Ravna Skrad is a major city and federal district in the center-south of the Divine Republic of Kresimiria. Like the capital Sinj, the metropolitan area of Ravna Skrad constitutes the entirety of its electoral district (District VII), giving it the same status as Sinj.
The city is home to the Ravna Skrad Zvonomir University (commonly known as Skrad Uni). Originally an agricultural college, it has grown into a major research hub.
Ravna Skrad is the logistical hub of the nation’s agricultural sector. It sits on the strategic fault line between the Kresimirian heartland to the north and the Bosken-majority district of Moraviskameja to the south.
This geographic position has made the city a perennial flashpoint. It was the site of the decisive Siege of Ravna Skrad during the Unification War and the tragic 1953 Market Bombing. Today, it is known for its vibrant political culture, serving as the home of the the liberal newspaper the Civic Post, satirical newspaper The Early Bird Chronicle, and the Ravna Skrad Zvonomir University.
History
The Fortress of the Plains (1918–1921)
Originally a Vosti trading post, the city’s strategic value was cemented during the Kresimirian Unification War. In the winter of 1920, the Centralist Faction forces under General Loncar laid siege to the city, which was then held by the Eastern Pravoslavic Confederacy.
The Siege of Ravna Skrad lasted six months. The eventual Centralist victory broke the back of the Confederacy and opened the road to the south. The city was incorporated into the Republic with a “Special Status of Divinity,” honoring the Kresimirian soldiers who died breaching its walls.
The Trauma of 1953
On June 5, 1953, the city was devastated by a terrorist attack. BRC-21 operatives detonated a bomb in the crowded Unity Market Hall, killing nine civilians.
The bombing transformed the city’s politics for a generation. Under the leadership of local Senator Davor Banit (Sons of Kresimir), Ravna Skrad became a fortress of hardline nationalism. City ordinances were passed banning Bosken traders from the markets, and the city became the staging ground for Chancellor Kresimirovic II’s crackdown on the south.
The Pavlovic Transformation (1972–1999)
The city’s identity shifted dramatically in the 1970s with the rise of Mia Marija Pavlovic. Elected as a Senator for the Civic Renewal Front (CRF) in 1972, Pavlovic challenged the nationalist hegemony.
She argued that Ravna Skrad’s future lay in trade, not war. Under her stewardship, the city reopened its markets to southern goods following the Treaty of Brod Moravice. This economic liberalization turned Ravna Skrad into a cosmopolitan hub of commerce and independent media, birthing the satirical Early Bird Chronicle.
Geography and Economy
Ravna Skrad is an “Agro-Metropolis.” While it is a dense urban center, its economy is almost entirely dedicated to the processing, packaging, and distribution of food produced in the surrounding plains. There is also a prominent university district, home to the many thousands of students.
The Market District (Trznica)
The center of the city is dominated by the Unity Market Hall, rebuilt in a modernist style after the 1953 bombing. It is the largest indoor market in Kresimiria. Surrounding it are miles of warehouses, grain silos, and food processing plants managed by the National Grain Trust (NGT).
- The Smell of Bread: Locals joke that you can tell the time of day by the smell of the city—yeast in the morning from the industrial bakeries, roasted coffee in the afternoon from the trading houses.
The Southern Gate
The city sits on the King’s Road, the primary artery connecting Sinj to Brod Moravice. As the last major city before the internal border with District X, it hosts a massive logistics sector. Maj Logistics maintains its secondary headquarters here to manage cross-border freight.
Politics
Ravna Skrad is one of the most competitive political districts in the Republic. It is often said, “As Ravna Skrad goes, so goes the Assembly.”
- The Swing Vote: The population is evenly divided between the conservative “Old City” families (who support Blue Dawn) and the liberal merchant class (who support the CRF).
- Current Representation: In the 2022 election, the district split its ticket.
- Zoran Pesic (Blue Dawn) retained one seat, appealing to the security-conscious older generation.
- Drazen Horvat (CRF) won the second seat, campaigning on removing trade barriers with the south.
Culture and Media
The City of Satire
Ravna Skrad is the home of The Early Bird Chronicle. The newspaper’s headquarters, known as “The Sparrow’s Nest,” sits directly on Market Square. The city has a thriving coffee-house culture where reading the Chronicle and debating politics is a weekly ritual. This atmosphere of skepticism makes the city hostile territory for political dogma; rallies by the Civic Renewal Front or the Sons of Kresimir are often met with heckling rather than applause.
Gastronomy
As the food capital, the city is famous for Skradska Pie (a meat and potato pie) and holds the annual Harvest Festival, where the Kresimirian Brandy producers from the region showcase their “Gold Label” reserves.