Characters / TNO Komi

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Official Name: Komi Republic, Western Russian Republic (regional unification), Russian Republic (superregional unification)

Stalina (Despotic): Western Russian Reconstruction Government (regional), Russian Reconstruction Authority (national)

Ruling Party: Demokraticheskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Narodnaya Partiya^note Democratic Socialist People's Party

Ideology: Democratic Socialism^note Progressivism

The Komi Republic is a young democratic republic formed in the aftermath of the West Russian War, who harbors a hotbed of political extremism underneath its democratic surfaces. Officially a multi-party democracy, the Republic's flawed composition left it open to influences from exiles and extremists, and a shadow battleground made up of covert paramilitary clashes ferments beneath Komi's quiet surface. Syktyvkar has become a Pandora's Box of extremist ideas, and some of these ideas may change Russia forever should the Box be opened.

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General Tropes for the Komi Republic

• Allohistorical Allusion: Although the ideologies of the Passionariy are generally in line — if somewhat exaggerated — with their leaders' OTL personalities, they more resemble the various extremist movements popular in Russia during The '90s. Gumilyov's Eurasianists, Serov's Ordosocialists, and Taboritsky's OVRI are similar to Dugin's Neo-Eurasians, Limonov's Nazbols, and Vasilyev's Pamyat Society (mixed with the Tsarebozhniki sect) respectively. Meanwhile, Shafarevich was actually politically active in OTL during that period, with his Russian chauvinistic beliefs cloaked in "anti-Russophobia" mostly the same (if less authoritarian) as in the game.
• Big Bad Ensemble: At the start, the Republic's existence is threatened by two shadowmasters, each of whom represents different political strains - Mikhail Suslov of the Syktyvkar Left and Lev Gumilyov of the Passionariyy Organization.
• Blatant Lies: In show 517, Radio Free Syktyvkar calls itself apolitical, blatantly ignoring their obvious favoritism to the Passionariyy. Even worse, they spend the next several sentences endorsing Shafarevich, their own host, in the coming election.
• Commonality Connection: Some border guards assigned to the Vyatka River end up befriending some soldiers from the neighboring Principality, talking about how miserable it is to live in the Russian anarchy and lose their loved ones. They even wonder to themselves why they should even be on opposing sides and think that they could've been friends in another timeline.
• Critical Staffing Shortage: Manpower shortages are a common problem in the Komi Republican Army and one of the first bills to be passed is the Defense of the Republic Act, which will increase the conscription period to two years and loosen bans on people with problematic political associations.
• Defector from Decadence: One former member of the Order of St. George defected to Komi because he lost faith in Antipin's abilities as a leader in the harsh Russian anarchy.
• Democracy Is Flawed: Komi's paramilitary multi-party democracy is very, very flawed, as extremists of all sorts are allowed to enter Komi, making the country extremely divided and giving many bad people sizable support.
• Disaster Democracy: Komi is the only state in Western Russia with a representative democracy. Wherther or not this democracy can last however is another question entirely.
• Enemy Mine: If the Center decides to focus on suppressing the Right, Zhdanov will propose a ceasefire with the Left so that they can focus on their shared enemy.
• Establishing Character Moment: Komi begins with a series of events describing all the political leaders in the Republic.
• Faction-Specific Endings: Komi is home to numerous fringe ideologists of every political shade and can adopt every ideology in the game except Ultranationalism.
• Fictional Document: If the Center is reinforced, a cultural revitalization will be held in Komi, which includes the release of The History of Our Republic, a fictional history book by Viktor Smirnov that earns much public acclaim.
• Gambit Pileup: All factions and politicians in Komi are manipulating everyone else in an attempt to expand their political influence.
• The Generation Gap: Over a dozen children are seen by an older man, playing a game, with one of them pretending to be the dreaded Oskar Dirlewanger. Though it's just a game to the children, the older man is shaken by their nonchalant perception of Dirlewanger, concluding that this values dissonance must come from the Republic's violence desensitizing the younger generation.
• Government in Exile: If one of the three factions consolidates their power, they have the option to hunt down the remaining opposition leaders who have been forced into exile, where they can either be killed or captured.
• Historical In-Joke: Komi's flag is a proposed flag design for Russia created by a Russian design studio.
• I Can Rule Alone: After a Komi non-centrist faction manages to cement their rule and clean out their opposing factions from Komi, leaders within the faction will then begin to compete for influence among themselves, until a final winner is decided.
• Kent Brockman News: Radio Free Syktyvkar is a right-wing radio station, run by Shafarevich to spread gossip-worthy headlines to defame politicians from the Center and the Left. Spreading stories from an ex-CIA agent condemning the Front of inefficiency to the reopening of gulags by the government, Radio Free Syktyvkar is a thinly-veiled parody on real-life, right-wing media pundits who stoke fears of other political groups by using exaggerated, sensationalist stories. Even their logo bears a resemblance to the Fox News Channel, a network frequently criticized for its sensationalism.
• Large Ham Radio: Radio Free Syktyvkar, the Passionariyy's take on Komi's events and gossip, with snide comments delivered by Igor Shafarevich and his supporters.
• Meaningful Rename: If the Passionariyy take over Komi, they will rename Syktyvkar to Ust-Sysolsk, the original Russian name of the city (before the Komi version Syktyvkar became the official Russian name as well) and an indication of the nationalism they are trying to revitalize.
• Minor Crime Reveals Major Plot: After an unknown source leaks the favors that Voznesensky has taken from Zhdanov, the DSNP conducts an investigation into the figure spreading this information. Through this, the committee unwittingly discovers that Suslovite agents have long infiltrated the democratic coalition and starts an even worse political crisis as the politicians face an even worse problem.
• Noodle Incident: According to an offhand mention of show 397 from Radio Free Syktyvkar, Shafarevich tried to scrounge up dirt on Voznesensky meeting up with a "young lady" to defame him.
• One-Steve Limit: Averted. There are two Svetlanas in Komi (both of whom are also children of Soviet general secretaries in OTL or TNOTL), and they have very different political ideologies.
• Politically Motivated Teacher: In an early event, several parents complain about a teacher giving his students some assignments with open nationalist sympathies, such as one demeaning Lenin and another implying that people who don't love their country should be punished. After an audit, the teacher is revealed to be an OVRI member with a criminal record, so he's promptly fired.
• Pompous Political Pundit: Shafarevich of the Passionariyy broadcasts his views and snark on live radio at the start of the game.
• The Promised Land: As word spread of Komi's democratic nature and Syktyvkar's urban development, many refugees fled to the statelet and inflated its population. Unfortunately, it's also allowed dangerous extremists to find a voice in the chaotic and diverse atmosphere of Komi.
• Protection Racket: Some KPK politicians run a protection racket, extorting money from their victims via "donations" like election funds.
• The Purge: When a radical faction takes over Komi and cements their rule, they will begin to purge the leaders of the other factions, either arresting or killing them or forcing them to flee. If a centrist faction takes over Komi, they can either choose to launch a purge ("Root Out Paramilitary Commanders") or restrain the radicals instead of purging them ("Codify the Unwritten Rules"); Stalina can only purge, however.
• The Republic: Komi is the strongest, most prominent liberal democratic republic in Western Russia, whose flawed constitution made them a safe haven for all sorts of fringe political figures in the region. However, if the centrist coalition manages to hold on and survive past the 1963 election and clean out the radicals, then it has a chance to reunite Russia and give the country one of its better endings.
• The Remnant: Komi is home to a few former Soviet civilian officials, who were stationed at Syktyvkar when the WRRF was still a coherent force.
• Retired Badass: The Komi Republic is home to one German defector, who joined a Russian communist partisan group to avenge his father when he was murdered by the Nazis. Unfortunately, his efforts barely put a bruise on the Nazi regime and he's now since retired, wondering to himself of what became of his family.
• Revolving Door Revolution: After the 1963 election, if the Communists or the Passionariyy have a higher influence than the ruling centrists, then Komi will fall into a political crisis, and Democrats face the possibility of a coup from the radicals. During this political crisis, the ruling party has to manage their rapidly-depleting legitimacy, and try to last two months without getting couped; if their legitimacy bottoms out, then they will be couped by the currently most influential faction in Komi, who themselves would have to repeat the process and hold on. This game of musical chairs continues until one faction lasts the two months and cements their rule.
• Rule of Drama: The "Syktyvkar Arsenal" and the "Revenge Weapons" are both fictional with no exact analogues in real life. Their presence mainly serves to add another spicy catalyst onto the political chaos in Komi.
• Short-Lived Leadership: Komi during the "coup-countercoup" stage after the 1963 election has a special mechanic that shows the legitimacy of the ruling faction, a number that drains every day and can speed up or slow down depending on in-game events and player actions. If the legitimacy bottoms out, then the ruling faction is couped by another faction. This legitimacy value drains out rather quickly, usually emptying out at around a month if nothing is done to manage it (the player can pour oil on the flames by regularly using the "Withdraw Forces" decision that adds legitimacy drain rate, allowing a new coup to happen in as little as 10 days), meaning that the country can change ideologies several times over a short period. It isn't uncommon to see Komi going from Progressivism to National Socialism to something else entirely in a span of five minutes.
• Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: Komi's democracy is anything but stable, and is unlikely to last, for its numerous parties gunning for power are corrupt and more than willing to dismantle the democratic apparatus upon seizing power in order to maintain it. Even pro-democracy parties are forced to resort to dirty tactics just to maintain power. In short, Komi is described as a cynical democracy.
• Smoky Gentlemen's Club: The Passionariyy Organization is a party of far-right thinkers legally operating as a book club of some sort. Led by Eurasianist Lev Gumilyov, the Passionariyy Organization invites "traditionalist" thinkers of "passionarity" (one of Gumilyov's esoteric concepts; basically a unit for how much a society/person is willing to make bold political acts like huge conquests) to the club, and under Gumilyov's leadership has been trying to manipulate their way to the top of the Komi political scene.
• State Sec: Every faction in Komi has their own paramilitary wing, including the centrists. Street fighting between paramilitary squads of every ideology in Russia is a common sight in Syktyvkar. There are even paramilitary tank brigades.
• Strawman News Media: The conservative Passionariyy hosts Radio Free Syktyvkar, a broadcasting of Komi's events with heavily-biased lenses, hosted by Shafarevich. They prioritize demeaning their opposition and reporting on potential scandals, and there's an option to either weaken the center faction by a measly amount or to brush them off as "Nothing but another right wing propaganda parrot".
• Strike Episode: If the Left is targeted by Voznesensky, pro-communist soldiers in the army will strike in protest. The government can respond by either forcibly breaking them up at the cost of their tanks or replacing them with pro-fascist reserves. Ironically, the latter option can amplify the strike when the fascist soldiers join the protest, if they're not given a pay increase and diminished oversight from the government.
• Sword of Damocles: Komi has some of the largest stockpiles of Soviet chemical weapons, which heavily discourages direct military confrontation with the Republic translating to a 20 percent bonus to combat if Komi's core territory is invaded. Any other warlord who conquers Syktyvkar would be able to claim these chemical weapons for themselves.
• This Is My Name on Foreign: If the Passionariyy takes power prior to the regional stage, the Komi Republic will be renamed the State of Ust-Sysolsk, after the original Russian name of the capital city (before the Komi version Syktyvkar was made official in both languages by the Soviets).
• Turbulent Priest: One event after the Passionariyy Organization cements its power will have a priest confront Gumilyov about his policies on whether or not their nation's oath will contain any reverence to God and the Church. More political influence is granted to a specific leader depending on the choice.
• Wretched Hive: It's not immediately obvious, but the domestic situation of Komi is fairly bad, with street crime and firefights being a common and major problem plaguing the country. Meanwhile, the political scene is rampant with scheming politicians who resort to all sorts of underhanded tactics, from theft to assassination, to climb up the hierarchy.

Democratic Coalition

Flag of the Komi Republic

^{Flag of the Russian Reconstruction Authority} 

General Tropes

• The Alliance: In the regional stage, all democratic leaders will seek aid from the OFN before joining the alliance as an observer.
• Commonality Connection: Elena Kozlova and Yevgeny Yahontov, deputies from SMR and PSD, respectively, end up befriending each other over their shared opposition to the KPK and Passionariyy. As far as they are concerned, they have a shared interest in preventing their rise to power.
• Defector from Decadence: Elena is a former member of the KPK and Yevgeny is a former member of the Passionariyy, having left their former organizations out of disillusionment in their causes. If either the Left or Right are targeted, the respective former member fears that they would become the victim of a witch hunt, with the other comforting and assuring them that they will not be judged for their past.
• Enemy Mine: The DSNP, SMR, and PSD are rivals to each other, but they regard each other as the only truly democratic parties in Komi and act in a coalition against the KPK and Passionariyy.
• Odd Friendship: Elena and Yevgeny, despite coming from separate parties, befriend each other over their shared faith in the Republic. Even though they have fierce political debates with each other, they never take it personally and decide to remain friends, no matter the outcome of the 1963 election and after the Center holds onto power from the KPK and Passionariyy.
• Sacrificial Lamb: Valery Mezhlauk, a DSNP deputy, gets assassinated early in the game and increase the popularity of either the KPK, SMR, or OVRI, showing the decadent and cutthroat state of Komi politics.
• Surprisingly Sudden Death: Elena and Yegeny try to resist a Passionariyy takeover of Komi, but their last stand ends unceremoniously when a single paramilitary soldier barges into their room and shoots them without hesitation.

Nikolai Voznesensky

Role: Head of State

Party: Demokraticheskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Narodnaya Partiya^note Democratic Socialist People's Party

Ideology: Democratic Socialism^note Progressivism

In-Game Biography: ^{Click to Show}  Originally only a middle-level Soviet statesman, Nikolai Alekseevich Voznesensky found himself as the only guarantor of democracy, flawed as he is, in a small piece of the former Soviet Union. Being remarkable among his peers for extraordinary talents in the economic science and administrative work, Voznesensky was chosen by the Red Army Stavka on the eve of the West Russian War to oversee the recovery mission in the Komi ASSR. For his service to the Soviet province, Voznesensky acquired a considerable popularity among the people of Komi, who saw him as the benevolent statesman wishing to put the benefit of a common man ahead of the bickering and intrigues between the power-hungry Soviet cliques.

As the result of endless power plays between the Front and the hardline Communist bureaucrats in Syktyvkar, the now-president of the Komi ASSR Voznesensky remained as the sole figurehead in the Republic who could boast about the public support. Disillusioned with the Orthodox Marxist dogma and remaining bitter about the incompetence and pettiness of the Soviet higher-ups that nearly brought Komi to destruction, he reshaped the political system of the Republic into a representative democracy, where the voice of every man or woman can be heard and will be heard, breaking away with the single-party dictatorship.

Although the hard efforts of Voznesensky brought daily bread and a sense of confidence for average Komi citizens, the reputation of Syktyvkar brought many unsavory people to the city who seek nothing but eliminate the democracy of Komi through her own institutions. But challenges to Voznesensky come not only from the extremists, but also from his fellow democratic politicians, who question the capability of Voznesenky to maintain the republican values, citing his abrasive and inappropriate behavior for a man of his position and his embarrassing ties to various Socialist groups. However, despite the political pressure, Voznesensky is not a person who wants to abandon the system he envisioned without a fight.

The founder and President of the Komi Republic. Formerly the WRRF-appointed leader of the Komi ASSR, Voznesensky transformed Komi into an independent representative democracy due to disillusionment with the dogmatic and incompetent WRRF. Presently, the president faces declining popularity and an increasingly radicalized Komi.

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• 0% Approval Rating: Following his attempts to suppress the Left, Voznesensky's support base becomes fractured, thanks to mutinies in his own party and Suslov's manipulations. If Voznesensky rejects Zhdanov's offer to make peace, he loses the support of his old friend and may be forced to resign after Zhdanov publicly reveals their secret friendship, if his second deal is rejected. Even if Voznesensky accepts Zhdanov's second terms and barely clings on to the presidency by the skin of his teeth, it's clear that his government has no real support.
• At Least I Admit It: He feels guilty about giving power to Suslov so that he can challenge his administration, but he eases his conscience by being honest to himself about what he's done.
• Be Careful What You Wish For: In his younger, more idealistic days, Vozenesensky never could have imagined his awaited democratic experiment becoming a bureaucratic nightmare for him, having to contend with his falling out with Suslov and Zhdanov, as well as watching out for extremists awaiting the chance to overturn his government.
• Category Traitor:
  • Vozenesensky is hated by some members of the SMR for being too closely associated with the communists, thinking that he's too submissive to stand against them.
  • If he forms a ceasefire with the KPK so that he can solely focus on targeting Gumilyov, Stalina and Morozov will confront him for betraying his faction, either through talk or by force.
• Dark Secret: Voznesensky has to keep his friendship with Zhdanov a secret because revealing it would make him seem like a proxy used by the communists to control the democratic coalition. The secret ends up getting spilled by Suslov, if Voznesensky tries to cut ties with Zhdanov after taking too many favors, forms a truce with Zhdanov against Gumilyov, or rejects Stalina's proposal of a reconstruction government.
• Defector from Decadence: Voznesensky, a former mid-level Soviet statesman, defected from orthodox Bolshevism and the WRRF after the West Russian War due to his disillusionment in Marxism-Leninism and the bickering and incompetent Soviet leaders. He declared Komi an independent democratic Republic and started his own Democratic Socialist party.
• Despair Event Horizon: If he survives the fall of the Democratic Coalition, Voznesensky flees to Vyatka, feeling utterly hopeless that his democratic experiment failed and wondering to himself if it was doomed from the start.
• Divided We Fall: Voznesensky may try to suppress the Passionariyy, but if he refuses to form a simultaneous truce with the KPK, his paramilitaries will be divided between two enemies and unable to fully suppress Gumilyov's influence.
• Egocentric Team Naming: The left-wing democratic faction are nicknamed the Voznesentsi, after their leader.
• Establishing Character Moment: He's introduced as "The Custodian", warmly remembering the takedown of the Soviet flag punctuating the era of a republic with elections, only to have his memories soured with the recollection of Soviet adherents making their place in Komi's political scene. As he tries to reassure himself that their democratic order is worth working towards, his idealism is interrupted with the sounds of gunfire just outside the building. This not only sets the tone for his approach to overseeing Komi, but also the tone of the overall statelet and its lack of stability.
• Friendly Enemy: Voznesensky is friends with his political enemy Zhdanov, and can curry some under-the-table favors with Zhdanov, which may or may not eventually come back to bite him in the ass. He will eventually sever his connections with Zhdanov, either through a decision for him to renounce his connections, or because a faction has taken power and the other factions are getting purged.
• Glad I Thought of It: If Stalina and Morozov angrily confront him about cooperating with Zhdanov to suppress the Passionariyy, Voznesensky may pretend that temporarily working with the Left was his plan all along and that he always intended to betray Zhdanov at some point. Morozov buys it, but Stalina is a little more conflicted. Ironically, this ends up backfiring when Suslov publicly leaks this plan.
• Good Is Not Nice: Despite being a well-intentioned democratic socialist/social democrat with a lot of populist policies, Voznesensky has a lot of unlikable personality traits and some under-the-table corruption (at least initially).
• Hero with Bad Publicity:
  • The longer his term has dragged on, the more unpopular Voznesensky has gotten, as problems have begun piling on Komi and he's gotten the blame for it. By the time the National Assembly is opened and the 1962 budget is set, Voznesensky can no longer rely on buying the loyalty of deputies by pork-barrel spending.
  • His ties with Zhdanov will also tarnish his reputation, especially if they are leaked to the public.
• Historical In-Joke: Voznesensky's relationship to Zhdanov is based on a real life tidbit: Voznesensky was actually Zhdanov's protégé in real life. In OTL, Voznesensky and Mikhail Rodionov (his head of government in TNO) were purged by Stalin during the Leningrad Affair (after Zhdanov's death) because they were key members of Zhdanov's Leningrad faction.
• Know When to Fold 'Em:
  • As his efforts to suppress the Left backfire, Voznesensky receives a secret letter from Zhdanov, offering to call a truce to the conflict and turn on the Right. It's more pragmatic for Voznesensky to accept because rejecting the offer leads Zhdanov to cut back on his favors to him as a punishment and blackmail him into giving more concessions, lest he reveal their secret relationship.
  • *If the Democratic Coalition is overthrown and he's set to be captured alive, Voznesensky gets caught trying to drive out of Komi and stopped by a barricade. When one of the soldiers shouts at him to step out, Voznesensky obeys, knowing that there's no other choice.
• Lesser of Two Evils: Besides strengthening the Center, Voznesensky can also target either the Left or the Right, picking which one is the bigger problem. If he targets the former, Voznesensky reasons that Gumilyov is a lesser threat because he wields less influence. Meanwhile, if he targets the latter, Vozenesensky justifies that, at least, the Left can be reasoned with.
• Miscarriage of Justice: Out of paranoia of Suslovite agents in the DSNP, Vozenesensky tries the person most likely to be the mole, either blackmailing him into resignation or executing him. Unfortunately, another investigation reveals that the suspect was innocent all along, which could force Voznesensky's resignation, if he murdered the supposed agent.
• Mood Whiplash: If the democratic coalition is toppled and the opposition hunts him down, Voznesensky tries to flee on a fishing boat he lent from a local and finds some peace in the simple solitude of the river. Unfortunately, the moment is violently interrupted when gunmen ambush him and mercilessly shoot him.
• Mr. Vice Guy: Voznesensky is a highly competent economist and the most widely respected democratic figure in Komi, but he has enough skeletons in the closet to fill an entire graveyard.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
  • Voznesensky's connections to Zhdanov and his unlikable personality often has a negative impact on the Democratic Coalition's standing within Komi.
  • His refusal to work for Stalina ends up fracturing the Center coalition and empowering the extremists.
  • Even as his own party wanes in popularity, Voznesensky can sideline Morozov, which provokes outrage from SMR and fractures the democratic coalition over his controversial actions.
  • Trying to suppress the communists will split the DSNP, as many criticize him for creating a power vacuum that could be filled by the Passionariyy.
  • If he tries to strengthen the Center, Voznesensky can end his controversial friendship with Zhdanov, but if he's taken too many favors from him, someone will anonymously reveal their connection to the public and create a controversy that tarnishes Voznesensky's name.
• Politically Incorrect Hero: Voznesensky is personally racist against Russian minorities, despite being a social democrat. Thankfully, his own personal racism doesn't seep into the DSNP's actual policies.
• The Power of Apathy: In the face of growing extremist popularity in the polls, Voznesensky proposes ignoring the problem, stating that such surveys are subject to fluctuations and expressing apathy to the development will allow the coalition to weather the minor setback.
• Pragmatic Hero: When reinforcing the Center, Stalina suggests hosting a native Komi cultural program, but Voznesensky opposes this plan out of blatant racism. He only relents after being told of the good PR their campaign could garner for them.
• The Purge: After an investigation reveals Suslovite spies have infiltrated the DSNP, Voznesensky can conduct a widespread purge of his own party to eliminate any suspected traitors.
• Pyrrhic Victory: Downplayed, if his connections to Zhdanov are leaked, but caution is exercised during the controversy. While a strong fact-checking campaign is used to discredit the leakers and stabilize the situation, the democratic coalition still takes a major hit in popularity and makes it harder for them to discredit the extremists.
• Rejected Apology: If he ends his connections with Zhdanov and didn't take too many favors from him, Voznesensky will come clean to the rest of the Center about his secret as an act of atonement. However,the rest of the coalition may reject his apology, deeming him guilty for multiple crimes against the Republic and forever ruining his reputation.
• Shame If Something Happened: If Voznesensky decides to purge the supposed Suslovite agent who leaked his connections with Zhdanov, he can call off the trial and instead blackmail him into silence with pictures of him cheating on his wife, casually hinting that he should resign if he doesn't want them leaked.
• Took a Level in Cynic: Years of keeping Komi's democracy alive has drained much of Voznesensky's idealism and he misses the old days when the job seemed so easy.
• We Used to Be Friends: To strengthen the democratic coalition, Voznesensky may need to cut his controversial ties with Zhdanov because continued association with him would foment rumors of him being a plant by the communists.

Ivan Morozov

Role: Head of State (1963 Election, 1966/1967 Election, Voznesensky Resignation)

Party: Soyuz Molodih Reformatorov^note Union of Young Reformers

Ideology: Liberalism

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• Ain't Too Proud to Beg: If hunted down and found while in exile, Morozov gets his leg shot in the firefight and causes him to fall over. Vulnerable and weak, Morozov tries to beg for his executioners to spare him, but he's in too much pain to formulate comprehendible words and gets shot on the spot.

• Enemy Mine: If Stalina's proposed anti-extremist measures are rejected by the coalition, Morozov will form an alliance with her out of sympathy for her plan.
• Establishing Character Moment: He's introduced as "The Peacemaker", addressing several members of Komi's democratic party as they grow discontent over Voznesensky and his failure to take a harsh stance against the Communists. While understanding their plight and growing tired of the increasing instability, Morozov reassures both his colleagues and himself that democracy is worth fighting for and how the upcoming elections are their priority, while agreeing to the criticisms over Voznesensky's leadership.
• Good Is Not Soft: While Morozov doesn't endorse Stalina's authoritarian methods, he perfectly understands that appeasing the extremists is hazardous for the democratic center and refuses to negotiate with the proclaimed enemies of the Republic. If her proposal for a reconstruction government is rejected by Voznesensky, Morozov reaches out to Stalina to confess that he wouldn't be opposed to the idea, if times called for it.
• Guilt-Ridden Accomplice: As an embittered Stalina spreads rumors of Voznesensky being a Zhdanovite mole, Morozov feels guilt-ridden of abetting to his scheme and may confess the whole situation to Voznesensky. In the long-run, this is the best option, as it reveals Suslov engineered the whole controversy so he can weaken the coalition.
• Heroic Sacrifice: If the KPK or Passionariyy send the police to arrest him after the Democratic Coalition is deposed, Morozov will go to the door and let himself be arrested so that his wife can escape herself, knowing that they're only really interested in him.
• Internal Reformist: Morozov's official political position is "Managerial Socialism", a heavily economically liberalized form of socialism.
• Knight in Sour Armor: Morozov is cynical about the weakness of Komi's democracy, but persists in the belief that a better Russia can and must be built without any compromise on democratic ideals. If the republic is overthrown for good and Morozov survives, he flees Komi burdened by the regret that his view of the republic turned out to be right and he didn't do enough to save it.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Contrary to his colleague's warning, Morozov may allow Voznesensky to continue organizing the cultural revitalization program set by the Center, but this ends up backfiring when Voznesensky's racist comments to the natives are leaked on Radio Free Syktyvkar.
• Only Sane Man: In the face of growing discontent from the SMR over Vozenesensky's weakness, Morozov remains a calming voice in the room and defuses the situation by reminding them of the need that their coalition must be united to stand against extremism.
• The Quiet One: Morozov is generally respectful and quiet, belying his strong commitment to anti-extremism.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: When the polls reveal strong extremist popularity, Morozov doesn't want to resort to the harsh anti-radical measures proposed by Stalina, arguing that the best way to handle the situation is to talk with their more reasonable members and bring them back into the fold.
• Token Good Teammate: Morozov is Komi's most upright centrist leader, avoiding both Voznesensky's corruption and racism and Stalina's authoritarian inclinations.
• You Are in Command Now: After an unhappy Zhdanov exposes his connection with Voznesensky, the already unpopular sitting President is forced to resign in disgrace after a vote of no confidence, leaving Morozov to succeed him in his place.

Svetlana Stalina (UNMARKED SPOILERS)

Role: Head of State (1963 election, 1966/1967 election, 1971/1972 election, Voznesensky resignation, or counter-coup)

Party: Partiya Suverennoy Demokratii^note Sovereign Democratic Party

Ideology: Big Tent^note Liberal Conservatism, Civilian Dictatorship^note Despotism (counter-coup)

In-Game Biography: ^{Click to Show}  Svetlana Iosifovna Stalina has been praised by her supporters as one of the few voices of stability or sanity in western Russia, and by her enemies as an authoritarian in denial, an opportunist who would take any chance she could to destroy the perceived radicalism she so hates.

Whatever the case, Stalina's success as a politician is as unmatched as her story tragic. Her father, Iosif Stalin, was a Soviet bureaucrat and early supporter of Bukharin, who had died in an industrial accident rumored to be orchestrated on the orders of the Soviet government. In the long period following the death of Stalin, she has lost more and more - her mother, in the Great Patriotic War, her husband, purged by the West Russian Revolutionary Front, and her eldest brother, killed by friendly fire during the collapse of the Front at the end of the West Russian War.

Indeed, Stalina claims that the war is where she first tasted the bite of radicalism, and when she vowed to oppose it at all costs. Stalina's party, the Sovereign Democratic Party, or PSD, gained prominence in the Komi Republic as a big tent comprised of big tents, a place for all who valued a safe and stable Russia over all else. Though Stalina's policies often borrow from left-wing populist principles, it would be most unwise to mistake her for a Marxist, as her father was. The basis for her political stances exists in the principles of "sovereignty, democracy, and patriotism" - the construction of a strong, independent Russia through an assertive foreign policy, heavy support for public welfare, and a strong, modern military.

Through the democratic process she fought so long to protect, the people have given Stalina their mandate, and the Lady of Steel stands prepared to defend her beloved Motherland from all enemies that may assail it - even if that danger is the unchecked will of the people itself.

In-Game Biography (Despotist): ^{Click to Show}  Svetlana Iosifovna Stalina was one of the children of Josif Stalin, a Georgian member of the Soviet Union's Central Committee and one of Nikolai Bukharin's fiercest rivals. Although her father vanished from the historical record during the Great Patriotic War, Svetlana was able to safely survive the chaotic evacuation of Moscow and came to find refuge in Sykvytkar, capital of the fledgling Komi Republic. While her father was infamous in Party circles for being a hardliner and socialist ideologue, his parenting seems to have driven Svetlana in the opposite direction, and she quickly associated herself with Komi's rapidly growing political center. They welcomed her as a stabilizing force in a chaotic political system, and she quickly became a figurehead for the fragile center to rally around.

Now that the political situation in Komi has deteriorated, Stalina has stepped up and decided to take the reins of state herself. Although she has resorted to some rather authoritarian methods to maintain order, she insists that they are temporary measures in the name of stability, and that she will soon fully restore democracy to Komi. Some are skeptical of her claims, but her actions still trend toward the center, and she is a far more pleasing candidate for many than the alternatives.

The daughter of Soviet opposition bureaucrat Iosif Stalin, now the leader of Komi's big tent Sovereign Democratic Party. She champions anti-radicalism, protections on democracy, and left-wing populist policies. Stalina is steadfast in her principles, and is willing to go to any end to defend her vision of a strong and democratic Russia.

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• Affluent Ascetic: Despite being one of the most powerful and popular politicians in komi, Stalina works in a humble, tiny office well below her station. Voznesensky suspects that it's because she likes peace and quiet while she works.
• Allohistorical Allusion:
  • If she becomes President, Stalina becomes known as the Woman of Steel, mirroring her father's real life nickname Man of Steel.
  • Stalina's rule contains many Putinist authoritarian elements. This is also reflected in her aesthetics: her Sovereign Democratic Party is named after a term used by Vladimir Putin's United Russia Party, and the bear in her party logo is also from United Russia's logo.
• Became Their Own Antithesis: While Stalina is a hardline centrist who initially opposes the Communists and Passionaryy for their supposed anti-democratic stance, she can also overthrow a democratically elected non-centrist president, end democracy herself and become the very same thing she once fought against.
• Cassandra Truth: As panic overwhelms the democratic coalition when Suslovite spies are uncovered, Stalina urges everyone to calm down and reminds everyone that the whole debacle started when they tried to investigate the source who leaked Voznesensky and Zhdanov's connection. She proposes that the whole situation is a conspiracy to throw the coalition into chaos and undermine the democratic system. Most don't believe her, thinking that it must be a ploy by her, but if they listen to her, she turns out to be right and the person they previously suspected of being the leaker was actually framed.
• Crusading Widow: Stalina's opposition of communism originated from the death of her husband, purged by the West Russian Revolutionary Front.
• Emergency Authority: If Stalina performs a coup against a non-centrist president, instead of restoring the normal democratic government, she instead declares a Government of National Reconstruction, and gives emergency powers to herself. This is the start of her Despotic path.
• Emergency Presidential Address: The descriptions of all of her counter-coup stabilization focuses are styled as excerpts from a broadcast of her addressing the country, telling her citizens about the actions she will take during the state of emergency, and reassuring her citizens that she will save Komi's democracy.
• Enemy Mine: Though her plan to suppress the extremists may be rejected, Stalina may still get the support of Morozov, in which the two will form an alliance to achieve their mutual goals.
• Establishing Character Moment: She's introduced as "The Defender", eagerly sifting through her paperwork to review all the candidates for the upcoming election. In the midst of this preparation, she expresses both her dedication to her status as a public servant and utter disdain for radicals and subversive elements threatening the republic.
• Expy Coexistence: Stalina's Despotic route is heavily inspired by Indira Gandhi's Emergency. Gandhi herself is present in the Republic of India.
• Failure Is the Only Option: When Voznesensky's association with Zhdanov is leaked to her after her reconstruction government proposal is rejected, Stalina can work with Morozov to gather support and secretly investigate the matter on their own. The conspiracy is guaranteed to be discovered by Voznesensky and trying to cover it up will be pointless. The only viable option by that point is to confess to Voznesensky of their deception, where they discover the whole controversy was concocted by Suslov to fracture their coalition.
• Heroic Sacrifice: If she's marked for capture while in exile, Stalina lets herself be caught by the police to buy time for her remaining supporters to save themselves and hopefully keep the PSD alive.
• Honesty Is the Best Policy: In the path where her reconstruction government proposal is rejected, Stalina is given a tip by Morozov, revealing Voznesensky's connections to Zhdanov that possibly reveal him as a communist plant. Stalina could continue their secret investigation or bring the matter up honestly with Voznesensky himself. The latter option is the best way to defuse the situation and keep the coalition together, as Voznesensky explains his side of the story.
• Hypocrite: Initially, Stalina is portrayed as a centrist willing to resort to repressive measures against non-centrists in the name of protecting democracy, though the existence of her Despotic path, in which she herself ends democracy and rules as a dictator, implies that this is just an excuse for her to crack down on perceived 'extremists' (especially if one takes into account how her far-left rival Svetlana Bukharina also supports democracy).
• Iron Lady: Stalina pursues an assertive foreign policy and ensures the creation of a democratic Russia through political force.
• Ironic Echo: Stalina's Despotic route can ironically echo her father's infamous exploits in real life, albeit in the nominal service of democracy rather than a nominal service of Communism.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: If the Democratic Coalition is deposed, Stalina may flee from Russia, in spite of her brother Vasily's wish to fight back. As far as she knows, returning to Komi would be a death sentence and she has to leave her remaining supporters for dead, lest she join them in a Senseless Sacrifice.
• A Lighter Shade of Grey: Despite her questionable methods to combat the political extremists in Komi, and her regular tampering with the democratic process, she remains one of Komi's better leaders, compared to Zhdanov on the left and the Passionariyy on the right.
• Like Father, Unlike Son: ZigZagged. On the one hand, while the late Joseph Stalin was known in the old Communist Party as a hardline communist ideologue, his daughter is a radical centrist who equally opposes both communism and fascism. On the other hand, should she go down her Despotist path, she may became a ruthless dictator just like her father in OTL, if less murderous.
  • It is especially ironic if you consider that, while Stalin was obviously in the political left overall, he actually represented the center faction inside the Communist Party itself, opposing the more right-leaning Bukharin and the even more far-left Trotsky. Stalina will actually follow exactly in her father's footsteps in her Despotist path, purging the left and right opposition seeing them as too fanatical to run their country.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Frustrated that Voznesensky formed a truce with Zhdanov so he could focus on combating the Passionariyy, Stalina works with Morozov to spread leaked information of Voznesensky taking some "improper final transactions" and being a Zhdanovite plant. Unfortunately, this controversy divides the democratic coalition and plays into Suslov's hands of turning them against each other so that KPK can grow further in the power vacuum.
• Our Presidents Are Different: President Stalina in the path is a President Iron, being a de facto dictator with the title of President who suspends democracy so she can rebuild a Russia free of extremism.
• Pet the Dog:
  • Though the most morally ambiguous of the Center politicians, Svetlana is one of the biggest supporters of the 1962 minority representation bill, which will draw more districts and give more representation to ethnic minorities.
  • Without an ulterior motive, Stalina comforts Voznesensky after he confesses his regret over creating the Republic, reminding him of the untapped potential his experiment has yet to reach and urging him to have faith that it will all work out in the end.
• Please Wake Up: If she gets targeted for execution in her exile, she witnesses her brother get killed right in front of her before getting riddled with bullets herself. She spends her last living moments begging for her dead sibling to start moving before succumbing to blood loss.
• Pragmatic Hero: Stalina is far more assertive towards the Komi radicals compared to the other Democratic center politicians. In her Despotist route, she suspends democracy in the name of stability, anti-radicalism, and national reconstruction, while continuing her populist policies and promising eventual democratic transition.
• Richard Nixon, the Used Car Salesman: Svetlana Alliluyeva (who historically never used her father's nom de guerre) was a writer, translator and lecturer in real life. In TNO, bad experiences with both Communism and Fascism led to her joining Komi's political center as an anti-extremist populist.
• Token Evil Teammate: She wants to protect the people from extremist elements and is helping Voznesensky in the coalition, but she's the least moral of the Center politicians. Her proposed solution to extremist figures is to implement harsher censorship tactics against them, up to overthrowing a democratically elected non-centrist and temporarily suspending all democratic processes to root out dangerous figures.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Compared to fellow centrist politicians, Stalina is more autocratic and willing to resort to undemocratic measures to combat the far-left and far-right and maintain Komi's bourgeois democracy.

Late-game democratic candidates

Alexander Yakovlev

Role: Head of State (1971/1972 Election)

Party: Demokraticheskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Narodnaya Partiya^note Democratic Socialist People's Party

Ideology: Democratic Socialism^note Progressivism

In-Game Biography: ^{Click to Show}  Alexander Nikolayevich Yakovlev's career is one marked by remarkable change and evolution. Born to a peasant family in Korolyova, Yakolev's father was a Red Cavalryman during the Civil War and an important leader in the local agricultural commune. Raised in such an environment, at a young age he became an ideological adherent to Marxist-Leninism. Under normal circumstances, he might have even become an important local politician, and maybe even beyond. But the German invasion changed all that.

Conscripted in the Red Army, Yakovlev saw how easily Marxist-Leninism fell to the hoards of German soldiers, crushed beneath the tire treads of Panzers, then, after it was all done, shattered into a thousand bickering generals and warlords. Such destruction forced Yakovlev to view socialism through a different, more independent lens - a view that placed human dignity above ideological purity.

Originally a member of Zhukov's clique in the West Russian Revolutionary Front, he has adapted well to the Russian Republic, organizing the Arkhangelsk Oblast into a DSNP stronghold. A firm member of his party's left flank, he has made himself famous as an orator of populist values. Now, as President and successor to Voznesensky, he intends to take both the party and the Republic in a different direction, and to ensure, once and for all, that all citizens are happy and free.

See his entry on the West Russia subpage under Ukhta section.

Konstantin Katushev

Role: Head of State (1971/1972 election)

Party: Soyuz Molodih Reformatorov^note Union of Young Reformers

Ideology: Liberalism

In-Game Biography: ^{Click to Show} Known throughout the Republic as the 'Iron Governor,' Konstantin Fyodorovich Katushev was, originally, an engineer and industrialist in Gorky, working to administer one of the vast factory complexes there under the purview of General Averin and his brigade of armored raiders.

With their collapse, and the re-integration of the now-renamed Nizhny Novgorod into the Republic, he quickly entered politics, winning the endorsement of the Young Reformers and election as the region's Governor. A phenomenally skilled organizer, administrator, and perhaps most importantly, orator, Katushev quickly grew to dominate his party, centralizing operations in Nizhny Novgorod and shaping its policies along staunchly liberal lines. He was elected party leader in short order, and soon after stood for President.

Once again demonstrating his talent as a politician, he led the Reformers to victory, and was elected as President. Now so empowered, he intends absolutely to put his liberal policies into practice, shifting the Reformers - and the country - away from their and its socialist roots, and towards a liberal future he considers far superior.

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• Allohistorical Allusion: Much like the namesake of his party (the term Mladoreformatory, meaning young reformer, refers to liberal economic reformists in the government of the Russian Federation in the early days after the dissolution of the Soviet Union), after taking over the Union of Young Reformers, Katushev breaks away with the party and state's socialist roots and starts privatising state-owned assets, creating one of the worst income inequalities in a non-far-right Russia.
• Good Capitalism, Evil Capitalism: Katushev was originally a factory administrator for the Gorky Tank Brigade, taking control of the new democratic government in the event Onega defeats the West Russian unifier, and his eventual political career in Komi sees him leading the liberal party that moves away from socialism. While Katushev is not a Corrupt Corporate Executive and sincerely believes his policies will result in a better life for the people of Russia, they result in terrible income disparity between the haves and have-nots, echoing a lot of the real-life problems around "trickle down" economics.
• In Harmony with Nature: Disgusted with the ecological damage that Kaganovich and the Black League inflicted in Western Siberia, Katushev establishes stronger protections for Russia's natural environments.
• Internal Reformist: Having lived through the Soviet Union's downfall, the despotist banditry of Gorky, and Komi's political machinations, Katushev comes to believe in one fundamental truth: that reform once elevated old Russia into a superpower, and reform shall restore the new Russia as one.
• Red Baron: He's known throughout the Republic as the "Iron Governor".

Other Important People

Leonid Kantorovich

Role: Minister of Finance^note Economy Minister (Voznesensky cabinet), Chairman of the National Assembly^note Head of Government (Compromise VP)

Ideology: Democratic Socialism^note Socialism, Big Tent^note Liberal Conservatism (Chairman of the National Assembly)

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• Honor Before Reason: He openly and proudly declares his stance against anti-Semitism, something which could risk getting him killed by a Passionariyy thug, but Kantorovich doesn't care.
• Loved by All: Between himself, Stalina, and Morozov, the main benefit of picking him as a compromise Vice President is his great appeal among the masses.
• Odd Friendship: Kantorovich is good friends with Yevsei Liberman, a politician from a different faction. It's rather significant, given how cutthroat Komi politics can get.

Petro Grigorenko

Role: Minister of Defence^note Security Minister (Morozov and counter-coup Stalina cabinet)

Ideology: Liberal Radicalism^note Liberalism

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• Blood Knight: He's, by far, one of the most trigger-happy member of the Center faction, organizing their paramilitary troops and outright pushing Voznesensky to use tanks to crush the Suslovites and the Gumilyovites.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Grigorenko can be strung along Stalina's power-trip because of their friendship, in which Grigorenko trusts that she's doing what she can to protect the Republic.

Communist Party of Komi

For its tropes, see the dedicated Communist Party of Komi subpage.

Passionariyy Organization

For its tropes, see the dedicated Passionariyy Organization subpage.

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