ALL myths of Russian history DEBUNKED!

Ancient Russia

1. Was Rurik, the first Russian ruler, a real person or a myth?

2. Why is the concept of a ‘Mongol-Tatar Yoke’ a long-standing myth?

3. Was Ivan the Terrible really terrible?

4. Is Ivan the Terrible’s library really hidden somewhere in Moscow?

5. Did Ivan the Terrible really blind the architects of Moscow’s St. Basil’s cathedral in Moscow?

6. Is it true that Moscow was built on 7 hills like Rome?

7. Is it true that Russians used to stage fights with bears?

The Russian Empire

8. Are any of the five most prolific myths about Peter the Great real?

9. Was Peter's testament that appeared in the 18th century real or fake?

10. Was Mikhail Lomonosov Peter the Great’s illegitimate son?

11. Are any of Saint Petersburg’s myths real?

12. Are Peter the Great and Nicholas I really linked to the curve in the Moscow-Petersburg railroad, supposedly caused by an emperor's finger?

13. Which of the many myths about Siberia, Russia’s unique region, hold true?

14. How many of the myths surrounding Catherine the Great stood the test of time?

15. How true were rumors of Catherine’s legendary sexual appetite?

16. Did ‘Potemkin villages’ ever actually exist?

17. Did Emperor Alexander really cheat death and live in Siberia as a hermit?

18. Did Paul I of Russia really predict his own death?

19. Was the claim that Alaska was leased, not sold, to the US false? What evidence is there of Russia's payment for Alaska?

20. How authentic was Netflix’s ‘The Last Czars’ detailing Nicholas II and his kin, the last Romanov family?

21. How true were rumors that Nicholas II was the richest man in the world during his life?

22. What was the truth behind Grigoriy Rasputin, the royal family’s ‘mad monk’ spiritual advisor and alleged lover of the empress, and who was he really?

23. Is there any truth to the story of Vasiliy Kochetkov, a soldier who allegedly served under three emperors?

The Soviet Union

24. How many myths about life in the USSR hold true?

25. Did Lenin, Stalin and other historical figures really say these things?

26. How many myths surrounding Joseph Stalin are real?

27. Did Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev really bang his shoe on the UN rostrum?

28. Was there a 'Wolf Truce' between the USSR and Germany during WWII?

Folklore & pop culture

29. How realistic is the ‘John Wick’ franchise’s take on Baba Yaga? And who is she really?

30. Does Netflix’s ‘The Witcher’ do a faithful representation of ‘leshiy’, the master of the Russian forest?

31. Is there any truth behind the claim on the Apple+ TV show ‘For All Mankind’ that Russians have a tradition of drinking 10 toasts “for the road”?

32. Also, do Russians really say “na zdorovie” when they drink?

33. Finally, our definitive guide to the most popular stereotypes about Russia, ranked from less to more truthful.

Did we miss anything? Don't hesitate to tell us in the comments and we will continue debunking lies and uncovering the truth about Russian history – because we can!