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Did Sviatopolk really kill his brothers to seize the throne of Kyivan Rus?
A ruler of the Kyivan Rus was said to have cut a bloody path to secure ultimate power. We look at the truth behind the rise of Sviatopolk the Accursed.1 month ago — History -
The Christian conversion of Vladimir the Great, ruler of Kievan Rus
A watershed moment in the history of Eastern Europe was the conversion of the ruler of the Kievan Rus, Vladimir the Great, in 988 CE. This solitary conversion established a spiritual foothold for the Eastern form of Christianity that has never been relinquished.7 months ago — Culture and religion -
Staraya Ladoga: The first capital of Rus and its Viking roots
Long before the Mongol yoke arrived, before Peter the Great commissioned Russia's "window to the west" on the bones of countless peasants, or the recent oligarchs gutted much of the former Soviet state, there was Staraya Ladoga.1 year ago — History -
Was the Kievan Rus Ukrainian, Russian or Viking?
The legacy of the East Slavic medieval state has been hotly debated for centuries.1 year ago — History -
Vikings and Slavs: A complex history of conflict, trade, and cultural exchange
People from Viking societies and Slavic people had a storied and multifaceted relationship that spanned the early medieval period. Marked by conflict and cooperation, their relationship evolved through trade, war, cultural exchange, slavery, and settlement.1 year ago — History -
The Varangian Guard: Viking warriors protecting the Byzantine Empire
More than 20 runestones are dotted throughout the scenic Swedish countryside near the town of Täby. They tell the story of a Viking-era chief, Jarlabanke Ingefatsson, the head of a clan responsible for over 100 men in the surrounding region.2 years ago — Partner content -
Vikings and the Silk Roads: Eastern adventures
We know that people from Viking societies were the early medieval period's great entrepreneurs conducting trade, plunder, and pillage across vast swathes of Europe and its surrounds. However, did they trade along the famous Silk Roads that connected East to West, linking Europe and Asia?2 years ago — Trade -
How a Viking named Rurik founded the Kievan Rus and shaped history
The foundation of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine can all be traced back to one semi-historical figure, a Viking chieftain invited to reign in Eastern Europe during the early medieval ages. This is the story of Rurik, a figure shrouded in the mist of early Slavic history.2 years ago — History -
The Viking history of the Baltic region
The Baltic region, especially comprising the three modern nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, has a long and proud Viking history. Whilst nearby Scandinavia gets all the credit as the birthplace of the Vikings, the Baltic region and its surrounds were a Viking "backyard."2 years ago — History -
Ibn Fadlan's chronicles: When the Arab explorer met the Vikings
Travel writers must have a tough life. They make a living swanning around the world, experiencing new cultures, countries, and people while making pithy observations. However, did you know that one of the originators of travel writing was a 10th-century Islamic scholar and traveler named Ibn Fadlan?2 years ago — History
