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[i]The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end.[/i] - Leon Trotsky

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[i]"Socialism. Many might have heard of it's tales and it's exploits, it's many ways of belief and it's many ways of use. To some it has meant purpose, drive, freedom, future. The most it has come to symbolize anarchy, chaos, destruction. A force of ignorance against the 'rightful' ways of order and life. In my time in this world, I have come to acknowledge that no political idea - no matter how noble, must suffer from both to be a political ideal. Although, many might ask what is socialism in it's basic form? In the beginning, it was an idea. A simple idea."[/i]

[i]"An idea that had been created during a time, when progress was outpacing our morals. When development was going faster, than kindness for our fellow human being. But, that is merely it's creator. Karl Marx. Many names accompany the man - visionary, fool, educated, idiot. In the Russian Empire, I am sure his name is likely most hated. For it was his ideas, from which the Russian Revolution began - under the purpose of establishing a Socialist Utopia. I admit, I had been one of many - a Bolshevik under times, when food was few and life seemed worse by the generation. We had gained many names after such an event - heavy of which was coward and traitor."[/i]

[i]"I will not deny this. I was young, barely of age to enlist at that - yet I was old enough to read, think and feel. What was told to us, and what we could see happening before our eyes and to our families - told us, that what the Tsar was speaking wasn't all truth. While the rest of the world kept on progressing we were still stuck in the times of nobles and peasants. In my youth, I felt I could change my homeland - to perhaps make it better for family and for others. In that regard I don't consider myself a traitor - is it treasonous to wish for a better life for yourself and all? I guess...that is the naivety of youth..."[/i]

[i]"As one might ask, why did we do it? Bringing both suffering and chaos, to Russia for many years and likely for many decades furthermore? The truth is likely most illusive - I don't know. In those times our lives weren't any better than those of our parents or grandparents. It wasn't perfect, yet we lived - sadly corruption and bureaucracy kept our lives in such a state for many generations. Though there existed many great Czars, they weren't enough to keep the powder keg of a nation we called from exploding. You can add as many fancy titles and words to your name and your nation as you wish - but it wouldn't change the fact that Russia, my Russia was broken."[/i]

[i]"The Czar was like any king of old. They ruled with absolute authority and absolute rightness. The whole nation moved with their authority, its armies were like their fists and our factories and farms moved by his dictation. Unfortunately the sad truth is, thou the Czar might be the ruler of all - their power and crown was still ordered by a mere human. A man or woman, whom could make mistakes, make bad decisions and be subject to anger or failure. Sadly, in our case - when the Czar suffered so did we. When their ideas turned sour, we paid the costs. When their armies died in the Great war, our men suffered. When their agents hunted socialists, our people were killed."[/i]

[i]"The notion of the Czar could be best stated by one Englishman, Lord Acton: 'Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men'. In the Revolutions of 1917, us few whom supported the people like Lenin - trusted in the ideals, they spoke. Brotherhood, equality, freedom and self-determination. Our lives had suffered, thus likely the choice was made to replace the Czar and the ilk whom had left our people astray. I myself, believed in the notion of mass protest. If enough people demanded change, surely even the Czar could be reminded of his mortal chains?"[/i]

[i]"Sadly, it failed and in doing so - we gave the man, more authority than ever before and our message and ideals were turned into literal heresy. That were both hated by the Czar, the Church and by anybody else that would dare strike without feeling retribution. I admit, some of our people had likely ideas for violent overthrow of the Czar and his aristocratic kind. Some of us hoped for a better future. Although, afterwards and the years since I will admit, I might have very much misjudged the actions of our own leaders. Power corrupts as they say." [/i]

[i]"Years after the 1917 Revolution failed, we have had many over the years - all of which had been crushed under the boot of the Imperial Army. In such acts, I have gained my own wisdom - the iron-boot of the Czar isn't worth trading for the unstable elements of revolutionary socialist ideals. I might sound a bit hypocritical. Criticizing the same elements, to which I belong to? Yes, I do. Like there have been many good Czars. I do think that some ideas are worth studying, not to be discarded due to the actions of others. Every man and woman should be given a chance to make their own decision on it. Since socialism, in its most basic - is an idea and wish to ask. To ask, why can't a worker be paid his fair share for his work?"[/i]

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Amani Yukarev soon set down the pen, that he had been using. Soon enough finishing another chapter, in his book - namely, [i]Journeys of a Socialist Worker.[/i] Sixty years it had been, since he was born - all those years, and here he stood. Namely as Chairman Yukarev, in an official capacity - the leader of the Arkhangelsk Socialist Union. The desired dream of namely Vladimir Lenin, Julius Martov, Leon Trotsky and many other political leaders of the Socialist Revolution. In his years, he had come to grips with how flawed many such men had been and their ideas for the future. 

How would have socialism been better - when they had advocated the same ideas, that the Czar had used against them. Though Amani wasn't any stranger to fighting for your life - he had come to understand, that change couldn't forced by boot or revolution. Hadn't Karl Marx himself advocated for a steady evolution? While back then, violent overthrow might have seen as many to be the only answer - the honest truth was, it hadn't accomplished anything. In trying to incite change they had several times been answered by iron and blood. Although instead of learning from the acts - both the Czar and the Socialist Revolutionaries had kept on fighting. Instead of backing down, both incited more hate and destruction. He almost considered it ironic, that the end of the Empire hadn't come from their designated enemy - instead it came from another direction entirely.

Yukarev shook his head at the idea, as he rose from his seat - slowly fetching out his pipe from inside his coat and lighting a smoke to clear his head. In his old age he had a lot to think about - namely he was in charge of oblast that had become a state in itself. It had no Czar or Imperial Army to rely on - nor goods or people from other regions. At the current moment it was the blacksmith of its own fortune.

Those thoughts made him walk over to the nearby window, as he allowed some cool air to brush against his face - as the cold air was punctuated with some puffs of hot tobacco smoke. Outside the city of Arkhangelsk was operating in a modest fashion, as it was - people were simply trying to make it day-by-day for the past eight years. Even the meager ruling of over a million people took many hours of work both physical and mental. In this cold north, there was always the need for food to feed the people, clothes to keep the covered and fuel to keep them warm. For such a remote location, one had to give people credit on securing their source of food and ways of clothing themselves.

Although, in these times fuel was harder to come by. While wood could fuel the rural villages and remote locations, for the few cities that existed fuel was needed and rationing and usage of such was always a constant requirement. Not just for the homes, but also for the equipment and machinery that delegated the lives and livelihood of several thousands. Life here was hard, but Yukarev could at least take comfort in the knowledge - that people were able and willing to work together for a common good.

Yukarev knew that things kept on moving beyond these frozen forests and lands - contrary to the ideas, he wasn't an ignorant socialist nor a raving revolutionary. He had no desire, on expanding or using Arkhangelsk to 'bring revolution to the proletariat'. As it was, he neither trusted himself with such power nor the idea, that revolution would bring freedom or equality through suffering. He was too old to believe those ideals anymore - for him, Yukarev was content with the simple knowledge that Arkhangelsk and its people could simply life their lives in peace...and he could also smoke his pipe also in peace.