Reference
- RussiaA republic occupying much of eastern Europe and northern Asia, bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean; to the west by Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, the Ukraine and the Black Sea; to the south by Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea; and to the east by the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea. Russia has been settled by many ethnic groups, initially the nomadic Slavs, Turks and Bulgars (3–7c AD). The Byzantine Christian Church had been established by the end of the 10c. Moscow was established as a centre of political power in the north during the 14c. The overlordship of the Mongol Golden Horde was challenged successfully from 1380. Ivan III, the Great proclaimed himself ‘Sovereign of all Russia’ in 1480, and Ivan IV, the Terrible doubled the size of the empire between 1533 and his death in 1584. Internal disorder amongst a feudal nobility and constant warfare with border countries (eg Poland and Sweden) retarded Russian development until Tsar Peter I, the Great. Under Catherine II, the Great Russia became a great power, extending its territory into southern and eastern Asia. Defeat in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–5) precipitated a revolution which, although unsuccessful, brought Russia's first constitution and parliament. The Russian Revolution in 1917 ended the monarchy, and within the communist Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (formed in 1920), Russia was the dominant political force, covering 75 per cent of the Soviet area with 50 per cent of its population. With the disbandment of the Union in 1991, Russia became an independent republic and assumed the Soviet Union's permanent seat on the UN Security Council. It also became a founding member of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States). Relations with some former Soviet republics deteriorated in the early 1990s, and the process of transition to a market economy caused a severe economic crisis in 1993, followed by a national referendum to endorse President Boris Yeltsin's economic reforms, and increased presidential powers. In 1994 ethnic unrest in Chechnya, where Muslim Chechens declared an independent republic, resulted in the Chechen Wars. Despite failing health during the 1990s, Yeltsin clung on to power until Dec 1999, when he resigned and Vladimir Putin became President after elections in Mar 2000. President Putin was re-elected in 2004 and has asserted an increasing degree of centralization. Through the NATO–Russia Council, established in 2002, Russia participates in global discussions about security threats.
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Perspectives
Russian Imperialism from Ivan the Great to the Revolution
This collection of essays explores the history of Russian imperialism, an especially pertinent topic in light of the newly democratic country's entrance into the geopolitical forum-the country's tenuous relationship with Europe was anticipated by Russian historian Nicholas Danilevskii. Some may argue conflicts such as Chechnya are remnants of the imperial thirst for dominance, and that the ever-evolving nation is still fighting old wars over her image as an empire. The works contained in this book trace some of these encounters, and in turn, provide a backdrop for those of today.
The Russian Empire in the Eighteenth Century
Russia's 18th-century drive toward modernity and empire under the two "greats" - Peter I and Catherine II - is captured in this work by one of Russia's outstanding young historians. The author develops three themes: Russia's relationship to the West; the transformation of "Holy Russia" into a multinational empire; and the effects of efforts to modernize Russia selectively along Western lines. Writing in a clear, crisp style, Kamenskii enlivens the narrative with observations from contemporary literary figures and political commentators that point up the lasting significance of the events he describes.
The Romanovs
The Romanovs were the most successful dynasty of modern times, ruling a sixth of the world's surface for three centuries. How did one family turn a war-ruined principality into the world's greatest empire? And how did they lose it all? This is the intimate story of twenty tsars and tsarinas, some touched by genius, some by madness, but all inspired by holy autocracy and imperial ambition. Simon Sebag Montefiore's gripping chronicle reveals their secret world of unlimited power and ruthless empire-building, overshadowed by palace conspiracy, family rivalries, sexual decadence and wild extravagance, with a global cast of adventurers, courtesans, revolutionaries and poets, from Ivan the Terrible to Tolstoy and Pushkin, to Bismarck, Lincoln, Queen Victoria and Lenin. To rule Russia was both imperial-sacred mission and poisoned chalice: six of the last twelve tsars were murdered. Peter the Great tortured his own son to death while making Russia an empire, and dominated his court with a dining club notable for compulsory drunkenness, naked dwarfs and fancy dress. Catherine the Great overthrew her own husband (who was murdered soon afterward), enjoyed affairs with a series of young male favorites, conquered Ukraine and fascinated Europe. Paul I was strangled by courtiers backed by his own son, Alexander I, who in turn faced Napoleon's invasion and the burning of Moscow, then went on to take Paris. Alexander II liberated the serfs, survived five assassination attempts and wrote perhaps the most explicit love letters ever composed by a ruler. The Romanovs climaxes with a fresh, unforgettable portrayal of Nicholas II and Alexandra, the rise and murder of Rasputin, war and revolution--and the harrowing massacre of the entire family. Dazzlingly entertaining and beautifully written from start to finish, The Romanovs brings these monarchs--male and female, great and flawed, their families and courts--blazingly to life. Drawing on new archival research, Montefiore delivers an enthralling epic of triumph and tragedy, love and murder, encompassing the seminal years 1812, 1914 and 1917, that is both a universal study of power and a portrait of empire that helps define Russia today.
The Man Who Killed Rasputin
"On December 16, 1917, Grigori Rasputin, a confidant of the empress's because of his alleged ability to stop the hemophilic attacks suffered by her son, was invited to one of the St. Petersburg palaces of Prince Felix Youssoupov, the second wealthiest man in Russia after the tsar himself. Leading a group of conspirators, the prince considered it a patriotic act to eliminate the palace favorite who had gained political control of the government." "Nearly eighty years later, the events surrounding the murder continue to provoke speculation. In an effort to get at the truth, this meticulously researched work covers the lives of both these men, from their childhood and youth right up to their ultimate collision. Youssoupov was then twenty-seven, while Rasputin was some twenty years his senior. Here is a superb retelling of a major historical event, based on new revelations from the St. Petersburg police files." "At the time of the murder Prince Youssoupov owned forty-seven palaces throughout the empire. Just two years later, when he and his wife escaped the Revolution, they survived by selling the jewelry they were able to hide on their persons. In the early 1930s their fortunes improved after they won a slander case against Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer relating to its film Rasputin and the Empress. The Youssoupovs became social lions as they traveled the world, residing at times in Paris, London, or New York. And wherever he went, Prince Youssoupov was always pointed out as the man who killed Rasputin." "Illustrated with sixteen pages of photos, many previously unpublished in this country, including the recently released Rasputin death pictures."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Peter the Great and a European Empire
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What makes the Russian ruler Peter deserving of the title "great"? The answer lies in looking at how he transformed a minor power on the periphery of Europe into a formidable empire, how he embraced Western culture, and how he spearheaded transformations (including calendar reforms) to create a new European capital.
Catherine the Great and the Enlightenment
- Kanopy This link opens in a new windowIn this lecture, explore the powerful legacy of Catherine the Great, who would extend the empire westward and accomplish what even Peter the Great had been unable to do: establish Russian dominance of the southern regions. You'll also learn how Catherine fueled Enlightenment-inspired developments in politics, architecture, and more.
Empire across Two Continents
- Kanopy This link opens in a new windowChart the tsars' development of a grand Eurasian empire. You'll consider the commonalities Russian colonizers shared with their Western counterparts; explore incursions into Alaska and Siberia; examine the Napoleonic and Russo-Turkish wars; and investigate the policy of "Russification," designed to make the empire's European areas "more Russian."
Learn More
- Empire (1721–1917)The Russian Empire was founded in 1721 and lasted until 1917. At its height in the mid-19th century it was spread across three continents, stretching from Eastern Europe to the Pacific Ocean, into Alaska and down into California...
- Moscow, Grand Duchy of (13th century to 1547)Moscow in the late 13th and early 14th centuries was a minor principality but in the late 14th and 15th centuries emerged as the political and religious center of northeastern Rus'...
- Rus‘ and the Riurikid dynasty (9th century to c.1240)The dynamics the development of Rus‘ differed from those of more conventional empires which enjoyed outbursts of expansion only to fragment once momentum slackened, or to overstretch the capabilities of any single ruler...
- Soviet (USSR)The USSR was both a continuation of the Russian Empire and a radical new experiment in nation–empire relations. In principle the USSR vehemently rejected imperialism and declared itself a free union of socialist nationalities...
- Tsardom of Muscovy (1547–1721)From 1547 to 1721 the Slavic princes of the Pontic steppe consolidated their princedom into a state that conquered or incorporated surrounding principalities and emerged as a powerful land empire...
Ivan the Terrible's 500-Year Reign
- Kanopy This link opens in a new windowFor better and worse, Ivan the Terrible's reign has become a cultural and historical symbol of Russian leadership. Was he really terrible - or just awe-inspiring? How did he use cultural symbols to create a spectacle of autocracy? And to what extent did he set the standard for subsequent centuries of Russian leadership?