Somehow, since ninth grade, Russian history from around 1917 has always been integrated into the curriculum, even though we never directly studied Russia itself. I already know what Russian terrain looks like in the present day, and how Russia has adapted appropriately to the good and bad geographical aspects of the land. However, I was eager to learn about Russia's geography in the past. I have always been fascinated by Russia and its people, and seeing as I already know a sufficient amount about Russia from 1917 to the present day, I wanted to learn about Russia's beginnings. I chose the Kiev period to map out so that it would let me see the beginnings of Russia and how this beginning may have caused the troubles or advantages (with respect to their geography) that Russia has experienced through the years.
During the Kiev period, which was from 972-1054 AD, Kievan Rus had few defining aspects with regards to the land itself, seeing as the land itself was relatively small. However, it did indeed have certain aspects that made it a good place for trading. It had a few south-flowing rivers, such as the Dneiper, the Volga and the Western Dvina, that linked the Baltic with the Blacks Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Mediterranean. The Varangian (Vikings) made use of these rivers and first put Rus on the map as a trading nation. In Kievan Rus, much unlike today, there was a good balance between urban and suburban cities. There were undoubtedly more people living off the land than there were people working in the cities, but the balance between urban and suburban settings was much more even than it is in current-day Russia.
Russia today is a large society made up of people of different tongues and religions. This polyglot society began to form even during the days of Kievan Rus. Kievan Rus had large plots of flat plains which allowed for the movement of many people into its lands.
