The history of Lostisland, a remarkable journey from a simple game to an international organization and a global sovereignty, began on July 2, 2008, when a Russian schoolgirl embarked on her first venture into the world of roleplay games. She created lostisland.clan.su, a text-based forum game centered around an expedition to a remote and enigmatic island in the vast ocean. Little did anyone know what this humble beginning would eventually evolve into. Even the game’s administrators, who abandoned the site less than six months after its founding, couldn’t have foreseen its future.

However, fate had other plans for Lostisland’s history. By a stroke of luck, while randomly exploring the Internet, a Russian violinist named Yaroslav Mar stumbled upon a link to the game. Yaroslav Mar, who would later become the President of the Federal Republic of Lostisland, discovered this link in a forum user’s signature, on a forum he had never visited before and would rarely visit again. Although the link disappeared from the signature a few days later, Yaroslav Mar had already clicked on it and, contrary to his usual principles, applied for a moderator’s position. When, after three months, the original administration abandoned the game, Yaroslav Mar managed to establish contact with the game’s creator and assumed responsibility for both the game and the website. This marked the beginning of a remarkable journey that would transform Lostisland into what it is today.

Having heard of similar entities before, Mar and his friend embarked on creating what is commonly known as a “new nation project” – an informal association with the ambition to establish a new country. Recognizing the practical impossibility of establishing an actual nation-state, they decided that the new Lostisland would primarily be a cultural and social endeavor, rather than a political one. It would be a nation, albeit without the trappings of real sovereignty, founded on principles of freedom and democracy – a natural evolution from the original roleplay game. And so, the work began in earnest.

From September 1st to 4th, 2010, days that are now celebrated in Lostisland as the “anniversary of independence,” the foundations of the new Lostisland were laid. These included the Constitution, the Flag, the Coat of Arms, and, notably, the pride of Lostisland – its National Anthem, composed by Stepan Ignatyev especially for this purpose. The project was officially rebranded as the “Republic of Lostisland,” emphasizing its democratic and people-oriented nature.

According to the Constitution, the two game admins assumed the roles of Captains Regent – equal in their authority as both Heads of State and Government, a term akin to the co-governors of the Republic of San Marino. Initially, the Captains Regent were envisioned to serve for life, but this was later amended to a six-year term, after which new leaders would be elected.

With these foundational elements in place, a dedicated “citizenship application” form was added to the new Lostisland website. People from various walks of life began to join the project – some drawn by its eccentricity, others seeking new experiences, and some simply for the fun of it. On October 23, 2010, the first Certificate of Citizenship was signed by the Captains Regent and subsequently sent to the recipient. This marked the commencement of a new era for Lostisland.

The idea of claiming an existing private land plot was quickly dismissed due to its potential to be perceived as separatist. The more favorable option was to find an unclaimed land plot and declare symbolic “sovereignty” over it. However, this posed a challenge as there are no unclaimed lands in the world, as is widely known.

A solution to this predicament came from Dr. Ilya Pakhomov, a friend of the Captains Regent. Dr. Pakhomov pointed to Hunter Island, a volcanic islet in the South Pacific. Due to its remote location and lack of essential resources, including fresh water, Hunter Island remained uninhabited. Notably, it had not been listed as a territory in any official documents following the dissolution of the New Hebrides Condominium. (Although, later it would become a disputed territory between France and Vanuatu.)

After careful consideration, it was decided that the Republic of Lostisland would declare itself a nation on Hunter Island. This decision, however, was not a bid for territorial expansion or an attempt to assert traditional notions of statehood. Lostisland, from its inception, had always been a global sovereignty whose authority stemmed from the collective will and self-identification of its citizens, rather than from territorial claims.

The symbolic territorial “claims” of Lostisland are, therefore, to be regarded as part of its cultural heritage, emphasizing the unique concept of sovereignty. Lostisland’s sovereignty lies in its commitment to ideals of freedom, democracy, and cultural exchange, rather than traditional notions of territorial acquisition. It remains neutral in the territorial dispute between France and Vanuatu, as it aligns with Lostisland’s non-political, cultural, and social nature.

In 2011, the founders of Lostisland could not have foreseen that, in a little over a year, the Lostislandic flag would be flying just one mile from Hunter Island. However, as anyone familiar with Lostislandic history can attest, Lostisland has a tendency to defy conventional expectations and redefine the concept of sovereignty.

The history of Lostisland wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging one of its most remarkable endeavors—the Expedition to Hunter Island. In April 2012, just a day after the Reunion, a proposal to establish the Ministry of Transport was submitted to the Captains Regent, with the ambitious goal of providing regular transportation to and from Hunter Island. Once approved, Martin Legof, a captain boasting over 20 years of navigational experience and the newly appointed Minister of Transport of Lostisland, took charge of this extraordinary project.

Preparations for this unprecedented campaign—a maritime expedition to Hunter Island—commenced in earnest. The ambitious plan called for a yacht, belonging to the Ministry of Transport, to set sail from the New Zealand harbor of Kerikeri in early July 2012. The expedition was expected to reach Hunter Island in approximately six days. Their mission included installing the flag of Lostisland on Hunter Island and placing a capsule containing a list of citizens on the island. To fulfill this mission, two exceptionally durable flags, strictly adhering to national standards, were manufactured in Moscow and shipped from Russia to New Zealand.

The package containing these flags reached the Ministry of Transport in Kerikeri on July 2, 2012—an interesting coincidence, as it marked precisely four years since a Russian girl had created her first roleplay game about an expedition to a mysterious island. Several hours later, the Sylfia, the yacht commissioned by the Ministry of Transport of Lostisland, set sail, embarking on its journey to Hunter Island. Day by day, over four years, the Lostislandic dream transformed into reality.

As planned, on July 11, the Sylfia reached Hunter Island. However, the landing and completing all the planned activities turned out to be more complex and adventurous than expected. As the yacht approached the island, sudden and strong winds seemingly appeared out of nowhere, making landing on the island impossible. Captain Legof made the prudent decision to drop anchor several miles off the coast of Hunter Island, where they spent the night. The Lostislandic flag, which had traveled from Moscow to New Zealand and then to the middle of the ocean, was raised on board. Yet, to this day, Hunter Island remains unconquered—a testament to the unpredictable nature of such grand expeditions.

The transition to a Federal Republic allowed Lostisland to abandon the Captains Regent system, which, while unique and characteristic of Lostisland, proved to be highly inefficient due to the requirement for both leaders to sign every document. However, this transition period was somewhat traumatic, and apart from a few new appointments, such as the Ambassador to France (pictured with the Lostislandic flag in the city hall of Mulhouse), the following year and a half witnessed relatively few activities. By the end of 2014, it became evident that the existing constitution was largely artificial and insufficient to address the organization’s needs. The Grand National Assembly, Lostisland’s legislative body, and several political parties created as per the constitution had become obsolete.

President Yaroslav Mar recognized these issues in his annual New Year Speech. In addition to the customary well-wishes, he made a more specific announcement: starting from January 1, 2015, the Lostisland constitution and all political parties would be abolished, and he would become the Life President, or President for Life. President Mar also declared that an early election for Prime Minister would be held shortly, with the relevant decree signed immediately after the speech.

It’s important to note that the President’s intention was not to establish a dictatorship in Lostisland; if that were the case, there would have been no call for the election of a Prime Minister. Instead, he aimed to revitalize Lostisland by removing outdated and redundant elements from its governmental structure. As history would soon reveal, he succeeded in this endeavor.

During this period, Lostisland began to address one of its most pressing issues – the geographical dispersion of its citizens. In early 2015, several residents of Moscow applied for Lostislandic citizenship, many of whom later assumed positions of responsibility within Lostisland. This development paved the way for a second reunion of Lostislandic citizens in April 2015, coinciding with the Life President’s birthday. This gathering, held at the same restaurant as the 2012 reunion but with a significantly larger attendance, included prominent officials such as the Supreme Judge, Minister of State Security, Minister of Health, and Minister of Culture. The event featured a unique presentation of the new Coat of Arms in the form of a cake, which would become a tradition for subsequent Lostislandic meetings. Officials in attendance expressed their optimism regarding the ongoing transformations and reaffirmed their dedication to advancing the well-being and prosperity of Lostisland.

Following a lengthy hiatus, Lostisland returned to action. Prime Minister Denys Tezdzhanenko drafted a new Constitution of Lostisland, which was subsequently accepted through a universal vote. This constitution solidified Yaroslav Mar’s status as the Life President and marked the completion of the transition to a direct democracy, with all significant matters subject to the vote of all Lostislandic citizens. A dynamic community of Lostislandic officials was established, a plan of action was implemented, and numerous other events and initiatives followed in quick succession.

The nucleus of Lostislandic activity remained in Moscow until 2019 when President Yaroslav Mar decided to emigrate from Russia to Israel. This decision was prompted by the fraudulent reelection of Vladimir Putin, the ongoing erosion of civil society, and Russia’s descent into authoritarianism. In October 2015, the Federal Republic of Lostisland played a role in coordinating the anniversary celebrations for the Empire of Pavlov, which was a now-defunct sister organization of Lostisland. The Empire of Pavlov was considered a successor in dignity to the Empire of Pavlov, one of the Federal Republic’s predecessors. The anniversary gala took place at the same restaurant as many Lostislandic events and marked one of the early occasions when the Lostislandic uniform was unveiled (pictured left, the Life President in an early version of his uniform as the Field Marshal Admiral of Lostisland during his speech).