Download - Eastern Europe & Russia
Eastern Europe & Russia
The Spread of Civilization in Eastern Europe
• Cyril and Methodius were Christians that helped spread the gospel– Culture was also spread– Helped to create an alphabet for the Slavs
• Cyrillic language
The East Central Borderlands
• Competition from Catholics and Orthodox Greeks– Catholics
• Czechs, Hungary, Poland
– Orthodox• Most of the Balkans
• Regional monarchies prevail
• Jews from western Europe
Rise of Russia – The Setting
• Large plain in Eastern Europe– Southern part of the plain is called a steppe
• Grassy, black soil, good for farming
• Carpathian Mountains to Ural Mountains– Divide Europe and Asia
• Slavs settled mainly in Eastern Europe• Avars, Huns, Magyars, and Vikings all invaded
at different times– Made Slavs their servants
• Name Slav comes from the word Slave– Vikings main purpose was trade
The Emergence of Kievan Rus'
• Novgorod and Kiev were located along Viking trade routes– Rurik and the Rus people took over Novgorod
• Came to control Kiev and other Dnieper River towns• Kiev became powerful trade city and was Russia’s capital
– Worked out trade treaty with Byzantium Empire
• Government– Princes governed
• Councils – made up of Boyars• Town meetings – also called veche
– Yaroslav the Wise was a great leader• Came up with Pravda Russkia (Russian Justice)
The Emergence of Kievan Rus'
• Religion– Christianity
• Vladimir I sent observers to look into Christianity– Converted after marriage to Anna, sister of Byz. Emperor
– Ordered all Kievians to be Christians and destroyed all pagan idols
• Monasteries became central religious center in Kiev
• Economy– Farming – Trade
• Agricultural goods, wood, iron, salt, furs, and honey
Institutions and Culture in Kievan Rus'
• Influenced by Byzantine patterns• Orthodox influence
– Ornate churches– Icons– Monasticism
• Art, literature dominated by religion, royalty• Free farmers predominant• Boyars, landlords
– Less powerful than in the West
Kievan Decline
• Decline from 12th century– Rival governments– Succession struggles
• Asian conquerors
• Mongols (Tartars)– 13th century, take territory– Traditional culture survives
The End of an Era in Eastern Europe
• Mongol invasions usher in new period
• East and West further separated
Essential Question
• Why were Catholicism & Orthodox Christianity spread through Eastern Europe & Russia?