The History of the Novgorod Republic

The far north west of modern Russia was disputed by Eastern Slavic and Bultophinic tribes in the first millennium. The discovery of the Byzantine Empire opened up an opportunity for the Vikings who would trade captured Slavs for precious objects from their neighbours. In 1136 the Novgorodians dismissed the prince Pzavalod which effectively demonstrated that they were in control of their own politics. Civil conflict between the descendants of Yaroslav and the different political areas of the vast Kiev and Rose territory threatened to break the nation apart.