It finally fell to the Mongol invasion in the mid-13th century, though the Rurik dynasty would continue to rule until the death of Feodor I of Russia in 1598. It was further weakened by external factors, such as the decline of the Byzantine Empire, its major economic partner, and the accompanying diminution of trade routes through its territory. The state began to decline in the late 11th century, gradually disintegrating into various rival regional powers throughout the 12th century. Kievan Rus' reached its greatest extent under Yaroslav the Wise ( r. 1019–1054) his sons assembled and issued its first written legal code, the Russkaya Pravda, shortly after his death. Vladimir the Great ( r. 980–1015) spread Christianity with his own baptism and, by decree, extended it to all inhabitants of Kiev and beyond. Sviatoslav I ( r. 943–972) achieved the first major territorial expansion of the state, fighting a war of conquest against the Khazars. He extended his control from Novgorod south along the Dnieper river valley to protect trade from Khazar incursions from the east, and took control of the city of Kiev ( Kyiv). Īccording to the Primary Chronicle, the first ruler to start uniting East Slavic lands into what would become Kievan Rus' was Prince Oleg ( r. 879–912). At its greatest extent in the mid-11th century, Kievan Rus' stretched from the White Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south and from the headwaters of the Vistula in the west to the Taman Peninsula in the east, uniting the East Slavic tribes. The modern nations of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine all claim Kievan Rus' as their cultural ancestor, with Belarus and Russia deriving their names from it. Encompassing a variety of polities and peoples, including East Slavic, Norse, and Finnic, it was ruled by the Rurik dynasty, founded by the Varangian prince Rurik. List of figures List of maps List of contributors Acknowledgements PART 1: Rus’ and Northern Europe "The Widow Princess of Minsk" - Inés García de la Puente "Anna, A Woman of Novgorod" - Eve Levin "Prince Vladimir of Pskov" - Anti Selart Mother of a Tribal Häme Warrior – Kuutamo Hyväneuvo - Mari Isoaho "From Butcher to Saint: The Improbable Life and Fate of Vaišvilkas/Vojšelk/Lavryš/Elisej of Lithuania and Black Rus' (? -1267)" - David Goldfrank PART 2: Eurasian Steppe "The Rare and Excellent History of Konchak (A Polovtsian Chieftain)" - Donald Ostrowski "Sübedei Ba’atar: Portait of a Mongol General" - Timothy May PART 3: Byzantium and South Eastern Europe "Anna Komnene: Princess, Historian, & Conspirator?" - Leonora Neville "Angel on Earth and Heavenly Man-St.Kievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus' ( Old East Slavic: Роусь, romanized: Rusĭ, or роусьскаѧ землѧ, rusĭskaę zemlę, 'Rus' land' Old Norse: Garðaríki), was a state and later an amalgam of principalities in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century. Accompanied by a new and interactive companion website, it is the perfect teaching aid to support and excite students of medieval Eastern Europe. By using primary sources to construct the lives of, and give a voice to, the types of people who existed within medieval European history, Portraits of Medieval Eastern Europe provides a highly accessible introduction to the period. A range of different narrative styles are also used throughout the book, from omniscient third-person narrators to diary entries, letters, and travel accounts. Among the figures are both imagined and historical characters, including the Byzantine Princess Anna Porphyrogenita, a Jewish traveller, a slave, the Mongol general Sübodei, a woman from Novgorod, and a Rus’ pilgrim. Each chapter explores a different figure and together they present snapshots of life across a wide range of different social backgrounds. Moving beyond the usual boundaries of speculative history, the book presents innovative and creative interpretations of the people, places, and events of medieval Eastern Europe and provides an insight into medieval life from Scandinavia to Byzantium. Portraits of Medieval Eastern Europe provides imagined biographies of twenty different figures from all walks of life living in Eastern Europe from 900 to 1400.
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