The history of Russian Empire

By Yeetyah
  • 882

    The first formal Russian state

    'Kievan Rus', established by Prince Oleg of the Rurik Dynasty with its capital in Kiev
  • 988

    Prince accepted Orthodox Christianity

    Kievan ruler, Prince Vladimir (r978-1015), accepted Orthodox Christianity
  • 1240

    Kiev conquered by Mongol invaders

    Kiev conquered by Mongol invaders who ruled over Rus until the 1400s
  • 1325

    Russian church established

    Russian Orthodox church established in the centre of Moscow
  • Period: 1533 to

    Start of Ivan 'the Terrible' Rule

    Rule of Ivan 'the Terrible' (Ivan IV), first ruler to be proclaimed 'tsar', in 1547
  • Period: to

    The Time of Troubles

  • Beginning of the Romanov dynasty

    Mikhail Romanov elected tsar by the National Council, beginning the Romanov dynasty
  • Period: to

    Rule of Peter 1 ('the Great')

    Rule of Peter 1 ('the Great') first tsar to use the title 'Emperor'

  • St Petersburg established as the new capital

  • Period: to

    Romanov empire expanded

    Romanov empire expanded to include Crimea, Ukraine, Georgia and some parts of Poland

  • Napoleon invaded Russia

    Napoleon invaded Russia; Tsar Alexander 1 ordered the burning of Moscow, resulting in Napoleon's defeat.

  • Decembrist Uprising

    Russian army officers tried to force the new tsar, Nicholas 1, to introduce political reform in the Decembrist Uprising.
  • Period: to

    Crimean War

    Crimean War resulted in a humiliating defeat for Russia.

  • Serfdom abolished

    Emancipation Edict abolished serfdom in Russia.

  • Alexander 2 assassinated

    Alexander 2 assassinated by terrorist group The People's Will.
  • Period: to

    Rule of Nicholas 2

  • Russian Social Democratic Party split

    Russian Social Democratic Party split into Menshevik and Bolshevik factions.

  • Strikes in St Petersburg's Putilov Metalworks factory

    Strikes in St Petersburg's Putilov Metalworks factory spread quickly to other parts of the empire
  • Period: to

    Russo-Japanese War

    Russo-Japanese War resulted in the 1905 Revolution and the announcement of the October Manifesto.

  • Unrest reached Russia's military

    Unrest reached Russia's military, and the sailors on the Potemkin battleship[ mutinied

  • Bloody Sunday

    Bloody Sunday shootings led to widespread unrest

  • Grand Duke assassinated

    Russia's Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich was assassinated

  • The first Russian 'soviet'

    The first Russian 'soviet' (workers and soldiers council) was established to organise political activity in protest against the tsar. Soviets would become an important political force again in 1917

  • Public demands for autonomy

    Some peasant groups and national minorities made public demands for autonomy, threatening the stability of the empire.

  • October Manifesto

    Facing as many as 2 million strikers across the empire and increasing terrorists activity, Nicholas released the October Manifesto, Most strikes were settled, but assassinations and revolutionary activity continued
  • Period: to

    world war 1

    Russia involved in the First World War.