1. Early Russia
ACE Global History

2. The Byzantine Empire greatly influenced the people of Eastern Europe.
The people of Eastern Europe are called Slavs.
Slavs are people who moved from Central Asia into countries we now call “Russia.”
The Slavs included many groups of peoples with many different languages and cultures.
Largest group was the Russians

3. The Slavs admired the Byzantine civilization
Monks began to spread the message of Christianity
The Slavs had no written language, so the monks invented an alphabet for their spoken language
The monks also translated the Bible, songs, and ceremonies into Slavic languages

4. Christianity helped unite the people of Eastern Europe
Slavs accepted the Eastern Orthodox Church, while the rest of Europe belonged to the Roman Catholic Church
This isolated the Slavs, and for nearly 300 years they did not know much about discoveries and inventions that were changing civilizations in Western Europe

5. 989, Eastern Orthodox becomes the official religion of Russia
This brought Russia close to the Byzantine Empire
Ex; Vladimir (early Russian King) married the sister of a Byzantine Emperor

6. The empires traded with one another
Churches were built in Russia to look like the churches in the Byzantine Empire

7. Kiev
862 Russia is founded
Prince Rurik becomes the ruler, and makes Kiev his capital

8. Whoever controlled Kiev, controlled Russia’s trade with Constantinople
Center of other trade routes including Europe and Asia, and Scandinavia and the Middle East
By 1000, Kiev was the largest city in Europe

9. Russia Small group of territories Ruled by the Grand Prince of Kiev
Shared power with other princes and boyars (Russian nobles who owned land)
Veche: assembly that represented all free adult male citizens
Accept or remove prince
Handled business and government

10. Kiev Falls Peaked between 1000-1050 Ruler unified Russia
When he died, his sons fought each other for control
Trade with Constantinople was cut off
1240, fierce Mongol armies from Central Asia invaded and destroyed Kiev

11. Crash Course in World History