The History of Russian Leadership

The life and times of Russia

Rurik In 862, the Slavic people united and asked

Rurik to be their leader. Please add: He was not Slavic but a

Viking. The Slavic people did not trust their own people to be leaders

Vladimir I After considering many different religions,

Vladimir I chooses Greek Orthodoxy to the national religion of Russia.

Batu Khan Batu Khan invaded the new kingdom of

Russia. Over the next three years, they destroy all Russian cities except two and create a new empire called the “Empire of the Golden Horde”.

Moscow, the Religious capital!

Ivan the Great Ivan the Great threw out the “Taters” and

took control of Russia again.

Ivan the Terrible

Ivan the Terrible Ivan the Terrible took over the country at

the age of 3. His mother ruled and kept

him in the dungeon except for public

affairs until he was 8. Many rich men tried to “help” him rule until he began to kill them in 1547. He then crowned himself “czar” of all Russia.

Ivan continued… He tried to bring modern ideas to Russia

and traded with many countries. After his wife died mysteriously, many think Ivan became insane. He was still allowed to rule for 24 more years. He seemed to have multiple personalities. He began a secret police. It was made up of criminals from jails.

Inside the Palace The Waiting Room Gold seals

above the door proclaim it, as if the thousands who waited here day after day didn't already know. This is the waiting room of Ivan the Terrible. Encircling the room are a series of hand-painted frescos, painted from the Bible, which seem to suggest that being one step away from the Czar was a peaceful prospect. But in Ivan the Terrible's court, there was a saying, The closer to the Czar, the closer to death.

In a fit of rage, Ivan killed his son over an argument about his daughter-in-laws clothing.

Time of Troubles

Peter the Great

Peter the Great Peter the Great took control for the new

family line for the Romanovs. He built the first powerful Navy. He

expanded Russia’s size.

He doubled the number of slaves that worked in the kingdom.

Peter wanted Russia to be more like Europe. He required the

noblemen to shave their beards so that they would look more civilized. Later, they would have to purchase a beard medallion to have a beard or they were shaved on the spot.

He simplified the alphabet and calendar!!

A New Capital He moved the capital of Russia from

Moscow to St. Petersburg… a city he had the slaves build for him!

Catherine The Great

Catherine the Great She took over the throne after the Russia

people imprisoned her husband. She made the nobles the richest they had ever been. Illiteracy increased for people outside the royal court, slaves increased and she restarted the use of the secret police.

Catherine continued… Yet, she was still popular. She taught

people how to vote and encouraged elections. She again increased the size of Russia.

Catherine the Great

Catherine The Great

Trans-Siberian Railroad: Eastern and Western Russia are connected! This railroad was important because it

linked Russia to the newly conquered lands in Siberia.

Czar Nicholas Romanov: The last czar

Nicholas II: Not the best choices... After failing in several wars and actually

losing lives and land, Nicholas became very unpopular. He and his wife also hired a monk name Gregory Rasputin to take care of his hemophilic son.

Rasputin Alexi Romanov

Rasputin etc. Many people believed that Rasputin had

too much power over the royal family. Men within the government had him assassinated. Soon after, Nicholas was forced to resign. Two new political parties emerged: Reds and Whites.

Death of the last Czar: The family remains were uncovered in 1991.

The Romanov family and the woman who claimed to escape the execution, A. Anderson.

Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Lenin overthrows the

government with his Bolshevik (RED) party, introduces communism and created the Soviet Union. He was the man who ordered the last czar and his family killed.

The Kremlin: The center of the new government.

Lenin’s tomb: Because he considered a hero of Russia, Lenin’s body lies in a refrigerated tomb at the corner of the Kremlin where you can view him.

Inside Lenin’s Tomb

Stalin Joseph Stalin took over after Lenin died.

He increased the Soviet Union’s size He entered into an agreement with Hitler to protect Russia during WWII but Hitler invaded Russia anyway.

Stalin In the end, Stalin was the winner as he

sided with the United States during WWII. He received all of Eastern Europe. He

closed churches, put money into war instead of farming and killed anyone he thought might be trying to overthrow him (purges). He was the man who helped start the “Cold War”.

Stalin and Lenin For a period of time,

Stalin was buried in the tomb next to Lenin. Later, Communists decided that he was too cruel and did not deserve to be next to Lenin so he was removed.

Check out these names!! Nikita Kruschev

Leonid Brezhnev

Yuri Andropov

Kostantin Chernenko

Mikhail Gorbachev The new leader starts new policies called

glasnost (openess) and perestroika (restructuring). The policies lead many countries to search for independence because they no longer fear the Soviet government. The Commonwealth of Independent States is created.

Russian Ice Festival: Not in your notes but check it out! Put it on your bucket list of things to see! Most of the sculptures appearing at the snow

festival are competitive entries. Each team starts with a cube of packed snow that appears to measure about three meters on a side, and then starts carving away. Teams come in from all over the world - Russia, Japan, Canada, France, even South Africa. Part of the fun is guessing the nationality of the team, based on their sculpture's artistic style, before reading the signs.

Russian Ice Festival