1. The Spread of Christianity and Rise of Eastern Europe
Chapter 9 (4 of 4)

2. Through Missionaries, the Byzantines Spread Christianity to the Balkans and Russia (Eastern Europe)

3. Cyril and Methodius
Missionaries sent by Byzantines to convert people of eastern Europe
So, as Christianity spread, so did literacy and literature
Created a written language for the Slavs derived from Greek (called Cyrillic)
Byzantine missionaries allowed local languages to be used in church (unlike Catholics)

4. Competing Catholic missionaries already sent to convert eastern Europe
Below are 3 major areas Catholics converted in the western half of eastern Europe
Catholic successful at converting the western half of eastern Europe
Poland
Bohemia
(now Czech Republic)
Hungary

5. Jews Settle in Eastern Europe as Minority Group
Jews being discriminated against harshly in western Europe and Middle East
Many settle in eastern Europe (especially Poland) though still discriminated (ex: barred from agriculture)
Jews stressed education to their boys (as other societies weren’t) which would prove valuable

6. Russia is Born!

7. The Russian People
Slavs from eastern Europe move into area that is now Russia and mix with the people already there to start the foundation of Russian society
Religiously, the Slavs were animists and had different gods for sun, thunder, wind, and fire

8. Russia Starts in Kiev
Byzantines traded a lot with Scandinavia and traveled through what is now Russia to trade
Kiev = trade city in south Russian (formed by Scandinavians/ Vikings) that grew b/c it was along trade route

9. Kievan Rus’ Formed in 855 by the Prince Rurik
Kingdom based out of Kiev
Kievan Rus’ formed the basis for later Russia

10. Kievan Rus’ Kievan Rus’ trade with Byzantine continues to increase
Many Russians visited Constantinople
As a result, many Slavs (the ethnic group of Kiev) learned about Christianity

11. Many fell in love with splendor of Orthodox Church
Rurik
Ruled Kiev from
Many fell in love with splendor of Orthodox Church
Converted Kiev to Christianity
Byzantine Church leaders brought into Kiev to train Russian priests
Forced people to convert that were unwilling
Like in Byzantine Empire, king was in control of church
Vladimir I didn’t like Catholicism (Pope too much influence)
Russian Orthodox – New form of Christianity (similar to Orthodox religion of Byzantines
Vladimir I didn’t like Islam (not allowed alcohol)

12. Kievan Rus’ started by Rurik, but expands greatly under his successors
Kievan Rus’ originally just city of Kiev, but when Kiev expanded becomes Kievan Rus’
Kievan Rus’ started by Rurik, but expands greatly under his successors
Kievan Rus’ had formal code of law like the Byzantines

13. Yaroslav the Wise Last great Kievan prince Made legal code
Built many Churches
Had religious text translated from Greek to Slavic

14. Culture in Kievan Rus’ Similar to Byzantine culture
Large religious ceremonies
Idea that ruler had great power
Churches fancily decorated (ornate)
Used icons and incense
Polygamy replaced by monogamy

15. Russian (Kievan) Literature
Used Cyrillic alphabet, and often wrote about religious and royal events
Through literature we know they saw disasters as punishment from God, and success as a reward

16. Less political power than aristocrats in western Europe
The Boyars
Boyars =
Russian aristocrats
Less political power than aristocrats in western Europe

17. The End of Kiev Kiev declines in the 1100s for several reasons
Royal families fight over succession
Asian invaders begin taking territory
Lost trade with Byzantines b/c that empire fading
Rival princes broke away and formed own kingdoms

18. TATAR KIEV! Tatar = Russian term for Mongol invaders
Under Mongol (Tatar) rule, Russia further separated from western Europe
Mongols invaded and capture Russia (Kievan Rus’) by 1241
Tatars allowed Christianity to survive,
When Tatars lost Russia in 1400s, enough Russian culture survived and Russia reemerged
This ended the first chapter in Russian history as Mongols ruled for next 200 years

19. From Rome to Byzantium to Russia
As the Byzantine Empire fell in 1453, Russia was reemerging from Mongol rule, and took the mantle from the Byzantines as the leaders of eastern Europe, but by then western Europe had surpassed the east