Medieval and Early Modern Russia and Ukraine

This web page will provide links to resources for the teaching and learning of the early history of the areas encompassed primarily by today's Ukraine and the European parts of Russia and some adjoining regions of Eastern Europe. The particular focus will be on the culture of the Orthodox East Slavs; the period to be covered extends to approximately 1700. The emphasis is on material available in English; this is not intended as a resource primarily for the support of serious academic research.

Some of the linked pages are ones which I have created myself in the context of teaching undergraduate courses. The content may be based on substantial reading of material that would not be accessible to someone who must rely only on English. While the interpretations here may not always coincide with received wisdom, those pages are not research-oriented but are aimed at a "general audience." In addition to my own material, one of the goals is to provide an anthology of primary sources and electronic texts of articles that may be of particular value for class discussion. One can hope that this beginning will encourage others to post materials to their own web sites and/or submit them for inclusion here.

The extent and value of the material here will depend to a considerable degree on whether copyright permissions can be obtained to expand the site. I have substantial material in process, which will be posted once copyright issues have been resolved. Unless there are indications to the contrary, one should assume that anything posted or linked to these pages may be used for non-profit educational purposes. However, any for-profit use requires the permission of the copyright holder, be it me or the indicated individual or institution (in the case of the latter, address queries to the relevant person/institution, not to me). Even if your purpose is a non-profit educational one, I would appreciate learning from you about the way you are using the material. Such information may help to generate support for developing and maintaining this site.

Suggestions, corrections, and, above all, contributions are welcome. Please write me.

Daniel C. Waugh
University of Washington (Seattle)