June 27, 1997
Kievan Rus' -- 862 AD to 1237 AD
From Rurik to Christianity to the Mongol Invasion
BACKGROUND: Up to 862 AD -- The first proto-Russian political entity was founded by the Scandinavian chieftain Rurik in the vicinity of Novgorod in 862 AD. Rurik and his Scandinavian contemporaries, called the Varangians, had controlled many of the trade routes leading from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea by way of lakes and river. By seizing power, Rurik's actions served to consolidate the disparate, competing Eastern Slav tribes into a cohesive political unit. 862 AD is therefore considered by many historians to be the beginning of the Russian Empire and the House of Rurik (or Rurikovich Dynasty), from which all Russian leaders for the next 700 years (until 1598) would descend.
862-1240 AD -- In ca. 880-882 AD, Kiev was founded by another Varangian named Oleg. (Note: Some historians consider the founding of Kiev, vice Novgorod, as the beginning of the Russian state.) Oleg followed the example of Rurik by further subduing and unifying the competing Eastern Slavic tribes under his rule. Though Novgorod and Kiev both became great trading centers along the important water-based trade routes, Kiev evolved into the primary center of government. For the next three centuries, Kiev flourished in what is known as the "Golden Age of Kiev." Kiev's premier standing lasted until the Mongol invasion in ca. 1237, when Kiev rapidly declined. This period from 862 AD to 1237 AD is known historically as the Kievan Rus' era. A Slavic variant of the Eastern Orthodox religion and a synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures are among the lasting achievements of the Kievan Rus' period.
- In 907, Oleg led a campaign against Constantinople (modern Istanbul), capital of the Byzantine Empire, and in 911, he signed a commercial treaty with the Byzantine Empire on the basis of equality. The new Kievan state prospered because it controlled the water-based trade routes from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. In this era of Kievan Rus', furs, wax, honey, and forest products were taken across the Black Sea to Constantinople, where they were exchanged for silks, spices, and gold. Oleg, who died in 913, enjoyed a brilliant career by setting the Kievan state upon firm foundations during his reign. Igor, who became Grand Prince of Kiev in 913, was Rurik's grandson. Igor was slain during a tribute-gathering mission and was succeeded to the throne of Kiev by his widow, Olga.
- The zenith of Kievan Rus' came during the reigns of Prince Vladimir (978-1015) and Prince Iaroslav the Wise (1019-54). Both rulers continued the crystallization and steady expansion of Kievan Rus'. To enhance his power, Vladimir married the sister of the Byzantine emperor. Iaroslav arranged marriages for his sisters and daughters to the Kings of Poland, France, Hungary, and Norway.
- But Vladimir's greatest achievement dealt with religion. In 988 AD, Vladimir was converted to Christianity from Byzantium and proceeded quickly to "Christianize" the Kievan state and the Eastern Slavs. Vladimir's choice of Eastern Orthodoxy had long-range political, cultural, and religious consequences. His decision also reflected his close personal ties with Constantinople, which controlled trade regions in the Black Sea. By controlling the Black Sea, Constantinople essentially controlled trade from the Dnieper River, which flows from Kiev into the Black Sea.
- This new religion soon spread to other Russian principalities, and since 988 AD, the Eastern Slavs have followed the Eastern Orthodox faith. Two monks, Cyril and Methodius, who a century earlier had translated the scriptures into the Slavic tongue, gave the Christians their alphabet, the Cyrillic alphabet, which was based on the Greek alphabet. This liturgical alphabet facilitated the conversion to Christianity and introduced Eastern Slavs to rudimentary Greek philosophy, science, and historiography. But the Slavs did not learn the Greek or Latin languages, causing them to be isolated from Byzantine and European cultures.
- Kievan Rus' was divided into smaller principalities and governed by Rurik's descendants or extended members of the Rurikovich Dynasty. These princes eventually competed against each other, for coveted golden throne of Kiev. Leading warriors and officials, who sometimes constituted an advisory council, or "duma", received income or land from the princes in return for their services and loyalty. Vladimir's death precipitated a civil war among his sons to decide the succession. For example, an older son, Sviatopolk, seized Kiev and murdered three of his brothers who might have contested his action. The eldest son, Iaroslav, brought in mercenaries from Scandinavia and drove Sviatopolk from Kiev. After driving out Sviatopolk, Iaroslav and Mstislav, his only remaining brother, divided Kievan Rus' between them and through a variety of actions began to shift the political focus began to shift away from Kiev.
- Kievan Rus' was not able to maintain its position as a powerful and prosperous state. Western-like institutions were never fully developed in Kievan Rus', though some citizens could exercise political influence through a popular assembly known as a "veche". Many other factors contributed to Kiev's decline, among them the self-serving interests of the descendants of Rurik, their infighting, and the shift in European trade routes resulting from the Crusades, which marginalized the Dnieper River trade routes. The people inhabiting the regional centers evolved into several nationalities: Ukrainians in the southeast and southwest; Belorussians in the northwest; and Russians in the north and northeast. In the northeast, the combined principality of Vladimir and Suzdal (both small cities) had become a major power in Kievan Rus'. The leader of Vladimir-Suzdal in 1169, Prince Bogoliubskii, dealt the death knell the waning power of Kievan Rus' when his armies sacked the city. He later installed his younger brother in Kiev and continued to rule his realm from Suzdal, thereby shifting the base of power to the northeast.
- During its fragmentation, an army of Kievan Rus' and its Turkic Polovtsian allies were soundly defeated when they met Mongol raiding party from Central Asia in ca 1223. However, a much larger Mongol force overran much of Kievan Rus' in 1237-1238, ultimately sacking the city of Kiev in 1240 and destroying the Kievan state before moving on to Poland and Hungary. Kievan Rus' became a part of the empire of the Golden Horde Mongols (or Tartars), who ruled indirectly through Sarai through loyal emissaries and tax collectors. From that time on, for almost three centuries, Kievan Rus' lived under Mongol domination. The subsequent separation of the Eastern Slavs by the Tatar conquest is believed to have led to the development of the distinct Russian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian languages.
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Russian History from Bucknell University
This site is considered by most to be the premier site on Russian history. It is interesting even for non-historians and regularly linked to by universities, native Russians, and Russian travel companies. In addition to its articles, it has an excellent chronology/timeline of Russian history as well as a superb diagram of the "House of Rurik."
Russian History from Russia.Net
From SeaNet Corporation in Seattle, Washington, this site presents a well-organized collection of articles on the history of Russia, beginning with the origins of the Slavs in the 7th Century BC. Each article is clearly and concisely written.
Russian Sites and Links Galore
A vast collection of links on Russian history with an ambition chronology under construction.
Russian National Tourist Office
Though this sites is written for English-speaking tourists travelling to Russia. It offers a comprehensive, summarized history of Russia that students and scholars would find interesting.
Timo Hannukkala's Site
From Finland but in English, this site offers several in-depth articles on aspect of Russian history.
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Russian History and Culture
