Russia Timeline

  • 900

    Kievan Rus

    Kievan Rus
    During the 900s Russia was named "Kievan Rus" and was made up of a group of principalities, or countries.
  • 988

    Christianity

    Christianity
    In around 988, Grand Prince Vladimir I converted to Christianity and made it the state religion.
  • 1054

    The Formal Division

    The Formal Division
    A formal division was made in 1054 when the relationship between the eastern and western wings of the Christian church gradually declined.
  • 1200

    Kiev's Fall

    Kiev's Fall
    In the 1200s Kiev and the other principalities fell to Mongol invaders, weakened by the civil war.
  • 1240

    The Mongols

    The Mongols
    In 1240 The Mongols, led by Genghis Khan, destroyed Kiev and incorporated Russia into the Mongol Empire.
  • 1300

    Prince Yuri

    Prince Yuri
    In the 1300s, the principality of Moscow began to increase its power and Prince Yuri of Moscow married the sister of the Golden Horde’s ruler. Prince Yuri started to expand his territory. He increased the size and strength of his army.
  • 1380

    The Mongols' Defeat

    The Mongols' Defeat
    In 1380, Moscow’s army defeated the Mongols at the Battle of Kulikovo and the army drove the Mongols out of the region. The Mongols later regained control of Moscow, but they were not as powerful as before.
  • 1400

    The End of the Mongols' Rule

    The End of the Mongols' Rule
    In the late 1400s, Ivan III of Moscow refused to pay taxes to the Mongols, so the Mongols sent troops to attack Moscow. However, after a while, they went back to their capital, which ended the Mongol rule of Russia.
  • 1547

    Ivan IV

    Ivan IV
    In 1547 Ivan IV was the Grand Prince of Moscow. He became the first to rule all of Russia. This ruler came to be called the tsar. Ivan feared that other nobles might try to overthrow him, therefore he arrested and murdered thousands of nobles.
  • Serfdom

    Serfdom
    In the 1800s serfdom was abolished in Russia.