FIRST PEOPLE IN RUSSIA

EARLY RUSSIAN TRIBES Originally home of the Slavs Agricultural tribe Cimmerians 1000-700 BC Scythians 700-200 BC Asian nomadic tribe Sarmatians 200 BC-200 AD Scythian engraving Sarmatian warriors

MORE INVADERS Goths 200 AD-400 AD Huns 400 AD-550 AD Avars

MIGRATION OF THE SLAVS West Slavs Migrated to Poland, eastern Germany, and Czechoslovakia South Slavs Migrated to Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, Albania, and Yugoslavia East Slavs Stayed in their native region and became ancestors of Russians and Ukrainians

ARRIVAL OF THE VIKINGS East Slavs benefited from contact with Greek city-states around Black Sea Set up several city-states of their own to trade with their neighbors 700 AD Byzantine Empire Prosperity attracted the attention of the Varangians (Vikings) Would play important role in development of Russian civilization during 9th and 10th centuries AD

VARANGIAN RUSSIA Vikings began to use trade links set up by East Slavs as their own trade route to Constantinople Not clear as to precisely how they became rulers of region Became upper class within East Slav city-states and dominated trade with Byzantine Empire

EMERGENCE OF THE RUSSIANS Vikings gradually became absorbed into East Slav population Both groups began to call themselves “Ros” By 1100, this mixture of Viking and East Slavic people had become the “Russians”

KIEV Viking chieftain Rurik assumed control of all city-states in region Made capital in Novgorod Son Oleg transferred capital to Kiev Took over some formerly independent Slav tribes Took title of “Prince” Credited with the creation of the Kievan State Rurik Oleg

KIEVAN STATE Stretched from Baltic Sea in the north, to Black Sea in the south, and from Nizhny Novgorod in east to Rumania in the west

GOLDEN AGE OF KIEV Indigenous culture, art, architecture, language, and law flourished Prince Vladimir Adopted Byzantine Christianity in 988 Created Russian Orthodox Church

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH Turned Russia away from Western Europe and influence of Roman Catholic Church Cyrillic Alphabet Invented by St. Cyril The institution of a uniform religion, a uniform written language, and a united state headquarter in Kiev helped create idea of a separate Russian state and a sense of national identity.

APPANAGE RUSSIA Prince Yaroslav divided state into a number of principalities—one going to each son 1036-1054 Kiev itself was controlled by his sons on a rotating basis System quickly created tension and acrimony among descendants and ultimately gave rise to “appanage” Russia Period where individual princes ruled pieces of old Kievan state and fought among themselves

MONGOL INVASION Mongols (Tatars) invade Russia in 1236 and, by 1242, had conquered all the appanage principalities Capital at Old Sarai and developed simple administrative system Each Russian principality paid an annual lump sum cash payment to Mongol ruler (khan) In exchange, Mongols allowed the various princes to maintain their positions and run their territories as they saw fit

KHANATE OF THE GOLDEN HORDE Mongols appoint one appanage prince to collect tribute for them Called “Grand Prince” Disputes between princes were settled by the principals appearing at Old Sarai Khan settles dispute Awards winner, kills loser Russian politics took the form of various local princes jockeying and groveling for the support of the Mongol khan in order to advance their petty schemes