Kievan Rus

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.
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’ led raids against the Byzantines in search of wealth. In A.D. 911 Constantinople signed a treaty with Kievan Rus, ending these raids, and opening a long and prosperous period of trade between the two peoples. The peace that resulted from friendlier relations with Constantinople permitted Kievan Rus to begin to develop craftsmanship, to engage in trade, and to learn how to construct in stone. Nevertheless, advancements in the art of shipbuilding proceeded very slowly. The early Russians continued to ply the lakes and seas in their dug-out boats and to transport their simple goods by river on crude, raft-like vessels. For long voyages these early Russians built a light, open vessel called a lodya. The Byzantines called it in Greek “monoxile” because it was made from a single tree, usually the hollowed-out trunk of an oak or linden. Layers of planking were secured to the hull to increase its height and oars were affixed to the planking. A single mast with a square sail made the lodya seaworthy, and it was light enough, when the need arose, for portage. Although it seldom exceeded twenty meters in length, a lodya often held a crew of forty. This trade would help both nations to grow in power and wealth.
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.
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.
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. Prince 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 shining beacon, and beautiful city.
After 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.
After 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.
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.
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, known as Ivan The Great, brought all the Russian city states together under his rule, forming a massive empire. In many ways, he became great by continuing with the work that his predecessors had started. However, he worked on a larger scale. Ivan the Great united many of the previously autonomous provinces and succeeded in freeing Russia from the Mongols (Tatars). The Grand Dukes of Moscow had been attempting to overthrow the Mongols for many years, and even won some battles against them. However the Mongols always retaliated regaining control. Ivan the Great first subjugated the surrounding cities and then in 1480 refused to pay the tribute demanded by the Mongols. This set the stage for a battle that never happened. The troops for both sides faced off against each other but no battle was ever fought. Instead, both sides retreated. This was in effect victory for Ivan the Great because he hadn't paid the tribute and tribute was never again demanded. The Russians were free from Mongol overlordship. Ivan the Great became the first national sovereign, but not the first tsar. This distinction belongs to Ivan IV, his grandson.