Ivan Maksimilianov-Shvinnskiy

Ivan Maksimilianov-Shvinnskiy

Ivan Eduardovich Maksimilianov-Shvinnskiy, Viscount of Hope
Former Senator of the Lakes
Tenure began	30.XV.1704 AN (35 AN years)
Tenure ended	24.XV.1707 AN (3 AN years)
Elected	1701
Faction	Traditionalist
Order of the Holy Lakes	Aareshem (by marriage)
Physical description
Gender	Male
Species	Human
Race	Mishalanese
Hair colour and style	Ever-changeable
Biographical information
Father	Eduard Davidovich Maksimilianov
Mother	Evgeniya Sotnikova, Countess of Schwinn
Spouse(s)	Eugenia Aguilar (m. 1697) Christina Aguilar (concubine since 1697)
Children	Mikhail (1696) Ekaterina (1698) Vladimir (1698) Ioakim (1703)
Date of birth	17.XIII.1667 AN
Place of birth	Mudyy, Mishalan
Date of death	7.XIV.1716 (aged 49 AN years)
Place of death	Musica
Resting place	Shirekeep

Ivan Eduardovich Maksimilianov-Shvinnskiy, Viscount of Hope (Иван Едуардович Максимилианов-Швиннский, born 17.XIII.1667 AN in Mudyy, Mishalan; aged 72 AN years), better known as Hopsy, was a Mishalanese–Shirerithian–Hurmu hiphop singer, rapper, dancer, model, and nobleman. Son of singer/politician Evgeniya Sotnikova, Countess of Schwinn, to the peerage of which he is the heir apparent, and Eduard Davidovich Maksimilianov, a former car mechanic (b. 1642 AN). He had a younger sister, Lyudmila Eduardovna (b. 1669 AN), who married into the Imperial Family of Shireroth through her marriage to second-in-line to the throne, Prince Rubin. Hopsy was Senator of the Lakes 1704–1707, joining his sister (who has been there since 1701) in the Senate upon Jan Spiik's resignation.

He released his first album (self-titled Hopsy) in 1684 AN at the age of 17, his label Grand Dust Takin marketed it as a modern and trendy form of Shirerithian hiphop. In the music videos and media presences, he wears trendy colourful Natopian clothes with a democratic middle-class touch. He has also modelled for Elwynnese fashion brands.

Although Mishalanese, his songs were mostly in Istvanistani for an international appeal. Critics initially called the music lacklustre, claiming that his appeal stemmed from his boyish good looks and dancing routines. Girl fan groups had formed across the Raspur Pact around him, calling themselves "Hopers".

His album Hopsy was a large hit in Shireroth, Talenore, Sathrati, and Elwynn. It has been released also across the Raspur Pact.

Although he called himself Hopsy in commercial settings (a nickname derived from his mother's subsidiary title Viscountess of Hope which he himself used out of courtesy), he was properly titled Lord Ivan Maksimilianov-Shvinnsky, Viscount of Hope.

A warrant for his arrest, on charges relating to the "corruption of the youth", was filed in Merensk during 1684 AN and an application for extradition was made to the Imperial Judex in the same year. A bowl of hemlock has reportedly been prepared in anticipation of his eventual arrival. The Shirerithian government responded by expressing its indignation at the warrant of arrest, condemned the warrant, and promised no cooperation on extraditions with the UGB until the matter had been resolved.

After Elwynnese authorities in 1686 AN accused Hopsy of spiriting away Elwynnese girls to Shireroth as indentured servants, Hopsy was deemed a wanted a figure in Elwynn, too. Elwynnese authorities requested his extradition, which the Shirerithian counterparts flatly denied. In response, Hopsy released his newest album, Death of the Orchid, which reviewers in Elwynn interpreted as being anti-Elwynnese. Hopsy denied that accusation. "One shall not mix politics and art," he said to an interviewer, while calling upon UGB and Elwynnese authorities to let him "just make art", "I'm just a boy, I do no harm.... why are they so scared? I just do music. They should try it, maybe that will make them lighten up". Charges relating to the illegal possession of firearms and people trafficking in Elluenuueq remain outstanding as of 1688 AN.

Around the same time, Hopsy's mother was elevated to Countess of Schwinn, and thus Hopsy's and his siblings family name changed from Maksimilianov-Khopskiy to Maksimilianov-Shvinnskiy. At the same, Hopsy began using his mother's now subsidiary title as his courtesy title, and became known in the Société of Shirekeep as "Viscount (of) Hope".

In early 1694 AN, Hopsy released his newest album, "Ocean Motion". In interviews, he said it was inspired by PP-Pop, until then little known in the Raspur Pact countries. Elwynn and the UGB responded by reminding Shireroth of its treaty obligation to extradite the artist to face justice in Islus. This campaign was bolstered by an open letter written by Christina Aguilar, published in the Shirekeep Vindicator and the Daily Mail & Telegraph of Eliria on 13.VI.1694 AN, that exhorted Hopsy to throw himself upon the mercy of the courts, pointing to the positive example of her own rehabilitation in recent years.

Around VII.1694, the chicha press continue to insist that assignations between the two celebrities took place, noting the convenient time periods where both personalities were absent from the public eye, which is deemed circumstantial and speculative by defenders of both parties. What is factually known is that Christina Aguilar took a commercial ICAC flight from Lindstrom to Shirekeep on 21.VII.1694 using her Nouvelle Alexandrie passport. Speculation abounds, and many await if she will be present at one of the many scheduled concerts in Shireroth where the Viscount of Hope will be present. The Imperial Constancian Embassy in Shirekeep refused to comment on the matter, merely stating on record that, "Provided that she adheres to the laws, the life of Ms. Aguilar is not the business of the Imperial State of Constancia."

On 23.VII.1694, Christina Aguilar performed in an act at Hopsy's concert. Their duet, "Always You", was released immediately afterwards as a single, and had never been performed before. The crowd went crazy of excitement during the surprise duet performance. In it, Hopsy and Aguilar danced intimately with one another, with the pair disrobing item by item throughout the song. By the time of the song's finish, both Hopsy and Aguilar were embracing one another, wearing nothing but their underwear. As the lights went down, it seemed to the crowd as if they were kissing in the Alexandrian way.

In the last month of 1696, news broke out of a hitherto anonymous New Alexandrian woman, Eugenia Aguilar, who had been using her anonymous parentage to get access to her favourite singer, Hopsy, had given birth to a child that was Hopsy's. Hopsy initially rejected the news as rumours, but media were shocked when he two days later, at his parents' urging, legally married Eugenia in a ceremony in Shirekeep. Their child, Mikhail Ivanovich, was subsequently legitimised in Shirerithian law, and Hopsy and his new family were all inscribed into the membership of the Order of the Holy Lakes.

In early 1697, it was learned that he had entered into a formal concubinage union, in accordance with Imperial Decree 1180, with Christina Aguilar. A year later, in 1698, Hopsy became the father of one daughter, Ekaterina Ivanovna Maksimilianova-Shvinnskaya by Eugenia, and one son, Vladimir Ivanovich Maksimilianov-Shvinnskiy by Christina.

In 1703, Christina gave birth to yet a son, Ioakim.

On 30.XV.1704, he was declared elected to the Senate of the Lakes upon the resignation of Jan Spiik, by-passing Ellen Aarevalla (Jan Spiik's wife, who declined election), and Oden Djupvik and Kersti Kallas (who both had died). He sat on the Traditionalist List. Standing for re-election in 1707, he was not re-elected.

On 7.XIV.1716, he was found dead in his hotel room in Musica from a bad combination of medication, alcohol and other drugs. He had been due to hold a concert. The petals of a rare dark orchid were discovered in the room, however they were not believed to have been a part of whatever concoction he had been smoking at the time of his demise.