1982 - Natalia Vodianova, Russian supermodel is born

1964 - Djamolidine Abdoujaparov, Uzbekistan cyclist is born

1933 - Rein Taagepera, Estonian politician is born

1878 - Artur Kapp, Estonian composer (d. 1952)

Today the Orthodox Church commemorates Blessed Nicholas Salos of Pskov, Fool-for-Christ (1576), Saint Shio of Georgia, monk, and the repose of Arsenius Matsievich, Metropolitan bishop of Rostov (1772)

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Today is the first day of Maslenitsa in Russia (2006)

1978 - Vadim Salmanov, Russian composer dies (b. 1912)

1957 - Viktor Markin, Russian athlete is born

1947 - Gidon Kremer, Latvian violinist is born

1904 - Yulii Borisovich Khariton, Russian physicist is born (d. 1996)

1891 - David Sarnoff, Russian-born broadcast pioneer is born (d. 1971)

1887 - Alexander Borodin, Russian composer and chemist dies (b. 1833)

1861 - A crowd in Warsaw protesting Russian rule over Poland is fired upon by Russian troops, killing five protesters.

1617 - Sweden and Russia sign the Treaty of Stolbovo, ending the Ingrian War and shutting Russia out of the Baltic Sea.

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1928 - Anatoli Filipchenko, Soviet cosmonaut is born

1861 - Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya, Russian revolutionary, Lenin’s wife is born (d. 1939)

1889 - Karl Davydov, Russian cellist dies (b. 1838)

1858 - Vladimir Serbsky, Russian psychiatrist is born (d. 1917)

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1982 - Anton Volchenkov, Russian ice hockey player is born

1953 - Sergei Winogradsky, Russian scientist dies (b. 1856)

1890 - Vyacheslav Molotov, Soviet politician is born (d. 1986)

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2002 - Leo Ornstein, Russian composer and pianist dies (b. 1912)

1980 - Roman Sloudnov, Russian swimmer is born

1975 - Nikolai Bulganin, Premier of the Soviet Union dies (b. 1895)

1973 - Alexei Kovalev, Russian ice hockey player is born

1946 - Grigory Margulis, Russian mathematician is born

1918 - Estonian Declaration of Independence.

1881 - China and Russia sign the Sino-Russian Ili Treaty.

1866 - Pyotr Nikolaevich Lebedev, Russian physicist is born (d. 1912)

1856 - Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, Russian mathematician dies (b. 1792)

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Today is Defender of the Fatherland Day (formerly Red Army Day or Day of Soviet Army and Navy).

Today in History

1997 - A large fire occurs in the Russian Space station, Mir.

1977 - Kristina Šmigun, Estonian cross-country skier is born

1992 - The Socialist Labour Party is founded in Georgia.

1940 - World War II: Soviet Union troops conquer Lasi Island.

1928 - Vasili Lazarev, cosmonaut isi born (d. 1990)

1917 - First demonstrations in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The beginning of the February Revolution.

1904 - Leopold Trepper, Soviet spy is born (d. 1982)

1878 - Kazimir Malevich, Ukrainian painter and art theorist is born (d. 1935)

1874 - Konstantin Päts, Estonian president is born (d. 1956)

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1972 - The Soviet unmanned spaceship Luna 20 lands on the Moon.

1972 - Bronislava Nijinska, Polish-Russian ballet dancer dies (b. 1891)

1893 - Celia Lovsky, Russian-born actress is born (d. 1979)

1876 - Pyotr Konchalovsky, Russian painter is born (d. 1956)

1728 - Tsar Peter III of Russia, husband of Catherine the Great is born (d. 1762)

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1986 - The Soviet Union launches the Mir space station.

1981 - Vitas, Russian singer is born

1968 - Georg Hackenschmidt, Estonian professional wrestler dies (b. 1878)

1964 - Dmitri Lipskerov, Russian writer is born

1940 - Saparmurat Niyazov, President of Turkmenistan is born (d. 2006)

1924 - David Bronstein, Ukrainian chess player is born (d. 2006)

1920 - Jaan Kross, Estonian writer is born (d. 2007)

1899 - Yury Olesha, Russian novelist is born (d. 1960)

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1981 - Andrei Kirilenko, Russian basketball player is born

1980 - Nikolai Antropov, Kazakh ice hockey player is born

1980 - Regina Spektor, Russian singer and songwriter is born

1974 - Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Russian tennis player is born

1969 - Alexander Mogilny, Russian ice hockey player is born

1945 - Ivan Chernyakhovsky, Russian general dies (b. 1906)

1922 - Juhan Smuul, Estonian author is born (d. 1971)

1859 - Sholom Aleichem, Russian Yiddish humorist is born (d. 1916)

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2007 - Jurga Ivanauskait, Lithuanian writer dies (b. 1961)

1947 - The Voice of America begins to transmit radio broadcasts into the Soviet Union.

1863 - Fyodor Sologub, Russian symbolist novelist and poet is born (d. 1927)

1943 - Konstantin Bogaevsky, Russian painter dies (b. 1872)

The Orthodox Church commemorates the repose of Hieromartyr Hermogenes of Moscow, Patriarch and Wonderworker of all Russia (1612)

In ancient Latvia - Tanis Diena was observed.

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