Russia. A History

Court and many administrative agencies transferred to St Petersburg; earnest preparations for administrative reform commence

1714

Russian naval victory at Hangö; Naval Academy established in St Petersburg

1715–17

First Russian expedition to Central Asia

1716–17

Peter’s second extended trip to Europe

1717–18

Administrative colleges (kollegii) established

1718

Investigation, trial, and execution of Tsarevich Alexis and other alleged conspirators

1721

Adoption of imperial title; publication of the Ecclesiastical Regulation and foundation of the Holy Synod

1722

New succession law; Table of Ranks promulgated

1722–3

Persian Campaign along the Caspian Sea

1722–4

Completion of first universal (male) census; first collection of ‘soul tax’

1724

Foundation of the Imperial Russian Academy of Sciences at St Petersburg

1725

Death of Peter I; accession of Catherine I

1725–7

Reign of Catherine I; hegemony of Alexander Menshikov

1726–30

Predominance of Supreme Privy Council

1727–30

Reign of Peter II; downfall and exile of Menshikov

1730

‘Constitutional Crisis’ after the death of Peter II, accession of Anna Ivanovna as empress (1730–40); abolition of Supreme Privy Council; emergence of Biron as favourite

1733–5

War of the Polish Succession, Russia in alliance with Austria

1735

Orenburg founded on south-eastern border and southern Urals; Turkic Bashkirs resist Russian encroachment in a full-blown colonial war till 1740

1736–9

Russo-Turkish War

1740

Death of Anna Ivanovna

1740–1

Ivan VI, with Anna Leopoldovna as regent

1741–1801

Age of Enlightenment

1741–61

Reign of Elizabeth

1741–3

Russo-Swedish War

1754

Abolition of internal tariffs; establishment of Noble Bank

1755

Moscow University established

1756–62

Russian participation in Seven Years War

1760

Nobles given right to exile serfs to Siberia

1761–2

Reign of Peter III

1762

Manifesto freeing the nobility from obligatory service (18 February)

1762–96

Reign of Catherine II

1764

Secularization of Church lands and peasants

1766

Publication of ‘The Great Instruction’ by Catherine the Great

1767–8

Legislative Assembly (Ulozhennaia komissiia) convened

1768–74

Russo-Turkish War

1771

Bubonic plague; Moscow riots

1772

First Partition of Poland (July)

1774

Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainardji with Turkey, recognizing Russian protectorate over Christians in the Ottoman Empire

1773–5

Pugachev rebellion

1775

Statute on Provincial Administration

1781–6

Administrative absorption of Ukraine

1782

Law on Provincial Police

1785

Charter to the Nobility; Charter to the Towns

1787–92

Russo-Turkish War

1790

A. N. Radishchev’s Journey from St Petersburg to Moscow published

1793

Second Partition of Poland

1794

Odessa founded

1795

Third and final partition of Poland

1796–1801

Reign of Paul

1797

Edict limiting corvée labour (barshchina) to three days per week; Law of Succession

1800–1855

Pre-Reform Russia

1801–25

Reign of Alexander I

1801

Annexation of Georgia

1802

Establishment of ministries

1804

Educational reform; establishment of three additional universities; Pale of Settlement, restricting Jewish residency to the Western provinces

1804–7

Russian participation in alliance against Napoleon

1807

Peace of Tilsit

1807–11

Speransky Reforms

1809

Acquisition of Finland

1810

State Council established

1812

Napoleon invades Russia (June); Battle of Borodino; Moscow burnt (September); French retreat

1815

Holy Alliance; establishment of Congress Poland

1816–19

Landless emancipation of Baltic serfs

1819

Establishment of St Petersburg University

1825

Decembrist revolt

1825–55

Reign of Nicholas I

1830

Publication of The Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire

1830–1

Polish rebellion

1833

First modern law code (Svod zakonov) published, taking effect in 1835

1836

Publication of P. Ia. Chaadaev’s ‘Philosophical Letter’

1837–42

State peasant reforms under P. D. Kiselev

1842–51

Construction of first Russian railway line (St Petersburg-Moscow)

1847

Exchange between N. Gogol and V. Belinskii

1849

Petrashevskii circle

1853–6

Crimean War

1855–1890

Great Reforms and Counter-Reform

1855–81

Reign of Alexander II

1856

Peace of Paris, ending the Crimean War; Alexander’s speech to the nobility of Moscow, intimating the need to reform serfdom ‘from above’

1857

Secret commission for serf reform established (1 January); Nazimov Rescript (20 November) inviting nobility to collaborate in reform; ‘Chief Committee on Peasant Affairs’ under Rostovtsev established to oversee emancipation

1859–60

Noble deputations come to St Petersburg (August 1859; January 1860)

1861

Emancipation Manifesto (19 February)

1862

Publication of I. S. Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons

1863

Polish Rebellion; publication of N. G. Chernyshevskii’s What Is to Be Done?; University Statute issued

1864

Zemstvo (local self-government) established; judicial reform; elementary school reform

1865

Censorship reform (‘Temporary Regulations’)

1865–85