Chronology of Soviet History 1917-1953 - History

[elijahcraig]

Civil War (1918-1920)
1917
November-December:
Decrees abolishing ranks, insignias, and hierarchical greetings in the army
December:
The Cheka is established to deter looting and sabotage

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1918
General
Blok writes "Äâåíàäöàòü/The Twelve" and "Ñêèôû/Sythians"
Gumilev writes "Êîñò¸ð/Campfire"
Maiakovskii writes "Ëåâûé ìàðø/Left March" and Ìèñòåðèÿ áóôô/Mystery Buff
Zamiatin writes Îñòðîâèòÿíå/Islanders
January:
The Third All-Russian Congress of Soviets drafts a constitution
The Red Army is created
Women are granted civil, legal, and electoral equality
February:
Church loses its property and rights of ownership. All church land, buildings, vestments, and utensils are nationalized
Gregorian Calendar is adopted
March:
Brest-Litovsk Treaty is signed, ending Russia's participation in World War I
General Krasnov attacks Pulkovo Heights near Petrograd; the capital is moved to Moscow
General Iudenich attacks Petrograd
General Denikin wages war in the Ukraine and Caucasus
7th Party Congress
May:
Uprising of the Czech Brigade, which starts the Civil War; British and Japanese land in Vladivostok; US (Arkhangel'sk) and French (Odessa) follow in the Summer; British troops land in Batum in December
Large-scale industry is nationalized
Nationalization of the theater and of the film industry
16 July:
Murder of Nicholas II and the Royal Family
August:
Socialist Revolutionaries capture Kazan'
Admiral Kolchak becomes "Supreme Ruler" of Siberia (Omsk)
Fania Kaplan attempts to kill Lenin
October
The formation of VAPP (the All-Russian Association of Proletarian Writers
November:
WWI Ends

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1919
General
Nabokov, Bunin, Merezhkovskii and Gippius emigrate to the West
Maiakovskii writes "150,000,000"
Comintern is founded
March:
8th Party Congress
April:
French withdraw from Odessa
May:
Iudenich begins an offensive in the south (which fails in the Fall)
June
Treaty of Versailles is signed (June 28)
Fall:
Kolchak falls in Siberia
Denikin leads the Don Cossacks to Orel, but is then repulsed
October:
General Iudenich moves from Estonia to Petrograd, but is then repulsed
A foreign trade monopoly is instituted by the government

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1920
General
Zamiatin writes Ìû/We
Bal'mont emigrates
Central Committee opposes Proletkul't
February:
Kolchak is executed
Allied blockade is lifted
Vrangel' (who has replaced Denikin) takes the initiative in the Crimea
The Poles occupy Kiev, and the Polish/Soviet War begins (1920-1922)
October:
US, British and French troops are withdrawn
Vrangel''s campaign fails
The Civil War ends
The Famine begins (1920-1922).

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1921
General
Gumilev is executed
Blok dies
Furmanov writes Êðàñíûé äåñàíò
March:
Treaty of Riga, ending the Polish/Soviet War, is signed
The Kronstadt Revolt takes place
The Tenth Party Congress meets at which the New Economic Policy is adopted and the Party is substituted for the proletariat as the ruling body

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1922
General
11th Party Congress
Treaty of Rapallo with Germany
Khodasevich and Tvetaeva emigrate
Khlebnikov dies
VAPP is founded
May:
Lenin's first stroke
Denationalization is begun
December:
Lenin writes his "Testament" or "Letter to the Congress"
The triumvirate of Kamenev, Stalin, and Zinoviev lead the country (1922-1925)
The "Scissors crisis" takes place (1922-1923)

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New Economic Policy (1921-28)
1920
General
Famine, drought and epidemics (1920-1922)
Bal'mont emigrates
Zamiatin writes Ìû/We
Central Committee opposes Proletkul't
January
Allied blockade lifted
February
Bolsheviks shoot Kolchak
Allies lift blockade
A commission is appointed to prepare a plan for the complete electrification of the country
The Polish/Soviet war begins
July
Second Congress of the Comintern
October
VAPP (The All-Russian Association of Proletarian Writers/Âñåñîþçíàÿ àññîöèàöèÿ ïðîëåòàðíûx ïèñàòåëåé) is formed
November:
Vrangel' evacuates Crimea
End of Civil War

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1921
General
The Seraphion Brotherhood is formed
Vronskii begins publishing Êðàñíàÿ íîâü/Krasnaia nov'
The poet Aleksandr Blok dies
Gulmilev is executed as a spy
Babel' begins his Îäåññêèå ðàññêàçû/Odessa Tales (1921-23)
Tvetaeva writes Âåðñòû/Versts
Zamiatin writes "Ìàìàé/Mamai"
March:
Treaty of Riga is signed, signaling the end of the Polish/Soviet War
The Kronstadt Revolt
Tenth Party Congress
NEP (denationalization except for large-scale industry, banking and foreign trade)
October
Gor'kii leaves Russia

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1922
General
Maiakovskii and Brik create LEF (Ëåâûé ôðîíò èñêóññòâà).
Pil'niak's Ãîëûé ãîä/The Naked Year is published
Zamiatin writes "Ïåùåðà/The Cave"
Pasternak writes Äåòñòâî Ëþâåðñ/Childhood of Liuvers
Zoshchenko writes Ðàññêàçû Íàçàðà Èëüè÷à, ã. Ñèíåáþxîâà/Stories of Nazar Il'ich, Mr. Sinebriukhov
Belyi writes Êîòèê Ëåòàåâ/Kotik Letaev
Khlebnikov dies
Mandel'shtam writes Òðèñòà/Trista
Tsvetaeva and Khodasevich emigrate
The communist youth organization "Pioneers" is formed
State censorship is established
The Formation of the USSR
The Cheka becomes the GPU
April
Stalin is chosen as General Secretary of the Communist Party
May:
Lenin's first stroke
December:
Lenin's "Testament" [Çàâåùàíèå Ëåíèíà] or "Letter to the Congress"
Lenin's second stroke
The Synod is dissolved; Patriarch Tikhon is arrested

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1922-1923
General
Trials of the Socialist Revolutionaries
Deportations of Kadets and Mensheviks
Furmanov's ×àïàåâ/Chapaev is published
Pasternak publishes Òåìû è âàðèàöèè/Themes and Variations
Trotskii publishes Ëèòåðàòóðà è ðåâîëþöèÿ/Literature and revolution
Pereval is organized (1923-1932)
ËÅÔ/LEF is organized
12th Party Congress

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1924
General
Triumvirate of Stalin, Kamenev and Zinoviev vs. Trotskii and the Opposition
13th Party Congress
USSR Constitution ratified
USSR recognized by UK, France, and Italy
Eizenshtein films Strike, and Kuleshov films Íåîáû÷àéíûå ïðèêëþ÷åíèÿ ìèñòåðà Âåñòà â ñòðàíå Áîëüøåâèêîâ/The Incredible Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks
Pil'niak writes Ìàøèíû è âîëêè/Automobiles and Wolves
Pasternak writes Âîçäóøíûå ïóòè/Aerial Ways
The Symbolist poet Bruisov dies
Zamiatin's Ìû/We is published in the West in English; "On Literature, Revolution and Entropy" is written
Sholokhov writes Äîíñêèå ðàññêàçû/Don Stories
Fedin writes Ãîðîäà è ãîäû/Cities and Years
January
Death of Lenin
Beginning of the Lenin cult (Fundamentals of Leninism, Lenin Institute), Petrograd renamed Leningrad
Lenin Levy (workers into the Party)
April
Patriarch Tikhon dies and is not replaced

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1925
General
Central Committee Resolution "On Party Policy in the Field of Literature"
Gladkov's Öåìåíò/Cement and Bugakov's Áåëàÿ ãâàðäèÿ/White Guard and "Ñîáà÷üå ñåðäöå/Heart of a Dog" are written. Eisenshtein's Áðîíçåíîñåö Ïîòåìêèí/Battleship Potemkin is released
Esenin commits suicide
Babel's Êîíàðìèÿ/Red Cavalry is published
Vertov's Êèíî-ãëàç/Kino-eye is filmed
Frunze dies on the operating table

Trotskii is removed as war commissar
April
Tsaritsyn renamed Stalingrad
14th Party Conference: Stalin's slogan, "Socialism in One Country."

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1926
General
Dmitrii Furmanov dies
Lenin's "Testament" is published in the New York Times
Procedures for marriage and divorce are simplified significantly, even beyond those established in 1918
Bulgakov's Äíè Òóðáèíûx/Days of the Turbins is staged
OBERIU is founded
Òðåòüÿ ìåùàíñêàÿ/Bed and Sofa by Avram Room is released
Pil'niak's "Ïîâåñòü íåïîãàøåííîé ëóíû"/Tale of the Unextinguished Moon is published

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1925-1928


General
Oberiu is established (1926-1930)
Stalin and Bukharin vs. Left Opposition -- Kamenev, Zinoviev, and Trotskii (all ousted from Politburo)

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1927
General
Communist revolt in China is crushed
Olesha's Çàâèñòü/Envy, Fadeev's Ðàçãðîì/The Rout and Maiakovskii's "Xîðîøî/Good" are published
Platonov's Ýïèôàíñêèå øëþçû/The Sluices of Epiphany, and Pasternak's Ëåéòåíàíò Øìèäò/Lieutenant Shmidt are published
Zamiatin's Ìû/Wå ("corrupted text") is published in Czechoslovakia
The constructivist Izvestiia building is completed
Sologub dies
Íîâûé Ëåô/New Lef is organized (1927-28)

October:
10th Jubilee; Eisenstein's Îêòÿáðü/October
Concern for Thermidore
December:
15th Party Congress: Defeat of the Opposition
The Opposition is expelled. Trotskii and others are placed in internal exile

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1928
General
Sholokhov's Òèxèé Äîí/Quiet Flows the Don begins to be serialized; Maiakovskii's Êëîï/Bedbug is written, as is I'lf and Petrov's Äâåíàäöàòü ñòóëüåâ/Twelve Chairs
Bulgakov begins Ìàñòåð è Ìàðãàðèòà/Master and Margarita, Platonov finishes ×åâåíãóðå/Chevengur
Tynianov writes Àðxàèñòû è íîâàòîðû/Archaists and Innovators
VAPP becomes RAPP
Trotskii exiled to Alma Ata
Stalin begins his battle with the Right Opposition -- Bukharin, Rykov and Tomskii.
NEP ends
First Five Year Plan is declared
May
Shakhty Trials take place

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1929
General
Pil'niak writes "Krasnoe derevo," Maiakovskii's Bania is completed (and staged in 1930), and Êîòëîâàí/The Foundation Pit by Platonov is completed (though not published)
Bakhtin's seminal text Ïðîáëåìû òâîð÷åñòâî Äîñòîåâñêîãî/Problems of Dostoevskii's Poetics is published
Vertov's ×åëîâåê ñ êèíîàïïàðàòîì/Man with a Movie Camera is filmed
Platonov writes "Óñîìíèâøèéñÿ Ìàêàð/Doubting Makar"
Bulgakov's plays are banned from the stage
The Gor'kii Institute is founded
Trotskii is deported
Bukharin is ousted from the Politburo
Lunacharskii is replaces as the Íàðêîì ïðîñâåùåíèÿ (Minister of Enlightenment)
RAPP begins its program of slandering "fellow travelers [ïîïóò÷èêè]." Zamiatin, and Pil'niak and Erenburg are especially singled out in the press

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1929-1932
General
First Five Year Plan
Forced Industrialization and collectivization; liquidization of "Kulaks"

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First Five-Year Plan (1929-1932)
1929
General
Pil'niak writes "Êðàñíîå äåðåâî"/Mahogany, Maiakovskii's Áàíÿ/The Bathhouse is completed (and staged in 1930), and The Foundation Pit by Platonov is completed (though not published)
Bakhtin's seminal text Ïðîáëåìû òâîð÷åñòâî Äîñòîåâñêîãî/Problems of Dostoevskii's Poetics is published
Vertov's ×åëîâåê ñ êèíîàïïàðàòîì/Man with a Movie Camera is filmed
Platonov writes "Óñîìíèâøèéñÿ Ìàêàð/Doubting Makar"
Bulgakov's plays are banned from the stage
The Gor'kii Institute is founded
Trotskii is deported
Bukharin is ousted from the Politburo
Lunacharskii is replaces as the Íàðêîì ïðîñâåùåíèÿ (Minister of Enlightenment)
RAPP begins its program of slandering "fellow travelers [ïîïóò÷èêè]." Zamiatin, and Pil'niak and Erenburg are especially singled out in the press
The Central Committee condemns the right
New Entities of Proletarian Hegemony
Red Professors
The Communist Academy
The League of Militant Godless
The Komsomol
Varnitso -- The Communist Association of Scientific Workers
RAPM -- The Russian Academy of Proletarian Musicians

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1930
General
Platonov's Âîëãà âïàäàåò â êàñïèéñêîå ìîðå/The Volga Flows into the Caspian Sea is published
January
Central Committee decree "On the Tempo of Collectivization and the Governmental Means of Facilitating the Building of Collective Farms"
Central Committee decree "On the Fight Against Kulaks
Shklovskii renounces Formalism in Ëèòåðàòóðíàÿ ãàçåòà/Literaturnaia gazeta
March
Stalin's article "Dizzy with Success" is published in Pravda
April
Maiakovskii commits suicide
July
XVI Party Congress Upholds the Slogan "Five-Year Plan in Four Years"
October
Party decision on the complete liquidation of private trade

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1931
General
I'lf and Petrov's Çîëîòîé òåë¸íîê/The Golden Calf is published, Pasternak writes Îxðàííàÿ ãðàììîòà/Safe Conduct
Zamiatin emigrates
March
Work begins on the White Sea Canal [Belomor kanal]
VI Congress of Soviets establishes the "trudoden [workday]'" as a new system of payment for collective farm workers.

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1932
General
"Socialist Realism" is first mentioned in a speech by Izvestiia editor Ivan Gronskii
Ostrovskii's Êàê çàêàëÿëàñü ñòàëü/How the Steel was Tempered and Kataev's Âðåìÿ âïåð¸ä/Time Forward! are published
Kamenev and Zinoviev are sent to Siberia, but are soon allowed to return
April
Central Committee directive "One the Restructuring of Literary-artistic Organizations"
December
The system of internal passports that had been revoked following the Revolution is reinstated

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1933
General
The United States formally recognize the USSR
The White Sea Canal is completed
The emigre writer Bunin wins the Nobel Prize for Literature

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1934
General
Mandel'shtam is arrested for reading his poem about Stalin and is sentences to 3 years in exile
Andrei Belyi dies
Zoshchenko publishes his Ãîëóáàÿ êíèãà/Light-Blue Book
The Vasil'ev Brothers' ×àïàåâ/Chapaev is released
The USSR joins the League of Nations
Birobidzhan becomes an autonomous Jewish state
January
The Second Five-Year Plan accepted at the XVII Party Congress -- "Congress of Victors"
Stalinist Constitution is put into effect (and remains in effect until 1977)
September
The first Congress of The Writers' Union
M. Gromov sets the world record for the distance flown in an airplane
December
Kirov is murdered and is replaced by Zhdanov
Kamenev and Zinov'ev are arrested
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The Great Purges (1933-1939)
1932
April
Central Committee resolution "On the Reformation of Literary-Artistic Organizations"
October
Kamenev and Zinoviev are sent to Siberia, but are soon allowed to return
November
Stalin's wife N. Allilueva commits suicide
Museum of Religion is opened in Kazan Cathedral in Leningrad
Worker discipline is "strengthened" -- one may lose his job and apartment for a single shift missed
December
Announcement that the First Five-Year plan is fulfilled in 4 years and 3 months

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1933
General
Belomor Canal completed
Second Five-Year Plan begins
Famine and unrest in Ukraine
The emigre Russian writer Ivan Bunin receives the Nobel Prize for literature in Paris

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1934
General
Mandel'shtam is arrested for reading his verses about Stalin
The GPU becomes the NKVD under Genrikh Iagoda
Vertov directs Òðè ïåñíè î Ëåíèíå/Three Songs of Lenin
January
Seventeenth Party Congress (Congress of Victors)
April
Rank of "Hero of the Soviet Union" is created
September
First Congress of USSR Writers' Union
Soviet pilot Mikhail Gromov set the World Record for longest non-stop flight
December
Assassination of Kirov

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1935
General
Akhmatova begins her poem "Ðåêâèåì/Requiem"
Dostoevskii's Áåñû/The Devils is published. Its publication is attacked in Pravda. Gor'kii defends its publication
The Moscow Metro opens
The Special Security Commission is formed, including: Stalin, Ezhov, Zhdanov and Vyshinskii, who becomes Prosecutor General
April
The Death Penalty is expanded to include children 12 years and older
August
Aleksei Stakhanov over fulfills the norm by 14 times in the Donets coal mines
The 7th and final Comintern takes place
November
Stalin pronounces "Living has become better, comrades. Living has become more merry" at the All-Union Stakhanovite Conference

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1936
General
Stakhanovite Year
Stalin Constitution is put into effect (replacing the 1924 constitution)
Lenin Museum opens in Moscow
Abortion is outlawed, divorce is made more difficult
Kuzmin dies
Aleksandrov directs Öèðê/Circus
July
Death of Gor'kii. Andrei Gide gives the eulogy
August
"Trial of 16," including Zinov'ev and Kamenev (The right opposition). All are shot on August 25th
September
Ezhov replaces Iagoda as Head of NKVD

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1937
General
Babel''s "Ãè äý Ìàïàñàí/Guy de Maupassant" and "Äè Ãðàññî/Di Grasso" are published, as is Bulgakov's Òåàòðàëüíûé ðîìàí/Theatrical Novel
Nabokov writes Äàð/The Gift
100 year anniversary of Pushkin's death commemorated by the release of a new edition of his collected works
Vera Mukhina's monument "Worker and Collective Farm Woman" is completed and erected at VDNKh
Award of "Hero of Soviet Labor" is created
Boris Pil'niak is arrested
Valerii Chkalov makes a one-man flight over the North Pole
Evgenii Zamiatin dies "svoei smert'iu" [his own death/of natural causes] in the West
Vronskii, Il'f, Mirskii and Kliuev are purged
January
The "Trial of 17," including Radek and Piatkov
February
Ordzhonikidze commits suicide or is killed
July
General Tukachevskii is accused of treason and shot -- Military trials follow

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1938
General
Eisenshtein's Àëåêñàíäð Íåâñêèé/Aleksandr Nevskii is released
Meierkhol'd's theater is closed
Aleksandrov directs Âîëãà, Âîëãà/Volga, Volga
Gerasimov paints "Stalin and Voroshilov in the Kremlin"
5 to 8 million people are imprisoned. More than 3 million have been killed or have died in camp since 1937
Third Five Year Plan is begun
March
The "Trial of 21," including Bukharin, Rykov, and Iagoda (March 2-13)
May
Mandel'shtam is arrested in Voronezh in May. Dies in Vladivostok December 27
October
The "Short Course of the History of the Communist Party" is published
December
Beria replaces Ezhov as head of NKVD

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1939
General
Zoshchenko's Stories about Lenin/Rasskazy o Lenine is published
Fadeev becomes the First Secretary of the Writers' Union (1939-1954)
The movie Âåëèêèé ãðàæäàíèí/Great Citizen is made about Kirov; directed by Ermler
Pyr'ev directs Òðàêòîðèñòû/Tractor Drivers
Kuprin dies
Ivan Kataev is purged
Marina Tsvetaeva returns and is repatriated
18th Party Congress
Stalin is named Time's "Man of the Year"
Outbreak of World War II
Meierkhol'd is arrested, then shot in 1940.His wife is murdered
Babel' is arrested
August
Molotov/von Ribbentrop Non-aggression pact is signed with Germany
November
USSR attacks Finland
December
Stalin's 60th birthday is celebrated

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*

World War II (1939-1945)
1939
General
Outbreak of World War II
18th Party Congress. Only 59 of 1,966 of those present at the previous congress attend (1,108 had been arrested)
Meierkhol'd is arrested, then shot in 1940. His wife is murdered
Babel' is arrested
August
Molotov/von Ribbentrop Non-aggression pact is signed with Germany
November
USSR attacks Finland
December
Stalin's 60th birthday is celebrated

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1940
General
Mikhail Bulgakov dies
E. Shvarts writes Òåíü/The Shadow, A. Tolstoi writes Xîæäåíèå ïî ìóêàì/Road to Calvary
March
Finland signs a peace accord with Soviets, giving up Kareliia and Vyborg
August
Murder of Trotskii by Ramon Mercador, a Stalinist agent, in Mexico

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1941
General
Marina Tsvetaeva commits suicide
Shostakovich writes his 7th Symphony, while living in blockaded Leningrad
Vasilii Lebedev-Kumach writes "Ñâÿùåííàÿ âîéíà/Sacred War"
Simonov writes "Æäè ìåíÿ/Wait for Me"
Pyr'ev directs Ñâèíàðêà è ïàñòóx/The Swineherd Girl and the Shepherd Boy
Kalatozov directs Âàëåðèé ×êàëîâ/Valerii Chkalov
Isaak Babel' dies or is killed in prison
Patriarchate is restored
Return to Slavdom, Russian patriotism/nationalism, Orthodoxy
February
Responsibility for internal affairs is assumed by the NKGB, replacing the NKVD
June
June 22, Nazis invade the USSR under operation "Barbarossa"
September
Germans begin blockade of Leningrad that will continue until January 1944
Germans begin offensive against Moscow
Over 33 thousand Jews are executed at Babii Iar outside of Kiev
October
Germans take the Ukraine

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1942
General
Daniil Kharms is arrested and dies in Prison
July
General Vlasov and others defect to the Germans and set up the "Russian Liberation Army"
August
General Zhukov is appointed as commander of the armed forces
November
Battle of Stalingrad begins (ending in February, 1943)
25th Anniversary of the Revolution -- Signals a loosening of ideology

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1943
General
Mikhail Zoshchenko publishes his book Ïåðåä âîñxîäîì ñîëíöà/Before Sunrise
Simonov writes Äíè è íî÷è/Days and Nights about the battle of Stalingrad
S. Mikhalkov and G. El-Registan write a new Soviet anthem; The "Internationale" becomes the Party anthem
Stalin restores the patriarchate; Sergei declares Stalin "divinely annointed" ruler
Stalin disbands the Comintern
Evgenii Shvarts writes Äðàêîí/The Dragon
March
Stalin is awarded the title of Marshall by the Supreme Soviet
July
Battle of Kursk
Massive deportations of Kalmyks, Ingush, and other minorities
December
The playing of the "Internationale" is replaced with a patriotic, state hymn

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1944
January
The Leningrad Blockade is broken
June
D-Day
Illegitimacy is legally recognized. A tax is imposed on childless families
November
General Vlasov, captured by the Germans in 1942, leads a pro-fascist, Russian force against the "tyranny of Stalinism."

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1945
General
The first half of Eisenshtein's film Èâàí Ãðîçíûé/Ivan the Terrible is released. The second half is released only in 1958
Pasternak begins Äîêòîð Æèâàãî/Doktor Zhivago
Fadeev writes Ìîëîäàÿ ãâàðäèÿYoung Guard
Zochshenko writes "Ïðèêëþ÷åíèÿ îáåçüÿíà/Adventures of a Monkey"
During the war 27 million Soviets die. 25 million are left homeless
February
Meeting of Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt at Yalta
April
April 17 -- Final offensive against Berlin
April 25 -- Russian and American armies meet on the Elbe
May
May 8 -- Germans surrender
July
The Berlin Conference takes place
August
The United States ends the Land-Lease program to the USSR
The 4th Five-Year plan is announced

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"Zhdanovshchina" (1946-53)
1945
General
The first half of Eisenshtein's film Èâàí Ãðîçíûé/Ivan the Terrible is released. The second half is released only in 1958
During the war 27 million Soviets die. 25 million are left homeless
February
Meeting of Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt at Yalta
April
April 17 -- Final offensive against Berlin
April 25 -- Russian and American armies meet on the Elbe
May
May 8 -- Germans surrender
July
The Berlin Conference takes place
August
The United States ends the Land-Lease program to the USSR
The 4th Five-Year plan is announced

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1945-1948
Massive defections of Soviet soldiers to the West



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1945-1947
Defectors are returned to USSR by Allies.
*


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1946
General
Boris Polevoi's Ïîâåñòü î íàñòîÿùåì ÷åëîâåêå/Story of a Real Man is written
Nurenburg Trials take place
First elections to the Supreme Soviet since 1937
January
Beria is replaced as head of NKVD by Kruglov
February
The Red Army is renamed The Soviet Army
August
Zhdanov's attack on the arts begins. Zoshchenko and Akhmatova are especially singled out

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1947
General
The Academy of Arts of the USSR is created; Gerasimov is its first president
End of rationing
Cominform established
February
Marriage of Soviet Citizens to foreigners is illegalized
May
The Death Penalty is abolished

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1948
General

Cooperation on the return of defectors ends
Czechoslovakia joins the Soviet Bloc
Fedor Shurpin's painting "Óòðî íàøåé ðîäèíû/Morning of our Motherland" is completed
Azhaev writes Äàëåêî îò Ìîñêâû/Far from Moscow
Boris Polevoi writes Ìû -- Ñîâåòñêèå ëþäè/We are Soviet People
The Pushkin Art Museum is closed. A Museum of Gifts to Stalin is opened in its place (in the same building)
February
Zhdanov dies
June
The USSR begins the blockade of Berlin (which lasts until May 1949)
Tension grows between the USSR and Yugoslavia
October
Lysenko's ideas on overcoming and manipulating nature become widely accepted
The plan to "reconstruct nature" is accepted, under which canals are to be built, and forest land protected

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1949
General
Aleksandrov directs Âñòðå÷à íà Åëüáå/Meeting on the Elbe and Chiaureli directs Ïàäåíèå Áåðëèíà/The Fall of Berlin
A campaign to expose "cosmopolitanism" is carried out in the arts and sciences
September
The Soviets detonate their first atomic bomb
December
Khrushchev becomes Moscow Party boss
Stalin's 70th birthday is celebrated

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1950
General
The Death Penalty is reinstated for spies, traitors and "wreckers" [âðåäèòåëè]
USSR and China sign Alliance treaty
June
Stalin's article "Ìàðêñèçì è âîïðîñû ÿçûêîçíàíèÿ/Marxism and Questions of Linguistics" is published in Pravda (June 20)

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1951
General
Andrei Platonov dies
January
The decision is made to build the Don-Volga Canal (which is finished in 1952)
March
Khrushchev announces his plan to gradually eliminate all villages and construct "agro-cities"

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1952
General
Campaign against "cosmoplitanism" is begun. Numerous prominent Jews are executed
Zamiatin's Ìû/My is published in-full in the West
October
The 19th Party Congress supports the implementation of the 5th Five-Year plan (already in effect since 1950)

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1953
General
Beria is arrested and shot
Bunin dies
Pomerantsev writes "Îá èñêðåííîñòè â ëèòåðàòóðå/On Sincerity in Literature" and it is published in Novyi mir; Bergol'ts publishes "Conversations about Lyrics" in Literaturnaia gazeta
January
The "Doctors' Plot" is uncovered. They are implicated in Zhdanov's death, and in plotting the murder of other high officials
March
March 5, Stalin dies. Initially, Georgii Malenkov assumes power; Khrushchev is First Party Secretary

[Organic Revolution]

hmmm interesting

[bluerev002]

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Thanks Comrade! Thhis is great info! I needed some of this info.