January 19 in Russian history

1171: Knyaz of Kiev, Gleb, younger brother of Andrei Bogolyubsky, dies. The chronicles wrote of him: "if he gave the word, he kept it, he was humble, loved monasteries and monks and was generous with the poor." There were rumours that he was poisoned, but there were no direct evidences to that. Gleb's throne was given to Vladimir Mstislavich, known for his perfidy.

1918: Bolsheviks dissolve the Constituent Assembly. Ever since the revolution of 1905, many political parties, including socialist democrats, demanded for the Constituent Assembly. After the February revolution of 1917, the Provisional Government began the preparations for the elections. In November 1917 (25 Oct., old style), bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government. They banned non-socialist press and began political persecutions of other political parties, notably the Constitutional Democrats, but they permitted the elections, which were scheduled by the Provisional Government on November, 12 (old style). The elections gave 380 places in the Constituent Assembly (out of 703) to the non-Marxist party of Socialist Revolutionaries (aka Right SRs), widely supported by peasants, 168 places to Bolsheviks and much smaller number of places to other parties, including Left SRs, associated with the Bolsheviks. On 18 January (6 Jan, old style) a large demonstration supporting the Constituent Assembly took place in Petrograd (ex-St.Petersburg). The demonstration was dispersed by the Bolshevik troops, especially their praetorian guard, Latvian riflemen, who shot many people with machine guns. The Assembly started their work at around 16:00 on 18 January. Bolsheviks commented: "How can you appeal to such a concept as the will of the whole people? For a Marxist 'the people' is an inconceivable notion: the people does not act as a single unit. The people as a unit is a mere fiction, and this fiction is needed by the ruling classes." The Tauride Palace, where the Assembly took place, was blocked by Bolshevik forces, including the Latvian riflemen. Rebellous sailors entered the building, the Bolshevist leaders were present as guests, even though they already decided to dissolve the Assembly. "There is no need to disperse the Constituent Assembly: just let them go on chattering as long as they like and then break up, and tomorrow we won't let a single one of them come in," said Lenin. At about 4:00 am, the guards entered the hall and sailor Zheleznyakov said his famous "Workers don't need your chatter. The guard are tired and want to sleep. I propose to stop the discussions." The Assembly quickly voted for the Law on the Land, for the law proclaiming Russia a democratic federal republic and an appeal to Entente for peace and dispersed. On the next day, the building was locked and Bolsheviks declared the Assembly dissolved. Actually, it was the day when the Civil War began

1980: President of the USA J.Carter declares that the USA will boycott the Olympic games in Moscow.