At what time did Rurik's reign begin? Novgorod prince Rurik: biography, history and interesting facts

Rurik is the first Russian prince, his existence is confirmed by ancient chronicles. The biography of Rurik (862-879 years of life are described in various sources) is not known for certain, and this gives rise to many versions about his origin and the events in which he participated.

chronicle information

The branching of the Rurik clan began after the death of Vladimir and intensified after Yaroslav the Wise. The princes allocated estates and allotments to their sons, and wars broke out between them for primacy and the right to the throne. In their wars and divisions, they almost lost all Russian lands during the period of the Mongol-Tatar yoke and numerous raids by neighboring states. The Rurik family gave numerous offspring, which later became the founders of high-profile noble families.

Versions of origin

There are many versions of where Prince Rurik came from. A brief biography and meager information enable historians and linguists to show their imagination, relying on fragments of phrases, lengthy or professional interpretations of ancient sources, and their own knowledge. Origin options:

• Scandinavian. In favor of the version, there is a consonance with the name of the Scandinavian ruler Rurik of Jutland, several interpretations of the inscriptions on the stones from the Shui hill, dating from the same years when Rurik ruled in Novgorod.
• According to another version, the genus of the Varangians, from which Rurik came out, is of French origin, and, therefore, the full name of the Russian ruler is Rurik Friesland.
• Baltic origin. Some scholars argue that Rurik comes from the people who inhabited the island of Ruyan (now Ryugen). In favor of the version is the story that Rurik came to Rus' through Ladoga.
• Slavic origin. When studying The Tale of Bygone Years, it becomes clear that there are no linguistic differences between the princes from the Varangians and the ancient peoples of Rus', everyone understood each other without an interpreter, the names of the ancient cities are clear even today - Beloozero, Ladoga, Novgorod, etc. Gumilyov argued that the Varangians are not an ethnic group, but a profession. In the same chronicle there is a phrase: “And from those Varangians the Russian land, Novgorodians, was nicknamed, they are the people of Novogorodtsy from the Varangian clan.” That is, it turns out that the Novgorodians are Slavs, which means that the Varangians are also Slavs.

The above list of versions of the origin of the first Russian prince is far from complete. The Swedes, Germans and other peoples of Europe claim the right to be called the country from which the ruler came. Historical science has not come to a consensus about the origin of Rus' and the appearance of princes, disputes are ongoing, and, probably, will not subside even after the birth of a new document. It is not possible to follow the prescription of years with accuracy, what was the biography of Rurik, besides, many historians raise the question: was there Rurik?

It was this man who was destined to initiate the construction of a new state, which over more than a thousand years of history has grown into the largest state in the world. Let's get acquainted briefly with who was the first prince of young Rus'?

History of the Eastern Slavs before Rurik

The ancient Russian chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years", answering the question: "Where did the Russian land come from," says that before the coming of the first prince of the Varangian Rurik, many scattered tribes lived on the territory of future Rus' - Krivichi, Slovenes and others. All these tribal unions had a common culture, language and religion. Each of them tried to unite the rest of the tribes under its command, but the balance of power and constant wars did not reveal the winner. It was then that the leaders of the tribes decided that none of them would get power and it was decided that the invited prince would rule all the tribes. At that time, the most formidable warriors who were respected among the Slavic tribes, with whom there were close trade and cultural ties, were the Varangians - the inhabitants of Scandinavia. They easily served both the Byzantine emperors and went to hired squads in the west, and were also free to accept local beliefs, which made the Slavic leader Gostomysl and his companions go to Scandinavia and invite the Rus tribe and their king, Rurik, to rule.

Rice. 1. Prince Rurik.

Biography of the first Russian prince

We know very little about Rurik's biography. The date and place of his birth are unknown, and the years of reign are considered 862-879.

Rurik did not come to Rus' alone. He was accompanied by two brothers - Sineus and Truvor. Their squads landed in northeastern Rus' and were invited to Novgorod. Often there are disputes in which city Rurik ruled. There is an opinion that this is Ladoga - the ancient capital of the northeastern Slavs. However, it was in Novgorod, having taken the reins of government, that Rurik went down in history as the first Russian prince.

Rice. 2. The calling of the Varangians.

He sent his brothers to reign in other strategically important cities. Sienus took power in Beloozero, and Truvor began to reign in Izborsk.

The internal policy of the prince was aimed at strengthening the external borders of the state, as well as their expansion. During the period of his reign, Smolensk, Murom and Rostov became part of Rus'. Rurik made attempts to move south, but things did not go beyond the robberies of local peoples. Rurik's squad advanced to the Kyiv lands. With the famous rulers of Kyiv, Askold and Dir, Rurik signs a peace treaty. And although Askold still tried to plunder the lands of Rurik, his squad was defeated.

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Rurik began the subjugation of the Finno-Ugric tribes. He was responsible for the preservation and patronage of the Baltic-Volga river route, paving the way "From the Varangians to the Khazars", establishing trade relations between Scandinavia and the Arabs who passed through his lands.

He died in 879 in the city of Ladoga, leaving behind on earth a little son, the future Prince Igor.

Rice. 3. Prince Igor.

Igor was still a child when Rurik died. Before he grew up, the country was ruled by one of Rurik's associates, Oleg. He annexed Kyiv to the young country, moved the capital there and was known for campaigns against Byzantium. Igor Rurikovich began his reign already in the role of the Kyiv prince.

Rurik laid the foundation for the Russian monarchy. We learn about his immediate descendants from the pedigree chart.

Table “Immediate descendants of Rurik”

The figure of Rurik is one of the most key and mysterious in Russian history. It was he who laid the foundation for the statehood of the Eastern Slavs. Little is known about this prince. Researchers are still arguing about where he came from.

Summoning the Varangians to Novgorod

In the 9th century, numerous tribal unions of Slavs and Finns were dependent on the Varangians - Germanic pagans who lived on the Scandinavian Peninsula. For a short period, they managed to drive out the interventionists and stop paying tribute. However, local tribes immediately began to fight among themselves. Peace could only begin with the emergence of legitimate power.

The most important source on the era of Rurik is It is she who contains information that the union of the Ilmen Slovenes, Mary and Krivichi invited him to reign in Novgorod. It happened in 862.

Settled everyone. This man was a compromise figure. The prince from across the sea was not a protege or a supporter of any group. Some sources indicate that Novgorodians and their neighbors considered a variety of candidates: from the Khazars to the Polyans. Nevertheless, the choice fell on the Varangian (that is, the Viking).

Rurik and his brothers

The delegation of the Slavs went overseas. Rurik also took with him two of his brothers: Sineus (ruled at Beloozero) and Truvor (went to Izborsk). When they died, their allotments again passed to the Novgorod prince. The biography of Rurik before his appearance in Rus' is practically unknown and is mostly based on conjecture. Nevertheless, there is accurate information that he had his own squad. It was she who became the backbone of the new government and ensured order in the Novgorod land. In exchange for protecting the population, the prince received the right to collect taxes.

Interestingly, some sources contradict each other as to where Rurik actually ruled. For example, he says that Ladoga was his first residence. The prince appeared in Novgorod only after the death of his two younger brothers. In addition, under his rule were the lands of the Krivichi, whose main city was Polotsk. In the east of this state were Finnish tribes. They lived in Rostov, Murom and neighboring lands.

Governing body

The biography of Rurik as the prince of Novgorod did not differ in bright events. The only exception can be considered unrest in the capital, when residents, dissatisfied with the rule of the Varangian, rebelled against him in 864. Their leader was He and his main associates were killed by Rurik. Due to the fragmentary and incomplete information about these unrest, some historians either consider them fiction or associate them with later events. narrating about the uprisings of the Novgorodians against the power of the Varangians, was compiled in the 16th century and, of course, could be unreliable. This episode is a vivid example of how Rurik's biography is vague and little studied.

He died in 879, leaving his only son, Igor. Power in Novgorod passed to Oleg - either a relative or an ally of Rurik. The new prince was regent for the rising heir. Three years later, Oleg captured Kyiv, where he moved his capital. Later Igor and his descendants ruled there. This is how the ancient Russian state arose, the princes of which were representatives. Its last representative, Fedor, died in 1598, being the Moscow tsar.

Origin

Prince Rurik, whose brief biography is hotly disputed, was not recorded in chronicles and other documents before his calling by the Slavs. Researchers often associate him with the Vikings. Most often in the scientific literature, Danes or Swedes are mentioned, to which the Novgorod prince Rurik (862-879) could belong. The biography of this king is vague, which gives rise to numerous hypotheses about his origin.

Norman theory

In ancient Russian sources, the word "Varangian" is used in the description of Rurik, which indicates his Scandinavian or Norman origin. In the 9th century, the inhabitants of these regions disturbed the whole of Christian Europe with their merciless raids. Some of them seized land on the continent and integrated into the general feudal system, simultaneously adopting Christianity.

Many historians believe that Rurik is Rorik of Jutland. It was a famous Danish king. He fought with the Carolingians for Frisia. Perhaps he was also a vassal of the Frankish sovereign for some time, since coins with the image of Lothair were minted under him. In the late 50s, he tried to take over Jutland, but failed. A little later, he fought with the Western Slavs, the Wends, who lived on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea. Supporters of the idea that Rurik is Rorik, as an argument for their correctness, cite the fact that in the Western annals, references to this king disappear from about the date when the Varangian began to rule in Novgorod. This hypothesis remains unproven and is often the subject of controversy. Rurik, whose brief biography is almost unknown, does not even have a documented grave.

Slavic and Baltic theories

There are theories that representatives of the West Slavic tribe of Vagrs were called Varangians, called to Rus'. If this is so, then Prince Rurik, whose biography does not refute or prove this version, may have been a distant tribesman of the inhabitants of Novgorod.

Another close assumption to this theory was made by the great Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov. He considered Rurik a native of the Prussians - the Baltic people who lived in the territories of present-day Poland and Lithuania. In the legends of the Germanized Slavs from the same lands, there were legends about three brothers called to distant Novgorod. These were encouraged, whose representative could be Prince Rurik. A brief biography of this person does not allow us to accurately determine his ethnicity. In addition, it is difficult to calculate the year of his birth.

Prince Rurik (? 830 - 879 years) - one of the most mysterious figures of ancient Russian history, the legendary Norman (Varangian) king (leader of the squad), according to legends, called to Rus' by the ancient Slavic (Novgorod Slovenes) and Finno-Ugric tribes (Krivichi, Chud and all). He is the founder of the Rurik dynasty, which ruled Russia, and later Russia from the end of the 12th to the end of the 16th century. (the last of the dynasty - Tsar Fedor Ivanovich).

In Russian chronicles, the name Rurik sounds like it sounded in Celtic Gaul. This name probably goes back to the name of one of the tribes of the Celts - "ruriks", "rauriks", and the tribal name is possibly associated with the Rur River.

This tribe, even at the borders of our era, left the troops invading Gaul, and it could only leave to the east. In later times, people from the banks of the Ruhr River also received the names (or nicknames) Rurik. The names of the Rurik brothers also find an explanation in the Celtic languages. The name Sineus, most likely, is formed from the Celtic word "sinu" - "senior." The name Truvor is also explained from the Celtic language, in which the name Trevor means "third born".

Rurik is the founder of the Rurik dynasty - the dynasty of Russian princes, and later the kings, who ruled for 736 years, from the end of the 9th to the 16th centuries. Rurik, leader of the Varangian tribe "Ros" or "Rus". During the reign of Rurik, the lands of the Merya tribes, the whole and Murom were attached to the lands of the Slavs. According to the chronicle, Rurik was married to Princess Efanda of Urmansk, he had a son, Igor. According to unverified data from the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th century, Rurik died in Korel in 879, having given control of the state and his young son to his distant relative Oleg.

There are numerous versions of the origin of Rurik.

According to one version, he was a representative of the noble Danish family of Skioldungs, who owned the city of Doresnad in Friesland in 837-850. In Danish sources, his name is mentioned as "Rorik". With his retinue, Rerik raided Germany, France, England and Sweden until 860, when he was “called from across the sea by the Germans” (as the chronicle says) and settled in the “city of the Slavs” - Ladoga, from where he then came to Novgorod.

According to another version, Rurik was the son of the Bodrich prince Godoslav (d. 808) and Umila, the daughter of the Novgorod elder Gostomysl. According to the Ipatiev Chronicle and according to V. Klyuchevsky, Rurik lived from the beginning in Ladoga, from where he was called by the Slavs to Novgorod. In this case, there was no “calling of the Varangians from across the sea”, because the Slav Rurik was the leader of the hired Varangian squad in Ladoga.

Invited by the Novgorod elders to end intercity strife, together with the brothers Sineus and Truvor, he married in Novgorod a noble Novgorod woman, Efanda (Edvinda), from whom he had a son, Igor, and two daughters. Rurik's brothers - Sineus and Truvor - arrived in the city with him, and after their death, Rurik annexed to Novgorod the patrimony of Sineus Beloozero (inhabited by miracles and all) and the patrimony of Truvor Izborsk (the city of Krivichi), after which he declared Novgorod the capital of the entire Russian land in 864 year.

Some of the historians trace the origin of Rurik from Prus, the brother of Emperor Augustus.

There is another version. According to which, the brothers Rurik Sineus and Truvor did not exist at all, the Russian chroniclers simply could not understand and distorted the foreign text in translation, which told about the arrival of Rurik in Rus' with his house (sine-hus'om) and faithful squad (true-thief ). The researchers who adhere to this point of view believe that there was no invitation from the Novgorod Slavs, but on the contrary, the king who ruled in Ladoga took advantage of the internal strife in the city and himself arrived in Novgorod.

And in one of the chronicles, in connection with this, an uprising of dissatisfied Rurik in the city, led by Vadim the Brave, was suppressed. Vadim was killed, his supporters fled south to Kyiv. According to this chronicle story, Rurik's warriors named Askold and Dir also went there, who were able to seize power in Kyiv around 866. According to this version, two states initially arose: northern and southern Rus', and both were headed by the Varangians.

Be that as it may, but ruling Novgorod, Rurik extended his influence to the north and east of the city, was able to annex the lands of the Merya tribes, the whole, Murom, and thereby expanded the Novgorod principality from Volkhov to the mouth of the Oka.

Formation of the Old Russian state. Rurik, Truvor and Sineus

The Normans forced the Novgorodians and another Slavic tribe, and three Finnish tribes to pay tribute to them. But the Slavs and Finns coped, kicked out the uninvited guests. But they didn't live that way for long. There were many riots, but the truth was not respected. There will be a dispute among people from different clans, foremen will gather to judge them, each stands up for his own family. And the clans began to fight with each other. And then there was a custom, if there was some important matter, then the foremen of the whole tribe or even from several tribes, who lived together in harmony, gathered in one place. Here the foremen of the tribes, who drove out the Varangians, gathered and began to think how they could stop the unrest. How to do it?

The trouble came from the fact that there was no truthful judge. If such a judge, then the Slavs would live peacefully among themselves. But where can you get it? You cannot choose such a judge from the Slavs or Finns: injustice will again come. We need a judge from among strangers - he will judge more accurately. And yet such a judge is needed so that he has strength, so that if the defendant is stubborn, he would force him to obey. And the Slavs decided to look for judges in a foreign land, namely among the Varangians. They heard that in one kind of Varangian, which was called Rus, there are three princes who judge fairly, and good warriors, so that they can force their subjects to obey, and they will not be allowed to offend anyone.

These brothers were called: Rurik, Sineus and Truvor. So the Slavs sent ambassadors to them. The ambassadors came, bowed to these princes and said: “Our land is great and plentiful, but we have no order, come to reign and rule over us.” These princes agreed to their request, and came to them with all their family and retinue.

Those who followed some prince or chief military leader went to war were called the squad. They were not related to him, and therefore they served, because they hoped to get more booty with him, and for sure, the good prince loved his squad very much and took care of it.

Rurik and his brothers arrived in the Slavic lands and brought with them their entire Russian family, which is why the land where they began to reign was called Rus. It happened in 862 from the Nativity of Christ. So, now more than 1000 years, as it happened, then the Russian state began. Rurik, Sineus and Truvor began to judge the Slavs and Finns who called them up, defended them from enemies, and they paid tribute to them for this. They paid tribute as much as the prince appointed. He used to visit her every year.

Sineus began to reign in the city of Beloozero, Truvor - in Izborsk, and Rurik - first in Ladoga, then in Novgorod. His brothers died, and he began to rule all of Russia. She just wasn't big. Today we have such provinces that are larger than all of Rus' at that time. However, the Norman princes immediately began to increase their lands, conquered the cities: Polotsk, Murom, Rostov. It became better for the Slavs under the rule of the princes, the mess ended. The princes began to judge by the truth, and if someone did not obey, they were punished. Novgorodians decided to be self-willed, but Rurik pacified them. And none of the neighbors began to offend them.

However, he himself judged only in Novgorod, and in other cities he planted boyars, who began to judge instead of the prince, which is why they were called governors. These boyars were from the princely squad. In it, the older, most important people were called boyars, and the smaller ones were called grids and howls. The prince's servants were called lads. Everyone could ask for a princely squad and, perhaps, rise to the rank of boyar in it. The most glorious boyars also had their squads. And when the war began, then from every family the older people armed themselves and came to the prince, while the younger ones remained at home. The governors had great benefits.

From Rurik's squad there were two warriors, Askold and Dir, who also wanted to be governors, but he did not give them cities. They asked him to go to Tsargrad, to serve the Greek emperor. Rurik let them go. So they sailed along the Dnieper with their family and saw Kyiv. They asked whose city it was, they learned that it pays tribute to the Khazars. They stopped here. Quite a few Varangians gathered around them, who still continued to go this way to Tsargrad to serve. The Kievans began to pay tribute to them instead of the Khazars; they defeated the neighboring Slavs and began to reign in Kyiv.

When Askold and Dir strengthened there, they decided to go to Tsargrad no longer to serve, but to fight, and sailed there on 200 ships. And the Greek army at that time fought in another place. The Russians began to plunder the environs of Tsargrad, terrified the city itself. There was a Blachernae church in it, where the robe of the Mother of God was kept. The main Greek bishop, who was called the patriarch, performed a prayer service and carried this robe around the walls of the city. A storm arose, the Russian boats were wrecked, they themselves barely escaped to the shore and began to ask for peace, and when they found out everything that had happened, they wanted to become Christians.

The Greeks were very happy about this, baptized Askold and Dir and the rest of their squad, gave them gold, silver, silk fabrics, and they returned to Kyiv. With Rurik, they did not live in harmony, attacked his southern lands, accepted those who left Novgorod for them. But Rurik soon died; his son Igor was only two years old. The baby, of course, could not rule the state. And therefore Rurik transferred power to Oleg, apparently, to his associate.

Oleg and Igor

Later, versions arose connecting Oleg with the Rurik family. According to them, Oleg is the brother of Rurik's wife, that is, Igor's maternal uncle. It should be noted that the importance of the maternal line of kinship was important at that time, and a maternal uncle could be considered as a closer relative than paternal relatives, and could even raise a nephew. Oleg became a kind of "breadwinner" for Igor, regent during his early childhood. However, even later, when Igor grew up, Oleg did not let go of princely power. This guardian Igorev soon became famous for his great courage, victories, prudence, and love of his subjects.

Oleg was a cunning person. At first he took the cities of Smolensk and Lyubech, which stood on the road from Novgorod to Kyiv; then he gathered a large army from all the peoples subject to him and went to Kyiv in boats. He only left most of the boats behind, and hid the rest of the soldiers, sailed to Kiev and sent to tell Askold and Dir that the Varangian merchants had arrived, but they were unwell, that’s why they ask the princes to come to them on ships. The princes believed, took a few people with them, came to the ships to Oleg, and he came out to them with a young Igor in his arms and said:

"You are not princes, but the son of Rurik." And at the same moment his soldiers came out from under the decks of the ships, rushed to Askold and Dir and killed them. He liked Kyiv very much: in Kyiv it is warmer, and everything will be born well, and the land is rich. Oleg said: "Let Kyiv be the mother of Russian cities," and began to live in it, and left the governor in Novgorod. But between Novgorod and Kiev there were still Slavic tribes that were not yet subject to Oleg. He conquered all of them, although of them the Drevlyans and northerners fought very bravely with him.

Oleg, both before the campaign and after the campaign, tried a lot about how to arrange the Russian land, traveled around it, did justice and reprisals, and established tribute. All the people loved him very much. Here is what is said about his death. There were then many magicians, or sorcerers, that is, sorcerers. Oleg asked one of them what he would die of? And the sorcerer answered: "From your beloved horse." Oleg stopped riding this horse, ordered him to rest and groom.

Returning from the Constantinople campaign, he asked where his horse was? They tell him that the horse is dead. And the prince felt sorry for the horse, he wanted to see its bones, came to where they lay, stepped on the skull and said: “Why did I listen to this magician? He kept telling lies: he said that I would die from a horse, but the horse is dead, but I am alive and well. When the prince said this, a snake crawled out of the horse's skull, wrapped itself around the prince's leg and stung him. Oleg died from this. Igor assumed power over Russia after the death of Oleg.

Igor Rurikovich - the Grand Duke of Kiev, the only son of Rurik, was born in 877, killed in 945. Quite little information is reported about Igor's life before the enthronement of the chronicle: in 903, when Igor was still under Oleg's tutelage, his wife was brought to him from Pskov, named Olga; in 907, Oleg, setting out on a campaign against Byzantium, left Igor in Kyiv, as if his governor. In 912, Oleg died, and the first thing Igor, who reigned in Kyiv, was to pacify the rebellious Drevlyans, whom he punished with an increase in tribute (914).

At the same time, the Uglich tribe, who lived next door to the Tivertsy, was subjugated or returned to obedience; Igor imposed tribute on the Uglichs, which he gave to his beloved governor, Sveneld; he also gave the Drevlyansk tribute, which aroused a murmur in his squad. In 915, the Pechenegs came to the Russian land for the first time and the Kiev prince made peace with them; however, already in 920, Igor had a chance to wage war with these steppe dwellers; her circumstances are unknown.

935 - ships and troops of Igor went with the Greek fleet to Italy; but in 941 their peaceful relations were broken and Igor with a large flotilla - according to the annals consisting of 10,000 ships - went to Constantinople. The emperor was informed of the arrival of the Russ by the Bulgarians; but Igor managed to make a landing and devastate the vicinity of the Bosphorus; The Russian flotilla anchored near Far.

When the Greek fleet came out against her, Igor was so sure of victory that he gave the order to his soldiers to spare the enemy and take them prisoner alive; but in the ensuing battle, the Greek fire, which the Russians saw here for the first time, brought such horror to Igor and his soldiers that they in a hurry retired to the shores of Asia Minor. There they tried to land in Bithynia, but Patricius Bardas and Domesticus John forced them to retire to the ships; the Russians off the coast of Thrace again fought the Greeks at sea and with great loss went home. However, Igor began to gather a large army again: the Varangians were called in from across the sea and the Pechenegs were hired, from whom hostages were taken.

944 - Igor set out on a new campaign against Greece with a fleet and cavalry. The Korsunians and Bulgarians again let the emperor know about the arrival of the Russians, and he immediately sent ambassadors to Igor, who met the prince near the Danube mouth, offered him a tribute that Oleg had once taken, even more if he agreed to peace. Having reached the Danube, Igor, after consulting with the squad, took gifts from the Greeks for all his soldiers and, having ordered the hired Pechenegs to devastate Bulgaria, returned to Kyiv. The next year, the emperor sent envoys to Igor, and the latter sent his envoys to Constantinople, where a peace treaty was concluded, “for all the years, while the sun shines and there is peace,” but on terms less favorable to Rus' than under Oleg.

The emperor approved the agreement with an oath and again sent his ambassadors to Kyiv, before whom Igor, on a hill at the foot of Perun, solemnly swore to maintain friendship with the empire; his soldiers, as a sign of an oath, laid weapons, shields and gold at the foot of the idol, and those of them who were Christians swore allegiance in the church of St. Elijah. Igor released the Greek ambassadors, giving them precious furs, wax and captives. Igor's retinue envied the youths of Sveneld that they were rich in weapons and all kinds of clothing, while they, the prince's retinues, were barefoot and naked. The combatants therefore demanded that Igor go with them to collect taxes from the subject tribes and to share with them.

With the onset of autumn in 945, Igor went with his retinue to the Drevlyansk land and collected tribute from it; then, leaving a small part of the squad with him, and letting the rest go home, the prince still wanted to take tribute from the Drevlyane land. But this angered the Drevlyans: it was necessary to kill the predatory wolf - they decided, otherwise it would destroy everything; they armed themselves under the command of the local prince Mal, left Korosten, killed Igor and buried him not far from their city, having killed his squad. According to Byzantine news, the Drevlyans tied Igor to two trees bent to the ground and, releasing the trees, tore him in two.

The story of the Arab writer Abulfed refers to the reign of Igor that in 944 the Russians took the capital of Arran Barda and returned to their land of the river. Kur and the Caspian Sea. Another Eastern historian, Abulfarag, attributes this attack to the Alans, Lezgins and Slavs. As for the establishment under Igor of Russian dominance on the banks of the Cimmerian Bosporus and the more decisive subordination of the black Bulgarians to the Russian princes, this issue still requires more detailed research.

Thus, he was the first prince of Rurikovich, on the throne of Kiev. Igor's reign was marked by several major military campaigns, not only in the south, but also in the east. In addition to Byzantium, the Rus were attracted by the shores of the Caspian Sea, which beckoned with its wealth, because the famous trade route passed through the Volga along the sea, which connected Rus' with the countries of the Arab East. On the coast of the Caspian sprawled rich lands and cities, immersed in luxury and prosperity.

Rurik (862 - 879) - the first great Russian prince, one of the legendary figures in European history, the founder of the ancient Russian state. According to the chronicles, called from the Varangians by the Slavs, Krivichi, Chud and the whole in 862, Rurik first occupied Ladoga, and then moved to Novgorod. Ruled in Novgorod under an agreement concluded with the local nobility, who approved the right to collect income. Founder of the Rurik dynasty.

1148 years ago, according to the testimony of the chronicler Nestor in The Tale of Bygone Years, the head of the Varangian military detachment Rurik, who arrived along with the brothers Sineus and Truvor, was called to "rule and reign over the Eastern Slavs" on September 8, 862.

The chronicle tradition connects the beginning of Rus' with the calling of the Varangians. So "The Tale of Bygone Years" tells that in 862 three Varangian brothers with their clans came to rule the Slavs, laying the city of Ladoga. But where did they come from and who were these Varangians by origin, who gave rise to Russian statehood? Indeed, in historiography they managed to visit both the Swedes, and the Danes, and the Scandinavians in general; some authors considered the Varangians to be Normans, others, on the contrary, to be Slavs. Again and again, inattention to the problem posed in the historical source itself was the reason for contradictory statements. For the ancient chronicler, the origin of the Varangians was obvious. He placed their lands on the south-Baltic coast up to "the land of Aglian", i.e. to the Angeln area in Holstein.

Today it is the North German state of Mecklenburg, whose population was not German in antiquity. What it was like - this is evidenced by the names of the settlements Varin, Russov, Rerik and many others that have survived to this day. However, despite all the clarity of the chronicle evidence, the question of the origin of the Varangians (and, therefore, the roots of Russian statehood) became debatable for posterity. The confusion was introduced by the version that appeared in political circles at the court of the Swedish king about the origin of Rurik from Sweden, which was subsequently picked up by some German historians. Objectively speaking, this version did not have the slightest historical basis, but it was completely politically conditioned. Even during the years of the Livonian War between Ivan the Terrible and the Swedish king Johan III, a sharp controversy flared up on the issue of titles. The Russian tsar considered the Swedish ruler to come from a "male family", to which he replied that the ancestors of the Russian dynasty itself allegedly came from Sweden. This idea finally took shape as a political concept on the eve of the Time of Troubles at the beginning of the 17th century, when the Swedes claimed Novgorod lands, trying to justify their territorial claims with some kind of chronicle "vocation". It was assumed that the Novgorodians were supposed to send an embassy to the Swedish king and invite him to rule, as they had once allegedly called on the "Swedish" prince Rurik. The conclusion about the "Swedish" origin of the Varangians at that time was based only on the fact that they came to Rus' "from across the sea", which means, most likely, from Sweden.

Subsequently, in the first half of the 18th century, German scientists from the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences turned to the Varangian theme, who, according to the same logic, sought to justify German domination in Russia during the time of Biron's regency. They also formulated the so-called. "Norman theory", according to which the Varangians, the founders of the ancient Russian state, were recognized as immigrants from Sweden (that is, "Germans", as all foreigners were then called). Since then, this theory, dressed in a kind of scientific character, has become entrenched in Russian historiography. At the same time, many prominent historians, starting with M.V. Lomonosov, pointed out that the "Norman theory" does not correspond to real facts. For example, the Swedes could not create a state in Rus' in the 9th century, if only because they themselves did not have statehood at that time. In the Russian language and in Russian culture, it was not possible to find Scandinavian borrowings. Finally, a careful reading of the chronicle itself does not allow us to confirm the fabrications of the Normanists. The chronicler distinguished the Varangians from the Swedes and other Scandinavian peoples, writing that "those Varangians were called - Rus, as others are called Swedes, others are Normans, Angles, other Goths." Therefore, when concluding peace treaties with Byzantium, the pagan combatants of princes Oleg and Igor (the very Varangians whom the Normans consider Swedish Vikings) took an oath in the names of Perun and Veles, and not Odin or Thor at all. A.G. Kuzmin noted that this fact alone could refute the entire "Norman theory". It is clear that in this form the "Norman theory" could not be viable in academic science. But she was again and again turned to when it was necessary to strike a blow at the idea of ​​Russian statehood. Today, this destructive theory has acquired a new form, and modern Normanists, supported by grants from numerous foreign foundations, speak not so much of the "Scandinavian origin of the Varangians" as of a kind of division of "spheres of influence" in the ancient Russian state.

According to the new version of Normanism, the power of the Vikings allegedly extended to the northern regions of Rus', and the Khazars to the southern ones (there was supposedly an agreement between them). Russians are not supposed to play any significant role in their own early history. However, the very development of the Russian state completely refutes all the conjectures of Russia's political enemies. Could ancient Rus' have become a mighty Russian empire without the outstanding historical mission of the Russian people? A great history took place together with a great people descended from the Varangian origin. It is unfortunate that today more and more replicas are heard that the ancestors of the Russians were non-Russians. This is wrong. Our ancestors were the Varangians, who were also Russians. The only thing to be clarified is that it is Rus' that is our original family name, and the ancient Russian navigators were called the Varangians. Ambassador Sigismund Herberstein, who visited Moscow at the beginning of the 16th century, wrote that the homeland of the Varangians - Vagria - was located on the south Baltic coast and from them the Baltic was called the Varangian Sea. He expressed the broad opinion that prevailed in the enlightened circles of Europe at that time. With the development of scientific genealogy, works began to appear on the connections of the Russian royal dynasty with the ancient royal families of Mecklenburg. In North German Pomorye, the Varangians and their historical ties with Russia were remembered until the 19th century. To this day, many traces of the presence of the pre-German population remain in the Mecklenburg region. It is obvious that it became "German" only after the Varangians and their descendants were forced out to the east or Germanized by Catholic orders. The French traveler K. Marmier once wrote down a folk legend about Rurik and his brothers in Mecklenburg. In the VIII century, the Varangians were ruled by King Godlav, who had three sons - Rurik, Sivar and Truvor. Once they set off from the southern Baltic to the east and founded an ancient Russian principality with centers in Novgorod and Pskov.

After some time, Rurik became the head of the dynasty, which reigned until 1598. This legend from Northern Germany is completely consonant with the Tale of the calling of the Varangians from the annals. However, a careful analysis of the facts allows, to some extent, to correct the chronicle chronology, according to which Rurik and his brothers began to rule in Rus' from 862. A. Kunik generally considered this date to be erroneous, leaving the inaccuracy on the conscience of the later scribes of the chronicle. It is obvious that the events briefly reported in the Russian chronicles receive historical content from German sources. The Germans themselves refuted the Norman fictions. The Mecklenburg jurist Johann Friedrich von Chemnitz referred to a legend according to which Rurik and his brothers were the sons of Prince Godlav, who died in 808 in a battle with the Danes. Given that the eldest of the sons was Rurik, it can be assumed that he was born no later than 806 (after him, before the death of his father in 808, two younger brothers who were not the same age should have been born). Of course, Rurik could have been born earlier, but we do not yet have reliable information about this. According to German sources, Rurik and his brothers were "summoned" around 840, which seems very plausible. Thus, the Varangian princes could appear in Rus' at a mature and capable age, which looks completely logical. And indeed, according to the latest archaeological finds, it was possible to establish that the Rurik settlement near modern Novgorod, which is the ancient Rurik Novgorod, existed earlier than 862. On the other hand, while making a mistake in chronology, the chronicle points more precisely to the place of "calling". Most likely it was not Novgorod (as according to German data), but Ladoga, which was founded by the Varangians in the middle of the VIII century. And Novgorod (Rurik's settlement) Prince Rurik "cut down" later, uniting the lands of the brothers after their death, as evidenced by the name of the city.

The family tree of Rurik from the ancient Varangian kings was recognized by connoisseurs and researchers of genealogy. Mecklenburg historians wrote that his grandfather was King Wittslav, who was an equal ally of the Frankish king Charlemagne and participated in his campaigns against the Saxons. During one of these campaigns, Witslav was killed in an ambush while crossing a river. Some authors directly called him "the king of the Russians." The North German genealogies also indicate the relationship of Rurik with Gostomysl, who acts in the annalistic legend about the calling of the Varangians. But if the stingy lines of the chronicle tell almost nothing about him, then in the Frankish chronicles he is mentioned as an opponent of Emperor Louis the German. Why did Rurik and his brothers set off from the South Baltic coast to the East? The fact is that the Varangian kings had a "next" system of inheritance, according to which the eldest representative of the ruling family always received power. Later, such a system of inheritance of princely power became traditional in Rus'. At the same time, the sons of the ruler who did not have time to take the royal throne did not receive any rights to the throne and remained outside the main "queue". Godlove was killed before his older brother and never became king during his lifetime. For this reason, Rurik and his brothers were forced to go to the peripheral Ladoga, where the glorious history of the Russian state began from that time. Prince Rurik was a full-fledged ruler of Rus' and a native of the "Russian family", and not at all a foreign ruler, as those who wish to imagine the entire Russian history only under foreign domination.

When Rurik died, his son Igor was still small, and Igor's uncle Oleg (Prophetic Oleg, that is, knowing the future, died in 912), became the prince, who moved the capital to the city of Kiev. It is Prophetic Oleg who is credited with the formation of the Old Russian state - Kievan Rus, with its center in Kyiv. Oleg's nickname - "prophetic" - referred exclusively to his penchant for sorcery. In other words, Prince Oleg, as the supreme ruler and leader of the squad, also simultaneously performed the functions of a priest, sorcerer, magician, sorcerer. According to legend, Prophetic Oleg died from a snake bite; this fact formed the basis of a number of songs, legends and traditions. Oleg became famous for his victory over Byzantium, as a sign of which he nailed his shield on the main gates (gates) of Constantinople. So the Russians called the capital of Byzantium - Constantinople. Byzantium was then the most powerful state in the world.

In 2009, the celebration of the 1150th anniversary of Veliky Novgorod took place. I would like to believe that this most important date in our history will become the starting point for a new study of the ancient Russian past. New facts and discoveries constantly enrich historical science and our knowledge. There is more and more evidence that Russian history began not with a myth invented by medieval politicians and scribes, but with the real Grand Duke Rurik, who was born into the royal dynasty in the Russian Baltic region one thousand two hundred years ago. God grant that the names of our ancestors and grandparents are not forgotten.