Russia's Journey Through Time and Territory

 

Summary of this Article:

• Russia is the largest country in the world, spanning over 17 million square kilometers.
• Its history dates back thousands of years, with evidence of human settlement found as far back as 45,000 years ago.
• In the 9th century, Viking kings established the state of Rus, laying the foundation for Russia.
• Mongol invasions in the 13th century devastated Russia, but eventually, the Mongol rule ended in 1480.
• Ivan IV, known as Ivan the Terrible, expanded Russia's territory significantly, especially by conquering Siberia.
• Russia's expansion was driven by its need for resources and its ability to easily conquer sparsely populated areas.
• Over time, Russia expanded westward, acquiring territories in Europe and Asia, becoming the largest country in the world.
• Alaska was sold to the United States in 1867 due to Russia's inability to manage such a distant territory.
• The Soviet Union, established in 1922, further expanded Russia's territory, which eventually dissolved in 1991.
• Despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia remains the largest country globally, with vast territory and diverse geography.
• Russia's size and harsh climate have historically made it difficult to conquer, earning it the reputation of being unbeatable.
• Kaliningrad, a Russian territory located in Eastern Europe, is a unique enclave separated from the rest of Russia.
• The future of Russia's vast territory remains uncertain, but its size and resources continue to shape its role on the world stage.

 

 

Welcome toHistorical Horizons! Have you ever wondered How Russia became so big, spread over almost 17.5 million square kilometers? So big that its borders meet 16 sovereign countries of the world and even after the independence of 15 independent states. It is the largest country in the world in terms of area. Do you also know that this country has been larger than 2 crore square kilometers in one era? Even today, it is twice the size of not only America, but also Canada and China. Russia covers 5 times more area than India. Not only this, 20 countries like Pakistan can fit in the territory of Russia. Russia is 25 times larger than France and 47 times larger than Germany. Was Russia as big centuries ago? Why, when and how did it get so big? All this we'll find out today.

History of Russia:

The area of ​​Russia is more than 17 million square kilometers. However, the population of this country spread over a vast area is 145 million people. Thus, only nine people live in one square kilometer area of ​​this country. According to scientists, the history of human existence in this region is two million years old.

However, evidence of regular human settlement has been found in southern Serbia dating back to 45,000 years ago. Historians say that Greek traders brought classical civilization here in the 8th century BC. The local population here was very small and then during the 3rd to 10th century AD, various tribes established small kingdoms here. In which the foreign invaders of Turkish origin were also included.

Viking Kings and Mongols Wars:

In the 9th century, the descendants of the German Viking kings defeated the Turkic people and built their great state here. These people were called “Rus” people. According to these people, it was first called Rus Land and then Russia. After conquering Kiev, the present-day capital of Ukraine, the Viking kings made it their base during the reign of the Viking Kings or Rush People.

By the middle of the 13th century AD, Area of ​​Russia had reached about 1.33 million square kilometers. Empire was then overrun in 1223 by a storm of Mongols from the neighboring country. The first decisive battle of this series is called the Battle of the Kalka River. Descendents of Genghis Khan's, made several attacks on Russia from 1237 to 1242 AD. In five or six years, the Mongols or Tatars not only occupied a large area of ​​Russia, but also took away the lives of thousands of people of the race of Russian rulers. The Tatars ruled the southern and central regions of Russia in addition to the eastern regions for more than two centuries. His reign came to an end in 1480. Meanwhile, after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, various Russian clans formed an alliance and launched a successful movement for independence from the Mongols.

Ancient Russia:

Recognizing the Roman Empire as his overlord Russian ruler Ivan III became the unanimous head of all the Russian tribes. He married the niece of Constantine XI, the last Byzantine emperor of Constantinople. So his power increased even more. This made it easy to defeat the Mongols.

In 1547, the Empire of Moscovia was established. That is, instead of Kiev, Moscow became central in Russia. The ruler of this empire was Ivan IV, also known in history as Ivan the Terrible. He ruled from 1533 to 1584. During his long reign, the Russian Empire not only developed a lot, but also conquered many territories. Especially by conquering Siberia, the area of ​​Russia increased by millions of square kilometers. According to an estimate, 77% of Russia's territory was conquered during his reign. Thanks to his victories, after him Moscow was able to establish its rule up to the Atlantic Ocean until 1645.

How Russia is so Big?

The main reason for the conquest of Siberia during the reign of Ivan IV was that the Russians had freed their country from the Mongols. But it had no permanent border with any country to the east. It was easy to capture these areas of Russia, but it was really difficult for the invaders to maintain it for a long time. Even if they are the Mongols who are skilled in cavalry. When the Russians advanced to the east to build a border, they continued to advance, taking advantage of the very small population in these areas.

Russia expanded greatly within a few years. At the time of the conquest of Siberia, there were on average only two people per kilometer. From whom the resistance remained negligible. These people were Russians and did not speak Russian language, but they supported the Russians a lot and accepted their obedience easily. Russian troops continued to advance to the east as well as to the north and an area of ​​more than 1.3 million square kilometers of Siberia became part of Russia.

Russian troops then set their sights on the west and south and spread from Europe to Asia. Areas including Ukraine, Belarus and Poland became their targets in the west, while the Russian Empire dominated in the south up to Armenia and Georgia. After that, they also captured the Central Asian states. All these campaigns made Russia the largest country in the world in terms of area about 500 years ago. Experts say that the main reason for Russian forces' interest in Siberia was the animal skins obtained from here, which was in great demand in Europe. In exchange for these skins, the Russians took responsibility for protecting the lives and property of the Siberians. In 1721, the Russian Empire was established under the leadership of Peter the Great. After that, Russia was sometimes under the influence of wars and sometimes revolutions.

Why was Alaska Sold?

By 1865, Russia had expanded to such an extent that Moscow could no longer manage it. As running the state of Alaska system which was located about 7 thousand kilometers away from Moscow.

Perhaps, that is why Russia had to make the big decision to sell it. Alaska is not a small area, but its area is twice that of Pakistan's and very important strategically. In 1867 Russia was forced to sell it. The United States purchased Alaska but gave it the status of the 20th state 92 years later in 1959. If Alaska was a part of Russia, Russia would be a neighbor of Canada today.

Modern Russia:

December 1922 is considered another great day in the history of Russia. Because on that day, Russian ruler Vladimir Lenin announced the establishment of the Soviet Union. The total area of ​​the Soviet Union was more than 22.4 million square kilometers. Whereas in 1990 its population was around 29 crores. The Soviet Union consisted of 15 sovereign states, which later became separate countries. We have also write a article on how the Soviet Union was formed and how it collapsed.

 

How Big is Russia Compared to Others?

Despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia is still the largest country in the world by area. So big that it alone owns eleven and a half percent of the world's land area.

It is not only Canada but also twice as big as China and USA with a small difference. Russia is spread over an area 5 times larger than India and 20 countries like Pakistan can fit in itself. Russia is 25 times larger than France and 47 times larger than Germany. Russia is so spread that on one side it is 9 thousand kilometers away from America. So from the other corner in the extreme east, its distance from America is surprisingly only four kilometers.

Why is that so, let's tell you that one of the small islands spread between Alaska and Siberia is called Big Diomedes and it is part of Russia. While the other small island less than four kilometers away is called Little Diomedes is USA's island. The distance between these two islands is only four kilometers.

Does Russia is Undefeatable?

Let us also inform you about another important fact that Russia is one of these countries those who are declared impossible to conquer will not be wrong to say. Because more than 80% of the territory of Russia is extremely cold and snowy Going to these areas in summer is not without danger. Then going in the winter will be said to be like calling the death. Perhaps, that is why this local saying is famous that if Russia is to be defeated, then every enemy country has to fight General Winter. This general is undefeated till now.

As in 1812 when the French general Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Russia. So the Russians on the one hand put their country in trouble by destroying their own infrastructure. At the same time, they somehow saved their lives by surviving in the harsh cold.

When Adolf Hitler attacked Russia in the Second World War. He was trapped in such a way that his own country was torn in two. If it is said that the downfall of Germany and Hitler started with the attack on Russia, it will not be wrong. After that, Germany was defeated and all the territories occupied by them were taken back by the Allies. Apart from its people, Russia is also protected by its climate and its vast geography. Russia is so big that it has eleven time zones, which makes it even more impenetrable.

Unique Territory of Russia… Kaliningrad:

Let's tell you one more unique thing about the area of ​​Russia, that a federal territory of Russia is several kilometers away from it, which is called Kaliningrad. It is a coastal city on the shores of the Baltic Sea. This region in Eastern Europe shares its borders with Lithuania and Poland. It is a Russian port that is used most days of the year. The Kaliningrad was part of Germany before World War II. However, it was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945 and it remained a part of Russia even after the breakup of the Union. The area of ​​this city is 223 square kilometers and the population is around five lakh. This small area is very important for the Russian Navy.

We've write this article about the area of Russia. What do you think Russia can survive in the future with such a large area? and will the area of ​​Russia be more or less than that? Be sure to write us in comments. Thanks!