** Kievian Rus










Kievian Rus (9th-13th centuries)


Figure 1.- This painting by Ivan Eggink (1787�1867) shows Grand Prince Vladimir of Kiev listening to Orthodox priests from Byzantium, while the papal envoy at the right (with staff and clean shaven) who is disturbed by Vladamir's obvious interest in Orthodoxy.

Rurik's descendents became known as the Rus. Rurik's successor Oleg using Novgorod as a base, extended his influence south along rivers which were the principal trade routes at the time. Oleg seized control of Kiev, the most important city on the Dineper (882). This provided the beginning of a unified state based on dynastic rule. Kiev was of special importance. Its strategic location along the Dnipper surounded by rich farm land was a key trading center located between between Scandinavia in the north and Byzantium in the south. Dominated by te Rus, Kiev was an important trading empire which dominated much of European Russia and the Ukraine for three centuries. Vladimir I ruled a Kiev which dominated a vast area extending south to the Black Sea and Caucasus Mountains, controlling the Dnipper and much of the Volga (989). Vladamir decided that an established religion was necessary for the Kievian state. He reportedly assessed several possibilities before deciding on Greek Orthodoxy. It is likely that trade and diplomacy rather than religiius zeal explained his choice. The choice of Orthodoxy allied him with the wealthy Byzantine trading center of Constaniople, at the time the richest city in the world and crucial to the Kievian economy. Vladmir apparently rejected Islam, apparently because he did not want to give up alcoholic beverages and was not sure he could bring his people to do so. It was certainly one if not the most important religious decesion of European history. Vladimir's successor Yaroslav the Wise codified laws and promoted the arts. He decided, however, to divide his kingdom among his sons upon his death (1054). Once powerful Kiev son was split with interacine warfare. Gradually regional power centers began to develop, including the once small village of Moscow at the confluence of the Moskva and Neglina Rivers which first appeared in the historical record (1147). The decline of powerful central rule also exposed the Rus to raids by war-like people from the East which in the 13th century was the Mongols. The Kievian Rus were important in Russian history, but they were also of considerable importance to Europe to the west. They acted as a shield for several centuries, protecting the rest of Europe from the deprevations of the war-like Asian steppe peoples.

The Ruriks

Oleh during the mid-8th century became the first prince of Kiev and founded the Rurick Dynasty. Oleh employed mercenary troops to unite the Eastern Slavs for the first time. He introduced a complex system combining tribute and military democracy. Oleh also led impressive military operations against Khozzars, a nation of Jewish origin residing on Volga. Oleh led and even larger army against Byzantium and assaulted Constantinople. This was the first Western introduction to a Slavic power in the East--the Kievian Rus. After Oleh's death, his relative Ihor became the Great Prince of Kiev. Thor's greed and cruelty led to his downfall. and his management of this newborn empire infuriated some of his subjects. When. His wife, Olga, replaced him as the Great Princess. She accepted Christianity and this becan tge Christianization of the Eastern Slavs. Olga also sought to establish more cooperative relations with Byzantium. Olga's son Svyatoslav, was a superb military leader. He fought predatory nomadic tribes like Pechenigy and conquered Bulgaria. SvyatoslavHe was killed by a group of Pechenigy after his victory over Byzantium. Kiev declined as a result of a debilatating feud among his sons. This period of instability was finally ended when Vladimir the Red Sun, seized Kiev and became the fifth Great Prince. He baptised the Rus' into Christianity (988) and repulsed a Byzantine army. His son, Yaroslav the Wise, enacted the first legal code which came to be known made up the first set of laws, came to be known as Rus's Truths. An internl power stuggle and an invasion by the Cumans folloed.

Kiev (10th-13th Centuries)

Rurik's descendents became known as the Rus, the Finnish name for the Swedish vikings. Rurik's successor Oleg using Novgorod as a base, extended his influence south along rivers among the Slavic tribes. The rivers were the principal trade routes at the time. Oleg seized control of Kiev, the most important city on the Dineper (882). The Dnipper is one of the great rivers of Europe. This provided the beginning of a unified princely state based on dynastic rule. Kiev was of special importance. Its strategic location along the Dnipper surounded by rich farm land was a key trading center located between between Scandinavia in the north and Byzantium in the south as the Dnupper emptied into the Black Sea and thus was a conduit north for trade and culture from Byzantium, including Byzantine Greek Orthodox Chritianity. The young Russian state was constantly confrontated (and later often allied) with different nomadic tribes on it's southeastern borders. Dominated by the Rus, Kiev was an important trading empire which dominated much of what is now European Russia and the Ukraine for three centuries. It was not obly a trading center , but a center for Slavic culture and Orthodox Chritianity.

Conversion of the Kievian Rus (10th century)

Church tradition reports that Christianity in the area of Eastern Europe (modern Belarus, Russia and Ukraine) was first introduced by Saint Andrew. It is difficult to know the facts as opposed to the legend. Christianity for some time was limited to theNorth Pontic Greek colonies, both in Crimea and on the modern Ukrainian shores of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea as does not seem to ave penetrated inland. Brother saints Cyril and Methodius were important missionaries to the Slavic peoples of the Balkans (Bulgaria, Great Moravia and Pannonia). They had a major impact on the cultural development of the Slavs and became known as the 'Apostles to the Slavs'. The Glagolitic alphabet is attributed to them. It was the first alphabet used to transcribe Old Church Slavonic. Theirstudents devised the Cyrillic script during the First Bulgarian Empire amd it is now used in many Slavic countries, including Bulgaria and Russia. Their followers continued missionary work among other Slavs. Both Cyril and Methodiuss are today venerated in the Ukrainian Catholic and Byzantine Catholic Churches as well as the Orthodox Church as saints with the title of 'equal-to-apostles'. The Rus as late as the 10th century, however, were still a pagan people. [Primary Chronicle] The conversion of the Kievan Rus took place in different stages. The Kievian Rus began to become Christianized (860-67). The precises details are largely unknown, in part because the ecclesistical history of Byzantium during the early 9th century is largely unknown. [Ericsson] Problems in the historiography exist inpart because of infighting with the Byzantune leadership. [Poppe] As well as can be constructed, Patriarch Photius of Constantinople began the process. He announced to the other Christian patriarchs at the time that that the Rus had been baptized by his bishop and they accepted Christianity with notable fervor. Moreaccurately the process had begun. Photius's efforts at Christianizing the Rus appears to bave been accepted with no real cnsequences. The major even was the baptiam of Vladimir the Great in Chersonesus and proceeded to baptize his family and people in Kiev (about 988). In Russian historiography this is reffered to as the baptism of the Rus'.

Khazars and Pechenegs

The Khazars, a Turkic people, controlled the lower Volga basin steppes between the Caspian and Black Seas . The Khazars were noted for their legal system, tolerance, and cosmopolitanism. They controlled the riverine trade routes between the Baltic and Islamic Abbasid Caliphate empire centered in Baghdad. The Khazars allied with the Byzantine Empire. They waged a series of successful wars against the Caliphates. The Turkic peoples were primitive animists and as they came in contact with the more civililized peoples their religion was in a state of flux. The Khazars adopted Judaism (8th century AD). Kievan Rus paid tribute to Khazar Kaganate (late-9th centurty). After Oleg (Helgi in the Scandinavic saga) captured Kiev, tribute to Khazars ended. Svyatoslav (Sventosleif in the scandinavic sagas) son of Rurick caprured the Khazar capital which virtuaslly destroyed the Khazar Kaganate (960). Svyatoslav allied Kiev with the nomadic Pechenegs tribe. He befriended the Pecheneg's Khan (leader) Kurya.

Civil War (970s)

Svyatoslav attacked the Byzantine Empire (970). Buzantium was a still ruch trading empire, in part because of its dominasting position controlling trade between the Mediterranean and Black Sea. It was, however, much reduced by territorial losses to the Islamuc Arabs aznd Turkic peoples. Svyatoslav was defeated by army of the emperor John I Tzimiskes. The Pechenegs broke their aklliance with Svyatoslav (972). Many historians believe that the Pechenegs were bribed by the Byzantines to transfer their aliegence. They attacked Svyatoslav's retreating army retirning to Kiev. Svyatoslav was killed. Pecheneg tribal leader Kurya made a drinking cup of his skull. Svyatoslav divided his kindom between his sons upon his death (972). Oleg received Kiev and Vladamir (an illigitimate son) received Novogorad. The result was civil war. Vladamir reunited the kingdom by force and slaid Oleg and Yaropolk. Vladimir ( Voldemar in the Scandinavic sagas) became the great prince of all Russian rincipalities.

Vladamir (958-1015)

Vladimir I ruled a united Kievian state which dominated a vast area extending south to the Black Sea and Caucasus Mountains, controlling the Dnipper and much of the Volga (989). Vladamir decided that an established religion was necessary for the Kievian state. He reportedly assessed several possibilities before deciding on Greek Orthodoxy. It is likely that trade and diplomacy rather than religiius zeal explained his choice. The choice of Orthodoxy allied him with the wealthy Byzantine trading center of Constaniople, at the time the richest city in the world and crucial to the Kievian economy. Vladmir rejected Islam, apparently because he did not want to give up alcoholic beverages and was not sure he could bring his people to do so. So the Kievian Rus became OIrthodox Christiand (988-990). It was certainly one if not the most important religious decesion of European history. Throughout Vladamir;s reign, the Pechenegs were a constant threat on southeastern borders.

Division

Vladimir's successor Yaroslav the Wise codified laws and promoted the arts. He decided, however, to divide his kingdom among his sons upon his death (1054). Once powerful Kiev soon was split with interacine warfare. Another civil war followed. Only three survived. Mstislav of Chernigov had no children (d 1036). Yaroslav (Scandinavic Jerusleif) son of Vladimir finally destroyed the main Pecheneg forces (1036). Some of them fled. Others served Kievan Rus as allies. They became known by the Russian scribes as "Black Hoods" or "Karakaplak".

Long Peace (1036-68)


The Cumans

A new nomadic triber from Asia appeared on Kiev's southern borders. They attacked Kiev and defeated the three sons of Yaroslav (Izyaslav, Svyatoslav and Vsevolod) on the river Alta, near Kiev. Later Vsyeslav of Polotzk (great-grandson of Vladimir) and Svyatovslav son of Yaroslav defeated the Cuman forces. They took Khan Sharukan as a prisoner. The Cumans were stopped, but not destroyed. They remained a constant threat on southeast borders of the Kievian state. Russian princes often hired Cuman forces for their internecine wars. It was prince Vladimir Monomakh who finally ended the internecine wars between Russian princes. He organized several successful war campaigns against the Cumans (1094-1111). While never totally destroyed them, he severly weakened them and for a time peace prevailed on the southeastern border.

Kiev and Europe

After conversion to Christisnity, the Kievian Rus gradually began to expandeconomic and diplomatic ties with Christian Europe, both Orthodox Byzantium and Catholic Europe. The prince Vladamir (son of Vsevolod son of Yaroslav) Monomakh who defeated the Cumans Vladimir was a grandson of a Byzantine emperor and was married to Githa Haroldsdottir of Wessex, daughter of King Harold II Godwinsson that was slain by Duke William of Normamndy at Hastings (1066).

Second Long Peace (1113-36)


Renewed War with the Cumans (1136-1223)

Border wars between Russian and Cumanian forces resumed (1136). Therewere constant border incursions. One famous incident was Prince Igor son of Svyatoslav (son of Oleg son of Svyatoslav son of Yaroslav) who conducted a punative raid against the Cumans (1185). A poetic account is known as "The Tale of Igor's Campaign".

Moscow (12th century)

Gradually as the Kievian state weakened, regional power centers began to develop, including the once small village of Moscow at the confluence of the Moskva and Neglina Rivers which first appeared in the historical record (1147).

Mongol Invasion (13th century)

The decline of powerful central rule weakened ability of the Kievian state to resistb thed war-like people from the East. The continuing wars with the Cumans were costly and drained state resources. A new threat appeared--the Mongols (13th century). Kiev and the Cumans faced the same threat which led to an alliance among once bitter enemies. A massive allied army formed by 20 Russian princes and Cuman forces led by war-captain Yarun of Khan Kotyan prepared to face the Mongols. This was the advance guard of the Mongol army of Gengis Khan, Mongol war-commanders Subede and Jebe defeated the Kievian-Cuman army (1223). The Mongols executed 11 captured Russian princes. It was just a Mongol reconnaissance raid and they did not permanetly move to controlm Kiev. The Mongols mounted a full scale invasion (1236). Batu-Khan led the Mongol army. The first target was the Volga Bulgars which were destroyed. Next they destroyed the surviving Cumans. Khan Kotyan fled to Hungarian King Bela IV and accepted coversion as a condition of assylum. The Mongols next attcked the north Russian principalities (1237-38). This was the core of the future Russian state. Finally the Mongols attacked an conquered Kiev and the southern Russian principalities (1241). This was the core of the future Ukraine. The Mongols next moves west to attack Hungary. The Hungarian nobles seeking to pacify the Mongols slayed Kotyan, the last Cuman Khan even though King Bela tried to protect him. The sdurviving Cumans declined to convert to Christianity and went to serve Bulgarian Tsar Koloman I. The Kievian state at the time of the Mongol invasion was becoming increasingly integrated with Europe. The impact of the Mongol conquest was to largely cut the Russians off from Rurope for several centururies.







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Created: 10:20 PM 1/26/2011
Last updated: 8:57 AM 11/10/2021