February 21 in Russian history

1784: A fortress was founded near the Tatar village Aqyar, named Sevastopol, from the Greek words σεβαστóς and πóλις, literally meaning "the venerable town", but the connotation being "the imperial town". This town has a special place in Russian history. In some way, it is a legend.

Sevastopol is locate on the South of Crimea, on the Heraclean peninsula. Its northernmost point also has a classically sounding name -- cape Lucullus. In antiquity, a Greek colony Chersonesos was located on this place. It was built by inhabitants of Heraclea in V century BC. In 705, the citizens of Chersonesos revolted against the emperor Justinian II. In 711, a new revolt happened, led by Bardanes Philippicus, who had been exiled to Chersonesos some years earlier. Bardanes succeeded and became the new emperor of the Roman Empire. In 988, knyaz Vladimir the Saint (aka the Red Sun) attacked and seized Chersonesos. In 1804 Sevastopol was proclaimed the main naval port of the Russian Empire. In 1830, a large revolt started in the city, known as the "plague revolt". It was caused by the oppressions during the epidemics of cholera in 1829-1830. During the Crimean war of 1853-1856, the joint forces of Britain, France and Turkey sieged Sevastopol. After 11 months of heroic defense, Russian army left a part of the town and evacuated to the northern bank of the bay. In 1905, a large group of sailors and soldiers revolted and demanded for the call of the Constituent Assembly, republican government, 8-hour long working day, etc. The revolt was quelled and four leaders, including lieutenant Schmidt, were executed. During the World War II, in 1941-1942, the Second Siege of Sevastopol took place, when the city survived 250 days of bombardment. It was liberated on May 9, 1944. In 1954, the city along with the whole Crimean peninsula was transferred under the authority of the Ukrainian SSR to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the re-unification of Ukraine and Russia. Now, while remaining a Ukrainian city, Sevastopol hosts a Russian naval base and the HQ of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

January 27-28 in Russian history

January 27

1756: I cannot start this post with any other date than this: the birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

1871: Alexander II issues a decree allowing women to work in public and state institutions

1944: The siege of Leningrad is totally lifted.

1945: In the course of liberation of Poland, Soviet troops enter the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. The majority of prisoners were relocated to Germany and the Soviet soldiers only find about 3,000 people, who were considered 'useless' by the Nazis.

January 28

1725: (Feb 8 New style) Emperor Peter I died. Probably, the most influential ruler in the Russian history. The author of the "westernization" policy. Creator of the Russian Empire. Builder of the Russian fleet. Victor in many wars, including the war with Carl XII, king of Sweden. Architect of St. Petersburg, Russian "window into Europe". On the other hand, it was he who turned the life of Russian serfs into what became the distinguishing quality of Russian history in the eyes of all foreigners. It was he who killed thousands of people by sending them to forced labor. The people remembered him as the Tsar-Antichrist.

1765: Catherine II issues a decree giving the landowners (pomeshchiki) the right to condemn their serfs to penal servitude.

1783: The same empress, Catherine II, allows private book-printing. 13 years later, in 1796, private publishing houses are prohibited again.

1820: Two Russian ships, Vostok and Mirnyi, captained by Faddey Bellinsgauzen and Mikhail Lazarev, discover Antarctica.

January 18 in Russian history

1654: Pereyaslav Rada (Assembly) approved the treaty prepared by the Cossack Hetman, Bogdan Khmelnytsky, to re-unite Ukraine with Russia. In the morning the Hetman called the elders' rada (council of the leaders of Cossacks) and after their approval, the open rada assembled and confirmed the decision. The participants included representatives of all areas liberated from Polish troops, people from the town of Pereyaslav and peasants from nearby villages. The Hetman, the Cossack leaders and the people pledged their allegiance to the tsar Alexey I. The Russian government was very careful about the decision and declined the Ukrainian initiative for a number of times before finally signing the Pereyaslav Treaty on March, 14, 1654.

1825: The new building of the Bolshoi Theatre was inaugurated. The theatre was founded in 1776 and they gave performances in Znamensky theatre. In 1780, it was destroyed by a fire and a new theatre, Petrovsky, was designed by Osip Bove. In 1805, this building burnt down, too, and in 1808 the theatre moved to Arbatsky theatre built by an Italian architect Carlo Rossi. The Arbatsky theatre was destroyed when Napoleon took Moscow in 1812. In 1821, Osip Bove started the construction of the new building, designed by Alexey Mikhailov, the rector of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. The Muscovites, impressed by the grandeur of the new building, called it Colosseum. During the first concert on January, 18, 1825, a piece by Russian composers A.Verstovsky and A.Alyabyev, "The Triumph of The Muses", was performed. In 1853, during a fire, the building was damaged, but it was restored in 1856. Now, in 2007, the building is closed for restoration works.

1926: Premiere of "Battleship Potemkin", a film by Sergei Eisenstein. The film is considered one of the most influential films. In 1958, during the World's Fair at Brussels, it was named by experts the greatest film of all time.

1943: The Soviet troops broke the blockade of Leningrad. After a week of fierce fighting, units of Leningrad and Volkhov fronts overcame the German fortifications and opened a corridor to supply the food to the dying city.

1944: Precisely one year later, on January 18, 1944, the siege was ended and the German troops were driven away from Leningrad, after 900 days-long tragedy, one of the most frightening ones in history. From 670,000 to 1,500,000 people died, mostly from starvation and exposure.