What three themes often appear in russias history

1. Major military invasion in every century since the Viking founding of Kievan Rus. 
2. Brutal autocratic governments regardless of the nominal label 
3. Modernization: two steps forward, two steps back. 
4. European and Asian influence on all aspects of society. Scratch a Russian, you'll find a Mongol 
5. World Class Cities v. Rural Country Villages. St. Petersburg v. the Russian steppes 
6. Russian v. ethnic minority demographics; vodka, lifespans, and the declining birthrate of the Russian family