Chronology of Russia

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.

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.

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 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 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.

Related Chronologies

An assortment of chronologies of special times, places, people, and events related to Russia and Russian history.