Top 10. The best books on the history of Russia

The best books on the history of Russia allow a Russian person to know the fate of his state and feel the spirit of those times. The most important military, religious and political events associated with one of the great powers of the world are described in an accessible and clear language by prominent authors. The list includes not only scientific works, but also works of art of the historical genre, which are no less significant from a historical point of view. This is confirmed by many critics who analyzed these colossal works.

10 Russian history | A. S. Trachevsky

“Russian history” (A. S. Trachevsky) opens the top ten books on the history of Russia. The scientific work of the author is a two-volume work, which was created according to all the canons of those writers who were his predecessors. Among them are Karamzin, Solovyov and others. A carefully thought-out and written monumental work tells about the main and historically significant events that took place in the Russian state. The first part covers the history of ancient times up to the middle of the 17th century. The second part tells about the events up to the end of the 19th century.

9. Peter the Great | A. N. Tolstoy

“Peter the First” (A. N. Tolstoy) is a historical novel that was not completed by the author due to his death. However, this fact does not deprive this work of historical significance for the Russian people. The writer managed to finish only the first two books, the third was started and brought to the event of the very beginning of the 18th century. The novel is written in the spirit of socialist realism and was the standard of the historical novel in Soviet times. Tolstoy in his work tries to draw parallels between Peter the Great and Joseph Stalin. He is trying to justify all the violence that happened under these two greatest rulers in the history of Russia. The writer begins the story with real historical events of the 17th century.

8. Bayazet | V. S. Pikul

“Bayazet” (V. S. Pikul) is one of the best historical novels, which is dedicated to the tragic events that took place in Russia during the Russian-Turkish war. Bayazet Fortress, which went down in history under the name “Glorious Bayazet’s seat” was under the defense of a small Russian garrison. The work describes the most significant political events of that time, as well as the courage and patriotism of the soldiers who defended their homeland.

7. Great Russian plowman and features of the Russian historical process | L. Milov

“Great Russian plowman and features of the Russian historical process” (L. Milov) is one of the best books on the history of Russia. The paper highlights large-scale important issues related to the historical fate of our state. The peculiarity of this historical work, first of all, is its structure and the way of considering the problem, which are not characteristic of this type of scientific monographs. The first part of the work includes a frontal study of the peasant economy. The work is based on scientific material of the 18th century. It took the author more than a decade to collect the necessary, reliable information and work it out.

6. From Rus’ to Russia | L. N. Gumilyov

“From Rus’ to Russia” (L. N. Gumilyov) is one of the most significant works of the writer, in which he covers the ethnic history of his Fatherland. The work is actually a continuation of his previous work “Ancient Rus’ and the Great Steppe). In his enormous work, he makes generalizations that allow you to take a fresh look at historical factors. Events from the first century to the 18th century are described in a lively and very interesting language. The main task of the author was to captivate the reader, understand the main idea and make them read the book to the end. Gumilyov’s voluminous work includes three parts: “The Kievan State”, “In Alliance with the Horde”, “The Kingdom of Moscow”.

5. Rus’ the Great | V. D. Ivanov

“Great Rus'” (V. D. Ivanov) is a novel-chronicle in which he tells about the historical events that unfolded in Russia in the 16th century. This period is marked by the time of the development of the Slavs and the exit of Kievan Rus to the European political level.

4. Sovereigns of Moscow | Balashov D. M.

“Sovereigns of Moscow” (Balashov D. M.) – includes a series of books on the history of Russia. The first of them, entitled “The Younger Son”, tells about the struggle for power that unfolds between two brothers Dmitry and Alexander Nevsky. The book also tells about the strengthening of the Moscow principality, which was facilitated by the youngest son of the throne – Daniel Nevsky. The second book, entitled The Great Table, describes the confrontation between Moscow and Tver in the first half of the 14th century. This is one of the most controversial periods in the history of Russia. In total, Balashov’s multi-volume work includes 11 books.

3. Ice house | Lazhechnikov I. I.

“Ice House” (Lazhechnikov I.I.) is a fiction novel that incorporates many historical facts related to the history of Russia. The action of the book takes place in the early 40s of the 18th century in the city of St. Petersburg. One of the main characters, Volynsky, has quivering feelings for the Moldavian princess Marioritsa Lelemiko. At the same time, feuds broke out between him and the favorite of the Empress Anna Ioannovna, Biron. In the course of the unfolding intrigues, Volynsky’s beloved dies, and then he himself. After his death, a child is born, who gives birth to Volynsky’s wife. She returns from exile again to St. Petersburg. The erected ice house, on the orders of Anna Ioannovna, collapses, and the local residents take the surviving ice floes to their cellars.

2. Princess Tarakanova | G. P. Danilevsky

“Princess Tarakanova” (G.P. Danilevsky) is a novel in which there are many historical facts related to Russia. In the center of the work is Princess Tarakanova, who declared herself the heir to the Russian throne. The first part of the literary work is the diary of a naval officer who became a participant in the arrest of the main character of the novel. Danilevsky describes the “political impostor” and her life, but does not give an unambiguous answer to who this woman really was: the daughter of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna from her secret marriage or just a foreign adventurer.

1. History of the Russian state | N. M. Karamzin

“History of Russian Goverment” (N. M. Karamzin) is the best book on the history of Russia. In a multi-volume work, the author describes the history of our state, from ancient times to the “Time of Troubles”. It was this essay by Karamzin that was taken as a basis by other authors when writing books on Russian history. The writer worked on his work until his last breath, but did not have time to finish it. The work includes 12 volumes, the last of which ends at a chapter entitled “Interregnum 1611-1612”. Karamzin planned to bring his work to the moment of the beginning of the reign of the Romanov dynasty, but the writer’s plans were never destined to come true.