The Romanov family: Tsar Nicholas II of Russia with his wife, Alexandra of Hesse-Darmstadt, and her daughters, Ol'ga, Tat'jana, Marjia e Anastasia and Aleksej. 1913

A woman in a bright coat walks among the crowds in Red Square near the State Historical Museum, in Moscow, Russia, 1973.

A Russian armored troop-carrier moves with soldiers atop next to a house set on fire by South Ossetian militia on in August, 2008.

The area around Moscow's Kremlin is lit up at night in 1986. Banners featuring Lenin's face celebrate the 70th anniversary of his revolution are hung on the State Historical Museum in the foreground.

Russian History

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The 21st century saw the dawn of the war on terrorism, as the 9/11 attacks and the Boston Marathon bombing dramatically changed society. Economic issues moved to the forefront during the Great Recession. The COVID-19 pandemic upended lives and economies around the world. Awareness of social inequality grew as the killings of Black Americans, including Trayvon Martin and George Floyd, spurred widespread protests.

21st Century

The 1990s is often remembered as a decade of relative peace and prosperity: The Soviet Union fell, ending the decades-long Cold War, and the rise of the Internet ushered in a radical new era of communication, business and entertainment. However, the decade was not without violence and tragedy, including the Bosnian genocide, the Rodney King beating and subsequent L.A. Riots, and the bombing of the World Trade Center. The Columbine High School shooting marked a solemn chapter in gun violence, and the devastatingly deadly Oklahoma City bombing by a domestic terrorist followed lethal standoffs between federal agents and armed civilians at Ruby Ridge, Idaho and Waco, Texas.

1990s

1905

1994

The Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union lasted for decades and resulted in anti-communist suspicions and international incidents that led two superpowers to the brink of nuclear disaster.

Cold War

1961

2004

Explore the wars, battles, leaders, civilizations, regimes, prominent figures and major events from the continent that encompasses 2 percent of the Earth’s surface. From Stonehenge to the Great Awakening to the French Revolution to the rise and fall of Communism in Russia, see how Europe’s often tumultuous history unfolded.

Russian History

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Pogroms

Romanov Family

Soviet Union

Red Square

Stories

The Mysterious Fate of the Romanov Family’s Prized Easter Egg Collection

Why Catherine the Great’s Enemies Turned Her into a Sex Fiend

How a Five-Day War With Georgia Allowed Russia to Reassert Its Military Might

Lenin vs Stalin: Their Showdown Over the Birth of the USSR

This Day in History

Chechen separatists storm Russian school

Stalin’s body removed from Lenin’s tomb

Russian forces enter Chechnya

The Russo-Japanese War begins

The Battle of Tsushima Strait

St. Petersburg founded by Peter the Great