Russia in 1910 Eventually, empires and nations all collapse. The end of them can be many various causes. Whether becoming to large for their good, being ruled by a series of out touch men, having too many enemies, succumbing to civil war or a combination; no country is safe. The Russia of 1910 was in horrible situation. It had all of these problems. Russia would not have existed by 1920 were it not for Vladimir Ilich Lenin, the only man capable of saving the failing nation. Russia in 1910 was a very backwards country. Peasants who lived in absolute poverty made up the vast majority of Russia’s population.