Russian SFSR (TheodoresTomfooleries)

Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика Rossijskaja Sovetskaja Federativnaja Socialističeskaja Respublika
Flag State Emblem
Motto: "Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь!" "Workers of the world, unite!"
Anthem: State Anthem of the Soviet Union
Capital and largest city	Moscow
Official languages	Russian
Recognised languages	see Languages of Russia
Ethnic groups (2019)	Slavic: 82.62% Turkics: 9.89% Caucasians: 3.5% Uralic: 1.84% Other: 2.13%
Religion	Secularism (de-jure) State atheism (de-facto)
Demonym(s)	Russian
Government	Federal Marxist-Leninist one-party parliamentary socialist soviet directorial republic
• Chairman of the Russian Presidium	WIP
• Chairman of the Russian Council of Ministers	WIP
Legislature	Supreme Soviet
Union Republic of the Soviet Union (1922 - )
Area
• Total	17,125,200 km2 (6,612,100 sq mi)
Population
• 2019 census	182,133,772
• Density	10.63/km2 (27.5/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	2019 estimate
• Total	$1.942 trillion
• Per capita	$10,666
Currency	Soviet Ruble (SUR)
Time zone	UTC+2-12
Date format	CE, mm dd yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+7
ISO 3166 code	RU
Internet TLD	.su

Russia (Russian: Россия; tr. Rossija), officially the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, is the largest Union Republic of the Soviet Union. By area, it is the largest first-level subdivision in the world with an area of 17.12 million km². Russia stretches over eleven time zones, the most in the world, and has a continuous border stretching 22,407 kilometres in total. With a population of 182.13 million as of the 2019 census, Russia is the most populous country in both Europe and the Soviet Union. Moscow is Russia's capital as well as the capital of the Soviet Union, other major cities include Leningrad, which previously served as the capital from 1712 to 1918, Gorky, and Novosibirsk.

The Rus' emerged as a distinct people in the East European Plain in the Early Middle Ages. The Rus' people, generally regarded to be of Norse origin, settled across the trade routes between the Varangians and the Byzantines, resulting in the adoption of Eastern Orthodoxy. The Rurikids created the Kyivan Rus', regarded to be the first East Slavic state, collapsed in 1240~ with the Mongol invasion. Afterwards, the Grand Duchy of Moscow became the dominant faction in Russian politics, eventually coming to conquer all of Rus' by the time Ivan IV was crowned Tsar of Russia. After the Tsardom of Russia was proclaimed in 1547, Russia rapidly expanded, growing by an average of 35,000 km² a year between the years of 1551 and 1700. Russia became the dominant northern power after the Treaty of Nystad which ended the Swedish Empire, shortly before Peter the Great proclaimed the Russian Empire, styling himself Emperor. Under Catherine the Great, Russia became a great power, partioning the territories of both Poland-Lithuania and the Ottoman Empire. Russia participated in the Napoleonic Wars, culminating in the French invasion of Russia which resulted in a Russian victory. A century later, the Russian Empire had become the world's largest country and the third largest empire in history. Russia's military incompetence showed itself at the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, which unmasked the weakness of the Russian military.The situation against the Tsar, Nicholas II worsened after disastrous defeats in the First World War, which resulted in the end of the monarchy in 1917 and the establishment of a republic later in the year. The Russian Republic ended up being short lived, however, as the Bolsheviks took power of many of Russia's major cities in the October Revolution. Vladimir Lenin personally led the Bolsheviks from 1917 until his death in 1924, in which he led the Red Army to victory in the Russian Civil War, establishing the world's first constitutionally socialist nation. The RSFSR later became a founding member of the Soviet Union in 1922.

Russia is the country's largest and most populated republic, and makes up a significant portion of the nation's economy, energy output, and more. As a result of this, the Soviet Union is oftenly (and incorrectly) referred to as Russia, despite Russia only being one of 15 Soviet Republics. Russia is the most diverse union republic with 193 distinct ethnic groups, with Russians being the largest ethnic group. Russia is also home to numerous ASSRs as well, the most in the nation.

Etymology and Names

"Russia" is derived from the term Rus', the term given to the area mainly populated by the East Slavs. This term became more popular in later history, and the country was referred to as "Rus' land" by its inhabitants. Rus' itself originates from the Norse Rus' people, a group of merchants and warriors who established a state centered on Novgorod that later expanded to become the Kievan Rus'. The modern spelling of Russia, Rossija, originates from the Medieval Greek term for the Rus', "Ρωσσία" or Rossía.

The Bolshevik-run state did not have an official name until the adoption of its constitution in January 1918, when "Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic" was designated as the official full name. Before this, it was referred to as the Russian Republic (identical to its rival government, the Russian Soviet Republic, and the derogatory Sovdepia, after the Soviets of Workers' and Peasants' Deputies. With the adoption of the 1936 constitution, Russia gained its present name by swapping "socialist" and "soviet", thus maintaining consistency with the name of the Soviet Union, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

The Russian SFSR is referred to with numerous colloquial names, the most common simply being Russia. Soviet Russia and Russian Federation are also popular everyday names, with the latter being used as a more "formal" yet still colloquial form of the RSFSR's full name.

History

Kievan Rus'

Russia, in particular its predecessor states the Russian Empire and the Tsardom of Russia have their roots in the Kievan Rus' and the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The Rus' people, who are believed to be Norsemen, settled along the trade routes between the Baltic and Black Seas, gradually assimilating into the local East Slavic population. In the 9th century, Rurik, a Rus'Varangian chieftain, was invited to rule in the city of Novgorod. He subsequently founded the Rurikid dynasty, which would continue to rule in Russia until the 17th century. His successor, Oleg, conquered the city of Kiev, whilst also expanding Novgorod southward along the Dnieper river. Following his conquest of Kiev, he proclaimed the city as the new capital of his realm, establishing the Kievan Rus'. Olga, who ruled from 945-960, is venerated as a Saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church due to her promotion and efforts to spread Christianity in the largely pagan Kievan Rus'. Her grandson, Vladimir, originally continued to uphold the native Slavic pagan faith, but after sending envoys across the world to assess the major religions at the time later converted to Christianity. In 988, he negotiated for a marriage between him and Byzantine Emperor Basil II's sister Anna. He was baptized in Chersonesos (now in modern day Sevastopol, and after returning to Kiev began mass-baptisms of the people there, destroying pagan idols and statues that he had erected just a few years prior. Mstislav III, ruling in the earlier half of the 13th century, ruled the Kievan Rus' during the Mongol Invasion. The Battle of the Kalka River was a devastating military defeat for Mstislav, resulting in his execution by the Mongols. Kiev was razed by the Mongols in 1240 during the reign of Yaroslav II, ending the Kievan Rus'. The collapse of authority resulted in a power vacuum that let states such as Vladimir-Suzdal to compete with one-another over the throne of Kiev. Vladimir-Suzdal, the Grand Duchy of Vladimir, broke off its vassalage to the Golden Horde in the late 14th century and gradually evolved into the Grand Duchy of Moscow, or Muscovy, which would go on to re-establish authority in the former Kievan Rus'. Authority shifted northwards towards the city of Moscow, a formerly unimportant city in Vladimir-Suzdal. Ivan III was the first to style himself as tsar (although not officially), and through his marriage to Sophia Palaiologina established the double-headed eagle as Russia's coat of arms and the idea of Moscow being the Third Rome (in reference to Constantinople being the second). His grandson, Ivan IV was proclaimed Tsar of All Rus' in 1547, subsequently establishing the Tsardom of Russia.

Tsardom of Russia

The position of Tsar eclipsed the position of Knyaz of the Kievan Rus', as the Tsardom of Russia established itself as an absolute monarchy with emphasis on the unity of the Rus' people and the state's connection to the Byzantine Empire. Ivan IV, known as Ivan the Terrible, was the first ruler of the Tsardom, expanding southward through conquests of the Khanates of Kazan and Astrakhan. He later rid himself of advisors- the "Chosen Council"- who had crowned him Tsar and started the Livonian War, which resulted in a Russian defeat but allowed Ivan to establish autocratic control over the Russian nobility. The Oprichnina resulted in the violent purge of Russia's nobility, Ivan's authoritarianism has granted him the nickname Грозный (grozny), synonymous with the old English usage of terrible meaning "inspiring fear or terror, dangerous or powerful". His son and successor, Feodor I died childless in 1598, ending the Rurikid dynasty and beginning the Time of Troubles. While having legal successors, they carried virtually no legal authority.

Time of Troubles

The Tsarevich, Dmitry, died aged 8 after reportedly having a seizure while playing with a knife and slitting his throat. His status as the "last RUrikid" resulted in his impersonation by many pretenders, known as False Dmitrys. The first, False Dmitry I, reigned as Tsar momentarily from 1605-1606, but was killed in a coup. He was succeeded by Vasili IV, a member of the Shuysky branch of the Rurikids, but his reign was short-lived and lasted only 4 years- he held no authority and was not recognized as Tsar until after his death. The Seven Boyars, a group of nobles who were responsible for deposing Vasily, elected and invited King and Grand Duke Vladislav II of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to serve as Tsar. His reign, like his predecessor, was short-lived and had little legal recognition. In 1613, the Zemskiy Sobor, the parliament of Russia's noble estates, elected Michael, a Romanov, as Tsar. The Romanovs were a noble house of significance before Michael's accession, his great-aunt Anastasia Romanovna was the first Russian Tsaritsa and spouse of Ivan the Terrible. Michael's accession ended the Time of Troubles and resulted in authority returning to Russia, though in large part it was his father that ruled.

= Rule under the Romanovs

Under the Romanovs, Russia expanded its territory significantly through the conquest of Siberia. Michael's successor, Aleksey sided with the reformist Patriach Nikon in the Schism of the Russian Church, resulting in the splitting of Russian orthodoxy between those which followed the reforms brought on by Nikon and sponsored by the state, or those who retained Russian Orthodoxy's pre-reform customs, known as Old Believers. By the time of Aleksey's death in 1676, Russia was among the largest polities in the world, stretching over an area of nearly 8.1 million km². Russia would continue to rapidly expand, conquering more of Siberia and territories of Poland-Lithuania. When Feodor III- Aleksey's son - died, authority was passed down into a coregency between his sons Ivan and Peter, the former of which ruled only in name due to his physical and mental disabilities. When Ivan died in 1696, Peter ruled as the sole Tsar of Russia. Peter introduced rapid and grand reforms aiming at the modernization and westernization of Russia. He established Russia's first proper navy in 1696, mandating courtiers, state officials and the military to shave their beards and wear western-style clothing (the former of which was enforced through a beard tax), and for his family members to marry into European royalty. Peter I's wishes for Russia to become a maritime power conflicted with the Swedish Empire's dominance over much of the Baltic- in 1700 a coalition led by Russia against Sweden resulted in a Russian victory and the end of Sweden's status as a great power. Notably, the Swedish fort of Nyenskans- located in the confluence of the Neva and Okhta was captured by Russia in 1703. Peter demolished the fort in favor of creating another one close by, and in Zayachy Island he laid down the Peter and Paul Fortress, which would be the first citadel of the newly founded Saint Petersburg. Peter referred to Saint Petersburg as being the capital or seat of government of Russia from 1704, but it was not until 1712 that the capital was formally moved from Moscow to Saint Petersburg. In 1721, the Great Northern War ended, with Russia receiving a significant amount of territory from Sweden- this included the Baltic provinces and Ingria. Shortly after the Treaty of Nystad was signed in September, he was officially proclaimed with the title Emperor of All Russia, replacing the old title of Tsar.

Russian Empire

Russia's accession to an empire cemented itself as a great power in European affairs. Russia's established dominance over the Baltic sea put it at odds with the weakening Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Peter died in 1724 and was succeeded by his consort Catherine I her reign was short lived however and she was succeeded by Peter I's grandson Peter II, who had Russia's capital moved back to Moscow in 1728. His reign was short, much like that of his predecessors. His successor, Anna, continued Russia's transition into a European power, but her reign is considered a dark era within Russian historiography. She was momentarily succeeded by her grand-nephew Ivan, who was not even a year old when he was proclaimed Emperor in 1740. He was deposed by his cousin Elizabeth in 1741, who is considered highly due to her refusal to execute anyone during her reign, her construction projects and her opposition to Prussia. Continuing the policies of her father Peter I, she brought the Enlightenment to Russia, sponsored the creation of Moscow State University, the Imperial Academy of Arts and the modernization of Russia's roads. Her financing of Baroque projects resulted notably in the construction of the modern Winter Palace and the Smolny Cathedral in Saint Petersburg. Elizabeth's death in 1762 ended the agnatic line of the House of Romanov, she was succeeded by her nephew Peter III.

Reign of Catherine the Great

Peter III, born in Kiel and serving as the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp could barely speak Russian and pursued a strongly pro-Prussian policy, notably when at his succession despite threatening the Prussian capital of Berlin in the 7 Years' War he withdrew his troops and switched sides, reversing hard-earned gains. His wife, Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, overthrew him along with troops loyal to her. Despite also being of German origin and born in Prussia, she was significantly more well-educated than her husband and made a significant effort to integrate herself with the Russian people. Following her conversion to Russian Orthodoxy, she was given the name Catherine, and she made a significant effort to learn the Russian language. She eventually mastered it, but spoke with an accent. Catherine ruled during the Russo-Turkish War, which resulted in the conquest of the Crimean Khanate and much of modern day southern Ukraine, known as Novorossiya. Many of Ukraine's major cities were founded on her orders, including Odessa, Yekaterinoslav, Kherson, Nikolayev and Sevastopol. Catherine personally admired her predecessor Peter, and continued to modernize Russia. In the later years of her reign, Poland-Lithuania was partitioned between Russia, Prussia, and the Hapsburg Monarchy in the late 1700s, with Russia getting the largest share of territory. Catherine was a patron of the arts and is considered along with her predecessor Elizabeth as an enlightened despot. She was succeeded by her son Paul in 1796 upon her death.