Tsarist Russia

Tsarist Russia refers to the Russian Empire under the rule of the tsars, particularly from the 16th century through the 1917 revolution that ended the Romanov dynasty.

The term evokes autocratic governance, vast territory, rigid social hierarchy, and the contrast between aristocratic opulence and peasant poverty: Tsarist Russia's rigid class system made reform nearly impossible.

In modern usage, it often serves as shorthand for authoritarian or backward governance.