Kievan Rus'
A sprawling collection of principalities where the path to Kiev is paved with gold and blood.
Kievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus', was the first East Slavic state and, later, an amalgam of principalities, in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century. Encompassing a variety of polities and peoples, including East Slavic, Norse, and Finnic, it was ruled by the Rurik dynasty, founded by the Varangian prince Rurik. At its greatest extent in the mid-11th century, Kievan Rus' stretched from the White Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south and from the Carpathian Mountains in the west to the Taman Peninsula in the east, uniting the East Slavic tribes. The name was coined by Russian historians in the 19th century to describe the period when Kiev was preeminent.
Quick Facts
- Common name
- Rus'
- Era
- Middle Ages
- Established
- 880
Lore & Background
According to the Primary Chronicle, the first ruler to unite East Slavic lands into what would become Kievan Rus' was Varangian prince Oleg the Wise (r. 879–912). He extended his control from Novgorod south along the Dnieper river valley to protect trade from Khazar incursions from the east, and took control of the city of Kiev, laying the foundation of the state and becoming prince of Kiev. Sviatoslav I (r. 945–972) achieved the first major territorial expansion of the state, fighting a war of conquest against the Khazars.
Vladimir the Great (r. 980–1015) spread Christianity with his own baptism and, by decree, extended it to all inhabitants of Kiev and beyond. Kievan Rus' reached its greatest extent under Yaroslav the Wise (r. 1019–1054); its first written legal code, the Russkaya Pravda, was assembled and issued by his sons shortly after his death. The state began to decline in the late 11th century, gradually disintegrating into various rival regional powers throughout the 12th century.
It was further weakened by external factors, such as the decline of the Byzantine Empire, its major economic partner, and the accompanying diminution of trade routes through its territory. However, the primary external blow came with the Mongol invasion in the mid-13th century, which shattered the remaining unity of the realm, though the Rurik dynasty would continue to rule until the death of Feodor I of Russia in 1598.
Reader's Guide
The Kievan Rus' functions not as a static faction but as a collection of principalities bound by the Rurikid dynasty. According to the Primary Chronicle, the territories of the East Slavs in the 9th century were divided between the Varangians and the Khazars. The Varangians are first mentioned imposing tribute on the northern tribes in 859. In 862, various tribes rebelled against the Varangians, driving them 'back beyond the sea'. Historically, this region serves as a major power center that controls trade routes between the Baltic and Black Seas.
Did You Know?
- The Varangian Rus' from Scandinavia used the Old Norse name Garðaríki, meaning 'land of towns'.
- Ahmad ibn Fadlan, a 10th-century Arab traveler, described the Rus' as 'tall as a date palm, blond and ruddy'.
- Liutprand of Cremona, a 10th-century envoy to Byzantium, identified the 'Russi' with the Norse.
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