Russian Empire

The Russian Empire, also known as the Tsarist Russia, Tsarist Empire or Imperial Russia, and sometimes simply as Russia, was a country in Europe and Asia from November 1721 until its collapse in March 1917. It later became the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, or Russian SFSR, as part of the Soviet Union. By the late 19th century, it covered about 22,800,000 km² (8,800,000 sq mi), making it the third-largest empire in history.

Russian Empire Россійская Имперіяcode: ru is deprecated Российская Империяcode: ru is deprecated Rossiyskaya Imperiyacode: ru is deprecated
1721–1917
Flag of Imperial Russia File:Flag of Russia (1858–1896).svg
Motto:
Anthem:
File:Russian Empire (orthographic projection).svg      Russia in 1914      Lost in 1856–1914      Spheres of influence      Protectorates File:Russian Empire (1914).svg File:The Russian Empire-en.svg
Capital	Saint Petersburg (1721–1728; 1730–1917) Moscow (1728–1730)
Official languages	Russian • French (widely used among the upper classes until the 19th century)
Religion (1897)	84.2% Christianity 69.3% Eastern Orthodox (official) 9.2% Catholic 5.7% Other Christian 11.1% Islam 4.2% Judaism 0.3% Buddhism 0.2% Others
Demonym(s)	Russian
Government	Unitary absolute monarchy (1721–1906) Unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy (1906–1917)
Emperor
• 1721–1725 (first)	Peter I
• 1894–1917 (last)	Nicholas II
Chancellor/Prime Minister
• 1810–1812 (first)	Nikolai Rumyantsev
• 1917 (last)	Nikolai Golitsyn
Legislature	Governing Senate
• Upper house	State Council (1810–1917)
• Lower house	State Duma (1905–1917)
History
• Treaty of Nystad	10 September 1721
•	2 November 1721
• Table of Ranks	4 February 1722
• Decembrist revolt	26 December 1825
• Emancipation reform	3 March 1861
• Selling of Alaska	18 October 1867
• 1905 Revolution	Jan 1905 – Jul 1907
• October Manifesto	30 October 1905
• Constitution adopted	6 May 1906
• February Revolution	8–16 March 1917
•	14 September 1917
Area
1866	22,800,000 km2 (8,800,000 sq mi)
Population
• 1897	125,640,021
Currency	Russian ruble
Preceded by Succeeded by 20px Tsardom of Russia Provisional Government File:Flag of Russia.svg Russian Republic File:Flag of Russia.svg

File:Flag of Russia (1914-1917).svg

1914 flag for private uses

Russian Empire Media

• Bozhe, tsarya khrani!.ogg

  God Save The Tsar! Russian national anthem 1833 to 1917. Recorded in 1915. Performed by the chorus and orchestra of St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society

• J.-M. Nattier (d'après) - Portrait de Pierre Ier (musée de l’Ermitage).jpg

  Peter the Great officially proclaimed the Russian Empire in 1721 and became its first emperor. He instituted sweeping reforms and oversaw the transformation of Russia into a major European power. Painting by Jean-Marc Nattier, 1717.

• Coat of arms of russia 1710s.png

  Coat of arms during the reign of Peter I

• 'The Victory at Poltava' by Alexander Evstafyevich Kotzebue, 1862, Hermitage.JPG

  'The Victory at Poltava' by Alexander Evstafyevich Kotzebue, 1862, Hermitage

• Catherine II by J.B.Lampi (1780s, Kunsthistorisches Museum).jpg

  Empress Catherine the Great, who reigned from 1762 to 1796, continued the empire's expansion and modernization. Considering herself an enlightened absolutist, she played a key role in the Russian Enlightenment (painted in the 1780s).

• 

  1764, Ruble Catherine II ММД, Krasny Mint

• The Storming of Izmail on December 22, 1790, by Russian troops under the command of Alexander Suvorov. Suvorov's victory was immortalized with the empire's newfound national anthem: "Let the Thunder of Victory Rumble!".

• Catherine II Sestroretsk Ruble (1771) is made of solid copper measuring 77 mm (3+1⁄32 in) (diameter), 26 mm (1+1⁄32 in) (thickness), and weighs 1,041 g (2 lb 4+3⁄4 oz).

• View of Moscow River from the Kremlin, 1908