Web Links and Resources
Game Development and Playtesting
Visual Sources
Russian Icons: a page with links to over 80 images
Medieval Russian Costumes: detailed guidance on making your own! If you want to see pictures of re-enactors in pretty authentic Russian costumes, there are pictures here and here.
Prince Vladimir: the animated film: the website of this project, apparently being made in Russia (admittedly, it is set 400 years earlier than the Mythic Russia era, but it still looks fun!).
History and Culture: Russian
Chronology of Russian History: the Kievan and Appanage Periods: an extremely useful chronology, with links to many other sites and sources
Life in 13th Century Novgorod: a very interesting site, full of useful information, even if set a century earlier than the default Mythic Russia era – not that the city changes all that much in the intervening period!
Medieval Russia, a collection of links to primary documents and sources
Medieval Russian Arms and Armour is an excellent source on the warriors of the day.
On-Line Novgorod is the official site of this great city, with maps, pictures and lots of useful information.
The Russian State Museum: an often sumptuous guide to Russian art and archaeology, generally nicely-illustrated
Sofiya La Rus – Medieval Russian Life: there are a number of sites maintained by medieval re-enactors and societies, but in my opinion, this is the most interesting, especially good on period dress, custom and life.
The Battle of Kulikovo: beyond the rather idiosyncratic translation, a useful summary of the battle; an alternative is the rather fanciful and poetic account, the Zadonshchina.
The Russian Bania, the bathhouse, has a deep significance in Russian life.
Trade Routes in Medieval Russia
History and Culture: Mongol
Centre for the Study of Eurasian Nomads
The Mongol Empire: an excellent historical survey, with a particular emphasis on the Mongol art of war.
The Red Kaganate is a re-enactment society specialising in the Eastern steppe cultures: the site is a little erratic, but contains a great deal of useful information.
Women of the Mongol Court sheds some light on this topic, including providing brief sketches of some extraordinary figures.
History and Culture: Western
(Polish, Lithuanian, Teutonic Knights, etc)
Malbork Castle, when it used to be Marienburg, was the headquarters of the Teutonic Order; this is its UNESCO site, although there are some wonderfully bizarre theories about it (not least UFO appearances) elsewhere on the net.
The Society of Medieval Lithuania has some interesting information on its site, including some great reconstructions of castles.
The Teutonic Knights: a useful potted history, bibliography and set of links
History and Culture: Byzantine
Byzantium: the Byzantine Studies Home Page, an excellent source and portal to many other sites.
Explore Byzantium: a useful and accessible site; the Meet the People pages under Articles are especially helpful.
History and Culture: Sibiryak
Siberia, the Land of Wonders: a handy introduction
The Red Book of the Peoples of the Russian Empire: an excellent overview of the numerous nationalities of the Russian Empire, including large and small Siberian communities
Myth and Religion
Russian and Slav Paganism
Mythology’s Mything Links: Eastern Europe/Pan-Slavic Traditions and beliefs: an interesting primer on pagan faiths.
Russian Orthodox and other Christian
Orthodox Religion – Hagiography: a useful, if rather disorganised source on saints, shrines, etc.
The Byliny of Ilya of Murom: the byliny are folk tales of great Russian heroes, and none are greater that Ilya of Murom, or Ilya Muromets.
Shamanism (Mongol and Siberian)
Shamanism in Mongolia and Tibet: a slightly confused but very evocative introduction.
Siberian Shamanism: a useful and eclectic collection of links.
Gaming Resources
A Dictionary of Period Russian Names, handy if you are stuck for a hero or narrator character’s name.
Byzantine Names
Period Mongolian Names: an essay and guide.
Sound Resources
Some gamers like to use music and sound effects to enhance their games; this section is for them!
‘Alexander Nevsky’ by Prokofiev: best of all, buy the sound track to this film; this link takes you to the Amazon page where you can also download samples
Russian Church Music
Sibiryak Shaman Songs (at bottom of page)
Soviet Patriotic and Revolutionary Songs: hopelessly anachronistic, but the muscular choral military tunes in particular are undeniably evocative.
Primary Materials and Deeper Research
An Annotated Bibliography of Slavic and Eastern European Medievalist Sources: what it says, and for the serious researcher.
Lithuanian Mythology, a serious study by Gintaras Beresnevicius as part of a wider study of Lithuanian culture.
The Kalevala, book 1: text of this foundational mythic tale of the Finns, made available through the admirable Project Gutenberg.
The Kyrgyz Epic Manas: the gory tale of this Kyrgyz national folk hero.
The Novgorod Chronicle: selections from the original chronicles of this important city.
Mythic Russia 