The Kingdom Prussia is notorious for it's militarism and observers connect it to reactionary absolutism but can the same be said about Russian Empire before 1917?

From my reading and research, Muscovite state was built around insecure geography but Russian leaders believe the best way to maximize it's defense is to promote heavy expansion both West and Eastwards. Moreover from other historians such as Dominic Lieven and Orlando Figes have often said that Russian state under Tsars credibility rests mainly on it's military strength.

However can we say almost every state is militarist to a degree since the modern state was a result of maximizing the ability to create large armies and wage war as Charles Tilly have said it "War made the state, and states make war"?

I've been wanting to understand early eastern slavic historical development, but the resources at my local libraries are decently old and not up to date relative to what we are aware of currently. So I was wondering what recommendations on contemporary scholarship in the english language that you all have. I am not looking for any particular focus, such as cultural or economic history, but rather just a general overview of the kievan states and societies. Thanks in advance for any recommendations.

I was reading about the 1881 assassination of Alexander II and it had me wondering if there are any good film/movie depictions of this event. So far I can’t find any, at least not any English/American film depictions. Perhaps there are some Russian historical films that I can find somewhere online?

Any chance there are searchable Russian newspapers online from the late 1800s? I'm particularly interested in newspapers from St. Petersburg… Spasibo!

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Can you please review the below coursework and comment if anything significant was left off

8th Grade Russian History Coursework Outline (12 Weeks)

This course explores the key political, cultural, scientific, and technological developments in Russian history, from its early tribal roots before the 9th century through the rise of the Soviet Union, focusing on arts, literature, sports, and science.

Week 1: Pre-9th Century Russia

1. Early Inhabitants and Indo-European Migrations
   • Hunter-gatherer societies, the Neolithic Revolution, and early Proto-Slavic tribes.
2. Influence of the Greeks and Romans
   • Greek colonies on the Black Sea and their cultural and trade impact.
   • The migration period and interactions with nomadic groups like the Huns, Goths, and Avars.
3. Formation of Early Slavic Tribes
   • The rise of the Slavic peoples, the Antes and Sclaveni confederations, and interaction with the Khazar Khaganate.

Week 2: Early Russian History

1. The Kievan Rus' (9th–12th Century)
   • Origins of Kievan Rus', Viking influence, and Christianization under Vladimir the Great.
2. Fall of Kievan Rus' and Mongol Invasion
   • Mongol occupation and its impact on early Russian society.

Week 3: Rise of Muscovy and Early Tsardom

1. The Mongol Yoke and the Rise of Moscow (13th–15th Century)
   • How Moscow became the center of power and Ivan III’s unification efforts.
2. Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible) (1533–1584)
   • Centralization, expansion, and the Oprichnina.

Week 4: The Romanovs and Westernization

1. The Time of Troubles and the Romanov Dynasty (1598–1613)
   • Dynastic crisis, foreign intervention, and the establishment of the Romanov dynasty.
2. Peter the Great (1682–1725)
   • Reforms, westernization, and St. Petersburg.

Week 5: Enlightenment and Expansion

1. Catherine the Great (1762–1796)
   • Domestic reforms, Enlightenment ideas, and territorial expansion.
2. Napoleonic Wars and Alexander I (1801–1825)
   • Defeat of Napoleon, Congress of Vienna, and Russia’s rise as a European power.

Week 6: Revolution Brewing in the 19th Century

1. Nicholas I and the Decembrist Revolt (1825–1855)
   • Suppression of political movements and autocratic rule.
2. Crimean War and Alexander II’s Reforms (1855–1881)
   • Military defeat leading to reforms, including the emancipation of the serfs.

Week 7: The Road to Revolution

1. Alexander III and Nicholas II (1881–1917)
   • Repression, industrialization, and rising political movements.
2. Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) and the 1905 Revolution
   • Defeat, unrest, and the first sparks of revolution.

Week 8: The Russian Revolution and Civil War

1. The 1917 Revolutions
   • Causes, February Revolution (abdication of Nicholas II), and October Revolution (rise of the Bolsheviks).
2. Russian Civil War (1917–1923)
   • Red Army vs. White Army and the creation of the Soviet Union (1922).

Week 9: Soviet Union Under Lenin and Stalin

1. Lenin’s Policies (1917–1924)
   • War Communism, New Economic Policy (NEP), and Lenin’s death.
2. Stalin’s Rule (1924–1953)
   • Five-Year Plans, collectivization, the Great Purge, and World War II.

Week 10: Arts, Literature, Sports, and Science in Russian History

1. Russian Literature (19th–20th Century)
   • Golden Age of literature (Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky) and Soviet literature (Bulgakov, Solzhenitsyn).
2. Russian Visual Arts, Ballet, and Music
   • Avant-garde art (Malevich, Kandinsky), Tchaikovsky’s music, and Russian ballet (Bolshoi, Mariinsky).
3. Russian Sports History
   • Soviet dominance in the Olympics, key athletes (Korbut, Tretiak), and Cold War sports rivalries.
4. Russian Science and Technology
   • Early contributions (Mendeleev’s Periodic Table, Lomonosov), Soviet space program (Sputnik, Gagarin), and nuclear technology.

Week 11: The Cold War and the Fall of the Soviet Union

1. The Cold War Era (1947–1991)
   • Soviet-U.S. rivalry, the Space Race, and key Cold War conflicts.
2. Gorbachev’s Reforms (1985–1991)
   • Perestroika, Glasnost, and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Hi everyone,

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ЗАЧЕМ СТАЛИН СОЗДАЛ ИЗРАИЛЬ or WHY DID STALIN CREATE ISRAEL: https://www.ebay.com/itm/286019396333

Путин, Буш и война в Ираке or Putin, Bush and the war in Iraq: https://www.ebay.com/itm/286019410207

Семь вождей or Seven Chiefs: https://www.ebay.com/itm/286026170257

Hi! I’m trying to find information on Russia’s infamous White Swan supermax prison. Specifically, I’m trying to figure out if alleged claims of frequent burglaries in the nearby town of Berezniki committed by released prisoners of White Swan from the years of 1987-1999 are accurate? In 1999, the prison transitioned to only holding inmates with life sentences, so anything after that time would be irrelevant.

Thank you!!

PS: I may have worded it poorly, but I am trying to figure out if someone living in Berezniki would have been regularly robbed by prisoners released from White Swan.

There are 19+ towns in between where the individual grew up in Berezniki and White Swan.

It seems highly unlikely the person’s home would have been robbed by prisoners multiple times if there were so many towns closer to the prison.