1) How did cities appear in Rus'?
Ancient Rus' was called the Country of Cities, Gardarika.
Cities in Rus' arose on the site of villages surrounded by a palisade and a moat. As these villages grew, they became the cities of Ancient Rus'. 2) Find on the map (p. 41) the cities of Kyiv and Novgorod. What can you learn about them from the map?
Novgorod was located in the north of Ancient Rus'.
It lay on the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks and therefore became an important trading center.
Kyiv was located in the center of Ancient Rus'.
It lay on the Dnieper River, at the intersection of several important trade routes.
Country of cities
Hi guys!
Today in the lesson we will continue to get acquainted with the history of our country and take a trip to some cities of Ancient Rus'. We will learn about ancient Kyiv and ancient Novgorod; we will find them on the map, use illustrations and diagrams to describe the appearance of these cities, and understand the importance of the finds of birch bark letters.
Western neighbors called Ancient Rus' a country of cities. But how did they appear in Rus'?
We already know that for their settlements the Slavs chose a place where nature itself could help them protect themselves from enemies.
Such a place could be, for example, a high bank at a bend in a river or at the confluence of two rivers.
Firstly, it made it possible to see the enemy from afar and prepare for his attack. Secondly, the river served as reliable protection for the settlement. They dug a ditch on the unprotected side and filled it with water. It turned out to be a man-made island. Houses were built on it. A high earthen rampart was built around the settlement, and a strong fence of sharpened logs tightly adjacent to each other was placed on it. Such fenced fortified villages were reliable shelters from enemy attacks.
Gradually they grew and over time began to be called cities - from the words “to fence”, “to fence”.
The center of an ancient Russian city was usually fortified and called the Kremlin
. Inside there was a princely palace and houses of the nobility, and the main city church towered.
Outside the Kremlin lived artisans, traders and other urban people. The main shopping square of the city was noisy and lively.
There were many beautiful cities in Rus'
.
But the most beautiful of all was Kyiv, the capital city of the great princes.
Trade routes diverged from Kyiv in different directions. They walked north and south, east and west. Boats and trade fleets stopped at the Dnieper piers. Far beyond the borders of Rus' there was a rumor about the beauty and splendor of Kyiv. And there was something to marvel at! Each prince tried to decorate his capital.
Kyiv flourished under Prince Yaroslav, nicknamed the Wise. He reigned from 1019 to 1054.
By his order, the Golden Gate and the solemn St. Sophia Cathedral were built in Kyiv.
Travelers considered Kyiv a worthy rival to Constantinople. Like a wonderful miracle, wooden towers with intricate carvings and golden domes of temples adorned themselves. Before its destruction by conquerors in the thirteenth century, Kyiv was one of the largest and most beautiful cities in the world.
The north of our country is an amazing land of rivers and lakes. Here, on the banks of the Volkhov River near Lake Ilmen, stands Veliky Novgorod.
Let's look at the diagram of this city.
The city was surrounded on all sides by an earthen rampart and the rivers Tarasovets and Gzen. And the Volkhov River seemed to divide the city into two parts. On the right bank there was the Sofia side, which was named after the white stone Church of St. Sophia, and on the left - the Trade side, which got its name from the “bargaining” - the market square and shopping arcades. The two parts of the city were connected by a wide wooden bridge.
The Sofia side was divided into three districts (or “ends”): Nerevsky, Zagorsky and Lyudin. On this side of Novgorod there were monasteries: Nikolsky, Zverin, Dukhov, and the Kremlin was also located here. It was surrounded by fortress walls and a moat with water.
Novgorod Kremlin has stood for almost ten centuries.
. Important events in the life of Novgorod took place here.
The Novgorod Kremlin, as part of the historical center of Veliky Novgorod, is today included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Inside the Novgorod Kremlin, the golden domes of the cathedral, named, like in Kyiv, in honor of St. Sophia, glittered in the sun. St. Sophia Cathedral was the main temple, a symbol of Novgorod.
“Where St. Sophia is, there is Novgorod,” the Novgorodians said in those days.
Unlike the Sofia side, the Trade side of Novgorod consisted of two “ends”: Plotnitsky and Slavensky. Thus, Veliky Novgorod was composed of five “ends”.
On the Trade Side of Novgorod, opposite the Kremlin, there was a trade square and Pavlov Monastery.
Like a hospitable, hospitable host, the city opened its gates wide to friends. Novgorod was located on a busy trade route. Rich merchant ships crowded around the piers on the banks of the Volkhov. Multilingual speech was heard on the streets of the city.
Boyars, merchants, and artisans lived in the city of Novgorod. Among the artisans, gunsmiths, jewelers, and tanners were famous for their skills.
Novgorodians were famous for their freedom-loving, proud, independent character
. The city was ruled by mayors. They were chosen from the noble boyars at the veche - a meeting of all townspeople.
The people gathered at the meeting at the ringing of the bell. The veche decided all issues of city life: how to rule the land, with whom to fight, and with whom to make peace. The veche decided who to invite to reign.
The amazing life of ancient Novgorod was revealed thanks to the finds of archaeologists. For example, it became known that there were wooden pavements in Novgorod.
During excavations of one of the ancient streets of Novgorod, 28 “floors” of pine pavements were discovered. They were laid from the tenth to the fifteenth centuries - five hundred years.
Birch bark letters became an outstanding discovery by archaeologists
.
Birch bark letters are notes, letters and documents made on birch bark. The letters were scratched out with special pointed sticks called scribble. Relatives and friends exchanged birch bark messages. Business calculations were carried out on birch bark. After reading, unnecessary certificates were thrown away.
The found birch bark letters helped scientists learn a lot about the life of ancient Novgorod. They even brought to us some of the names of Novgorodians. One of them is the name of a little Novgorod boy Onfim, who lived in the 13th century. Archaeologists found 12 birch bark letters and drawings made by Onfim.
The bulk of Onfim's documents are educational records. His birch bark school notebooks are covered with letters, syllables and entire sentences. In a moment of rest from classes, Onfim drew. In his inept, but expressive pictures in their own way, we see horses, warriors in helmets and cloaks, battle scenes, flying arrows, a rider striking an enemy. These are some of the oldest children's drawings known to us.
Ancient Rus' was famous for its cities. They were decorated with magnificent buildings created by the talent of ancient craftsmen. During excavations of many ancient cities, birch bark letters were found.
A story about ancient Novgorod for 4th grade
The city of Novgorod was located in the north of Ancient Rus'. It lay on both banks of the Volkhov River, near Lake Ilmen. The route from the Varangians to the Greeks passed along this river, and therefore Novgorod has always been the center of trade and merchants.
Novgorod was divided by the river into two parts. On the trade side there was a market, piers for merchant ships and various craft workshops.
On the other side of the Volkhv there was the Sofia side, where the Novgorod Kremlin was located and where the palaces of the nobility and the richest merchants were located. There was also the mayor's palace and the majestic St. Sophia Cathedral.
The Sofia and Trade sides were connected by a bridge across the Volkhv.
Novgorod also had many beautiful churches, but this city was especially famous for its monasteries. Here were the St. Nicholas Monastery, Zverin Monastery, Dukhov, Pavlov and Anthony monasteries.
Read the text. Use it when talking about birch bark letters.
Old Russian architecture and religious buildings
Cities in Ancient Rus' were places where monumental buildings were built, which were mainly associated with the Christian religion. The traditions and rules for the construction of ancient temples came to Rus' from Byzantium, which is why they were built according to a cross-dome design. Temples were erected by order of wealthy princes and the Orthodox Church itself.
The first monumental buildings were tithe churches, the oldest of which has survived to this day is the Spasskaya Church in Chernigov (1036). Starting from the 11th century, more complex temples with galleries, staircase towers, and several domes began to be built. Ancient architects sought to make the interior expressive and colorful. An example of such a temple is the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv; similar cathedrals were erected in Novgorod and Polotsk.
A slightly different, but bright and original, architectural school has developed in the North-East of Rus', which is characterized by many decorative carved elements, slender proportions and plasticity of facades. One of the masterpieces of that time is the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl (1165).
A story about birch bark letters for grade 4
Ancient Novgorod was one of the most enlightened cities of Rus'. Here almost all the people knew how to read and write, and even small children went to schools to learn to write and read.
Historians became aware of this after the discovery of a large number of birch bark letters, small pieces of birch bark that the Novgorodians used for writing.
They wrote on these letters with special pointed sticks, which were called scribals, simply scratching the desired text.
It was impossible to erase this text, and therefore the Novgorodians diligently studied literacy in order to make fewer mistakes.
Archaeologists found a school notebook of Novgorodian Onfim, who learned to write and at the same time drew various children's drawings on birch bark.
But more often, merchant records, calculations, reports, and simply notes to relatives and friends are found on birch bark letters. Thanks to these letters, scientists learned a lot about the life of ordinary Novgorodians.
Example of a finished presentation “Discovery of birch bark letters”
Pskov – 1115 years
The founding date of Pskov is considered to be 903, when the city was first mentioned in the Laurentian Chronicle. Olga, the first Christian princess in Rus' and the wife of the Kyiv prince Igor Rurikovich, originally from Pskov.
For a long time, Pskov was one of the largest cities in Europe and was an impregnable barrier on the western borders of the country.
And in March 1917, while at Pskov station, the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II abdicated the throne and simply became a citizen of Romanov.
check yourself
1) What is the Kremlin?
The Kremlin is the fortified central part of the ancient Russian city.
2) What magnificent buildings decorated ancient Kyiv?
Kyiv was decorated with the St. Sophia Cathedral, the Golden Gate, and the Church of the Tithes.
3) What activities were held in high esteem by Novgorodians?
Novgorodians held trade and crafts in high esteem, including the craft of tanners, gunsmiths, and jewelers.
4) What is the importance of the finds of birch bark letters?
The charters told scientists about the life of the ancient Novgorodians, how the city was governed, and what the Novgorodians did.
What was the role of the city in Rus'
The peculiarities of the creation of ancient Russian cities also imply the role they played in the society of that era. The cities are:
- centers of the agricultural region,
- a concentration of crafts, exchange and trade;
- strongholds in intermediary trade;
- centers of consumption of goods and services;
- centers of culture;
- centers of religion and worship; since the adoption of Christianity - by Christian centers;
- defensive strongholds designed to protect citizens and residents of the surrounding area;
- administrative centers of the emerging state;
- cultivated, reclaimed from nature, ordered territory - the core of a new, organized socio-political, cultural, religious life.
From the above it is clear that ancient Russian cities were formed as a complex economic, socio-political and cultural organism.
Homework assignments
1) Come up with a story “At a literacy lesson in ancient Novgorod” on behalf of the student or teacher (optional).
A story on behalf of a student “At a literacy lesson in Nizhny Novgorod” for 4th grade
My name is Onfim and I am a small Novgorodian. I study at school and every day I run there with a set of birch bark letters and writing. Today I was late for a literacy lesson again and a strict teacher told me to rewrite the words “You can’t be late for class” ten times.
Our teacher is strict but fair.
I sat down at a table and began to carefully scratch this phrase on the birch bark. The teacher at this time showed the other children how to correctly write this or that word. I got bored and decided to draw a teacher. It turned out just great. I especially liked his long, thin arms, which the teacher often waves and sometimes hits the students on the back of their heads.
But for some reason the teacher didn’t like my drawing, and he punished me again. Made me clean the classroom after class. Well, it’s okay, I’m used to it, because smart people say the truth, that while studying is hard, trading will be easy. But I really want to become a merchant like Sadko.
A story on behalf of the teacher “At a literacy lesson in ancient Novgorod” for 4th grade
My name is Gordey and I am a literacy teacher for young children, sons of Novgorod residents. My school is located next to a church and any children can attend it if they wish. I do not charge any fees for my lessons, and even the children of poor artisans can go to school and learn to read and write.
Children are children, and they often play around. So today Onfim, the tanner’s son, was late again, and even began to draw little men on birch bark instead of clever words. And what to do with him? We'll have to punish him again.
My main task is not only to teach children to read and write, but to give them the understanding that without literacy they will not be able to achieve anything in our world. Being literate is very important.
Therefore, every day I give the children new tasks, teach them to write words and construct sentences, and teach them to count. Any free Novgorodian must be literate, because the prosperity of our city depends on it.
A story on behalf of a Novgorodian about his city to a resident of another Russian city for 4th grade
Hello, wanderer. Where will you be from? Are you heading from Kyiv itself? And for what reason? Trade matters? Well, okay, we hold it in high esteem, merchants are always welcome here. We are all merchants ourselves.
Well, let me introduce you to Novgorod, which is called the Great for a reason. After all, this is a very big city. Here you are now standing on our piers. Everyone who travels from the Varangians to the Greeks comes here. There are, of course, well-worn paths, but our close neighbors, the Pskovites, Chud and Vesi, use them.
Look, friend, from here, and along the entire river, there is a bargaining going on. Everything here is filled with shops and warehouses. A little further away, the workshops of blacksmiths and gunsmiths smoke, and even further away is a tannery row. They don’t go there idle, you can understand the smell.
And here is the white city on the other side of the river. Over that bridge you can get straight to the Kremlin. There is the heart of Novgorod and its veche square. There we gather to resolve the most important issues. For example, which prince to invite to posadnik, or how to repel the enemy.
And over there stands the Hagia Sophia. That's where we'll go first. Because if you do not venerate Hagia Sophia, you will not have success in trading matters. You'll go broke and go to a monastery. It’s not for nothing that we have dozens of them around the city.
So dump your things in the store and let's go pray for good luck.
