 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Inotungamirirwa nedzinza reVarangian, Kievan Rus yakadzora nzira dzaibatanidza Northern Europe kuByzantium nekuMabvazuva semuenzaniso: nzira yekutengeserana yeVolga. Nyika yeKievan yakatanga nehutongi 882912 hweMuchinda Oleg, uyo akawedzera kutonga kwake kubva kuNovgorod kuenda kumaodzanyemba achitevedza mupata werwizi rweDnieper kuitira kuchengetedza kutengeserana kubva kuKhazar kupinda kumabvazuva uye akatamisa guta rake guru kuenda kuKiev. Sviatoslav I akafa 972 akawana kuwedzera kukuru kwekutanga kwehutongi hweKievan Rus, achirwa hondo yekukunda neKazarian Empire uye achirova zvakakomba kuBulgaria. Kurwisa kwevaRus967 kana 968, yakakurudzirwa nevaByzantine, yakatungamirira kukuparara kwehurumende yeBulgaria uye kubatwa kwokumabvazuva kwenyika neRus. Kurwisana kwakananga kwechiuto kwakatevera pakati peRus neByzantium 970-971 kwakaguma nokukunda kweByzantium 971. VaRus vakadzokera shure uye Umambo hweByzantium hwakabatanidza kumabvazuva kweBulgaria. Vose vari vaviri vasati vatendeukira kuchiKristu uye pashure pacho chinowanzozivikanwa kuti 988 pasi paVladimir I weKiev - anozivikanwa saVladimir Mukuru, vaRus vakatangawo hondo dzinoparadza vachirwisa Umambo hweByzantium, dzimwe dzacho dzakapedzisira dzaita kuti pave nezvibvumirano zvokutengeserana. Kukosha kwehukama hweRusso-Byzantine kuConstantinople kwakaratidzwa nenyaya yekuti Vladimir I weKiev, mwanakomana waSvyatoslav I, akazova iye chete mutorwa akaroora 989 muchindakadzi weByzantine wedzinza reMasedhonia iyo yaitonga Humambo hweEastern Roman kubva muna 867 kusvika 1056, rukudzo rwakasarudzika rwakatsvakwa zvisina maturo nevamwe vatongi vazhinji. 