Anne Davison

A History of Russia Anne Davison

Russia has recently marked one hundred years since the 1917 Russian Revolution and the overthrow of the Romanov Dynasty. Seventy-four years of Soviet rule followed, until 1991, when the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) was dissolved. It could be said that the Soviet experiment was simply a blip in the long history of the Russian people. But how, or why did the blip happen? More significantly, is the blip slowly being forgotten, while people and events from Russia's 'glorious' past are re-emerging into the Russian consciousness? There are signs that this may be the case. Joseph Stalin has been brought in from the cold and a monument to Vladimir the Great has been erected outside the Kremlin. Even a monument of Ivan the Terrible has been unveiled on the grounds that through his expansionist policies he increased Russia's territory. And the Russian Orthodox Church has been reinstated, not only as a moral force but also as a supporter of the Russian State. This book is an attempt to look back at Russian history and to try and discover why these particular rulers are so relevant today. Perhaps it might then be possible to identify those characteristics, traits and trends that not only survived the Soviet period, but re-emerged as strong as ever. Starting with Rurik, the founder of the Kievan Rus', the book includes the Mongol Invasions, the Dukes of Muscovy, the Romanovs and Revolution. The final Chapter covers the Soviet period and the Epilogue reflects on the current Presidency of Vladimir Putin. As with other books in the 'In Brief' series, this book is aimed at the general reader who wants to understand a particular historical topic but does not have the time or inclination to read a heavy academic tome. With this mind, footnotes have been omitted. While there will inevitably be gaps in a book of this size, the intention is to cover the most significant events that moulded Russian history. Should the reader be inspired to further reading on the subject, a small selection of the main works that have been consulted is provided at the end. Where possible, maps and charts are provided which should help the reader navigate through the text. A 'Who's Who and What's What' is included at the end.