Geography
2) What is the name of the first Slav city-state, that emerged in the 800's AD ?
Kievan Rus
3) True or False: The transfer of industry to private ownership in Russia did improve the living conditions for most Russians
False. It DID NOT improve conditions for most Russians.
7) term for a Russian farm laborer, who could be bought & sold with the land
Serf
23) the prime minister (what is another term for this position)
Head of Government
5) True or False: The current Russian constitution supports the rights of people to use their native language?
True, the constitution was changed in 1993 after the fall of Soviet Union.
4) This forested region in Siberia contains 20% of all the world's TREES, what is it called?
Taiga
16) What major political event happened in 1917 (a specific group rose to power)
The Bolsheviks gained control of the government.
9) the title for a ruler in Russia before 1917 (before WW1)
Czar / Csar / Tsar
24) the president (another term for this position); his role is far from ceremonial, the constitution provided for a strong presidency .
Head of State
22) "openness"; a policy set in place that allowed for open discussion of political, social, and economic issues as well as open criticism of the government. Gave the people more freedoms.
"Glasnost"
11) The longest river in Europe and Russia's most important waterway?
Volga
17) supporters of Vladimir Lenin were called what? (what was the group called)
Bolsheviks.
10) a member of a small ruling group that holds great power ("Putin's besties")
Oligarch
28) the heart and soul of the Communist party under Stalinism; group of about 12 men
Politburo
Famous musical composer known for creating some of the world’s most celebrated ballets (Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty)
Tchaikovsky
1) What resource does the Central Siberian Plateau supply most of for Russia?
Coal
6) system of large government-run farms in the Soviet Union
Collectivization
34) a Danish navigator in Russian service, who, in 1728, was the first European to systematically explore the Alaskan coast, sailing from the Pacific Ocean northward to the Arctic Ocean. The Sea located there is named for him.
Vitus Bering (the Bering Sea & Bering Strait)
32) An extremely complete, invasive form of single-man rule
Totalitarianism
25) peasants who resisted collective farms; were forced to move to cities or labor camps
Kulaks
8) the name or term for a Russian country house, where the people like to vacation?
Dacha
33) a two-pronged program of collectivization and industrialization carried out by central planning and executed with force and brutality. This was named after the Dictator who initiated it in Russia beginning in late 1920s.
Stalinism (named after Josef Stalin)
27) A tsar in the late 17th century who used a western model to modernize Russia and challenge the slavophile values of isolation; created the "Window on the West"
Peter the Great
20) similar to a Law, the President may issue these with no approval of the legislature (Laws require approval from legislature, these do not but they have the same force of a law).
Decrees
What environmental disaster happened in 1986, making it one of the worst events in history?
Chernobyl nuclear plant meltdown.
33) What is the nickname for St. Petersburg, a city that was built by Peter the Great
the Window on the West
13) Which ethnic group fought Russian troops but failed to gain independence in the early 1900s?
Chechens
18) tsar of late 18th century; continued to grow power of Russia and continue westernization initiated by Peter the Great, brought culture/education/art
Catherine the Great
21) the head of the Politburo who assumed full power as dictator of the country
General Secretary (title for the leader of Communist party when they were in control)
What did Boris Yeltsin bring to or initiate in Russia when he was elected President in 1990?
Free-Enterprise economy
12) What is the name of the archipelago in the Artic Ocean off Russia's northern coast that is covered in ice year-round?
Novaya Zemlaya
19) created a 3 branch government with a president, prime minister, and lower legislative house (the Duma)
Constitution of 1993
26) general term that refers to an organized crime group: a large and shadowy influence on Russian government; they gained power after the Revolution of 1991 and they control businesses, natural resources, and banks; the government turns a blind eye
Mafia
Who has been the President of Russia since 2000, and will soon be elected to his 5th term?
Vladimir Putin
Who was the Russian leader (President) who brought the idea of "Glasnost", and wanted to give the people a better life?
Mikhael Gorbechov