A Russian Conundrum.

[TaiLiu]

It's a bit of an odd question, but: does anyone have any ideas for a Russian Presentation? As long as it correlates - in any way - to Russia, Russian, or Russians, it should be fine.

Thank you in advance!

[mistformsquirrl]

Well, if you don't mind WWII, there's always Operation Bagration (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Bagration) which is fascinating.

< . .>

[Amidus Drexel]

Personally, I've always found Czar Nicholas' family rather interesting. And Rasputin. Hell, you could probably make a full presentation on all the times someone tried to kill the guy.

Both Peter the Great and Ivan the Terrible were pretty cool too.

[TaiLiu]

Well, if you don't mind WWII, there's always Operation Bagration (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Bagration) which is fascinating.

< . .>

Personally, I've always found Czar Nicholas' family rather interesting. And Rasputin. Hell, you could probably make a full presentation on all the times someone tried to kill the guy.

Both Peter the Great and Ivan the Terrible were pretty cool too.
I'll give these ideas consideration. Thank you! :smallsmile:

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Some other interesting less widely covered figures are Vladimir Monomakh, considered the last great ruler of the pre-Mongol Rus, or Vladimir the Great, who christianized the Rus.

[TaiLiu]

Some other interesting less widely covered figures are Vladimir Monomakh, considered the last great ruler of the pre-Mongol Rus, or Vladimir the Great, who christianized the Rus.
I'll give these consideration, too. Thank you! :smallsmile:

[Don Julio Anejo]

I give my vote to Peter the Great. A patron of science and progress, guy who modernized Russia, worked as a labourer in a shipyard in Holland just to get a feel for how they build ships, ruthlessly suppressed any reactionary conservative movements, and did it all while piss drunk.

Also, potatoes. He's probably the reason so many Russian and Irish stereotypes are similar (drunk, badass potato-eating bar brawlers).

[TaiLiu]

I give my vote to Peter the Great. A patron of science and progress, guy who modernized Russia, worked as a labourer in a shipyard in Holland just to get a feel for how they build ships, ruthlessly suppressed any reactionary conservative movements, and did it all while piss drunk.

Also, potatoes. He's probably the reason so many Russian and Irish stereotypes are similar (drunk, badass potato-eating bar brawlers).
Woah. Could you elaborate on this, please?

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Woah. Could you elaborate on this, please?

Ok, so he probably wasn't ACTUALLY DRUNK while working, but he was famous for getting ridiculously drunk with Westerners even when he was young. And not respectfully drunk like Russians did, which was with vodka and in silence (if I remember my readings correctly), but raucously drunk with beer. He and his friends would get drunk and hold sacriligious festivals where they would dress up and one of them would pretend to be Tsar and another would pretend to be the Patriarch-type figure, and Peter would be a low-ranking person in these festivals.

[TaiLiu]

Ok, so he probably wasn't ACTUALLY DRUNK while working, but he was famous for getting ridiculously drunk with Westerners even when he was young. And not respectfully drunk like Russians did, which was with vodka and in silence (if I remember my readings correctly), but raucously drunk with beer. He and his friends would get drunk and hold sacriligious festivals where they would dress up and one of them would pretend to be Tsar and another would pretend to be the Patriarch-type figure, and Peter would be a low-ranking person in these festivals.
"Woah" again! Where does one find these anecdotes?

[Flickerdart]

How far back are we counting as Russia? Because pretty much everything between Rurik and Ivan IV is hilarious, but the place wasn't called Russia until Peter wandered in and decided to tax the beards. Rasputin is massively overdone.

If you want something fresh, do it on Russian colonization of Alaska, or Kerensky's provisional government between when Nicholas was deposed and the October Revolution (which happened in November).

[TaiLiu]

How far back are we counting as Russia? Because pretty much everything between Rurik and Ivan IV is hilarious, but the place wasn't called Russia until Peter wandered in and decided to tax the beards. Rasputin is massively overdone.
As far back as one wants. Anyone or anything with a connection to Russia, Russians, or Russian - no matter how weak - is usable.

If you want something fresh, do it on Russian colonization of Alaska, or Kerensky's provisional government between when Nicholas was deposed and the October Revolution (which happened in November).
These ideas shall be considered.

[Flickerdart]

As far back as one wants. Anyone or anything with a connection to Russia, Russians, or Russian - no matter how weak - is usable.
In that case, consider dialing the clock all the way back to the 10th and 11th centuries, when Kievan Rus rocked faces up to and including successful raids on Byzantium itself. The Novgorod Republic is also interesting, among other things because they had an incredibly high literacy rate thanks to birch bark being a really cheap source of low-quality paper that could be used to send letters and keep records.

[Winter_Wolf]

How the Rus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rus%27_people) migrated to and settled the area which would later become known as Russia? Or is that a little too pre-"Russia proper"?

[TaiLiu]

In that case, consider dialing the clock all the way back to the 10th and 11th centuries, when Kievan Rus rocked faces up to and including successful raids on Byzantium itself. The Novgorod Republic is also interesting, among other things because they had an incredibly high literacy rate thanks to birch bark being a really cheap source of low-quality paper that could be used to send letters and keep records.
Mm! These are fascinating. Thank you.

How the Rus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rus%27_people) migrated to and settled the area which would later become known as Russia? Or is that a little too pre-"Russia proper"?
No; this is good! Thank you.

[Don Julio Anejo]

How the Rus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rus%27_people) migrated to and settled the area which would later become known as Russia? Or is that a little too pre-"Russia proper"?
Technically, it was more of a Norman England situation: elite were Varangians (or potentially, even just the king and his Druzhina/retainers), but most of the people were Slavs, eventually assimilating the Norman elite into local customs. However, the culture was quite similar to begin with, and even the pre-Christian pagan religion was largely the same. Yes, Slavs worshipped Norse gods like Odin and Thor (Wotan and Perun, respectively).

[Flickerdart]

Yes, Slavs worshipped Norse gods like Odin and Thor (Wotan and Perun, respectively).
It's difficult to tell exactly what the Slavs worshipped, since they had no writing before christianity. What little evidence remains suggests that Slavic gods were a mix of deities influenced by Scythian/Iranian religions at least as much as Norse. The different Slavic tribes also assigned different importance and traits to different gods, so it's hard to conclusively tell what was what.

[Remmirath]

Mythology and folklore is one possibility that comes to mind. There are also many Russian painters that I find interesting, although presentation-wise that might not be particularly exciting to most. I'm sure there are many things such as weapons, armor, inventions, and important buildings that you could go for if you're interested in those things; when I had to pick topics in a similar fashion for German presentations, I thought first of what sorts of things I find interesting and then went from there (I ended up with one on German Gothic armor and one on German longswords). The history of some particular city or area could also be interesting, I think, particularly if it's an old and not very widely known one.

I suppose generally I recommend going for something that is not particularly widely known, that you personally find fascinating, and has enough information available concerning it that you can write about it and provide pictures if you need to. Many of the suggestions other people have given seem that they would work quite well.

In any case, I wish you luck with it!

[TaiLiu]

In any case, I wish you luck with it!
Ah, thank you! I wish you luck as well!

[arguskos]

I apologize for being "that guy", but my editing senses just can't let this pass. It is not "Condendrum", it is "Conundrum".

As for the topic at hand, I actually really support the idea of exploring the Russian colonization of Alaska. You rarely hear about such things and it sounds fascinating.

[Palanan]

All these suggestions have been historical, so let me offer a completely different angle:

Lake Baikal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Baikal) (о́зеро Байка́л). World's largest, deepest, and possibly oldest lake, with its own unique species and ecosystems. If you need visuals for your presentation, Baikal will give you some amazing things to work with.

[TaiLiu]

I apologize for being "that guy", but my editing senses just can't let this pass. It is not "Condendrum", it is "Conundrum".
No; I appreciate it! Thank you for correcting my English!

As for the topic at hand, I actually really support the idea of exploring the Russian colonization of Alaska. You rarely hear about such things and it sounds fascinating.
I'll put further weight on this idea, then. Thank you! :smallsmile:

All these suggestions have been historical, so let me offer a completely different angle:

Lake Baikal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Baikal) (о́зеро Байка́л). World's largest, deepest, and possibly oldest lake, with its own unique species and ecosystems. If you need visuals for your presentation, Baikal will give you some amazing things to work with.
Oh, it's very nice looking! I'll consider the idea; thank you! :smallsmile:

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

"Woah" again! Where does one find these anecdotes?

I have a great big old history/biography of Peter the Great. It's probably packed away, but I'll do a short check of the bookshelves down here to see if I can find the author... Nope it's packed away. Well, for a more general broad overview of pre-Communist Russia, to get a feel for things, I'd recommend Russia Under the Old Regime by Richard Pipes. For my course on Russian history up to the beginning of the 19th century I took last year, we used the following books:
A History of Russia by Riasonovsky and Steinberg
and Readings in Russian Civilization by Thomas Riha, which is a collection of primary readings.
Both are rather short, a LOT shorter than the biography of Peter the Great I had. I never even finished that one.


Technically, it was more of a Norman England situation: elite were Varangians (or potentially, even just the king and his Druzhina/retainers), but most of the people were Slavs, eventually assimilating the Norman elite into local customs. However, the culture was quite similar to begin with, and even the pre-Christian pagan religion was largely the same. Yes, Slavs worshipped Norse gods like Odin and Thor (Wotan and Perun, respectively).

Well, that's one theory at least. As far as I can tell, the extent of Varangian influence is heavily debated still in academic circles. The use of the word "Rus" to refer to these people as well: it seems equally as likely to have referred to a Slavic tribe as to a Swedish group, which is the usual assumption.

[TaiLiu]

I have a great big old history/biography of Peter the Great. It's probably packed away, but I'll do a short check of the bookshelves down here to see if I can find the author... Nope it's packed away. Well, for a more general broad overview of pre-Communist Russia, to get a feel for things, I'd recommend Russia Under the Old Regime by Richard Pipes. For my course on Russian history up to the beginning of the 19th century I took last year, we used the following books:
A History of Russia by Riasonovsky and Steinberg
and Readings in Russian Civilization by Thomas Riha, which is a collection of primary readings.
Both are rather short, a LOT shorter than the biography of Peter the Great I had. I never even finished that one.
I'll look those up, then. Thank you! :smallsmile:

(Am I smiling too much?)

[Flickerdart]

(Am I smiling too much?)
Yes. A presentation about Russia must be conducted in a melancholy tone.

[TaiLiu]

Yes. A presentation about Russia must be conducted in a melancholy tone.
:smallfrown: I'll keep that in mind, then. Thank you.

[TSGames]

And Rasputin. Hell, you could probably make a full presentation on all the times someone tried to kill the guy.
Many presentations and more. That man's sheer ability to not die bordered on some form of immortality, to say nothing of the other things he could allegedly do. I'd also second Ivan the Terrible; awesome guy, historically, but probably not one you'd go out drinking with.

Also, there's a disco song about Rasputin, it's kind of catchy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RK9jvK2kGk).

[GolemsVoice]

You could always do one about Russian culture and everyday life. As others already pointed out, Russians are generally perceived as pretty dour and serious people, because they generally think that a man who smiles without reason is an idiot.
There are lot's of Russian oddities, as there are in every culture, that could be interesting for a less serious presentation.
Another for example is the Russian dislike for fences or walls of any kind. If there is a fence, somebody WILL make a hole in it. It's a matter of principle. Even if you can get inside the park, for example, for free at the front gate, there MUST be a hole in the fence.

Or do a presentation about St. Petersburg. Russias most beautiful city. So say the inhabitants, at least, and I'm inclined to agree.

[Shadow of the Sun]

Personally, I'm very fond of Russian literature. Anton Chekov, for example.

[The Unborne]

:smallfrown: I'll keep that in mind, then. Thank you.

You don't need to be dour. Russian/Soviet history is super hilarious as long as you have a dark sense of humor.

Speaking of which, this thread is missing out on Soviet topics:
-Socialist Realism in the arts
-Gulags
-Golden Age cinema
-Stalinist Terror
-Samizdat literature
-"The Woman Question"
-A country of women
-Alcohol in Russia
-The revolutions
-Perestroika
-Fall of the Soviet Union
-Relationships with other Post-Soviet countries
-Etc.


However, the culture was quite similar to begin with, and even the pre-Christian pagan religion was largely the same. Yes, Slavs worshipped Norse gods like Odin and Thor (Wotan and Perun, respectively).

Considering how under-developed their pantheon of gods was (nothing survives about the gods' relationships with one another; also, some gods basically shared the same functions), the best theory was that one of the rulers probably instituted the pagan pantheon in order to solidify the Slavs through religion (this work would later be given to Christianity).

Just because the Slavs never had a concrete mythology, however, doesn't mean that paganism was more or less ephemeral. Just the opposite, you'll find throughout Russian/Soviet culture a dvoeverie ("dual faith"). Basically there's always a blending of beliefs with paganism and Christianity that helped prolong their pagan past's relevance (half-believing in domovoi and saints taking up the roles of certain pagan gods are ready examples).

There's a lot to be said about Russian folklore and its different reiterations throughout history (Soviet urban legends are fun while Petrushevskaia's adult fairy tales are more contemporary), but maybe that's just because Russian folklore is my focus right now. :smalltongue:

If early historical topics interest you, TaiLiu, you can do a presentation on the founding of the Slavic written language (Old Church Slavonic). The fact that the first text in Slavic history was the bible informed much of its literary traditions such as the Russian penchant for identifying truths in the world.

[nedz]

Russian exploration of Siberia/Kamchatca/Bearing Strait/Alaska.

The Trans-siberian railway.

Exploration of the Arctic.

Icebreakers.

History of Vodka.

History of Russian navy.

War and Peace.

[GolemsVoice]

Oh yeah, take any of the great Russian poets and novelists, such as Dostoevski, Pushkin, Turgenev, or, for some newer and certainly different ones, Erofeev or Pelevin.

In fact, I wrote about Turgenev's Rudin and his role as a scapegoat, for university. I'd send my essay to you, but it's German.

[User Name]

How about a study of the modern Russian political scene with an emphasis on unorthodox political parties like Eduard Limonov's Nazbols? They'll make you laugh - and learn!

[enderlord99]

Say one of your c-o-(nasal-sound) words.

The "rad" one. Not the dole-an-sez one.

[Barsoom]

Time of Troubles. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_of_Troubles)
Fascinating stuff. Not to be confused with the similarly named period in Forgotten Realms chronology.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Say one of your c-o-(nasal-sound) words.

The "rad" one. Not the dole-an-sez one.

...

what?

You're allowed to say "communism" my friend, comrade, commissar... Why the circumlocution?

[TaiLiu]

...comrade...
Ah; that was what he meant. I was rather confused for a while.

In any case, thank you for all the suggestions, comrades! :smallsmile:

[Don Julio Anejo]

Let us know what you decide, comrade playgrounder!

[TaiLiu]

Let us know what you decide, comrade playgrounder!
Indeed, Comrade. When the decision is made, I shall inform you all.

[Korgor]

Ah well, if the decision is not AS YET made, you might want to consider a lesser known figure from Russian History, Baron Ungern von Sternberg, or the latterday incarnation of Ghenghis Khan as he preferred to be called, White Russian General in the Far East during the Civil War in the early 1920s, named himself as Great Khan of Mongolia, kicked out the Chinese, thought he was protected by magic... and then was hung by the Reds, but still a fascinating story!

If it doesn't have to be exclusively Russian, the Battle of Mukden in the Russo Japanese War was supposedly the world's largest ever land battle, with 500,000 combatants... Or the Potemkin Mutiny...

[GolemsVoice]

Or some of the crazy stuff the Russians pulled during the Cold War. James Bond has NOTHING on these guys.

This (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Inner_Circle_%281991_film%29) by the way is a very interesting look at the politics and social dynamics of Stalin's time

[Piet Heyn]

Personally, I'd go for the Russian Palace Revolutions that went on in between the death of Peter I and the rise of Catherine II to the Russian throne. It's a lovely topic, caused initially by Peter I changing the rules so the Emperor of Russia would appoint his own successor, and then failing to appoint one before his death.

And court intrigue is one of my favourite topics of history.

[TaiLiu]

Thank you for all your assistance, comrades! I chose Lake Baikal, but I appreciate all your ideas, and will keep this thread for further use.

Once again: thank you. :smallsmile:

[GolemsVoice]

не за что

мессадж ту шорт

[Hyena]

Nobody mentioned Alexander the First yet? Nope? No one?
An interesting guy. Tried to democratize Russia and even dreamed about it becoming a republic, but he actually made the issue even worse, because this is how he rolled.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by TaiLiu
Thank you for all your assistance, comrades! I chose Lake Baikal....

Whoo hoo!! Let me know how it goes.

:smallbiggrin:

[Comrade]

Thank you for all your assistance, comrades! I chose Lake Baikal, but I appreciate all your ideas, and will keep this thread for further use.

Once again: thank you. :smallsmile:

Aw hell, I'm always late to the party. I was gonna suggest maybe doing something on the indigenous peoples of Siberia-- an incredibly interesting and diverse variety of cultures with unique languages that are beginning to fade and vanish. I feel it's a subject that doesn't get nearly enough attention or interest, but Lake Baikal is certainly an interesting and unique subject to address as well. Good luck with it.

[Karoht]

no presentation about Russia is complete without the song Moskow by Ghengis Khan. Especially with the misheard lyrics by Buffalax.

Maybe try to highlight President Putin and some of the wild and wacky things he does/has done/has claimed to have done. Contrast the modern ruler to a previous one.

[TheWolfe]

Personally, I'd go for the Russian Palace Revolutions that went on in between the death of Peter I and the rise of Catherine II to the Russian throne. It's a lovely topic, caused initially by Peter I changing the rules so the Emperor of Russia would appoint his own successor, and then failing to appoint one before his death.

And court intrigue is one of my favourite topics of history.

Stories like this are why I love history. It's full of people doing the weirdest things. Even things that are against their life's work or believes. The guy who burned the Temple of Artemis just to be remembered by history springs to mind (I can't recall his name right now, ironically).