Early Russia

We left off at the end of the Byzantine Empire which leads us into early Russia or was it really "Russia?"  The majority of ancient histories always include ancient kingdoms and migrating people but "Russia" was really a group of cities that fused together to make an empire.  The earliest humans settled in Russia around A.D. 500.  These new settlers and the Slavs mixed together and created an empire, the Ukrainian city of Kiev.

This new empire ruled most of European Russia for over 200 years but then was divided into Belarus, Ukraine, and Muscovy.

I am keeping this as brief as possible because there is so much to learn about Russia, it could take a full year just studying Russia.  I just wanted to highlight a few of the most important areas.

Varangians-image from the web

~In the early part of the 9th century, a group of Scandinavian people called the Varangians crossed the Baltic Sea and ended up in Eastern Europe.

~In 862, lead by a warrior named Rurik, they entered into the city of Novgorod.

image from Britannica 

~For reasons that are not exactly clear, Rurik lost his title of leader and Oleg (Prince of Novgorod) was his successor.

~Oleg continued on southward and in 882, Oleg and his group took over Kiev.

~Kiev was a Slavic city that had been around since the 5th century.  Kiev was located along the Dniepr River.  Also know as Kievan Rus' which today is Belarus and Ukraine.

Rurik-image from the web

~Kiev became the central place for trade routes between Constantinople and Scandinavia.


~Around 989, Oleg's great-grandson, Vladimir I, was the ruler of the kingdom that spanned from the Black Sea to the Caucasus Mountains and into the lower reaches of the Volga River.

Vladimir I-image from the web

~Vladimir wanted to establish a faith for all who lived in these parts.  After careful consideration, he decided upon Greek Orthodoxy.  He was against Islam mainly because in the Islamic faith, drinking alcohol is forbidden.  I guess that is as good a reason as any.

~After Vladimir came Yaroslay, the Wise (grand prince of Kiev).  He encourages the arts, enforced laws, and made friends with other states.

image from the web

~Sadly his biggest mistake was diving his kingdom among his children.  He ordered them to get along and cooperate with each other but you guessed it, they did not.

~After Yaroslav died and by the time 1054 rolled around, Kievan Rus' had broken up into smaller power centers.  This did not work out so well.  Their struggles were massive and when the Mongols invaded, Kievan Rus' was obliterated.

~Around 1237, Batu Khan (grandson of the ever famous Genghis Khan) invaded Kievan Rus' from Kazan and over the three years that followed, the Mongols (Tatars) destroyed the majority of Kievan Rus' (Novgorod and Pskov).

Batu Khan-image from the web

This is where we stopped but it picks right back up in the next lesson with the Ottoman Turks.

Crash Course History with John Green-Russia, the Kievan Rus, and the Mongols, #20
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