Study Guide For Exam Questions Question 6: Olga-955-Baptized. She was a calculating women with political ambitions.

Learned that the Byzantium Church had many competitors and helped the secular authorities in many ways. Christianity-holding the people in thrall and attempted to make it nobler for Christian authority. Perhaps already a Christian, but baptized in a more political fashion. Had originally gone to Constantinople for better trading terms. Efforts on Russia they sent out Byzantium missionariesand Byzantium designs and artisans enter Russia. Also, rise in literacy-with Cyrillic. Missionaries-talked about heaven/hell with Russians. Also brought/exploited superior tech. Christianity-threatened shamans with loss of power and social standing-and also loss of income. Then there was an interim until the grandson, Vladimir was given Anna to be wed. But given stipulation that he would have to convert to Christianity-something he was hesitant about. Choice was used to help ingratiate Russias ruler with the Emperor. Also to wean subjects from addiction to Perun. Byzantine Commonwealth-of Christain Orthodoxy-1st priests were Greek-but now there were more Russians who were literate and becoming part of the Russian Church hierarchy being formed.Russian rulers sought legimitazation by presenting themselves in the manner of Byzantine emperors-as well as virtue of Christianity. Vladimir's choice of Eastern Orthodoxy reflected his close personal ties with Constantinople, which dominated the Black Sea and hence trade on Kiev's most vital commercial route, the Dnepr River. Adherence to the Eastern Orthodox Church had long-range political, cultural, and religious consequences. The church had a liturgy written in Cyrillic and a corpus of translations from the Greek that had been produced for the South Slavs. The existence of this literature facilitated the East Slavs' conversion to Christianity and introduced them to rudimentary Greek philosophy, science, and historiography without the necessity of learning Greek. In contrast, educated people in medieval Western and Central Europe learned Latin. Because the East Slavs learned neither Greek nor Latin, they were isolated from Byzantine culture as well as from the European cultures of their neighbors to the west. Concerning Hilarions Eulogy: He conjured up imagery of Solomon completing Davids work just as Vladimir has built further on Orthodox foundation. He surrounded the north and Kiev with grandeur of East Orthodox Christianity. He lived a testimony-a life that reflects his faith. He talks about how he passed on his fait and tradition to the next generation-and the following ones after that. Vladimir's motives for eventual conversion to Christianity - as well as the events leading up to it - are shrouded in mystery. Why should this proud warrior and reveller (referred to by the German chronicler Bishop Thietmar of Merseburg as a fornicator immensus et crudelis) adopt a faith that he and his father had rejected as going against the grain of pagan manliness? First of all there are the political considerations. By becoming Christian, Russia would be the youngest nation to join a powerful Byzantine commonwealth on equal term: the Eastern Roman empire
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would have acquired a civilized ally rather than having to live with a huge yet barbarian enemy. The political element in the adoption of Christianity was symbolized by Vladimir's marriage to the Byzantine Princess Anna. And then there are the spiritual and cultural reasons. Christianity had already existed in Kievan Russia for several generations and there was a danger of becoming alienated from his subjects should Vladimir cling tenaciously to the old pagan gods. One could indeed argue that after rigorous enquiry into the viability of other faiths (among the contenders for those wishing to satisfy Vladimir's spiritual search were Khazar Jews and Bulgar Muslims), Vladimir opted to speed up and complete a process that had become irrevocable in previous generations. So Vladimir accepted Christian baptism from the Byzantine Church c.988 at the southern Greek trading town of Chersones on the Black Sea. Question #4 By the 13th century, Kiev and southern Russia had been taken over by the Mongols. The mongols also ruled most of what Russia was-and encouraged them to not enter the steppe region. By denying the Russians access to the steppe, they were forced to look elsewhere for resources and growth. There began an internal migration to the north in the mid Vulga region. Also, they were being threatened by the rising power of Lithuania, who was expanding west. Despite the Mongols having taken over by the 13th century Russia-they still were looking for an extension of agriculture. Although Novgorod was doing well at the time, its soil was not good enough to support a rising army. Moscow was situatied geographically in a position where it could provide the logistics-being close to so many ports, as well as the soil and logistics for providing food to the army. There was an increase in food production and human fertility. A rising birth rate-that allowed Moscow to be the best able to adapt to the changes. The commerce that passed between the rivers in the basin of the mid and upper Volga provided an ideal situation for the rise of the Muscovites. Russia became more effective as they were concentrated up north and united. It encouraged institutional development directly and indirectly. The power and role of the cChurch ws enhanced-not only a source of spiritual solace and welfare-but as an economic organizer. The Church became wealtier as people gave it more money to absolve them of their sins. Also instrumental in their situation-they had territorial expansion into the interirorwhich was underway already and promoted further colonization. There was through the church a monastic movement-amaking contributions to the territorial and economic development that much more impressive. With the rise of Lithuania-Russia migrated to avoid in with them, exploiting a situation to their best advantage-confronting occasionally. Also, with the Tartars in power-Russians were able to open up trade routes with the Arabian peninsula-since the Tarts (some of them) converted to Islam-which gave them more trade. Also, Grand Princes were given powers that eseentially made them like what bashaks once werethey acted as the chief tax agent-for the Tartas-and it gave them an advantage. If given that power-which gave them an exceptionalism that others were vying for-rival princes for instancethey actually were able to accrue more favor with the Tartars and thus not have to worry as much about being ousted (based on the outdated appangee system). The development of the Russian state can be traced from Vladimir-Suzdal' through Muscovy to the Russian Empire. Muscovy drew people and wealth to the northeastern periphery of Kievan
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Rus'; established trade links to the Baltic Sea, the White Sea, and the Caspian Sea and to Siberia; and created a highly centralized and autocratic political system. Muscovite political traditions, therefore, exerted a powerful influence on Russian society. In the fourteenth century, the grand princes of Muscovy began gathering Russian lands to increase the population and wealth under their rule. The most successful practitioner of this process was Ivan III (the Great; r. 1462-1505), who conquered Novgorod in 1478 and Tver' in 1485. Muscovy gained full sovereignty over the ethnically Russian lands in 1480 when Mongol overlordship ended officially, and by the beginning of the sixteenth century virtually all those lands were united. Through inheritance, Ivan obtained part of the province of Ryazan', and the princes of Rostov and Yaroslavl' voluntarily subordinated themselves to him. The northwestern city of Pskov remained independent in this period, but Ivan's son, Vasiliy III (r. 1505-33), later conquered it. Ivan III was the first Muscovite ruler to use the titles of tsar and "Ruler of all Rus'." Ivan competed with his powerful northwestern rival Lithuania for control over some of the semiindependent former principalities of Kievan Rus' in the upper Dnepr and Donets river basins. Through the defections of some princes, border skirmishes, and a long, inconclusive war with Lithuania that ended only in 1503, Ivan III was able to push westward, and Muscovy tripled in size under his rule. Ivan IV was crowned tsar and thus was recognized, at least by the Orthodox Church, as emperor. An Orthodox monk had claimed that, once Constantinople had fallen to the Ottoman Empire in 1453, the Muscovite tsar was the only legitimate Orthodox ruler and that Moscow was the Third Rome because it was the final successor to Rome and Constantinople, the centers of Christianity in earlier periods. That concept was to resonate in the self-image of Russians in future centuries. Despite the domestic turmoil of Ivan's late period, Muscovy continued to wage wars and to expand. Ivan defeated and annexed the Kazan' Khanate on the middle Volga in 1552 and later the Astrakhan' Khanate, where the Volga meets the Caspian Sea. These victories gave Muscovy access to the entire Volga River and to Central Asia. Muscovy's eastward expansion encountered relatively little resistance. In 1581 the Stroganov merchant family, interested in fur trade, hired a Cossack leader, Yermak, to lead an expedition into western Siberia. Yermak defeated the Siberian Khanate and claimed the territories west of the Ob' and Irtysh rivers for Muscovy. Under Ivan III- incredible territorial expansion-in the late 15th century-he secured all novgorods northern territories-fr as the east and west banks of the Whites Sea, and the lands of Great Perm eastward. Ob-which bordered the frontier with Siberia. Brought more native peoples under his rule-and the city state of Tver-which had been blocking Moscows path to the north. Novgorod was crushed, and its constitution, which incorporated liberties for the propertied element overridden. Iaroslavl Viatka were annexed-and stopped a final attempt by the Golden Horde to push Muscovy in 1480. The fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453 further solidified their position as the Third Rome.

Ivan III was the architect of the Muscovite state-and gave it the ability to become an empire. He established relations with other countries that were quite powerful. He made Muscovy a European power to be reckoned with. Included in the relation he established-were with Ottoman Turkey, Poland-Lithuania and the Tatars, and exchanged embassies with Denmark, Venice, Georgia, Hungary, and the Holy Roman Emperor. Also was able to run into some luck. Had the death of his first wife-opened up door to find another woman. The proposed marriage came between Ivan and Zoe Palaeologue-the daughter of the Despot of Morea and niece of Constantinoples last emperor. Syjbolicially associated his wifes imperial association for his ownpretensions. He did this by adopting the double-headed eagle as his insignia. There was rebellion going on-or divided groups in Novgorod with their allegiance to Ivan III. Finally, after some bickering-they agreed to accede to his demands. Ivan got the lands of Torzhok-which included an important portage and gave access to Novgoord and also allowed him to seal off Tver. He also received over 30K acres and half the land property of its 6 largest monasteries-totaling over 100k acres. Russia also extended their reach aboroad under Ivan III. They were quite different from Europe and usually the Orthodox Church encouraged an aversion to things foreign. Despite the gap-he was able to get the hep ofrom Greek immigrants. These were the two Trakhaniot brothers-who served the Byzantine emperor-the Rhallis, the Angelos,the Laskaris-and others who were familiar with imperial protocol and instutions. Staff resources were being stretched by those who served in various functions and positions in the Russian government. This included translators (Latin) and others who devised meticulous filing methods. These filing methods became instrumental in seeing policy on certain issues from other countries-as well as keeping track of their alliances, etc. This included things like forming an alliance with Denmark against Sweden, formulating new policies towards the Hanseatic League of north-German commercial cities and dealing with the successor states of the Golden Horde. Besides the language barriers, Russians did not know how to propertly behave (their etiquette) with the other countries. They had to learn and experience the proper protocol. Russia however, despite their reputation for violence and having a supposed boorish society with a tendency to anarchy-was able to put routins in place for managing the foreign relations. The Russians thus never took anything for granted, were able to keep abreast of the European diplomatic system-which by 1500 was still in the process of formation. So, the late 1400s saw the foundation of Muscovys foreign service and intelligence gathering system. Their department of foreign affairs would be established in the 1500s to help aid them. Thus, their systems were developed into an essential and effective instrument in building Russias empires. Militarily, Russia was also keeping up. Muscovy had a well-armed and organized army. Their cavalry was supplied with horses from Tatary as well as Russia. Their infantry was also equipped with the latest Western tech-including the latest tpe of crossbow out of Germany and firearms.

The Russians-by the 1400s-began to retain the services of independent Tatar groups=to give early warning of a raiding partys approach. The cost was low and it helped extend the area safe for agriculture=so it brought them economic benefits as well. Rising taxe became a good thing-since in this case-landlords had increased their demands of serfs and tenants-peasants had to work harder-more and brought under the plough. Because ivans increased demands had to be paid in coin-the princes and boyars had to produce a surplus for sale from their estates rathr than consuming it-and deploy the labour more rationally. Muscovites-also faced diverse adversaries from kazan and the crimea-so had to have strong and flexible army as well as a shrewd choice of allies. They pitted the golden horde gainst each other after their break up into tiny groups. Ivan III-(The great)-had absolute rule and limited power of the boyars (landowning nobles). Took title of czar and instrumental in blending Byzantium and Russian culture. Together with Vasilli III-a successor to Ivan III-they tripled Muscovys territorial extent. Question #3 It affected it (politics, economy, society, and culture) in the following ways: It seemed that its culture was the aspect of civilization that Byzantium had the most impact. Christian ideology in kievan Russia had a civilizing influence upon Tsars and people alike. The first transformation can be seen in the change of Vladimirs personality. Before, he was a savage warrior and belligerent chieftain; he had given his sexual impulses a free reign with no selfcontrol, indulging in food, drink, and every carnal pleasure. He had seduced his brothers wife and had many children with five wives, including a Greek, and some eight hundred concubines in several towns of Russia. After his baptism, Vladimir received instruction in the tenets of Christian faith-inclduing ethics, ad changed his style of life radically. Greek ethical Christianity influenced polictical theory and governmental policies and inspired much philanthropic activity in the Byzantine Empire. Vladimir urused a life of practical Christianity and adopted philanthropic policies It underlied his ethical virtues and moral concerns-his mercifulness, hospitality, generosity toward the poor-his philanthropy in general-seen in the Russian Primary Chronicle. He helped establish homes for the aged, hospitals, (xenones) or hospices, monasteries with infirmaries and a commitment to charity toward the poor, the destitute, strangers and travelers, the sick and the dying-which were policies and practices transplanted to kiev rus from the Byzantium empire. Byzantine Art and architecture was predominant in Kiev and other Russian cities. Icons encouraged piety, and religious images became a principal form of Russian artistic expression. The onion domes of early Russian churches were an attempt by Russian architects to imitate the domed structures of Constantinople using wood as the primary building material.

The Princes of Kiev exercised firm control over the Russian Orthodox Church. They drew inspiration from the Byzantines, and compiled a written legal code, and controlled trade with Byzantium and other areas. They gradually gained control of a large and wealthy society. By the eleventh century, Kiev had over four hundred churches and eight large marketplaces. By the early twelve century, the population was greater than thirty thousand. Sadly, a major fire in 1124 destroyed six hundred churches there. As noted earlier, Moscow became known as the third Rome, after the first Rome fell to Germanic invaders and the second Rome, Constantinople, fell to the Turks. It became the cultural and religious beacon of Orthodox Christianity. During later centuries, Siberia was embraced by the Church, and missions were even established in Russian Alaska. Long after the collapse of the eastern Roman Empire, the Byzantine legacy lived on through the Russian Orthodox Church. Analyzing the relations between the Cumans and the neighbouring powers, it is important to emphasize that despite their raids and campaigns they did not pose territorial threats to the neighbouring countries and when they did it was caused by the attacks of another nomadic people, the Mongols. If their neighbours were strong or if the leaders of their neighbours were able to join forces (as did the princes of Rus) then the nomads were generally defeated. Cumans were great fighters and fearful enemies. There fighting abilities were not only wellknown to their neighbours but they were also invited as allies or employed as mercenaries or played important roles as mamluks or ghulams (Kingdom of Georgia, Egypt). The main reason behind the animosity between settled and nomadic civilizations was how nomads obtained agricultural and craftsman products. Although nomadic economy was mostly self-supporting, there were some products they either could not produce (crops, luxury items) or the quantity was not sufficient so they had to find different ways to obtain them. For the nomads, the raids, the commerce or becoming mercenaries were three ways to achieve the same goal: to obtain the desired and needed goods. The nomads did not always have the choice to choose the strategy. If commerce was possible then raids were not necessary. Additionally, when their neighbours asked for their support against their enemies, they encouraged the raids or paid for their services usually in the form of sharing the booty with them. This claim is supported