The idea of a virtual state as the territory of dreams and as an intellectual game, exists as so many probabilities as do real states, that from time to time it is desirable to mentally emigrate...
In the Internet there is an entire plethora of virtual states, one of which Virtustan was devised and established by our compatriot, Kharkov, a programmer...
Where you, where you, the happiness of the island, where beach of light and good?.. sang on the radio the ghostly voice, similar simultaneously to both the puff of breeze and to the light primes of cirrus clouds. Not only do the children leave reality to visit in the peace of imagination; adults do so as well, building cities from the fires of thought or inventing books for their own Alices. They rarely confess, that this is not simple hobby or work of love this is another peace, which if it is not better, it is at least, personally more acceptable than that in which they dwell with a perishable and eternally dissatisfied body.
Until the end of the Age of Discovery persons of sufficient passion could realize their dream, simply taking an island, the cape or half of a continent.
Now with the arrival of the Age of Communications and networks (begun by no means from the Internet, but from global amateur radio) in combination with the appearance of electronic games made it possible to create the treaties and the countries, which before it was not possible to feel. Today's servers, on which gamers stretched their capitals, fields and mountain ranges, can provide what seems to be completely material objects.
One of the most material virtual states (VS) Sealand, created on a platform of the sea defense installation Roughs Tower (Hooligan tower) by a retired Major in the British army and wireless enthusiast P. Roy Bates (Roy I) in 1967.
More ancient VS Maltese order (Order of Hospital'er, the Order of Ioannit), founded in 1120, which lost over the years the islands of Malta and Rhodes, and now has only fort Saint Angel in Malta and residence in Rome, available to it.
Dominion of Mel'khisedek bank- religious structure from a somewhat criminal history. It was created in 1986 by the Americans David and Mark Pedley. Its constitution was written by professional Albert Blaushteyn. The DM from time to time declares sovereignty over some unpopulated territories (in particular, parts of Antarctica).
More or are less known also the Independent Republic of Mroya (http://www.nrm.home.by/), Sirota.RU (orphan.ru - http://www.cirota.ru/), Cyber-Yugoslavia (http://www.juga.com/), Independent Principality of Corviniya (http://www.corvinia.org/), Republic of Frestoniya (http://www.halftone.co.uk/fres/), Sultanate Okusi-Ambeno, Mururoa's atoll, Vampir's Power, Project Entropy. Most frequently this either the association of people with the general real problem (orphans, homeless, etc.), or the development of online play worlds, the joint undertaking of group on the interests, and that financial project. Several to naosobitsu can become thus far even more real state Tuvalu, which by the registration of commercial names in its superpopular domain .tv earns means to the settling of its population from the gradually submerged islands. However -, in addition, with small exception, contemporary VS game of reasons, by which it is tight or it is dullish in the real. But their generation itself and propagation one of the features future Web 2.0, about which (let us paraphrase classics) so much tell networkers.
About one-and-a-half years ago the citizen of the Ukraine, one their cult in their time characters of Kharkov Fido, left hand after laying on the book UNIX: the management of system administrator (Kiev, BHV, 1997), and to right touch to itself ear, created the independent virtual kingdom of Virtustan.
Official information on its government site says: Head of The State king Prool I... The social system educated monarchy. The capital temporarily absent. Monetary unit temporarily absent because of temporary absense of its own economy... Territory virtual space, 1 hectare to the territory of the Moon, the Rock Island in The Kanakskaya bunch (Black sea), the planets Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Pluto, Europe (satellite of Jupiter), the Sun (solar surface), asteroid Eros; Cave (The Dungeon), the part of the Prool's room (The Corner)... Population 35 men (on the position on 21 February, 2006)... Official religions absent.
Virtustan press notes: To what nearest of all of Virtustan now to the group, the circle or the club of adherents, to the role game, to the virtual association. It cannot be said that in the virtual state of Virtustan are specific goal or the purposes, just as it cannot be said that the real states have purposes. States it is simple to eat.
The chapter VS of Virtustan king Prool the first honored correspondent ITUA.INFO of the virtual audience, in the course of which gave exclusive interview.
What date is counted In the daytime generation of the kingdoms of Virtustan?
Prool I: This holiday is called Independence Day of Virtustana. On 29 November, 2004, I formulated the idea of virtual state in my blog (http://prool.livejournal.com/299702.html). But somewhat more lately appeared its own LJ-community http://community.livejournal.com/virtustan/profile ), then domain virtustan.net and other attributes of statehood (flag, coat of arms, the project of hymn).
Where, in your opinion, is located Virtustan on the Map of the Internet?
Prool I: The space of the Internet, as is known, N- measured (where N number of all Web pages, constantly it increases with this N). Therefore any two- or exploded view of the Internet is not more than one of the projections or the sections. If we consider that the popular resources be in the center, and rarely on the periphery, then our state lies somewhere on the boundary of reasonable. Furthermore, according to the idea, similar resources must lie next; therefore the Internet to me seems himself something of the type of Ursula Le Guin's Eartsea. Here is archipelago LJ, and our small islet somewhere to edge, in the russian sector, but is somewhere next located Sealand and for some reason Shvambraniya (from fiction of Lev Kassil).
Which did push you against the creation of Virtustana? How is it for you now?
Prool I: The idea of the organization of virtual association in the form of state is ripe in me long ago, podogrevayemaya, for example, by the articles of the great mystificator mr. Pereslegin (http://www.igstab.ru/materials/black/Per_Virtu.htm). But that ominous uncertainty, which was in the Ukraine in the fall of 2004, served as direct push. It is understandable that not and he thought about what serious political and state activity. I wanted to dostich certain mental independence or as one of our citizens a little blasphemous said reign this not from the peace this. But how was Virtustan then it appears now, this the get-together of friends, hobby, which takes away sufficiently much time and forces, but it brings a feeling of deep satisfaction.
As will be developed the country subsequently? What do want citizens, what for them does desire king?
Prool I: Let us look. Now I sufficiently actively it began to be occupied by foreign-policy activity. Similar micro-state in the territory of former USSR I practically it did not reveal, but my poor knowledge of English interfere withs output to the world arena, but I it already explained that the creation of micro-nation sufficiently extended abroad, in particular, in THE USA, Italy, Portugal, Germany, to Poland, England, entertainment. So, on the television channel the BBC in 2005 went on show How to Start Your Own Country (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Start_Your_Own_Country), and into 2003 in Helsinki within the framework of some international forum was carry ouied the summit (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micronation/). Plans we have sufficiently many; which will be succeeded in realizing, what will not succeed it will evidently be. You remember, as in baron Myunkhgauz,9:00 exploit, 10:00 war with England.
In recent years in the network increasinher; difference from other get-togethers and associations only in the form.
About which I it did not ask and it would follow?
Prool I: You did want to ask, find on the territory of Virtustan weapon of mass-destruction? So here it is located. These are our brains, armed by quite foremost theory shushpanizm-kashchenizm. Azh by itself it is sometimes terrible. However, we are opened for the inspections, only you come with the beer, opener and plastic cups of allways exists. As it became known from the official Virtustans sources, In Virtustan is permitted dual, triple and N- multiple citizenship, and any can become citizen of Virtustan, without composing from itself rights and responsibilities of the citizen of another state. To Virtustan rich, peaceful and nonaligned state... "
In the list of human freedoms one of the likable freedom of pasttime. Some prefer the games of patriots, others games of reason. The first? The second? To create its VS? make a selection and press Enter.
Irina Bohno (bohno@k-i-s-s.kiev.ua), 18.04.2006
Translation from Russian by Altavista Babelfish with some corrections by Prool and Lord Bo, Baron Von Servers (http://dbwf.net/government/Baron_Von_Servers.html)
Russian original http://itua.info/news/interview/5121.html
DON'T PANIC!