The Kievan
Rus emerged in the ninth century, and its role in the history of
Eastern Europe is comparable to that of the Carolingian Empire in
Western Europe. It appeared at the time of the active process of
state-building over the vast expanse of northern, central and
eastern Europe and, like most other barbarian kingdoms, rose to
civilized status by adopting Christianity as its state religion in
988. By that time Christianity had already spread to the territories
of the South Slavs and to the Czech and Polish lands inhabited by
the West Slavs. Practically at the same time with the Kievan Rus,
Christianity was adopted in Hungary, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
In contrast
to central and eastern Europe, however, Kiev’s official religion was
not the Christianity of the Latin world, but of the Greek world of
Byzantium. The main reason for the adoption of the eastern form of
Christianity, known also as Orthodox Christianity, was that the
Kievan Rus maintained close cultural, economic and political links
with its powerful southern neighbor, the Byzantine Empire, with its
centre in Constantinople. The conversion to Orthodox Christianity
and the subsequent adoption of a written language from Bulgaria,
based on Greek and Hebrew alphabets, further strengthened Kiev’s
southern orientation and led to a gradual cultural separation from
its West Slavic neighbors.
EVOLUTION OF RUSSIAN STATEHOOD
|
9th-13th centuries |
Kievan Rus |
|
13th-15th centuries |
Political fragmentation of the Russian lands |
|
1240-1480 |
Mongol yoke |
|
1462-1682 |
Muscovite state |
|
1682-1917 |
Imperial Russia |
|
1917-1991 |
Soviet Russia |
|
1992- |
Russian Federation |
The Kievan
Rus state expanded to a considerable size and was able to establish
links with Western Europe to complement its traditional southern
orientation. By the end of the twelfth century, however, the Kievan
Rus had become fragmented into smaller feudal principalities. In
1237 the Mongols, led by Batu, a grandson of the great Mongol leader
Genghis Khan, were able to exploit this fragmentation, invaded the
Russian lands and established their lordship over them. This
severed Russia’s links both with Western Europe and the South. Only
in 1480 were the Mongols finally expelled from Russia. Their legacy
of 240 years was the introduction of a degree of barbarism into
Russian life and the separation of Russia from the rest of Europe.
This legacy was felt for centuries after 1480.
