Kievan Rus is a medieval state that arose in the 9th century. The first Grand Dukes placed their residence in the city of Kyiv, which, according to legend, was founded in the VI century. three brothers - Kiy, Shchek and Khoriv. The state quickly entered a phase of prosperity and occupied an important international position. This was facilitated by the establishment of political and trade relations with such powerful neighbors as Byzantium and the Khazar Khaganate.
Reign of Askold
The name "Russian land" was assigned to the state with its capital in Kyiv during the reign of Askold (IX century). In The Tale of Bygone Years, his name is mentioned next to Dir, his elder brother. To date, there is no information about his reign. This gives reason to a number of historians (for example, Rybakov B. A.) to associate the name Dir with another nickname of Askold. In addition, the question of the origin of the first Kyiv rulers still remains unresolved. Some researchers consider them Varangian governors, others deduce the origin of Askold and Dir from glades (descendants of Kiy).
"The Tale of Bygone Years" gives some important information about Askold's reign. In 860, he made a successful campaign in Byzantium and even about a weekheld Constantinople in oblog. According to legend, it was he who forced the Byzantine ruler to recognize Russia as an independent state. But in 882 Askold was killed by Oleg, who then sat on the throne of Kyiv.
Oleg's Board
Oleg - the first Grand Duke of Kyiv, who ruled in 882-912. According to legend, he received power in Novgorod from Rurik in 879 as regent for his young son, and then moved his residence to Kyiv. In 885, Oleg annexed the lands of the Radimichi, Slavens and Krivichi to his principality, after which he made a campaign against the streets and Tivertsy. In 907, he opposed the powerful Byzantium. Oleg's brilliant victory is described in detail by Nestor in his work. The campaign of the Grand Duke not only contributed to the strengthening of the position of Russia in the international arena, but also opened up access to duty-free trade with the Byzantine Empire. Oleg's new victory in Constantinople in 911 confirmed the privileges of Russian merchants.
It is with these events that the stage of the formation of a new state with its center in Kyiv ends and the period of its highest prosperity begins.
Board of Igor and Olga
After Oleg's death, Rurik's son Igor (912-945) comes to power. Like his predecessor, Igor had to face the disobedience of the princes of the subordinate tribal unions. His reign begins with a clash with the Drevlyans, streets and Tivertsy, whom the Grand Duke imposed an unbearable tribute. Such a policy determined his quick death at the hands of the rebellious Drevlyans. According to legend, when Igor once again came to collect tribute, theytilted two birch trees, tied his legs to their tops and released him.
After the death of the prince, his wife Olga (945-964) ascended the throne. The main goal of her policy was revenge for the death of her husband. She suppressed all the anti-Rurik sentiments of the Drevlyans and finally subjugated them to her power. In addition, the name of Olga the Great is associated with the first attempt to baptize Kievan Rus, which was unsuccessful. The policy aimed at proclaiming Christianity as the state religion was continued by the following Grand Dukes.
Svyatoslav's reign
Svyatoslav - the son of Igor and Olga - ruled in 964-980. He led an active conquering foreign policy and almost did not care about the internal problems of the state. At first, during his absence, Olga was in charge of management, and after her death, the affairs of three parts of the state (Kyiv, Drevlyansk land and Novgorod) were in charge of the great Russian princes Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir.
Svyatoslav made a successful campaign against the Khazar Khaganate. Such powerful fortresses as Semender, Sarkel, Itil could not resist his squad. In 967 he launched the Balkan campaign. Svyatoslav took possession of the territories in the lower reaches of the Danube, captured Pereyaslav and installed his governor there. In the next campaign in the Balkans, he managed to subdue virtually all of Bulgaria. But on the way home, Svyatoslav's squad was defeated by the Pechenegs, who were in collusion with the emperor of Byzantium. The Grand Duke also died in the vlog.
Reign of Volodymyr the Great
Vladimir was the illegitimate son of Svyatoslav, since he was born from Malusha -housekeeper Princess Olga. The father put the future great ruler on the throne in Novgorod, but in the course of civil strife he managed to seize the throne of Kyiv. Having come to power, Vladimir streamlined the administration of the territories and eradicated any signs of the local nobility on the lands of the subordinate tribes. It was under him that the tribal division of Kievan Rus was replaced by a territorial one.
Many ethnic groups and peoples lived on the lands united by Vladimir. Under such conditions, it was difficult for the ruler to maintain the territorial integrity of the state, even with the help of weapons. This led to the need for an ideological justification for Vladimir's rights to rule all the tribes. Therefore, the prince decided to reform paganism by placing in Kyiv, not far from the place where the palaces of the great princes were located, idols of the most revered Slavic gods.
Baptism of Russia
The attempt to reform paganism was unsuccessful. After that, Vladimir called to himself the rulers of various tribal unions who professed Islam, Judaism, Christianity, etc. After listening to their proposals for a new state religion, the prince went to Byzantine Chersonese. After a successful campaign, Vladimir announced his intention to marry the Byzantine princess Anna, but since this was impossible while he professed paganism, the prince was baptized. Returning to Kyiv, the ruler sent messengers around the city with an order for all residents to come to the Dnieper the next day. On January 19, 988, people entered the river, where they were baptized by Byzantine priests. Basically, baptismRus was forced.
The new faith did not immediately become national. At first, residents of large cities adjoined Christianity, and in churches until the 12th century. there were special places for adult baptism.
The significance of the declaration of Christianity as the state religion
The adoption of Christianity had a huge impact on the further development of the state. Firstly, this led to the fact that the great Russian princes strengthened their power over disunited tribes and peoples. Secondly, the role of the state in the international arena has increased. The adoption of Christianity made it possible to establish close ties with the Byzantine Empire, the Czech Republic, Poland, the German Empire, Bulgaria and Rome. It also contributed to the fact that the Grand Dukes of Russia no longer used military campaigns as the main way to implement foreign policy plans.
Reign of Yaroslav the Wise
Yaroslav the Wise united Kievan Rus under his rule in 1036. After many years of civil strife, the new ruler had to reassert himself on these lands. He managed to return the Cherven cities, found the city of Yuryev in the Peipsi land, and finally defeat the Pechenegs in 1037. In honor of the victory over this union, Yaroslav ordered the foundation of the greatest temple - St. Sophia of Kyiv.
In addition, he was the first to compile a collection of laws of the state - "Yaroslav's Truth". It should be noted that before him the rulers of ancient Russia (Grand Dukes Igor, Svyatoslav, Vladimir) asserted their power with the help of force, and not law and law. Yaroslav was engaged in the construction of temples(Yuriev Monastery, St. Sophia Cathedral, Kiev-Pechersky Monastery) and supported the still weak church organization with the authority of princely power. In 1051, he appointed the first Russian metropolitan, Hilarion. The Grand Duke remained in power for 37 years and died in 1054.
Reign of the Yaroslavichs
After the death of Yaroslav the Wise, the most important lands were in the hands of his eldest sons - Izyaslav, Svyatoslav and Vsevolod. Initially, the grand dukes ruled the state quite harmoniously. They successfully fought against the Turkic-speaking tribes of the Torks, but in 1068 on the Alta River they suffered a crushing defeat in the battle with the Polovtsians. This led to the fact that Izyaslav was expelled from Kyiv and fled to the Polish king Boleslav II. In 1069, with the help of allied troops, he again occupied the capital.
In 1072, the Grand Dukes of Russia gathered at a veche in Vyshgorod, where the famous set of Russian laws "The Truth of the Yaroslavichs" was approved. After this, a long period of internecine wars begins. In 1078 Vsevolod took the throne of Kyiv. After his death in 1093, Svyatopolk Izyaslavich came to power, and two sons of Vsevolod - Vladimir Monomakh and Rostislav - began to rule in Chernigov and Pereyaslav.
The Board of Vladimir Monomakh
After the death of Svyatopolk in 1113, the people of Kiev invited Vladimir Monomakh to the throne. He saw the main goal of his policy in the centralization of state power and in strengthening the unity of Russia. To establish peaceful relations with various princes, he used dynastic marriages. It is thanks to this and the far-sighted domestic policyhe managed to successfully control the vast territory of Russia for 12 years. In addition, dynastic marriages united the Kievan state with Byzantium, Norway, England, Denmark, the German Empire, Sweden and Hungary.
Under Grand Duke Vladimir Monomakh, the capital of Russia was equipped, in particular, a bridge across the Dnieper was built. The ruler died in 1125, after which a long period of fragmentation and decline of the state began.
The Grand Dukes of Ancient Russia in the period of fragmentation
What happened next? During the feudal fragmentation, the rulers of ancient Russia changed every 6-8 years. The Grand Dukes (Kyiv, Chernigov, Novgorod, Pereyaslav, Rostov-Suzdal, Smolensk) fought for the main throne with weapons in their hands. Svyatoslav and Rurik, who belonged to the most influential family of the Olgoviches and Rostislavovichs, ruled the state for the longest time.
In the Chernihiv-Seversky Principality, power was in the hands of the Olegovich and Davidovich dynasty. Since these lands were most susceptible to the expansion of the Polovtsy, the rulers managed to restrain their conquest campaigns thanks to the conclusion of dynastic marriages.
Pereyaslav principality, even in the period of fragmentation, was completely dependent on Kyiv. The highest prosperity of these territories is associated with the name of Vladimir Glebovich.
Strengthening of Moscow Principality
After the decline of Kyiv, the main role goes to the Moscow principality. Its rulers borrowed the title worn by the Grand Dukes of Russia.
The strengthening of the Moscow principality is associated with the name of Daniel (the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky). He managed to subjugate the city of Kolomna, the Principality of Pereyaslav and the city of Mozhaisk. As a result of the accession of the latter, an important trade route and the waterway of the river. Moscow ended up within Daniil's territory.
The reign of Ivan Kalita
In 1325 Prince Ivan Danilovich Kalita came to power. He made a trip to Tver and defeated it, thereby eliminating his strong rival. In 1328, he received a label from the Mongol khan for the principality of Vladimir. During his reign, Moscow firmly established its superiority in North-Eastern Russia. In addition, at this time there was a close alliance between the grand duke's power and the church, which played a significant role in the formation of a centralized state. Metropolitan Peter moved his residence from Vladimir to Moscow, which became the most important religious center.
In relations with the Mongol khans, Ivan Kalita pursued a policy of maneuvering and regular payment of tribute. The collection of funds from the population was carried out with noticeable rigidity, which led to the accumulation of significant we alth in the hands of the ruler. It was during the principality of Kalita that the foundation of Moscow's power was laid. His son Semyon already claimed the title of "Grand Duke of All Russia".
Unification of lands around Moscow
During the reign of Kalita, Moscow managed to recover from a series of internecine wars and lay the foundations for an effective economic and economic system. This power was supported by the erection in 1367year of the Kremlin, which was a military-defensive fortress.
In the middle of the XIV century. the princes of the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod and Ryazan principalities join the struggle for supremacy on Russian soil. But Tver was still Moscow's main adversary. Rivals of the powerful principality often sought support from the Mongol Khan or from Lithuania.
The unification of Russian lands around Moscow is associated with the name of Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy, who laid siege to Tver and achieved recognition of his power.
Battle of Kulikovo
In the second half of the XIV century. the great princes of Russia are directing all their forces to fight the Mongol Khan Mamai. In the summer of 1380, he and his army approached the southern borders of Ryazan. In opposition to him, Dmitry Ivanovich put up a 120,000th squad, which moved in the direction of the Don.
September 8, 1380, the Russian army took up positions on the Kulikovo field, and on the same day the decisive battle took place - one of the largest battles in medieval history.
The defeat of the Mongols accelerated the collapse of the Golden Horde and strengthened the importance of Moscow as the center of the unification of Russian lands.
