Russia/Culture
Russian culture is associated with the country of Russia and, sometimes, specifically with ethnic Russians. It has a rich history and can boast a long tradition of excellence in every aspect of the arts, especially when it comes to literature, philosophy, music, ballet, architecture, and painting. All had considerable influence on the world's culture. The country also has a rich material culture and a strong tradition in technology.
Russian culture started from that of the East Slavs, with their pagan beliefs and specific way of life in the wooded areas of Eastern Europe. Early on, the culture of Russian ancestors was much influenced by neighboring tribes and by nomadic peoples of the Pontic steppe. In the late 1st millennium AD the Scandinavian Vikings also took part in the forming of Russian identity.
Orthodox Christianity was accepted from the East Roman Empire in 988, and this largely defined the Russian culture of next millennium as the synthesis of Slavic and Byzantine cultures. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Russia remained the largest Orthodox nation in the world and claimed succession to the Byzantine legacy in the form of the Third Rome idea.
At different points of its history, the country also was strongly influenced by the European culture. Since Peter the Great's reforms, Russian culture largely developed in the context of Western culture. For most of the 20th century, the Communist ideology shaped the culture of the Soviet Union, where Russia was the largest and leading part.
© Gans 2011