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CHAPTER GEOGRAPHY APPLICATION: LOCATION 11 Growth of Early Russia Section 2 Directions: Read the paragraphs below and study the map carefully. Then answer the questions that follow.
uring the sixth and seventh centuries, early Russia to Christianity. Although Kiev’s proximity DScandinavian traders transported goods to and and contact with Byzantium is largely responsible from Constantinople. They traveled through an for the conversion to Christianity, one account area of present-day Russia so frequently that com- states that Vladimir chose Christianity over Islam munities and a primitive government began to because he could not accept a religion that rejected form. These Scandinavians even coined the word alcohol. Russia. They may have gotten it from the Greek Kievan Russia declined in the 12th century word for red, which was the hair color of many of because of internal problems and the Mongol inva- these Viking traders. sions. Around 1300, the Orthodox Church chose Around 855, a Danish man named Rurik Moscow as its center. As a result, Moscow, original- became the first Russian king and Kiev became the ly a region of Russia, began to emerge as an impor- center of early Russia. A descendant of Rurik, tant city. Vladimir I, who ruled from 980 to 1015, converted
Early Russia, 1000–1505 ARARCTICCTIC OCEAN