Russia (nation)
Name
Russia (nation)
Variant Names
Russian Federation
Descriptive Note Text
The nation's history began between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD with the arrival of East Slavs in this region. Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants, the medieval state of "Rus", arose in the 9th century. In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire, beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium. By the 18th century, the nation had greatly expanded through conquest, annexation, and exploration to become the Russian Empire, stretching from Poland in Europe to Alaska in North America. Following the Russian Revolution, Russia became the largest and leading constituent of the Soviet Union and a recognized superpower. The current Russian Federation was founded following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, but is recognized as the continuing legal personality of the Soviet state.