Question

And the Princes ordered, "Give us your numbers for tribute."…the common people would not give their numbers for tribute but said, "Let us die honorably for St. Sophia [the church in Novgorod that represents the symbol of freedom, prosperity and power]"… [but most of] the people were divided… And it was on the morrow, the Prince rode down…and the accursed ones [Mongols] began to ride through the streets writing down the [number of ] Christian house[s]; because for our sins God has brought wild beasts out of the desert …..And having numbered them for tribute and taken it, the accursed ones went away…

Answer 1

Answer:

Russian & Mongol cooperation in the Middle Ages

Explanation:

Roughly from the 11th century on, orthodox Cristianity spread east & north wards in medieval Europe. By 1200 it had reached the Kievan Empire, that in its heydays spread from the Caspean to the Baltic Sea. If I´m not mistaken Novgorod is a place east from the Baltic States, close to St. Petersburg. Now, in the 1200s Mongol invaders (Tatars) swept out of Central Asia and conquered Kiev. But they allowed Russian princes to rule over local states. So they worked together and the orthodox christian people were the victims.