Kievan Rus′ (Russian: Ки́евская Русь, romanised: Kievskaya Rus' , IPA: [rusʲ]), also written as Kyivan Rus′, was a medieval state dominated by the city of Kiev from about 880 to around the middle of the 12th century. This article describes the history of Belarus. The Belarusian ethnos is traced at least as far in time as other East Slavs. Early history Pre-Slavic inhabitants See also Steppe nomads, Scythians, Bosporan Kingdom, Khazaria In prehistoric times The territory of Ukraine was a key centre of East Slavic culture in the Middle Ages, before being divided between a variety of powers The East Slavs are a Slavic ethnic group, the speakers of East Slavic languages. "Kazar" redirects here for the Marvel Comics character see Ka-Zar; for the village in Azerbaijan see Xəzər. The Rus' Khaganate Volkhov Rus, Ilmen Rus, or Novgorod Rus --> was a Polity that flourished during a poorly documented Vladimir-Suzdal Principality (Влади́миро-Су́здальское кня́жество The Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia ( Ruthenian: sla Галицко-Волинскоє Королѣвство Regnum Galiciæ et Lodomeriæ or Galicia-Vladimir, was The Mongol invasion of Rus' was heralded by the Battle of the Kalka River in 1223 between Subutai 's reconnaissance unit and the combined force This article refers to the medieval Turkic state For the Irish rock band see The Golden Horde (band. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje The Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое княжество Московское was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and The Tsardom of Rus' (Царство Русское was the official name for the Russian state between Ivan IV 's assumption of the title of Tsar (Emperor in 1547 The Zaporozhian Cossacks (Запорожці Zaporozhtsi,were Cossacks who lived in Zaporizhia, in Central Ukraine The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya See also Russian Revolution (1905 The Russian Revolution of 1916 refers to a series of popular revolutions in Russia, and the events surrounding them The Russian Civil War (1917–1923 was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed History of Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union is covered in the following series of articles The post-Soviet states, also commonly known as former Soviet republics, are the 15 independent nations that split off from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991 the Russian Federation became an independent country Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages The Romanization of the Russian alphabet is the process of transliterating the Russian language from the Cyrillic alphabet and Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the From the historiographical point of view, Rus' polity is considered by some historians an early predecessor of three modern East Slavic nations: Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians. Belarusians or Belorussians (Беларусы Biełarusy previously also spelled Belarussians, Byelorussians and Belorusians, also The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens ^[1] The reigns of Vladimir the Great (980-1015) and his son Yaroslav I the Wise (1019-1054) constitute the Golden Age of Kiev, which saw the acceptance of Orthodox Christianity and the creation of the first East Slavic written legal code, the Russkaya Pravda. Saint Vladimir Svyatoslavich the Great ( Old Russian: Володимеръ Святославичь, c Yaroslav I the Wise (c 978 in Kiev - February 20, 1054 in Kiev) ( East Slavic: Ярослав Мудрый Christian name The term Golden age is best known from Greek mythology and legend but can also be found in other ancient cultures (see below Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to The Eastern Orthodox Church: the Eastern Christian churches of Byzantine A Code is a type of legislation that purports to exhaustively cover a complete system of laws or a particular area of law as it existed at the time the code was enacted by a Ruskaya Pravda (Ру́сская пра́вда Russkaya Pravda; Archaic Правда Роська Pravda Ros'ka; Руська Правда Rus'ka Pravda The early Rus' were most likely a Scandinavian warrior-elite that ruled a majority of Slavic subjects. Scandinavians continued to remain in control until at least the mid-11th century. ^[2]

Early history

The Rus' people had probably dominated what is now northwestern Russia since the 8th century. Rus’ (Русь rusʲ Русичи Русы are an ancient people whose name survives in the cognates Russians, Rusyns, and Ruthenians In the early ninth they became loosely organized under the Rus' Khaganate, which may be regarded as a predecessor state to the Kievan Rus'. The Rus' Khaganate Volkhov Rus, Ilmen Rus, or Novgorod Rus --> was a Polity that flourished during a poorly documented ^[3] According to the Primary Chronicle, the earliest chronicle of Kievan Rus′, a Varangian (Viking) named Rurik first established himself in Novgorod, located in modern Russia (he was selected as common ruler by several Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes) in about 860 before moving south and extending his authority to Kiev, the capital of modern day Ukraine. The Primary Chronicle (ѣѣтъ Пóвесть временны́х лет Povest' vremennykh let; Пóвість врéм'яних літ Povist' vremjanykh The Varangians or Varyags ( Old Norse: Væringjar Greek: Βάραγγοι Βαριάγοι Váraggoi / Varyágoi, Ukrainian A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas Rurik or Riurik (Рюрик; Old East Norse: Rørik, meaning "famous ruler" c Veliky Novgorod (Вели́кий Но́вгород is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia and the administrative center of Novgorod Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the The chronicle cites him as the progenitor of the Rurik Dynasty. The Rurik Dynasty was the ruling Dynasty of Kievan Rus', the successor Russian principalities and early united Russia, from 862 to 1598 The Primary Chronicle says:

In the year 6367 (859): Varangians from over the sea had tribute from Chuds, Slavs, Merias, Veses, Krivichs. Chude Poland The term Chudes was first applied by the Russians to the Estonians as mentioned by a monk Nestor in the earliest Russian chronicles Merya people (Меря also Merä) were an ancient Finno-Ugric people who lived in the regions of modern Russian cities of Moscow, Veps or Vepsians are a Finnic people that speak the Veps language, which belongs to the Baltic-Finnic branch of the Finno-Ugric languages The Krivichi (Крывічы Kryvičý Кривичи krʲivʲi'tɕi was one of the tribal unions of Early East Slavs between the 6th and the 12th centuries . .

In the year 6370 (862): [They] [d]rove the Varangians back beyond the sea, refused to pay them tribute, and set out to govern themselves. But there was no law among them, and tribe rose against tribe. Discord thus ensued among them, and they began to war one against the other. They said to themselves, "Let us seek a prince who may rule over us, and judge us according to custom. " Thus they went overseas to the Varangians, to the Rus. These particular Varangians were called Rus, just as some are called Swedes, and others Normans and Angles, and still others Goths [Gotlanders], for they were thus named. The Chuds, the Slavs, the Krivichs and the Ves then said to the Rus, "Our land is great and rich, but there is no order in it. The Krivichi (Крывічы Kryvičý Кривичи krʲivʲi'tɕi was one of the tribal unions of Early East Slavs between the 6th and the 12th centuries Come reign as princes, rule over us". Three brothers, with their kinfolk, volunteered. They took with them all the Rus and came.

Map of the Kievan Rus', 11th century

These Varangians first settled in Ladoga, then moved southward to Novgorod eventually reaching Kiev, finally putting an end to the Khazars' collecting tribute from Kievans. The Varangians or Varyags ( Old Norse: Væringjar Greek: Βάραγγοι Βαριάγοι Váraggoi / Varyágoi, Ukrainian Staraya Ladoga (Ста́рая Ла́дога or the Aldeigjuborg of Norse sagas is a village ( selo) in the Volkhovsky Veliky Novgorod (Вели́кий Но́вгород is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia and the administrative center of Novgorod Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the "Kazar" redirects here for the Marvel Comics character see Ka-Zar; for the village in Azerbaijan see Xəzər. The so-called Kievan Rus was founded by prince Oleg (Helgu in Khazarian records) about 880. Oleg of Novgorod ( Slavic: Олег Old Norse: Helgi, Khazarian, possibly Helgu) was a Varangian prince (or konung During the next 35 years, Oleg and his warriors subdued the various Eastern Slavic and Finnic tribes. In 907, Oleg led an attack against Constantinople, and in 911 he signed a commercial treaty with the Byzantine Empire as an equal partner. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS The new Kievan state prospered because it had an abundant supply of furs, beeswax, and honey for export and because it controlled three main trade routes of Eastern Europe: the Volga trade route from the Baltic Sea to the Orient, the Dnieper trade route from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, and the trade route from the Khazars to the Germans. Fur is a body hair of any non-human Mammal, also known as the Pelage. For the rock song by Nirvana see Beeswax (song. Beeswax is a natural Wax produced in the bee hive of Honey bees of the genus Honey is a sweet and Viscous fluid produced by Honey bees (and some other species and derived from the nectar of Flowers According to the In the Middle Ages, the Volga trade route connected Northern Europe and Northwestern Russia with the Caspian Sea, via the Volga River The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. The trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks (Путь «из варяг в греки» Put iz varyag v greki) was a Trade route, which connected Scandinavia The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey Raffelstetten Customs Regulations (Latin Inquisitio de theloneis Raffelstettensis, literally "Inquisition on the Raffelstetten Tolls" is the only legal document

Given the postulated pro-Scandinavian bias of the Rus' Primary Chronicle, some Slavic historians have debated the role of the Varangians in the establishment of Kievan Rus′ (see Rus′). Rus’ (Русь rusʲ Русичи Русы are an ancient people whose name survives in the cognates Russians, Rusyns, and Ruthenians By the reign of Svyatoslav (r. Sviatoslav I of Kiev ( Old East Slavic: С~тославъ (Свąтославъ Игорєвичь ( Sventoslavŭ Igorevichǐ) Russian: ru Святослав 945-972) Kievan rulers had adopted Slavic religion and names, but their druzhina still consisted primarily of Scandinavians. Druzhina, Družyna or Drużyna (дружина druzhyna) in the history of early East Slavs was a detachment of select troops in personal Svyatoslav's military conquests were astonishing: he dealt lethal blows to two of his strongest neighbours, Khazaria and the Bulgarian Empire, which collapsed soon after his raids. "Kazar" redirects here for the Marvel Comics character see Ka-Zar; for the village in Azerbaijan see Xəzər. The History of Bulgaria as a separate country began in 632 AD with the establishment of Old Great Bulgaria, which stretched from east of the Sea

From the 9th century, the Pecheneg nomads started an uneasy relationship with Kievan Rus. The Pechenegs or Patzinaks ( Turkish: Peçenekler, Hungarian: Besenyő, Greek: Patzinaki/Petsenegi or Πατζινάκοι/Πετσενέγοι/Πατζινακίται For more than two centuries they launched random raids into the lands of Rus, which sometimes escalated into full-scale wars (like the 920 war on the Pechenegs by Igor of Kiev reported in the Primary Chronicle), but there were also temporary military alliances (e. The Primary Chronicle (ѣѣтъ Пóвесть временны́х лет Povest' vremennykh let; Пóвість врéм'яних літ Povist' vremjanykh g. 943 Byzantine campaign by Igor). ^[4] In 968, the Pechenegs attacked and then besieged the city of Kiev. Siege of Kiev redirects here For other sieges see Battle of Kiev. ^[5]

Golden age of Kiev

The region of Kiev dominated the state of Kievan Rus′ for the next two centuries. Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the The grand prince (velikiy kniaz') of Kiev controlled the lands around the city, and his theoretically subordinate relatives ruled in other cities and paid him tribute. The Title Grand Prince or Great Prince (Magnus Princeps Russian and Ukrainian: Великий князь Velikiy knyaz; Вялíкий The Title Grand Prince or Great Prince (Magnus Princeps Russian and Ukrainian: Великий князь Velikiy knyaz; Вялíкий The zenith of the state's power came during the reigns of Prince Vladimir (Vladimir the Great, r. Saint Vladimir Svyatoslavich the Great ( Old Russian: Володимеръ Святославичь, c 980-1015) and Prince Yaroslav (the Wise; r. Yaroslav I the Wise (c 978 in Kiev - February 20, 1054 in Kiev) ( East Slavic: Ярослав Мудрый Christian name 1019-1054). Both rulers continued the steady expansion of Kievan Rus′ that had begun under Oleg.

Novgorod merchants sailing overseas, by Ivan Bilibin. Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin (Иван Яковлевич Билибин ( August 16, 1876 - February 7, 1942) was one of the most influential 20th-century

Vladimir rose to power in Kiev after the death of his father Sviatoslav I in 972 and after defeating his half-brother Yaropolk in 980. Sviatoslav I of Kiev ( Old East Slavic: С~тославъ (Свąтославъ Игорєвичь ( Sventoslavŭ Igorevichǐ) Russian: ru Святослав As Prince of Kiev, Vladimir's most notable achievement was the Christianization of Kievan Rus′, a process that began in 988. The historical phenomenon of Christianization (or Christianisation &mdash see spelling differences) the conversion of individuals to Christianity The annals of Rus¹ state that when Vladimir had decided to accept a new faith instead of the traditional idol-worship (paganism) of the Slavs, he sent out some of his most valued advisors and warriors as emissaries to different parts of Europe. Slavic mythology is the Mythological aspect of the Religion that was practised by the ancient Slavs. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world After visiting the Roman Catholics, the Jews and the Muslims, they finally arrived in Constantinople. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion There, they were so astounded by the beauty of the cathedral of Hagia Sophia and the liturgical service held there, that they made up their minds there and then about the faith they would like to follow. Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya Αγία Σοφία " Holy Wisdom " Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia) is a former patriarchal Basilica, later Upon their arrival home, they convinced Vladimir that the faith of the Greeks was the best choice of all, upon which Vladimir made a journey to Constantinople and arranged to marry with Princess Anna, the sister of the Byzantine emperor Basil II. Basil II, surnamed the Bulgar-slayer (Βασίλειος Β΄ Βουλγαροκτόνος Basileios II Boulgaroktonos, 958 &ndash December 15 1025

Vladimir's choice of Eastern Christianity may also have reflected his close personal ties with Constantinople, which dominated the Black Sea and hence trade on Kiev's most vital commercial route, the Dnieper river. The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey For the rocket see Dnepr rocket. For other uses see Dnieper (disambiguation. Adherence to the Eastern Orthodox Church had long-range political, cultural, and religious consequences. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world The church had a liturgy written in Cyrillic and a corpus of translations from Greek that had been produced for the Slavic peoples. The Cyrillic alphabet (səˈrɪlɪk also called azbuka, from the old name of the first two letters is actually a family of Alphabets, subsets of which are used by The existence of this literature facilitated the conversion to Christianity of the Eastern Slavs and introduced them to rudimentary Greek philosophy, science, and historiography without the necessity of learning Greek. The East Slavs are a Slavic ethnic group, the speakers of East Slavic languages. Ancient Greek philosophy focused on the role of Reason and Inquiry. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c In contrast, educated people in medieval Western and Central Europe learned Latin. Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Enjoying independence from the Roman authority and free from tenets of Latin learning, the East Slavs developed their own literature and fine arts, quite distinct from those of other Orthodox countries. See Old East Slavic language and Architecture of Kievan Rus for details. Old East Slavic, also known as Old Russian (древнерусский or Old Ruthenian, was a vernacular literary language used from the 10th to the 14th centuries The medieval state of Kievan Rus' incorporated parts of what is now Belarus, Russia and Ukraine and was centered around Kiev and Novgorod

Yaroslav, known as "The Wise", also struggled for power with his brothers. Although he first established his rule over Kiev in 1019, he did not have uncontested rule of all of Kievan Rus until 1036. Like Vladimir, Yaroslav was eager to improve relations with the rest of Europe, especially the Byzantine Empire. Yaroslav's granddaughter, Eupraxia the daughter of his son Vsevolod I, Prince of Kiev, was married to Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor. Vsevolod I Yaroslavich ( Ukrainian and Russian: Всеволод I Ярославич (1030 &ndash 13 April 1093) ruled as Grand Prince Henry III ( 29 October 1017 &ndash 5 October 1056) called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty Yaroslav also arranged marriages for his sister and three daughters to the kings of Poland, France, Hungary, and Norway. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Yaroslav promulgated the first East Slavic law code, Russkaya Pravda (Justice of Rus′); built Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev and Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod; patronized local clergy and monasticism; and is said to have founded a school system. Ruskaya Pravda (Ру́сская пра́вда Russkaya Pravda; Archaic Правда Роська Pravda Ros'ka; Руська Правда Rus'ka Pravda Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev ( Собор Святої Софії Sobor Sviatoyi Sofiyi or Софійський собор Sofiys’kyi sobor, The Cathedral of St Sophia (the Holy Wisdom of God) in the Kremlin (or Detinets in Novgorod the Great is the cathedral church of the Archbishop Monasticism (from Greek μοναχός, monachos, derived from Greek monos, alone is the religious practice in which one Yaroslav's sons developed the great Kiev Pechersk Lavra (monastery), which functioned in Kievan Rus′ as an ecclesiastical academy. Kiev Pechersk Lavra (Києво-Печерська лавра Kyievo-Pechers’ka lavra; Киево-Печерская лавра Kievo-Pecherskaya lavra) This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism.

The interior of the Saint Sophia Cathedral constructed in the 11th century. Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev ( Собор Святої Софії Sobor Sviatoyi Sofiyi or Софійський собор Sofiys’kyi sobor, The cathedral remains a symbol of the Golden Age of Kiev. The term Golden age is best known from Greek mythology and legend but can also be found in other ancient cultures (see below Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the

In the centuries that followed the state's foundation, Rurik's descendants shared power over Kievan Rus′. Rurik or Riurik (Рюрик; Old East Norse: Rørik, meaning "famous ruler" c Princely succession moved from elder to younger brother and from uncle to nephew, as well as from father to son. Junior members of the dynasty usually began their official careers as rulers of a minor district, progressed to more lucrative principalities, and then competed for the coveted throne of Kiev. In the 11th century and the 12th century, the princes and their retinues, which were a mixture of Slavic and Scandinavian elites, dominated the society of Kievan Rus′. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well Leading soldiers and officials received income and land from the princes in return for their political and military services. Kievan society lacked the class institutions and autonomous towns that were typical of West European feudalism. Nevertheless, urban merchants, artisans, and laborers sometimes exercised political influence through a city assembly, the veche (council), which included all the adult males in the population. Merchants function as professionals who deal with Trade, dealing in commodities that they do not produce themselves in order to produce Profit. An artisan, also called a Craftsman, is a skilled manual worker who crafts items that may be functional or strictly decorative including furniture clothing Veche ( Russian: вече Polish: wiec Ukrainian: віче was a Popular assembly in Medieval Slavic countries In some cases, the veche either made agreements with their rulers or expelled them and invited others to take their place. At the bottom of society was a small stratum of slaves. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another More important was a class of tribute-paying peasants, who owed labor duty to the princes. The widespread personal serfdom characteristic of Western Europe did not exist in Kievan Rus′.

The rise of regional centers

Administering justice in Kievan Rus, by Ivan Bilibin. Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin (Иван Яковлевич Билибин ( August 16, 1876 - February 7, 1942) was one of the most influential 20th-century

Kievan Rus′ was not able to maintain its position as a powerful and prosperous state, in part because of the amalgamation of disparate lands under the control of a ruling clan. As the members of that clan became more numerous, they identified themselves with regional interests rather than with the larger patrimony. Thus, the princes fought among themselves, frequently forming alliances with outside groups such as the Polovtsians, Poles, and Hungarians. Cumans (Кумани Byzantine: Kuman or Cuman, Kunok Turkic: Kumanlar) were a nomadic Turkic people who inhabited a The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Hungarians (or Magyars, magyarok are an Ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary. During the years from 1054 to 1224 no fewer than 64 principalities had a more or less ephemeral existence, 293 princes put forward succession claims, and their disputes led to 83 civil wars. A civil war is a War between a State and domestic political actors that are in control of some part of the territory claimed by the state

The Crusades brought a shift in European trade routes that accelerated the decline of Kievan Rus′. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents In 1204 the forces of the Fourth Crusade sacked Constantinople, making the Dnieper trade route marginal. The Fourth Crusade (1202&ndash1204 was originally designed to conquer Muslim Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. For the rocket see Dnepr rocket. For other uses see Dnieper (disambiguation. As it declined, Kievan Rus′ splintered into many principalities and several large regional centers: Novgorod, Vladimir-Suzdal, Halych(Galich), Polotsk, Smolensk, Chernigov (modern Chernihiv), and Pereyaslav. Veliky Novgorod (Вели́кий Но́вгород is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia and the administrative center of Novgorod Vladimir-Suzdal Principality (Влади́миро-Су́здальское кня́жество Halych (Галич Гáлич Halicz Halyčas is a historic city on the Dniester River in western Ukraine. Polotsk ( Polatsk, По́лацк Полоцк Polockas Połock is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina river Smolensk (Смоленск is a city in western Russia, located on the Dnieper River, the administrative centre of Smolensk Oblast. Chernihiv, also referred to as Chernigov (Чернігів Чернигов Чарнігаў is a historic city in northern Ukraine. Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi (Переяслав-Хмельницький translit The inhabitants of those regional centers then evolved into three nationalities: Ukrainians in the southeast and southwest, Belarusians in the northwest, and Russians in the north and northeast. Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens Belarusians or Belorussians (Беларусы Biełarusy previously also spelled Belarussians, Byelorussians and Belorusians, also The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries

Novgorod Republic

Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod, mid-11th century

Main article: Republic of Novgorod

In the north, the Republic of Novgorod prospered as part of Kievan Rus' because it controlled trade routes from the Volga River to the Baltic Sea. The Cathedral of St Sophia (the Holy Wisdom of God) in the Kremlin (or Detinets in Novgorod the Great is the cathedral church of the Archbishop The Novgorod Republic (Новгородская республика / Novgorodskaya respublika Новгородская земьля / Novgorodskaya zemlja) was a The Novgorod Republic (Новгородская республика / Novgorodskaya respublika Новгородская земьля / Novgorodskaya zemlja) was a The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. As Kievan Rus' declined, Novgorod became more independent. A local oligarchy ruled Novgorod; major government decisions were made by a town assembly, which also elected a prince as the city's military leader. In the 12th century, Novgorod acquired its own archbishop, a sign of increased importance and political independence. The Archbishop of Novgorod is the head of the eparchy of Novgorod the Great and is one of the oldest offices in the Russian Orthodox Church. In its political structure and mercantile activities, Novgorod resembled the north European towns of the Hanseatic League, the prosperous alliance that dominated the commercial activity of the Baltic region between the 13th century and the 17th century, more than the other principalities of Kievan Rus'. The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade Baltic Seven Islandsgif|right|thumb|330px|A contemporary transnational Euroregion encompasses the islands of the Baltic countries

Northeast

Main article: Vladimir-Suzdal

In the northeast, Slavs colonized the territory that eventually became Muscovy by subjugating and merging with the Finno-Ugric tribes already occupying the area. Vladimir-Suzdal Principality (Влади́миро-Су́здальское кня́жество The Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое княжество Московское was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and The city of Rostov was the oldest center of the northeast, but it was supplanted first by Suzdal′ and then by the city of Vladimir, which become the capital of Vladimir-Suzdal′. Rostov (Росто́в Old Norse: Rostofa is one of the oldest towns in Russia and an important tourist centre of the so called Golden Suzdal (Су́здаль is a town in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, situated north-east of Moscow, from the city of Vladimir (Влади́мир) is a city in Russia, located on the Klyazma River, to the east of Moscow along the M7 motorway Vladimir-Suzdal Principality (Влади́миро-Су́здальское кня́жество There was recorded a large wave of migrations from Kiev region northward, to escape continuing excursions of the Turkic nomads from the "Wild Steppe". Human migration denotes any movement by Humans from one locality to another sometimes over long distances or As the southern lands were being depopulated and more boyars, nobles, artisans arrived to the court at Vladimir, the combined principality of Vladimir-Suzdal′ asserted itself as a major power in Kievan Rus′. This article refers to the aristocratic title of boyar. For the Boyar caste of India, see Boyar (caste. A principality (or princedom) is a monarchical feudatory or Sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of Prince In 1169 Prince Andrey Bogolyubskiy of Vladimir-Suzdal′ dealt a severe blow to the waning power of Kievan Rus′ when his armies sacked the city of Kiev. Prince Andrei I of Vladimir commonly known as Andrey Bogolyubsky (Андрей Боголюбский "Andrey the God-Loving" (c Prince Andrey then installed his younger brother, who ruled briefly in Kiev while Andrey continued to rule his realm from Suzdal′. Thus, political power began to drift away from Kiev in the second half of the 12th century. In 1299, in the wake of the Mongol invasion, the metropolitan moved from Kiev to the city of Vladimir, and Vladimir-Suzdal′ replaced Kiev as a religious center for the northern regions. The Mongol invasion of Rus' was heralded by the Battle of the Kalka River in 1223 between Subutai 's reconnaissance unit and the combined force In Hierarchical Christian churches the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the Diocesan bishop or

Southwest

Illumination of Theotokos from the Gertrude Psalter, supposedly executed by Galician masters in the 1080s. Theotokos (Θεοτόκος translit Theotókos) is a title of Mary the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, The Gertrude Psalter (also known as the Codex Egberti, Egbert Psalter, or Trier Psalter) is a medieval Illuminated manuscript

To the southwest, the principality of Galich had developed trade relations with its Polish, Hungarian, and Lithuanian neighbors and emerged as the local successor to Kievan Rus′. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the In the early 13th century, Prince Roman Mstislavich united the two previously separate principalities, conquered Kiev, and assumed the title of grand duke of Kievan Rus′. Roman Mstislavich (Роман Мстиславич c 1151 &ndash 1205 was the Prince of Novgorod, Volodymyr, Halych and Kiev. His son, Prince Daniil (r. Daniel of Galicia or Daniil Romanovich (Данило Галицький Danylo Halytskyi (1201&ndash1264 King of Galicia ( Galich or 1238-1264) was the first ruler of Kievan Rus′ to accept a crown from the Roman papacy, apparently doing so without breaking with Constantinople. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Early in the 14th century, the patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Constantinople granted the rulers of Galicia-Volhynia a metropolitan to compensate for the move of the Kievan metropolitan to Vladimir. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world The Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia ( Ruthenian: sla Галицко-Волинскоє Королѣвство Regnum Galiciæ et Lodomeriæ or Galicia-Vladimir, was Lithuanian rulers also requested and received a metropolitan for Novagrudok shortly afterwards. Early in the 15th century, these Metropolia were ruled again from Kiev by the "Metropolitan of Kiev, Galich and all Rus′".

However, a long and unsuccessful struggle against the Mongols combined with internal opposition to the prince, and foreign intervention weakened Galicia-Volhynia. With the end of the Mstislavich branch of the Rurikids in the mid-14th century, Galicia-Volhynia ceased to exist; Poland conquered Galich; Lithuania took Volhynia, including Kiev, conquered by Gediminas in 1321 ending the rule of Rurikids in the city. The Rurik Dynasty was the ruling Dynasty of Kievan Rus', the successor Russian principalities and early united Russia, from 862 to 1598 Gediminas (ca 1275 – winter 1341 was the Monarch of medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the title lt didysis kunigaikštis (вялікі князь The Battle on the Irpen' River (as referred to in historic Chronicles occurred in 1321 between the armies of Gediminas, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Lithuanian rulers then assumed the title over Ruthenia.

Historical assessment

Kievan Rus', although sparsely populated compared to Western Europe [1], was not only the largest contemporary European state in terms of area but also one of the most culturally advanced. ^[6] At the time when only a few European monarchs could spell their name, most children in Kiev, Novgorod and other large cities were literate. Veliky Novgorod (Вели́кий Но́вгород is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia and the administrative center of Novgorod ^[7][8] As birch bark documents attest, they exchanged love letters and prepared cheat sheets for schools. A birch bark document is a document written on pieces of Birch bark. At the time when Paris was full of sewage and refuse,^[9] Novgorod boasted a sewage system^[10] and wood paving. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Sewage is the mainly liquid Waste containing some solids produced by humans which typically consists of washing water Feces, Urine, laundry waste and other WASTE is a Peer-to-peer and Friend-to-friend protocol and software application developed by Justin Frankel at Nullsoft in 2003 that features Urban areas require some methods for collection and disposal of Sewage. When most legal codes of Europe regarded torture as a preferred way of eliciting truth^[11] and often abused the death penalty,^[12] the Russkaya Pravda confined punishments to fines and did not provide for capital punishment at all. Torture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental is intentionally Ruskaya Pravda (Ру́сская пра́вда Russkaya Pravda; Archaic Правда Роська Pravda Ros'ka; Руська Правда Rus'ka Pravda ^[13] Certain inalienable rights were accorded to women, such as property and inheritance rights. A right is a legal or moral Entitlement or Permission. Rights are of vital importance in theories of Justice and deontological ethics "Heir" and "Heiress" redirect here For the men and women fragrances endorsed by Paris Hilton see Heiress (fragrance. ^[14][15][16]

The field of Igor Svyatoslavich's battle with the Polovtsy, by Viktor Vasnetsov. Igor Svyatoslavich ( April 3, 1151 &ndash 1202 was the prince of Novgorod-Seversky from 1180 to 1202 Cumans (Кумани Byzantine: Kuman or Cuman, Kunok Turkic: Kumanlar) were a nomadic Turkic people who inhabited a Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (Виктор Михайлович Васнецов ( Lop'jal, May 15 ( N

The economic development of Kievan Rus may be translated into demographic statistics. Around 1200, Kiev had a population of 50,000 people, Novgorod and Chernigov both had around 30,000 people. ^[17] By comparison, in Anglo-Norman England, where urbanization was as advanced as anywhere in Europe north of the Mediterranean, London had around 12,000 inhabitants, and England's second city, Winchester, about 5,000. The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the conquest by William of Normandy in 1066, although England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Winchester or Winton ( archaic) is a historic city in southern England, with a population of around 40000 within a radius of its centre ^[18] The Soviet scholar Mikhail Tikhomirov calculated that Kievan Rus' on the eve of the Mongol invasion had around 300 urban centers. Mikhail Nikolayevich Tikhomirov ( 31 May, 1893 — 2 September, 1965) was a leading Soviet specialist in medieval Russian Paleography ^[19]

Kievan Rus' also played an important genealogical role in European politics. Genealogy (from Greek: el γενεά el-Latn genea, "descent" and el λόγος el-Latn logos, "knowledge" is the study of Yaroslav the Wise, whose stepmother belonged to the greatest dynasty to rule Byzantium, married the only legitimate daughter of the king who Christianized Sweden. Yaroslav I the Wise (c 978 in Kiev - February 20, 1054 in Kiev) ( East Slavic: Ярослав Мудрый Christian name A dynasty is a succession of rulers who belong to the same family for generations This article is about the city See also Byzantine Empire. Byzantium ( Greek: Βυζάντιον Latin: la BYZANTIVM "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. His daughters became Queens of Hungary, France, and Norway, his sons married the daughters of a Polish king and a Byzantine emperor (not to mention a niece of the Pope), while his granddaughters were a German Empress and (according to one theory) the Queen of Scotland. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. A grandson married the only daughter of the last Anglo-Saxon king of England. Thus the Rurikids were the most well-connected royal family of the time. The Rurik Dynasty was the ruling Dynasty of Kievan Rus', the successor Russian principalities and early united Russia, from 862 to 1598 ^[20][21]

Unsurprisingly, Kievan Rus' left a powerful legacy. The leader of the Riurikid Dynasty united a large territory inhabited by East Slavs into an important, albeit unstable, state. The Rurik Dynasty was the ruling Dynasty of Kievan Rus', the successor Russian principalities and early united Russia, from 862 to 1598 The East Slavs are a Slavic ethnic group, the speakers of East Slavic languages. After Vladimir accepted Eastern Orthodoxy, Kievan Rus' came together under a church structure and developed a Byzantine-Slavic synthesis in culture, statecraft, and the arts. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world

In the Western periphery, the Kievan Rus' legacy was carried for two more centuries by the Principality of Galicia-Volhynia. Later, as these lands along with the territories of modern central Ukraine and Belarus fell to the Gediminids, the powerful, largely Ruthenized Grand Duchy of Lithuania, drew heavily on Rus' cultural and legal traditions. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east The Gediminids ( Lithuanian: Gediminaičiai, singular Gediminaitis) were a Dynasty of Monarchs of the medieval Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje On the northeastern periphery of Kievan Rus', those traditions were adapted to form the legacy that gradually gravitated towards the Moscow rulers, eventually leading to modern Russian statehood. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Thus, modern Russia can trace a lineage to historic Rus' via Vladimir-Suzdal, Muscovy, and the Russian Empire. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Vladimir-Suzdal Principality (Влади́миро-Су́здальское кня́жество The Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое княжество Московское was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya In the very north, the Novgorod and Pskov Feudal Republics carried on a separate and less autocratic version of Rus' legacy into the 16th century until they were absorbed by Muscovite Russia. The Novgorod Republic (Новгородская республика / Novgorodskaya respublika Новгородская земьля / Novgorodskaya zemlja) was a Pskov Republic ( Псковская республика in Russian) was a Russian Medieval state between the second half of the 13th century The Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое княжество Московское was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and

See also

• Rus' (people)
• Etymology of Rus and derivatives
• Rurik Dynasty
• Rulers of Kievan Rus'
• History of Belarus
• History of Russia
• History of Ukraine
• De Administrando Imperio

Notes

Further reading

• Christian, David. Dr David Gilbert Christian (born 1946 is an Anglo-American historian A History of Russia, Mongolia and Central Asia. Blackwell, 1999.
• Franklin, Simon and Shepard, Jonathon, The Emergence of Rus, 750–1200. (Longman History of Russia, general editor Harold Shukman. ) Longman, London, 1996. ISBN 0-582-49091-X
• Fennell, John, The Crisis of Medieval Russia, 1200–1304. (Longman History of Russia, general editor Harold Shukman. ) Longman, London, 1983. ISBN 0-582-48150-3
• Jones, Gwyn. A History of the Vikings. 2nd ed. London: Oxford Univ. Press, 1984.
• Martin, Janet, Medieval Russia 980–1584. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1993. ISBN 0-521-36832-4
• Obolensky, Dimitri, The Byzantine Commonwealth: Eastern Europe 500–1453. Dimitri Obolensky ( St Petersburg 19 March / 1 April 1918 - Burford Oxfordshire 23 December 2001) was born Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1971. ISBN 0-297-00343-7
• Pritsak, Omeljan. Omeljan Pritsak ( 7 April 1919, Luka Sambir County eastern Galicia – May 29, 2006, Boston MA) was the first Mykhailo The Origin of Rus'. Cambridge Mass. : Harvard University Press, 1991.

References

• This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain. The Country Studies are works published by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress ( USA) freely available for use by researchers The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone - Russia

External links

• Graphic History of Kievan Rus from c. 800 to 988
• Rus’, Encyclopedia of Ukraine
• Ancient Rus: trade and crafts