A devastating earthquake, a sinister force and the first pieces of fine-art to grace the Hermitage "frame" today's Historama.

Foundation of the state Hermitage

December 7th is the big day for St Petersburg's gem of fine arts – The Hermitage.

Back in 1764, Empress Catherine the Great bought the first 225 paintings that would later become part of the world-famous Hermitage collection.

The date was chosen because traditionally the 7th of December is Orthodox saint – St. Catherine's day.

Bolshevik secret police establishment

On this day in 1917 the Bolsheviks created the 'cheka' – an agency with one purpose – to ruthlessly suppress so-called 'enemies of the people'.

The Cheka was initially given a mandate to stop counter-revolutionary activity, but it soon expanded into a nation-wide killing machine which executed thousands of people without trials.

The agency was headed by Felix Dzerzhinsky – popularly known as Iron Felix, whose offices in Moscow's Lubyanka building are associated with secret police power even to this day.

In addition to terrorizing Russia, the Cheka are remembered for introducing the fashion of wearing black leather jackets in Europe.

A devastating Armenian earthquake

On December 7th, 1988 a severe earthquake hit the Armenian town of Spitak, killing almost 29,000 people.

Despite Cold War tensions, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev asked the international community for help, the first time this had happened since Word War Two.

Rescue teams and medical aid arrived from the U.S., Britain, France and Italy-- but for Soviet rescuers – tragedy would strike again…

A week after the quake a Soviet military transport plane carrying 79 soldiers to the disaster area crashed in Armenia.

Read more about this day in history on Russia Now