https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Kievan_Rus'
According to some reports, Vladimir Putin is obsessed with this history. Taking Ukraine would be like reuniting with family to him. The Ukrainians seem to have a different view of their history.
Kievan Rus′ was the early, mostly East Slavic state dominated by the city of
Kiev from about 880 C.E. to the middle of the twelfth century. People speaking
East Slavic dialects were known from the ninth century as
Rus (also referred to as ancient
Russians or
Ruthenians). Later, they diverged into three major nations—modern
Belarusians, Russians, and
Ukrainians, and also into several minor ethnic groups, including
Carpatho-Ruthenians. From the historiographical point of view, Kievan Rus' is considered a predecessor state of three modern East Slavic nations:
Belarus,
Russia and
Ukraine. The reigns of Vladimir the Great (980-1015) and his son Yaroslav I the Wise (1019-1054) constitute the Golden Age of Kiev, which saw the acceptance of Orthodox Christianity and the creation of the first East Slavic written legal code, the
Russkaya Pravda.
Kievan Rus' played an important role not only in the development of Russia, but in Europe as well. It was situated on two important trade routes, the Volga route to Scandinavian lands, and the caravan route connecting Europe to the Muslim nations. As a major trade partner Kievan Rus' served as a buffer for the rest of Europe against the invasions of the
Golden Horde. Kiev stood at the crossroads between East and West. The civilizations that it spawned would ultimately shape world history.
The Golden Age of Kiev
The region of
Kiev dominated the state of Kievan Rus′ for the next two centuries. The grand prince (
velikiy kniaz') of Kiev controlled the lands around the city, and his theoretically subordinate relatives ruled in other cities and paid him tribute. The zenith of the state's power came during the reigns of Prince Vladimir (Vladimir the Great, r. 980-1015) and
Prince Yaroslav (the Wise; r. 1019-1054). Both rulers continued the steady expansion of Kievan Rus′ that had begun under Oleg.