The Ruling Families of Rus: Clan, Family and Kingdom

Description

This is a new history of the region known as Kyivan Rus', a state in eastern and northern Europe from the late ninth to the mid-sixteenth century that encompassed a variety of polities and peoples, including Lithuanian, Polish, Ottoman and others. This account for the first time focuses on the history of the region via families, which allows the discussion of a wider region and a larger group of people than has been possible before. The book examines the development of Rus, Lithuania, Muscovy and Tver, and their relations and interconnections with the Mongols, Byzantines and many other peoples. This readable yet thoroughly scholarly book will appeal to anyone with an interest in the history of eastern Europe, a region that is crucial in world politics today.

Christian Raffensperger is the Kenneth E. Wray Chair in the Humanities at Wittenberg University, Ohio. His many books include Conflict, Bargaining, and Kinship Networks in Medieval Eastern Europe (2018). Donald Ostrowski is a lecturer at the Harvard Extension School, and Associate of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. His books include Russia in the Early Modern World: The Continuity of Change (2022).

'Twenty-five years ago, Donald Ostrowski helped to alter conventional views of the Mongol influence on Russia. Now, with his collaborator Christian Raffensperger, he offers a novel interpretation of early Rus history, focusing on families rather than dynasties. Ostrowski and Raffensperger reveal the roles of these families in Rus history from about the tenth through the sixteenth centuries. The families not only dominated political life but also had dramatic influences on the economy, art, culture, and religion. This well-written and jargon-free work will be attractive for the general reader and will serve as an important source for scholars.' - Morris Rossabi, Associate Adjunct Professor, Columbia University