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[[File: Ancient_Rus.png|300px|thumbnail|left|Map Showing the Geographical Distribution of the Rus’ and Their Major Cities]]__NOTOC__
The city of KievKyiv, which is now the capital of the modern nation-state of Ukraine, was the most important of all the Rus’/Russ cities in the Middle Ages. Located on the Dnieper River about halfway between Constantinople and Scandinavia, Kiev Kyiv became a great trading post and cultural center, where Slavs, Scandinavians, Greeks, and others merged to create medieval Russian culture. As kingdoms began emerging in Western Europe during the late ninth and early tenth centuries that would comprise the major states of the Middle Ages, the people of Eastern Europe also consolidated their cities in order to battle the Magyars and Turkish hordes that threatened them from the nearby steppe.
In the midst of this often turbulent period, the principality of Kiev Kyiv became the most powerful of all the Rus’ states. According to <i>The Russian Primary Chronicle</i>, Kiev Kyiv was founded by Varangians (the Slavic term for Vikings) from Novgorod. The legendary Rurik is credited with being the progenitor of a dynasty that ruled KievKyiv, who are often thought to have “brought civilization” to southern Russia. The reality is that the formation of the Kievan Rus’ state came about through a hybridization of Scandinavian warrior merchants and native Slavs, who by all accounts were already quite civilized. The groups contributed to create one of the most stable, powerful, and economically prosperous states in Eastern Europe through a combination of aggressive military action, diplomacy, and commerce.
====The Early Rus’====
The pro-Nordic view of the Rus’ origins, which began with German scholars in the late 1700s and is still popular in some circles, interprets the <i>The Russian Primary Chronicle</i> literally, arguing that the Rus’ rulers were all from or directly descended from Vikings from eastern Sweden. They argue that since the names of the early Rus’ rulers were all Norse derived, then the Rus’ elite were Swedes. The pro-Nordic viewpoint is somewhat bolstered by the fact that hundreds of Viking graves have been excavated in Russia, which demonstrates that Norse presence was more than just an ephemeral elite Viking occupation. <ref> Rosedahl, Else. <i> The Vikings.</i> Translated by Susan M. Margeson and Kirsten Williams. Revised Edition. (London: Penguin, 1998), p. 288 </ref>
The reality is that the Rus’ were descended from Swedes and Slavs, and were influenced by Greek/Byzantine cultural, especially later. Although it is true that there are very few Norse words in the Russian lexicon, it is also true that the first princes of Kiev Kyiv were Scandinavian in origin, which can be seen in their names: Rurik, Oleg (Helgi), and Igor (Ingvar). <ref> Riasanovsky, Nicholas V. <i> A History of Russia.</i> Fifth Edition. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993), p. 24-27</ref> Once this unique cultural group began forming in the ninth century, it was not long before they exerted their political influence in the region.
It is important to know that medieval Rus’ were divided into several city-state type principalities that aligned and fought each other from time to time. There was no central Rus’ government, although several of the principalities would form federations that were led by the more powerful states. From an early point, it was clear that Novgorod was the preeminent force in the north while Kiev Kyiv dominated the south.
“In the year 6360 (852), the fifteenth of the indication, at the accession of the Emperor Michael, the land of Rus’ was first named. We have determined this date from the fact that in the reign of this Emperor Russes attacked Tsar’grad, as is written in the Greek Chronicle.” <ref> Cross, Samuel Hazzard, and Olgerd P. Serbowitz-Wetzor, eds, and trans. <i> The Russian Primary Chronicle: Laurentian Text.</i> (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Mediaeval Academy of America, 2012), p. 58</ref>
====Rurik’s Dynasty Comes to Power in Kiev====
[[File: Oleg_of_Novgorod.jpg|300px|thumbnail|left|Modern Depiction of Prince Oleg]]
According to <i>The Russian Primary Chronicle</i>, Kiev Kyiv was anarchic and in total disarray in 862. In response to the problems in their principality, the Slavs of Kiev Kyiv approached the Vikings of Novgorod to give them a king and order.
“They thus selected three brothers, with their kinsfolk, who took with them all the Russes and migrated. The oldest, Rurik, located himself in Novgorod; the second, Sineus, at Beloozero; and the third, Truvor, in Izborsk. On account of these Varangians, the district of Novgorod became known as the land of Rus’. The present inhabitants of Novgorod are descended from the Varangian race, but aforetime they were Slavs.” <ref> Cross and Serbowitz-Wetzor, pgs. 59-60</ref>
The text interestingly notes that although the Rurik and his descendants began as Norse, they eventually became Slavs. The stability that Rurik was supposed to bring to KievKyiv, though, did not immediately happen. Rurik’s young son Igor, the crown prince, was usurped, so his regent Oleg (ruled 879-912) captured Kiev Kyiv on his behalf. <ref> Riasonovsky, p. 27</ref> Oleg was a vigorous ruler who laid the groundwork for a solid Kievan state that was built on the pillars of a strong military, active diplomacy with the other Rus’ states and Byzantium, and free commerce.
Oleg decided to establish Kiev’s Kyiv’s power through the sword before extending the olive branch. In order to gain the respect of the other Rus’ principalities, as well as other Eastern European kingdoms, Oleg put together an army of Slavic and Varangian warriors and conducted a large-scale Viking raid on Constantinople in 907.
“He arrived before Tsar’grad, but the Greeks fortified the strait and closed up the city. Oleg disembarked upon the shore, and ordered his soldiery to beach the ships. They waged war around the city, and accomplished much slaughter of the Greeks. They also destroyed many palaces and burned the churches. Of the prisoners they captured, some they beheaded, some they tortured, some they shot, and still others they cast into the sea. . . Retiring thus a short distance from the city, Oleg concluded a peace with the Greek Emperors Leo and Alexander, and sent into the city to them Karl, Farulf, Verumund, Hrollaf, and Steinvith, with instructions to receive the tribute.” <ref> Cross and Serbowitz-Wetzor, p. 64</ref>
The transition from Oleg to Igor was relatively smooth, which further helped stabilize the nascent Kyiv state. There were no rival claimants to the throne and Igor was apparently content to learn the nuances of statecraft and warfare from Oleg. Igor observed the peace with Byzantium for most of his reign, but in 941 he led a major Viking raid against Constantinople with 10,000 men. The longships had the early advantage, although they were eventually routed when the Byzantine forces used their mysterious “Greek fire.” <ref> Cross and Wetzor, pgs. 71-72</ref> The defeat forced Igor to reevaluate his position, so he signed a new peace treaty with Byzantium in 945. The treaty left Igor’s son and successor, Sviatoslav I (ruled 945-972) in a solid political position. By the time Sviatoslav I became the Prince of Kyiv, the geopolitical situation was changing rapidly throughout Europe.
The Scandinavian Vikings were slowly but surely becoming Christianized in Western Europe and the Rus’ too were beginning to adopt Christianity. Although Sviatoslav I was a pagan just as his predecessors were, due to the influence of Byzantium more and more Rus’ were converting to Orthodox Christianity. Although Sviatoslav I retained his pagan beliefs and continued to do Viking raids, his rule marked the beginning of a transition for KievKyiv. Unlike his predecessors, Sviatoslav I’s name was purely Slavic and while he was not afraid to use force, and did so against numerous peoples in Eastern Europe, he was more of a “merchant prince” <ref> Riasonovsky, p. 44</ref> than a Viking warlord when it came to the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII noted in his history of Eastern Europe how Sviatoslav I controlled the Dnieper River and Rus’ commerce.
“The ‘monoxyla’ which come down from outer Russia to Constantinople are from Novgorod, where Sviatoslav, son of Igor, prince of Russia, had his seat, and others from the city of Smolensk and from Telituza and Chernigov and from Vyshegrad. All these come down the river Dnieper, and are collected together at the city of Kyiv, also called Sambatas. . . And since these lakes debouch into the river Dnieper, they enter thence on to this same river, and come down to KievKyiv, and draw the ships along to be finished and sell them to the Russians. <ref> Porphyrogenitus, Constantine. <i> De Administrando Imperio.</i> Edited by Gyula Moravcsik. Translated by Romilly J. H. Jenkins. Revised Edition. (Washington: Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies, 2016), IX, 1-15 </ref>
====Conclusion====
The principality of Kiev Kyiv was one of the most important Eastern European states during the Middle Ages. It would become a center of commerce and high culture and later spread Orthodox Christianity north to Moscow and other Russian cities. Kiev Kyiv became important when Viking raiders and Slavic natives combined to form the Rus’ ethnic group in the ninth century and then built a powerful, stable political dynasty. The early Kiev Kyiv princes established their reputation and foothold in Eastern Europe by carefully balancing warfare, diplomacy, and commerce with the older and more powerful Byzantine Empire.
