Imperial Russia

Russian History series
Early East Slavs * Kievan Rus' * Volga Bulgaria * Khazaria * Mongol invasion * Golden Horde * Muscovy * Imperial Russia * Revolution of 1905 * Revolution of 1917 * Civil War * Soviet Union * Russian Federation

The Russian Empire (Росси́йская Импе́рия, also Imperial Russia) covers the period of Russian history from the expansion of Russia under Peter the Great into the Russian Empire stretching from the Baltic to the Pacific Ocean, to the deposition of Nicholas II of Russia, the last tsar, at the start of the Russian Revolution in 1917.

Russia was offically named "Российская империя" (Russian Empire) in 1721-1917.

This period is also regarded by many as the Russian Empire, however many also consider the Soviet Union to have been a continuation of the empire up until the fall of the Soviet government in 1991. Fixing the period of the Russian Empire is contentious, whereas fixing the period of Imperial Russia is more straightforward.

References

Library of Congress Country Studies: Russia