Learning About Russia

Russia has long been a country of mystery. Because of this, visitors still have a hard time getting a full grasp of life. Then, when you consider that rumors are swirling around about increasing crime, disregard to democracy, and so on, it somehow adds to the overall mystic.

Even with this, Russia (also known as The Russian Federation) is a country with countless cultural treasures! If you want to experience an incredibly diverse country, then you definitely want take the time to see everything Russia has to offer, ranging from Lenin’s Tomb to Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

Novgorod was founded in 862 by a Viking named Rurik of Jutland. His successor, Oleg, helped Kiev reach power during the 10th and 11th centuries, creating new trade routes for an otherwise backwater country. Eventually, the merchants declared their independence from Kiev, choosing instead to join the Hanseatic League that controlled the North and Baltic Sea trade. For hundreds of years, the country enjoyed prosperity until the 13th century when it came crashing down by Mongolian Tatars.


Then in the 16th century, the reign of Ivan the Terrible brought even more devastation to the country. This man was famous for taking trips into Sweden and Poland, just for the sake of stirring up trouble. The Rurikid Dynasty ended after 700 years when invaders from Sweden and Poland took control of the Russian throne with a lot of bloodshed. However, the quarrelling would cease in 1613 when 16-year-old Mikhail Romanov started a new dynasty that would remain strong until 1917. The dynasty’s greatest leader, Peter the Great, vanquished the Swedes when a new capital was built in St. Petersburg.

With the start of the 19th century and due to Napoleon Bonaparte, the country’s ongoing turmoil stopped. The serfs who had suffered long and hard were finally freed in 1861. However, this time was one of opposition to the oppression, resulting in the peasants becoming angry at having to pay for land that was already theirs. This pushed constitutional reform running along the Western European borders and the killing of Alexander II in 1881 by terrorist. With great fear, a large group of radicals fled, which included Vladimir Ulyanov.

The country was devastated again in 1904 when Japan attacked and captured far-eastern city Port Arthur. Next came Bloody Sunday, which involved mass strikes and tremendous killing. Even so, a general strike in 1905 was the one that greatly shifted Russia's history. The first parliament was formed, as well as the Third Duma.

Then the devastating World War I started, the great battle of Allies - Russia, France and Great Britain - against the Central Powers of Europe - Germany, Austia-Hungary, Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) and Bulgaira. Occupied by war, Russian czar ignored warnings signs coming from the Duma and from the small party called Bolsheviks. In 1917 under the pressure from the army and Duma czar Nicolas II was abdicated, leaving Russia to the Provisional Government, but for a very short time, as Bolsheviks took control of the country. Russia exited the war by signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. From that time forward, the country has seen so many changes from the moving of the nation’s capital, the civil war, economic consequences, famine, and more.

Even with so much fighting and brutality, when the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was founded in 1922, and the death of Lenin, which would lead to his successor Stalin, things really began to change. Collectivization was introduced and Russian took a non-aggressive pact with German, which set the stage for World War II when Stalin and Hitler began to pass states to each other.

However, in 1941, a bloody period erupted, ordered by Hitler’s Operation Barbarossa, killing about 20% of the population. This war is called the Great Patriotic War in Russia, and it affected everyone. It took 5 grueling years and an estimated 27 million of russian lives to defeat the Nazis.

Eventually, this led to Stalin re-establishing the old patterns of purges, which started the Cold War. When Stalin died in 1953, a new leader by the name of Nikita Krushchev emerged, attempting to put the country back together. However, facing the conservative Brezhnev, and the beginning of JFK, this was not successful. The Cold War continued untill late 1980th, with arms race and a great deal of quiet conflicts between the Soviet Union and United States.

When Gorbachov entered the scene, he went on to follow the West's advice, which led to collapsed economy and destruction of the Soviet Union. The economic and political reforms praised so much by western media, weren't properly implemented. As power and control disappeared, contry has began to be taken apart both by internal forces, and from the outside. Oligarchs - the new power figures - began selling russian resources to the West, afraid that the totalitarism will come back. But with Putin entering the scene there seems to be a new force that is capable of controlling the wast riches of Russia, lower the crime and improve quality of live.

Russian people are warm and generous, eager to have the good life. Today, we see a country that is flooded with incredible talent and achievements, specifically in the areas of ballet, musical performance and composition, science, architecture, and literature. In fact, many world-renowned choreographers and dancers have come out of the St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet School. As far as architecture, you will be mesmerized by some of the most beautiful structures in the world. For example, the onion-domed churches, which actually evolved throughout the years from wooden structures, are truly amazing.

Although the empire has experienced much devastation, lately the economy has been improving greatly. The country remains large, stretching from Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Turkey, and the Ukraine in the west, over China, Kazakstan, and Mongolia, then on to the Pacific Ocean. Much of the landscape is flat but there are many large rivers like Dnepr, Don, Volga and Ob. If you head to Siberia, considered Russia’s Far East, you will find mountain ranges, vast ranges, steppes, and tundra, an area of unbelievable nothingness.

Because of the vast land, you will see amazing diversity regarding fauna and flora. For instance, the northern forests are comprised of rich pine and spruce trees, the ideal cover for brown bear, reindeer, and wolves. Then when you head to the coniferous and deciduous forests, the land changes, now becoming home to deer, lynx, and the honorable Siberian tiger. For the desert areas, wildlife includes cheetahs, porcupines, goats, chamois, snow leopards, and gazelles.

Typically, the summer months in St. Petersburg and Moscow are much the same but by the end of November the land becomes cold and frozen, which leads to a great thaw in the springtime. When visiting Russia, you want to take the opportunity to enjoy any number of festivals. For instance, the Music Spring is an international classical musical festival that is held each June, lasting a full 10 days. Another great time is the White Nights, when people come together with dance, food, and lots of music, a general time of fun.


Last Updated: 10/19/2006 3:14:00 PM