Matroshki

The Matroshki are the descendants of Skyborn people once known as the Russians, tempered into a rugged culture by their unrelenting environment. They have gradually mixed with the cultural identities off the Novosti, with whom they cohabitated in Meroskva during the Birthright Wars and managed to form a syncretic identity with them in order to ensure stability. As such, Matroshki culture is mostly a fusion of Russian and Novosti.
They are the overwhelming majority population in The Republic of Meroskva, and have significant populations in the Republic of Verreya and The Confederation of Priskipsa.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

There are two major dialects of Matroshki: Vili Matroshki and Nvlini Matroshki. Vili is a much more trill-heavy and rounded accent, and is most common in Meroskva and northern Vastonya. Meanwhile, Nvlini is the more guttural, "rough sounding" accent common in Marvesto and Central Vastonya, and is often stereotyped as the "dim-witted Matroshki grunt".

Shared customary codes and values

Diligence and labour are the most highly respected among the Matroshki. In fact, this has been taken to such a degree as to where young children are expected to mature at a much younger age than other cultures. For instance, if a child hasn't held a respectable profession or noteworthy work by the time they are ten years old, they are often ostracised from their family and considered a failure. Matroshki are so partiicularly harsh on their children during their upbringings that Matroshki are often considered cold or stubborn. The pressures placed on young children has also unfortunately led to quite high suicide rates, to such a degree that the Matroshki still lament the "Lost Generation," of those born during the Continental War and were placed under unfathomable societal pressure, both from Seriphanese conscription and from their own families. Combined with the brutal losses during the war, and Rodanyan scorched earth tactics, Meroskva has yet to fully recover, and this has also led to an even more rigid social pressure.

Common Dress code

Matroshki men typically wear long-sleeved and somewhat loose shirts woven from the indigenous Pytravma plant, which produces notoriously stiff and rough threads. These shirts are often embroidered with hand-sewn pictograms done by older family members, though this practice has sadly been dying out in recent years.
Matroshki women wear similar long-sleeved shirts and embroideries, as well as long, rough and loose black pants suitable for labour in the terraced fields, though dresses are common in the upper classes.

Related Organizations

• The Communal Republics of Lavenna
• The Republic of Meroskva