Russia’s vast Asian territories beyond the Urals, traditionally known as Siberia, have, despite their enormous size and the crucial role they played in the development of Russian state and society, attracted little attention from Western scholars.
Drawing together the research of Western and Soviet historians, The History of Siberia (originally published in 1991) examines the ways in which the development of Siberia has been inextricably linked with the historical evolution of the Russian Empire as a whole. Among the topics discussed are Russia’s early conquest, exploration and the colonial administration of Siberia and its indigenous people; the fate of Russian America; peasant migration and settlement; Siberia’s role as a penal colony and its part in the Russian Revolution and Civil War. A final chapter evaluates Siberia’s role in the twentieth century. This book will be of interest to students and researchers of history.