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history. By the seventh century they had become the most populous group in the region, and by the ninth century they had organized several tribal centers. These were precursors of the modern Russian city. As the East Slavs were establishing their roots in the region, a group known as the Varangians (the East Slavic word for Vikings) sailed across the Baltic Sea to eastern Europe. Their leader, the chieftain Rurik, took control of the Slavic city of Novgorod in 862. Twenty years later his successor, Oleg, expanded Varangian power southward to the city of Kiev. This marked the beginnings of Kievan Rus’, the first formal East Slavic state. With a shared interest in developing trade routes along the Dnieper River, the East Slavs and the Varangians soon unified. They controlled the flow of goods between Scandinavia and the Byzantine Empire. Kievan Rus’ began a rise to prominence that would last more than two centuries. Perhaps the most influential leader of Kievan Rus’ was Vladimir I, a descen- dent of Oleg who forcefully seized power in 980. As grand prince of Kiev, Vladimir I led many military campaigns to expand the size of Kievan Rus’. What truly defined his legacy was his conversion from paganism to Christi- anity in 988. He wanted to unify his growing empire under a single religion and sent representatives to neighboring countries to investigate different faiths. He decided against Islam because it prohibited alcohol, a substance he felt would be difficult for his subjects to forsake. Judaism and Western Christianity The painting The Invitation of the Varangians by Viktor Vasnetsov depicts the arrival of Rurik and his brothers at the hands of the Ilmen Slavs.

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MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: RUSSIA