The Territories of the Russian Federation (10th edition)

The Russian Empire started before the British Empire, and lasted slightly longer. Ivan III consolidated the heartland of Muscovy, but it was Ivan IV (“the Terrible”) who began the expansion into neighbouring non‐Slavonic areas around 1550. The first expedition to cross the Urals into Siberia went in 1581, and from then onwards, year upon year, the empire steadily grew. Peter I (the “Great”) changed its direction by conquering the Baltic States and trying to force Russia into becoming a European power, but the bulk of the expansion over the years was eastwards through the shamanistic tribespeople of Siberia towards the...