istoryworld
Events relating to russia
The Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev announces that Soviet troops will leave Afghanistan, handing victory to the mujaheddin
Nine Roman Catholic cardinals attend the 1000th anniversary celebrations of the Russian people being brought into the Orthodox faith
The USSR completes the phased withdrawal of its troops from Aghanistan
Boris Yeltsin, impatient with the pace of reform under Gorbachev, resigns from the Communist party
Russian dancer Irek Mukhamedov leaves the Bolshoi company to join the Royal Ballet in London
Former Communist Boris Yeltsin is elected leader of the Russian Soviet Socialist Republic
Boris Yeltsin foils a hard-line Communist coup against Mikhail Gorbachev, on holiday at the time in the Crimea
The Soviet region of Chechnya proclaims its independence from the USSR, calling itself the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
Three Soviet republics (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus) declare independence, leading to the formal disbanding of the USSR
Eight more Soviet Socialist republics vote to join the three founder members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as president of the defunct USSR, handing power to Boris Yeltsin as president of the new Russian republic
Mohammad Najibullah, Russia's puppet ruler in Afghanistan, is finally overwhelmed in Kabul by the mujaheddin
Loyal troops storm the parliament in Moscow, ending a putsch against President Yeltsin
After 18 years in the USA, living in Vermont, Alexander Solzhenitsyn returns to post-Communist Russia
Russian troops enter Chechnya to crush the armed separatist movement
Russian troops withdraw from Grozny after a peace deal that leaves Chechnya with effective autonomy
The first module is launched of the International Space Station, a cooperative venture by five space agencies (USA, Russia, Japan, Canada, Europe)
The Russian army returns to Chechnya after Islamic militants commit acts of terrorism
Boris Yeltsin announces his completely unexpected resignation on New Year's Eve and effectively hands power to Vladimir Putin as acting president
Vladimir Putin wins the presidential election in Russia on the first round
Chechen terrorists take hostage the entire audience of a Moscow theatre in an atrocity resulting in the death of more than 150 people
In Russia's presidential election Vladimir Putin easily wins a second term
Chechen terrorists take an entire school hostage, in Beslan in southern Russia, resulting in more than 300 deaths
Vladimir Putin's hand-picked successor, Dmitry Medvedev, is elected President of Russia
Georgian armed forces enter the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia, provoking a powerful armed response from Russia
