Address by Boris Yeltsin On December 31, 1999, Russian television showed a formally traditional, but in fact revolutionary New Year's address from the president. Boris Yeltsin uttered the historic “I’m leaving”, announced his resignation as head of state and the transfer of responsibilities to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Early in the morning of December 31, 1994, the Russian army began its assault on Grozny. The city, contrary to the optimistic forecasts of the military command, met them with fierce resistance. The losses of the parties during the fighting amounted to more than eight thousand people; among civilians, according to various sources, from five to 25 thousand. How and why did the federal forces suffer one of the most shameful defeats in the modern history of Russia?

Abraham Lincoln On January 1, 1863, the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, issued a manifesto to free the slaves. This proclamation did not mark an immediate victory over slavery: for example, the southern states did not recognize the document at first, but it marked the beginning of a long process that formally ended in the 21st century. Only in 2013, an amendment to the US Constitution prohibiting slavery was signed by the state of Mississippi.

Hello, my name is Maxim Zagovora, I'm the editor of Republic-Weekly, and I think I've lived until 2025. I think that this is actually a success. I think that “living up to something” is not a small task at all in these days. As the famous SBHR song sang, “Life is tougher, yes, that’s right, life is tougher,” and we are all watching it get tougher literally every week. What seemed impossible just yesterday is today the new normal.

Rally in the Czech Republic (illustration) On December 31, 1992, Czechoslovakia officially dissolved. On January 1, 1993, two new countries appeared on the map: the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Historians call this event the “velvet divorce” (by analogy with the “velvet revolution”). But how did it happen that it turned out to be “velvet” and not bloody or at least tragic?

Lolita Agamalova Poet Lolita Agamalova was born in Grozny between two wars - in 1997. She didn’t catch the “New Year’s storm”, but at the same time her whole life bears its imprint. Republic-Weekly publishes Agamalova's essay on war, past and future, and Grozny as the basis of the unconscious for anyone born there in the 1990s. Subscribe to read in full Subscribe to Redefine.Media to read Republic Subscribe [You can pay with a Russian or foreign card. The subscription is renewed automatically.

Euro coins On January 1, 1999, one of the most daring and, perhaps, the most successful experiments in the modern history of economics and finance was launched. The euro was introduced as a common currency for all countries of the European Union. Many economists predicted its imminent collapse, but the euro overcame any skepticism and, more than 25 years later, remains one of the strongest world currencies.