The age of feudalism

In the 11th and 12th centuries, constant incursions by nomadic Turkic tribes, such as the Kipchaks and the Pechenegs, caused a massive migration of the East Slavic

populations to the safer, heavily forested regions of the north, particularly to the area known as Zalesye;[30] which led to intermingling with the native Volga Finnic tribes.[31][32]

The age of feudalism and decentralization had come, marked by constant in-fighting between members of the Rurikid Dynasty that ruled Kievan Rus’ collectively. Kiev’s dominance waned, to the benefit of Vladimir-Suzdal in the north-east, Novgorod Republic in the north-west and Galicia-Volhynia in the south-west.

Ultimately Kievan Rus’ disintegrated, with the final blow being the Mongol invasion of 1237–40,[33] that resulted in the destruction of Kiev,[34] and the death of about half the population of Rus’.[35] The invaders, later known as Tatars, formed the state of the

Golden Horde, which pillaged the Russian principalities and ruled the southern and central expanses of Russia for over two centuries.[36]