Introducing Russia
For centuries we have wondered what to think about Russia – from Ivan the Terrible to Catherine the Great, Russia has had its fair share of great and cruel leaders. In modern time it has endured the fall of the Romanovs and the rise of a new Russia under Lenin and Stalin.
The country is vast, extending from Europe to the Pacific coast. The landscape is as diverse as its people – icy tundra to beautiful beaches, dense forests of firs and silver birch and deep and mysterious lakes, snow-capped mountains and swaying grasslands.
From East to West, Russia will dazzle you with ancient castles, beautiful palaces and swirly spired churches.
No matter where you are in Russia you’ll be welcomed by generous and friendly people – Russia is simply amazing.
History
Russia has had a long and often troublesome history. Its origins started in Kyivan Rus, modern day Ukraine and Belarus. From here the Slavs grew their kingdom and expanded into a modern European Russia.
It is said that from Novgorod, Russia’s first capital in AD 862, that the birth of Russia as we know it today was born. However in 1480 Russia was overrun by the Mongols.
In 1613 the Romanov’s took power and their dynasty lasted until 1917. It was was during the Romanov’s reign that the vast Russia as we know it was built. During the 17th to 19th century Russia increased in size to include Siberia, the Arctic, the Russian Far East, Central Asia and the Caucasus.
Peter the Great pushed Russia out of the Dark Ages, building up its navy and building a new capital, St Petersburg, in 1703.
During her reign, Catherine the Great continued where Peter left off and made Russia a world power by the mid-18th century.
In the 19th century Russia faced new challenges – with weak Czars, Russia began to crumble. Poverty and famine was wide spread and people began to revolt. In 1917, Czar Nicholas II refusal to change his countries policies led to the 1917 revolution. The result was a Bolsheviks victory under Lenin. These results led to the world’s first communist state.
The Communist Party held power from 1917 until 1991, during which time Russia became a superpower. During these years Russia had absorbed 14 neighboring countries. During World War II , Hitler had reached the city of Stalingrad – in one of the bloodiest battles of World War II, Russia drove out Hitler and continued to drive into Berlin.
After World War II and the Stalin Era, Russia saw the reforms of Khrushchev and the stagnation during the Brezhnev era which finally led to Mikhail Gorbachev’s period of reform in 1985. Within six years Russia had collapsed alongside communism and Boris Yeltsin led Russia into a new world of capitalism.
