Early Russia

Kiev to Moscow

Kievan Rus Settlement

Kievan Rus • Kiev developed along the

Dnieper River, important trade

route connecting Baltic Sea and

Black Sea.

• Influenced by both Vikings and Byzantines

• geographic features –steppe - grassland

plain stretching from central Asia to eastern Europe

–taiga - huge forested area north of the steppe

Influence of Byzantium on its Neighbors

The citizens of Byzantium considered themselves to be the center of the civilized world, with good reason. Their civilization had far-reaching political and cultural influences in all directions during the Middle Byzantine period.

Although Grand Prince Vladimir of Kiev became an Orthodox Christian in 988, Byzantium never politically dominated his confederation of principalities, called Kievan Rus, which was a composite society of Vikings and eastern Slavs.

Known as “the third Rome,” Kievan Rus artists assimilated the style and iconography of Byzantine art and architecture. After the Mongol invaders of 1237-40 captured Kiev, the rest of the region suffered further attacks by the Mongols from the east and by the Teutonic knights from the west.

Kievan Rus •Slavic language/nationality

•Principalities - area ruled by a prince

•Boyars - nobles (large landowners)

•farming & hunting main livelihood

Important Developments during the Kievan Rus

• Alphabet

• religion

• law code

The Cyrillic Alphabet is the alphabet for the Slavic languages. It was named for St. Cyril, a Greek monk who brought written language to Christian converts in the mid-ninth century (c.860)) in what is now Russia.

The Cyrillic alphabet is closely based on the Greek alphabet, with about a dozen additional letters invented to represent Slavic sounds not found in Greek.

12th century Cyrillic script

Vladimir I.

Grand Prince

• Investigated various religions

•adopted Eastern Orthodox

Christianity from Byzantines

•mass baptism for his subjects

•married Byzantine princess

•brought Byzantine culture to Kiev

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Anton_Losenko._Vladimir_and_Rogneda.jpg

Byzantine influence

• Religion (Eastern Orthodox)

• art (icons) and architecture

• trade

• alphabet adapted from

Greek (Cyrillic)

Russian Icon

Yaroslav I •Established first

•school

•library

•law code (Russkaia Pravda)

•but Kiev declined after his death - became part of Mongol Empire

Russkaia Pravda: Article 2

– If a man is bleeding or is blue from bruises, he does not need any eyewitness; if he has no sign [of injury] he is to produce an eyewitness; if he cannot, the matter ends there; if he cannot avenge himself he is to receive three grivnas, while the physician is to get an honorarium.

The Mongols • From central Asia

• Created an empire that extended from central Europe to the Pacific Ocean

• from Siberia to the Indian Ocean

• the largest land empire in history

The Mongols • Genghis Khan united the

clans of expert fighters

on horseback

• organized them into

disciplined cavalry units

• Mongols ruled but didn’t

try to impose their culture

• "The greatest happiness is to vanquish your enemies, to chase them before you, to rob them of their wealth, to see those dear to them bathed in tears, to clasp to your bosom their wives and daughters" -GENGHIS KHAN

The Mongols •The Mongols ruled the Russians for almost 250 years!

• Introduced tax system

•Russia was influenced by Asia

•Russians were isolated from the West (the rest of Europe)

•Russians developed a unique culture

Moscow • Moscow developed near the

Volga River

• The princes of Moscow

collected taxes for the

Mongols

• The principality of Moscow

gradually became more

independent

Ivan III • 1480 - Moscow became

independent

•unified many Russian

principalities

•became the first czar (emperor)

•Russian Orthodox Church

became the “Third Rome” after

the fall of Constantinople

Ivan IV •“the Terrible” (awesome)

•ruthless & violent

•reduced the power of the

boyars

•oprichniki - secret police

•expanded Russia

Ivan the terrible

Review:

•Russian Noble

•boyar

•grassland plain

•steppe

•Russkaia Pravda

•Medieval Russian law code

•Russian religion

•Eastern (Russian) Orthodox

. . . More Review • Ruler who developed the law code

• Yaroslav I

• Ruler who adopted Eastern Orthodox Christianity

• Vladimir I

• Ruler who established the oprichniki

• Ivan IV

• Ruler who gained Moscow independence

• Ivan III