A Geography of Russia and Its Neighbors
Mikhail S. Blinnikov
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“Finally, a geography of Russia written by a Russian geographer for a Western audience. This book is filled with mesmerizing details of Soviet and post-Soviet everyday life, as well as unique photographs. It captures the richness of Russian society and reflects its contradictions. This is an invaluable, accessible text for all levels, and will be great for stimulating classroom discussion.”
—Marianna Pavlovskaya, Department of Geography, Hunter College, City University of New York
“A timely, insightful, well-written, and engaging volume on contemporary Russia's economies, recent history, environmental settings, and enduring legacies. Personal reflections and observations add to the book's strengths. I will definitely use this text the next time I teach a class on the former Soviet Union. It is far ahead of any previous book on the region. It also will have broad appeal outside geography and should be required reading for business people and professionals in all fields who are working in the region.”
—Stanley D. Brunn, Department of Geography, University of Kentucky
“This text offers a comprehensive, accessible introduction to the physical, cultural, social, economic and political geography of the region. The book goes well beyond the bounds of a general geography text, giving students the historical and political context that will help them engage more thoughtfully with the material. The author doesn’t shy away from interjecting his own insights about the personalities that have shaped contemporary Russia. For the student, this brings to life some of the major actors whose names would otherwise get lost on the page. Each chapter is followed by review questions and exercises that will prepare both instructors and students for class discussion, making the book useful for both lecture courses and seminars.”
—Melinda Herrold-Menzies, Intercollegiate Environmental Analysis Program, The Claremont Colleges
Table of Contents
1. Introduction: Russia and Post-Soviet Northern EurasiaI. Physical Geography
2. Relief and Hydrography
3. Climate
4. Biomes
5. Environmental Degradation and Conservation
II. History and Politics
6. Formation of the Russian State
7. The Soviet Legacy
8. Post-Soviet Reforms
9. The Geopolitical Position of Russia in the World
III. Cultural and Social Geography
10. Demographics and Population Distribution
11. Cities and Villages
12. Social Issues. Health, Wealth, Poverty, and Crime
13. Cultures and Languages
14. Religion, Diet, and Dress
15. Education, Arts, Sciences, and Sports
16. Tourism
IV. Economics
17. Oil, Gas, and Other Energy Sources
18. Heavy Industry and the Military Complex
19. Light Industry and Consumer Goods
20. Fruits of the Earth: Agriculture, Hunting, Fishing, and Forestry
21. Infrastructure and Services
V. Regional Geography of Russia and Other FSU States
22. Central Russia: The Heart of the Country
23. Russia’s Northwest: Fishing, Timber, and Culture
24. The Volga: Cars, Food, and Energy
25. The Caucasus: Cultural Diversity and Political Instability
26. The Urals: Metallurgy, Machinery, and Fossil Fuels
27. Siberia: Great Land
28. The Far East: The Russian Pacific
29. The Baltics: Europeysky, Not Sovetsky
30. Eastern Europeans: Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova
31. Central Asia: The Heart of Eurasia
32. Epilogue: Engaging with Post-Soviet Northern Eurasia