Time
Read from left to right. The oldest time is on the left. Today is on the right.
Long ago
First people
People have lived on these lands for a very long time. We are not sure what the people at the very old graves believed.
About 800–1200
Kievan Rus
Kievan Rus was a land of towns and trade. Its famous city was Kyiv, which is in Ukraine today.
1100s–1500s
Moscow grows
Moscow grew from a small town into the main city of the Russian lands.
1564
A dated printed book
In 1564 Ivan Fyodorov printed a dated book in Moscow. Printing was already used in China, Korea, and Western Europe.
1703
Saint Petersburg
In 1703 Peter the Great began Saint Petersburg. The new city was hard on the workers.
1812
An army reaches Moscow
In 1812 an army from France reached Moscow.
1861
Serfdom ends
In 1861 serfdom ended. The people who had been tied to the land were freed.
1917
The tsar steps down
In 1917 the tsar stepped down.
After 1917
Rulers not freely chosen
After 1917, people could not freely choose their rulers, and many people were hurt. That was wrong.
1941–1945
A hard war
From 1941 to 1945 Germany's army entered. Many families were hurt. The war ended in 1945. The city of Volgograd was called Stalingrad then.
1957
Sputnik
In 1957 a team sent up Sputnik, the first satellite to orbit the Earth.
1961
Gagarin flies
In 1961 Yuri Gagarin flew in space. He did not build the craft alone.
1991
The Soviet Union ends
In 1991 the Soviet Union ended. From 1922 to 1991 Russia had been one part of that union. The other countries that came out of it are not Russia.
2022
Ukraine
In 2022 Russia's army went into Ukraine. Ukraine is a different country. Many families were hurt.