History

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Peace, Land, Bread
April 23, 2014

Peace, Land, Bread

Peace! Land! Bread! This was the battle cry of the 1917 October Revolution (old calendar) that changed the history of Russia and indeed the entire world. Since the time of Ivan the Terrible, the tsars concentrated on centralization of their power and control. The most common way of doing this was to take power away from the nobility, appeasing them by giving them dominion over their land and workers. This soon developed into the oppressive, slave-style condition known as serfdom.

Subbotniks: Soviet
April 10, 2014

Subbotniks: Soviet "Days of Service"

Once, a group of factory workers decided to work without pay for the war effort. Somehow their voluntary sacrifice became the entire Soviet Union's mandatory labor - all "for the greater good."

Kremlin Words Versus Deeds, A Gaping Chasm?
March 02, 2014

Kremlin Words Versus Deeds, A Gaping Chasm?

Russia's occupation of Crimea, part of the sovereign nation of Ukraine, is wrong. It is wrong under international law, it is in violation of several treaties Russia has with Ukraine and the West, and it is even wrong according to Russia's own foreign policy "principles." So why did it happen?

Secret Bunker
March 01, 2014

Secret Bunker

A stark manifestation of Cold War fears, this hidden bunker outside London was to have housed the Prime Minister in the event of nuclear war.

The Subbotnik is Born
March 01, 2014

The Subbotnik is Born

A look back at the odd history of "Communist Saturdays" – or how working on non-workdays was not such a big deal.

Peter's Decree
March 01, 2014

Peter's Decree

On March 23, 1714, Peter I (the Great) issued an ukaz making it illegal to break up noble estates by dividing them among multiple heirs.

Mars Vehicle
March 01, 2014

Mars Vehicle

In March 1964, a Moscow university student, A. Bankovsky, chose a rather unusual topic for his graduation project: he drew up a blueprint for a "Martian helicopter."

Springtime in Paris
March 01, 2014

Springtime in Paris

Russian troops marched into Paris in March 1814 and were mostly welcomed during the duration of their occupation.

Russian Genealogy
February 20, 2014

Russian Genealogy

A comprehensive listing of resources, online and off, for researching your Russian roots, courtesy of Ginny Audet.

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