Transcript Document
Impact of the Byzantine Empire
Slavic people divided into 3 groups: western,
eastern, & southern Slavs
Western Slavs formed the Polish & Bohemian
kingdoms
Poles, Czechs, Hungarians were all converted to
Christianity by German Monks
Eastern Slavic people were converted to Orthodox
Christianity by two Byzantine missionary brothers;
Cyril & Methodius
Croats, Serbs, & Bulgarians were converted to
Eastern Orthodoxy
Eastern Slavic people settled in present day
Ukraine & Russia
8th century, Swedish Vikings began to
move in search of plunder & trade routes
Vikings eventually dominated the native
people
Vikings named it Rus = where word Russia
is derived
St. Cyril and St. Methodius
Oleg, Viking leader, settled in Kiev at the
beginning of 10th century & created
principality of Kiev
Oleg successors expanded Kiev until it
reached territory between Baltic & Black
Seas, & Danube & Volga rivers
The growth of Kiev attracted Byzantine
missionaries
Vikings married Slavic wives & gradually
assimilated into the Slavic population
Rus leader, Vladimir, married sister of
Byzantine Emperor
Officially accepted the Eastern Orthodox
Church for himself and all the people in 988
(It became the state religion)
Kievan Rus prospered up until invasions
brought an end to the 1st Russian state in
1169
Vladimir I Chose
Eastern Orthodoxy
13th century, Mongols conquered Russia &
forced Russian princes to pay tribute to
them
Alexander Nevsky, prince of Novgorood,
defeated a German army in northwest
Russia in 1242
Khan, leader of Mongolia, rewarded Nevsky
title of grand prince
Nevsky descendants became princes of
Moscow & eventual leaders of Russia
Alexander
Nevsky, Prince
Of Novgorod
Ruled from1462 – 1505
United the Russian nation and strengthened
the authority of the monarchy
His reign marks the beginning of Muscovite
Russia. He assumed the title of 'Sovereign
of all Russia', and adopted the emblem of
the two-headed eagle of the Byzantine
Empire.
After the fall of Constantinople to the Turks
in 1453, the Russians came to regard their
branch of the Orthodox Church as the last
stronghold of true Christianity.
Freed Russia from the Mongols in 1480