Russia Vocabulary

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66 Terms

1

Anarchism

Radical ideology seeking to overthrow all conventional forms of government.

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2

Apparatchik

"Man of the apparatus"; full-time CPSU functionary.

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3

Asset stripping

Selling off firm's property and raw materials for short-term profit.

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4

Authoritarianism

Dictatorial rejection of democracy, but milder than totalitarianism.

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5

Autocracy

Absolute rule of one person in a centralized state.

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6

Bolshevik

"Majority" in Russian; early name for Soviet Communist Party

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7

Caesaropapism

Combining the top civil ruler (caesar) with the top spiritual ruler (pope), as in Russia's tsars.

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8

Capital goods

Implements used to make other things.

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9

Caucasus

Mountainous region between Black and Caspian seas.

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10

Central Asia

Region between Caspian Sea and China.

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11

Central Committee

Large, next-to-top governing body of most Communist parties.

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12

Civil society

Associations larger than the family but not part of government, and the pluralistic values that come with them.

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13

Cold war

Period of armed tension and competition between the US and the Soviet Union, approximately 1947-1989.

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14

Communism

Economic theories of Marx combined with organization of Lenin.

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15

Constantinople

Capital of Byzantium, conquered by Turks in 1453.

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16

Consumer goods

Things people use, such as food, clothing, and housing.

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17

Contradiction

In Marxism, a big, incurable problem that rips the system apart (current equivalent: dysfunction).

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18

CPSU

Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

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19

Cult of personality

Personal glorification of a dictator.

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20

Current account balance

A country's exports minus its imports.

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21

Cyrillic

Greek-based alphabet of Eastern Slavic languages.

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22

Default

Country announces that it cannot pay back a loan.

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23

Duma

Russia's national parliament.

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24

Exclave

Part of country separated from main territory.

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25

Five-Year Plans

Stalin's forced industrialization of the Soviet Union, starting in 1928.

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26

Flight capital

Money that the owner sends out of the country for fear of losing it.

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27

Gensek

Russian abbreviation for "general secretary"; powerful CPSU chief.

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28

Geopolitics

Influence of geography on politics and use of geography for strategic ends.

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29

Glasnost

Gorbachev's policy of media openness.

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30

Gosplan

Soviet central economic planning agency.

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31

Gulag

The Soviet central prisons administration.

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32

Hard currency

Noninflating, recognized currencies used in international dealings, such as dollars and euros.

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33

Imperialism

Powerful countries turning other lands into colonies.

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34

Infant Mortality rate

Number of live newborns who die in their first year, per thousand; standard measure of nation's health.

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35

Input-output table

Spreadsheet for economy of entire nation.

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36

Kleptocracy

Rule by thieves.

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37

Middle way

Supposed blend of capitalism and socialism; also called "third way."

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38

Narodniki

From Russian for "people," narod; radical populist agitators of late nineteenth-century Russia.

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39

New Economic Policy

Lenin's economic policy that allowed private activity, 1921-1928.

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40

Nomenklatura

List of sensitive positions and people eligible to fill them, the Soviet elite.

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41

North Caucasus

Mountainous region north of Georgia and Azerbaijan, including Chechnya.

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42

Oligarchy

Rule by a few.

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43

Paranoia

Unreasonable suspicion of others.

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44

Perestroika

Russian for "restructuring"; Gorbachev's proposals to reform the Soviet economy.

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45

Politburo

"Political bureau"; small, top governing body of most Communist parties.

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46

Proletariat

According to Marx, class of industrial workers.

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47

Public finances

What a government takes in, what it spends, and how it makes up the difference.

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48

Purge

Stalin's "cleansing" of suspicious elements by firing squad.

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49

Republic

First-order civil division of Communist federal systems, equivalent to U.S. states.

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50

Rump state

Leftover portions of a country after dismemberment

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51

Runaway system

Influential people use their resources to amass more resources.

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52

Shock therapy

Sudden replacement of socialist economy by market economy.

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53

Socialize

To teach political culture, often informally.

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54

Siberia

That part of Russia east of the Ural Mountains.

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55

Siloviki

"Strong men"; security officials who now control Russia (singular silovik).

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56

Slavophiles

Nineteenth-century Russians who wished to develop Russia along native, non-Western lines; also known as "Russophiles."

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57

State Duma

Lower house of Russia's parliament.

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58

Tatar

Mongol-origin tribes who ruled Russia for centuries. (Not Tartar.)

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59

Totalitarianism

Attempts to totally control society, as under Stalin and Hitler.

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60

Tsar

From "caesar"; Russia's emperor; sometimes spelled old Polish style, czar.

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61

Tyranny

Coercive rule, usually by one person.

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62

Ukraine

From Slavic for "borderland"; country south of Russia

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63

War communism

Temporary strict socialism in Russia, 1918-1921.

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64

Weak state

One unable to govern effectively; corrupt and crime-ridden.

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65

Westernizers

Nineteenth-century Russians who wished to copy the West.

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66

Zemstvo

Local parliament in old Russia.

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