History and Culture of Russia

What a fascinating country Russia is! The geography, traditions and history of the country can be studied from a variety of perspectives and in several different disciplines. Certainly, geography teachers will teach about Russia as part of their study of Europe, but art teachers may choose to explore specific artists or movements from Russia as well. Social studies teachers will want to convey that the history of Russia was not only influenced by other nations, but also that Russia itself had a significant impact on world history.

Students should enjoy doing research on and making models or drawings of the numerous landmarks throughout Russia. Using clay, Model Magic, Sculpey, clay or a similar material, you can have students create a small model of some of Russia’s most important sites, including the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Hermitage Museum, the Winter Palace and the Peter and Paul Fortress, to name a few. You may also choose to have them write a brief report on the site to reflect their research.

Divide students into small groups to report on different Russian cities and regions including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi (home of the 2014 Olympics) and Vyborg. Each group should chart the history of the place, its landmarks and significance. The information gathered should be presented to the class either orally with visual aids or in a PowerPoint presentation.

Russia is home to countless individuals who influenced the course of human history. Have a Russian Festival  in which all of these figures come together to share their ideas, inventions, artwork and writings. Be sure to include monarchs Peter the Great, Ivan the Terrible and Catherine the Great, dictator Josef Stalin, artists Wassily Kandinsky and Marc Chagall and composers Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Sergei Prokofiev and Igor Stravinsky. Have students dress in character, deliver a brief speech introducing themselves and then allow them to mingle with the other historical figures whom they might not have met previously. Below you will find some more excellent lesson plans which will help your students explore the fascinating history and culture of Russia.

History and Culture of Russia Lesson Plans:

Geographic Features of Russia

This lesson provides a comprehensive overview of the geography of Russia. Students become familiar with the natural resources and defenses of the region, and discover how Russia’s geography has affected the development of its people and economy.

What's Russia to Do?

Students study some of the problems Russia has faced in the past, and how the government dealt with these issues. Students become familiar with the gulag system that was implemented, which resulted in the forced labor of millions in the first half of the twentieth century.

Protest Art in Pre-Revolutionary Russia

For teachers wishing to emphasize the cultural aspects of Russian history, this lesson explores the role of protest art in pre-revolutionary Russia. Students are introduced to the work on Tolstoy and Checkov. Teachers may choose to integrate the art of the abstractionists and the expressionists who were also working in Europe at the time.

Russia's Conversion from Communism to Capitalism

It is important for students to understand the changes modern Russia underwent when converting from Communism to Capitalism, and the related issues. Students develop an understanding of different economic systems and the effect they have on Russia's people, and its international relations.