To: dybdahl who wrote (38213 ) 8/10/2008 8:01:10 AM From: Haim R. Branisteanu Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 218068 Could be you are right as I was not there <gg> but from what I read.The formation of the Kievan state that began in the mid-9th century, the role of the Varangians (Vikings) in this process, and the name Rus by which this state came to be known are all matters of controversy among historians. It is clear, however, that this formation was connected with developments in international trade and the new prominence of the Dnieper route from the Baltic to Byzantium,... britannica.com Russian culture ( in Russia: The Kievan period ) Although many traces of the Slavic culture that existed in the territories of Kievan Rus survived beyond its Christianization (which occurred, according to The Russian Primary Chronicle, in 988), the cultural system that organized the lives of the early Slavs is far from being understood. From the 10th century, however, enough material has survived to provide a reasonably accurate... The early Rus' were most likely a Scandinavian warrior-elite that ruled a majority of Slavic subjects. Scandinavians continued to remain in control until at least the mid-11th century.[3]en.wikipedia.org ; By 989, Oleg's great-grandson Vladimir I was ruler of a kingdom that extended to as far south as the Black Sea, the Caucasus Mountains, and the lower reaches of the Volga River. Having decided to establish a state religion, Vladimir carefully considered a number of available faiths and decided upon Greek Orthodoxy, thus allying himself with Constantinople and the West. It is said that Vladimir decided against Islam partly because of his belief that his people could not live under a religion that prohibits hard liquor. geographia.com