MAP 10: THE EXPANSION OF RUSSIA, 1689-1812
Russia had no coastline on either the Baltic or the Black Sea at the beginning of the 18th century. Kiev and Smolensk were right on Russia's western border. The empire expanded into the Baltic area (St. Petersburg, Estonia, Latvia) at the start of that century, and into Poland and toward the Black Sea toward the end. The Crimea was conquered in 1783/92. The Caucasus area became part of the empire at the beginning of the 19th century; Finland was added in 1809 and Bessarabia (near present-day Rumania) was annexed in 1812.