How did Russia get and remain so big?

Answer 1

Actually, Russia today is smaller than anytime in its history in the past 300 years. Russian Empire rapidly expanded in all directions for the past 4 centuries. In the 17th century it started colonization of Siberia. In 18th century it expanded to the North following the victory in the Seven Year War with Sweden, to the South following the defeat of Turkey and to North America with its distant colony in Alaska. In 1860s Russia sold Alaska but acquired new lands in the Far East from China (now known as the Russian Far East). Russia also colonized colonized Manchuria (Northern China) and Central Asia reaching as far as Afghanistan. This process of rapid expansion was reverted in early 20th century. Russia gave up Sakhalin Islands, Finland and Poland. In 1991, Russia lost 1/4 of its territories as a result of the dissolution of the USSR, including its some of its historical lands such as Ukraine and Belarus. When looking at the map of Russia below, consider this - once century ago Russia was 30% larger than it is now.

The square on this map of Russia shows the western Russia where Russian language, culture, tradition and empire have originated. The Western Russia stretches to the Ural mountains in the East which divide Eurasia to Europe and Asia. The blue narrow body of water on this map of Russia indicates the word's largest body of fresh water - Lake Baikal. The city of Novosibirsk that you can see in the middle of this map of Russia is considered a capital of Siberia.

Answer 2

Because in the 17th century it conquered the whole of Siberia (no more than 230,000 people lived in that huge area at the time) and in the 18th century it expanded its European Russian territory to the Black Sea by defeating the Khanate of Crimea and annexing its lands.