Top 10 important dates in Russian history

The history of the Russian state has more than 12 centuries. Over the centuries, events have taken place that have become critical on the scale of a huge country. Top 10 important dates in Russian history collected in our today's top ten.

Of course, such a list cannot be called exhaustive - there are hundreds of significant days in the richest Russian history. However, we suggest starting small and turning to the current top ten.

September 8, 1380 - Battle of Kulikovo (Donskoye or Mamaevo battle)

This battle between the army of Dmitry Donskoy and the army of Mamai is considered a turning point in more than two hundred years of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. A crushing defeat dealt a blow to the military and political dominance of the Horde. According to legend, the battle was preceded by a duel between the Russian hero Peresvet and the Pecheneg Chelubey.

November 24, 1480 - The fall of the Tatar-Mongol yoke

The Mongol yoke was established in Russia in 1243 and remained unshakable for 237 years. At the end of November 1480, the Great Standing on the Ugra River ended, marking the victory of the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III over the Khan of the Great Horde Akhmat.

October 26, 1612 - The liberation of the Kremlin from the invaders

On this day, members of the people's militia led by the legendary Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin liberate the Kremlin from the Polish-Swedish invaders. Among those who left the Kremlin was the nun Martha with her son Mikhail Romanov, who in 1613 was proclaimed the new Russian sovereign.

June 27, 1709 - Battle of Poltava

The largest battle of the Northern War ended in a decisive victory for the Russian army. From that moment on, the authority of Sweden as one of the leading military powers in Europe was done away with. But the whole world was shown the power of the updated Russian army.

August 26, 1812 - Battle of Borodino

The largest battle of the Patriotic War lasted 12 hours. Both armies lost 25-30% of their strength. The battle was conceived by Napoleon as a general battle, and the goal was the crushing defeat of the Russian army. However, the battle ended ingloriously for the French, despite the retreat of the Russians, and marked the beginning of the end of the Napoleonic campaign.

February 19, 1861 - abolition of Russian serfdom

The freedom of the peasants was enshrined in the manifesto of Emperor Alexander II, who was popularly called the Liberator. By the time the manifesto was published, the share of serfs in the population of Russia was about 37%.

February 27, 1917 - February Revolution

An armed uprising in February 1917 led to the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II. It is these events that are considered the beginning of the Soviet period in Russian history. For the next 74 years, a new form of government was established in the state.

May 9, 1945 - Signing of the German Unconditional Surrender Act

The day of the end of the Great Patriotic War was declared a national holiday in 1945. Despite the fact that the first victory parade was held in the capital on Red Square on June 24, 1945, Russians celebrate Victory Day on May 9.

April 12, 1961 - Yuri Gagarin's flight into space

The first manned flight into space became not only the most important event in the scientific world, but also significantly strengthened the prestige of the USSR as a military space power. In the eyes of the whole world, the authority of the Americans was undermined, space flight became decisive for a number of states, which hesitated in their sympathies between the Union and the United States.

December 8, 1991 - Signing of the Agreement on the establishment of the CIS (Belovezhskaya Agreement)

The agreement was signed by three leaders: Boris Yeltsin, Stanislav Shushkevich and Leonid Kravchuk. This event can be considered the date of the final collapse of the USSR. By the end of 1991, the Russian Federation was recognized by the world community and took the place of the USSR in the UN. It can be considered that from this moment the history of modern Russia began.