Current Topics: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

For the past 2 months now Russia has shocked the world with it's cruel invasion of Ukraine. This began shortly after the Winter Olympics on Feb 24th. There was much buildup and speculation as Russian forces amassed near the border, however nobody really suspected they would go thru with it. Nowadays its a war of words, rarely a war of action and military force. But this was not the case for Russia under it's tyrannically leader Vladimir Putin. He has stubbornly initiated the first invasion of Europe since WW2. This affair is nothing like the past wars such as Korea, Vietnam, or the Middle East that were mostly guerilla skirmishes. This is a conventional war where each side is putting up it's full force head on against each other. Tanks, bombs, and trenches are overtaking the once civil land of Ukraine. 

As a history and geopolitical buff I find this to be one of the most interesting stories of our time (on par with Sept 11 or the Covid Pandemic). Russia is making a very bold move here against the western NATO powers lead by the mighty United States. Although Ukraine is not a member of NATO, they have recently aligned themselves with the west, hence the reasoning for Russia's invasion. So with this act Russia is essentially breaking it's diplomatic ties from the west and reigniting the Cold War of 30 years ago. This conflict in Ukraine began in 2014 when Russia invaded and annexed the Crimea region, however the matter was not resolved. It has now escalated much more then before with Ukraine making a very fierce resistance. 

In this post I'd like to break down this ongoing world event in 3 parts. First I'd like to understand the history and reasoning of Vladimir Putin. He clearly has dictator status within his country to pull of something as radical as this. What's further intriguing is how the majority of Russia's government and population is going along with this. Clearly Putin has a reason he believes in and is able to convince the general population. The 2nd part I'd like to dive into is the battlefront of this engagement. This after all is the first proper conventional war of force in a long time. The 3rd and final part is my theorizing as to how this could all play out. At the moment this war hangs in the balance and could go so many different directions. 

Vladimir Putin's Reasoning

So the key player in this entire affair is Russia's president Vladimir Putin. With a long history in Soviet KGB administration he quickly climbed the ranks of public office. He has been at the forefront of Russia's government since 1999 when he first became prime minister. He then became president from 2000 until 2008; and then became prime minister once again from 2008-2012 while Dmitry Medvedev served as a de facto leader. Putin was able to return for a third and fourth term in 2012 until present day. The reason he has been in power for so long was a loophole in the law in which prohibited three consecutive terms, but no law against a break in between terms. He has thus now served two double term presidencies and has passed a law to grant him two more terms. So if all goes to plan Putin could be president for a grand total of 6 terms until 2036. 

This is without question one of the most powerful presidents of our present time, on par with the dictators of WWII. Unlike most democracies the president is kept in check by it's congress however that is not the case for Putin. It is clear that he controls the government with an iron fist and has built a circle of loyal officials. So with all this power he has amassed, what is Putin's motivating driving force? He is one of the most mundane, stoic, enigmatic leaders of our time and a very intriguing person to analyze. He doesn't share the charisma of other former dictators such as Hitler, Mussolini, or Stalin. Instead he comes off as a soft-spoken tactician, hiding his ambitions and emotions to an artform. I think however despite this bland personae, Putin is ultimately a very proud and bitter Russian who wants to recover the losses of the Soviet Union's fall in 1991. 

The question is why now does Russia want to reassert themselves after nearly 30 years of growing peace and stabilization with the world economy. In taking on this aggressive invasion, Russia has isolated themselves from not only the west but the majority of the world thru harsh sanctions. Even they're allies of China have taken a stance of neutrality. But surely Russia knew this was to be expected and they press on. They're claim is that they are on a peacekeeping mission trying to liberate loyal territory in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine. They also are using the term "de-Nazifying" in reference to Ukraine's growing radical Neo-nazi Azov regiment in Mariupol. This is however a very small force and Russia is exploiting them to justify their cause. 

There are several reasons Russia is acting now. First is that the tensions with Ukraine have been growing for some time, even before the invasion of Crimea in 2014. The tension got more heated with the election of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2019 who has boldly ushered in a new era of modernization for his country. Zelensky has intended to further align Ukraine with the western nations rather than Russia's Soviet Eastern Bloc. This move by Ukraine to join NATO was the final straw for Putin. At the prime of his power, in a weakened society recovering from a pandemic, Putin felt his time to be aggressive was now or never. He intends to return glory to the former Soviet Union, whether in small parts or as much as he can take back. 

The War Front

Russia began with a multiple front invasion on Feb 24th at 3 main regions in Ukraine; the eastern Donbas borderline, the southern Crimean region along the Sea of Azov, and the northern capitol city of Kyiv. Russia utilized it's alliance with Belarus to establish a stronghold on the northern borderline before invading the capital city. As Putin began the shocking invasion he issued a serious warning to the rest of the world that Russia would use nuclear weapons if any interfered. This was most likely a fear mongering tactic, however it is a fact that Russia has the most nuclear arms in the world. Whether or not Putin is mad enough to use them, this has kept the United States and NATO from sending military assistance. 

However while Putin was able to scare the west off, the invasion did not begin as smoothly as he would have liked. From the onset President Zelensky took to social media and called for all able bodies to defend their nation. Zelensky quickly had the support of his nation and the west, and as they drove back the invaders it became clear that Putin had underestimated the Ukrainian resistance. The Russian military made minimal gains on all fronts, and reports quickly emerged that their army was de-moralized. Ukraine has been aided by superior American/British anti-tank and anti-air weapons used efficiently. However despite this strong resistance hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians were still fleeing the country while their cities were heavily bombarded into ruins. 

By April 8th Putin realized his army could not easily subdue Kyiv, and decided to re-adjust their campaign to the eastern Donbas region. This withdrawal marked a major victory for Ukraine however also brought to light the atrocious war crimes committed by the Russian armies. Many civilians lay dead in the roads on the outer skirts of the capital city of Kyiv. The site was truly like something out of a WW2 movie. Russia sunk into further isolation, disapproval, and low morale when their flagship naval carrier of the Moskva was sunk on April 14th. However the stubborn Putin only intensified the Russian attacks on the Donbas region. Many key cities in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions came under siege such as Kherson, Kharkiv, Odessa, and Mariupol. 

For me one of the most interesting engagements in the war so far has been the resistance in Mariupol. It is at this key seaport city where the infamous Azov Battalion reign, noted for their neo-nazi white supremacy ideology. Russia propaganda used this small militia force of about 2500 members to deem it's invasion as an act of "de-Nazification". The regiment has stubbornly resisted the Russian siege and eventual occupation as they have taken fortification in the Azovstal Steel Plant. While Putin has recently declared the city has been secured, the steel plant still holds close to 1000 Ukrainian resistance fighters and civilians. This act of courage and defiance by the Azov Regiment has served to be quite a symbolic rallying cry for the Ukrainian spirit. 

At this point in the conflict it appears Russia has the stronghold of the Donbas region as battles wage on primarily in the city of Kharkiv. However it should also be noted that the Ukrainians are still resisting and defending this territory courageously. With continuous supplies and humanitarian support pouring in from the majority of the western world, Ukraine has a good chance to draw this eastern phase out and begin a counter-attack. Thus at this critical stage it still cannot be declared who has the upper hand in the conflict. At this stage the UN has estimated that 4000 Ukrainian soldiers and 3000 Ukranian civilians have been killed compared to 10,000 Russian soldiers. However these numbers are still fluctuating estimations with many more bodies to uncover. 

The Future Scenarios

What is most intriguing about this world event, is the many possible scenarios in how it might end. Russia's nuclear threat makes the entire situation a lot more complicated. Because of this threat the western allies led by the United States have made it clear they will not send military forces to fight against Russia. However the west has still been very outspoken against Russia's invasion, and have hit them with a series of harsh economic sanctions. Furthermore they have openly supplied Ukraine with powerful military weapons, supplies, and humanitarian aid. It is thanks to these modern weapons from the west that Ukraine is able to stand against the much larger Russian army. 

Putin began this invasion as a "peacekeeping mission for the loyalist eastern regions" yet a greater goal to swallow and annex all of Ukraine (just as they had recently done with Crimea). This proved to be a much greater challenge then Putin had anticipated and he has recently withdrawn his focus primarily to the eastern region of Ukraine. Russia already controls much of this territory and this will likely be the main battlefield of the campaign, especially with Ukrainian resistance and counter-attacks. So with this in mind, the first and most plausible scenario to bring a quick end to this invasion would be a compromise to give the Donetsk and Luhansk territory to Russia. This would be a minor victory for Russia, however they would likely still face further resistance from within and sanctions from the west.

The second scenario is that Ukraine digs in for the long haul and thru America's supplies are able to defend the Russian push. Despite being heavily outnumbered one thing Ukraine has as it's advantage is a higher moral to defend their land. The Russian army are mostly young conscripts fighting in a war they could care less about. The West will continue to aid the Ukrainian resistance no matter how long this war goes on for, since it will ultimately weaken Russia's army. The question then would be whether Putin is willing to accept total defeat and fully withdraw his army with absolutely nothing. 

Another question that comes into mind is whether Russia intends to further it's invasion to other former Soviet nations such as Moldova. They have already led assaults near the Moldova border at the southwestern Ukrainian seaport city of Odessa. Two other nations they have recently spoken out against are Finland and Sweden who are seeking membership into NATO. The other nations near the Eastern bloc such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania or Romania are all now NATO members and if Russia decides to invade those sovereignties they would be essentially declaring war on the United States. 

Another scenario would be if Vladimir Putin were to be ousted from president or even assassinated. The question then would be how far would his successors be willing to continue the invasion. An assassination would most likely increase hostilities and a coup d'etat could lead to civil war in Russia. There can be no question though that Putin is the driving force of this conflict and to remove him from power would make for an entirely different dynamic. This option would surely be necessary if Putin seeks to destroy the world via his nuclear arms. Hopefully the nuclear threat is nothing more than a fear tactic, and Putin is not mad enough to bring the world down with him. I don't think it will come to this final option and despite his enigmatic stubborn pride, he is not at the wicked level of Hitler. He would likely accept defeat before using nuclear weapons. 

Book Review: Anna Karenina

The past month I took on the epic Russian novel by Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina. It was rather on a whim that I made this decision at the onset of yet another winter Russian phase. While the book was very intimidating (over 800 pages), I surprisingly zipped right thru it and found it quite easy to comprehend. I believe this was due to three reasons; first was that I was already quite familiar with the story mostly from the 2012 film starring Kiera Knightly. Second was that the book I read was a more modern version translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokonsky. And third was that the story was truly a captivating one, filled with such drama and inner conflict. 

For me this classic work by Leo Tolstoy was much more enjoyable than his magnum opus, War and Peace (which I read in 2010). While I enjoyed the historical premise of War and Peace (set during the Napoleon invasion of Russia) I found the sheer size of the book to be offsetting and it took me nearly a year to complete (with difficult comprehension). There were just far too many characters and interlacing family affairs that made it almost soap-opera material. Nonetheless it was an epic of Russian dramatic quality that established Tolstoy's brilliance. Nearly ten years after publishing War and Peace, Tolstoy published this domestic novel in 1877 pertaining to love and infidelity. The two books are without question Tolstoy's greatest achievements, considered the greatest works of not only Russian literature but of all literature. 

In this post I want to give a detailed analysis of Tolstoy's epic novel. While the story can ultimately be considered a romantic drama, there are many themes to dive into. The structure is rather simple pertaining to three relationships; Stepan and Dolly; Anna, her husband Alexi, and her lover Vronsky; and Levin and Kitty. I believe each of these three relationships are so different and yet so necessary to demonstrate the common realistic elements of love and marriage. All three of these relationships go thru similar trials and tribulations and they all handle it differently. While the novel is called Anna Karenina, whose character is no doubt the soul of the book, the supporting characters also play a vital part in the overall structure. 

The Plot

The story begins in present day Moscow (1877) where the wealthy and charismatic Stepan Oblonsky has just been discovered by his wife Dolly of having an affair. An upstanding housewife and mother of 6 children, Dolly is devastated by her husband's infidelity and considers leaving him. However Stepan arranges that his sister, Anna Karenina speak to his wife on his behalf. Anna is also a wealthy aristocrat married to the honorable statesmen Alexei Karenin with their 8 year old child Seryozha. As she travels from St. Petersburg to Moscow, little does she know that this visit to her brother will forever change her life. 

As Anna travels on board the train she meets Countess Vronskaya and the two share stories of their sons. Meanwhile in Moscow Stepan is visited by his old college friend Konstantin Levin, a rural landowner. Levin seeks counsel from his old friend, as he prepares to propose to Ekaterina "Kitty" Shcherbatskaya. Kitty is the younger sister of Stepan's wife Dolly, and Levin hopes that his friend can help arrange the proposal. Stepan believes Levin has a good chance however warns him that Kitty is also in love with another young suitor, Count Vronsky. Levin is devastated when Kitty refuses his proposal and thus returns to the country. 

As Anna Karenina arrives to the train station to meet her brother Stepan, she bumps into Count Vronsky who is also there to pick up his mother. The two share a passionate exchange and are later introduced by the count's mother. At this moment a tragedy occurs at the rails, where a worker gets fatally crushed in the tracks. Anna immediately considers it as a bad omen, upon her arrival in Moscow. She watches Count Vronsky offer money to the family of the worker and then she bids the Vornsky family farewell as she sets off with her brother Stepan. 

Anna is an intelligent and charming person, with a charisma just like her brother, she captivates all those around her. She is able to sympathize and console with Dolly's sorrow, yet also convinces Dolly her husband still loves her, and it was nothing more than a meaningless fling. Dolly is able to head Anna's heartfelt words and decides to forgive Stepan. Later on she meets Dolly's charming young sister, Kitty who is head over heels in love with Count Vronsky. Kitty invites Anna to the upcoming ball in which Kitty hopes to be the dazzling star of the night with Vronsky. 

Anna reluctantly decides to attend this ball for young debutantes, and is surprised when Vronsky approaches her for a dance. Despite being a married woman, she cannot deny her attraction for this young suitor and the two dance the night away. Meanwhile Kitty is shattered to witness the man she is infatuated with chose Anna over her. Anna is also surprised by her impulsive reckless behavior at this ball and quickly decides to return to her family in St. Petersburg. However on the train ride home, she once again encounters Vronsky who confesses that he is in love with her and must be wherever she is. 

Anna attempts to return to the status quo of her life in St. Petersburg, however begins to find her husband more and more mundane and unattractive. Meanwhile Count Vronsky finds a new military post in the city and seeks Anna out at high class social gatherings. She first attempts to reject his pursuits but eventually gives in to his determination and the two begin an affair. It does not take long for the affair to become the gossip of the town, and come to the attention of Anna's husband. Alexei is a very stern yet gentle soul and he kindly warns Anna that they are married and she should not be causing any controversary. However at one of Vronsky's horse races, she once again draws much attention with her reactions towards Vronsky. Alexei once again confronts her, at which point Anna confesses that she no longer loves him and is in love with Vronsky, pregnant with his child. Alexei is devastated but demands that she end the affair in order to keep their proper standing in society. 

Meanwhile in the country estate, Levin attempts to forget about his heartbreak caused by Kitty and focuses on his land endeavors. He eventually finds peace as he works alongside the peasants hunting and mowing the vast fields of his estate. He visits with his two elder brothers, the snooty intellect Sergei and the struggling alcoholic Nikolai. Levin realizes he is very different from both his brothers and is rather a simplistic man who enjoys the country setting. He furthers himself from local politics and aristocrat meetings while focusing more on his books and estate. Just as it seems he has found peace with his new life, he encounters Kitty once again passing by from a distance. He is reminded and tormented yet again by his burning desire for her. He later learns that she was rejected by Vronsky, so Levin decides to travel to Moscow to meet her again. 

Anna and Vronsky continue their affair, which further eats away at Alexei, who then decides to file for a divorce. Alexei has a chance meeting with Stepan and informs him of his sister's infidelities and that they must no longer have acquaintance. Stepan however insists that Alexei join them for dinner to speak with his wife Dolly, who has also suffered from infidelity. At the same dinner party Levin reunites with Kitty and this time the two confess their love for one another and agree to a marriage. So at the same party one relationship is coming to an end, while another has bloomed into a new beginning. Despite his emotional meeting with Dolly, Alexei is still set on filing for a divorce. 

Alexei's mind is suddenly changed when he realizes his wife is dying from childbirth. Thinking she is at her end, Anna appeals that Alexei have mercy on her and forgive her and her lover Vronsky. Alexei agrees to forgive the two lovers and take on a magnanimous stance towards the situation. Vronsky feels humiliated by Alexei's high-minded grace and attempts to commit suicide unsuccessfully. Days after this forgiveness Anna begins to recover from her sickness and is quickly reminded of how much she cannot stand her husband. Alexei also takes notice of this despisal however maintains a stance of magnanimity and takes care of both of Anna's children Seryozha and the newly born Annie. However once recovered Anna Karenina decides to leave her house and elope with Vronsky in western Europe. 

The first few months of Levin and Kitty's marriage is a bumpy one, in which Levin is constantly conflicted with his anxieties and unworthiness of Kitty's love. He also begins to miss his independence he once had as a bachelor where he could read, write, and work the fields. Their love however hits a deeper level when Kitty joins Levin at the deathbed of his brother, Nikolai. While this is a very difficult time for Levin, he is strengthened by the support of his wife. They later welcome the Oblonsky family to their estate, and Levin goes hunting with his old friend Stepan and their younger friend Veslovsky. During dinner Levin notices the charming Veslovsky flirting with his wife, and asks him to leave their estate. 

Anna and Vronsky travel across Europe and live a frivolous few months together. However Anna begins to notice that Vronsky still has ambitions within his career and society while Anna feels more ashamed. Anna begins to grow jealous of her younger new husband, and seeks to be accepted in society. Whilst in St. Petersburg she decides to boldly attend an opera, where all the elite upper class will be. Vronsky considers it a bad idea, afraid Anna will be hurt. From the onset Anna feels the scold and judgment all around her, and she is later humiliated by the outburst of another woman who is offended by Anna's presence. Anna returns home devastated from this event, as her inner turmoil continues to grow. She then decides to visit her son Seryozha on his birthday and she storms into the Karenin household. She is further devastated at the humiliation of having to break into a house to visit her own son. 

Anna finds some brief solace from these events when she is visited by her old friend Dolly. However Dolly cannot hide her reactions in seeing her old friend so changed from what she use to be. Dolly sees a woman no longer charming and in control, yet rather very much in distress. Furthermore the very intelligent Anna sees that Dolly sees this and becomes all the more conflicted by society's perception of her. Vronsky also meets with Dolly and asks that she and her husband Stepan, convince Alexei to file for divorce. Vronsky hopes an official divorce would slightly improve their situation in society for the betterment of Anna. 

Stepan visits Alexei to appeal for the divorce, however Alexei is now consulted by the strongminded countess Lidia Ivanovna who urges him not to give in to this appeal. Lidia cares for Alexei, his family, and especially for the work he does for the government of Russia and does not wish to see him suffer anymore. Stepan realizes this is a lost cause and must break the news to Anna and Vronsky. Anna grows more and more conflicted with the situation and begins to suspect that Vronsky is having love affairs with other women. In a state of emotional disarray she intends to uncover Vronsky's affair at a train station but later realizes he will not be back until much later. She then decides to give in to the growing darkness of death that is consuming her as an answer to her turmoil. She remembers the rail worker who died when she first met Vronsky and impulsively decides to emulate this death. She asks for forgiveness then throws herself into the rails between the train-cars for an instant crushing death. 

While a very dark and tragic ending for Anna, the book then turns to the much lighter relationship of Levin and Kitty. Vronsky is of course ruined by the horrific death of his lover and decides to embark upon a military campaign against the Turks. Meanwhile Levin is still trying to find an inner peace with being a husband, a new father, and maintaining his independence. Through much thought and reasoning he decides to accept God and Christianity as the true purpose of everything. He understands that although he can never be a perfect man, he can at least strive towards righteousness thru faith in a higher power. 

The Characters

As I stated above, there are really 7 main characters and 3 relationships that make up the structure of this story. Stepan and Dolly; Anna, Alexei, and Vronsky, and Levin and Kitty. Anna Karenina is obviously the central driving force of the book and it is her actions that affect the other characters' relations. She is first brought in to assist Stepan and Dolly's relationship with good nature. However she then interferes with Kitty and Vronsky's relationship thus beginning the love affair conflict. It is her infidelity with her husband Alexei and her lover Vronsky that are the basis of the book. However in her act of passion with Vronsky, she enables Levin and Kitty to find a true and pure love. Therefore the these relationships demonstrate various kinds of love; from romantic passion to a more unconditional love.  

Anna Karenina: She is a very charming woman in her upper 20s,  married to a much older man for nearly 10 years with a child, Seryozha. All is well for Anna until she is ignited by passion from the much younger and attractive Count Vronsky. This begins the conflict of the story, a love affair that drives Anna to inner madness. She is extremely intelligent and is able to read other people's thoughts and body language very well. Despite her invigorated passion with Vronsky, she later becomes very conflicted with the magnanimity of her husband, the separation from her son, the judgement from society, and jealousy of her lover Vronsky. All of this eventually becomes to much inner turmoil for Anna to handle and she thus commits suicide to escape the torment. 

Count Vronsky: The young dashing suitor, is a military officer with great confidence. He flirts with Kitty who is infatuated with him, however he later becomes infatuated with Anna Karenina. Despite her pleas that he leave her alone, he continues to pursue her driving by a burning passion. While Anna welcomes the attention it is Count Vronsky who is more at fault for his persistence of chasing a married woman. Anna eventually succumbs to this persistence to begin their love affair. It is Vronsky who is the more optimistic of the two, however he also struggles with Anna's mood swings and Alexei's stoic personality. He is later humiliated when Alexei forgives him for the affair and nearly commits suicide. Despite his career and social ambitions, Vronsky remains faithful and loyal to Anna as she falls further into madness.

Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin: He is the much older husband of Anna, a statesmen of high regard. He is an honorable man and husband, yet is later considered as mundane and unattractive by Anna. A very intelligent man, he also endures conflict when he discovers of the affair. However he turns to his faith to maintain a stoic and magnanimous stance of the situation. He refuses to divorce Anna considering it bad for him and for her, and also takes custody of both her children. Alexei is later aided by an admirer, the countess Lidia Ivanova who helps him take care o the children. 

Stepan Arkadyevna Oblonsky: He is the very charismatic brother of Anna who begins the story by having an affair with another woman and calling for his sister's help. Stepan does truly love Dolly, however his flaw is that he is too open with other people which often gets him in trouble. He possesses an undeniable energy and charisma about him, just like his sister, winning everyone over with his words. He also has a good sense of humor, and despite his early mishap in the book, he is probably the most likable character in the book. It is he who helps arrange the engagement of his good friend Levin and his sister-in-law Kitty. 

Dolly Oblonskaya: She is the good-natured housewife, mother of 6 children, married to Stepan. She is distraught when she discovers of her husband's affair with a younger woman and considers leaving him. That is until Anna implores her to look deep into herself for any love that remains for Stepan, who still loves her. Dolly reluctantly decides to forgive Stepan, thinking it best for their family. She remains the voice of reason throughout the book, supporting her sister Kitty's trials-and-tribulations, while also supporting Anna. She pleads with Alexei, not to divorce Anna but to forgive her as she forgave Stepan. Dolly is probably the most pure of heart character in this book. 

Ekaterina "Kitty" Shcherbatskaya: She is the younger sister of Dolly, at the age of 18 she begins an exciting new phase as a "debutante" in high class society. She is obsessed with the dashing officer Vronsky and hopes that he will propose to her at the ball. She is however devastated when he choses Anna Karenina over her. Kitty then goes thru a period of remorse seeking a new way in life, aside from love and marriage. She eventually finds peace in the country and thru charity works. She is later rearranged with Levin and the two agree to get married. Just like her older sister, Kitty becomes an upstanding wife who supports her husband, family, and household at all costs.  

Konstantin Levin: He is the college friend of Stepan, a wealthy landowner who seeks to marry Kitty at the onset of the novel. He is a good hearted person with a minor flaw of agnosticism and anxiety.  He is however rejected by Kitty and somberly returns to his country estate. He later finds solace in the peasantry work of mowing the land and reading his books. He discovers that he is nothing like his elder brothers Sergei and Nikolai, yet is more of a simplistic minded person who enjoys the country. He is reminded of his love for Kitty when he sees her passing by and his friend Levin arranges another gathering. This time Levin and Kitty are able to confess their love and get married. However despite his new found love and happiness with Kitty, Levin continues with various inner anxieties. He is first conflicted with not being worthy enough for Kitty, then the loss of his independence, and finally his purpose in life. He eventually finds peace in understanding that he will never be perfect and it is best to just have faith in God. 

Themes and Analysis

I think what makes this book so great and unique is the inner turmoil experienced by each character. It's without question one of the best features of reading a book is to go inside the character's thought process. Leo Tolstoy creates great inner conflict and drama in this book, especially in the case of Anna Karenina. She is a very intelligent woman and to follow her thought process is like a roller coaster of exhilarating drama. She is conflicted with a new found passion that has become like a drug for her, and has greatly affected her stance in society. The topic of a love affair always makes for a juicy romance drama, but even more so when it's layered with inner complexities. 

Two other characters I found very enjoyable to get inside their mind was Alexei and Levin. Just like Anna these are also two very intelligent characters who are deep thinkers and use reason to make their decisions. Alexei has a very dry personality but also very sharp as a statesmen in which he considers every aspect before making a decision. His stoic high minded approach with the affair is truly an example of inner mental strength. Levin however is a much more miscalculated mind but still a very busy one. Throughout the book he really isn't sure what he wants out of life aside from Kitty. He is constantly struggling with his own inner anxieties for perfection and eventually accepts that he can never be perfect. 

There are several themes that stand out to me in this book. First is the type of love demonstrated in the contrasting relations of Anna-Vronsky in comparison to Stepan-Dolly and later Levin-Kitty. Anna and Vronsky are driven by passion and lust and because of this their relationship quickly begins to unravel It is a selfish love they share for one another that affects everyone around them and eventually catches up with them. In comparison Stepan is a flawed husband who has a fling without meaning yet still loves his wife Dolly, who forgives him and continues to love him unconditionally. Similarly Levin and Kitty's love is also a pure one as they are not so much driven by fiery passion but rather a long-term goal of family. Tolstoy demonstrates in his novel thru a sharp contrast that it is this second type of love (the pure and unconditional one pertaining to the family) that will always win over the love of passion. 

The second theme I noticed in this book on par with Tolstoyan beliefs, is the contrast of the city vs the country. Tolstoy incorporates his philosophy of simple living by demonstrating how the characters are usually at distress while in the cities of Moscow or St. Petersburg yet find peace in the rural country estates. This is especially the case for Levin who finds solace in hunting and working the fields with his peasant employees. Yet is also the case for Anna, Dolly, and Kitty who escape to the country throughout the book to find peace from their own personal problems. It is while in the city (particularly the train station on various occasions) that Anna is tormented by a storm of madness. 

Levin's complex character probably gets most into the thoughts and ideals of Leo Tolstoy. Here is a guy who really doesn't know what his stance in life is. He is a wealthy educated aristocrat who should be engaging in high class society yet prefers the solitude of the country. Despite criticism from his friends and brothers he accepts that he does not need to have a stance on politics yet more so a practical stance on his personal endeavors. He also comes to terms with his agnosticism, by realizing that the path for righteousness is best achieved thru faith in a higher power. Tolstoy is demonstrating his beliefs of Christian anarchism thru Levin, a man that is driven by the simple life of nature, love, and faith. 

Other Adaptations

As I stated in my introduction I first came to understand and enjoy this story from the 2012 film Anna Karenina starring Kiera Knightly. Directed by Joe Wright the film is quite an artistic adaptation done so as if it were all unfolding on a stage. The movie has all the passion and complexities of the book with each character bringing Tolstoy's words to life. Aaron Johnson plays the suave young suitor of Vronsky while Jude Law plays the cold husband of Alexei. Kiera Knightly however steals the show as the dazzling star that demonstrates an attune sense around her. She is extremely clever as she is beautiful which is no doubt the appealing character that Tolstoy envisioned. The dance scene with her and Vronsky is probably my favorite part of the film .

The story has undergone many operas and stage performances since it's first release in 1878. The first motion picture of the story was produced by Russia in 1911. The first American production was produced in 1927 starring the iconic Greta Garbo, well known for her beauty yet melancholic characters. Greta revisited the same role in the much larger 1935 production. The beautiful Vivien Leigh (star of Gone with the Wind) played the title role in the 1948 version of the story. There was also a more recent version in 1997 starring Sophie Marceau (from Braveheart). I've seen some other smaller versions but for me it's this 2012 film version that really stands out. 

2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

Last night the 24th Winter Olympics ended in Beijing and as per usual I'd like to give a brief recap of the global sporting events. I know very little about winter sports such as figure skating, skiing, and snowboarding and yet I tune in every night for the coverage. That 8pm prime time start on NBC with the Olympic Fanfare Theme brings such joy and nostalgia for me. As I've written many times before I love everything about the Olympics from the sports to the international unity. It's a celebration of the human physical and mental prowess while also a celebration of global cultures.

Just like with Tokyo last summer, these games were going to be on a 13-hour difference. So this meant that most of the main events partook while we were sleeping on the American east coast. There still was however some live coverage at night and in the morning. As per usual NBC did a great job at packaging the best highlights and events in a prime time evening program. I did my best to ignore the news of the day so as to be more surprised in the evening. Some nights were especially entertaining to watch such as the live halfpipe performances. The figure skating was perhaps not as exciting due to the doping scandals but still the games were as good as ever. 

The Opening Ceremony

Beijing, China hosted the Summer Olympics in 2008 and made quite a statement with their opening ceremony in the elaborate Nest Stadium. I particularly remember the grand scale of the event unlike any before, and the thousands of drummers beating in unison. However at this games there was ongoing diplomatic tension pertaining to China's recent abuse of human rights. Also was the ongoing crisis of Russia's aggression towards Ukraine. In a bold statement, US did not send any emissaries to this game as they wanted to show disapproval to both China and Russia. Nonetheless the athletes were all still allowed to participate.

Another unique element of this Olympic games, was once again the lack of fans due to the Covid Pandemic. Nonetheless there were still thousands of entertainers, volunteers, and athletes within the stadium. The ceremony was as usual a celebration of the host nation's culture while also a celebration of the games. There was a unique digital display on the field that projected all sorts of colorful visual effects. There was also music, dancing, elaborate stage props, the parade of athletes, rising of flags, lighting of the Olympic torch, and of course many fireworks. It was a spectacle that did not disappoint. 

Speedskating

As per usual the speedskating was dominated by the Dutch skaters who won a total of 12 medals (6 of which were gold). Some key highlights included Erin Jackson winning gold in the 500m, to become the first ever African American female to win gold in the skating events. Dutch skater Irene Schouten had the best showing in speedskating with 3 gold medals and a bronze in the team event. Jutta Leerdam was one of my personal favorite of the skaters who won silver in the 1000m. And American Brittany Bowe finally received a medal after her 3rd Olympic games. The men were starred by Swedish skater Nils van der Poel who won two gold medals in the 5000 and 1000m.

Alpine Skiing

In the downhill skiing perhaps one of the biggest stories and disappointments was the epic collapse of superstar Mikaela Shiffrin. In an interview before the games she mentioned the pressure on being an Olympic star and related to the problems Simone Biles faces. Well sure enough she thought this fear into existence and was never able to feel confident at these games. She did not medal in any of her 6 events and did not even finish in 3 of them due to falls. Despite this mental breakdown she is still young and can likely be back for more games and medals. The skiing events were won by the Swiss with 9 medals followed by the Austrians with 7 medals. Only one American medals in these events, Ryan Cochran-Siegle. 

Snowboarding

The half-pipe event has become one of the more popular events of the games since it's inclusion in 1998. This is much ado to the face of the event and the Winter Olympics, the superstar flying tomato Sean White. He burst onto the stage as a young teenager at the Torino Olympics in 2006 and has won three gold medals in the events since. This was to be his fifth and last Olympic games and unfortunately at the age of 34 he was unable to compete with the younger talent and did not medal. He still held his head high however as a true legend of the sport. Meanwhile his American counterpart, Chloe Kim defended her gold medal she won four years ago with relative ease. Lindsay Jacobellis won two gold medals in the snowboard cross, after falling short many times before. 

Short Track Skating

One of my favorite events since Apollo Ohno first dominated the sport is the chaotic Short Track Skating. This is a very unpredictable event that quite often leads to wicked crashes as they take very tight turns. I probably did not get to watch as much of this event as I would have liked but still did see some of it. South Korea continues to be the top contender in the event with it's 5 medals however followed closely by the Dutch, Chinese, Canadian, and Italian. One of my favorite skaters from the Pyeongchang games is Dutch skater, Suzanne Schulting who went on to win two golds, a silver, and a bronze medal at these games. She is only 24 and still has a bright future to collect more medals and become an all time great of the event. 

Freestyle Skiing

This year I gave more attention then ever to the freestyle skiing, which consists of acrobatics from ski jumps. This sport has really blown up since it's introduction of the aerial event at the 1992 Albertville winter games. Now there are 6 events in the sport for both men and women consisting of the aerials, big air, halfpipe, slopestyle, moguls, and ski-cross. And this year for the first time emerged a new star and face of the event, Eileen Gu. The young 18 year old Chinese American, chose to represent China instead of America and won two gold medals and a silver medal. Her future is quite bright and surely she'll be back for more games to collect more medals. 

Figure Skating

The marquee main event of the Winter Olympics is always the women's figure skating which does not take place until the 2nd week. However once again this event was clouded with great controversary due to more doping scandals against the Russian Olympic Committee. The superstar 15 year old Russian skater, Kamila Valieva was favored to easily win the event however midway thru the games she tested positive for an illegal endurance booster. Even more strange however was that she was still allowed to compete while the case was to be adjudicated. Due to much pressure and negative attention Kamila performed very poorly in her final program and fell numerous times. She did not even medal and was left with a horrible image of crying at the end. This was truly unfair for her to endure this negative coverage at the age of 15 which was most likely the fault of her coaches. Hopefully she can bounce back and compete in four years. 

On the flip side there was a very positive skating story on the men's side for American skater, Nathan Chen. After falling short in the Pyeongchang games he performed masterfully with numerous quads and amassing one of the highest scores ever in figure skating. Nicknamed the quad-king he will surely be remembered as one of the greatest male skaters of all time. In the other events, Anna Shcherbakova of Russia won the gold for women's skating, China won the pair skating event, France won the dance skating, and Russia won the team event (which is still to be deliberated due to Kamila's positive drug test). Aside from Kamila I was honestly really not that impressed with the skating field this year.  My all time favorite still remains Russian, Yulia Lipnitskaya. 

Other Events and Closing Ceremony

I watched a little bit of the bobsleigh events, in which they get up to 80 miles-an-hour on the downhill track. These events were once again dominated by the Germans with 7 medals, however the star was American Elena Meyers who went on to win her 5th medal in the event and was the nations flag bearer in the closing ceremony.  The hockey tournaments were won by the Canadian women and the men from Finland. It was good to see Finland upset the mighty Russia, and I actually watched the ending of this game live on Saturday night. I watched some of the other events here and there such as cross country skiing or curling and they're all so unique and visually appealing. 

Last night I watched the closing ceremony which was obviously not as grand as the opening ceremony but still a fitting closure to the games. Beijing also made its formal hand off to the host of the next winters games by the dual Italian cities of Milan and Cortina. At the ceremony Italy got a chance to showcase some of it's artistic prowess in the stadium along with a video montage demonstrating the city's features and excitement to host the games. The ending of the games always brings about a bittersweet feeling of something incredible coming to an end. But that is certainly what makes it special, and aside from some controversy I'd say these games were a success and I cannot wait for the Paris Olympic games in two years. 

Final Medal Count

2022 Winter Olympics medal table 

Rank	NOC	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Norway (NOR)	16	8	13	37
2	Germany (GER)	12	10	5	27
3	China (CHN)*	9	4	2	15
4	United States (USA)	8	10	7	25
5	Sweden (SWE)	8	5	5	18
6	Netherlands (NED)	8	5	4	17
7	Austria (AUT)	7	7	4	18
8	Switzerland (SUI)	7	2	5	14
9	ROC (ROC)	6	12	14	32
10	France (FRA)	5	7	2	14
11–29	Remaining	23	39	48	110
Totals (29 NOCs)		109	109	109	327

Literature Study: Leo Tolstoy

In the midst of yet another Russian appreciation phase, I decided somewhat on a whim to take on the massive novel of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. This book has sat on my bookshelves untouched for many years, always waiting for a good reason. I began the book about a month ago and have found it fairly easy to comprehended compared to War and Peace. This could be because I have seen the 2012 movie and am very familiar with the story. However I also think it is less complicated and much shorter than the 1200 pages of War and Peace. I will hopefully have a full review on the book in a week or so, but for now I wanted to make a deep dive study on the author himself, Leo Tolstoy. 

I think it was in 2008 when I lived in Chicago that I became very fascinated by Russian culture, it's history, and it's far left politics. This could be because it was the year of Obama's election, but maybe also because Chicago was a very cultural and very cold city in the wintertime (just like Russia). I also remember during that time I discovered two of my all time favorite movies concerning the Russian Revolution, Dr. Zhivago and Reds. I also should mention that my landlord in Chicago, Semir was a friendly Russian, but don't think that lead to any inspiration. I remember eventually stumbling upon the name of Leo Tolstoy while reading about political ideologies. I quickly came to admire his philosophy long before I admired his literature. 

In 2010 when I moved to Fishers, I underwent another major European renaissance. I believe it was inspired by the film Marie Antoinette which opened my eyes to the French Revolution. I studied everything that year about the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. Furthermore I made a deeper into Imperial Russian history. It was at this time I decided to take on an epic novel pertaining to this era in history. I confess now that when I decided to embark on War and Peace it was not so much because of the content or the author, but more so because it was going to be a great challenge. The book took me nearly a year to finish and is without question one of the most difficult books I ever read  (see Book review of War and Peace). Nonetheless I was glad to have finished and came to admire Leo Tolstoy even more for his rich text, characters, and deep rooted ideals. 

Upon further analysis of War and Peace, is a book that discourages the atrocities of war on both sides while celebrating the power (and complexities) of love. In this magnum opus Leo Tolstoy demonstrates his political ideals pertaining to pacifism, Christianity, anarchy, yet most so to love. He demonstrated his new found admiration of the peasants and rural working class (not so much in favor of communism rather a communal anarchism) These themes were also apparent in his novel of Anna Karenina that celebrates the simplicity and beauty of the country in contrast to the drama of the city. For these two works Leo Tolstoy is considered one of the greatest authors of all time, and in order to further understand the content one must better understand it's creator. 

Early Life

Born in 1828 to a wealthy family estate near the city of Tula, Russia Lev Nikolayevich was the fourth of five children. His father fought in Napoleon's invasion of 1812 which became a celebrated victory for Russia and no doubt led to a patriotic upbringing. However both his parents died at a very young age and Leo and his siblings were raised by other relatives. In 1844 Leo began studying law and foreign languages at Kazan University. While he demonstrated a keen intellect he lacked the academic discipline and later dropped out and moved to Moscow. Throughout his 20s he began writing in Moscow and published his first book Childhood in 1852. He later fell into debt and had to enlist in the army of which he served as an artillery officer in the Crimean War. 

It was his experience at the Crimean War that forever made Tolstoy a total pacifist against the violence of war. He further transformed into a spiritual anarchists during his travels of Europe from 1857-1861. At this point in his life Leo Tolstoy had become experienced, cultured, and quite enlightened to begin producing his classic literature. He was especially influenced by meeting and reading Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. Tolstoy wanted to emulate a similar historical epic that pertained to his homeland Russia's history. He began working on War and Peace in 1863 and the final draft was later published in 1869. The book was received with great acclaim and established Leo Tolstoy as the new lion of Russian literature. 

Marriage to Sophia

In 1862 Tolstoy married Sophia Andreevna Behrs and together they had 13 children. Sophia was a very intelligent and passionate woman and helped Leo edit his books. She was very much the influence of Anna Karenina, a passionate romance pertaining to a love affair. The writing is so unique because Tolstoy is able to take the reader inside the mind of this conflicted woman. This complex character was surely influenced by his wife, who helped him better understand the mental process of a woman. The two remained married for nearly 50 years until Tolstoy's death in 1910. 

The final years of Tolstoy's life were the most difficult for Sophia, due to his growing radical beliefs. After many years of wealth and fame, Tolstoy had transformed into a spiritual prophet eager to sell off his material possessions and live a life of seclusion and simplicity. His publication of The Kingdom of God is Within You in 1894 became his new creed of non-violence and Christian Anarchism. By this point he had amassed a new following that became known as the Tolstoyan Movement. This was no doubt a difficult time for Sophia, who not only witnessed her husband sell off much of his wealth, but was now being shared and praised by communal followers. Tolstoy had undergone a spiritual transcendence while his wife was more so rooted on the ground. 

Tolstoyan Movement

I think I came to most understand Leo Tolstoy in the 2009 film, The Last Station. This movie demonstrates the final years of Tolstoy's life and his conflicted relationship with his wife Sophia. Furthermore however it demonstrates Tolstoy's spiritual following that became known as the Tolstoyan Movement. Thousands of Tolstoy followers began to take on, visit, and practice his ideology demonstrated in his written works. This following was organized into a doctrine that incorporated Tolstoy's Christian ideals of non-violence, spirituality, abstinence, simple life, vegetarianism, chastity, and love of nature. 

Tolstoy's doctrine was based around Jesus Christ's Sermon on the Mount by which the lord delivered these beatitudes (from Matthew 5:3-12);

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the Earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and seek for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because they are righteous, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Tolstoyan movement lives by these beatitudes and sums them up in 5 simple statements;

1. Love your enemies
2. 
   Do not be angry
3. Do not fight evil with evil, but return evil with good (turn the other cheek)
4. Do not lust
5. Do not take oaths

Another key aspect of the movement that was perhaps it's most radical was the Christian-anarchism that essentially rejected government. Tolstoy believed in the governance of one's self thru Christ, and felt that the financial/governing/legal institutions were deterrents from spiritual peace. By the 1890s many Tolstoyan colonies began to form organized by Tolstoy's most dedicated editor Vladimir Chertkov.  I think this ideology of Christian communal simple living is best incorporated today by that of the Amish (who separate themselves from today's technology and economic structure). 

Tolstoy died at the age of 82 in 1910 before the dawn of the Russian Revolution. Although he did not consider himself communism it's likely he would have supported the movement against capitalism. Tolstoy's ideals were celebrated as proud Russian heritage by both Lenin and Stalin, and even more so after the fall of the USSR. Tolstoy had many prominent followers such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Doris Day, and Cesar Chavez. He is regarded today not only as one of the greatest novelists of all time, yet also as a very influential philosopher. 

Historical Study: The Rise of the Russian Empire

I've began yet another Russian appreciation phase, probably my fifth or sixth one but it never gets old. With each phase comes new perspectives and new areas to dive into. It seems like every year after Christmas around wintertime I jump into some sort of Russian phase. This is obviously because of the cold winter that is associated with Russia. When I think Russian culture I quickly think of my two favorite all time movies (Reds and Dr. Zhivago- which I just watched with my dad hence the start of another phase). I also think of the classic literature of Leo Tolstoy; War and Peace and Anna Karenina. I have read War and Peace and am now currently reading Anna Karenina. Russia has a very interesting culture that I would probably rank among my favorites alongside French and British. This is because of their famous literature, art, classical music, but most of all because of their history. 

Just last year I was in a Russian phase due to the video game Assassins Creed Chronicles. I was once again inspired by the very intriguing historical topic of the Russian Revolution (see Final Years of the Romanov Dynasty). I have written countless times about Russian Culture and especially the Russian Revolution. This time I want to go even further back into Russian history, at the start of their empire established by Peter the Great. This recent fascination is much ado to the TV show I am watching on Hulu called The Great. This is probably the 3rd show I've seen pertaining to Catherine the Great and I feel it is long overdue that I make a deep dive on the topic. 

So in this post I want to focus primarily on the establishment of the Russian Empire. I will break this down into four phases ranging from 1672-1796. First is with the transformation of the Russian Tsardom into a Russian Empire which occurred under the leadership of Peter the Great in 1721. The second phase I would like to study is the Great Northern War, between Russia and the Swedish Empire, This essentially marked the rise of Russia as a new European superpower. This conflict continued throughout much of the 18th century and brought about a new balance of power in eastern Europe (with the collapse of the Swedish and Ottoman Empire and the rise of the Russian Empire). The third phase is pertaining to the various rulers and events that followed Peter. And the fourth phase is the leadership of Catherine the Great from 1762-1792 who furthered Russia's expansion and modernization. 

Peter the Great

I remember back in 2010 reading a book on Russian history and was very interested by this historical character of Peter the Great. It's my general understanding that he was educated in western Europe and was inspired by their ideals to reform his home country of Russia. He began his reign in 1672 eager to modernize his country to western enlightenment ideals. He was a very intelligent and ambitious leader, standing tall with undeniable charisma. His early efforts to westernize his country began with arranged marriages as well as adopting western wardrobe style and mannerisms. He also emphasized a greater attention to Russia's naval force to oppose the Ottoman Empire. This navy achieved it's first major victory against the Ottomans at the Azov campaign in 1696. It would later play an even more significant part in their war against the Swedes.

Perhaps one of the more interesting aspects of Peter's reign was his Grand Embassy into western Europe. This occurred in 1697 for 18 months where Peter traveled incognito with a group of advisors to further assess and analyze western culture. His ultimate goal was to gain allies against the Ottoman Empire, but he also acquired new understanding of shipbuilding in Amsterdam and city-building in England. He later returned to Russia eager to construct a booming center of culture with iconic architecture that became known as St. Petersburg. It stands today as the second largest city in Russia with iconic architectural buildings such as the Winter Palace, State Hermitage Museum, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, and Saint Isaac's Cathedral.

Following his return from western Europe in 1699 Peter began a heightened campaign of shipbuilding and naval supremacy. He decided to bring a halt to his conflicts with the Ottoman Empire, satisfied with their hold of the Sea of Azov. He then put his attention on controlling the Baltic Sea and opposing the mighty Swedish Empire. The Swedish Empire had become the new European power in the north after their victory at the Thirty Years War in 1648, under the leadership of Gustavus Adolphus. For most of the 17th century, the Swedish Empire controlled the northern Baltic territory until Peter opposed them in the Great Northern War. 

The Great Northern War

This decision to outright challenge the Swedish Empire for northern supremacy became the turning point to Russian historical supremacy. This would eventually lead to the end of the tsardom and the establishment of the Russian Empire, by which Peter became the great father of Russia. Also this conflict with Sweden, that began in 1700 with the Great Northern War would carry on for nearly a century. To no surprise the war got off to a bad start for the Russians who simply were not quite as prepared as the Swedes. At the Battle of Narva (present day Estonia) the Swedish army under the leadership of Charles XII crushed their heavily outnumbered Russian aggressors. This marked a humiliating defeat for Peter's opening campaign of the war.

However Peter was not easily deterred from his goal and decided to completely reorganize his army. Luckily he was able to rely on his allies of Denmark-Norway, Saxony, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to divide the conflict on multiple fronts. In 1703 Peter established the capitol city of St. Petersburg which was conveniently located off the Baltic Sea to further press the Swedish eastern territory. The Swedish were eventually able to crush the Polish in 1706 and then began an offensive in 1708 into Russian territory. Charles XII achieved a few early victories within Russia, however his march to Moscow was repelled at the Battle of Lesnaya. This marked the first major victory for the Russian army against the Swedes in the Great Northern War. 

Charles XII was stubborn however and refused to retreat his army back to Sweden, instead he decided to revert his invasion on Ukraine (which was also Russian territory at the time). Peter encouraged his commanders to scorch the region in Ukraine, so that the Swedish army would not be able to use it's resources. Finally in 1709 at the Battle of Poltava the Swedish army was crushed by the Russian army. This marked a turning point in the war, in which King Charles XII was forced to abandon his campaign and retreat into the Ottoman Empire. In this decisive victory the Russian army had arrived to Europe as a new military power. 

However this victory at the Battle of Poltava did not mark an end to the war, and Peter may have pressed his luck by invading the Ottoman Empire (an ally of the Swedish Empire). In 1710 the Russo-Turkish War began and quickly became a disastrous decision for the exhausted Russian army. Within a couple years this campaign was crushed and the Russians were forced to secede territory back to the Ottoman Empire along the Black Sea. However in return the Ottoman Empire broke ties with Charles XII. Following this engagement, Peter was able to revert his attention back against the northern Swedish front. 

By 1714 the Russian army achieved a major victory against the Swedish navy at the Battle of Gangut, thus capturing much of the eastern Scandinavian territory (present day Estonia and Finland). From this point on the Swedish Empire had begun to deteriorate while Russia continued to gain more support and territory. Despite all signs to the Swedish being defeated, King Charles XII would not surrender until his death in 1718. A few years later in 1721 the Swedish Empire accepted defeat and signed the Treaty of Nystad which ended the Great Northern War. This marked a new shift of power by which the Swedish Empire had fallen and the Russian Empire had arrived. Peter the Great had acquired new territory in Estonia and Finland and transformed the Russian Tsardom into a Russian Empire. 

Empress Anna and Empress Elizabeth

In 1725 Peter died at the age of 52 due to a urinary affection, and the throne passed to his wife Catherine. She ruled for two years until she died at the age of 43 due to tuberculosis and the throne passed to their 11 year old grandchild Peter II. However this reign was also short lived as Peter II died in 1730 due to smallpox. The crown then went to the niece of Peter the Great, Anna Ivanovna who reigned for ten years and maintained Russia's powerful standing amidst the Russo-Turkish War of 1735-1739. Anna died in 1740 and intended for her grandnephew Ivan VI to become heir, however this claim was disputed and ultimately went to Peter the great's daughter, Elizabeth. 

During her reign from 1741 to 1762 Empress Elizabeth brought about another golden era of domestic construction and reform. Just as her father had done she instituted ideals of the western Enlightenment all throughout Russian society. She modernized the country's infrastructure with newer roads and academic institutions such as the University of Moscow and the Imperial Academy of Arts. She is also known for overseeing some of Russia's most iconic monuments in the Winter Palace and the Smolny Cathedral. She also oversaw Russia's involvement in the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War from 1756-1763. Both events did not affect Russia's territory as much as a shift in their political alliances. 

In 1759 Elizabeth's Russian army had a decisive victory over Frederick the Great's Prussian army at the Battle of Kunersdorf. However she died shortly after in Jan of 1762 and peace was established between Prussia and Russia. The throne went to her son Peter III, who quickly became an unpopular leader due to his strong ties with Prussia and their leader Frederick the Great. His reign was very short lived and the cunning Catherine was able to conspire with other Russian nobles to dispose of him. Thus Peter III was forced to abdicate his throne in a coup d'état in July of 1762 that handed over the throne to his wife. Peter III mysteriously died shortly after, most likely due to an assassination. The young Ivan VI was also assassinated due to his claim to the throne. And so although she was not of the Russian-Romanov lineage, Catherine had the rightful claim and quickly won favor with the Russian nobles. 

Catherine the Great

Catherine was arranged to marry Peter III in 1745 at the age of 16 in which she moved from her homeland of Prussia to live in St. Petersburg. She was fond of the arts and the philosophical ideals of the western enlightenment. However she despised her husband's crude and alcoholic nature. In 1756 she gave birth to her only child, Paul who would later ascend to the throne. In 1762 she became empress regnant when her husband took the throne, which only lasted for 6 months until he was disposed of. Catherine thus became queen and established important political, noble, and military allies to sustain he reign.

She was a fond admirer of Peter the Great and took on her reign with ambitious goals of further modernization. She quickly abandoned her Prussian heritage and fully adopted the Russian culture to become a very popular leader. Following the assassination of her husband, she never remarried however had many lovers throughout her life. This included Grigory Orlov who helped her conspire and lead the coup d'état against her husband Peter III. Together they had an illegitimate child, Alexei Bobrinsky who never had a claim to the throne. After Orlov, Catherine had many other lovers who were able to rise to prominence thanks to their relation with the empress. 

Catherine considered herself a very enlightened ruler and was a great admirer of the arts. She brought upon a golden age of cultural revival often referred to as the Russian Enlightenment. During her reign saw a boom of new cities, towns, architecture, libraries, museums, theatres, and academic institutions.  She was also an advocate for female rights and established the first ever higher academic institution for females. She made efforts at improving the serf's conditions however ultimately did not change the economic balance of the serfs and nobles. As a result she endured many revolts and rebellions throughout her reign. 

She furthered Russia's imperial might through foreign alliances, wars, and new territorial acquisitions. Perhaps her most significant military victory came against the Ottomans in an effort to control the Black Sea. This was a campaign initiated by Peter the Great, and Catherine hoped to gain a further hold of the territory. The Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774 resulted in major losses for the Ottoman Empire who were forced to cede territory to the Russians including the Crimean peninsula. This ultimately began the downfall of the Ottoman Empire and their hold of the Black Sea. 

Along with her territorial gains from the Ottoman Empire, she also acquired new land in Europe by partitioning much of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This expansion was facilitated by one of her lovers, Stainslaw Poniatowski a Polish aristocrat who became King of Poland in 1764 until the throne was suppressed by the Russian Empire. Catherine also expanded her empire to the America's by colonizing the region of Alaska in 1784 as well as an outpost in Fort Ross, California. The region of Alaska brought them some prosperous fur trade until they sold the territory in the mid 1800s. 

After a 34 year reign, longer than any other female in Russian history, Catherine the Great died of a stroke in 1796 at the age of 67. Her son Paul Petrovich succeeded her to the throne. After her death many curious urban legends arose mostly pertaining to her sexual behavior. It is speculated that she had between 12 to 22 lovers, a vast collection of erotic furniture, and even various bestiality accounts particularly that with a horse. Despite these unique rumors, there can be no question of the contributions she made to Russian society. To this day the cities of St. Petersburg and Moscow have become iconic centers of art and culture much thanks to her renovations. Throughout her reign she oversaw a golden renaissance of Russian culture and prosperity and for that reason is considered a "great" leader of Russia.