Unit 7
The Cultural Geography
of Russia
I. Section I
Population Patterns
A. Russia’s Ethnic Diversity


Over a 100 different ethnic groups!
Ethnic Regions

Over the centuries, Russia took over much of the land in Asia and Europe and took
over many different ethnic groups
Ethnic Groups (con’t)

The Slavs





Largest ethnic group
Ethnic Russians are part
of this group
This group also includes:
Poles, Serbs, Ukrainians,
etc.
Slavs have dominated
Russia’s culture
Russian is the country’s
official language
Ethnic Groups (con’t)

Turkish Peoples


2nd largest group
Mainly Muslims
Ethnic Groups (con’t)

Caucasian Peoples

Live in Caucasus region of SE
Russia
B. Population Density & Distribution

Population &
Environment

Average Population
Density is 22 people per
sq. mile


(U.S. is 78 per sq. mi.)
Most people actually live in the
area between the Belarus and
Ukraine borders and the Ural
Mtns.
 120 people per sq. mi. here
Major industrial city is
Moscow
Population Trends

Population crisis


Poor healthcare
movement out of Russia
II. Section II
History & Government
A. Early People and States


Roots go back to A.D.
600s – Slavs
Kievan Rus


City-States
In the early 1200s, the
Mongol invaders
conquered this region &
then held control for
more than 200 years
Early People and States (con’t)

The Rise of Russia

By the late 1400s, the Slavs
drove out the Mongols


In 1533, Ivan the Great’s
grandson was crowned the 1st
czar – supreme ruler


Prince Ivan III – Ivan the
Great
He was called Ivan the
Terrible
By 1650 many peasants had
become serfs or slaves
Ivan the Terrible
Ivan the Great
B. Romanov Czars



While Russia struggled with their harsh
rule, W. Europe left them behind (especially
in areas of science & technology)
In the late 1600s, Czar Peter I (Peter the
Great) – was determined to modernize
Russia
A new capital – St. Petersburg was formed
Palace Square—St. Petersburg
C. The Russian Revolution

Russification

Required everyone to speak Russian & follow Eastern
Orthodox Christianity

Socialism

Many Russians were
frustrated and attracted
to this kind of economy
that calls for equality


Karl Marx – German
philosopher who came
up with socialism
More hardships
continued for Russia
and finally in 1917,
rule of the czars had
ended
Last Czar of Russia and family
assassinated
D. The Soviet Era

Russian Revolution (1917) established a representative government

Was too weak

Bolsheviks – revolutionary group – led by Vladimir Lenin – seized
control
 They believed in communism – based on Karl Marx’s ideas
 Bolsheviks led a civil war against their opposition

The Soviet Union

In 1921, the Bolsheviks (now known as communists) won the civil war

Established the USSR – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
After Lenin’s death in 1924, Joseph
Stalin took over reign
He led with fear and killed
those in opposition
Lenin’s Grave
A Superpower
During WWII, more than 27 million
Russians died
At the war’s end. Russia controlled most
of E. Europe
E. Europe countries became satellites –
countries controlled by the Soviet Union
For the next four decades, the U.S. & the
Soviet Union were locked in a Cold War
COLD WAR MILITARY BUILD-UP
Hard Times in the USSR
E. The Soviet Breakup

1985 – Mikhail Gorbachev
assumes power of the Soviet
Union
 Begins reform
 Perestroika & Glasnost
 Many soviet republics
gained independence
 In 1991, Gorbachev’s
presidency ended and the
Soviet Union ceased to
exist
Reagan & Gorbechev
F. A New Russia

Boris Yeltsin (was leader of Russia during Soviet
Union) – leader of devastated Russia



A Market Economy


Economy was in bad shape
Many ethnic conflicts
Russia began moving from a command economy to a
market economy
Separatist Movement

Still lots of ethnic conflict
G. Russia Timeline - for the “History
Challenged”
Slavs – original group
Kievan Rus – loose union of city states
Mongols – conquered many Slavs
Ivan the Great & Slavs overthrew Mongols
Ivan the Terrible – 1st Czar
Russian Revolution – WWI
Russians attracted to socialism – Karl Marx
G. Timeline Continued
Bolsheviks & Lenin – start communism
Bolsheviks won the civil war – formed USSR
Lenin died – Stalin in power – rules by fear
WWII – USSR takes control of E. Europe
Vladimir Lenin
Joseph Stalin
Cold War Begins – U.S. & Russia
Mikhail Gorbachev assumes power &
begins reform
Boris Yeltsin assumes leadership
Vladimir Putin – current leader
Gorbachev
Vladimir Putin
 Section

III
Cultures & Lifestyles
A. Religion in Russia

Christianity in Russia


Eastern Orthodox Church had been central prior to communist rule
During communism – religion was strongly discouraged – Why?


The Orthodox Church regained following after communism


2nd largest religion
Judaism

Have long been persecuted in Russia


Patriarch and icons
Islam


Promoted Atheism
Pogroms – organized massacres
Buddhism

2 Republics in Russia are mostly Buddhist
B. Education

Soviet Rule


Free but mandatory education
Focused mostly on military, science, and
engineering studies



Very little language, history, and literature
Intelligentsia – intellectual elite
Today


Choice of type of high school
Current economy hurts their school funding
Moscow University
C. Health Care


Disease, lifestyle choices
(smoking, drinking, bad
foods), insufficient health
care all threaten the wellbeing of Russians
The medical facilities still
owned by the
government are
inefficient
D. The Arts

Russia’s Artistic
Golden Age


Artists found
inspiration in religion
Russian artists have
risked much to
express themselves

Culture & the Soviets


Social realism –
people had to glorify
communism in their
works or they were
punished
Post-Soviet Arts

In the mid 1980s,
activity in the arts
renewed
E. Life & Leisure


Daily life has always been
difficult for ordinary people in
Russia
 Overcrowded Apartments
 Long lines and expensive
prices for things as simple
as a loaf of bread
Holidays
 In 1991, Christmas
became a national holiday
in Russia