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The First Christian Rus’ Generation: Contextualizing the Black Sea Events of 1016, 1024 and 1043

The First Christian Rus’ Generation: Contextualizing the Black Sea Events of 1016, 1024 and 1043

By Alex M Feldman

Rossica Antiqua, No.16 (2018)

Abstract: Many scholars have weighed in on the changing nature of the relationship between Byzantium and Russia throughout the late-10th century from prince Vladimir’s baptism onwards into the 11th century.  In particular, three encounters between Christian Byzantine forces and the newly Christianized Rus’ in the first half of the 11th century stand out as markers of a shifting dynamic on either side of the Black Sea.

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These three events, taking place in the years 1016, 1024 and 1043 respectively, as decades of scholarship have discussed, mark this dynamic as one transitioning from a pagan-versus-Christian dynamic to a rather more subtle paradigm of internecine Christian strife.  Whereas some scholarly traditions have depicted this period as one of a developing and unifying Rus’ “state,” by assessing the events of these three years together, this article will attempt to demonstrate that the Rus’ “state” ruled by Jaroslav Vladimirovič was not as unified or monolithic as previously supposed.

Click here to read this article from Rossica Antiqua

Click here to read this article from Academia.edu

Top Image: 16th century map of the Black Sea region by Abraham Ortelius

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