Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Aldan əldänˈ [key], city (1989 pop. 27,000), Sakha Republic, E Siberian Russia, on the Aldan Plateau. Located on a major north-south highway of the region, it is also in the heart of an important g...

(Encyclopedia) Samara səmäˈrə [key], river, c.360 mi (580 km) long, rising in the foothills of the S Urals, European Russia. It flows generally northwest, and joins the Volga River at Samara. ...

(Encyclopedia) Vyatka vyätˈkə [key], river, c.850 mi (1,370 km) long, rising in the foothills of the central Urals, E European Russia, and flowing first N, then NW past the city of Kirov, and finally SE into the ...

(Encyclopedia) Alexis əlyĭksyāˈ mēkhīˈləvĭch [key], 1629–76, czar of Russia (1645–76), son and successor of Michael. His reign, marked by numerous popular outbreaks, was crucial for the later developmen...

(Encyclopedia) Aldan, river, c.1,400 mi (2,250 km) long, rising in the Stanovoy Range, Sakha Republic, SE Siberian Russia. It flows north and east, past Tommot and around the Aldan Plateau, before flowing generally ...

(Encyclopedia) Dvina dvēnäˈ [key] or Northern Dvina, Rus. Severnaya Dvina, river, c.465 mi (750 km) long, N European Russia. It is formed near Veliki Ustyug by the union of the Sukhona and Yug rivers, flows N pas...

(Encyclopedia) Elizabeth, 1709–62, czarina of Russia (1741–62), daughter of Peter I and Catherine I. She gained the throne by overthrowing the young czar, Ivan VI, and the regency of his mother, Anna Leopoldovna...

(Encyclopedia) Michael (Michael Romanov), 1596–1645, czar of Russia (1613–45), founder of the Romanov dynasty; grandnephew of Anastasia, first wife of Ivan IV. His election as czar, following successive appearan...

(Encyclopedia) Moscow mŏsˈkou, –kō [key], Rus. Moskva, city (1991 est. pop. 8,802,000), capital of Russia and of Moscow region and the administrative center of the Central federal district, W central European R...

(Encyclopedia) Oka, river, c.600 mi (970 km) long, rising in the Sayan Mts., Buryat Republic, S central Siberian Russia. It flows N through Irkutsk oblast to join the Angara River below Bratsk. The lower Oka valley ...