Early Russia and the Russian Empire

The Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg was a home of Russian monarchs from 1764 until 1917. Russian Communists famously attacked the building in _____ when they seized power.

• 1800

• 1764

• 1917

• 1910

Russia’s history spans many (a)   . It is a rich story of invaders, powerful leaders, and dramatic change that continues today.

Modern Russians are descended from East Slavs who migrated from Poland and (a)   into western Russia in the a.d. 400s and 500s. They encountered invading Goths from Germany, along with Huns, Avars, Magyars, and Khazars from Asia.

The East Slavs were energetic (a)   . They founded trading posts along rivers that became the cities of Kiev and Novgorod.

By the 800s, Scandinavian raiders and merchants, called _______, dominated Novgorod, Kiev, and other trading centers. They soon merged with the Slavic population.

• Slavs

• Vikings

• Russians

• Tzars

It was the Rus who gave their name to the first known East Slavic state: the _______ Rus.

• Viking

• Russian

• Slavic

• Kievan

Located in present-day Ukraine, (a)   became the region’s economic and cultural center.

Kiev’s early rulers grew rich from _____ and united the Slavic tribes.

• trade

• jewels

• energy

• olives

Under _______, the Kievan Rus formed close ties with the Byzantine empire around the year 1000.

• Prince Ivan III

• Catherine the Great

• Peter the Great

• Vladimir I

Vladimir adopted the Byzantines’ Eastern Orthodox (a)   .