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The first identifiable groups to populate what is now Ukraine were the Neolithic people of the Trypillian culture , followed by the Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians, and Goths, among other nomadic peoples who arrived throughout the first millennium BC. During this period, the plains of Scythia were the road for the migration of peoples from Asia into Europe.
Around 600 B.C., the ancient Greeks founded on the north-eastern shore of the Black Sea the colonies of Tyras , Olbia , Hermonassa , perpetuated by Roman and Byzantine cities until the sixth century century A.D.
Slavic tribes occupied central and eastern of plains of Scythia as early as the sixth century. Around this time the Antes civilization which may have been a largely Slavic nation, occupied much of Ukraine.In the 9th century, Kyiv was conquered from the KhazarsThe Khazars were a Turkic semi- nomadic people from Central Asia who adopted Judaism. They founded the independent Khazar kingdom in the 7th century C. in the southeastern part of today's Europe, near the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus. In addition to weste by the VarangianThe Varangians or Variags were Vikings who travelled eastwards from Sweden. Promoting trade, piracy and mercenary militarism, they roamed the river systems and portages of what later became Russia, reaching the Caspian Sea and Constantinople. They created ( SwedishThe Kingdom of Sweden Konungariket Sverige in Swedish) is a Nordic country in Scandinavia, in Northern Europe. It is bordered by Norway on the west, Finland on the northeast, the Skagerrak and the Kattegat on the southwest, and the Baltic Sea and the Gulf VikingViking refers in a loose sense to the North Germanic (ethnically Scandinavian) population of Northern Europe in the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th centuries, which during this time colonized, raided and traded the lengths of the coasts, rivers and islands of Eur) OlegOleg of Kiev (also known as Helgi ruled Russia Kievan Rus from (( 879- 912) A relation of the first ruler Rurik, the Varangian Oleg was entrusted by Rurik to take care of his kingdom, and also his young son Ingvar ( Igor). Oleg transferred the capital of. During this time, several Slavic tribes were native to Ukraine, including the Polanians, the Derevlianians, the Severians, the Ulychians, and Tivertsians, and Dulebians. Situated on lucrative trade routes, Kyiv among the Polanians quickly prospered as the center of the powerful Slavic/ ScandinaviaScandinavia is the cultural and historic region of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The Scandinavian countries are Norway, Sweden and Denmark, which mutually recognize each other as parts of Scandinavia. The collective label "Scandinavia" reflects the culturaln state of Kievan Rus.
In the 11th century10th century 11th century 12th century other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. Events 1000 (cca), Vikings, led by Leif Eirikson, establish small settlements at and aro, Kyivan Rus' was, geographically, the largest state in Europe. During this time, Ukraine became known in the rest of Europe as Ruthenia (the Latin name for Rus', especially after the separation of Russia from 'Rus' propria'). In addition, the name "Ukraine" first appears in recorded history on maps of the period. The meaning of term seems to have been synonymous with the land of Rus' propria--the principalities of Kyiv, Chernihiv and Pereyaslav. The term, "Greater Rus' was used to apply to all the lands ruled by Kiev, including those that were not just Slavic, but also Finno-Ugric in the northeast portions of the state. Local regional subdivions of Rus' appeared in the Slavic heartland, including, "Belarus'" (White Ruthenia), "Chorna Rus'" (Black Ruthenia) and "Cherven' Rus'" (Red Ruthenia) in northwestern and western Ukraine.
Although Christianity had made inroads into Ukraine before the first ecumenical council, the Council of Nicea (particularly along the Black Sea coast) and, in Western Ukraine during the time of empire of Great Moravia, the formal governmental acceptance of Christianity in Ukraine occurred at the Baptism of Kiev in 988. The major cause of the Christianization of Ukraine was the Grand-Duke, Volodymyr the Great. His Christian interest was mid-wifed by his grandmother, Princess Olga . Later, an enduring part of the Ukrainian legal tradition was set down by the Kyivan ruler, Yaroslav, who promulgated the Russkaya Pravda (Ruthenian Truth) which endured through the Lithuanian period of Rus'. Conflict among the various principalities of Rus', in spite of the efforts of Grand Prince Volodymyr Monomakh, led to decline, beginning in the 12th century. In Rus' propria, the Kyiv region, the nascent Ruthenian/Ukrainian principalities of Halych and Volynia extended their rule. In the north, the name of Moscow appeared in the historical record in the principality of Suzdal, which gave rise to the nation of Russia. in the northwest, The principality of Polotsk increasing asserted the autonomy of Belarus'. Kyiv was sacked by Russians (1169), Polovtzians and Mongol raiders in the 12th and 13th centuries. Subsequently, all principalities of Ukraine acknowledged dependence upon the Mongols (1239-1240). The Mongol overlordship was very cruel, and people often fled to other countries. Ukrainian settlements appeared in Poland and Hungary.