Tsars, Saints, & Serfs Review

The Scythians

8th & 7th centuries BCE

Nomadic people who migrates West of Central Asia

Settled Ukraine & Southern Russia

Traded with Greeks

Renowned for gold craftsmanship

Among the first horsemen

Kyivan Rus

880-1054

Split into several principalities

Two meanings for name:

People of Rurik who settled in the Kyivan region

The place that the Rurikid line oversees

Russian Primary Chronicle

1040-1118

Detailed account of Kyivan Rus

Account of Eastern Slavs that lived in the region

Compiled by Christian monks

Written significantly after events of recording

Rurik

Varangian prince

Sailed down the river with his people: The Rus

Comes to rule over the people of Novgorod

"Invited" to rule over them as protection from political turmoil and threats from neighbors

Semilegendary

Starts Rurikid Dynasty

First dynasty in Russian history

St. Princess Olga

945-964

Wife of late Igor, son of Rurik

One of only 5 women considered to be a saint "equal to the apostles"

Funds Christian churches to be built in Rus

Unsuccessfully tries to convert her son, Sviatoslav

Heavily influences her grandson, Vladimir I

Lowers tribute required to allow for more growth

Saints Cyril and Methodius

Brothers and Byzantine Monks

Invented Cyrillic alphabet in attempt to convert Pagan Slavs to Christianity

Vladimir I

Was ruling in Novgorod when his father died

Moves to Kyiv (seat of power)

Consolidates power, strengthening the principality

Grand Prince of Kyiv

Marries into Byzantine royal family

Converts to Christianity

988

Vladimir Christianized Rus' with a mass baptism

Byzantium (Early Constantinople)

Has massive influence on origins of Russian history

Influence continues to modern era

Mother of God Vladimir

Painted in Constantinople and moved to Kyiv in 1131

Moved to Vladimir in 1155

Finally moves to Moscow in 1395

Movement signaled shift of power

Boris and Gleb

Early 1000s

First saints canonized in Kievan Rus' after its Christianization

Sons of Vladimir I

Heirs in line for the Kyivan throne

Murdered by their brother Sviatopolk during the Kyivan succession crisis

Instead of resisting, they sacrificed themselves to prevent a civil war, akin to Jesus

Veche

Male townspeople who occupied the principality

Convene only when there is a problem

Could sway a policy or prince

Held a small amount of power

Yaroslav "the Wise"

1019-1054

Golden Age of Rus'

Constructed Cathedral of St. Sophia in Kyiv

Making Kyiv a religious center

Creates first law code of Rus'

Russkaya Pravda

Fails to fix system of succession

Initiates lateral succession

Estate moves from brother-brother

Vladimir II Monomakh

1053-1125

Yaroslav's grandson

Mother was a Byzantine princess

Maintains Golden Age

Founder of Northern city of Vladimir

In 1113, pressured by Veche to take throne in Kyiv

Perun

Pagan god of thunder and lightning

God of War

Chief god in the pantheon

Damp Mother Earth

Worshipped by commoners

Veneration of the earth

Baba Yaga

Repulsive old witch

Eats children

Rides mortar and pestle through forest

Sometimes villain, sometimes helper, sometimes neutral

Presents impossible tasks to the hero

Domovoi

Friendly spirit in folk tradition

House spirit

Protector of the house and farm

Can appear in a multitude of forms

Mischevious when upset

Most active at night, responsible for the creaking of the house

Rusalki

Slavic mermaids

Spirits were once unbaptized, stilborn children & drowned maidens

Threat to women but often not to men

Lived in places under the water

Leshi

Forest spirits

Very frightening

Often kidnap children and young women

Can change the forest paths, leading victims astray

Dvoeverie - Double Belief

Mixing of traditional pagan/folk lore beliefs with Christian practices & values

Practiced by peasants, more important in lower echelons of society

Opposed by Orthodox Church

Also higher elites

Icon

Religion painting in Orthodox culture revered by followers

Do not pursue realism in artstyle

Represents a biblical story or religious figure

Iconoclast Controversy

Starting in 726

Attack on the use of icons by Leo III as idolatry

Persecution of those who venerated icons

Destruction of many icons

Iconoclast - meaning "breaker of icons"

Kyivan Cave Monastery

1051

Founded by monk St. Anthony

Living quarters and chapels underground

Cathedral and large complex aboveground

In the necropolis rest many famous leaders and religious figures from the medieval period onward

The Great Schism

1054

Split between East (Orthodox) and West (Latin) churches

Cultural, linguistic, and politics differences

Iconoclast controversy deepened divide

Two main issues: Papal claims and Filioque

Rome - the Pope first, in the East, the pope was seen as first among equals

Filioque - creed of "Father," "Son," and "Holy Spirit"

Andrei Rublev

1360-1430

Among the most famous icon & fresco painters in Moscow

When painter was supposed to be inconsequential

Creates new style of icon painting

Departure from Byzantine style sets the Russian lands apart

Painted The Trinity

The Mongol-Tartar Yoke

Starting in 13th century

300 year period of Mongol control over Kyivan Rus'

Marked end of Kyivan power

Left a lasting impact on the region and people

United tribes form the Golden Horde and expand into the Mongolian Empire, taking parts of China and moving steadily West

Timujin

Genghis Khan

Mongol chieftain who united and subordinated the different tribes in Mongolia

Batu Khan

Inherits the region of Rus'

Invades it in 1237-40

Established Mongol government in the cities, named Mongol-Tater Yoke

Installed princes with a Yarlyk (right to rule) who were subjugated to Mongol authority

Mostly followed Kyivan Rurikid line, but subject to Mongol discretion

Each prince assigned a Mongol tribute collector and a viceroy, who gathered population census data

Effectively put an end to the succession crisis

Novgorod

Never invaded by Mongols

Instead they sent diplomatic emissaries to the city

Alexander Nevsky

1200s

Prince of Novgorod

Skillful negotiator

Managed to prevent Mongol invasion of Novgorod and remain independent

Birchbark Documents of Novgorod

13th and 14th centuries

Documents made of birchbark and preserved due to climate and conditions

Contain personal messages, love letters, religious writings, commercial receipts, complaints, and administrative content

The "Kremlin" or "Kreml'"

Located in Moscow

Name for fortress wall surrounding main are

Translates to "fortress"

Third Rome Theory

First Rome - Rome

Second Rome - Constantinople

Third Rome - Moscow

Ivan III "The Great"

1462-1505

First Tsar

Slavonic word for "Caesar"

Declares him "sovereign of all Rus'"

Expands territory under Moscow's control

Takes Novgorod

Created a single, national army

The Sudebnik of 1497

First law code since Kyivan Rus'

Established by Ivan III

Provided legal norms for theft, murder, land ownership, and slavery

Standardized legal procedures and fees

Ivan IV "The Terrible"

(1533-1583)

Ivan "Grozny"

"Grozny" from Russian word for thunder, meaning awe-inspiring

Grandson of Ivan III

Boyars

From aristocratic families, next to princes

Streltsy

Sharp Shooters

The Oprichnina

1565

Elite administrative force

Oprichniki carried a broom and a dog's head; dressed in all black

At order of the tsar, they arrested and executed people suspected of disloyalty

Terrorized the general population

First secret police

Terem

Separate living quarters for women required by Ivan IV

Boris Godunov

Fyodor's brother in law

Was on council that advised Fyodor

Member of Oprichnina

Orchestrates his own election

Rumors spread that he had Dmitrii killed

The Time of Troubles (1598-1613)

Russia nearly ceased to exist

Caused by death of Ivan IV's son, Fyodor, leaving no successor

Political turmoil

Economic depression

Resulted from Oprichnina's abuses

Cossack rebellion

⅓ of population perished

First False Dmitrii

In 1603, young man comes from Poland claiming to be Dmitrii

Defrocked monk

Invaded Russia in 1604

Bribes Ivan IV's widow to recognize him as her son

1054

The Great Schism