Above is a Greek fresco found in the ancient Bosporan Kingdom, the first truly Hellenistic state, where a mixed population adopted Greek language and civilization. It was an area originally inhabited by the Cimmerians, a nomadic Indo-European people, in what is now present-day Ukraine. The Bosporan Kingdom later became a Roman client state, and one of the longest that survived. It was eventually overrun by the Huns. Centuries later, it was revived under Byzantine and Bulgarian protection. By the end of the 7th century, most Bulgar tribes had migrated and the remains of the state were absorbed by the Khazars. But Kyiv culture began in the 3rd century, and is considered to be the first identifiable Slavic archaeological culture. The city of Kyiv was established as part of the Khazar state. During this time, several Slavic tribes were native to Ukraine: the Polans, the Drevlyans, the Severians, the Ulichs, the Tiverians, the White Croats, and the Dulebes. The...
