Sergey Elishev

The deep spiritual and ideological crisis, in which modern Russian society has been for several decades, has sharply raised the question not only of the future prospects for the revival of Russian statehood, but also of the very fact of the existence of the Russian nation.

In the 20th century, Russia and the Russian people, as a power-forming imperial core ethnic group, experienced a huge number of various troubles and ups and downs, going through a series of serious trials. The revolution of 1917 marked the collapse of the traditional Russian statehood and the subsequent establishment of a totalitarian communist regime in our country. The “collapse” of the USSR inspired largely from outside (a criminal act of arbitrariness on the part of a group of high-ranking officials, comparable to the actions of the “seven boyars” in the era of the Time of Troubles) is the dismemberment of the territory of Historical Russia into a number of artificially created state formations to please the West.

The absurdity of the existence of these pseudo-states is confirmed by the absence of a legally resolved issue of drawing state borders between them. Of course, there are boundaries, but only, as V.L. Makhnach: “These borders exist de facto, not de jure.”

Article 1, paragraph 2 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation of 1993 states that: "The name of the Russian Federation and Russia are equivalent." However, this provision of the Constitution does not correspond to the real state of affairs. Russian people should distinguish and understand the difference between the concepts of "country" and "state" (analogues of these categories in the English language of the concept are "country" and "state").

Country (Middle Russian “side”) is one of the long-lived categories of political geography. A country is a designation of a political, national, social and cultural state-organized society with an emphasis on its geographical (spatial) position in the world and a particular region. It is a territory with a nation (ethnos) inhabiting it, historically comprehending it for a long time as its own living space; having sovereignty or being under the authority of another (other) state. Naturally, it is by no means synonymous with the concept of "state", since it has a more capacious content, including the concept of a nation, its traditional values, lifestyle, culture, area and territory of residence.

Country and state do not always coincide geographically. In the course of historical development in a particular country, one can repeatedly observe a change in ethnic groups, dominant religions and states while maintaining the territory of the country (Mesopotamia) and even the original name (Egypt).

There can be several state formations on the territory of one country. For example, in relation to the history of Hellas (a single country, in this context and perceived both by contemporaries and their descendants in subsequent centuries), we can observe periods when a large number of independent and independent policies (cities) existed on its territory. states). Or, after its conquest by Rome and its inclusion as one of the provinces in the Roman Empire, there was not a single independent and independent state. In the history of Ancient Egypt, there were periods when a single state broke up first into two parts (Upper and Lower Egypt), and then into nomes (regions - the oldest forms of state formations in Ancient Egypt). After that, the reverse process of unification of the nomes was observed, first into the same two large states on the territory of one country, and only then - into a single state; as well as periods when Egypt was deprived of independence and was under the rule of other states.

Pre-Mongol (Kievan) Rus (or Gardarika (Country of Cities), as the Scandinavians called this country), was not a single centralized state, but was essentially a confederation of a large number of principalities, each of which was a separate sovereign state on the territory of Russia, t .e. countries. In Germany, until 1871 (the establishment of a single state) there were also several dozens of various state formations. But all this did not prevent contemporaries from talking about the territories of these state formations and perceiving them as parts of a single country.

From the moment of its creation to the inglorious death, the USSR was a large state entity, but it was not a country, insofar as if any state can be established by a one-time act (for example, by adopting a constitution), then the country will never (its perception as such develops over the centuries). Not without reason, all over the world, with the exception of the USSR, throughout the entire period of its existence, the country on whose territory it was located was defined as Russia (“Russia”), and its inhabitants and people from it were called “Russians”.

After the dismemberment of the USSR, a catastrophic situation developed in Russia. Historical Russia, as a country, was divided between several states. At present, the territories of compact residence of Russians are by no means limited to the territory of the Russian Federation. The Russian Federation is just one of a number of state entities that emerged on the territory of our country after the dismemberment of the USSR. The Russian nation does not have its own full-fledged state. The Russian people found themselves in the position of a de facto "divided" nation.

What will happen in the future, we do not know: will there be a reunification of Historical Russia, the historical territories of the empire into a single state, or will it again be split into smaller state formations. In any case, one thing is clear: the Russian Federation, although it has the longest territory of all state entities in the post-Soviet space, is a transitional state entity. And at least for this reason, it is wrong to call the Russian Federation Russia.

Speaking about what we understand by Russia as a country and state, as well as about further prospects for the development of the Russian nation and statehood, initially, it is necessary to define, outline three categories of lands, which we will talk about in the course of our study. In this case, we are talking about the territories of Historical Russia as a country; historical territories of the Russian Empire; territories that ended up as part of the USSR (a chimeroid state that arose on the territories of Historical Russia and the territories of the Russian Empire, but, of course, is not a country).

Historical Russia is a country within borders close to the borders of the Russian Empire before the outbreak of the First World War, the Soviet Union at the beginning of the Second World War. Historically, Russia in the proper sense of the word includes Great Russia, Little Russia, Belarus, Novorossia, Latgale, most of Kazakhstan with part of Turkestan, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bsettlement of the Cossacks in the Caucasus (Terskaya, Grebenskaya, Kubanskaya), Transnistria, the territory of the settlement of Rusyns and Hutsuls, going beyond artificially drawn borders of the Russian Federation. In contrast to this concept, ethnocultural opponents of Russians call the former RSFSR “Russia”.

The historical territories of the Russian Empire include the main part of the Baltic states, most of Turkestan, Moldova (Transnistria), the Caucasus. The territories that ended up in the USSR, for example, should include East Turkestan, Tuva, South Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands.

Most of the lands that we mentioned are currently part of the CIS states. The process of unification of some states of the Commonwealth, and the restoration of the territorial integrity of the country, in our opinion, is largely historically predetermined. What role will Russia play in this process? Maybe a leader, maybe not. It's hard to say, we'll wait and see. One thing is clear - in order for this to happen, Russian society, first of all, must overcome the discords and disagreements that undermine it from the inside. This can be achieved in one way - the revival of Orthodoxy in Russia, the return of the people to their spiritual roots, the study and close attention to their history. Without knowledge of their history and culture, Russians will not be able to restore the greatness of their homeland. To achieve this at the present time is the first duty of every Russian person.

An important factor in understanding the possible prospects for the revival of Russian society, statehood and the very fact of the existence of the Russian nation is, of course, a clearly formulated national idea and concept of national development. The main concepts, which are the concepts of "nation", "nationalism" and "empire".

Nations and nationalism.

It should be said that most modern "Russians" perceive the terms "nationalism" and "empire" with a pronounced negative connotation. The empire is usually identified with a special type of state formations, striving for the maximum expansion of their territories, coupled with the merciless exploitation of the "enslaved" peoples; nationalism - with chauvinism, anti-Semite or Nazism.

In our opinion, such an assessment of these phenomena is a consequence of the imposition of certain ideological attitudes that have dominated our society for several decades. However, the historical experience of the life of the Russian state testifies to the great positive potential of the ideas of nationalism and the ideas of empire.

Let's turn to the concept of "nation". There are two traditions of interpretation of this concept. Eastern tradition and Western tradition. In the Western tradition, based on the formational approach to the process of socio-historical development, the nation is a phenomenon characteristic exclusively of the New and Contemporary times. The emergence of nations as a historical phenomenon is associated with the formation of a "nation`s state" (national states), as well as with the formation of capitalist relations. The formation of a nation is, according to E. Gellner, a direct result of the beginning of the modernization process, i.e. transition from a traditional agrarian society to an industrial and post-industrial society. Prior to the start of the process of modernization, nations as such did not exist.

According to the Western tradition of understanding the nation, it is the next link in the chain of development of human groups: clan - tribe - ethnos - nation. The concept of a nation in itself is a supra-class concept. The nation as a special human collective is a historically established polyethnic community - a set of subjects of the state. For example, the Spanish nation is ethnically proper Spaniards, Catalans, Basques.

The concept of "nation" in the Western tradition is in principle inseparable from the concept of "nation state" ("nation state"). From our point of view, in this tradition, the signs of a nation are the presence of a single culture, national identity and statehood, or the desire to acquire one. The nationality of a person is determined not by his ethnicity, but exclusively by state-legal affiliation.

National self-consciousness, in other words, the ability to recognize oneself as a member of a national collective, is the defining feature of a nation. It arises in the New Age, when the usual forms of community of people (clans, workshops, communities) of a corporate nature are collapsing, a person is left face to face with a rapidly changing world and chooses a new supra-class community - a nation. Nations arise as a result of a policy focused on the coincidence of ethno-cultural and state borders. The political movement of self-affirmation of peoples with a common language and culture as a whole is nationalism. Nationalism can be unifying (national movements in Germany and Italy in the 19th century) and divisive (national movements in Austria-Hungary in the 19th and 20th centuries).

The concept of nation and nationalism in the Western tradition is an effective tool for studying the social life of the Western world. Unfortunately, many researchers attribute to these concepts the nature of the global and unlawfully apply them to the study of social processes in other regions of the world, which leads to a distortion of the subject of research and causes a fair rejection of the results of their research. We join in the rejection of the position of Eurocentrism.

Together with such researchers as F. Ratzel, N.Ya. Danilevsky, K.N. Leontiev, O. Spengler, L.N. Gumilyov, we stand on the position of polycentrism. This implies the presence on Earth of several cultural centers with their own unique appearance and originality of development (the Middle East, India, China, the Pacific Islands, Eastern Europe). The most surprising circumstance is that all these cultural centers can be described in terms developed by the "eastern" tradition of the study of social life. The “Eastern” tradition of interpreting the nation and nationalism is also more suitable for the analysis of the social life of Russia.

In the "Eastern" tradition (in Eastern Europe and Asia), the concept of nation is synonymous with the concept of ethnos. A nation is an ethnos, which may include other ethnic groups (according to L.N. Gumilyov - “Xenia”) that share the main national interests. In this tradition, one cannot do without understanding the ethnic nature of the nation, its natural essence, expressed in culture and folk character.

According to L.N. Gumilyov, an ethnos is a stable human community that has historically developed on the basis of an original stereotype of behavior, a group of people who have a common self-consciousness, some inherent stereotype of behavior and oppose themselves to all other similar groups, based on the subconscious sympathy (antipathy) of people who recognize each other according to the principle "their - stranger". Ethnos is manifested in the actions of people and their relationships, which makes it possible to divide into “us” and “them”. The originality of an ethnos is not in the language, not in the landscape of the territory occupied by it, not in economic structures, but in the way of life and traditions of the people who make it up. Ethnic self-consciousness exists throughout the entire historical life of mankind, becoming the second plan of national self-consciousness in the process of nation-building.

Each nation has its own unique spiritual image and its own special historical mission. The national identity of a person is determined not so much by the state-legal status, but by his self-consciousness, which has both an ethnic and a national component.

According to I.A. Ilyin, nationalism is the instinct of national self-preservation. It is expressed in a certain stereotype of behavior in which the interests of one's nation dominate over all others. Accordingly, a nationalist is a person who loves his fatherland and puts its interests at the forefront. This does not imply hostility towards other nations, but emphasizes that the criterion for evaluating the activity of a person or group of people is its compliance with the interests of the nation.

The concept of nationalism is closely connected with the concept of patriotism. Patriotism implies love for the Motherland, devotion to it, the desire to serve its interests with its actions. I.A. Ilyin wrote: “The motherland is the spirit of the people in all its manifestations and creations; nationality denotes the basic originality of this spirit. A nation is a spiritually unique people; patriotism is love for it, for the spirit, its creatures, and for the earthly conditions of its life and flowering. "Nationalism is love for the spirit of one's people and, moreover, precisely for its spiritual originality."

Nationalism is an active function of popular self-consciousness, but tends to acquire an egoistic connotation. Patriotism is more vague, less socially active, but plays the role of blocking egoistic tendencies in national self-consciousness. Love for the Fatherland is of a higher order than love for one's people, since the latter, as a rule, is blind and loves the shortcomings and vices inherent in any people, to the same extent as virtues. Love for the Fatherland has a vertical component, elevating a person from the earthly, material to the spiritual, heavenly. God's grace (the energies that a person can receive from God) heals and makes up for the infirmities and shortcomings inherent in both people and nations. But nationalism - love for the work of the Creator, who made us different, entrusted us with different missions, is no less significant for the healthy spirit of the people.

Chauvinism is an extreme form of nationalism that preaches national exclusiveness, superiority, opposing the interests of one's nation to the interests of other nations to the detriment of the latter.

Nazism is an ideology and practice of racial inequality of peoples, a theoretically developed idea of ​​national superiority, control over all manifestations of public life of people, and the use of extreme forms of violence.

Zionism is a nationalist ideology and practice associated with the idea of ​​resettlement of all Jews to Mount Zion, characterized by contempt and hatred for other peoples as racially inferior alien "goyim", messianic expectations, ideas of "national purity", "living space"

At a certain stage in the development of mankind in Western Europe, cosmopolitanism arose - the ideology of the so-called "world citizenship", denying national sovereignty, preaching the rejection of national traditions, culture and patriotism.

Later, internationalism arose - an ideology that puts at the forefront the common interests of the oppressed classes of different nations, manifested in their psychology and voluntary cooperation, while respecting the equality and independence of each of them.

Both cosmopolitanism and internationalism equally negatively perceive everything national. But if internationalism emphasizes the existence of a community of classes, i.e. parts of different nations, then cosmopolitanism emphasizes the insignificance of the nations themselves, the illusory nature of the division of people into nations.

The emergence of chauvinism, Zionism and later Nazism in Western Europe can be seen as a reaction to the emergence of cosmopolitanism and internationalism. As noted by I.L. Solonevich, “the idea of ​​any nationalism is an idea that unites and educates a nation to fulfill its historical mission on earth. From this point of view, chauvinism is the bad education of a nation. Cosmopolitanism is the absence of any education. Internationalism is hard labor of the nation for purposes alien to it. Due to the mutual influence of cultures and peoples of the earth on each other, cosmopolitanism, internationalism, chauvinism and Nazism take place in all cultural regions of the world.

The “Eastern” tradition of interpreting the nation and nationalism is more suitable for analyzing the social and political life of Russia.

Nation and State.

The nation as a community and social phenomenon is inextricably linked with certain types of state.

From our point of view, there are 4 such forms and types of states and organization of the social life of mankind: traditional society, empire, chimera, national state.

A traditional society (not to be confused with a "traditional agrarian society") is a special type of state formations where power belongs to the predominant ethnic, religious, clan grouping. It can be either a mono-ethnic or a multi-ethnic state. A distinctive feature of a traditional society is tribalism - the policy of granting privileges to representatives of the dominant group at the expense of the interests of other groups of the population. Public life is shaped more by tradition than by the bearer of power, the clan, the elite. A similar type of states and organization of the social life of mankind is characteristic of most peoples and societies, including Western European ones (before the appearance of national states).

The empire is a special type of polyethnic and multicultural state formations, the existence of which is based on the idea of ​​the unity of society in the name of the common good. The characteristic features of the empire are: the presence of an imperial core ethnic group, the imperial elite, a special structure of relations between the metropolis and the province, as well as between the ethnic groups that make up the empire.

From the point of view of a long-term strategy for the well-being of the national minorities included in it, the empire is the optimal type of powers that unite, under the supervision and patronage of the core imperial ethnos, ethnic groups that are different in culture and customs, preserving their traditional way of life, economic structures, and the system of local self-government.

I.L. Solonevich wrote: “Empire is the world. Inner national world. The territory of Rome before the empire was filled with the war of all against all. The territory of Germany before Bismarck was filled with feudal inter-German wars. On the territory of the Russian Empire, all interethnic wars were stopped, and all peoples could live and work at any end of it.

Empire is a rather rare phenomenon in world history. Not every people can create an empire. A necessary condition for its creation can be considered the presence of a certain stereotype of behavior in the core imperial ethnos. Its essential features are the ability to get along with other ethnic groups, learn from them certain skills, become related to their representatives, while strictly observing the obligations assumed to protect and protect friendly ethnic groups from external threats. The internal policy of the empire is characterized by the encouragement of marriages between representatives of the nobility of the core imperial ethnos and the nobility of other ethnic groups that are part of the empire, in order to form a single all-imperial nobility, cementing the unity of the empire. Its presence cannot but inspire respect. The burden of building an empire is honorable, though heavy.

The imperial core ethnos is a nation that bears the burden of building an empire, embodying the idea of ​​abandoning national egoism in the name of the interests of the common whole, implementing the principle of "divide and rule", acts as an arbiter in interethnic conflicts within the empire, a defender of national minorities in the face of larger ethnic groups, included in the empire ("small" with "large" against "medium").

The fate of the empire is inseparable from the fate of the pivotal imperial ethnos. Completion of the process of ethnogenesis of the imperial core ethnic group or its refusal to perform the functions assumed and the stereotype of behavior (Turkey) entails the collapse of the empire. The classical empires are the Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Russian empires.

The term "chimera" was used by L.N. Gumilyov to designate a false ethnic community, a combination of different incompatible systems in one integrity. We have already borrowed and used this term once, introducing it into political science in relation to unnatural political and legal regimes. In this case, we will use this term in a slightly different plane.

Chimeras should be understood as such a type of non-viable state formations in which a false integrity is artificially created from the ethnic groups included in them (“true Aryans”, “Soviet people”). Chimeras, by their nature, are short-lived. They arise not in the course of the historical process, not in a natural way, but are artificially constructed by ideologists and imposed on the population of states that proudly take on the role of creators of a new “historical community”, encroaching on the replacement of the Providence of God in human history with the wisdom of the human mind damaged by sin. A characteristic point here, however, is the fact that usually one or another chimeroid political and legal regime dominates in such states.

The national identity of the ethnic groups included in the chimera is ignored, social life is built in the interests of the imposed false integrity of the population of the state. Nationalism is branded as chauvinism and Nazism (USSR) or replaced by Nazism (III Reich).

The nation-state is a phenomenon exclusively in the Western world of Modern and Contemporary times. The formation of nation-states was the most important condition for the start of the modernization process. A special type of Western European civilization (industrial civilization), created in the course of this process, has a certain supranational meaning.

Nationalism in nation-states acquires a chauvinistic connotation. There is an assimilation of ethno-cultural minorities in the course of the cultural aggression of the predominant nation.

According to V.L. Makhnach, the change of a traditional society or empire by nation-states is a change of "states in which ethnic groups were recognized as nations, to states where ethnic groups were bent into a ram's horn and turned into members of one nation.".

A nation in a nation-state is a collection of subjects (monarchies) or citizens (republics). Ethnic interests were relegated to the background, and the interests of the state, to which these ethnic groups were a part, prevailed. It is significant that the word "nation" has two meanings - "nations" and "states".

Empire is the fate of Russia.

A very specific circumstance, in our opinion, is currently that the Constitution of the Russian Federation was written, having in front of it as examples of a “civilized” and “legal state” the Constitutions of the countries of the Western world, and therefore bears the stamp of essential features inherent in national states. The preamble to the Constitution of the Russian Federation of 1993 says: "We, the multinational people of the Russian Federation ...". From our point of view, this is a “chimera” in the sense of L.N. Gumilyov. Citizens of the Russian Federation should in every possible way oppose the attempts of various political forces (both Western liberals and rabid Nazis with their slogan “Russia is for the Russians!”) to implement the concept of “nation`s state” in the Russian Federation by constructing, for example, a new nation "Russians" (in the Western sense of the term) or forcibly force everyone to recognize themselves as "Russians".

Attempts to construct the concept of a “national state” for Russia are unjustified, if only because approximately 30 percent of the population of the Russian Federation (according to the 1989 census) are non-Russians, and they most likely will not agree to the loss of their own ethnic identity, but are still able to link their fate with the fate of Russia, in which the Russians are recognized as the pivotal ethnic group, creating and shaping the empire.

It must be borne in mind that the entire history of Russia and the Russian people is inextricably linked with the concept of empire. It can be said without exaggeration that the empire is the fate of Russia, and the difficult but honorable burden of its creation is the historical mission of the Russian people. It is impossible to say how successful it will be: the Russians in their ethnogenesis have not yet left the stage of fracture. It should be remembered that not all peoples overcame this stage of ethnogenesis.

The peoples of the Russian Empire in the course of historical development, like the Russian people, also developed an imperial stereotype of behavior. The non-Russian peoples had both love for their ethnic community and devotion to the empire. Kazan Tatars, only half a century after joining the Russian state, took an active part in the campaign of the militia of Minin and Pozharsky against Moscow to liberate it from the Polish invaders.

At present, the imperial stereotype of the behavior of the nations that make up historical Russia has been weakened or even lost. If the future of Russian statehood should be connected with the empire, which, in our opinion, is inevitable, then the imperial stereotype of behavior must be restored. We associate its restoration with the return of the majority of the representatives of the Russian nation to Orthodoxy, which will lead Russia out of a state of economic, political and moral crisis. Among non-Russian peoples, the imperial stereotype of behavior will be developed by the efforts of Russians if they fulfill their obligations to foreigners, and there is no aggressive, chauvinistic rejection of the leading role of Russians on their part.

Religious self-consciousness is the basis of any self-consciousness, including the national one. Outside of religion there can be no nationalism, as well as no ethics and morality. Among peoples that are at a low level of cultural development, self-consciousness is expressed in an instinctive rejection of the alien with a hostile attitude towards it. Among civilized peoples, it allows the assimilation of certain skills and customs from other peoples.

Russian national self-consciousness, inextricably linked with Orthodoxy, organically accepts the idea of ​​creating an empire. The concept of the Third Rome, formulated in the 15th century (“Two Romes fall, the third stands, and there will be no fourth.”) is the concept of the recipient of the Roman (Byzantine) Empire - the defender of universal Orthodoxy. The idea of ​​creating an empire was brought to Russia by the universal Orthodox Church. Orthodoxy took deep roots in the soul of our people, and this fusion of Orthodoxy and Russian national identity was so strong that the word "Russian" was perceived as a synonym for the word "Orthodox."

Russian society has discovered internal disharmony since the loss of a certain degree of intensity of religious feeling among the educated strata of the Russian people, which we associate with the activities of Peter I. The spiritual crisis of Russian society developed throughout the 18th and 19th centuries and brought atheistic forces to power in the early 20th century currently continues and causes the presence of economic, political, moral crises of the Russian people.

The exit of the Russian people from the spiritual crisis is in the revival of Orthodoxy in Russia. A necessary condition is to overcome discord and gain unity in the ranks of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Church should participate in the political life of Russian society, not limited to formal appeals to morality, overcoming the inactivity of the current church nomenclature, which prohibits clergy from participating in political activities, does not bless the laity for active political service in the interests of the Fatherland.

It is difficult to say within what boundaries the new Russian state can and should find itself. Natural is the desire of the people to remove artificial borders and restore the territorial integrity of historical Russia under the wing of a single state. Of course, not necessarily within the borders of the Russian Empire or the USSR: some peoples or states may not want to take this step. As they say free will.

But the forcibly interrupted historical type of development of Russian statehood, which is represented by the Russian Empire, must be restored, and the future of the Russian people, the realization of their aspirations and aspirations, will be best ensured by the Empire. Not only the Russian, but most of the peoples of the world believe and wish for this to happen. Only Rome could destroy Carthage. We are the Third Rome.

Bibliography

V.L. Makhnach, S.O. Elishev, O.S. Sergeev "Russia, which we will return.", M., Grail Publishing House, 2004, p. 14.

I.A. Ilyin "The Way of Spiritual Renewal", Sobr. soch., M. 1993, v. 1, p. 208.

Ibid., p. 196.

I.L. Solonevich "Political theses of the Russian people's imperial (headquarters) movement", j. "Our Contemporary", No. 12, 1992, p. 139.

I.L. Solonevich "People's Monarchy", M., 1991, p. 15

V.L. Makhnach (transcript of the Round Table "The Conceptual Apparatus of the Draft National Doctrine of Russia"), M., ROPTs, 1995, p. 12

17.09.2011

Today there are 257 countries in the world, 193 of which are members of the UN, while others have a certain status. Many of these countries have only recently become independent, while others are only fighting for their right to be sovereign.
Historians are well aware of the dates of the founding of young states, and as for the first countries on the planet Earth, their history is shrouded in the darkness of millennia, hidden under a layer of ancient dust.
There is a lot of controversy over the very methodology for determining the most ancient states. After all, each nation has its own myths and legends of the foundation of their state. For example, the legendary founding of one of the smallest modern states of San Marino dates back to the beginning of the 4th century. According to legend, in 301, a member of one of the first Christian communities found refuge in the Apennines, on top of Mount Titano. Thus, formally, San Marino has been considered an independent state since September 3, 301. In fact, one can speak of some kind of independence of a founded settlement only starting from the 6th century, when Italy broke up into many dependent and independent territories.
According to Japanese mythology, the Land of the Rising Sun was founded in 660 BC. e., but the first state in Japan - Yamato arose during the Kofu period, which dates back to 250 - 538 years.
Ancient Greece is considered one of the most ancient civilizations, the cradle of philosophy, culture and science. But Greece became a truly independent country only in 1821 after it left the Ottoman Empire.
Therefore, in order to compile a correct rating, we took into account only those forms of organization of society that correspond to the modern features of the state: sovereignty, own territory, state symbols, language, and so on. In addition, only those states that are on the modern map of the world were taken into account.
So, the rating of the most ancient states was made up of 10 modern countries from three continents.

1. Elam, 3200 BC e. (Iran)

The modern state in southwestern Asia - the Islamic Republic of Iran was founded on April 1, 1979 as a result of the Islamic Revolution. But the history of statehood in Iran is one of the oldest in the world. For centuries, this country has played a key role in the East. The first state on the territory of Iran - Elam - arose in 3200 BC. e. The Persian Empire under Darius I stretched from Greece and Libya to the Indus River. In the Middle Ages, Persia was a strong and influential state.

2. Egypt, 3000 BC e.

Egypt is the oldest state in the world, about the history of which a lot of interesting information has been preserved. It was in this mysterious and mysterious country of the pharaohs that many types and forms of art were born, which later developed in Asia and Europe. They served as the basis for ancient aesthetics - the starting point of all the arts of our time.
Egypt is the largest country of the Arab East, one of the centers of its political and cultural life, the "tourist Mecca" of the world. Egypt occupies a unique geographical position, located at the junction of three continents - Africa, Asia and Europe and the two largest world civilizations - Christian and Islamic.
Egypt arose on the territory where one of the most powerful and mysterious civilizations once existed, the history of which is calculated for centuries and millennia. In 3000 BC. e. Pharaoh Mines united the Egyptian lands and created a state that Egyptologists today call the Early Kingdom.
Echoes of that era - the Great Egyptian Pyramids, the mysterious Sphinxes and the grandiose Temples of the pharaohs.

3. Vanlang, 2897 BC e. (Vietnam)

Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia, located on the Indochina peninsula. The name of the country consists of two words and is translated as "the country of the Viet in the South." The Viet civilization arose in the Red River basin. According to legend, the Viet descended from a dragon and a fairy bird. The first state in Vietnam, Vanlang, appeared in 2897 BC. e. For some time Vietnam was part of China. In the second half of the 19th century, Vietnam fell into colonial dependence on France. In the summer of 1954, Vietnam became an independent state.

4. Shang-Yin, 1600 B.C. e. (China)

China is a state in East Asia, the largest state in the world in terms of population (over 1.3 billion); ranks third in the world in terms of territory, behind Russia and Canada.
Chinese civilization is one of the oldest in the world. According to Chinese scientists, its age may be five thousand years, while the available written sources cover a period of at least 3500 years. The longstanding existence of systems of administrative control, which were improved by successive dynasties, created obvious advantages for the Chinese state, whose economy was based on developed agriculture, in comparison with more backward neighbors, nomads and mountaineers. The introduction of Confucianism as a state ideology (1st century BC) and a unified writing system (2nd century BC) further strengthened Chinese civilization.
The state of Shang-Yin, which existed from 1600 to 1027 BC on the territory of modern China, is the first state formation, the reality of whose existence is confirmed not only by archaeological finds, but also by narrative and epigraphic written sources.
In 221 BC. e. Emperor Qin Shi Huang united all Chinese lands and created the Qin Empire, the territory of which corresponds to modern China.

5. Kush, 1070 BC e. (Sudan)

The modern state of Sudan in northeast Africa is equal in area to the whole of Western Europe, and its population is only 29.5 million people. The country is located in the middle reaches of the Nile River on the surrounding plains, plateaus and the adjacent coast of the Red Sea.
Kush (Meroitic Kingdom) - an ancient kingdom that existed in the northern part of the territory of modern Sudan from 1070 to 350 BC. e. The existence of the kingdom of Kush is confirmed in the remains of temples, sculptures of gods and kings. There is evidence that already at that time writing, astronomy and medicine were developed in Kush.

6. Sri Lanka, 377 BC e.

Sri Lanka (“Blessed Land”) is a state in South Asia, on the island of the same name off the southeastern coast of Hindustan. The history of Sri Lanka begins with the Neolithic period, when the first settlements were discovered in Sri Lanka. Written history begins with the arrival of the Aryans from India, who spread among the local population the rudiments of knowledge in metallurgy, navigation, and writing.
In 247 BC. e. Buddhism penetrated Sri Lanka, which had a decisive influence on the formation of the country and its political system.
In 377 B.C. a kingdom arose on the island with its capital in the ancient city of Anuradhapura.

7. Chin, 300 BC e. (Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Republic of Korea)

Korea is a geographical area that includes the Korean Peninsula and adjacent islands and is united by a common cultural and historical heritage. In the past, a single state. In 1945, after the defeat of Japan in World War II, the territory of Korea, which at that time was a Japanese colony, was divided into two zones of military responsibility: the Soviet one - north of the parallel 38 ° N. sh. and American - to the south of it. Subsequently, in 1948, two states emerged on the territory of these zones: the Republic of Korea in the south and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north.
According to legend, the first Korean state was founded by the son of a bear woman and a celestial, Tangun, in 2333 BC. e. Historians refer to the earliest stage of Korean history as the period of the state of Ko Joseon. Most modern historians agree that the date 2333 B.C. e. is greatly exaggerated, since it is not confirmed by any historical documents other than individual medieval Korean chronicles.
It is believed that at the dawn of its development, Ancient Joseon was a tribal union, consisting of separately administered city-states, and it became a centralized state in 300 BC. e. Around the same time, the proto-state of Chin was formed in the south of the peninsula.

7. Iberia, 299 BC e. (Georgia)

Modern Georgia is considered a young independent state. But the history of the formation of Georgian statehood has its roots in antiquity. Georgia is among the places of discovery of the most ancient monuments of human civilization.
Historians believe that the first states on the territory of Georgia were formed in the III-II millennium BC. e. These were the Kingdom of Colchis, located on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, and Iberia, modern eastern Georgia. In 299 BC. e. Pharnavaz came to power in Iberia. During the reign of Pharnavaz and his closest descendants, Iberia reached great power and became a state with significant territories. In the 9th century, a new united state arose on the territory of Georgia, the ruler of which was the king from the Bagrationi dynasty.

8. Greater Armenia, 190 BC e. (Armenia)

The first mentions of Armenia are found in the cuneiform writings of the Persian king Darius I, who ruled in 522-486. BC e., also in Herodotus (V in BC) and in Xenophon (V in BC). On the maps of the greatest historians and geographers of antiquity, Armenia is marked along with Persia, Syria and other ancient states. After the collapse of the empire of Alexander the Great, Armenian kingdoms arose: Greater Armenia, Lesser Armenia and Sophena.
Great Armenia, a large state stretching from Palestine to the Caspian Sea, created in 190 BC. historians call it the first state on the territory of the modern republic.

9. Yamato, 250 (Japan)

Japan is an island state in East Asia, located in the Pacific Ocean on the Japanese archipelago, consisting of 6,852 islands. According to Japanese legend in 660 BC. e. Jimmu founded the Land of the Rising Sun and became its first emperor.
The first written references to ancient Japan as a single state are contained in the historical chronicles of the 1st century AD. e. Chinese Han Empire. In the code of the 3rd century of the Chinese empire of Wei, 30 Japanese countries are mentioned, among which the most powerful is Yamatai. Its ruler, Himiko, is reported to have maintained power using "charms".
From 250 - 538 years. , the Kofun period, the state of Yamato arises. It is believed that Yamato was a federation.
The kofun period is so named because of the kofun mound culture that has been common in Japan for five centuries. The photo shows the Daisenryo Mound, the tomb of Emperor Nintoku, early 5th century.

10. Great Bulgaria, 632 (Bulgaria)

Bulgaria is a state in Southeastern Europe, in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The first state of the Bulgarians, about which accurate historical information has been preserved, was Great Bulgaria, a state that united the tribes of the Proto-Bulgarians and existed in the Black Sea and Azov steppes for only a few decades from 632 to 671. The capital of the state was the city of Phanagoria, and its founder and ruler was Khan Kubrat. From this began the history of Bulgaria as a state.

Today there are more than 250 countries in the world. But only 193 are members of the UN, while the rest have an unclear status. Many states gained independence recently, while others are only on the path to gaining sovereignty. At the same time, historians clearly know the dates of the appearance of the youngest countries, and when the ancient and first such formations arose, a thick layer of millennial dust hides. Even the methodology for the birth of countries is difficult to determine. After all, each nation has its own myths and legends about the timing of the emergence of the state.

For example, the legends of San Marino say that in 301 a member of one of the first Christian communities created a refuge for himself on the top of Monte Titano. Since then, the statehood of a small country has been counted. However, the independence of this settlement can only be discussed from the 6th century, when Italy broke up into many independent states.

Japanese legends say that the country was founded back in 660 BC, but history knows about the first state on the island - Yamato. It appeared in 250-538. Ancient Greece was one of the first civilizations, it became the cradle for modern culture, science and philosophy. However, the country in its modern form received full independence only in 1821, leaving the Ottoman Empire.

That is why, in order to compile such a rating, those forms of organization of society that correspond to the modern features of the state were taken into account. It must be truly independent, have its own territory, language and state symbols. In our list there are those states that exist on the modern map of the world.

Elam, 3200 BC e. (Iran). This modern state is located in southwestern Asia. The Islamic Republic of Iran appeared on the political map of the planet on April 1, 1979 during the Islamic Revolution. However, the history of the statehood of this country is one of the most ancient in the world. For centuries, the states located here played a key role in the East. For the first time, the country appeared on the territory of Iran in 3200 BC, it was called Elam. The resulting Persian Empire stretched from Greece and Libya to the Indus River. In the Middle Ages, Persia was a powerful and influential state.

Egypt, 3000 BC e. This is the most ancient state on the planet, the history of which is rich in interesting facts. The mysterious and mysterious country of the pharaohs became the homeland for many types and forms of art, which then spread throughout Europe and Asia. It was from here that ancient aesthetics originated, which formed the basis of all modern arts. Egypt is the largest country in the Arab East, it is one of the centers of the political and cultural life of the region. For tourists, the country is a real Mecca. The location of Egypt is unique - it is located at the junction of three continents - Africa, Europe and Asia. Two worlds collide here - Christian and Islamic. Egypt appeared on the site of the existence of a mysterious and powerful ancient civilization, the history of which goes back centuries and millennia. The state appeared here as early as 3000 BC, when Pharaoh Mines united several lands and created a new country. Egyptologists dubbed it the Early Kingdom. Traces of that era have come down to us in the form of the Great Egyptian pyramids, the mysterious Sphinxes and the imposing temples of the pharaohs.

Vanlang, 2897 BC e. (Vietnam). This country is located in Southeast Asia, on the Indochina peninsula. The name of the state consists of two words, in translation it is “the country of the Viet in the South”. The Viet civilization appeared in the Red River basin. Legends say that the people descended from a dragon and a fairy bird. The first state on the territory of present-day Vietnam appeared in 2897 BC. For a long time, Vietnam was part of China. Since the middle of the 19th century, the country has been a French colony. And only in the summer of 1954 Vietnam gained independence.

Shang-Yin, 1600 BC e. (China). China is located in East Asia and is the largest country in the world by population. It is home to over 1.3 billion people. In terms of its territory, China is second only to Russia and Canada. The local civilization is one of the oldest in the world. Chinese scientists claim that it is already more than five thousand years old. But written sources testify only to 3,500 years of history. In China, a system of administrative control has long been established. New and new dynasties of rulers only improved it. Thus, the Chinese state, with an economy based on developed agriculture, gained an advantage over its more backward neighbors, nomads and mountaineers. The country became even stronger with the introduction of Confucianism as a state ideology in the 1st century BC, as well as a unified writing system a century before. From 1600 to 1207 BC in what is now China, the state of Shang-Yin existed. This is the first state formation in these places, the history of which is really confirmed by both archaeological finds and narrative, epigraphic written evidence. In 221 BC. Emperor Qin Shi Huang managed to unite all Chinese lands, creating the Qin Empire. Its borders roughly correspond to modern China.

Kush, 1070 BC e. (Sudan). The area of ​​the modern state of Sudan, located in northeast Africa, is comparable to the whole of Western Europe. The population of the country is 29.5 million people. The country is located in the middle reaches of the Nile, on the plains surrounding the great river, the plateau and the adjacent coast of the Red Sea. In the northern part of modern Sudan from 1070 to 350 BC. there was an ancient state of Kush, or the Meroitic kingdom. The remains of temples, sculptures of its kings and gods speak about this state. It is believed that at that time astronomy, medicine and writing were already developed in Kush.

Sri Lanka, 377 BC e. The name of this island state is translated as the Blessed Land. The country is located in South Asia near the southeast coast of India. The history of people's life here dates back to the Neolithic, it is to this period that the first settlements discovered here belong. Written history dates back to the arrival of the Aryans from India. They gave the local population the first knowledge of metallurgy, navigation and writing. In 247 B.C. Buddhism appeared on the island, which had an important influence on the formation of the country and the political system. Even earlier, in 377 BC. The first kingdom appeared in Sri Lanka, the capital of which was located in the ancient city of Anuradhapura.

Chin, 300 BC e. (Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Republic of Korea). Korea is a geographic area that is based on the Korean Peninsula, as well as the islands adjacent to it. All of them are united by cultural and historical heritage. But once it was a single state. When Japan was defeated in World War II in 1945, Korea, a former colony, was artificially divided into two parts of responsibility. To the north of the 38th parallel lay the Soviet one, and to the south the American one. Two countries appeared on the territory of these fragments in 1948 - the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north and the Republic of Korea in the south. Local legends say that the first Korean state was created by the son of a celestial and a bear woman, Tangun, which happened back in 2333 BC. Scholars consider the earliest stage in the history of Korea to be the period of the state of Ko Joseon. Modern historians still believe that the date 2333 BC. is greatly exaggerated, since no documents confirm it. And it appeared on the basis of Korean chronicles that arose already in the Middle Ages. At the beginning of its existence, Ancient Joseon was a union of tribes, the country existed in the form of separate independent city-states. Only in 300 BC. the emergence of a centralized state. At the same time, the proto-state of Chin appeared in the south of the state.

Iberia, 299 BC e. (Georgia). Modern Georgia appears as a young and dynamically developing independent state, which has almost completely got rid of the Soviet legacy. The history of statehood here originates deep in antiquity. Georgia is one of the places where the most ancient monuments of our civilization were found. Historians believe that the first countries appeared on the territory of Georgia 4-5 thousand years ago. On the eastern coast of the Black Sea was the Kingdom of Colchis, and on the territory of modern Georgia - Iberia. In 299, the legendary king Pharnavaz I came to power in this country. During the reign of his and his descendants, Iberia became a powerful state, subjugating significant lands. And in the 9th century, a new united country appeared on the territory of Georgia. Its ruler was a king from the Bagrationi dynasty.

Greater Armenia, 190 BC e. (Armenia). For the first time, the existence of this country is mentioned in the cuneiform writings of the king of Persia, Darius I. He ruled in 522-486 BC. Herodotus and Xenophon also testify about Armenia (5th century BC). Ancient historians and geographers marked this state on maps along with Persia, Syria and other ancient countries. When the empire of Alexander the Great collapsed, three Armenian kingdoms appeared at once on the site of its ruins - Greater Armenia, Lesser Armenia and Sophena. The first of them turned out to be a rather large state, which united the lands from Palestine to the Caspian Sea itself. The country appeared in 190 BC, scientists consider it to be the first in history that existed on the territory of modern Armenia.

Yamato, 250 (Japan). Japan is an important island nation in East Asia. It is located on the lands of the Japanese archipelago of the Pacific Ocean, which has 6852 islands. Local legends say that as early as 660 BC. Emperor Jimmu founded the Land of the Rising Sun, becoming its first ruler. The first written evidence of the existence of ancient Japan as a single state is found in the historical chronicles of the 1st century of the Chinese Han Empire. As early as the 3rd century, the code of the Wei empire speaks of 30 countries on the territory of the Japanese islands, the most powerful of which is Yamatai. Legends say that the ruler Himiko ruled there using her magic. During the Kofun period from 250 to 358, the state of Yamato appears in Japan, apparently confederate. And this era is called “kofun” due to the kurgan culture of the same name. It has been common in Japan for five centuries. For example, the Daisenryo mound in the 5th century became the tomb for Emperor Nintoku.

Great Bulgaria, 632 (Bulgaria). This country is located in the east of the Balkan Peninsula, in Southeast Europe. There is evidence that on the territory of the state there was such an association of peoples as Great Bulgaria. It included the tribes of the Proto-Bulgarians and existed in the steppes of the Black Sea and Azov for several decades from 632 to 671. The capital of this country was the city of Phanagoria, founded it, becoming the first ruler, Khan Kubrat. Thus began the history of Bulgaria as a state.

The first states appeared about 6000 years ago, but not all of them could survive to this day. Some have disappeared forever, others have only a name left, but there are those that have retained a connection with the Ancient World.

Armenia
The history of Armenian statehood is about 2500 years old, although its origins should be looked for even deeper - in the kingdom of Arme-Shubria (XII century BC), which, according to the historian Boris Piotrovsky, at the turn of the 7th and 6th centuries BC. e. turned into a Scythian-Armenian association. Ancient Armenia is a motley conglomeration of kingdoms and states that existed simultaneously or replaced one another. Tabal, Melid, the kingdom of Mush, the Hurrian, Luwian and Urartian states - the descendants of their inhabitants eventually joined the Armenian people.
The term "Armenia" is first found in the Behistun inscription (521 BC) of the Persian king Darius I, who so designated the Persian satrapy on the territory of the disappeared Urartu. Later, the Ararat kingdom arose in the valley of the Araks River, which served as the basis for the formation of the other three - Sofen, Lesser Armenia and Greater Armenia. Around the 3rd century BC. e. the center of the political and cultural life of the Armenian people moves to the Ararat valley.

The history of Iran is one of the most ancient and eventful. Based on written sources, scientists suggest that the age of Iran is at least 5000 years. However, in Iranian history they include such a proto-state formation as Elam, located in the southwest of modern Iran and mentioned in the Bible.
The first most significant Iranian state was the Median kingdom, founded in the 7th century BC. e. During its heyday, the Median kingdom significantly exceeded the size of the ethnographic region of modern Iran, Media. In the Avesta, this region was called the "Country of the Aryans". The Iranian-speaking tribes of the Medes, according to one version, moved here from Central Asia, according to another - from the North Caucasus and gradually assimilated the local non-Aryan tribes. The Medes very quickly settled throughout western Iran and established control over it. Over time, having grown stronger, they were able to defeat the Assyrian Empire. The beginnings of the Medes were continued by the Persian Empire, spreading its influence over vast territories from Greece to India.

According to Chinese scientists, the civilization of China is about 5000 years old. But written sources speak of a slightly lower age - 3600 years. This is the beginning of the Shang Dynasty. At that time, a system of administrative control was laid, which was developed and improved by successive dynasties.
Chinese civilization developed in the basin of two large rivers - the Yellow River and the Yangtze, which determined its agrarian character. It was developed agriculture that distinguished China from its neighbors, who lived in not so favorable steppe and mountainous regions.
The state of the Shang dynasty pursued a rather active military policy, which allowed it to expand its territories to the limits, which included the modern Chinese provinces of Henan and Shanxi. By the 11th century BC, the Chinese were already using the lunar calendar and had invented the first examples of hieroglyphic writing. At the same time, a professional army was formed in China, using bronze weapons and war chariots.

Greece has every reason to be considered the cradle of European civilization. About 5000 years ago, the Minoan culture was born on the island of Crete, which later spread through the Greeks to the mainland. It is on the island that the beginnings of statehood are indicated, in particular, the first written language appears, diplomatic and trade relations with the East arise. Appeared at the end of the III millennium BC. e. The Aegean civilization already fully demonstrates state formations. Thus, the first states in the Aegean basin - in Crete and the Peloponnese - were built according to the type of eastern despotisms with a developed bureaucracy. Ancient Greece is growing rapidly and extending its influence to the Northern Black Sea region, Asia Minor and Southern Italy.
Ancient Greece is often called Hellas, but the locals also extend the self-name to the modern state. For them, it is important to emphasize the historical connection with that era and culture, which essentially shaped the entire European civilization.

At the turn of the IV-III millennium BC, several dozen cities of the upper and lower reaches of the Nile were united under the rule of two rulers. From this moment begins the 5000-year history of Egypt.
Soon a war arose between Upper and Lower Egypt, the result of which was the victory of the king of Upper Egypt. Under the rule of the pharaoh, a strong state is formed here, gradually spreading its influence to neighboring lands. The 27-century dynastic period of Ancient Egypt is the golden age of ancient Egyptian civilization.
A clear administrative and managerial structure is being formed in the state, advanced technologies for that time are being developed, and art and architecture are rising to unattainable heights. Over the past centuries, much has changed in Egypt - religion, language, culture. The Arab conquest of the country of the pharaohs radically turned the vector of development of the state. However, it is the ancient Egyptian heritage that is the hallmark of modern Egypt.

For the first time, ancient Japan is mentioned in Chinese historical chronicles of the 1st century AD. e. In particular, it says that there were 100 small countries in the archipelago, 30 of which established relations with China.
Supposedly, the reign of the first Japanese emperor Jimmu began in 660 BC. e. It was he who wanted to establish power over the entire archipelago. However, some historians consider Jimma a semi-legendary figure. Japan is a unique country that, unlike Europe and the Middle East, has been developing for many centuries without any serious social and political upheavals. This is largely due to its geographical isolation, which, in particular, secured Japan from the Mongol invasion.
If we take into account the dynastic succession that has been uninterrupted for more than 2.5 thousand years and the absence of fundamental changes in the country's borders, Japan can be called a state with the most ancient origin.

The first East Slavic state, Kievan Rus, was founded in 862 by the Rurik dynasty. Due to Kyiv's trade links with Scandinavia and the Byzantine Empire, these neighboring countries began to influence Russia. Byzantine culture and Slavic culture mingled and a Slavic form of Orthodoxy was formed. As the Scandinavian state grew in size, their influence on the Kievan region also grew, and soon, in the tenth century, their culture overpowered the Slavic culture, and they absorbed the influence of Greek Christianity.

In 988, in an attempt to unite Russia, Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich of Kyiv decided to introduce a centralized religion. After careful research by envoys sent to neighboring regions to learn more about other religions, Vladimir chose Christianity. His emissaries visited Constantinople and saw the strong unifying effect of Christianity and decided to convert to this faith.

The eleventh century in Kyiv was the golden age of the Eastern Slavs, at which time a flourishing culture arose. The adoption of religion led to the beautification of cities and the growth of culture, and to the emergence of many churches, including the St. Sophia Cathedral. The religious worship of the Eastern Slavs was like an art form, and exquisite churches began to be erected throughout the country, decorated with Byzantine-style gold mosaics.

Moscow was founded in 1147 as a defensive outpost. The Moscow Kremlin was fortified in 1156, a complex of palaces and cathedrals was formed in it, and it was the royal residence.

In the thirteenth century, the Mongol Golden Horde invaded Kyiv, and in 1240 Kievan Rus ceased to exist as an independent state. Moscow Prince Dmitry Donskoy won an important victory over the Mongols near Moscow in 1380. The Mongols ruled Russia for over 200 years, from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries. In 1480, Prince Ivan III Vasilievich (Ivan the Great) rejected Russia's allegiance to the Mongols.

Ivan IV Vasilyevich, who became known as Ivan the Terrible, expanded the possessions of Russia, and under him the popularity of religion in the country grew. Ivan the Terrible was the first ruler of Russia to call himself "Tsar" and increase his powers accordingly. He led aggressive military conquests, but with the death of his son, Fyodor, the Rurik dynasty ended, and in 1598 the Time of Troubles began. Boris Godunov was chosen as the ruler, but during his reign, the Russian people experienced a famine, and the Poles invaded the country.

In the elections of 1613, new rulers of the country, the Romanovs, appeared, marking the end of the Time of Troubles with their appearance. Sixteen-year-old Mikhail Fedorovich became the new tsar, and under the leadership of the Romanovs, stability appeared in Russia, and the country greatly expanded its possessions.

In 1667, due to disagreements over the method of performing religious rites, a split occurred in Russian Orthodoxy, and the Old Believers appeared, which led to the fact that Russia, in fact, became a non-religious state, which it remains to this day, when only a small part of the population are practicing believers.

Later, Peter the Great came to power, and radically changed life in Russia, making the power of the state absolute, and forming the Russian Empire. Russia began to raise the level of knowledge in key areas of technology, science, and linguistics, turning to European countries in order to Europeanize Russian thought and art. During his reign, Peter founded St. Petersburg, close to the European borders, and made it the capital of Russia.

The French army, under the leadership of Napoleon, invaded Russia in June 1812, and the grand battle of Borodino took place. Napoleon entered the Kremlin, but the Russians continued to fight. Moscow burned to the ground, but the French were finally defeated and expelled from Russia.

In 1904-1905, Russia and Japan went to war over territorial disputes. The defeat of Russia was a shock to the whole world, and led to political unrest. The procession on January 22, 1905, now called Bloody Sunday, was part of a workers' strike protesting working conditions. In response to the peaceful protest, the tsarist government used firearms, resulting in the deaths of several hundred protesters. Bloody Sunday was one of the most important factors that led to the revolution. In 1917, after a series of revolutions, Nicholas II, the last Russian emperor, was overthrown, after which the Soviet Union was formed - the first socialist state in the world.

Soviet Russia was headed by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, who was replaced by Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin. The country became a leading world power, and played a significant role in World War II as well as the Cold War. Despite the agreement concluded between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia during World War II, Germany nevertheless attacked Russia, and in order to protect its territories, Russia entered the war, speaking on the side of the anti-Hitler coalition. After the war, Russia became a superpower. During the Cold War, on May 14, 1955, Russia signed the Warsaw Pact, a defensive treaty, and the Warsaw Pact Organization was created, which included the communist countries of Eastern Europe.

Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev became the last Soviet ruler of the country. Due to political unrest, as well as a poor economy, Gorbachev was overthrown, marking the end of communist rule and leading to the collapse of the USSR into several states in 1991. In the same year, Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin was elected president of the Russian Federation, after which many changes occurred in the country, but poverty and corruption also appeared. Yeltsin resigned in 1999 and was replaced by Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. In 2008, Putin became prime minister, Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev became president, but after the 2012 elections, they switched roles.