Russia and the Republics
Physical and Human Geography
Russia’s Beginnings
• In 862 C.E. the Viking Ruirk came to Russia
and founded the first Russian dynasty in
Novgorod.
• During the 10th and 11th centuries the
various tribes were united by the spread
of Christianity.
• 1240 C.E. the Mongols conquered Russia.
and forced rulers to pay tribute.
• Moscow emerged over the next two
centuries as the center of power.
Russian Rulers
• Ivan IV (1533-1584),
known as the terrible,
was the first leader to be
crowned Czar/Tsar.
• Modernized Russia and
expanded territory into
Siberia.
• Threatened to abdicate
throne unless he was
allowed to rule with
absolute power.
• People forced into
serfdom or slavery.
Russian Rulers
Peter the Great (1672-1725)
• Founded the Romanov
Dynasty
• Westernized Russia
– Reorganized and upgraded
the Army
– Built up Russia’s Navy
– Boyars had to cut beards
off.
• War with Sweden, moved
capital to St. Petersburg.
• Died without naming an
heir.
Russian Rulers
Catherine the Great
(1729-1796)
• Viewed herself as an
enlightened monarch
but continued serfdom.
• Expanded Russian
territory to Crimean
Peninsula .
The Road to Revolution in the
20th Century
• Conditions for the people continue to worsen.
– Poverty, food shortages, and drought.
• Bloody Sunday- Peaceful protestors are massacred
by the czar’s troops.
• WWI- Russia faced with increasing casualties.
Bloody Sunday
The End of a Dynasty
• Tsar Nicholas II was
forced to abdicate in
1917.
• He and his entire family
were executed by
revolutionaries.
WHY?
Lenin and the Revolution
•
Studied the ideas of Karl Marx
– Communism- everyone is equal
in theory, and is closely tied to
command economy.
• Lenin offered the poor “land,
bread, and peace”
• After the revolution, Lenin says
that Russia is not ready for pure
communism.
Josef Stalin
• Leader of Soviet Union
after Lenin died.
• After the war he installed
pro-Soviet governments
in Eastern Europe.
• Fear of opposition led to
the murder of at least 20
million Russians.
• U.S. feared spread of
communism.
The Power of Stalin
• What is the difference in these two
photos?
The Cold War
• Between communist
Soviet Union and
Democratic U.S.
• Never grew into open
warfare between two
nations.
• Rivalry continued into
1980’s.
• Nuclear fear
• Space Race
Command Economy
• Under communism the govt. takes control of
all aspects of the economy.
• In the Soviet Union, govt. economic
planners decided what would be produced,
how much, and what it would cost.
There was also no competition because there
was only one brand, the government brand.
• It did industrialize the country very quickly
but at the cost of around 15 million lives
Gorbachev, the fall of the Soviet
Union, and Russia Today
• Started to give more economic and political
freedom during the 1980’s.
• Began the process that led to the collapse of
the Communist government and the Soviet
Union.
• Region divided into 15 independent republics
• Today Russia has a popularly elected
president-Dmitriy Anatolyevich although
Russia is believed to be operated by the Mafia.
Chechnya
• After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Chechnya
demanded independence from Russia in the
1990’s. In response, Russia invaded Chechyna,
killing over 100,000 people.
• Russia slowly began to take control of the
territory but the Chechynians continued t resist.
• In 1996, a peace agreement was reached but
Russia invaded Chechnya again in 2001.
Review Questions
1. What did Lenin promise the people of
Russia under his leadership?
A. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
B. Land, Bread, and Peace
C. Clothes, Houses, and Money
D. Weapons, War, and Victory
Review Questions
2. Which of the following most accurately describes Russia’s
past and present political structure?
A. Originally settled by the Huns in the North, the region was
conquered by the Mongol Empire. After the Mongols,
leaders from Moscow attempted a democracy similar to
one in the United States. Communist leaders came to
power after WWII but their rule recently collapsed.
B. The Western part of the country was originally settled by
the Vikings but was conquered by the Mongols. After the
Mongols, leaders from Moscow formed a monarchy and
expanded control throughout Asia. Communist leaders
gained control after WWI but their rule recently ended.
C. Originally settled by the Mongols, the region gained
stability when the Byzantine Empire conquered most of the
feuding city-states. Leaders from St. Petersburg formed a
monarchy which lasted until WWII. Communist leaders
then gained control until a recent democratic revolution.
Review Questions
Which statement best describes a
Command Economy?
A. The law of supply and demand
determines the price of goods.
B. Consumer needs change little from one
generation to the next.
C. The government decides what and how
much to produce.
D. There is significant surplus with no
price controls.
Review Questions
Where in the former Soviet Union did
an accident involving Nuclear Energy
have a long-term negative
environmental and health
consequence?
A. St. Petersburg
B. Kiev
C. Moscow
D. Chernobyl
Landforms and Resources
• Flat plains stretch across the western and
central areas of the region.
• South and east, the terrain is more
mountainous.
• Many resources in Russia and the
Republics are in hard-to-reach regions
with brutal climates.
Northern Landforms
• Northern European Plain is an lowland
area that stretches over 1,000 miles from
the western border to the Urals.
• 75% of region’s 290 million people live
on the Plain.
• Cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev
WHY?
• Chernozem—world’s most
fertile soil, abundant in area
Northern Landforms
• Ural Mountains—separate Northern European, West
Siberian Plains
- some see them as dividing line between Europe and
Asia
- some consider Europe and Asia as single
continent—Eurasia
Northern Landforms
• Western Siberian Plain lies between
Urals and Yenisey River (west to east)
between Arctic Ocean and Atay Mts.
(north to south)
• Plain tilts northward, so rivers flow to
Arctic Ocean.
Northern Landforms
• Central Siberian Plateau between Yenisey,
Lena rivers
- high plateaus that average 1,000 to 2,000
feet
• East of Lena River is Russian Far East and
system of volcanic ranges
- Kamchatka Peninsula has 120 volcanoes, 20
still active
What does this tell you about the terrain?
Southern Landforms
•Caucasus Mountains lie between Black
and
Caspian seas.
- border between Russia & Transcaucasia—
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
• Central Asia region includes “stan”
republics
- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Climate and Vegetation
• Much of Russia and the Republics lie in
subarctic and tundra climate zones.
Climate and Vegetation
• Continentally—effect the region’s
enormous size has on its climates
• Distance from sea also creates extreme
temperatures
- average Siberian temperatures are
usually below 50 degrees F and can drop
below 90 degrees F
• Cold weather has impact on daily lifeHow?
Vegetation Regions
• Tundra
- Mostly in Arctic climate zone;
only
specific vegetation can
survive
- mosses, lichen, small herbs,
low shrubs
• Forest
- taiga—largest forest on earth,
mostly coniferous
- sable, fox, ermine, elk, bear,
wolves
•
Vegetation Regions
• Steppe
- Temperate grassland from southern Ukraine
to Altay Mountains
- Highly fertile chernozem soil
- Region is major source of grain for Russia and
the Republics
• Desert
- Wide plains in west and central areas of
Central Asia
Resources
• Huge reserves of coal, iron ore, other metals
• Petroleum deposits around Caspian Sea
among world’s largest
• Forests have 1/5 of world’s timber
• Most of resources hard to get to because
they are located in Siberia
• Large producer of hydroelectric power due to
river
Human Environment
Interaction
• Government has not balanced between
economic and environmental needs.
• Damming alters river flow and results in
thermal pollution.
• Pesticides are caught in runoff-water not
absorbed into soil and drain into lakes, killing
fish.
– Aral Sea
– In order to save the sea, almost 9 to 18 million
acres of farmland would have to go.
Chernobyl
• On April 26, 1986, a poorly planned safety
experiment led to the explosion at Chernobyl,
which was made worse by a faulty reactor
design.
• The explosion is considered the worst civilian
nuclear accident, having contaminated around
100,000 sq. miles.
• Costs related to disaster have been estimated
around $300 billion.
Chernobyl
Before
After
Examine the map of the Trans-Siberian
Railroad
Review Questions
What is the economic impact of the Trans-Siberian
railroad on Siberia?
A. It required a large investment of money and
labor to build.
B. Workers destroyed large areas of forests in order
to lay railroad tracks.
C. Snow and ice have made the railroad unreliable,
with little economic impact.
D. It allowed people to reach remote region and
exploit the natural resources.
Review Questions
Siberia has many natural resources that have
not been utilized. All of the following are
probable reasons for this except:
A. Climate
B. Elevation
C. Distance
D. Terrain
Review Questions
How do the Ural Mountains affect distribution
of climate regions in Russia?
A. The northern side of the mountain range
receives cool, rainy weather, while the
southern side is a hot desert.
B. The western side receives cold, arctic
weather, while the eastern side is much
cooler and drier.
C. The western side of the mountain range
receives warm continental winds while the
eastern side is much colder and drier.