Trigunia

[Gracchus]

Vestnik: Aged Viceroy Steps Down


His Grace P. R. Mashkov, 6th Duke of Petrovgrad, age 79, after nearly 35 years as Viceroy.

November 3092

Viceroy P. R. Mashkov has decided to stand down and an early election has been called for December 3092. As expected, his son, Duke Mikhail P. Mashkov, is expected to stand for election in his stead. Viceroy Mashkov has been the political leader of the Great Princedom & Tsardom for nearly 35 years. In that time, he has reintroduced democracy, civil liberties, and liberal economic reforms friendly to business. Likewise, in the early years of his rule, he helped mitigate the problems surrounding Kozak minority in the nation. After the disasterous problems faced by his predecessor, the dictatorial House of Doroshenko, in his persecution of the Kozak and Hulstro-Trigunian peoples Mashkov negotiated and end to the Kozak Rebellion and proceeded to negotiate greater autonomy for Kozak areas. Alongside this autonomy, Kozak became of the three recognized official languages of Trigunia and is now a staple of the education system.

Desipte the rocky start, the remaining years of Mashkov's rule have been peaceful and witnessed unprecedented population and economic growth. Upon his announcement, many Trigunians were seen with tears in their eyes. However, not all were as upset. Nikolai Kropotkin, a 22-year old welding apprentice from Pattergrad, feels weary of the Young Guard Party and the Mashkov political family. "These people have been ruling Trigunia for a long time. Hardly ever, in the last several hundred years, has there been anyone other than a Mashkov holding power. They are nothing more than a political monarchy. We already have a monarch, we do not need another. Regardless, I would like to see the Viceroyship change much more frequently. We need more turnover. Thirty-five years is far too long for one man to rule politically in this modern age."

Despite how some view the Mashkov family's rule, one thing remains certain, His Grace P.R. Mashkov will go down in history as one of the most successful Viceroys in Trigunian history.

[Gracchus]

Vremja: While Nation's Attention is Diverted, Military Intervention May Loom


Brusilov Bu-14 fighters prepare to take off from VKP Pattergrad aircraft carrier in the channel between the continents of Keris & Dovani.

23 November 3092

As the nation gears up for an early election, the first with a new Viceroy candidate in nearly 35 years, the civil war in Kazulia is becoming more and more problematic. With the great loss of life in the nation, the deliberate killings of civilians & prisoners, and deaths in the neighboring countries of Hulstria and Dranland the civil war is bringing more and more nations into its vortex.

Already, there is talk of Hulstrian and Dranish military action. And if these actions were to take place, Trigunia is expected to support its sovereign in Hulstria. The Great Northern Fleet has been steaming off the shore of Dovani for several months now but it seems more ships are heading to rendezvous with the larger fleet.

Time will only tell what may happen.

[Gracchus]

Yezhednevnye Novosti: 'We Will Not Be Deterred', Kokoshkin


Marshall of the Great Princedom & Tsardom, T.P. Kokoshkin, in a rare press interview.

3 May 3093

In a rare conference with the Trigunian Press Corps, as well as international press agencies, Chief of the Admiralty Marshall of Naval Infantry T.P. Kokoshkin, the nation's highest-ranking military officer, voiced his response to threats from the warring factions in Kazulia.

Marshall Kokoshkin appeared in a serious mood and his statement was short and too the point in a typical Trigunian military fashion. "As everyone knows, Trigunia is an island nation. We require frequent shipments of supplies from the seas and we have taken it upon ourselves, as a power in the north, to ensure that all shipping routes remain open for all peaceful nations and that these routes remain free from any military intervention. Given the situation in Kazulia, the markets that Trigunia requires, the trade routes that must remain open are being threatened by the continual warfare in that nation. Likewise, the killing of innocent civilians and the humanitarian problems created by the belligerents in Kazulia that are now spilling over into peaceful neighboring nations is unacceptable. If Hulstria -- our staunchest ally in the north -- chooses to act militarily against the belligerents in Kazulia,Trigunia will not be deterred by any threat, whether verbal or symbolic, in supporting our ally and their actions."

After Kokoshkin left the podium, Captain-Lieutenant G.G. Sokolov, spokesman for the Admiralty, answered questions for the Press Agencies. In his reponses, he stated that the Great Northern Fleet, Trigunia's largest and most powerful military arm, remains state-of-the-art in terms of tactics and weaponry. Similarly, Sokolov stated that the annual military budget exceeds TRA 700 trillion for the Fleet alone. "If miliary intervention were to be used, and the Trigunian fleet used in such intervention, it is necessary for me to state that this is not the first time the Trigunian armed forces have been used in modern warfare and therefore we are not afraid of confrontation."

Sokolov was referring to Operation Black Bear, the Trigunian expeditionary force used during the Great Sekowian War of the early 2960s, when Trigunian forces played a pivatol role in the victory for the Commonwealth nations against the ultra-nationalists of the Second Sekowo Empire.

Irregardless of the possibility of armed conflict, Trigunia still considers itself to be a peaceful nation. However, when trade, trade routes and general stability of the northern hemisphere is threatened Trigunia will use its miliatry if necessary to ensure the end of such problems.

[Gracchus]

Shchelchok Sport: Cheya ST Win Final Trofyeĭ Elita of Post-3090 Era


Players for Cheya ST line the player's bench in anticipation as the clock winds down against Kommenovsk SK.

1 June 3129

Sports fans all over Trigunia, are there are many, had mixed feelings about this years Trofyeĭ Elita Final which saw the plucky Cheya ST, led by magical captain Antonin Karpov, soundly defeated traditional powerhouse Kommenovsk SK in a 5 to 2 match. But, unfortunately for the players and the clubs, most of the post-match discussion was not about the game itself but about the direction the Trigunaya Elitnaya Hokkyeĭnaya Liga (Trigunian Elite Ice Hockey League) would take the sport after the announcement this week that this would be the last trophy game of the 3090 Re-Organization, simply known to the fans as "Thirty-Ninety".

With the population reaching over 1.5 billion people in 3090, it seemed as though the league would prove untenable given the vast influx of skillful players. There were nearly eight divisions in the ice hockey pyramid that seemed, but all accounts, to be all-but equal in ability while remaining unequal in profits. Frequently, Division 2, 3, or even Division Seven teams were routinely defeating members of the original Big 20 clubs, and playing better hockey to boot. All the while these lower division clubs were effectively stealing members from the already bloated fan organizations of the Big 20.

'Why,' the reasoning soon went, 'would someone pay tens of thousands of rabols or wait (possibly) indefinitely for lottery tickets too see the big clubs when tickets could be bought for comparatively tiny amounts to watch the same exciting hockey from the small, local clubs?' Millions of fans quickly abandoned their old firms and headed toward greener pastures.

It was with these facts in mind that the Elite League Organization chose, in early 3089, to create a new standard by effectively dismantling the Elite League and siphoning it off into ten smaller leagues based around the Oblasts. The reasoning went that the these new leagues would incorporate numerous smaller but no less effective clubs into the fold. In order to ingratiate itself to the fans drooling for inter-Oblast play, the Organization incorporated the Elite Trophy as the national competition bringing the best from the Oblasts to compete for its glory. It all worked well until the early 3110s.

By 3110, Trigunia's population, along with most of the population of the world, took a nosedive. The centuries of an aging population and low birthrates led to the so-called "Great Dying" of the first quarter of this century. Trigunia's population fell dramatically from upwards of 1.7 billion to slightly over 130 million today. With this drop, so did the quality of ice hockey in the separate Oblast leagues.

After careful review and the analysis of the hundreds of different clubs, the Organization has announced that effective next season, the old Big 20 system of play will be returned. Paradoxically, most of the 'new' Big 20 will look very similar to the 'old' Big 20, with the exception of the addition of Cheya ST who will continue to play alongside its crosstown rivals TSKF 'Flota' Cheya in the newly revamped Elite League.

Time will only tell if this will be a smart move, but one thing is certain, the consolidation of the League will bring about an exciting shift to the greatest game on the planet: ice hockey.

[Gracchus]

Trigunskiy: Young Guards Split!


The Most Honorable Igor Khristenko, 14th Count of Starbat leads the newly created Natsional'nyh Samovol'noe Partiya and is a founder of its ideology.

3 May 3131

In a earth shattering and wholly unexpected move, the ruling Young Guard Party, the political force that has dominated Trigunian politics for nearly 200 years, unexpectedly declared itself dissolved today as a political entity.

Over the past several months and years, the Party looked to be on shaky ground but its dissolution has proven to be quite a drastic move. The Party has always been made up of differing factions, often vying for political influence in the closed political climate of Trigunia. As the only major organized political party, the Young Guards forced many individuals and groups to join its ranks with the only requirements being the acceptance of His Royal Northern Highness the Great Prince & Tsar as the position held by the Hulstrian monarch in personal union and the acceptance of a broad platform of capitalism.

It was within these policies that Trigunia prospered and grew into the world's dominate information technology and information processing power. But it was also within these policies that most of the political battle lines were drawn. In 2985, the party almost split during a dispute between the brothers His Grace Duke Andrey and The Most Hon. Count Nikolay Mashkov over the role of the state in the economy. Ultimately, Duke Andrey Mashkov and his Etatistskih, or Statist, faction won out but not before the Party, and the Mashkov family, was split over the issue. The Party almost split apart then, but instead saw its political fortunes fall and the new Peoples' Party took the nation by storm, thus destroying the power of the Young Guard Party.

While the Party weathered this storm in the long-run it was dissolved temporarily, but then the Mashkovs were able to bring it back together given the force of their collective will as well as the force of the family name. What makes this dissolution different, however, is the lack of the Mashkov name or stamp.

The man behind the part split is no Mashkov. The Most Honorable Igor Khristenko, 14th Count of Starbat is the leader of the revolting faction of the Party, the Avtokraty (Autocrats), and his main political opponent is Foreign Affairs Minister His Grace Dmitri Igumnov, 8th Duke of Kleiskva. As leader of the old Statuskvo (Status Quo) faction His Grace Duke Igmunov is the face of the traditional Party policies, and holds the legacy of the Mashkov political dynasty.

What is odd about the current situation is the complete absence of opinion and leadership from the Viceroy himself. With the politics of the nation in rubble, his Party collapsing, and legacy of his family name at stake, why His Grace Viceroy Yevgeni Mashkov, 8th Duke of Petrovgrad has remained silent is a mystery. Over the last week, he has been vilified by the collective press, asked for guidance by members of both factions in the Party, been asked to convene both a Party Congress as well as the Boyar Duma but has refused to do anything. Just what is His Grace thinking?!

While his thoughts remain unclear, what is clear, is that he has let the Party dissolve itself through petty difference. And what is becoming clear for the future is that the newly christened Natsional'nyh Samovol'noe Partiya (National Autocratic Party) is set to petition for an early election as the Statuskvo and the rest of the remaining Young Guards sit in stunned silence. With the political will of the Viceroy in question, and the lack of support he current has in all corners of the nation, it is a very realistic possibility that the National Autocrats will win out in an early election. Just what this will mean is open to speculation.

In a recent press statement, The Most Honorable Igor Khristenko, 14th Count of Starbat has stated that within a weeks' time his newly created party is expected to release its manifesto to Trigunia and the world. While it is expected to be similar to the old Young Guard Party's "formula" it will undoubtedly hold many surprises.

[Gracchus]

Vestnik: Re-branded, the Young Guards Return but with a Political Novice


Lady Anastasiya Yevgeniyevna Mashkova, daughter of former-Viceroy & Young Guard Chairman His Grace Yevgeni Mikhailovich Mashkov, 8th Duke of Petrovgrad has emerged as the new party's political and ideological leader.

9 August 3146 - Heinrichgrad, Chadonia

With the election on a few days old, it has become clear that the Young Guards have returned. But while the rhetoric, the focus on economics and business, and the mixture of libertarianism with staunch religous conservative values have remained the same, the centuries old ruling coalition no longer looks quite as it did before its implosion in the early 3130s.

Re-christened the Molodaya Trigunskoye Partiya, Young Trigunian Party, the Young Guards seemed to have gone on a public relations mission and found that their desire to break with the images of the past have fallen victim to the desire to retain the name-brand recognition of their forebears. Even their attempt at finding leadership has taken a turn toward the familiar with Lady Anastasiya Mashkova, obviously a member of the perpetual ruling Mashkov political dynasty.

Given that Lady Anastasiya's father, His Grace Duke Yevgeni Mashkov, proved to be both a failure as a politician and as a unifier of his political party, there is much doubt as to the abilities of the House of Mashkov in ruling the nation. While in her mid-30s, Lady Anastasiya has had little public coverage and no public role to speak of, neither under tutelage of the Young Guard Party nor under her father's Viceroyship. Instead of politics, Lady Anastasiya has pursued the lifestyle befitting a modern-day member of political royalty by being edcuated at the most prestigous universities, sitting on numerous charity boards, and attending the innumberable balls and fashion shows throughout Trigunia and Greater Hulstria. Hardly a resume that exudes confidence in her political leadership.

However, Lady Anastasiya does have a few attributes that have many nostalgia-minded harkening back to her great-great-great-great-grandmother Her Grace Hanna Vasyalevna Mashkova, 1st Duchess of Petrovgrad, NSZ, TVKS, VP, NTP. But it is here that the similaries stop being more than skin-deep. Despite her obvious youth and physical similarities, Lady Anastisya is said to be quiet, unabmitious, and lacking the killer instinct necessary in high politics, especially for a young woman. She also lacks the qualifications that the Duchess had when she took office. There seems to be a complacency in the Mashkov dynasty which has allowed the family to disregard the grooming of its talent for politics. One can only speculate as to what the great His Grace Vasya Romanovich Mashkov, 2nd Duke of Petrovgrad, NSZ, TVKS, VP, NTP, BZ would say about this lack of foresight of his descendants.

It is unclear yet whether the young Lady Anastasiya will follow in the footsteps of her triumphant distant relations or whether she will follow directly into the footsteps of her failure father. One thing is certain, with limited opposition, Trigunia will have no real choice but to watch thew new-but-old Young Trigunians and the political novice Lady Anastasiya with a close eye.

[Gracchus]

Vestnik: Statue of Slain Hulstrian Leader Unveiled


The new statue of Hulstrian Governor-General His Grace Andreas, 9th Count of Sichartshofen outside St Paul's Lutheran Cathedral in the quiet Forsternhafen suburb of Malchik, Tirgith.

15 October 3152 - Malchik, Tirgith

In a show of solidarity with the people and government of Greater Hulstria, the city of Malchik in Tirgith, home to the largest ethnic and ex-patriot Hulstrian community in Trigunia, raised nearly TRA 60,000 over the last two years to prepare a corner of the park around St Paul's Lutheran Cathedral with a statue of slain Governor-General His Grace Andreas, 9th Count of Sichartshofen who was killed two years to the day of his statue's unveiling.

Gerhard Hosenfeld, Mayor of Forsternhafen, stated that "this statue, while certainly commemorating the untimely and tragic killing of a great Hulstrian politician and humanitarian, it also has been put in place as a symbol of peace. It is a statue of anti-terrorism, anti-violence."

His Grace Andreas, 9th Count of Sichartshofen was killed by left-wing terrorists as he spoke at a political rally in Hulstria in mid-October of 3150. While rather a uninspiring political figure who did not achieve much in his short reign as Governor-General, his death proved a point of unity for the people of the Greater Hulstrian Empire, of which Trigunia considers itself a staunch member and defender.

Trigunia herself is not a stranger to public tragedy. In mid-2922, the legendary former-Viceroy, His Grace R.D. Mashkov, 1st Duke of Petrovgrad, founding member of the Mashkov political dynasty, was killed in an automobile accident.

[Gracchus]

Vestnik: Vicereine Welcomes Hutori Monarch; Brokers Warmer Relations


Lady Anastasiya Yevgeniyevna Mashkova at the annual "Coming of Winter" Ball at the Bear's Den outside Heinrichgrad.
5 November 3154 - Bear's Den, Heinrichgrad, Trigunia

Lady Anastasiya Yevgeniyevna Mashkova looked ravishing as she attended the annual Coming of Winter Ball at the Bear's Den outside Heinrichgrad last evening. The annual ball, meant to commemorate the start of snowy winter weather in early November, has become a major event for the nation's nobility, socialites, and celebrities. However, this year has been the most memorable.

This year, the real attention was not on the glamorous gowns and the high class fashion of the rich and famous but instead was centered on the political. For His Most Royal and Serene Majesty King Peter I of Hutori, alongside his Foreing Minister The Rt Hon Thomas Kilday and Minister of Trade & Industry Gabriel Robinson, were made the guests of honor at the Ball and were met with a roar of applause from the many guests. His Most Royal and Serene Highness was even offered the first dance, which he graciously took, dancing not with his young and pretty wife, but instead with the Vicereine herself, who looked rather surprised and delighted at the invitation.

Earlier in the day, before the gala had begun, the King, his Ministers, and the Vicereine had discussed the warming of relations between the two nations as well as the Greater Hulstrian empire in general. Sources close to the discussion hint at the return of diplomatic relations and a possible trade agreement between Hutori and Trigunia.

As the Vicereine and the King danced their short waltz to officially open the Ball and traditional nationwide winter celebrations, one can only wonder whether the warming relations in the northern hemisphere will melt the first snow fall that has fallen throughout Trigunia, or, whether this will be nothing more than the last gasp from a rapidly receding autumn.

[Gracchus]

Zhurnal: Speculation Arises Over the Closeness of the Great Prince and the Vicereine


Vicereine Lady Anastasiya Yevgeniyevna Mashkova at a recent social gathering at the Bear's Den at the behest of the Great Prince himself.

20 December 3156 - Bear's Den, Heinrichgrad, Chadonia, Trigunia

In the last several months, HRNH Great Prince Franchesko II has increased his visits to the Bear's Den. Normally, he and his entourage visit several times a year, most often in the short, balmy summer months that break the cycle of perpetual winter that has made Trigunia and Trigunians (in)famous. Over the last three months, all of which have been the cold autumn and colder winter months, the Great Prince has visited a record thirteen times. Each subsequent visit has lasted longer and longer. So far this month, the Great Prince has been in the Bear's Den for a total of twelve days. And each one of those days, with the exception of two, His Royal Northern Highness has met with the Vicereine Lady Anastasiya Yevgeniyevna Mashkova.

While these meetings have been official and business has been discussed, it has become increasingly clear that there is more than meets the eye. Over the course of these meetings the closeness between the Vicereine and the Great Prince has come to the forefront. But it has been the numerous galas and balls at the Bear's Den that have been the most revealing.

The Vicereine has been a guest at all and her attire has proven that she is not attending in an official capacity. Frequently appearing in gowns with reasonably high hemlines, and relatively plunging necklines the Vicereine seems more a woman on display than a powerful Head of State. This display seems to be paying off as the Vicereine has spent more and more time in the company of the Great Prince. Could this be the start of a very personal union?

[Gracchus]

The Empire Rejoices in the Pomp and Circumstance of a Royal Wedding



1 May 3157 - Royalty, Monarchists, and spectators throughout Terra took a day to attend and celebrate the marriage of His Imperial and Most Illustrious Lutheran Majesty, Franz VII, Defender of the Faith, by the Grace of God, Emperor of Hulstria, His Imperial Majesty Imperator of Dolgaria, His Royal Northern Highness Great Prince & Tsar of Trigunia, His Royal Highness Grand Duke of Sisula to Lady Anastasiya Yevgeniyevna Mashkova, the current Vicereine of Trigunia and future Duchess of Petrovgrad.

The wedding, which took place at The Hulstrian National Cathedral in Kien, had nearly five hundred guests; including high-ranking monarchists, socialites and celebrities who came out to support the Houses of Rothingren-Traugott and Mashkov at the function.

The bride is the widower Emperor's second wife. They met at formal functions when young, both being children of power and privilege, and knew each other for many years. However, the Emperor was previously married to Duchess Viktoria Alexandra Helena von und zu Recke, a Hulstrian noblewoman who died of breast cancer at the tender age of 24.

Fraulein Mashkova wore a white gown, designed by by the famous Trigunian design company Svetlana Dolonov, and sported an elegant hairstyle with, curiously, no veil; which many noted was a departure from the generally traditional nature of royal Hulstrian weddings.

The large and long ceremony was filled with ritual and pageantry only a royal wedding could present. Two different choirs were employed to sing the numerous hymns used during the service while numerous honored guests and Royals from around the globe filed to their respect pews guided by immaculately dressed white-gloved ushers.

Finally, at long last, the wedding march was begun and the central couple filed in and met before the altar. The two pledged their vows and knelt for numerous blessings and prayers in accordance with Lutheran tradition, before concluding the performance by leading the procession to the Cathedral doorway where they embraced in their wedding kiss.

Outside, it was a beautiful spring day and the crowds of onlookers and media figures cheered as the flashbulbs sparkled. The couple entered a black limosine and were whisked away, undoubtedly, to Phönixsteindorf where they are to meet the members of the wedding party and close family members for the reception at the Phönixstein Castle. The wedding was considered a success by all who witnessed it or attended. However, there was some apprehension as to the quickness of the nuptials. Many contribute the whirlwind courtship to a possible pregnancy, however, family spokesmen merely laughed off such accusations and instead reminded reporters to celebrate a royal wedding.

It is also unclear as to how the Hulstrian people will accept the new Trigunian Empress Consort who has a reputation as a big-spender and one of a sometime diva. With her career as a politician, the Empress ran her political party which expoused numerous right-wing ideals. There are certainly many Hulstrians holding reservations about such a political animal having the ear of the most important position in all the Empire. The closeness of the Royal Family with a political agenda is frightening and is unacceptable to many in Hulstria.

Regardless of these many reservations, it is certain that all the nation wishes the best of luck to the Emperor and his new bride.