Study Guide
PART I: Short Answers: I will choose five of the following questions, and you will be asked to answer three (3) of them. (15% each):
1. What was the Ulozhenie, and how did it change the structure of Russian society?
2. Who were the Decembrists, and what was their impact on Russia?
3. What was the battle of Kulikovo, and why was it significant?
4. Who was Boris Godunov, and what was the impact of his reign?
5. What was the oprichnina, and what impact did it have on Russian society?
6. What was the impact of the Holy Synod in the 18th and 19th centuries?
7. What was the Nakaz, and what was its significance?
8. Who was Alexander Nevsky, and what was the impact of his reign?
9. What was the significance of the Great Northern War?
PART II: Essay: I will choose three of the following questions and you will be asked to answer one (1) of them. (55%):
1. The height of Kievan culture occurred during the reigns of Vladimir and Iaroslav the Wise. What about their reigns was so different from their predecessors, and why were they so crucial for the development of the Russian state?
2. What was the impact of the Mongols on Russian/Kievan society? How did their reign over the Rus the political, economic, and social structures of the time?
3. The Church Schism of the mid-17th century was one of the most important events in Russian history. What were the major events of the schism, and how did it influence Russia in the years up to the death of Peter the Great?
4. Catherine the Great is often seen as the true heir to Peter the Great. Do you agree with that idea? Why or why not? What about her reign proves or disproves the above thesis?
5. Some historians consider the reforms of Alexander II to be the most important changes of the 19th century. What were the reforms, and how did they change Russia?