The Rise of Russia

Geography

• Cold

• Surrounded by water but……no warm water port for trading

• Forest

• Grasslands

People

• Mix of Slavic tribes and Vikings

City of Kiev

• 1st major city

• Present day Ukraine

Vladimir

• Converted Russian people to Christianity

• Linked emperor with religion– Influenced by Byzantine Empire– Common trade routes

Begin Contact with Byzantine

• Orthodox Christianity

• Cyrillic Alphabet

Mongols invade

• Between the Crusades and Mongols, Kievan Empire declined

• Kiev destroyed in 1240– Mongols isolated Russians

from Europe

Ivan III• Russian Prince

• Freed Russians from Mongol rule in 1480

• Crowned himself “Czar”• Proclaimed Russia

would be 3rd Rome

• Moved to Moscow

Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible)• 1533

• 1547-1560 –Good Ivan

• 1560 1584 Bad Ivan

• Execution of traitors/enemies of boyers (nobles)

• Secret police

Ivan the Terrible

Ivan IV takes the throne in 1533- he is 3 years old

His mother rules on his behalf until her death when Ivan is 5

Ivan the Terrible

Boyars- the landowning nobility in Russia

The boyars fight for control of the young prince and for POWER

- Ivan is terrified

Ivan the Terrible

• Ivan crowns himself Czar of Russia when he is 16 years old

•He is the first Czar of Russia

Czar = Emperor

Ivan the Terrible

“The Good Period” 1547 to 1560

Ivan conquers land in an effort to boost the economy- wants to have sea routes to Russia- goes to war with Sweden and Poland

Ivan later loses his new territories

Ivan the Terrible

“Ivan the Terrible”Ivan turns against Russia

Oprichniki- Ivan’s secret police

-dressed in all black and rode black horses

- murdered anyone Ivan suspected of being a traitor (mostly boyars)

Murdered a possible 5,000 or more subjects

Ivan the Terrible

Ivan’s most terrible act

Ivan murders his only viable heir in a fit of rage in 1581

Leads to a later period, the Time of Troubles, when boyars fought and there was no powerful czar to control them

Absolute Rulers of Russia

From Ivan IV to

Ivan the Terrible

Was Ivan terrible?

• In 1581, Ivan beat his pregnant daughter-in-law for wearing immodest clothing, which may have caused a miscarriage. His son, also named Ivan , upon learning of this, engaged in a heated argument with his father, which resulted in Ivan striking his son in the head with his pointed staff, causing his son's (accidental) death.

• Killed son

• Accused of poisoning wife

• Younger son took thrown at death and died without an heir

Romanov Dynasty

• After years of quarrel, boyars chose next leader, Michael Romanov beginning Romanov dynasty

• Restored power to government

Isolation• Mongol Rule and religious

differences had kept Russia from interaction with Europe. (missed Renaissance and Age of Exploration)

• No Seaport for trade• Russians looked to Constantinople

for guidance, not Rome

Peter the Great- Absolute Monarch

• 6’6• Prior to becoming czar at

24, Peter went and studied in the “west” as a commoner

• Decided it was best to westernize Russia

• Russia needed warm water port to trade

Westernization by Peter• Reduced power of great

landowners• Introduced potatoes• Western clothes and fashions

– Beard Tax

Advanced schools (stressed education)

• Increased women status• Newspaper• Fought Sweden for warm

water port

St. Petersburg• Peter’s “window to the west”• New capital of Russia