Chernarus
Republic of Chernarus[]
In Chernarus, civil war has raged for two years after a long period of political instability, caused by conflicts between a pro- Western coalition and communist-nationalist Chernarus Red Star Movement (ChDKZ, „Chedaki“). After ChDKZ was defeated by the democratic wing in the 2008 elections, tension escalated during the so-called September Crisis.
With wide support from ethnic Russians in the Northern Province of Chernarus, insurgents attempted to reunite Northern Chernarus with Russia by force, but were defeated in the counter-insurgency operation „Northwind“. By the summer of 2009, remaining insurgent troops retreated to hideouts in the northern mountains.
Citizens[]
The proud people of Chernarus were divided by the civil war and its consequences. A majority of Chernarussian citizens are of Chernarussian nationality, with their own language and culture. There is also an ethnic Russian minority living mainly in the northern territories, where Russian is the second official language. People are also divided by their political alignments and sympathies.
- Chernarussians are mostly villagers or foresters. City people from the coast work mainly in harbours and factories.
- After the civil war, life is equally boring everywhere: not much remains of the few cultural events and entertainment the distant Northern Province previously had to offer.
- Citizens are quite friendly to soldiers, sometimes even providing valuable intel. However, they rarely speak English, so knowledge of Chernarussian or Russian really helps.
- Causing any harm to the civilian population could lead to a loss of support and hostility towards the soldiers. Improper behavior towards the local women might cause a very rude response.
- Chernarussian Bigfoot is often said to be spotted in the mountains of Northern Chernarus.
Architecture[]
Chernarus has lots of old castle ruins, keeps and fortresses, which were built at the turn of the 11th and 12th century by Duke Kozlov, for the means of protecting important roads and grounds, which were often attacked from the sea and by northern neighbors. The Pik Kozlova above the Chernogorsk city is named after this duke, who is considered a founder of the first Chernarussian state. On the peak above the city there used to stand a warning post which protected the local provinces from pirate raids. This
rocky peak is a favorite lookout point nowadays.The majority of the structures of that time were made of wood, only the ruins of Rog keep and the famous Devil's Castle are preserved to this day. The Devil's Castle received its name many years later, perhaps sometime during the end of the 13th century. After the fall of Kozlov's Principate at the beginning of the 13th century, the fortress system fell apart; fortresses that weren't burned down were taken apart stone by stone, as needed for the structure of surrounding estates, or for different purposes.
The former Kozlovo Castle, now called the Devil's Castle, was supposedly inhabited by the yeoman Jakub Čert (Devil) from Gorka. His bandit campaigns started here at the castle. He enlarged the keep of the castle, using the loot from these raids and the castle holds his name to this day. According to legend, the Devil's Castle was burned down during the zagorian Karzeg's rebellion, Jakub Čert burned in the castle's main tower after he refused to surrender to Ataman Simurg. Only burned walls remain of the castle, haunted to this day by the spirit of Ivan Kozlov. Whatever the truth is, Devil's Castle is one of the most remarkable architectural sights in Chernarus and it became a rewarding destination for tourists.
History[]
North-Eastern Chernarus is a hilly area with rocky coastlines; the biggest hilltops reach over 700 m above sea level, covered by temperate forests. The environment is still relatively untouched from logging and mining. The biggest cities and industry are concentrated on the southern coast. There are mostly smaller villages inland, situated in deep valleys, hidden in forested ridges or on elevated plateaus with lush meadows. First settlements date back to 5th Century B.C. When the valleys of the Burnaja and Svetlaya rivers were inhabited by Skyth tribes and nomads, who later formed the Takmyr and Karzeg nations. The center of modern Chernarus had been founded in the delta of the Burnaya River and on the coast, divided from the Zagorie region which was under the supremacy of a Moscow Principate by the Black Mountains ridge.
The local Slavic population constantly had to fight off the raiders from the southwest so it was traditionally bound with Russia, but always kept its independence. In the 12th Century it was controlled by dukes, in the 13th century it was united by Taras Kozub. The Kozub dynasty ruled until 1631, when Chernarus joined the Russian empire. After the revolution in 1917 Chernarus became an autonomic federal republic, after the demise of the USSR in 1991 it gained independence.
Taras Kozub
Shortly after WWII, the small Red Army airport in the Northern province, designated for parachute training, expanded and gradually evolved into an air base with large military surroundings. In the border mountains there are a few former bases. After the regaining of independence, the Chernarussian Army took over these military bases.
At present, there is a lack of funds needed for security and maintenance; the condition of these bases has become even worse because of fighting between the regular army and rebel units who were using a number of these bases as their foot-holds. Visiting the former military areas isn't forbidden, but due to large numbers of unexploded ordnance as well as the decayed conditions of the buildings it is not recommended.
For the fast growing industrial production in the second half of the 20th century, the electricity inflow conducted by land from the west was insufficient; also the basic infrastructure of gravel roads was inconvenient. Yearly floods, created from the melting snow were constantly threatening the coastal railroad, built for the purpose of transporting cargo from Chernogorsk to the industrial centers. This was the only secure connection during the long-lasting rains.
In the 70's it was decided to build a motorway infrastructure and also construct a number of waterworks, which would not only reduce the yearly floods, but also allow the generation of electricity from owned sources. The results of this effort are mainly the Pobeda Dam, a number of flood barriers on the main traffic artery leading from
Chernogorsk along the coast to Berezin, and of course the great hydro-electric power plant near Elektrozavodsko.