scorecardresearch
Fun Facts About Everything
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What were the rulers of the Russian Empire called?

Shutterstock
The rulers of the Russian Empire called themselves “Tsars,” which is really just a Russian way of saying “Emperor”—though it does sound pretty cool.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

True or False: Siberia was part of the Russian Empire.

Pixabay
After conquering the Siberian Khanate in 1598, the Russian Empire took over control of Siberia. This conquest gave the Empire a significant boost in its borders.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Who founded the Russian Empire in 1721?

Shutterstock
Though many historians posit that the Russian Empire started centuries earlier, Peter the Great was the first one to actually proclaim it as the Russian Empire, in 1721.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What word is “Tsar” derived from?

Pixabay
The word “Tsar” comes from the Latin “Caesar”. Not a bad lineage, if you ask me.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

True or False: Ivan the Terrible was called “Terrible” because he was unpopular with the people.

Wikimedia Commons
Although Ivan the Terrible did some pretty bad things in his life, the “Terrible” in his title isn’t synonymous with “bad” or anything of the sort. In fact, it means something closer to “awe-inspiring,” which is actually pretty complimentary.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What was the first capital of the Russian Empire?

Pixabay
In 1713, Peter the Great made St. Petersburg the first capital of the Russian Empire, so it’s not a coincidence that the city bears his name. More than that, Peter actually built the metropolis virtually from the ground up.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What was the last name of the Russian Imperial family who ruled for 300 years?

Shutterstock
The Romanovs were absolute titans of Imperial Russia. Before them, the Rurik dynasty had been in control, but once the Romanov line gained power in 1613, they didn’t relinquish the throne until 1917. Not a bad run.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What was the name of the “missing” Romanov girl who became a sensation in the 20th century?

Shutterstock
After the assassination of the Romanov line in 1918, many people popped up claiming to be the youngest Romanov girl, Anastasia. Although all of these claims were highly suspect, the legend of Anastasia still lives on to this day.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

True or False: Peter III of Russia couldn’t even speak Russian.

Wikimedia Commons
Peter III was actually a German aristocrat, and his Russian was shoddy at best. Nonetheless, he ruled the empire—for a very brief 6 months. His wife Catherine the Great ended up deposing him.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What was the name of Russia’s first official tsar?

Pixabay
Ivan the Terrible was the first to call himself “Tsar of the Rus”—and before that, he called himself “Grand Prince of all Moscow,” so this was a man who knew his worth.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What is the capital of Russia today?

Pixabay
After 1918, Moscow was the capital of Russia, and remains so today. Moscow is a thoroughly modern Russian city, while St. Petersburg generally looks more Old World European.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

True or False: Peter the Great carried out many of his own executions.

PxHere
Peter the Great didn’t earn his moniker by sitting on his throne doing nothing, and he firmly believed that the man who ordered the execution should also perform the execution.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Who was the last true heir of the Russian Empire?

Shutterstock
Alexei Romanov was the last heir of the Russian Empire and, like his Romanov siblings, he was killed in 1918, ushering in the end of Tsarist Russia.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What was the name of the mystic who allegedly brought the Russian Empire to ruin in the 1900s?

Shutterstock
The infamous mystic Rasputin was a close confidant of the Emperor and Empress in the early 1900s, but it was also said that his dark influence disturbed the Russian people and helped bring down the Russian Empire.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What was Ivan the Terrible infamous for doing?

Pixabay
Ivan the Terrible had a fierce temper, and one day in a fit of rage he struck his own son, killing him. This one act had dire consequences, and eventually threw the Russian line of succession into chaos.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

True or False: Russia used to be a sober country.

Shutterstock
This is true! Because of the Russian Empire’s orthodox beliefs, it was once a dry country, and even drinking vodka was a big no-no. Who would have thought?
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Who was NOT an Emperor or Empress of Russia?

Shutterstock
Although Igor the Mad certainly sounds like he could keep company with Catherine the Great and Ivan the Terrible, there was no such Emperor (even though there were a few royal Igors).
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Which ruler was rumored to have died while on the toilet, or else from intimate relations with a horse?

Shutterstock
Catherine the Great was a larger-than-life figure, and people continue to believe that she died on the toilet or from complications arising out of an intimate moment with a horse. Neither of these stories is true: she had a stroke in her dressing room, and died in her own bed.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

True or False: Russia is currently the biggest country in the world in terms of land mass.

Pixabay
All the Russian expansion during its years of empire helped the country out immensely: it is the biggest country in the world, at least if we’re talking about land mass.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Catherine the Great’s reign was also called The ___________ Age:

Pixabay
Like Peter, Catherine didn’t get “The Great” added on to her name by sitting around doing nothing, and the advancements she brought to Russia helped establish what we now call its “Golden” age.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

True or False: Queen Victoria’s descendants married into the Russian Empire.

Shutterstock
In the early twentieth century, Queen Victoria’s bloodline was all over the royal houses of the world, including Russia’s Romanovs. Alix of Hesse, whose grandmother was Queen Victoria, married Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What was the assumed name of the most famous Anastasia imposter?

Shutterstock
The woman calling herself Anna Anderson is the most famous Anastasia imposter. She claimed she was the young Russian princess and that she had been miraculously saved from assassination in 1918. DNA evidence has since debunked her story.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What genetic disorder did Alexei Romanov, the last heir of Russia, have?

Shutterstock
Little Alexei suffered from haemophilia, a disorder of the blood that doesn’t allow it to clot properly. The disorder is very dangerous, as any minor cut or bruise can easily turn into a serious injury.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

True or False: Catherine the Great was actually German.

Pixabay
Like her husband Peter III, Catherine was actually German. Her real name was Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Ivan IV saw the Russian Empire as a continuation of which ancient Empire?

Shutterstock
Just as they took the word “Tsar” from “Caesar,” the Russians also took inspiration from the Roman Empire as a whole, and Ivan IV saw Russia as a new Rome.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What ruler tried and failed to invade Russia in 1812?

Getty Images
Russian winters are not to be trifled with, and when Napoleon infamously tried to invade the country in 1812, he was met with failure. His exhausted soldiers simply couldn’t traverse the frozen Russian landscape.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What is the name of St. Petersburg’s old official residence of the tsars?

Pixabay
Peter the Great didn’t live to see the glory days of his Winter Palace, but the sprawling complex became the official residence for many tsars to come. Today it functions mostly as a museum.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What revolution ended the Russian Empire in 1917?

Flickr, paukrus
The February Revolution dismantled Tsarist Russia in 1917, and was later followed by the October Revolution, which heralded the rise of the Soviet Union. The Russian Empire had seen its final days.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What was the name of the last Russian tsar?

Shutterstock
Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate both for himself and his heir Alexei in 1917 after the February Revolution. In 1918, he and his family would be executed to make way for the Soviet Union.

Factinate Featured Logo Featured Article
Dark Family Secrets Exposed Dark Family Secrets Exposed
Samantha Henman | Apr 08, 2020 Factinate World
Factinate Featured Logo Featured Article
Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress
Kyle Climans | Dec 07, 2018 Factinate World
Factinate Featured Logo Featured Article
These People Got Genius Revenges These People Got Genius Revenges
Penelope Singh | Apr 22, 2020 Factinate World
Factinate Featured Logo Featured Article
Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife
Christine Tran | Jun 07, 2018 Factinate World

Dear reader,

Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? We’re always looking for your input! Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your time!

Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. We want our readers to trust us. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your help!

Warmest regards,

The Factinate team
Advertisement