Wizarding Towns: Russia & Bulgaria

Rasgorod
(The Split City)

HISTORY. Reducio The Split City has a long and storied history, dating all the way back to the Soviet-era 1940s, when it was founded by a pair of recently graduated lovers looking for a place to raise their new twin children. Though the father was formerly a student at Koldovstoretz and the mother had attended Durmstrang, their love was pure and their quiet home quickly attracted other recent graduates also searching for somewhere to stay. By the early 1950s, Yedinstvosk ("of unity") had grown into a thriving settlement and the twins were of the age to begin their schooling. The elder twin, Lidiya, followed in her father's footsteps and attended Koldovstoretz, and the younger, Viktor (Vitya), was off to Durmstrang. Though the twins had been close in childhood, starting their education drove a rift between them as they began to compete for higher grades, more parental attention, and even who had the better uniform. By their graduation in the late 50s, the twins were barely speaking, and their father's decision to train Lidiya in his footsteps as the town Mer (mayor) was the final straw. Vitya spent the next two years quietly and slowly plotting his revenge, and in 1960, seceded the western portion of Yedinstvosk from the eastern. The newly independent city called themselves Novi Strang, meaning "New Durmstrang", and began to take pride in being the part of the city that sent more students to Durmstrang than anywhere else in Russia. As the years passed by, Novi Strang grew in both power and riches, whilst Yedinstvosk - cut off from the western trading routes - failed to flourish. For decades, the two cities lived side by side, Novi Strang slowly encroaching on Yedinstvosk territory and poaching more and more of its citizens and infrastructure; this mirrored the steady increase in Durmstrang students and the small population of Koldovstoretz. By the late 1990s, both twins - now the Mers of their respective cities - had grandchildren just graduating from their respective schools. Its successful industry and talented wix made Novi Strang a populous and beautiful place, filled with culture, arts, and festivities. In contrast, Yedinstvosk citizens found themselves barely scraping by; food and supplies were scarce, and few children returned to live there after graduating from Koldovstoretz, causing a decline in population. If crime occurred, it was said (by citizens of Novi Strang) that it had likely been someone from Yedinstvosk. Oppression and blocked trade routes brewed resentment and failed uprisings occurred on occasion, as violence seemed to be the only way to make sure someone paid attention to their needs - yet this violence made the reputation of those in Yedinstvosk one of pejorative quality. By this time, Viktor's grandson, Arzhan, was a gifted duellist at Durmstrang and much-beloved by everyone in Novi Strang; he had been trained since young childhood to someday take over from his grandparent as the Mer, and anti-Koldovstoretz indoctrination and his privilege had been his bread and butter his whole life. He yearned to make the world an easier place, but was unfortunately attracted to dark paths to make it so. He began to be obsessed with ideas such as using Obliviate to help shape memories of those who struggled with addictions, perhaps as a way to relieve their pain, or perhaps using the Somnambulis Charm to help those with trauma: strange ideas that were possible, yet in which no one else believed. He would often get detention for experimenting with different spells, potions, and runes to make the world a better place. However, in his eighth and final year at school, he met the lovely Anastasiya, who had grown up on the Yedinstvosk side of the city and gone to Koldovstoretz; their meeting in a duel, in which Anastasiya knocked him completely out cold, was the start of a budding and experimental partnership at first sight. No one could tell, but perhaps it was love at first sight as well. Anastasiya complemented him completely with her great curiosity and passion to make her side of the city prosper again. She made Arzhan understand that his passions for bettering the world could start right at home. Both children were warned by their respective families and sides of the city that they could never make the cities unite nor could they be wed. For years, this was indeed the case. Anastasiya grew bitter as Viktor forgot about his passion to better the world, focusing only on improving the world of Novi Strang. When Viktor passed at the end of 2000, Arzhan became Mer of his side of the divided cities, forgetting all about his former love. Anastasiya turned her bitterness into strength and quickly rose through the ranks in politics on the Yedinstvosk side, eventually starting a revolution, and a bloody war ensued. If Novi Strang would not listen, she would violently take control. The battles lasted two full years, and many citizens perished on both sides. In the end, New Year's Eve of 2002 brought about a duel between Arzhan and Anastasiya on the central border of the city which had long divided them. Though evenly matched from years of experience, Arzhan with Stribog on his side and Anastasiya with sharpened wits and reflexes, a scream distracted her long enough for Arzhan to win, and Anastasiya nearly died. Yet, in the last moment as Anastasiya hit the ground, Arzhan watched her wand fall from her hand, seeing the initials carved into the hilt that the two youngsters had put there long ago: A+A. In grief, he remembered his previous hopes for a better world, when he had been a younger man. Arzhan ran to her side and carried Anastasiya personally to the Healers. Then came the talks. He reached out to his great-aunt, Lidiya, to begin peace talks and suggested reuniting the cities - all so he could have his great love. Reunited at last, the cities rejoined under the name Rasgorod: the Split City, so that they would never forget their bloody history.

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DESCRIPTION. Reducio Rasgorod is located at the very top of the Sverdlovsk Oblast in western Russia, near the Reka Loz'va (Loz'va River). A farming region for Magly, the oblast served as a perfect location to carve out a rural city that would eventually become one of the most divisive and most important wizarding cities in European and Asian history. Under the rule of the town's co-Mers, Arzhan and Anastasiya Mayorov(a), Rasgorod has flourished. There are still some streets that are populated with entirely Koldovstoretz persons on the eastern side, and the westernmost area is still all Durmstrang, but towards the middle area it is not uncommon to see the blue banner and yellow crest flying side by side. However, the long history of separation and differentiation has left its mark on what people can see on each side. On the western side of the city, signs of flourishing and famosity still exist, with grand buildings, ornate artworks, and the remnants of the government building that once housed the Mer. The houses are spread apart, the streets a perfect cobblestone, and brightness created by bluebell flames lighting up the streets. These flames were traditionally cast by the head of each household every morning, though they are now done by a group of wix who are paid to do so (usually older students that would like to be employed over the summer), due to the tediousness of making sure each flame stays burning. On the eastern side of the city, the city remains cramped and rustic, yet the warmth comes from the evidence of families, life, and children, playing around the roofs and streets. Though bluebell flames flicker here as well as the lighting wix are employed on this side too, there are still many a side alley that go unlit during the evenings. The streets are narrower here, and the brick buildings with iron and tin roofs have a tendency to incline to one side or another, often meeting in the middle towards the top floors, so that residents of those penthouses can reach out and hold hands with their next-building neighbours; just like the people in this neighbourhood, the buildings lean on each other. There is a stark difference from the other side of the city, but hopefully as time goes on, the inequality will decrease. In the center of the city lies the Russian Ministry of Magic headquarters (see the "Government" tab).

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RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS. Students who want to claim that they grew up in Martagorsk must come from half-blood, wizard-born, or pureblood families. _________________________________ Muggle-born students will have grown up outside of wizarding settlements.

GOVERNMENT. Reducio The main governmental building has now been built to be right in the middle of the two sides of the city. It is a symbol of the unified nature of the modern era, physically represented by a building spread across what used to be an ideological border. After 2003, the Russian Ministry of Magic decided to move their quarters into this building and expand the large basement into a system of underground utility corridors, which is now where most of the larger departments can be found, such as the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It is not uncommon to pass by a manhole on either side of the city and see an Auror clambering up out of it! The Russian Ministry of Magic has a Minister by the name of Slava Kozlova. Minister Kozlova is a 1986 graduate of Koldovstoretz and lives on the more cramped side of the city in order to stay connected to her former classmates and her people, but for the most part, the Minister stays out of Rasgorod-specific quarrels and qualms, leaving the co-Mers to deal with city governance whilst she runs the rest of the country. Much like their British counterparts, this Ministry boasts several departments, including the aforementioned law enforcement, as well as departments of Magical Education, Magical Games and Sports, Magical Transportation, Magical Accidents, Magical Creatures and Beasts, Magly Relations, and International Magical Co-Operation. Unlike the British counterpart, the Russian Ministry also has a Department of Russian History that seeks to find and preserve magical documents and artefacts relating to the history of magical folk in the country, as well as a Department of Weather Modification which controls the weather for food-growing on wizarding farms as well as for magical towns.

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RP HOOKS. Reducio If you wish to RP as living in or visiting Rasgorod, you may always use one of the following hooks: Keeping the Flame. Your character has been hired for a summer job on one of the two sides of town, and must now keep the bluebell flames constantly burning. This job is known for its extreme boredom and high quit rate - how will you make it exciting enough to last the summer and get your paycheck? Reunification Revelry. Every year on New Year's Eve, both sides of the town gather in the central square for festivities celebrating the anniversary of the duel that ended up reuniting their city. Fun includes delicious snacks sold by local vendors, music and dancing, and a play reenacting the duel whilst the co-Mers sit and watch. Traditional Russian New Year's activities can also be found, such as the Snegurochka (Snow Maiden) handing out gifts to children and a fireworks show at midnight. Shopping Spree. Your character is off to Khalyava Plaza for a back-to-school shopping trip! What could possibly go wrong? Wrong Side of Town. Though tensions have mostly subsided in the battle, one can still run into purists who believe in one school versus the other and are willing to fight to defend its honour. Your character runs into some opposing-school believers and must talk them down or fight their way out.

KHALYAVA SHOPPING MALL.

Next door to the government building on the border between the two sides is a tiny, rickety-looking shack of a building. However, once one steps inside, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary shack, but rather, a gigantic shopping mall magically enchanted to fit inside! This is the famed Khalyava Plaza. The name is something of an ironic joke, since "khalyava" is usually the concept of attaining something for free, but in this plaza, everything must be purchased! Three stories tall and always full of bright colours, loud sounds, delicious smells, and floating signs that follow shoppers and magically conjured birds that carry bags for them, students from both schools usually come here during the late summer to purchase school supplies. Some of the shops are listed below:

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Голодный призрак: The Hungry Ghost is no ordinary magical supermarket, seeing as how its owners - married couple Prohor and Drazdraperma Smirnov - have both been dead for centuries. Prohor handles the business side, while Drazdraperma is prone to floating around offering recipe ideas and helping shoppers pick the freshest fruit. In addition to the human food, this ornate, giant, high-ceilinged room also boasts a sizable ghost section with rotting meat and smelly garlic, leading to many ghost patrons, too.

Сладких снов: The top-floor candy shoppe, Sweet Dreams, is a favourite of children and adults alike. Selling every magical sweet known to wixkind from every country possible, the store is quite large but often very crowded, its colourful shelves lined with rainbow treats. Proprietor and Koldovstoretz graduate Yuting Tang is known for his magically enchanted Giant Gumdrops, which can make consumers grow up to a foot in height for ten minutes' time!

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Скелет в шкафу: The Skeleton Closet is actually not just one room, but a series of interconnected tiny hallways crammed to the brim with Dark artefacts. One can only find this "store" by sneaking into the service corridors, so careful you're not caught by security! Once inside, you can find any matter of Dark potions, books, other magical goods, and maybe even a real skeleton or two from a former patron who didn't pay their bill, all sold by Durmstrang graduate Kikimora Zholobova and her vulture, Stinky.

Аптека Саши: Non-binary Koldovstoretz graduate Sasha Chizh runs Sasha's Apothecary, which is the one-stop shoppe for potions ingredients, cauldrons, plants, and even magical creatures such as pets and their byproducts. The owner is notorious for their sixth sense in pet-matching, often suggesting an animal for new students as soon as they walk into the store; they also boast a literal green thumb on their left hand and grow each plant themselves.

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Платья, костюмы и всё остальное от г-на Резанова: Mr. Rezanov's Dresses, Suits, and Everything in-Between lives up to its name as an eclectic clothing store, one of the best in the mall. Run by the eccentric, rainbow-clad Rostislav Rezanov, a Koldovstoretz graduate, the pink walls of this shoppe are notorious, as are the statues and paintings that call out fashion advice to browsers. Beware the bust in the back left corner - it's notoriously cruel.

Железная сфера: The Iron Sphere was named after the favourite Quidditch ball of strong, tough, and scarred shopkeep Andrei Nikitin, a Durmstrang graduate whose nose has been broken no fewer than seven times. Inside, shoppers can find any sporting good necessary from brooms to fully grown trees, as well as dragon hide gloves he claims to have slaughtered himself. Just keep an eye out for his pet rogue Bludger... it's prone to whizzing around!

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Страницы на все времена: Everyone needs books, and they can find every tome possible at Pages for Ages! Whether you're seeking stories, schoolbooks, how-tos, foreign languages, biographies, or more, you'll find them here in these dark, cramped shelves. Students can also purchase school supplies like quills and ink here, though the owner Helle Vesik, who was kicked out of Koldovstoretz for her constant pranks, is occasionally known to mix in a Screaming Quill amongst the regular ones.

Жезлы великанш: The mall wouldn't be complete without somewhere to purchase wands, and Giantess Wands is the one and only place to go for that. Run by part-giant proprietor Yaroslava Grigorieva, who does not let her race's troubles with magical talent stop her from creating the finest wands in Russia, the velvet-walled store proudly displays each of Yaroslava's creations in plain sight, trusting that wands will make themselves known to their future wielders.

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