March 1–3 — in Minsk, the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) was held illegally, at which the formation of the party was officially announced. Nine delegates attended the congress. The initiator of the convocation was P. B. Struve. The congress produced neither a program nor a party charter. A few weeks later, all participants of the congress except one were arrested; in V. I. Lenin’s view, no реально functioning party was created at this congress.
December 16 — Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov, the founder of the Tretyakov Gallery, died.
