kievan rus

English - English

Definition of kievan rus in English English dictionary: A medieval principality in Eastern Europe centred around Kiev; considered an early predecessor of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine; First eastern Slavic state. It was founded by the Viking Oleg, ruler of Novgorod from 879, who seized Smolensk and Kiev (882), which became the capital of Kievan Rus. Extending his rule, Oleg united local Slavic and Finnish tribes, defeated the Khazars, and, in 911, arranged trade agreements with Constantinople. Kievan Rus peaked in the 10th and 11th centuries under Vladimir I and Yaroslav, becoming eastern Europe's chief political and cultural centre. At Yaroslav's death in 1054, his sons divided the empire into warring factions. The 13th-century Mongol conquest decisively ended its power
Kievan Rus': Alternative spelling of Kievan Rus