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Eastern Europe & Eurasian Steppe
Russia
From Kyivan Rus' to the tsars, the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation.
Overview
Russia coalesced from Kyivan Rus' and Muscovy, expanded to become the world's largest state under the Romanovs, and reshaped the 20th century as the Soviet Union.
Basic Information
CapitalMoscow
Population144 million
Area17,098,246 km²
CurrencyRussian ruble (RUB)
LanguagesRussian
RegionEastern Europe & Eurasian Steppe
History Timeline
- 882Founding of Kyivan Rus'
- 1240Mongol conquest
- 1547Ivan IV crowned tsar
- 1721Peter I proclaims empire
- 1917Russian Revolution
- 1991Dissolution of the USSR
Ancient Peoples
- Slavs
- Varangians
- Scythians
Ancient Kingdoms
- Kyivan Rus'
- Grand Duchy of Moscow
Empires
- Russian Empire
- Soviet Union
Religions
- Russian Orthodoxy
- Islam
Culture
Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky, ballet, iconography, Constructivism.
Language
Russian is an East Slavic language written in Cyrillic.
Important Battles
- Battle of Kulikovo1380
Muscovite victory over the Mongols
- Battle of Borodino1812
Napoleon's invasion
- Battle of Stalingrad1942 – 43
Turning point of WWII
Historical Figures
Ivan the Terrible
1547 – 1584
First tsar
Peter the Great
1682 – 1725
Westernizer
Vladimir Lenin
1917 – 1924
Bolshevik leader
Archaeological Sites
- Novgorod
- Bolgar
- Arkaim
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Moscow Kremlin & Red Square
- Historic Novgorod
- Kizhi Pogost
- St Petersburg centre
Dynasties
- Rurikid
- Romanov
Colonial Period
Expanded across Siberia to the Pacific; briefly held Alaska.
Modern History
Federation since 1991; a nuclear power and UN Security Council member.