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Rise of Russia. Slavic Beginnings. In the 700s AD, a group of people called the Slavs began moving into the area north of the Byzantine Empire (in eastern Europe) These people would lay the foundations of Russia
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Slavic Beginnings • In the 700s AD, a group of people called the Slavs began moving into the area north of the Byzantine Empire (in eastern Europe) • These people would lay the foundations of Russia • The Slavic people’s first prince was named Rurik and was a descendant of the Vikings • Rurik was of the Rus tribe • Rurik built his capitol city at Novgorod on the Dnieper River • Later rulers would move the capitol downriver to Kiev • Kiev was well suited to trade slaves, honey, and furs downriver to Constantinople
Growing close with the Byzantine Empire • In 989 Vladmir, prince of Kiev, chose to convert his people to the Eastern Greek Orthodox form of Christianity • This strengthened economic ties with the Byzantines • Byzantium sent missionaries (Cyril and Methodius) to spread Christianity among the Slavs • Cyril created a Slavic alphabet still used in Russia today • By 1000, Kiev had become a wealthy trading city. I • Gold-domed churches and use of icons showed heavy Byzantine influence
Rise of the Czar • In 1240 Kiev was conquered by Mongol horsemen and were under their control until 1480 • Led by Genghis Khan and grandson Batu • Nicknamed the Golden Horde • In 1472, nineteen years after the fall of Constantinople, Ivan III (prince of Moscow) married the niece of the last Byzantine emperor • Took the title of Czar/Tsar(Caesar) and overthrew the Mongols • Much of this history was recorded in the Primary Chronicle, a collection of Russian history written around the year 1100