Kras Mazov

* Poster
* Bust

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> DU CRISTAL À LA FUMÉE – From crystal to smoke, an expression describing the rigid structures of capitalism turning to smoke under communism.
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**Kras Mazov** is a major background character in *Disco Elysium*.

## Background

An economist and a historical materialist. Mazov is considered the father of scientific communism (Mazovian thought or Mazovianism), the ideology that motivated the Antecentennial Revolution. In Graad, Mazov became Premier of the Communist Party of Shest and Graad, leading the Eleven Day Government from the State Day Palace in Mirova.

The Graadian side of the Revolution lasted six years, from '02 to '08. During this time, Mazov's government brought many changes, including the end of the tzaraath pandemic, the use of "Brave Children, Favorites of History" as the national anthem, and the adoption of matronyms as surnames, replacing patronyms. In accordance with Mazov's quote, "Religion is pyrholidon for the masses", churches were taken down, dismantled and used as firewood. A number of communard farmers also reported massively enhanced growth and yield of crops during the period, emphasizing turnips.

In '08, counter-revolutionary groups led an assault on the State Day Palace, surrounding and bombing the capital. Officially, Mazov committed suicide during the attack, by shooting himself in the mouth. However, he was never granted a state funeral, and his body was only recovered later, from the ruins of the building, leading to the belief among some communists that he was instead assassinated or died in the bombing, and the accusations of suicide were an attempt to discredit him.

Mazov was a close friend of Ignus Nilsen, whom he considered his most-trusted lieutenant. Together with Nilsen, Mazov attempted to create a universal pictographic language for organizing communists internationally, but the project was left unfinished. During the assault on Mirova, Nilsen was the one to evacuate the remaining communards, leading them to through a disastrous retreat to Hsin-Yao, where the People's Republic of Samara was later founded. An infra-materialist folk legend states that, during Nilsen and Mazov's last meeting, the two did not speak a single word, communicating only through telepathy.

Depictions of Mazov are common in the homes and bunkers of revolutionaries, as well as revolutionary sympathizers. The propaganda bunker under the Feld building contains an amateurish portrait, while Steban's room in Capeside apartments has a bust of Mazov in it. Mazov is typically depicted as a mustachioed and mutton-chopped man, with a birthmark on his left cheek. He is part-Samaran, on his mother's side. Mazov is associated with ushankas, often adorned with communist symbols, and with chamomile tea, which he often drank.

## Trivia

* The name 'Kras Mazov' is derived from Karl Marx, whose political work Mazovianism parallels. It also resembles the Karamazov family, from Dostoevsky's *The Brothers Karamazov*.
* Kras' nickname, 'Kak Ras', resembles the Russian idiom Kak Raz, meaning 'just right'.
* Kras' life parallels that of a number of real communist figures: his name and standing as 'father of scientific communism' comes from Marx, his use of pseudonyms, role in the Graadian Revolution and subsequent leadership of the Party is based on both Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, his supposed suicide during the overthrow of Mirova, as well as the belief it was faked, is similar to that of Salvador Allende, and his attempted creation of an easy-to-learn pictographic language parallels Maoist China and the creation of Simplified Chinese.

## References

1. ↑ ENCYCLOPEDIA - Kras Mazov (nom de guerre), was an economist and a theoretical historian. He was a leading figure in the Graad side of the Turn-of-the-Century Revolution, where he headed the Eleven Day Government. Mazov is considered the father of scientific communism (Mazovian thought or Mazovianism).
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Suicide of Kras Mazov
3. ↑ JOYCE MESSIER - "It wasn't a \*who\*, but a \*what\*. A pandemic of tzaraath, a particularly virulent prion disease, which the authorities in Graad proved unable to contain. Then Mazov came along and overthrew the government."
4. ↑ THE DESERTER - "In Graad they sang 'Brave Children, Favourites of History' and in Hsin-Yao it was..." He struggles to remember, then gives up. "...some Samaran shit, I guess.
5. ↑ TRANT HEIDELSTAM - "The custom started in Graad, where they have patronyms: Krasovich, Larsovich, etc. The revolutionaries saw this as a chauvinist atavism so they used matronyms, derived from the mother's name, instead."
6. ↑ MEGA RICH LIGHT-BENDING GUY - "Was it Kras Mazov that said 'religion is pyrholidon for the masses'?"
7. ↑ THE DESERTER - "God's shithouse." He chortles. "Should've taken it down like they did in Graad; dismantled it for firewood."
8. ↑ A BRIEF LOOK AT INFRA-MATERIALISM - To take one example: During the Revolutionary period, many communard farmers in Graad reported extraordinary yields of certain root vegetables, most notably turnips.
9. ↑ STEBAN, THE STUDENT COMMUNIST - "A fair point. It also reminds me of one of Mazov and Nilsen's unrealized projects, a universal system of communist pictographs, one that would allow revolutionaries to communicate and organise across any language barrier."
10. ↑ ENCYCLOPEDIA - Oh, right. During the disastrous retreat from Graad to Samara, Nilsen personally ordered up to 12,000 prisoners of war impaled on sharpened spruce trees in the Samaran backcountry. Thereafter his opponents began referring to him as the 'Apocalyptic Shrike'.
11. ↑ A BRIEF LOOK AT INFRA-MATERIALISM - It's become something of a folk legend that during their final meeting, Nilsen and Mazov didn't speak a single word, preferring to sit in silence with their chamomile tea, reading one another's thoughts.
12. ↑ KIM KITSURAGI - "Millions of depictions of Mazov have been produced. They're not all connected -- besides, that looked like some student. The youths always go for this kind of stuff..."
13. ↑ KIM KITSURAGI - He puts a finger on a pale dot embellishing the bust's cheekbone. "Doesn't he have a birthmark right here? What about you?"
14. ↑ KIM KITSURAGI - "Alright. But here's the big thing -- Kras Mazov looks Samaran, and you don't."
15. ↑ RHETORIC - Kras Mazov would have worn this ushanka. Mazov knew where to cook those thoughts, that's why it bears a Mazovian logo.
16. ↑ STEBAN, THE STUDENT COMMUNIST - "Oh? Sounds nice, actually. Comrade Mazov himself preferred chamomile tea, as I'm sure you're aware."