The Rise of Russia

1. The Rise of Russia Mr. Giesler Global History

2. Geography • Three different zones shaped Russian life • Northern forests for lumbar & animals • In the middle, fertile land for farming • Southern steppe – no barriers so it formed a highway for nomads • Rivers linked Russians to Byzantine Civilization

3. Small Group Activity • Map Identifications • Refer to notes packet

8. Russian Steppe

9. City of Kiev • Southern Russia • Center of first Russian state • Mixture of Viking and Slavic peoples • Thriving trade with Constantinople

10. Cyrillic Alphabet • Greek monks Cyril and Methodius adapted Greek alphabet to translate bible into Slavic languages • Became the Cyrillic alphabet & is used in Russia and Ukraine today

11. Byzantines Bring Religion • Olga, the princess of Kiev converts • Her grandson Vladimir marries sister of Byzantine emperor • Greek priests arrive • Olga’s converts to Christianity. • She was one of the first to bring this religion to the pagan society of Kievan Rus. • Olga was baptized in Constantinople either in 955 or 957. • Her son Svyatoslav didn’t support his mother’s decision and was worried about losing the respect of the army because of Olga’s new faith. • Apparently, she had a big influence on her grandson, Vladimir the Great, who in 988 made Christianity the official religion of Kievan Rus. St. Olga of Kiev

12. Spread of Byzantine culture • Obtained Written language • Class of educated Russian priests • Byzantine religious art, music, and architecture • Byzantine Christianity set pattern for Russian rulers to control Church • Small Group Activity • Understanding Cultural Diffusion: “Who Were The Slavs” • Refer to Notes Packet (Reading)

13. Who were the Slavs? The Slavs lived in what is today eastern Russia. The area was bounded by the Ural Mountains and the Black Sea on the south and the Baltic Sea on the north. The Slavs lived in the forest areas. They worked as farmers and traders. In the 800s, some Vikings called the Rus came from the north. They built forts along the rivers and blended with the Slavic people. They founded the cities of Novgorod and Kiev and became the rulers of the land. They began to trade in Constantinople. With them, they brought furs, timber, and the Slavs who were their subjects. They sold these people as slaves. In fact, the word slave comes from Slav. Over time, the Vikings adopted the culture of the Slavs. Divisions between Vikings and Slavs disappeared. But the society was sharply split between the great mass of peasants and the few nobles, or boyars. In 957 Princess Olga of Kiev converted to Christianity. Her grandson, Vladimir, also converted to Byzantine Christianity. He was the ruler of Russia. He ordered all of his subjects to adopt this religion. Now more than trade linked Russia to the Byzantine Empire. Russia also looked to Constantinople for religious leadership. Teachers from the empire gave the Russian people instructions in the new religion. The king liked the idea that the ruler of the empire was also the head of the church. Who were the Slavs? Where did they come from? How did Olga and Vladimir influence the Slavic people?

14. TTYN: Describe what you see below Russian Church Byzantine Church

15. Yaroslav the Wise & Golden Age • Yaroslav the Wise ruled 1019-1054 • Issued a written law code known as the Russian • Truth • Translated Greek works into his language • Arranged marriages between his children & royalty in Western Europe Because of Yaroslav’slegislative work, Christianity promotion and enlightenment he raised so high among ancient Russian people that they gave him the name Mudriy (The Wise). 

16. Sack of Kiev

17. The Mongol Conquest Mongols stay • 1200’s, Genghiz Kahn united nomadic mounted bowmen overran Asia E. Europe • Ogedai Khan, grandson of Genghiz, took Russia; looted, burned & killed • Pillaged Kiev & other towns • Ruled Russia for 240 years • Called the Golden Horde • Tolerant rulers • Demanded heavy taxes but left Russian Princes to rule • Built empire • Mongol Rule • Mongols converted to Islam • Tolerated the Russian orthodox church • Unified empire brought peace • New trade routes

18. Mongols & women • Russians adopted practice of having upper class women isolated in separate quarters • Women became subject to male authority • Men could sell wives into slavery to pay for debts Mongols and power • Absolute power of Mongols served as a model for later Russian rulers • Princes centralized power without interference • Cut Russia off while Western Europe were advancing rapidly in sciences & arts

19. 1453-1854 Moscow- the “third Rome” • Constantinople fell to the Turks, Ottoman Empires replaces the Byzantine Empire • Located near important river trade routes • Princes increased their power • As Mongols power declined, princes of Moscow defended Russia against foreign rule • 1380 defeated Golden Horde • Moscow – the only independent Christian Empire

20. Ivan the great TTYN: What is an absolute ruler • Attempted to unify Russian lands under one ruler - himself • Absolute rule • Took over Northern Russia & recovered Russian territories from Slavs • Limited power of Boyars • Adopted Byzantine court rituals • Took title czar

22. Ivan the terrible • 1547-1584 • Set up feudal system-Land for nobles & serfs tied to land • In a fit of madness killed own son • Organized Oprichniki who Slaughtered rebellious boyars & sacked towns suspected of disloyalty

23. Known for his brutal ruling, centralized administration of Russia and expansion of the boundaries of the Russian Empire.   • Assumed the throne in 1547 at the age of seventeen and immediately proclaimed himself “Tsar” (Czar) , instead of Grand Duke. • Reign was peppered with battles with foreign invaders. • In 1560 the Tsar was devastated by the death of his beloved wife Anastasia and turned on his once favored courtiers and nobles, blaming them for her death. • Abdicated in 1564 in protest

24. Urged back to power and began a rule of terror • Divided the country into two clean-cut spheres, the one (the oprichnina) encompassing his personal domain, and the other (the zemshchina) representing the rest. • In 1571 the Tartars raided Moscow, burning much of the city and taking thousands of citizens away as slaves. • Ivan fled to Yaroslavl, where he spent much of his remaining decade in power plotting to usurp the Polish throne. • In 1581 a combined Polish and Swedish invasion prompted the Tsar to concede Livonia to the Poles.  • Although the transition from Ivan to his son and successor, Feodor I, was relatively easy and quiet, Moscow was, according to most observers, on the verge of anarchy as a result of Ivan The Terrible's policies.