History

The period in the history that initiated the formation of national communities in Europe is usually called the era of the Great Migration of Nations. As a result of migration processes on the ruins of the Western Roman Empire, new state formations of Burgundians, Lombards, Angles, Saxons and others emerged. The first barbarian state on … Read more

For each historical era, its perceptions and understanding of the environment are characteristic. In the Middle Ages, uneducated people relied on rumors, received knowledge from the stories of the elders of the role, legends and retellings. Sometimes it was difficult for them to tell the truth from fictions and fables. Little was known about other … Read more

Medieval cities became the cultural centers of Europe. Urban literature – verse novels, fables, rude jokes, etc. – amazed with its spontaneity and truthful portrayal of emotional experiences. She ridiculed greed and ignorance of the clergy, arrogance of nobles, other vices of society. Her favorite character was not a knight in love, but a cheerful … Read more

Eternity left words and thoughts. The fact that a happy family is the basis of a happy state. The fact that the son must honor his father, the wife is the husband, the husband is the wife and the son. The fact that love and respect in the family are the first virtues. On the … Read more

The concept of “Middle Ages” appeared in everyday life in the XV century. in the environment of Italian humanists. From literary sources it is known that it was the historian Flavio Biondo, when working on the “History of the Fall of Rome,” began to use the notion of the “Middle Ages”. The humanists perceived their … Read more

At the decline of the Middle Ages in Eastern Europe, a new state emerged and intensified, the Moscow state, with which historical destiny closely linked Ukraine. It was formed around Moscow, the first annalistic mention of which dates back to 1147. Rostov-Suzdal prince Yuri Dolgoruky, the youngest son of the Kiev prince Vladimir Monomakh, surrounded … Read more

With the advent of cities in Europe in the XI-XV centuries. trade revived. It was the cities that formed the local market. Sometimes the cities were united in trade unions, the most powerful of which became in the XIII-XIV centuries. The Hansa. The Hansa included almost 80 cities of Northern Germany, the Baltic states and … Read more

William the Conqueror made England a powerful state. But it became more powerful under the dynasty Plantagenet. With the death in 1135 of King Henry I, the youngest son of William the Conqueror, the Norman dynasty ended. A fierce struggle for power broke out in England. Barons no longer obeyed the king, built their own … Read more

In the XIV-XV centuries. among the intellectuals of Italy, the fascination with the culture of the ancient Greeks and Romans was growing, by that time almost forgotten. She attracted them, above all, her respect for man. Zealous admirers of ancient culture were later called humanists. With the efforts of the Humanists, this culture was born … Read more

1. How to use the historical map? Each event occurs not only at a certain time, but also in a certain place. Therefore, for historians it is important to navigate in space. For this purpose, Historical maps are used – reduced images of the earth’s surface, its parts or individual countries of the world. Historical … Read more

In ancient times in India there was a division of society into four varnas. These are brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras. At the beginning of our era in the organization of varnas there are significant changes. Each varna began to be divided into higher and lower castes. The most deprived of the lower caste were … Read more

Who does not dream to go to Paris? Perhaps some of you have already realized this dream. And yet, I hope everyone will be interested to talk about this wonderful city. Paris – the capital of France – is located in the center of the fertile agricultural area on the banks of the River Seine … Read more

Medieval Europe arose on the ruins of the Roman Empire not immediately, but for several centuries. It was formed as a result of the invasion of barbarian tribes, and above all Germanic tribes. These invasions completed the long process of unification of the Roman and barbarian worlds. How could these unlinky worlds come together, which … Read more

Foreign political failures intensified internal turmoil in the Byzantine Empire. In the course of the struggle for power, the military aristocracy won, which led Alexei I Komnin to the path. He became the founder of the Komnin dynasty, which ruled the state until 1185. It was a brilliant period in the history of Byzantium. Unlike … Read more

The peasants built their houses out of stone and reeds. The premises were lit with a torch or a beam. We slept on mattresses stuffed with straw. Near the house there was a garden, a vegetable garden, economic buildings, a cellar or a pit, huge vessels buried for storage of grain, wine, olives. The richer … Read more

Vladimir-Suzdal princes tried to extend their power to the entire North-East Russia, but could not conquer the Novgorodians. Novgorod is situated on the Volkhov River. It was inhabited by colonists, trappers, fishermen, warriors-traders-people of restless disposition. They carried out hunting raids and military raids on eastern lands – up to the White Sea and the … Read more

An important role in the history of medieval Europe was played by the Slavs. They settled in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and were divided into western, eastern and southern. Slavic tribes lived during their stay and in the north of Europe – in the basin of the river. Laba, and on the Baltic coast. … Read more

Together with the whole of Moscow, the Northern Administrative District was upgraded to the 850th anniversary of the capital. Old buildings were restored and refurbished, new houses were built, infrastructure was improved, and the ecological situation improved. All these efforts were urgently needed. But behind them in the district did not forget about the spiritual … Read more

Over the centuries, Byzantines have created a vivid and diverse culture that has become a kind of bridge between Antiquity and the Middle Ages. This was facilitated by the education system in the country. Children started to study at the age of 6-9. For two or three years they learned to read through church books, … Read more

Knighthood entered the bright page in the history of medieval European culture. In their epic works, those knights whom God bestowed on the “honey of poetry” sang the boundless devotion of the knight to the beautiful and noble lady, layman to the church, vassal to the seigneur. In the XII century. from ancient Celtic legends … Read more

In the Middle Ages, the development of technology passed slowly, in the process of accumulation and transfer of practical experience. In agriculture, mainly agricultural implements were improved, for example, in the 11th-12th centuries. Instead of a light plow, they started using a heavy iron wheeled plow with a blade and a gear harrow. In general, … Read more

First the feudal lords lived in encampments on high hills surrounded by moats, earthen ramparts and palisade camps. The only noteworthy construction of such a camp was the donjon – a multi-storey wooden or stone tower. The Donjon was not only the main defensive structure, but also a premise for the owner and his family. … Read more

In the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. among the Chinese leaders Buddhism spread. The common people preferred Taoism – a religion that upheld equality, condemned the craving for power, wealth and glory, promised immortality. But the most influential in the country was Confucianism, which turned into a kind of religion. The Chinese sought, … Read more

In the X century. the western part of the former empire of Charlemagne was already called, not by Gaul, but by France. But France was not a centralized state at that time. In the IX-X centuries. it was the first in Western Europe to split into a number of independent possessions – the duchies of … Read more

Scholastic approach to the knowledge of the surrounding world was not shared by all medieval scientists. After all, scholasticism called for believing authorities and learning the world through the book. Since the XIII century, there has been a deep interest in the study of nature and its phenomena. One of the first to insist on … Read more

The states of China in the Middle Ages Sui Dynasty Construction of the Grand Canal; An attempt to unite China. Tang Dynasty Administrative reform; Insurrection of the peasants. The Age of “Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms” Song Dynasty Unification of China; 1234 – the conquest of China by the Mongols Yuan Dynasty Accession of Tibet; … Read more

The economic basis of the West European medieval city was the craft. Craftsmen of one or several related professions united in workshops. Several reasons contributed to this: first, it was easier for artisans to defend themselves against the willfulness of the feudal lords; secondly, the workshops had more opportunities to combat the competition of newcomers … Read more

In the Middle Ages, marriage was considered a family affair and was in charge of the church. This guardianship consisted in the attempt of the church to control the conclusion of marriages. Marriage was considered legal if the young and their families performed a special ceremony of betrothal, orders for a dowry of the bride, … Read more

1. What is the strongest fortress in Ukraine? An outstanding monument of the defensive architecture of Ukraine is the Kamenetz-Podolsk fortress. The complex of its structures on the high rocky bank of the Smotrych River was formed over the centuries. The fortress was one of the most impregnable defensive structures of Podillia. The Turkish traveler … Read more

1. What is famous for the Kiev-Pechersky Monastery? In Ukraine, probably, there is no person who has not heard a forehead about the monastery – the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. It is located in Kiev on the Dnieper slopes. The monastery was founded around 1051, presumably by Antony Pechersky. First it was located in caves – hence … Read more

The European Middle Ages borrowed the school education system from antiquity, but enriched it, adapted it to new conditions. In the Middle Ages, both secular and secular schools were opened. They studied the children of feudal lords, townspeople, clergy, well-to-do peasants. The schools taught “seven free arts”: grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music. … Read more

Henry II left his heirs strong royal power. But right after his death they faced serious challenges. The war with France, England, in the end, lost. The scapegoats for this and other setbacks were made by the barons of John the Landless, the youngest son of Henry II. This king, as luck would have, quarreled … Read more

Rajputs were the descendants of nomadic tribal leaders from Central Asia. They lived mainly in Rajputana. Many of the princes of India also took their place. These Indian knights neglected the work of farmers, artisans and traders and engaged exclusively in hunting and military affairs, which they learned almost from their diapers. They did not … Read more

The world of things surrounded by a medieval man was created primarily by hand. The technique was introduced slowly, first in handicraft production – thanks to the appearance of cities and the development of metallurgy. It was in the manufacturing industry that the first mechanisms appeared, which were set in motion either by the man … Read more

During the reign of the Carolingians, the state system became more complex and ramified, but it remained imperfect. Charlemagne tried to prevent the excessive autonomy of his officials. He eliminated the position of the Dukes, who led the conquered large tribes. The whole territory of the state was divided into almost 200 counties. They were … Read more

Christianity appeared in the Roman era, but the world religion became in the Middle Ages, when its organization – the church was formed and strengthened. At the dawn of the Middle Ages the Church hierarchy already existed. In the Western Roman Empire, the head of the church was the pope, and in the Eastern Roman … Read more

In medieval cities, a democratic secular culture was born and formed, closely related to folk art. Most brightly it manifested itself in the urban literature created by the national language, not Latin. From time immemorial, amusing entertaining stories, fables, parables were popular among the people, which were literally processed during the heyday of the cities. … Read more

In the middle of the V century. On the territory of modern Belgium arose the kingdom of seaside francs. In 481, their king became Clovis, of the sort of the legendary King of Merovei. In honor of him, the dynasty of Frankish kings in the first half of the VIII cc. called the Merovingians. The … Read more

In medieval Europe, architecture and art felt a strong church influence. This was due to the fact that the church culture was understandable and accessible, and the church – the main customer of architectural structures and works of art. Until the XI century. In the European church architecture, the Romanesque style dominated. It was formed … Read more

In the XII century. the royal power appreciably strengthened. There were several reasons for such changes. The need for a strong royal power was felt by the petty and average feudal lords, who sought protection from power seniors. In addition, the feudal lords sought to increase profits. However, direct pressure on the peasants could lead … Read more

The eastern part of the empires of Charlemagne went to Louis the German as a separate kingdom, uniting the lands of four, in fact independent, duchies: Swabia, Bavaria, Franconia and Saxony. In Germany, the formation of the state takes place in the reign of Otto I, who, after defeating the Hungarians in 955 near Augsburg, … Read more

1. What is the history of the central street of Kiev – Khreshchatyk? In Ukraine, probably, there is no person who would not know about this street. Khreshchatik belongs to the fame of the main street of Kiev, its symbol. Khreshchatyk is sung in verse and songs, is depicted in pictures, is shown in many … Read more

The supreme power belonged to the emperor, whom the Chinese called the “Son of Heaven.” His will was for them the law. He lived in the greatest luxury – he had dozens, or even hundreds of palaces, thousands of servants, musicians, concubines. Nevertheless, in the midst of a fierce struggle for power, not many emperors … Read more

1. What historians can learn by name? Time has preserved for us a valuable historical source – “Register of the Army of Zaporizhia in 1649”, sealed with the handwritten signatures of Hetman Bogdan Khmelnitsky and the general clerk Ivan Vygovsky and the state seal. On 808 yellowed pages of this document contains a list of … Read more

It’s quite easy to go to Finland: we boarded a trip to St. Petersburg, and in two hours you are already in the Suomi Country. Visiting the “northern neighbor” you, of course, hurry to visit the capital. But before you leave the train, look in the guide to Helsinki! Perhaps this can be done without … Read more

In 1130 the Norman Duke Roger II, ruler of the south of Italy and Sicily, received from the pope the title of king. So there was a Sicilian kingdom. Formally, Roger II and his heirs were considered vassals of the pope, but in fact the Sicilian kingdom was a completely independent state. The Sicilian kingdom … Read more

Russia, except the Mongols, threatened and other enemies: from the north, the Swedes and the Germans. Nineteen-year-old Alexander Yaroslavich, a Novgorod prince, in 1240 gamely repulsed the attack of the Swedes. The Swedish flotilla led by Jarl Birger entered the mouth of the Neva and was sent to Novgorod. Birger sent Alexander Yaroslavich a messenger … Read more

From the second half of the XI century. The important aspect of the political life of Germany was the relations between the state and the church. Emperor Henry IV dared to openly conflict with Pope Gregory VII, who forbade secular power to interfere with the appointment of bishops. Thus began the struggle for investment. It … Read more

1. Why the description of the unsuccessful campaign of Prince Igor Svyatoslavovich in 1185 remained in the memory of the descendants In the 12th century. Our lands suffered from attacks of the nomadic people – Polovtsians. A participant in the struggle against them was Novgorod the Great Prince Igor. In 1185, together with his son … Read more

The collapse of the Roman Empire, on whose ruins medieval Europe was born, was caused by a prolonged decline in the economy. Agriculture and crafts did not develop, land was not cultivated. The power of the emperors gradually weakened. The crisis deepened in the spiritual life of the Roman state. Together with the elimination of … Read more