Serhii Plokhy

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

staying on the river, being protected from attacks of the nomads to come to the Black Sea and sell these products in Constantinople. That was the idea. That was the model. Vikings tried to practice that sort of business model also in other parts of Europe. And like in other parts of Europe, they turned out to be, by default, creators of new polities, of new states.

staying on the river, being protected from attacks of the nomads to come to the Black Sea and sell these products in Constantinople. That was the idea. That was the model. Vikings tried to practice that sort of business model also in other parts of Europe. And like in other parts of Europe, they turned out to be, by default, creators of new polities, of new states.

staying on the river, being protected from attacks of the nomads to come to the Black Sea and sell these products in Constantinople. That was the idea. That was the model. Vikings tried to practice that sort of business model also in other parts of Europe. And like in other parts of Europe, they turned out to be, by default, creators of new polities, of new states.

That was the story of the first Kievan dynasty. Kiev, as the capital of that huge empire that was going from the Baltics to today's central Ukraine, and then was trying to get through the southern Ukraine to the Black Sea, that was a major, major European state, kingdom, if you want to call it, of medieval Europe.

That was the story of the first Kievan dynasty. Kiev, as the capital of that huge empire that was going from the Baltics to today's central Ukraine, and then was trying to get through the southern Ukraine to the Black Sea, that was a major, major European state, kingdom, if you want to call it, of medieval Europe.

That was the story of the first Kievan dynasty. Kiev, as the capital of that huge empire that was going from the Baltics to today's central Ukraine, and then was trying to get through the southern Ukraine to the Black Sea, that was a major, major European state, kingdom, if you want to call it, of medieval Europe.

with creating a lot of tradition in terms of dynasty, in terms of language, in terms of religion, in terms of, again, historical mythology. Kyiv is central for the nation-building myth of a number of groups in the region.

with creating a lot of tradition in terms of dynasty, in terms of language, in terms of religion, in terms of, again, historical mythology. Kyiv is central for the nation-building myth of a number of groups in the region.

with creating a lot of tradition in terms of dynasty, in terms of language, in terms of religion, in terms of, again, historical mythology. Kyiv is central for the nation-building myth of a number of groups in the region.

Well, the Russian Empire is a term and really creation of the 18th century. What we have for the Kievan, we call it Kievan Rus'. Again, this is a term of the 19th century. They call themselves Rus'. And there was metropolitanate of Rus', and there was Rus' principalities.

Well, the Russian Empire is a term and really creation of the 18th century. What we have for the Kievan, we call it Kievan Rus'. Again, this is a term of the 19th century. They call themselves Rus'. And there was metropolitanate of Rus', and there was Rus' principalities.

Well, the Russian Empire is a term and really creation of the 18th century. What we have for the Kievan, we call it Kievan Rus'. Again, this is a term of the 19th century. They call themselves Rus'. And there was metropolitanate of Rus', and there was Rus' principalities.

So, very important to keep in mind that Rus' is not Russia, because that was a self-name for all multiple groups on that territory. And Moscow doesn't exist at the time when Kiev emerges as the capital. The first reference to Moscow comes from the 12th century when it was founded by one of the Kievan princes.

So, very important to keep in mind that Rus' is not Russia, because that was a self-name for all multiple groups on that territory. And Moscow doesn't exist at the time when Kiev emerges as the capital. The first reference to Moscow comes from the 12th century when it was founded by one of the Kievan princes.

So, very important to keep in mind that Rus' is not Russia, because that was a self-name for all multiple groups on that territory. And Moscow doesn't exist at the time when Kiev emerges as the capital. The first reference to Moscow comes from the 12th century when it was founded by one of the Kievan princes.

Moscow comes to prominence really in a very different context and with a very different empire running the show in the region. The story of Moscow and the rise of Moscow, this is the story of the Mongol rule over former Rus lands and former Rus territories. The part of the former Rus eventually overthrows the Mongol control with the help of the small group of people called Lithuanians.

Moscow comes to prominence really in a very different context and with a very different empire running the show in the region. The story of Moscow and the rise of Moscow, this is the story of the Mongol rule over former Rus lands and former Rus territories. The part of the former Rus eventually overthrows the Mongol control with the help of the small group of people called Lithuanians.

Moscow comes to prominence really in a very different context and with a very different empire running the show in the region. The story of Moscow and the rise of Moscow, this is the story of the Mongol rule over former Rus lands and former Rus territories. The part of the former Rus eventually overthrows the Mongol control with the help of the small group of people called Lithuanians.

which had a young state and young dynasty and united these lands, which were mostly in today's terms Ukrainian and Belarusian. So they separate early. And what is today's Russia, mostly Western Russia, Central Russia, stays under the Mongol control up until late 15th century. That was the story when Moscow rises as the new capital of that realm, replacing the city of Vladimir as that capital.