500 Years of the Russian Empire

Borders of Russia 1462-2018 is an interactive map which shows the political boundaries of Russia ever since the 15th Century. The map visualizes how Russia has shrunk and grown over the centuries as different regions and countries have joined or left its empire.

You can view Russia's borders on the map for any year of its history by selecting a year from the map timeline. In the years where there has been a change to Russia's border numbered map markers provide information on the reasons behind the historical border changes in that year. The regions or countries that have been affected by these border changes are also highlighted on the map.

Two buttons in the map menu allow you to view more information on the map. One of the buttons allows you to view the name of Russia's ruler in the year currently displayed on the map. The other button provides extra information on any territorial changes that took place in that year and displays the number of square kilometers which were added or lost.


If your lack of Russian deters you from the previous map or if you want to go back further into Russia's history then you might prefer Histography's interactive map of Russian history. Last year, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Russian revolution, Histography released an interactive map which visualizes Russia's changing borders from the year 862 right up until the "adoption of Crimea into Russia" in 2014. Russian History looks at centuries of Russia's history, particularly as to how it has affected the country's ever changing borders.

This history map is controlled by an interactive timeline, which chronicles Russia's rulers and history. As you scroll through this interactive timeline the background map automatically updates to show how Russia's border has changed and how the country has grown in size over the centuries. A menu also allows you to quickly jump to any century on the timeline and map.