"Now in its sixth edition, A History of Russia presents the whole span of Russia's history from the origins of the Kievan state and the building of an empire to Soviet Russia, the successor states, and beyond. Raisanovsky highlights the one event that has had the most profound effect on recent Russian history: the sudden and stunning collapse of the Soviet Union. He explores a Russia that is fluid and transitional and full of possibilities and examines Russia's chance of becoming a more solid and stable country in the near future. The book updates existing coverage of the social, economic, cultural, political, and military events of Russia's past and includes a new chapter on the post-Gorbachev era as well as helpful updated bibliographies and reading source lists. "--BOOK JACKET.