The history of Russia is full of events that influenced the development of not only our people. Our history had everything: wars, revolutions, palace coups, conquests and the development of new territories, great upheavals and no less great achievements.
We present you the top 10 most important events that significantly influenced the course of history and the development of the Russian state.
10.1380 Battle of Kulikovo
This battle took place between the army of Dmitry Donskoy and the army of Mamaia. The Kulikovo battle is a key event that had a huge impact on the defeat of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. The victory of Dmitry Donskoy dealt a huge blow to the Golden Horde, which by that time held in fear and submission almost half of the world. The famous epic says that just before the Battle of Kulikovo, there was a duel between the Russian hero Peresvet and the Pecheneg Chelubey, which was required by the traditions of that era.
9.1598-1613 Time of Troubles
If you can characterize in a word a particular period in history, then Time of Troubles is a decline. This period was remembered as a time of all kinds of calamities, the economic and political crisis, the numerous invasions of foreign armies on the territory of the Russian Kingdom and the endless struggle for the throne. And all this continued for 14 years, until the accession to the kingdom of the first king of the Romanov clan.
The beginning of the Time of Troubles is considered to be the death of the last representative of the Rurikovich clan, who have the right to legally lay claim to the Russian throne. Because of this, a fierce struggle for power began, which was conducted mainly through intrigue.
8. 1700–1721 Northern War
The Northern War, or, as it is also called, the Twenty-Year War, lasted more than two decades. In this military conflict, the Swedish army opposed a coalition of northern European countries. They fought with each other for the right to own the Baltic lands. This war ended with the crushing defeat of Sweden, as a result of which a new empire appeared on the political map of Europe - the Russian Empire, which had access to the Baltic Sea. The capital of this state was St. Petersburg, erected on the western border - where the waters of the Neva flow into the Baltic Sea.
7. 1703 Foundation of St. Petersburg
This significant event occurred on May 16 (27), 1703. This extraordinary city was destined for almost 200 years to play the role of the capital of the Russian Empire. Now it is limited to the modest and honorary title of the cultural center of our immense homeland.
St. Petersburg owes its name to Saint Peter, the heavenly patron of the city's founding father, Peter the Great, because it was he who came up with the idea to build a beautiful city, unprecedented in Russia until then, which by its majesty was to surpass all European capitals. However, few of the subjects sincerely supported the tsar in his idea, because the harsh northern climate, and marshland, and proximity with the ever-warring neighboring states did not inspire them with confidence in the success of this enterprise. But, as Peter the Great himself liked to repeat: “And an unprecedented happens!”.
6. 1755 Foundation of Moscow University
At first, the opening was planned in 1754, but the preparatory work was delayed, so this event had to be postponed for a year.
The decree on the opening of the university was signed on January 24, 1755. Prior to this, on January 23, the day when the Orthodox Church celebrates the day of the holy martyr Tatyana, the project on the establishment of Moscow University was approved, thanks to which Tatyana's Day is still celebrated in Russia as Student Day. The saint herself is considered the patroness of all students in higher education.
5. 1812-1813 World War II
The official reasons for the unleashing of a military conflict by France against the Russian Empire are the refusal of the Russian Tsar Alexander the First to join the continental blockade, which Napoleon needed to put pressure on England, as well as the policy of the French emperor towards European countries, carried out without taking into account the interests of Russia.
The initial stage of the war with Napoleon was marked by the retreat of Russian troops from the western borders of the Russian Empire.
The second stage of the confrontation is the failure of the French army and its complete surrender to the heroism and selflessness of the Russian soldier. It was then that the concept of “partisan movement” appeared in our country.
The war ended with the almost absolute destruction of Napoleon's army and the retreat of French troops from Russian lands.
4. 1861 Abolition of serfdom
In 1861, a reform was carried out in the Russian Empire, thanks to which millions of peasants, until then wholly and completely owned by the landlords, were finally freed. The main prerequisite for the publication of the decree on the abolition of serfdom was a deep crisis of the entire feudal system. Some history scholars argue that one of the main reasons for this reform was a sharp drop in the labor efficiency of peasants who did not have any rights and freedoms. Also, the tense situation in society is considered as the main reason, because of which revolutionary movements gained more and more popularity.
3. 1914 Entry of Russia into the First World War
The reason for the beginning of the First World War was the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, which was committed by a Serbian student Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914. And already on August 1 of the same year, the Russian Empire entered the war as an ally of France and Great Britain. The Entente’s adversary in this confrontation was the Fourth Alliance, which included the following states: German, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria.
This war at that time was considered the most destructive and bloody. Here, for the first time, Germany used chemical weapons against enemy troops.
The First World War not only claimed the lives of millions of people, but also caused the collapse of four empires: the Russian, German, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman.
2. 1941–1945 The Great Patriotic War
June 22, 1941 is the date of the German attack on the USSR. In the course of this most terrible war in the history of mankind, tens of millions of military and civilians were killed, tens of cities were destroyed to the ground, hundreds of villages and villages were wiped off the face of the earth. The victory over Germany cost our people tremendous efforts.
In the war against the USSR, the German government pursued the goal of destroying the enemy’s state, seizing its territory, physically exterminating a large part of the population, and those who remained alive were planned to be used as free labor.
As a result, the USSR made the biggest contribution to the victory over fascist Germany, in comparison with all other member countries of the anti-Hitler coalition. The Soviet Union ousted the aggressor from its territory and liberated the countries of Central and Eastern Europe from occupation.
1. 1991 The collapse of the USSR
On December 25, 1991, the first president of the Soviet state, Mikhail Gorbachev, publicly announced the resignation of his powers, in his words, "for fundamental reasons."
The next day, the largest state in the world, the USSR, ceased to exist, and in its place the Commonwealth of Independent States arose.