The Principalities of North-Eastern Russia tried to gain a foothold in the Baltic region. They founded the city of Yuryev on the estonian lands, took tribute from the Finns and Lithuanians. But the Baltic knights were also looked after by German knights. They built a fortress in Riga at the mouth of the Western Dvina. … Read more
A place of honor in the medieval theory of the three classes is occupied by “those who are at war”, that is, the secular feudal lords. There was a system of vassalage, a kind of hierarchical feudal ladder. At its top was the king – the richest landowner. He was considered the supreme lord, or … Read more
Crusaders with great difficulty succeeded in retaining power over the conquered population. The weakness of the positions of the Crusaders in the East prompted the papacy to create there knights-monastic orders. The knights entering them gave three monastic vows: poverty, obedience and celibacy. Their main task was to fight against the enemies of Christianity. To … Read more
On the lands of the middle Danubian – the territory of modern Hungary Hungarian tribes came in 896. At the head of the Hungarian tribes stood the leader Arpad. It is with him that the princely, and later the first royal dynasty of Hungary – Arpadovichi begins. The entire first half of the X century. … Read more
The Cossack garrison was constantly on the Sich, the majority of the Zaporozhians lived in the winter huts, and came to Sich on the appropriate signal. After all, it was from Sich that the Cossacks went on a campaign. The Sich was also the place where the Cossacks discussed the most important questions of their … Read more
At the end of the early Middle Ages, the first records of the heroic epic appear, which previously existed only in oral recounts. Heroes of folk tales were mostly warriors who bravely defended their land and people. In these works, two worlds interwoven: real and fairy. Heroes often won with the help of magic powers. … Read more
With another neighbor, Turkey, the historical fate of Ukraine in the Middle Ages was closely linked. Around 1000, the nomadic tribes of the Seljuk Turks swept over Europe from the plains of Kazakhstan. They conquered Central Asia, Persia, Syria and Iraq, and soon – Armenia and Byzantium. In 1071, in battle near the fortress of … Read more
The medieval people lived in houses that lacked the conveniences that were usual for us. In the cold season, they were heated with a fire, the smoke from which came out either through a hood over the fireplace, or through windows and a hole in the roof. Expensive glass was used almost exclusively in church … Read more
The highest flourishing in the early period of its history, Byzantium reached under Emperor Justinian I, who was born in the family of a poor Macedonian peasant. In Justinian’s life, his uncle, Justin’s mother, played an important role, a poorly educated peasant who had traveled from a simple soldier to an emperor. Thanks to Uncle … Read more
After the death of Muhammad, the Muslim state was headed by his closest associates, who were called Khalifs – the “successors” of the prophet. The first caliphs, coming from the rich and influential Meccan family of the Umayyads, understood that in order to strengthen their power and Islam, victorious wars that would rally the Arabs … Read more