B2-40 · Kyivan Rus: The Medieval Power on the Dnipro

Kyivan Rus: The Medieval Power on the Dnipro

A thousand years ago, one of the largest states in Europe stretched from the Baltic Sea almost to the Black Sea. Its capital was Kyiv, and its rulers were related to the kings of France, Norway and Hungary. Historians call it Kyivan Rus. Today, three nations – Ukrainians, Belarusians and Russians – see it as the beginning of their history, which is why its story is still argued about.

From legend to trade

According to an old legend, Kyiv was founded by three brothers, Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv, and their sister Lybid. The city's name is said to come from the oldest brother. What is certain is that by the 9th century, Kyiv had become an important town of Slavic tribes on the hills above the Dnipro.

The river was its fortune. It was part of the great trade route "from the Varangians to the Greeks", which connected Scandinavia with Constantinople, the rich capital of the Byzantine Empire. Vikings, whom the Slavs called Varangians, sailed down the rivers with furs, honey, wax and slaves, and came back with silk, wine and silver. Around 882, a Varangian prince named Oleg took control of Kyiv, and the city became the center of a new state.

A new faith

The most famous ruler of Kyivan Rus was Volodymyr the Great. According to the Primary Chronicle, written about a century later, he sent messengers to learn about the religions of his neighbors before he chose one. He rejected Islam, the story says, because it did not allow alcohol: "Drinking is the joy of the Rus." His messengers were amazed by the churches of Constantinople, and in 988 Volodymyr was baptized and made Christianity from Byzantium the religion of his state. The people of Kyiv were baptized in the Dnipro.

The father-in-law of Europe

Kyivan Rus reached its peak under Volodymyr's son, Yaroslav the Wise, who ruled until 1054. He built St. Sophia's Cathedral, opened schools and collected books, and the first written set of laws, the Ruska Pravda, was created during his reign. He was so well connected that historians call him "the father-in-law of Europe": one of his daughters, Anna, became Queen of France, and others married the kings of Norway and Hungary. Anna, who had been brought up in Kyiv, could read and write, which was unusual among the French nobles of her time.

Fall and legacy

After Yaroslav's death, his sons and grandsons fought each other for power, and the state broke up into smaller principalities. In 1240, Mongol armies destroyed Kyiv, and the age of Kyivan Rus was over. Moscow, which is first mentioned in 1147, was still a small town at that time.

Centuries later, the Russian Empire presented Kyivan Rus as simply the first chapter of Russian history. Ukrainian historians, such as Mykhailo Hrushevsky, argued that its true heirs were the people who had always lived around Kyiv. Today, most historians agree that all three nations share this heritage. For Ukrainians, however, it has a special meaning: the cathedral of Yaroslav still stands in the center of their capital.