1. Kievan Rus

3. East & Central Europe
Poles, Czechs, Hungarians were all converted to Christianity by German Monks
Eastern Slavic people were converted to Orthodox Christianity by two Byzantine missionary brothers; Cyril & Methodius
Croats, Serbs, & Bulgarians were converted to Eastern Orthodoxy

4. St. Cyril and St. Methodius

5. Early Byzantine Influences: Cyrillic Alphabet
Byzantine missionaries, Cyril and Methodius sent to convert eastern Europe and the Balkans created the script

6. Kievan Rus
Oleg, Viking leader, settled in Kiev at the beginning of 10th century & created principality of Kiev
Oleg successors expanded Kiev until it reached territory between Baltic & Black Seas, & Danube & Volga rivers
Vikings married Slavic wives & gradually assimilated into the Slavic population

8. Rulers of the Kievan Rus Vladimir I (980)
(980) Vladimir I – Extremely war-like ruler of Kiev. Invited missionaries from Judaism, Islam and Christianity to offer reasons for conversion.
Married the Byzantine emperor’s sister.
Brought Christianity and Greco-Roman civilization to Russia.

9. Vladimir I Chose
Eastern Orthodoxy

10. Early Byzantine Influences: Orthodox Christianity
Expansion of Byzantine culture northward was through conversion of Kiev to Orthodox Christianity

11. Influenced by Byzantine Politics
Russia adopted the concept of divinely inspired monarchy with close relations to state-controlled church
Were unable to adopt the Byzantine trained bureaucracy however

12. Byzantine Influence on Russia
Government
Autocracy
Czar (Tsar)

13. Byzantine Influence on Russia
Architecture
Onion Dome

14. St. Basil’s Cathedral Moscow