The Rise of Russia

Geography

• Cold• Surrounded by

water but……no warm water port for trading

• Forest• Grasslands

People

• Mix of Slavic tribes and Vikings

City of Kiev

• 1st major city

• Present day Ukraine

Vladimir

• Converted Russian people to Christianity• Linked emperor with religion

– Influenced by Byzantine Empire– Common trade routes

Begin Contact with Byzantine

• Orthodox Christianity• Cyrillic Alphabet

Mongols invade

• Between the Crusades and Mongols, Kievan Empire declined

• Kiev destroyed in 1240– Mongols isolated Russians

from Europe

Ivan III• Russian Prince• Freed Russians from

Mongol rule in 1480• Crowned himself “Czar”• Proclaimed Russia

would be 3rd Rome• Moved to Moscow

Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible)• 1533• 1547-1560 –Good Ivan• 1560 1584 Bad Ivan• Execution of

traitors/enemies of boyers (nobles)

• Secret police

Was Ivan terrible?• In 1581, Ivan beat his pregnant

daughter-in-law for wearing immodest clothing, which may have caused a miscarriage. His son, also named Ivan , upon learning of this, engaged in a heated argument with his father, which resulted in Ivan striking his son in the head with his pointed staff, causing his son's (accidental) death.

• Killed son• Accused of poisoning wife• Younger son took thrown at death and died

without an heir

Romanov Dynasty

• After years of quarrel, boyars chose next leader, Michael Romanov beginning Romanov dynasty

• Restored power to government

Isolation• Mongol Rule and religious

differences had kept Russia from interaction with Europe. (missed Renaissance and Age of Exploration)

• No Seaport for trade• Russians looked to Constantinople

for guidance, not Rome

Peter the Great- Absolute Monarch

• 6’6• Prior to becoming czar at

24, Peter went and studied in the “west” as a commoner

• Decided it was best to westernize Russia

• Russia needed warm water port to trade

Westernization by Peter• Reduced power of great

landowners• Introduced potatoes• Western clothes and fashions

– Beard Tax

Advanced schools (stressed education)

• Increased women status• Newspaper• Fought Sweden for warm

water port

St. Petersburg• Peter’s “window to the west”• New capital of Russia