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O
pen any book on Russian history and you may be surprised to find that the story begins, not in Moscow or Petersburg, but in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Perhaps less surprising is that Ukrainian history books begin in the same place. This is because both countries, as well as Belarus, claim the Medieval principality known as Kyivian Rus as their cultural heritage. This commonality has worked to foster both cooperation and conflict between these two neighbors, and in certain areas, has created an ambiguity that seems to blur the lines separating the two. This line has in fact moved several times over the centuries. Whether it was called Muscovy, Russia, or the Soviet Union, Ukraine’s eastern neighbor has a long history of annexing its territory, and it’s happening again.