1851 in Russia

none Events from the year 1851 in Russia. 1851 Dates in this article are given in the Old Style (Julian) calendar unless otherwise noted.In the 19th century, Old Style (Julian) dates used in the Russian Empire were 12 days behind the New Style (Gregorian) dates used in most of Western Europe. Incumbents Emperor – Nicholas I Heir apparent – Tsarevich Alexander Nikolayevich State Chancellor and Foreign Minister – Karl Nesselrode Events February 15 February (O.S. 3 February) – Nicholas I issues a decree authorising surveys for the construction of the Saint Petersburg–Warsaw Railway. July 25 July – The Treaty of Kuldja (Ghulja) is signed with Qing China, opening Kuldja (Ghulja) and Chuguchak (Tacheng) to Russian trade and permitting Russian consuls there. The seventeen-article treaty was signed for Russia by Yegor Kovalevsky and for China by Yishan and Buyantai. November 1 November (N.S. 13 November) – The Saint Petersburg–Moscow Railway officially opens. The first public train carries 192 passengers and completes the journey in 21 hours 45 minutes. At 604 versts (about 644 km) it was the longest double-track railway in the world at the time; its terminal stations were designed by Konstantin Thon. The line was renamed the Nikolaev Railway in 1855. Undated The ninth revision (poll-tax census, revizskaya skazka), begun in 1850, is carried out across the empire in 1850–1851. Siemens & Halske makes its first delivery to Russia, supplying 75 recording (pointer) telegraph instruments for the Saint Petersburg–Moscow telegraph line. Caucasian War: over the winter of 1851–1852 Russian forces tighten their control around Greater Chechnya. In November 1851 the Avar leader Hadji Murad defects from Imam Shamil to the Russians. Culture Ivan Turgenev writes the one-act play A Provincial Lady. Alexander Ostrovsky's play The Poor Bride, his second major play, is written; it was published in the journal Moskvityanin in 1852 and first staged at the Maly Theatre in 1853. Pavel Fedotov paints the repeat version of The Major Makes a Proposal (Inspecting a Bride in a Merchant's House), now in the State Russian Museum. Mikhail Glinka completes his Spanish Overture No. 2, Summer Night in Madrid. Births 12 February (O.S. 31 January) – Anna Yesipova, pianist and teacher (died 1914) 22 March (O.S. 10 March) – Aleksey Kivshenko, painter (died 1895) 2 April (O.S. 21 March) – Adolph Brodsky, violinist (died 1929) 3 June (O.S. 22 May) – Kazimir Barantsevich, writer (died 1927) 8 September – Maksim Kovalevsky, jurist and sociologist (died 1916) 20 November (O.S. 8 November) – Mikhail Albov, writer (died 1911) Deaths 25 February – Nikolai Islenev, general (born 1785) 6 March (O.S. 22 February) – Alexander Alyabyev, composer (born 1787) 12 March – Jan Barszczewski, Polish-Belarusian writer (born c. 1781) 23 April (O.S. 11 April) – Mikhail Lazarev, admiral and Antarctic explorer (born 1788) Notes References Karl Vasilyevich, Count Nesselrode Encyclopædia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/biography/Karl-Robert-Vasilyevich-Graf-Nesselrode 20 August 2026 Warsaw-Petersburg Railway. 1862 Polrails https://www.polrails.net/en/warsaw-petersburg-railway-1862/5577 20 August 2026 The Kuldzha Trade Treaty between Russia and China Signed Presidential Library https://www.prlib.ru/en/history/619438 20 August 2026 Treaty of Kuldja Encyclopædia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Kuldja 20 August 2026 Shioya Akifumi 2019 The Treaty of Ghulja reconsidered: Imperial Russian diplomacy toward Qing China in 1851 Journal of Eurasian Studies 10 2 173–186 10.1177/1879366519842882 free Anniversary of the first government railway in Russia grand opening Presidential Library https://www.prlib.ru/en/history/619715 20 August 2026 St. Petersburg – Moscow railway opens Russian Railways https://eng.rzd.ru/en/9572/page/564703 20 August 2026 Russia, Tula, Poll Tax Census (Revision Lists), 1758–1895 FamilySearch https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/collection/2432393 20 August 2026 Siemens in Russia Siemens Global https://www.siemens.com/global/en/company/about/history/stories/siemens-russia.html 20 August 2026 Cooperation between TAIF GC and Siemens Realnoe Vremya https://realnoevremya.com/articles/4359-cooperation-between-taif-gc-and-siemens 20 August 2026 Gammer Moshe 1994 Muslim Resistance to the Tsar: Shamil and the Conquest of Chechnia and Daghestan Frank Cass 978-0714634319 Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev Encyclopedia.com https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/russian-and-eastern-european-literature-biographies/ivan-sergeyevich-turgenev 20 August 2026 Ostrovsky, [The Poor Bride], Moscow, 1852, original printed wrappers Sotheby's https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/music-continental-books-and-medieval-manuscripts/ostrovsky-the-poor-bride-moscow-1852-original 20 August 2026 The Major Makes a Proposal (Inspecting a Bride in a Merchant's House) Virtual Russian Museum (State Russian Museum) https://rusmuseumvrm.ru/data/collections/painting/17_19/zh_4521/index.php?lang=en 20 August 2026 Summer Night in Madrid (Spanish Overture No.2) Daniels' Orchestral Music Online https://daniels-orchestral.com/mikhail-glinka/summer-night-in-madrid-spanish-overture-2/ 20 August 2026 Summer Night in Madrid Encyclopædia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/topic/Summer-Night-in-Madrid 20 August 2026 Anna Esipova Encyclopædia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anna-Esipova 20 August 2026 Anna Yesipova Tchaikovsky Research http://en.tchaikovsky-research.net/pages/Anna_Yesipova 20 August 2026 Kivshenko, Alekseĭ Daniilovich, 1851–1895 Library of Congress Name Authority File https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n80158462.html 20 August 2026 Adolph Brodsky Tchaikovsky Research https://en.tchaikovsky-research.net/pages/Adolph_Brodsky 20 August 2026 Adolph Brodsky (1851–1929) Royal Northern College of Music https://www.rncm.ac.uk/adolph-brodsky/ 20 August 2026 Barantsevich, Kazimir Stanislavovich Hrono.ru https://www.hrono.ru/biograf/bio_b/barancevich.php 20 August 2026 Sorokin P. Kovalevsky, Maksim (1851–1916) The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology Ritzer G. 10.1002/9781405165518.wbeos1553 Kovalevsky, Maksym Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CK%5CO%5CKovalevskyMaksym.htm 20 August 2026 Albov, Mikhail Nilovich Hrono.ru https://www.hrono.ru/biograf/bio_a/albov_mn.php 20 August 2026 Islenev, Nikolai Aleksandrovich Biografija.ru https://www.biografija.ru/biography/islenev-nikolaj-aleksandrovich.htm 20 August 2026 Birthday anniversary of Alexander A. Alyabyev, famous Russian composer Presidential Library https://www.prlib.ru/en/history/619458 20 August 2026 Alyabyev, Alexander The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music (Encyclopedia.com) https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/alyabyev-alexander 20 August 2026 Jan Barszczewski's grave found in Ukraine Euroradio https://euroradio.fm/en/jan-barszczewskis-grave-found-ukraine-photo 20 August 2026 Hotimsky C. M. Lazarev, Mikhail Petrovich (1788–1851) Australian Dictionary of Biography National Centre of Biography, Australian National University https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lazarev-mikhail-petrovich-2342 20 August 2026 Category:Years of the 19th century in the Russian Empire Russia