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Ruthenia & Galicia
Every magic kingdom has a dark side
Welcome to the Kingdom of Ruthenia and Galicia, Europe’s newest state and the only one whose existence the European Union has had to extensively investigate before admitting as a member. The country which has literally popped into existence somewhere between Poland, Ukraine and Slovakia, and yet is not actually there in a physical sense. The country where the latest census lists 1.7 per cent of the population as non-human or partly human. Welcome to Europe's very own magic kingdom.
54.
2 July, 8:45 AM “Sorry about your head,” said the woman. She was tall, slim – like most of the women around here. Never mind the French;...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Jun 29, 20205 min read
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0 comments
53
2 July, 8:45 AM, Czernograd, “The Czernograd Gazette” newsroom When in need, he turned to every journalist’s best friend: Google. Maciar...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Jun 25, 20208 min read
14 views
0 comments
52.
2 July, 8:30 AM When Jake came to it and opened his eyes, he realised three things, all in a quick succession: he wasn’t in Kansas...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Jun 17, 20203 min read
4 views
0 comments
51.
1 July, 5:15 MP, Czernograd, Hotel Casino It all started with a noise outside Jake’s door. And it all finished with a noise outside...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Jun 15, 20203 min read
5 views
0 comments
50.
1 July, 3:45 PM, Czernograd, the Government Quarter He was tall – taller – at about 5 feet 2 or 3 inches, and thick-set, with strong...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Jun 12, 20207 min read
18 views
0 comments
49.
1 July, 1:30 PM, Czernograd, Pansky Station Pansky Station had been built over a century ago in a style derisively known as “railway...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Jun 9, 20204 min read
8 views
0 comments
48.
1 July, 12:15 PM, Czernograd, 44 Rimsky Street Palec listened to them, sunk in his chair, right hand on the chin, seemingly absorbed by...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Jun 8, 20203 min read
4 views
0 comments
47.
1 July, 12:10 PM, “The Czernograd Gazette” newsroom Igor spent the morning doing the work he was actually paid to do, while thinking all...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Jun 5, 20203 min read
8 views
0 comments
46.
1 July, 12:00 noon, Czernograd, 44 Rimsky Street Halszka would have liked to think that it was her who had the first break, but it was...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Jun 2, 20207 min read
7 views
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45.
1 July, 10:30 AM, Czernograd, Hotel Casino A different day, a different weather outside the window, and a different cop outside his room....
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 31, 20202 min read
7 views
0 comments
44.
1 July, 9:00 AM, “The Czernograd Gazette” newsroom There was another message on his desk, and this time he suspected the meeting would...
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 28, 20203 min read
2 views
0 comments
43.
30 June, 5:10 PM, Czernograd, Hotel Casino There is the early local news on the TV halfway through the bulletin, a half empty can of Coke...
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 26, 20202 min read
3 views
0 comments
42.
30 June, 2:45 PM, Czernograd, Police Station Number 5 Maciejewicz was there, behind his desk, as if he has not moved more than a few...
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 25, 20206 min read
2 views
0 comments
41.
30 June, 2:00 PM, Czernograd, 44 Rimsky Street When Halszka got back to the office from a quick lunch, there was an email sitting at the...
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 24, 20208 min read
14 views
0 comments
40.
30 June, 1:00 PM, Czernograd, the Surovy District, Fitz’s Fritz’s was a little dive, a block away from the riverfront, south of the...
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 21, 202011 min read
2 views
0 comments
39.
30 June, 12:45 PM, Stare Duszki Jake and Marina retraced their way back to the village, followed this time all the way by low clouds....
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 20, 20207 min read
6 views
0 comments
38.
30 June, 12:30 PM, “The Czernograd Gazette” newsroom His phone went off. The newsroom, an open plan office nightmare like a battery farm...
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 19, 20201 min read
2 views
0 comments
37.
30 June, 8:30 AM, Czernograd, the Niski district He woke up and he didn’t know where he was. It wasn’t his hotel room. This one was...
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 18, 20204 min read
3 views
0 comments
36.
“An old soldier coming down, Coming down to town. All young soldier boys Salute and stand your ground.” “The Ballad of the Old Soldier”,...
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 17, 20205 min read
5 views
0 comments
35.
29 June, midnight, Czernograd, the Prazsky Park district After they left the club –he still did not know if the place had a name and he...
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 15, 202011 min read
2 views
0 comments
34.
29 June, 10:00 PM, Czernograd, the Wolski district He glanced at his watch. It was now just past 10 and over an hour into the night. The...
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 12, 202015 min read
6 views
0 comments
33.
29 June, 7:30 PM, Czernograd, the Old City After she arrived at his room, she gave him a critical look over. Head to feet and then back...
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 11, 20207 min read
10 views
0 comments
32.
29 June, 4:45 PM, Czernograd, the Kranberg district He was in Kranberg within half an hour. The traffic has been particularly heavy at...
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 10, 20203 min read
3 views
0 comments
31.
29 June, 3:12 PM , Czernograd, Hotel Casino With the daylight-saving time taken into consideration, it was a seven-hour difference...
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 9, 20206 min read
1 view
0 comments
30.
29 June, 1:00 PM, Czernograd, Casino Royale Igor had to wait ten minutes for Slavo, the mountain of a man who most days of the week...
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 4, 20205 min read
5 views
0 comments
29.
29 June, 10:15 AM, Czernograd, Hotel Casino “About last night...” he started. “Sorry about all the spooky stuff,” Marina said. “Remember,...
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 3, 20205 min read
1 view
0 comments
28.
Jamie: “So all that stuff about mirrors, that’s bullshit?” Natasha: “Yep.” Jamie: “And garlic?” Natasha: “That too.” Jamie: (laughing)...
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 2, 20205 min read
14 views
0 comments
27.
28 June, 8:10 PM, near Spisz The night sky was clear, and thousands of stars came out, strewn across the firmament like fluorescent sand....
Arthur Chrenkoff
May 1, 202012 min read
3 views
0 comments
26.
28 June, 7:07 PM, “The Czernograd Gazette” newsroom His mobile phone was ringing. “Hello,” he picked it up. The incoming number was...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 28, 20206 min read
3 views
0 comments
25.
28 June, 4:45 PM, near Spisz He survived the whirlwind of introductions and now was trying to survive the whirlwind of hospitality. He...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 27, 20204 min read
7 views
0 comments
24.
28 June, 2:15 PM, “The Czernograd Gazette” newsroom When he got back to the office there was a message pinned with sticky tape to his...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 26, 20204 min read
8 views
0 comments
23.
28 June, 1:30 PM, near Spisz The tabor spread out in an empty field, off the beaten track, literally, with all the vehicles forming a...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 25, 20204 min read
3 views
0 comments
22.
28 June, 1:15 PM, “The Czernograd Gazette” newsroom Gawenda called him back just as he was about to sneak out to pick up a kebab for...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 24, 20206 min read
4 views
0 comments
21.
28 June, 11:10 AM, Stare Duszki “This is it, I guess.” They were standing on a gentle grassy slope, not far from the edge of the water....
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 23, 20209 min read
2 views
0 comments
20.
28 June, 11:00 AM, Czernograd, 44 Rimsky Street Halszka Saint-Germain-Bukowski leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes and ran her hand...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 22, 20205 min read
5 views
0 comments
19.
28 June, 9:30 AM, “The Czernograd Gazette” newsroom When they finally arrived via email, the statements, one from the police, the other...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 19, 20204 min read
3 views
0 comments
18.
“The first written mention of Ruthenian Gypsies appears in ‘The Chronicles of the Princes of Czernograd’, a manuscript written down the...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 18, 20204 min read
7 views
0 comments
17.
27 June, 3:00 PM, Czernograd, Hotel Casino On the way back to the hotel from lunch Jake thought he was being followed. He could have...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 17, 20202 min read
5 views
0 comments
16.
27 June, 1:20 PM, “The Czernograd Gazette” newsroom Googling Mathias Maciar, perhaps unsurprisingly, did not return any useful...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 15, 20207 min read
2 views
0 comments
15.
27 June, 1:10 PM, Czernograd, Krakovska Avenue “The ashes...” He looked up from his plate. He has again chosen a safe option: spicy...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 14, 20203 min read
7 views
0 comments
14.
27 June, 12:35 PM, “The Czernograd Gazette” newsroom Igor only started firing up after the fourth coffee of the day, brought up in a tall...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 13, 20204 min read
1 view
0 comments
13.
“If you consider travelling with children, be advised that a much shorter trip to the Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter at...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 12, 20203 min read
5 views
0 comments
Why Ruthenia and Galicia?
What's in the name? "Ruthenia & Galicia", like my first novel "Night Trains", started with a dream. I dreamed that I was looking at a...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 12, 20204 min read
127 views
0 comments
12.
26 June, 4:00 PM, “The Czernograd Gazette” newsroom “...The police are continuing their investigations and are expected to issue a...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 10, 20202 min read
23 views
0 comments
11.
26 June, 12:00 PM, Czernograd, Old Market Square Jake did not tell Marina that someone got into his hotel room the previous night and...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 9, 20205 min read
7 views
0 comments
10.
26 June, 10:00 AM, Czernograd, Police Station Number 5 Marina waited for him downstairs in the lobby at 10 o’clock as agreed, reading a...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 8, 20205 min read
11 views
0 comments
9.
26 June, 7:15 AM, Czernograd, King Nicholas Bridge It took him about five minutes to get there, speeding through the pre-rush hour...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 7, 20205 min read
4 views
0 comments
8.
26 June, 7:05 AM, Czernograd, the Rawicz district The phone kept ringing and Igor Svoboda, suspended somewhere in the netherworld between...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 6, 20203 min read
9 views
0 comments
7.
25 June, 7:00 PM, Czernograd, the Old Town “I would recommend pracuszki,” she said. “It’s a local speciality, made from sheep liver and...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 5, 20208 min read
11 views
0 comments
10 Things to Do in Ruthenia and Galicia
As difficult it is to pick only a handful of recommendations, we have asked five intrepid travel bloggers and industry experts for their...
Arthur Chrenkoff
Apr 5, 20203 min read
16 views
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