Middle Ages
Kievan Rus'
882 AD – 1240 AD · peak 1050 AD
Kievan Rus' (c. 882–1240) was a loose federation of East Slavic and Finno-Ugric peoples under the Rurik dynasty, with its political center in Kyiv. Grand Prince Vladimir the Great (r. 980–1015) adopted Byzantine Christianity in 988, establishing a cultural and religious framework for the region. The state fragmented due to succession disputes and was ultimately destroyed during the Mongol invasion of 1240.
Capital: Kiev
Key figures
Battles in this period
Trade routes in use
- Silk Road (130 BC – 1450 AD)
- Trans-Saharan Gold Route (700 AD – 1500 AD)
- Route from the Varangians to the Greeks (800 AD – 1100 AD)
- Hanseatic League (1200 AD – 1600 AD)
- Indian Ocean Spice Route (800 AD – 1500 AD)