On May 3, 1230 CE, an earthquake struck the city of Kiev in the Kievan Rus' (modern-day Ukraine). The quake caused significant damage and was recorded in the region's chronicles. This event is notable as one of the few documented earthquakes in the history of the Rus' before the Mongol invasion. It reflects the seismic activity of the region and the vulnerability of its wooden architecture.

The 1230 earthquake is mentioned in the Hypatian Codex, a key source for the history and literature of Kievan Rus'. The chronicle's account reflects the religious and providential worldview of the time, where such events were seen as divine warnings. The earthquake is part of the historical background for the literature of the period, which was heavily influenced by Orthodox Christian theology and the impending threat of Mongol invasion.