The Riurikid dynasty and its state organization provided a political framework for Kievan Rusˈ society. Much of the political activity of Kievan Rusˈ, insofar as it revolved around the ruling dynasty and involved the dynasty's internal and foreign affairs, may be understood through an examination of dynastic policies and politics. But the princes of the dynasty constituted only one layer or component of Kievan society. They formed interdependent relationships with other social elements. As Kievan Rusˈ evolved politically under the Riurikids, the peoples of the state expected their princes to regulate relations with foreign neighbors and defend them from attack, to keep trade routes open and secure, and, as Orthodoxy and princely administration displaced tribal customs, to maintain domestic order and enforce legal norms. The princes, on the other hand, demanded that the population pay tribute and other fees, which they used directly or indirectly to support themselves, their retainers, and the Church.

This chapter will examine the characteristics of Kievan society, its economic activities, and the policies and mechanisms adopted by princes and Church hierarchs to acquire revenue from the main body of the society. Finally, it will consider the effects of the dynamic interaction among the Riurikid dynasty, the Orthodox Church, and general populace, effects that in combination transformed the diverse Slavic tribes that made up Kievan Rusˈ into an integrated society that could and would retain a significant degree of social and cultural cohesion even when the political ties that united its multiple components loosened.