Unit 5 – Chapter 15
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 IIHistory & 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 Prince Ivan III – Ivan the
Great In 1533, Ivan the Great’s
grandson was crowned the 1st czar – supreme ruler
He was called Ivan the Terrible
By 1650 many peasants had become serfs or slaves Ivan the Great
Ivan the Terrible
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 SuperpowerDuring 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 Economy was in bad shape Many ethnic conflicts
A Market Economy 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 ContinuedBolsheviks & 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
Cold War Begins – U.S. & Russia
Mikhail Gorbachev assumes power & begins reform
Boris Yeltsin assumes leadership
Vladimir Putin – current leader
Vladimir Lenin Joseph Stalin
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?
Promoted Atheism The Orthodox Church regained following after communism
Patriarch and icons Islam
2nd largest religion Judaism
Have long been persecuted in Russia 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 well-being 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