Ukraine’s Story (Part 1): Kyivan Rus

Intro

‘Hi there, my name’s Arthur Eduardovich and welcome to The History Buff.

‘And in today’s episode, I’m very excited to be launching a mini-series about Ukraine’s history, called Ukraine’s Story. Given the current situation with the war in Ukraine, I think it’s very important for us to learn about Ukraine’s history. The historical narrative of Eastern Europe is very dominated by that of Russia and of Russian history. And whilst I do find Russian history fascinating, as do a lot of people, and I’ll definitely do episodes on Russian history at a later date, I wanted to first get Ukraine’s story out into the world. I’m going to be as objective as possible, that’s my job as a historian, well, wannabe historian. And so yeah, the first episode is about Kievan Rus.’

Background

‘Now, just starting with a bit of background, people often define Eastern European history through the Soviets and the Tsars, but it’s important to remember that there was a time before this. This was an era of ferocious Viking warriors, tough Slavic tribesmen and nomadic clans from the steppe. Now there have obviously been settlements on the territory of present day Ukraine for thousands of years, but I am going to start here because Kyivan Rus is really considered the first Eastern Slavic State. It emerged in Eastern Europe, primarily in present day Ukraine, in the late ninth century. It was founded by Eastern Slavic tribes, the Rus people, around the city of Kyiv which became the capital of the Rus state.

‘The Rus people were an ancient tribe whose name was given to Russia and Belarus. There is some debate about where they came from. Some believe they were of Scandinavian/Viking origin and others believe they were a southeastern slavic tribe. This is partly because its peoples consisted of not just Eastern Slavs, but also of Norse and Finnic peoples. However, what is beyond doubt is that the Rus indeed founded this first Eastern Slavic state.

‘Kyivan Rus was founded in 882 by the Viking Oleg, ruler of Novgorod, after he conquered the cities of Smolensk and Kyiv, the latter of which became the capital of the new kingdom. Kyivan Rus is often thought of as actually the first Eastern Slavic “empire”, as its territory was the largest in Europe at the time. It stretched all the way from the Gulf of Finland in the north (with cities like Novgorod being used for trade) down to the region of Galicia-Volhynia in present day south-western Ukraine. The capital Kyiv was centrally located upon the Dnipro river, and the kingdom stretched far beyond this to the northwest, to the areas between the Volga and Oka rivers, which would eventually form the heartlands of the Muscovy state, which itself was a precursor to the Russian state.’

Key Rulers

‘The rulers of Kyivan Rus were known as Grand Princes. There were two rulers that are of particular historical interest, and these are: Volodymyr the Great (who ruled from 980 to 1015) and Yaroslav the Wise (who ruled from 1019 to 1054). Volodymyr had been designated to rule Kyiv by his father, Sviatoslav I, but was forced to flee to Scandinavia in 976 after a fratricidal resulted in his brother Yaropolk murdering his other brother Oleg of Drelinia, and becoming the sole ruler of Rus. In Sweden, Volodymyr assembled an army along with the help of the Norwegian ruler Hakon Sigurdsson and reconquered Novgorod from Yaropolk. Volodymyr then consolidated the Rus realm to the Baltic Sea and solidified the borders against incursion from other Baltic and Slavic tribes. He then Christianised Kyivan Rus after converting to Christianity in 988, which I will talk more about later in the episode.

‘Yaroslav the Wise was a son of Volodymyr the Great and was originally vice-regent of Novgorod at the time of his fathers death in 1015. His elder brother Svyatopolk then killed three of his other brothers and seized power in Kyiv. Yaroslav, with the help of Viking mercenaries then defeated Svyatopolk and became Grand Prince in 1019. He then consolidated the Kyivan state through cultural and administrative improvements and successful military campaigns. He set in motion the eastward march of Eastern Orthodoxy by translating Greek religious texts into the Slavic language and founded churches and monasteries. He fortified and built up Kyiv using Byzantine influences, building the majestic Cathedral of St Sophia and the Golden Gate of Kyivan fortress. Through princely decrees and statutes, Yaroslav also initiated what would become the basis of early Russian law and pursued active foreign policy, maintaining diplomatic relations with European states.’

Culture and Economy of Kyivan Rus

‘Because of the many peoples encompassed within its expansive territories, Kyivan Rus had a rich and varied culture. However, one of the prime influences on Kyivan culture was the Byzantine Empire, which was a continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces, namely surrounding the Aegean Sea in present day Greece and Turkey (with its capital being Constantinople). This can be seen with the appearance of a lot of stone and brick architecture that appeared during the Kyivan Rus, the buildings that have survived are mainly religious buildings and castles, such as the St Michael the Archangel Church in Smolensk and the original design of the St Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv (which fell into disrepair and was reconstructed in a different style in the centuries afterwards).

‘Trade was also very important in the Kyivan Rus, as the important Varangian route, which connected the Baltic Sea with the Black Sea, ran right through the middle of the kingdom. Kyivan Rus therefore became a hub for trade, with goods from all over Eastern Europe passing through its territory, including furs (of which Kyivan Rus produced a lot), salt (as there were many salt mines in the region) and metals. Kyiv, strategically located on the Dnipro River, therefore became an extremely important city, wielding significant political and economic as well as cultural and religious influence in the region.’

Christianisation of Kyivan Rus

‘The Christianisation of Kyivan Rus was one of the defining moments in Eastern Slavic history. Despite the best efforts of the Orthodox Patriarchs in Constantinople, Kyivan Rus actually remained firmly Slavic Pagan until Volodymyr the Great. Volodymyr wanted to create a sense of unity and common identity amongst the peoples of Rus and this was very difficult to do with Slavic Paganism because of its decentralised nature and with different sets of beliefs and gods from tribe to tribe. Volodymyr therefore wanted a new centralised and organised religion for Kyivan Rus in order to help foster a sense of identity and unity. In 986, he actually met with representatives from several religions. including Jews and Muslims. When Volodymyr met the Muslim Bulgarians of the Volga he is reported to have found Islam unsuitable due to the custom of circumcision of baby boys and taboos against alcohol and pork. He is said to have remarked that “Drinking is the joy of Rus.” He also ultimately rejected Judaism, believing that their loss of Jerusalem was evidence of their abandonment by God.

‘After consulting widely and sending envoys to neighbouring regions, Volodymyr carefully considered the various religions before him. He found that the Muslims of Bulgaria had no joy and the churches of Germany were gloomy and had no beauty. However, at the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (which back then was a Christian Cathedral not a mosque), he found the beauty and colourful ritual of the Byzantine Church. This is what he chose as the unifying religion for his Kingdom of Rus and he was subsequently baptised in the Dnipro River in Kyiv along with many of his subjects in 988. This marked the beginning of the Eastern Orthodox Church’s long march eastward, eventually coming to cover the whole of present day Russia.’

The End of Kyivan Rus

‘At its peak in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, Kyivan Rus was one of the most, if not the most, powerful political entities in Europe. This was not to last however. In the thirteenth century, Kyivan Rus was invaded by the Mongols (a nomadic people who originated from what is present day Mongolia), led by Genghis Khan’s grandson Batu Khan. The Mongols sacked and destroyed many cities and towns in the kingdom, devastating its political and economic infrastructure, along with its influence. The siege of Kyiv in 1240 is generally considered to mark the end of the Kyivan Rus Era, with the kingdom being broken up into smaller, independent states, which the Mongols incorporated into their empire. The Mongols went onto rule the region for the next couple of centuries, but I shall talk more about that in the next episode which shall be about the Mongol Era.

‘Despite Kyivan Rus’ sudden fall, it remains an integral part of the history and culture of Eastern Europe. Its legacy can be seen in the modern states that emerged from its territory: Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. The Russian Orthodox Church also has its origins in Kyivan Rus, originally forming part of the Eastern Orthodox Church (which was centred in Constantinople) and only gained independence as its own patriarchate in the 16th century.’

Outro

‘I hope you found this interesting and enlightening. Keep checking back on The History Buff’s page as I will be continuing this miniseries about Ukraine, with the next episode focusing on the Mongol rule of the region. 

‘Thanks for joining me, and until next time, goodbye!’