Ancient Russian History

Judy Fruscione

Konos Juniors 2011-12

World Geography - Russia

1. Varangian Warriors Varangians was a name given by Slavs

and Byzantine Greeks to Scandinavians who began to raid the eastern shores of the Baltic and penetrate Eastern Europe by the 9th century

Their leader, Rurik, established himself at Novgorod in 862, thus laying the foundation for Kievan Rus (City).

The Varangians, some of whom were known also as Rus or Rhos, made their way down the Dnieper River and established the great trade route from Kiev to Byzantium.

2. Rurik the Rus (circa 862 AD It is believe in AD. 860 the Slavic village of Novgorod located in the Northern Forests of the Slavic regions contacted the Vikings asking for help in maintaining order in their lands. They told the Vikings that they had rich fertile lands, but that they did not have the ability to unite their people, or maintain order. Thus, they requested that the Vikings come and rule them.

Viking by the name of Rurik The Rus answered the request. It is believed that Rus is the root for the name of the Slavic nation of Russia.

Major Rus trade routesRED – Volga Trade Route along the Volga RiverPURPLE – the Varangians to the Greeks along the Dnieper River

2. Prince Oleg (879-913) In A.D. 880, Rurik’s successor,

a man by the name of Prince Oleg conquered a small village known as Kiev. This village lied on the Dnieper River, which made it a great location for trade.

Using Kiev, Prince Oleg was eventually able to control important trade routes along the Dnieper River. Kiev quickly grew in power and wealth, becoming one of the most important cities in the region.

3. Kievan Rus: By A.D. 900, the city of Kiev had begun

to control much of the surrounding regions. This city-state became known as Kievan Rus. For centuries, the leaders of Kievan Rus, known as ‘Grand Princes’ lead raids against the Byzantines in search of wealth.

In A.D. 911 Byzantium signed a treaty with Kievan Rus, ending these raids, and opening a long and prosperous period of trade between the two peoples. This trade would help both nations to grow in power and wealth.

4. Kevian Government The Grand Prince, who ruled from Kiev

controlled a large territory around his city. A series of lesser princes ruled neighboring city-states, and paid tribute to the Grand Prince. These lesser princes had a great deal of freedom and autonomy in how they ruled their own territory. The lesser princes governed the day to day, while the Grand Prince provided protection in the form of a military.

Princes could be removed from power through the collective authority of a council of merchants and nobles known as boyars. These councils represented all free male citizens.

5. Slavic Religion Early Slavs worshiped a variety

of spirits.

They also believed that their ancestors could influence their lives, and often worshiped them.

A popular Slavic god was Perun, the god of thunder and lightning.

These gods and spirits would be carved into their homes, public buildings, and into works that were placed on the highest point in a Slavic village.

THE SLAVIC PERUN WAS THE GOD OF THUNDER, LIGHTNING AND STORMS, WHO SUPPOSEDLY CARRIES AN AXE ON HIM. ALL IN ALL, HE’S A SLAVIC VERSION OF THE NORSE GOD THOR.

6. Christianity Arrives By the late A.D. 900s many of the Slavs began to

practice Christianity. Their interaction with the

Byzantine Empire brought them into close contact

with the faith.

The first member of the royal family to be converted

to Christianity was a Kievan Princess by the name of

Olga.

Her Grandson Vladimir eventually became the Grand

Prince. Vladimir sent out an embassy to search out a

true form of religion. This embassy visited many

different religions, and determined that only Eastern

Orthodox held the keys to the continued success of

their kingdom

Eastern Orthodox Religion Upon their return, Grand Prince Vladimir became converted to

Eastern Orthodox, and ordered that all his people also convert to the new faith. Their conversion to Eastern Orthodox strengthened their ties with the Byzantines, and helped bring their culture to new heights.

The Byzantines taught the Slavs new skills in art and building, they built schools, taught the Slavs how to write, and helped them make great advancements in technology and science.

Baptism of Vladimir

7. Prince VladimirKiev’s Golden Age Throughout the A.D. 1000s Kievan Rus

experienced a period of wealth, and economic growth. Historians refer to this time period as the Golden Age of Kiev.

Prince Vladimir who brought Eastern Orthodoxy into Kievan Rus is often considered one of the kingdom’s greatest rulers. He ruled from A.D. 980 until A.D. 1015. During this time period his people saw tremendous growth, and an overall increase in their standard of living due to the influences of the Byzantine Empire.

9. Grand Prince YaroslavPrince Vladimir’s son, a man by the name of

Yaroslav, reigned in his father’s place beginning in the year A.D. 1019.

Grand Prince Yaroslav built a library in Kiev, and encouraged everyone to gain as much education as possible.

He also reorganized the affairs of the government, establishing new laws, which were heavily based on the Justinian code of the Byzantine Empire.

In order to insure peace, Yaroslav arranged marriages for his daughters and sisters with the kings of many surrounding nations. During this time period, when Europe was in the midst of the dark ages, Kiev stood as a shinning beacon, and beautiful city.

10. Kiev DeclinesAfter the golden age in Kiev,

the nation began to see a rapid decline. Yaroslav was a successful leader, who brought about great wealth and power to his homeland, but he is also one of the major factors in its decline

• Instead of appointing one successor, Yaroslav appointed all of his sons as successors. This resulted in the splintering of his kingdom, as many different princes fought for control over the kingdom.

• In A.D. 1240 invaders from Mongolia conquered and completely destroyed Kiev.

11. Mongul RuleAfter the defeat and destruction of Kiev, there was nothing to

stop the Mongols from conquering the remaining Slavic territories. The Mongols would rule the Slavs for the next two hundred years.

The Slavs were allowed to practice their religious beliefs, but were required to pay taxes to the Mongols, and to support their armies through military service.

Mongol control further distanced the Slavs from the people of Western Europe. This isolation helped to keep their culture from evolving in the same direction as that of the Western Europeans.

Muscovy and Moscow

In order to escape Mongol rule, many Slavs moved to the remote forests of Northern Asia and Europe. These regions were too cold, and considered too much of a wasteland for the Mongols to bother conquering.

Rather than Mongols, the Slavs in this region faced threats from the Germans, and Swedes, who felt that it was their responsibility to convert the Slavs to Catholicism. In A.D. 1240 Alexander, the prince of Novgorod, a northern Slavic city, lead an army into battle against the Swedes near the Neva River.

During a terrible and bloody battle, Alexander was able to defeat the Swedes, earning him the title of Alexander Nevsky (of Neva). This victory allowed the city of Novgorod and the surrounding regions to act with a great deal of independence.

Ivan the Great (1480 AD) The youngest son of Alexander was a man

by the name of Daniel. Daniel was appointed as the ruler of a small city called Moscow. Through a series of wars, and ingenious political moves, Daniel built Moscow into one of the most powerful cities in the region.

Moscow was able to maintain its autonomy from the Mongols by agreeing to pay taxes to them. Over the next two hundred years, the Mongols gradually lost power, while the city of Moscow gradually gained power.

In A.D. 1480, Ivan III, then the leader of Moscow refused to pay any more tributes to Mongol.

Ivan III, now known as Ivan The Great, brought all the Russian city states together under his rule, forming a massive empire.

The Third Rome

Ivan The Great who was able to unite all the Russian Slavs under his rule now controlled a vast empire whose size and territory was as great as any earlier empire.

Ivan married Sophia, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor. This marriage allowed him to claim the title of Czar, or ‘Caesar’, which was the title the emperors of both Byzantium, and Rome took.

Ivan also incorporated many symbols of the Byzantine and Roman empires into his own empire, including a double headed eagle, which was the symbol of rulers in the Byzantine Empire.

All Czars from Ivan the Great down until the twentieth century would lay their claim to rule through their ancestry leading back to the Roman Empire.

Ivan the TerribleIvan the Terrible was

actually Ivan IV, or Ivan Vasilyevich. If you are Russian, you will probably call him Ivan Grozny, which means Ivan the Terrible.

When Ivan was 16 years old, he became the first czar of Russia (1547-1584.)

Ivan the Terrible — His Strengths

Despite his cruelty, Ivan the Terrible improved Russia's governmental administration and contributed to the nation's culture.

Ivan was also a skillful writer with a talent for biting sarcasm. He was eager to maintain political relations with Europe and was a devout adherent of the Orthodox Church.

Because of its Orthodox religion, after Constantinople, Moscow became the Third Rome. Its ruler was referred to as czar (from the word caesar).

St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, Russia was built by Ivan the Terrible between 1555 and 1561. According to legends, the builder of this Cathedral was blinded so that such a beautiful structure could never be built again. The Cathedral is vividly colorful and contains redbrick towers that add to its beauty. The church’s design consists of nine chapels, each mounted with its individual dome that marks the assault on the city of Kazan.

How Ivan Became Terrible Ivan suspected conspiracies everywhere and

eventually announced he would abdicate because of the lack of loyalty around him. He was only willing to continue to rule under two conditions:

First, he would be allowed to deal with alleged deserters at his discretion.

Second, he would be permitted to possess pieces of land throughout Russia that were exclusively under his control.

These terms were accepted, and Ivan launched his reign of terror. He hired a large personal army, and all potential traitors were cruelly executed. Ivan retreated and left the daily duties to his dubious executives.

This infamous corps of bodyguards was finally dissolved after the Tartars sacked Moscow in 1571.

Ivan IV the Terrible — His FamilyIvan was a member of the Rurik Dynasty.Ivan's grandfather was Ivan III the Great. Ivan's father was the Grand Duke Vasily III of Moscow.

His mother was Yelena Glinskaya. Ivan's mother died in 1538, allegedly by poison.

Ivan's spouse was Anastasia Romanovna. They married in 1547 and she died in 1560. Ivan seemed especially off-balance after Anastasia's death. He then married six more times, disposing of unwanted wives quickly.

Ivan's children were Ivan and Fyodor (by Anastasia). He later had six more children by his various other wives.

1300: Alexander Nevski, Prince or Grand Duke of Moscow

1462: Ivan the Great

1505: Ivan the Great died

1584: Ivan the terrible died

Expansion of Russia from 1300 to 1605

Let’s Review:Who’s Who in Early Russian HistoryRurik the Rus (862 AD)Prince Oleg (879-913 AD)Grand Princes and Boyars (Middle Ages)Vladimir I (988 AD converts to Christianity)Grand Prince Yaroslav (978 – 1054 AD)Mongols (1200 – 1480 Genghis Khan conquers Russia)Alexander Nevsky (1220 – 1263 AD)Ivan the Great (1480 AD frees Russia from Mongols)Ivan the Terrible (1547 AD becomes first Czar)

ResourcesRead more: Rurik — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0842690.html#ixzz1ZMn3wCaq