Russian Empire

The Russian Empire, also known as the Tsarist Russia, Tsarist Empire or Imperial Russia, and sometimes simply as Russia,^[e][f] was a country in Europe and Asia from November 1721 until its collapse in March 1917. It later became the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, or Russian SFSR, as part of the Soviet Union. By the late 19th century, it covered about 22,800,000 km² (8,800,000 sq mi), making it the third-largest empire in history.^[source?]

Russian Empire Россійская Имперія Российская Империя Rossiyskaya Imperiya
1721–1917
Top: Civil ensign (1696–1917); State flag (1896–1917) Bottom: State flag (1858–1896) Coat of arms (1882–1917)
Motto: "Съ нами Богъ!" S' nami Bog! ("God is with us!")
Anthem: "Боже, Царя храни!" Bozhe Tsarya khrani! (1833–1917) ("God Save the Tsar!") Other used anthems: "Громъ побҍды, раздавайся!" Grom pobedy, razdavaysia! (1791–1816) ("Let the Thunder of Victory Rumble!") (unofficial) "Коль славенъ нашъ Господь в Сіонҍ" Kol' slaven nash Gospod' v Sione (1794–1816) ("How Glorious Is Our Lord in Zion") (unofficial) "Молитва русскихъ" Molitva russkikh (1816–1833) ("The Prayer of Russians")
Russia in 1914      Lost in 1856–1914      Spheres of influence      Protectorates[a] Show globe Show map of Europe Show all controlled territories (1866)
Capital	Saint Petersburg[b] (1721–1728; 1730–1917) Moscow (1728–1730)[2]
Largest city	Saint Petersburg
Official languages	Russian • French (widely used among the upper classes until the 19th century)[3]
Recognised languages	Polish, German (in Baltic provinces), Finnish, Swedish, Chinese (in Dalian)
Religion (1897)	84.2% Christianity 69.3% Eastern Orthodox (official)[4] 9.2% Catholic 5.7% Other Christian 11.1% Islam 4.2% Judaism 0.3% Buddhism 0.2% Others
Demonym(s)	Russian
Government	Unitary absolute monarchy (1721–1906) Unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy[5] (1906–1917)
Emperor
• 1721–1725 (first)	Peter I
• 1894–1917 (last)	Nicholas II
Chancellor/Prime Minister
• 1810–1812 (first)	Nikolai Rumyantsev[c]
• 1917 (last)	Nikolai Golitsyn[d]
Legislature	Governing Senate[6]
• Upper house	State Council (1810–1917)
• Lower house	State Duma (1905–1917)
History
• Treaty of Nystad	10 September 1721
• Proclaimed	2 November 1721
• Table of Ranks	4 February 1722
• Decembrist revolt	26 December 1825
• Emancipation reform	3 March 1861
• Selling of Alaska	18 October 1867
• 1905 Revolution	Jan 1905 – Jul 1907
• October Manifesto	30 October 1905
• Constitution adopted	6 May 1906
• February Revolution	8–16 March 1917
• Proclamation of the Republic	14 September 1917
Area
1866[7][8]	22,800,000 km2 (8,800,000 sq mi)
Population
• 1897	125,640,021
Currency	Russian ruble
Preceded by Succeeded by Tsardom of Russia Provisional Government Russian Republic

1914 flag for private uses

Notes

1. Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1829–1856.
2. In 1914, the city was renamed Petrograd to reflect anti-German sentiments of Russia during World War I.^[1]
3. As Chairman of the Committee of Ministers.
4. As Prime Minister.
5. Russian: Россійская Имперія, tr. Rossiyskaya Imperiya, IPA: [rɐˈsʲijskəjə ɪmˈpʲerʲɪjə] (listen); Российская Империя in modern Russian spelling.
6. Historiographically known as Imperial Russia, Tsarist Russia, pre-revolutionary Russia, or simply Russia.