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I. the gallery of people and geographical places mentioned in the project

Prince Vladimir the Great (958-1015) was the son of a Russian Prince.  After the death of his father in 980, Vladimir became the Prince of Kyiv. His activity as a statesman was very fruitful. He united Kievan Rus', built many fortifications on it's borders, promoted cultural and economical relations with Byzantium, Poland and other European countries.

In 988 he acknowledged Christianity as a state religion. (According to the legend he had arranged some kind of contest between Christian, Islamic and Judaic priests to determine the "most righteous" religion). After his death he was officially declared a Saint of Orthodox Church.

 

1. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was founded in 1922 with four republics.

By its dissolution in 1991, it was a confederation of 15 republics.

This map shows the years when republics joined the USSR.

 

 

Marx, Karl (1818-1883), German political philosopher and revolutionary, the most important of all socialist thinkers and the creator of a system of thought called Marxism. With political economist Friedrich Engels, he founded scientific socialism (now known as communism); for this, Marx is considered one of the most influential thinkers of all time.

Engels, Friedrich (1820-1895), German revolutionary political economist and cofounder of scientific socialism, now known as communism.

 

Lenin, Vladimir (1870-1924), Russian revolutionary leader and theorist, who presided over the first government of Soviet Russia.  Lenin was the leader of the radical socialist Bolshevik Party (later renamed the Communist Party), which seized power in the Russian Revolution of 1917. After the revolution, Lenin headed the new Soviet government. He became the leader of the USSR upon its founding in 1922. Lenin held the highest post in the Soviet government until his death in 1924.

Stalin, Joseph (1879-1953), general secretary of the Communist Party of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) from 1922 to 1953, the despotic ruler who more than any other individual molded the features that characterized the Soviet regime and shaped the direction of Europe after World War II.