Tribal unions of the Eastern Slavs(East Slavic unions of tribes, tribes of Eastern Slavs) - a form of social organization of East Slavic society during the period of decomposition of the primitive communal system and the formation of statehood. Tribal unions were not only tribal, but also territorial and political in nature. The formation of unions is a stage on the way to the formation of the statehood of the Eastern Slavs.

The Tale of Bygone Years knows no "unions of tribes". After the death of Kiy and his brothers (before the mention of Heraclius and the obrovs), “their clan began to reign among the glades, and the Drevlyans had their own reign, and the Dregovichi had their own, and the Slavs had their own in Novgorod, and the other on the Polota River, where the Polochans” . That is, princely power was inherited. These are the northern archonships of the king of the Antes God (4th century), Ardagast, Pirogast, Musokia, Dobrent (6th century), etc., well known to the Byzantines.

1. The term used to refer to the East Slavic tribes mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years and other written sources. Speaking of "unions", in this case, historians mean that the annalistic "tribes" were complex formations and consisted of several territorial or tribal groups.

1. An association of several tribes (“confederation”), which, as a rule, arises for joint protection against an external threat, and has allied supra-tribal authorities.

Ancestors of the Eastern Slavs in polyethnic tribal unions

The ancestors of the Eastern Slavs, according to various historians, could be part of the allied tribal organizations mentioned by the authors of the second half of the 1st millennium BC. e. - the first half of the 1st millennium.

The union of the Ants was ruled by the veche and the princes, conducted an independent foreign policy, had a customary right that applied only to the Ants, and had an allied militia. At the head of the union could be one prince, designated by a special title, whose power was hereditary.

In the VI-VIII centuries. the Eastern Slavs are often mentioned together with the Khazars, which is assessed by historians as evidence of their allied and, then, tributary relations.

Glade

The Tale of Bygone Years tells a legend about the princes of the Polyan tribe, which has much in common with the history of the Ants. The glades moved from place to place: their homeland is the Danube, they got their name from the fact that they "sat in the field", then they settled on the Dnieper "mountains" and again tried to gain a foothold on the Danube. The glade tribe consisted of several kindred "kinds", ruled by their own heads. According to legend, the brothers Kyi, Shchek and Khoriv united their clans under the rule of Prince Kyi, who led the squad and was in allied relations with the Byzantine emperor. The center of the Polyan tribe was the city of Kyiv, founded by the brothers. It played the role of a veche and religious center. A princely dynasty was established in the tribe: “And after these brothers, their clan began to reign at the glades”,

In the "Tale" there is also an indication of the existence of an alliance between the East Slavic tribes during the time of Prince Kiy: “And the glades, Drevlyans, northerners, Radimichi, Vyatichi and Croats lived among themselves in the world. The Dulebs lived along the Bug, where the Volynians are now, and the Ulichi and Tivertsy sat along the Dniester and near the Danube. Later, this union broke up into separate tribal "principles" and "the Drevlyans and other surrounding people began to oppress the glades." The Kiev veche, which consisted of the military nobility, decided to subjugate the glades to the Khazars and pay tribute to them.

In The Tale of Bygone Years, the question of the origins of the Russian land is connected with the legend of Kiya, and the meadow is directly identified with the Rus people of the 10th-12th centuries.

"Power of the Volhynians", dulebs

"The Tale of Bygone Years" tells about the struggle of the Duleb tribe with the Avars (Obrams) (560s - VIII century): “In those days, there were obras, they fought against King Heraclius and almost captured him. These obry also fought against the Slavs and oppressed the dulebs - real Slavs, and did violence to the Duleb wives: it happened, when an obryn went, he did not allow a horse or an ox to be harnessed, but ordered three, four or five wives to be harnessed in a cart and to carry him - obrin, - and so they tormented the dulebs. These obry were great in body and proud in mind, and God destroyed them, they all died, and not a single obry remained. And there is a saying in Rus' to this day: “They perished like a brute”, - they have neither a tribe nor offspring.

Medieval written documents recorded the residence of Dulebs in Volyn, in the Czech Republic, on the middle Danube between Lake Balaton and the Mursa River, as well as on the upper Drava. V.V. Sedov considers the Dulebs an ancient tribe that settled in the 6th-7th centuries. in the area of ​​the Prague-Korchak culture (sklavins).

The Tale of Bygone Years says that the Dulebs lived along the Western Bug, where "now the Volynians", and it also says that the Buzhans were nicknamed so because they "sat along the Bug", and then they "began to be called Volynians". Historians explain this place in the chronicle in different ways. Some see in the Buzhans and Volynians of the 9th-10th centuries. descendants of the dulebs of the 6th-7th centuries. Others see in the Volynians a collective polytonym, derived from the name of the city of Volyn, and denoting the union of several tribes.

The nature of the tribal organization

In historical literature, there are several points of view on the nature of the annalistic tribes of the Eastern Slavs:

1. These were exclusively territorial associations (S. M. Seredonin, V. O. Klyuchevsky, M. K. Lyubavsky).

2. Tribes are ethnographic groups (A. A. Spitsyn, A. V. Artsikhovsky and B. A. Rybakov), the same opinion is shared by philologists A. A. Shakhmatov, A. I. Sobolevsky, E. F. Karsky, D. N. Ushakov, N. N. Durnovo

3. The tribes were political entities (N. P. Barsov). According to the ideas of V. V. Mavrodin and B. A. Rybakov, the chronicle meadows, Drevlyans, Radimichi and others were unions of tribes that united several separate Slavic tribes.

The words "clan" and "tribe" in the Russian chronicle designate a consanguineous group. The word "language" also meant tribes speaking special languages.

Contemporaries distinguished East Slavic tribes according to a number of characteristics: name, habitat, customs and "laws of the fathers", which concerned marriage and family relations and funeral rites, as well as legends. At the same time, according to contemporaries, the tribes did not differ linguistically, although in fact there were serious dialectal differences, and Rus' was bilingual and used the Scandinavian language. Archaeologists distinguish tribes by their characteristic decorations (temporal rings) and the type of burials. Ethnographers believe that the Eastern Slavic tribes differed in the religious preferences of one or another god (Perun is “our god” among Rus').

Each tribe had its own "city" (Tivertsy, Ulichi, Drevlyane, Rus) and one main "city": Kiev (Polyane), Novgorod (Slovene), Smolensk (Krivichi), Polotsk (Krivichi-Polotchan), Iskorosten (Drevlyane) . Archaeologists suggest that some tribes (Smolensk Krivichi) have a “nesting” structure of settlements: next to one fortified “city” there was a nest or two nests of unfortified settlements. "Grad" was a gathering place for veche, religious worship (the swamp settlements of the Smolensk Krivichi) and performed defensive functions.

The chronicler denotes the political organization of the tribes with the word “principality”, listing individual reigns: among the glades, among the Drevlyans, among the Dregovichi, among the Slovenes “in Novgorod” and “on the Polota River, where the Polochans are”. Under the "prince" in the narrow sense was understood as the presence of the institution of hereditary princely power. The territorial designation of the tribe was the word "land" (Derevskaya land, Russian land). The power in the tribe belonged to the prince and vech. The chronicler tells about the adoption of a decision at a veche in the city of Iskorosten in 945 with the words “having thought with his prince Mal.” Mal is called the "Prince of the Woods". Also mentioned are the "best men" who "hold the Derevskaya earth". These men were sent to the embassy by "Derevskoy zemlya" and spoke about their "good princes" who "herd" Derevskaya zemlya. The "elders of the city" are also mentioned. A similar political organization is also found among other East Slavic tribes of the 9th-12th centuries, as well as among the Ants and Polyans in the 6th-8th centuries.

Constantine Porphyrogenitus uses the term "Slavinia" in relation to the East Slavic tribes, which was first used in the 7th century. by Theophylact Simokatta in relation to the Slavs who settled in the Balkans. It meant both the area of ​​​​settlement of the Slavic tribe or tribal union, and the special pre-state socio-political organization of the Slavs, which allowed them to regulate internal relations, defend independence from external forces and organize military enterprises. At the head of each Slavinia was a leader ("archon" or "rix"), surrounded by tribal nobility.

Ibn Ruste (n. X century) describes a more developed system of power among the Slavs (information about different groups of tribes is mixed): “Their head is crowned, they obey him and do not deviate from his words. His seat is in the middle of the country of the Slavs. And the said head, whom they call “head of heads” (ra’is ar-ruasa), is called by them sweet-malik, and he is higher than supanej, and supanej is his deputy (viceroy). This king has riding horses ... He has beautiful, durable and precious chain mail. The city where he lives is called Jarvab... The king visits them every year. And if one of them has a daughter, then the king takes one of her dresses a year, and if a son, then he also takes one of her dresses a year. Whoever has neither a son nor a daughter, he gives one of the dresses of his wife or slave a year. And if the king catches a thief in his country, he either orders him to be strangled, or puts him under the supervision of one of the rulers on the outskirts of his possessions.

If “principalities” and “Slavinia” denote tribal formations of the period of “military democracy”, then in the description of Ibn Rust, historians see signs of an emerging state: the institutionalization of supra-tribal power, reliance on force, the existence of taxes and universally binding law.

Hierarchy of tribes

The tribal structure of the East Slavic society of the period of "military democracy" is characterized by the desire of one tribe to rise above other neighboring tribes.

In the 6th century, the Antian envoy Mezamir, who himself was called "an empty talker and a braggart", upon arrival at the Avars, "threw them with arrogant and even impudent speeches." The words of a similar speech by the Slavic leader Davrit have been preserved: “Was that person born into the world and warmed by a ray of the sun who would subdue our strength? Not others are our land, but we are accustomed to possessing someone else's.

The primordial Slavs in the legends called themselves the Polans, the Volynians and, mentioned by the Bavarian Geographer, the Dawns, “who alone have a kingdom and from whom all the tribes of the Slavs ... originate and lead their kind.” For other tribes, all sorts of offensive names were invented: “talkers” (Tivertsy), “carpenters” (residents of Novgorod), “Pishchantsy” (Radimichi), “finders”, “dromites”, “nomads” (Rus), “paktiots” ( Slavs according to Constantine Porphyrogenitus, X century), “Germans” (Drevlyans according to Leo the Deacon, X century), “fleeing slaves” (residents of Kiev according to Titmar of Merseburg, n. XI century), etc.

To designate a place in the tribal hierarchy, associations with shoes were used: “in boots” - the dominant tribe, “bast shoes” - tributaries, the custom of leaving the city of a barefoot elder is described, which meant submission to the conqueror (Smolensk, Vladimir Volynsky). The occupation of the tribe (“men of the blood” - Rus), the color of the tents, the material and size of clothes, sails, etc., also played an important role.

The Tale of Bygone Years tells that the meadows “have the custom of their fathers meek and quiet”, and the Drevlyans, Radimichi, Vyatichi, Northerners and Krivichi “lived the animal custom, lived like cattle”, “in the forest, like all animals” : "they killed each other, ate everything unclean, and they did not have marriages, and shamed them in the presence of their fathers and daughters-in-law."

Near the year 907, it is told about the Rus and Slovenes: “And Rus' raised the sails from the curtains, and the Slavs are kopriny, and the wind tore them apart; and the Slavs said: “Let’s take our thick ones, the sails from the curtains were not given to the Slavs.”

Tribal confederations

Historians believe that the tribes of The Tale of Bygone Years included several tribal groups (“clans”, “tribes”), whose names, unknown to the chronicler, are given by the Bavarian Geographer. The number of cities named in the source is compared with the number of tribal communities (100-150 people each) or their groups united around the “city”, in which city elders, representatives of the surrounding clans, gathered at the veche.

It is most likely that the Krivichi tribe, indeed, consisted of several groups: the annals mention "all Krivichi", Krivichi-Polotchan and Smolensk Krivichi, who pursued an independent foreign policy, are distinguished. Archaeologists separate the Pskov Krivichi from the Smolensk-Polotsk. In addition, the Latvians still call the Russians an ethnonym derived from the name of the Krivichi (krievs), which indicates its collective nature. Archaeologists call the Krivichi a "tribal group" formed as a result of the interaction of Slavic settlers with the local Baltic-speaking population. It is possible that the Krivichi are a political entity known from the Baltic legends about the Great Krivi.

The Ilmen Slovenes were also in confederate relations with neighboring peoples. It is believed that on the site of Novgorod there were settlements of various tribes that surrounded the empty space, which served as a gathering place for the allied council. From these settlements, the "ends" (self-governing districts) of the city arose, including the Slovenian and Nerevsky ends (Nereva - a Baltic tribe). In the middle of the 9th century, a confederation of tribes was formed, located on vast expanses, which included Chud, Slovene (Novgorod), Krivichi (Polotsk), Vesy (Beloozero), Merya (Rostov) and Muroma (Murom).

Northerners, according to historians, united three tribal groups. Uchi and Tivertsy acted in the union. Radimichi and Vyatichi are believed to have originally been one tribe (Vyatichi), and then separated, as the legend of the brothers Radim and Vyatko speaks of.

The institutionalization of power in tribal alliances

When tribes united into unions, supra-tribal power arose, which was not reduced to patriarchal tribal power. Since alliances were created in connection with the need to protect themselves from external enemies, the princes, who had the strongest squads of professional warriors, had special authority among the tribes. Such princes led the tribal militias and thus institutionalized their power. Ibn Ruste calls the chief prince of the union "light malik (ruler)", which can be understood as "bright prince". The treaty of 911 mentions the "light and great princes" of the Eastern Slavs. These titles denoted the “prince of princes” of the union, that is, an institution appeared that was not characteristic of a separate clan or tribe.

The union veche also differed from the usual people's assembly. The Scandinavian saga about Olaf mentions a people's meeting in Novgorod, which was attended by "people from all nearby areas", but in practice this was impossible, so it should be assumed that the tribes were represented by "the best men" at the veche of the union. If you literally trust the legend of the “Khazar tribute”, when the clearing at the veche decided to pay tribute with swords, then it can be argued that representatives of the military nobility were included in the veche.

The prince, squad and veche, consisting of military and tribal nobility, began to separate from ordinary fellow tribesmen. They personified tribal power. This power was denoted by the words "prince", "own" and "hold", and the ruling elite designated themselves with the words "master" (Dobragast, Kelagast, Ardegast, Gostomysl) and "owner" (Volodislav, Volodimer).

Tribal relations

Unlike the state, tribal unions did not imply the establishment of tributary relations between tribes. Tribute was established, as a rule, when multilingual tribes were subjugated to each other. Scythian kings collected bronze tips and grain from subject tribes. Primitive taxes, judging by the German epic about Woden, existed among the Goths in the Black Sea region. Huns and Avars burdened neighbors with payments. Avars and Hungarians wintered in Slavic villages. In the 7th-10th centuries Slavs (Polyans, northerners, Vyatichi and Radimichi) paid tribute to the Khazars with fur "from the smoke" (at home) or money "from the ral" (from the plow). In the VIII-IX centuries. the northern confederation of tribes paid tribute to the Varangians.

The tribute arose from the payment of an indemnity to the winner. Since the 6th century, the Slavs and Antes themselves received cash payments in exchange for an alliance from Byzantium. East Slavic folklore mentions tribute by girls, the winners demanded women as prey from the defeated tribe (in the annals - Rogneda, Olga). Olga, having gained the upper hand over the Drevlyans, gave some of them into slavery to her soldiers. The capture of slaves with the subsequent demand for ransom has been known among the Slavs and Antes since the 6th century. Arab authors call the Slavic tribes the slaves of the Rus tribe. Probably, some tribes fell into collective slavery to others, so the Slavs, according to the annals, say to the Rus: "Come reign and rule over us."

There is a version of the appearance of tribute as sacred gifts to the prince, who personified the sun. The myth about the origin of the princes from Dazhbog (“the sun-king”), the winter time for collecting tribute and its name “circling” the prince and his squad (Konstantin Porphyrogenitus) are pointed out.

With the separation of the tribal nobility and professional squads, tributary relations began to arise within the tribes as well. The tribute was natural. The tribute to Ibn Ruste described by dresses is fixed by linguistic data about the “pay money” among the Slavs (cf. Russian “to pay”). In The Tale of Bygone Years, particular importance is given to the prince's right to hunt (including birds) in the lands of tributary tribes. The Scandinavians borrowed from the Slavs the word "polyudye", which meant the collection of tribute. The presence of a prince with a retinue in the lands of tributaries was called "feeding", and the place of residence of the prince was called "table". The traditional tribute from the Slavs was collected in fur, honey and wax. The Rus tribe established a monetary percentage form of tribute.

Formation of statehood among the Eastern Slavs

There are different points of view on the process of turning tribal unions into a state.

In the XI-XVI centuries. dominated by theological and dynastic concepts. According to the first, dating back to the Cyril and Methodius tradition, the state arose in the confrontation between paganism (“old”) and Christianity (“new”). The fertile Christian beginning was personified by the apostles (Paul, Andronicus, Andrew), Christian martyrs and Christian princes (Askold, Olga, Vladimir). Christians, the "new people", were opposed to the tribes, "who do not know the law of God, but establish the law for themselves." Vladimir was considered the founder of the state, and the entire previous history acted only as a “shadow” of the Baptism of Rus' in 988. Ivan the Terrible wrote: “The autocracy of the Russian Tsardom, filled with this true Orthodoxy, began by God’s will from the Grand Duke Vladimir, who enlightened the Russian land with holy baptism ...”

The dynastic concept traces the foundation of the state to the establishment of a new Rurik dynasty in 862, when Rurik headed the East Slavic tribes. Particular attention is paid to the origin and dynastic ties of the first Russian princes.

According to the theory of social contract, the state among the Eastern Slavs arose as a result of the voluntary calling of the Varangians and the establishment of contractual relations between Russia and other tribes: the existence of a special “row” (“pact”) is noted. Such agreements are known not only in Novgorod, but also in Kiev (“Askold and Dir remained in this city and began to own the land of the glades”), Smolensk (“the Smolensk saw this, their elders went out to the tents” of Oleg), Severskaya land (laid a light tribute on them, and did not order them to pay tribute to the Khazars, saying: “I am their enemy and you (they) have no need to pay”), an agreement with the Radimichi (Oleg told them: “Don’t give the Khazars, but pay me”), and even in the Caucasus. The Russians, who took over the Caucasian city of Berdaa, declared: “There is no disagreement in faith between us and you. The only thing we want is power. It is our duty to treat you well, and it is your duty to obey us well.”

The patriarchal theory, popularized in Soviet times as a scientific one, insists that the state arose when clans united into tribes, tribes into unions, unions into "super unions". At the same time, the power hierarchy became more complex. On the eve of the appearance of Rus' in Eastern Europe, the existence of “three parts of the Rus” was recorded: Kuyavia (with a center in Kyiv), Artania (east of Slovenian lands) and Slavia (Slovenian land). When they were united in 882, under the rule of Oleg, a state arose.

The concept of conquest explains the emergence of the state among the Eastern Slavs by their subjugation to the Scandinavians. At the same time, the process of state formation dragged on for a long time, until a single state was formed from the scattered Varangian possessions by the middle of the 10th century, headed by Prince Igor, the first authentically known ruler of the dynasty of Kievan princes. Since that time, the process of centralization of the "patchwork empire" began, consisting of Slavic tribes that paid tribute to the Varangians.

The socio-economic concept that dominated Soviet science draws attention to the formation in the East Slavic society of social prerequisites for the formation of the state: the development of labor tools, the emergence of surpluses, inequality, private property and classes. The role of the tribes differed from the degree of development - readiness for the emergence of the state. The center for the formation of the prerequisites was the "Russian land" in the Middle Dnieper region (tribes of Polyans, Sevreyans and "Roses"). Within the framework of the concept, the identity of the tribes of the Polyans and Russ (“Roses”), ascending to the Ants, is affirmed. About the emergence of the state in the 850s. in the Middle Dnieper region, there is a mention of the “king of the Slavs”, which could well be the king of the Slavs Dir, the mentioned Masudi, whose grave is known in Kiev, and he himself is mistakenly called the co-ruler of the Varangian Askold.

Another point of view singles out, as a decisive, foreign policy factor. To fight the Khazars, the tribes of the Middle Dnieper united in an alliance and created in the 830s - 840s. own state, headed by a kagan and a squad of hired Varangians.

Wikipedia

Kievan Rus 862 1240 ... Wikipedia

Kievan Rus 862 1240 ... Wikipedia

862 1240 ... Wikipedia

The Eastern Slavs are a large group of kindred peoples, which today number more than 300 million people. The history of the formation of these peoples, their traditions, faith, relations with other states are important moments in history, since they answer the question of how our ancestors appeared in antiquity.

Origin

The question of the origin of the Eastern Slavs is interesting. This is our history and our ancestors, the first mention of which dates back to the beginning of our era. If we talk about archaeological excavations, then scientists find artifacts indicating that the nationality began to form even before our era.

All Slavic languages ​​belong to a single Indo-European group. Its representatives stood out as a nationality around the 8th millennium BC. The ancestors of the Eastern Slavs (and many other peoples) lived near the shores of the Caspian Sea. Around the 2nd millennium BC, the Indo-European group broke up into 3 peoples:

• Pro-Germans (Germans, Celts, Romans). Filled Western and Southern Europe.
• Baltoslavs. They settled between the Vistula and the Dnieper.
• Iranian and Indian peoples. They spread throughout Asia.

Around the 5th century BC, the Balotoslavs are divided into Balts and Slavs, already in the 5th century AD, the Slavs, in short, are divided into eastern (eastern Europe), western (central Europe) and southern (Balkan Peninsula).

To date, the Eastern Slavs include: Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians.

The invasion of the Hun tribes into the territory of the Black Sea region in the 4th century destroyed the Greek and Scythian state. Many historians call this fact the root cause of the future creation of the ancient state by the Eastern Slavs.

Historical reference

resettlement

An important question is how the development of new territories by the Slavs took place, and how their resettlement took place in general. There are 2 main theories of the appearance of the Eastern Slavs in Eastern Europe:

• Autochthonous. It assumes that the Slavic ethnos was originally formed on the East European plain. The theory was put forward by the historian B. Rybakov. There are no significant arguments in its favor.
• Migration. Suggests that the Slavs migrated from other regions. Solovyov and Klyuchevsky argued that the migration was from the territory of the Danube. Lomonosov spoke about migration from the Baltic territory. There is also a theory of migration from the regions of Eastern Europe.

Around the 6th-7th centuries, the Eastern Slavs settled the territory of Eastern Europe. They settled in the territory from Ladoga and Lake Ladoga in the North to the Black Sea coast in the south, from the Carpathian Mountains in the West to the Volga territories in the East.

13 tribes lived in this territory. Some sources speak of 15 tribes, but these data do not find historical confirmation. The Eastern Slavs in ancient times consisted of 13 tribes: Vyatichi, Radimichi, Polans, Polochans, Volynians, Ilmens, Dregovichi, Drevlyans, Ulichi, Tivertsy, Northerners, Krivichi, Dulebs.

The specifics of the settlement of the Eastern Slavs on the East European Plain:

• Geographic. There are no natural barriers, which facilitated movement.
• Ethnic. A large number of people with different ethnic composition lived and migrated in the territory.
• Sociability. The Slavs settled near captivity and unions, which could influence the ancient state, but on the other hand could share their culture.

Map of the settlement of the Eastern Slavs in antiquity

Tribes

The main tribes of the Eastern Slavs in antiquity are presented below.

Glade. The most numerous tribe, strong on the banks of the Dnieper, south of Kyiv. It was the clearing that became the sink for the formation of the ancient Russian state. According to the chronicle, in 944 they stopped calling themselves glades, and began to use the name Rus.

Slovenian Ilmen. The northernmost tribe that settled around Novgorod, Ladoga and Lake Peipsi. According to Arab sources, it was the Ilmens, together with the Krivichs, who formed the first state - Slavia.

Krivichi. They settled north of the Western Dvina and in the upper reaches of the Volga. The main cities are Polotsk and Smolensk.

Polochane. Settled south of the Western Dvina. A minor tribal union that did not play an important role in the fact that the Eastern Slavs formed a state.

Dregovichi. They lived between the upper reaches of the Neman and the Dnieper. They mostly settled along the Pripyat River. All that is known about this tribe is that they had their own principality, the main city of which was Turov.

Drevlyans. Settled south of the Pripyat River. The main city of this tribe was Iskorosten.

Volynians. They settled earlier than the Drevlyans at the headwaters of the Vistula.

White Croats. The most western tribe, which was located between the rivers Dniester and Vistula.

Duleby. They were located east of the White Croats. One of the weakest tribes that did not last long. They voluntarily became part of the Russian state, having previously broken up into Buzhans and Volhynians.

Tivertsy. They occupied the territory between the Prut and the Dniester.

Uglichi. They settled between the Dniester and the Southern Bug.

northerners. They mainly occupied the territory adjacent to the Desna River. The center of the tribe was the city of Chernihiv. In the future, several cities were formed on this territory at once, which are known today, for example, Bryansk.

Radimichi. They settled between the Dnieper and the Desna. In 885 they were annexed to the Old Russian state.

Vyatichi. They were located along the sources of the Oka and Don. According to the chronicle, the legendary Vyatko was the ancestor of this tribe. At the same time, already in the 14th century there were no mentions of the Vyatichi in the annals.

Tribal unions

The Eastern Slavs had 3 strong tribal unions: Slavia, Kuyavia and Artania.

In relations with other tribes and countries, the Eastern Slavs carried out attempts to capture raids (mutual) and trade. The main contacts were with:

• Byzantine Empire (Slav raids and mutual trade)
• Varangians (Varangian raids and mutual trade).
• Avars, Bulgars and Khazars (raids on the Slavs and mutual trade). Often these tribes are called Turks or Türks.
• Finno-Ugrians (Slavs tried to seize their territory).

What did you do

The Eastern Slavs were mainly engaged in agriculture. The specifics of their settlement determined the methods of cultivating the land. In the southern regions, as well as in the Dnieper region, chernozem soil dominated. Here the land was used up to 5 years, after which it was depleted. Then people moved to another site, and the exhausted one recovered for 25-30 years. This farming method is called shifting .

The northern and central regions of the East European Plain were characterized by a large number of forests. Therefore, the ancient Slavs first cut down the forest, burned it, fertilized the soil with ashes, and only then proceeded to field work. Such a site was fertile for 2-3 years, after which it was left and moved on to the next one. This type of farming is called slash-and-burn .

If you try to briefly describe the main activities of the Eastern Slavs, the list will be as follows: agriculture, hunting, fishing, beekeeping (honey collection).

The main agricultural culture of the Eastern Slavs in ancient times was millet. Marten skins were mainly used by the Eastern Slavs as money. Much attention was paid to the development of crafts.

Beliefs

The beliefs of the ancient Slavs are called paganism, because there was a worship of many gods. Mostly deities were associated with natural phenomena. Almost every phenomenon or important component of life that the Eastern Slavs professed, corresponded to a certain god. For example:

• Perun - god of lightning
• Yarilo - god of the sun
• Stribog - the god of the wind
• Volos (Veles) - the patron saint of cattle breeders
• Mokosh (Makosh) - goddess of fertility
• And so on

The ancient Slavs did not build temples. They built rituals in groves, in glades, near stone idols and in other places. Attention is drawn to the fact that almost all fairy-tale folklore in terms of mysticism belongs precisely to the era under study. In particular, the Eastern Slavs believed in the goblin, brownie, mermaids, water and others.

How were the occupations of the Slavs reflected in paganism? It was paganism, which was based on worship of the elements and elements that affect fertility, that formed the attitude of the Slavs to agriculture as the main way of life.

social order

East Slavic tribes

East Slavic tribes and their neighbors

The Slavs appeared in Eastern Europe around the middle of the 1st millennium and lived on the lands located between the rivers Oder, Vistula, Dnieper, and from there they moved south (South Slavs), west (Western Slavs) and east ( East Slavs). Byzantine writers called the Slavs sklavins and antami

Modern East Slavs – Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians. In the early Middle Ages, they constituted a single Old Russian (or East Slavic) nationality, which was characterized by a common language, a homogeneous material and spiritual culture. That is, East Slavs- an ethnohistorical concept. The history of the Eastern Slavs begins from the period when the East Slavic language (Indo-European family) emerged from the common Slavic (Proto-Slavic) language. It happened in the 7th-8th centuries.

In the VIII-IX centuries. Slavs occupied the territory from Lake Peipsi and Ladoga in the north to the Black Sea in the south - East European or Russian plain. A characteristic feature is the developed river system, the rivers are slowly flowing, but long. The largest river system Dniprovska. The territory of the Slavs is mostly forested.

East Slavic tribes

Buzhan- an East Slavic tribe that lived on the river. Bug.

Volynians- a union of tribes that inhabited the territory on both banks of the Western Bug and at the source of the river. Pripyat.

Vyatichi- an alliance of tribes that lived in the basin of the upper and middle reaches of the Oka and along the river. Moscow.

Drevlyans - tribal union, which occupied in the 6-10 centuries. the territory of Polissya, the Right Bank of the Dnieper, west of the glades, along the course of the Teterev, Uzh, Ubort, Stviga rivers.

Dregovichi- tribal union of Eastern Slavs.

Krivichi- tribal union of the Eastern Slavs 6-11 centuries. They occupied the territory in the upper reaches of the Dnieper, Volga, Western Dvina, as well as in the area of ​​Lake Peipus, Pskov and Lake. Ilmen.

Polochane- Slavic tribe, part of the tribal union of the Krivichi; lived along the banks of the river. Dvina and its tributary Polot, from which they got their name. The center of the Polochan land was the city of Polotsk. Polotsk.

Glade - a tribal union of the Eastern Slavs, who lived on the Dnieper, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe modern Kyiv. One of the versions of the origin of Rus', mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years, is associated with the glades.

Radimichi- East Slavic union of tribes that lived in the eastern part of the Upper Dnieper, along the river. Sozh and its tributaries in the 8th-9th centuries.

Russ- in the sources of 8-10 centuries. the name of the people who participated in the formation of the Old Russian state.

northerners-union of tribes that lived in the 9th-10th centuries. by pp. Desna, Seim, Sula.

Slovenian Ilmen - tribal union of Eastern Slavs in the territory Novgorod lands, mainly in the lands near the lake. Ilmen, next to the Krivichi.

Tivertsy-a union of tribes that lived in the 9th - early. 12th centuries on the river Dniester and at the mouth of the Danube.

Uchi- East Slavic union of tribes that existed in 9 - ser. 10th century According to The Tale of Bygone Years, convict lived in the lower reaches of the Dnieper, Bug and on the Black Sea.

Convenient article navigation:

What tribes did the East Slavic peoples have?

According to information, most of which was obtained as a result of the study of ancient written sources and archaeological finds, the tribes of the Eastern Slavs separated from the Indo-European community around 150 BC, after which their numbers and influence began to increase rapidly.

How did the tribes of the Eastern Slavs originate?

The first mentions of the numerous tribes of the Wends, as well as the Sclavinians and Antes (this is how the first Slavic ethnic groups were called in those days) are present in the manuscripts of Greek, Byzantine, Roman, and also Arabic authors. Information about early times can also be gleaned from Russian chronicles.

The very fragmentation of this people into eastern, western and southern, according to the statements of some scientists, is due to their displacement by other peoples, which was not uncommon in that period (the times of the great migration of peoples).

South Slavic (Bulgarian, Slovenian, as well as Serbo-Croatian and Macedonian) tribes are those communities that chose to remain in Europe. Today they are considered the progenitors of Serbs, Montenegrins, Croats, Bulgarians, as well as Slovenes and Bosniaks.

To the tribes of the Western Slavs (Slenzhans, Polans, Pomeranians, as well as Bohemians and Polabs), scientists rank the Slavs who moved to the northern latitudes. From these communities, according to the authors of the most popular versions of the appearance of the Slavic peoples, came Czechs, Poles and Slovaks. The southern and western Slavic tribes were, in turn, captured and assimilated by representatives of other peoples.

The East Slavic tribes, to which scientists include Tivertsy, white Croats, northerners, Volhynians, Polochans, Drevlyans, as well as streets, Radimichi, Buzhans, Vyatichi and Dregovichi, consist of Slavs who moved to the territory of the so-called East European Plain. The descendants of the above tribes, today's historians and Slavophile researchers consider Ukrainians, Russians and Belarusians.

Table: East Slavic tribal unions

Scheme: Eastern Slavs in the era of the “Great Migration of Nations”

How did the Slavic tribes coexist with other peoples?

Most of the Slavic tribes were forced to move to the territory of central Europe, in particular, to the lands of the once great Roman Empire, which collapsed in 476. At the same time, the conquerors of this empire formed during this period a new statehood, which, although based on the experience of the legacy of the Roman Empire, was different from it. At the same time, the territories chosen by the East Slavic tribes were not so culturally developed.

Some tribes of the Slavs settled on the shores of Lake Ilmen, subsequently founding the city of Novgorod on this site, others decided to continue their journey and settled on the banks of the Dnieper River, founded the city of Kiev there, which later became the mother of Russian cities.

By about the sixth or eighth century, the Eastern Slavs were able to occupy the entire territory of the East European Plain. Their neighbors were Finns, Estonians, Lithuanians, Lyish, Mansi, Khanty, as well as Ugrians and Komi. It is worth noting that according to the available historical data, the settlement and development of new territories took place peacefully, without any military action. The Eastern Slavs themselves were not at enmity with the above peoples.

Opposition of the Eastern Slavs to the nomads

But in the territories located in the east and southeast, a completely different situation developed at the same time. In these regions, the plain was adjacent to the steppe and the neighbors of the Slavs there became a nomadic people called the Turks. Regular raids by steppe nomads ravaged Slavic settlements for about a thousand years. At the same time, the Turks formed their states on the southeastern and eastern borders of the Eastern Slavs. Their largest and most powerful state, the Avar Khaganate, existed in the mid-500s and fell in 625, after the collapse of Byzantium. However, in the seventh-eighth century, the Bulgar kingdom was located on the same territory. Most of the Bulgars, who settled near the middle reaches of the Volga, formed a state that went down in history as the Volga Bulgaria. The remaining Bulgars, who settled near the Danube, formed the Danube Bulgaria. A little later, as a result of the assimilation of representatives of the South Slavic tribes with the Turkic settlers, a new people appeared, calling themselves Bulgarians.

The territories liberated by the Bulgars were occupied by new Turks - the Pechenegs. These people subsequently founded the Khazar Khaganate, in the steppe territories located between the banks of the Volga and the Azov and Caspian Seas. Later, the tribes of the Eastern Slavs were enslaved by the Khazars. At the same time, the Eastern Slavs pledged to pay tribute to the Khazar Khaganate. Such relations of the Slavic eastern tribes with the Khazars continued until the ninth century.

Starting a conversation about the Eastern Slavs, it is very difficult to be unambiguous. There are practically no sources that tell about the Slavs in antiquity. Many historians come to the conclusion that the process of the origin of the Slavs began in the second millennium BC. It is also believed that the Slavs are a separate part of the Indo-European community.

But the region where the ancestral home of the ancient Slavs was located has not yet been determined. Historians and archaeologists continue to debate where the Slavs came from. It is most often stated, and Byzantine sources speak about this, that the Eastern Slavs already lived in the territory of Central and Eastern Europe in the middle of the 5th century BC. It is also believed that they were divided into three groups:

Wends (lived in the Vistula River basin) - Western Slavs.

Sklavins (lived between the upper reaches of the Vistula, Danube and Dniester) - southern Slavs.

Antes (lived between the Dnieper and the Dniester) - Eastern Slavs.

All historical sources characterize the ancient Slavs as people who have the will and love for freedom, temperamentally distinguished by a strong character, endurance, courage, and solidarity. They were hospitable to strangers, had pagan polytheism and thoughtful rituals. Initially, the Slavs did not have much fragmentation, since tribal unions had similar languages, customs and laws.

Territories and tribes of the Eastern Slavs

An important issue is how the development of new territories by the Slavs and their settlement in general took place. There are two main theories about the appearance of the Eastern Slavs in Eastern Europe.

One of them was put forward by the famous Soviet historian, academician B. A. Rybakov. He believed that the Slavs originally lived on the East European Plain. But the famous historians of the XIX century S. M. Solovyov and V. O. Klyuchevsky believed that the Slavs moved from the territories near the Danube.

The final settlement of the Slavic tribes looked like this:

Occupations of the Eastern Slavs

The main occupations of the Eastern Slavs include agriculture, which was associated with the characteristics of local soils. Arable agriculture was widespread in the steppe regions, and slash-and-burn agriculture was practiced in the forests. Arable land was quickly depleted, and the Slavs moved to new territories. Such farming required a lot of labor, it was difficult to cope with the processing of even small plots, and the sharply continental climate did not allow counting on high yields.

Nevertheless, even in such conditions, the Slavs sowed several varieties of wheat and barley, millet, rye, oats, buckwheat, lentils, peas, hemp, and flax. Turnips, beets, radishes, onions, garlic, and cabbage were grown in the vegetable gardens.

The main food was bread. The ancient Slavs called it "zhito", which was associated with the Slavic word "to live".

Slavic farms bred livestock: cows, horses, sheep. Crafts were of great help: hunting, fishing and beekeeping (collection of wild honey). Fur trade has become widespread. The fact that the Eastern Slavs settled along the banks of rivers and lakes contributed to the emergence of shipping, trade and various crafts that provide products for exchange. Trade routes also contributed to the emergence of large cities and tribal centers.

Social order and tribal unions

Initially, the Eastern Slavs lived in tribal communities, later they united into tribes. The development of production, the use of draft power (horses and oxen) contributed to the fact that even a small family could cultivate their allotment. Family ties began to weaken, families began to settle separately and plow new plots of land on their own.

The community remained, but now it included not only relatives, but also neighbors. Each family had its own piece of land for cultivation, its own tools of production and the harvest. Private property appeared, but it did not extend to forests, meadows, rivers and lakes. The Slavs shared these benefits.

In the neighboring community, the property status of different families was no longer the same. The best lands began to be concentrated in the hands of the elders and military leaders, and they also got most of the booty from military campaigns.

At the head of the Slavic tribes began to appear rich leaders-princes. They had their own armed detachments - squads, and they also collected tribute from the subject population. The collection of tribute was called polyud.

The 6th century is characterized by the unification of Slavic tribes into unions. The most powerful militarily princes led them. Around such princes, the local nobility gradually strengthened.

One of these tribal unions, as historians believe, was the union of the Slavs around the Ros (or Rus) tribe, who lived on the Ros River (a tributary of the Dnieper). Later, according to one of the theories of the origin of the Slavs, this name passed to all the Eastern Slavs, who received the general name "Rus", and the whole territory became the Russian land, or Rus.

Neighbors of the Eastern Slavs

In the 1st millennium BC, the Cimmerians were neighbors of the Slavs in the Northern Black Sea region, but after a few centuries they were supplanted by the Scythians, who founded their own state on these lands - the Scythian kingdom. Later, the Sarmatians came from the east to the Don and the Northern Black Sea region.

During the Great Migration of Nations, the East German tribes of the Goths passed through these lands, then the Huns. All this movement was accompanied by robbery and destruction, which contributed to the resettlement of the Slavs to the north.

Another factor in the resettlement and formation of Slavic tribes was the Turks. It was they who formed the Turkic Khaganate on the vast territory from Mongolia to the Volga.

The movement of various neighbors in the southern lands contributed to the fact that the Eastern Slavs occupied territories dominated by forest-steppes and swamps. Communities were created here that were more reliably protected from alien raids.

In the VI-IX centuries, the lands of the Eastern Slavs were located from the Oka to the Carpathians and from the Middle Dnieper to the Neva.

nomad raids

The movement of nomads created a constant danger for the Eastern Slavs. Nomads seized bread, livestock, burned houses. Men, women and children were taken into slavery. All this required the Slavs to be in constant readiness to repel raids. Every Slavic man was also a part-time warrior. Sometimes the land was plowed by armed men. History shows that the Slavs successfully coped with the constant onslaught of nomadic tribes and defended their independence.

Customs and beliefs of the Eastern Slavs

The Eastern Slavs were pagans who deified the forces of nature. They worshiped the elements, believed in kinship with various animals, and made sacrifices. The Slavs had a clear annual cycle of agricultural holidays in honor of the sun and the change of seasons. All rituals were aimed at ensuring high yields, as well as the health of people and livestock. The Eastern Slavs did not have a single idea of ​​\u200b\u200bGod.

The ancient Slavs did not have temples. All rituals were performed at stone idols, in groves, in glades and in other places revered by them as sacred. We must not forget that all the heroes of the fabulous Russian folklore come from that time. Goblin, brownie, mermaids, water and other characters were well known to the Eastern Slavs.

In the divine pantheon of the Eastern Slavs, the leading places were occupied by the following gods. Dazhbog is the god of the Sun, sunlight and fertility, Svarog is the blacksmith god (according to some sources, the supreme god of the Slavs), Stribog is the god of wind and air, Mokosh is the female goddess, Perun is the god of lightning and war. A special place was given to the god of the earth and fertility Veles.

The main pagan priests of the Eastern Slavs were the Magi. They performed all the rituals in the sanctuaries, turned to the gods with various requests. The Magi made various male and female amulets with different spell symbols.

Paganism was a clear reflection of the occupations of the Slavs. It was the worship of the elements and everything connected with it that determined the attitude of the Slavs to agriculture as the main way of life.

Over time, the myths and meanings of pagan culture began to be forgotten, but much has come down to our days in folk art, customs, and traditions.