Early Russian History: 862-1611 AD

The History of the Kievan Rus (Kievan Rhos): Rurik Dynasty

I was working on this a long time ago and never finished it. However, I think I will publish this unfinished as it might help others understand some of the early history of Russia. This isn’t a detailed history. But it does give an idea about how the land transformed and the country was formed.

First of all, understand that Russia isn’t one people. It is a nation of many tribes. This is the history of one of those tribes who just happens to be the ruling dynasty from which the U.S.S.R. and later Russia was born. Rurik has been considered the founder of the Rurik dynasty, which was the ruling dynasty of Kievan Rus' and its principalities.

Early Russian History - Kievan Rus (Kievan Rhos)

Early Russian history is pretty much story after story of this tribe going to war with that tribe. Kingdoms rose and fell. To rule meant to be loved by your people or be murdered and to be an iron fist against everyone else... or be murdered. There was no room for weakness. The people were semi-nomadic with city centers surrounded by migrating groups.

Sometime in the 800s, a group of Scandinavians known as the Varangians found themselves in Kiev, the same city that would later become the capital of Ukraine. Their leader was this warrior rockstar bad arse named Rurik. Rurik was invited to rule and was handed a kingdom because of his legendary status. This guy started a dynasty (Rurik or Rurikid Dynasty) in 862 that would last for hundreds of years. He was the father of what would later become the Russian Empire.

The Kievan Rus Kingdom at that time would have comprised of all of modern day Belarus, parts of Ukraine, and parts of Russia with its seat of power in modern day Kiev, Ukraine.

The 800s To The 1400s

For the next 400 years, they warred with everyone - the Vogols, the Kazans, the Bulgars (Bulyars/Bolgars), and so on. The Mongols (also knowns as the Tatars, Tartars, or the Golden Horde) ended up almost destroying Kievan Rus. In 1237, Batu Khan destroyed all of the major cities except for two - Novgorod and Pskov. Sometime during the 1000s, the Russian seat of power had moved from Kiev (Ukraine) to the Kremlin in Moscow.

Enter the era of the Russian princedoms. The regional princes weren't disposed, ran off, or murdered by the Mongols. They were allowed to keep their titles and lands but had to pay heavy tributes to the Mongol Empire until about 200 years later.

A Tale of Two Ivans

Ivan III, also known as Ivan the Great, launched an attack against the Mongolian Empire in 1480 and threw off the Mongolian tribute. His grandson, Ivan IV, also known as Ivan the Terrible, unified Russia into one state. In 1547, he adopted the title tsar. He crushed the boyars (Russian nobility) through reprisals and assassinations and reorganized the military by creating a standing army. In 1552, he conquered Kazan. Finally in 1556, he destroyed all the lingering power of the Mongols and the Golden Horde. He died in 1584.

Ivan the Terrible is really a misnomer. The nickname Грозный doesn't translate well into English. Depending upon how you translate it, it could mean "inspiring fear or terror; dangerous; powerful; formidable" or "courageous, magnificent, magisterial and keeping enemies in fear, but people in obedience." The root of the word means "thunderstorm." Ivan the Terrible lived up to that name. He created the first Russian printing press, established the Zemsky Sobor (the first Russian parliament of feudal states) and a council for the boyars called the Chosen Council.

Ivan died suddenly of natural causes which left his son Feodor I to rule. Feodor was unfit to rule. So Russia was governed by the administration of Boris Godunov. When Feodor died in 1598, he left no heirs therefore ending the Rurik Dynasty.

After Feodor died, Boris went on to rule only to die shortly after of natural causes. Boris's wife and heir were assassinated shortly after by Polish forces.

The Time of Troubles

Up until this time, the Catholic Church and Vatican had not been able to get a foothold into Russia. The Catholic religion was considered heresy by the Eastern Orthodox Church. No Catholic diocese had been built. Catholicism was not practiced. The Papal States were not welcome.

With the death of Fyodor came the Time of Troubles. The crown exchanged hands six times. The estimated death toll was above one million due to the conflict that happened during these 15 years. Some areas of Russia were so decimated by the fighting that their population declined by half.

From 1598 to 1613, potential claims to the Russian thrown plotted and murdered each other in a bid for power. There was also a Polish plot to steal the Russian throne and three false heirs - False Dmitri I, False Dmitri II, and False Dmitri III. War broke out (known as the Polish-Russian War of 1609-1618, Polish-Muscovite War, or the Dimitriads).

False Dmitri I ruled for less than a year. He tried to westernize Russia by forming alliances with the Polish Commonwealth and the Papal States. Less than a year into his reign, the boyars stormed the Kremlin. In a comedy of errors, he broke his leg while trying to flee and was killed.

In steps False Dmitri II. In what is even more of a comedy of errors, False Dmitri II pretended he was False Dmitri I. False Dmitri I's wife went along with the ruse. It didn't last long. He was killed in 1610 while he was drunk by a princeling he had flogged.

Boy. Being a Tsar is tough.

In steps False Dmitri III in 1611. He was seized and delivered to Moscow where he was executed.

This is where the Romanov Dynasty started.