Renaissance (July-September, 1891)

Novaya Gvineya]

1892 is approaching, and in Novaya Gvineya the oldest colony in Russia is about to celebrate 20 years.

This would be a more important fact within the Russian colonial empire, other European colonies worldwide did not celebrate events of this type or not usually, but recently the Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich, the heir, had recently visited the colony (being the first member of the imperial family to set foot in the colony) and national pride was quite high.

The colony was administered from Cape Maclay, and it extended from the northeast of New Guinea to diverse islands like New White Russia, and the New Philippines (Palaus, Carolines and Marshall).

It must be understood that the colony has changed remarkably from its early years to these years of the Alexandrian period of Russia, both in social and economic development, religious and culture, etc.

The colony was made up of more than 200 ethnic groups native to the territories, and this was not counting the arrival of settlers of various ethnic origins (although they were mainly East Slavs and Finns). To all this are added mulatto descendants, mainly children of Russian (European) men with native women.

This meant that the Russian-Papuan Creole was a growing language and quite necessary in the daily life of the natives, especially between cities and coastal regions, a symbol of trade and integration. Not so much in the jungle and mountainous regions, although there was still a certain level of integration due to military treaties between the Russian troops and the native Papuans.

The colony had surpassed a million people, most densely located in the coastal cities formed by Russia through ports, churches and naval bases.

Economically speaking, the region's economy had diversified, producing rubber, agricultural products, handicrafts derived from rubber, fish, spices and some mineral resources.

Yet another massive growing business in the region was the commercial sector dedicated to services, Russia's New Silk Road crossed Novaya Gvineya, and as the oldest and largest Russian colony in the Russian Indonesian region, it played a fairly prominent role. and benefited from such business relationships.

There was still a strong subsistence economy in food issues, most native families resorted to their own crops or hunting-fishing for food.

Religiously, while native cultures, customs, and traditions remained intact, due to the influence of Russian Orthodox Church programs, Orthodox Christianity was growing while helping the infrastructure and literacy of the colony.

The most brutal and indecent acts of the native tribes, such as violent rivalries or attempts on the lives of other human beings, were put to an end. Of course in part because of the Russian military presence and the discipline imposed on the militias (made up of various tribes but unified by Russian instructors).

Socially speaking, things were becoming much more complex, a generation of mulattoes and natives of new economic elites had grown up during 20 years of the Alexandrian-Russian government of the region. This mainly in the coasts, main financial centers, of commerce and political power.

An urban population that to some extent looked down on native populations in the interior and rural surroundings, a notable part of the Russian colony, but still viewed as barbaric by urban and coastal populations.

This product of the economic disparity, old tribal rivalries and the different developments that both social forms saw.

The coast had focused on production, industry and farms were growing, the colonial administration focused there, and it is where there was more variety and accessibility to services.

On the other hand, the jungle and mountains had been central to military activities and the extractive sectors, or labor, although they were literate by government initiatives, were still quite dependent on Russian-coastal production for medicine and clothing.

A curious development is that, for example, on the coast, European-style clothing, flip-flops and more modern clothes were taking more and more use in daily life. Although traditional clothing was not prohibited (breasts and genitals had to be covered, but things like headdresses, body adornments, etc., were not explicitly prohibited)

While in the mountains and jungles the traditional clothes remained without many changes, except for the use of military clothes in particular situations.

The tourism sector, biology and national symbols were also growing, the birds of paradise became a symbol of the colony and its natural reserves created at the initiative of Tsar Alexander III.

There was also the fact that Novaya Gvineya would become one of only two Tasmanian tiger sites, but that's yet another matter for the future.

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[Culture: Renaissance]

Ignoring the exponential growth of Russian culture in the Alexandrian period (a golden age of ballet, music, among some other arts and cultural manifestations), Tsar Alexander III and Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov designed other projects for national minorities.

For example, in Manchuria, the Tsesarevich, governor of the region, established programs for a Manchu cultural revival, while promoting interaction between Russians and Manchu to promote the stability and integration of the region.

This had various purposes, on the one hand, to keep the Manchu language and its traditions alive, but also to separate the Han identity from the Manchu identity, thereby dividing the local populations. This would prevent the Manchu from wanting to join China, and would weaken possible dangerous Han influences in Inner Manchuria.

Most Europeans and Americans could not differentiate between Han and Manchu by decisions of the Qing government, but Russia and its administration made a real effort, part of Russia's soft power.

Festivals, cultural celebrations, gastronomy and literature, etc. Various Manchu artists and artistic associations (peaceful and aligned with Russia of course, no militant or separatist nationalism) began to flourish under the Russian administration.

Now that Russian was the language of administration and government, the nobility took a turn towards this language, the civilian population was not forced but they would eventually learn Russian with the appearance of schools and universities, more Russian settlers in the region, etc.

But in this civilian population there were now alternatives and efforts for Manchu fathers and mothers to teach their children the Manchu language and to perpetuate it.

Russia became quite skilled in this technique, after all they had done the same in Quelpart (regarding the Korean dialect of Jeju).

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In the Black Sea on the other hand, more specifically in Pontus or eastern Anatolia, Tsar Alexander III did the same but with the Pontic Greeks.

Greek populations that remained in the Russian portions of Anatolia, some had left after the Russo-Turkish war of 76, but most remained.

It was clear that the Pontic Greeks were becoming a plural population with the increase of Russian citizens of Russian, Armenian, Kurdish or Caucasian origin (various different ethno-cultures) but the authorities did not plan brutal repressions, population exchange, genocide or the like.

After all that would ruin the Russian reputation and the Greek-Russian relations, no, the Russian goal was for the Pontic Greeks not to resort to nationalism, and to see themselves as a somewhat different type of Russians, or different Greeks, rejecting the enosis.

The sports, culinary, dance and music culture of the Pontic Greeks was promoted within Russian institutions (Russian was a growing language, especially when Pontic Greeks with tertiary education moved to other regions of Russia for economic opportunities).

This was easy when Russia was on the rise in its sports culture regarding soccer, Tsar Alexander III promoted the compilation of local cultures of the Russian Empire and accepted artists of all kinds under his wing.

Due to geographical limitations (non-Greek territories in the middle of Greece and the Pontic Greeks), economic and social realities (Russian domination of the economy, that the rest of the empire was richer than the regions of the Pontic Greeks, the Pontic Greek brain drain to other regions of Russia, etc), among other factors, the Pontic Greeks fell into the immense herd of Tsar Alexander III.

Russian-Pontic Greek Soccer team.

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[Sports culture: Completed projects]

1891 arrives and under Tsar Alexander III the Moscow Stadium is completed, the great sports stadium planned during the second Grand Meeting of April.

Although the building was remarkable, it was not unique, it was a Moscow attraction, yes, but most of the large projects such as modern racetracks, more football stadiums, etc. They were focused on other regions.

Russia had several prominent cities in sports sectors.

The main Russian capital of sport was Kharkov, as the first winners of the Russian Soccer League, there was a remarkable soccer scene in the region. And other sports activities and disciplines were growing, such as racing, Russian hockey, hockey, cricket, tennis, javelin shooting, acrobatic, among many others.

Tula was the capital of Russian boxing, and Arkhangelsk was a historical site for Russian soccer by the founding of the first Russian soccer team (originally from Arkhangelsk).

The Russian economy benefited from all this, there was a market around all the equipment merchandise and Tsar Alexander III with his promotion of the Modern Hippodrome had promoted developments in the automotive industry and marketing of different companies in the Russian runners.

There were also factors regarding tourism from other countries going to see Russian sports activities, Russia was much more active in sports than many other nations and it helped that the Russians invited some foreign teams to play against local teams in Russia.

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[International]

* The Balkans and socialism.

In the Balkans, more specifically in Bulgaria, on July 20 important developments would begin, under the reign of Tsar Sergei I the Bulgarian Socialdemocratic Party (Българска социалдемократическа партия, Balgarska Socialdemokraticheska Partiya) was founded.

This party would be founded by Dimitar Blagoev Nikolov, through Marxist circles of Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Sliven, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Kazanlak and other Bulgarian cities ... and would be divided the following year with Yanko Ivanov Sakazov founding the Bulgarian Socialdemocratic Union (Български социалдемократически съюз), reformists and unionists instead of partist Marxists, socialist things.

Despite the future failures of the group, they will be reunited in 1894, but that is not the important thing, the important thing was Nikolov's influence on socialist-Marxist-workers' thoughts in the Balkans, more specifically in nearby Macedonia.

Nikolov is the foundation for various leftist movements among Bulgarians, both in Bulgaria and in Ottoman Macedonia, which saw the Ottoman Empire, decadent and problematic, a threat to the inhabitants (mostly Bulgarians, although almost all the Balkan countries had a claim on the region, the Greeks to the south, Bulgarians and Serbs to the north, etc).

So the rise of the Bulgarian Socialdemocratic Party, further motivated the local awakening of Macedonia, people who believed in the Balkan Federation.

Some Balkans (Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece and Romania) unified by internationalism, socialism, social solidarity and economic equality ... a curious dream. It is also important that external influence plays a role in the understanding of the Macedonian socialists of the region.

Greek, Romanian, Serbian and Bulgarian socialists say that in a Balkan Federation, Macedonia will be autonomous.

And of course this motivates the Macedonian socialists for their own interests, gives them greater dynamism on the Macedonian nationalist scene in the Ottoman Empire.

Macedonians who support autonomy within the Ottoman Empire or autonomy within Bulgaria (or to a much lesser extent, Serbia, although this is only among Serbian Macedonians) start to generally support these socialists who take the lead of a possible New Macedonia.

Of course this dynamism and objectives is primarily within the Slavs, southern Macedonia populated mainly by Greeks is less receptive to this idea.

The Balkans are an incredible tinderbox, and socialist movements only complicate it further.

The idea of a Balkan federation and Macedonian autonomy takes place during a time of decline and collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the face of its various ethnic groups, and foreign rivals.

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On July 30, in Brazil, the Empire of Brazil and the Republic of the United States of Brazil had entered a stalemate in the north of Brazil.

This is due to the dominance of the empire over the seas due to the support of the navy, but the republic has greater land power due to the support of the army, which is a serious threat to the borders of the loyalist territories.

For this reason, while both sides maintain their lines in a pseudo-guerrilla war (taking advantage of the rural and depopulated terrain in their favor), and focus their attention on the Maragatos in the south, the federalists.

Gaspar da Silveira Martins is a monarchist and agrees to argue with the Empress Isabel I of Brazil, but a vital issue soon collides among the monarchists, the constitution. The problem is the weak Maragato military leadership, which is only supported by General Gumercindo Saravia, gathering some 5,000 volunteer men in the north of the federal regions.

The republic on the other hand wants to sit down militarily crushing the Maragatos to pacify the region, secure its southern border and focus on the north. On his side there are some foreign capitalists who are helping to secure supply lines from Europe to the republic.

There are no changes in the borders, but the civil war is getting complicated.

On August 27, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda finishes his first sketch regarding his experiences in a French prison.

On September 18, the confrontation between Congress and President José Manuel Balmaceda ends in Chile. Partly because of the suicide of President Balmaceda.

This marks a period in Chilean history, the Parliamentary Era, due to the interpretation of the Chilean constitution, where the balance of executive and legislative power was broken.

The control and counterweight of the executive power over the legislative power was weakened, and with this the power and control of the head of state (the president) over the government was reduced, giving rise to a quasi-parliamentary or parliamentary republic in everything, except in Name.

On September 28, the Club Atlético Peñarol is founded under the name Central Uruguay Railway Cricket Club, established by English Cricket players in the area.

Curiously, the sports club later focused mainly on soccer, and it will be one of the most important matches in Uruguay.

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[Son of God]

* Perspective of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda.

On July 31, 1891, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda and his wife had been blessed with the birth of his son, Itamar Ben-Yehuda (the discussion was between Itamar and Ben-Zion, due to time difficulties the parents eventually kept the first).

But there was a serious problem, the time was seriously shortened, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda's wife died a few weeks after giving birth, associated with complications and tuberculosis.

This obviously meant more problems for Eliezer's health, more work to do on his own and so on, raising a child alone was difficult and doing it as a recovering patient with financial difficulties is even more so.

On August 27, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda would finish his first sketch about his experiences in prison, starting to edit it in the following days.

However Eliezer's greatest achievement was Itamar, his son was going to grow up as the first native speaker of modern Hebrew, struggling because the baby will barely hear any other languages (simple enough when both of them could barely leave the cabin in Crimea).

When he was recovered or Itamar was a little older, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda wanted to move to Ottoman Palestine.

The problem was obviously time, Eliezer had lost many years, and sadly his health continued to deteriorate in 1891.

By December 1891, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda would be dead, but there was still a living legacy from the man, which we will talk about later.

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[Sport culture]

*Novo Arkhangelsk.

*Grozny.

*Erivan.

*Murmansk.