Vikings & Russians & Mongols

AKS 33e & 33g

Missionaries Reach the Slavs

• Slavs - People from the forests north of the Black Sea.

• Byzantium sent Missionaries to convert the Slavs.– Saint Methodius and

Saint Cyril invented the Cyrillic alphabet. Still used in Russia today

Missionaries Reach the Slavs

• Byzantium trade w/ Slavs:– Slavs began absorbing many Greek/Byzantine ways.– This blending of Slavic and Greek traditions eventually

produced Russian culture.

Vikings Find the Slavs

• 800s: Vikings settled among the Slavs along river banks.– Also known as the Rus.

• The name “Russia” is taken from this group: Land of the Rus.

Vikings Find the Slavs• 862: Slavs invited Viking Chief Rurik to be king of the

Slavs.– Founded Novgorod, Russia’s first important city.– “Novgorod” translates into “New Town” in Russian.

Vikings Find the Slavs

• 880: Kiev• From Kiev, the Vikings

could sail by river and sea to Constantinople where they could trade for products from distant lands.

• Kiev became a Principality:– Ruled by a prince.

• Slavs and Vikings started to marry one another and the line between the two vanished.

Kiev

Princess Olga• Princess Olga:

– 957: Visited Constantinople and publicly converted to Christianity.

– 945-964: She ruled until her son was old enough.

• Her son resisted Christianity.

Vladimir

• 980: Princess Olga’s grandson, Vladimir, came to the throne.

• He sent out teams to observe the major religions of the times.– Sees Constantinople:

Brings Orthodox Christianity to Kiev.

“The Greeks led us to the (buildings) where they worship their God, and we knew not whether we were in heaven

or on earth.

For on earth there is no such splendor or such beauty, and we are at a loss

how to describe it.

We only know that God dwells there among men, and . . . We cannot forget

that beauty”

~ The Primary Chronicle ~

Baptism of Kiev

• 989: a baptism of all the citizens of Kiev was held in a local river.

• Kiev now was linked to Byzantium through trade and for religious guidance.

Kievan Russia

• Russia’s first important unified territory.

• Vladimir expanded Kiev territory into Poland and north almost to the Baltic Sea.

• Fought off nomads from the steppes to the South.

Kievan Russia

• 1019 Vladimir’s son, Yaroslav the Wise came to the throne & led Kiev to even greater glory.– Married off daughters in

order to form trade alliances.

– Created a legal code.– Built first library in Kiev.– Christianity prospered. – Kiev home to 400 churches.

Kiev’s Decline

• 1054: Yaroslav the Wise Died.– Buried in Saint Sophia

Cathedral• Yaroslav’s Crucial Error:

– He split Kiev among his sons instead of handing it ALL to his eldest son.

– The sons tore the state apart fighting for the best territories.

Effects of the Crusades

• 1095: The Crusades – the numerous clashes between Christians & Muslims for control of the Holy Lands of the Middle East.

• Added to Kiev’s troubles by disrupting trade.– Then a NEW threat emerged: THE MONGOLS!!!