ABSTRACT
In the twelfth century, internal dissension gravely weakened Kievan Rus' civilization. In the thirteenth century, the Mongol arrival transformed it even further. The post–Kievan Rus' civilization struggled to overcome the Mongol impact in conditions that were far from ideal. Despite brief periods of strong, unifying rule by able princes, Kievan Rus' from 1054 to the Mongol invasion in 1237 was characterized primarily by internal dissension and political weakness. Mongols' arrival as part of a general weakening of the Kievan Rus' economy, it is evident that the destruction associated with the Mongol invasion was a serious setback to this sector of economic life. It is important to note that the Mongol domination accelerated the division of the former Kievan Rus' territories, though perhaps did not cause it. It is certainly true that the Mongol contact affected development by making it more difficult for local principalities to stay in close touch with Constantinople and the states of central and Western Europe.
