I want to tell you about one of the most mysterious organizations: the Federals.

The Federals (also known as the Center or the Staff) are one of the largest and most organized forces in the post-apocalyptic world of Metro 2033.

The Federals are described in detail in the novels Metro 2033: Below Hell (Ниже ада) by Naile Vybornov and Metro 2033: From the Depths (Из глубин) by Ruslan Melnikov, both of which are set in the Yekaterinburg Metro.

Origins and Ideology The organization was formed in 2013, immediately after the outbreak of the nuclear war, based on surviving military structures in Western Siberia—likely within the Omsk Region.

The Federals do not hide their ambitions. They openly declare themselves to be the pre-war government of Russia, and they see their mission as the restoration of the state’s centralized integrity. However, under the guise of ‘martial law,’ they have created a military dictatorship. They demand absolute obedience from survivors and suppress any form of defiance. In the eyes of the Federals, the citizens of various ‘post-apocalyptic states’ are nothing more than separatists and criminals.

The Yekaterinburg Campaign Yekaterinburg was the Federals’ first major target, intended to become the new capital of the reborn country. To capture it, the Federals developed ‘Operation Saigon’—a plan for the forceful suppression of local factions.

An emissary of the Staff, Aleksey Krasnov, was sent to the city. He took control of the remnants of the local army sheltered in the ‘Beta’ bunker and, with their help, seized two stations of the Yekaterinburg Metro: Botanicheskaya and Chkalovskaya. When resistance intensified, the Center did not hesitate; by its order, a nuclear/missile strike destroyed two other stations: Dinamo and 1905 Square. It was a clear message: the Federals do not negotiate. They dictate terms.

The army was supplied through convoys. For instance, a convoy codenamed ‘Saigon’s Redemption’ was dispatched to Yekaterinburg. This column, carrying medicine, ammunition, and food, traveled from Omsk to Yekaterinburg, proving that the Federals are capable of mobilizing significant resources.

Despite their harsh methods and authoritarian ideology, the Federals offer an alternative to chaos and fragmentation: a centralized state, even if built on force. Their future in the Metro 2033 lore remains an open question, but their role in shaping the new world is hard to ignore.

Theories

• Theory 1: While no specific leader is named in the lore, there is a hypothesis that they are ruled by the surviving President of Russia (or his successor) hiding in a Siberian bunker. This would explain their claim to supreme authority and their centralized structure.
• Theory 2: A connection between the Federals and the soldiers from the dilogy Metro 2033: The Passage (Переход) and The Passage 2. The military units appearing in Naberezhnye Chelny in Naile Vybornov’s books raise questions due to their equipment. ‘Ratnik’ exoskeletons, pre-war weapons in mint condition, and strict discipline—this does not look like a typical band of deserters. Their actions are too well-coordinated and their gear is of too high a quality. It is logical to assume they were a forward detachment sent to seize strategic points outside their main region of influence.

Interesting Facts

• Fact 1: So far, this is the only organization in the Metro 2033 universe that features the actual government of the Russian Federation. (The ‘Invisible Watchers’ in Moscow are merely the regional Moscow government).
• Fact 2: During the ‘Autumn’ level of the game Metro Exodus, it is the Federals who are heard over the radio reporting on the contamination of Siberian cities.
• Fact 2.1: The broadcasts regarding the contamination of Omsk and Biysk contradict the books Metro 2033: Reactor and the short story The Milky Way, where these cities are depicted as relatively safe and populated. It is highly likely that by 2035, the Federals took control of these cities and are using disinformation to scare off wandering stalkers.
• Fact 3: In the game Metro 2033: Arkaim, a character (a refugee from the Yekaterinburg Metro) makes a brief appearance. According to him, the Center did not stop at Yekaterinburg but began a large-scale expansion to the North.

P.S. One cannot help but notice the similarity between the Federals and the Enclave from Fallout. Like the Enclave, the Federals claim the role of legal authority after the catastrophe, rely on advanced military technology, and are willing to use extreme measures to achieve their goals. However, unlike the elitist and radical Enclave, the Federals are more focused on pragmatism and rebuilding infrastructure. Both organizations show how old power structures transform in a post-apocalyptic world—though the Federals bet on discipline and centralization rather than elitism.