1. WOMEN IN KIEVAN RUS’

2. TRADITIONAL VIEWS & SOURCES  Most sources relatively silent about women  Princess Olga singular exception Princess Olga burning the Drevlians

3. WOMEN IN KIEVAN RUS’ ATTITUDES ABOUT WOMEN  Pre-Christian society  Women afforded power/respect through reproductive role  Some matrilineal tribes  But men still controlled society

4. WOMEN IN KIEVAN RUS’ ATTITUDES ABOUT WOMEN  Christian Kiev  Increased subjugation & misogyny  Church promoted 2 views: GOOD women EVIL women

5. WOMEN IN KIEVAN RUS’ PATRIARCHAL STRUCTURE  Establishment of state brought public & private hierarchy  All people loyal subjects of Grand Prince  Women & children had similar obligation to men  Men received major social, political, economic benefits

6. WOMEN IN KIEVAN RUS’ PATRIARCHAL STRUCTURE  Traditional interpretation: Men ran show, women excluded from public life  Women inferior & subordinate  Assumed women accepted inferiority  Relegated to domesticity

7. WOMEN IN KIEVAN RUS’ SOURCES OF WOMEN’S POWER/FREEDOM  Reproductive roles  Complete control over childbirth & childrearing  Still much association with magic/sorcery

8. WOMEN IN KIEVAN RUS’  Economic roles  Labor essential to survival of peasant household  Could run estates/businesses in absence of husbands  Often controlled household finances SOURCES OF WOMEN’S POWER/FREEDOM

9. WOMEN IN KIEVAN RUS’ SOURCES OF WOMEN’S POWER/FREEDOM  Sexuality  Women’s sexuality controlled but protected  All rape victims compensated directly/ burden of proof on accused  Loss of virginity did not make women unmarriageable

10. WOMEN IN KIEVAN RUS’ SOURCES OF WOMEN’S POWER/FREEDOM  Property rights  Had own inheritance: “portions”  Provisions made for widows  Could buy, sell, own land & slaves

11. WOMEN IN KIEVAN RUS’ SOURCES OF WOMEN’S POWER/FREEDOM  Elder women’s rights  Accorded much respect, authority, prestige  Had complete authority over other women in household  Could become head of household (in absence of male)

12. WOMEN IN KIEVAN RUS’ SOURCES OF WOMEN’S POWER/FREEDOM  Other sources  Folk healers  Convents  Resistance to male authority