Russia (19-canon)

**Russia** is alluded to in the *Rinnarverse* as one of four powers that competed for global domination in the years leading to World War III, the others being "America, China, and Arabia". Its methods in achieving the status of a superpower include conservative and nationalist propaganda against the two Americas and Arabia, oil money, military expansion, and supporting nationalist groups in Europe. Its republican government was later replaced by a restored Romanov monarchy.

## History

During the 20th century, Russia was ruled by an authoritarian socialist government known as the Soviet Union. It and America competed for global domination, until its corrupt leaders broke its economy down and caused it to collapse.

In the 2020s, Russia joined several countries whose economies and societies outpaced that of America. Angered and threatened by Ukraine's attempts to join the American bloc, the leader of Russia sent his armies to annex the country, only to be repelled to a few footholds in the east. Forty years later, hundreds of young men from Russia migrated west to join the militant groups in taking over Europe and imposing right-wing dictatorships. Some of them turned against their former homeland as they fought for the Nordic State as it attacks Karelia.

Russia also became an attractive destination for right-wing Americans, who saw it as "the ideal Christian nation". While most of those American immigrants managed to fit into Russian society, the more stubborn ones became subjects of ridicule among the Russian people.

In the 2100s, Russia joins the other superpowers of the world by creating its own clone armies. These armies defended their realm when the Nordic State's clone berserkers raided Russia in the 2130's.

When the federation of Visegrad was established in the 2200s, the Russian president offered his forces' support, but the Visegradian leaders rejected his offer. The Russian authorities also accepted the A-Hadd serum from Iraq, but modified it to retain a degree of creativity to lessen its worst side-effects.

As the other nations adopted faster-than-light travel and portal systems to quickly traverse distances across outer space in 2234, Russia expanded its lunar colonies and built new stations on Mars. It resisted and fought against the Global Court and the European Union in the mid-23rd century.

In 2303, the first colonies on the planet Alpha Centauri B were built by a Russian expedition. The colonists named it New Arkola and dedicated their new home to their god Svarog, sparking outrage in the Russian homeland. In spite of this, Russia sent more settlers and clones to set up more colonies in the Galaxy.

As the American Federation was converted into a Racialist regime, hundreds of Racialist militants migrated to Russia. The authorities had to battle their colonies and enclaves to prevent these militants and criminal gangs from overtaking the country.

In the escalation years leading to World War III, Russia created its own bloc in Eastern Europe as its counterpart to Visegrad. In response to Arabian and Chinese interests in Central Asia, Russia built its own network of military bases. It also funded several reactionary groups to make the AF and Visegrad more subservient.

In World War III, Russia sent its forces to take control of Central Asia against Arabian and Chinese expansions. It also sent troops to conquer Alaska, and they were aided by the Third Movement Party in revolting against the Ussian government.

Russia managed to avoid being conquered by the Earth Union as its leaders built energy shields to protect its lands from bombardments and invasion. Regardless, it also withstood fierce Farsider sieges: the Farsiders considered Russia to be one of four empires that were collectively responsible for World War III.

The Cyrillic alphabet became widely-used by the colonies and countries at the far side of the Milky Way, such as the Rinnarit Republic. In spite of this, Russia was also disliked by the Galactics for its and its rivals' actions, which were blamed for World War III.

## Society

Like its rivals, the people of this Russia are very proud of their country and its leaders. They do not accept any criticism, and they regard themselves as the "true defenders of European civilisation and true Christianity".

Masculinity is an important ideal in Russian society, and under nationalist influence, every boy and man is expected to be a warrior. Like in the AF, women were permitted to achieve high-ranking positions, to vote, to travel as they pleased, as to divorce, but they were expected to give way to men and be mothers.

Under Tsarist rule, the older spelling system is used again. However, a later reform dropped many silent ъ-letters, except in formal documents.

## Religion

Over the centuries, Russia became more religious, to the point that Orthodox Christianity was reestablished as the state religion.

Other religions in Russia include Catholics (in the west), Muslims (in Tataristan and the south), Buddhists (in Kalmykia and the southeast), Jews, Old Believers (in the east), and a growing movement of Rodnovers (pagans) and Hindus (influenced by missionaries from Akhand Bharat, who were permitted as diplomatic staff).

The American immigrants to Russia have also established a very vocal Protestant minority, and they got into fights with angry locals over missionaries and pastors who were considered "too offensive" or "too intrusive". Sometimes they were forced to convert to the state church, and at other times they were left alone and tolerated.

## Trivia

* This Russia is based on Russian nationalists on the Internet and the historical Russian Empire.