Russia's History Part 1

This week we are having a look at Russia’s history which can be divided into four parts the pre- Slavic era/ Kievan Rus’ period, the time of the Russian Empire and the time of the Soviet Union followed by the post-Soviet era.

The first East Slavic state, Kievan Rus', emerged in the 9th century, adopting Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire in 988.

Over time, the Grand Duchy of Moscow unified Russian lands, leading to the proclamation of the Tsardom of Russia in 1547.

The Russian Empire expanded through conquest and exploration, becoming the world's largest country by the early 18th century. 

The Russian Revolution in 1917 led to the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, leading to Russia becoming an independent country.

Russia started more or less with Mongol invasions, through to ages of enlightenment and industrialization to revolutions and wars, Russia is known not just for its political rises of world power and upheaval, but for its cultural contributions like ballet, Tolstoy, Tchaikovsky, caviar and vodka.

The first czar of Russia was Ivan IV aka Ivan the Terrible he ruled from 1547 to 1584, he was the grandson of Ivan the Great he expands the Muscovite territory into Siberia while instituting a reign of terror against nobility using military rule. He died of a stroke in 1584.

Now for a little about the Romanov Dynasty, which rule for around three hundred years. In 1613 after several years of unrest, famine, civil war and invasions, Mikhail Romanov is coronated as czar at age 16, ending a long period of instability.

Between 1689-1725 Russia was ruled by Peter the Great it was under his rein that saw the building a new capital in St. Petersburg, modernizing the military (and founding the Russian navy) and reorganizing the government. With his introduction of Western European culture, Russia becomes a world power.

In 1762 Russia’s longest-ruling female leader, Catherine II, aka Catherine the Great, takes power in a bloodless coup and her reign marks Russia’s era of enlightenment. A champion of the arts, her 30-plus-year rule also extends Russia’s borders.

When Czar Alexander III came to power in 1861 he issues his Emancipation Reform, abolishing serfdom and allowing peasants to purchase land. His other notable reforms include universal military service, strengthening Russia’s borders and promoting self-government. In 1867, he sells Alaska and the Aleutian Islands to the United States, gilding the St. Isaac Cathedral domes in St. Petersburg with the proceeds. He was assassinated in 1881.