Why was russia slow to modernize?

Answer 1

It was decimated by barbarians until well into the 1500s. After that, Ivan the Terrible helped unite Russia and start a dynasty, but the tzars in power were some of the most oppressive monarchs in all of Europe, and serfdom was still common until almost the 20th century.

Answer 2

I'm still wondering the same thing, but I can give you an insight as to why it might not have so quickly : The government

You see, the Tsar of Russia simply did not do anything to help the people, so most of Russia remained peasant farms. This all changed following the October Revolution in 1917, about 10 - 15 years later Stalin enacted a Five-Year plan which would make collective farms and Industrialize the USSR