Puppies and Russia

[elaby]

It's no wonder we want to give Thomas a puppy. They incite the fuzziest feelings.

I
met one on the way home today... a little chocolate cocker spanial who
was incredibly friendly. She licked my hand and was very excited to
come and meet me when she saw me coming down the street. Her owner was
this nice old British lady, which made it even better. *jiiin*

But onto the main point of this post...

I present:

A Concise History of Russia Until 1570.

Before 800 -
Invasion of the Goths.
Invasion of the Huns.
Invasion of the Alans.
Invasion of the Avars.
Invasion of the Khazars.
Invasion of the Varangians (Vikings, later to yield Rurik, the first Grand Prince.)
Varangians settle in Novgorod.

Late 800's - The Rurikids establish Kiev as capital.

945
- Queen Olga buries alive, poisions, and burns to death her
husband-murdering suitors, then sets fire to the city they were sent
from.

1054-1237 -
Attacks by Swedes.
Attacks by Teutonic Knights.
Attacks by Lithuanians.
Attacks by Mongols (Tatars.)

1240 - Kiev sacked by Mongols.

1242 - More attacks by Teutonic Knights.

300 years later - Mongols still rule Russia, but leave when Ivan III refuses to pay any more tribute.

1471 - Novgorod sacked by Ivan III.

1570 - Novgorod sacked by Ivan IV (the Terrible.)

Needless to say, this is one oppressed little country. Okay, so maybe not so little.

My
teacher says that they have huge vast impenetrable forests with trees
as big around as half our classroom, and so dense that present
archaeologists have stumbled across villages of people who fled the
State in 1917 and have not been stumbled across since.

I wanna see the forests! *crazy Legolas look in eyes* Oh Kiiiiiirov...