The Entire History of Russia in 33 Minutes

The history of Russia, explained from the very beginning: how a handful of river towns on a cold, open plain became the largest country on Earth. From the Rus traders on the Dnieper and Volkhov to the Russian Federation today. Why is Russia so big? How did a small principality around Moscow end up ruling eleven time zones, from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific? This map-based history documentary follows the whole story of Russia: Kievan Rus and the Varangians of the river trade routes, Muscovy and the Tsardom of Russia, the Romanov dynasty and the Russian Empire, the Russian Revolution, the USSR and modern Russia, told with real paintings, chronicles, maps and photographs. 1,200 years in one film: Novgorod and Kyiv, the conversion of 988, the Mongol invasion and the Golden Horde, the rise of Moscow, Ivan the Terrible and the first tsar, the Time of Troubles and the Romanovs, Peter the Great and St Petersburg, Catherine the Great, Napoleon in 1812, the end of serfdom, the 1905 and 1917 revolutions, Lenin and Stalin, the Second World War, the Cold War and the space race, Gorbachev and the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Russia since 1991, including the wars in Georgia and Ukraine. Again and again, the centre collapses and power is gathered back. By the end you will know why Russia is so big, and what has held it together. Chapters 0:00 The largest country on Earth 3:06 Rus: traders, tribute and the first princes 4:35 Choosing a faith (988) 5:58 Rival princes and the sack of Kyiv 7:29 The Mongols 9:06 How Moscow won 11:34 The first tsar 13:49 The Time of Troubles and the Romanovs 15:41 Peter the Great 17:07 Empire: from the Baltic to the Pacific 19:03 Can the empire change? 22:12 Revolution (1917) 24:27 Stalin 25:53 The Second World War 27:23 Superpower 29:01 Collapse (1985–1991) 30:19 The Russian Federation History Unfolded shows how the world became what it is. Subscribe for the next episode. About this video Maps are simplified and historical borders are approximate. Today's map shows internationally recognised borders; territory Russia claims but which is not internationally recognised as Russian is hatched. Legends are told as legends, and where historians disagree, or numbers are uncertain, we say so. Spotted an error? Tell us in the comments and we'll correct it. Paintings, manuscripts, maps, documents and photographs are real and credited below; no images in this film were generated. The narration voice was made with an AI tool; research, script, maps and fact-checking were done by the History Unfolded team. Image credits (via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and reframed, captions added) The Moscow Kremlin: Юрий Д.К., CC BY 4.0 The Kremlin and the Moskva River: Юрий Д.К., CC BY 4.0 Intercontinental nuclear missile launcher: The Presidential Press and Information Office, CC BY 4.0 Islamic silver dirhams: W.carter, CC BY-SA 4.0 Ivan IV, first crowned Tsar: Shakko, CC BY-SA 3.0 Peter the Great: Dguendel, CC BY 4.0 Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, near Vladimir: Alexxx1979, CC BY-SA 4.0 St Sophia's Cathedral, Kyiv: Daniel Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 The Golden Gate of Vladimir: Mike1979 Russia, CC BY-SA 4.0 Red Square: Jorge Láscar from Melbourne, Australia, CC BY 2.0 Monument to Minin and Pozharsky (1818), Red Square: Юрий Д.К., CC BY 4.0 The Siege of Sevastopol, 1854–55: photo by George Chernilevsky, CC BY 4.0 German troops advance through Latvia, 1941: Schröter, CC BY-SA 3.0 de Anti-aircraft gunners in besieged Leningrad: Главархив Москвы, CC BY 4.0 Stalingrad, 1942: Niermann, CC BY-SA 3.0 de Yuri Gagarin in Finland, 1961: Finnish Heritage Agency (Museovirasto), CC BY 4.0 Chernobyl from orbit, 1 May 1986, five days after the explosion: Images SPOT acquises dans le cadre du programme Spot World Heritage du CNES, Licence Ouverte Berlin, November 1989: Raphaël Thiémard from Belgium., CC BY-SA 2.0 The Baltic Way: a human chain across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, 23 August 1989: Photographer Saulius Gruodis. Lithuanian State Central Archives., CC BY 4.0 Tanks by the Russian parliament, Moscow, August 1991: Ole Husby from Melhus, Norway, CC BY-SA 2.0 Tanks that sided with Yeltsin, Moscow, August 1991: Ole Husby from Melhus, Norway, CC BY-SA 2.0 Vladimir Putin, with Boris Yeltsin, at his inauguration, May 2000: Presidential Press and Information Office, CC BY 4.0 Outskirts of Kyiv after the Russian invasion, 2022: Oleksandr Ratushniak, CC BY-SA 4.0 Licences: CC BY 2.0, CC BY 4.0, CC BY-SA 2.0, CC BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, CC BY-SA 4.0, Licence Ouverte (creativecommons.org/licenses/) Maps: Natural Earth. Colour photographs 1905–15: S. M. Prokudin-Gorsky, Library of Congress. All other images public domain. Full source links in the pinned comment. #History #Russia #RussianHistory #HistoryUnfolded #SovietUnion #USSR #RussianEmpire #KievanRus #Documentary #Maps