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Millennium of Russia monument, erected 1862, Novgorod

History of Russia East Slavs Rus' Khaganate Khazars Kievan Rus' Vladimir-Suzdal Novgorod Republic Volga Bulgaria Mongol invasion Golden Horde Muscovy Khanate of Kazan Tsardom of Russia Russian Empire 1682–1796 1796–1855 1855–1892 1892–1917 Soviet Russia and the USSR 1917–1927 Russian Revolution Civil War 1927–1953 1953–1985 1985–1991 Russian Federation Timeline

The history of Russia begins with that of the East Slavs. The first East Slavic state, Kievan Rus', adopted Christianity from the Byzantine Empire in 988,^[1] beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium.^[2] Kievan Rus' ultimately disintegrated as a state, leaving a number of states competing for claims to be the heirs to its civilization and dominant position. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 420 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (896 × 1280 pixels, file size: 348 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Commons:Image:Novgorod_Monument_LOC_06268u. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 420 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (896 × 1280 pixels, file size: 348 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Commons:Image:Novgorod_Monument_LOC_06268u. ... The Millennium of Russia (1862). ... Velikiy Novgorod (Russian: ) is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia, situated on the M10(E95) federal highway connecting Moscow and St. ... The East Slavs are a Slavic ethnic group, the speakers of East Slavic languages. ... The Rus Khaganate was a polity that flourished during a poorly documented period in the history of Eastern Europe (roughly the late 8th and early to mid-9th centuries CE). ... The Khazars (Hebrew Kuzari כוזרי Kuzarim כוזרים; Turkish Hazar Hazarlar; Russian Хазарин Хазары; Tatar sing Xäzär Xäzärlär; Crimean Tatar: ; Greek Χαζάροι/Χάζαροι; Persianخزر khazar; Latin Gazari or Cosri) were a semi-nomadic Turkic people from Central Asia, many of whom converted to Judaism. ... Trydent of Yaroslav I Map of the Kievan Rus′, 11th century Capital Kiev Religion Orthodox Christianity Government Monarchy Historical era Middle Ages  - Established 9th century  - Disestablished 12th century Currency Hryvnia Kievan Rus′ was the early, predominantly East Slavic[1] medieval state of Rurikid dynasty dominated by the city of Kiev... Vladimir-Suzdal Principality, Vladimir-Suzdal Grand Duchy (Russian: , tr. ... Medieval walls of Novgorod City The Novgorod Feudal Republic (Новгородская феодальная республика or Novgorodskaya feodalnaya respublika in Russian) was a powerful medieval state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th century. ... The Little Minaret in Bolghar For other uses, see Bulgaria (disambiguation). ... The Mongol Invasion of Rus was heralded by the Battle of the Kalka River (1223) between Subutais reconnaissance unit and the combined force of several princes of Rus. After fifteen years of peace, it was followed by Batu Khans full-scale invasion in 1237-40. ... The Golden Horde (Mongolian: Altan Ordyn Uls; Turkish: ; Tatar: ; Russian: ) is a Russian designation for the Mongol[1][2][3][4] — later Turkicized[3] — khanate established in the western part of the Mongol Empire upon its breakup in the 1240s: present-day Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus. ... Coat of arms The growth of Muscovy-Russia. ... Map of Kazan Khanate, early 1500s The Kazan Khanate (Tatar: Qazan xanlığı; Russian: Казанское ханство) (1438-1552) was a Tatar state on the territory of former Volga Bulgaria with its capital in Kazan. ... The Tsardom of Russia (Russian: Московское царство or Царство Русское) was the official name for the Russian state between Ivan IVs assumption of the title of Tsar in 1547 and Peter the Greats foundation of the Russian Empire in 1721. ... The subject of this article was previously also known as Russia. ... // Peter I, a child of the second marriage of Tsar Aleksey, was at first relegated to the political background, as various court factions struggled to control the throne. ... // Catherine II died in 1796, and her son Emperor Paul I (r. ... The Russian Empire in 1866 // The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were times of crisis for Russia. ... // During the 1890s, Russias industrial development led to a significant increase in the size of the urban bourgeoisie and the working class, setting the stage for a more dynamic political atmosphere and the development of radical parties. ... State motto: Russian: Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! Translation: Workers of the world, unite! Capital Moscow Official language Russian Established In the USSR:  - Since  - Until November 7, 1917 November 7, 1917 December 12, 1991 (dissolution) Area  - Total  - Water (%) Ranked 1st in the USSR 17,075,200 km² 13% Population  - Total   - Density Ranked 1st in the... The History of the Soviet Union has roots in the Russian Revolution of 1917. ... The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a series of political and social upheavals in Russia, involving first the overthrow of the tsarist autocracy, and then the overthrow of the liberal and moderate-socialist Provisional Government, resulting in the establishment of Soviet power under the control of the Bolshevik party. ... Combatants Local Soviet powers led by Russian SFSR and Red Army Chinese mercenaries White Movement Central Powers (1917-1918): Austria-Hungary Ottoman Empire German Empire Allied Intervention: (1918-1922) Japan Czechoslovakia Greece  United States  Canada Serbia Romania UK  France Foreign volunteers: Polish Italian Local nationalist movements, national states, and decentralist... // At the fourteenth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in December 1927, Stalin attacked the left by expelling Trotsky and his supporters from the party and then moving against the right by abandoning Lenins New Economic Policy which had been championed by Nikolai Bukharin and Alexei... The Cold War ensued as the USSR and the United States struggled indirectly for influence around the world. ... The Soviet Unions collapse into independent nations began in earnest in 1985. ... This is a timeline of Russian history. ... The East Slavs are a Slavic ethnic group, the speakers of East Slavic languages. ... Trydent of Yaroslav I Map of the Kievan Rus′, 11th century Capital Kiev Religion Orthodox Christianity Government Monarchy Historical era Middle Ages  - Established 9th century  - Disestablished 12th century Currency Hryvnia Kievan Rus′ was the early, predominantly East Slavic[1] medieval state of Rurikid dynasty dominated by the city of Kiev... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Byzantine redirects here. ... The Slavic peoples are the most numerous ethnic and linguistic body of peoples in Europe. ...

After the 13th century, Moscow gradually came to dominate the former cultural center.^[2] By the 18th century, the Grand Duchy of Moscow had become the huge Russian Empire, stretching from Poland eastward to the Pacific Ocean. Expansion in the western direction sharpened Russia's awareness of its separation from much of the rest of Europe and shattered the isolation in which the initial stages of expansion had occurred. Successive regimes of the 19th century responded to such pressures with a combination of halfhearted reform and repression. Russian serfdom was abolished in 1861, but its abolition was achieved on terms unfavorable to the peasants and served to increase revolutionary pressures. Between the abolition of serfdom and the beginning of World War I in 1914, the Stolypin reforms, the constitution of 1906 and State Duma introduced notable changes in economy and politics of Russia,^[3] but the tsars were still not willing to cede autocratic rule, or share their power.^[4] For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... Coat of arms The growth of Muscovy-Russia. ... The subject of this article was previously also known as Russia. ... A Peasant Leaving His Landlord on Yuriev Day, painting by Sergei V. Ivanov. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... In a detail of Brueghels Land of Cockaigne (1567) a soft-boiled egg has little feet to rush to the luxuriating peasant who catches drops of honey on his tongue, while roast pigs roam wild: in fact, hunger and harsh winters were realities for the average European in the... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Stolypin agrarian reforms are the agrarian reforms to Imperial Russias agricultural sector instituted during the tenure of Pyotr Stolypin as Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with State Duma. ... Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian цар, Russian  , in scientific transliteration respectively car and car ), occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is a Slavonic term designating certain monarchs. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      An autocracy is a form of government in which the political power is held by a single person. ...

The Russian Revolution in 1917 was triggered by a combination of economic breakdown, suffering in war, and discontent with autocracy, and it first brought a coalition of liberals and moderate socialists to power and then Communist Bolsheviks. Between 1922 and 1991, the history of Russia is essentially the history of the Soviet Union, effectively an ideologically based empire which was roughly coterminous with Russia before the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The approach to the building of socialism, however, varied over different periods in Soviet history, from the mixed economy and diverse society and culture of the 1920s to the command economy and repressions of the Stalin era to the "era of stagnation" in the 1980s. From its first years, government in the Soviet Union was based on the one-party rule of the Communists, as the Bolsheviks called themselves, beginning in March 1918.^[5] However, by the late 1980s, with the weaknesses of its economic and political structures becoming acute, the Communist leaders embarked on major reforms, which led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.^[6] The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a series of political and social upheavals in Russia, involving first the overthrow of the tsarist autocracy, and then the overthrow of the liberal and moderate-socialist Provisional Government, resulting in the establishment of Soviet power under the control of the Bolshevik party. ... The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Russian: Коммунисти́ческая Па́ртия Сове́тского Сою́за, transliterated Kommunisticheskaya Partiya Sovetskogo Soyuza, acronym: КПСС (KPSS)) was the ruling political party in the Soviet Union. ... For other uses, see Bolshevik (disambiguation). ... The History of the Soviet Union begins with the Russian Revolution of 1917. ... The first two pages of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, in (left to right) German, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Ottoman Turkish and Russian The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, at Brest-Litovsk (now Brest, Belarus) between the Russian SFSR and the Central Powers, marking... Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვი&#4314...

The history of the Russian Federation is brief, dating back only to the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991. Since gaining its independence, Russia was recognized as the legal successor to the Soviet Union on the international stage.^[7] However, Russia has lost its superpower status as it faced serious challenges in its efforts to forge a new post-Soviet political and economic system. Scrapping the socialist central planning and state ownership of property of the Soviet era, Russia attempted to build an economy with elements of market capitalism, with often painful results.^[6] Even today Russia shares many continuities of political culture and social structure with its tsarist and Soviet past. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991, the Russian Federation became an independent country. ... For other uses, see Superpower (disambiguation). ... This article refers to an economy controlled by the state. ... For other uses, see Capitalism (disambiguation). ...

[edit] Early history

Kurgan hypothesis: South Russia as the urheimat of Indo-European peoples

Image File history File links IE_expansion. ... Image File history File links IE_expansion. ... Map of Indo European migrations from ca. ... Urheimat (German: ur- original, ancient; Heimat home, homeland) is a linguistic term denoting the original homeland of the speakers of a proto-language. ... Indo-Europeans are speakers of Indo-European languages. ...

[edit] Pre-Slavic inhabitants

Main articles: Proto-Indo-Europeans, Scythians, Bosporan Kingdom, and Khazaria

The vast steppes of Southern Russia were home to disunited tribes, such as Proto-Indo-Europeans^[8] and Scythians.^[9] Astonishing remnants of these long-gone steppe civilizations were discovered in the course of the 20th century in such places as Ipatovo,^[9] Sintashta,^[10] Arkaim,^[11] and Pazyryk.^[12] In the latter part of the eighth century BC, Greek merchants brought classical civilization to the trade emporiums in Tanais and Phanagoria.^[13] Between the third and sixth centuries AD, the Bosporan Kingdom, a Hellenistic polity which succeeded the Greek colonies,^[14] was overwhelmed by successive waves of nomadic invasions,^[15] led by warlike tribes which would often move on to Europe, as was the case with Huns and Turkish Avars. A Turkic people, the Khazars, reigned the lower Volga basin steppes between the Caspian and Black Seas through the 8th century.^[16] Noted for their laws, tolerance, and cosmopolitanism,^[17] the Khazars were the main commercial link between the Baltic and the Muslim Abbasid empire centered in Baghdad.^[18] They were important allies of the Byzantine Empire,^[19] and waged a series of successful wars against the Arab Caliphates.^[20][16] In the 8th century, the Khazars embraced Judaism.^[20] The Proto-Indo-Europeans are the hypothetical speakers of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language, a prehistoric people of the Chalcolithic and early Bronze Age. ... The Scythians (, also ) or Scyths ([1]; from Greek ), a nation of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists who spoke an Iranian language[2], dominated the Pontic steppe throughout Classical Antiquity. ... The Bosporan Kingdom, which was located on the Crimea peninsula, existed in the time of the Roman Empire. ... The Khazars were a Turkic semi-nomadic people from Central Asia who adopted Judaism. ... This article is about the ecological zone type. ... http://www. ... The Proto-Indo-Europeans are the hypothetical speakers of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language, a prehistoric people of the Chalcolithic and early Bronze Age. ... The Scythians (, also ) or Scyths ([1]; from Greek ), a nation of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists who spoke an Iranian language[2], dominated the Pontic steppe throughout Classical Antiquity. ... Ipatovo kurgan refers to kurgan 2 of the Ipatovo barrow cemetery 3, a cemetary of kurgan burial mounds, located near Ipatovo, some 120 km north-east of Stavropol, Stavropol Krai, Russia. ... The Sintashta fortified settlement in the southern Urals is dated to ca. ... Arkaim is an archaeological site situated in the Southern Urals steppe, 8. ... Horseman, Pazyryk felt artifact, c. ... The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000-5,500 years, with cuneiform possibly being the oldest form of writing. ... Sarmatian cataphract from Tanais. ... Phanagoria was an ancient Greek colony on the Taman peninsula between the Black Sea and the Azov, roughly on the site of modern Tmutarakan. ... AD redirects here. ... The Bosporan Kingdom, which was located on the Crimea peninsula, existed in the time of the Roman Empire. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Hun (disambiguation). ... Late Avar period Map showing the location of Avar Khaganate, c. ... The Khazars (Hebrew Kuzari כוזרי Kuzarim כוזרים; Turkish Hazar Hazarlar; Russian Хазарин Хазары; Tatar sing Xäzär Xäzärlär; Crimean Tatar: ; Greek Χαζάροι/Χάζαροι; Persianخزر khazar; Latin Gazari or Cosri) were a semi-nomadic Turkic people from Central Asia, many of whom converted to Judaism. ... “Volga” redirects here. ... This article is about the ecological zone type. ... The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the worlds largest lake or a full-fledged sea. ... For other uses, see Black Sea (disambiguation). ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Mashriq Dynasties  Maghrib Dynasties  The Abbasid Caliphate Abbasid (Arabic: , ) is the dynastic name generally given to the caliph of Baghdad, the second of the two great Sunni dynasties of the Arab Empire, that overthrew the Umayyad caliphs from all but Spain. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... Byzantine redirects here. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfah), is the Islamic form of government representing the political unity and leadership of the Muslim world. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

An exact map of the cultures in European Russia at the arrival of the Varangians

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (610x622, 144 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (610x622, 144 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

[edit] Early East Slavs

Main articles: Early East Slavs and Rus' Khaganate

The ancestors of the Russians were the Slavic tribes, whose original home is thought by some scholars to have been the wooded areas of the Pripet Marshes.^[21] Moving into the lands vacated by the migrating Germanic tribes, the Early East Slavs gradually settled Western Russia in two waves: one moving from Kiev toward present-day Suzdal and Murom and another from Polotsk toward Novgorod and Rostov.^[22] From the 7th century onwards, the East Slavs constituted the bulk of the population in Western Russia^[22] and slowly but peacefully assimilated the native Finno-Ugric tribes, such as the Merya,^[23] the Muromians,^[24] and the Meshchera.^[25] The East Slavs are the ethnic group that evolved into the Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian peoples. ... The Rus Khaganate was a polity that flourished during a poorly documented period in the history of Eastern Europe (roughly the late 8th and early to mid-9th centuries CE). ... Distribution of Slavic people by language The Slavic peoples are a linguistic and ethnic branch of Indo-European peoples, living mainly in Europe, where they constitute roughly a third of the population. ... Pinsk Marshes (Пинские болота) or Pripyat Marshes (Pripet Marshes, Припятские болота) is a vast territory of wetlands along the Pripyat River and its tributaries from... The term Germanic tribes (or Teutonic tribes) applies to the ancient Germanic peoples of Europe. ... The East Slavs are the ethnic group that evolved into the Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian peoples. ... Map of Ukraine with Kiev highlighted Coordinates: , Country Ukraine Oblast Kiev City Municipality Raion Municipality Government  - Mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi Elevation 179 m (587 ft) Population (2006)  - City 4,450,968  - Density 3,299/km² (8,544. ... This article is about the Russian town. ... Murom downtown sprawls along the bank of the Oka Murom (Russian: ; Old Norse: Moramar) is a historic city in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, which sprawls majestically along the left bank of Oka River, about 300 km east of Moscow, at 55°34′N 42°02′E. Population is 145,500 (2002). ... Polatsk (Belarusian: По́лацак, По́лацк; Polish: Połock, also spelt as Polacak; Russian: По́лоцк, also transliterated as Polotsk, Polotzk, Polock) is the most historic city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina... Velikiy Novgorod (Russian: ) is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia, situated on the M10(E95) federal highway connecting Moscow and St. ... Rostov (Russian: Росто́в; Old Norse: Rostofa) is one of the oldest towns in Russia and an important tourist centre of the so called Golden ring. ... Geographical distribution of Finno-Ugric (Finno-Permic in blue, Ugric in green). ... The Meryas were a probably Finno-Ugric tribe which lived in the region of Moscow, Rostov, Kostroma, Jaroslavl and Vladimir. ... The Muromians were a Finno-Ugric tribe in what is today the Murom region in Russia. ... An approximative map of the non-Varangian cultures in European Russia, in the 9th century The Meshchera (Russian: , Meshchyora) were a Finno-Ugric tribe which lived in the territory between the Oka River and the Klyazma river. ...

[edit] Kievan Rus'

Kievan Rus' in the 11th century

Main article: Kievan Rus

Scandinavian Norsemen, called "Vikings" in Western Europe and "Varangians"^[26] in the East, combined piracy and trade in their roamings over much of Northern Europe. In the mid-9th century, they began to venture along the waterways from the eastern Baltic to the Black and Caspian Seas.^[27] According to the earliest Russian chronicle, a Varangian named Rurik was elected ruler (konung or knyaz) of Novgorod in about 860,^[2] before his successors moved south and extended their authority to Kiev,^[28] which had been previously dominated by the Khazars.^[29] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1400x1382, 581 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: History of Russia Kievan Rus Categories: | | ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1400x1382, 581 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: History of Russia Kievan Rus Categories: | | ... Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Ру́сь, Kievskaya Rus in Russian; Київська Русь, Kyivs’ka Rus’ in Ukrainian) was the early, mostly East Slavic¹ state dominated by the... For other uses, see Scandinavia (disambiguation). ... The name Viking is a loan from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse seafaring warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, Europe and the British Isles from the late 8th century to the 11th century, the period of European history referred to as the Viking Age. ... The Varangians (Russian: Variags, Варяги) were Scandinavians who travelled eastwards, mainly from Jutland and Sweden. ... This article is about maritime piracy. ... The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. ... For other uses, see Black Sea (disambiguation). ... The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the worlds largest lake or a full-fledged sea. ... The Russian Primary Chronicle (Russian: Повесть временных лет, Povest vremennykh let, which is often translated in English as Tale of Bygone Years), is a history of the early East Slavic state, Kievan Rus, from... Rurik or Riurik (Russian: , Old East Norse Rørik, meaning famous ruler) (ca 830 – ca 879) was a Varangian who gained control of Ladoga in 862 and built the Holmgard settlement (Ryurikovo Gorodishche) in Novgorod. ... The Germanic king originally had three main functions. ... The title Grand Prince (Latin, Magnus Princeps; German, Großfürst, Finnish Suuriruhtinas, Swedish Storfurste, Lithuanian Didysis kunigaikÅ¡tis, Russian Великий князь Velikii kniaz) ranks in honour below Emperor and Tsar but higher than a sovereign Prince (Fürst) or Royal Prince. ...

Thus, the first East Slavic state, Kievan Rus', emerged in the 9th century along the Dnieper River valley.^[2] A coordinated group of princely states with a common interest in maintaining trade along the river routes, Kievan Rus' controlled the trade route for furs, wax, and slaves between Scandinavia and the Byzantine Empire along the Volkhov and Dnieper Rivers.^[2] Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Ру́сь, Kievskaya Rus in Russian; Київська Русь, Kyivs’ka Rus’ in Ukrainian) was the early, mostly East Slavic¹ state dominated by the... The Dnieper River (Russian: , Dnepr; Belarusian: , Dniapro; Ukrainian: , Dnipro) is a river which flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, ending its flow in the Black Sea. ... Ships on the Dnieper, by Nicholas Roerich. ... Volkhov River, also called Olhava river (Russian: Во́лхов) is a river in Novgorod and Leningrad Oblasts in Russia. ...

The name "Russia," together with the Finnish Ruotsi and Estonian Rootsi, are found by some scholars to be related to Roslagen.^[30] The etymology of Rus and its derivatives are debated, and other schools of thought connect the name with Slavic or Iranic roots.^[31] Roslagen is the name of the coastal areas of Uplandia in Sweden, which also constitutes the northern part of the Stockholm Archipelago. ... Originally Rus (Русь, Rus’) was a medieval country and state that comprised mostly Early East Slavs. ... The Iranian languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family. ...

By the end of the 10th century, the Norse minority had merged with the Slavic population,^[32] which also absorbed Greek Christian influences in the course of the multiple campaigns to loot Tsargrad, or Constantinople.^[33] One such campaign claimed the life of the foremost Slavic druzhina leader, Svyatoslav I, who was renowned for having crushed the power of the Khazars on the Volga.^[34] While the fortunes of the Byzantine Empire had been ebbing, its culture was a continuous influence on the development of Russia in its formative centuries. Old Norse is the Germanic language spoken by the inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Tsargrad (Old Church Slavonic: Цѣсарьградъ, Church Slavonic: Царьгра̀дъ, Russian: , Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian: Цариград (Tsarigrad or Carigrad in the Latin alphabet), Romanian: Å¢arigrad, Ukrainian: , also rendered as Czargrad and Tzargrad; see Tsar) is a historic Slavic name for the city of Constantinople, the capital of the Roman Empire and eventually its eastern half... This article is about the city before the Fall of Constantinople (1453). ... For other uses, see Druzhina (disambiguation). ... ... Byzantine redirects here. ...

Kievan Rus' is important for its introduction of a Slavic variant of the Eastern Orthodox religion,^[2] dramatically deepening a synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next thousand years. The region adopted Christianity in 988 by the official act of public baptism of Kiev inhabitants by Prince Vladimir I.^[35] Some years later the first code of laws, Russkaya Pravda, was introduced.^[36] From the onset the Kievan princes followed the Byzantine example and kept the Church dependent on them, even for its revenues,^[37] so that the Russian Church and state were always closely linked. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Clandestine Christian communities existed in Kiev for decades before the official baptism. ... Saint Vladimir Svyatoslavich the Great (c. ... Russkaya Pravda is being read to people Russkaya Pravda (Russian: , Russkaya Pravda; Ukrainian: ; Archaic: Правда Роська, Pravda Roska) was the legal code of Kievan Rus and the subsequent Rus principalities during the times of feudal division. ...

The Byzantine influence on Russian architecture is evident in Hagia Sophia in Kiev, originally built in the 11th century by Yaroslav the Wise.

By the 11th century, particularly during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, Kievan Rus' could boast an economy and achievements in architecture and literature superior to those that then existed in the western part of the continent.^[38] Compared with the languages of European Christendom, the Russian language was little influenced by the Greek and Latin of early Christian writings.^[2] This was due to the fact that Church Slavonic was used directly in liturgy instead.^[39] In contrast with extravagant baroque outside, Saint Sophia, Kiev preserves much of its original Byzantine interior intact. ... In contrast with extravagant baroque outside, Saint Sophia, Kiev preserves much of its original Byzantine interior intact. ... Much of the original Byzantine interior remains intact. ... Yaroslav I the Wise (978?-1054) (Christian name: Yury, or George) was thrice prince of Novgorod and Kiev, uniting the two principalities for a time under his rule. ... Yaroslav I the Wise (978?-1054) (Christian name: Yury, or George) was thrice prince of Novgorod and Kiev, uniting the two principalities for a time under his rule. ... Russian ( , transliteration: , ) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia and the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages. ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... Church Slavonic may refer to: Old Church Slavonic language Church Slavonic language This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A liturgy is the customary public worship of a religious group, according to their particular traditions. ...

Nomadic Turkic people Kipchaks replaced the earlier Pechenegs as a dominant force in the south steppe regions neighboring to Rus' at the end of 11th century and founded a nomadic state in the steppes along the Black Sea (Desht-e-Kipchak). Repelling their regular attacks, especially on Kiev, which was just one day riding away from the steppe, was a heavy burden for the southern areas of Rus'. The nomadic incursions caused a massive influx of Slavic population to the safer, heavily forested regions of the North, particularly to the area known as Zalesye. Kipchaks in EurAsia circa 1200 C.E. Kipchaks (also spelled as Kypchaks, Qipchaqs, Qypchaqs) (Ukrainian: (polovtsy), Crimean Tatar: , Karachay-Balkar: Къыпчакъ, Uzbek: , Kazakh: Қыпшақ, Kumyk: Къыпчакъ, Kyrgyz: Кыпчак, Nogai: Кыпчак, Chinese: 欽察/钦察, Qīnchá, Turkish: Kıpçak) were an ancient Turkic people, first mentioned in the historical chronicles of Central Asia in the 1st millennium... Pechenegs or Patzinaks (Armenian: Badzinag, Bulgarian/Russian: Pechenegi (Печенеги), Greek: Patzinaki/Petsenegi (Πατζινάκοι/Πετσενέγοι) or less commonly Πατζινακίται, Hungarian: Besenyő, Latin: Расinасае, Old Turkish (assumed): *Beçenek, Turkish: Peçenekler) were a semi-nomadic Turkic people of the Central Asian steppes speaking the Pecheneg language which belonged to the Turkic language family. ... Zalesye (literally: over the woods) or Opolye (literally: in the fields) is a historical region of Russia, comprising the north and west parts of Vladimir Oblast, the north-east of Moscow Oblast and the south of Yaroslavl Oblast. ...

Kievan Rus' ultimately disintegrated as a state because of the armed struggles among members of the princely family that collectively possessed it. Kiev's dominance waned, to the benefit of Vladimir-Suzdal in the north-east, Novgorod in the north, and Halych-Volhynia in the south-west. Conquest by the Mongol Golden Horde in the 13th century was the final blow. Kiev was destroyed.^[40] Halych-Volhynia would eventually be absorbed into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth,^[2] while the Mongol-dominated Vladimir-Suzdal and independent Novgorod Republic, two regions on the periphery of Kiev, would establish the basis for the modern Russian nation.^[2] Vladimir-Suzdal Principality, Vladimir-Suzdal Grand Duchy (Russian: , tr. ... Medieval walls of Novgorod City The Novgorod Feudal Republic (Новгородская феодальная республика or Novgorodskaya feodalnaya respublika in Russian) was a powerful medieval state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th century. ... For other uses, see Galich. ... Honorary guard of Mongolia. ... The Golden Horde (Mongolian: Altan Ordyn Uls; Turkish: ; Tatar: ; Russian: ) is a Russian designation for the Mongol[1][2][3][4] — later Turkicized[3] — khanate established in the western part of the Mongol Empire upon its breakup in the 1240s: present-day Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Medieval walls of Novgorod City The Novgorod Feudal Republic (Новгородская феодальная республика or Novgorodskaya feodalnaya respublika in Russian) was a powerful medieval state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th century. ...

[edit] Mongol invasion

Sacking of Suzdal by Batu Khan in February, 1238: a miniature from the sixteenth century chronicle

Main articles: Mongol invasion of Rus and Tatar invasions

The invading Mongols accelerated the fragmentation of the Rus'. In 1223, the disunited southern princes faced a Mongol raiding party at the Kalka River and were soundly defeated.^[41] In 1237-1238 the Mongols burnt down the city of Vladimir (February 4, 1238)^[42] and other major cities of northeast Russia, routed the Russians at the Sit' River,^[43] and then moved west into Poland and Hungary.^[44] By then they had conquered most of the Russian principalities.^[45] Only the Novgorod Republic escaped occupation and continued to flourish in the orbit of the Hanseatic League.^[46] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 375 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (800 × 1280 pixels, file size: 300 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Sacking of Suzdal by Batu Khan in February, 1238. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 375 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (800 × 1280 pixels, file size: 300 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Sacking of Suzdal by Batu Khan in February, 1238. ... This article is about the Russian town. ... Batu Khan (Russian: , Ukrainian: ) (c. ... The word miniature, derived from the Latin minium, red lead, is a picture in an ancient or medieval manuscript; the simple decoration of the early codices having been miniated or delineated with that pigment. ... The Mongol Invasion of Rus was heralded by the Battle of the Kalka River (1223) between Subutais reconnaissance unit and the combined force of several princes of Rus. After fifteen years of peace, it was followed by Batu Khans full-scale invasion in 1237-40. ... Tatar invasions of Europe from the east took place over the course of three centuries, from the middle ages to early modern period. ... // Combatants Mongols Kievan Rus, Cumans Commanders Subutai Mstislav the Bold Strength 40,000 Over 80,000 Casualties MInimal Heavy Battle of the Kalka River (May 31, 1223) was the first military engagement between the Mongol armies of Genghis Khan and the Rus warriors. ... Population 315,954 (2002) Time zone Moscow (MSK/MSD), UTC +0300 (MSK)/+0400 (MSD) Latitude/Longitude Vladimir (Russian: ) is an old city in Russia. ... The Battle of the Sit River was fought in the northern part of the present-day Yaroslavl Oblast of Russia on March 4, 1238 between the Mongol Hordes of Batu Khan and the Russians under Yuri II of Vladimir-Suzdal during the Mongol invasion of Russia. ... Carta marina of the Baltic Sea region (1539). ...

The impact of the Mongol invasion on the territories of Kievan Rus' was uneven. The advanced city culture was almost completely destroyed. As older centers such as Kiev and Vladimir never recovered from the devastation of the initial attack,^[40] the new cities of Moscow,^[47] Tver^[47] and Nizhny Novgorod^[48] began to compete for hegemony in the Mongol-dominated Russia. Although a Russian army defeated the Golden Horde at Kulikovo in 1380,^[49] Tatar domination of the Russian-inhabited territories, along with demands of tribute from Russian princes, continued until about 1480.^[47] For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... Tvers coat of arms depicts grand ducal crown placed on a throne. ... Nizhny Novgorod (Russian: ), colloquially shortened as Nizhny, is the fourth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. ... The Golden Horde (Mongolian: Altan Ordyn Uls; Turkish: ; Tatar: ; Russian: ) is a Russian designation for the Mongol[1][2][3][4] — later Turkicized[3] — khanate established in the western part of the Mongol Empire upon its breakup in the 1240s: present-day Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus. ... Combatants Combined Russian armies The Golden Horde Commanders Dmitri Ivanovich of Moscow Mamai Strength between 60,000 and 80,000 between 75,000 and 125,000 Casualties up to 40,000 killed or wounded Almost entire army killed The Battle of Kulikovo (Russian: ) was fought by the Tartaro-Mongols (the... Historically, the term Tatar (or Tartar) has been ambiguously used by Europeans to refer to many different peoples of Inner Asia and Northern Asia. ...

[edit] Russo-Tatar relations

Prince Michael of Chernigov was ordered to worship fire at the camp of Batu Khan. Mongols stabbed him to death for his refusal to renounce Christianity and take part in the pagan ritual.

Alexander Nevsky in the Horde

Main articles: Volga Bulgaria and Golden Horde

After the fall of the Khazars in the 10th century, the middle Volga came to be dominated by the mercantile state of Volga Bulgaria, the last vestige of Greater Bulgaria centered at Phanagoria. In the 10th century the Turkic population of Volga Bulgaria converted to Islam, which facilitated its trade with the Middle East and Central Asia.^{[citation needed]} In the wake of the Mongol invasions of the 1230s, Volga Bulgaria was absorbed by the Golden Horde and its population evolved into the modern Chuvashes and Kazan Tatars. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Mikhail Vsevolodovich (Russian: ) (1179? – September 20, 1246) was the last prominent ruler of Kiev from the bloodline of Oleg Sviatoslavich, the House of Chernigov. ... Batu Khan (Russian: , Ukrainian: ) (c. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 482 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (523 × 650 pixels, file size: 82 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Genrikh Semiradsky, Alexander Nevsky in the Horde. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 482 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (523 × 650 pixels, file size: 82 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Genrikh Semiradsky, Alexander Nevsky in the Horde. ... For other uses, see Alexander Nevsky (disambiguation). ... The Golden Horde (Mongolian: Altan Ordyn Uls; Turkish: ; Tatar: ; Russian: ) is a Russian designation for the Mongol[1][2][3][4] — later Turkicized[3] — khanate established in the western part of the Mongol Empire upon its breakup in the 1240s: present-day Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus. ... The Little Minaret in Bolghar For other uses, see Bulgaria (disambiguation). ... The Golden Horde (Mongolian: Altan Ordyn Uls; Turkish: ; Tatar: ; Russian: ) is a Russian designation for the Mongol[1][2][3][4] — later Turkicized[3] — khanate established in the western part of the Mongol Empire upon its breakup in the 1240s: present-day Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus. ... The Khazars (Hebrew Kuzari כוזרי Kuzarim כוזרים; Turkish Hazar Hazarlar; Russian Хазарин Хазары; Tatar sing Xäzär Xäzärlär; Crimean Tatar: ; Greek Χαζάροι/Χάζαροι; Persianخزر khazar; Latin Gazari or Cosri) were a semi-nomadic Turkic people from Central Asia, many of whom converted to Judaism. ... The Little Minaret in Bolghar For other uses, see Bulgaria (disambiguation). ... In 632, Khan Kubrat united the Bulgars and formed a confederation of tribes, known as Great Bulgaria, or Bulgaria Magna, with a capital at the ancient city of Fanagoria. ... Phanagoria was an ancient Greek colony on the Taman peninsula between the Black Sea and the Azov, roughly on the site of modern Tmutarakan. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... The Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria lasted from 1223 to 1236. ... The Golden Horde (Mongolian: Altan Ordyn Uls; Turkish: ; Tatar: ; Russian: ) is a Russian designation for the Mongol[1][2][3][4] — later Turkicized[3] — khanate established in the western part of the Mongol Empire upon its breakup in the 1240s: present-day Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus. ... The Chuvash are a bunch of pakis . ... This article is about the people. ...

The Mongols held Russia and Volga Bulgaria in sway from their western capital at Sarai,^[50] one of the largest cities of the medieval world. The princes of southern and eastern Russia had to pay tribute to the Mongols of the Golden Horde, commonly called Tatars;^[50] but in return they received charters authorizing them to act as deputies to the khans. In general, the princes were allowed considerable freedom to rule as they wished,^[50] while the Russian Orthodox Church even experienced a spiritual revival under the guidance of Metropolitan Alexis and Sergius of Radonezh. Sarai Batu (Old Sarai, Sarai-al-Maqrus) was a capital city of the Golden Horde. ... This article is about the people. ... The Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (Russian: ), also known as the Orthodox Christian Church of Russia, is a body of Christians who are united under the Patriarch of Moscow, who in turn is in communion with the other patriarchs and primates of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ... Saint Alexis (Алексей in Russian, (before 1296 – 1378) was a Metropolitan of Kiev and all Russia (since 1354), who presided over Muscovite government during Dmitri Donskois minority. ... Venerable Sergii Radonezhsky (Сергий Радонежский) (born Varfolomei – Варфоломей, corresponds to Bartholomew), also translated as Sergey Radonezhsky and Sergius of Radonezh (1322 – 1392), was the...

To the Orthodox Church and most princes, the fanatical Northern Crusaders seemed a greater threat to the Russian way of life than the Mongols. In the mid-13th century, Alexander Nevsky, elected prince of Novgorod, acquired heroic status as the result of major victories over the Teutonic Knights and the Swedes. Alexander obtained Mongol protection and assistance in fighting invaders from the west who, hoping to profit from the Russian collapse since the Mongol invasions, tried to grab territory and convert the Russians into Roman Catholicism. The Teutonic knights in Pskov in 1240. ... For other uses, see Alexander Nevsky (disambiguation). ... For the state, see Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...

The Mongols left their impact on the Russians in such areas as military tactics and transportation. Under Mongol occupation, Russia also developed its postal road network, census, fiscal system, and military organization.^[2] Eastern influence remained strong well until the 17th century, when Russian rulers made a conscious effort to Westernize their country.

[edit] Grand Duchy of Moscow

Main article: Grand Duchy of Moscow

Coat of arms The growth of Muscovy-Russia. ...

[edit] The rise of Moscow

During the reign of Daniel, Moscow was little more than a small timber fort lost in the forests of Central Russia.

Daniil Aleksandrovich, the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky, founded the principality of Moscow (known in the western tradition as Muscovy),^[47] which eventually expelled the Tatars from Russia. Well-situated in the central river system of Russia and surrounded by protective forests and marshes, Moscow was at first only a vassal of Vladimir, but soon it absorbed its parent state. A major factor in the ascendancy of Moscow was the cooperation of its rulers with the Mongol overlords, who granted them the title of Grand Prince of Moscow and made them agents for collecting the Tatar tribute from the Russian principalities. The principality's prestige was further enhanced when it became the center of the Russian Orthodox Church. Its head, the Metropolitan, fled from Kiev to Vladimir in 1299 and a few years later established the permanent headquarters of the Church in Moscow under the original title of Kiev Metropolitan. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 580 pixel Image in higher resolution (1656 × 1200 pixel, file size: 480 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Apollinari Vasnetsov (1864-1933). ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 580 pixel Image in higher resolution (1656 × 1200 pixel, file size: 480 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Apollinari Vasnetsov (1864-1933). ... Daniil (Daniel) Aleksandrovich (Даниил Александрович in Russian) (1261 - March 4/5, 1303), the first Grand Prince of Moscow, the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod, forefather of all the princes of Moscow. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... Daniil (Daniel) Aleksandrovich (Даниил Александрович in Russian) (1261 - March 4/5, 1303), the first Grand Prince of Moscow, the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod, forefather of all the princes of Moscow. ... Look up vassal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (Russian: ), also known as the Orthodox Christian Church of Russia, is a body of Christians who are united under the Patriarch of Moscow, who in turn is in communion with the other patriarchs and primates of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ... In hierarchical Christian churches, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop (then more precisely called Metropolitan archbishop) of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of an old Roman province