This book explores diplomacy and ritual practice at a moment of new departures and change in both early modern Europe and Russia.

Russia and Courtly Europe

Illustrated Timeline presents historical events and developments in a visual format. This series of illustrated guides outlines Russia’s history side by side with the history of other European countries.This timeline summarizes the history of Russian statehood and the Russian monarchy from the second half of the 15th century (the reign of Ivan III) to the abolition of the monarchy in 1917. Major events from this period are marked on the timeline.

Illustrated Timeline. Part I. Russia 1462 – 1917: From Tsardom to Empire

"By studying 17th century maps Kivelson sheds light on Muscovite Russia - the relationship of state and society, the growth of an empire, the rise of serfdom and the place of Orthodox Christianity in society"-OCLC

Cartographies of Tsardom

What happens when you measure an economy? How does measurement impact policy? In Tsardom of Sufficiency, Empire of Norms David Darrow responds to these broad questions by looking at the application and profound consequences of statistical measurement to the peasant economy in Russia, from the eighteenth century to the Civil War. Nearly all studies of Russia make reference to the land allotment, or "nadel," as a measure of peasant wellbeing. This is the first work examining the origins of the nadel, how statistical measurement converted it into a modern entitlement, and how it framed the state–peasant relationship. Land, Darrow argues, was life – peasants needed it and the state, most everyone believed, had an obligation to provide it. The question, however, was how much land was enough. Statistics supplied the answer but also locked policy-makers and society into a particular way of seeing peasants and their economy. Even the empire's final attempt to reform the peasant economy after 1905 remained locked within the old regime category of the nadel. Statistical measurement strengthened, rather than weakened, the nadel as a category of peasant economic wellbeing such that it persisted beyond 1917 into the early years of Soviet power. Based on archival sources and rural councils' statistical studies, Tsardom of Sufficiency, Empire of Norms shows how the state constructed both an image and a measure of peasant wellbeing from which it could not escape, and how the resultant perception that peasants were entitled to a sufficient allotment became a major obstacle to successful agrarian reform.

Tsardom of Sufficiency, Empire of Norms

Excerpt from The Fall of Tsardom In my first book I drew back the curtain from the Russia of the newspapers and the novels. In the second I exposed Tsardom to the gaze of the multitude, and explained the working of the machine by which Russians are misgoverned. My third book describes the latest phases of the process of disintegration which drives the Russian people, whether intellectuel or moujik, to seek relief from Tsardom in constitutional reform. The following pages show that those who direct the Revolution are neither madcaps nor dreamers. Anarchy, socialistic programmes, and wild theory find no place in their agenda. The history of nations and the ripe experience of countless lives have shown that, although some men are unfit to share in the work of government, no man is unfit for liberty who respects the liberty of others. When Tsardom falls, property in Russia will be safer than it is to-day. Debts owed by the State, provided they were contracted before January 23, 1905, will be taken over by the new Government, and all obligations discharged. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The Fall of Tsardom

An authoritative history of Russia from early Rus' to the reign of Peter the Great.

The Cambridge History of Russia: Volume 1, From Early Rus' to 1689

Defining the Others, “them”, in relation to one’s own reference group, “us”, has been an essential phase in the formation of collective identities in any given country or region. In the case of Russia, the formulation of these binary definitions – sometimes taking a form of enemy images – can be traced all the way to medieval texts, in which religion represented the dividing line. Further, the ongoing expansion of the empire transferred numerous “external others” into internal minorities. The chapters of this edited volume examine the development and contexts of various images, perceptions and categories of the Others in Russia from the 16th century Muscovy to the collapse of the Russian empire.

Images of Otherness in Russia, 1547-1917

Offering a broad interpretive history of the Russian Empire from the time of serfdom's codification until its abolition following the Crimean War, Wirtschafter considers the institution of serfdom, official social categories, and Russia's development as a country of peasants ruled by nobles, military commanders and civil servants.

Russia's Age of Serfdom 1649-1861

*Includes pictures of Ivan the Terrible and important people and places in his life. *Includes historical accounts that describe Ivan the Terrible and his notorious rule and discusses the authenticity of these accounts. *Includes footnotes and a bibliography for further reading. 16th century Russia remains, for most Western audiences, a dark and terrifying space, wrapped in mystery and myth and isolated from states such as England or France, whose heroes are well-known throughout Europe. The traditional dichotomy between East and West is most apparent in the discussion of the remarkable political figures that defined this century. While Western rulers, such as Elizabeth I, Francis I or Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, have been endlessly and almost exhaustively treated in historical works, their Eastern counterparts have rarely attracted the attention of professional historians outside their respective regions. As a result, readers in search of reliable information on Ivan IV's personality and reign is faced with a rather bleak situation. They can either resort to the extremely biased image conveyed by Russian historiography, or to the often superficial and sensationalist histories written by Western authors, who, perhaps unintentionally, crafted a narrative that fit the stereotypes regarding what the West thought of the East at the time. While certain factual aspects regarding Ivan IV's reign can certainly be deduced from the primary sources that have withstood the test of time, the majority of accounts dating from the 16th century and after must be evaluated critically, and read in light of certain traditions and ideas that circulated in the region regarding the model ruler and the tyrant. Naturally, this makes it hard for contemporary audiences to determine whether Ivan IV was worthy of the epithet "Groznyi" ("the Terrible"). . As if to demonstrate the cultural disconnect between East and West, "Groznyi" in the original Russian was a term mostly used to designate an "awful" or "awe-inspiring" personality, especially in a political context. That a Renaissance ruler would inspire a feeling of reverence mixed with fear was neither surprising, nor should it necessarily be seen in a negative light. Many of Ivan IV's contemporaries held a similar unofficial title, including Richard III of England, Louis IX of France, Christian II of Denmark, Sigismondo Malatesta in Rimini and Cesare Borgia. It was thus not extraordinary for a ruler to be regarded and designated as "terrible" in the context of 16th century Europe, as long as he maintained the unity and prosperity of his kingdom and succeeded in keeping the reins of power. Nevertheless, the term "Groznyi" appealed to popular imagination throughout the centuries, and, similarly to Vlad Dracula's descriptive epithet of "Tepes" ("the Impaler"), it also stimulated the creation and transmission of a varied and often contradictory tradition of folk tales and songs that featured the nation's heroes. At the same time, there were many common motifs within this tradition that circulated in Western Europe as well, and that heavily influenced the way in which Ivan IV was perceived and subsequently depicted in historiography. Ivan the Terrible: Russia's Most Insane Tsar explores the life and legacy of the notorious tsar's life, as well as the debate over his personality and actions. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Ivan the Terrible like you never have before, in no time at all.

Ivan the Terrible

In 1462 the throne of the Principality of Moscow passed to Ivan III (1462–1505), who succeeded in throwing off the Tatar yoke. For the next 200 years this new state struggled to maintain her borders against a series of attacks from the Lithuanians, Swedes and Poles to the west, as well as the Tatars to the south. They achieved this through the development of a network of fortified sites and a series of linear defensive systems. This book examine how these fortifications were developed to respond to ever changing situations under the command of such charismatic rulers as Ivan the Terrible, right through to the military reforms of Peter the Great.

Russian Fortresses 1480–1682

Compiled at Saint Petersburg during the years from 1837 and 1851, the Historical Description of the Clothing and Arms of the Russian Army has had an enormous impact and great importance for the study on the history of Russian costume and uniformology development over the past centuries. The Viskovatov’s enormous work is based on a great quantity of archival documents and contains four thousand colored and b/w illustrations. It is composed by 30 or 34 volumes (1st edition 1-30, St. Petersburg, 1841-62, and 2nd edition Vols. 1-34, St. Petersburg - Novosibirsk - Leningrad, 1899-1948). The topics discussed start from the early czars until the late nineteenth century. Our new edition has enriched the book with the plates: we revised and colored many of the images so far available just in black and white, as well we found some rare color plates with the collaboration of private collectors. These, together with the first ever English translation, make our collection exclusive and of great value.This volume is devoted to the Russian army uniforms under the reign of the ancient Tzar of the XVIIth century.

Uniforms of Russian army in the era of ancient Tzar

The Tsardom of Russia, 1547-1682

A History of Russia: The Tsardom of Moscow, 1547-1682

The Tsardom of Russia, a significant precursor to the Russian Empire, emerged in the 16th century under the rule of Ivan the Terrible. This influential state, spanning Eastern Europe and Asia, played a pivotal role in shaping Russia's history. Its expansionist policies, military conquests, and cultural developments contributed to the nation's rise as a global power. With the establishment of the Romanov dynasty in the early 17th century, the Tsardom continued to evolve, eventually transforming into the Russian Empire. This dynamic historical period is marked by a blend of autocratic rule, territorial expansion, and a rich cultural heritage, laying the foundations for modern Russia's geopolitical influence and cultural legacy.