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==Moscow as the Third Rome==
The influence of Byzantine the Eastern Roman Empire was complex and enduring. The Russian people stayed remarkably loyal to the Orthodox faith and the Church played a very important role during the long and dark years of Mongol rule. The Russians, continued to revere the Byzantine heritage, that was transmitted by the their Church. In 1453, to the shock of all in Russia, the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople. This came at a time when the Duchy of Moscow was transforming itself into a mighty state, under Ivan III. Ivan III of Russia who had He later married, a niece of Constantine XI, the last Byzantine emperor, and he claimed to be the heir of the Roman Empire. This was to play an important role in the consolidation of his power and gave the expansion of his territories a veneer of legitimacy. The idea that Moscow was the Third Rome, was used to justify the foundation of the Russian Empireand later led successive Tsars to see themselves as the protectors of the Orthodox Churches in Eastern Europe. The importance of the idea that Moscow, was the heir of Rome can be seen in the adoption of the title of Tsar, by the Grand Dukes of Moscow, which is the Russian for Caesar, a title used frequently not only by Roman but also by Byzantine rulers.
==Conclusion==
The conversion of Grand Prince Vladimir was in many ways the birth of modern Russia. It ensured that the Eastern Orthodox Church, its theology, rites and style of government was imported into Russia. This led to a social revolution and changed Russia in every way and played a crucial role in the development of Russian national identity. Moreover, the influence of Byzantine ideology helped to create an autocratic political culture in Russia, that it could be argued, exists to this day. The fall of Constantinople led to the development of the idea that Moscow was the Third Rome, and this was crucial in ideological justification of the development of the Russian Empire. The influence of Byzantium on Rome was decisive and an enduring one on that nations particular history and uniqueness.