What an Orthodox person needs to do. What a true Christian should be
In historical science, it is generally accepted that the history of any nation begins with the formation of a state. The first state of Russians, as well as Ukrainians and Belarusians was formed in the 9th century around Kiev by their common ancestors - the Eastern Slavs. In the 9th century, the Eastern Slavs developed a complex of socio-economic and political prerequisites for the formation of a state:
socio-economic - the tribal community ceased to be an economic necessity and disintegrated, giving way to a territorial, "neighbor" community, there was a separation of crafts from other types of economic activity, the growth of cities and foreign trade, the process of the formation of social groups was in progress, the nobility and the squad stood out;
political - large tribal alliances appeared, which began to conclude temporary political alliances; such unions were known as the "Power of the Volynians", the alliance of tribes led by Kiy, the unification around Novgorod led by Gostomysl and others;
foreign policy - the most important for the formation and strengthening of states for all peoples was the presence of an external danger; the problem of reflecting external danger among the eastern Slavs was very acute from the very appearance on the East European Plain, from the VI century they fought against numerous nomadic tribes of the Scythians, Sarmatians, Huns, Avars, Khazars, Pechenegs, Polovtsians and others.
So, by the 9th century, the Eastern Slavs, with their internal development, were ready for the formation of a state. But the final fact of the formation of the state of the Eastern Slavs is associated with their northern neighbors - the inhabitants of Scandinavia. In Western Europe they were called Normans or Vikings, and in Russia - Varangians. In Europe, the Vikings were engaged in robbery, and all of Europe was in awe of their raids. In Russia, there were no conditions for sea robbery, so the Varangians mainly traded and were hired by the Slavs in military squads. The Slavs and Varangians were approximately at the same stage of social development - among the Varangians, the tribal system was also decomposing and the prerequisites for the formation of a state were formed.
As the chronicler Nestor testifies in The Tale of Bygone Years, by the 9th century. Novgorodians and some northern tribes of the Slavs fell into dependence on the Varangians and paid tribute to them, and the southern tribes of the Slavs paid tribute to the Khazars. In 859, the Novgorodians drove out the Varangians and stopped paying tribute. After that, civil strife began among the Slavs: they could not come to an agreement about who would rule them. Then in 862 the Novgorod elders turned to the Varangians with a request: to send them to reign one of the Varangian leaders. "Our land is great and abundant, but there is no order (order) in it. Yes, go to reign and reign over us." The Varangian king (leader) Rurik responded to the call of the Novgorodians. So in 862, power over Novgorod and its environs passed to the Varangian leader Rurik. Confirmation of this is seen in The Tale of Bygone Years:
In the summer 63701 (859). The Varangians2 from the overseas levied tribute from the Chudi, and from the Novgorodian Slovenes, and from the Mary, and from all the Krivichi, and the Khazars took from the meadows, and from the northerners, and from the Vyatichi, a silver coin and a squirrel from smoke.
In the summer of 6370 (862). They drove out the Varangians across the sea, and did not give them tribute, and began to dominate themselves. And there was no truth in them, and generation after generation rose up, and they had strife, and they began to fight with themselves. And they said to themselves: "Let us look for a prince who would rule over us and judge by right." And they went across the sea, to the Varangians, to Russia3. Those Varangians were called Rus. How others are called Swedes, and others Normans, and still others Gotland. The Chud, Slovenia, Krivichi and all4 said to Russia: "Our land is great and abundant, but there is no order in it. Come to reign and rule over us."
And three brothers gathered with their families and took all Russia with them and came. And the eldest, Rurik, sat in Novgorod, and the other, Sineus, - on Beloozero, and the third, Truvor, - in Izborsk
Two years later, Sineus and his brother Truvor died. And Rurik took all the power and began to distribute cities to his husbands - to Polotsk, to Rostov, to another Beloozero. The Varangians in these cities are newcomers, and the first population in Novgorod is Slovenia, in Polotsk - Krivichi, in Rostov - Merya, in Beloozero - all, in Murom - Murom, and Rurik owned all of them.
RURIK (reign: 862-879)
RURIK (IX century) - the semi-legendary ancestor of the Russian princely dynasty of Rurik.
According to the "Tale of Bygone Years", in 862, the tribes of the Ilmen Slovenes, tired of internecine wars, the Meri, Chudi and Vesi, decided to invite a common Varangian prince from across the sea, hoping that, equally to all of them, the alien power would be able to reconcile them between yourself. Three brothers responded to the request - Rurik, Sineus and Truvor. The eldest - Rurik - sat in Novgorod, Sineus - on the White Lake, Truvor - in Izborsk. In some later chronicles, there is a legend that the brothers were not completely strangers to the tribes who invited them, since they were the grandchildren of the legendary Novgorod prince-elder Gostomysl from his middle daughter Umila, who was married to a certain Varangian prince. Two years later, Sineus and Truvor died, and Rurik took their areas for himself. In Novgorod, Rurik allegedly married Efanda, who came from a local noble family. In 864, the Novgorodians raised an uprising against the power of Rurik, led by Vadim the Brave. Rurik brutally suppressed the uprising and killed Vadim. Many Novgorodians, fleeing the atrocities of Rurik in 867, fled to Kiev. During the reign of Rurik, another important event took place, in 862 two Varangians - boyars of the Novgorod prince Rurik - Askold and Dir, together with their relatives and warriors, asked the prince to go to Constantinople (either on a campaign, or to serve mercenaries), but not reaching Constantinople remained to rule in Kiev. Rurik ruled for another 12 years and died in 879, leaving all possessions to his relative Oleg. He also entrusted him with the care of his young son Igor.
The legend about the vocation of the Varangians has caused and is causing debate among historians. It remains unclear whether Rurik was a Scandinavian, Finn or Slav from the South Baltic. The place where Rurik was summoned, in addition to Novgorod, is also called Ladoga. It remains unclear whether the "calling" was voluntary or whether he seized power by force.
The name Rurik (Rorik) has been known in Europe since the 4th century. According to the assumptions of some scientists, it comes from the name of the Celtic tribe "Rurik" or "Raurik". Known princes of the VIII-IX centuries. with the name Rurik (Rorik), who lived on the Jutland Peninsula. The name Sineus is derived from the Celtic word "sinu" - "senior". The name Truvor also traces its roots to a Celtic word meaning "third by birth."
Some scholars tend to identify Rurik with the leader of the Vikings, Rerik. As for Sineus and Truvor, according to some researchers, the very appearance of their names in Russian chronicles is the result of an incorrect reading by the chroniclers of the Swedish text, which reported that Rurik came to the lands of the Slavs and Finns with his relatives (Sineus) and a faithful squad ( Truvor).
Most historians agree that the plot related to the vocation of the Varangians was introduced into the chronicles quite late - not earlier than the end. XI- early. XII centuries Nevertheless, it was he who became the basis for one of the historical concepts of the origin of Russian statehood (the so-called Norman theory).
Rurik (862 - 879) - the first great Russian prince, one of the legendary figures in European history, the founder of the ancient Russian state. According to the chronicles, summoned from the Varangians by the Slavs, Krivichs, Chud and all in 862, Rurik first occupied Ladoga, and then moved to Novgorod. Rules in Novgorod under an agreement concluded with the local nobility, which approved the right to collect income. Founder of the Rurik dynasty.
1148 years ago, according to the testimony of the chronicler Nestor in the "Tale of Bygone Years", the head of the Varangian military detachment Rurik was called to "reign and rule the Eastern Slavs", who arrived with the brothers Sineus and Truvor on September 8, 862.
The chronicle tradition connects the beginning of Russia with the vocation of the Varangians. So "The Tale of Bygone Years" tells that in 862 three Varangian brothers with their families came to rule over the Slavs, laying the foundation of the city of Ladoga. But where did these Varangians, who gave rise to Russian statehood, come from and who were they by origin? Indeed, in historiography, they managed to visit Swedes, Danes, and Scandinavians in general; some authors considered the Vikings as Normans, while others, on the contrary, as Slavs. Again and again, inattention to the problem posed in the historical source itself was the reason for conflicting statements. For the ancient chronicler, the origin of the Varangians was obvious. He placed their lands on the South Baltic coast right up to the Aglyan land, ie. to the Angeln region in Holstein.
Today it is the northern German land of Mecklenburg, whose population in ancient times was not German. What it was - this is evidenced by the names of the settlements of Varin, Russov, Rerik and many others that have survived to this day. However, despite all the clarity of the chronicle evidence, the question of the origin of the Varangians (and hence the roots of Russian statehood) became debatable for posterity. Confusion was brought about by the version that appeared in political circles at the court of the Swedish king about the origin of Rurik from Sweden, which was later picked up by some German historians. Objectively speaking, this version did not have the slightest historical basis, but was completely determined politically. Back in the years of the Livonian War, between Ivan the Terrible and the Swedish king Johan III, a heated debate erupted over the issue of title. The Russian tsar considered the Swedish ruler to come from a "manly family", to which he replied that the ancestors of the Russian dynasty itself allegedly came from Sweden. This idea finally took shape as a political concept on the eve of the Time of Troubles at the beginning of the 17th century, when the Swedes laid claim to Novgorod lands, trying to justify their territorial claims by some semblance of a chronicle "vocation". It was assumed that the Novgorodians were supposed to send an embassy to the Swedish king and invite him to rule, as they once allegedly called the "Swedish" prince Rurik. The conclusion about the "Swedish" origin of the Vikings at that time was based only on the fact that they came to Russia "from overseas", which means, most likely, from Sweden.
Subsequently, in the first half of the 18th century, German scientists from the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences turned to the Varangian theme, who, according to the same logic, sought to substantiate German domination in Russia during the time of Biron's regency. They also formulated the so-called. "Norman theory", according to which the Varangians, the founders of the ancient Russian state, were recognized as immigrants from Sweden (that is, "Germans", as all foreigners were then called). Since then, this theory, clothed in a semblance of scientificity, has become entrenched in Russian historiography. At the same time, many outstanding historians, starting with M.V. Lomonosov, pointed out that the "Norman theory" does not correspond to real facts. For example, the Swedes could not create a state in Russia in the 9th century, if only because they themselves did not have statehood at that time. In the Russian language and in Russian culture, it was not possible to find Scandinavian borrowings. Finally, a careful reading of the chronicle itself does not allow confirming the fabrications of the Normanists. The chronicler distinguished the Varangians from the Swedes and other Scandinavian peoples, writing that "those Varangians were called Rus, as others are called Swedes, while others are Normans, Angles, and other Goths." Therefore, when concluding peace treaties with Byzantium, the pagan warriors of princes Oleg and Igor (the same Varangians whom the Normans consider Swedish Vikings) took an oath in the names of Perun and Veles, and not Odin or Thor at all. A.G. Kuzmin noted that this fact alone could refute the entire "Norman theory". It is clear that in this form the "Norman theory" could not be viable in academic science. But they turned to her again and again when it was necessary to strike a blow at the idea of Russian statehood. Today this destructive theory has taken on a new form, and modern Normans, fed by grants from numerous foreign foundations, speak not so much about the "Scandinavian origin of the Varangians" as about a kind of division of "spheres of influence" in the ancient Russian state.
According to the new version of Normanism, the rule of the Vikings allegedly extended to the northern regions of Russia, and the Khazars to the southern regions (a certain treaty allegedly existed between them). For Russians, however, it is not expected to have any significant role in their own early history. However, the very development of the Russian state completely refutes all the speculations of Russia's political enemies. Could ancient Russia become a mighty Russian Empire without the outstanding historical mission of the Russian people? A great history took place together with a great people, descended from the Varangian beginning. It is regrettable that today more and more remarks are heard that the ancestors of the Russians were non-Russians. This is not true. Our ancestors were the Vikings, who were also Russians. The only thing that should be clarified is that it is Russia that is our ancestral name, and the Old Russian navigators were called Varangians. Ambassador Sigismund Herberstein, who visited Moscow at the beginning of the 16th century, wrote that the Varangian homeland - Vagriya - was located on the southern Baltic coast and from them the Baltic was called the Varangian Sea. He expressed the widespread opinion that was prevalent in the enlightened circles of Europe at that time. With the development of scientific genealogy, works began to appear on the connections of the Russian royal dynasty with the ancient royal families of Mecklenburg. In the North German Pomorie, the Varangians and their historical ties with Russia were remembered until the 19th century. To this day, many traces of the Pre-German population remain in the Mecklenburg region. Obviously, it became "German" only after the Varangians and their descendants were ousted to the east or Germanized by Catholic orders. The French traveler K. Marmier once wrote down a folk legend about Rurik and his brothers in Mecklenburg. In the 8th century the Varangians were ruled by King Godlav, who had three sons - Rurik, Sivar and Truvor. Once they went from the southern Baltic to the east and founded an ancient Russian principality with the centers in Novgorod and Pskov.
After some time, Rurik became the head of the dynasty, which reigned until 1598. This legend from Northern Germany is fully consonant with the Legend of the vocation of the Varangians from the chronicle. However, a careful analysis of the facts makes it possible to somewhat correct the chronicle chronology, according to which Rurik and his brothers began to rule in Russia from 862. A. Kunik generally considered this date erroneous, leaving an inaccuracy on the conscience of the later scribes of the chronicle. It is obvious that the events, which were briefly reported in the Russian chronicles, receive historical content from German sources. The Germans themselves refuted the Norman inventions. Mecklenburg lawyer Johann Friedrich von Chemnitz referred to the legend according to which Rurik and his brothers were the sons of Prince Godlav, who died in 808 in a battle with the Danes. Considering that the eldest of the sons was Rurik, it can be assumed that he was born no later than 806 (after him, before the death of his father in 808, two younger brothers who were not the same age should have been born). Of course, Rurik could have been born earlier, but we do not yet have reliable information about this. According to German sources, Rurik and his brothers were "called" around 840, which seems very plausible. Thus, the Varangian princes could appear in Russia at a mature and capable age, which looks quite logical. And indeed, according to the latest archaeological finds, it was possible to establish that the Rurik settlement near modern Novgorod, which is the ancient Rurik Novgorod, existed before 862. On the other hand, making a mistake in chronology, the chronicle more accurately indicates the place of "vocation". Most likely it was not Novgorod (as according to German data), but Ladoga, which was founded by the Vikings in the middle of the VIII century. And Novgorod (Rurik's settlement) was later "cut down" by Prince Rurik, uniting the lands of the brothers after their death, as evidenced by the name of the city.
The genealogy of Rurik from the ancient Varangian kings was recognized by connoisseurs and researchers of genealogies. Mecklenburg historians wrote that his grandfather was King Witslav, who was an equal ally of the Frankish king Charlemagne and who participated in his campaigns against the Saxons. During one of these campaigns, Witslav was killed in an ambush while crossing the river. Some authors directly called him "the king of the Russians". The North German genealogies also indicate the relationship of Rurik with Gostomysl, which acts in the chronicle legend about the vocation of the Varangians. But if the scanty lines of the chronicle say almost nothing about him, then in the Frankish chronicles he is mentioned as an opponent of the Emperor Louis the German. Why did Rurik and his brothers go from the South Baltic coast to the East? The fact is that the Varangian kings had a "regular" system of inheritance, according to which the senior representative of the ruling clan always received power. Later, a similar system of inheritance of princely power became traditional in Russia. At the same time, the sons of the ruler who did not have time to take the royal throne did not receive any rights to the throne and remained out of the main "queue". Godlove was killed before his older brother and never became king during his lifetime. For this reason, Rurik and his brothers were forced to go to peripheral Ladoga, where the glorious history of the Russian state began from that time. Prince Rurik was a full-fledged ruler of Russia and a native of the "Russian clan", and not at all a foreign ruler, as those who think all Russian history only under foreign domination wish to imagine.
When Rurik died, his son Igor was still small, and Igor's uncle, Oleg (Prophetic Oleg, that is, who knows the future, died in 912), became prince, who moved the capital to the city of Kiev. It is the Prophetic Oleg who is credited with the formation of the Old Russian state - Kievan Rus, with its center in Kiev. Oleg's nickname - "prophetic" - referred exclusively to his penchant for sorcery. In other words, Prince Oleg, as the supreme ruler and leader of the squad, simultaneously performed the functions of a priest, sorcerer, magician, and sorcerer. According to legend, Prophetic Oleg died from a snakebite; this fact formed the basis for a number of songs, legends and traditions. Oleg became famous for his victory over Byzantium, as a sign of which he nailed his shield on the main gates (gates) of Constantinople. So the Russians called the capital of Byzantium - Constantinople. Byzantium was then the most powerful state in the world.
In 2009, the 1150th anniversary of Veliky Novgorod was celebrated. I would like to believe that this most important date in our history will become the starting point for a new study of the ancient Russian past. New facts and discoveries are constantly enriching historical science and our knowledge. There is more and more evidence that Russian history began not with a myth invented by medieval politicians and scribes, but with the real Grand Duke Rurik, who was born in the royal dynasty in the Russian Baltic region two thousand two hundred years ago. God grant that the names of our ancestors and forefathers are not consigned to oblivion.
Prince Rurik, biography, reign and politics
In this article you will find out who he was prince Rurik in our history, you will be detailed and detailed biography of Prince Rurik, after all, history should not be forgotten, and the Grand Dukes - even more so. This section will be completely devoted to all the rulers of Russia, from the Kiev princes to the tandem of Putin and Medvedev.
Rurik
In the "Tale of Bygone Years" it is noted that Rurik came to the Russian land together with the Varangians Truvor and Sineus, called by the Slavic tribes to the princely throne. Information about the time and place of his birth has not survived to this day, but the fact of his arrival on the territory of the Slavic tribes in 862 is recorded in several chronicles. Also, most ancient sources claim the fact that Rurik is the grandson of the legendary Varangian prince Gostomysl.
Originally Rurik occupied Novgorod, while pushing out from there a certain Vadim the Brave, who was subsequently executed. From that moment on, most of the cities of the north of Russia fell under the control of the princes who came with Rurik. Throughout the reign of this prince, there is an incessant process of uniting the tribes of the northern Slavs under the rule of a single center - Novgorod. At the same time, in the south, the southern Slavs began to gather under the rule of Kiev. Thus, Northern and Southern Russia were formed. But Rurik's policy was such that these two centers of the Russian land were not at enmity with each other, but maintained stable ties. Note that this period was marked by a serious economic recovery, strengthening of the country's position in the world, as well as the absence of serious conflicts, primarily in the north.
No reliable descriptions of how Rurik ruled have survived to this day either, so most of the information about him is highly distorted, or very far from reality, which later gave rise to some confusion in the writings of chroniclers and historians. For example, there are many options for explaining its origin. It is also unknown how many wives the prince had, but it is precisely established that he had a son, Igor, whose mother most likely was the Norwegian princess Efanda.
Rurik died in 879 in Korel, transferring power from Igor's early childhood to his relative Oleg, who ruled until his death.
Rurik laid the foundation for the formation of a hereditary monarchy in Russia, his family ruled the Russian state for 736 years. It is interesting to note that many historians see a connection between Rurik and the name "Rus". The arrival of Rurik in the East Slavic tribes was the beginning of the process of forming a single state, which later became Russia. With his arrival, the system of government began to take shape, the institutions of statehood were laid, which were further developed in the activities of the descendants of Rurik.
__________________________
Dear readers, to learn more about your country,
you simply must familiarize yourself with the biographies of the rulers of Russia on the main article of our website,
where is a list of all the rulers, from Rurik to Medvedev!
The Eastern Slavs lived "each in their own way", gathering from time to time for a joint veche. Already in the 6th century, tribal unions arose between them, headed by elders or leaders. The Slavs were sedentary. In the struggle for new lands, they crowded out the Finno-Ugric and Baltic ethnic groups. Northern tribes often endured the raids of the Scandinavians. some of them, not having the strength to repel the predatory invasions, became tributaries of the Varangians.
The abundance of waterways has led to the strengthening of cultural and commercial ties between the Slavic tribes and their neighbors. Pereyaslavl, Chernigov, Smolensk, Lyubech, Novgorod, Rostov, Polotsk appeared in the places of exchange trade. Around them, urban areas began to form, in which representatives of not one, but different tribes lived. The formation of the Old Russian state in the 9th century began in two places: the Middle Dnieper region (Kiev) in the south and the Novgorod land (Novgorod) in the north.
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
862 BC The chronicle message about the refusal of the Ilmenian Slovenes, Chudi, Meri, Vesi and Krivichi to pay tribute to the Varangians and the expulsion of the Scandinavians " overseas". The beginning of intertribal strife. The calling by the union of Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes of the Varangian dynasty - Rurik, Sineus and Truvor. The beginning of the reign of Rurik in Ladoga, Sineus - in Beloozero, and Truvor - in Izborsk.
862-882 Legendary dates of the reign of Askold and Dir in Kiev.
863 BC Creation of the Slavic alphabet by brothers Cyril and Methodius.
864 BC Death of Sineus and Truvor. Chronicle indication that “ one Rurik took all power, and began to distribute to his husbands the city". Rurik settled in a settlement at the source of the Volkhov (the so-called Rurik settlement).
Later in 864 Rurik's marriage to the Urman princess Efanda. Rurik's return to Europe. The uprising in Novgorod led by Vadim the Brave against the tyranny of Rurik. Return of Rurik to Novgorod. The murder of Vadim the Brave by Rurik and the suppression of the uprising. The flight of many " Novgorod husbands»To Kiev to avoid reprisals. Departure from Novgorod Askold and Dir. The beginning of their reign in Kiev. Rurik's son Igor is born.
865 BC Military campaign of the Kiev prince Askold against Polotsk.
Later 865 Wars of the Kiev prince Askold with the Drevlyans and the streets.
866 BC The legendary campaign of the Kiev princes Askold and Dir to Constantinople (Constantinople).
867 BC Arrival in Kiev of the Byzantine bishop and mass baptism of the Rus. "District letter" of Patriarch Photius to the Byzantine bishops, where he informs about the baptism of the Rus.
867 BC The reign of the Byzantine emperor Basil I the Macedonian (867-886), the founder of the Macedonian dynasty, began. He successfully fought against the Arabs in the east of the empire and in Italy.
867 BC Patriarch Photius (in Constantinople) established the first diocese for the Slavs and Varangians who converted to Christianity.
869 BC Hike of princes Askold and Dir to the Krivichi.
874 BC Hike of the Kiev prince Askold to Byzantium. The conclusion of a peace treaty between him and the emperor Basil I the Macedonian. Baptism of a part of the Russian squad in Constantinople.
End of the 870s The Rus campaign to the Caspian Sea and the attack on the city of Abaskun (Abesgun).
879 BC Death of Rurik, Prince of Novgorod.
ADDITIONALLY
The emergence of the Feast of the Deposition of the Robe
Legendary date of the formation of the Russian state
Rurik settlement
Rurik's board (briefly)
Board of Rurik - a brief description of the main events
There are not many reliable sources about the history of Russia before the reign of Rurik. In addition, even the available facts are interpreted in different ways by different researchers (for example, Normanists and anti-Normanists). Historians do not even know to which people the legendary prince Rurik belonged.
Disputes about the origin of Prince Rurik
The origin of Rurik is still controversial. Some argue that Rurik himself and his squad were Scandinavians (Vikings), based on the etymology of the prince's name, which means "king" from the Latin rex. It is a well-known fact that the name Rurik is widely used in the modern world in Finland, Sweden and other countries. In turn, supporters of the West Slavic version of the development of Russia prefer to compare the biographical data of Rurik with the Slavic tribe of the Obodrit, which was also called the "falcons".
Prince Rurik's calling to reign
According to literary sources, namely the Tale of Bygone Years, Rurik's vocation took place in 862, as a result of a joint decision of the Slavic tribes (Krivichi, Ilmen Slovenes, Chud and all) in the course of disputes about who would rule them without benefit for their own tribe.
Rurik entered Novgorod with his brothers. There is also a version that the prince's reign began not in Novgorod, but in Staraya Ladoga, and Novgorod itself was built only two years later. Archaeological finds (for example, Ryurikovo Gorodishche) fully confirm this theory.
If you believe the chronicle version, the brothers of Rurik also received Slavic lands for reign. So brother Sineus got Beloozero, and Truvor got Izborsk, but they did not rule for long. Two years after their death, Rurik becomes the unified ruler. Many researchers of Russia are inclined to believe that Rurik did not have brothers, claiming that "truvor" translates as "faithful squad", and "sineus" means "his own kind."
Information about the political leadership of Rurik very little. The chronicles rather sparingly describe his desire to strengthen state borders, build cities, etc. One of the most important events in his reign was that he was able to suppress the revolt in Novgorod by Vadim the Brave, thereby strengthening his own princely authority. In general, one thing can be said - the rule of Rurik contributed to the centralization of power on the Russian land.
Rurik died around 879, and his power was inherited by his son (presumably from the Norwegian princess) Igor.
