Molvanîa
Molvanîa is a book parodying travel guides. The guide describes the fictional country Molvanîa, a post-Soviet state, a nation described as "the birthplace of the whooping cough" and "owner of Europe's oldest nuclear reactor". It was created by Australians Tom Gleisner, Santo Cilauro and Rob Sitch. Along with the other Jetlag Travel volumes, 2004's Phaic Tăn and 2006's San Sombrèro, the book parodies both the language of heritage tourism and the legacy of colonialism and imperialism. Keith Vaz criticised the book for exploiting prejudices.
History
The book became a surprise success after its initial publication in Australia, sparking a bidding war for the international publication rights. Qantas has even run the half-hour video segment produced in association with the book on its international flights.Following its success, a follow-up book was published: Traditional Molvanian Baby Names: With Meanings, Derivations and Probable Pronunciations.
About Molvanîa
The Republic of Molvanîa is a composite of many of the worst stereotypes and clichés about former Eastern Bloc and post-Soviet states. The exact location of Molvanîa is never specified; it is said to border around Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The shape of the country with its divisions strongly suggests Moldova, and the name has similarities. The book mentions Bulgarians, Hungarians, and perhaps Moldovans as its inhabitants: "The Molvanian population is made up of three major ethnic groups: the Bulgs who live predominantly in the centre and south, the Hungars who inhabit the northern cities, and the Molvs who can be found mainly in prison."The book describes the nation as having been a desolate barren-like wasteland for much of its history, similar to Russia since the 12th century, torn by civil war and ethnic unrest. Eventually Molvanîa's various warring factions were united as a single kingdom, ruled by a series of cruel despotic kings. In the late 19th century the monarchy was overthrown, but the royal family remained popular in exile. During World War II the country was allied with Nazi Germany, and then afterwards was occupied by the Soviet Union, who set up a Communist puppet government. After the fall of European Communism in the 1990s, the country became a dictatorship run by a corrupt government with heavy ties to the Mafia.
Molvanîa is described as a very poor and rural country, heavily polluted and geographically barren. The infrastructure is terrible, with necessities such as electricity, clean water, and indoor plumbing being rare finds, largely due to bureaucratic incompetence. Though the travel guide tries to suggest otherwise, there is little to do in the country; the hotels are tiny, filthy and dilapidated, the ethnic cuisine disgusting, and the "tourist attractions" boring and overpriced.
The Molvanîan people are portrayed as being generally rude, dirty, and at times slightly psychotic, with numerous bizarre and illogical beliefs and traditions. The country's patron saint is Fyodor.