For my main series “Totalitarian football” I’m going to be managing the made up club CSKA Aransk in the made up post-Soviet totalitarian Communist nation of Bordavia. I have covered the creation process in a series called “Creating Club and Country”:

1. The birth of a nation
2. Location, location, location
3. The Club
4. Crest and Kit
5. Building Bordavia

The idea from the beginning was for CSKA Aransk to get invited into the Russian league system, where most of the adventure would take place. I was going to create a Bordavian league, but only the top tier, as a backdrop. However, after a literal hurricane of interest in getting involved in this adventure the idea took a turn into something completely different. Over 60 people have reached out and contributed with ideas for towns and clubs and stories. Bordavia has turned into a mystic but rather grim nation, full of quirks, stories and lore. I fell in love with both the commitment shown by you and the nation of Bordavia, which has lead to the creation process of an entire Bordavian database. This has been a real team effort, which I have enjoyed massively, but it has also meant that I haven’t had much time to write blog posts or record YT videos. Therefore I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone, by sharing stories from the nation of Bordavia up until the db release around Christmas.

If you want to read the other stories you can find them here.

Today’s tale comes from Just Me Aloo, one of the most frequent contributors to this project, and tells the story of the rise and fall of both a family and football.

General Ivan – A Story and Interview: Part 1

Written By Eloy Oñate For Gibraltar Chronicle

DISCLAIMER: Because of the sensitivity of the topics and the References used, we have chosen to use a pen name for the author of the article. Any problems, queries and other issues to be forwarded to The Editor, Gibraltar Chronicle.

Birth And Early Years

Many would be mistaken and rightly so to assume that the General was born in then called Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. A little digging done into the life of the General and one would discover that he was born in the city known as the Capital of German Art, Munich on April 13th, 1936. He was born to a Swedish Mother, Maj-Gun Lennartsson and a Polish Father, Alojzy Sitko, the latter of whom had moved to Germany in preparation for the 11th Olympic Games where he was representing his country in Football. The boy was named Ivan Lans Lennartsson after Danish Fencer and a good friend of the family Ivan Osiier. Due to his father’s heavy involvement in sports in general and football in particular, Ivan Lans Lennartsson was introduced to the sport at a very young age.

Late 50s – Records In Russia

Little is known about the family’s whereabouts until 1955 when we see in papers in USSR that a young Ivan has blossomed to the footballing world making his debut for footballing giants CSKA Moscow. These reports continue throughout the 1950s and into the 60s. It is during this period that he marries his first wife Marinina Vitalievna and subsequently get their first child, Ignacy Lennartsson in 1960.

The 60s and a Scandal

It is 1962 and Ivan is at the peak of his career, playing excellent football and attracting interest from European footballing giants, Real Madrid, Tottenham, Liverpool, Inter Milan and a few West German teams. The General’s wife was expectant with their second child and life was better than ever for him. Well, at least until the evening of August 26th. Ivan’s neighbour in Moscow, Lidia Alekseevna, had come to check on the expectant mother who was due any time then. She found the door open and therefore, let herself in. Lo and Behold! Lidia was met with the most gruesome image of her life… Marinina, the General’s wife, was on the floor lying in a pool of blood. Beside her was Ivan, crouched and holding a knife. His clothes,face and hair stained red with blood, tears cascading down his face while he uttered the phrase, “Was habe ich gemacht!” (What have I done!). Lidia went ballistic and ran from the house and into the streets wailing, “On eto sdelal! On sdelal yeye, kak zver’!” (He has done it! He has done her up like a beast!) This of course attracted several people who rushed to the scene of the incident only to find that Ivan had fled…

This was the thirteenth “Tale from Bordavia” and I’d like to thank Just Me Aloo for his great contribution. There will be a new one every day leading up to Christmas. I hope you’ll enjoy these little stories and that they will spark an interest large enough to follow my main series “Totalitarian Football” and maybe even try the database when it comes out!?

I stream my “Building Bordavia” creation process on Twitch on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Come hang out and say hi!

I also upload episodes about the creation process to my YouTube channel. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss any content!