988★★★★★
Christianization of Kievan Rus'
Grand Prince Vladimir I of Kiev is baptized and makes Byzantine Orthodox Christianity the religion of the Rus'.
Religion· Ukraine, Russia, Belarus
Countries / Europe
History of Belarus
8 notable historical events in Belarus, in chronological order.
10th century
19th century
- June 24, 1812 – December 1812★★★★★
French invasion of Russia
Napoleon's Grande Armée crosses the Neman into Russia and takes Moscow, but is forced into a winter retreat with catastrophic losses.
War· Russia, France, Lithuania, Belarus
20th century
- 1917 – 1922★★★★★
Russian Civil War
The Bolshevik Red Army fights the White movement and other forces after the October Revolution; the Bolsheviks emerge victorious.
WarRevolution· Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan - December 30, 1922★★★★★
Founding of the Soviet Union
The Treaty on the Creation of the USSR unites Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and the Transcaucasian Federation into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Politics· Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan - 1941 – 1945★★★★★
The Holocaust
Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murder some six million European Jews, along with millions of other victims.
WarDeath· Germany, Poland, Austria, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Czechia, Netherlands, France - June 22, 1941★★★★★
Operation Barbarossa: Germany invades the Soviet Union
Nazi Germany and its allies launch a massive invasion of the Soviet Union, opening the Eastern Front, the largest theatre of the Second World War.
War· Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia - April 26, 1986★★★★★
Chernobyl disaster
Reactor No. 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Soviet Ukraine explodes, spreading radioactive material across Europe in the worst nuclear accident in history.
DisasterTechnology· Ukraine, Belarus, Russia - December 26, 1991★★★★★
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The Supreme Soviet formally dissolves the USSR, a day after Gorbachev's resignation.
Politics· Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan