Serhii Plokhy

to the situation in which we are today, where there are not just three East Slavic nations, but there are also three East Slavic states, Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian. So this is the focus of my book. I end, admittedly, in that particular book, I end on the 18th century, before the era of nationalism.

to the situation in which we are today, where there are not just three East Slavic nations, but there are also three East Slavic states, Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian. So this is the focus of my book. I end, admittedly, in that particular book, I end on the 18th century, before the era of nationalism.

to the situation in which we are today, where there are not just three East Slavic nations, but there are also three East Slavic states, Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian. So this is the focus of my book. I end, admittedly, in that particular book, I end on the 18th century, before the era of nationalism.

But then there are other books like Lost Kingdom, where I bring the story all the way up to today.

But then there are other books like Lost Kingdom, where I bring the story all the way up to today.

But then there are other books like Lost Kingdom, where I bring the story all the way up to today.

Well, the most important one is that the existence of the state of Kievan Rus'. back during the medieval period, created foundations for historical mythology, common historical mythology, and there are just wars and battles over who has the right or more right for Kievan Rus'. The legal code that was created at that time existed for a long period of time.

Well, the most important one is that the existence of the state of Kievan Rus'. back during the medieval period, created foundations for historical mythology, common historical mythology, and there are just wars and battles over who has the right or more right for Kievan Rus'. The legal code that was created at that time existed for a long period of time.

Well, the most important one is that the existence of the state of Kievan Rus'. back during the medieval period, created foundations for historical mythology, common historical mythology, and there are just wars and battles over who has the right or more right for Kievan Rus'. The legal code that was created at that time existed for a long period of time.

The acceptance of Christianity from Byzantium, that became a big issue that separated then Eastern Slavs from their Western neighbors, including Czechs and Poles, but united in that way to, let's say, Bulgarians or Serbs, and the beginning of the written literature. beginning in Kyiv. So all of that is considered to be part of heritage. All of that is being contested.

The acceptance of Christianity from Byzantium, that became a big issue that separated then Eastern Slavs from their Western neighbors, including Czechs and Poles, but united in that way to, let's say, Bulgarians or Serbs, and the beginning of the written literature. beginning in Kyiv. So all of that is considered to be part of heritage. All of that is being contested.

The acceptance of Christianity from Byzantium, that became a big issue that separated then Eastern Slavs from their Western neighbors, including Czechs and Poles, but united in that way to, let's say, Bulgarians or Serbs, and the beginning of the written literature. beginning in Kyiv. So all of that is considered to be part of heritage. All of that is being contested.

And these debates that were academic for a long period of time What we see now, tragically, are being continued on the battlefield.

And these debates that were academic for a long period of time What we see now, tragically, are being continued on the battlefield.

And these debates that were academic for a long period of time What we see now, tragically, are being continued on the battlefield.

Kyiv became a capital or the outpost of the Vikings who were trying to establish control over the trade route between what is today's Western Russia and Belarus and Northern Ukraine, so the forest areas. And the biggest and the richest market in the world that existed at that time, which was in Constantinople, in Byzantium.

Kyiv became a capital or the outpost of the Vikings who were trying to establish control over the trade route between what is today's Western Russia and Belarus and Northern Ukraine, so the forest areas. And the biggest and the richest market in the world that existed at that time, which was in Constantinople, in Byzantium.

Kyiv became a capital or the outpost of the Vikings who were trying to establish control over the trade route between what is today's Western Russia and Belarus and Northern Ukraine, so the forest areas. And the biggest and the richest market in the world that existed at that time, which was in Constantinople, in Byzantium.

So the idea was to get whatever goods you can get in that part of Eastern Europe. And most of those goods were slaves. local population, put them on the ships in Kyiv, because Kyiv was on the border with the steppe zones. Steppe zones were controlled by other groups, Scythians, Sarmatians, Polovtians, Pechenegs, and so on, you name it. And then

So the idea was to get whatever goods you can get in that part of Eastern Europe. And most of those goods were slaves. local population, put them on the ships in Kyiv, because Kyiv was on the border with the steppe zones. Steppe zones were controlled by other groups, Scythians, Sarmatians, Polovtians, Pechenegs, and so on, you name it. And then