The Russian Federation is the state that ranks first in terms of area and ninth in terms of population. This is a country that has gone from disparate principalities to a candidate for superpower. How did the formation of this political, economic and military colossus go?
In our article we will consider the main dates of the history of Russia. We will see the development of the country from the first mention of it to the end of the twentieth century.
IX - X century
For the first time the word "Rus" was mentioned in 860 in connection with the siege of Constantinople and the plunder of its environs. According to researchers, more than eight thousand people participated in the raid. The Byzantines did not expect an attack from the Black Sea, so they could not give a fitting rebuff. “The Russians left with impunity,” the chronicler reports.
The next important date was 862. In the history of Russia, this is one of the most significant events. According to the "Tale of Bygone Years", it was at that time that representatives of Slavic tribes invited to rule Rurik.
The annals say that they are tired of constant quarrels and feuds, which only the newcomer ruler could put an end to.
Like the year 862, the following year became important in the history of Russia - the 863rd. This year, according to chroniclers, a Slavic alphabet is created - Cyrillic. It is from this time that the official written history of Russia begins.
In 882, Prince Oleg, the successor of Rurik, conquered Kiev and made it a “capital city”. This ruler has done a lot for the state. He began to unite the tribes, went to the Khazars, having recaptured many lands. Now the northerners, Drevlyans, Radimichi pay tribute not to the Kaganate, but to the Kiev prince.
We are considering only the main dates in the history of Russia. Therefore, we dwell only on some key events.
So, the 10th century was marked by a powerful expansion of the Rus into neighboring countries and tribes. So, Igor went to the Pechenegs (920 year) and to Constantinople (944 year). Prince Svyatoslav defeated the Khazar Kaganate in 965, which significantly strengthened the position of Kievan Rus in the south and southeast.
In 970, Vladimir Svyatoslavovich became the Kiev prince. He, together with his uncle Dobrynya, whose image was later reflected in the epic hero, gathers a trip to the Bulgarians. He managed to defeat the tribes of Serbs and Bulgarians on the Danube, as a result of which an alliance was concluded.
Further, the Kiev prince takes part in the campaign of the Bulgarians against the Byzantines. This led to the defeat of the latter and the strengthening of the Bulgarians in this territory.
However, during the mentioned campaigns, the prince is imbued with Christianity. Earlier, his grandmother, Princess Olga, was the first to accept this faith and was an incomprehensible environment. Now Vladimir the Great decides to baptize the whole state.
So, in 988, a series of ceremonies were held to baptize most of the tribes. Those who refused to voluntarily change their faith were forced to do so by force.
The last important date in the 10th century is the construction of the Church of the Tithes. It was with the help of this building in Kiev that Christianity was finally entrenched at the state level.
XI century
The eleventh century was marked by a large number of military conflicts between the princes. Right after the death of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich, feuds begin.
This devastation continued until 1019, when Prince Yaroslav, who was subsequently called the Wise, sits on the throne in Kiev. He ruled thirty-five years. It is noteworthy that during the years of his reign, Kievan Rus practically reaches the level of European states.
Since we are briefly talking about the history of Russia, the most important dates of the eleventh century are associated with the reign of Yaroslav (in the first half of the century) and the period of unrest (in the second half of the century).
So, from 1019 until his death in 1054, Prince Yaroslav the Wise has been one of the most famous vaults - “The Truth of Yaroslav”. This is the oldest part of the "Russian truth."
For five years, starting in 1030, he builds the Transfiguration Cathedral in Chernigov.
In the capital, in 1037, the construction of the famous temple, Sofia of Kiev, begins. It was completed in 1041.
After a trip to Byzantium, in 1043, Yaroslav builds a similar cathedral in Novgorod.
The death of the Kiev prince marked the beginning of the struggle for the capital between his sons. From 1054 to 1068, Izyaslav ruled. Then, with the help of the uprising, he is replaced by the Prince of Polotsk, Vseslav. In epics, it is referred to as Volga.
Due to the fact that this ruler still held pagan views on matters of faith, he was credited with the properties of a werewolf in folk tales. In epics, he becomes either a wolf or a falcon. In official history, he was assigned the nickname of the Sorcerer.
Listing the main dates of the history of Russia of the eleventh century, it is worth mentioning the creation of "The Truth of Yaroslavich" in 1072 and "Izbornik Svyatoslav" in 1073. The latter contains descriptions of the lives of the saints, as well as their important teachings.
A more interesting document is Russian Truth. It consists of two parts. The first was written during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, and the second - in 1072. This collection contains the norms of criminal, procedural, commercial and inheritance legislation.
The last event worth mentioning in the framework of the eleventh century was the Lubech Congress of Princes. He laid the foundation for the fragmentation of the Old Russian state. There it was decided that everyone should manage only his estate.
12th century
Oddly enough, the Polovtsy played an important role in the reunification of the Old Russian princes. Speaking about the main dates of the history of Russia of the twelfth century, one cannot but mention the campaigns on these nomads in 1103, 1107 and 1111. It was these three military campaigns that rallied the Eastern Slavs and created the prerequisites for the oceans of Vladimir Monomakh in 1113. His successor was the son of Mstislav Vladimirovich.
During the years of the rule of these princes, the Tale of the Temporary Years was finally edited, and there was also an increase in discontent among the people, which was expressed in the uprisings of 1113 and 1127.
After the death of Yaroslav the Wise, the political history of Europe and the history of Russia are gradually moving away. The dates and events of the twelfth century fully confirm this.
While there was a struggle for power, caused by the collapse of the Kiev state, in Western Europe, unification of Spain and several crusades are carried out.
In Russia, the following happened. In 1136, due to the uprising and exile of Vsevolod Mstislavovich, a republic was established in Novgorod.
In 1147, the annals first mention the name Moscow. It was from this time that the gradual rise of the city began, which was destined to subsequently become the capital of the united state.
The end of the twelfth century was marked by an even greater fragmentation of the state and the weakening of the principalities. All this led to the fact that Russia is deprived of freedom, falling into the yoke of the Mongol-Tatars.
Since these events occurred in the thirteenth century, we will talk about them further.
13th century
In this century, the independent history of Russia is temporarily interrupted. The dates, the Batu campaign table, which is given below, as well as maps of battles with the Mongols indicate the inconsistency of many princes in matters of military operations.
Campaigns of Batu Khan| The Council of Mongolian khans decides to begin a campaign in Russia, the army was headed by Batu, the grandson of Genghis Khan | 1235 |
| The defeat of the Volga Bulgaria by the Mongols | 1236 |
| Submission of the Polovtsy and the beginning of the campaign in Russia | 1237 |
| The siege and capture of Ryazan | December 1237 |
| The fall of Kolomna and Moscow | January 1238 |
| The Mongols take Vladimir | February 3-7, 1238 |
| The defeat of the Russian army on the City River and the death of Vladimir Prince | March 4, 1238 |
| The fall of the city of Torzhok, the return of the Mongols in the steppe | March 1238 |
| The beginning of the siege of Kozelsk | March 25, 1238 |
| Rest of the Mongol army in the near-bottom steppes | summer 1238 |
| The fall of Murom, Nizhny Novgorod and Gorokhovets | fall 1238 |
| The Batu invasion of the southern Russian principalities, the fall of Putivl, Pereyaslavl and Chernigov | summer 1239 |
| The siege and capture of Kiev by the Mongol Tatars | September 5-6, 1240 |
Several stories are known when city residents were able to give a heroic rebuff to the invaders (for example, Kozelsk). But not a single event is mentioned when the princes defeated the Mongol army.
Regarding Kozelsk, it's just a unique story. The campaign of the invincible army of Khan Batu, who ruined North-Eastern Russia from 1237 to 1240, was stopped near the walls of a small fortress.
This town was the capital of the principality on the land of the former Vyatichi tribe. According to scientists, the number of his defenders did not exceed four hundred people. However, the Mongols could take the fortress only after seven weeks of siege and the loss of more than four thousand soldiers.
It is noteworthy that the defense was held by ordinary residents, without a prince and governor. At this time in Kozelsk the “grandson” of Mstislav, twelve-year-old Vasily, “ruled”. Nevertheless, the townspeople decided to protect him and defend the city.
After the capture of the fortress by the Mongols, it was razed to the ground, and all the inhabitants were killed. Neither infants nor feeble old people were spared.
After this battle, the remaining important dates in the history of Russia related to the Mongol invasion relate exclusively to the southern principalities.
So, in 1238, a little earlier than the Kozelsk defense, a battle takes place near the Kolomna River. In 1239, Chernigov and Pereyaslavl were sacked. And in 1240, Kiev fell.
In 1243, the Mongol state was formed - the Golden Horde. Now Russian princes are obliged to take the "label of reign" from the khans.
In the northern lands at this time a completely different picture takes place. Swedish and German troops are approaching Russia. They are opposed by the Prince of Novgorod Alexander Nevsky.
In 1240, he defeats the Swedes on the Neva River, and in 1242 he defeats the German knights utterly (the so-called Ice Battle).
In the second half of the thirteenth century there were several punitive campaigns of the Mongols in Russia. They were directed against unwanted princes who did not receive a label for rule. So, in 1252 there was a Nevruyev army, and in 1293 the khan Duden destroyed fourteen large settlements of North-Eastern Russia.
Due to difficult events and the gradual transfer of control to the northern lands, in 1299 the patriarch moved from Kiev to Vladimir.
XIV century
More significant dates in the history of Russia date back to the fourteenth century. In 1325, Ivan Kalita came to power. He begins to collect all the principalities into a single state. So by 1340 some lands joined Moscow, and in 1328 Kalita became the Grand Duke.
In 1326, Vladimir Metropolitan Peter transferred the residence to Moscow as a more promising city.
Beginning in 1347 in Western Europe, the plague ("black death") comes in 1352 and to Russia. She destroyed many people.
Mentioning important dates in the history of Russia, it is especially worthwhile to dwell on events related to Moscow. In 1359, Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy ascended the throne. In two years, starting from 1367, the construction of the stone Kremlin in Moscow takes place. It was because of this that it was later called "white stone".
By the end of the fourteenth century, Russia was finally coming out of the rule of the Golden Horde khans. So, in this vein, the important events are the battle near the River Vozha (1378) and the Battle of Kulikovo (1380). These victories showed the Mongol-Tatars that a powerful state was beginning to take shape in the north, which would not be under someone else's power.
However, the Golden Horde did not want to so easily lose tributaries. In 1382, Khan Tokhtamysh gathers a large army and ruins Moscow.
This was the last disaster associated with the Mongol Tatars. Although finally Russia was freed from their yoke only a century later. But during this time no one else bothered her borders.
Moreover, in 1395, Tamerlan finally destroys the Golden Horde. But the yoke over Russia continued to exist.
XV century
The main dates in the history of Russia in the fifteenth century relate mainly to the unification of lands into a single Moscow state.
The first half of the century passed in civil strife. Over the years, Vasily I and Vasily II Dark, Yuri Zvenigorodsky and Dmitry Shemyaka were in power.
The events of the first half of the fifteenth century slightly resemble 1917 in the history of Russia. The civil war that followed the revolution also revealed many specific princes, gang leaders who were subsequently destroyed by Moscow.
The reason for the civil strife lay in the choice of ways to strengthen the state. The outwardly political activities of the provisional rulers are connected with the Tatars and Lithuanians, who sometimes raided. Some princes were guided by the support of the East, others trusted the West more.
The moral of decades of strife was that those who won did not rely on external support but strengthened the country from the inside. Thus, the result was the unification of many small specific lands under the rule of the Grand Duke of Moscow.
An important step was the establishment of autocephaly in the Russian Orthodox Church. Now here they have proclaimed the metropolitans of Kiev and all Russia. That is, dependence on Byzantium and the Patriarch of Constantinople was destroyed.
In the course of feudal wars and religious misunderstandings, in 1458, the Moscow Metropolis separated from the Kiev Metropolis.
The contention between the princes ended with the accession of John III. In 1471 he defeated the Novgorodians in the Battle of Shelons, and in 1478 he finally annexed Veliky Novgorod to the Moscow Principality.
In 1480, one of the most significant events of the fifteenth century occurred. It is known in chronicles called Standing on the Ugra. This is a very interesting story that contemporaries considered the "mystical intercession of the Virgin." Khan Akhmat gathered a large army and opposed Ivan III, who was in alliance with the Crimean Khan.
But the battle did not reach. After long standing forces against each other, both armies turned back. Researchers in our time have found that this was due to the weakness of the Big Horde and the actions of sabotage units in the rear of Akhmat.
Thus, in 1480 the Principality of Moscow became a completely sovereign state.
The year 1552 in the history of Russia became similar in importance. We will talk about him a little later.
In 1497, the Code of Law was officially adopted and approved, a code of laws for all residents of the state.
XVI century
The sixteenth century is characterized by powerful processes of centralization of the country. During the reign of Vasily III, they join Pskov (1510), Smolensk (1514) and Ryazan (1521). Also for the first time in 1517, the Boyar Duma was mentioned as a government body.
With the death of Vasily III begins a slight decline in Muscovy. The rules at this time were Elena Glinskaya, which was replaced by the Boyar power. But the arbitrariness of the deceased prince, John Vasilyevich, put an end to arbitrariness.
He ascended the throne in 1547. Ivan the Terrible began with foreign policy. In the state itself, in fact, until 1565, the prince relied on zemsky cathedrals and boyars. During these eighteen years, he was able to annex many territories.
Notable is the year 1552 in the history of Russia. Then Ivan the Terrible captures Kazan and annexes the Khanate to the Moscow state. Besides him, territories such as the Astrakhan Khanate (1556), the city of Polotsk (1562) were conquered.
The Siberian Khan in 1555 recognizes himself as a vassal of Ivan Vasilievich. However, in 1563 Khan Kuchum, who succeeded him on the throne, severs all relations with Muscovy.
After a decade and a half of conquests, the Grand Duke turns his eyes to the internal situation in the country. In 1565, the oprichnina was established and persecution and terror began. All boyar families that began to take up power are destroyed, and their property is confiscated. Executions continued until 1572.
In 1582, Ermak begins his famous campaign in Siberia, which lasted a year.
In 1583, peace was signed with Sweden, returning the last all the lands conquered during the war.
In 1584, Ivan Vasilievich dies and in fact Boris Godunov comes to power. He became the real king only in 1598, after the death of Fedor, the son of Ivan the Terrible.
In 1598, the Rurikovich line was interrupted, and after the death of Boris (in 1605) the Time of Troubles and the Semiboyarschina began.
XVII century
The most important event was 1613 in the history of Russia. He influenced not only this century, but also the next three hundred years. This year the turmoil ended and Mikhail, the founder of the Romanov dynasty, came to power.
The seventeenth century is characterized by the processes of formation and development of the Moscow kingdom. In foreign policy there are conflicts with Poland (1654), Sweden (1656). From 1648 to 1654 there was an uprising in Ukraine under the leadership of Khmelnitsky.
Riots in the Moscow kingdom itself were in 1648 (Salt), 1662 (Copper), 1698 (Streletsky). In 1668–1676 there was an uprising on the Solovetsky Islands. And from 1670 to 1671 the Cossacks revolted under the leadership of Stenka Razin.
In addition to political and economic turmoil, religious unrest and schism were brewing in the mid-seventeenth century. Patriarch Nikon tried to reform the spiritual life of society, but was not accepted by the Old Believers. In 1667, he was convicted and exiled.
Thus, over the course of seven decades, the process of forming a single state has been going on, in which different institutions are “rubbed” together. It ends with the accession of Peter I.
It turns out that the year 1613 in the history of Russia was the beginning of a departure from feudalism. And Peter Alekseevich turned the kingdom into an empire and brought Russia to the international level.
XVIII century
The century of the most powerful rise, which only the history of Russia knew - the 18th century. The founding dates of new cities, universities, academies and other places speak for themselves.
So, in 1703, St. Petersburg was built. The Senate was established in 1711, and the Synod in 1721. In 1724, the Academy of Sciences was founded. In 1734 - the main military educational institution of the country, the land gentry corps. In 1755, Moscow University was created. This is only part of the events that show powerful cultural growth in the state.
In 1712, the capital was transferred from the "old" Moscow to the "young" Petersburg. In addition, in 1721, Russia was proclaimed an empire, and Pyotr Alekseevich was the first to receive the corresponding title.
The eighteenth century will be especially interesting to those who occupy the military history of Russia. The dates and events of this century show the unprecedented power of the Russian army and navy, as well as the wonders of engineering.
In the nineteenth century, the country entered a powerful empire that defeated Turkey, Sweden, the Commonwealth.
XIX century
If the feature of the previous century was the cultural and military growth of the state, then in the next period there is a slight reorientation of interests. Rapid economic development and the separation of government from the people - all this is the history of Russia, the 19th century.
The dates of significant events of that time tell us about the growth of bribery among officials, as well as about attempts by the authorities to create thoughtless performers from the lower layers of society.
The main military conflicts of this century were World War II (1812) and the confrontation between Russia and Turkey (1806, 1828, 1853, 1877).
In domestic politics, there are many reforms aimed at even more enslavement of ordinary people. These are the reforms of Speransky (1809), the great reforms (1862), judicial reform (1864), censorship (1865), and general military service (1874).
Even if we take into account the abolition of serfdom in 1861, it is still clear that the bureaucratic apparatus is committed to the maximum exploitation of the common people.
The response to this policy was a series of uprisings. 1825 - Decembrists. 1830 and 1863 - the uprising in Poland. In 1881, the Volunteers killed Alexander II.
In the wake of general dissatisfaction with the government, the position of the Social Democrats is gaining ground. The first congress took place in 1898.
XX century
Despite the war, catastrophes and other horrors discussed above, some dates of the 20th century are especially scary. The history of Russia until this time did not know such a nightmare that the Bolsheviks arranged in the first quarter of the century.
The revolution of 1905 and participation in the First World War (1914–1917) became the last straw for ordinary workers and peasants.
1917 in the history of Russia was remembered for a long time. After the October Revolution and the abdication of Nicholas II from the throne, his family was captured and shot in July 1918. The civil war begins, which lasted until 1922, when the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was formed. A similar coup and devastation marked 1991 in the history of Russia.
The first years of the new state were marked by social disasters of enormous proportions. This famine in 1932-1933 and the repression in 1936-1939.
In 1941, the USSR entered the Second World War. In our country, this conflict is called the Great Patriotic War in historical tradition. After the victory in 1945, recovery and short-term take-off of the country begin.
1991 in the history of Russia became a revolution. The Soviet Union collapsed, leaving all the dreams of a “bright future” under the rubble. In fact, people had to learn life from scratch in a market economy in the new state.
Thus, we, dear friends, briefly went over the most significant events in the history of Russia.
Good luck, and remember that the answers to questions of the future are stored in the lessons of the past.