Several years ago, I wrote my original plan on redividing Russia into several independent states. Looking back at it now, I feel it was rather imperfect. There are few things I would change. Thus, without further ado, here is the revised plan.
I even made a map for it. Black lines are to denote new borders between new independent states; meanwhile other colours denote border corrections or land swaps. Finally, in some places, particularly around Russia, Ukraine, Belarus border, there are many lines close to each other. These denote several alternative options for the better border between these three states.
Western European Russia
In the western part of European Russia there will be three new states. Don Republic in the south, Palmyra Republic in the north, centered around St Petersburg and Great Novgorod and finally Muscovy in the middle. Don Republic's identity is based on that of Don Cossacks who consistently used name of this river as form of identify. Words like Dontsy, are popular in the area, are based on the river's name. Palmyra's name is based on euphemism that is popular in St Petersburg area, that calls the city Norther Palmyra. I think it will make for a good country name. Finally, while word Muscovy is rarely used in Russia itself, Moscow city itself has strong appeal to people. People want to live in Moscow, so a country name based on this city will surely work.
Don Republic borders are the same as in my other proposals and based on Don River basin. Muscovy is different, however. In the event of Russia moving capital to Siberia and divesting Don and Muscovy as separate states I would argue for a smaller Muscovy without upper reaches of Volga or Nizhniy Novgorod. After all Volga is a valuable logistical artery and Russian government would be reluctant to give it up. However, in the event of complete split up of Russia, Muscovy should be made bigger and include whole of upper Volga in addition to all/most of the Oka River as well as their confluence at Nizhniy Novgorod. These rivers are rather close physically and connected to each other with Moscow-Volga Canal, it would be wise to keep them together.
Finally, the northern part would be Palmyra Republic. It will include most areas north of Valdai hills and Volga River basin. It will have large arctic coast, together with Russian second largest city. In the east it will not go as far as Ural Mountains and will instead have border with Kama River basin country. I provisionally gave Palmyra all of the north outside of Pechora River basin, however that made Kama-Pechora area too little of an access to see, so border may be revised in favor moving it further west.
Eastern European Russia
Eastern European Russia will have two main states, plus a separate North Caucasus area, that will go under provisional UN administration to be re-divided in a way that will reflect local ethnicities and sentiments better.
In the north there will be the above-mentioned Kama-Pechora area, based on two River basins. Pechora will give this state access to Arctic Ocean, while Kama River area is where most of its population lives. This state will also include Kazan at confluence of Kama and Volga as well as middle reaches of Volga River around this city. Its capital can be either Kazan or Perm; capital duties can be split between two cities. This state will be bi-lingual and bi-religious, with both Islam and Orthodox Christianity as official religions as well as both Russian and Tatar as official languages. I considered several different names like, Ural Republic, Greater Perm Republic and Kama Republic, but I think a survey of local residents should determine the final name.
In the south there will be Volga Republic, centered on Volgograd. On the map it looks smaller than others, but it will control valuable lower Volga stretches below Kazan area, that contains many large cities as well as banks of Caspian Sea, allowing it to punch above its weights. This state should also receive some territories from modern Kazakhstan to make border between two states go along Ural River. It will make borders more sensible geographically.
Cities of Ulyanovsk, Togliatti and Samara are physically close to Kazan but possibly closer to Volgograd culturally so a referendum on choosing between these two states should be held in this area.
Siberia
Siberia should be divided into two major states. West Siberia and East Siberia. Siberia, including cardinal direction designations, is the name that is consistently used in Russia for these areas so hardly any alternative will work. The border between these states should be Yenisei River with cities standing directly on the river itself going to East Siberia. West Siberian capital can be Yekaterinburg and East Siberian one has to Yakutsk as Irkutsk is too far to southern border.
In addition to current Russian territory, West Siberia should annex various Russophone areas of modern Kazakhstan, it will make border much more sensible and prevent ethnic tensions in Kazakhstan that led to Russo-Ukraine war in Ukraine. Kazakhstan too should receive some extra areas from Russia, that however are much smaller than what it has to give up. These areas however will give it direct border with Mongolia and will open certain opportunities.
Far East
Far Eastern areas will have two new states as well. The south area around Vladivostok will be the southern state. It could be called Dalnevostochnaya Republic, which literary means far east in Russian. This name is popular designation of this area.
Finally, the northeastern most tip can be called Kamchatka Republic. It will include Kamchatka peninsula itself where most people live there, as well as far north, roughly west of Lena River.
These two republics will have no common border between themselves to give East Siberia access to sea other than Arctic.
Russia Ukraine Belarus Border Adjustment
I have long criticized current post-soviet borders as unfeasible and called for their alteration. Thus in article about splitting Russia, I have to address this issue to better delineate borders of the western most post-Russian states.
To begin with, Ukraine, in principle is a state along Dnipro River. This river is important part of Ukrainian history, folklore and identity. However surprisingly little of it lies within current Ukrainian borders. That was not always the case, Ukraine used to go much further north as recent as during German occupation during WWII. If anything, current border is southernmost it ever was. It's dangerously close to Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. I believe it has to be fixed by moving said border further north at least to Reichskommissariat Ukraine borders, but possibly even further north, even up to Minsk. See blue lines on the map for options.
Belarus can be compensated with some areas from Russia, immediately east of its eastern borders.
On the other hand, Don was never part of Ukraine. Don Cossacks had their own identity, customs, traditions, attire and identity. Thus, Ukraine holding part of Don basin, that protrudes far east into current Russian territory is equally unfeasible. People in eastern salient all live close to border and do miss connection with those across it in Russia. These areas should be given to Don Republic. See purple lines on map for different options.
South most area of Ukraine, Crimea and areas around Azov Sea can too be created into separate country. It can be called Taurida Republic after historical name of the region.
The above division plan will allow for better and more stable governance of post-Russian areas. It will fix borders and allow for much better development within new states that will emerge from Russia's dissolution.
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