The south-west part of present-day Russia is populated for long times by Scythian tribes. In the third century BC the Scythians are displaced by Sarmatians, who in turn are overrun by waves of Germanic Goths. In the third century the Asiatic Huns replace the Goths and are in turn conquered by Avars in the sixth century. By the ninth century, Slavonic tribes begin to settle in what is now Ukraine, Belarus and the Novgorod and Smolensk regions. Around 850 the first Russian state is founded. This state includes what is now West-Russia and Ukraine and is named the Grand Principality of Rus' or Kiev. Since 1132 Rus' collapses (finally in 1240) and many small feudal Russian states are formed, like Novgorod and Vladimir-Suzdal'. This last state, founded in 1157, is named the Grand Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal'. Vladimir becomes under fiefdom of the Khanate of the Golden Horde, a Mongolian state in 1238 . Vladimir is renamed the Grand Principality of Vladimir and Moscow in 1327 and the Grand Principality of Muscovy in 1462.

Muscovy becomes the dominant Russian state and annexes after the end of the Mongol fiefdomship Novgorod in 1480 and Pskov in 1510. The state is renamed Russia or Russian Tsardom in 1547. This empire is a feudal state and becomes an absolute monarchy under Tsar Peter the Great (1682-1725). He restyles Russia into the All-Russian Empire in 1721. Russia expands during the centuries and includes areas between the Baltic Sea and the Pacific Ocean as well as Central Asia. For some times it even includes Alaska (1799-1867).

Imperial decline becomes evident in Russia's defeat in the unpopular Russo-Japanese war in 1905. Subsequent civic disturbances force Tsar Nicholas II to grant a constitution and introduce limited democratic reforms. The government remains authoritarian and for the most of the time Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin is prime minister. He is succeeded after his death in 1911 by Vladimir Nikolayevich Kokovtsov (until 1914). In 1914 Russia enters World War I against Germany. The ruinous effects of World War I, combined with internal pressures, leads to the march 1917 uprising. Tsar Nicholas II abdicates the throne and a provisional government, originally headed by prince Georgij Evgen'evic L'vov of the Konstitucionno-demokraticeskaja Partija (Constitutional Democratic Party, KDP) and later that year by Aleksandr Fedorovic Kerenskij of the Partija Socialistov-Revoljucionerov (Party of Social Revolutionaries, PSR) comes to power. A revolution leads to a transition to a parliamentary democracy: elections for a Constituent Assembly are scheduled and Russia is renamed Russian Republic.

A second revolution in 1917 changes this path: the Rossijskaja Socialdemokraticeskaja Rabocaja Partija [bol'seviki] (Russian Social Democratic Workers Party [bolshevists], RSDRPb), led by Vladimir Il'ic Uljanov (Lenin), siezes control and establishes the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (RSFSR). The RSFSR accepts the seccesion of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. It even recognizes the independence of Ukraine, Belorussia and the Transcaucasian republics, but at the same time it helps the communist parties of these countries to seize power. Civil war breaks out in 1918 between Lenin's "Red" army and various "White" forces. The RSDRPb is renamed Rossijskaja Kommunisticeskaja Partija [bol'seviki] (Russian Communist Party [bolshevists], RKPb). The civil war lasts until 1920, when, despite foreign interventions, the Bolsheviks triumph. After the Red army conquers Ukraine, Belorussia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (also known as the Soviet Union) is formed in 1922.

In 1922 the RSFSR unites with Ukraine, Belorussia and Transcaucasia in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The USSR is a federal communist dictatorship lead by the Kommunisticeskaja Partija Sovetskogo Sojuza [bol'seviki] (Communist Party of the Soviet Union [bolshevists], KPSSb). After the death of Lenin Iosif Vissarionovic Dzugasvili (Stalin) emerges as leader of the KPSSb amidst intraparty rivalries; he maintains complete control over Soviet domestic and international policy until his death in 1953. Inside the USSR new Soviet Republics become union members: Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in 1925, Tajikistan in 1929, Kazakhstan and Kirgizstan in 1936. That year Transcaucasia is dissolved and Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia become seperate Union members.

In the beginning of World War II the USSR annexes and admisses as union member Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia as well as Moldavia, previous part of Romania. Between 1941 and 1944 large parts in the west of the USSR are occupied by Germany. At the end of World War II it annexes Tannu Tuva.

In World War II the USSR is one of the allied powers that defeat Germany: the USSR annexes in 1945 large parts of Eastern Poland and parts of Finland, Czechoslovakia, Romania and a small part of North-Eastern Germany. The communist dictatorship continues under Stalin. After his death Nikita Sergeevic Chruscev, serves as KPSS (without the b since 1952) leader. He tries to moderate the dictatorship, but when his economic policy lacks succes, he is ousted in 1964. Aleksej Nikolaevic Kosygin becomes chairman of the council of ministers and Leonid Ilic Breznev is made first secretary of the KPSS central committee in 1964. But in 1971 BreZnev becomes "first among equals" in a collective leadership. BreZnev dies in 1982 and is succeeded by Juri Vladimirovic Andropov (1982-84), Konstantin Ustinovic Cernenko (1984-85) and Michail Sergeevic Gorbacev.

When Gorbacev becomes leader of the Soviet Union in 1985 he wants to restructure society. This leads in 1989 to the collapse of the communist dictatorship. In 1990 Lithuania, followed by Estonia and Latvia in 1991, secede from the USSR in 1991. Later that year the USSR is dissolved: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan become independent. After the resignation of Gorbacev in 1991 the USSR is dissolved and Russia as the Russian Federation becomes its largest successor state, inheriting its permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Russia becomes a (semi-)presidential democracy, with strong powers for the president, Boris Nikolaevic Jel'cin. Jel'cin is elected president of Russia by popular vote in 1991. In 1993 politics in Russia reach a stalemate between Jel'cin and parliament. Jel'cin dissolves parliament and calls for new national elections and a new constitution. That year voters elect a new Parliament and approve a new constitution that has been drafted by the El'cin government. Jel'cin steps down in 1999 and is succeeded by Vladimir Vladimirovic Putin, who is confirmed in elections in 2000 and 2004.