Early Russia notes The Eastern Slavs 500 C

Early Russia notes

The Eastern Slavs • ~ 500 C. E. the Slavs settled in Eastern Europe • Rus (Vikings) built forts along rivers and settled in with the Slavs – Slavs were not a warlike people, so the Vikings helped protect their trade routes and laid the foundation for their government – Asked Rurik, a Viking leader, to come help give order and to govern them • Around 880 Kiev was settled; traded with Constantinople

Slavs and the Rus • Vikings sold the Slavs (the word “slave” comes from the selling of Slavs) • Viking nobles (boyars) intermarried and adopted Slavic culture • Slavs called the area that the Vikings controlled the Rus = Russia

Rurik the Rus

Kiev— 880 built on the steep right bank of the Dniper River to protect themselves

boyars

Russian Religion • Slavs originally worshipping nature spirits & ancestors • Eastern Orthodox Church sent missionaries: Methodius and Cyril • Cyrillic alphabet = invented this alphabet to teach the Slavs how to read the Bible • Vladimir- impressed by Byzantine churches – converted to Eastern Orthodoxy and ordered a mass baptism in the Dnieper River in 989

Saint Cyrillic Alphabet

Vladimir— asks for Byzantine emperor’s sister’s hand in marriage or he would attack Byzantine Empire; he only allows it if Vladimir is baptized; he agrees; when Anna arrives he is suffering for a disease that blinds him; Vladimir agrees to be baptized and is cured immediately

Russia under the Mongols • Kiev declined because Mongols invaded from Asia and destroyed Kiev – Mongols conquered, taxed, and imposed their culture on them – Unified the Slavs b/c common enemy

Mongols invade Kiev

Reasons why Eastern Europe & Russia were Isolated from Western Europe: 1. Close connection to Byzantine Empire 2. Eastern Orthodox Church 3. Mongol occupation • B/c of this, none of the development in W. Europe occurred here

Moscow (the Third Rome) • By 1325 one of the most powerful cities • Drove the Mongols out of Russia in 1380 • Ivan III (the Great) – married the niece of the last Byzantine emperor – Brought the Slavic regions under his control – Took the title Czar or tsar (Caesar) • When Constantinople fell in 1453, Moscow was the new head of the Eastern Orthodox Church

Ivan III-The Great (czar or tzar)