Community world · Moscow City · 1991

Moscow, 1991

Shortages, whispers, and a Soviet capital that still stands but no longer holds

Moscow, capital of the Soviet Union, two months before its collapse. Ministries still issue orders. Factories still operate. Police still patrol. Yet supply chains fail, authority fractures, and survival depends on access, trust, and timing inside a system that is ending.

Created by Blooky

Last Winter cover image

Runs

8

Likes

0

Locations

9

Characters

4

World premise

A playable world seed with consequences.

You are in Moscow, Soviet Union. October 1991. The Kremlin still flies the red flag, the Supreme Soviet still meets. But the August coup has broken confidence in the Soviet government as Republics assert their independence. The ruble weakens, shops open with little to sell, and lines form outside state stores on Gorky Street and in residential districts. People carry bags in case something appears. Everyone senses the same fact - the Union will not survive the winter, even if no one names the date.

Scarcity is pushing ordinary Muscovites into riskier bargains, private trade, workplace theft, side deals, and dependence on unofficial networks.

The militsiya and other authorities are expanding pressure under the language of order, regulation, and anti speculation.

As the Soviet Union nears its end, more people in Moscow begin choosing quietly between loyalty, adaptation, and profit.

Map

Locations

civic center

Red Square

The symbolic heart of Moscow. State ceremonies, public gatherings, and visible power remain, but meaning shifts as authority weakens.

government

Kremlin Complex

Seat of Soviet leadership in Moscow. Orders still originate here, but enforcement grows uncertain beyond its walls.

market

GUM Department Store

A central state store facing Red Square. Lines form early. Stock appears unpredictably. Information spreads fast here.

commercial

Tverskaya Street

A major artery in Moscow. Shops, offices, and movement converge. Public mood is visible in its crowds and queues.

residential

Arbat District

A historic area of Moscow. Apartments, small trade, and street life mix with rising informal markets.

transport hub

Kievsky Rail Terminal

A major entry point into Moscow. Goods, travelers, and rumors arrive together. Delays and shortages are common.

Power

Factions

political · influence 52

Communist Party Hardliners

Officials and loyalists seeking to preserve the Soviet Union and centralized control. Weakened after the August coup, but still present in Moscow institutions.

state faction · influence 70

Reformist Bloc

Officials, deputies, and activists in Moscow pushing for rapid change, market reforms, and a break from Soviet structures. Competing with Union structures for control.

political movement · influence 63

Democratic Russia Movement

A broad coalition in Moscow supporting democratic reform and Russian sovereignty, led by Boris Yeltsin, Active in rallies and public pressure.

informal trade · influence 75

Chernyy Rynok

Loose but powerful groups moving goods outside state control in Moscow. They respond faster than official supply systems.

economic network · influence 61

Cooperative Sector

Semi legal businesses and collectives in Moscow. They operate between state control and emerging market practices.

security · influence 64

Security Service Circles

Networks tied to former KGB and internal security organs in Moscow. They retain influence through information and connections.

Pressure

Opening rumors

Credibility 67

Official whisper

The Russian government is preparing to lift price controls soon, which will make basic goods suddenly unaffordable.

Credibility 54

Metro talk

Officials in Moscow already know the exact date the Soviet Union will formally end, but are keeping it quiet to avoid panic.

Credibility 71

Rail yard gossip

Entire shipments entering Moscow are being quietly redirected by insiders before reaching state stores.

Credibility 62

Barracks rumor

Units near Moscow have unclear orders, and some officers are waiting to see which authority to follow if unrest begins.

Credibility 49

Street gossip

Hardline Party figures are planning another attempt to restore full Soviet control in Moscow before the year ends.

Begin

Start a life inside Moscow, 1991.