'Great Russia' () is the obsolete name formerly applied to the territories of what was "Russia proper", the land that formed the core of
Muscovy and, later,
Russia. The name is equivalent to the
Greek ''Makra Rosia'' (Μακρά Ρωσία) used by
Byzantines for the northern part of the lands of
''Rus'''. The
term was adopted from the Byzantine chancellory by the
Russian
Tsars and
Emperors, whose official title included the wording (literal translation): ''"The Sovereign of all
Rus': the Great,
the Little, and
the White"''.
Similarly, the terms
Great Russian language (Великорусский язык, ''Velikorusskiy yazyk'') and Great Russians (Великороссы, ''Velikorossy''), have mostly fallen out of use.
See also
★
Etymology of Rus and derivatives: From Rus to Rossiya
★
Little Russia
★
White Russia