Christianization of the Rus, 988 Subject Russian Principalities, 1240-1380






Russian Principalities, 988-1240



The constitution of Kievan Rus resembled that of 12th and 13th century Poland. They had a SENIORATE. The country was divided in a number of principalities, the center of which were cities, most importantly Kiev, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl, Smolensk, Polock, Vladimir-Suzdal, Murom-Ryazan and Novgorod. Every prince would be given a principality, the eldest prince would reside in Kiev and have authority over the others. The Dnjepr and Volkhov rivers (the latter flowing through Novgorod) were the arteries of Kievan Rus.
By 1136, Novgorod in the North had gained a semi-independent status. The city-state was declared an autokephal exarchate, exempting it from the ecclesiastic jurisdiction of Kiev. Novgorod was the estern end of a trading network that spanned across the Baltic, and further across the North Sea. At that time it was dominated by the Gotlanders, but traders from Novgorod participated in that trade and actively sailed the Baltic Sea.
In Finland and in Livonia, the principality of Novgorod was defending itself against the pressing Swedes and Livonian knights. In the east, the princes of Vladimir-Suzdal pressed against Volga Bulgaria. In the south, Kiev itself was close to the steppe lands, and frequently at odds with the Patzinaks respectively their successors, the Polovcis (Cumans). The Rus had conquered outposts on the Black Sea, the exclaves of Olech (on the mouth of the Dnjepr), Sarkel (on the lower Don) and Tmutarakan (East of the Crimea), to which they were able to hold on to for decades.


Kievan Rus' Rulers of the Rurikid Dynasty, 988-1240
978-1015
1015-1016
1016-1017
1017-1019
1019-1054
1054-1073
1076-1077
1077-1078
1078-1093
1093-1113
1113-1125
1125-1132
1132-1139
1139-1146
1146-1146
1146-1149
1149-1150
1150-1150
1150-1151
1151-1154
1154-1157
1157-1158
1158-1167
1167-1169
1169-1175
1173-1176
1175-1176
1176-1212
1212-1216
1216-1218
1218-1238
1238-1246 		Vladimir the Great
Swyatopolk
Yaroslav
Swyatopolk (2nd time)
Yaroslav (2nd time)
Izyaslav
Swyatoslav
Vsevolod
Izyaslav (2nd time)
Vsevolod (2nd time)
Swyatopolk
Vladimir Monomach
Mstislav the Great
Jaropolk
Vsevolod
Igor
Izyaslav
Yuri
Izyaslav (2nd time)
Yuri (2nd time)
Izyaslav (3rd time)
Yuri (3rd time)
Izyaslav
Rostislav
Mstislav
Vladimir Andrey Bogolyubski
Michail
Vsevolod
Yuri
Konstantin
Yuri (2nd time)
Jaroslav




EXTERNAL
FILES 		Chronology of Russian History, Kievan and Apanage Periods, from bucknell, linked detailed timetable
DOCUMENTS
REFERENCE Kievan Rus, in : John Channon and Robert Hudson, The Penguin Historical Atlas of Russia, London : Penguin 1995, pp.22-23
Klaus-Jürgen Matz, Regententabellen zur Weltgeschichte, Muenchen : dtv 1980


This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2000, last revised on November 8th 2004

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