Rus'

Rus’ was a medieval state centered on Kyiv that existed from the second half of the 9th century until the mid-13th century, when it was destroyed by the Mongol invasion. It is one of the most contested periods of Eastern European history, one around which disputes still continue among Ukrainian, Russian, and Western historians.

The terminological question

A fundamentally important point: the terms “Kyivan Rus’”, “Muscovite Rus’”, or “Novgorodian Rus’” do not exist in medieval sources. These names were invented by 19th-century historians for the convenience of classification. Contemporaries called this state simply “Rus’”, and its center was Kyiv. The distinction between “Kyivan” and “Muscovite” Rus’ creates the false impression that two parallel or successive states existed, which does not correspond to historical reality.

On the late origin of the term itself the Russian myth is built — the claim that “Kyivan Rus’ never existed at all.” A detailed analysis of this conceptual sleight of hand is in the article “Kyivan Rus’ never existed” — debunking the myth.

Kyiv and Moscow: a chronology

Kyiv as a settlement existed from roughly the 5th century AD and became the capital of a powerful state that controlled vast territories from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. Moscow, by contrast, is first mentioned in the chronicles only in the 12th century — that is, when Kyiv had already been the center of Rus’ for several centuries.

In 1240 the Mongols destroyed Kyiv. At that moment Moscow as a settlement still had virtually no political significance.

The Principality of Moscow — a different history

Beginning in the 14th century, Moscow began to gather the surrounding lands — but these were not the lands of Rus’. The territory of the Principality of Moscow lay between the Moskva and Oka rivers and included the Moscow, Vladimir-Suzdal, and Tver principalities. This was a separate political process that was not a direct continuation of the statehood of Rus’ centered on Kyiv.

The identification of the Tsardom of Muscovy with Rus’ is a later ideological construct that served the political needs of the Russian Empire.

Recommended reading

For a deeper study of the subject, it is worth turning to the works of three key scholars:

• Boris Rybakov — a classic Soviet historian, author of foundational works on Slavic antiquity and Rus’. His works are somewhat dated but remain an important foundation.
• Oleksiy Tolochko — a Ukrainian historian, Doctor of Historical Sciences, a specialist in medieval Rus’.
• Igor Danilevsky — a Russian specialist, Doctor of Historical Sciences, professor at the Higher School of Economics (Moscow), author of some 15 books on Rus’ and a well-known popularizer of history. His lectures and his study of the “Tale of Bygone Years” are considered among the best in contemporary Russian medieval studies.