Introduction of the concept of this AU
This AU thread/project is as someone might already know based on the idea of giving life to the never-where and almost where warship projects of Soviet Union and Russia. With Komintern and Novgorod AUs I used those designs in a foreign fleet in order to create a "soviet-ish' feel on them. This time I'm toying around with the concept of replacing all OTL designs with never-where and preliminary/alternative designs. With actual ships the repertuar is so covering that I actually had to leave stuff out but with weapons and other systems there just isn't enough AU designs to replace everything. In my earlier AU's I've used to fill the gaps with my own mind but in this time I simply adopted OTL systems.
Naturally I've used a lot of artists freedom to adjusting and reinventing purposes to some systems and ship designs in order them to "fit the plan" better.
I've drew all stuff myself but a big credit goes to A.N. Sokolov and Atrinaflot site team for illustrating so many Soviet never-where project which worked as a inspiration and reference for this AU.
A short background story for the country
![[ img ]](http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc316/Novgorodsfleet/AuSovkartta.png)
Like seen in the map, I haven't abandon the Mediterranean Sea access but the historical nation behind this is no longer Byzantium but Russia. My 'magic hand' to mess around the history begins with Kievan Rus's attack on Bulgaria in 960's. Like in OTL, Kievan Rus Grand Duke Sviatoslav manages to win the Bulgarians but unlike in OTL, they also won the Byzantine which tried to evict the Russians away. This marked the increase of Russian presence and power in the Balkans and marked the date of Byzantium decline to arrive. Sviatoslav's realm steadily expands to control vast amount of land in eastern Europe from Baltic's to the Greece hills. The Russian rule over Bulgaria is in this AU the replacement of the arrival of Seljuk Turks into Anatolia as a acceleration of Byzantine decline.
Next big wave of the magic vond comes with Yaroslav Murdy, which together with his other improvements introduces a primogeniture inheritant law which reduces the instability and rivalry between the nobility and ruling families in the Kievan Rus. So in the eve of Mongolian invasion Kievan rus is rather stable and powerfull nation where as Byzantium has fallen after the fourth crusade. Mongol invasion naturally strikes the Kievan Rus badly and the old realm disintegrates into series of small duchies which most are paying tribute to the Horde. Mongolian invasion hits also Anatolia where the struggling ofsprings of the Byzantine empire fell under the Tatar Yoke as well.
Unlike in OTL, the new rise of Russian nation begins again in Kiev which by paying tribute to the mongols and even allying with them against the other principalities manages to accumulate more and more power in the region during the 14th century where as the Mongolian power is declining. By absorbing Bulgaria into the realm, Kiev's power rises and eventually it annexes the remains of Byzantium in Constantinople and Russian Empire is born in 1453. The new empire begins to expand into the north and the last remaining Russian princedom Moscow is incorporated to the empire in 1503. In meanwhile Novgorod has fallen into Finnish rule and from here the great expansion of both nations into east. Russians are moving trough the steppes and Finns in the north. Russian expansionism is focusing on Anatolia and from there to Central Asia where as Finns are moving all the way east into the Pacific Ocean.
The remains are following pretty much down the lines of the last thread. Russians moves all the way down south trough Persia into Indian ocean and in the 19th Century the goal is set even further beyond the seas into Far East. This and the close proximity of British India starts the Great Game which leads series of conflicts between the two empire. The last intrusion from Russia is the Middle East into where Russia attacks in 1877 (Against some sort of Big Arabian empire which I haven't invented theraly just yet. Its acting as substitute for the Ottoman Empire) in order to cede the Suez Canal before Great Britain gets there. Russians invade Sinai but settles the affair with the British so that both parties can use it.
Revolution strikes mostly as in OTL but I haven't worked up the details of the history in the Soviet days yet. I'm too eager to get to the ships so I will return it later. We can do sort of FAQ thing here, if there is something you want to know about the history, ask it and I'll invent it.
![[ img ]](http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc316/Novgorodsfleet/Electronicsystems_post1945Updated.png)
![[ img ]](http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc316/Novgorodsfleet/AUsovArtilleryUpdated.png)
![[ img ]](http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc316/Novgorodsfleet/AUsovSAMsUpdated.png)
![[ img ]](http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc316/Novgorodsfleet/AUsovSSMs.png)
![[ img ]](http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc316/Novgorodsfleet/AUsovASW.png)