Which Slavic peoples are the most “clean”. Western Slavs

Slavic peoples belong to one of the most numerous ethno-linguistic groups in Eurasia and Europe. Despite this, their history is replete with white spots. Moreover, some scientists believe that the history of the Slavs was rewritten more than once, which means that it is incredibly difficult to identify reliable facts from the abundance of information. However, year by year historians manage to gather together more and more data about the life of our ancestors and their cultural traditions. And they, as experts say, are very diverse. After all, the Slavs have never been a single people with identical beliefs, culture and language. They were settled over fairly vast territories, so over time they acquired more and more differences among themselves.

Our article discusses the historical development of the Western Slavs, their identity and religious beliefs, which differ significantly from the peoples that are commonly called Eastern and Southern Slavs.

Brief description of the ethno-linguistic group

The Western Slavs, as our reader probably already understood, are a kind of community of tribes united by a single name, cultural values ​​and traditions. Historians argue that this group stood out as a result of the settlement of tribes in various territories. This became the catalyst that launched the process of separating some Slavs from others.

For many, it remains unclear who belongs to the Western Slavs. After all, quite a lot of tribes are included in the common ethno-linguistic group. The most prominent representatives of this bloc are Croats, Czechs, Poles, Polans and similar peoples.

The Slavic peoples, according to historians, were never united even at the initial stage of historical development. They had certain differences due to living in a particular area. Initially, it was difficult to call them noticeable and somehow significant, however, after a while, the cultural gap between the Slavic peoples only began to increase. This was mainly due to two factors:

• mass migration to new territories;
• interbreeding with representatives of other ethnic groups.

The first wave of resettlement was replaced by a new one, and gradually communities were created on the developed lands that differed significantly from their prototypes. Cultural and trade ties between the Slavic tribes began to break, which was largely influenced by distance. It can be said that this very moment is considered the starting point at which the isolated history of the Western Slavs originates.

If we consider the topic of the settlement of tribes in a little more detail, then it should be noted that it took place in three directions: south, east and west. The Slavs, who later became known as Western, headed for the lands of the Middle Danube, and also settled the territories between the Oder and the Elbe.

Territory of the Western Slavs

Historians write that the process of separation of this Slavic branch began even before our era and continued for several centuries. It was during this period that the very features that in the future became the basis of a new ethnic group were formed. The first thing that united the resettled tribes was territorial boundaries.

The resettlement of the Western Slavs was a long process, as a result of which vast territories were occupied:

• the river Odra;
• the river Labe;
• the Zaala river;
• middle Danube.

According to the latest data, it can be judged that the Slavs reached up to modern Bavaria and even entered into military conflicts with the ancient Germanic tribes. It is interesting that today more than a hundred tribes are classified as Slavic, of which approximately fifty ethnic groups are western, bringing their traditions to new lands.

Historians, studying the language and culture of peoples leading their history from the West Slavic group, noted that the latter have much in common with their ancestors. This can be traced in the etymology of the names and, first of all, in religious beliefs, which played a very important role until the adoption of Christianity.

By the way, many scientists consider the fact that the Slavs, who settled in the western territories, adopted the Christian religion in the same way as Catholicism, is another nuance that divided the once fraternal peoples. However, even in the time of the ancient Western Slavs, a religious schism between them was already observed and later on only changed its shape and scale.

Religious beliefs

Before the adoption of Christianity, the described people belonged to the pagans, revering not only certain deities, but also the spirits of nature, as well as animals. A distinctive feature of the Slavic religious cults is the fact that they often did not single out individual gods, but worshiped spirits as a whole. For example, according to the beliefs of the ancient tribes, a huge number of deities lived in the forest. Therefore, going hunting or collecting forest gifts, our ancestors turned to everyone at once, asking for their mercy and protection.

It is noteworthy that the Slavs also believed in demons. However, in their minds, they were not evil entities. Ancient peoples believed that demons are just the souls of animals, plants and stones. They can live in certain objects, but if necessary, they leave them and travel the world.

Totemism or veneration of the animal progenitor was also widespread among the tribes. This cult was especially important for the Western Slavs. Each tribe chose their own totem animal and worshiped it, but killing the sacred animal was not considered something criminal. This fact is a significant difference between Slavic totemism and the form that it later took, for example, in Egypt. It is interesting that some historians consider the werewolf legends so widespread in Europe to be the result of the influence of such cults. Many Slavic communities revered wolves and put on their skins during ritual events. Sometimes the rite required movement in such a form around the area, which, of course, looked wild and even terrifying for casual travelers.

In the paganism of the Western Slavs, it was customary to serve the gods in specially constructed places where idols were installed. The temples, as they were called, were arranged mainly on the hills, which were perfectly visible from all sides. Nearby there was a place for sacrifices or a breviary. Pagan cults always involve the sacrifice of animals during the ritual service.

The Western Slavs, after their final registration as a separate community, slightly modified the temples. They began to build them closed and placed inside all the idols at the same time. It is noteworthy that only the Magi could enter this semblance of a temple. Ordinary members of the tribe had the opportunity to attend some rituals near the temple, but most of the rites were hidden from prying eyes.

The gods of the Western Slavs differed little from the deities of their eastern and southern counterparts. And this is quite natural, because all the Slavs had a common pantheon of gods. Although each tribe separately revered its own idol, which is considered the patron of this particular community. If we turn to the classification of deities, we can say that they are divided into three groups:

• higher;
• medium;
• lower.

Such a division corresponded to the understanding of the world order, according to which our world consists of three levels: Yav, Rule and Nav.

Slavic deities

In the religion of the ancient Slavs, the highest group of gods included representatives of the celestial sphere such as Perun, Svarog, Dazhdbog and others. For most tribes, Perun was the supreme deity, since he was responsible for thunder and lightning. A little later, he began to be considered the patron of the princely squad and was in this status until the adoption of Christianity. However, the Western Slavs revered him as an ordinary deity of the highest level. Among them he was known as Perkūnas.

It is interesting that the described group honored Svarog above other spirits and gods. Once for all the tribes, he was the highest power, as he owned fire and metal. Our ancestors believed that he not only gave the people fire and taught them how to melt metal, but also sent down from above a certain set of rules and regulations relating to all aspects of life. For example, it was Svarog who ordered the man to have only one woman and marry her until the end of his days.

The Western Slavs called him Sventovit, and over time he turned into a god of war. To glorify him, sanctuaries were built, where absolutely everything, including the walls and roof, was red. The deity itself was depicted with four heads turned in all directions of the world. Usually in his hands was a hunting horn, which the priests filled with wine once a year. At the end of this period, they looked at how much wine was left at the bottom of the vessel and made an assumption about the future harvest.

The gods of the middle group were close to the earth, human needs and fears. Among them, Lada, the goddess of fertility, was very revered. The lower group included various spirits and entities: mermaids, goblin, brownies.

Summarizing, we can say that the religion of the ancient Slavs practically did not change as a result of the settlement of tribes in different territories. Before the adoption of Christianity, common recognizable features were traced in it.

A few words about tribes

The article has already mentioned in passing what nationalities can be attributed to the Western Slavs. However, this information does not reveal the full diversity of these groups that have common roots. I would like to note that at the first stage of their settlement in new territories, the Slavs actively created military-tribal unions. Such communities had clear advantages, as they made it possible to quickly develop land, establish trade, build fortified settlements, and even gradually move from defense to capturing new territories.

Historians divide all Western Slavs into several groups. The most numerous of them were the Polabian Slavs. Under this name, several tribes and military-tribal unions are united. The largest unions were considered Bodrichi, Lusatians and Lutichi. The latter, by the way, worshiped wolves and inspired real horror in their neighbors. Their military-tribal union united fifteen tribes among themselves.

Scientists also distinguish Polish (Kuyavians, Lubushans, Hoplians), Silesian (Polyans, Slupyans, Dedoshans) and Czech tribes (chodes, dudlebs, ganaks). In addition to those listed, there were Pomeranians (Slovenians, Kashubians, and so on).

If we mention the resettlement, then to the west of all were obodrites. They equipped their settlements, starting from the Kiel Bay and further along the rivers. Their southern and eastern neighbors were the Lyutichi. Since they were a large tribe, they actively populated the Baltic coast. Almost very close to them was the island of Rügen. He completely belonged to the Ruyans. And the vast territory from the Odra to the Vistula was occupied by the Pomeranians. Also, their settlements were often found near the Notech River. The neighbors of the Western Slavs of this group were Polish tribes, settled in small communities on fertile lands suitable for agriculture.

Interestingly, despite the common roots and a large number of identical cultural traditions, the Slavic tribes were scattered. Communications were not established between them, and the unification took place only under the influence of a common threat. Scientists believe that it was the unwillingness of the tribes to pursue a policy of unification and develop in this direction that hampered the transition to statehood, despite the abundance of prerequisites for the emergence of a single centralized government.

Emergence and assimilation of the Western group

Scientists are looking for the origins of the Slavic ethnic group around the 1st century BC. It was during this period that the small pro-Slavic tribes united with the Wends, who lived east of the German lands. By the 2nd century, other tribes also joined this group, which began to form a single cultural layer with a similar language base.

From the 3rd to the 6th centuries, the Slavs began their settlement in various territories, occupying the Baltic coast, the Elbe, Vistula, Oder and Danube basins. Byzantine chroniclers noted that they constantly met numerous tribes of Slavs, as the Slavs were then called. They confidently moved along the Danube territories and in the process established contacts with the native local population - the Germans.

Their main occupation until the 8th century was agriculture. Cattle breeding was in second place after him, since cattle was used for plowing. By the VI century. Western Slavs managed to master two types of agriculture:

• slash and fire;
• arable.

The latter was more advanced and required the use of iron tools. Each tribe produced them independently and did it very skillfully.

It is interesting that, having moved to new lands, the Slavs began to closely contact not with their brethren, but with their neighbors, gradually adopting their cultural traditions. Western Slavs, depending on their place of residence, fell under the influence of the Germans, Greeks, Thracians and other peoples. As a result, they literally assimilated, acquiring more and more features from more developed cultures.

The first Slavic states

By the 7th century, the Western Slavs began to form the first states. They arose in the basin of the Danube and Laba. The reason for their formation was the class stratification and constant wars with the Germanic tribes. The first Slavic state was formed by Czech and Slovene tribes, as well as Polabs. All of them united under the rule of one single prince, who ruled until the middle of the 7th century.

The capital of the Western Slavs during the reign of Prince Samo was located near today's Bratislava and was a fairly fortified settlement. The young state very quickly established trade relations with neighboring tribes, which caused discontent among the Germans. The war with them was successful for Samo, but his state did not last long. The death of the prince led to its collapse. On the site of the once single center, several small associations arose, created on the principles of statehood.

From the 7th to the 9th century, more than thirty such centers already existed on the Moravian plain. They were fortified settlements that provided a roof over their heads and protection for the entire community. Its head was the prince, and crafts, shipbuilding, ore mining, agriculture and cattle breeding were actively developing inside the settlements.

The beginning of the VIII century was marked by the formation of the Great Moravian Power, which became the second West Slavic state in history. It was based on the lands of several tribes:

• Moravians;
• Czechs;
• Slovenes;
• Serbs;
• Polabian Slavs;
• Polish Slavs.

The territory of the state was quite extensive and bordered on Bavaria, Bulgaria and Khorutania. Since the 9th century, the principality began to strengthen, which was facilitated by the wise policy of its ruler, Moymir. The next century, the state expanded due to the seizure of neighboring lands and the political course of the princes, who advocated strengthening the state and its ties with the Orthodox world.

For these purposes, even the well-known Cyril and Methodius were invited to the principality, who held services according to the Orthodox model, which did not suit the Catholic priests, who dreamed of taking such rich lands under their power.

Over time, they managed to bring discord between the Moravian princes and at the end of the 9th century. small specific principalities gradually began to stand out from a single power. The Czech Slavs were the first to break away, creating two independent principalities that sought to improve relations with Russia.

Formation of Polish states

The Polish Slavic tribes went their own way of development. The initial stage of their unification dates back to the 9th century. Initially, this process took place around several centers, but soon two independent states were formed: Lesser Poland and Greater Poland. The first was captured by the Moravian rulers at the end of the 9th century, and the second became the only ancient Polish state.

Its formation took place at the beginning of the 11th century, when the system of state administration was finally formed. It was based on cities and their rulers. They simultaneously performed a lot of functions, among which were, for example, military and judicial.

Interestingly, relations between Greater Poland and its neighbors have always been difficult. Often, military conflicts arose between them, which were not resolved in favor of the Polish state. It is worth noting that his position was rather weak, therefore, approximately from the middle of the 11th century. it periodically fell into vassal dependence on more powerful neighbors.

Culture of Western Slavs

The cultural traditions of the West Slavic group were formed under the influence of more developed states. On the one hand, they contributed to the rapid cultural growth of the tribes, but deprived the Slavs of the opportunity to go their own way and preserve their identity. Since the adoption of Christianity, the influence of the West has only increased, now it was reinforced by priests who planted their rites and even language. Western Slavs were forced to speak and write in Latin for many years. Only by the 13th century did some states begin to develop their own written language.

The cultural traditions of different West Slavic tribes differed markedly, so it is quite difficult to talk about all of them in one article. It suffices to cite a few characteristic features of the cultural development of this group on the example of a comparison of two states - the Czech principalities and Greater Poland.

In the Czech state, chronicles in the native language were kept from the 12th century, which allowed literary and theatrical art to take shape two centuries later. Interestingly, satirical works were often staged on the stage. This was a rarity for that time. But Polish literature began to take shape only in the 13th century. Moreover, for a long time, teaching was conducted only in Latin, which significantly hampered the development of the literary direction.

Czech architecture is distinguished by a kind of symbiosis of Romanesque and Gothic styles. This art reached its peak in the 14th century, while Polish architecture reached its peak only in the 15th century. In Greater Poland, the Gothic style prevailed, which includes most of the monuments of West Slavic architecture.

In general, we can say that by the XV century. in many West Slavic states there was an upsurge in painting, architecture, sculpture and science. The cultural achievements of this period today are the real property of modern states.

Instead of a conclusion

The history of the Slavs is more interesting and eventful than it might seem at first glance. However, until now it has not been fully studied and keeps many secrets.

All Slavic peoples are usually divided into 3 groups: Western Slavs (Czechs, Slovaks, Poles), Eastern Slavs (Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians) and Southern Slavs (Serbs, Croats, Macedonians, Bulgarians).

East Slavic group

According to the 1989 census

There were 145.2 Russians in the USSR

million people, Ukrainians - 44.2 million people, Belarusians - 10 million people. Russians and Ukrainians have always been the most numerous nationalities in the USSR, Belarusians in the 1960s gave way to Uzbeks in third place (16.7 million people in 1989).

Until recently, the name "Russians" was often indiscriminately assigned to all Eastern Slavs. Between the 10th and 13th centuries The center of Rus' was Kyiv and its inhabitants were known as "Rusichi". But as political conditions contributed to the strengthening of linguistic and cultural differences between the territorial groups of the Eastern Slavs, they divided into Little Russians (Ukrainians), Belorussians (Belarusians) and Great Russians (Russians).

Over the centuries of territorial expansion, the Russians assimilated the Varangians, Tatars, Finno-Ugric peoples and dozens of peoples of Siberia. All of them left their linguistic traces, but did not noticeably affect the Slavic identity. While Russians migrated throughout northern Eurasia, Ukrainians and Belarusians continued to inhabit their compact ethnic ranges. The modern borders of the three states roughly correspond to ethnic borders, but all Slavic territories have never been nationally homogeneous. Ethnic Ukrainians in 1989 made up 72.7% of the population of their republic, Belarusians - 77.9%, and Russians - 81.5%. 1

There were 119,865.9 thousand Russians in the Russian Federation in 1989. In other republics of the former USSR, the Russian population was distributed as follows: in Ukraine it was 1,1355.6 thousand people. (22% of the population of the republic), in Kazakhstan - 6227.5 thousand people. (37.8% respectively), Uzbekistan - 1653.5 thousand people. (8%), Belarus - 1342 thousand people. (13.2% of the population of the republic), Kyrgyzstan - 916.6 thousand people. (21.5% of the population of the republic), Latvia - 905.5 thousand people. (37.6% of the population of the republic), Moldova - 562 thousand people. (13% of the population of the republic), Estonia - 474.8 thousand people. (30% of the population of the republic), Azerbaijan - 392.3 thousand people. (5.5% of the population of the republic), Tajikistan - 388.5

thousand people (7.6% of the population of the republic), Georgia - 341.2

thousand people (6.3% of the population of the republic), Lithuania - 344.5

thousand people (9.3% of the population of the republic), Turkmenistan - 333.9 thousand people. (9.4% of the population of the republic), Armenia - 51.5 thousand people. (1.5% of the population of the republic). In the far abroad, the Russian population as a whole is 1.4 million people, the majority live in the USA (1 million people).

The emergence of regional differences among the Russian people dates back to the feudal period. Even among the ancient East Slavic tribes, differences in material culture between north and south were noted. These differences intensified further after active ethnic contacts and assimilation of the non-Slavic population of Asia and Eastern Europe. The formation of regional differences was also facilitated by the presence of a special military population on the borders. According to ethnographic and dialectological features, the differences between the Russians of the north and the south of European Russia are most noticeable. Between them there is a wide intermediate zone - Central Russian, where northern and southern features are combined in spiritual and material culture. The Volgars - Russians of the Middle and Lower Volga regions - are distinguished into a separate regional group.

Ethnographers and linguists also distinguish three transitional groups: western (inhabitants of the basins of the rivers Velikaya, upper Dnieper and Western Dvina) - transitional between the northern and central Russian, middle and southern Russian groups and Belarusians; northeastern (Russian population of the Kirov, Perm, Sverdlovsk regions), formed after the settlement of Russian territories in the 15th 1-17th centuries, close to the North Russian group in the surrounding dialect, but having Central Russian features due to the two main directions along which the settlement proceeded edges - from the north and from the center of European Russia; southeastern (Russians of the Rostov region, Stavropol and Krasnodar territories), close to the southern Russian group in terms of language, folklore and material culture.

Other, smaller, historical and cultural groups of the Russian people include Pomors, Cossacks, old-timers-Kerzhaks and Siberians-mestizos.

In the narrow sense, the Pomors are usually called the Russian population of the White Sea coast from Onega to Kem, and in a broader sense, all the inhabitants of the coast of the northern seas washing European Russia.

The Pomors are the descendants of the ancient Novgorodians, who differed from the North Russian in the features of the economy and life associated with the sea and marine crafts.

The ethno-class group of the Cossacks is peculiar - Amur, Astrakhan, Don, Transbaikal, Kuban, Orenburg, Semirechensk, Siberian, Terek, Ural, Ussuri.

Don, Ural, Orenburg, Terek, Transbaikal and Amur Cossacks, although they had different origins, differed from the peasants in their economic privileges and self-government. Don Cossacks, formed in the ХУ1-ХУХ centuries. from Slavic and Asian components, historically divided into Verkhovsky and Ponizovsky. Among the Verkhovsky Cossacks there were more Russians, among the Poniz Cossacks Ukrainians prevailed. The North Caucasian (Terek and Grebensky) Cossacks were close to the mountain peoples. The core of the Ural Cossacks in the XVI century. were immigrants from the Don, and the core of the Trans-Baikal Cossacks, who appeared later, in the 19th century, was formed not only by Russians, but also by Buryats with Evenks.

The old-timers of Siberia are the descendants of the settlers of the ХУ1-ХУН centuries. from Northern Russia and the Urals. Among the West Siberian old-timers, the okane is more common, and in Eastern Siberia, in addition to the okane Russians, there are also okane - immigrants from the southern Russian lands. The akanye is especially widespread in the Far East, where the descendants of new settlers of the late 19th century predominate.

Early 20th century

Many Kerzhaks - Siberian Old Believers - have retained their ethnographic features. Among them stand out: “masons”, descendants of white Old Believers from the mountainous regions of Altai, living along the Bukhtarma and Uimon rivers; "Poles", speaking the dialect of Akah, the descendants of the Old Believers who were resettled after the partition of Poland from the town of Vetki in the Ust-

Kamenogorsk; "family", the descendants of the Old Believers, evicted from European Russia in Transbaikalia in the XVIII

Among the mestizo Siberians, there are Yakutians and Kolymians, descendants of mixed Russian-Yakut marriages, Kamchadals, Karyms (Russified Buryats of Transbaikalia) and descendants of tundra peasants who adopted the Dogan language and customs, living along the Dudinka and Khatanga rivers.

Ukrainians (4362.9 thousand people) live mainly in the Tyumen region (260.2 thousand people), Moscow (247.3 thousand people), and in addition, in the Moscow region, in the areas bordering Ukraine , in the Urals and in Siberia. Of these, 42.8% consider Ukrainian as their native language, and another 15.6% are fluent in it, 57% of Russian Ukrainians consider Russian as their native language. There are no Ukrainian ethnographic groups within Russia. Among the Kuban (Black Sea) Cossacks, the Ukrainian component prevails.

Belarusians (1206.2 thousand people) live dispersed throughout Russia and mainly (80%) in cities. Among them, a special ethnographic group of Poleshchuks is distinguished.

There are many blank spots in the history of the Slavs, which makes it possible for numerous modern “researchers” to put forward the most fantastic theories about the origin and formation of the statehood of the Slavic peoples on the basis of conjectures and unproven facts. Often even the concept of "Slav" is misunderstood and is regarded as a synonym for the concept of "Russian". Moreover, there is an opinion that the Slav is a nationality. All these are delusions.

Who are the Slavs?

The Slavs constitute the largest ethno-linguistic community in Europe. Within it there are three main groups: (i.e. Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians), Western (Poles, Czechs, Lusatians and Slovaks) and South Slavs (among them we will name Bosnians, Serbs, Macedonians, Croats, Bulgarians, Montenegrins, Slovenes) . A Slav is not a nationality, since a nation is a narrower concept. Separate Slavic nations formed relatively late, while the Slavs (or rather, the Proto-Slavs) stood out from the Indo-European community one and a half thousand years BC. e. Several centuries passed, and ancient travelers learned about them. At the turn of the epochs, the Slavs were mentioned by Roman historians under the name of "Vendi": it is known from written sources that the Slavic tribes fought wars with the Germans.

It is believed that the homeland of the Slavs (more precisely, the place where they formed as a community) was the territory between the Oder and the Vistula (some authors argue that between the Oder and the middle reaches of the Dnieper).

Ethnonym

Here it makes sense to consider the question of the origin of the very concept of "Slav". In the old days, peoples were often called by the name of the river on the banks of which they lived. The Dnieper in ancient times was just called "Slavutich". The very root "glory" may go back to the common word for all Indo-Europeans kleu, meaning rumor or fame. There is another common version: "Slovak", "Tslovak" and, ultimately, "Slav" is simply "a person" or "a person who speaks our language." Representatives of the ancient tribes of all strangers who spoke an incomprehensible language were not considered people at all. The self-name of any people - for example, "Mansi" or "Nenets" - in most cases means "man" or "man".

Economy. social order

A Slav is a farmer. They learned to cultivate the land back in those days when all Indo-Europeans had a common language. In the northern territories, slash-and-burn agriculture was practiced, in the south - fallow. Millet, wheat, barley, rye, flax and hemp were grown. They knew garden crops: cabbage, beets, turnips. The Slavs lived in the forest and forest-steppe zones, so they were engaged in hunting, beekeeping, and also fishing. They also raised cattle. The Slavs made high-quality weapons, ceramics, and agricultural tools for those times.

In the early stages of development, the Slavs existed which gradually evolved into a neighboring one. As a result of military campaigns, nobility emerged from the community members; nobility received land, and the communal system was replaced by feudalism.

General in ancient times

In the north, the Slavs coexisted with the Baltic and in the west - with the Celts, in the east - with the Scythians and Sarmatians, and in the south - with the ancient Macedonians, Thracians, Illyrians. At the end of the 5th century A.D. e. they reached the Baltic and Black Seas, and by the 8th century they reached Lake Ladoga and mastered the Balkans. By the 10th century, the Slavs occupied lands from the Volga to the Elbe, from the Mediterranean to the Baltic. This migration activity was due to the invasions of nomads from Central Asia, the attacks of German neighbors, as well as climate change in Europe: individual tribes were forced to look for new lands.

History of the Slavs of the East European Plain

Eastern Slavs (ancestors of modern Ukrainians, Belarusians and Russians) by the 9th century AD e. occupied lands from the Carpathians to the middle reaches of the Oka and the Upper Don, from Ladoga to the Middle Dnieper. They actively interacted with the local Finno-Ugric peoples and Balts. Already from the 6th century, small tribes began to enter into alliances with each other, which marked the birth of statehood. At the head of each such union was a military leader.

The names of tribal unions are known to everyone from the school history course: these are the Drevlyans, and the Vyatichi, and the northerners, and the Krivichi. But the Polans and the Ilmen Slovenes were perhaps most famous. The former lived along the middle reaches of the Dnieper and founded Kyiv, the latter lived on the banks of Lake Ilmen and built Novgorod. The “path from the Varangians to the Greeks” that arose in the 9th century contributed to the rise and, subsequently, to the unification of these cities. Thus, in 882, the state of the Slavs of the East European Plain - Rus' - arose.

Supreme mythology

The Slavs cannot be named Unlike the Egyptians or the Indians, they did not have time to develop a developed mythological system. It is known that the Slavs (i.e. myths about the origin of the world) have much in common with the Finno-Ugric ones. They also contain an egg, from which the world is “born”, and two ducks, by order of the supreme god, bringing silt from the bottom of the ocean to create the earth's firmament. At first, the Slavs worshiped Rod and Rozhanitsy, later - the personified forces of nature (Perun, Svarog, Mokosh, Dazhdbog).

There were ideas about paradise - Iria (Vyria), (Oak). The religious ideas of the Slavs developed along the same lines as those of other peoples of Europe (after all, the ancient Slav is a European!): from the deification of natural phenomena to the recognition of the one God. It is known that in the 10th century A.D. e. Prince Vladimir tried to "unify" the pantheon, making Perun, the patron saint of warriors, the supreme deity. But the reform failed, and the prince had to pay attention to Christianity. Forced Christianization, however, could not completely destroy pagan ideas: they began to identify Elijah the Prophet with Perun, and they began to mention Christ and the Mother of God in the texts of magical conspiracies.

Inferior mythology

Alas, the myths of the Slavs about gods and heroes were not written down. On the other hand, these peoples created a developed lower mythology, the characters of which - goblin, mermaids, ghouls, mortgages, banniks, barnyards and half-days - are known to us from songs, epics, proverbs. Back in the early 20th century, peasants told ethnographers how to protect themselves from a werewolf and negotiate with a water man. Some remnants of paganism are still alive in the popular mind.

The Slavs are one of the most ancient peoples of the European continent. Its culture dates back many centuries and is distinguished by unique features.

Today, few people know about the origin and life of the ancient Slavs. The Slavic video can be downloaded online, which can be found on one of the specialized sites, to learn about this.

South Slavs

Peoples are groups that spread over a large area of ​​Europe. According to some experts, their number is more than 350 million people.

The South Slavs are a group of peoples who, by coincidence, found their home closer to the south of the mainland. These include people living in the following countries:

• Bulgaria;
• Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Macedonia;
• Slovenia;
• Montenegro;
• Serbia;
• Croatia.

This group of people inhabits almost all the Balkans and the Adriatic coast. Today, the culture of these peoples is undergoing significant changes under the influence of Western peoples.

Eastern and Western Slavs

Western peoples are indigenous descendants, since it was from these places that the resettlement took place.

This group includes descendants of several nationalities:

• Poles;
• Czechs;
• Slovaks;
• Kashubians;
• Lusatians.

The last two peoples are distinguished by a small number, therefore they do not have their own states. The place of residence of the Kashubians is Poland. As for the Lusatians, certain groups are found in Saxony and Brandenburg. All these peoples have their own culture and values. But it should be understood that there is no clear division between nationalities, as there is a constant movement of people and their mixing.

Eastern Slavs live on the territory of several states:

• Ukraine;
• Belarus;
• Russia.

As for the latter, the Slavs did not settle throughout the country. They live near all other peoples that have spread near the Dnieper and Polissya.

It should be noted that the culture of the Slavs was amenable to a certain change. This is due to the fact that many territories were under the influence of neighboring peoples for a long time.

Thus, the southern peoples absorbed some of the traditions of the Greeks and Turks. In turn, the Eastern Slavs were under the Tatar-Mongol yoke for a long time, which also contributed to their language and cultural values.

Slavic peoples are a unique group of people, distinguished by unconventional thinking and beautiful traditions.

The Slavs are the largest linguistic and cultural community of the peoples of Europe. Among scientists there is no consensus about the origin of this name. First ethnonym( 1 } "Slavs" is found among Byzantine authors of the 7th century. in the form of a "clave". Some linguists consider it the self-name of the Slavs and raise it to the concept of "word": "those who speak." This idea is rooted in antiquity. Many peoples considered themselves "speaking", and strangers, the language of which was incomprehensible, - "dumb". It is no coincidence that in the Slavic languages ​​one of the meanings of the word "German" is "mute". According to another hypothesis, the name "sklavins" is associated with the Greek verb "kluxo" - "wash" and the Latin cluo - "cleanse". There are other equally interesting points of view.

Scientists identify Eastern, Western and Southern Slavs . The eastern ones include Russians (about 146 million people), Ukrainians (about 46 million) and Belarusians (about 10.5 million). These peoples inhabit the east of Europe and widely settled in Siberia. Western Slavs - Poles (about 44 million people), Czechs (about 11 million), Slovaks (about 6 million) and Lusatians (100 thousand). All of them are inhabitants of Eastern and Central Europe. South Slavic peoples live in the Balkans: Bulgarians (about 8.5 million people), Serbs (about 10 million), Croats (about 5.5 million), Slovenes (over 2 million), Bosnians (over 2 million), Montenegrins (about 620 thousand).

Slavic peoples are close in language and culture. By religion, the Slavs are Christians, excluding the Bosnians, who converted to Islam during the Ottoman rule. Believing Russians are mostly Orthodox, Poles are Catholics. But among Ukrainians and Belarusians there are many Orthodox and Catholics.

Slavs make up 85.5% of the population of Russia. Most of them are Russians - about 120 million people, or 81.5% of the country's inhabitants. Other Slavic peoples - Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poles - almost 6 million people. Bulgarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Croats also live in Russia. However, their number is very small - no more than 50 thousand people.

(1) Ethnonym (from the Greek "ethnos" - tribe, "people" and "onyma" - "name") - the name of the people.

HOW THE EASTERN SLAVIC PEOPLES ARISED

The ancestors of the Slavs were probably the Wends, who in the first centuries of the new era settled along the banks of the Vistula and Venedsky (now Gdansk) Bay of the Baltic Sea. Byzantine authors of the 6th c. the name "sklavins" appeared, but it was applied only to the tribes living west of the Dniester. To the east of this river were placed the Ants, whom many scientists consider the direct predecessors of the Eastern Slavs. After the 6th c. the name of the Ants disappears, and the names of the East Slavic tribes become known: glade, drevlyans, vyatichi, radimichi, dregovichi, krivichi, etc. Some historians see them as real tribes, while others see them as a kind of "pre-nationality" or "proto-state". These communities were not "pure": they included racially, linguistically and culturally diverse elements. For example, in the East Slavic burials of the 10th-11th centuries. found the remains of people belonging to at least six racial types, not only Caucasoid, but also Mongoloid.

In the 9th-11th centuries. East Slavic tribes were united into one of the largest states of medieval Europe - Kievan Rus. It stretched from the lower reaches of the Danube in the south of the Ladoga and Onega lakes in the north, from the upper reaches of the Western Dvina in the west to the Volga-Oka interfluve in the east. Within these boundaries, a single ancient Russian nationality arose. She was neither Russian, nor Ukrainian, nor Belarusian - she can be called East Slavic. The consciousness of community and unity among the population of Kievan Rus was very strong. It was reflected in chronicles and literary works telling about the defense of the homeland from nomadic raids. In 988 the prince Vladimir I Svyatoslavovich did Christianity the state religion of Kievan Rus. Pagan idols were overthrown, and the people of Kiev were baptized in the Dnieper. The adoption of Christianity contributed to close cultural ties with Europe, the flourishing of ancient Russian art, and the spread of writing. A new religion was sometimes introduced by force. So, in Novgorod they burned half the city. The people said: " Putyata ( 2 } baptized the people with fire, and Dobrynya( 3 } - with a sword". Under the external cover of Christianity in Rus', a "dual faith" was established: for several centuries, pagan traditions were preserved.

The unity of Kievan Rus was not strong, and by the end of the 12th century. The state broke up into independent principalities.

Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians how independent peoples developed, according to various estimates, in the 14-18 centuries.

Moscow State - the center of education of the Russian people - first united the lands in the basins of the Upper Volga and Oka, then in the upper reaches of the Don and Dnieper; even later - Pskov, Novgorod lands in the basin of the Northern Dvina and on the coast of the White Sea.

The fate of the descendants of those tribes that lived in the west of Kievan Rus was much more complicated. From the 13th-14th centuries. western regions pass under power of the Lithuanian princes . The state formation that arose here turned out to be difficult: the political power was Lithuanian, and the cultural life was East Slavic. At the end of the 16th century The Grand Duchy united with Poland . The local population, first of all, the nobility, began to become more or less Polishized, but East Slavic traditions were preserved among the peasants.

In the 16-17 centuries. on these lands, two nationalities were formed - Ukrainians and Belarusians. The population of the southern regions (the territories of modern Kiev, Poltava, Chernihiv, Vinnitsa, Khmelnytsky, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Ternopil, Volyn, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Chernivtsi regions, Transcarpathia) experienced a strong influence of the Turkic peoples, with whom they fought and traded. Precisely, here they have developed as united people Ukrainians . In the Polotsk-Minsk, Turov-Pinsk and, possibly, in the Smolensk lands formed Belarusians . Their culture was influenced by Poles, Russians and Lithuanians.

Languages, culture, historical destinies of the East Slavic peoples are close. Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians are well aware of this, they remember their common roots. The Russian-Belarusian affinity is especially pronounced.

{2 } Putyata - Novgorod governor.

{3 } Dobrynya -educator and governor of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich; princely governor in Novgorod.

U K R A I N C Y

The word "Ukrainians" first appeared at the end of the 12th century. It denoted the inhabitants of the steppe "outskirts" of Rus', and by the 17th century. so they began to call mainly the population of the Middle Dnieper.

Under the rule of Catholic Poland, Ukrainians, Orthodox by religion, suffered religious harassment and therefore fled to Sloboda Ukraine ( 4 } .

Many of them ended up in the Zaporozhian Sich - a kind of republic of the Ukrainian Cossacks. In 1654, Left-bank Ukraine united with Russia, receiving autonomy into its composition. However, in the second half of the 18th century, after the annexation of the Right-Bank Ukraine, the tsarist government sharply limited the independence of the Ukrainian lands and liquidated the Zaporozhian Sich.

After the Russian-Turkish warriors of the late 18th century. The Northern Black Sea and Azov regions were annexed to Russia. The new territories were named Novorossiya; they were inhabited mainly by Ukrainians. At the same time, the Right-Bank Ukraine became part of the Russian Empire, and in the first third of the 19th century. - Bessarabia and the mouth of the Danube (Ukrainian colonies also arose here).

Now, out of more than 45 million Ukrainians, more than 37 million live in Ukraine and over 4 million in Russia, where they are the second largest Slavic people in the country. In Russia, Ukrainians live mainly in the Russian-Ukrainian borderlands, as well as in the central regions, in the Urals, in Western Siberia; there are many Ukrainians in the Far East. In mixed Russian-Ukrainian regions, they are often called Khokhols - because of the traditional Khokhol on their heads. At first, the nickname was considered offensive, but over time it became familiar and is used as a self-name. One of the ethnologists cites the following statement from a resident of the Belgorod province: "We are Russians, only crests, turn over." Indeed, there is a rapid assimilation of Ukrainians in Russia. In 1989, only 42% of Russian Ukrainians named Ukrainian as their native language, and even less spoke it - 16%. Most of all, urban residents became Russified; often only surnames speak about their Ukrainian roots: Bezborodko, Paley, Seroshapko, Kornienko, etc.

{4 } Sloboda Ukraine - modern Kharkov and part of Sumy, Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

TRADITIONS OF UKRAINIAN CULTURE

At the same time, many Ukrainians in Russia, even those who have become Russified to some extent, retain some traditions of their native culture. Their houses in the villages are easy to recognize by clay plastered walls . In Ukrainian you can often see a traditional shirt - with a straight collar slit and rich embroidery . Of course, today they dress in a modern urban way, but on holidays, the old people, and often the young, put on national clothes.

UKRAINIAN FOOD

Russian Ukrainians have well-preserved traditions of folk cuisine. Flour dishes and products are popular: round or oval yeast bread ("palyanitsa", "khlibina"), cakes ("cakes", "platforms"), pancakes, pancakes, pies, noodles, dumplings, dumplings with cottage cheese, potatoes, cherries .

Bake for Christmas and New Year "kalach" , at the meeting of spring - "larks" , at the wedding - "bumps" etc. All sorts of things are on the way porridge and something between porridge and soup - "kulish" from millet and potatoes, seasoned with onions and lard. Of the soups, Ukrainians are the most borscht made from various vegetables and often cereals ; from dairy products - "varenets" (fermented baked milk) and "cheese" (salted cottage cheese).

Ukrainians, unlike Russians, call meat only pork . common cabbage rolls, aspic, homemade sausage stuffed with pork pieces .

Favorite drinks - herbal tea, dried fruit compote ("uzvar"), various types of kvass ; intoxicating - mash, mead, liqueurs and tinctures .

Many Ukrainian dishes (borsch, dumplings, varenets, etc.) were recognized by neighboring peoples, and the Ukrainians themselves borrowed such foods and drinks as cabbage soup and koumiss.

UKRAINIAN CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS OF SPIRITUAL CULTURE

The family and social life of Russian Ukrainians is devoid of originality. It everywhere reveals the features of an urban lifestyle and is distinguished by democratic orders. One of the indicators of this is a large number of ethnically mixed families: Ukrainian-Russian, Ukrainian-Belarusian, Ukrainian-Bashkir, etc. However, some customs are still alive today. For example, at a Ukrainian wedding in Russia, you can meet custom "viti giltse" - a branch or tree decorated with flowers and colored ribbons is stuck into the wedding loaf.

The traditions of the rich Ukrainian spiritual culture are partly preserved, in particular folk .Many of them are related to calendar and family holidays let's say Christmas caroling( 5 } , wedding magnificence, etc. Ukrainians love songs , in particular lyrical and comic, as well as (especially the Cossacks) military-historical.

The emergence of an independent Ukrainian state in the 90s. 20th century gave impetus to the revival of national identity not only in Ukraine itself, but also among Ukrainians in Russia. Cultural societies and folklore ensembles are being created.

{5 } Carols - ritual songs with the wishes of health, well-being, etc.

B E L O R U S S

The third largest Slavic people in Russia are Belarusians. Belarusian lands became part of the Russian Empire at the end of the 17th century. The names "Belaya Rus" are associated by some scientists with the light hair color and white clothes of the country's population. According to another theory, "White Russia" originally meant "free Rus', independent of the Tatars." In 1840, Nicholas I forbade the official use of the name "Belaya Rus", "Belarus", "Belarusians": the latter became the population of the "North-Western Territory".

Belarusians relatively late realized themselves as a special people. Only in the middle of the 19th century. Belarusian intellectuals put forward the idea of ​​Belarusians as a separate people. However, in broad sections of the population, national self-consciousness was developed slowly and finally formed only after the creation of in 1919 the Byelorussian SSR (since 1991 - the Republic of Belarus).

In Russia, Belarusians have long lived next to Russians in the Smolensk and Pskov regions, as well as in Central Russia, the Volga region and Siberia, where they moved after the Russian-Polish war of the 17th century. and subsequent violent partitions of Poland. Many peasants and artisans left for Russia voluntarily because of the scarcity of Belarusian lands. Large communities of Belarusians formed in Moscow and later in St. Petersburg.

For the 90s. 20th century About 1.2 million Belarusians lived in Russia. Most of them, especially the townspeople, became Russified. By 1989, only a little more than 1/3 recognized the Belarusian language as their mother tongue. According to a sample survey conducted in St. Petersburg in 1992, 1/2 of the polled Belarusians called themselves people of Russian culture, 1/4 - mixed Russian-Belarusian, and only about 10% - Belarusian. Russian Belarusians have a lot of ethnically mixed families - with Russians, Ukrainians, Karelians.

BELARUSIAN CUISINE

In the life of Russian Belarusians, little is left of their traditional culture. The traditions of national cuisine are best preserved.

Belarusians love flour dishes - pancakes, pancakes, pies, cook various cereals and cereals, kulesh, oatmeal and pea jelly.

Although, as the Belarusians say, "usyamu galava is bread," "second bread" is in great use - potato . In traditional cuisine, there are up to 200 dishes from it! Some dishes are supposed to be eaten not with bread, but with cold potatoes. Widespread potato fritters ("pancakes"), potato casserole with lard ("drachonka"), mashed potatoes with lard or milk and eggs ("tavkanitsa", "bulb egg").

Favorite meat of Belarusians - pork .

One of the highlights of the kitchen is "bleached ", i.e. dishes seasoned with milk, most often soups, and vegetable dishes are preferred stew of rutabagas, pumpkins, carrots .

Belarusian folk art

Their Belarusian folklore can be heard in everyday life "drawing" ( 6 } songs they sing at Easter. Such Belarusian dances as "hussars", "myatselitsa", "kryzhachok" and others, accompanied by "refrains", are famous.

In folk art, the traditions of patterned weaving and embroidery on bedspreads, wall rugs, tablecloths, and towels are best preserved. Patterns are mostly geometric or floral.

{6 )Name "dragging" (rite, songs) is associated with the verb "to drag", in the meaning of "to go, drag, wander." On Easter Sunday, groups of men (8-10 people each) went around all the houses in the village and sang special songs in which they wished the owners family well-being and a bountiful harvest.

P O L I K I

About 100 thousand Poles live in Russia. Unlike Ukraine and Belarus, Poland does not have common borders with Russia, and therefore, there is no mixed settlement of Poles and Russians. Polish emigrants, as a rule, did not leave their homeland of their own free will. The tsarist government forcibly resettled them after the anti-Russian uprisings of the late 18th and 19th centuries. Some, in search of free land and a better life, voluntarily moved to Siberia. The majority of Russian Poles live in the Tomsk, Omsk and Irkutsk regions, in Altai and in both capitals.

There are many Poles among the Russian intelligentsia. Suffice it to name K.E. Tsiolkovsky, geographer A.L. Chekanovsky, linguist and ethnographer E.K. Pekarsky, ethnographer V. Seroshevsky, artist K.S. Malevich, Marshal K.K. Rokossovsky. In the tsarist army, the Poles made up more than 10% of the officer corps. Polish cultural and educational organizations existed in Russia, and in 1917 a territorial and cultural autonomy arose, which was liquidated by 1937. This intensified the Russification of the Poles: in 1989, less than 1/3 of Russian Poles called Polish their native language. In the 90s. the restoration of Polish cultural and educational organizations began.

Most Russian Poles live scattered, mostly in cities. Even those who consider themselves Poles by nationality have retained almost nothing from Polish everyday culture. This also applies to food, although certain Polish dishes (for example, "bigos" - fresh or sauerkraut stewed with meat or sausage) are widely used. The Poles are distinguished by religiosity, strictly observe church rites. This feature has become a feature of national identity.