Russia

1. Russia

2. Russia’s Geography • The debate on continents. • Where is the dividing line between Europe and Asia? • Some say Ural Mountains but Russia crosses the Ural Mountains so instead we will divide Russia into western (European Russia) and eastern Russia (Asian Russia).

3. GEOGRAPHY: European or Western Russia • Ural Mountains • Borders Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine • Very flat land • Rich farm land • No barriers to the west providing protection from invaders • Volga River: Europe's longest river carrying 2/3 of Russia’s waterway traffic.

4. GEOGRAPHY: Asian or Eastern Russia • Largest part of Russia east of the Ural Mountains • Siberia covers most of this land it is the largest flat region in the world • Kamchatka Peninsula 20 active volcanoes • Thousands of lakes Lake Baikal deepest in the world.

5. Climate • Mainly a cold weather country • Siberia frigid weather temps so low land is covered with a permafrost (permanently frozen ground) • Western Russia is more densely populated because of milder climate but still Moscow has snow on the ground for 5 months of the year.

6. Wildlife • Tundra: reindeer, Artic Fox, snowy owls • Taiga: Bears, deer, wolves. • Steppe region: cattle, antelope, wild horses • Semidesert region: lizards, snakes, rodents, camels

7. ABUNDANT NATURAL RESOURCES • Largest reserves of natural gas, oil, coal but are untouched because they are located in remote areas of Siberia. • Iron ore, gold, diamonds, copper, and lumber in the south and west are used to better advantage

8. Human-Environment Interaction • Mining these abundant resources has caused many environmental problems • Mining sites polluted the air, contaminated rivers • Industries that extract oil and gas pollute the air and water • Over cutting trees causes the loss of plant and animals • Russia is working to clean up the environment enforcing stricter rules but it will have to balance its need for economic growth with environmental responsibility.

9. Russian History • 900s: European Russia is settled by the Varangians called “Rus” thus how Russia got its name. • 1200: The Rus fall to an invasion by Mongolia to the south • 1547: the Mongol power has weakened and Ivan the IV becomes the first ruler to be called czar. He earns the name Ivan the terrible because he is a harsh ruler murdering hundreds of aristocrats and his own son. • 1682: Peter the Great strongly influenced by the West works hard to modernize Russia feeling it would be easier to compete with Europe militarily and economically. • Moved the capital to St. Petersburg spending a lot of money and costing 30,000 lives to make it like a European city. • But Russians were still suspicious of western Europe. They were outsiders with religious differences (Russians were Eastern Orthodox Christians Europeans were mostly Catholics and Protestants)

10. 1762 Catherine the Great came to power • Acquired the northern shore of the Black Sea and the Crimea. This provided Russia with a warm water port that did not freeze over in winter. • They also gained Poland and its territory • Succeeding Czars expanded Russia even more reaching the Pacific to the east. • 1916 the Trans-Siberian Railroad is completed stretching 6,000 miles and helping to develop Siberia.

11. Revolution • 1917 the Bolshevik Party over throws the Czar and Vladimir Lenin comes to power. They believe that all political power and means of production should be held by the government (communism). • 1922 the Bolsheviks create a new Communist nation called the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) or Soviet Union. • 1929 Joseph Stalin becomes dictator. He is cruel executing millions of his political enemies. He sets up a totalitarian government that controls every aspect of public and private life.

12. During WWII the Soviet Union joined the Allies and gained control of many countries in Eastern Europe developing a big distrust between Soviet Union and the west. • The U.S. and Soviet Union begin to develop many nuclear weapons but war never breaks out. This conflict is called the Cold War. • Too much money was spent on weapons and food and basic items were in short supply causing people to wait in line for hours to buy ordinary items.

13. 1985 Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev tries to revive the nations economy by reducing government control. He allows freedom of expression and a free flow if information. This allowed people to complain openly for the first time and they called for even more freedom. • 1991Gorbachev’s reform efforts caused a breakup of the Soviet Union. The Cold War ended.

14. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev tried to revive the nations economy by reducing government control. He allowed freedom of expression and a free flow of information. This allowed people to complain openly for the first time and they called for even more freedom. 1991Gorbachev’s reform efforts caused a breakup of the Soviet Union. The Cold War ended.

15. The struggle for reform • A new government: • Democratic reforms • Set up political parties • Elected a president • Reorganized the structure of the government • Presidential Power: • Russian president more power than US • Vladimir Putin increased those powers: • Decreased power or rival parties increased his own • Restricted freedom of newspapers and media • Many fear a return to the one party system.

16. Where is Russia now? • After 1991 there was a rise in lawlessness and organized crime. Russians have sacrificed their own liberty for order and the rule of law. • The government has reversed some of its reforms because of terrorism and its war with Chechnya. • Chechnya has demanded independence but Russia is refusing. The conflict continues….

17. Economy • Greater success has come in Russia reform of their economy. They have moved from a command economy (run by the government) to a market economy (private individuals own most of the businesses and operate them with little government control) • President Boris Yeltsin adopted a plan to fix the failing economy after 1991 that involved shock therapy. Widespread privatization of industries and farms initially caused higher prices, closed business, people out of work…but things slowly improved and prospered.

18. The Russian People • Most Russians live in western, or European, Russia. • The rugged terrain and harsh climate in Eastern, Russia, have kept populations low in that part of the country • Eighty percent of Russia’s people are ethnic Russians, who descended from the Slavs. Other ethnic groups include Tatars, Ukrainians, Belarus, and Chechens. • The 2 largest cities are Moscow and St. Petersburg. • During WWII many of Russia's building were destroyed.

19. Sports • Their most popular sports are the winter ones! Such as hockey, ice skating, and skiing!

20. Religion • We learned many things about their religion, for example the most common religion in Russia is Orthodox. • The orthodox church was constructed in Byzantine style. • The most common religion is Orthodox Christianity. Other forms of religion are Islam, Buddhism, Judaism.

21. (this is a picture of an orthodox church)

22. City's • Russia’s buildings changed throughout time. When World War II a lot of building were destroyed! A lot of people were living in single family homes. • A lot of people had to move to a new city to get new jobs

23. This is a picture of what the building looked like during World War II

24. Food Russians generally eat a hearty diet that uses a lot of root vegetables, like beets,carrots,onions, and potatoes.

25. Russian Literature • Leo Tolstoy is one of Russia’s greatest novelist • Tolstoy showed deep concern for moral issues and that inspired an Indian leader and that Indian leader inspired Martin Luther King Jr.

26. Russian Art • Russia adopted art from European influences. • In 1911 Wassily Kandinsky was the first Russian artist to paint in the abstract style

27. Art • Russian painting was slower to adopt European influences than was Russians literature. However around 1911 Wassily Kandinsky became one of the first artist

28. Music and dances • Russian music flowered during the 1800’s. Using traditional Russian melodies, Peter Tchaikovsky wrote many great works, including ballet.

29. Bolshoi Ballet Company • Dancers among the best in the world.

30. Propaganda Propaganda: Is information that deliberately tries to influence opinion Artists were required to create posters that supported and glorified the Communist Party and it’s programs

31. Don’t babble keep your tongue behind your teeth!

32. Eurasian Republics • Transcaucasia: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan • Central Asia: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan

33. Climate • Transcaucasia: • Azerbaijan lowlands winters are mild and summers are hot • Armenia has mountains so winters are colder • Georgia has milder climate the mountains protect it and the Black Sea moderates the temperature • Central Asia: • Harsher climate with extreme highs and low temperature • Mountains block moisture and cause the semiarid and desert climates.

34. Resources • Both regions rich in coal, oil and natural gas. These abundant resources should help the young countries prosper. • Transcaucasia: • rich farm land • Central Asia: • Very little fertile land due to lack of rain. • Moving toward a market economy privatizing businesses. • Countries with a one-crop economy (Uzbekistan-cotton) economies often struggle with the success or failure of that years crop. • Pipelines for the transport of oil are bringing benefits to many Eurasian countries • Tajikistan is developing hydro power this project could end up being the largest electricity producing dams in the world.

35. Human-Environment Interaction • Efforts by the Soviet Union to over come geographic limits were at the expense of these more uninhabited areas • The Soviet Union tried to increase cotton farmland by piping in water from the Aral Sea caused it to shrink drastically. Loss of fish and jobs. • Nuclear Testing in Central Asia as a result of the arms race with the U.S. has created vast areas of poisoned land in Kazakhstan (7,000 sq. mi) where radiation levels have risen causing illness. • Recent efforts in these areas are attempting to fix these problems, the Aral Sea is coming back slowly and Central Asia is developing light industry to reduce pollution.

36. Influence of migration, invasions and trade • Migration: • 600-700s Arabs moved into Transcaucasia introducing Islam and becoming Muslims. Turkish people moved into Central Asia • 1200s the Mongols invaded both areas bringing stability and the development of trade routes • The Silk Road was a network of trade routes from China through this region to Europe. Trade in the region developed as traders sold livestock and goods for food along the routes. Cities grew. • Eurasian Region became a mix of ethnic groups (people who share a common heritage). Influencing language, customs and relations among the countries.

37. “Russification” • 1922 In creating the Soviet Union these regions as well as western republics Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and the Baltic republics were brought together. The Soviet Union tried to make them more Russian imposing the Russian language moving Russians into the new areas and discouraging old traditional customs. • 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union these regions gained their independence and are moving toward a market economy but poverty and ethnic disputes have caused many to move back to Russia seeking better conditions.

38. Independence • 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union these regions gained their independence and are moving toward a market economy but poverty and ethnic disputes have caused many to move back to Russia seeking better conditions. • Soviet Union paid little attention to setting up borders and often split ethnic groups causing conflicts. Some ethnic groups think they should have an independent country of their own

39. People • Many follow the traditions of their ancestors. • Transcaucasia: more than half live in urban areas • Central Asia: most live in rural areas and farm or herd livestock • Both regions: • Family is very important • live together with extended family members • Transcaucasia: mostly live in apartments • Central Asia: nomad herders live in yurts, elaborate tents they move with them in search of good pasture • Since independence families observe many ethnic holidays that were often banned under Soviet rule

40. Traditions • Variety of foods based on meat and milk products. • Goat and Lamb and vegetable soup, shish kabob, rice pilaf • Architecture in both regions constructed beautiful churches with many domes. • Horses are very important in Central Asia and many sports involve horses: polo, hunting, and wrestling on horse back.

41. Test review • Study OneNote notes taken in class. • Review Bell Ringers • Know who Stalin and Lenin were • Know the importance of the date 1991 • Know the difference between the Soviet Union and Russia • Understand the role President Putin plays in Russia and the direction he seems to be taking Russia.