Russia's Roots, Part 1

Before there were Russians--or Ukrainians or Belarusians--there were East Slavs, the ethnic ancestors of them all. And before Russia, there was Kievan Rus, the Golden Horde, Muscovy, and Ivans both great and terrible.

The East Slavs' first major state, Kievan Rus, emerged in the 9th century and was centered in Kiev, Ukraine's current capital. Kievan Rus flourished for more than 200 years, thanks to its control over a lucrative trade route between the Baltic and Black Seas. The trade route connected Kiev with Constantinople, ancient capital of the Byzantine Empire and center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

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