Kievan Rus'
Ukraine, 882 CE–1240. Draft, not yet reviewed
Kievan Rus' was the first East Slavic state and, later, an amalgam of principalities, in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century. Kievan Rus' reached its greatest extent under Yaroslav the Wise, and his sons issued its first written legal code, the Russkaya Pravda, shortly after his death. The state began to decline in the late 11th century, gradually disintegrating into various rival regional powers throughout the 12th century. It finally fell to the Mongol invasion in the mid-13th century.
Seat of power: Kyiv
Rulers
Oleg the Wise
Grand Prince of Kiev, 882 CE–912 CE
Oleg the Wise was a Varangian prince of the Rus' who became prince of Kiev, and laid the foundations of the Kievan Rus' state. According to the Primary Chronicle, he subdued many of the East Slavic tribes to his rule, extending his control from Novgorod to the south along the Dnieper river. Oleg also launched a successful attack on Constantinople.
Portrait of Oleg the Wise: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Igor of Kiev
Grand Prince of Kiev, 912 CE–945 CE
Igor was Prince of Kiev from 912 to 945. Traditionally, he is considered to be the son of Rurik, who established himself at Novgorod.
Portrait of Igor of Kiev: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Sviatoslav I of Kiev
Grand Prince of Kiev, 945 CE–972 CE
He is known for his persistent campaigns in the east and south, which precipitated the collapse of two great powers in Eastern Europe, Khazaria and the First Bulgarian Empire. Sviatoslav remained a staunch pagan all of his life.
Portrait of Sviatoslav I of Kiev: Yevgeny Lansere, Public domain, file
Yaropolk I of Kiev
Grand Prince of Kiev, 972 CE–978 CE
Yaropolk was given Kiev by his father Sviatoslav, who left on a military campaign against the Danube Bulgars. Yaropolk became the sole ruler of Rus'. In 978, Vladimir returned with the Varangian mercenaries and attacked Yaropolk.
Portrait of Yaropolk I of Kiev: Радзивилловская летопись, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Vladimir the Great
Grand Prince of Kiev, 978 CE–1015
Vladimir assembled a Varangian army and returned to depose Yaropolk in 978. By 980, Vladimir had consolidated his realm to the Baltic Sea and solidified the frontiers against incursions of Bulgarians, Baltic tribes and Eastern nomads. Vladimir converted to Christianity in 988 and Christianized the Kievan Rus.
Portrait of Vladimir the Great: Влад Федченко, Public domain, file
Yaroslav the Wise
Grand Prince of Kiev, 1016–1054
As the Grand Prince of Kiev, Yaroslav focused on foreign policy, forming alliances with Scandinavian countries and weakening Byzantine influence on Kiev. Yaroslav also defended his state against nomadic tribes such as the Pechenegs by constructing a line of forts. He was a patron of literary culture, sponsoring the construction of Saint Sophia Cathedral in 1037 and promoting the first work of Old East Slavic literature by Hilarion of Kiev.
Portrait of Yaroslav the Wise: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Iziaslav I of Kiev
Grand Prince of Kiev, 1054–1073
Iziaslav was one of the authors of the Pravda of Yaroslav's Descendants, a part of the first legal code of the Russkaya Pravda. He is also credited with the foundation of the Kiev Pechersk Monastery.
Portrait of Iziaslav I of Kiev: Unknown authorUnknown author, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Vsevolod I of Kiev
Grand Prince of Kiev, 1076–1093
Together with his elder brothers Iziaslav and Sviatoslav he formed a sort of princely triumvirate which jointly waged war on the steppe nomads, Polovtsy, and compiled the Russkaya Pravda, the first law code of the state.
Portrait of Vsevolod I of Kiev: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Sviatopolk II of Kiev
Grand Prince of Kiev, 1093–1113
He was not a popular prince, and his reign was marked by incessant rivalry with his cousin Vladimir Monomakh. Although he participated in the princely congresses organized by Vladimir Monomakh, he is sometimes charged with encouraging internecine wars among Rurikid princes.
Portrait of Sviatopolk II of Kiev: Лобачев Владимир, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
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Vladimir II Monomakh
Grand Prince of Kiev, 1113–1125
Prince Monomakh distinguished himself in 83 large-scale campaigns into Polovtsian lands. He is considered a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Portrait of Vladimir II Monomakh: Печать Владимира II Мономаха, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Mstislav I of Kiev
Grand Prince of Kiev, 1125–1132
After his death, the state began to quickly disintegrate into rival principalities. He would also erect important churches in Kiev, notably his family sepulchre at Berestovo and the church of the Assumption of the Mother of God in Podol.
Portrait of Mstislav I of Kiev: Skoropadsky, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Yaropolk II of Kiev
Grand Prince of Kiev, 1132–1139
Yaropolk received the crown of Kiev. Yaropolk had to deal with the many interests of his family, most of all his powerful half brother Yuri Dolgoruki.
Portrait of Yaropolk II of Kiev: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Vsevolod II of Kiev
Grand Prince of Kiev, 1139–1146
Though he had two sons, Vsevolod's chosen successor was his brother, Igor, and he obtained pledges from his subjects to accept Igor as his heir. Shortly before his death, Vsevolod became a monk under the name Gavriil.
Portrait of Vsevolod II of Kiev: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Iziaslav II of Kiev
Grand Prince of Kiev, 1146–1154
Iziaslav was Grand Prince of Kiev. He is the founder of the Iziaslavichi branch of Rurikid princes in Volhynia.
Portrait of Iziaslav II of Kiev: Unknown authorUnknown author, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Sviatoslav III of Kiev
Grand Prince of Kiev, 1176–1194
He succeeded in taking the Kievan throne from Yaroslav II, and ruled Kiev alongside Rurik Rostislavich until his death. The co-princedom did not go smoothly and there were disagreements between Sviatoslav and Rurik.
Portrait of Sviatoslav III of Kiev: Anonymous Russian manuscript illuminators, 1560-1570s Facial Chronicle (Illustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible) (..., Public domain, file
Culture
- Yaroslav promulgated the first law code of Kievan Rus', the Russkaya Pravda, and is said to have founded a school system. The Russkaya Pravda confined punishments to fines and generally did not use capital punishment.
- Vladimir the Great spread Christianity with his own baptism and, by decree, extended it to all inhabitants of Kiev and beyond.
- Literacy in Kiev, Novgorod and other large cities was high.
- The first Kyivan Rus' library was established in the cathedral by Yaroslav the Wise in 1037.
Picture
The Saint Sophia Cathedral was built as a metropolitan cathedral for Kyiv during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise.
Image: Rbrechko, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
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Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.