VI. Summarize in five or six sentences how the Russian history set.
Text 2. The Early Russian State
Read and translate the text using a dictionary.
| The history of the Early Russian state dates back to the 6th century. It was first settled by the Slavs who formed a state called Kievan Rus during the 800’s in the area around Kiev. Kiev, Novgorod and Vladimir formed the center of ancient Russia. The Early Russian state avoided the stage of slavery and developed according to the laws of feudal society. After the Baptism of Russia in 988, the Eastern Orthodox Church was formed. Over the next three centuries, the population grew and developed into three distinct groups: the (Great) Russians, (White) Belarusians, and Ukrainians. These groups settled in separate geographical areas. Russia became a powerful and progressive Christian state. Soon however, it began to fall apart into independent principalities. The rulers of some states seized the opportunity of it. In 1233 Russia fell under the domination of the Golden Horde and remained under foreign control until the late 1400’s. At that time the German crusaders attacked the north-west of the country. Russia was loosing its strength. To do away with the yoke of the Golden Horde, to revive economy and culture and to recover the lost territories, it was necessary to restore the unity of the principal Russian lands. Ivan III drove off the Mongols and then banded together the Slavic regions, forming one of the strongest states in Eastern Europe. Moscow had no rival among the Russian principalities. It consolidated the Russian lands to become the capital of the powerful state. Ivan III became the first sovereign of the whole Russia. Since the 15th century the Muscovite state flourished under his heirs and successors. It excelled Roman Empire in territory and enjoyed its coat-of-arms – a double-headed eagle – the symbol of Russia’s power over two continents. Ivan III’s grandson, Ivan the Terrible, held the title of Roman emperors – Caesar. In Russian he was called the Tsar. After Ivan’s death in 1584 Russia was plagued by a series of leadership problems and civil war, and this period is referred to as the “Time of Troubles”. Many Russians credit the reintroduction of authoritarian rule by Michael Romanov in 1613 as the event that ended the Troubles. | ancient -древний to date back – восходить, датировать to avoid – избегать feudal society – феодальное общество Baptism – крещение orthodox – православный to fall apart = to disintegrate - распадаться principality – княжество Golden Horde – Золотая Орда crusader ['kru:'seid…] – крестоносец yoke – иго to do away – уничтожить, разделаться ,отменять to revive – оживлять, возрождать, воскрешать to recover – обретать вновь, возвращать себе to drive (drove, driven) off – вытеснять, изгонять to band – объединять(ся) to consolidate – объединять(ся) (о территориях, обществах) rival - соперник be plagued [pleigd]– мучить; насылать бедствие sovereign ['sovrin]– монарх, повелитель to flourish – процветать heir – наследник successor – последователь to excel [ik'sel]– превосходить to enjoy - пользоваться be referred to as –называться to credit – доверять, верить; приписывать (намерения) authoritarian rule –авторитарная власть |
I. Read and translate the words in the right-hand column. Mind
that they are derived from the words given in the left-hand column.
| To rule (править, властвовать) | - ruler |
| Slave, n (раб) | - slavery |
| To depend (зависеть от) | - dependent; independent |
| To unite (объединять(ся) | - unity |
| Principal, n (глава; патрон; принципал) | - principality |
| Crusade (крестовый поход) | - crusader |
| To introduce (вводить) | - introduction; reintroduction |
| Power (могущество, власть) | - powerful |
II. Give the English equivalents for:
Датировать(ся); поселиться, обосноваться; Древнерусское государство,
рабовладельческий строй; эпоха феодализма; крещение Руси; православная церковь; распадаться; Золотая Орда; татаро-монгольское иго; крестоносцы; возрождать (обычаи, традиции и т.п.); изгнать; государственный строй, основанный на неограниченной личной власти; «Смутные времена».
III. Answer the following questions:
1. When did the history of the Early Russian state begin?
2. How did the Early Russian state develop?
3. What three Slav tribes inhabited the early Russian state?
4. Do you know the origin of the name “Rus”? And the word “tsar”?
5. What did the adoption of Christianity in 988 bring to Russia?
6. What happened to the Early Russian state when it began to disintegrate into separate principalities?
7. How long did the Mongol domination last in Russia? Why was it possible at that time?
8. What was necessary to do to restore the unity of principal Russian lands? What ruler (or perhaps rulers) succeeded in consolidating Russian lands?
9. What role did Moscow play in Russia’s consolidation?
10. What two largest tsar dynasties do you know? Which one was prior?
FOR YOU TO KNOW
In very early days, the most daring adventurers of Europe were the Normans, the people whom we know as Vikings. The Vikings who invaded England came from Norway and Denmark; those who invaded Russia came from Norway and Russians used to call them Varangians. They were pirate-merchants, and they carried their goods from the Baltic to the Black Sea, Constantinople and the Mediterranean lands. They traveled in “companies”, for it was too dangerous to make such a journey alone. There were many quarrels between the Russians and Varangians. After one quarrel the Russians drove the Varangians out of Novgorod but they knew the Varangians would come back. To be able to resist them the Novgorod residents needed a powerful leader. Old Nestor’s Chronicle says that they sent an invitation to a distant Varangian Prince Ruirick to come from overseas and govern them, “for Russia being vast and abundant, lacks order”.
Ruirick brought an army with him, and he governed Novgorod and made it strong. Two of his companions, Askold and Dir, went farther and became rulers of Kiev (another greatest city in the south). But later Ruirick’s son Oleg killed Ascold and Dir and became ruler of Kiev himself.
We can’t state that all that was strictly true: Ruirick may not have been invited to come, but came as a conqueror. What is true is that for almost 700 years nearly all the Russian rulers belonged to the family of Ruirick, and that it was in his time that the Russian lands were first called Rus.
Historians vary in their opinion about the origin of the name Russia. According to Nestor’s Chronicle, “Rus” was the name of one of Scandinavian tribes, and Ruirick belonged to this tribe. Scandinavian chronicles, however, mention no Russian tribes and we may only make guesses at the origin of the Russians. That’s why some historians doubt whether there had been Normans’ coming to Russia, and believe Ruirick to be a legendary character.
Thus many important questions go unanswered.
NOTES: Varangians – варяги;
Prince – князь;
conqueror – захватчик, завоеватель;
to vary – отличаться (зд. иметь различные точки зрения);
“for Russia being vast and abundant, lacks order” – хотя велика и обильна Россия, но нет в ней порядка.