The Novosibirsk Riots were a series of riots that occurred in the Novosibirsk Metro, and quickly escalated into a full-fledged civil war that wiped out most of the Metro population.
Prelude[]
When the war broke out, much of the population of Novosibirsk sought refuge in the city's metro system, and came under the command of OSKOM, a local military unit. Despite shielding them from the initial bombing, however, the Metro was too shallow to offer significant protection against radiation. This problem was exacerbated as the city had been struck with a cobalt bomb, forcing the survivors to rely on regular doses of the anti-radiation drug Radioprotector, known colloquially as "Green Stuff."
By 2035, 6 month before the Aurora crew arrival. the drug, as well as supplies in general, began to run out. OSKOM began preparing for the evacuation of personnel and civilians out of Novosibirsk, while sending out stalkers to search the local sat-com center for a radiation map that would, hopefully, reveal a clean zone that the survivors could settle. This endeavour yielded little result, however, and as time went by OSKOM was forced to confiscate the excess green stuff from citizens.
This, combined with the secrecy surrounding the evacuation plans, led some residents to draw the conclusion that OSKOM was planning to abandon the civilians, a sentiment that was only inflamed when word got out that the leadership would be evacuated first.
The Riots[]
Rioter guns down OSKOM member
What began as a series of riots quickly escalated into a full-fledged civil war between OSKOM and the Metro population. While OSKOM were better armed than the rioters, even building a makeshift tank, they appear to have been heavily outnumbered. The conflict led to heavy casualties on both sides. While OSKOM mowed down waves of rioters, their lines of defenses were eventually overwhelmed.
Eventually, both the OSKOM soldiers and the rioters were gassed at Sibirskaya where the final battle took place 3 months before the Aurora crew arrival. As the OSKOM high-command betrayed their soldiers and evacuated without them, reasoning that there was only enough green stuff for a few. General Vinogradov, who had been part of the conspiracy, was disgruntled over being left behind. After a brief struggle with Colonel Khlebnikov when the colonel learned of the general being complicit in the gas attack, Vinogradov was informed by Petrov that his son Seryoga Vinogradov had died in the fighting. Distraught, he ordered his remaining men including Petrov to intercept the train and destroy it with an RPG, before committing suicide. They were presumably successful in destroying the train, as no sign of OSKOM is encountered at Lake Baikal, their intended destination. With Vinogradov's suicide after the chemical attack and the deaths of the conspirators, OSKOM claimed victory, but collapsed due to the deaths of ranking leaders.
Aftermath[]
Following the destruction of OSKOM, the residents of the Metro continued to survive for a short amount of time. However, between fires, most notably one that destroyed the farms at Krasny Prospekt, mutant attacks, and the loss of most of the remaining radioprotector, the metro residents quickly dwindled, leading to desperate struggles for even the most basic of anti-radiation protection and resources.
By December of 2035, nearly all of the Metro's population has been wiped out. The once populated stations have became infested with mutants, particularly Nosalis. The only two known survivors of the conflict are Colonel Khlebnikov and his son, Kirill. Khlebnikov participated in the fighting. The circumstances caused by the riot and betrayals aftermath would indirectly lead to his own death by radiation poisoning.