Mikhail S. Blinnikov, PhD, is Professor of Geography and Graduate Coordinator at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota and Associate Researcher at Kazan Federal University Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Archaeological and Ethnological Studies in Kazan, Russia. A native of Moscow, Russia, he has traveled extensively in the former Soviet Union, including doing field work on the White, Baltic, and Black Seas; in Central Russia; on the Volga; and in Crimea, the Caucasus, and the Altay. Besides his work in Russia, he has visited Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan on extended field trips. Dr. Blinnikov’s research focuses on the late-Pleistocene biogeography of grasslands; phytolith analysis; remote sensing and geographic information systems; protected natural areas and green spaces in and near cities; young naturalist movements; and Orthodox religious landscapes. He has worked with the Biodiversity Conservation Center, the Center for Russian Nature Conservation, Nearby Nature, The Nature Conservancy, and the World Wildlife Fund Russia, among others. Dr. Blinnikov has also worked as an interpreter and translator for Russian–American exchanges and has written two books in Russian. He is a past president of the International Phytolith Society and president of the Eurasian Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers.

• 1. Introduction: Russia and Post-Soviet Northern EurasiaI. Physical Geography2. Relief and Hydrography3. Climate4. Biomes5. Environmental Degradation and ConservationII. History and Politics6. Formation of the Russian State7. The Soviet Legacy8. Post-Soviet Reforms9. The Geopolitical Position of Russia in the WorldIII. Cultural and Social Geography10. Demographics and Population Distribution11. Cities and Villages12. Social Issues: Health, Wealth, Poverty, and Crime13. Cultures and Languages14. Religion, Diet, and Dress15. Education, Arts, Sciences, and Sports16. TourismIV. Economics17. Oil, Gas, and Other Energy Resources18. Heavy Industry and the Military Complex19. Light Industry and Consumer Goods20. Fruits of the Earth: Agriculture, Hunting, Fishing, and Forestry21. Infrastructure and ServicesV. Regional Geography of Russia and Other FSU States22. Central Russia: The Heart of the Country23. Russia's Northwest: Fishing, Timber, and Culture24. The Volga: Cars, Food, and Energy25. The Caucasus: Cultural Diversity and Political Instability26. The Urals: Metallurgy, Machinery, and Fossil Fuels27. Siberia: Great Land28. The Far East: The Russian Pacific29. The Baltics: Europeysky, Not Sovetsky30. Belarus and Moldova: Eastern Europeans31. Ukraine and Crimea: Together or Not?32. Kazakhstan and Central Asia: The Heart of Eurasia33. Epilogue: Engaging with Post-Soviet Northern Eurasia

"Both students and teachers will learn from this 'must-read' second edition of one of the best available geography texts on the former Soviet realm. The text provides a winning combination of geographical knowledge; historical dimensions; economic, political, and cultural topics; and regional themes. My students have praised this book as interesting, easy to read, brilliantly organized, concise, unbiased, and illustrated with great charts and images."--Dmitrii Sidorov, PhD, Department of Geography, California State University Long Beach"Blinnikov’s second edition is an indispensable resource for understanding Russia’s past, present, and future--there’s no other text like it. The entire book is a compelling read, yet individual sections stand alone as important references. Blinnikov offers fascinating detail about aspects of Russia that might be invisible to non-Russians, while also providing a comprehensive, scholarly overview that students and instructors will find most useful."--Jessica K. Graybill, PhD, Department of Geography and Director, Russian and Eurasian Studies Program, Colgate University“A clear and candid source of information on a critical part of the globe today. I tell my students that in addition to the straightforward information provided by the text, they get the advantage of absorbing a Russian perspective on this region. Students like the price of the book and enjoy the numerous, bite-sized chapters.”--Randy Bertolas, PhD, Department of History, Politics, and Geography, Wayne State College-

Mikhail S. Blinnikov, PhD, is Professor of Geography and Graduate Coordinator at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota and Associate Researcher at Kazan Federal University Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Archaeological and Ethnological Studies in Kazan, Russia. A native of Moscow, Russia, he has traveled extensively in the former Soviet Union, including doing field work on the White, Baltic, and Black Seas; in Central Russia; on the Volga; and in Crimea, the Caucasus, and the Altay. Besides his work in Russia, he has visited Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan on extended field trips. Dr. Blinnikov’s research focuses on the late-Pleistocene biogeography of grasslands; phytolith analysis; remote sensing and geographic information systems; protected natural areas and green spaces in and near cities; young naturalist movements; and Orthodox religious landscapes. He has worked with the Biodiversity Conservation Center, the Center for Russian Nature Conservation, Nearby Nature, The Nature Conservancy, and the World Wildlife Fund Russia, among others. Dr. Blinnikov has also worked as an interpreter and translator for Russian–American exchanges and has written two books in Russian. He is a past president of the International Phytolith Society and president of the Eurasian Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers.

• 1. Introduction: Russia and Post-Soviet Northern EurasiaI. Physical Geography2. Relief and Hydrography3. Climate4. Biomes5. Environmental Degradation and ConservationII. History and Politics6. Formation of the Russian State7. The Soviet Legacy8. Post-Soviet Reforms9. The Geopolitical Position of Russia in the WorldIII. Cultural and Social Geography10. Demographics and Population Distribution11. Cities and Villages12. Social Issues: Health, Wealth, Poverty, and Crime13. Cultures and Languages14. Religion, Diet, and Dress15. Education, Arts, Sciences, and Sports16. TourismIV. Economics17. Oil, Gas, and Other Energy Resources18. Heavy Industry and the Military Complex19. Light Industry and Consumer Goods20. Fruits of the Earth: Agriculture, Hunting, Fishing, and Forestry21. Infrastructure and ServicesV. Regional Geography of Russia and Other FSU States22. Central Russia: The Heart of the Country23. Russia's Northwest: Fishing, Timber, and Culture24. The Volga: Cars, Food, and Energy25. The Caucasus: Cultural Diversity and Political Instability26. The Urals: Metallurgy, Machinery, and Fossil Fuels27. Siberia: Great Land28. The Far East: The Russian Pacific29. The Baltics: Europeysky, Not Sovetsky30. Belarus and Moldova: Eastern Europeans31. Ukraine and Crimea: Together or Not?32. Kazakhstan and Central Asia: The Heart of Eurasia33. Epilogue: Engaging with Post-Soviet Northern Eurasia

"Both students and teachers will learn from this 'must-read' second edition of one of the best available geography texts on the former Soviet realm. The text provides a winning combination of geographical knowledge; historical dimensions; economic, political, and cultural topics; and regional themes. My students have praised this book as interesting, easy to read, brilliantly organized, concise, unbiased, and illustrated with great charts and images."--Dmitrii Sidorov, PhD, Department of Geography, California State University Long Beach"Blinnikov’s second edition is an indispensable resource for understanding Russia’s past, present, and future--there’s no other text like it. The entire book is a compelling read, yet individual sections stand alone as important references. Blinnikov offers fascinating detail about aspects of Russia that might be invisible to non-Russians, while also providing a comprehensive, scholarly overview that students and instructors will find most useful."--Jessica K. Graybill, PhD, Department of Geography and Director, Russian and Eurasian Studies Program, Colgate University“A clear and candid source of information on a critical part of the globe today. I tell my students that in addition to the straightforward information provided by the text, they get the advantage of absorbing a Russian perspective on this region. Students like the price of the book and enjoy the numerous, bite-sized chapters.”--Randy Bertolas, PhD, Department of History, Politics, and Geography, Wayne State College-

Mikhail S. Blinnikov, PhD, is Professor of Geography and Graduate Coordinator at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota and Associate Researcher at Kazan Federal University Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Archaeological and Ethnological Studies in Kazan, Russia. A native of Moscow, Russia, he has traveled extensively in the former Soviet Union, including doing field work on the White, Baltic, and Black Seas; in Central Russia; on the Volga; and in Crimea, the Caucasus, and the Altay. Besides his work in Russia, he has visited Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan on extended field trips. Dr. Blinnikov’s research focuses on the late-Pleistocene biogeography of grasslands; phytolith analysis; remote sensing and geographic information systems; protected natural areas and green spaces in and near cities; young naturalist movements; and Orthodox religious landscapes. He has worked with the Biodiversity Conservation Center, the Center for Russian Nature Conservation, Nearby Nature, The Nature Conservancy, and the World Wildlife Fund Russia, among others. Dr. Blinnikov has also worked as an interpreter and translator for Russian–American exchanges and has written two books in Russian. He is a past president of the International Phytolith Society and president of the Eurasian Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers.

• 1. Introduction: Russia and Post-Soviet Northern EurasiaI. Physical Geography2. Relief and Hydrography3. Climate4. Biomes5. Environmental Degradation and ConservationII. History and Politics6. Formation of the Russian State7. The Soviet Legacy8. Post-Soviet Reforms9. The Geopolitical Position of Russia in the WorldIII. Cultural and Social Geography10. Demographics and Population Distribution11. Cities and Villages12. Social Issues: Health, Wealth, Poverty, and Crime13. Cultures and Languages14. Religion, Diet, and Dress15. Education, Arts, Sciences, and Sports16. TourismIV. Economics17. Oil, Gas, and Other Energy Resources18. Heavy Industry and the Military Complex19. Light Industry and Consumer Goods20. Fruits of the Earth: Agriculture, Hunting, Fishing, and Forestry21. Infrastructure and ServicesV. Regional Geography of Russia and Other FSU States22. Central Russia: The Heart of the Country23. Russia's Northwest: Fishing, Timber, and Culture24. The Volga: Cars, Food, and Energy25. The Caucasus: Cultural Diversity and Political Instability26. The Urals: Metallurgy, Machinery, and Fossil Fuels27. Siberia: Great Land28. The Far East: The Russian Pacific29. The Baltics: Europeysky, Not Sovetsky30. Belarus and Moldova: Eastern Europeans31. Ukraine and Crimea: Together or Not?32. Kazakhstan and Central Asia: The Heart of Eurasia33. Epilogue: Engaging with Post-Soviet Northern Eurasia

"Both students and teachers will learn from this 'must-read' second edition of one of the best available geography texts on the former Soviet realm. The text provides a winning combination of geographical knowledge; historical dimensions; economic, political, and cultural topics; and regional themes. My students have praised this book as interesting, easy to read, brilliantly organized, concise, unbiased, and illustrated with great charts and images."--Dmitrii Sidorov, PhD, Department of Geography, California State University Long Beach"Blinnikov’s second edition is an indispensable resource for understanding Russia’s past, present, and future--there’s no other text like it. The entire book is a compelling read, yet individual sections stand alone as important references. Blinnikov offers fascinating detail about aspects of Russia that might be invisible to non-Russians, while also providing a comprehensive, scholarly overview that students and instructors will find most useful."--Jessica K. Graybill, PhD, Department of Geography and Director, Russian and Eurasian Studies Program, Colgate University“A clear and candid source of information on a critical part of the globe today. I tell my students that in addition to the straightforward information provided by the text, they get the advantage of absorbing a Russian perspective on this region. Students like the price of the book and enjoy the numerous, bite-sized chapters.”--Randy Bertolas, PhD, Department of History, Politics, and Geography, Wayne State College-