (what most nations would call Ministers) to give reports to the Families Council on specific functions. These can not be Representatives but are appointed by majority vote after the Families Council Representatives nominate candidates. Usually it is the 10 non-aligned Representatives who hold the key to obtaining one of these positions. These positions are held until they either resign or are voted to be removed.


ECONOMY

GDP per capita:= $17,200

The Free Lands are a mainly agricultural based society with some fishing industry around the Rodinian Sea. Many industries associated with traditional rural societies have also played an important role and have been modernised in many ways. Textiles utilising cotton, silks and wool have flourished along with timber, carpentry and other such businesses. The nation is also blessed with some gas reserves and by using Geothermal heating have been able to cut a great deal of energy use. Blessed with an abundance of rivers some industries have set up on the rivers to utilise hydroelectric power.

RELIGION & CULTURE

Religion plays a key part of community life and the vast majority of the people are Eastern Orthodox. A small enclave of the Bene Gesserit exists but is thought to be less than 50,000 in strength.

Family is at the centre of most things within the Free Lands. People will listen to the patriach of the family in most decisions and this is often the most respected male figure within the extended family. Organisation at home is rigid, and very traditional with men being seen as the wage earner and protector of the family with women being the housekeeper and care giver. Families are usually large with the average couple having four children. Education is seen as important but tends to be more practical in outlook and very male centric.

Military prowess is important in communities and it is expected, but not required, that each family have at least one male serving in the military at any time. While the Free-Lands boast a well organised military some families still maintain a militia style force of their own. The concept of needing to be able to defend themselves to ensure their lands are free is a key part of many traditions within the Free-Lands including regular competitions based around such skills.

Singing and dancing are also a key part of the nations culture as songs were used to keep stories of the families history alive.

National Anthem being performed in public by a traditional family musical group

Spoiler: Anthem Lyrics • show


On a hill a Cossack stood, to God said a prayer,
For true freedom, for his nation, lowly bowing there.
 
Oysa thou oysa, fear thou not nor worry,
I will never hurt thee, fully I assure thee.
 
And the Cossack would request justice for his land,
For wherever justice be, freedom is at hand.
For his friends the Cossack prayed, so when far and wide
Gone abroad, they should remain free from greed and pride.
 
Oysa thou oysa, fear thou not nor worry,
I will never hurt thee, fully I assure thee.
 
So that wives await, and sires and children too,
Those who seek throughout this world Mother Justice true.
He requested for his people blessings kindly spread,
So in peaceful villages there be salt and bread.
 
Oysa thou oysa, fear thou not nor worry,
I will never hurt thee, fully I assure thee.
 
So his father's threshold be tainted not by blood,
So deception live not there, he entreated God.
For his precious homeland thus that Cossack said a prayer
That it be preserved untouched by tears and despair.
 
Oysa thou oysa, fear thou not nor worry,
I will never hurt thee, fully I assure thee.
 
On a hill a Cossack stood, to God said a prayer,
For true freedom, for his nation, lowly bowing there.
 
Oysa thou oysa, fear thou not nor worry,
I will never hurt thee, fully I assure thee.
https://lyricstranslate.com


55
Diplomacy and Events / Re: Parbhani to S.U.N. Members
« on: March 08, 2021, 10:29:52 PM »
One of the suited civil servants began to address the SUN delegation. "In terms of humanitarian issues we have largely been able to evacuate people but help with rehoming wouldn't go a miss. As most of the nation is rural until we reach the capital that has not really been an issue."

The fact the Cassiopeian Air Force officer was so happy to use these statistics to try and undermine the nation did not sit well with the hosts. "Numbers do not win wars. Determination and will power. We will keep fighting and more and more of our people will take up arms if we need to. As the enemy supply lines stretch we will be able to take advantage." It was of course nothing but bravado but they had to put a brave face on it.

When the Paracambian put forward a way to perhaps find a solution there was sideways glances to all of those representing Parbhani. "The cause is mainly Parbhani's failure to understand our rights to determine our own management of our land. Now if we were to find a way of us meeting those needs in other ways then we would naturally consider it. In terms of meeting with Parbhani we would be willing to do so but that would need to happen on three conditions. First that their troops withdraw 5km from their current positions which would allow us to tend to the areas ravaged. Second that the talks take place in Abydos, Vanora or one of your nations. The final condition is that one of your nations handle the transport to and from the meeting."

56
Diplomacy and Events / Re: Parbhani to S.U.N. Members
« on: February 23, 2021, 11:30:11 AM »
 Kulkarni listened carefully to the questions before forming the responses.

"The city here is not too badly damaged, naturally as it is the capital it is perhaps the most well defended. What we have seen though is a pattern where for several days air strikes and artillery bombard a town close to the frontier and then the ground forces move in. In those towns and other cities we have seen severe damage with whole blocks levelled by the Parbhani military. We have had to therefore focus teams on getting people out of the rubble, unblocking streets and the roads so ambulances can get by. It has become difficult to move people out of the warzone because of damage to things such as bridges and overpasses. In terms of plans of the city I am sure these can be made available." He looked at a man in a suit who nodded and then began a phone call asking for them to be brought.

"As for our casualty figure we have seen around 3,500 from our military die in defence of their homeland, around another 5,000 or so suffering major injuries. In terms of civilians we have casualty figures at around 3,000 most from the frontier towns. We however have around 30,000 people unaccounted for, we are not sure if they are dead, in a prison, in hiding or refugees. As for the damage we passed these were carried out by the Parbhani's using what we think was a type of long range missile we have not been able to work out the exact weapon."

"The final question. We do not believe he could end this in a week. I think it highly likely we could fight to a stalemate. Our resolve is such that his casualty figures and financial cost to reduce us to a point where he is victorious would make it not worth it. We are confident that we can last at present another 12 months with ease, even longer. The enemy are far too over confident in their weight of numbers. "

57
Diplomacy and Events / Re: Parbhani to S.U.N. Members
« on: February 16, 2021, 09:45:21 PM »
No sooner had the aircraft touched down than a fleet of armoured cars appeared complete with a whole host of soldiers. "Please ladies and gentleman come with us. I am Major Sanjiv Kulkarni." The man hardly stopped to welcome the guests instead urging them into the vehicles. "We must move quickly. We are sure the Parbhani military have pre targeted locations such as this. We need to be moving." As soon as the last of the SUN representatives had boarded the vehicles a young soldier in each handed them a headset as Kulkarni boarded the lead vehicle as the convoy took off heading outside the airport. The convoy was going to head to the cities barracks where an underground facility hosted their military command. Kulkarni had carefully planned the route taking them past several sites in the capital that had been struck by Parbhani air strikes, "You can see the reason for why we need such vehicles" his voice came over the headsets they'd been issued. "Over the last year or so there have been periodic strikes against the capital. Residential areas such as this have not been spared." The trundled through an area where among the row of houses a pile of rubble existed. Kulkarni didn't explain that it had been a site of a radio transmitter used by the military. Further down the road more rubble marked where on the edge of a suburb a factory that had made components for Topri's military was mangled. "They have made everyone in the city fearful of the next air raid alarm and obviously children are now growing up with severe mental health issues." The convoy skirted the wire fence of the military base and it was a hive of activity. Aircraft being overhauled, tanks with their guts on hangar floors and soldiers checking equipment. Once the vehicles had stopped in their own hangar Kukarni guided them across to a structure that sloped down underground. There was a series of staircases and then an elevator "We are now around 10 floors underground" the Major informed them as he pushed open a door and lead the group into a corridor in which a few uniformed members of staff where hurrying back and forth with folders and piles of paper. At the end of the corridor there was a large room, usually used for briefings but today where representatives of each of the branches of the military were sat waiting. Kulkarni waited for the S.U.N group to be seated and then introduced people, all were officers of similar rank to himself and a few junior government ministers. "We are here today to answer any questions that you have. WHere would you like to start?" 

58

We thank you for your offer however based on the conditions you have outlined we must at this time decline. We are humbled by your concerns for our people and consideration for those impacted by this conflict.

At present there is no way of ensuring the safety of security of people distributing aid nor would we be willing to at this time permit armed forces of another nation into our land. Likewise at this time our military are tasked with duties connected to ensuring a swift end to the conflict and therefore can not be freed up to escort your aid effort.

I would like to reassure you that at this time our military are doing all that is possible to avoid civilian casualties and have been giving ample time for civilians to flee the combat zone. Any who head towards our forces are given already shelter and aid.

We hope our refusal does not offend and we welcome your support in the current situation. It is our hope that perhaps once this conflict is over we can explore other avenues of co-operation.

Best Regards

Maharajadhiraja Krishnaraja III


59
International News Networks / Re: Parbhani Imperial News
« on: February 12, 2021, 09:38:10 AM »




"MILITARISATION LEAVES NO CHOICE" SAYS GENERAL

Respected General Sachin Dutt has today called on the Maharajadhiraja to end the ceasefire and relaunch the offensive against Topri. The General stated his concerns were the build up of foreign navies in the Great North Sea. Speaking to the media during a tour of positions overlooking the Mamroda River the General said, "We are in a strong position. On the front foot, numerically superior, technologically superior and better lead. We will win this war and ensure the future security of our water supplies for the rest of time, we will ensure our long term security. However the Constantly Starting Trouble Organisation has deemed it necessary to involve themselves in yet another issue that has nothing to do with them. Every crisis seems to have at least one of them niggling away at its heart. Achkaerin stoking problems in the region around Clysperis by provoking Vanora and Safraen, For a long time even their own membership couldn't get along with each other. Our glorious Maharajadhiraja must take off the gloves and allow the military to complete the job. I am not in favour of us even halting to allow mediation, let alone now having mediation with nations foreign to our region sending military assets to try and influence." The Palace have not yet spoken of whether the Maharajadhiraja will consent to a lifting of the ceasefire as General Dutt has called for.


60
International News Networks / Re: Parbhani Imperial News
« on: February 11, 2021, 10:21:27 AM »




MONARCH DISCUSSES "NEIGHBOURHOOD"

Following the recent press statement by Achkaerin's Crown Princess Serenity the  Maharajadhiraja has responded.

"The statement has rather than clarified the situation made it in many ways worse. The Princess begins by asking "Is the safety of Achkaerinese aid workers and soldiers working in Izhitsa a concern?" and answers her own question with "Yes". I would ask her to justify that response. Never in our Empire's modern history, and never in the time I have been on the throne have we ever threatened Izhitsa or Achkaerin, not even in word. Infact had we not been busy dealing with this crisis of our own we would likely have lended our support to Izhitsa. The irony is however later in her statement she offers the supposed olive branch by saying if we tell her who we have asked to mediate she will turn the ships around, however if as she states the safety of aid workers and her soldiers occupying another nation are her concern knowing who has been asked to mediate is not going to make them safer. Therefore this argument for sending these ships is nothing more than a red herring to justify another Achkaerin incursion into other people's affairs.

There are many reasons for not wishing to inform the world of who is mediating at this point. Doing so may place them under undue influence. As we have now seen there are nations out there who wish to impose themselves upon the situation and therefore may use whatever influence they perceive they have to influence the matter. We wish these nations to act in fairness in the best path they see fit, not the path guided towards by others. What Achkaerin are doing by making these demands is essentially wishing to approve that these nations will be ones who fit their agenda. This also brings me to my next concern. The Princess states there has been a lack of communication. What she means by this is there has been a lack of communication with her nation. We have been in contact with Topri, we have been in contact with the nations we approached, we have been in contact with nations we feel we needed to be in contact with. Achkaerin is not our parents whom we must show our text messages to or give our Facebook password to. But communication is a two way street, Princess Serenity has a platform that she can use to try and force us to follow her agenda but this platform could have been used to communicate with us. IF she felt we somehow threatened her troops in Izhitsa or was concerned about the negotiations she could have used the exact same platform she now uses to have reached out to us and ask questions. She didn't instead they sent an aircraft carrier and now demand answers as though we were supposed to tell them our business. It is not hard to get a message to me and yet neither publically or privately did Serenity or her father attempt this, instead they move an aircraft carrier and then wonder why we have no desire to discuss this matter with them.


The Princess also seems to believe the feelings of those "native" to the Northern Ocean should be a concern when inviting people into their "Neighbourhood" I would begin by comparing this to a cul-de-sac, yes we are all neighbours upon the street but it is of no concern to the man living across the road who I permit into my house. It is clear they are that nosey neighbour whose curtains twitch every time a friend comes to your door. However it is ironic that when Vanora and Safraen voiced concerns about having an Ackhaerin and Dragovah navy on their doorstep despite raising their concerns this supposedly good neighbour ignored them. Then Clysperis saw a long standing prescence of their troops. A nation with a discontinuous Empire is in no place to talk about taking the concerns of "Natives" into their decision making. At some point in their history Achkaerin determined that they would strike out across Mundus to regions very different to their own and impose their governance upon Natives of other regions. We are not inviting armies, we are not inviting navies, we are inviting observers, people in suits with briefcases. Yet to my knowledge Izhitza did not invite an aircraft carrier into their neighbourhood.

The Princess also talks about concerns over our time limits, she is a Lieutenant in the Navy so I assume has served at least five years, she should therefore be aware that 48 hours in military conflict is an eternity. For us to stop our forces, with no compulsion on Topri to reciprocate, gives them a huge advantage, allows them to prepare defensive positions. Keep in mind that prior to that 48 hour ceasefire we had also paused our offensive in the town of Datai. Every time we halt our offensive be it on the grounds of removing refugees from danger, helping the injured or sick and now to give peace a chance we give Topri an advantage and this will be paid for in Parbhanian lives. Peace waits for no man and if Topri are reluctant to come to a negotiating table, as we have offered directly with us or now through mediators. We have sacrificed enough of our people to give peace a chance and now time is moving on. If need be I could steamroller Topri out of existance within a week, I have no desire though to leave Topri a nation of smoking ruins populated by grieving widows and orphaned children. Achkaerin threatening us by the spectre of an aircraft carrier, and who knows what other forces to follow, make the prospect of us placing such concerns to one side ever more likely.

What is needed now is for Achkaerin to return to its own business and not thinking that the largest ocean upon Mundus is its own front lawn. Vanora, Safraen we now know how you feel. To have a nation talk about neighbourhood but strut around believing that unless it is central to the happenings there then no good is a foot is an annoyance. If the Crown Princess is honest she now needs to come out and state the actual reason for the aircraft carrier coming as he fallacy of it being to protect her people in a foreign land is not played out by any historic evidence nor the current situation, even her own promise of turning the ship around if we disclose classified information to her contradicts this premise. If she wishes to really be a good neighbour she needs to now keep the dog on the leash and send it home as otherwise there is no option other for us to view it as a hostile move.

It is my hope that Achkaerin will now de-escalate the situation they are creating, return their carrier to their own waters and remove their troops to their homeland. The Great North Ocean is not "their" neighbourhood, it is the neighbourhood of all nations who enjoy its waters lapping at their coast, we are now at least the third nation to have complained of their presence and the impacts it has on their lives. How many more will begin to feel the same way unless they see it is they who are being the bad neighbour not us."

The Maharajadhiraja was asked if he would confirm who the nations being asked to mediate are however he refused saying, "I believe the best chance of them succeeding on their mission is to give them this time we agreed to be about the business of peace without influence from any other nations not party to the situation. They are now in control of this process not us, we merely set them on the journey and now sit back as passengers until Topri respond."


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