러시아의 역사 (history of russia)

Published 2024-01-18

history of russia

Russia's history has developed richly and multilayered over a long period of time and through various eras. From ancient times to modern times, Russia has experienced many significant events and periods of change.

East Slavic period
The East Slavic period in Russia is commonly referred to when describing the Slavic ethnic group that inhabited Eastern Europe from BC until the Middle Ages. This period was a very important period in Russian history, a period that later became the cornerstone of the Russian state.

Early East Slavic period

Origin of the East Slavs The early East Slavs are believed to have already existed around 1,000 BC. Their exact origins are still a subject of debate.

Their livelihood was largely based on farming and hunting, and they lived in present-day Ukraine, Belarus, and western Russia.

East Slavic settlement

Tribal Structure The early East Slavs were divided into several tribes, each with its own social and political structure.

Religion: It is known that rites were held based on a mixture of ancestor worship, nature worship, and polytheism.
Agriculture and Trade They were mainly engaged in agriculture, as well as trade using migratory routes and rivers.

Formation of Ruth

Encounter with the Vikings Around the 9th century, the Normans (Vikings) arrived in the East Slavic region under the name 'Rush' and began to expand their commercial networks and political dominance. They were mainly merchants and warriors, and later played an important role in the formation of the medieval state of Rus.

Establishment of Kievan Rus Kievan Rus, the first East Slavic state, was formed around Kiev, the capital of present-day Ukraine.
Grand Duke of Kiev The Grand Duchy of Kiev (Kievan Rus') was a state of Rus that existed from the 9th century to the early 13th century, and was ruled by a ruler called the 'Grand Duke'.

Christianization

Introduction of Christianity In the Grand Duchy of Kiev, Christianization progressed in 988 when Grand Duke Vladimir I of Kiev accepted the Byzantine Orthodox Church. This greatly influenced the culture, social structure, and political relations of the East Slavic region.

Mongol invasion and its impact

Mongol Invasion In the early 13th century, the Mongol invasion destroyed Kievan Rus and brought Mongol rule to the East Slavic region.
Mongol rule: The East Slavic principalities were under Mongol rule for a long time, meaning that Mongol influence continued throughout Russia's medieval history.

This is only a brief summary; the political, social, and cultural changes of this era were very complex, and various events and people influenced the course of history. New research and discoveries are always being made in history, and our understanding of them is gradually deepening.

Grand Duchy of Moscow
The period of the Grand Duchy of Moscow lasted from approximately 1283 to 1547 and was an important turning point in Russian history. This period is when independence from the rule of the Mongol Empire and the centralization of Russian central power gradually began to occur, and it is evaluated as the period when the foundation for the formation of the Russian political state was laid.

As the Golden Horde, which was part of the Mongol Empire, began to fragment and weaken, the leaders of the Grand Duchy of Moscow subjugated other Russian princes and laid the foundation for unity. The most notable figure is Ivan III (Grand Duke Ivan the Great), who played a decisive role in centralizing the Grand Duchy and expanding its territory.

During his reign (1462 to 1505), Ivan III continued his territorial expansion through wars with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, accelerating the unification of Russia. He established the Grand Duchy of Moscow as the center of the East Slavic world and strengthened cultural homogeneity through the protection and promotion of the Orthodox Church.

At the end of this era, Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible) appeared and established a more powerful, centralized state and began to use the title 'King'. In 1547, the title was changed from 'Grand Duke' to 'Tsar', transitioning from the Grand Duchy of Moscow to the Russian Tsardom. These political changes laid the foundation for Russia's emergence as one of Europe's great powers.

The period of the Grand Duchy of Moscow was a period in which the rights of the nobility were restricted and the centralized monarchy was strengthened, and it played a significant role in the formation of the Russian Empire. Under Ivan IV, the feudal system was established and the monarch's despotic power was strengthened. Ivan IV reorganized Russia's governance system by weakening independent powers such as the Church and the Novorod Republic and concentrating power in the central government.