Chapters 1-2, pgs. 1-68 Summary

Russka, by Edward Rutherford, is the story of eighteen hundred years of Russian history. Rutherford tells the story of the history of the people and the country along with the politics and culture. The focal point of the book is the small village of Russka, located in the Russian heartland, examined from its beginnings until modern times. Most of the main characters, such as the Bobrovs, Suvorins, Karpenkos and Romanovs, trace their roots to the small village, even though they move around the country.

In 180 A.D., three families inhabit the steppe in the land that would be known as Russia in the future. Lebed and her five-year-old son, Kiy, sleep in a hut with ten other people. The area they live in is unknown to the rest of the ancient world. Little Kiy goes outside and...