Early Traditions in Russia

Prince Vladimir of Kiev

Early History of Russia • Prince Vladimir wanted to find a new religion for his

people• Sent delegates to other countries to find different

religions– Islam – Judaism – Roman Christianity – Byzantine Christianity

• Visited Constantinople (capital of the Byzantine Empire)• Made the decision 1000 years ago and dramatically

changed Russian history• Made them adopt Byzantine culture and thus develop

differently than Western Europe

Kievan Rus’• First early Russian state called Kievan Rus’ – Formed in the year 800 A.D (800 C.E)

• Made up of several city-states that had their own rulers– Ruler of each state worked with nobles and a council

• Located on the Dnieper River and important as a trade center – Traded:

• Furs• Honey• Farm products (harvests from fields)

– Sending many of these goods to Constantinople

Cultural Diffusion from Byzantine Empire

• Byzantine Empire was the most advanced civilization in Europe at the time

• Adopted Two (2) main cultural elements:– System of Writing • Alphabet based on Greek and Hebrew letters about 860• Called Cyrillic• Created by monk called Cyril (who was spreading

Christianity)– Byzantine Christianity• Prince Vladimir converts in 988• Missionaries helped to spread the religion • Monks Cyril and Methodius helped to spread this idea

Christianity Splits in Two • Soon after Vladimir converted a serious

disagreement divided Roman and Byzantine Christians

• 1054 Christians split into the:– Roman Catholic Churches– Eastern Orthodox Churches

• Bitter rivalries and different interpretations divided the two groups

• Cut Russia off from the Western world – Eventually transformed into Russian Orthodox Church

Mongol Rule of Russia • Attacked and destroyed Kiev in the 1200’s– Called the Tatars by the Russians, they were actually

Mongols• Allowed the Russian princes to rule but the Mongols

had all the power• Exacted (demanded) tribute from the conquered people– No tribute meant that you would be horribly punished– Law of Thirds

• Killed 1/3 of the people • Enslaved 1/3 of the people • Took 1/3 of all the money and goods as tribute

• Furthered the separation between Russia and the other western countries

The Rise of Moscow• Gained power as the Mongols slowly left Russia• Stole taxes that the Mongols demanded and kept

them for the rich nobles • Ideally located by several major rivers• Head of the Russian Orthodox Church moved there

from Kiev• Ivan the Great (Ivan III)- called himself a czar- means

emperor – Autocrat- ruler that had unlimited power

• Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV) - grandson of Ivan the Great– Created a secret police force that killed all who opposed

him

Ivan the Third a.k.a Ivan the Great Ivan the Fourth a.k.a Ivan the Terrible

Peter I – “Peter the Great”• Russia was too far behind the west in technology and

territory by the 1600’s• Czar Peter the Great– Hired western engineers, shipbuilders and other experts to

modernize Russia– Built schools that were more modern and made

government more modern– Built the new capital called St. Petersburg

• On the Baltic Sea

• Forced men to shave their beards and everyone had to dress in western style clothing

• Catherine the Great- benefited from the advances and tried as well to modernize Russia