The Story of Mankind [115]
conscious victim.
There have been many others since.
THE RISE OF RUSSIA
THE STORY OF THE MYSTERIOUS MOSCOVITE
EMPIRE WHICH SUDDENLY BURST UPON
THE GRAND POLITICAL STAGE OF EUROPE
IN the year 1492, as you know, Columbus discovered America.
Early in the year, a Tyrolese by the name of Schnups,
travelling as the head of a scientific expedition for the
Archbishop of Tyrol, and provided with the best letters
of introduction and excellent credit tried to reach the mythical
town of Moscow. He did not succeed. When he reached the
frontiers of this vast Moscovite state which was vaguely supposed
to exist in the extreme Eastern part of Europe, he was
firmly turned back. No foreigners were wanted. And
Schnups went to visit the heathen Turk in Constantinople, in
order that he might have something to report to his clerical
master when he came back from his explorations.
Sixty-one years later, Richard Chancellor, trying to discover
the North-eastern passage to the Indies, and blown by
an ill wind into the White Sea, reached the mouth of the Dwina
and found the Moscovite village of Kholmogory, a few hours
from the spot where in 1584 the town of Archangel was founded.
This time the foreign visitors were requested to come
to Moscow and show themselves to the Grand Duke. They
went and returned to England with the first commercial treaty
ever concluded between Russia and the western world. Other
nations soon followed and something became known of this
mysterious land.
Geographically, Russia is a vast plain. The Ural mountains
are low and form no barrier against invaders. The
rivers are broad but often shallow. It was an ideal territory for
nomads.
While the Roman Empire was founded, grew in power and
disappeared again, Slavic tribes, who had long since left their
homes in Central Asia, wandered aimlessly through the forests
and plains of the region between the Dniester and Dnieper
rivers. The Greeks had sometimes met these Slavs and a few
travellers of the third and fourth centuries mention them.
Otherwise they were as little known as were the Nevada Indians
in the year 1800.
Unfortunately for the peace of these primitive peoples, a
very convenient trade-route ran through their country. This
was the main road from northern Europe to Constantinople.
It followed the coast of the Baltic until the Neva was reached.
Then it crossed Lake Ladoga and went southward along the
Volkhov river. Then through Lake Ilmen and up the small
Lovat river. Then there was a short portage until the Dnieper
was reached. Then down the Dnieper into the Black Sea.
The Norsemen knew of this road at a very early date. In
the ninth century they began to settle in northern Russia, just
as other Norsemen were laying the foundation for independent
states in Germany and France. But in the year 862, three
Norsemen, brothers, crossed the Baltic and founded three small
dynasties. Of the three brothers, only one, Rurik, lived for a
number of years. He took possession of the territory of his
brothers, and twenty years after the arrival of this first
Norseman, a Slavic state had been established with Kiev as its
capital.
From Kiev to the Black Sea is a short distance. Soon the
existence of an organised Slavic State became known in
Constantinople. This meant a new field for the zealous
missionaries of the Christian faith. Byzantine monks followed the
Dnieper on their way northward and soon reached the heart of
Russia. They found the people worshipping strange gods
who were supposed to dwell in woods and rivers and in mountain
caves. They taught them the story of Jesus. There was
no competition from the side of Roman missionaries. These
good men were too busy educating the heathen Teutons to
bother about the distant Slavs. Hence Russia received its religion
and its alphabet and its first ideas of art and architecture
from the
There have been many others since.
THE RISE OF RUSSIA
THE STORY OF THE MYSTERIOUS MOSCOVITE
EMPIRE WHICH SUDDENLY BURST UPON
THE GRAND POLITICAL STAGE OF EUROPE
IN the year 1492, as you know, Columbus discovered America.
Early in the year, a Tyrolese by the name of Schnups,
travelling as the head of a scientific expedition for the
Archbishop of Tyrol, and provided with the best letters
of introduction and excellent credit tried to reach the mythical
town of Moscow. He did not succeed. When he reached the
frontiers of this vast Moscovite state which was vaguely supposed
to exist in the extreme Eastern part of Europe, he was
firmly turned back. No foreigners were wanted. And
Schnups went to visit the heathen Turk in Constantinople, in
order that he might have something to report to his clerical
master when he came back from his explorations.
Sixty-one years later, Richard Chancellor, trying to discover
the North-eastern passage to the Indies, and blown by
an ill wind into the White Sea, reached the mouth of the Dwina
and found the Moscovite village of Kholmogory, a few hours
from the spot where in 1584 the town of Archangel was founded.
This time the foreign visitors were requested to come
to Moscow and show themselves to the Grand Duke. They
went and returned to England with the first commercial treaty
ever concluded between Russia and the western world. Other
nations soon followed and something became known of this
mysterious land.
Geographically, Russia is a vast plain. The Ural mountains
are low and form no barrier against invaders. The
rivers are broad but often shallow. It was an ideal territory for
nomads.
While the Roman Empire was founded, grew in power and
disappeared again, Slavic tribes, who had long since left their
homes in Central Asia, wandered aimlessly through the forests
and plains of the region between the Dniester and Dnieper
rivers. The Greeks had sometimes met these Slavs and a few
travellers of the third and fourth centuries mention them.
Otherwise they were as little known as were the Nevada Indians
in the year 1800.
Unfortunately for the peace of these primitive peoples, a
very convenient trade-route ran through their country. This
was the main road from northern Europe to Constantinople.
It followed the coast of the Baltic until the Neva was reached.
Then it crossed Lake Ladoga and went southward along the
Volkhov river. Then through Lake Ilmen and up the small
Lovat river. Then there was a short portage until the Dnieper
was reached. Then down the Dnieper into the Black Sea.
The Norsemen knew of this road at a very early date. In
the ninth century they began to settle in northern Russia, just
as other Norsemen were laying the foundation for independent
states in Germany and France. But in the year 862, three
Norsemen, brothers, crossed the Baltic and founded three small
dynasties. Of the three brothers, only one, Rurik, lived for a
number of years. He took possession of the territory of his
brothers, and twenty years after the arrival of this first
Norseman, a Slavic state had been established with Kiev as its
capital.
From Kiev to the Black Sea is a short distance. Soon the
existence of an organised Slavic State became known in
Constantinople. This meant a new field for the zealous
missionaries of the Christian faith. Byzantine monks followed the
Dnieper on their way northward and soon reached the heart of
Russia. They found the people worshipping strange gods
who were supposed to dwell in woods and rivers and in mountain
caves. They taught them the story of Jesus. There was
no competition from the side of Roman missionaries. These
good men were too busy educating the heathen Teutons to
bother about the distant Slavs. Hence Russia received its religion
and its alphabet and its first ideas of art and architecture
from the