Great Russia

Great Russia, sometimes Great Rus' (Russian: Великая Русь, Velikaya Rus'; Великая Россия, Velikaya Rossiya; Великороссия, Velikorossiya), is a name formerly applied to the territories of "Russia proper", the land that formed the core of the Grand Duchy of Moscow and later the Tsardom of Russia.

The name is said to have come from the Greek Μεγάλη Ῥωσσία or Ῥωσία (Megálē Rhōssía or Rhōsía).

The term is mentioned in the opening lines of the State Anthem of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics: "Unbreakable Union of freeborn Republics Great Russia has welded forever to stand!"

"An unbreakable union of free republics, Great Russia has sealed forever").

[2] Similarly, the terms Great Russian language (Великорусский язык, Velikorusskiy yazyk) and Great Russians (Великороссы, Velikorossy) were employed by ethnographers and linguists in the 19th century, but have since fallen out of use.