Main Ideas regarding Russia

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Main Ideas regarding Russia Republics
Absence of warm water ports, Diverse ethnic
groups Russian Empire 1500s, Westernization
1700s
Russia losing World War I, leads to Russian
Revolution - 1917
Communist Rule 1917-1991 Command economy
Collective Farms, Five year plans, little freedom
Economic collapse ends Soviet Union (USSR) 1991
Ethnic conflict continues. (why now?)
Difficult move to democracy and a market economy.
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Geography of Russia

• Includes several regional groups
• Russia
• Baltic Republics
• Western Republics
• Transcaucasia
• Central Asia

Baltic Republics
Russia
Western Republics
Central Asia
Transcaucasia

• Massive Eurasian continent
• large land area
• approximately 1.8 times the size of the US

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Siberia

• Vast land east of the Ural Mts.
• Spans 77 of Russias land area, but only 30 of
  its population

Home to most of Russias natural resources
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Russia spans 9 time zones most in the world
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Ural Mountains
The official geographic dividing line between
Europe Asia
Rich in mineral wealth, including gems such as
topaz

• Has been a natural barrier separating ethnic
  groups from Europe Asia
• Those in European Russia look more European
• Those in Asian Russia look more Asian

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Lake Baikal
Deepest lake in the world
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Caspian Sea

• Actually a saltwater lake
• Largest inland sea in the world (no outlet to
  ocean)
• Large oil deposits

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History and Modern Russia
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The Russian Empire dates to the 1500s when Ivan
the Terrible conquered the lands around Moscow
and much of present day Russia.
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In the 1700s, Peter the Great wanted to move
Russia closer to the West and become more
European and industrialized.
The Kremlin
The Winter Palace
He built a new capital on the Baltic and named it
St. Petersburg.
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The Russian peasants, or serfs, lived a poor,
miserable life while the nobility lived a life of
luxury.
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The last of the Russian Czars (emperor) was
Nicholas II. His disastrous entry into WWI cost
millions of Russian lives.
He was overthrown by the Russian Revolution,
after which the communists came to power.
What happened to the royal family, particularly
daughter Anastasia?
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The founder and first leader of the Soviet Union
was Vladimir Lenin. He came to power in 1918.
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The symbol of the Soviet Union was the hammer and
sickle, representing the factory workers and the
farmers.
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Lenin ruled the Soviet Union until his death in
1922.
He was followed by Joseph Stalin (who eventually
killed more people than Hitler) until he died in
1953.
Stalin was the architect of the Soviet Cold War.
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The Cold War was a competition between the USA
and USSR in economics, space, military and world
dominance.
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Legacies of the command system were the
government controlled Five Year Plans.
While they initially increased agricultural and
factory output, they proved to be economically
and environmentally disastrous.
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With the impending collapse of the Soviet
Communist economy, the Soviets eased their grip
on Eastern Europe and reached out to the West.
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The Soviet Union 1917-1991
After Soviet Union collapsed, it was replaced by
12 countries, including the Russian Federation.
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The last leader of the Soviet Union and the two
democratically elected Prime Ministers of Russia.
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While every country in eastern Europe prospered
with the fall of communism and a switch to a
market economy, the Russian economy actually got
worse.
WHY?
Organized crime and official corruption.
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Today, globalization has reached Russia. It has
changed the cultural landscape.
Traditional borsch.
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The first McDonalds opened in the Soviet Union in
the 1980s. It changed the way Russians did
business.
Thousands of Russians stood in long lines to
spend a days pay for a Big Mac and a Coke.
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Changes in Russian culture today.
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Historically, Russia has been known for the
various (and often expensive) nesting dolls and
Faberge eggs.
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Under the Soviet communists, womens rights were
guaranteed, but opportunities for all Russians
were limited.
Under a free market economy, many Russian women
used their athletic skills to build fortunes in
the West.
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One of Russias most famous cultural icons is its
onion dome architecture. What would be the
geographic reason for this particular design?
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Russia is one of the largest producers of oil and
natural gas in the world.
How has geography hindered Russias efforts to
sell their resources?
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Vast resources in Siberia, but..
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Trouble with Resources

• Problem Rugged terrain, harsh climate, and
  poor infrastructure makes it difficult for Russia
  to extract transport resources

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Continentality

• Continentality refers to the differences in
  maritime (coastal) continental temperatures
• Larger range of temperatures throughout the year
  the farther away from the coast you are
• Leading to harsher winters, seen in Siberia

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In spite of increasing government controls,
terrorism, and the struggle to succeed in a
market economy, most of Russia is again improving.
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Famous Russians
Anna Kournikova
Maria Sharapova
Vladimir Putin
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