Voldemaravas

Voldemaravas is a town in Free Lithuania, it has about 1700 inhabittants and is the largest city in the country (larger than only other town, Smetoniškis). It is named after interwar minister of defense of Lithuania, Augustinas Voldemaras.

The town

Voldemaravas is on the coast of Indian Ocean; temperature is almost always below freezing point. Housing is mostly along the ocean, on several streets going alongside it. Most of the houses look dull and poor. At the center there is a harbour, where ships to Smetoniškis and to the outside world leave and the Shrine of Gods, definitely the most impressive building in otherwise simple town. Unlike in Lithuania-proper, here it wouldn't be so simple to do the Lithuanian pagan rituals with fire due to katabatic winds, hence a special structure was needed to assure that this would be possible. Town meetings are usually also held in the Shrine. In front of the Shrine, in a small frozen main square, there is a statue for Augustinas Voldemaras, which was actualy the first structure to be built in town; it was shipped here from Maasai, then also colony of Lithuania. The museum and library of Voldemaravas where many valuable pieces of art and books ended up during the Thunderstorm War are perhaps the most famous among the tourists. These institutions are located in the west of the town in the former barracks of Lithuanian army. Battlegame stadium of Voldemaravas is perhaps the crucial place for public life of the citizens. It is dug into the ground rather than built above it so that the field itself is about 30 meters below ground level and therefore the games aren't interfered by the winds. Up to 3500 people, more than there are inhabittants in the country, may sit on the slopes to watch the games.

Voldemaravas claims that it is the safest city in the world; due to Free Lithuania's tough control of new population coming, remoteness, ban on alcohol and drugs and it being almost impossible to smuggle due to high distances, powerful neighborhood watch, all people being armed and carrying weapons all the time, and other reasons, major crimes never happened here. Suicide rate in Voldemaravas (and Free Lithuania in general), however, still is among the highest in the world (people blame lack of entertainment, harsh conditions and climate for it, although the exact reasons are disputable).

Voldemaravas (purposefully mispelled Woldemarow, according to Wenedyk language endings) was the name and the place of recent movie by Scandinavian director Lars von Trier, who used it as a symbol of the vanity, stubborness and illogicality of human race (people of Free Lithuania criticised him on why he did not created a film about Scandinavian settlements on Antarctica instead and accused him of actually doing political agenda; the director however replied that Woldemarow does not represent any real place and instead represents a general idea).

History

Voldemaravas was established as the first town of New Lithuania colony under the Lithuanian colonial campaign of the intwerwar. It was officially established in 1938, built by mostly Slavic labour, many of whom died while building the town due to harsh conditions. Town was initially planned for 2500 people and it was planned that it would reach this goal by 1943, but however in 1939, the population was several hundred and was almost not increasing after the intial boost after the establishment.

In 1939, after Lithuania-proper was occupied by Russia, the government of Lithuania retreated here, and hence in 1939-1942 the town was de facto capital of Lithuania. After the government was removed from power in 1942 and direct democracy established in New Lithuania, both towns of the country have equal status.

The time of Second Great War is frequently regarded as golden age of the town, as by then it played an important role in global politics; many powerful people from Eastern Europe and especially Lithuania-proper seeked a temporary refuge here (many Lithuanians, especially ones related to nationalist regime, feared that they might be tried for supporting the regime which was persecuting political opponents and Slavic minority if they'd emigrate elsewhere). Population of town, according to various estimates, was between 4000 and 7000; although at first people had to cramp in small houses unprepared for such a population, later the rich who retreated here used their money from foreign bank accounts to build a few so-called Antarctic manors; which are actually far bellow in comfort and outside looks from manors anywhere else, but compared to average housing in Voldemaravas they were very good. Several casinos, nightclubs, brothels and other such institutions were established by the locals who moved there originally to cater for the needs of the rich and not working population, many of whom were not afraid to spend money as they believed they could return home soon.

As the war went on however, the financial condition of these people detarioriated due to various reasons; when they understood that war wouldn't end quickly and that they might loose everything (some in fact did) it was hard to them; allegedly, there were unprecedentally large number of suicides in Voldemaravas in the later years of the war.

After the war (and in the latter stages of the war), the rich and foreigners moved out mostly (in 1950 population was about 2300 people) and population of the town has been declining since then.

Economics

Voldemaravas is frequently seen as "the edge of the world" and advertised so in tourist booklets. Tourism, albeit actually being small in *numbers*, due to small size of the city, is the most important part of economy. Another important part is fishing, also seal hunting and whaling.

Population

The population in Voldemaravas is aging and decreasing, however, at lower speed than in other town Smetoniškis, as there is a trend now of people moving from Smetoniškis to Voldemaravas, due to the latter being larger town and hence there being relatively more entertainment and other such things. It is assumed that in last 10 years about 200 people left Smetoniškis for Voldemaravas, and various experts projects that in next 10 years another 400 or so might leave, hence effectively turning Smetoniškis into a ghhost town (currently Smetoniškis has about 1000 inhabittants).

Most of population are ethnic Lithuanians; there are some non-Lithuanian minorities who are descendants from those who fleed Eastern Europe during the Second Great War; however during the over 60 years they were more or less Lituanised or anyways supports the goals of Free Lithuania, as people who does not emmigrated elsewhere after the war.

This page was created by Abdul-aziz.