I first stumbled upon Wikipedia some time in June of 2004 and got hooked on it. The idea of a FREE encyclopedia (not like MSN Encarta or Britannica) appealed to me from the very start. I've been contributing ever since.

I mostly concentrate on Russian History, because I am Russian (now based in Moscow). There is another reason why I am doing this. In America, I have encountered many people whose knowledge of Russia (or USSR, for that matter) was extremely limited. There could be several explanations to this, and lack of curiousity is not one of them. First, the Iron Curtain. Even though it has been lifted for quite some time now, there is still so much out there that must be done in terms of sharing the knowledge. Second, the official government propaganda and ideology on both sides of the barricades (as they say in Russia) that existed throughout the Cold War and caused distortion of reality and facts.

To sum it up, I contribute stuff about Russian history hoping that Wikipedia will be able to put every bit of information in the right place and that facts will finally prevail over fantasies and myths. I will gladly accept any requests for information on any events or personalities in Russian or Soviet history and incorporate it into Wiki.

I graduated from Moscow State University for International Relations (a.k.a. MGIMO) and Boston University and hold two Master's degrees in International Relations. I want to thank Wikipedia for this new hobby of mine!

Like they say, learn as long as you live.

KNewman

List of my contributions to Wikipedia:

Russian explorers:

Count Fyodor Petrovich Litke, Piotr Fyodorovich Anjou, Aleksei Chirikov, Ferdinand Petrovich Wrangel, Yermak Timofeyevich, Boris Vilkitsky, Semion Chelyuskin, Dmitry Laptev, Khariton Laptev, Ilya Berezhnikh, Gavril Sarychev, Dmitry Ovtsyn, Yakov Permyakov, Yakov Sannikov, Matvei Gedenschtrom, Vassili Poyarkov, Grigory Shelikhov, Yerofey Khabarov, Otto Yulievich Schmidt, Vasily Golovnin, Georgiy Sedov, Fyodor Matyushkin, Vladimir Atlasov, Fyodor Minin, Yerofey Khabarov, Gavriil Pribilof, Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev ...

Geography:

New Siberian Islands, Matochkin Strait, Shikotan, Iturup, Kunashir, Tsarskoye Selo, Kal'chik River, Indigirka River, Solovetsky Islands, Volga-Don Canal, Yana River, Ufa River, Sylva River, Unzha River, Sviyaga River, Belaya River, Chusovaya River, Volkhov River, Neglinnaya River, Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, Starodub ...

Russian/Soviet history:

Sect of Skhariya the Jew, Ilmen Slavs, Krivichs, Radimichs, Dregovichs, Drevlians, Sudebnik, Aleksey Shein, Vasili Mikhailovich Altfater, Ivan Zarutsky, Praying of Daniel the Immured, Russo-Turkish War, 1735-39, Black repartition, Dmitry Andreyevich Tolstoy, Marina Mniszech, Military district, Streltsy Rebellion, Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel, Gulistan Treaty, Arctic Sea Flotilla, Soviet Guards, Amur Military Flotilla, Kuril Islands Landing Operation, Streltsy Department, Streltsy Uprising, Regiments of the new type, Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, Streltsy, Alexander Nevsky (rewrote), Andrei Zhelyabov, Eternal Peace Treaty, Ivan Mazepa, Crimean campaigns, Eternal Peace Treaty, Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, Russkaya Pravda, Andrei Zhelyabov, Narodnaya Volya, Boris Morozov, Sophia Alekseyevna, Society of the Godless, Timofei Mikhailov, Nikolai Rysakov, Ignacy Hryniewiecki (rewrote), Pervomartovtsi, Sviatoslav II of Kiev, Alexander Dutov, Neva Battle, Nikolai Nikolaevich Yudenich, Battleship Potemkin uprising, Aleksandr Ulyanov, Treaty of Andrusovo, Sophia Paleologue, Iziaslav of Kiev, Wilhelm Mirbach, Sophia Perovskaya, Great standing on the Ugra river, Ivan III Vasiliyevich, Vasili III of Russia, Vassili I Dmitriyevich, Mikhail of Tver, Mikhail Yaroslavich, Yuri Danilovich, Semeon of Russia, Yury Dolgoruky, Daniel of Russia, Soviet Red Banner Northern Fleet, Soviet Caspian Flotilla, Soviet Pacific Fleet, Soviet Naval Air Force, Vasili II, Service class, Semiryechensk Cossacks, Amur Cossaks, Astrakhan Cossacks, Orenburg Cossacks, Baikal Cossacks, Committee of Members of the Constituent Assembly, Procurator General of the USSR, Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Soviet of the Union, Soviet of Nationalities, Grigory Mikhailovich Semenov, Andrei Shkuro, Aleksei Maksimovich Kaledin, Vsevolod Nikolayevich Merkulov, Hero of Socialist Labor (completely rewrote), Ivan Serov, Zemlya i volya, Popovtsy, Gesya Gelfman, Vasili Generalov, Vasili Osipanov, Pakhomiy Andreyushkin, Petr Shevyrev, Sergey Nechayev, Alexander Nevsky’s Life, Ivan Delyanov, Mikhail Vasilevich Alekseev, Russo-Turkish War of 1686-1700

Russian Orthodox Church:

Strigolniki, Gerontius (metropolitan), Zosimus, Philip I, Metropolitan of Moscow, Theodosius, Metropolitan of Moscow, Jonas, Isidore the Apostate, Alexius, Metropolitan of Moscow, Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow, Theognostus, Photius, Metropolitan of Moscow, Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, Cyprian, Metropolitan of Moscow, Lives of the saints

Russian scientists:

Pavel Yablochkov, Lodygin, Pyotr Kozmitch Frolov, Cherepanov, Gleb Kotelnikov, Nikolay Nikolayevich Beketov, Alexander Dmitrievich Zasyadko

Other:

Zaporozhets (car), Nikita Mikhalkov, Tsar Cannon, Tsar-Kolokol, Khorunzhiy, Solovetsky Monastery, Yesaul, Pulkovo Observatory, Armoury (Kremlin)

For a complete list of my contributions, please go to my contributions

This user has been on Wikipedia for 20 years, 6 months and 5 days. en-3 This user can contribute with an advanced level of English. ru Русский — родной язык этого участника. it-2 Quest'utente può contribuire con un livello intermedio di italiano. uk-1 Користувач може робити внесок українською мовою на початковому рівні. sv-1 Den här användaren har grundläggande kunskaper i svenska. This user is a participant in WikiProject Soviet Union. This user is a member of WikiProject Russian History. This user lives in Russia. Этот участник живёт в России. This user lives in Moscow. This user is a participant in WikiProject Russia. This user thinks that registration should be required to edit articles. This user has autopatrolled rights on the English Wikipedia. (verify) 9,000+ This user has made more than 9,000 contributions to Wikipedia. This user supports the United Nations. Spent years in: Spent days to weeks in: