Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Feodor III, 1661–82, czar of Russia (1676–82), son and successor of Alexis. Although an invalid, Feodor strove to carry out reforms. In 1681 he abolished the system of precedence among the boyar f...

(Encyclopedia) Tolstoy, Aleksey Konstantinovich tŏlˈstoi, Rus. əlyĭksyāˈ kənstəntyēˈnəvĭch təlstoiˈ [key], 1817–75, Russian poet, dramatist, and novelist. He was a distant cousin of Leo Tolstoy. Toge...

(Encyclopedia) Constantinople, Latin Empire of, 1204–61, feudal empire established in the S Balkan Peninsula and the Greek archipelago by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade (see Crusades) after they had sacked (120...

(Encyclopedia) Arzamas ərzəmäsˈ [key], city, E European Russia, on the Tyosha River. A rail junction, it has food-processing plants and industries that produce farm implements. An an...

(Encyclopedia)  Russian and Soviet Rulers since 1462(including dates of rule) House of Rurik House of Godunov Usurpers House of Romanov Provisional Government(premiers) Soviet Russia (1917–22) and the U...

(Encyclopedia) Biron or Biren, Ernst Johann von ĕrnst yōhänˈ fən bēˈrôn, bēˈrən [key], 1690–1772, duke of Courland (1737–43, 1763–69), favorite of Czarina Anna of Russia. A Baltic nobleman, he rose ...

(Encyclopedia) Sophia Alekseyevna sôˈfyə əlyĭksyāˈyəvnə [key], 1657–1704, regent of Russia (1682–89); daughter of Czar Alexis by his first wife and sister of Czar Feodor III. Supported by the streltsi (...

(Encyclopedia) Ukrainian literature, literary writings in the Ukrainian language. Kievan Church Slavonic texts of the 11th cent. and W Ukrainian texts of the 13th cent. show Ukrainian linguistic features, which pred...

(Encyclopedia) Kotelny Island kōtĕlˈnē [key], largest island of the Anjou group of the New Siberian Islands, c.100 mi (160 km) long and c.60 mi (100 km) wide, off N Siberian Russia. The island was sighted in 177...

(Encyclopedia) Bulgarin, Faddey Venediktovich fədyāˈ vĭnyədyēkˈtəvĭch bo͝olgäˈrēn [key], 1789–1859, Russian journalist and novelist, b. Poland. Bulgarin's original name was Tadeusz Bulharyn. In 1825 h...