Vasily Ryurikov, Vozhd of Russia

Vasily Vyacheslavovich Ryurikov (Russian: Василий Вячеславович Рюриков; born 02 November 1986) is a Russian political and former military leader currently serving as the Vozhd of the Imperial Russian State since 2023.

Following the Moscow Agreement in 2022 and the ailing health of acting President Vladimir Putin, Vasily was nominated to lead the Russian Federation by the Federal Assembly. He is widely considered to be much more conservative than most other Russian politicians, and has focused on the rebuilding of the lands acquired by his empire following World War III and the Polish-Russian War. He is widely considered to have revived the old Russian ways of governance.

Ryurikov heads his government from Petrograd, widely considered to be the most prosperous city in Europe following World War III.

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Background
Early life
Vasily Ryurikov was born on 02 November 1986 in Ustinov, in the Udmurt ASSR of the Soviet Union. His father, Vyacheslav Artemovich Ryurikov (August 1952-1991), briefly served in the Soviet-Afghan War before his right arm was amputated by shrapnel and was working as a professor at the Udmurt State University. Vasily's mother, Oksana Ryurikova (née Sukachyova, November 1953-2002), had worked at the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant. Widely considered a Soviet intelligentsia family, the Ryurikov family traced its roots to the Novgorod region.

As a child, Ryurikov was characterized as overly curious and eager. This would eventually get him into trouble with his fellow classmates and teachers. When his father was murdered at the hands of hardliner demonstrators in 1991, it was said to have worsened the young Vasily and fueled his hatred for communists. His mother, unable to sustain a job, gave him to his maternal grandparents in Balezino, who he would live with until 2004.

Early political and military service
In 2004, at the age of eighteen, Ryurikov enrolled at the Udmurt State University to study law. Described as fervently nationalistic and anti-communist by his classmates, he would often engage in debates. He graduated from the Law, Public Administration and Safety Institute in 2009 alongside Olena Pomelnikova, whom he had married in 2008.

He joined United Russia shortly after the same year and joined the Russian Navy, serving in the Baltic Fleet until 2014, when he was transferred into the Black Sea Fleet stationed in Sevastopol.

Service during the Russo-Ukrainian War
Although Ryurikov did not see active combat until the successful Shoigu Offensive of the Russo-Ukrainian War in late 2022, he was awarded several times for assisting in the location of Ukrainian spies within Crimea. He participated in the bombardments of Kherson and Skadovsk and supposedly witnessed the Fall of Kiev.

Following the Moscow Agreement in 2022 and the ailing health of president Putin, it was evident that Russia needed a new leader to run the larger Russia.

Reign
A short election held by members of the Federal Council resulted in Vasily Ryurikov, who had personally spoken to several members of the council, being put in-charge of the provisional government. Although many Russian politicians were against this decision, Ryurikov had received the backing of both Putin and Medvedev, some of the most influential political figures in Russia.

Sobiraniye
On 05 January 2023, Ryurikov announced "Sobiraniye" (lit. "regathering") and dissolved the Russian Federation and with it the Federal Council who had elected him, replacing it with the Imperial Russian State. An empire only in name, it considered itself the successor to the old Russian Empire. An agreement between members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) led to their reassimilation into Russia on 21 January, thus truly establishing an empire.

His next move was to target Poland and the Baltics, who were in the midst of leaving NATO, which was crumbling following their failures in the Russo-Ukrainian War. On 25 January 2023, the Imperial Russian Ground Forces launched an invasion of Poland, causing it to capitulate within hours. Fighting between pro-NATO and pro-Russian Polish insurgents made it all the easier.

This event caused the ultimate demise of NATO. Unable to prevent the invasion of one of their member states, more and more nations left believing that they couldn't be protected by the so-called "defensive" organization. On 01 February 2023, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States (the last members of NATO), declared war on Russia, thus beginning World War III.

World War III
Many nations had declared their neutrality, afraid of being caught in-between the crossfire. Later in February, the German comprised a coalition of former NATO states to fight against both sides, creating a three-way war. Most of the combat was situated in and around Central and Eastern Europe.

Since the beginning, it was almost undisputable that the Russians and their allies had the upper hand. The Serbians, aided by massive amounts of foreign contingents, had become the supreme power in the Balkans, and Hungarian irredentists, armed by the Russian government, had all but toppled the Romanian government in Transylvania.

Ryurikov personally led his armies in the Battles of Berlin and Paris, successfully taking both cities in the Shoigu Offensive. As the Russians and their allies edged ever closer to the United Kingdom, a treaty between both parties was signed that spelled the end of the union. England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, were to be divided into different and completely autonomous countries, and London was to be occupied by the Russian government until the Americans had surrendered. Ryurikov himself had led his parading troops through the streets of occupied London, patriotic music blaring each day and night.

The American government had initially planned not to surrender to Ryurikov and his men, but infighting in the country led to the complete collapse of their government. Citizens, angered with the massive losses and minimal gains, had revolted against their government and seceded from their union.

Ryurikov had arrived in Washington D.C. to sign the Treaty of Washington, therefore ending the war in mid-2024. As a result of this treaty, America was to denuclearize and give up all overseas territories that were not one of the fifty states.

In late 2024, the "Kombinirovannyye" governorates were established to help organize the country's territories and make rebuilding easier.

Post-war reign
Ryurikov has dedicated his time and effort into rebuilding the damaged territories of his empire. The Poland and Baltics Governorate, in particular, was the sight of heavy fighting during World War III. In order to help its allies in the post-war world, the Petrograd Pact was created in order to restabilize their economies and militaries.

He has since ceded control of Paris, Berlin, and London to their respective governments, who he has ordered to demilitarize. Though widely renowned in the Imperial Russian State, he is seen in a very negative light by irredentists. Nevertheless, he continues to reign autocratically.

His postwar activities have earned him the nickname "the Honourable".

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Personal life
Vasily Ryurikov is married to Olena Pomelnikova, with whom he has had four children. From eldest to youngest: Klavdiy, Roman, Vyacheslav, and Pavel. His eldest, Klavdiv, currently serves in the Baltic Fleet.

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Titles and styles
Ryurikov's full title as of the end of World War III is as follows: By the Grace of God, We Vasily, Vozhd and Regent of All the Russias, of Moscow, of Kiev, Vladimir, Novgorod; Vozhd of the Caucasians, Vozhd of the Tatars, Vozhd of Poland and the Baltics, Vozhd of Siberia, Vozhd of the Crimea; Provisional Lord of Pskov, and the Vozhd of Smolensk; Vozhd of Finland, Vozhd of Nizhny Novgorod, Vozhd of Karelia, Tver, Yugor, Perm, Vyatka, Bogar; Vozhd of Turkestan and so on and so forth...