Russian Expansion into Siberia (1580s-1800s)
Yermak Timofeyevich’s 1581 expedition against the Khanate of Sibir opened Siberia to Russian control. By the 1700s, Orthodox missionaries worked to convert indigenous tribes like the Chukchi. Russian fur traders followed, establishing outposts across the vast territory. The Orthodox Church baptized native peoples while suppressing their traditional spiritual practices. Russia’s eastward expansion eventually reached the Pacific Ocean, creating a massive empire.
