Main Ideas regarding Russia

Absence of warm water ports, Diverse ethnic groups

Russian Empire 1500’s, Westernization 1700’s

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.

Geography of Russia

Includes several regional groups:

1. Russia

2. Baltic Republics

3. Western Republics

4. Transcaucasia

5. Central Asia

Russia

Central Asia

Transcaucasia

Baltic Republics

Western Republics

Baltic Republics

• The countries of Estonia, Latvia, & Lithuania

• Former Soviet Republics

• Sit along the Baltic Sea in Eastern Europe

Trans-Caucasus

Georgia, Armenia, & Azerbaijan

• A gateway between Europe & Asia

• A variety of cultures, ethnic groups, religions, & language groups

• Ethnic conflicts erupted in the area after the fall of the Soviet Union

• Conflicts over resources, like oil, located in the Caspian Sea

Siberia• Vast land east of

the Ural Mts.

• Spans 77% of Russia’s land area, but only 30% of its population

Home to most of Russia’s natural resources

Lake Baikal

Deepest lake in the world

History and Modern Russia

The Russian Empire dates to the 1500’s when Ivan the Terrible conquered the lands around Moscow and much of present day Russia.

In the 1700’s, Peter the Great wanted to move Russia closer to the West and become more European and industrialized.

He built a new capital on the Baltic and named it St. Petersburg.

The Winter Palace

The Kremlin

The Russian peasants, or serfs, lived a poor, miserable life while the nobility lived a life of luxury.

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?

The founder and first leader of the Soviet Union was Vladimir Lenin. He came to power in 1918.

The symbol of the Soviet Union was the hammer and sickle, representing the factory workers and the farmers.

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.

The Cold War was a competition between the USA and USSR in economics, space, military and world dominance.

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.

Aral Sea

                                                                                  The Soviet command economy wanted to grow cotton in the desert of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. To do this, they diverted the rivers that fed the Aral Sea to irrigate the cotton fields. They did grow cotton,

but???

Cotton

Cotton

Today, up to 80% of the water of the Aral Sea has disappeared. Why was it important to have the rivers replenish the sea?

Think geography.

With the impending collapse of the Soviet Communist economy, the Soviets eased their grip on Eastern Europe and reached out to the West.

The Soviet Union

1917-1991

After Soviet Union collapsed, it was replaced by 12 countries, including the Russian Federation.

The last leader of the Soviet Union and the two democratically elected Prime Ministers of Russia.

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.

Today, globalization has reached Russia. It has changed the cultural landscape.

Traditional borsch.

The first McDonalds opened in the Soviet Union in the 1980’s. It changed the way Russians did business.

Thousands of Russians stood in long lines to spend a day’s pay for a Big Mac and a Coke.

Changes in Russian culture today.

Historically, Russia has been known for the various (and often expensive) nesting dolls and Faberge eggs.

Under the Soviet communists, women’s 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.

Many newly independent countries were still reliant on one another. They created an economic union, the Commonwealth of Independent States, to continue to work together economically, not politically. (sounds like whom?)

One of Russia’s most famous cultural icons is its “onion dome” architecture. What would be the geographic reason for this particular design?

Russia is one of the largest producers of oil and natural gas in the world.

How has geography hindered Russia’s efforts to sell their resources?

Vast resources in Siberia, but…..

Trouble with Resources…

Problem: Rugged terrain & harsh climate makes it difficult for Russia to extract & transport

resources

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

In spite of increasing government controls, terrorism, and the struggle to succeed in a market economy, most of Russia is again improving.

President Vladimir Putin has used Russia’s oil wealth to exert Russian influence.

The USA and Russia often find themselves at odds over issues such as Iraq, Iran, and Darfur.

What does the future hold for Russia? Putin’s second term of office ended and his hanmd picked successor was elected. By their constitution he can’t run again but he can run after sitting out a term.