Russian Royal Family

Author: Wang Zhonghe
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Peter the Great, who lived almost simultaneously with Emperor Kangxi, completely transformed the face of Russia. These two rulers established two neighboring powerful empires. Peter the Great's granddaughter-in-law—Catherine the Great, inherited and continued his reform efforts, truly placing Russia among the world's great powers. Geographically speaking, the ancestors of the Russians originated from the Pontic Steppe on the northern shore of the Black Sea. This area is rich in grass and water, with a climate suitable for nomadic peoples, making it an ideal habitat. Earlier, the Cimmerians lived here, a tribe belonging to the Indo-European language family. The ancient Greek poet Homer mentioned this people in his epics, but little is known about their origins and way of life today. Around 700 BC, they were driven away by the Scyths. Novgorod means "new city" in Russian. In the mid-9th century, the Slavs of Novgorod, constantly plagued by invasions from surrounding tribes and weary of internal conflicts, found their families and tribes constantly quarreling with each other, as if justice no longer existed among them. To maintain social stability, they wanted to establish a state, but several attempts failed. Finally, they sent three envoys to a Norse tribe called Rus, asking them to come and manage and govern.