Ukraine—Mavka [Catherine the Great's reign, 1762-1796]


They called her Catherine the Great. No surprise. Mavkas can be very charming.

To her brother Russia, she was indeed a great ruler. She gave him the tools to successfully face his enemies and helped him make friends in Europe. But that was not the side Ukraine got.

You see, there is one easy way to unmask a mavka: you only need to watch their back. They don't have it. You will find their bare spine and see her insides. It will not be easy, because they don't want their victims to run away and do all kind of tricks and say all kinds of excuses not to show it. But you must try, your life depends on it.

Ukraine wished she had been able to see Catherine's hidden side before, when she showed up at her house, telling her with a smile on her face that she was Poland's subject no more and now she could be with Russia again, when that succubus kissed her on both cheeks and embraced her tight.

Catherine claimed she was what France liked to call enlightened. She loved art, literature, music, and encouraged those. She gave the nations under her care a lot of high culture to study and encouraged them to produce it.

But Ukraine, on the other hand, she made her work restlessly on the fields, to feed all of them with her wheat. And with the recent conquests, including everything she had ripped from Poland and Turkey, there were many mouths to feed. Complaining or even making suggestions about it was not an option. Ukraine learned it the hard way. For an spectator, Catherine was just tickling her to help her forget her tiredness and lift her spirits...But to Ukraine, her fingers felt like daggers piercing through her torso, bringing her pain, leaving her out of breath, until she collapsed on the floor. After which Catherine would look at her from above, like one would look at a disgusting worm, and say: "Back to work." Because she was not Russia. She was something she had conquered, a jewel for Russia's crown. No one wastes kindness on objects. No one gives their work tools a break or apologizes for making them do what they are supposed to.

They said that mavkas were spirits who had a tragic story behind, and they pitied her for her unhappy marriage, for being a woman in a world of men. Fool who pities a mavka! Ukraine saw and knew, of her ambitions, of her repression...

Did no one really see what she was? Was she only that way with her? Because she had seen the secrets she kept?

But no one would listen to her. Russia took it personally that she dared to insult such a nice woman. Catherine knew of her attempts, and called them 'ridiculous tantrums'.

"You think you deserve more because you are the oldest sister...You are worth nothing. You are only good for pulling weed, too stupid to take care of yourself. Poland has treated you too kindly. You need discipline, girl."

That and worse she said to her. And all she said it like mavkas kill: with a lovely smile.