History of Russia in Timeline
Russia, officially the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the world's largest country by land area, encompassing eleven time zones and sharing borders with fourteen nations. As the most populous country in Europe and the ninth-most populous worldwide, Russia is highly urbanized, featuring numerous cities with over a million residents. Moscow serves as its capital and largest city, while Saint Petersburg is a significant cultural center.
1904: First Nobel Prize
Since 1904, Nobel Prizes were awarded to Soviets and Russians.
1917: Russian Revolution
In 1917, the Russian Revolution occurred, leading to a split in Russian literature into Soviet and white émigré parts.
1930: End of Russian Avant-Garde
The Russian avant-garde flourished until approximately 1930.
1954: First Nuclear Power Plant
In 1954, Russia built the world's first nuclear power plant.
1957: Laika Orbits Earth
In 1957, Laika, a Soviet space dog, became the first animal to orbit the Earth aboard Sputnik 2.
1957: Launch of Sputnik 1
In 1957, Sputnik 1, the first Earth-orbiting artificial satellite, was launched.
1958: The Battleship Potemkin Named Greatest Film
In 1958, The Battleship Potemkin was named the greatest film of all time at the Brussels World's Fair.
1960: Soviet Union Wins Euro
In 1960, the Soviet Union national football team won Euro, becoming the first European champions.
1961: Sergey Bondarchuk Directed War and Peace
From 1961 to 1968, Sergey Bondarchuk directed an Oscar-winning film adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's epic War and Peace.
1961: First Human Trip into Space
In 1961, Yuri Gagarin successfully made the first human trip into space.
1963: First Woman in Space
In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova became the first and youngest woman in space.
1965: First Spacewalk
In 1965, Alexei Leonov became the first human to conduct a spacewalk.
1966: Luna 9 Lands on the Moon
In 1966, Luna 9 became the first spacecraft to achieve a survivable landing on the Moon.
1968: Zond 5 Circumnavigates the Moon
In 1968, Zond 5 brought the first Earthlings to circumnavigate the Moon.
1969: White Sun of the Desert Released
In 1969, Vladimir Motyl's White Sun of the Desert was released and is traditionally watched by cosmonauts before space trips.
1970: Venera 7 Lands on Venus
In 1970, Venera 7 became the first spacecraft to land on Venus.
1971: Mars 3 Lands on Mars
In 1971, Mars 3 became the first spacecraft to land on Mars.
1980: Summer Olympic Games Held in Moscow
In 1980, the Summer Olympic Games were held in Moscow.
1988: Soviet Union Reaches Euro Finals
In 1988, the Soviet Union national football team reached the finals of Euro.
1993: Adoption of New Constitution
In 1993, Russia adopted a new constitution, establishing a symmetric federation where all regions were made equal as "subject of the federation" without sovereignty or the right to secede.
1993: Peak Population
In 1993, Russia's population peaked at over 148 million.
2000: Establishment of Federal Districts
In 2000, Vladimir Putin established the federal districts of Russia to facilitate central government control of the federal subjects.
2002: Perelman Offered Clay Millennium Prize
In 2002, Grigori Perelman was offered the first ever Clay Millennium Prize Problems Award.
2004: Managed Democracy
In 2004, during the initial phase of Vladimir Putin's second presidential term, the term "managed democracy" developed to encapsulate the essence of “Putinism”.
2004: Freedom House Ranking
Since 2004, Freedom House has ranked Russia as "not free" in its Freedom in the World survey.
2005: CSKA Moscow Wins UEFA Cup
2006: Perelman Awarded Fields Medal
In 2006, Grigori Perelman was awarded the Fields Medal.
2007: Russian Basketball Team Wins EuroBasket
In 2007, the Russian national basketball team won the EuroBasket.
August 2008: Russo-Georgian War
In August 2008, the Russo-Georgian War took place, resulting in Russia recognising two separatist states in occupied Georgian territories. This was the first European war of the 21st century.
2008: War with Georgia
In 2008, Russia engaged in a war with Georgia, marking a military intervention in the post-Soviet states.
2008: Competitive Authoritarianism
In 2008, the term “competitive authoritarianism” developed to encapsulate the essence of “Putinism”, characterized by a “kleptocratic” political economy.
2009: Population Growth
In 2009, Russia recorded annual population growth for the first time in fifteen years.
2009: EU Gas Dependence on Russia
In 2009, Russia's share of the total gas demand for the EU (including the United Kingdom) increased to 25%.
2010: Russian Census
According to the Russian Census of 2010, 137.5 million across the country spoke Russian.
2010: Population of Russia
In 2010, Russia had a population of 142.8 million.
2010: Ethnic Composition
In the 2010 census, roughly 81% of the population were ethnic Russians.
2011: End of Space Shuttle Program
Between the final flight of the Space Shuttle programme in 2011 and 2020, Soyuz rockets were the only launch vehicles capable of transporting astronauts to the ISS.
2011: Democracy Index Ranking
Since 2011, the Economist Intelligence Unit has ranked Russia as an "authoritarian regime" in its Democracy Index.
2012: Autocratic Conservative Populism
Following 2012, the term “personalistic, autocratic, conservative populism” or merely “dictatorship” developed to encapsulate the essence of “Putinism”.
2012: Arena Atlas Published
In 2012, the research organisation Sreda published the Arena Atlas, detailing the religious populations and nationalities of Russia.
2013: Oil and Gas Sector in GDP
In 2013, the oil and gas sector accounted for 20-21% of Russia's GDP.
2014: Annexation of Crimea
In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea following a disputed referendum. This annexation led to an insurgency in the Donbas region of Ukraine, supported by Russian military intervention.
2014: War with Ukraine Beginning
In 2014, Russia initiated a war with Ukraine, contributing to its aggressive foreign policy aimed at securing regional dominance.
2014: International Sanctions
In 2014, Russia's economy was damaged by a wave of international sanctions imposed following the Russo-Ukrainian War and annexation of Crimea.
2014: Winter Olympics and Paralympics Hosted in Sochi
In 2014, the Winter Olympics and the Winter Paralympics were hosted in Sochi.
2017: Russia Hosts FIFA Confederations Cup
In 2017, Russia was the host nation for the FIFA Confederations Cup.
2017: Jehovah's Witnesses Outlawed
In 2017, the Jehovah's Witnesses were outlawed in Russia.
2018: Education Spending
In 2018, Russia spent roughly 4.7% of its GDP on education.
2018: Russia Hosts FIFA World Cup
In 2018, Russia was the host nation for the FIFA World Cup.
2018: International Tourism Ranking
In 2018, Russia was the sixteenth-most visited country in the world.
2018: Fishing Industry Capture
In 2018, Russia's fishing industry captured nearly 5 million tons of fish.
2019: Fifth-Largest Road Network
As of 2019, Russia has the world's fifth-largest road network, with over 1.5 million km of roads.
2019: Forest Landscape Integrity
In 2019, Russia had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 9.02, ranking 10th out of 172 countries and the first ranked major nation globally.
2019: Ratification of the Paris Agreement
In 2019, Russia ratified the Paris Agreement.
2019: Healthcare Spending
In 2019, Russia spent 5.65% of its GDP on healthcare.
2019: Research and Development Spending
In 2019, Russia spent about 1% of its GDP on research and development.
2019: International Students
In 2019, Russia was the world's fifth-leading destination for international students.
2019: Oil and Gas Exports
In 2019, oil and gas exports accounted for up to 60% of Russia's exports.
2019: Share of the oil and gas sector in GDP
In 2019, the maximum total share of the oil and gas sector in Russia's GDP was 19.2%.
2019: Inbound Trips to Russia
In 2019, the number of inbound trips of foreign citizens to Russia amounted to 24.4 million.
2020: SpaceX's first crewed mission
Between 2011 and the 2020 SpaceX's first crewed mission, Soyuz rockets were the only launch vehicles capable of transporting astronauts to the ISS.
2020: Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
In 2020, Russia introduced a ban on same-sex marriage and designated LGBT+ organizations as "foreign agents".
2020: Scientific Publications
In 2020, Russia ranked tenth worldwide in the number of scientific publications.
2020: Share of the oil and gas sector in GDP
In 2020, the maximum total share of the oil and gas sector in Russia's GDP was 15.2%.
2020: Decline in Tourism
In 2020, tourism in Russia declined precipitously due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: COVID-19 Deaths
Since 2020, excessive deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the largest peacetime decline in Russia's history.
2021: Military Personnel Count
As of 2021, the Russian Armed Forces had around a million active-duty personnel, which is the world's fifth-largest.
2021: Rosstat Assessment of Oil and Gas Sector
In 2021, Rosstat published its first comprehensive assessment, determining the maximum total share of the oil and gas sector in Russia's GDP.
2021: Population of Russia
In 2021, Russia had a population of 144.7 million (excluding Crimea and Sevastopol).
2021: Global Innovation Index Ranking
In 2021, Russia ranked 45th in the Global Innovation Index.
2021: Second-Largest Arms Exporter
In 2021, Russia was the world's second-largest arms exporter.
2021: Life Expectancy in Russia
In 2021, the overall life expectancy in Russia at birth was 70.06 years.
January 2022: Oil and Gas Revenue
In January 2022, revenues from oil and gas-related taxes and export tariffs accounted for 45% of Russia's federal budget revenues.
February 2022: EU Gas Dependence on Russia
In February 2022, in the weeks before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia's share of the total gas demand for the EU (including the United Kingdom) had increased to 32%.
April 2022: Active Satellites in Space
In April 2022, Russia had 172 active satellites in space.
April 2022: Suspension of Economic Data Publication
Since April 2022, the Russian government has stopped publishing a raft of economic data due to the negative impact of sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine.
2022: Hydroelectric Production
As of 2022, Russia is the fifth-largest hydroelectric producer.
2022: Filtration Camps in Ukraine
During the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia set up filtration camps where many Ukrainians are subjected to abuses and forcibly sent to Russia.
2022: Invasion of Ukraine and Demographic Crisis
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the demographic crisis deepened.
2022: Press Freedom Index Ranking
In 2022, Russia was ranked 155th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' Press Freedom Index.
2022: Termination of Formula One Russian Grand Prix
In 2022, the annual Formula One Russian Grand Prix was terminated following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
2022: Total Fertility Rate
In 2022, the total fertility rate across Russia was estimated to be 1.42 children born per woman.
2022: Questioned Great Power Status
Starting in 2022, Russia's status as a modern great power has been questioned following its struggles during the invasion of Ukraine.
June 2023: Wagner Group Rebellion
In June 2023, the Wagner Group, a private military contractor, initiated a rebellion against the Russian Ministry of Defence, capturing Rostov-on-Don. The rebellion was later called off after negotiations, and the leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was killed in a plane crash.
August 2023: Launch of Luna 25
In August 2023, Luna 25 launched as the first of the Luna-Glob Moon exploration programme.
2023: Military Expenditure
In 2023, Russia maintained the world's third-highest military expenditure, spending $109 billion, corresponding to around 5.9% of its GDP.
2023: Corruption Perceptions Index Ranking
In 2023, Russia was the lowest rated European country in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking 141st out of 180 countries.
2023: Democracy Index Ranking
In 2023, the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Russia 144th out of 167 countries in its Democracy Index.
2024: Global Innovation Index Ranking
In 2024, Russia ranked 60th in the Global Innovation Index.
2024: Public Opinion Foundation Survey
In 2024, the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) found that 61.8% of Russians identify as Orthodox Christians.
