The Rise and Demise of the Myth of the Rus’ Land

Charles J. Halperin

book: The Rise and Demise of the Myth of the Rus’ Land

Open Access Published by ARC Humanities Press 2023

The Rise and Demise of the Myth of the Rus’ Land

Charles J. Halperin

In the series Beyond Medieval Europe

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781802700565

Overview
Contents

About this book

The concept of the Rus’ Land (russkaia zemlia) became and remained an historical myth of modern Russian nationalism as the equivalent of “Russia,” but it was actually a political myth, manipulated to provide legitimacy. Its meaning was dynastic—territories ruled by a member of the Riurikid/Volodimerovich princely clan. This book traces the history of its use from the tenth to the seventeenth century, outlining its changing religious (pagan to Christian) and geographic elements (from the Dnieper River valley in Ukraine in Kievan Rus’ to Muscovy in Russia) and considers alternative “land” concepts which failed to rise to the ideological heights of the Rus’ Land. Although the Rus’ Land was never an ethnic or national concept, and never expanded its appeal beyond an elite lay and clerical audience, understanding its evolution sheds light upon the cultural and intellectual history of the medieval and early modern East Slavs.

Author / Editor information

Charles J. Halperin is an Independent Scholar specializing in Early East Slavic history, and author of three recent books on Ivan the Terrible.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
CONTENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	iv
PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	vi
INTRODUCTION Open Access Download PDF	1
Chapter 1 THE RUS’ LAND (TENTH TO FIFTEENTH CENTURIES) Open Access Download PDF	5
Chapter 2 THE RUS’ LAND AND NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS Open Access Download PDF	17
Chapter 3 THE TVERIAN LAND Open Access Download PDF	27
Chapter 4 THE NOVGORODIAN LAND Open Access Download PDF	35
Chapter 5 THE SUZDALIAN LAND Open Access Download PDF	53
Chapter 6 THE PSKOVIAN LAND Open Access Download PDF	63
Chapter 7 THE RUS’ LAND AND IVAN IV Open Access Download PDF	79
Chapter 8 THE MUSCOVITE LAND Open Access Download PDF	89
Chapter 9 THE RUS’ LAND IN UKRAINE AND BELARUS (FOURTEENTH TO SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES) Open Access Download PDF	93
CONCLUSION Open Access Download PDF	105
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY Open Access Download PDF	107

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: ARC Humanities Press
Audience: Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Main content: 124
Keywords: East Slavic medieval history; russkaia zemlia; Russia; Ukraine; Russian nationalism

eBook

Published: September 30, 2022
ISBN: 9781802700565