How impressive is Russian history?

[Joe McCarthy]

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being very impressive and 1 being very unimpressive how would you assess Russian history?

[Mercury]

I would say around 4.

[Gaztelu]

Given Russia's geographic location on the boundary of Asia and Europe, it is very interesting.

Therefore, I gave it a 9.

[Bozkurt_Karabash]

Impressive enough, as they were always conquered and attacked by Turkic and Steppe hordes but they turned the table around once Russian Empire was consolidated and the whole Northern asia belongs to them, as Central Asia used to be.

[Loki]

10/10

[BiałaZemsta]

8.

[Joe McCarthy]

Impressive enough, as they were always conquered and attacked by Turkic and Steppe hordes but they turned the table around once Russian Empire was consolidated and the whole Northern asia belongs to them, as Central Asia used to be.

Northern Asia may belong to them but its been woefully mismanaged, particularly in the Soviet era. It's somewhat reminiscent of how the Spanish let New Spain north of the Rio Grande lay dormant for centuries.

Moreover, if merely conquering land were a particularly impressive achievement by itself, the Hunnic Empire would look very impressive, and the Huns, unlike the Russians, were virtually invincible militarily until the very end.

[Bozkurt_Karabash]

Northern Asia may belong to them but its been woefully mismanaged, particularly in the Soviet era. It's somewhat reminiscent of how the Spanish let New Spain north of the Rio Grande lay dormant for centuries.

Moreover, if merely conquering land were a particularly impressive achievement by itself, the Hunnic Empire would look very impressive, and the Huns, unlike the Russians, were virtually invincible militarily until the very end.

Northern Asia is majority Russian ethnically despite if sparsely populated. As far I know Spanish North America was never predominantly Spanish in pop.

[Mimbu]

Ask those who were ruled by them. If Eastern Europe is any example then Russia was a historical failure in terms of regional holdings.

Eastern Europe runs to the U.S. and Western Europe over Russia even on the worst days. Russian women escape to Western Europe or the U.S. as immigrants ASAP the first chance they get. They'll even marry a smelly, fat old white guy to get out or bunk up with an Afram American soldier to get to America.

None of that screams success to me. Russia is run by oligarchs who peddle nationalism to myopic racists on the European left. That is embarrassing for such a large nation that its leader has to cater to the lowest social denominator to keep the peace.

[Joe McCarthy]

Northern Asia is majority Russian ethnically despite if sparsely populated. As far I know Spanish North America was never predominantly Spanish in pop.

That's true, but one wonders what the results would look like today in Siberia if it were settled by another people instead of Russians, say, Anglo-Saxons.

I think our answer can be found in what became of the formerly Spanish territory after it was transferred to the US.