Medieval Russia
Santa Sophia in Kiev (modern Ukraine)
Gradually, because of the Viking trading, the new country of Russia got to be more and more friendly with the Byzantine Empire. Naturally the Byzantine emperors wanted the Russians to become Christians. Around the year 1000, the Russians did become Christians, and began to build churches like those in Constantinople.
In 1067 AD, the Russians moved their capital from Novgorod to Kiev (KEY-ev). Russia was the biggest country in Europe, and the Russian people did very well, trading between the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic caliphate and Central Asia.
