Glossary · Northern Eurasia
Every Russian and Northern Eurasian territory on the map
Kievan Rus', Muscovy, the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union.
- Entries
- 16
- Span
- AD 793 – today
- Eras
- 5
What this region covers
The Russian state through twelve centuries — the Varangian trading posts and Kievan Rus', the Novgorod republic and the principalities under the Mongol yoke, the khanate of Sibir and the rise of Muscovy, the empire and its revolutions, the Soviet Union, and the Russian Federation.
Nothing matches that.
The Viking Age and Kievan Rus'
AD 750 – 1050 3 entries- 750–882 Viking settlements Norse trading network in Eastern Europe known as Varangians, whose warrior-merchants ran fur and slave routes down the Volga.
- 830–890s Rus' Disputed early Rus' polity known only from Frankish and Byzantine records of Norsemen ruled by a khagan.
- 882–1240 Kievan Rus' East Slavic state centered on Kiev, founded by Oleg and ruled by warrior-princes including Vladimir the Great.
The medieval principalities
1050 – 1400 6 entries- 1136–1478 Novgorod Republic Republican Rus' city-state on the Volkhov ruled by a popular assembly, defended by Alexander Nevsky against Swedes and Germans.
- 1093–1157 Rostov-Suzdal North-eastern Rus' principality ruled by Yuri Dolgoruky, credited as founder of Moscow, who twice seized Kiev.
- 1341–1392 Nizhny Novgorod Grand principality on the middle Volga created by a Golden Horde patent, briefly rivaling Moscow before Vasily I annexed it.
- 1238–1486 Principality of Beloozero Rus' principality in the Russian North around Lake Beloye, a legendary seat of Rurik's brother, later absorbed by Moscow.
- 1246–1485 Tver Upper Volga principality and Moscow's chief rival for the Rus' grand-princely title, founded by a brother of Alexander Nevsky.
- 1157–1389 Vladimir-Suzdal Premier north-eastern Rus' principality after its capital moved to Vladimir, reaching its golden age under Vsevolod the Big Nest.
Muscovy, the Tsardom and Siberia
1400 – 1720 2 entries- 1468–1598 Khanate of Sibir Muslim Turco-Tatar khanate east of the Urals, a Golden Horde remnant conquered by the Cossack Yermak, giving Siberia its name.
- 1547–1721 Tsardom of Russia Centralized Russian state proclaimed at Ivan IV's coronation as tsar, styled the Third Rome until Peter founded the empire.
Empire and revolution
1720 – 1921 3 entries- 1721–1917 Russian Empire Empire proclaimed by Peter the Great after defeating Sweden, expanded by Catherine the Great via the partitions of Poland.
- 1917 Russian Republic Short-lived republic proclaimed by Kerensky's Provisional Government, overthrown within months by the October Revolution.
- 1917–1922 Republics of the Soviet Union Patchwork of soviet republics from the Bolshevik revolution and civil war, gradually subordinated to Moscow's Soviet government.
The Soviet century and the Federation
1922 – today 2 entries- 1922–1991 Soviet Union One-party federation of Soviet republics ruled from Moscow through Stalin's industrialization, collectivization, and purges.
- 1991–2026 Russian Federation Successor state to the Soviet Union, inheriting its UN Security Council seat, shaped by Yeltsin's market reforms and 1993 crisis.
Common questions
- How many Russian and Northern Eurasian states are in this glossary?
- 16 — every Russian and Northern Eurasian territory the atlas draws, from the Viking settlements (750–882) to the states on the map today. Each entry lists its dates, its peak extent and the sources it was written from.
- Which is the oldest Russian and Northern Eurasian state on the map?
- The Viking settlements, 750–882 — the first territory the atlas draws in Northern Eurasia. The most recent to appear is the Russian Federation (1991–2026).
- Which Russian and Northern Eurasian state covered the most ground?
- Of the territories mapped here, the Soviet Union reached the largest area — about 24.9M km² at its peak, as drawn by the border data.