Here is a visually stunning introduction to the fascinating and diverse land of Russia. Superb color photographs of costumes, crafts, jewels, and palaces offer a unique "eyewitness" view of Russia and the lives of its inhabitants through the ages. See a Mongol warrior's imposing suit of armor, the stunning diamond-encrusted crown jewels, beautifully painted wooden crafts, and the spectacular architecture of Russia's most famous cities. Learn about the sinister secret police, how religious icons are restored to their former glory, about the opulent and extravagant life styles of the czars, why the peasant, Pugachev, was locked up in a cage, and about the revolutionary Bolsheviks. Discover the importance of the Russian Orthodox Church, the 13th-century paper made of birch bark, what happens inside a banya, the great tradition of tea drinking, and much, much more!

Discover the turbulent past of this vast land from empire and communist superpower to today's federation