Empire · 882–1240 · Europe
Kievan Rus'
Also known as Kievan Rus, Kyivan Rus, Rus' Khaganate, Principality of Kyiv
Kievan Rus grew from settlements of Scandinavian traders and warriors, known as the Rus or Varangians, along the river routes linking the Baltic to the Black Sea and Byzantium. According to the Primary Chronicle, Oleg of Novgorod seized Kyiv in 882 and made it his capital, ruling over East Slavic, Finnic and Baltic peoples.
The Rurikid princes collected tribute in furs and slaves and traded with Constantinople, which they also raided. In 988 Vladimir the Great accepted Orthodox Christianity from Byzantium, and his son Yaroslav the Wise issued a law code and built St Sophia's Cathedral. After 1054 the realm fragmented into rival principalities ruled by branches of the dynasty. The Mongol invasion destroyed it, and Kyiv was sacked in 1240.
- Years
- 882–1240
- Capital
- Kyiv
- Greatest extent
- 1050, about 2.10 million km²
- Region
- Europe
Under Yaroslav the Wise, from the Baltic to the Black Sea steppe; Taagepera (1997) gives a larger c. 2.1M km² for c. 1000; c. 2.1M km² c. 1000 (Taagepera 1997; Turchin, Adams & Hall 2006); other estimates c. 1.3M km²
Legacy
Kievan Rus is claimed as the shared cradle of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, and gave them Orthodox Christianity and the Cyrillic literary tradition.
Rulers
- Oleg c. 879 – 912
Took Kyiv in 882 and made it his capital
- Olga regent 945 – c. 957
First ruler of Rus to be baptised
- Sviatoslav I c. 945 – 972
Destroyed the Khazar Khaganate
- Vladimir the Great 980 – 1015
Converted Rus to Orthodox Christianity in 988
- Yaroslav the Wise 1019 – 1054
Lawgiver and builder of St Sophia's Cathedral
- Vladimir Monomakh 1113 – 1125
Last prince to hold the realm together
Realms on the map
- Kievan Rus' 882–1240
- Rus' 880–881
- Principality of Kiev 1056–1240
Wars
- Mongol conquests (1206–1260) 1206 – 3 September 1260