One point is extra
People were living on the territory of present day Kyiv as far back as 20 thousand years ago. During the great movement of peoples a whole series of settlements appeared 1.... At the turn of the 6th century there was founded a city. Kyiv's location was unique for a settlement. The city arose on the frontier between the forest and forest-steppe zones, in a place 2....This place was also one of the most important navigation arteries in Europe, part of the trade route «from the Varangians to the Greeks». In this place the river Desna flew into the Dnieper. The landscape consisted of a series of elevations The legend tells that there were three brothers Kiy, Scheck, Khoriv and sister Lybid.They built a town and called it Kyiv after the oldest brother. The forest round the town was big and there were a lot of animals. Those men were wise and clever and the people called them the Polians. This was 3.... — the acknowledgedspiritual centre of Rus. Kiy and his successors ruled there until the 9th century. In 882 the Varangian Prince Oleg, a confidant of Rurik, arrived from Novgorod, occupied the city, killing the local rulers Askold and Dir, and made it the centre of a large state joining the Kyiv and Novgorod lands. After Rurik died leaving an infant son Igor, Oleg became regent and assumed supreme power for life. The chronicles tell 4....which later provided the basis for A.S.Pushkin's ballad «The Song of Prophetic Oleg». Oleg was warned in a prophecy that his death would come from his favourite horse. The prince decided never to ride his horse again. Eventually the horse died. When Oleg was shown the remains of the horse, he laughed at the prophecy and put his foot on the horse's skull. A snake emerged from the skull and stang Oleg, killing him. The tribe of Drevlians killed Prince Igor Rurikovich 5... .. The naive Drevlians decided to offer their prince as a husband for Igor's widow Olga. The chronicles tell how fierce Olga took revenge. She had one embassy buried alive. She burnt another one in a bathhouse. Finally, she laid a siege to Iskorosten, the Drevlians' capital. After a long siege, she finally agreed to accept a symbolic tribute: 6. ... When she was given what she asked for, she ordered her men to tie smouldering ropes to the birds and release them. The birds returned to their yards, and the wooden city caught fire. Olga's son, Kyiv prince Sviatoslav Igorevich liked military campaigns. His contemporaries left a descripton of his apperance that bears a strong resemblance to the future Zapopzhye Cossacks: a long moustache, a shaven head with a single lock of hair, an earing. 7... the The flourishing of Kyiv as the capital of Kyivan Rus was linked to the names of the great princes Volodymyr Sviatoslavovich and his son Yaroslav the Wise. Prince Volodymyr introduced Orthodox Christianity in Rus, intiated school education, reformed the army, and 8.... on the Kyiv throne. Yaroslav carried out great construction projects in Kyiv and created the first Legal Code (Russian Truth). He founded the first library, and promoted the arts and crafts. In those days the monarchs of many European countries considered it an honour 9....the Kyiv princes by marriage. The later rulers Vladimir Monomakh and Mstislav the Great consolidated the supremacy of Kyiv in Kyivan Rus. During their rule the state occupied a great stretch of territory. The capital city was a stronghold with numerous stone cathedrals and towers, and large areas of wooden dwellings. The Mongol conquest was a fatal blow for Kyiv. In 1240 Batu Khan captured the ancient city. Thousands of people died, many holy places were destroyed. Its former greatness was lost. By the 14th century Kyiv 10... of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which annexed the Kyiv princedom to its possessions.
a. on ridge of hills above the Dnieper b. was reduced to an outlying district c. the legend of the prince's death d. when planning a campaign against his neighbours e. when neighbouring rulers declared a war f. to become related to g. three pigeons and three sparrows from each yard h. established the system of vassal pricedoms dependant i. where trade between tribes was lively j. when he came to them asking double the usual tribute k. the starting point of the history on the Dnieper-Slavutych
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intersected by streams and ravines, which created secure natural fortifications.
warlike prince would send a threatening message to them: «I am coming against you». He won victories over the Khazars, Viatiches and Danube Bulgars. But the Pechenegs killed Sviatoslav. Their chief set his skull in gold and made it into a cup.
