Russia’s Conquest of Siberia

An intrepid band of Cossacks undertook a bloody conquest of western Siberia in the 16th century that added vast lands to the Tsardom of Russia.

This article appears in: Winter 2022

By Victor Kamenir Russian historical documents dating back to 1095 speak of an unknown people living beyond the Ural Mountains in Siberia who spoke an incomprehensible language and traded furs for iron knives and axes. The ermine, marten, and fox traded by the Siberian natives found ready and lucrative trade on the European markets. The most valuable fur was that of the sable, a species of marten. Following the source of furs, trappers and merchants from the city-state of Novgorod developed an