The Bank of Zvonomir (officially the Central Bank of the Prophet Zvonomir) is the central banking institution of the Divine Republic of Kresimiria. Named after the Prophet Zvonomir, a central figure in the state religion, it is constitutionally mandated to issue the national currency, the Krejt, manage the state’s gold reserves, and control inflation.
For much of the 20th century, the Bank was the supreme authority on Kresimirian economic policy. It was especially empowered under the administration of Ljubo Sanjakorin, and given major powers in the 1988 State Enterprise Act. However, in recent decades, its influence has significantly waned. Under the administrations of Stoyan Vasilis and later Ari Stov, many of its operational functions were effectively outsourced to state-aligned private entities like STP Credit and YakaSys. Today, critics describe the Bank as a “ceremonial vault,” holding the nation’s gold while the real monetary power resides in the corporate boardrooms of Sinj.
Governor Matej Skoko has frequently clashed with Petar Czyhlarz of STP Credit. Skoko argues that Czyhlarz acts as a “Shadow Governor,” setting interest rates for the economy based on Blue Dawn’s political needs rather than monetary stability.
History
Foundation and Dominance (1921–1990)
The Bank was established in 1921 by the Revolutionary People’s Council to replace the collapsed Vosti Imperial banking system. Its first Governor was appointed by Chancellor Kresimirovic I with the mandate to “forge a currency worthy of the Divine.”
For seventy years, the Bank of Zvonomir exercised total control over the economy. It set strict interest rates, strictly managed foreign capital flows, and financed the state’s early industrialization through direct loans to the Council for Development. It was considered a stronghold of the “Old Guard”—conservative, cautious, and deeply religious.
The Sanjakorin Bypass (1990–2002)
The Bank’s decline began in the 1990s. The government of Blue Dawn leader Ljubo Sanjakorin sought massive capital to fund infrastructure projects like KSO1 and the Republic Rail expansion. The conservative leadership of the Bank of Zvonomir balked at printing money, fearing hyperinflation.
In response, Sanjakorin bypassed the Bank. He authorized the private investment firm STP Credit to issue and manage government bonds. This effectively transferred the control of sovereign debt from the state central bank to a private (though politically connected) institution. By the end of the 1990s, STP Credit was managing the majority of the state’s liquid assets, leaving the Bank of Zvonomir as a mere regulator.
Vasilis (2002-2013)
Stoyan Vasilis continued this pattern, outsourcing development projects in rural areas to private local banks.
The Stov Era and Digitization (2013–Present)
The marginalization of the Bank accelerated under Ari Stov. With the 2015 Digital Vigilance Act, the Republic transitioned toward the “Digital Krejt.”
Stov argued that the Bank of Zvonomir lacked the technical expertise to manage a digital currency. Consequently, the contract for the digital ledger infrastructure was awarded to YakaSys, while the transaction clearinghouse role was given to STP Credit. The Bank of Zvonomir retains the theoretical right to set monetary policy, but it lacks the technical levers to enforce it within the digital ecosystem controlled by Stov’s corporate allies.
Functions and Structure
The Governor
The Bank is led by a Governor appointed by the Chancellor for a ten-year term. The current Governor is Dr. Matej Skoko, an elderly academic from Karlovac University. Skoko is a vocal critic of the “corporate takeover” of the currency but has been powerless to stop it.
Gold Reserves
The Bank maintains the “Vault of the Prophet” beneath its headquarters in Sinj. It holds the Republic’s strategic gold reserves. This physical wealth is one of the few remaining levers of power the Bank holds, as it provides the ultimate backing for the Krejt.
Interest Rates
The Bank meets monthly to set the “Base Rate.” However, since Maj Holdings and STP Credit dominate the lending market, they often set commercial rates independently of the Bank’s guidance, rendering the official rate largely symbolic.
Relationship with the State
The Bank is technically independent but constitutionally subservient to the Council for Growth and Agriculture. In recent years, the Council has frequently overruled the Bank’s recommendations on inflation targeting to favor the export needs of the agricultural sector in Ravna Skrad.
Various Blue Dawn senators have campaigned to restore the Bank’s independence, arguing that handing monetary control to private companies like STP Credit invites massive corruption. Conversely, Vjetrusa, BD leader Ari Stov and most CRF senators generally support the current arrangement, viewing the Bank of Zvonomir as an obsolete relic of the theocratic past.