The Techno-Priesthood of Pyatingrad is a titanic, efficient nation, ruled by Fabricator-General Fyodor Karamov with an iron fist, and renowned for its enslaved workforce, avowedly heterosexual populace, and strictly enforced bedtime. The hard-nosed, cynical, humorless, devout population of 10.815 billion Pyatingradians are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings."

The relatively small, corrupt, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Industry, and Law & Order. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Novosibirska. The average income tax rate is 60.4%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Pyatingradian economy, worth a remarkable 3,905 trillion Ducats a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is an enormous, deeply entrenched, fairly diversified black market in Arms Manufacturing, Information Technology, Tourism, and Beef-Based Agriculture. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is an amazing 361,127 Ducats, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 3.0 times as much as the poorest.

More and more people are signing up for the government party, pro-democracy protesters are shot on sight by state police, fire and brimstone sermons are accompanied by napalm and fragmentation bombs, and no suburban lawn is complete without barbed wire and landmines. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Pyatingrad's national animal is the Servitor, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is The Cult Mechanicus.

Pyatingrad is ranked 330,280^th in the world and 47^th in United Commonwealth for Nicest Citizens, with 0.14 average smiles per day.