One of the intriguing aspects of geography is the ever changing nature of the topics it covers.  A good example of this would be the shifts we have seen in circumstances and attitudes around the globe which have in some cases dramatically changed political boundaries.  For someone looking at a map of the world in 1980, it would have been almost inconceivable to think that the largest nation on Earth, a gigantic superpower known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), would, in just over ten years, cease to exist.  This did not occur through nuclear annihilation, but rather as the result of a failed communist political system.  What emerged was the rebirth of several independent countries, including Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine and Russia.

Early History - To understand the history of Russia and the former USSR, you must examine the early history of the Slavic peoples, who came from a variety of cultures but united themselves through common religious practices, languages and rulers.  The Slavs originated in or near the Pripyat marshes of modern Belarus.  Around 2,000 years ago they began moving eastward, extending as far as modern Moscow by 200 CE (Common Era).   Other older cities such as Kyiv (Kiev), which was originally founded more than 4500 years ago, became Slavic by the year 500. By 900, Slavic power grew as they intermarried with southward-moving warriors from Sweden known as Varangians (Vikings).  They established the first political system in Russia known as "Rus."

Expansion - During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Russian Empire was greatly enlarged.  Russia allied herself with a semi-nomadic group of Slavic-speaking Christians known as the Cossacks.  Expansions were made into Siberia, and, by 1700, Russian power had extended to the Pacific Ocean.  Around this same time, a foothold on the Baltic was established as the result of a military victory by Tsar Peter the Great (1682–1725) over Sweden.  This is where an important Russian city was built, one appropriately named St. Petersburg, housing the royal family and their art collection for more than two centuries afterward . A victory over the Poles and Turks in the late eighteenth century allowed for the acquisition of all of modern-day Belarus and Ukraine. Tsarina Catherine the Great (1762–1796) was particularly instrumental in colonizing the fertile Ukraine and bringing the Russian Empire to the warm-water shores of the Black Sea (map).  During the nineteenth century, the last large gains were made in Central Asia and the Caucasus.

The Rise of the USSR -  The Soviet Union resulted from the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917.  Soon after, the Bolsheviks, a faction of the Russian Communists which represented the interests of the industrial workers, took control of the newly created USSR.  Its leader was Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, more popularly known as Lenin.  The communist state was to last roughly 75 years until it was dissolved in December 1991, effectively bringing an end to The Cold War.

Lake Baikal - Considered the deepest lake in the world, Lake Baikal, located in east central Siberia,  is one of the largest lakes in Eurasia. Lake Baikal has a unique and diverse ecology.

The Kremlin - Often confused with the spectacular architecture of St. Basil's Cathedral, the Kremlin was the seat of government for the old Soviet Union and remains the capital building of new Russia.  Take a look at The Kremlin and enjoy everything from panoramic views of Red Square to an insight into the Kremlin itself.

Increasing urban and industrial development of the Russian domain during the 20th century left scars in the landscape that will take decades to heal.  The magnitude of many of these environmental challenges is so great that they have global implications and may affect world climate patterns, water quality, and nuclear safety.  For example, it is estimated that since the 1980s, the global environmental costs of Siberian forests lost to lumbering and pollution may have exceeded the more widely publicized destruction of the Brazilian rain forest. However, economic collapse since the 1990's has resulted in some areas in environmental renewal, as inhabitants began to reclaim their lands and waters. Politically active Green parties have taken root in Georgia andRussia.

Black Sea- Decades of abuse have left the Black Sea in sad shape. For over 10 years, however, the United Nations' Black Sea Environment Programme and other transnational organizations have worked to clean up the mess and restore environmental health to this economically and ecologically vital area.

Chernobyl - In April 1986, the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl, Ukraine, suffered a catastrophic accident.  It is hard for most of us to grasp the magnitude of this event, but it has been estimated that nearly 50 tons of radioactive material were released at Chernobyl, 10 times the fallout of Hiroshima.  The effects of the accident will be felt for many years to come.

For more information on the environment of Ukraine, try the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration.

Additional links regarding environmental issues in the Russian domain are available from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Ukraine, and Georgia.

Take a virtual tour of Moscow and St. Petersburg, each city with its own rich and varied culture.

Explore the mysteries of Armenia, a country of stunning visual beauty and history.

Take a trip to Belarus, and visit an often overlooked country that gained its independence from the USSR in 1991 but is forming close economic and political ties to Russia.

See Berezhany, Ukraine through the lens of a native son who includes personal family history along with the travelogue.

Travel to Georgia—and no, this is not the one Atlanta is in. Along with Armenia and Azerbaijan, Georgia is located in the Caucasus Mountains area that divides Russia from Central Asia.

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