u/Commercial-Heart-613

15th May 2026 marks the official beginning of the construction of the Winter Palace in the city of Vodné in the Kingdom of Balassia.

The construction site has been prepared and the first foundation - hole in the ground for the main support pillar has been dug, officially starting the building process of this future royal and administrative complex.

The Winter Palace will serve as:

• the winter residence of the king,
• the city hall of town of Vodné,
• and an important governmental and ceremonial building for the region.

The palace is being built in a quiet forested area beneath the hill, surrounded by nature, giving it a hidden and strategic location.

An interesting detail is that the palace will be powered by electricity from the nearby storage hydroelectric power plant, which was recently completed as one of Balassia’s newest renewable energy projects. This makes the Winter Palace one of the first major state buildings in the kingdom directly connected to locally generated hydroelectric energy.

Fun fact: despite its name “Winter Palace”, the building will function year-round as both a royal and administrative center.

This project represents another major expansion of infrastructure and development within Balassia and the Water Region.

construction has begun

Flag of Kingdom of Balassia

The Kingdom of Balassia has officially expanded its territory once again.
A newly incorporated southeastern area towards the river Hornád has now become part of the kingdom and belongs to the newly established Vodné Region.

This expansion is important not only geographically, but also economically. The riverbank in this area contains natural clay and river sediment deposits that are already being used for local clay extraction and material gathering.

Fun fact: the name “Vodné” comes from the Slovak word related to water, reflecting the region’s strong connection to rivers, reservoirs, and hydraulic projects.

Map

New territory and region

Flag of Kingdom of Balassia

In the town of Vodné in Kingdom of Balassia, we are preparing for construction of a new royal building called the Winter Palace - a small bushcraft style royal residence built in a small wooded area and near the water source of town Vodné.

The palace is designed to blend naturally into the surrounding environment, using wood, elevated supports, and a simple cabin style architecture. It will serve as the winter residence of the Balassian monarch and also as a peaceful retreat surrounded by nature.

The building will also function as the city hall of Vodné, making it both a royal and administrative building for the town.

The mayor of Vodné is me, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Balassia.

The location was carefully chosen because the area becomes especially beautiful during winter, with snow-covered forests, quiet streams, and a calm atmosphere perfect for a winter royal residence.

With the construction of this structure, the city of Vodné is slowly developing and making this remote area of ​​our state more inhabited.

Fun fact:
The palace is called the Winter Palace because it serves as the winter seat of the King of Balassia, and the area is most visited during wintertime. However, the actual construction of the palace began during spring.

Building plan

We just officially completed the construction of a hydroelectric power plant in the city of Vodné in Kingdom of Balassia.

The project started on April 1, 2026 and was finished on May 9, 2026.

Originally, the plan was to build a run-of-river hydroelectric plant with a reservoir, and to use a water wheel as the main mechanical system as turbine for producing electricity. However, during development and testing, the design was upgraded and changed significantly for better options.

In the final version:

• The plant is now classified as an accumulation hydroelectric power plant
• The water wheel was replaced with an axial water turbine
• The system now uses stored water in a reservoir to generate electricity more efficiently

With the establishment of this power plant, our Kingdom has also expanded its energy capabilities by adding a new source of renewable energy - hydropower from water.

The plant is now fully functional and officially considered completed infrastructure by our government. It is already producing electricity for the system, and at this point only future improvements and upgrades are expected.

It feels pretty satisfying to finally have a working energy source after the construction phase, and in this most remote part of balassia.

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