A Trip to Russia

World news remains fixed squarely on Russia. So this week, let's take a trip to explore the roots of Russia. You know Russia was the land of the czars. You know it was the head of the Soviet Union. But do you really know Russia's history?

The history is crucial to understanding current events. Even current prime minister Vladimir Putin will tell you that. Putin, a former KGB officer selected by Boris Yeltsin to succeed him in 1999, has said that in "the United States or England . . . liberal values have deep historic roots." But Russia, he says, "Russia needs a strong state power and must have it."

Let's see, and judge for ourselves. The first leg of our journey starts in Kiev, the capital of today's Ukraine, and ends in Moscow, in audience with a czar. We'll continue the trip in our next issue, with the rise of the Russian Empire.

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