Russia A History
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MAPS
TERRITORIAL EXPANSION AND GROWTH OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE, 1260–1904
KIEVAN RUSSIA, 1054–1238
RUSSIA c.1396 AND THE RISE OF MOSCOW, 1300–1584
EUROPE AT THE TIME OF PETER THE GREAT
THE PROVINCES OF EUROPEAN RUSSIA
RUSSIA, ITS EMPIRE, AND ITS NEIGHBOURS IN THE 20TH CENTURY
THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR
THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS IN 1950
THE USSR IN 1991
CHRONOLOGY
For a detailed chronology of Russian history, see Francis Conte (ed.),
Great Dates in Russian and Soviet History (New York, 1994).
860–1240
Era of Kievan Rus
862
Traditional date for arrival of ‘Riurik’ of Varangians (Norsemen), founder of Riurikid dynasty (862–1598)
980–1015
Vladimir reigns as grand prince of Kiev
988
Conversion of Kievan Rus to Eastern Orthodox Christianity
1019–54
Iaroslav reigns as grand prince of Kiev
1037–46
Construction and decoration of Church of St Sofia in Kiev
1051
Hilarion consecrated as metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus
1055
Polovtsy appear on steppe
1061
Polovtsy attack territories of Rus
1072
Canonization of Princes Boris and Gleb
1096
Polovtsy attack Kiev and burn Pecherskii Monastery
1097
Princely conference at Liubech
1113–25
Vladimir Monomakh reigns as grand prince of Kiev
1132–6
Emergence of semi-autonomous Novgorod
1147
First chronicle mention of Moscow
1156
Construction of first kremlin walls in Moscow
1169
Armies of Prince Andrei Bogoliubskii of Vladimir sack Kiev
1191–2
Novgorod signs commercial treaty with Scandinavians and Germans
1223
Battle of Kalka: first encounter of Mongols with Kievan Rus
1237–40
Mongol conquest of Kievan Rus, culminating in the sack of Kiev
1240
Prince Alexander Nevsky defeats Swedes on the Neva
1240–1340
Early Mongol Suzerainty
1242
Prince Alexander Nevsky defeats Teutonic Knights at Lake Peipus
1300
Moscow conquest of Kolomna: beginning of ‘in-gathering’ of Russian land
1317–28
Metropolitan moves to Moscow
1327–41
Ivan I (Kalita), designated grand prince of Vladimir, by the Mongol khan
1340–1584
Rise of Muscovy
1337
Founding of Holy Trinity Sergius Monastery
1359–89
Dmitrii Donskoi reigns as grand prince of Moscow
1367
Construction of stone kremlin in Moscow
1380
Battle of Kulikovo
1389–1425
Vasilii I reigns as grand prince of Moscow
1425–62
Vasilii II reigns as grand prince of Moscow
1433–53
Civil war between Vasilii II and his kinsmen
1448
Bishop Iona of Riazan selected metropolitan, without the approval of Constantinople
1453
Fall of Constantinople
1462–1505
Ivan III (the Great) reigns as grand prince of Moscow
1463
Moscow acquires the principalities of Iaroslavl and part of Rostov
1478
Moscow annexes Novgorod
1480
Battle of Ugra, nominal end of Moscow subordination to Mongols
1485
Moscow conquers Tver
1497
Ivan III issues a brief law code (Sudebnik), with the first broad limitation on peasant movement
1499
Moscow acquires the principalities of Viatka
1505–33
Vasilii III reigns as grand prince of Moscow
1510
Moscow absorbs the city-state of Pskov
1514
Smolensk conquered
1521
Annexation of Riazan, last independent principality in central Russia
1533–84
Ivan IV reigns in minority as grand prince (1533–47), then tsar of Moscow (1547–84)
1537
Local judicial and administrative reforms, with the election of ‘brigandage elders’ (gubnye starosty)
1547
Ivan IV crowned tsar
1550
Law code (sudebnik) promulgated
1551
Church council (‘Hundred Chapters’ or Stoglav) proposes church reforms
1552
Conquest of Kazan
1555
Reform of local fiscal system (zemskie starosty)
1556
Astrakhan conquered
1558–83
Livonian War, ending with threats that cede lands to Poland-Lithuania and Sweden
1564
Publication of first book
1564–72
Oprichnina, Ivan’s personal domain
1570
Oprichnina forces sack Novgorod
1571
Crimean Tatars storm and burn Moscow
1575
Ivan IV abdicates temporarily in favour of Semen Bekbulatovich
1580
First law forbidding peasants to change landlords
1582
Ermak’s initial conquest of khanate of western Siberia
1584–1613
Time of Troubles
1584
Fedor Ivanovich reigns as tsar, with Boris Godunov ruling behind the scenes
1589
Law code (sudebnik); establishment of Patriarchate
1591
Death of Tsarevich Dmitrii
1598
Fedor dies, marking the extinction of the Riurikid dynasty
1598–1605
Boris Godunov reigns as tsar
1605–6
First False Dmitrii reigns as tsar
1606–7
Bolotnikov rebellion
1606–10
Reign of ‘boyar’ tsar, Vasilii Shuiskii
1610–13
Interregnum: boyar intervention, Polish rule
1612
Liberation of Moscow by Minin and Pozharskii (October)
1613–1689
Muscovy: Restored and Reconstructed
1613
Election of Michael Romanov, onset of new dynasty (1613–1917) 1613–45 Mikhail reigns as tsar
1617
Treaty of Stolbovo with Sweden
1618
Armistice of Deulino with Poland
1619
Filaret (Romanov) consecrated as patriarch
1632–4
Polish war
1645–76
Alexis reigns as tsar
1648
Moscow uprising
1649
Law code (Sobornoe ulozhenie)
1650
Novgorod and Pskov rebellions
1652
Establishment of separate foreigners’ settlement (nemetskaia sloboda) in Moscow; consecration of Nikon as Patriarch
1653
First church reforms, which eventually led to schism (raskot)
1654
Cossacks under Bohdan Khmelnitskii recognize Moscow’s suzerainty
1666–7
Church council: condemnation of Nikon, formal beginning of schism
1667
Armistice of Andrusovo with Poland
1667–71
Stenka Raz
in rebellion
1672
First theatrical performance
1676–81
First Russo-Turkish war
1676–82
Fedor reigns as tsar
1682–9
Regency of Sofia; nominal rule of Peter I and Ivan V
1682
Peter I proclaimed tsar, then co-tsar with older half-brother Ivan V; aboltion of precedence; Streltsy revolt
1686
‘Eternal Peace’ with Poland-Lithuania and joining Holy League against the Ottoman Turks
1687–9
Vasilii Golitsyn’s failed campaigns against the Crimean khanate
1689
Russian-Chinese Treaty of Nerchinsk
1689–1740
Petrine Russia and Aftermath
1689
Peter I (the Great) assumes power, ruling until his death in 1725
1690
Birth of Tsarevich Alexis
1693–4
Peter travels to Archangel to sample sea voyages
1695–6
Azov campaigns: initial failure, eventual success
1697–8
Peter’s ‘Grand Embassy’ to Western Europe
1698
Revolt of the Streltsy suppressed
1700–21
Northern War between Russia and Sweden
1700
Russian defeat at Narva; death of Patriarch Adrian; adoption of European (Julian) calendar
1701
Opening of the Moscow school of mathematics and navigation
1702
Manifesto welcoming foreigners to Russia; opening of first public theatre in Moscow
1703
Foundation of St Petersburg; publication of first newspaper (Vedomosti)
1705–6
Streltsy revolt at Astrakhan
1707–8
Cossack revolt on lower Don led by Bulavin
1708
Adoption of civil alphabet
1709
Russian victory at Poltava
1710
Russian conquest of Baltics
1711
Foundation of the Senate; marriage of Peter to Catherine; defeat at Pruth
1713
Court and many administrative agencies transferred to St Petersburg; earnest preparations for administrative reform commence
1714
Russian naval victory at Hangö; Naval Academy established in St Petersburg
1715–17
First Russian expedition to Central Asia
1716–17
Peter’s second extended trip to Europe
1717–18
Administrative colleges (kollegii) established
1718
Investigation, trial, and execution of Tsarevich Alexis and other alleged conspirators
1721
Adoption of imperial title; publication of the Ecclesiastical Regulation and foundation of the Holy Synod
1722
New succession law; Table of Ranks promulgated
1722–3
Persian Campaign along the Caspian Sea
1722–4
Completion of first universal (male) census; first collection of ‘soul tax’
1724
Foundation of the Imperial Russian Academy of Sciences at St Petersburg
1725
Death of Peter I; accession of Catherine I
1725–7
Reign of Catherine I; hegemony of Alexander Menshikov
1726–30
Predominance of Supreme Privy Council
1727–30
Reign of Peter II; downfall and exile of Menshikov
1730
‘Constitutional Crisis’ after the death of Peter II, accession of Anna Ivanovna as empress (1730–40); abolition of Supreme Privy Council; emergence of Biron as favourite
1733–5
War of the Polish Succession, Russia in alliance with Austria
1735
Orenburg founded on south-eastern border and southern Urals; Turkic Bashkirs resist Russian encroachment in a full-blown colonial war till 1740
1736–9
Russo-Turkish War
1740
Death of Anna Ivanovna
1740–1
Ivan VI, with Anna Leopoldovna as regent
1741–1801
Age of Enlightenment
1741–61
Reign of Elizabeth
1741–3
Russo-Swedish War
1754
Abolition of internal tariffs; establishment of Noble Bank
1755
Moscow University established
1756–62
Russian participation in Seven Years War
1760
Nobles given right to exile serfs to Siberia
1761–2
Reign of Peter III
1762
Manifesto freeing the nobility from obligatory service (18 February)
1762–96
Reign of Catherine II
1764
Secularization of Church lands and peasants
1766
Publication of ‘The Great Instruction’ by Catherine the Great
1767–8
Legislative Assembly (Ulozhennaia komissiia) convened
1768–74
Russo-Turkish War
1771
Bubonic plague; Moscow riots
1772
First Partition of Poland (July)
1774
Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainardji with Turkey, recognizing Russian protectorate over Christians in the Ottoman Empire
1773–5
Pugachev rebellion
1775
Statute on Provincial Administration
1781–6
Administrative absorption of Ukraine
1782
Law on Provincial Police
1785
Charter to the Nobility; Charter to the Towns
1787–92
Russo-Turkish War
1790
A. N. Radishchev’s Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow published
1793
Second Partition of Poland
1794
Odessa founded
1795
Third and final partition of Poland
1796–1801
Reign of Paul
1797
Edict limiting corvée labour (barshchina) to three days per week; Law of Succession
1800–1855
Pre-Reform Russia
1801–25
Reign of Alexander I
1801
Annexation of Georgia
1802
Establishment of ministries
1804
Educational reform; establishment of three additional universities; Pale of Settlement, restricting Jewish residency to the Western provinces
1804–7
Russian participation in alliance against Napoleon
1807
Peace of Tilsit
1807–11
Speransky Reforms
1809
Acquisition of Finland
1810
State Council established
1812
Napoleon invades Russia (June); Battle of Borodino; Moscow burnt (September); French retreat
1815
Holy Alliance; establishment of Congress Poland
1816–19
Landless emancipation of Baltic serfs
1819
Establishment of St Petersburg University
1825
Decembrist revolt
1825–55
Reign of Nicholas I
1830
Publication of The Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire