The foundations of a Russian national state were laid in the late 15th century during the reign of Ivan III. By the early … See more

By the end of the 19th century the area of the empire was about 22,400,000 square kilometers (8,600,000 sq mi), or almost one-sixth of the Earth's landmass; its only rival in size at the time was the British Empire. … See more

From its initial creation until the 1905 Revolution, the Russian Empire was led by the emperor (also referred to as tsar) who ruled as an absolute monarch. After the Revolution of 1905, Russia developed a new type o… See more

The judicial system of the Russian Empire was established by the statute of 20 November 1864 of Alexander II. This system – based partly on English and French law – was predicated on the separation of judicial and admini… See more

Alongside the local organs of the central government in Russia there are three classes of local elected bodies charged with administrative functions:
• the peasant assemblies in the mirs and the volosts… See more

Before the liberation of the serfs in 1861, Russia's economy mainly depended on agriculture. By the census of 1897, 95 per cent of the Russian population lived in the countryside. Nicholas I attempted to modernise … See more

After 1860, the planning and building of the railway network had far-reaching effects on the economy, culture, and ordinary life of Russia. The central authorities and the imperial elite made most of the key decisions, … See more