Soviet Terms

Glasnost- A specific Soviet government policy that allowed for open discussion of social and political issues within the country. It was also known as a historical time period (around the 1980s) when there was less censorship by the government.

http://www.historyorb.com/russia/glasnost.shtml

Karl Marx- A German socialist thinker whose ideas and beliefs created the foundations of communism. His ideology eventually led to the movement of Marxism. This system of beliefs have influenced many people and has specifically impacted the people of Russia.

http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/marx.html

http://www.pointofresistance.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/karl-marx0.jpg

Vladimir Lenin- A Russian politician and revolutionary thinker who led the Russian Revolution of 1917. He was known as a communist who was the first Head of State during the initial years of the USSR.

http://www.essortment.com/all/biographyvladim_myd.htm

http://www.isfp.co.uk/images/vladimir_lenin.jpg

Perestroika- Was the policy of governmental and economic reform. This was established by Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union. The creation of this policy took place during the mid 1980s.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perestroika

Russian Revolution of 1917- A combination of events which led to the creation of the Soviet state. It became known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or the USSR.

http://www.emayzine.com/lectures/russianrev.html

KGB- A Russian abbreviation for the name of the national security agency of the Soviet Union. It was known for being a very effective intelligence agency.

http://www.fas.org/irp/world/russia/kgb/su0520.htm

http://turcopolier.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c72e153ef01156ff8732f970c-800wi

Chechnya- A region that is located in the Northern Caucasus mountains. Over time, there have been many disputes over its independence from Russia.

http://www.globalissues.org/article/100/crisis-in-chechnya

http://www.flashpoints.info/countries-conflicts/Chechnya-web/Chechnya-map3.bmp

Tsar Nickolas II- The last Emperor to rule Russia. He ruled from 1894 until 1917 and was abolished shortly following the Revolution of 1917.

http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/nicholasii.htm

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3d/Tsar_Nicholas_II_-1898.JPG

Trans-Siberian railroad- The longest railroad system to exist in Russia. The system was constructed under the control of Tsar Alexander III and began in 1891. This railroad system runs from Moscow to Vladivostok and stretches over 5,700 miles.

http://www.geographia.com/russia/trasib01.htm

http://www.travelhistory.org/siberia/travelers/bholmes/intromatter/transibbig.jpg

Kremlin- Is a complex consisting of multiple palaces, armories and churches. It also serves as the official residence of the President of Russia.

http://www.geographia.com/russia/moscow02.htm

http://rocketrussian.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/kremlin.jpg

Red Square- A location in Moscow that is known as a city square. This square is surrounded by some of Moscow’s famous tourist attractions such as Lenin’s tomb and St. Basil’s cathedral. It is also located adjacent to the Kremlin.

http://www.geographia.com/RUSSIA/moscow03.htm

Bolshevik- A member of the extremist wing of the Russian Democratic party. The Bolsheviks came to power during the Russian Revolution of 1917 and eventually founded the Soviet Union.

http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/easteurope/octrev.html

Joseph Stalin- A Russian political figure who became the leader of the Soviet Union after the death of Vladimir Lenin.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSstalin.htm

http://images.google.com/images?q=Joseph%20Stalin&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi

Yuri Gagarin- A Soviet cosmonaut, who became the first person in outer space. While in space he was able to successfully orbit the Earth.

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/whos_who_level2/gagarin.html

http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Science/Images/yuri-gagarin-in-space.jpg

Mikhail Gorbachev- A Soviet official who served as President, but resigned once the Soviet Union started to fall apart.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/238982/Mikhail-Gorbachev

http://www.topnews.in/files/Mikhail.Gorbachev.jpg

Grigori Rasputin- A man who was considered to have been a “faith healer” who influenced many lives. Interestingly, there is a brand of vodka that is made in Germany that is named after Rasputin and even includes his face in a hologram on the bottle.

http://www.biographybase.com/biography/Rasputin_Grigori.html

http://signaveritae.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/rasputin-pd.jpg

Grand Dutchess Anastasia- The youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II who was supposedly executed with her family by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution of 1917. Some people say that her body was missing and question her whereabouts.

http://www.answers.com/topic/anastasia

Red Terror- Is known as a campaign led by the Bolsheviks, which included many executions and arrests. This campaign targeted against counterrevolutionaries in Russia.

http://encyclopedia.stateuniversity.com/pages/18369/Red-Terror.html

Lake Baykal- Is the world’s deepest lake in the world, which reaches depths of 1285 m below sea level. It is believed that this lake contains 20% of the total freshwater on the entire earth.

http://www.ilec.or.jp/database/asi/asi-27.html

http://www.baikaler.com/map/gifs/olkhontotal.gif

All of these terms are connected in various ways, but all contribute to the history and geography of Russia.