Soviet Union

"To Europeans, Russia has always been the great bear to the east"

- Eurosource Plus

The Union of Sovereign Soviet Republics is an energy and military superpower in the 21st century, and an ally of the EEC. 15 constituent or union republics; Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia (see Kyrgyzstan), Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Moldavia.

End of Communism
In the last decade of the Old Soviet Union, the reformist Premier Gorbachev let Eastern Europe go to weaken the conservative military which was resisting his reforms. He then transformed the Soviet Union into the Soviet Federation, in which all of its members were granted the status of sovereign countries.

His successor Gorborev continued with the reforms but had to confront the growing problem of secessionist movements within the sovereign republics. He then created the improved new Union of Sovereign Soviet Republics, a free trade zone that united the sovereign republics which was similar to the European Community except that it also had its own army and foreign policy.

Rise of SovOil
KGB remnants and communist hard-liners attempted a coup which was quickly crushed due to the rebels having overstretched themselves, but it was done at great cost in both men and material. SovOil requested the authorization to establish its own security force, arguing that the Soviet Army did not have the resources to defend all of its facilities.

The state gave SovOil the authorization requested. Which backfired spectacularly on Moscow, as it led to the Soviet Corporate Rebellion of 2002, in which SovOil declared itself an independent entity. The state took military action to prevent this but its forces were outmatched by the better equipped and motivated SovOil troops. The state was forced to admit defeat and accept the independence of SovOil.

SovOil became the most powerful faction within the Neo-Sov. New secessionist movements then threatened to break up the various sovereign republics but via covert action and diplomacy, SovOil prevented this from happening. SovOil had a vested interest in keeping the USSR intact and stable, and therefore uses its political power, troops, and resources to make it so.

Mid 21st Century
Beyond the massive reforms of the 1990s, New Russia was still weakened by its antiquated technology. In 2045, it the country couldn't fully feed its hungry population. With the failure of the economic and social reforms of the Novosovetskaya partiya (NSP), a new generation of highly-aggressive oligarchs was about rise. Unlike the NSP predecessors who were content to simply siphon off the remaining assets of the State, the oligarchs were more akin to the Megacorporates of the roaring 2020s. Hungry for power and willing to do anything to accomplish it.

Russia
To Europeans, Russia has always been the Great Bear to the East. Most of the time it slept and when it woke, nations would fall. During the course of history gigantic armies would emerge irregularly from the depths of the Taiga, shoving away anything in their wake. From the Mongols to the Red Army, Russian influence was mainly felt in the form of major invasions every other century.

Within Russia things largely stayed the same throughout the centuries. Since after the defeat of the Golden Horde, Russians would live in a simple system. The Tsar ruled a collection of local lords who in turn exploited their subjects. The farmers and other lower classes didn't fare well under this system. They had no education, were bound to their lords and had no real rights in the government. The only comfort they found were in the orthodox catholic church. Even more so than the roman catholic church promising a better life beyond the earthly horror. The Russian people took a long time before a revolution was started to overthrow the monarchy.

Meanwhile the lords and ladies wasted their people's money in the casinos of Germany and other countries. They were known and feared for their bad behavior in any major cultural center. They brought in lots of rubles, which were worth something back then. This way of life also explains Russia's late introduction into the industrial age. Building an industrial base when nine tenths of the populace can't write their own names was nearly impossible. Russia's handicap in technological developments stems from this time and continues to this day.

The communists decided to change all that during the October Revolution of 1917, which was fought between the tsarist army and two rivaling revolutionary forces. The Menshewiks propagated a more western approach and, though they were superior in numbers, were subsequently put down by the Bolshewiks. The latter were lead by one Lenin, who took his name from a tsarist work concentration camp near the Lena river.

Lenin's rule was as iron-fisted and paranoid as could be. Some of his many accomplishments were the socializing of all business, the murdering of all tsarists he could get hold of, as well as many critics of his regime. To better control the various minorities within his realm, he instituted a series of resettling programs. His plan was to move Russians into the minorities' territories to split up the homogeneous population. Other minorities didn't fare as well. Hundreds of thousands of royalists, farmers and intellectuals died in his concentration camps.

His methods were used to lesser (or greater) extent by all of his successors up to Gorbachev. All of the old men had gone paranoid by the time they reached their positions. The years of political infighting, backstabbing and intrigues took its toll on them. Not that this differs much from western leaders. When Gorbachev assumed power, the economic break- down of the Soviet Union was already more than apparent He knew that things would have to be changed if the USSR was to survive. One of his bolder steps was to reinstitute private ownership. Thus he set the base for economic growth. He also saw the massive resources spent in the military. To stop this unstable giant, he decreased influence on the central European states and the Soviet republics. This came to a head in the great changes of 1989, when the former East Bloc suddenly became 'democratic' states. Gorbachev's coup de grace was the transformation of the former Soviet Union into the Soviet Federation, granting its members the status of sovereign countries. As to be expected, he received a lot of flak from colleagues, but he had the support of the people who were hoping for better times.

Gorborev, Gorbachev's successor, continued the reforms. But his main problem were the secessionist movements within the various republics. Even the tiniest tribe in the giant state suddenly took hold of the new freedom and tried to set up their own little nation. Most of these would-be nations had a zero percent chance of survive ability for economic reasons. Others were too important because of the treasures waiting in their soils. These were kept a part of Russia-often by force. But things couldn't continue this way. Thus, Gorborev had to find a solution and fast.

He founded the new and improved Union of Sovereign Soviet Republics. This was a collection of independent states akin to the EC with their own foreign policy and army. They were all united by a free trade zone that encompassed most of the former USSR. To lessen the influence some states had on key industrial facilities and natural resources, Gorborev convinced the states' leaders to re-socialize the key industries. Thus oil and coal industries were given independent bureaucracies which were theoretically governed by delegates from all participating states.

All these reforms stoked the anger of the old socialist hardliners. In an effort to bring the country back to its glorious old socialist ways, they allied with the remains of the KGB. Although the KGB had been disbanded by Gorbachev a couple of years earlier, their agents had found their way into the new Ministries of Interior of the various republics. Together they staged a coup that was later to be known as the Nights of Fire. Armed KGB troops and socialists clashed with loyal army units in a short and bloody conflict that raged all across the Neo-Soviet. The rebellion was put down fast since the rebels had overstretched their means to spread fire to all republics. Nonetheless, the cost in men and material was high.

The Nights of Fire gave the directors of the biggest industry, SovOil, a welcome excuse to apply for their own security force. They argued that the Soviet Army could not effectively defend all of SovOil's facilities from Jakutsk to Kiew. The growing nationalism in the republics made security at key facilities all the more important. The request was granted and SovOil began signing on troops.

This proved to be Gorborev's downfall when the Soviet Corporate Rebellion took place in 2002. SovOil declared itself fully independent of the state, turning into a giant corporation. The Government saw this as a threat to inner security and reacted accordingly. But the republican forces were no match for SovOil's highly motivated troops equipped with the latest technology. Grudgingly, President Gorborev admitted defeat and let SovOil go. This blow was fuel to the fires of his critics. Gorborev resigned a few years later, broken in stature.

His successor was lgor Starobin from the Ukraine. His first couple of years were marked by efforts to rebuild what had been damaged. When the republics had recovered sufficiently, new shouts for national freedom were heard by minorities and republics alike. Surprisingly, it was SovOil who countered these movements. SovOil had a vested interest in peace and stable economic surroundings. Thus the corporate directors made deals with the leaders of the secessionist movements-and used force wherever diplomacy failed. With these actions, though entirely undercover, SovOil confirmed its status as the most powerful force in the Neo-Soviet. Their resources, troops and sheer political weight made them the driving force behind the continued existence of the Union of Soverign Soviet Republics.

Ukraine
Even after two droughts, one crop killer virus and overall global weather mess-up, Ukraine stayed as the second-greatest food producer in the Neo-Soviet Union. The black soil for which my land is known is one of the most fertile soils there are. Which is why the Russians had kept occupying it until the 1990s.

After the Red Army took off, SovOil immediately returned and bought up 30% of all arable land. It was questioned what was better-being governed by Russians or being owned by them. The Hungarians did their thing right, re-socializing the damned Leviathan. In summer it's a green and pleasant land, in winter you get dry freeze. Unless of course, you're in the vicinity of Chernobyl. In that case, you're glowing green year-round. This doesn't pertain to the Krim. They have higher temperatures and less rain. Judging from what is here, they probably have the same queer weather the rest of the world has.

Belarus
Politics in Belarus mirror the geographical layout of the country-mainly, swampy. They are so different from the concrete city-spaces. Aside from swamps there is also lots of woodland. Woods are also great, but we'll return to that later on. Well, there's two inter- sting things in politics. First there are those socialist hardliners. They still have a majority in parliament, even if some of there more active members have been killed in the Nights of Fire. Only thing you can do is do nothing. Most of them have been with the party for forty years now and will die of age soon.

The second big thing is the ramble about rejoining Russia, they've been on about is as long as most people can remember. After establishing the monetary union back in, anytime before the turn of the century, people only talked about the grand Reunification. Consensus reality shows us that there was no base for this. Nonetheless, they still keep on talking about it.

Moldova
Moldova is one little mess of a country. There are separatists everywhere. The Dniester Republic tries to secede to the Ukraine, while Pro-Romanian nationalists want to incorporate Moldova into Romania. It's like the only reason the country hasn't been disbanded is that people can't even agree on that. There are plenty of other reasons for the country's rather distressing state. The separatist in the Dniester-Republic don't have the public support they'd need for a civil war. The Ukrainians there are happy with the deals they struck with the government. They have the position of a separate republic within Moldoval. So the rebels have to be content with growing hemp and smuggling their dope to their Ukrainian supporters. A couple of years back they made a couple of hits on city halls, but when the militia burnt their plantations, this came to a sudden stop. It was rumored they had planned on renewing their "fight for freedom". An awful lot of guns going around the DR.

The Romanian nationalists, are filled with blind idealists. Most people here share view of it being a complete waste of time. Otherwise the government would've had a serious problem. They couldn't afford to mess with any of the two neighbors. Moldova depends on the Ukraine for basically all energy related products from coal to raw current, economy here is based on farmers, with all the black soil lying around. If Moldova were to be blockaded the country would be thrown back to the Middle-Ages. The current situation is bad enough. Even Bucharest doesn't have as many brown-outs as Chisinau.

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
Since the break-up of the old USSR there has been tension between Russia and Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kirgizia. Those three wanted a kind of union within the union established, which is something the Kreml didn't really like. Especially since they enjoy good relations with neighboring China (and for some reason the Czech Republic). But these problems were more or less canceled when Orthodox Christians started warring with the Muslims of that area. The Muslims started it by declaring the Islamic Asiatic Republic, comprised of parts of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. The Christians felt threatened by this move and started collecting guns. As things go, soon there was a major war between the two factions. When the conflict started moving into the border areas of Russia, the Kreml sent troops and hermetically sealed the area off. People still kill each other down there, even though they fell back economically to the level of a third world country. To spice up the soup, SovOil had a major interest in the area the Caspian oil fields. To the horror of their military commanders, they were faced with another Afghanistan scenario, meaning badly equipped tribes on one side and hardcore soldiers with state-of-the-art stuff on the other.

Baikonur was and is the main Russian space port. Problem is, Baikonur is in Kazakhstan. After prolonging the leasing deal with the remains of the Kazakh government, the Russians parachuted a division of spec ops troops into Baikonur to "secure" the area. No even remotely-hostile human remained alive. But no one really noticed since the tribal wars in the south never made major news.

Geography
The Soviet Union is the world's largest area of land controlled by a single political entity, covering approximately one-seventh of Earth's land surface. It's a sovereign union made up of various somwhat independent countries. It is two and a half times the size of the United States, and only slightly smaller in land area than the entire continent of North America. It covers most of the northern half of Asia and a large part of Eastern Europe, extending even into the Middle East. About one-quarter of its territory is in Europe, and the rest in Asia. The territory of the USSR is dominated by the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic—having the same borders as contemporary Russia—which covered roughly three-quarters of the surface area of the union. The Soviets also joint control of the Kuril Islands with Japan. The U.S.S.R. covers some 8,650,000 square miles (22,400,000 square kilometres). SovOil controls most of the politics and land mass in the Soviet Union, having many facilities in every member country. Besides SovOil, the Arasaka Corporation also owns bases and facilities in Eastern Siberia. Because of the the Soviet Union covering one-seventh of the Earth's land, the climate is very different across each territory. However most of the year the territory of Soviet Union stays relatively cold. There's wild open landscapes and mountains that stretch for 100's of miles, as well as ice and snow that covers all of Siberia.

Current Situation
SovOil owns much of the countryside, in the rural areas (especially in Siberia), they are the only real power. It's moles work in both the syndicates and government. The reality is if SovOil wanted to take full control it could do so easily but has chosen not to do so.

In the cities, there are three powers; SovOil, the Russian Mafia (the Organitskaya), and the State. Since the 1990s, because of the emergency decrees passed and still in effect, the president is able to make his own laws without the approval of the parliament if he desires. Bolstering his power is the Russian military service (GRU) which has become the KGB's successor. Many of the old KGB agents were reinstated into the GRU (or the Interior Ministry). The GRU is an organization that is as brutal as the KGB had been.

Moscow / Russian SFSR - 12 Million
Moscow, on the Moskva River in western Russia, is the nation's cosmopolitan capital and home to the biggest corporation in the region SovOil. In its historic core is the Kremlin, a complex that's home to the president and tsarist treasures in the Armoury. Outside its walls is Red Square, Russia's symbolic center. It's home to Lenin's Mausoleum, the State Historical Museum's comprehensive collection and St. Basil's Cathedral, known for its colorful, onion-shaped domes.

St. Petersburg / Russian - 5 Million
Leningrad is a Russian port city on the Baltic Sea. It was the imperial capital for 2 centuries, having been founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, subject of the city's iconic "Bronze Horseman" statue. It remains Russia's cultural center, with venues such as the Mariinsky Theatre hosting opera and ballet, and the State Russian Museum showcasing Russian art, from Orthodox icon paintings to Kandinsky works.

Kyiv/ Ukrainian - 3 Million
Kyiv is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. Kyiv is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural center of Eastern Europe.

Tashkent / Uzbek - 2.8 Million
Tashkent is the capital city of Uzbekistan. It's known for its many museums and its mix of modern and Soviet architecture. The Amir Timur Museum houses manuscripts, weapons and other relics from the Timurid dynasty. Nearby, the huge State Museum of History of Uzbekistan has centuries-old Buddhist artifacts. The city's skyline is distinguished by Tashkent Tower, which offers city views from its observation deck.

Baku / Azerbaijan - 2 Million
Baku, the capital and commercial hub of Azerbaijan, is a low-lying city with coastline along the Caspian Sea. It's famed for its medieval walled old city, which contains the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, a vast royal complex, and the iconic stone Maiden Tower. Contemporary landmarks include the Zaha Hadid–designed Heydar Aliyev Center, and the Flame Towers, 3 pointed skyscrapers covered with LED screens.

Timeline
The Timeline of major events of the Soviet Union in the Cyberpunk universe.

1910

 * 1917
 * Bolshevik Revolution: Czar Nicholas abdicates; Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, take control; Russian Soviet Socialist Republic established; capital moves to Moscow.
 * 1918
 * Bolsheviks assassinate czar.
 * Red Terror begins.

1920

 * 1921
 * Red Terror: Lenin purges Communist Party, socializes economy; 5 million die of famine.
 * Lenin inaugurates New Economic Policy, allows limited free-market measures
 * 1922
 * Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia, Transcaucasia (present-day Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan) form Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
 * 1924
 * Joseph Stalin consolidates power; inaugurates first Five-Year Plan, collectivizes agriculture, industrializes; famine returns
 * 1929
 * Joseph Stalin's Five-Year Plan ends.

1930

 * 1936
 * Millions die in Stalin's Great Purge (through 1953).

1940

 * 1941
 * WW2: Germany invades Russia.
 * 1945
 * WW2: World War II ends; Russia occupies Eastern Europe, establishes puppet governments, Cold War takes shape.
 * 1949
 * Soviets explode atomic device.

1950

 * 1953
 * Stalin dies; Nikita Khrushchev becomes first secretary of Communist Party.
 * 1956
 * Khrushchev denounces Stalin.

1960

 * 1960
 * Arkady Cherminino is born.
 * 1962
 * Cuban Missile Crisis, Khrushchev withdraws missiles from Cuba.
 * 1964
 * Leonid Brezhnev helps engineer Khrushchev's fall from power, becomes first secretary of Communist Party.
 * 1969
 * Major border clashes with China.

1970

 * 1972
 * Détente: President Richard Nixon visits USSR, signs arms control treaties with Chairman Brezhnev.
 * 1978
 * Soviets invade Afghanistan.

1980

 * 1985
 * General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev attempts to improve faltering economy with glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring).

1990

 * 1990
 * Soviet Union president Gorbachev appoints successor, Andrei Gorborev. The USSR enters into a period of reform.
 * 1994
 * The Soviet Union ends and the Union of Sovereign Soviet Republics is formed.
 * 1997
 * The KGB Rebellion occurs in the USSR. The event is known as the Nights of Fire.
 * Anatoly Novikovo lays the groundwork for a private army using the remnants of the OMON Unit.
 * 1998
 * SovOil is founded by Anatoly Novikovo in Moscow, Russia.

2000

 * 2002
 * SovOil declares itself independent of the USSR government. As a result. Gorborev resigns in disgrace.
 * Igor Starobin is named president of the USSR.
 * Lupold Korepino is promoted to General of the Soviet Army.
 * 2004
 * Lupold Korepino joins SovOil.
 * 2005
 * Peter Van Rijen joins SovOil.
 * 2006
 * SovOil is granted a licence to produce CHOOH2.
 * 2007
 * Lupold Korepino is named commander of the SovOil armed forces.
 * The Second Corporate War begins.
 * 2009
 * Joint Euro-Soviet mission to Mars begins.
 * Anatoly Novikovo is assassinated by Petrochem.
 * Yarno Kurgasyn assumes control of SovOil.

2010

 * 2010
 * The Second Corporate War ends.
 * Earthquake decimates Romania, 267 are killed in Bucharest.
 * 2012
 * Yarno Kurgasyn retires from SovOil.
 * Arkady Cherminino assumes control of SovOil.
 * 2015
 * Latvia attempts to invade Lithuania. Cyber-Mercenaries repel the invasion.
 * 2018
 * Poland is attacked by Czechoslovakia but are repelled.
 * Romania invades Bulgaria.
 * Greece annexes Macedonia with the aid of Albania. In retaliation Serbia invades Albania.
 * Pritap Suwarti is assassinated.
 * 2019
 * Albania is annexed by Yugoslavia.

2020

 * 2020
 * The Second Joint SovOil ESA Mars mission is successful.