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Chapter 11.2 Russians Adapt Byzantine Culture
1. What was the impact of the Mongols on
Russia?
 The Mongols conquered Kiev and established
the Khanate of the Golden Horde. The Mongols
demanded tribute and strict adherence to their
authority, but allowed freedom of worship and
culture. Russia became cut off from Western
Europe, and some felt that their culture
stagnated due to the Mongols. However, the
Mongols did help to create a unified Russia
under the leadership of Moscow by the late
1300’s.
2. Who was Ivan III? (Time Period, Location, Key
Achievements)
 Czar of the Russian empire from 1462-1505
 Married the last niece of the Byzantine
Emperor…called himself czar
 Moscow as the Third Rome
 Refused to pay the Mongols any longer,
standoff at Ugra River…independent Russian
Empire
3. How did Byzantine culture impact Russian
culture?
 Religion: Eastern Orthodox
 Leadership of the Emperor…as head of state
and religion
 Art: Icons and mosaics
 Alphabet: Cyrillic
Chapter 11.2: Russians Adapt Byzantine
Culture
I. Both Slavic and Greek
 Slavs: people from forests north of the Black
Sea- began trading with Constantinople…with
trade came cultural diffusion of Greek
Byzantine ideas
 Russian culture grew out of the blending of
Slavic and Greek traditions
A.
The Land of Russia’s Birth
 Russia’s first unified territory originated west of
the Ural Mountains in the region that runs from
the Black Sea to the Baltic
o South: hilly, grasslands
o North: densely forested, flat and swampy
o Three great slow moving rivers: Dnieper,
Don, Volga run from forests to the Black or
Caspian Seas
o Mostly inhabited by Slavic farmers and
traders
 800’sCE: adventurers from the north
arrived…Varangians/ Rus (probably
Vikings)…eventually built forts along the rivers
and settled among the Slavs
B.Slavs and Vikings
 Legend: Slavs invited Viking chief Rurik to be
their king
 862 Rurik founded Novgorod
 Recorded in The Primary Chronicle, history of
Russia written by monks in the early 1100’s
 880 nobleman named Oleg moved south to
Kiev…Vikings could sail by river and sea from
Kiev to Constantinople…could then trade for
products from distant lands
 Exports to Constantinople: timber, fur, wax,
honey, and Slavic subjects sold as slaves (origins
of the word slave)
 Kiev became a principality (ruled by a prince)
 Viking nobles intermarried with their Slavic
subjects and adopted Slavic culture
 Society remained divided between the peasant
masses and the Boyars (nobles)
C. Kiev Becomes Orthodox
 957: member of the Kievan nobility paid a visit
to Constantinople and publicly converted to
Christianity…Princess Olga…ruled Kiev from 945
to 955, until her son took over, but he resisted
Christianity
 Olga’s Grandson, Vladimir, came to the throne
about 980, considered conversion to
Christianity
o Vladimir sent out advisors to observe major
religions of Islam, Judaism, Western
Christianity and Orthodox
o One legend: Vladimir didn’t want to follow
the authority of the pope, didn’t want to
follow the restriction of alcohol for Islam,
was most impressed with the splendor of
Byzantines, and the idea that the emperor
was the supreme ruler of the church
o Vladimir converted to Byzantine Christianity
and ordered his subjects to do as well in
989…baptized in Dnieper River
o Beliefs and traditions of Orthodox
Christianity flourished in Kiev
II. Kiev’s Power and Decline
 With ties to Byzantine, Kiev grew into an
impressive capital with educated people
 Russia’s first unified territory
A.
Kievan Russia
 Vladimir expanded the state into Poland and
almost to the Baltic Sea
 1019: Vladimir’s son, Yaroslav the Wise, took
over and led Kiev to greater glory
o Yaroslav married off his daughters and
sisters to gain political power and favor
o Marriages helped make trading alliances
with Western Europe
 Yaroslav created a legal code
o Built first library in Kiev
o Christianity prospered
o Kiev had about 400 churches by the 12th
century
B.Power struggles Bring on Kiev’s Decline
 Decline of the Kievan state began with the
death of Yaroslav in 1054
o Yaroslav divided his realm among his
sons…instead of just the eldest son…sons
tore apart the realm
o System of division continued with
successors
o Crusades disrupted trade for Kiev, and then
they got invaded by the Mongols
III. Mongol Invasions Favor the Rise of Moscow
 Mid 1200’s ferocious group of horsemen from
central Asia slashed their way into Russia
o Pastoral nomads: Mongols
o Unified under Genghis Khan
o Had a reputation for ruthless brutality
o When Genghis Khan died in 1227,
successors continued conquering
o Fullest extent: Mongol Empire stretched
from Yellow Sea to the Baltic Sea and from
the Himalayas to northern Russia
 1240: Mongols attacked and demolished Kiev
o Under leadership of Batu Khan (Genghis’s
grandson)
o Mongols then ruled all of southern Russia
for 200 years
o Empire named “Khanate of the Golden
Horde” (Kingdom/Royal color of
Mongols/Camp)
A.
Mongol Rule in Russia
 Under the Mongols, Russians could follow all of
their usual customs, as long as there was no
sign of rebellion
 Mongols tolerated all the religions in their
realms
 Church acted as mediator between people and
the Mongols…pacified oppressors…church
leaders said the Mongol occupation was
punishment for people’s sins
 Icons widely used
 Mongols demanded: slavish obedience and
massive amounts of tribute
o Local nobles collected the tribute…if money
was delivered, nobles could keep their titles
 Alexander Nevsky: Novgorod’s prince and
military hero, advised cooperation
 Russian nobles crushed the revolts against the
Mongols and collected taxes
 Mongol rule isolated the Russians from Western
Europe…transition of power to Moscow (tax
collection for the Mongols)
B.Mongol Rule Serves Moscow’s Interests
 Mongols helped to unify Russia…Kievan Russia
was independent principalities…Russia had to
unify to pay tribute
 Rise of Moscow, located near Volga, Dnieper,
and Don
 Late 1320’s, Moscow’s Prince Ivan I helped
crush a Russian revolt against Mongol
Rule…Mongols then appointed Ivan I as tax
collector of all the Slavic lands…and title of
“Great Prince”
 Ivan Moneybags
 Ivan also convinced the Patriarch of Kiev to
move to Moscow
C. An Empire Emerges
 Russian state became an empire during reign of
Ivan III (1462-1505)
o Ivan III married the niece of last Byzantine
emperor
o Began calling himself czar
o Russia (Moscow)= “Third Rome”
 1480: Ivan refused to pay the tribute to the
Mongols…bloodless standoff at Ugra
River…marched off