Event description
International exhibition "Kievan Rus'. The Beginnings" is dedicated to the history of this Eastern European state of the early Middle Ages, which today's Ukraine considers to be its origins. It is a multicultural entity from the 9th to the 13th centuries, born out of the need to trade and shaped by the strong influence of Scandinavian Vikings, steppe nomads and Byzantium. The golden fund of Ukrainian museums coming to Lithuania will allow us to present the almost three hundred year history of the creation and prosperity of Kievan Rus', as well as the themes that are changing the established perception of the region's history: an origin story influenced by external forces (Scandinavian, Baltic, Finnic) and internal forces (Slavic); links to Scandinavia and the Viking tradition of rule; links to the lands of the present-day Baltic States; and the collapse of and echoes of the continuation of tradition in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The narrative of the exhibition will reveal the rich multicultural history of Kievan Rus', but most importantly, it will answer the question of who founded the Kievan Rus' state and who carried on its tradition after its dissolution. The exhibition will be open at the House of History (T. Kosciuškos str. 3, Vilnius) until 30 March 2025.