HIST1285 (Imperial Russia: Between East and West) course reviews and ratings at Northeastern (NEU). Average rating 5.0/5. Compare professors with RateMyProfessor reviews.
Examines the Russian Empire from its Muscovite origins through its rise as a great power and then explosive collapse in 1917. Explores the development of Russian political institutions, social structures (nobility, serfdom, the intelligentsia), economic modernization, and the management of a multi-ethnic empire through a variety of primary sources. Key themes include the reforms of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great; Russia's emergence as a major power and territorial expansion; competing visions of Russian identity (Slavophiles vs. Westernizers); revolutionary movements and terrorism; Russia's telescoped and state-led industrialization and modernization process; and the sources of imperial decline.
Data updated October 2026.