Designing Worlds meets Prokofy Neva and explores the Second Life Public Land Preserve – now on the web!

The latest episode of this season of Designing Worlds – when we meet Prokofy Neva, a longstanding resident in Second Life, the owner of Ravenglass Rentals and the moving force behind the Second Life Public Land Preserve – is now on the web!

DW374 – Prokofy Neva & Ravenglass from Richard Elen on Vimeo.

Prokofy Neva is well known for his determined stand on his principles relating to issues ranging from the iniquities of gachas to the problems with group structure within Second Life. He has faced ferocious griefing – including doxing and vile imagery as well as concentrated efforts to destroy his business. But what emerges in our conversation is his passionate love of Second Life and his determination to make residential life better not just for his residents, but for all residents.

Second Life Public Land Preserve - the Female Cross, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont — Second Life Public Land Preserve – the Female Cross, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

Prok takes us on a exploration of Ravenglass and shares some of his concepts for rentals – including the way he uses groups to manage land, and his concepts of themed and even furnished rentals.

He has long had an interest in home and landscape decoration, and is a strong believer in the power of stories creating environments – as we saw recently in his second-placed entry at the Home and Garden Expo Decorating Competition. This is very apparent in many of the places we visit in the course of the show.

Ravenglass, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

And we also explore areas within his rentals and beyond where he has created open public land for the benefit of all residents – the Second Life Public Land Preserve – where we see, among other places, a newly created Celtic Mystical Forest, a pretty Italianate waterfront area, a wonder of the Ancient World and a stunning Belarussian witches’ house, with a mysterious Female Cross.

Prok talks openly about his ideas – and about the relationship with the woman behind the avatar and her work in the real world, which particularly shows in the Belarus region, where Prok has a display about the oppression in the real life Belarus, as well as some fascinating displays that showcase Belarussian and related regions’ culture and folklore.