Livonia and medieval Russia

At the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, a distinctive state entity known as Livonia emerged in the territory of modern-day Estonia and Latvia. From its inception, this territory was the easternmost outpost of Western Christianity, directly bordering the Russian lands represented by the cities of Veliky Novgorod and Pskov, and the principalities of Polotsk and Smolensk. Lively political and commercial contacts soon developed between these two politically, culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse worlds. German merchants who settled in Livonia, visited temporarily, or had the courage to travel to one of the Russian cities played an active role in maintaining and developing these relations, alongside Russians who formed significant communities in Livonian cities or used Livonia as a transit area for journeys to Western Europe.