Guide to Russia

Brief history

1237-40 - Mongols invade Russia, destroying all of its main cities except Novgorod and Pskov. Tatars establish the empire of the Golden Horde in southern Russia.
1552-56 - Ivan the Terrible conquers the Tatar khanates of Kazan and Astrakhan and establishes Russian rule over lower and middle Volga.
1581 - Cossacks begin conquering Siberia
Romanovs
1613 - National council elects Michael Romanov as tsar, heralding the Romanov dynasty which ruled Russia until 1917 revolution.
1689-1725 - Peter the Great introduces far-reaching reforms, including creating a regular conscript army and navy, subordinating the church to himself and creating new government structures.
1772 - 1814 - Russia acquires Crimea as well as parts of Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and Georgia
1798-1814 - Russia intervenes in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars in France, defeating Napoleon's invasion in 1812 and participating in his overthrow.
1834-59 - Caucasian war in which Russian forces face determined resistance to their bid to annex North Caucasus.
1853-57 - Crimean war.
1861 - Emancipation Edict ends serfdom; rapid industrialisation leads to growth of working class movement and spread of revolutionary ideas.
1864-65 - The area of what is now the Central Asian republics annexed
1877-78 - Russian-Turkish war.
1897 - Social Democratic Party founded and in 1903 splits into Bolshevik and Menshevik factions.

Ivan the Terrible

    • 1530-1584
    • ( Ivan VI )
    • Born in Moscow on 25th august 1530
    • most known for his brutal ruling, centralised administration of Russia and expansion of the boundaries of the Russian Empire
    • son of Vasilij III and Yelena Glinskaya
    • Was only 3 when his father died
    • Had a poor health and was greatly ignored and his education was neglected. So wasn’t very knowledgeable.
    • Took over the throne in 1547 at the age of seventeen and immediately declared himself Tsar, instead of Grand Duke.
    • His...