1. World History
10th graders

2. 10.2 The Rise of Russia THE SETTLING AND PEOPLE
steppe: Large, grassy plain stretching across eastern European and central Asia that is ideal for agriculture → black, fertile soil. → particularly in today’s Ukraine.
Ural mountains are often considered the boundary between the continents of Europe & Asia

3. During the AD 800s Vikings from Scandinavia drove into Europe → primary interested in trade routes by numerous large & small rivers of eastern Europe.

4. Europe + Asia = Eurasia → many rivers crisscross the plain and provide a network of transportation within the region.
lakes ideal for trade [two rivers flow into the Black Sea & give access to the Mediterranean] e → often the subjects [slaves] of Avars, Huns, Magyars, and so on.

5. Kievan Russia Novgorod and Kiev lay along the Viking trade routes.
Rurik: the leader of a people called Rus, who took control of Novgod in AD 862. → he & his successors ruled over Kiev as well as over Slavic tribes along the Dnieper River
the region under their control was called the Rus. → Russia

6. Kievan Russia (Cont.)
Kiev was a prosperous trade city btwn Constantinople and the Baltic Sea → served as the capital for nearly 300 yrs. → won a favourable trade treaty with the Bzyantine Empire
other principalities [a state ruled by a prince] paid tribute to Kiev.
some towns, however, remained more independent.

7. Government boyars: Nobles who advised the prince in each Kievan city
veche — town meeting → when requested by the prince, all heads of household meet & discuss matter of wars, disputes btwn princes, or emergencies.
Yaroslav the Wise: who built many churches and introduced Russia’s first law code → Pravda Russkia (“Russian Justice”) → combined elements of tribal customs & older laws and traditions.

8. Religion
Vladimir I: who sent observers to Christian church serves in several places. → his officials were impressed and admired the services and rituals of Orthodox Christianity
He also wanted to marry Anna, sister of the Byzantine emperor → converted to Christianity and ordered all Kievans to become Christians → pagan status destroyed
many Kievans still worshipped the spirits of their ancestors or gods of nature → However, the church will become more and more important in Kievan Russia.

9. Religion (Cont.)
When the church split (AD 1054) they followed the Eastern Orthodox Church
religious themes dominated Kievan culture → writings in form of hymns and sermons → icon painting → mosaics & frescoes [wall/ceiling painting]
powerful & stylized → deep & thoughtful spirituality → helped viewers to reflect on the meaning of religious ideas and values.

10. Economy Kievan Russia included two major agricultural regions.
1. taiga: Russian region north of the steppe (great forests, much rainfall, cold, long winters → growing season is short → everyone in a farm family worked long hours to grow & harvest crops.
2. steppe → gets less rain than taiga, but has a milder climate and longer growing season → people had more time to plant/harvest crops

11. wood iron salt fur honey slaves
Economy
wood iron salt fur honey slaves
wine silk spices fruit
they traded agricultural goods & other products with the Byzantines. → included wood, iron, salt, furs, and honey → also provided slaves for the Byzantines
in return, they received wine, silk, spices, and fruit
from W. Europe, they received jewelry, silver, and textiles
trade helped them to become a stronger, wealthy power

12. Economy social class: top→ local princes & families, then boyars
town artisans and merchants → devoted to trade
largest and lowest class → peasants, who lived in small villages in the country and produced the crops
clergy → not directly involved with the gov. or economic activities → some enjoyed considerable influence over daily life in Kevian Russia. → performed religious ceremonies & ran hospitals & charities.