1. Early Russian History

2. Russia Today

3. Former Soviet Region Compared in Latitude & Area with the United States

4. Russia’s Time Zones

5. Topography of Russia

6. Rich Soil of the Steppes
Chernozem Soil

7. Themes in Russian History
Expansion by conquest.
Need for warm-water ports.
The necessity of a strong, central government.
Siberia (“Permafrost”)
Average temperatures of January vary from 0 to -50°C, and in July from 1 to 25°C
150,000,000 population.

8. Early Russia

9. Early Byzantine Influences:
Orthodox Christianity
Cyrillic Alphabet

10. Russian Expansion

11. The Mongols Invade Russia

12. Russian Boyars Boyars represented an aristocratic tier of society
powerful group with the privilege of advising the Tsar
Russian people said, “The tsar said it, the Boyars did it”.
These members of the nobility took up the highest military and civil posts
Formed a supreme council, the Duma
Besides the real aristocracy, a rich landowner could also be called a Boyar.
A modified form – barin was used by serfs to address their masters until the 19th century.

13. Ivan the (III) Great (r. 1462-1505)
Tripled Russian territory
Ended control by Golden Horde
Renovated the Kremlin
Laid foundation for Russian State
One of longest-reigning Russian rulers

14. Ivan the Terrible (r. 1533-1584) Grand Prince (1533-1547)
First “Tsar of all Russians” until 1584
Transformed Russia from medieval state into an empire
Resisted Golden Horde
Gain Access to Baltic Sea
Reign of terror ( )
Blamed Boyars for death of wife

15. Russia in the Late 1500s

16. Romanov Dynasty Feodor rules after death of Ivan IV
Russia spirals into Time of Troubles
Time between death of Feodor (1598) and rise of Romanov family (1613)
Famine brought on by cold weather
1/3 of Russia’s population dies (~ 2 million)
Russia controlled by Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Result of Polish-Muscovite War ( )

17. Michael Romanov (r )
Romanov Family Crest

18. The Pendulum of Russian History
Pro-West For Progress & Change Encourage New Ideas, Technologies, etc.
Anti-West Isolationist Xenophobic Ultra-Conservative
A few Tsars
Intellectual elites
Merchants/businessmen
Young members of the middle class.
Most Tsars
Russian Orthodox Church
Military
Boyars
peasants
REFORM-MINDED LEADER
DEMAGOGUE

19. Peter the Great(ish)

20. Peter the Great (r )
Best known for his extensive reforms in an attempt to establish Russia as a great nation
Created a strong navy
Reorganized army according to Western standards
Secularized schools
Administered greater control over Orthodox Church
Introduced new administrative and territorial divisions of the country.

21. Peter the Great Focused on science and technology
Developed commerce and industry
Created a viable Senate
Won territory through war
BUT
Known to be cruel, tyrannical
Continuously raised taxes
Violent tendencies, heavy drinker

22. Russia & Sweden After the Great Northern War