Twenty-Third CPSU Congress opens

The Central Committee accepted Khrushchev’s resignation after senior party officials organized his removal. The episode ended the most visible reform period since Stalin’s death and reaffirmed elite...

The Central Committee selected Brezhnev as First Secretary after Khrushchev’s removal. A collective leadership was announced, but the transition began a more cautious political period and limited...

Leonov left Voskhod 2 for a spacewalk lasting about twelve minutes. The achievement depended on a Union-wide technical and labor system, with Baikonur located in the Kazakh SSR; public celebration...

The September plenum approved reforms that gave enterprises greater discretion over some production decisions and used profit and sales indicators. The changes sought to address planning bottlenecks...

After the 1965 India-Pakistan war, leaders Lal Bahadur Shastri and Ayub Khan signed a Soviet-mediated declaration committing to withdraw forces and restore relations. The agreement shows a...

A major earthquake struck the Uzbek capital, destroying much of the old city and displacing residents. The state-led reconstruction brought resources from across the USSR but also reshaped...

The General Assembly adopted the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The USSR took part in the universal rights...

The USSR joined the United States and United Kingdom in signing the treaty barring the placement of weapons of mass destruction in orbit and establishing principles for peaceful use of outer space. It...

Israel launched attacks against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. The USSR supported Arab governments diplomatically and supplied arms, while regional societies and Palestinians bore the consequences of...

Moscow broke relations with Israel during the war and pressed for a ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories. Soviet policy aligned with Arab states but remained shaped by Cold War...