1776 ... I know Napoleon tried and failed to invade Russia and sold the US the Louisiana Purchase but, I also know the revolution was 100 years ago, so, can pre revolutionary Russia be considered the same system as post USSR Russia? (Rhetorical question, it can't); can it? If the USSR was a country, then, maybe USA is older than Russia since Russia has 'reset' and changed since the USA, stayed the same and ratified changed making amendments keeping the same union and flag (only changes was more stars because more states).
I would say Russia is older. Just because it changed its name for some decades isn't much of a distinction imo, especially considering how much of its cultural heritage survived the horrors of the Soviets. Very few Russians ever saw themselves as anything but Russian during the entirity of that fiasco.
The Russian "Empire" predates the U.S by 50 years or so.....but that was not Russia. Russian Empire: 1721–1917 Russian Federation: 1991–present Russian Republic: 1917 Russian SFSR: 1917–1922
The US. Every time there is a major change in the government of a nation, it really has to be considered a new nation. About the only exception would be after an interregnum (say like in the UK after the Republican Period) where the original government returns, or if one government seamlessly follows another through self-change. An example of this would be the Confederation of the United States of America (1781-1781 ) and the Republic of the United States of America (1781 until today). While the government completely changed, it was initiated internally via peaceful means and not an overthrow or revolution. While superficially the nation of Russia today may occupy most of the same area of the old Russian Empire, it has little else in common. It does not even have the same capitol. The Romanov Dynasty had moved the capitol of the Russian Empire to St. Petersberg in 1712. And it remained so (other than 1728-1732) until the 1917 Revolution. No, modern Russia is only 27 years old. And each government that followed was very different from the other. Not even the territory was the same.
Ivan the Terrible ( 1530-1584 ) - Is he a Russian ruler or not? Again, while the adoption of Orthodoxy in Russia ( 988 ) - was it in Russia or not? And if Orthodoxy was accepted in Russia, does this mean that Russia existed before this process? ... It is believed that the state continuity of Russia has been going since 862. And the country (in the sense of people, traditions, culture), of course, is even older.
You need to google "Peter The Great". The google "George Washington". That should answer your question.
initial Russian state the Kievan Rus in 862, as Kiev is now in modern Ukraine is huge annoyance to Russia/Putin...
