A Study On The Siberian Expansion Of The Stroganov Family In Russia In The 16th And 17th Centuries

The 16 th and 17 th centuries were an important period in Russia’s expansion eastwards to become a trans-Eurasian power.Externally,the decline of the Golden Horde weakened its grip on the Russian principalities.Internally,the establishment of a unified centralised state and the radical reforms of Ivan IV saw Russia emerge as a regional power.However,the loss of the Livonian War left Russia devastated in the west and caused a huge drain on its power.Ivan IV turned his attention to the East and granted the Stroganov family,a wealthy Russian merchant,the right to explore and govern Siberia.Based on primary documents such as the Stroganov Encyclopaedia and the Atlas of Siberia,this article explores the role and initiatives of the Stroganov family in the early Siberian expansion movement in Russia,examines the family’s contribution to the development and construction of Siberia and its impact on the family itself,and on the basis of this,explore the far-reaching impact of the Siberian expansion movement on Siberia,Russia and the world.Apart from the introduction and conclusion,this article is divided into four chapters:The second chapter explores the historical background to Russia’s Siberian expansion.It analyses in depth the domestic and foreign drivers of Russian expansion: the territorial aspirations of the new Tsarist Russia,the financial constraints of the Livonian War,the rich fur resources of Siberia,the divisions and constant harassment of the Tartars in the east,and so on,to reveal the inevitability of Russian expansion into Siberia,and then to analyse Russian attitudes and perceptions of Siberia.The third chapter presents and analyses the development of the Stroganov family itself and its role in Russia’s eastern expansion.It explores the intrinsic qualities of the family’s continued prosperity by looking at how it emerged and developed.By describing the family’s role in the expansion of Russia to the east,it shows how closely it was linked to the expansion of Russian Siberia.The fourth chapter analyses the dilemmas and responses in Russia’s Siberian expansion,showing the particularities of Siberian expansion.Unlike the American westward movement and the Spanish conquest of South America,Russia faced more extreme and harsher natural conditions in its Siberian expansion,but these were eventually overcome by the Russian explorers,the Cossacks.The fifth chapter evaluates the impact of the early Russian Siberian expansionist movement.It endeavours to explore the multidimensional aspects and multiple influences of this movement from a relatively objective perspective in four dimensions: family,Siberia,Russia and the world.