Question by Peter Luger: What was russia doing during the expansion of the new world?
Why didn’t russia take any part in colonization of the new world? (The americas)
Answers and Views:
Answer by vive la emperor
During the colonization of the new world, Russia was becoming what we know as Russia. The early Russian Empire was rapidly annexing and settling land to the east of them.
Russia also actually had land in North America, they had Alaska and a few forts in northern California.
Add your own answer in the comments!
Claus says
Russia`s expansion was directed into the East. Siberia and its natureal resources were incorporated during a long process. Going furhter eastwards Russia included parts of Northern America, to be exactly Alaska and East-expansionended there. Approbriation started in steps 1728, 1741 and 1791. At 18th October 1867 Russia sold Alaska for 0,0004cent/m², as seemed to be worthless for them considering the huge Asian land mass already incorporated to Russian Empire.
Edit: sold to USA, of course.
Jim L says
Oh, but they did, Russsia reached the Pacific by the 1640s and by in the next century they reached what is now Alaska. Russian North America lasted until 1867 when the Russians sold it to the USA. Of course it wasn't a large-scale colonisation, but conditions, especially those of the native peoples, deteriorated in the first period of American rule.
After 1867, the Russian Orthodox church retained visitation rights in Alaska until these were repudiated by the Bolsheviks. They later decided the repudiation had been a mistake, as the rights would have been a great pretext for espionage, but by then it was too late.
ammianus says
Russia wasn't Russia, it was the Grand Duchy of Moscow and essentially a client kingdom of the Mongols until 1547, when Ivan the Terrible became the first Czar.It comprised Moscow and the areas formerly controlled by the Rus before the Mongol conquest of the 1240s.Various Mongol Khanates remained in control of all Russia to the east and south.
Ivan's state had no coastline, no navy,and therefore neither the means nor inclination to take part in the colonization of the New World.
Sam N says
Essentially exploring Russia.
Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of geographical land area, but unlike western Europe, Russia never had the internal infrastructure to allow them to explore beyond their direct borders. Which meant no wide exploration of the New World.
The only places they had interest in were Alaska and the northern Pacific coast. Which they couldn't really maintain as the ability to get supplies across Russia easily didn't exist as the Trans-Siberian Railway had not yet been built. So, to save costs, Russia sold Alaska to the US.