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Kiev (Capital of Rus')

Type Object Region Kievan Rus' Time c. 882–1240

Kiev was the political, religious, and economic center of the Kievan Rus' principalities, gradually becoming the capital of the East Slavic world fro…

Timeline

  1. c. 882Kiev · KievAfter Oleg took Kiev, the city became the political hub under the Varangian-Slavic alliance, controlling the Dnieper trade route and surrounding tribes, laying the foundation for its status as the capital of Rus' for centuries.
  2. 1019–1054Kiev · KievAfter Grand Prince Yaroslav reunified Kiev, he undertook major construction; Saint Sophia Cathedral and the Golden Gate were completed, and Kiev became a center of Orthodox culture and legal codification, with its population and trade expanding significantly.
  3. 1054–1060Kiev · KievAfter Yaroslav's death, his sons Izyaslav, Sviatoslav, and Vsevolod contested the Kiev grand princely throne; Kiev changed hands several times between 1054 and 1059, yet remained the highest political symbol recognized by the Rus' principalities.

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