I. The Vikings came down river and since the rivers did not flow both ways they stayed and settled in a crossroad of two continents. Rurik the Viking was the first real ruler of Kievan Rus. Back to calendar

2. These crossroads, although located on flat terrain and left the Kievan Rus open to outside invaders, provided the strength for their civilization. Along with cultural exchange came great trade.

3. Their economic ties though trade to Byzantine, a economic powerhouse, gave them cultural ties as well. Monks from Byzantine helped to create a new written alphabet that united the region but divided them from the growing European economies.

4. Their ties to Byzantine were also strong because of religion. Vladimir established Christianity for Kiev in the form of the eastern orthodox church. This eventually becomes the Russian Orthodox church.

5. A governmental system based on the Russian aristocracy or rule of the nobles called boyars town meeting called veche was strengthen by Yaroslav the Wise; strengthened when issued the first Russian law code called the Pravada Russkaia. These laws were based on roman law and preserved the basic tenets of Justinians Code which was also based on Roman law.

6. Kievan Rus is weakened when the Italians created new trade routes and becomes open to outside invaders, the Mongolians, led by Ghengis Khan.

7. After being over run by many invaders, and maintaining their Slavic language, both spoken and written, and their orthodox religion, they were neither European nor Asian. They continue separate themselves and be wary or outsiders, a characteristic called xenophobia.