Russian Revolution

On December 6th, I saw the Moscow Ballet 's Great Russian Nutcracker at the Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo, MI. The Moscow Ballet was on their 2016 National Tour. The choreographer Stanislav Vlasov, former soloist with the Bolshoi Ballet. Stanislav Vlasov reimagined the ballet and showcased his own view of the Great Russian Nutcracker. It was practically special because Western Michigan University symphony orchestra had the opportunity to play along side of the dancers. Throughout the ballet,…

RUSSIA IN THE 1900’S From 1896 Tsar Nicholas II has ruled the Russian empire taking over from his late father Alexander 3rd. With social classes still as prominent as ever despite the freeing of peasants in 1861 by Tsar Alexander II (Tsar Nicholas grandfather), the Great Russian empire has a social structure like a pyramid. The Tsar and his government placed at the top and peasants at the bottom. PEASENTS: Life as a peasant as we all know is hard. It requires hours on end of work and hardship…

Russian Mafia: Soviet Crime in United States of America The Russian Mafia were a popular crime syndicate even posing as the greatest threat to the U.S. national security during the mid-1990s. With over 6,000 different groups around the globe, their activities are flown under the radar and limited action has been done to aware United States citizens. The Russian Mafia are commonly know as “Bratva” and still remain a trouble to America and it is important to understand their origins, the…

The Similarities and Differences Between the Governments of Qing China and The Ottoman Empire in the 19th and 20th Centuries The governments of both Qing China and the Ottoman Empire had many significant similarities and differences during the nineteenth and and turn of the twentieth centuries. Three outstanding similarities between these two glorious empires during this time are that they had many reforms, the intervention of the Europeans was part of the reason why both declined, and that…

Was Ivan the Terrible really that “Terrible”? Many of the people of his time believe him to be. However, contradicting to his name Ivan the “Terrible” in English but in Russian he is called Ivan the Grozny which is meant as Ivan the Great. Riveted from a perplexed childhood, indeed, Ivan the Terrible gained power of Russia at the tender age of eight, however, he was formally named Grand Prince of Russia at age 16. Thus, propelling him to the status of youngest ruler of the country, his rise to…

Vaslav Nijinsky was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer born March 12, 1889 in Kiev, Ukraine. In the world of ballet, Nijinsky was known as the greatest male dancer of the early 20th century. He gained his popularity and recognition for his intense commitment to characterizations, artistry, and extreme focus on techniques. Those achievements were gained within the time span of nine years—compared to other artists of that time, it took decades or even after their career for their work to be…

The following year in 1905, the Russians suffered defeat after defeat against the underestimated power of the Japanese military. Because the Russians feared losing Port Arthur once again, the newly named Russian Second Pacific squadron began an 18,000 mile trip in attempt to assist the Russian ships occupying Port Arthur. The squadron struggled on their trip across the sea. The ships ran on coal which the Russians had to carry on board due to the fact that they could not stop at neutral coal…

paradox and unfair to the Russian people. Although people are aware of this unjustness from the news, they fail to take a stand and help those who struggle. By pushing aside self-interests and exerting efforts into helping others, one will utilize his highest function of being and, as a result, will reside in a state of contentment. Aristotle states that the prime…

“The Charge of the Light Brigade” The poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson affected my understanding of real events because it tells you about the courage of the six hundred because they went on even though they knew someone had made a mistake. The Charge of the Light Brigade helped me understand real events because this was life during the war there was no time for thought about losing or death you just had to push through and fight. The poem was written about a charge by British…

strengthened Russia’s military greatly (Cook). Because of this, Russia was able to capture the Ottoman port of Azov and achieve its long-standing goal of gaining naval and trade access to a warm-water port on the Black Sea (Cook). In addition, the Russian military’s capture…