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# Eastern States of the Slavs The Slavs, who lived in Eastern Europe, established villages and towns along rivers. They consisted of three groups: southern, western, and eastern Slavs. ## The Rise of Kiev In the 800s, the eastern Slavs expanded the city of Kiev, which became a wealthy trading ce...

# Eastern States of the Slavs The Slavs, who lived in Eastern Europe, established villages and towns along rivers. They consisted of three groups: southern, western, and eastern Slavs. ## The Rise of Kiev In the 800s, the eastern Slavs expanded the city of Kiev, which became a wealthy trading center with Scandinavia and the Byzantine Empire. In 988, Vladimir, the Rus ruler, married a Byzantine princess and adopted Eastern Orthodox Christianity. ## Mongol Invaders Around 1240, Mongol warriors conquered Kievan Rus. Novgorod, a Slavic city, was spared, but had to pay tribute to the Mongol leader. However, Novgorod faced attacks from the west by Germans and Swedes. Alexander Nevsky, a Novgorod prince, defeated these invaders in 1240. ## The Importance of Moscow During the Mongol rule, Slavs moved north and established settlements. Moscow, a new settlement, grew into a major city, prospering as a crossroads of trade routes. Moscow's rulers cooperated with the Mongols and collected taxes from other territories which allowed them to gradually expand their territory. ## Ivan III Becomes Czar In 1462, Ivan III became the ruler of Moscow. He married a Byzantine niece, adopted the Byzantine style, and was referred to as czar (meaning emperor in Russian). By 1480, he had driven the Mongols from Moscow and expanded Russian territory, forming a large empire.