4000BC	Earliest evidence of Neolithic culture in Russia.
862AD	Rurik of Jutland founds Novgorod - birth of the Russian state.
988AD	Prince Vladimir converts to Christianity - birth of Russian Orthodox church.
1147	Moscow first documented, as the site of a hunting lodge!
1237-40	Kiev is sacked by the Mongols. Tatars establish in southern Russia.
1367	Moscow rises in power - becomes the Tatar’s nemesis, Kremlin fortified.
1547	Ivan IV ‘The Terrible’ takes title ‘Tsar of all Russia’.
1613	Mikhail Romanov becomes first Tsar of the Romanov dynasty.
1703	St Petersburg - founded by Peter the Great .
1812	Napoleon invades Russia.
1853-57	Crimean War.
1898	Social Democratic Workers Party founded.
1905	The 1905 Revolution.
1914	Outbreak of World War I; St Petersburg changes name to Petrograd.
1917	The Russian Revolution - Tsar Nicholas forced to abdicate ending a dynasty of autocratic tsarist ruling.
1918	Civil War starts, Lenin forms the CHEKA (Secret Police), Tsar & family murdered.
1921	Lenin bans all political opposition - NEP (New Economic Policy) is introduced.
1922	Birth of the USSR - Joseph Stalin becomes General Secretary of the Party.
1941	Nazi Germany attacks Russia.
1947	The term ‘Cold War’ is coined.
1961	Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, first man in space.
1962	Cuban Missile Crisis.
1980	Moscow Olympic Games held, but boycotted by the West.
1985	Mikhail Gorbachev is elected - period of ‘glastnost and perestroika’ commences.
1979-89	USSR - Afghanistan War.
1991	USSR is dissolved in December.
2000	Vladimir Putin elected President.
2001	New relationship with NATO forged.
2002	Russia and the USA announce new agreement on strategic nuclear weapons reduction.
2003	Chechens voted in a referendum that approved a new regional constitution making Chechnya a separatist republic within Russia.
2004	Putin was re-elected president with 70% of the vote. International election observers considered the process less than democratic.
2004	Russia endorsed the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. It was the final endorsement needed to put the protocol into effect worldwide.
2005	Russian Special Forces killed Former Chechen president & rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov. Putin hailed it as a victory in his fight against terrorism.