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Bezborodko, Aleksandr Andreevich, Prince

(Encyclopedia)Bezborodko, Aleksandr Andreevich, Prince əlyĭksänˈdər əndrāˈəvĭch bĕzbôrôdˈkô [key], 1747–99, Russian statesman. He became secretary of petitions under Catherine II in 1775 and from 1...

Hamilton, James, 3d earl of Arran

(Encyclopedia)Hamilton, James, 3d earl of Arran, 1530–1609, Scottish nobleman; son of James Hamilton, 2d earl of Arran. He spent some years (1550–58) as a soldier in France, but his espousal of Protestantism br...

kray

(Encyclopedia)kray krī [key] [Rus.,=edge], administrative and territorial unit of Russia. There are nine krays, or territories, within Russia. They are: Altai Territory, Kamchatka Territory, Khabarovsk Territory, ...

sable

(Encyclopedia)sable, species of marten, Martes zibellina, found in Siberia, N European Russia, and N Finland. This carnivorous mammal is highly valued for its thick, soft fur, which is dark brown or black, sometime...

Gordin, Jacob Mikhailovich

(Encyclopedia)Gordin, Jacob Mikhailovich yäˈkôb mĭkhīˈləvyĭch gôrˈdĭn [key], 1853–1909, American writer of Yiddish plays, b. Russia. He was for some years a teacher and a newspaper writer in St. Peters...

Kurile Lake

(Encyclopedia)Kurile Lake, crater lake, 29 sq mi (76 sq km), 130 mi (209 km) SSW of Petropavlovsk, Russia, near the tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Located in a rugged volcanic region and lying some 330 ft (100 m) ...

Suzdal

(Encyclopedia)Suzdal so͞ozˈdəl [key], city, central European Russia, NE Moscow. Its major industry is tourism. Founded c.1024 as a fortress town, it developed from the 11th to 12th cent. as an important city of ...

Sergiyev Posad

(Encyclopedia)Sergiyev Posad zəgôrskˈ [key], city (1989 pop. 115,000), central European Russia. It is a rail terminus and a handicraft center known for wood carvings and toys. Manufactures include farm machinery...

Rezanov, Nikolai Petrovich

(Encyclopedia)Rezanov, Nikolai Petrovich nyĭkəlīˈ pētrôˈvîch ryĕzäˈnəf [key], 1764–1807, Russian trader, an official of the Russian American Company. In 1803 he headed an expedition that aimed to go a...

Inns of Court

(Encyclopedia)Inns of Court, collective name of the four legal societies in London that have the exclusive right of admission to the bar. These societies—Lincoln's Inn, Gray's Inn, the Inner Temple, and the Middl...