We examine the geography and history of Russia, from the origins of the Kievan Rus in the Early Middle Ages, to the tumultuous time of industrialization, emancipation, and radical subversion at the start of the Twentieth Century. We try reconstruct the circumstances and mindsets that led the Russian state to back up their allies in Serbia, in order to maintain their tenuous foothold in the Balkans and their pretenses of leading and protecting the Slavic world. image: Luzhetsky Monastery, Mozhaysk, Russia Suggested further reading: Braithwaite, "Russia: Myths and Realities"; Kort, "A Brief History of Russia"; Riasanovsky, "A History of Russia" Please sign up as a patron to hear the previous installment on Bosnia! -- https://www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632