Kievan Rus'

medieval history · Eastern Europe · Slavic culture · ancient kingdoms

Founded by Vikings. Kievan Rus' was started by a Varangian prince named Rurik, who came from the north, and his family, the Rurik dynasty, ruled the land for centuries.

Massive territory. At its biggest around the year 1000, Kievan Rus' stretched all the way from the White Sea in the frozen north to the Black Sea in the south, covering an enormous chunk of Eastern Europe.

Kiev was the heart. The state was named after its most important city, Kiev (now Kyiv), which was the powerful center where the rulers made their decisions and where merchants came to trade.

Mixed peoples ruled. Kievan Rus' brought together East Slavic tribes, Norse Vikings, and Finnic peoples, creating a blend of different cultures and traditions under one government.

Eventually fell apart. By the mid-13th century, Kievan Rus' broke up into separate principalities, and later invasions from the Mongols made it impossible for the old kingdom to stay united.