Created By: Jay P. Hailey

Short Summary: A planet of Lightweight Stalinists, seeking to recreate an Earthly utopia that never was.

Appearance: Jay's 1998 USS Endeavor game

Biology: The People of LeninShkod are mostly Humans. They have a small minority of Bajorans who moved in as refugees and took to the form of government. There is also a small enclave of Andorians who keep top themselves mostly.

Location: The Planet LeninShkod is located in Sector 6-47, out along a common axis with the Romulan frontier.

Population: 350 million, New Stalingrad has 3 million people.

Languages: Federation Standard. English and Old Russian are taught as cultural preservation.

Government: An idealized form of Communism, which compared to it's historical model is close to completely backwards. Local groups elect representatives in groups called Soviets which govern like any other distributed form of representative democracy, except that the Natives insist that their form is "different" and "superior" to the usual forms

At the higher levels the people's congress and Communist Party Polit Bureau act as mutually supporting and checking upper elected houses.

The titular head of LeninShkod is a popular administrator and representative, who assumes dozens of strange titles as he ascends the through the ranks of political power. Some leaders have had to make do with dual or triumvirate administrations. While widely known as the leader, and acting as a spokesman for the administration, the Chairman, President, Supreme Commanding General or what have you in office is usually heavily dependant on the two representative houses for support and his continued employment. It's not unusual to see the same person ascend to the office and be cast out a number of times during his political career.

While this make the central government badly inefficient, most of the actual day-to-day power rests in the hands of local soviets, and this moderates the flaky nature of the central governments.

Economy: The People's Republic Of LeninShkod adopted the revised Federation Economy Standard in the mid 23rd century as soon as it became available, and began to claim that the spread of the Federation's system of energy based social accounting was attributable to it's success on LeninShkod. This is debatable at best, however the truth is LeninShkod had a similar system in effect for at least 75 years before the Federation did.

However the ironic punchline is that once integrated into the Federation wide economy, LeninShkod was hampered by mediocre economic performance, a problem which has bedeviled the planetary economy to this day.

Military: The Planet LeninShkod is militarized well past any real need for the area. Trying to Institute a similar policy to the ancient Soviet Union, LeninShkod instituted a universal draft and two year service regimen. All citizens of LeninShkod are required to serve a two year tour of duty in the LeninShkod military. This resulted in a million man army almost over night, and the LeninShkod has been struggling with this ever since.

Many people serve in the LeninShkod military and become policemen, Paramedics, or other types of emergency workers. Some even receive rudimentary training and are then sent home to do their tour on "Reserve Duty"

However, The People's Army of LeninShkod has struggled mightily to find enough to occupy itself with some notable successes. The Special forces of LeninShkod are trained by Andorians to a high level or proficiency. The People's Space Navy of LeninShkod mans and supports three Miranda class starships which are available to local Starfleet Commanders at their call. Many natives of LeninShkod elect to perform their tour as Starfleet enlisted people and officers, which takes longer but allows these people to serve a more active form of service and bring Starfleet training home. The People's Army of LeninShkod Cribs liberally from Starfleet manuals and procedures, mimicking the armies of the 20th century more in names and signage.

History: When the Soviet Union Ceased to exist in the 20th century, it left a small minority of true believers behind. As social unrest and warfare over took the lands of the Former Soviet Union, this small hardcore band of true believers in the Soviet system passed on their affection (and sense of denial) for it on to subsequent generations. The early 21st Century saw several attempts to reinstate the communist government of Russia fail.

In the 2180's the remains of this movement packed up, and bought out an old cargo ship. Renaming it the Sputnik, they left.

Like several ships of the Diaspora, they encountered aliens, civilizations and adventures along their way, but with great luck and a lot of stubbornness, they finally made it to an unclaimed planet they named LeninShkod or, Leningrad in the Sky.

Once there the colonists set about recreating their idealized version of a soviet workers paradise. Due to a collection of well thought out modifications and happy accidents, The People of LeninShkod managed to avoid true Stalinism and continue to cling patriotically to Faux-Stalinism, or Comic Opera Communism.

Once contacted by the fledgling Federation, LeninShkod happily signed up claiming that the Federation represents a peaceful evolution towards a more perfect socialism.

LeninShkod has fought a couple of intense campaigns against the local Orion worlds. An incident where an Orion Force tried to occupy the early colony is recalled in LeninShkod history as their equivalent of the Great Patriotic War.

The people of LeninShkod didn't hear about the war against the Romulans until this war was already finished, something the LeninShkod military has always seemed to resent.

Culture: The Culture of LeninShkod is a strange mix of libertarian, and socialist, of a pragmatic culture with outright self delusion as it's planet wide hobby. What visitors from Earth or other central planets see when they visit LeninShkod is a backwater planet with some nice people who seem to be engaged in a die hard historical re-enactment event.

The Communists of LeninShkod are aware that their system is inherently fragile and at a basic level artificial. And except for a few rebels, most people pitch in where they can to keep the fiction/society working and alive.

Relations: The People's Republic of LeninShkod is known for blustery pro-communism rhetoric, and a nasty tendency to dare other powers to challenge it's oversized (and under equipped) military. For Starfleet and other Federation Planets, LeninShkod is known as a ready source for reinforcements should several thousand soldiers be desirable. Since this sector has two Orion Worlds in it and a Romulan Frontier nearby this is more often than it might other wise be.

Advantages: The People's Republic of LeninShkod is hip deep in Human Capital, and if lots of willing workers are needed, the LeninShkod is the go-to planet. LeninShkod keeps up a tradition of excellent education, and a thorough grounding in the Earthly classics. LeninShkod is probably one of the more heavily armed and defended planets on the frontier, and nothing to pick on lightly.

Weaknesses: LeninShkod can't afford it's military and is often looked for an excuse to help Starfleet with anything, to try and bill Starfleet for that section of upkeep on forces. LeninShkod keeps up a tradition of over the top, self delusional Propaganda. Intelligent citizens play this with their tongues firmly in their cheeks. Occasionally though some Natives take this too seriously and make pains of themselves over it.

Some members of the LeninShkod Military are, frankly power mad, and strive to build a military with which to threaten the entire region for sectors around. Recently a project to build a 23rd century Dreadnought (Complete with updated weapons and engines) was uncovered. The High Command underwent a shakeup and that project was scrapped. But they'll probably try again.

Campaign Role: A source for Comic Opera Good Guy Communists to add to any game for spice. To generate interesting questions regarding Planetary sovereignty and relations with the Federation. And when all looks lost, the People's Army of LeninShkod might just Charge through the door to the rescue.

Disclaimer: Paramount owns all things Trek. I claim original characters and situations in this material for me.

Jay P. Hailey

Back