This might seem like an insignificant technicality to some, but Russia did not invade and then withdraw from Afghanistan in the 1980's. That was the Soviet Union. The same accuracy is required when speaking of the USSR as distinct from the Russian Empire, and also from the short-lived Russian Republic that was formed following the Czar's abdication.
Arguably it has always been the Russian Empire. The USSR was just the communist version of Russian empire under a different name. All power in the USSR emanated from Moscow during Soviet times, just like it did during Tsarist days, and just like it does today. And much of What Putin has been trying to do in the past 20 years is put back together that same empire.
I guess there is that argument, but I don't buy it. Anyway, It has been my impression that during the time of the Mennonite colonies, the main seat of the government was in St. Petersburg (the winter palace), for roughly 200 years, and then it was moved to Moscow after the Bolshevik take-over.
Well, OK. You are right about St. Petersburg being the Tsarist capital from the 1700s to 1918. But both Moscow and St. Petersburg are very Russian cities that are both in the Russian heartland as opposed to some non-Russian ethic province. My larger point is that the USSR wasn't some confederation of equals. It was absolutely Russian dominated in every way and just the communist version of empire. For example, Russian-language imperialism was a mandate across the USSR during the entire Soviet era.
So while it might be more correct to say that the USSR or Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan. It was also true that the USSR was essentially the communist version of Russian empire.
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A fool can throw out more questions than a wise man can answer. -RZehr
Arguably it has always been the Russian Empire. The USSR was just the communist version of Russian empire under a different name. All power in the USSR emanated from Moscow during Soviet times, just like it did during Tsarist days, and just like it does today. And much of What Putin has been trying to do in the past 20 years is put back together that same empire.
I guess there is that argument, but I don't buy it. Anyway, It has been my impression that during the time of the Mennonite colonies, the main seat of the government was in St. Petersburg (the winter palace), for roughly 200 years, and then it was moved to Moscow after the Bolshevik take-over.
Well, OK. You are right about St. Petersburg being the Tsarist capital from the 1700s to 1918. But both Moscow and St. Petersburg are very Russian cities that are both in the Russian heartland as opposed to some non-Russian ethic province. My larger point is that the USSR wasn't some confederation of equals. It was absolutely Russian dominated in every way and just the communist version of empire. For example, Russian-language imperialism was a mandate across the USSR during the entire Soviet era.
So while it might be more correct to say that the USSR or Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan. It was also true that the USSR was essentially the communist version of Russian empire.
I didn't know for sure. I just remember that in the stories of the Tsar's visits to the colonies he came traveled in from there, and when the MB church was formed, that's where the leadership went to make appeals to the government to gain status as a legitimate Mennonite group (which the big church was attempting to prevent).