Culture of Albany
The culture of Albany is varied and rich. Historically, the area is famous for its incredible melting pot immigration policies, incorporating a mix of upper New Yorker, Quebecois and Turkish customs. Alongside this, the effects of the political sphere of eastern North America show in Albany's varied and original architecture; from its humble beginnings as a New York colony, to its current existence as a socialist duchy. These political effects also branded their way into Albany's overall history and culture, adding to the resilient spirit that encompasses the Hudson Valley.
Eras
Pre-Albanian Era (Mid 2018 - February 2021)
- Several shacks and townhouses existed in the area which is now Albany. Some of these have been preserved.
Colonial Era (February 2021)
- The majority of the Hudson Valley is colonized by New York. This expedition is led by AdrianHES.
Growth Era (Early March 2021)
- Albanian society grows rapidly, expanding westward and dominating the Hudson River's west shore.
Wartime Era (Late March - Early June 2021)
- The Cold War between the USA and the NAP escalates. Claimblocks lead to increased urbanization and social decay in Albany.
Decline Era (Mid June - Mid August 2021)
- The Cold War causes extreme social lethargy in Albany. Following Rawhide leaks, Adrian flees to Vienna. Albany slowly dies.
Reclamation Era (Late August - October 2021)
- Following Albany's death, the town is reclaimed by Adrian. It is under the Quebec government.
Socialist Era (November 2021 - Present)
- The creation of the Solidarity Party and the STAR Alliance leads to socialist policies in Albany. The area becomes a duchy and de facto city state.
Albanian Architecture
The architecture of Albany consists of two major theories: Pre-Reclamation and Post-Reclamation.
Pre-Reclamation (February - August 2021)
This design theory is generally simplistic, square shapes, built for the purpose of functionality and compression. Occasional misfits consist of General's Tower and the KayleeRoseee Building, and while these aren't necessarily square, they lack the detailed craftsmanship of other American buildings, and are all built by hand with no schematics. A large portion of Pre-Reclamation buildings can be considered Brutalist or Minimalist.
Post-Reclamation (August 2021 - Present)
This design theory incorporates a mix of Stalinist, baroque and European architectures, indicating a shift away from functionality and more towards aesthetic appeal. There are few Post-Reclamation buildings, but some are under construction. This new ideology can also be seen in the Solidarity Party's planned Quebec State Bank, which will be based on the Moskovsky Station building. Other examples of Post-Reclamation include the now almost totally destroyed Adrian's Wall.
Languages
Historically, the languages of the peoples of Albany has been varied, but primarily dominated by English. To a lesser degree, Turkish is spoken, as well as French, as per the policy of the Quebecois government. Turkish is due to the Turkish Boom, in which many Turks were active in the world. The Turkish Boom, and the subsequent immigration of many Turks to Albany led to the creation of Turk Alley, also known as Little Istanbul.
In March 2021, prior to the peak of the Turkish Boom, Albany enacted several anti-Turk and anti-Chinese policies, also known as the Sundown Policies. In these policies, English became the official language of Albany, and the political persecution of Turkish and Chinese people crept into the propaganda of the region. Russian was also a targeted language. This was due to mayor Adrian Volkov attempting to capitalize on the mass-hate for Turkish people by offering a safe, English-only suburban haven with no Turks. However, due to a want of rapid expansion, these policies were ended and Adrian apologized to the Turkish people. Afterwards, Turks began to flock to Albany and loved the area.
Politics
Historically, the freedom of political thought in Albany has been in a strangled state since the onset of the Cold War. Now, after shifting allegiences from the USA to Quebec, support of the Quebec Solidarity Party and of the Emperor Hodin is not mandatory but heavily encouraged. Freedom of speech and of political opinion exists, but to hold power and earn benifits, citizens must show support of the Solidarity Party and the government of Prime Minister Adrian. Albany exists as a constitution-less city-state, and Adrian is considered the eternal mayor of the town. The government of Albany, much like other areas in North America, is a de facto oligarchy that imposes socialist policies. However, efforts to increase the size of government are expected soon.
The political demographics of Albany show that the majority of citizens are left-of-center. Generally, most citizens have held a disdain for the Cold War, though they do not favor one player over the other. Quebecois Nationalism and Quebec Ethnofascism is also rampant in Albany, due in part to the regime of Quebec Prime Minister AdrianHES.
Religion
Albany's religions consist mainly of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Melonism, Pissism and Neo-Fixism, the latter of which is the State Religion of Albany. A protestant Christian church exists in Albany, and temples for Judaism, Neo-Fixism and Pissism are planned to be built at some point in the future. Albany's government is pro-religion, but mandates Neo-Fixism to be recognized as a valid religion. Albany's government is also negative towards Sunflowerism.
High ranking members of Albanian society are buried at the West Grove Memorial Cemetary after death.
Food
Food of Albany generally consists of the Philadelphian Peasant Diet - bread, carrots and beets. This diet was carried over from its Philadelphian founder, who ate, grew and sold these three items. Steak and chicken are common meats. Due to harsh conditions in the Hudson River, fish is a rarity and delicacy of Albany.
Commerce
The commerce of Albany is primarily conducted through material bartering. Even in the pre-socialist era, most shops in Albany were state-controlled, like the now-defunct Albany General Store/Gift Shop.