AP World Chapter 18 Vocab
boyars
the noble landowning class that stood at the top of the social pyramid
Ivan III (Ivan the Great)
The prince of Moscow who refused to pay tribute to the Mongols at a time when the Mongols were not powerful enough to enforce the collection. To legitimize his power, he began to call himself tsar
Arkhangelsk (Archangel)
a Russian port on the northwest coast of Russia that imported cloth from England because trade agreements were drawn up in 1555.
Streltsy
a boyar-led elite military corps that had supported Peter I's half-sister Sophia. They were defeated by Peter for the throne in Russia. They were later disbanded by Peter for trying to rebel against his reign
St. Basil's Cathedral
a famous cathedral built by Ivan IV that served as a visual reminder to the nation that the tsar and the Church were united
Mongols
a group that had tight control over the city-states and kingdoms that made up Russia. This group is the main reason why no renaissance took place in Russia
Caspian Sea
a large sea in the middle of Russia that connects to the Mediterranean Sea through the Volga River.
Table of Ranks
a list that set up military and governmental positions that could be filled by the best-qualified persons regardless of social status. This system was set up by Peter because he promoted men due to merit rather than social status
Russian Orthodox Church
a new church established by the tsars as a way to unite the people behind their leadership, claiming that they ruled by divine right through the Church
fur trade
a new robust trade that resulted from Russian expansion into Siberia. It gave the Russians an important export to Europe and China
Time of Troubles
a phase that Russia entered due to the loss of a strong autocrat or family in control. This time almost saw Russia in a near state of anarchy.
Siberia
a region in Russia that was formerly held by the descendants of the Golden Horde, the Mongolian conquerors. It was sought out by Ivan IV in his conquest of new land
Black Sea
a sea Southwest of Moscow where peasants who were skilled fighters lived on the grassy, treeless steppes. This sea played as a great place to set up sea ports because it connected with the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean
Old Believers
a sect that opposed earlier reforms and now opposed Peter's reforms along with many peasants
Silk Roads
a trade network south of Russia where the Russians could import silk from India and Persia. Russia exported grain, lather, iron, wood, and tar.
Catherine II
also known as Catherine the Great,this Russian ruler was originally an educated, young, German-born Protestant. She became a powerful tsarina after she obtained the throne from her late husband, Peter III. Most of her achievements were towards education systems in Russia
Partition of Poland
an agreement between Prussia, Austria, and Russia that distributed the commonwealth lands of Poland between each nation. the three powerful countries separated Poland into three parts, and Poland didn't reappear as its own nation until the twentieth century
Enlightenment
an intellectual and political movement in Europe during the 18th century that saw a change in science and technology throughout the world
Moscow
city in Russia that developed many physical changes, further showing the growing status and power of Russian rulers. The city is located on a river in the midst of a forest, and became a major trade center for furs and timber.
Kiev
city in present-day Ukraine that was the location of a slave market, and had formerly been the major link between trade routes that stretched from Scandinavia to the Islamic and Byzantine areas.
Kazan
city in southwest Russia that was controlled by the khanates and was sought out by Ivan IV looking for new land.
Astrakhan
city on the Volga River in southern Russia that was sought out by Ivan IV looking for new land
Cossacks
fierce peasant warriors that were hired by major Russian landowners to fight the local tribes and the Siberian khan. These warriors helped gain control of the Volga River
Westernization
movement that started under Peter the great and continued through the reigning of Catherine II. This movement saw the adoption of western culture from parts of Europe into many aspects of Russian society
Alaska
now part of the United States, this state was originally a region owned by Russia and was the spot of many fur trading explorations and expeditions.
Serfs
peasants who received a plot of land and protection from a noble. These peasants in return would be bound to that land and had little personal freedom.
Eastern Orthodoxy
religion that had taken root in Russia rather than the Roman Catholic or Protestant Christianity in the West. The government in Kievan Rus modeled themselves to be like Constantinople, the seat of the Orthodox Byzantine Empire.
Volga River
river in Russia that flows into the Caspian Sea. This river possessed an outlet to the sea and allowed Moscow to trade with Persia and the Ottoman
Peter I
ruler of Russia that was also known as Peter the Great and gained the throne by defeated his half-sister. He started a movement against the Orthodox Church and expanded the Russian borders into Western Europe. He transformed the Russian agricultural society into an industrial society.
philosophes
the Western European thinkers that corresponded with Catherine II in an attempt to codify Russian laws and end the state's use of torture.
Kremlin
the central citadel in Moscow that had newly constructed walls built by Ivan III. Ivan built new towers that were designed by Italian architects
Slavophilism
the conservative philosophical movement that had the most obvious expression of fear among Russians due to the fear that Russian culture would be lost. Slavophiles believed that Russia should base its development on its own history rather than Western European culture
patriarch
the head of the church that was abolished by Peter as a way of confirming his power over the church. The Holy Synod was composed in the place of the patriarch
Ural Mountains
the mountain range in Russia that has now become the borderline for the continents of Asia and Europe. This border was finally agreed on after a huge dispute about Russia.
Zemsky Sobor
the national assembly in Russia that saved the country from near anarchy after they elected Michael Romanov as leader in 1613.
St. Petersburg
the new capital of Russia that had previously been in Moscow. The new city was a warm-water port on the Baltic Sea and became a testament to Peter's determination to have his own capital. The city contained a street grid and the tsar's palace
Romanov Dynasty
the new dynasty in Russia that formed after Michael Romanov was elected by the Zemsky Sobor in 1613. The dynasty lasted until 1917.
Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible)
the new tsar of Russia that was crowned in 1547. He set out to expand the Russian border eastward, by taking control of the khanates, Astrakhan, and Siberia. He also built St. Basil's Cathedral
Holy Synod
the newly established head of the church that took over from the patriarch. It was comprised of clergymen overseen by a secular official who answered to the tsar.
Oprichnina
the paramilitary force that was loyal to Ivan IV. These men were dressed in all black and reflected the later development of the Russian secret police
divine right
the right of a sovereign to rule as set forth by the theory of government that holds that a monarch receives the right to rule directly from God and not from the people
Pale of Settlement
the territory set up Catherine II as a new place where Jews of Russia were required to live. This territory set the Jews apart and helped to make them more vulnerable to anti-Semitism
Winter Palace
the tsar's in-town home in St. Petersburg that was built by workers in the mid-eighteenth century. The workers who constructed the palace were peasants and prisoners
tsar
the unofficial name of Ivan III, that was a name used by Ivan to legitimize his power. The term derived from the Latin word Caesar gave Ivan additional prestige through an assumed link to the Roman Empire
provinces
various administrative divisions that made up Russia. These separate states in Russia had officials who received a salary and replaced the old system of local officials. There were originally 8, but eventually the amount of divisions increased to 50
pogroms
vicious anti-Jewish attacks that would frequently occur in Russia during the nineteenth century
mirs
village communes that kept even the small landholders among the peasants in check. They looked over all of the serfs and made sure they were loyal to their landlord and their land