Key Figures and Events in Soviet and Russian History

Karl Marx,

German philosopher who developed the theory of historical materialism and class struggle.,His ideas became the ideological basis for communism and the Soviet state.

Friedrich Engels,

Marx's collaborator; co-authored The Communist Manifesto and analyzed capitalism's flaws.,Helped spread and codify Marxist theory.

Russian Social Democratic and Labor Party,Marxist party formed in 1898 that split into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.,Origin of the Bolshevik Party that led the 1917 Revolution.

Bolsheviks,

Radical faction of the RSDLP led by Lenin.,Seized power in the 1917 October Revolution and became the Communist Party.

Lenin (Vladimir Ulyanov),Leader of the Bolshevik Revolution; founded the USSR.,Introduced Marxism-Leninism and the first communist state.

Duma and Petrograd Soviet,Duma was Russia's parliament; Petrograd Soviet was a revolutionary council.,Represented the dual power struggle before Bolshevik control.

Lev Trotsky,

Revolutionary leader and founder of the Red Army.,"Key figure in the Revolution and Civil War, later exiled by Stalin."

Lev Kamenev,

Bolshevik leader and member of Stalin's early 'troika'.,Purged in Stalin's Great Terror.

Josef Stalin (Iosif Dzhugashvili),

Soviet dictator who ruled from 1928-1953.,"Centralized power, industrialized USSR, ruled through terror."

"Cheka, NKVD, KGB"

,Soviet secret police organizations.,"Maintained control through surveillance, terror, and repression."

Collectivization of agriculture,Merging small farms into state-run collectives.,Caused famine and millions of deaths but consolidated control.

Kulaks,

Wealthier peasants targeted during collectivization.,Victims of Stalin's class warfare policies.

Yekaterinburg,

City where the Tsar and his family were executed in 1918.,Symbol of the revolution's final break with monarchy.

Magnitogorsk,

Industrial city built under Stalin's Five-Year Plans.,Showcased industrialization under socialism.

Georgia,

Stalin's birthplace.,Illustrates the USSR's multi-ethnic leadership.

Democratic centralism,

System allowing debate within the party but requiring unity afterward.,Created discipline but suppressed dissent.

Gulag Archipelago,

System of forced labor camps for political prisoners.,Symbol of Stalinist repression.

Politburo,

Top decision-making body of the Communist Party.,Controlled policy and leadership decisions.

Gosplan,

State planning committee managing economy.,Planned production quotas and economic policy.

Soft budget constraint,

State enterprises overspend expecting bailouts.,Created inefficiency in the planned economy.

Friedrich von Hayek,

Austrian economist critical of socialism and planning.,His theories highlighted inefficiencies of central planning.

Tolkachi (pushers)

,Informal brokers who moved resources between enterprises.,Exposed corruption in the planned economy.

The Pioneers,

Youth communist organization.,Used for ideological indoctrination.

Pavel (Pavlik) Morozov,

Soviet propaganda hero who denounced his father.,Symbolized loyalty to the state over family.

Strakhovka (hoarding),

Stockpiling goods due to shortages.,Showed scarcity under central planning.

Pripiski (inflated reporting),

Falsifying production statistics.,Revealed dishonesty and inefficiency in Soviet industry.

Tsekhoviki (underground entrepreneurs),

Illegal private manufacturers.,Showed emergence of black-market economy.

"Izvestia, Pravda",

Major Soviet newspapers.,Official propaganda outlets of the Communist Party.

Nikita Khrushchev,

Soviet leader after Stalin (1953-1964).,Introduced de-Stalinization and oversaw the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Leonid Brezhnev,

Soviet leader (1964-1982).,Oversaw stability but also stagnation and corruption.

Yuri Andropov,

KGB chief and later Soviet leader (1982-1984).,Tried limited reforms; precursor to Gorbachev.

Konstantin Chernenko,

Conservative Soviet leader (1984-1985).,Last of the old guard before reformist Gorbachev.

Nikolai Ryzhkov,

Soviet premier under Gorbachev.,Helped implement economic reforms.

Eduard Shevardnadze,

Soviet foreign minister under Gorbachev.,Instrumental in ending the Cold War.

Aleksandr Yakovlev,

Gorbachev ally and reform theorist.,Architect of glasnost and perestroika.

Andrei Gromyko,

Long-serving Soviet foreign minister.,Symbol of Cold War diplomacy and continuity.

Détente,

Period of eased tensions between the US and USSR.,Marked temporary cooperation during the Cold War.

Uskorenie,

Gorbachev's policy of economic acceleration.,Precursor to perestroika reforms.

Glasnost,

Policy of openness and free discussion.,Increased transparency but destabilized Soviet authority.

Perestroika,

Economic restructuring reforms under Gorbachev.,Aimed to modernize socialism; helped cause collapse.

Andrei Sakharov,

Physicist and human rights activist.,Symbol of intellectual dissent in the USSR.

Boris Yeltsin,

First President of post-Soviet Russia.,Led resistance to 1991 coup; oversaw USSR's end.

Foros,

Gorbachev's residence in Crimea.,Site of his detention during 1991 coup.

GKChP,

State Committee on the State of Emergency.,Led the failed 1991 coup attempt.

Feliks Dzerzhinsky,

Founder of the Cheka (Soviet secret police).,Symbol of early state terror apparatus.

Gennadi Yanayev,

Vice president who led 1991 coup attempt.,Declared himself acting president during coup.

Novo-Ogaryovo,

Gorbachev's residence near Moscow.,Location of key post-coup negotiations.

Belovezhskaya Pushcha,

Forest where USSR leaders signed dissolution treaty.,Officially ended the Soviet Union.

Leonid Kravchuk,

First president of independent Ukraine.,Signed agreement dissolving the USSR.

Stanislav Shushkevich,

Belarusian leader who signed the USSR dissolution.,Helped create the CIS.

Valentin Pavlov,

Soviet premier during 1991 coup.,Participant in the failed coup.

Sverdlovsk,

"Industrial city, Yeltsin's hometown.",Symbol of his working-class roots.

Chechnya,

Muslim region in the North Caucasus.,Site of two separatist wars against Russia.

Dzhokhar Dudaev,

First Chechen president.,Led Chechen independence movement.

Grozny,

Capital of Chechnya.,Devastated during wars with Russia.

Yegor Gaidar,

Economist behind shock therapy reforms.,Engineered Russia's shift to capitalism.

Oligarchs,

Powerful businessmen of post-Soviet Russia.,Controlled key sectors and influenced politics.

Boris Berezovsky,

Oligarch and political kingmaker.,Supported Yeltsin; later exiled by Putin.

Vladimir Gusinsky,

Media oligarch critical of Putin.,Exiled after state crackdown on independent media.

Mikhail Fridman,

Oligarch and banker.,Example of powerful post-Soviet businessmen.

Vladimir Potanin,

Oligarch; head of Norilsk Nickel.,Prominent figure in Russia's privatization.

Roman Abramovich,

Business magnate and politician.,Symbol of Russian wealth and influence.

Leonid Brezhnev,

Soviet leader (1964-1982).,Oversaw stability but stagnation and corruption.

Yegor Ligachev,

Conservative Soviet leader opposing reform.,Critic of Gorbachev's liberal policies.

Yevgeny Primakov,

Prime Minister under Yeltsin.,"Promoted pragmatic, independent foreign policy."

Viktor Chernomyrdin,

Prime Minister under Yeltsin.,Helped manage post-Soviet economic transition.

Yuri Luzhkov,

Mayor of Moscow.,Prominent regional leader and Yeltsin rival.

Ruslan Khasbulatov,

Parliament speaker during 1993 crisis.,Led opposition to Yeltsin.

Aleksandr Rutskoy,

Vice president during 1993 crisis.,Led rebellion against Yeltsin.

Sergei Stepashin,

Russian politician and security official.,Served briefly as Prime Minister under Yeltsin.

Aeroflot,

Russia's national airline.,Symbol of post-Soviet corporatization.

AvtoVaz,

Major car manufacturer (Lada).,Example of Russia's struggling industries.

Vladimir Putin,

President of Russia since 2000.,Centralized power and reasserted Russian influence.

Anatoli Sobchak,

Putin's political mentor in St. Petersburg.,Helped launch Putin's career.

Chechenization,

Putin's policy of delegating control to local Chechens.,Stabilized region under loyal leadership.

Akhmad and Ramzan Kadyrov,

Chechen leaders under Putin.,Ensured regional loyalty through authoritarian control.

Nord-Ost Theater Siege / Beslan,

Major terrorist attacks in early 2000s.,Used to justify stronger state security.

"Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Kommersant, Novaya Gazeta, Zavtra",

Russian newspapers.,Range from liberal to nationalist voices.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky,

Oligarch imprisoned after opposing Putin.,Symbol of Putin's control over elites.

Dmitri Medvedev,"

President (2008-2012), Putin ally.",Maintained continuity during Putin's temporary absence.

Aleksei Navalny,

Opposition leader and anti-corruption activist.,Main symbol of resistance to Putin.

Viktor Yanukovych,

Pro-Russian Ukrainian president ousted in 2014.,Triggered Crimea annexation and war in Donbas.

Kyiv,Capital of Ukraine.,

Center of 2014 Euromaidan revolution.

"Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk",

Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia.,Flashpoints of modern Russian aggression.

Novichok,

Nerve agent used in poisonings of dissidents.,Symbol of state-linked political violence.

Boris Nemtsov,

Opposition politician assassinated in 2015.,Martyr for democracy in Russia.

Sergei Kirienko,

Kremlin technocrat managing domestic policy.,Key political operator under Putin.

Bashar al-Assad,

Syrian dictator backed by Russia.,Represents Russia's return to global influence.

"Ekho Moskvy, TV Rain, Novaya Gazeta",

Independent Russian media outlets.,Voices of dissent often censored by the state.