Chapter 29: The Russian Empire in Europe and Asia

What was the English envoy commenting on when he said that Russia resembled the "suburbs of hell?"

Avvakum and his followers believed that the Russian Orthdox Church had been corrupted so badly that it offered damnation instead of salvation. In a dramatic act of defiance and pointedness, axproxiemtly 40 groups of of these devout dissidents boarded their boats, set them ablaze, and sailed down Russia's river, taking their own lives in the process.

What scientific evidence may explain the reasons behind Ivan's Iv's behavior during the reign of terror?

A 20th century autopsy showed Ivan suffered from a debilitating spine disorder, and that he frequently turned to drugs and alcohol to relieve his problems.

What was moscovite like before westernization? (Economically, family structure, political organization,social structure)

Agriculture dominated the Russian economy. Agricultural society revolved around the peasant village. The peasants lived in extended families, and the male heads of the households gathered periodically to make decisions for the village. Village lands were allocated according to the needs of individual families and negotiated with the owners of the land, who were mostly nobles, and with agents of the tsar, such as tax collectors and military recruiters. Peasant women tended to domestic chores and arranged marriages, and even controlled the dowries. Most peasants were serfs tied to lands owned by nobles, the crown, monasteries that their ancestors had cultivated for centuries.

How did the growth of trade impact industrial development? How did if effect population growth in Russia?

Because of trade with Dutch and English merchants, the port of Archangel soon became a flourishing trading city where merchants exchanged Russian furs, leather, and grain for Western European armaments, textiles, paper, and silver. Expansion to the south and east led to an increase in trade with asian people. Russia found opportunities to engage in trade with merchants from Safavid Persia, the Ottoman Empire, and Mughal India. The growth of cities due to trade led to population growth, and Peter the Great's policy of westernization increased the prominence of foreigners in Russia. During the 18th century, Russia's population more than doubled (15 million to 37 million). Growing population led to increased urbanization as well.

What is a boyar? What other social class are they comparable too?

Boysrs were the powerful, elite military aristocracy. They were comparable to knights in west Europe, and Samurai in Japan.

What did Catherine think about enlightenment ideas? Why did cathorine think of herself as an enlightened despot? What policies did she begin to show this idea?

Catherine became infatuated with enlightenment ideals. She sought to devise policies that would improve her subject's lives without detracting from her own power and authority. She began to restrict punishments landowners could give their serfs (torture, beatings, mutilations), and even abolished death penalty (although she used it from time-to-time).

Describe Avvakums doctrinal beliefs. What was it called? How did the government respond?

He and his followers feared that the reforms would result in damnation, and the communities eligibility to receive the grace of God. They regarded tax collectors as agents of the antichrist desired to restore traditional practices and developed doctrinal beliefs called old belief. the government reached an uneasy and unofficial truce

How did Ivan iii consolidate his hold on his new territories? What role did the Cossacks play? What did they gain by doing so?

He recruited peasants to settle in the newly conquered land. The cossacks undertook their own campaigns of expansion, and vastly extended the range of Russia's influence. They gained support from Ivan, who established a strong centralized government in the conquered lands.

Who is Avvakum? Why is he being burned at the stake? Who can he be compared to in Western Europe?

He was a spiritual leader and priest, and even severed as an advisor on religious issues for Tsar Fedor's father. He was ordered to burn at stake for attempting to reform Orthodoxy with Greek biblical and liturgical texts. He claimed his opponents represented the anti-Christ. He can be compared to Martin Luther, as they both conflicted with the ever-so-prominent churches at the time.

What was the importance of the Caucasus? How was it used by the empire? What about Siberia, what did the empire gain from this acquisition?

It was a vibrant multicultural region that embraced the modern-day states of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Georgians were afraid of the Ottoman Turks, and sought a Russian protectotate in 1783. Russia soon absorbed Georgia. With its luxuriant scenery and mineral baths, Georgia became a favorite vacation spot for Russian aristocrats and remained a popular holiday destination until recent times.

What is the importance of St. Petersburg in the western process? How was the city built? What is its nickname? What are Russia's two capitals now?

It was the best symbol of Peter's westernization. The city was built on the Baltic Sea and bore the nickname "the city built on bones." This was because the city was built largely by serfs, and cost 10,000 of them their lives. Peter then claimed St. Petersburg the capital, alongside the existing capital of Moscow.

How did Ivan "gather land"? What was one of his most important acquisitions? Why? How did he assert/ maintain his authority?

Ivan also gathered land by war, marriage, and purchases. His most important acquisition was the prosperous trading city Novgorod in the 1470s. The city was a The hub of lucrative fur trade, and was a member of the Hanseatic league of Baltic commercial cities. It was also an autonomous city-state that governed its affairs through a town council. The merchants had strong ties to Poland and Lithuania to th West, and Ivan wanted to make sure that the wealth of Novgorod didn't strengthen neighboring states. Ivan asserted his contol by recruiting peasants, and offering them freedom to settle in recently conquered lands (cossacks). He also used his militia to offset any rebellions against him and/or his rule.

When did Ivan iv begin to rule? What. Powerful boyar clan did he marry into?

Ivan began to rule in 1533, at the age of 16. He married into the Romanov clan.

Where did Ivan iii draw his inspiration fro his centralized state? How did he tie his rule to the Byzantine (two things)? What role did he play in the government? What mantle did he carry on from the classical era?

Ivan drew his inspiration especially from the Byzantine empire. He tied his rule to the Byzantine by marrying the niece of the last byzantine emperor (Sophia Palaeologus), and by calling himself tsar (Russian term for Caesar), which the Byzantine had borrowed from the Roman Empire to signify their imperial status. He rebuilt the fortress Kremlin in the heart of Moscow, in an attempt to glorify his capital. He made the Byzantine double-headed eagle the symbol of his authority, and also adopted the elaborate pomp and ceremony of the Byzantine court for use in Muscovy. He was also head of the church and state, and claimed to derive authority directly from God.

Who stopped paying tribute to the mongol Khans? When? Why?

Ivan the great, also known as Ivan the third, grand Prince of Moscow stopped paying tribute to the Mongol Khan. Ivan did this in 1480 as a way to declare Russian independence from Mongol rule.

How did Ivan iv try and reform Russia? Who were. His advisors? How did they become imperial advisors?

Ivan tried to reform Russia to improve administration and to root out corruption in the government and church. He distanced himself from boyar clan rivalry, and ruled with the help of his chosen counsel, which consisted of an inner circle of advisors. The advisors of the council were chosen for their talents, rather than their families.

Describe the process of southern expansion? Who formerly controlled these regions?

Russia expanded south into Ottoman territories in Europe. Tsarist forces pushed into Balkan regions that the Ottomans could no longer defend with Greek Orthodox Christians who rensented their Turkish overlords. The Ottomans perviously controlled??

What was serfdom like in early modern Russia (explain in detail)? How did cathorine II impact the lives of serfs? Why was she not earlier the champion of the people (explain)?

Most peasants were serfs tied to lands owned by nobles, the crown, monasteries that their ancestors had cultivated for centuries. As the Russian empire expanded, the conditions of serfdoms became increasingly tight because of efforts by noble landowners and the tsarist state to ensure availability of rural labor force. In 1649, the government issued a law code that placed serfs under strict control of their landlords. Serfs were not slaves, but during the 17th and 18th centuries lords increasingly sold serfs as if they were property. Catherine gave the nobles a free hand over their estates and the serfs that worked them. She sought noble support and desired to hire educated experts of common birth for administrative and military positions. She granted them extensive rights in their own domains in exchange for their support. Her bargain with the nobility greatly strengthened tsarist authority, but it did so by subjecting most Russians to the harsh and arbitrary rule of the noble landlords. Catherine originally revolved around enlightenment and its policies, but then she stopped caring as much for the "little people" and the punishments and hardships they endured. Now, Catherine is focusing on the nobles and higher ups, trying to please them to keep their support.

Who is Catherine II? Why did she move away from the process of westernization? Why is she so impressive( how did she become the Tsarina)? How did she reform the government(3 changes)?

Peter the Great's most able successor, aka Catherine the Great. She reigned from 1762-1796, and followed Peter's quest for westernization. She abandoned westernization because she began to fear Eupoean influences would be a threat to tsarist autocracy. Catherine was originally a German princess, and was in an arranged marriage with the grandson of Peter the Great. Her husband was unpopular, and since their marriage was unhappy anyways, Catherine made alliances with the leading nobles of the tsarist court and displaced her husband. She fashioned herself into a Russian ruler with noble support as a testament to her ability. She increased effectiveness of tsarist bureaucracy by appointing officials with a modern, Western European-style education, and worked to rationalize the administration of her realm. Catherine II is also credited for organizing the Russian empire into fifty administrative provinces, each supported by a governor-general. Lastly, she spelled out the rights and obligations of nobility and the urban classes in her Charter of the Nobility and the parallel Chater of the Towns.

Who is peter the great? What is he responsible for? When did he become csar? What initiatives did he begin in his quest for rapid modernization? ( 3 reforms describe them)

Peter was tsar of russia from 1682-1725. Although he was last in line for the throne, when he grew older he entered court politics and maneuvered his sister Sophia out of position. Since he grew up in the suburb for the foreign, he was exposed to foreign technology and developed a fascination for it, especially ship building and navigation. He became tsar in 1682. He worked to base political administration on pragmatic procedures and to establish Russian industries based on the most advanced science and technology available. He also sent Russians abroad to study, and even embarked on his own tour of Germany, the Nehrerlands, and England. He traveled incognito in hopes that Western Europeans would speak more freely with him.

What caused conflict in the church? Why would they want to standardize ritual practices? What role did Nikon play in reform?

Reformers sought to adapt ritual and liturgy from Eastern European and Greek Orthodox for use in Russia. The reformers ultimately had their way, and the Russian church lost its autonomy and fell under the control of the tsarist autocracy. Ceremony plays a crucial role in orthodox Christianity because community members receive Devine grace by meeting and performing rituals together. The leader of the reformers was a strong-willed monk names Nikon. He served as the patriarch of Moscow, and the spiritual head of the Russian Orthodox Church. He helped establish schools that offered instruction in Latin and Greek as well as Church Slavonic. Although he had backing from the tsar, many people took Nikon's reforms as a sign that the church leadership had turned its back on true and traditional ways.

What is the point of contention between Russia and Poland? How does this help them gain Ukraine? How did Russia draw the smaller states into the fold of the empire?

Russia and Poland had gone separate ways religiously. Poland was Roman Catholic while Russia was Orthodox. Ukraine also practiced Christian Orthodoxy, but it fell within the boarders of Poland and Lithuania (which was also Roman Catholic). Because their peasants resented the oppressive Polish landlords and with fear of Roman Catholic influence, smaller Slavic communities gravitated towards the Russian empire. The leader of Ukraine also had a hatred of Poland after they murdered his son, which also fueled the resistance to Poland.

Why was Poland partitioned (causes)? Amongst whom was it divided? What important sanctuary did Poland become (think long term)?

The Polish parliament required unanimous consent to make a law. The created so much instability that Poland was unable to defend itself against its neighbors, Russia, Austria, and Prussia. These states separated the Polish and and Lithuanian republic, and absorbed its regions into themselves. Poland essentially became the most important sanctuary for Jews, until the the Nazi conquest of Poland in WWII. Poland institutionalized a tolerance of Jews in 1265. However most Jews were unable to leave Poland, unless they had special permission, and their high concentration allowed a focus for anti-Semitism. This is why many of the Polish Jews migrate Ed to the U.S. at the end of the 19th century.

What dynasty came into power after Ivan iv? How long did their dynasty last?

The Romanov dynasty came to power, as the elected tsar was a young relative of Ivan IV's first wife. The dynasty lasted until 1917.

What is an assembly of the lands? What was the goal of these assemblies?

The assembly of the lands was a meeting of representatives who informed Ivan of local situations throughout russia. Ivan's goal was to create an administration that functioned independently of personal whims.

Who are the opichniki? What was their symbol? What did it advertise?

The oprichniki were members of the Oprichnina, and settled on the redistributed lands that used to belong to Muscovite. They were fashioned into a private army, whose members dressed in black and wore insigna featuring a dog's head and a broom. This advertised their determination to hunt down treason and sweep it out of Russia.

From 850c.e. on, who was in control of Russia? How did they gain power?(describe how they built up power)

The princes of Kiev dominated Russia. They gained power by building a wealthy, commercial society with extensive political, economic, and cultural connections to the Vikings of Scandinavia and the Greek population of Constantinople. In the late 1230s, Mongols conquered Kiev, and descendants of Chinggis Khan extracted tribute from Russia from more than 250 years. However, during the late 15th century, the Mongol states fell into disorder, and the princes of Moscow worked once again to recover the territories of Kiev and subject them to Russian rule again.

From where(actual geographic location) did the princes build their territories? How did they acquire territories?

The princes of Moscow began to expand their holdings from their base around the small commercial town of Moscow. They acquired new territories by war, marriage, and even out right purchase.

When did the princes of Moscow begin to expand their authority? So how long had they been building power before Ivan iii broke from the mongols in 1480?

The princes of Moscow begin expand their authority during the mid 14th century. By 1480, they had been building power for over a century.

What caused Catherine to stop reforms? What were the goals of Pugachev and his rebels? How did she change her style of rule in response tr o this?

The rebellions mounted by the Cossack Emelian Pugachev alarmed Catherine and caused her grip on Russian affairs to tighten, but the outbreak of the French Revolution caused her to stop reforms. Pugachev and his rebels sought to end taxes, government supervision, and the military draft. They also demanded the right to possess their own land and elect their own leaders. After the French Revolution, Catherine abandoned her program of westernization and adopted extremely conservative policies for fear that further reform might encourage revolutionary turmoil in Russia.

Describe the indigenous people of Siberia: language, religion, culture,how did they survive(biologically/economically)?

There were some 26 distinct ethnic groups. They lived by hunting, trapping, fishing, and/or herding reindeer. They varied widely in language and religion, and responded to the arrival of Russian adventurers in different ways. Some converted to Russia's Orthodox Christianity, but most of them were criminals, abandoned hostages, slaves, and other people of lesser status. When they converted, they no longer had to pay fur tribute to the state. With the Russians came their technologies, and some native readily accepted the proposition of trading their fur (otter, lynx, marten, arctic fox, sleek black sable) for new things (iron tools, woven cloth, flour, tea, liquor). Many of them suffered from diseases that decimated them, and military violence from the Russians also decreased their population (the military violence alone was responsible for a 70% decline in their population).

How did cathorine and peter reform education in their attempt to westernize? (2 examples) How did enlightenment influences affect Russian Literature?

They introduced western Europema art, literature, and ideas (like ballet). In an effort to establish an alternative tradiotn of secular education, Peter created a system of elementary schools that taught reading, writing, and basic science in russia's principal capitals. He also founded an Academy of Sciences that offered advanced instruction along western european lines in mathematics, natural sciences, geography, languages, philosophy, history, economics, and laws. Catherine expanded Peter's elementary schools into a vast network of primary education that educated all children except for serfs, and opened the first Russian school for girls. Poets and playwrights turned the wooden language used in church and documents into a creative instrument for self-expression. At first the Russians simply imitated the European style and genre, but soon they developed a literature that captured the experiences of their own society.

Who are the intelligentsia? How long did the government censor their publications? What brought an abrupt end to the age of exploration and learning in Russia? Why?

cathrines encouragement of cultural expennientation facilitated the emergence of an intellectual class. The writers and critics of the group experienced government censors kept a close eye on their contects but winters found ways to express provocative news in thick journals by addressing sensitive issues indirectly . the french revolution brought an end to exploration and learning in Russia because the policy oc westernization lost imperial sponsorship, but western european ideas continued to make their way to the russian empire