Russia doesn’t spontaneously generate in 1450. It’s been around in various city-state formats up until now. The big change right after 1450 is that the MONGOLS get kicked out. Who does the kicking? The Grand Prince (Knyaz) of Muscovy (Moscow) IVAN III THE GREAT. Moscow is now the center of the Russian universe (no longer Novgorod or Kiev or whatever). Ivan also marries the final heir to the Byzantine Empire, taking the title TSAR (Caesar=Tsar). His son is adequate but not noteworthy. His grandson is IVAN IV THE TERRIBLE. He built the lovely cathedral you see above, but also went crazy with some ring-wraith style execution squads. The MVP of this period is PETER THE GREAT. He modernizes, he updates, he upgrades, he brings Russia into the 18th century. So, on the night before for the AP World Exam, when you are glancing back at this, focus on PETER THE GREAT and MODERNIZATION.

1. GOLDEN HORDE
2. BOYARS
3. TSAR
4. ROMANOV
5. ZEMSKII SOBOR

1. SUDEBNIK of 1497, Ivan III
2. ZEMSKI SOBOR (1549), Ivan IV
3. SUDEBNIK of 1550 (1550), Ivan IV
4. TREATY of NYSTAD (1721), Peter the Great
5. TABLE OF RANKS (1722), Peter the Great

1. SEAL OF IVAN III, 1472, Ivan III the Great, (after his marriage to the heir to the Byzantine/Roman Empire, Ivan changed his seal to feature the emblem of the Byzantine Empire, the Double-headed Eagle)

2. THE OPRICHNIKI, 19th Century Painting (Ivan IV Grozny, center, mocks the boyar to the right who had tried to overthrow him. He sat him on the throne in a fake coronation. He has just informed him that his family has been tied to gunpowder barrels and exploded. Notice how the boyar on the right has the crown and scepter. Also, notice how Ivan has a knife. He and his Oprichniki kill the boyar shortly following this mocking ceremony… I know… terrible.)

3. Ivan the Terrible Killing his Son Ivan on 16 November, 1581, 19th Century Painting, Ilya Repyin (Ivan confronted his daughter-in-law over her dress, struck her, killing her unborn son in utero. Ivan Grozny’s son confronted his dad… above is the outcome… The Tsar killing his eldest son.)

4. Peter on board of his yacht en route to the Peter and Paul, c. 1700 (Peter modernized the Navy, here he is en route to the Peter and Paul which was the ship he helped build in the VOC shipyards while undercover on his Grand Embassy)

5. Tsar Peter cuts beards to Russian peasants. Popular print, c. 1730s (Peter the Great modernized the government, military, navy, etc. but he also modernized social interactions, how people dressed and even their facial hair)

1. Russia in 1450 was still technically under Mongol rule.
2. Ivan III the Great freed the Russians from the Mongol yoke and centralized power in Muscovy (Moscow).
3. Ivan III the Great also married the final heir to the Byzantine (Roman) Empire, thus taking the title of Tsar and solidifying Russia’s claim as the Third Rome.
4. Ivan IV Grozny (the Terrifying) was Ivan III’s Grandson who took power from the Boyars (nobles) before going mad with syphilis and mercury.
5. Peter the Great brought Russia into the 1700s by modernizing, building a new warm water port capital (St. Petersburg) and expanding Russia towards the Pacific.