| ARTICLES |
RUSSIAN
HISTORY
Bucknell University,
Lewisburg, PA 17837
1996 Robert Beard
This page dates the major (and some not so major) events
in Russian history and links them with explanatory and
related materials on the Web. The chronology has been
divided into four arbitrary periods: Kievan-Appanage
(860-1689), Imperial (1689-1916), Soviet (1917-1991)
and Post-Soviet (1991 to the present). A fifth page
displays related chronologies on specialized subjects.
Matti Vuorikoski offers an overview in Finnish. Should
you have suggestions for improvements or extensions,
please let Robert Beard know by clicking his name to
post an e-mail message. Please report all dead links
to him.
|
|
The
Kievan and Appanage Periods
860-1698 The House
of Rurik. The period of the Kievan Russian Empire,
destroyed by the Mongol - Tatars, and the rise of
Moscovy to recentralize the demolished empire.
Chronology of Russian History The Kievan and Appanage
Periods PERIOD OF KIEVAN RUS' 859-1240 860 Askold &
Dir clear the Dnepr and attack Constantinople - THE
RURIKOV DYNASTY 862-1613 - 862 Summoning of Rurik to
Novgorod 862-879? RURIK (Hrorekr) 879-913 OLEG (Helgi)
907 Oleg's expedition against Constantinople 911 Oleg's
treaty with the Byzantine Empire 913-945 IGOR (Ingvar)
941 Expedition of Igor against Constantinople 945 Igor's
treaty with Byzantine Empire 945-962 OLGA (Helga) 957
Olga baptized in Constantinople 962-972 SVIATOSLAV 965-967
Sviatoslav conquers the Khazar cities of Sarkel and
Itil 980-1015 ST. VLADIMIR 988 Baptism of Vladimir and
conversion of Russia to Christianity (but pagan beliefs
continue among folk) 11th century First birch-bark documents
Novgorod streets paved with lumber (first in Paris pavement,
1184) Wooden water pipes laid in Novgorod 1016 Russian-Byzantine
force destroys Georgius Tzul's Khazaria 1019-1054 YAROSLAV
THE WISE 1030 Yaroslav starts first school in Novgorod
1037 Saint Sofia Cathedral begun in Kiev 1045-1057 Building
of Saint Sofia in Novgorod 1051 The cave at Peshchersk
Lavra settled by Antonius of Chernigov 1054 Schism between
Eastern and Western Catholicism 1054-1073 Russkaia Pravda,
first Russian law, written 1092?-1125 VLADIMIR MONOMAKH
1095 First election of prince in Novgorod 1116 Primary
Chronicle composed 1125-1157 YURI DOLGORUKI (founder
of Moscow) 1125-1200 Second version of Russkaia Pravda
1147 Moscow founded by Yuri Dolgoruki (English) 1156
First Kremlin built in Moscow 1157-1176 ANDREI BOGOLJUBSKI
1167 Sadko builds a church in Novgorod 1169 Sack of
Kiev by Andrei Bogoliubsky, prince of Vladimir-Suzdal'
1176-1212 VSEVOLOD BIG NEST 1185 Igor Sviatoslavovich
of Seversk marches against the Polovetsians 1195 First
Novgorod treaty with German towns and Gotland 1196 Novgorod
granted right to select prince 1204 4th Crusade captures
Constantinople; Latin Empire rules until 1261 1212-1237
YURI II 1223 First Mongol invasion; Russians defeated
on the Kalka 1227 Death of Genghis Khan 1237-1242 Mongol
conquest of Russia 1237-1246 YAROSLAV II THE APPANAGE
PERIOD, 1240-1480 1240 Victory of Alexander Nevsky over
Swedes on the Neva 1242 Battle on the Ice: Nevsky's
victory over the Teutonic Knights on Lake Peipus 1253
Founding of Sarai as capital of the Golden Horde 1270
Novgorod treaty with the Hansa 1275 Population of Russia
about ten million 1294 First Russian icon which is dated
and signed (Novgorod) 1300 Metropolitan of Kiev settles
at Vladimir 1326 Final establishment of Metropolitan
in Moscow 1337 Foundation of Trinity Monastery in Sergiev
Posad 1328-1340 IVAN I MONEY-BAGS (Kalita) 1340-1353
SIMEON THE PROUD 1348 Pskov secures independence from
Novgorod Swedish King Magnus marches against Novgorod
1353-1359 IVAN II THE MEEK 1359-1389 DMITRI DONSKOI
1360 Andrei Rublev born (probably) 1362 Kiev taken by
Grand Duke of Lithuania, Olgerd 1367-1368 First stone
fortifications of Moscow Kremlin 1371-1375 Heresy of
Strigol'niks (Shearers) in Novgorod 1378 Feofan the
Greek paints first frescoes in Novgorod 1380 Victory
of Dmitri Donskoi over the Tatars at Kulikovo Field
1382 Moscow burnt by Tokhtamysh 1389-1425 VASSILY I
1390-1430 Active life of icon painter Andrei Rublev
1395 Defeat of the Golden Horde by Tamerlane 1425-1462
VASSILY II THE DARK 1430-1466 Disintegration of Golden
Horde 1436 Foundation of Solovetsky Monastery 1439 Council
of Florence Reunion of eastern and western churches
1441 Metropolitan Isidore deposed for accepting Council
of Florence 1448 Church of Russia declared autocephalous
1453 Capture of Constantinople by the Ottomans 1462-1505
IVAN III THE GREAT 1471 Campaign of Ivan III against
Novgorod Charter of the city of Novgorod 1472 Marriage
of Ivan III with Zoe (Sophia), niece of last Byzantine
Emperor 1475-1478 Cathedral of Assumption in Kremlin
built by Fieravanti 1476-1478 Visit to Moscow of Ambrosio
Contarini, first foreigner to write about Moscow 1478
Incoporation of Novgorod into Muscovy 1480 Unsuccessful
campaign of Golden Horde against Ivan III 1480 END OF
MUSCOVITE DEPENDENCY ON MONGOLS 1481-1502 Active career
of icon and fresco painter Dionysius 1485 Cathedral
of Annunciation built by masons from Pskov 1485-1516
Building of the new Kremlin in Moscow 1487-1491 Palace
of Facets built by Marco Ruffo & Pietro Antonio
Solari. 1488 Uprising in Novgorod 1494 End of the Hansa
in Novgorod 1497 Sudebnik: Law code of Ivan III 1503
Church Council: Victory of the Josephites over the nonposessors
Heresy of Judaizers condemned 1505-1533 VASSILY III
1505-1509 Cathedral of Archangel Michael built by Alevisio
Nuovi of Milan 1510 Incoporation of Pskov into Muscovy
1517-1519 Printing of first books in Russian in Prague
1524 Novodevichy Convent founded by Vasilli III 1525
Maxim the Greek condemned by the Church Council 1529-1560
Construction of churches at Dyakovo, Ostrovo and Kolomenskoe
1533-1538 REGENCY OF YELENA GLINSKAYA 1533-1538 1538-1547
PERIOD OF DISPUTED REGENCY (BELSKYS AND SHUISKYS) 1547-1584
IVAN IV (THE TERRIBLE) 1547 Twenty-two Russian saints
canonized Novgorod and Pskov icon painters ordered to
Moscow after great fire 1550-1555 Construction of the
Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed celebrating the capture
of Asktrakhan (1556) 1550-1700 134 books translated
into Russian 1551 Council of the Hundred Chapters (Stoglav)
1552 Capture of Kazan 1553 Opening of the White Sea
route by Willoghby and Chancellor 1555 Granting of charter
to The Russia Company (England) 1556 Asktrakhan defeated
1558 Stroganovs granted land on Kama River 1558-1583
Livonian war against Poland and Sweden, for possession
of Baltic 1560's Edition of Domostroi, a book of principles
of family life 1564 First book printed in Moscow Kurbsky
flees to Lithuania 1565-1572 Ivan the Terrible's reign
of terror: the oprichnina 1566 First Zemskii Sobor (Consultative
Land Assembly) 1570 Ivan the Terrible's pogrom in Novgorod
1571 Crimean Tartars burn Moscow 1571-1600 Fortification
of southern frontier Beginning of Don, Zaporozhian,
and Ural Cossacks 1580's Boris Godunov sends 18 Russians
to study abroad (none return) 1582 Yermak and the beginning
of the conquest of Siberia Privilege of St. George's
Day (Iur'ev Den'), November 26, abolished 1584-1598
FEDOR I 1585 Foundation of Archangelsk THE TIME OF TROUBLES,
1598-1613 1598-1605 BORIS GODUNOV Lord Protector 1588
Giles Fletcher in Moscow 1589 Creation of Moscow Patriarchate
1590's Rostov becomes the seat of Metropolitan 1591
Dmitri tsarevich killed in Uglich 1601-1603 Famine Erection
of the bell tower of Ivan the Great 1606-1607 Revolt
of Bolotnikov 1610-1612 Poles occupy Moscow 1612-1613
Minin and Pozharsky lead popular militia against Poles
in Moscow 1611-1617 Swedes occupy Novgorod THE ROMANOV
DYNASTY, 1613-1917 ,1613 Election of Michael Romanov
as tsar by Zemskii Sobor 1613-1645 MICHAEL FEDOROVICH
ROMANOV 1618 Peace with Sweden Loss of any outlet to
Baltic 1634-1638 Two visits of Adam Olearius to Moscow
1636 Patriarch orders all musical instruments burned
1645-1676 ALEXIS MIKHAILOVICH ROMANOV 1648-1649 Up-risings
in Moscow and other towns 1649 Ulozhenie: Law Code of
Tsar Alexis Abolition of English trading privileges
1650's Moscow population about 200,000 1650 Patriarch
standardizes the five-domed church 1652 Foreigners in
Moscow required to live in Nemetskaia Sloboda 1653 Last
full meeting of Zemskii Sobor 1654 Church Council adopts
Nikon's reforms 1654 BEGINNING OF THE SCHISM (Raskol)
Union of Ukraine with Muscovy 1660's Moscow linked with
Amsterdam and Berlin by regular postal service 1664
Grigorii Kotoshikhin flees to Sweden 1666 Church Council
deposes Patriarch Nikon 1667 Cession to Moscovy of Kiev,
Little Russia, and Smolensk 1670-1671 Revolt of Stenka
Razin 1671 Avvakum writes his Life in prison 1672 Russian
embassies sent to all major European states 1672 Artakserova
deistva, first play given at Moscow court 1674 Synopsis,
first textbook of Russian history, appears 1676 Theater
opens at Preobrazhenskoe 1676-1682 FEDOR III ROMANOV
1682 Peter assumes throne, with Sophia as regent 1684
Sophia institutes formal persecution of Old Believers
by decree 1689 Treaty of Nerchinsk with China
|
|
The
Imperial Period
1698-1917 The House
of Romanov. Peter's Westernization of Russia culminated
in the destruction of the autocracy by the Socialist
Revolution of 1917.
THE IMPERIAL PERIOD, 1689-1917 1689-1725 PETER I, THE
GREAT 1695 Beginning of the Russian navy 1696 July 18
Surrender of Azov to Peter I 1697 Conquest of Kamchatka
1697-1698 Peter's visit to the West Revolt of Streltsy
crushed 1700 Suspension of the patriarchate 1700-1721
Great Northern War with Sweden 1703 Founding of St.
Petersburg Russia's first newspaper established: Vedomosti
o voennykh i inykh delakh May Peter & Paul Fortress
founded 1704 Peter I takes Narva from Charles XII of
Sweden 1707-1708 Bulavin uprising 1708 Establishment
of the guberniias (provinces) 1709 Russian victory over
Charles XII of Sweden at Poltava 1710 First census (household
and tax) 1711 First press in St. Petersburg November
19 Mikhail Lomonosov born 1713 Transfer of capital to
St. Petersburg 1716-1717 Jean-Baptiste Le Blond begins
Petrodvorets (Peterhof) 1718 Institution of poll tax
Foundation of administrative colleges Tsarevich Alexis
killed 1720 Pososhkov's book On Poverty and Wealth 1721
Holy Synod replaces patriarchate Treaty of Nystad: Livonia,
Estonia, Karelia, Ingria acquired from Sweden Peter
assumes the title of emperor Organization of state postal
service 1722 Table of Ranks established 1725 Death of
Peter the Great Foundation of the Academy of Sciences
1725-1727 CATHERINE I SKAVRONSKA 1727-1730 PETER II
ROMANOV 1728 Sankt-Peterburgskie vedomosti first published
1725-1729 Arctic expedition of Vitus Bering (second,
1732-1741) 1730 Struggle over the terms of the succession
1730-1740 ANNA ROMANOVA 1741 Lomonosov appointed to
the Academy of Sciences Vitus Bering discovers the Aleutian
Islands and Alaska 1740-1741 IVAN VI ROMANOV 1741-1762
ELIZABETH ROMANOVA 1746 Ban of purchase of serfs by
non-nobles 1750 First professional Russian theater founded
in Yaroslavl by Fyodor Volkov 1753 Decree abolishing
internal customs 1754-1762 Bartolomeo Rastrelli builds
the Winter Palace 1755 Lomonosov founds Moscow University
1760's Fonvizin's comedies The Brigadier, The General
and The Minor 1760 Landowners granted right to exile
serfs to Siberia 1761-1762 PETER III * ROMANOV 1762
Peter III issues Manifesto on the Rights of the Nobility
Peter III murdered 1762-1796 CATHERINE II * THE GREAT
VON ANHALT-ZERBST 1764-67 Founding of German colonies
along the Lower Volga River 1764 Final secularization
of Church lands 1765 Establishment of the Free Economic
Society 1767 Peasants forbidden to submit complaints
against their landowners 1767-1768 Legislative Commission
1769-1794 Catherine the Great publishes satirical journals
Novikov's journals The Drone and The Painter 1772 First
partition of Poland--Belorussia annexed to Russia 1773-1775
Revolt of Pugachev 1774 Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainardji 1775
Liquidation of the Zaporozhian Cossacks 1780's Englishman
Cameron builds at Tsarskoe Selo 1781-1786 Full absorption
of the Ukraine into Russian Empire 1782-1785 Giacomo
Quarenghi builds the Hermitage 1783 Incorporation of
the Crimea Private printing presses permitted 1784 Gregory
Shelekov establishes the first colony in Alaska 1785
April 21 Charter of the Nobility and gentry an estate
1790 Radishchev's Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow
1793 Second Partition of Poland 1795 Third Partition
of Poland 1796 Death of Catherine the Great The Alexander
Palace is completed 1796-1801 PAUL I ROMANOV 1797 Establishment
of the three-day barshchina 1799 Russo-American Trading
Company formed Suvorov's campaign in northern Italy
and Switzerland June 6 Alexander S. Pushkin born 1801
Murder of Paul I 1801-1825 ALEXANDER I ROMANOV 1801
Acquisition of eastern Georgia Sale of serfs without
land prohibited 1802 Formation of ministries 1806 Conquest
of Daghestan and Baku 1806-1815 The new Admiralty built
by Zakharov 1807-1811 Reforms of Speransky 1809 Krylov's
Fables Annexation of Finland 1812 June 24 Napoleon's
invasion of Russia August 26 Battle of Borodino Sept
14 Napoleon enters Moscow October 19 Napoleon departs
Moscow 1813-1814 Alexander's pursuit of Napoleon to
Paris 1815-1825 Ascendancy of Arakcheev 1816-1819 Abolition
of serfdom in Baltic provinces 1817 Transfer of the
Makariev Fair to Nizhnii Novgorod 1817-1857 Montferrand
builds St. Isaac's Cathedral 1818 Karamzin's History
of the Russian State 1819 University of St. Petersburg
founded 1819-1829 The Italian Rossi builds the General
Staff Building on Palace Square 1821 F. M. Dostoevsky
born October 30 in Moscow 1825-1855 NICHOLAS I ROMANOV
1825 Decembrist Uprising Griboedov's comedy Woe from
Wit 1830 Briullov's painting Last Day of Pompeii Alexander
Pushkin completes Eugene Onegin Mathematician Lobachevsky
publishes first work 1830-1831 Polish rebellion 1832
Uvarov's three principles enunciated: autocracy, orthodoxy,
nationality Alexandrine Theater in St. Petersburg opened
1833 Code of Laws 1834 Kiev University founded 1836
Nov 27 Glinka's opera Life for the Tsar (Ivan Susanin)
Gogol's Inspector General Chadaaev's Philosophical Letters
1837 A. S. Pushkin shot in a dual with D'Anthes, dies
January 29 1838 First Russian railroad--St. Petersburg
to Tsarskoe Selo Gubernskie vedomosti first published
by order of the tsar 1838-1847 Belinsky works on the
Notes of the Fatherland 1840 Lermontov's Hero of Our
Time 1841 Ban against the sale of peasants individually
1842 Glinka's opera Ruslan and Ludmila Gogol's Dead
Souls 1846 May 30 Abolition of Corn Laws in England;
increase of Russian grain exports Peter Carl Faberge
born in St. Petersburg 1847 Herzen leaves Russia forever
Belinsky's Letter to Gogol 1849 Dostoevsky sentenced
to forced labor in Siberia Russian intervention in Hungary
1851 Nov 13 St. Petersburg-Moscow railway opened 1852
Turgenev's Sportsman's Notebook 1853 Ostrovsky's first
play produced 1853-1856 Crimean War 1855 Death of Nicholas
I 1855-1881 ALEXANDER II ROMANOV 1856 George | Plekhanov
born 1857 First issue of Herzen's Kolokol (The Bell)
Alexander Ivanov's painting Christ's Appearance to the
People 1858-1860 Acquisition from China of Amur and
Maritime provinces 1859 Surrender of Shamil; conquest
of Caucasus completed Goncharov's Oblomov 1860 Founding
of Vladivostok 1860-1873 First railway boom 1861 Feb
19 Emancipation of the serfs 1862 St. Petersburg Conservatory
founded; Anton Rubinstein, director The Mighty Five
(Balakierev, Cui, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky)
announce intentions to create a school of true Russian
music Turgenev's Fathers and Sons 1863 Polish rebellion
Artists Co-operative Society (Peredvizhniki) founded
Chernyshevsky's What Is To Be Done? 1863-1865 Law (courts)
and education reform Zemstvo instituted 1864-1885 Conquest
of central Asia 1866 Moscow Conservatory founded; Tchaikovsky
becomes a professor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment
is published 1867 March 30 Alaska sold to the United
States of America 1869 Tolstoy's War and Peace is published
1870 April 22 Society for Traveling Art Exhibitions
(Peredvizhniks) Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin) is born
Mendeleyev's Principles of Chemistry 1872 Russian translation
of Marx's Capital Carl Faberge takes over his father's
jewelry business 1873 Beginning of the movement To the
People (V narod) 1874 Mussorgsky's opera Boris Godunov
1876 Land and Freedom Party 1877 Tchaikovsky's Swan
Lake 1877-1878 March 3 June 13 War with Turkey Treaty
of San Stefano Congress of Berlin Begins 1878 Tchaikovsky's
First Piano Concerto takes Paris by storm Tchaikovsky's
opera Eugene Onegin Tolstoy's Anna Karenina 1879 People's
Will Party and Black Partition established 1880 Dostoevsky's
Brothers Karamazov 1881 March 1 Assassination of Alexander
II 1881-1894 ALEXANDER III ROMANOV 1884 Reactionary
regulations for universities 1888 Rimsky-Korsakov's
Scheherazade 1890 Borodin's opera Prince Igor Tchaikovsky's
Sleeping Beauty 1891 Beginning of the Trans-Siberian
railway 1891-1893 Making of the Franco-Russian alliance
1892 Tret'iakov donates his art collection to the city
of Moscow 1892-1903 Witte as minister of communications,
finance and commerce 1894-1917 NICHOLAS II * ROMANOV
1896 Disastrous production of Chekhov's The Seagull
in St. Petersburg 1897 Jan 28 First all-Russian census
counts 128,907,692 people 1898 Moscow Art Theater founded,
produces Chekhov's Sea Gull 1st Congress of the Russian
Social Democratic Party (Minsk) Occupation of Port Arthur
1900 Boxer Rebellion; Russia occupies Manchuria 1901
Jan 31 Chekhov's Three Sisters opens at MKhAT to poor
reviews 1902 Gorky's Lower Depths opens at MKhAT 1903
2nd Party Congress (Brussels) Split into Mensheviks
and Bolsheviks 1904 General strike in Tbilisi and Baku
1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War 1905 January 22 October
17 1905 REVOLUTION: General Strike Bloody Sunday October
Manifesto Potemkin Mutiny 3rd Party Congress Constitutional
Democrats (Kadets) Program 1906 April 4th Party Congress
First Duma First Constitution (Fundamental Law) 1906-1911
The Stolypin | Land Reforms 1907 Second Duma 5th Party
Congress Emergence of Triple Entente (France, Britain,
Russia) against Triple Alliance (Germany, Austro-Hungary,
Italy) Third Duma 1908 Trotsky becomes editor of Pravda
in Vienna 1909 May 19 First performance of Diaghilev's
Ballet russe 1910 November 7 Igor Stravinsky's Firebird
scandalizes Paris Leo Tolstoy dies at Astapovo station
1911-1913 Balkan Wars 1912 April 4 Fourth Duma Lena
gold field massacre (from which Lenin took his pseudonym)
1913 Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring 1914 World War
I begins St. Petersburg renamed 'Petrograd' 1916 Dec
16 Murder of Rasputin by Felix | Yusupov et al.
|
|
The
Soviet Period
1917-1991 The Communist
Party maintained the Empire as the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics. The USSR fell in 1991 and dissolved
into 15 nations.
THE SOVIET PERIOD, 1917-1991 1917 1917 REVOLUTIONS (February
23/March 8) February Duma convened Bread riots and strikes
in Petrograd March 15 Abdication of Nicholas II in favor
of GP Mikhail GP Mikhail transfers power to Provisional
Government under Lvov Dual Power (dvoevlastie) begins
Petrograd Soviet of Workers' Deputies Order No. 1 Kamenev
and Stalin return from Siberia April Finland Station:
Lenin returns to Russia Lenin's April Theses May Miliukov's
note to Allies Coalition Provisional Government June
Election of Constituent Assembly set for September 30
July Russian offensive against Germans Uprising against
Provisional Government Prince Lvov resigns; Kerensky
becomes premier 6th Party Congress August Kerensky becomes
dictator Constituent Assembly election postponed to
November 25 Sept 9-14 Kornilov uprising November OCTOBER
| REVOLUTION (October 25/November 7) Patriarchate re-established
Constituent Assembly elections begin December Armistice
negotiations at Brest-Litovsk December 20 Establishment
of Cheka Left SRs enter coalition with Bolsheviks 1918-1924
VLADIMIR ILYICH LENIN 1918 January Constituent Assembly
is dissolved February Separation of church and state
Russia moves to the Gregorian Calendar (not the Church)
March 3 Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (KOI8) 7th Party Congress
British land at Murmansk April Japanese land at Vladivostok
June Committees of the Village Poor established Nationalization
of industry July July 10 Intervention | begins Lenin
(RFSFR) Constitution ratified July 17 Murder of Tsar
Nicholas II and his family in Ekaterinburg August American
troops land in Vladivostok September American troops
land at Archangelsk November End of World War I Soviets
repudiate Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (copy) French troops
land at Odessa December British troops land at Batum
1919 Founding of the Comintern March Kolchak launches
drive against Bolsheviks 8th Party Congress April French
withdraw from Odessa June June 28 Height of Denikin
advance Treaty of Versailles October Allies withdraw
from Murmansk and Archangel 1920 January Kolchak shot
by Bolsheviks Allied blockade lifted March 9th Party
Congress April Wrangel replaces Denikin November Wrangel
evacuates Crimea Civil War ends in Russia 1921 NEW ECONOMIC
POLICY (NEP) BEGINS Kronstadt Uprising 10th Party Congress:
orders for Purge Treaty of Riga with Poland; establishment
of Curzon Line 1922 Cheka replaced by OGPU April Stalin
becomes secretary general Treaty of Rapallo with Germany
11th Party Congress Lenin's first stroke The USSR declared
Dec. 23 Lenin begins his Testament 1923 12th Party Congress
January 4 Lenin finishes his Testament Lenin's second
stroke 1924 Lenin's death (January 21) 13th Party Congress
USSR constitution ratified Petrograd renamed 'Leningrad'
USSR recognized by Great Britain, France, Italy 1925
14th Party Congress Trotsky removed as war commissar
1926 Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev ousted from Politburo
1927 15th Party Congress: Trotsky, Zinoviev and followers
expelled from Party; Stalin takes control Communist
revolt in China crushed 1927-1953 JOSIF VISSARIONOVICH
STALIN 1928 First Five-Year Plan adopted 1929 Trotsky
deported Nikolai Bukharin ousted from Politburo Collectivization
and industrialization begins 1930 16th Party Congress
Stalin's "Dizzy with Success" speech 1932-1933 Ukrainian
| Famine 1932 Dissolution of Russian Association of
Proletarian Writers January 21 Non-Agression Pact with
Finland Prokofiev returns from abroad First mention
of "socialist realism" Soviet/French non-aggression
pact 1933 USA recognizes USSR Ivan Bunin wins Russia's
first Nobel Prize in literature 1933-1937 Second Five-Year
Plan 1934 17th Party Congress Birobidzhan becomes autonomous
Jewish state First Congress of Russian Writers Soviet
Union joins League of Nations Kirov assassinated; beginning
of Stalinist purges 1935 Collective farm statute Campaign
of Stakhanovism begins 1936 Gorky dies December Stalin
constitution promulgated Show trials of Zinoviev, Kamenev,
et al. prosecuted by Vishinsky 1937 Trial of Radek,
et al. Much of Soviet army command executed 1937-41
Stalinshchina (Stalin Terror) 1938 Eisenstein's Alexander
Nevsky Trial of Bukharin, et al. 1938-1941 Third Five-Year
Plan 1939 18th Party Congress Minimum labor days set
for collective farms Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact
World War II: Germans invade Poland Soviet occupation
of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania Stalin named 'Man
of the Year' by TIME Soviet attacks on Poland and Finland
1940 Sholokhov completes Silent Don End of war with
Finland Baltic states are annexed Bessarabia are annexed
Trotsky is murdered in Mexico 1941 GERMAN INVASION OF
USSR (June 22) Stalin names himself head of government
September 1 Mass evacuation of Volga Germans 1942 Churchill
visits Moscow Lend-Lease in full operation Stalin named
'Man of the Year' by TIME again 1943 German surrender
at Stalingrad Dissolution of the Comintern Sergius becomes
Patriarch October The Moscow Conference November Teheran
Conference 1944 May 11 Crimean Tatars banished to Siberia
1945 February Yalta Conference Vienna and Berlin taken
by Russian troops July 17-Aug 2 Potsdam | Conference
Deutsch July 24 US successfully test an atom bomb Eisenstein's
Ivan the Terrible, Part I, wins Stalin Prize 1946 First
elections to the Supreme Soviet since 1937 Churchill's
"Sinews of Peace" Speech at Westminster College Now
hear it! Zhdanov attacks Zoshchenko and Soviet composers
Eisenstein's Ivan the Terrible, Part II, withdrawn from
theaters First session of the UN opens Communist government
in Bulgaria 1946-1950 Fourth Five-Year Plan 1947 Rationing
abolished Cominform established 1948 Czechoslovakia
joins Soviet bloc 1948 Berlin blockade Yugoslavia expelled
from Cominform 1949 USSR tests atomic bomb 1950 USSR
and China sign alliance treaty 1951-1955 Fifth Five-Year
Plan 1952 19th Party Congress 1953 DEATH OF STALIN Malenkov,
premier; Khrushchev, first secretary Beria executed
1954 April 26 Ehrenburg's The Thaw initiates 'The Thaw'
Crimea transferred to Ukraine 1954-1956 Khrushchev's
'Virgin Land' program 1955 Malenkov replaced by Bulganin
Summit Conference in Geneva Warsaw Pact established
1956 20th Party Congress Khrushchev's "Secret Speech";
Lenin's Testament read Party condemns "cult of the individual"
November Hungarian revolution quashed Molotov resigns
1957 Malenkov, Kaganovich and Molotov ousted Decentralization
of economic organization First Sputnik launched USSR
successfully tests ICBM 1958 Bulganin resigns US-USSR
cultural exchange agreement US edition of Doctor Zhivago
Boris Pasternak awarded Nobel Prize for literature 1958-1964
NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV 1959 Mikoyan, Kozlov, and Khrushchev
visit USA Khrushchev launches his corn campaign 21st
Party Congress 1959-1965 Seven-Year Plan "Anti-Party
Group" denounced 1960 May Khrushchev at UN Assembly
in New York Boris Pasternak dies 1961 Apr 12 Yurii Gagarin
becomes the first man in space August The Berlin Wall
is built October 22nd Party Congress New Party program
and rules Stalin's remains removed from Lenin Mausoleum
Berlin Wall is built 1962 Solzhenitsyn's One Day in
the Life of Ivan Denisovich October Cuban Missile Crisis
1963 Russo-Chinese split deepens Central Committee Conference
on Ideology Ehrenburg, Evtushenko and others attacked
for non-conformity US-USSR "hotline" established August
US/USSR/Britain sign nuclear test ban treaty Founding
of the Taganka Theater 1964 Joseph Brodsky trial (February-March)
October KHRUSHCHEV OUSTED; BREZHNEV FIRST SECRETARY
Kosygin become Premier 1964-1982 LEONID ILYICH BREZHNEV
1965 Demonstrations in Moscow against US air-raids in
North Vietnam Mikhail Sholokhov wins Nobel Prize in
literature 1966 23rd Party Congress February Andrei
Sinyavski & Yulii Daniel trial for publishing abroad
1966-1970 Eighth Five-Year Plan 1967 Outer Space Treaty
Svetlana Alliluyeva, Stalin's daughter, defects 1967
Andropov becomes head of the KGB Fiftieth anniversary
of Bolshevik Revolution 1968 Moscow-NY commercial airline
service (PanAm and Aeroflot) Prague Spring; Soviet invasion
of Czechoslovakia Dissident (inakomyshlyashchii) movement
begins 1969 Preliminary round of SALT talks 1970 US-Soviet
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty US-USSR cultural exchange
Centenary of Lenin's birth Alexander Solzhenitsyn wins
Nobel Prize for literature 1970-1971 SALT talks 1971
Khrushchev dies February Solzhenitsyn deported from
USSR 24th Party Congress 1971-1975 Ninth Five-Year Plan
1972 Nixon in Moscow for summit SALT Treaty signed Restrictions
on Jewish emigration; Jackson-Vanik amendment SALT II
negotiations begin Fiftieth anniversary of USSR 1974
Solzhenitsyn expelled to West Germany Third Moscow summit
1975 Apollo-Soyuz Mission Sakharov wins Nobel Peace
Prize; visa to attend ceremonies denied 1976 25th Party
Congress 1976-1981 Tenth Five-Year Plan 1977 Dissidents
Ginzburg, Rudenko, Orlov, Shcharinskii arrested Master
and Margarita staged at Taganka Theater November Brezhnev
Constitution ratified 1978 Soviet UN Undersecretary
for Political and Security Council Affairs defects to
US June 8 Solzhenytsin's Harvard speech 1979 Gorbachev
is made a candidate member of Politburo December Soviets
invade Afghanistan 1980 US grain embargo to protest
invasion of Afghanistan Sakharov exiled 64 countries
boycott Moscow Summer Olympics to protest Soviet invasion
of Afghanistan Gorbachev promoted to full member of
Politburo Death of Vladimir Vysotsky 1981 26th Party
Congress 1981-1985 Eleventh Five-Year Plan 1982 Andropov
promoted to Secretariat Brezhnev dies; Andropov becomes
General Secretary 1983-1984 YURI ANDROPOV 1983 Sept.
5 Korean airliner shot down by Soviets 1984-1985 KONSTANTIN
CHERNENKO 1984 Andropov dies; Chernenko becomes General
Secretary Soviets withdraw from Summer Olympics in Los
Angeles Tarkovsky emigrates to Italy 1985 Chernenko
dies; Gorbachev becomes General Secretary Anti-alcoholism
program ('dry law') initiated Gorbachev calls for economic
reforms (Perestroika) 1985-1991 MIKHAIL GORBACHEV 1986
27th Party Congress April 26 Chernobyl disaster US/Soviet
summit in Reykjavik (Reagan and Gorbachev) Gorbachev's
anticorruption campaign 1986-1990 Twelfth Five-Year
Plan 1987 Sakharov freed from 7 years of exile in Gorky
Moscow showing of Abuladze's Repentance Mikhail Gorbachev
TIME "Man of the Year" Josef Brodsky awarded Nobel Prize
for literature Mathias Rust, 19 years old, lands his
Cessna 172 in Red Square; Air-defense commander Koldunov
removed Gorbachev sets 1991 as deadline for overhaul
of the economy Soviet diplomats go to Israel for first
official visit since 1967 US/Soviet summit in Washington
1988 Ethnic unrest in the Baltic republics February
20 Nagorno-Karabakh soviet declares the region under
Armenian control February 27 Azerbaijani massacre of
32 Armenians in Sumgait suburb of Baku March Nina Andreeva's
anti-Perestroika letter published in Sovetskaja Rossija
May 15 Soviets begin pullout from Afghanistan US/Soviet
summit in Moscow Trial of Churbanov, Brezhnev's son-in-law,
for bribery and extortion June 28 Second Party Conference.
New Congress of Peoples' Deputies with elected seats
announced Kremlin sends troops to Nagorno-Karabakh Gorbachev
becomes president Gorbachev's speech at U.N. announcing
significant cuts in Soviet military strength Armenian
earthquake, over 150,000 killed Doctor Zhivago first
published in Russia 1989 January Gorbachev takes control
of Nagorno-Karabakh February 1 Yuri Levada's questionnaire
in Lit gazeta Completion of Soviet pullout of Afghanistan
March 26 First multi-candidate elections; several uncontested
candidates defeated, Yeltsin and Sakharov overwhelmingly
win seats in the Congress of People's Deputies April
6 Protesters in Georgia demand independence, Soviet
troops move in Purging of "dead souls" in the Central
Committee Soviet-Chinese summit in Beijing May Coal
miners strike in Siberia, Ukraine, Central Asia Demonstrations
in Baltics for independence RUKH (Popular Movement of
the Ukraine) demands independence May 25-June 9 I. Congress
of Peoples Deputies of the USSR begins political reforms
July Coal miners strike in Vorkutka, Karaganda, Siberia
and the Ukraine September 4 Azerbaijani Popular Front
imposes blockade on 85% of freight entering Armenia
October Armenia and Azerbaijani engaged in civil war
November The Berlin | Wall comes down Dec. 14 Andrei
Sakharov dies 1990 Mikhail Gorbachev awarded Nobel Prize
for peace February Russia's first McDonald's opens on
Gorky Street March Elections of regional deputies of
the Russian Federation Lithuania declares independence
June 28th Party Congress Yeltsin announces resignation
from CP Supreme Soviet passes law to lift censorship
from the press June 12 I Congress of Peoples Deputies
of RSFSR passes "Declaration of State Sovereignty of
Russia" (Independence Day) November Nov 19 Law on Peasant
Farms allows kolkhozniks to own private farms CFE Treaty
signed in Paris |
|
The
Post-Soviet Period
1991-Present With
the disintegration of the USSR in December of 1991
Russia has set out on a new road to democracy and
a market economy.
THE POST-SOVIET PERIOD, 1991— 1991-- BORIS
NIKOLAEVICH YELTSIN January Soviet army attacks public
buildings in Riga and Vilnius June 12 Boris Yeltsin
becomes first democratically elected Russian President
July 10 Yeltsin's inauguration Bodies of Nicholas II
and family exhumed THE AUGUST 1991 COUP August 19 Yanayev,
Pugo, Yazov and 3 others announce take-over August 20
Yeltsin speaks to crowd from tank then barricades himself
in Parliament building August 21 Latvia declares its
independence Gorbachev returns from house arrest in
Crimea August 22 Pugo commits suicide August 24 Gorbachev
resigns as head of CP and Yeltsin closes Pravda and
disbands CP - Sept 5 State Council set up by Congress
of People's Deputies to govern in emergency Sept 7 Baltic
states recognized Fall Leningrad renamed 'St. Petersburg'
Nov 1 COMECON dissolves Nov 15 Freedom to import and
export established Dec1 Ukrainian referendum on independence
passed by 90.3% Dec 8 Presidents of Belarus, Russia,
Ukraine sign treaty to abolish USSR and form CIS Dec
25 Gorbachev announces his resignation and USSR ceases
to exist 1992 Jan 2 Prime Minister frees prices Ruble
plummets; prices sky-rocket March 31 Federation Treaty
signed by all autonomous republics except Chechnya &
Tatarstan May 6 Gorbachev closes an era at Westminster
College May 15 Treaty on Collective Security: Russia,
Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan
April 1 Western nations announce $24 billion aid package
for Russia April 6 Congress of People's Deputies begins
its attack on the government June 15 Yegor Gaidar appointed
acting prime minister Oct 1 Voucher privatization begins
Dec 14 Victor Chernomyrdin replaces Yegor Gaidar as
prime minister 1993 March 11 Congress of People's Deputies
passes resolution limiting powers of government to implement
reforms March 20 Yeltsin introduces 'special presidential
rule' March 23 Speaker of Congress Khasbulatov calls
for impeachment of Yeltsin April 3-4 US-Russian summit
in Vancouver April 25 Referendum supports the president
and the reforms August 31 Soviet troops withdrawn from
Lithuania (not Latvia & Estonia) Sept 18 Gaidar
rejoins government as first deputy prime minister Sept
21 President dissolves Congress of People's Deputies
and Supreme Soviet of RF and calls for election of Federal
Assembly Sept 22 Parliament appoints Vice President
Rutskoi president STORMING OF THE HOUSE OF THE SOVIETS,
October 2-4 Octr 3 Parliamentary forces attack Ostankino
TV and mayor's office Octr 4 Government forces storm
the parliament building -- Dec 12 Elections of first
Federal Assembly of Russia and referendum to ratify
Russian Constitution 1994 Jan 11 Federal Assembly begins
its work Feb 23 State Duma passes amnesty for political
and economic crimes June 16 Yegor Gaidar resigns as
first deputy prime minister July Yeltsin meets with
G-7 leaders in Naples Oct 11 Ruble crashes Oct 28 Solzhenitsyn
addresses the State Duma Nov 28 Russian Security Council
votes to send troops to Chechnya Decr 12 Russian troops
invade Chechnya 1995 Jan 27 Federal Assembly bans loans
from Central Bank to the government without its approval
spring Russians massacre villagers in Samashky June
14 Chechens take hostages at Budennovsk July Yeltsin
suffers first heart attack Oct 26 Yeltsin suffers second
heart attack Dec 17 CPRF under Gennady Zyuganov dominates
Duma elections 1996 Jan 5 Kozyrev resigns as foreign
minister; replaced by Primakov March 29 Russia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan sign integration accords
in Moscow April 2 Russia & Belarus sign 'Agreement
on the Formation of a Community' June 16 Presidential
primaries: Yeltsin & Zyuganov (Communist Party)
win June 26 Ukrainian Parliament adopts constitution
July 3 Yeltsin defeats Zyuganov in run-off election
July 12 Ukrainian constitution signed by President Kuchma
August 5 Chechen rebels re-take Grozny August 23 Full-scale
combat operations end in Chechnya August 31 Lebed and
Aslan Maskhadov sign peace accord in Chechnya Nov 5
Yeltsin undergoes quintuple by-pass surgery Nov 28 Belorussian
President Lukashenko signs new constitution extending
his powers and replaces the parliament Dec 1 Russian
troops begin withdrawal from Chechnya 1997 Jan 1 New
Criminal Code replaces 1960 Soviet code Jan 27 Chechen
elections held; Aslan Maskhadov wins with 65% March
21 Yeltsin and Clinton meet in Helsinki to discuss expansion
of NATO April Union Treaty signed May 26 Russian-Belarus
Union Charter signed by Lukashenko and Yeltsin May 27
Yeltsin and Clinton sign "Founding Act on Mutual Relations,
Cooperation and Security between NATO and the Russian
Federation" which creates a permanent joint council
including Russia in NATO decision-making. June 11 Russian-Belarus
Union Charter goes into effect June 28 Tajik Peace and
National Reconciliation Accord signed in Moscow 1998
March 23 Yeltsin fires Chernomyrdin, reorganizes cabinet
April 24 Sergei Kirienko finally confirmed as prime
minister May 27 Massive sell-off of Russian bonds, securities
and rubles July 17 Nicholas II and family interred in
St. Petersburg August Russian financial crisis Kirienko
announces ruble devaluation (August 17) Market paralyzed
by liquidity shortages Share prices plunge Russia defaults
foreign loans August 23 Yeltsin sacks entire government,
appoints Chernomyrdin interim PM Sept 10 Victor Chernomyrdin
steps aside as Duma rejects nomination twice Sept 11
Yuri Primakov confirmed prime minister 1999 May 12 Yeltsin
sacks cabinet, including Primakov May 13 Impeachment
hearings begins in Duma May 15 Impeachment vote against
Yeltsin fails May 19 Duma approves Sergei Stepashin
as new Prime Minister August 9 Stepashin dismissed as
prime minister August 16 Vladimir Putin confirmed prime
minister September Russian money-laundering scheme via
BONY unravels 2000 March 26 Vladimir Putin elected president
|
Bucknell
University, Lewisburg, PA 17837
1996 Robert Beard
|
|
|
|
