Heavy snowfall from Winter Storm Euclid

Snowy trees and shrubbery line the banks of the treacherous 
Yongkwa River as it rushes past Honggang and Cape Sansit.

Yurtyzstan received snowfall in excess of a foot as Winter Storm Euclid passed over the region last night.

The snow arrives as Yurtyzstan focuses on the provisional government's Construction and Infrastructure Initiative, an effort to quickly rebuild Yurtyzstani settlements to allow for undivided focus on cultural and agricultural development throughout next year. Though reaction to the new snow has been mostly positive, it will provide a considerable setback for workers clearing paths through the depths of the forest. Multiple settlements suffered serious damage, among them the capital of Yurtpyitaw.

Departure from collectivism: a new form of civil cohesion in Yurtyzstan

As the nation rearranges itself following July’s governmental collapse and the four-month reunification, it has become apparent that the Yurtyzstani demographic has changed considerably. The Yurtyzstani people have become more individualistic, more creative and intellectual -- as a result, nationalist spirit and physical development are no longer sufficient to hold the nation together, as it has been in our past. There are some in Yurtyzstan, members of the rapidly receding ‘old left’, who wish to continue to pursue this state-enforced collectivism; as I will demonstrate, however, this is not the right path for our nation to follow.

Yurteel Day 2011 was a day of great rejoice and excitement. The Yurtyzstan-Longhouse War had finally drawn to a close after more than a month of feeble stick-waving and sprinting through mud. Though initially the conflict had been appealing, for the Yurtyzstani nation had been re-awakened in February and thus was hungering for a chance to prove its strength, Yurtyzstanis had now learned their lesson with regards to micronational warfare. This, combined with my campaign as the uncontested candidate for Supreme Potentate in the Yurteel Day elections, would have created the perfect conditions for a political and cultural renaissance. Given proper recognition of the rights -- and value -- of the individual, the yoke of autocracy could have finally been thrown and national cultural dialogue could have begun in earnest.

Cultural significance of yurt-building in Yurtyzstan

Yurtyzstan has suffered a fair amount of criticism in the past for our construction of yurts. It has been called “silly”, derided as an activity not reflective of seriousness or adequate cultural development. I certainly do not hold any grudges against our critics in this area; I merely hope to show that yurt-building is in fact a deeply cultural affair.

I need not remind former members of the Organisation of Active Micronations that Yurtyzstan has had a thoroughly immature past. (I believe it perhaps a bit pretentious, as well as premature, to say that Yurtyzstan has now reached a zenith of sophistication -- but certainly I hope it can be said that we have made much cultural progress over the past year.) Without any sort of true cultural cohesion other than clumsy North Korean simulationism, we had only physical activities to hold the nation together. Being situated in a forest, the next natural step was to utilise the materials available to create standing structures.

However, as our culture has gained a much higher level of thoughtfulness, the yurt remains ubiquitous and much-loved by the Yurtyzstani people. We have not, to any extent, retained the mask-wearing, war-mongering immaturity of the better part of 2011; therefore, I believe this demonstrates that the yurt has become an integral part of our national identity. In combination with some other elements, it provides us with originality. It serves as a central tenet of Yurtyzstani nationalism; among all model states, few (if any) demonstrate this level of physical development in conjunction with cultural maturity.

Yurtyzstan celebrates snow festival

A small offering in New Pyongyang.

From December 21-28, Yurtyzstan is celebrating the Snow Festival.

The Snow Festival, known as hrwijichi (쉬지치) in the Yurtyzstani language, commences on the date of the winter solstice and lasts for one week. It is one of four Yurtyzstani seasonal holidays, the others being the Bright Colour Festival (autumn), Warmth Festival (summer), and Blossom Festival (spring).

Unlike the other three seasonal festivals, the Snow Festival is marked by solemnity and remembrance. The Yurtyzstani seasonal festivals are set in opposition to the general social environment during the season in which each takes place; as winter is generally Yurtyzstanis' favourite season, the gravity of the holiday tempers the joyful mood.

In pictures: New Pyongyang in winter

The East Yurtyzstan Technical University, New Pyongyang, one of several state-run science and engineering colleges established by Dr. Yurt Myaung-hye. Yurtyzstani universities usually serve primarily as venues for intellectual discussion while also granting researched degrees; the EYTU system focuses on vocational training programmes such as Urban Planning and Construction.

Footsteps leading into Yurtyzstani territory and down New Pyongyang's Saenuri Avenue, not yet cleared of snow. The street was named for Mao Zedong when Yurtyzstan was under single-party rule.