The period of formation of the Old Russian state begins with the reign of the Norman prince Rurik. His descendants sought to annex new territories to their principalities and establish trade and allied relations with Byzantium and other countries.
Pre-Norman princes | Polyudye was not introduced, but developed historically |
The first mention of Rus' | Mentions of Rus' are contained in contemporary Western European, Byzantine and Eastern sources. |
Rurik (862-879) | The Varangians, who invaded the East Slavic lands, took thrones in the cities of Novgorod, Beloozero, Izborsk |
Oleg (879-912) | According to the chronicle, in 882 the unification of two East Slavic centers took place: Novgorod and Kiev. Prince Oleg's troops took Constantinople |
Igor (912-945) |
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Olga (945 - 964) | “Lessons” and “cemeteries” were established in Kievan Rus:
During the reign of Princess Olga, most of the population of Kievan Rus professed paganism. The collection of tribute from the tribes subject to the Kyiv ruler acquired a regular and orderly nature during the reign of Olga. |
Svyatoslav (962-972) | |
Vladimir Svyatoslavich (980-1015) | Consequences of baptism: 1) the culture of Rus' turned into “axial” 2) statehood strengthened Rus' entered the circle of Christian countries, focusing not on Asia, but on Europe. |
Yaroslav the Wise (1019-1054) | The conclusion of dynastic marriages became the main means of foreign policy of Kievan Rus during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise |
Triumvirate of Yaroslavichs. (1060)
| Articles on blood feud were excluded from the Russian Truth of the Yaroslavichs. |
Vladimir Monomakh (1113-1125) | The congress of ancient Russian princes in 1097, where the question was posed “why are we destroying the Russian land, starting strife among ourselves,” took place in Lyubech 1093-1096. All-Russian campaign against the Polovtsians, organized by Vladimir Monomakh. |
Domestic and foreign policy of the ancient Kyiv Princes
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By the beginning of the 10th century, the power of the Kyiv prince extended to most of the East Slavic lands. This is how the Old Russian state was formed. |
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Svyatoslav |
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Svyatoslav, being away from home for a long time, appointed his eldest son Yaropolk as governor in Kyiv, planted his second son, Oleg, in the land of the Drevlyans, and the Novgorodians took the youngest, Vladimir. It was Vladimir who was destined to win the bloody civil strife that flared up after the death of Svyatoslav. Yaropolk started a war with Oleg, in which the latter died. However, Vladimir, who came from Novgorod, defeated Yaropolk and after his death began to reign in Kyiv. |
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Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko |
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Yaroslav the Wise |
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Vladimir Monomakh |
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Management system of ancient Russian lands
The territory of Kievan Rus has undergone repeated changes over the more than 3-century history of the existence of the state. According to Nestor, the Eastern Slavs numbered 10-15 tribes (Polyans, Drevlyans, Ilmen Slovenes, etc.), settled over a large area. However, it is unlikely that the land of the Vyatichi, with whom the Kyiv princes regularly fought until the end of the 11th century, can be attributed to Kievan Rus. And in the 12th-13th centuries, feudal fragmentation led to the fact that some of the Russian principalities were captured by the Lithuanians and Poles (Polotsk, Minsk, etc.).
Over the course of 3 centuries, not only the territory changed, but also regional governance, as they would say now. Initially, the tribes governed themselves. In the 9th century, Oleg, regent for the Novgorod prince, conquered Kyiv, thereby establishing centralized power. Subsequently, he and his followers on the Kiev princely throne imposed tribute on several neighboring tribes. Management of territories in the 9th-10th centuries consisted of collecting tribute and was carried out in the form of a prince and his retinue traveling around cities and towns and collecting tribute. In addition, the prince led the defense of the land from common external enemies, and could also organize a military campaign (most often in the direction of Byzantium).
Since there was enough land in Kievan Rus, and it would have been difficult for one prince to lead such a vast territory, the grand dukes practiced distributing inheritances to their warriors. First, with a return as payment for military affairs, and then into hereditary possession. In addition, the great princes had many children. As a result, in the 11th-12th centuries, the Kiev dynasty ousted the tribal princes from their ancestral principalities.
At the same time, the land in the principalities began to belong to the prince himself, the boyars, and the monasteries. The exception was the Pskov-Novgorod land, which at that time still had a feudal republic.
To manage their plots, princes and boyars - large landowners - divided the territory into hundreds, fives, ryads, and districts. However, there was no clear definition of these territorial units.
Often there were no clearly defined boundaries of these units. The management of the city was carried out by mayors and thousanders, at a lower level they were centurions, tens, governors, elders, depending on the traditions of a particular land. At the same time, if candidates for higher positions were more often appointed, then for lower positions they were elected. Even to collect tribute, the peasants chose “good people.”
The people's assembly among the Eastern Slavs was called the veche.
(21
ratings, average: 4,43
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- Olesya
A very detailed and historically accurate table. This period of ancient Russian history is usually best remembered by both schoolchildren and students. The thing is that the reign of ancient Russian princes is certainly associated with various myths, chronicle fables and unusual stories. My favorite stage in the development of the ancient Russian state remains the period of the reign of Yaroslav the Wise. If there were more such rulers in Russia, the country would not have to regularly experience dynastic crises and popular uprisings.
- Irina
Olesya, I completely agree with you about Yaroslav the Wise. By the way, it is interesting that initially he had no desire to become the head of state: circumstances pushed him to do so. However, the period of his reign became a time of stability and prosperity for Rus'. So after this you say that personality does not make history: it does, and how! If it were not for Yaroslav, Rus' would not have received rest from strife and would not have had in the 11th century. "Russian Truth". He managed to improve the international situation. A talented statesman! We wish there were more of these in our time.
- Lana
The table shows only individual Russian princes, therefore it cannot be considered complete; if we consider everything in detail, we can count more than 20 princes who were related and controlled their own destinies.
- Irina
The table is useful, but incomplete. In my opinion, it would be better to highlight the features of the foreign and domestic policies of the princes. Attention is paid more to changes and innovations, rather than to the characteristic features of the reign.
- Angelina
There is very little information about the domestic and foreign policies of rulers! It would be much more informative to present the main achievements of the princes in the form of a single table - the information is a little scattered - you can get confused. I don’t see the point in the first table at all. There is little information at all about some rulers. For example, Vladimir the Great carried out a number of important reforms that are not mentioned in the tables at all.
- Igor
For a short period of his reign, Vladimir Monomakh managed to unite more than half of the lands of Rus', which disintegrated after the Yaroslavich triumvirate. Vladimir Monomakh improved the legislative system. For a short time, his son Mstislav managed to maintain the unity of the country.
- Olga
Nothing is said about the important reforms of Vladimir the Great. In addition to the baptism of Rus', he carried out administrative and military reforms - this helped strengthen the borders and strengthen the unity of the state’s territories.
- Anna
It is worth noting the features of the rulers of the period of formation and heyday of Rus'. If at the stage of formation these were strong warriors, an example of courage, then at the stage of prosperity they were politicians and diplomats who practically did not even participate in campaigns. This concerns, first of all, Yaroslav the Wise.
- Vyacheslav
In the comments, many approve and admire the personality of Yaroslav the Wise and claim that Yaroslav saved Rus' from strife and strife. I completely disagree with this position of commentators in relation to the personality of Yaroslav the Wise. There is a Scandinavian saga about Edmund. This saga tells that a squad of Scandinavians was hired by Yaroslav to fight his brother Boris. By order of Yaroslav, the Scandinavians send assassins to his brother Boris and kill him (Prince Boris, who was, was later recognized as a saint with his brother Gleb). Also, according to the Tale of Bygone Years, in 1014 Yaroslav rebelled against his father Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko (the baptist of Rus') and hired the Varangians to fight him, wanting to rule Veliky Novgorod on his own. The Varangians, while in Novgorod, robbed the population and committed violence against the inhabitants, which led to an uprising against Yaroslav. After the death of his brothers Boris, Gleb and Svyatopolk, Yaroslav took the Kiev throne and fought with his brother Mstislav of Tmutorokansky, nicknamed the Brave. Until 1036 (the year of Mstislav's death), the Russian state was divided between Yaroslav and Mstislav into two political associations independent of each other. Until Mstislav's death, Yaroslav preferred to live in Novgorod rather than in the capital Kyiv. Yaroslav also began paying tribute to the Varangians in the amount of 300 hryvnia. He introduced a rather heavy fine in favor of the bishop for non-compliance with Christian rules. This is despite the fact that 90% of the population were pagans or dual-religionists. He sent his son Vladimir along with the Varangian Harold on a predatory campaign against Orthodox Byzantium. The army was defeated and most of the soldiers died in battle from the use of Greek fire. During his reign, nomadic tribes cut off the Tmutarakan principality from Kyiv and as a result of this, it came under the influence of neighboring states. He transferred the original Russian lands around Ladoga to the relatives of the Swedish king Olaf Shetkonung for hereditary possession. Then these lands became known as Ingria. The Russian Pravda code of laws reflects the enslavement of the population, which actively occurred during the reign of Yaroslav, as well as uprisings and resistance to his power. In the course of recent studies of the Russian Chronicles, in the description of the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, there are a large number of changes and insertions into the original text of the chronicle made, most likely at his direction. Yaroslav distorted the chronicles, killed his brothers, started civil strife with his brothers and declared war on his father, being essentially a separatist, but he is praised in the chronicles and the church recognized him as a believer. Maybe that's why Yaroslav was nicknamed the Wise?
In 862, Prince Rurik was invited to reign in northwestern Rus', who became the founder of the new state. What was the activity of the first Kyiv princes - we learn from an article on history for the 10th grade.
Domestic and foreign policy of the first Russian princes
Let's create a table of the First Kyiv Princes.
Starting in order, we should mention not Rurik as the first Russian prince, but his boyars Askold and Dir as the first princes of Kyiv. Having not received cities in Northern Rus' to govern, they went south to Constantinople, but, moving along the Dnieper, they landed at a small town that had a convenient geographical and strategic position.
In 879, Rurik died and Oleg became his successor until his son Igor came of age. In 882, Oleg launched a campaign of conquest against Kyiv. Fearing a major battle with a large army of co-rulers. Oleg lured them out of the city by cunning, and then killed them.
Rice. 1. Borders of Rus' in the 9th century.
The names Askold and Dir are familiar to every resident of Kyiv. These are the first martyrs of the Russian land. In 2013, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate canonized them as saints.
Having also captured Smolensk and Lyubech, Oleg established control over the trade route “From the Varangians to the Greeks”, moved the capital of Rus' from Novgorod to Kiev, creating Kievan Rus - a single principality of the Eastern Slavs. He built cities, determined the amount of taxes from the subordinate southern tribes, and successfully fought with the Khazars.
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Rice. 2. Map of the route from the Varangians to the Greeks.
In 907, Oleg made a campaign against Constantinople, according to which he was able to conclude a trade agreement beneficial for Rus' with the Romans.
Igor's reign
After Oleg's death, Igor took over the reins. He made two campaigns against Byzantium - in 941 and 944, but neither was crowned with great success. The Russian fleet was completely burned by Greek fire. In 913 and 943, he made two trips to the Caspian lands.
In 945, while collecting tribute from subordinate tribes, Igor succumbed to pressure from his squad and decided to collect a larger tribute. Returning to the lands of the Drevlyans for the second time, but with a small detachment, Igor was killed in the capital of the Drevlyan land, the city of Iskorosten.
Olga and Svyatoslav
The regent for Igor's two-year-old son Svyatoslav was his mother, Olga. The princess avenged the murder of Igor by plundering the Drevlyan land and burning Iskorosten.
Olga was responsible for the first economic reform in Rus'. She established lessons and graveyards - the size of the tribute and the places where they were collected. In 955, she converted to Christianity, becoming the first Russian princess of the Orthodox faith.
Svyatoslav, having matured, spent all his time on campaigns, dreaming of military glory. In 965, he destroyed the Khazar Khaganate, and two years later, at the request of the Byzantines, he invaded Bulgaria. He did not fulfill the terms of the agreement with the Romans, capturing 80 Bulgarian cities and beginning to reign in the occupied lands. This gave rise to the Byzantine-Russian war of 970-971, as a result of which Svyatoslav was forced to leave Bulgaria, but was killed by the Pechenegs on the way home.
Vladimir Red Sun
An internecine war broke out between the three sons of Svyatoslav, in which Vladimir emerged victorious. Under him, extensive urban planning began in Rus', but his most important achievement lay elsewhere. In 988, Vladimir baptized Rus', moving from paganism to Orthodox Christianity, declaring that Rus' was now the younger sister of the great Byzantium.
Rice. 3. Baptism of Rus'.
Using the prepared soil for the development of the young state, Vladimir's son, Yaroslav the Wise, will make Rus' a leading state in Europe, which will experience its heyday during his reign.
What have we learned?
The first Kyiv princes were mainly concerned with the expansion and strengthening of the young Russian state. Their task was to secure the borders of Kievan Rus from external aggression and make allies, primarily in the person of Byzantium. The adoption of Christianity and the destruction of the Khazars partially resolved these issues.
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Prince Rurik. (reign dates 862-879). The chronicle founder of the statehood of Rus', the Varangian, the Novgorod prince and the ancestor of the princely, which later became the royal, Rurik dynasty.
Rurik is sometimes identified with King Rorik from Jutland's Hedeby (Denmark). According to another version, Rurik is a representative of the princely family of the Obodrites, and his name is a Slavic family nickname associated with the falcon, which in Slavic languages was also called rarog. There are also attempts to prove the legendary status of Rurik.
It was under this prince that tribal formations became part of Ancient Rus'. The Ilmen Slovenes, the Pskov Krivichi, the Chud and all retained relations under the treaty with Rurik. The Smolensk Krivichi and Merya were annexed by Rurik, who established his “husbands” - governors - in their lands. The chronicle reports the annexation of the tribes of the Northerners, who had previously paid tribute to the Khazars, in 884, the Radimichi in 885, and the subjugation of the Drevlyans in 883. The Croats, Dulebs (Buzhans) and Tivertsy probably took part in the campaign against Byzantium in 906 as allies.
At the same time - in 862 (the date is approximate, according to the early chronology of the Chronicle) the Varangians, Rurik’s warriors Askold and Dir, sailing to Constantinople, seeking to establish complete control over the most important trade route “from the Varangians to the Greeks”, established their power over Kiev. In the future, the center of the future Kievan Rus is formed.
In 879 Rurik died in Novgorod. The reign was transferred to Oleg, regent for Rurik’s young son Igor.
Oleg (Prophetic Oleg) (reign: 879-912) - Prince of Novgorod (from 879) and Grand Duke of Kiev (from 882). Often considered as the founder of the Old Russian state. The chronicle gives his nickname Prophetic, that is, one who knows the future, who sees the future.
In 882, according to chronicle chronology, Prince Oleg, a relative of Rurik, set off on a campaign from Novgorod to the south. Actually, the beginning of the formation of a single state for all Eastern Slavs was the unification by Prince Oleg in 882 of two centers of nascent statehood - northern and southern, with a common center of state power in Kiev, the capture of Smolensk and Lyubech. It was not for nothing that the Old Russian chronicler described Prince Oleg as “prophetic.” He united in his hands the priestly functions of the most revered pagan cults of the Ilmen Slovenes and the Dnieper Rus. The names of Perun and Veles were sworn by Oleg's ambassadors when concluding a treaty with the Greeks in 911. Having seized power in Kiev, Oleg declared himself a prince from the Russian family, thereby confirming his continuity from the power that preceded him and establishing the legitimacy of his reign as a Russian and not a foreign prince .
Another important political step of Oleg was the campaign against Constantinople. According to the chronicle source, in 907, having equipped 2000 rooks with 40 warriors each, Oleg set out on a campaign against Constantinople. The Byzantine Emperor Leo VI the Philosopher ordered the gates of the city to be closed and the harbor blocked with chains, thus giving the Varangians the opportunity to rob and plunder the suburbs of Constantinople. However, Oleg launched an unusual assault: “And Oleg ordered his soldiers to make wheels and put ships on wheels. And when a fair wind blew, they raised sails in the field and went to the city.” The frightened Greeks offered Oleg peace and tribute. According to the agreement, Oleg received 12 hryvnia for each rowlock, and Byzantium promised to pay tribute to Russian cities. As a sign of victory, Oleg nailed his shield on the gates of Constantinople. The main result of the campaign was a trade agreement on duty-free trade between Rus' and Byzantium.
In 911, Oleg sent an embassy to Constantinople, which confirmed the “many years” of peace and concluded a new treaty. Compared to the “treaty” of 907, the mention of duty-free trade disappears from it. Oleg is referred to in the treaty as the “Grand Duke of Russia.”
As a result of the victorious campaign against Byzantium, the first written agreements were concluded in 907 and 911, which provided for preferential terms of trade for Russian merchants (trade duties were abolished, ship repairs and overnight accommodation were provided), and resolution of legal and military issues. The tribes of the Radimichi, Northerners, Drevlyans, and Krivichi were subject to tribute. According to the chronicle version, Oleg, who bore the title of Grand Duke, reigned for more than 30 years. Rurik's own son Igor took the throne after the death of Oleg (according to legend, Oleg died from a snake bite) around 912 and ruled until 945.
Nicholas II (1894 - 1917) Due to the stampede that occurred during his coronation, many people died. Thus, the name “Bloody” was attached to the kindest philanthropist Nikolai. In 1898, Nicholas II, caring for world peace, issued a manifesto calling on all countries in the world to completely disarm. After this, a special commission met in The Hague to develop a number of measures that could further prevent bloody clashes between countries and peoples. But the peace-loving emperor had to fight. First in the First World War, then the Bolshevik coup broke out, as a result of which the monarch was overthrown, and then he and his family were shot in Yekaterinburg. The Orthodox Church canonized Nikolai Romanov and his entire family as saints.
Rurik (862-879)
The Novgorod prince, nicknamed Varangian, as he was called to reign over the Novgorodians from across the Varangian Sea. is the founder of the Rurik dynasty. He was married to a woman named Efanda, with whom he had a son named Igor. He also raised Askold’s daughter and stepson. After his two brothers died, he became the sole ruler of the country. He gave all the surrounding villages and suburbs to the management of his confidants, where they had the right to independently conduct justice. Around this time, Askold and Dir, two brothers who were in no way related to Rurik by family ties, occupied the city of Kyiv and began to rule the glades.
Oleg (879 - 912)
Prince of Kyiv, nicknamed the Prophetic. Being a relative of Prince Rurik, he was the guardian of his son Igor. According to legend, he died after being bitten in the leg by a snake. Prince Oleg became famous for his intelligence and military valor. With a huge army at that time, the prince went along the Dnieper. On the way, he conquered Smolensk, then Lyubech, and then took Kyiv, making it the capital. Askold and Dir were killed, and Oleg showed the little son of Rurik, Igor, to the glades as their prince. He went on a military campaign to Greece and with a brilliant victory secured the Russians preferential rights to free trade in Constantinople.
Igor (912 - 945)
Following the example of Prince Oleg, Igor Rurikovich conquered all the neighboring tribes and forced them to pay tribute, successfully repelled the raids of the Pechenegs and also undertook a campaign in Greece, which, however, was not as successful as the campaign of Prince Oleg. As a result, Igor was killed by neighboring conquered tribes of the Drevlyans for his irrepressible greed in extortions.
Olga (945 - 957)
Olga was the wife of Prince Igor. She, according to the customs of that time, very cruelly took revenge on the Drevlyans for the murder of her husband, and also conquered the main city of the Drevlyans - Korosten. Olga was distinguished by very good leadership abilities, as well as a brilliant, sharp mind. Already at the end of her life, she converted to Christianity in Constantinople, for which she was subsequently canonized and named Equal to the Apostles.
Svyatoslav Igorevich (after 964 - spring 972)
The son of Prince Igor and Princess Olga, who, after the death of her husband, took the reins of power into her own hands while her son grew up, learning the intricacies of the art of war. In 967, he managed to defeat the army of the Bulgarian king, which greatly alarmed the Byzantine emperor John, who, in cahoots with the Pechenegs, persuaded them to attack Kiev. In 970, together with the Bulgarians and Hungarians, after the death of Princess Olga, Svyatoslav went on a campaign against Byzantium. The forces were not equal, and Svyatoslav was forced to sign a peace treaty with the empire. After his return to Kyiv, he was brutally killed by the Pechenegs, and then Svyatoslav’s skull was decorated with gold and made into a bowl for pies.
Yaropolk Svyatoslavovich (972 - 978 or 980)
After the death of his father, Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich, made an attempt to unite Rus' under his rule, defeating his brothers: Oleg Drevlyansky and Vladimir of Novgorod, forcing them to leave the country, and then annexed their lands to the Principality of Kiev. He managed to conclude a new agreement with the Byzantine Empire, and also attract the horde of the Pecheneg Khan Ildea into his service. Tried to establish diplomatic relations with Rome. Under him, as the Joachim manuscript testifies, Christians were given a lot of freedom in Rus', which caused the displeasure of the pagans. Vladimir of Novgorod immediately took advantage of this displeasure and, having agreed with the Varangians, recaptured Novgorod, then Polotsk, and then besieged Kyiv. Yaropolk was forced to flee to Roden. He tried to make peace with his brother, for which he went to Kyiv, where he was a Varangian. Chronicles characterize this prince as a peace-loving and meek ruler.
Vladimir Svyatoslavovich (978 or 980 - 1015)
Vladimir was the youngest son of Prince Svyatoslav. He was the Prince of Novgorod from 968. Became Prince of Kyiv in 980. He was distinguished by a very warlike disposition, which allowed him to conquer the Radimichi, Vyatichi and Yatvingians. Vladimir also waged wars with the Pechenegs, with Volga Bulgaria, with the Byzantine Empire and Poland. It was during the reign of Prince Vladimir in Rus' that defensive structures were built on the boundaries of the rivers: Desna, Trubezh, Osetra, Sula and others. Vladimir also did not forget about his capital city. It was under him that Kyiv was rebuilt with stone buildings. But Vladimir Svyatoslavovich became famous and remained in history thanks to the fact that in 988 - 989. made Christianity the state religion of Kievan Rus, which immediately strengthened the country’s authority in the international arena. Under him, the state of Kievan Rus entered its period of greatest prosperity. Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich became an epic character, in which he is referred to as “Vladimir the Red Sun.” Canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church, named Prince Equal to the Apostles.
Svyatopolk Vladimirovich (1015 - 1019)
During his lifetime, Vladimir Svyatoslavovich divided his lands between his sons: Svyatopolk, Izyaslav, Yaroslav, Mstislav, Svyatoslav, Boris and Gleb. After Prince Vladimir died, Svyatopolk Vladimirovich occupied Kyiv and decided to get rid of his rival brothers. He gave the order to kill Gleb, Boris and Svyatoslav. However, this did not help him establish himself on the throne. Soon he himself was expelled from Kyiv by Prince Yaroslav of Novgorod. Then Svyatopolk turned for help to his father-in-law, King Boleslav of Poland. With the support of the Polish king, Svyatopolk again took possession of Kiev, but soon circumstances developed such that he was again forced to flee the capital. On the way, Prince Svyatopolk committed suicide. This prince was popularly nicknamed the Damned because he took the lives of his brothers.
Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise (1019 - 1054)
Yaroslav Vladimirovich, after the death of Mstislav of Tmutarakansky and after the expulsion of the Holy Regiment, became the sole ruler of the Russian land. Yaroslav was distinguished by a sharp mind, for which, in fact, he received his nickname - the Wise. He tried to take care of the needs of his people, built the cities of Yaroslavl and Yuryev. He also built churches (St. Sophia in Kyiv and Novgorod), understanding the importance of spreading and establishing the new faith. It was Yaroslav the Wise who published the first set of laws in Rus' called “Russian Truth”. He divided the plots of the Russian land between his sons: Izyaslav, Svyatoslav, Vsevolod, Igor and Vyacheslav, bequeathing them to live in peace among themselves.
Izyaslav Yaroslavich the First (1054 - 1078)
Izyaslav was the eldest son of Yaroslav the Wise. After the death of his father, the throne of Kievan Rus passed to him. But after his campaign against the Polovtsians, which ended in failure, the Kievans themselves drove him away. Then his brother Svyatoslav became the Grand Duke. Only after the death of Svyatoslav did Izyaslav return to the capital city of Kyiv. Vsevolod the First (1078 - 1093) It is likely that Prince Vsevolod could well have been a useful ruler, thanks to his peaceful disposition, piety and truthfulness. Being himself an educated man, knowing five languages, he actively contributed to enlightenment in his principality. But, alas. Constant, incessant raids of the Polovtsians, pestilence, and famine did not favor the rule of this prince. He remained on the throne thanks to the efforts of his son Vladimir, who would later be called Monomakh.
Svyatopolk the Second (1093 - 1113)
Svyatopolk was the son of Izyaslav the First. It was he who inherited the Kiev throne after Vsevolod the First. This prince was distinguished by a rare lack of spine, which is why he was unable to calm the internecine friction between the princes for power in the cities. In 1097, a congress of princes took place in the city of Lyubich, at which each ruler, kissing the cross, pledged to own only his father’s land. But this fragile peace treaty was not allowed to come to fruition. Prince Davyd Igorevich blinded Prince Vasilko. Then the princes, at a new congress (1100), deprived Prince David of the right to own Volyn. Then, in 1103, the princes unanimously accepted Vladimir Monomakh’s proposal for a joint campaign against the Polovtsians, which was done. The campaign ended in Russian victory in 1111.
Vladimir Monomakh (1113 - 1125)
Despite the right of seniority of the Svyatoslavichs, when Prince Svyatopolk the Second died, Vladimir Monomakh was elected Prince of Kyiv, who wanted the unification of the Russian land. Grand Duke Vladimir Monomakh was brave, tireless and stood out from the rest with his remarkable mental abilities. He managed to humble the princes with meekness, and he fought successfully with the Polovtsians. Vladimir Monoma is a vivid example of a prince serving not his personal ambitions, but his people, which he bequeathed to his children.
Mstislav the First (1125 - 1132)
The son of Vladimir Monomakh, Mstislav the First, was very similar to his legendary father, demonstrating the same remarkable qualities of a ruler. All the disobedient princes showed him respect, fearing to anger the Grand Duke and share the fate of the Polovtsian princes, whom Mstislav expelled to Greece for disobedience, and in their place he sent his son to reign.
Yaropolk (1132 - 1139)
Yaropolk was the son of Vladimir Monomakh and, accordingly, the brother of Mstislav the First. During his reign, he came up with the idea of transferring the throne not to his brother Vyacheslav, but to his nephew, which caused turmoil in the country. It was because of these strife that the Monomakhovichs lost the throne of Kiev, which was occupied by the descendants of Oleg Svyatoslavovich, that is, the Olegovichs.
Vsevolod the Second (1139 - 1146)
Having become the Grand Duke, Vsevolod the Second wanted to secure the throne of Kiev for his family. For this reason, he handed over the throne to Igor Olegovich, his brother. But Igor was not accepted by the people as a prince. He was forced to take monastic vows, but even the monastic robe did not protect him from the wrath of the people. Igor was killed.
Izyaslav the Second (1146 - 1154)
Izyaslav the Second fell in love with the people of Kiev to a greater extent because with his intelligence, disposition, friendliness and courage he very much reminded them of Vladimir Monomakh, the grandfather of Izyaslav the Second. After Izyaslav ascended the Kiev throne, the concept of seniority, accepted for centuries, was violated in Rus', that is, for example, while his uncle was alive, his nephew could not be the Grand Duke. A stubborn struggle began between Izyaslav II and Rostov Prince Yuri Vladimirovich. Izyaslav was driven out of Kyiv twice during his life, but this prince still managed to retain the throne until his death.
Yuri Dolgoruky (1154 - 1157)
It was the death of Izyaslav the Second that paved the way to the throne of Kyiv Yuri, whom the people later nicknamed Dolgoruky. Yuri became the Grand Duke, but he did not reign for long, only three years later, after which he died.
Mstislav the Second (1157 - 1169)
After the death of Yuri Dolgoruky, as usual, internecine strife began between the princes for the Kiev throne, as a result of which Mstislav the Second Izyaslavovich became the Grand Duke. Mstislav was expelled from the Kyiv throne by Prince Andrei Yuryevich, nicknamed Bogolyubsky. Before the expulsion of Prince Mstislav, Bogolyubsky literally ruined Kyiv.
Andrey Bogolyubsky (1169 - 1174)
The first thing Andrei Bogolyubsky did when he became the Grand Duke was to move the capital from Kyiv to Vladimir. He ruled Russia autocratically, without squads or councils, persecuted everyone who was dissatisfied with this state of affairs, but in the end he was killed by them as a result of a conspiracy.
Vsevolod the Third (1176 - 1212)
The death of Andrei Bogolyubsky caused strife between ancient cities (Suzdal, Rostov) and new ones (Pereslavl, Vladimir). As a result of these confrontations, Andrei Bogolyubsky’s brother Vsevolod the Third, nicknamed the Big Nest, became king in Vladimir. Despite the fact that this prince did not rule and did not live in Kiev, nevertheless, he was called the Grand Duke and was the first to force an oath of allegiance not only to himself, but also to his children.
Constantine the First (1212 - 1219)
The title of Grand Duke Vsevolod the Third, contrary to expectations, was transferred not to his eldest son Constantine, but to Yuri, as a result of which strife arose. The father’s decision to approve Yuri as Grand Duke was also supported by Vsevolod the Big Nest’s third son, Yaroslav. And Konstantin was supported in his claims to the throne by Mstislav Udaloy. Together they won the Battle of Lipetsk (1216) and Constantine nevertheless became the Grand Duke. Only after his death did the throne pass to Yuri.
Yuri the Second (1219 - 1238)
Yuri successfully fought with the Volga Bulgarians and Mordovians. On the Volga, on the very border of Russian possessions, Prince Yuri built Nizhny Novgorod. It was during his reign that the Mongol-Tatars appeared in Rus', who in 1224, at the Battle of Kalka, defeated first the Polovtsians, and then the troops of the Russian princes who came to support the Polovtsians. After this battle, the Mongols left, but thirteen years later they returned under the leadership of Batu Khan. Hordes of Mongols devastated the Suzdal and Ryazan principalities, and also defeated the army of Grand Duke Yuri II in the Battle of the City. Yuri died in this battle. Two years after his death, hordes of Mongols plundered the south of Rus' and Kyiv, after which all Russian princes were forced to admit that from now on they and their lands were under the rule of the Tatar yoke. The Mongols on the Volga made the city of Sarai the capital of the horde.
Yaroslav II (1238 - 1252)
The Khan of the Golden Horde appointed Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich of Novgorod as Grand Duke. During his reign, this prince was engaged in restoring Rus', devastated by the Mongol army.
Alexander Nevsky (1252 - 1263)
Being at first the Prince of Novgorod, Alexander Yaroslavovich defeated the Swedes on the Neva River in 1240, for which, in fact, he was named Nevsky. Then, two years later, he defeated the Germans in the famous Battle of the Ice. Among other things, Alexander fought very successfully against Chud and Lithuania. From the Horde he received a label for the Great Reign and became a great intercessor for the entire Russian people, as he traveled to the Golden Horde four times with rich gifts and bows. Alexander Nevsky was subsequently canonized.
Yaroslav the Third (1264 - 1272)
After Alexander Nevsky died, his two brothers began to fight for the title of Grand Duke: Vasily and Yaroslav, but the Khan of the Golden Horde decided to give the label to reign to Yaroslav. However, Yaroslav failed to get along with the Novgorodians; he treacherously called even the Tatars against his own people. The Metropolitan reconciled Prince Yaroslav III with the people, after which the prince again swore an oath on the cross to rule honestly and fairly.
Vasily the First (1272 - 1276)
Vasily the First was the prince of Kostroma, but laid claim to the throne of Novgorod, where the son of Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry, reigned. And soon Vasily the First achieved his goal, thereby strengthening his principality, previously weakened by division into appanages.
Dmitry the First (1276 - 1294)
The entire reign of Dmitry the First took place in a continuous struggle for the rights of the grand duke with his brother Andrei Alexandrovich. Andrei Alexandrovich was supported by Tatar regiments, from which Dmitry managed to escape three times. After his third escape, Dmitry nevertheless decided to ask Andrei for peace and, thus, received the right to reign in Pereslavl.
Andrew the Second (1294 - 1304)
Andrew the Second pursued a policy of expanding his principality through the armed seizure of other principalities. In particular, he laid claim to the principality in Pereslavl, which led to civil strife with Tver and Moscow, which, even after the death of Andrei II, was not stopped.
Saint Michael (1304 - 1319)
The Tver prince Mikhail Yaroslavovich, having paid a large tribute to the khan, received from the Horde a label for the grand reign, bypassing the Moscow prince Yuri Danilovich. But then, while Mikhail was waging war with Novgorod, Yuri, conspiring with the Horde ambassador Kavgady, slandered Mikhail in front of the khan. As a result, the khan summoned Mikhail to the Horde, where he was brutally killed.
Yuri the Third (1320 - 1326)
Yuri the Third married the khan's daughter Konchaka, who in Orthodoxy took the name Agafya. It was for her premature death that Yuri insidiously accused Mikhail Yaroslavovich Tverskoy, for which he suffered an unjust and cruel death at the hands of the Horde Khan. So Yuri received a label to reign, but the son of the murdered Mikhail, Dmitry, also laid claim to the throne. As a result, Dmitry killed Yuri at the first meeting, avenging his father's death.
Dmitry the Second (1326)
For the murder of Yuri the Third, he was sentenced to death by the Horde Khan for arbitrariness.
Alexander Tverskoy (1326 - 1338)
The brother of Dmitry II - Alexander - received from the khan a label for the Grand Duke's throne. Prince Alexander of Tverskoy was distinguished by justice and kindness, but he literally ruined himself by allowing the Tver people to kill Shchelkan, the Khan’s ambassador, hated by everyone. Khan sent a 50,000-strong army against Alexander. The prince was forced to flee first to Pskov and then to Lithuania. Only 10 years later, Alexander received the khan’s forgiveness and was able to return, but at the same time, he did not get along with the Prince of Moscow - Ivan Kalita - after which Kalita slandered Alexander Tverskoy in front of the khan. Khan urgently summoned A. Tverskoy to his Horde, where he executed him.
John the First Kalita (1320 - 1341)
John Danilovich, nicknamed “Kalita” (Kalita - wallet) for his stinginess, was very careful and cunning. With the support of the Tatars, he devastated the Tver Principality. It was he who took upon himself the responsibility of accepting tribute for the Tatars from all over Rus', which also contributed to his personal enrichment. With this money, John bought entire cities from appanage princes. Through the efforts of Kalita, the metropolis was also transferred from Vladimir to Moscow in 1326. He founded the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow. Since the time of John Kalita, Moscow has become the permanent residence of the Metropolitan of All Rus' and becomes the Russian center.
Simeon the Proud (1341 - 1353)
The Khan gave Simeon Ioannovich not only the label for the Grand Duchy, but also ordered all the other princes to obey only him, so Simeon began to call himself the Prince of All Rus'. The prince died without leaving an heir from a pestilence.
John the Second (1353 - 1359)
Brother of Simeon the Proud. He had a meek and peace-loving disposition, he obeyed the advice of Metropolitan Alexei in all matters, and Metropolitan Alexei, in turn, enjoyed great respect in the Horde. During the reign of this prince, relations between the Tatars and Moscow improved significantly.
Dmitry the Third Donskoy (1363 - 1389)
After the death of John the Second, his son Dmitry was still small, so the khan gave the label for the grand reign to the Suzdal prince Dmitry Konstantinovich (1359 - 1363). However, the Moscow boyars benefited from the policy of strengthening the Moscow prince, and they managed to achieve grand reign for Dmitry Ioannovich. The Suzdal prince was forced to submit and, together with the rest of the princes of northeastern Rus', swore allegiance to Dmitry Ioannovich. The relationship between Rus' and the Tatars also changed. Due to civil strife within the horde itself, Dmitry and the rest of the princes took the opportunity not to pay the already familiar quitrent. Then Khan Mamai entered into an alliance with the Lithuanian prince Jagiell and moved with a large army to Rus'. Dmitry and other princes met Mamai’s army on the Kulikovo field (next to the Don River) and at the cost of huge losses on September 8, 1380, Rus' defeated the army of Mamai and Jagiell. For this victory they nicknamed Dmitry Ioannovich Donskoy. Until the end of his life, he cared about strengthening Moscow.
Vasily the First (1389 - 1425)
Vasily ascended the princely throne, already having experience of rule, since during his father’s life he shared the reign with him. Expanded the Moscow Principality. Refused to pay tribute to the Tatars. In 1395, Khan Timur threatened Rus' with invasion, but it was not he who attacked Moscow, but Edigei, the Tatar Murza (1408). But he lifted the siege from Moscow, receiving a ransom of 3,000 rubles. Under Vasily the First, the Ugra River was designated as the border with the Lithuanian principality.
Vasily the Second (Dark) (1425 - 1462)
Yuri Dmitrievich Galitsky decided to take advantage of Prince Vasily’s minority and declared his rights to the grand ducal throne, but the khan decided the dispute in favor of the young Vasily II, which was greatly facilitated by the Moscow boyar Vasily Vsevolozhsky, hoping in the future to marry his daughter to Vasily, but these expectations were not destined to come true . Then he left Moscow and assisted Yuri Dmitrievich, and he soon took possession of the throne, on which he died in 1434. His son Vasily Kosoy began to lay claim to the throne, but all the princes of Rus' rebelled against this. Vasily the Second captured Vasily Kosoy and blinded him. Then Vasily Kosoy’s brother Dmitry Shemyaka captured Vasily the Second and also blinded him, after which he took the throne of Moscow. But soon he was forced to give the throne to Vasily the Second. Under Vasily the Second, all metropolitans in Rus' began to be recruited from Russians, and not from Greeks, as before. The reason for this was the acceptance of the Florentine Union in 1439 by Metropolitan Isidore, who was from the Greeks. For this, Vasily the Second gave the order to take Metropolitan Isidore into custody and appointed Ryazan Bishop John in his place.
John the Third (1462 -1505)
Under him, the core of the state apparatus and, as a consequence, the state of Rus' began to form. He annexed Yaroslavl, Perm, Vyatka, Tver, and Novgorod to the Moscow principality. In 1480, he overthrew the Tatar-Mongol yoke (Standing on the Ugra). In 1497, the Code of Laws was compiled. John the Third launched a large construction project in Moscow and strengthened the international position of Rus'. It was under him that the title “Prince of All Rus'” was born.
Vasily the Third (1505 - 1533)
“The last collector of Russian lands” Vasily the Third was the son of John the Third and Sophia Paleologus. He was distinguished by a very unapproachable and proud disposition. Having annexed Pskov, he destroyed the appanage system. He fought with Lithuania twice on the advice of Mikhail Glinsky, a Lithuanian nobleman whom he kept in his service. In 1514, he finally took Smolensk from the Lithuanians. He fought with Crimea and Kazan. In the end, he managed to punish Kazan. He recalled all trade from the city, ordering from now on to trade at the Makaryevskaya fair, which was then moved to Nizhny Novgorod. Vasily the Third, wishing to marry Elena Glinskaya, divorced his wife Solomonia, which further turned the boyars against themselves. From his marriage to Elena, Vasily the Third had a son, John.
Elena Glinskaya (1533 - 1538)
She was appointed to rule by Vasily the Third himself until their son John came of age. Elena Glinskaya, as soon as she ascended the throne, dealt very harshly with all the rebellious and dissatisfied boyars, after which she made peace with Lithuania. Then she decided to repel the Crimean Tatars, who were boldly attacking Russian lands, however, these plans were not allowed to come true, since Elena died suddenly.
John the Fourth (Grozny) (1538 - 1584)
John the Fourth, Prince of All Rus', became the first Russian Tsar in 1547. Since the late forties, he ruled the country with the participation of the Elected Rada. During his reign, the convening of all Zemsky Sobors began. In 1550, a new Code of Law was drawn up, and reforms of the court and administration were carried out (Zemskaya and Gubnaya reforms). Ivan Vasilyevich conquered the Kazan Khanate in 1552, and the Astrakhan Khanate in 1556. In 1565, the oprichnina was introduced to strengthen the autocracy. Under John the Fourth, trade relations with England were established in 1553, and the first printing house in Moscow was opened. From 1558 to 1583, the Livonian War for access to the Baltic Sea continued. In 1581, the annexation of Siberia began. The entire internal policy of the country under Tsar John was accompanied by disgraces and executions, for which the people called him the Terrible. The enslavement of peasants increased significantly.
Fyodor Ioannovich (1584 - 1598)
He was the second son of John the Fourth. He was very sickly and weak, and lacked mental acuity. That is why very quickly the actual control of the state passed into the hands of the boyar Boris Godunov, the tsar’s brother-in-law. Boris Godunov, surrounding himself with exclusively devoted people, became a sovereign ruler. He built cities, strengthened relations with the countries of Western Europe, and built the Arkhangelsk harbor on the White Sea. By order and instigation of Godunov, an all-Russian independent patriarchate was approved, and the peasants were finally attached to the land. It was he who in 1591 ordered the murder of Tsarevich Dmitry, who was the brother of the childless Tsar Feodor and was his direct heir. 6 years after this murder, Tsar Fedor himself died.
Boris Godunov (1598 - 1605)
The sister of Boris Godunov and the wife of the late Tsar Fyodor abdicated the throne. Patriarch Job recommended that Godunov’s supporters convene a Zemsky Sobor, at which Boris was elected tsar. Godunov, having become king, was afraid of conspiracies on the part of the boyars and, in general, was distinguished by excessive suspicion, which naturally caused disgrace and exile. At the same time, boyar Fyodor Nikitich Romanov was forced to take monastic vows, and he became the monk Filaret, and his young son Mikhail was sent into exile to Beloozero. But it was not only the boyars who were angry with Boris Godunov. A three-year crop failure and the ensuing pestilence that struck the Muscovite kingdom forced the people to see this as the fault of Tsar B. Godunov. The king tried as best he could to ease the lot of the starving people. He increased the earnings of people working on government buildings (for example, during the construction of the bell tower of Ivan the Great), generously distributed alms, but people still grumbled and willingly believed rumors that the legitimate Tsar Dmitry had not been killed at all and would soon take the throne. In the midst of preparations for the fight against False Dmitry, Boris Godunov suddenly died, and at the same time managed to bequeath the throne to his son Fedor.
False Dmitry (1605 - 1606)
The fugitive monk Grigory Otrepiev, who was supported by the Poles, declared himself Tsar Dmitry, who miraculously managed to escape from the murderers in Uglich. He entered Russia with several thousand people. An army came out to meet him, but it also went over to the side of False Dmitry, recognizing him as the rightful king, after which Fyodor Godunov was killed. False Dmitry was a very good-natured man, but with a sharp mind; he diligently dealt with all state affairs, but caused the displeasure of the clergy and boyars because, in their opinion, he did not sufficiently respect the old Russian customs, and completely neglected many. Together with Vasily Shuisky, the boyars entered into a conspiracy against False Dmitry, spread a rumor that he was an impostor, and then, without hesitation, they killed the fake tsar.
Vasily Shuisky (1606 - 1610)
The boyars and townspeople elected the old and inexperienced Shuisky as king, while limiting his power. In Russia, rumors about the salvation of False Dmitry again arose, in connection with which new unrest began in the state, intensified by the rebellion of a serf named Ivan Bolotnikov and the appearance of False Dmitry II in Tushino (“Tushino thief”). Poland went to war against Moscow and defeated Russian troops. After this, Tsar Vasily was forcibly tonsured a monk, and a troubled time of interregnum came to Russia, lasting three years.
Mikhail Fedorovich (1613 - 1645)
The letters of the Trinity Lavra, sent throughout Russia and calling for the defense of the Orthodox faith and the fatherland, did their job: Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, with the participation of the Zemstvo head of Nizhny Novgorod Kozma Minin (Sukhorokiy), gathered a large militia and moved towards Moscow in order to clear the capital of rebels and Poles, which was done after painful efforts. On February 21, 1613, the Great Zemstvo Duma met, at which Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was elected Tsar, who, after much denial, nevertheless ascended the throne, where the first thing he did was to pacify both external and internal enemies.
He concluded the so-called pillar agreement with the Kingdom of Sweden, and in 1618 he signed the Treaty of Deulin with Poland, according to which Filaret, who was the Tsar’s parent, was returned to Russia after a long captivity. Upon his return, he was immediately elevated to the rank of patriarch. Patriarch Filaret was an adviser to his son and a reliable co-ruler. Thanks to them, by the end of the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich, Russia began to enter into friendly relations with various Western states, having practically recovered from the horror of the Time of Troubles.
Alexey Mikhailovich (Quiet) (1645 - 1676)
Tsar Alexei is considered one of the best people of ancient Russia. He had a meek, humble disposition and was very pious. He absolutely could not stand quarrels, and if they happened, he suffered greatly and tried in every possible way to reconcile with his enemy. In the first years of his reign, his closest adviser was his uncle, boyar Morozov. In the fifties, Patriarch Nikon became his advisor, who decided to unite Rus' with the rest of the Orthodox world and ordered everyone from now on to be baptized in the Greek manner - with three fingers, which created a split among the Orthodox in Rus'. (The most famous schismatics are the Old Believers, who do not want to deviate from the true faith and be baptized with a “cookie”, as the Patriarch - Boyarina Morozova and Archpriest Avvakum ordered).
During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, riots broke out every now and then in different cities, which were suppressed, and the decision of Little Russia to voluntarily join the Moscow state provoked two wars with Poland. But the state survived thanks to the unity and concentration of power. After the death of his first wife, Maria Miloslavskaya, in whose marriage the tsar had two sons (Fedor and John) and many daughters, he married a second time to the girl Natalya Naryshkina, who bore him a son, Peter.
Fedor Alekseevich (1676 - 1682)
During the reign of this tsar, the issue of Little Russia was finally resolved: its western part went to Turkey, and the East and Zaporozhye to Moscow. Patriarch Nikon was returned from exile. They also abolished localism - the ancient boyar custom of taking into account the service of their ancestors when occupying government and military positions. Tsar Fedor died without leaving an heir.
Ivan Alekseevich (1682 - 1689)
Ivan Alekseevich, together with his brother Pyotr Alekseevich, was elected tsar thanks to the Streltsy revolt. But Tsarevich Alexei, suffering from dementia, did not take any part in state affairs. He died in 1689 during the reign of Princess Sophia.
Sophia (1682 - 1689)
Sophia remained in history as a ruler of extraordinary intelligence and possessed all the necessary qualities of a real queen. She managed to calm the unrest of schismatics, curb the archers, conclude an “eternal peace” with Poland, very beneficial for Russia, as well as the Nerchinsk Treaty with distant China. The princess undertook campaigns against the Crimean Tatars, but fell victim to her own lust for power. Tsarevich Peter, however, having guessed her plans, imprisoned his half-sister in the Novodevichy Convent, where Sophia died in 1704.
Peter the Great (1682 - 1725)
The greatest tsar, and since 1721 the first Russian emperor, statesman, cultural and military figure. He carried out revolutionary reforms in the country: collegiums, the Senate, bodies of political investigation and state control were created. He made divisions in Russia into provinces, and also subordinated the church to the state. Built a new capital - St. Petersburg. Peter's main dream was to eliminate Russia's backwardness in development compared to European countries. Taking advantage of Western experience, Pyotr Alekseevich tirelessly created manufactories, factories, and shipyards.
To facilitate trade and for access to the Baltic Sea, he won the Northern War against Sweden, which lasted 21 years, thereby “cutting through” a “window to Europe.” Built a huge fleet for Russia. Thanks to his efforts, the Academy of Sciences was opened in Russia and the civil alphabet was adopted. All reforms were carried out using the most brutal methods and caused multiple uprisings in the country (Streletskoye in 1698, Astrakhan from 1705 to 1706, Bulavinsky from 1707 to 1709), which, however, were also mercilessly suppressed.
Catherine the First (1725 - 1727)
Peter the Great died without leaving a will. So, the throne passed to his wife Catherine. Catherine became famous for equipping Bering on a trip around the world, and also established the Supreme Privy Council at the instigation of the friend and comrade-in-arms of her late husband Peter the Great, Prince Menshikov. Thus, Menshikov concentrated virtually all state power in his hands. He persuaded Catherine to appoint as heir to the throne the son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, to whom his father, Peter the Great, had sentenced Peter Alekseevich to death for his aversion to reforms, and also to agree to his marriage with Menshikov’s daughter Maria. Before Peter Alekseevich came of age, Prince Menshikov was appointed ruler of Russia.
Peter the Second (1727 - 1730)
Peter the Second did not rule for long. Having barely gotten rid of the imperious Menshikov, he immediately fell under the influence of the Dolgorukys, who, by distracting the emperors in every possible way with amusements from state affairs, actually ruled the country. They wanted to marry the emperor to Princess E. A. Dolgoruky, but Peter Alekseevich suddenly died of smallpox and the wedding did not take place.
Anna Ioannovna (1730 - 1740)
The Supreme Privy Council decided to somewhat limit the autocracy, so they chose Anna Ioannovna, the Dowager Duchess of Courland, daughter of Ivan Alekseevich, as empress. But she was crowned on the Russian throne as an autocratic empress and, first of all, having assumed her rights, she destroyed the Supreme Privy Council. She replaced it with the Cabinet and instead of the Russian nobles, she distributed positions to the Germans Ostern and Minich, as well as the Courlander Biron. The cruel and unjust rule was subsequently called “Bironism.”
Russia's intervention in the internal affairs of Poland in 1733 cost the country dearly: the lands conquered by Peter the Great had to be returned to Persia. Before her death, the empress appointed the son of her niece Anna Leopoldovna as her heir, and appointed Biron as regent for the baby. However, Biron was soon overthrown, and Anna Leopoldovna became the empress, whose reign cannot be called long and glorious. The guards staged a coup and proclaimed Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great.
Elizaveta Petrovna (1741 - 1761)
Elizabeth destroyed the Cabinet established by Anna Ioannovna and returned the Senate. Issued a decree abolishing the death penalty in 1744. She established the first loan banks in Russia in 1954, which became a great boon for merchants and nobles. At Lomonosov's request, she opened the first university in Moscow and in 1756 opened the first theater. During her reign, Russia fought two wars: with Sweden and the so-called “seven years”, in which Prussia, Austria and France took part. Thanks to the peace concluded with Sweden, part of Finland was ceded to Russia. The “Seven Years” War was brought to an end by the death of Empress Elizabeth.
Peter the Third (1761 - 1762)
He was absolutely unsuited to governing the state, but he was of a complacent disposition. But this young emperor managed to turn absolutely all layers of Russian society against himself, since, to the detriment of Russian interests, he showed a craving for everything German. Peter the Third, not only made a lot of concessions in relation to the Prussian Emperor Frederick the Second, but also reformed the army according to the same Prussian model, dear to his heart. He issued decrees on the destruction of the secret chancellery and the free nobility, which, however, were not distinguished by certainty. As a result of the coup, because of his attitude towards the empress, he quickly signed an abdication of the throne and soon died.
Catherine the Second (1762 - 1796)
Her reign was one of the greatest after the reign of Peter the Great. Empress Catherine ruled harshly, suppressed Pugachev's peasant uprising, won two Turkish wars, which resulted in recognition of the independence of Crimea by Turkey, and the shore of the Sea of Azov was ceded to Russia. Russia acquired the Black Sea Fleet, and active construction of cities began in Novorossiya. Catherine the Second established the colleges of education and medicine. Cadet corps were opened, and the Smolny Institute was opened to train girls. Catherine the Second, herself possessing literary abilities, patronized literature.
Paul the First (1796 - 1801)
He did not support the changes that his mother, Empress Catherine, started in the state system. Among the achievements of his reign, one should note a very significant improvement in the life of serfs (only a three-day corvee was introduced), the opening of a university in Dorpat, as well as the emergence of new women's institutions.
Alexander the First (Blessed) (1801 - 1825)
The grandson of Catherine the Second, upon ascending the throne, vowed to rule the country “according to the law and heart” of his crowned grandmother, who, in fact, was involved in his upbringing. At the very beginning, he took a number of different liberation measures aimed at different sections of society, which aroused the undoubted respect and love of people. But external political problems distracted Alexander from internal reforms. Russia, in alliance with Austria, was forced to fight against Napoleon; Russian troops were defeated at Austerlitz.
Napoleon forced Russia to abandon trade with England. As a result, in 1812, Napoleon nevertheless, violating the treaty with Russia, went to war against the country. And in the same year, 1812, Russian troops defeated Napoleon’s army. Alexander the First established the State Council in 1800, ministries and the cabinet of ministers. He opened universities in St. Petersburg, Kazan and Kharkov, as well as many institutes and gymnasiums, and the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. Made the life of the peasants much easier.
Nicholas the First (1825 - 1855)
He continued the policy of improving peasant life. Founded the Institute of St. Vladimir in Kyiv. Published a 45-volume complete collection of laws of the Russian Empire. Under Nicholas the First in 1839, the Uniates were reunited with Orthodoxy. This reunification was a consequence of the suppression of the uprising in Poland and the complete destruction of the Polish constitution. There was a war with the Turks, who oppressed Greece, and as a result of Russia's victory, Greece gained independence. After the break in relations with Turkey, which was sided with England, Sardinia and France, Russia had to join a new struggle.
The emperor died suddenly during the defense of Sevastopol. During the reign of Nicholas the First, the Nikolaevskaya and Tsarskoye Selo railways were built, great Russian writers and poets lived and worked: Lermontov, Pushkin, Krylov, Griboedov, Belinsky, Zhukovsky, Gogol, Karamzin.
Alexander II (Liberator) (1855 - 1881)
Alexander II had to end the Turkish war. The Paris Peace Treaty was concluded on very unfavorable terms for Russia. In 1858, according to an agreement with China, Russia acquired the Amur region, and later Usuriysk. In 1864, the Caucasus finally became part of Russia. The most important state transformation of Alexander II was the decision to free the peasants. He died at the hands of an assassin in 1881.
The activities of the ruling princes of the Rurik dynasty concentrated on the desire to expand the borders of the state while maintaining the unity of Rus'. Important milestones in Old Russian history were the unification of Novgorod and Kievan Rus by Prince Oleg, the military campaigns of Prince Svyatoslav, the baptism of Prince Vladimir and the spread of the Orthodox faith to the subject population. In the conditions of feudal fragmentation of Kievan Rus, the progressive reigns of Yaroslav the Wise, Vladimir Monomakh and Mstislav the Great were remarkable in their own way.
Prince's name | Years of power | Political position | Main actions |
|---|---|---|---|
Rurik Varangian "Falcon" | Moderately aggressive. He sought to expand and secure the borders of the territories under his control. | According to the chronicle legend, he founded the Old Russian state. |
|
Prince Oleg "Prophetic" | Dynamic. He strengthened the princely power in Kyiv in every possible way and forced the enemy to cooperate on an equal footing. | He united the North and South of Rus', went on campaigns against Constantinople, and drew up the first written agreement with Byzantium. |
|
Prince Igor Rurikovich "Old" | Maximalist. Tried to continue the policy of Prince Oleg without much success | He continued his campaigns against Constantinople. Killed by the Drevlyans during Polyudye |
|
Olga “Wise” “Saint” | Moderate. She sought to streamline the internal affairs of Kievan Rus. | She established standards for collecting tribute (lessons), gathering places (cemeteries) and replaced polyudye with a “cart”. |
|
Svyatoslav Igorevich "Warrior", "Leopard" | Really began to rule in 964 | Aggressively adventurous. He destroyed sources of danger by military means and expanded the territory of the state. | He conquered the Vyatichi tribes, destroyed the Khazar Khaganate, fought in Bulgaria, with Byzantium and the Pechenegs who killed him. |
Yaropolk Svyatoslavich | Moderate-centrist. He sought to establish the integrity and authority of Rus'. | He established connections with Germany and did not interfere with the spread of Christianity in Rus'. |
|
Vladimir Svyatoslavich "Red Sun" "Holy" | Progressive-maximalist. He sought the full entry of Rus' into a number of full-fledged European states. | Streamlining local government policy. Baptism of Rus'. Strengthening the borders of the state. |
|
Svyatopolk Vladimirovich “Cursed” | For a year, the Poles helped recapture Kyiv | Reactionary-adventuristic. The desire to maintain power in Kyiv at any cost prevailed. | The policy of rapprochement with Poland to the detriment of Rus'. Murder of brothers Boris and Gleb. |
Yaroslav Vladimirovich | Expelled from Kyiv for a year by Svyatopolk | The prince's vigorous activity improved life in Rus' in all areas. Dynastic marriages strengthened the interstate ties of Kievan Rus. |
|
Izyaslav Yaroslavich | Twice lost and returned the Kyiv table | Confrontational. The desire to maintain their power in Kyiv. | He was at odds with his brothers. He was defeated at Alta by the Polovtsians. Relying on Poland. |
Vseslav Bryachislavich "Sorcerer" | No political position has been recorded. | The only Polotsk prince who accidentally found himself on the Kiev throne. |
|
Svyatoslav Yaroslavich | Defended the borders of Rus' in the south. Compiled a new collection of laws - “Izbornik”. |
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Vsevolod Yaroslavich “Peace-loving” | Was removed by Izyaslav | Moderately progressive. As a member of the Yaroslavich triumvirate, he sought to preserve the integrity of Rus'. | He fought with the Polovtsians, established connections with Europe. Participated in the compilation of “The Truth of the Yaroslavichs”. |
Svyatopolk Izyaslavich | Confrontational. | He was distinguished by his hypocritical character and cruelty towards his subjects. |
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Vladimir Vsevolodovich “Monomakh” | Progressive. He tried to stop the strife. | Preserved the unity of Rus'. Defeated the Polovtsians. Supplemented existing codes of laws. |
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Mstislav Vladimirovich “The Great” | Participated in the Lyubech Congress. He went with his army against the Polovtsians. Defended the western borders of Rus' from warlike neighbors. |
Historical contribution of the rulers of Kievan Rus
The history of the Old Russian state represents a typical development of early feudal political associations, which had a tendency to fragmentation. However, during the existence of Kievan Rus, the social structure of the state was created, as well as favorable conditions for the development of the economy and culture. This was greatly facilitated by the activities of the rulers of Rus' - the Grand Dukes of Kyiv.
