Historic Tales: The Romance of Reality. Vol. 08 (of 15), Russian

The collection of narrative sketches traces the region's transformation from ancient steppe peoples through early medieval principalities, the consolidation of power in Moscow and the emergence of autocratic rule, the period of Mongol or Tartar domination, legal and ecclesiastical developments, expansion across Siberia and into Central Asia, and the military and political crises of the modern era including foreign invasions, internal revolts, reforming rulers, and revolutionary movements; interspersed are portraits of notable leaders, legal reforms, cultural encounters, and social consequences of modernization.