Joseph Stalin - The Price of Success

Everyone knows Hitler as the embodiment of evil with the Allies as the forces of good. But within the ranks of these "good" stood an achiever but also a butcher greater than the defeated German leader. Joseph Stalin propelled the Soviet Union into the position of superpower at a great expense of lives, even larger than that of Hitler. He made planning trending, but also did the same for gulags, slave labor, and famine.

Doc Recap: Treaty of Shimoda

In 1855, Putiatin returned to Japan to conclude a treaty delayed for over a year. The Treaty of Shimoda established formal relations between the two countries.

Putyatin in Nagasaki

Great Spurt - Industrialization of the Russian Empire

Sergei Witte

The 19th century saw the rise of the industrial world. New sources of energy were discovered and harnessed to power new machines. Machines that began the mechanized many processes and production of so many goods. It saw an evolution in communication and transportation, allowing once isolated areas to become connected with cities. New major cities rose and flourish as production and transportation provided the wealth for it to develop. This events were felt from the United States to Japan. But one of the late comers to the industrialize world was the biggest nation in the Earth – Russia. But in 1890, a decade before the turn of the century, it would begin to catch up with the west in a modest but rapid phase of industrialization, known to many as the Great Spurt.

Annexation of of Crimea by Catherine II

From Searching History to Exploring History, this post has been moved to a new blog: 

http://exploringhist.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-catherine-great-annexed-crimea.html

My Egg is Better Than Your Egg - The Origin Story of the Faberge Eggs

Wealth, power, prestige, and control over the largest country in the world, having all of it will surely bring some bigtime flex. Before stories of golden Lamborghini of oil-rich Sheikhs or macadamia nut-fed cows of tech tycoons, Tsar Alexander III made an exceptional splurge on a mundane Easter egg to cheer up his wife. This flex of wealth resulted in fabulous pieces that even today cost fortunes in auctions.

Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna

Hazy Start of Matryoshka Dolls

Savva Mamontov

Sochi Winter Olympics just took off in Russia. Tourist, supporters, athletes, staff, politicians, and diplomats flock the ski and beach city of Sochi. Because of the games, local businesses will profit highly from the event, especially the souvenir shops. One good souvenir that will remind of Russia would be the cute and Russian nest dolls called Matryoshka Dolls. 

Molotov Cocktail and the Winter War

Vyacheslav Molotov

In every riots or violent protest, the participants with coverings in their faces brought either a club or a flammable bottle called the Molotov Cocktail. It is the worst object that can be thrown into any anti-riot police. If used in the streets, it could cause serious damage to the target both cars and establishments. It has been an object of anarchy and defiance. But if curiosity would struck, why is this flamable object called the molotov. Is molotov a person or a place? A look to a event during the period of the start of World War II can shed on why this flammable and dangerous weapon called molotov.