Radagoszcz
Radagoszcz
Радагощ | |
|---|---|
Town | |
| Colony of Radagoszcz | |
 Flag | |
| Nickname: City of the Gods | |
| Mottoes: | |
| Country | .png){kind=small} Polonian Commonwealth |
| Area settled by Native Americans | Around 6000 B.C.E. |
| Area abandoned by Native American tribes | 20th century C.E. |
| Area colonized by the Slavic Valeni tribe | 7 April 2024 |
| Colony of Radagoszcz granted to the Polonian Commonwealth by the Valenian Crown | 10 September 2024 |
| Founded by | Michał z Walenówki |
| Named for | Radogost, the God of the Polabian Slavs |
| Seat | House of the Vyets' |
| Government | |
| • Voivode | Aidan Dawidziak |
| Demonym | Radian |
Radagoszcz, officially the Colony of Radagoszcz, is a Slavic fortified settlement and lumber town, and the capital of the Polonian Commonwealth. The settlement was originally founded as a colony of the West Slavic Valeni tribe on 7 April 2024, and absorbed into the Grand Duchy of Valenowa as a de jure territory the same day. The settlement would later be granted to the Polonian Commonwealth by Michał I Walenowski of Valenowa upon the micronation's founding on 10 September 2024. The seat of power of the settlement lays at the House of the Vyets' (Veche), which is a temporary log structure that acts as a center for governance. It shares a Northern border with the Almian Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Valenowa, and a Southern, Eastern, and Western border with the US state of Wisconsin.
History
Prehistory
Native Americans are believed to have arrived in the area of modern-day Radagoszcz around 8,000-10,000 years ago, and would eventually settle within mere miles of the town's modern structures. Little is known about these early inhabitants, as they would come to abandon the area in the mid-19th century C.E., due to pressure from American settlers and military contingents. Somewhere within a roughly 20-mile radius around modern-day Radagoszcz, there are rumored to be ancient native burial grounds, and numerous artifacts have been found in and around the settlement while digging foundations and harvesting lumber.
Slavic colonization
The unused land would be claimed by the West Slavic Valeni tribe of Valenowa, and soon after Slavicized and declared a de jure territory of the Grand Duchy of Valenowa. The area would see some limited development, namely in the forms of prospecting, foraging, and the construction of the House of the Vyets', which now exists as the seat of power in Radagoszcz.
Acquisition by the Polonian Commonwealth
The Colony of Radagoszcz was issued to the newly-founded Polonian Commonwealth by order of the Crown of Valenowa on 10 September 2024, mere hours after the micronation's sovereignty was declared. This saw immediate proposals to develop the area into a fully-functioning lumber town and Slavic gród (fortified settlement) complete with an earthen wall, ditch, and a timber gatehouse. These measures are not intended for primary defensive use, but rather to act as a deterrent to hostile wildlife and poachers, and to potentially act as a Buhurt and event venue in the distant future, as a means of income for the settlement.
Etymology
The word "Radagoszcz" is a Polish word, derived from the name of the primary God of the Polabian Slavs, (Radogost), which in turn is derived from the Proto-Slavic given name "Radogostъ." The word "Radagoszcz" was also used as an alternative name for the ancient Slavic settlement of Rethra, a settlement which held significant cultural and religious influence over the Slavic tribes of modern-day Poland and Germany.
Government
The local government of the Colony of Radagoszcz, called the Vyets' (Polish: Wiec), holds its seat at the House of the Vyets' in central Radagoszcz. This provisional government is headed by the Voivode (Polish: Wojewoda) of the Radian Voivodeship, currently Aidan Dawidziak of Polonia. The current government exists as a temporary solution to the sudden acquisition of land claims by the Polonian Commonwealth, and is likely to be placed under a military governorship in the near future, to be later replaced by a democratically-elected mayor.
Geography
Much of the soil composition of the Colony of Radagoszcz and the surrounding area consists of sand and granite, with a small amount of clay and topsoil near water sources. Much of the territory immediately South of Radagoszcz are wetlands, including two large bogs and a small creek, interconnected by an old and poorly-kept boardwalk, however the more highly-elevated areas of the settlement include granite-rich ravines, as well as red oak and pine forests. The area has excellent drainage, and has never experienced reported flooding to any degree throughout its inhabitation. However, the more densely-wooded parts of the settlement are often avoided entirely, due to a fear amongst locals that the Valenian demon-god Skórowiek lurks in the trees at dusk. As such, these areas are well-preserved and protected, and maintain a vital source of nourishment and shelter for local fauna.