Who was Rurik? By answering this question, we will also answer the question "where did the Russian land come from." Historians have been breaking spears over this issue for centuries, citing various arguments in favor of one theory or another.

Dane

According to the first version, “our” Rurik is Rorik of Jutland, a Danish king from the Skjöldung dynasty, which traces its lineage from Odin himself. Rorik is mentioned in Frankish chronicles, where he is called the ruler of Dorestad and several Frisian lands in 841-873. It is also referred to in the Xanten Annals as "the plague of Christianity".

The first version of the identity of "our" Rurik and Danish Rorik was expressed by pastor H. Hollman in his work "Rustringia, the original fatherland of the first Russian Grand Duke Rurik and his brothers. Historical experience, published in 1816. After 20 years, Friedrich Kruse, a professor at Dorpat University, also identified Rurik with Rorik of Jutland.

Of the Russian scientists, Nikolai Timofeevich Belyaev was the first to write about the identity of these historical figures in his work “Rorik of Jutland and Rurik of the Primary Chronicle”, published in Prague in 1929. As proof of the correctness of the theory, the scientist cites temporary gaps in the Frisian chronicles (863-870) and the corresponding references to Rurik of Novgorod in Russian chronicles.

Also, as an argument, a close correspondence of the archaeological layers of the Jutland city of Ribe and Ladoga of the Rurik time is given.
From modern Russian scientists, the Danish version of the origin of Rurik was supported by Boris Rybakov, Gleb Lebedev, Dmitry Machinsky and others.

Swede

The second version: Rurik was a Swede. This hypothesis has no more evidence than the previous one. According to her, Rurik is the Swedish king Eirik Emundarson. He is mentioned by the Icelandic skald Snorri Sturluson in The Circle of the Earth.

Skald describes the ting (national gathering) in 1018, held in Uppsalla. One of its participants recalls King Eirik, saying that every summer he went on campaigns and conquered different lands: Finland, Kirjalaland, Eistlaind, Kurland and many lands in Austrland.

In the sagas, Finland was called Finland, Kirjalaland - Karelia, Eistland - Estonia, Kurland - Courland, Austrweg - the Eastern Way ("from the Varangians to the Greeks"), Austrland was called the lands that later became Russian.

However, according to the Russian chronicles, Rurik was called to rule, and did not come with an aggressive campaign. Secondly, in The Tale of Bygone Years, the Swedes are not considered Varangians. "Varyazi" and "Svei" are considered different peoples: "Afetovo and that tribe: Varyasi, Svei, Urman, Gotha, Rus ...".

Thirdly, Eirik and Rurik are still different names. They are translated differently. Eirik (Eric, Erik) means in translation from ancient German "rich in honor", Rurik (Ro / rik) - "glorious nobility".

Slav

According to the anti-Norman theory, Rurik is "from ours, from the Slavs." There are two versions of the Slavic origin of the founder of Russian statehood.

According to the first version, Rurik was the leader of the Obodrite Slavs (Polabian Slavs), the son of Gotleib, the Obodrite prince, who died in 808. This hypothesis explains the origin of the coat of arms of Rurik - a tribal tamga with a diving falcon, since the falcon was the tribal symbol of the encouraging Slavs (in West Slavonic - “rereg / rarog”).

According to the genealogy of Friedrich Chemnitz (XVII century), Rurik and his brothers were also considered the sons of the already mentioned Gotleib. The Rurik brothers are named Sivar and Truar there. Significantly, the memory of Rurik, the son of Gotleib, was preserved in those places (north-east of Germany) for a long time. The Frenchman Xavier Marmier, who traveled in those places in the middle of the 19th century, wrote about Prince Rurik.

The second Slavic version speaks of the origin of Rurik from the Baltic island of Ruyan, which today is called Rugen. The origin of Rurik from here can be explained by the very name "Rus" (the version with obodrites does not explain this). In the same Mercator in "Cosmography" the island of Ruyan is called nothing more than "Ruscia".

Historian Nikolai Trukhachev also noted that in Western sources, the inhabitants of Ruyan are repeatedly referred to as Rusyns or Ruthenians.
Also typical for the island of Ruyan was the cult of the white horse, its traces are preserved in Russian folklore, as well as in the tradition of installing "skates" on the roofs of the huts.

Chechen

In 2007, the newspaper "Chechen Society" published an article under the authorship of the historian Murtazaliev. It tells that the Anglo-Saxons, Goths, Normans and Rus' are one people.

“The Rus were not just anyone, but Chechens. It turns out that Rurik and his squad, if they really are from the Varangian tribe of Rus, then they are purebred Chechens, moreover, from the royal family and speaking their native Chechen language.

Murtazaliev ends the article as follows: “But still, I would like Chechen scientists not to stop there, but to develop in this direction, given that many people want to “warm their hands” on Chechen history against logic, ignoring all moral barriers. All this throws our people back year after year, for decades, and maybe even hundreds of years.”

Who is he?

The question of who Rurik really was (and whether he was at all) is one of the "eternal" questions of Russian historiography. The scientific controversy between Normanists and anti-Normanists continues, but, according to the historian Igor Danilevsky, by and large, it is empty, since Rurik is already a legendary character.

Until the end of the 15th century, none of the Russian princes called themselves "Rurik", and the history of a scientific dispute on the topic of establishing the identity of Rurik dates back to a later time - to the 18th century, when German historians led by Gerard Miller, who worked in Russia at the invitation government, the so-called "Norman theory" was put forward.

Mikhail Lomonosov then made a sharp criticism of this theory. In 1761, he wrote a note to the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences, where he wrote that there was no evidence that Rurik and his retinue came from Scandinavia, and not from other regions adjacent to Novgorod.

The people-tribe Rus, according to Lomonosov, could not come from Scandinavia under the influence of the expansion of the Norman Vikings. First of all, Lomonosov opposed the thesis about the backwardness of the Slavs and their inability to independently form a state.

Origin of Rurik

Name etymology

Rorik from Denmark

Eirik from Sweden

Rorik of Gautland

West Slavic version

Varangians from Wagris or Prussians

Mecklenburg genealogies

Vendian falcon

Joachim Chronicle

Rurik in historiography

heirs

Rurik (d. 879) - the chronicle founder of the statehood of Rus', the Varangian, the Novgorod prince and the ancestor of the princely, which later became royal, Rurik dynasty.

According to one version, Rurik is identified with King Rorik (Hrorek) from Jutland Hedeby (Denmark) (d. before 882). According to another version, Rurik is a Slavic generic name associated with a falcon, which in Slavic languages ​​was also called a rarog. There are also attempts to prove the legendary Rurik.

Rurik in the annals

According to the Old Russian chronicle of the XII century "The Tale of Bygone Years", in 862 the Varangian Rurik with his brothers, at the invitation of the tribes of Chud, Slovene, Krivichi and all, was called to reign in Novgorod. This event, from which the beginning of the statehood of the Eastern Slavs is traditionally counted, in historiography received the conditional name of the Calling of the Varangians. The chronicler called the reason for the invitation the civil strife that engulfed the Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes living in the Novgorod lands. Rurik came with all his family and the people of Rus, whose ethnicity continues to be debatable.

The chronicle tells how, after the death of the brothers, power was concentrated in the hands of the eldest of them, Rurik:

According to the annals, one can notice the expansion of the lands subject to Rurik. His power soon after coming to reign in Novgorod extended already to the Western Dvina Krivichi (the city of Polotsk) in the west, the Finno-Ugric tribes of Meri (the city of Rostov) and Murom (the city of Murom) in the east. In the late Nikon chronicle (1st half of the 16th century) it is reported about the turmoil in Novgorod, the inhabitants of which were dissatisfied with the rule of Rurik. The event is attributed to the year 864, that is, when, according to the Ipatiev list of PVL, Rurik founded Novgorod. To suppress the turmoil, Rurik killed a certain Vadim the Brave, about whom only what is said in the Nikon chronicle is known:

Historians connect the message of the Nikon Chronicle about the uprising of the Novgorodians with the later events of the 11th century under Yaroslav the Wise. Earlier than Nikonovskaya, the chronicles do not say anything about Vadim the Brave and the turmoil of the Novgorodians against Rurik, especially since Novgorod itself was built, according to archaeological dating, after the death of Rurik near his fortified residence (fortified settlement).

In 879, according to the PVL chronicle, Rurik dies, leaving his young son Igor under the care of his commander and, possibly, a relative of Oleg.

Ancient Russian chronicles began to be compiled 150-200 years after the death of Rurik on the basis of some oral traditions, Byzantine chronicles and the few existing documents. Therefore, in historiography, there are different points of view on the annalistic version of the calling of the Varangians. In the 18th - first half of the 19th century, the theory of the Scandinavian or Finnish origin of Prince Rurik (see Normanism) prevailed, later the hypothesis of his West Slavic (Pomeranian) origin developed.

Origin of Rurik

Around the ancestor of the first princely dynasty of Rus', there are many versions, up to attempts to prove his legendary. The legend of Rurik is generated by the lack of information about his origin: where he came from to reign and to which people-tribe he belonged. The theme of Rurik's homeland is closely related to the etymology of the word Rus or Rus (see the article Rus).

There are several versions of the origin of Rurik, of which the main ones are Norman and West Slavic.

Norman (Scandinavian) theory

Based on the fact that in the Russian chronicles Rurik is called a Varangian, and the Varangians-Rus, according to various sources, are associated with the Normans or Swedes, supporters of the Norman concept consider Rurik, like his entire squad, Vikings-Varangians originating from Scandinavia.

Name etymology

The Old Norse name Hrorekr is derived from the forms of Old Scandinavian. "*HrooiR" ("glory") and "-rikR" ("noble", also interpreted as a modified borrowing from Latin - rex, ruler). Derived meanings were used in the legends and myths of different peoples:

• Hrodric - Old Germanic
• Hreric and Hroiricus - Old English
• Rorik - Eastern Old Norman, Old Swedish, Old Danish
• Hrirekr - Western Old Norman
• rorikR, ruRikr, hruRikR - from runic inscriptions

The following carriers of the name Rorik (Hrrekr) are known from the Scandinavian epic and chronicles:

• Hreiric - the son of the Danish king of the 5th century in the epic "Beowulf"
• Rorik - Danish king of the 7th century, grandfather of the famous Prince Hamlet, whose story is described by Saxo Grammatik and later served as the basis for Shakespeare's play
• Rudereiks (Ruderic) - king of the Visigoths in Spain in 710-711.
• Rorik of Jutland - Danish Viking of the 9th century, often mentioned in chronicles
• Hrerek, son of Hring - Norwegian king, blinded at the beginning of the 11th century by king Olaf the Holy. Known for the saga "The Strand of Eimund Hringsson"

According to the generally accepted statements of Germanic philologists, the modern names Roderich, Roderick, Rodrigo have a common origin with the name Rorik (Rurik). The Rurik name is currently in circulation in Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland.

Rorik from Denmark

According to one version, Rurik was the Viking Rorik of Jutland (or Friesland) from the Skjoldung dynasty, the brother (or nephew) of the exiled Danish king Harald Klak, who in 826 received from Louis the Pious a fief on the coast of Frisia with a center in Dorestad. The first time Rorik's name appears in the Xanten annals in 845 in connection with a raid on the lands of Frisia. In 850, Rorik fights in Denmark against the Danish king Horik I, and then plunders Frisia and other places along the Rhine. King Lothair I was forced to cede Dorestad and most of Frisia to Rorik, having him baptized in return.

In 855, Rorik with his nephew Gottfried (son of Harald Klak) once again tried to regain royal power in Denmark, when the throne was vacated after the death of Horik I. In 873, Rorik, “the bile of Christianity,” according to the Xanten chronicler, takes an oath of allegiance to Louis the German. In 882, Emperor Charles the Fat handed over Frisia to Gottfried, Rorik's nephew, apparently in connection with the death of the latter.

Although there is no, even indirect, information about the campaign of Rorik of Jutland in the lands of the Eastern Slavs, the version of his involvement in the "calling of the Varangians" is supported by some linguistic coincidences. In Frisia (now the northeastern part of the Netherlands and part of Germany) there was a coastal region of Wieringen in the 9th century. In modern pronunciation, the name sounds something like Vierega, which is close to the ancient Russian Varangians. According to archaeological finds in the area, assumptions are made about the existence of Rorik's base here.

Also connected with Frisia is the remark of the 12th-century chronicler Helmold about "the Frisians, who are called rusters." The seaside province of Rustringen is marked on 17th-century maps in eastern Friesland, on the border of modern Germany with the Netherlands.

Eirik from Sweden

Another version of the Scandinavian origin of Rurik connects him with Eirik Emundarson, king of the Swedish Uppsala. In the work of the Icelandic skald of the beginning of the 13th century, Snorri Sturluson, “The Circle of the Earth”, it is told about the national gathering (ting) in 1018 in Uppsala. One of the attendees stated: Thorgnir, my paternal grandfather, remembered Eirik Emundarson, king of Uppsala, and said of him that as long as he could, every summer he undertook a campaign from his country and went to various countries and conquered Finland and Kirjalaland, Eistland and Kurland and many lands in Austrland […] And if you want to return under your rule those states in Austrweg that your relatives and ancestors owned there, then we all want to follow you in this". Rus was called Austrland (Eastern Land) and Austrwegi (Eastern Ways) in the sagas.

According to the calculations of the famous Swedish archaeologist Birger Nerman, King Eirik of Uppsala (Old Scand. Eiríkr), the son of Emund, died in 882, and “ conquest of the Eastern lands" refers to the beginning of his reign - 850-860 years, which almost coincides with the dates of Rurik's reign. Nerman's method for such an accurate calculation of dates is unknown. For more on the Swedish raids on the Baltic in the middle of the 9th century, see Rimbert's "Life of Ansgar" and Grobin's article.

In the time of Eirik Emundarson, the Norwegian king Harald Fairhair had a son named Hrorek (Snorri Sturluson's saga about Harald Fairhair). King Harald died in the province of Rugaland (Rygjafylke), transferring power to his son Eirik the Bloody Axe, and the saga does not report anything about the fate of King Hrörek.

Rorik of Gautland

According to the Swedish "Saga of Rorik and his descendants", published only in the retelling of D. M. Mikhailovich, King Rorik was the son of King Arnvid from the Skilving clan, who owned the Novgorod lands:

• Jarl Gautaland brought up Rorik from the clan of the Skilvings, the kings of the Eastern Way. His father, Arnvid the Illegitimate, was killed in Gardarik by people sent by the Swedish king ... Arnvid rightfully owned Aldeiguborg and collected tribute from Holmgrad, Bjarmia and other lands of the Eastern Way. The Swedish king sent ships with a large army, his soldiers fought with the people of Arnvid, and many fell on both sides in this battle. King Aldeiguborg was slain, and almost all of his warriors perished with him. But less than half of the people of the Swedish king remained. And then the inhabitants of Gardariki, called Slovenians, united with the Bjarms and other tribes, defeated them and drove them across the sea ... Then they had to remember that an enemy of the Swedish king was being brought up in Gautaland. They sent their man and he secretly met with Rorik ... The ambassador from Gardariki named Lut told Rorik: “We promise to give you Aldeygyuborg again if you manage to protect us from the people of the king”

The retelling of the saga in Russian was published in the popular edition of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and is not used in academic research; scientific publications on this saga in English are also not known. The problem arises when identifying the city of Aldegyuborg. D. M. Mikhailovich identifies it with Ladoga, other authors point out that this name is a copy of Stargrad, the city of Vagry on the Baltic coast.

Data from genetic studies

The results of the study of the DNA of the descendants of the Rurik family, belonging to the Monomashich branch, were published and collected in the Internet project. Presumably, the descendants of Rurik from Russian princely families have a different genotype, indicating different ancestors in the male line. The genetic set of the studied individuals itself belongs to the one common in Eastern Europe (haplogroup R1a) and in northern Europe (haplogroup N1c1a). Since the opinion about the origin of Rurik from Scandinavia is accepted, the authors of the project selected the result with the N1c1a haplogroup and, based on the available results of genetic studies (in SNP markers) of European residents, concluded that Rurik's roots originated in Ruslagen, north of Stockholm. In scientific publications, the results of the search for the roots of Rurik are not published. A similar haplogroup was identified by the same researchers mainly in persons originating from Finland (90%), but also found in natives of Sweden (10%). Comparison with the haplotypes of the inhabitants of Northwestern Russia was not carried out.

An ethnos marker is a certain proportion of haplogroups, since usually peoples have several haplogroups in a population, often with a predominant haplogroup. Haplogroup N1c (former designation: N3) has approximately 16% of the inhabitants of the central regions of Russia (see the Gene pool of the Slavs), it is most common among the descendants of the Finno-Ugric tribes and is often found, along with R1a, in the north of Russia. The Scandinavian marker, which is sometimes called the Viking haplogroup in popular literature, is haplogroup I1a. Among the descendants of Rurik, this haplogroup was not found.

West Slavic version

An alternative to the "Norman theory" is the version about the origin of Rurik from among the Pomeranian Western Slavs. The Tale of Bygone Years directly says that Rurik, being a Varangian, was neither a Norman, nor a Swede, nor an Englishman, nor a Gotlander.

Varangians from Wagris or Prussians

The Austrian Herberstein, being an adviser to the ambassador in the Moscow state in the 1st half of the 16th century, was one of the first Europeans to get acquainted with the Russian chronicles and expressed his opinion about the origin of the Varangians and Rurik. Associating the name of the Varangians with the Slavic Baltic people of the Vagrs, Herberstein comes to the conclusion that: “ the Russians summoned their princes more likely from the Vagrians, or Varangians, than handed over power to foreigners who differed from them in faith, customs and language". The Scandinavians and Germans called the Wagrs and all the Pomeranian Slavs Wends. In synchronous sources, there is no information about the connection of the Pomeranian Slavs with the Varangians, although in the 2nd half of the 10th century, sea campaigns of the Vends against their neighbors were noted.

M.V. Lomonosov deduced Rurik with the Varangians from the Prussian lands, relying on toponyms and later chronicles, which replaced the lexeme "Varangians" with the pseudo-ethnonym "Germans". The Slavic origin of Rurik Lomonosov a priori accepted as an indisputable fact:

Mecklenburg genealogies

There is a folk legend about Rurik and his brothers, published in the 30s of the XIX century by the French traveler and writer Xavier Marmier in the book Northern Letters. He recorded it in Northern Germany, among the Mecklenburg peasants, former Bodrichi, by that time almost completely Germanized. The legend tells that in the 8th century the Obodrite tribe was ruled by a king named Godlav, the father of three young men, the first of whom was called Rurik Mirny, second - Sivar the Victorious, third - Truvar Faithful. The brothers decided to go in search of glory in the lands to the east. After many deeds and terrible battles, the brothers came to Russia, whose people suffered under the burden of a long tyranny, but did not dare to rebel. The Obodrite brothers awakened lulled courage in the local people, led the army and overthrew the power of the oppressors. Having restored peace and order in the country, the brothers decided to return to their old father, but the grateful people begged them not to leave and take the place of the former kings. So Rurik received the principality of Novgorod (Nowoghorod), Sivar - Pskov (Pleskow), Truvar - Belozersk (Bile-Jezoro). Since after a while the younger brothers died, leaving no legitimate heirs, Rurik annexed their principalities to his own, becoming the founder of the ruling dynasty. It should be noted that this is the only mention of Rurik in Western folklore, although the date of the origin of the legend cannot be established. The legend was written down a century after the publication of the Mecklenburg genealogy of Rurik (see below).

At the beginning of the 18th century, a number of genealogical works appeared on the dynasties of the North German land of Mecklenburg, the former area of ​​\u200b\u200bsettlement of the Slavic tribes of the Obodrites or Bodrichs. In 1716 the vice-rector of the gymnasium, Friedrich Thomas, published a work for the wedding of the Duke of Mecklenburg Karl Leopold and the Russian princess Catherine, daughter of Tsar Ivan V. Thomas used a 1687 manuscript written by the notary of the Mecklenburg court court, Johann Friedrich von Chemnitz, who, in turn, referred to some it is a manuscript of 1418.

According to the German version, the king of Obodrites, Wittslav, an ally of Charlemagne, was killed by the Saxons in 795. His eldest son Traskon (Drazhko, Dragovit) inherited the crown, and another son, Godlib (or Godelive, or Godslav), died in 808 during the assault on Rerik by the Danish king Gottfried. All these data are taken from the Annals of the Kingdom of the Franks. Johann Huebner, who published his genealogical tables in 1708, reports new information that Godlib's sons Rurik, Sivar (Sineus in Russian chronicles) and Truvor went to Novgorod (Nowoghorod) in 840.

An attempt to tie Rurik to Godlib leads to a discrepancy in Russian genealogy. Rurik was supposed to be born no later than 805. Then he becomes the father of Prince Igor at the age of 70 years (according to the chronology of the PVL), which is possible, but rather doubtful. However, it is known that the dating of the Old Russian chronicles in the period up to the middle of the 10th century is approximate, unless Byzantine sources were used.

Vendian falcon

The Slavic tribe Bodrichi, or encouraged, were also called reregami. Adam of Bremen testifies.

• There are many Slavic peoples. Among them are the most western Wagris living on the border with the Transalbings. Their city, lying by the sea Aldinburg. Then follow the obodrites, who are now called reregs, and their city is Magnopolis.

The 19th-century historian Gedeonov suggested that Rurik was not a proper name, but a generic nickname Rerek, which was worn by all representatives of the ruling Obodrite dynasty. The assumption was substantiated by reference to the Scandinavian sagas, where allegedly the skald Guthorm Sindri calls the Wendish Slavs falcons. The quoted place refers to the saga of Hakon the Good from the Circle of the Earth cycle by Snorri Sturluson. Guthorm Sindri there speaks of " falconry distances"In the context of the war in the 2nd half of the 10th century, King Hakon with the Vikings -" both Danes and Wends". In the Scandinavian sagas, the Wends (Pomeranian Slavs) began to engage in sea robbery from the 10th century; in earlier times, sources record only their land campaigns. Subsequently, the author of The Tale of Igor's Campaign calls the adult Rurikovichs falcons, and the princes - falconers, but such an epithet has been applied to people of noble birth since ancient times.

The coat of arms of the Rurikids is interpreted by some researchers (S. A. Gedeonov, O. M. Rapov) as a schematic representation of a diving falcon, although others saw in it an image of a scepter and even a pitchfork. The modern stylized version of this image is the coat of arms of Ukraine. Confirmation of the version about the origin of the name "Rurik" from the West Slavic designation of a falcon can be objects found by archaeologists from the era of the first Ruriks with the image of a falcon. However, in this case, the coat of arms of Rurikovich possibly indicates the Danish (or mixed Danish-Vendian) origin of Rurik, since a similar image of a falcon (or Odin's raven) was minted on the English coins of the Danish king Anlaf Gutfritsson (939-941). The falcon in the Scandinavian languages ​​was not called a word close to the name "Rurik", so the name could be borrowed.

The male name Rurik is still found among such West Slavic peoples as Poles, Czechs and Slovaks. The transition of the form "rereg" / "rarog" into "rerik" is characteristic of the Slavic dialects of the Bodrichi. In Drevani, woatrik is recorded instead of "lad" and rik instead of "horn".

Joachim Chronicle

The Joachim Chronicle is a chronicle text of unknown origin, preserved only in extracts made by V. N. Tatishchev. The chronicle is named after Joachim, the first Novgorod bishop, to whom Tatishchev attributed authorship, based on the content of the chronicle. Historians treat it with great distrust, but use it as auxiliary material.

According to the Joachim Chronicle, Rurik was the son of an unknown Varangian prince in Finland from Umila, the middle daughter of the Slavic elder Gostomysl. The chronicle does not say what tribe the prince was in Finland, it only says that he was a Varangian. Before his death, Gostomysl, who reigned in the "Great City" and lost all his sons, gave the order to call the sons of Umila to reign, in accordance with the advice of the prophets.

So Rurik appeared with two brothers in the "Great City", which corresponds to either Staraya Ladoga or the Bodrich city of Veligrad. In the 4th year of his reign, Rurik moved to the "Great New City" (one can mean Rurik's Settlement or Novgorod) to Ilmen. After the death of his father, Finnish lands passed to Rurik.

One of Rurik's wives was Efanda, daughter " Urmansky"(Norwegian) prince, who gave birth to Ingor (Igor Rurikovich). Efanda's brother, Urmanian» Prince Oleg began to reign after the death of Rurik.

The Scandinavian origin of Rurik is indirectly confirmed by one of the versions of the etymology of the word Rus. According to her Rus there is a Slavic pronunciation of Finnish Ruotsi, i.e. Swedes in modern Finnish. It is believed that in the 9th century, the Finns called so all the Vikings-Varangians, collecting tribute from the local population, as evidenced by the "Tale of Bygone Years": " Those Varangians were called Rus, as others are called Svei [Swedes], while others are called Urmans [Norwegians] and Englishmen, and other Goths [Gotlanders]." When the Prophetic Oleg went to Smolensk and Kiev in 882, in listing the tribal composition of his troops, the Chud (the Old Russian collective name for the northwestern Finnish-speaking tribes) comes first after the Varangians and before the Slovenes.

Rurik in historiography

For the first time, the name of Rurik is mentioned in the "Life of St. Prince Vladimir", written presumably around 1070 by the monk Jacob: "to the autocrat of all the Russian land Volodimer, to the grandson of Iolzhin (Princess Olga) and to the great-grandson of Ryurikov." The earliest chronicle that has come down to us, The Tale of Bygone Years, was written about 40 years later, and the history of the Varangian Rurik was detailed there. Historians are not aware of other independent sources on Prince Rurik, with the exception of attempts to connect him with the Viking Rorik of Jutland from Western Europe.

The chronology of Rurik's vocation, and the reality of the historical existence of Rurik and his brothers, and their origin, and, especially, the very political idea of ​​"calling the Varangians" - foreign rulers, were called into question at different times. In the historiography of the XIX-XX centuries. (especially in the Soviet era), this issue was overly ideologized. It was stated that the version about the foreign origin of the first princes was an “anti-scientific Norman theory”, allegedly proving that the Slavs could not create a state on their own.

According to the opinion prevailing in modern historiography, the legend of the calling of the Varangians in the form in which it appears in The Tale of Bygone Years is distorted. The vocation for the reign of the Varangians-Rus, whose raid had just been repelled (PVL: “In the summer of 6370, the Varangians were driven out across the sea and did not give them tribute and often did themselves a favor”), seems unlikely to some historians. So, the historian B. A. Rybakov believes that one of the raids was successful, and the leader of the Scandinavian squad seized power in Novgorod; the chronicler presented the matter in such a way that the Novgorodians themselves invited the Varangian authorities in order to rule them. In another opinion, I. Ya. Froyanov, in fact, there was an invitation to the Varangian king with a squad in order to provide military assistance. According to the historian, after the end of hostilities, the Varangian king Rurik overthrew the Slovenian prince Vadim the Brave and seized power.

Some historians suggest that Sineus and Truvor, identified in the annals as Rurik's brothers, did not really exist. So, Sineus could not have been a Beloozero prince from 862 to 864, since the existence of the city of Beloozero can be traced archaeologically only from the 10th century. B. A. Rybakov believes that the name "Sineus" is a distorted "one's kind" (Swedish sine hus), and "Truvor" is a "faithful squad" (Swedish thru varing). Thus, Rurik comes to reign not with his two brothers, but with his family (which includes, for example, Oleg) and a faithful squad. D.S. Likhachev suggested that Rurik, Sineus and Truvor were supposed to become the “mystical ancestors” of Novgorod, as the chronicler intended, like Kiy, Shchek and Khoriv for Kyiv.

heirs

It is not known how many wives and children Rurik had. Chronicles report only one son - Igor. According to the Joachim Chronicle, Rurik had several wives, one of them and Igor's mother was the "Urman" (that is, Norwegian) princess Efanda.

In addition to Igor, Rurik may have other children, since the Russian-Byzantine treaty of 944 mentions Igor's nephews - Igor and Akun.

There is little exact data on the history of Rus' before Rurik. Moreover, known facts can be interpreted differently by adherents of the Norman theory and anti-Normanists. The former associate the emergence of the state on the territory of the Slavic peoples precisely with the arrival of the Varangians, the latter argue that the state of the Slavs already existed by that time. However, it is worth noting that even scientists do not know to which ethnic group the clan of the legendary Prince Rurik belonged. There are many theories about its origin, but none of them has yet been proven. The study of this issue is also difficult due to some difficulties in reading the ancient Russian chronicles. So, for example, it is not exactly established whether the genus Rurik was called Rus, or one of the tribes that called the prince is called so in the annals.

Rurik's reign

The origin of Rurik still causes a lot of controversy among those who consider him a real historical figure. Adherents of the Norman theory argue that Rurik and his squad were Vikings - Scandinavians. Normanists look for evidence of their theory in the etymology of the prince's name, linking it to the Latin word rex ("king"). It is known that the name Rurik is still used today in Sweden, Finland and some other countries. Supporters of the West Slavic version associate the biography of Rurik with the Slavic tribe of obodrites, otherwise called "reregs" (falcons). The calling of Rurik, according to, took place in 862. The entire tribes, Chud, Ilmen Slovenes and Krivichi, unable to agree on who would rule, and not wanting strife, called Rurik to reign. He came to Novgorod with the brothers Sineus and Truvor. There is a version that the reign of Rurik did not begin in Novgorod, but in Staraya Ladoga. In accordance with this theory, Novgorod was built by the prince only two years later. Such archaeological finds as Rurik's Settlement are able to confirm this theory.

According to the chronicle version, the Rurik brothers began to reign in the Slavic lands. Sineus received Beloozero, and Truvor - Izborsk in the lands of the Krivichi. But they did not rule long. Two years after their death, Rurik became the sole ruler. It is worth noting that some historians adhere to the version that Rurik had no brothers. They translate the word "truvor" as "faithful squad", and "sineus" as "one's kind". There is little information about Rurik's reign. Chronicles rather sparingly report that he sought to strengthen the borders of his possessions, built cities, and also suppressed the rebellion of Vadim the Brave in Novgorod. From this we can conclude that the arrival of Rurik in Rus' led to the strengthening of statehood and the centralization of power. The death of Rurik dates back to about 879. The power was inherited by the son of Rurik (presumably from the Norwegian princess)

Time has erased in history the names of many successful Varangians, all of whose thoughts were reduced only to their own enrichment. And only a person with outstanding abilities and statesmanship could leave his name on the dusty pages of history. Rurik turned out to be such a person - the Varangian, who laid the foundation of the Russian state.

Origin of Rurik still causes a lot of controversy. Some argue that Rurik himself and his squad were Scandinavians (Vikings), based on the etymology of the princely name, which means "king" from the Latin rex. A well-known fact is that the name Rurik is widely used in the modern world in Finland, Sweden and other countries. In turn, supporters of the West Slavic version of the development of Rus' prefer to compare the biographical data of Rurik with the Slavic tribe of obodrites, which was also called "falcons".

The word "falcon" in the Old Slavonic language sounds exactly like this, or almost like the name of Prince Rurik. "Roruk" or "Rurok" in Old Slavonic is "falcon". Does this not speak of the Slavic, and not the Scandinavian origin of Prince Rurik?

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.

Slavic and Baltic theories

There are theories that the Varangians, called to Rus', were called representatives of the West Slavic tribe of Wagrs. 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.

Rurik's life

Rurik was born approximately in 806-807. in the city of Rerik, in the family of Godolub (Godolba), the prince of the Slavs-rarogs (reregs). Rarogs were part of a large tribal union of Obodriches, who were engaged in arable farming, crafts and trade. Rurik's mother was Umilena, the middle daughter of the Novgorod prince Gostomysl. The first-born who gave birth in such a family had a secure future practically in his pocket, but "his majesty the case" reshapes human destinies in his own way.

Ilya Glazunov. "Grandchildren of Gostomysl" (1986) - the right part of the triptych "Umila Novgorodskaya"

At the end of the 8th - beginning of the 9th century. in the north-west of our country, a strong union of several Slavic and Finnish peoples has developed: Slovenes, Krivichi, Chud, Vesi, Meryans. It was called the Russian Khaganate. In that era, such a name was prestigious - people remembered the power of the Turkic and Avar Khaganates, there was Khazar. And the title of kagan meant ruler over several peoples.

Russian ships plowed the Baltic. Prince Gostomysl, who became kagan, established ties with overseas countries. At this time, the Slavs also inhabited present-day East Germany - encouraged, Lutichi, Ruyans, Lusatians, etc. Gostomysl married his middle daughter Umila to Godolub, the prince of the Rarog tribe. It was part of the Obodrite tribal union, occupied the isthmus of the Jutland Peninsula and the lands near its base. Now the cities of Schleswig, Lübeck, Kiel are located on this territory - and at the time described, the Rarogs belonged to Rerik, the largest port in the Baltic.

Obodrites were allies of the Frankish Emperor Charlemagne, in all wars they were on his side. But King Gottfried of Denmark was preparing a blow against Charles, he made alliances with the enemies of the Franks - the Saxons, Lyutichs, Claymen, Smolny.

In 808Danish King Gottfriedcapturesthe city of Rerik and executes Godolub. Affectionate, together with Rurik, flees the city. Now, except for the noble origin and the family coat of arms of the saker falcon, the symbol of Firebog, Rurik had nothing (falconry is a popular royal fun, it leads the tradition from this symbol). A similar fact, for sure, left a deep emotional trauma in the child's psyche (it is possible that epileptic seizures in the Rurik family have their origin precisely in this event). One thing can be said in the affirmative - the Danes became Rurik's blood enemies, he always remembered this. Probably, the fugitives were hiding with their relatives from neighboring tribes, it is possible that Gostomysl was not indifferent to the fate of his daughter and grandson. In the end, Umilena found shelter somewhere in the territory of the Frankish kingdom. And the name of Rurik appears on the historical arena after almost twenty years. What he had been doing all these years, maybe preparing himself for a future career - comprehended the art of war and longed to avenge his father. Everything can be.

In 826 in Ingelheim, the residence of the Frankish emperor Louis the Pious, two brothers arrived from somewhere - Rurik and his half brotherHarald. There is no information about Harald. Their very appearance at the court of the emperor is understandable. After all, the obodrite princes were considered vassals of Charlemagne, and Godolub died fighting on his side. When the children grew up, they came to Karl's son for protection. They grew up somewhere in the Slavic countries, both were pagans. Louis christened the young people and personally became their godfather. At the same time, Rurik received the name George. The emperor recognized the rights of the brothers to the paternal inheritance, accepted them among his vassals.

The king blesses the brothers to fight the Danes, thereby confirming their right to own their father's lands. Without much effort, they regain their father's inheritance. But they failed to become sovereign feudal lords. In 829, internecine wars and a new redistribution of land began in the Frankish state. The territory owned by the sons of Godolub is transferred to one of the contenders for the royal throne - Lothar.

A similar turn of events was the reason why Rurik and Harald went to the Varangians.

The gangs of adventurers of the early Middle Ages were replenished with people from different social strata. The thirst for rapid enrichment gathered under its banner the sons of all religions and peoples. But the Varangian squad was not a gang of ordinary murderers and marauders. It was a military order with its unwritten charter and iron discipline, otherwise they would not pose any danger to the states of Europe. Detachments of experienced and cruel Vikings, at that time, were the best army, operating both on land and at sea.

In Byzantium, they were called "warings" or "vorings" - "who took an oath." In Scandinavia, "Vikings" (vik - military settlement, base). In England, all Vikings, regardless of nationality, were designated "Danes" (this country was more often robbed by the Danes). In France - "Normans", Norwegians (literally "people of the north"). The terms "Vikings" or "Varangians" were not defined by nationality, but by occupation. They were free warriors.

Overseas guests (Varangians). Artist Nicholas Roerich, 1901

Varangian squadrons sometimes consisted of several hundred fast and light ships, each of which could accommodate up to 70 people. By today's standards, it was a whole division of Marines, experienced and well-armed. The Varangians also carried horses with them, but as a branch of the military, the Varangian cavalry did not take shape, and was only an auxiliary force. The main striking force was precisely the infantry.

The year 843 can be considered the rise of Rurik's military career. As part of a huge Slavic-Norman armada, Rurik and Harald led a large Varangian detachment. This international army took by storm: Nantes, Bordeaux, Seville, Lisbon, many other cities and reached North Africa. With huge booty, Rurik's squad returned home. On the island of Rügen, he set up his well-fortified naval base, from where he planned further campaigns.

Agnus McBride. Viking attack on the Irish coast in the 9th century

Over the next seven years, the name of Rurik becomes widely known. He takes part in the first assault on Paris, in one of the regular raids his half-brother Harald dies.

Rurik, despite his Christian baptism, worshiped his ancient gods, both Svetovit and Odin, bringing them numerous sacrifices. And apparently, the gods were supportive of their lucky son.

In 850, a huge squadron of 20-22 thousand soldiers landed on the shores of England. The campaign was again marked by huge booty. Slava followed Rurik literally on his heels. In 854, Rurik thoroughly beats his blood enemies - the Danes, conducts a raid on the Scandinavian cities subject to the Danish king. He seizes land in the upper Rhine and Friedland, thereby returning his father's inheritance.

By 860, the Novgorod prince Gostomysl, being on the verge of death, was preoccupied with the search for a worthy successor (a very urgent problem at all times). There were no direct heirs in the male line, and Gostomysl was afraid that everything he had created might go to waste. His choice fell on Rurik, firstly: he was the grandson of Gostomysl from his middle daughter; secondly: a famous and experienced military leader. To the appeal of the Novgorod embassy to him: "... Our land is great and plentiful, but there is no outfit in it - go reign and rule over us ..." (here, outfit - management, leadership), Rurik agreed after some deliberation, he, following the example of Western kings, dreamed of founding his own dynastic state.

Glazunov I. S. "Grandchildren of Gostomysl: Rurik, Truvor, Sineus". The central part of the triptych. 1986

Calling Prince Rurik to reign

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 expel 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. According to literary sources, namely the Tale of Bygone Years, Rurik's calling took place in 862, as a result of a joint decision of the Slavic tribes (Krivichi, Ilmen Slovenes, Chud and all) in the course of disputes about who will rule them without benefit for their own tribe . Rurik's biography suited 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).

Prince's call. Artist A.D. Kivshenko. 1880

Rurik entered Novgorod with his brothers. Interestingly, some sources contradict each other as to where Rurik actually ruled. For example, the Laurentian Chronicle says that his first residence was Staraya Ladoga, and Novgorod itself was built only two years later.

Fortress Staraya Ladoga

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.Archaeological finds (for example, Rurik's Settlement) fully confirm this theory.

Viktor Vasnetsov. Varangians. 1913.

If you believe the chronicle version, then the Rurik brothers also received Slavic lands to reign. So brother Sineus got Beloozero, and Truvor Izborsk, but they did not rule for long. Already two years after their death, Rurik becomes the sole ruler. Many researchers of Rus' tend to believe that Rurik did not have brothers, arguing that "truvor" is translated as "faithful squad", and "sineus" - "his family". That is, we are talking about two of his units. One consisted of fellow tribesmen who, after the defeat, remained loyal to him and left for a foreign land. The second is from Viking mercenaries. The Varangians had a custom of twinning, it was considered no less strong than consanguinity.

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.

Having accepted the reign, Rurik immediately took care to securely cover his borders. One of the detachments was sent to the Krivichi in Izborsk. This outpost kept water roads across Lake Peipsi and the Velikaya River under surveillance, and protected the principality from Estonian and Latvian raids. Another detachment was located in Beloozero. He controlled the way to the Volga, took the entire tribe under protection from the Khazar Khaganate. And after the new ruler looked around at the new place, he behaved very actively. Correctly assessed who is the main enemy of his state, and started a war against Khazaria.

His soldiers from Beloozero moved to the Upper Volga and took Rostov. The large Merya tribe, which inhabited the interfluve of the Volga and the Oka, threw off the yoke of the Khazars and came under the hand of Rurik. The prince did not stop there. Along the rivers, his fleets advanced further and in 864 captured Murom. Another Finnish tribe, Muroma, submitted to Rurik. The accession of two important cities was noted not only by Russian chronicles, the “Cambridge Anonymous” mentions the war of Khazaria with Ladoga.

The Khazars had to be very nervous. Already someone who, and their merchants traded all over the world, they knew what crushing blows the Varangian landings could inflict. But wars are fought not only with swords and spears. A pro-Khazar party already existed in Ladoga, through which the Jewish merchants tried to influence the election of the prince. Now it was used again, inciting dissatisfaction with Rurik among the Slovenes. Finding excuses wasn't that hard. The Ladoga boyars expected that the invited prince would rule at their behest - where would he go in a foreign country? But Rurik did not become a puppet, he undertook to strengthen the centralized power. The content of mercenaries required funds, subjects had to fork out. And the immediate environment of the prince was encouraged and Norwegians. In a word, strangers came and sat on the neck ...

The Khazar agitation achieved its goal. In 864, when Rurik's army was on the Volga and Oka, an uprising broke out in the rear under the leadership of a certain Vadim the Brave. The chronicle reports: “The same summer Novgorodians were offended, saying: so be a slave to us, and suffer a lot of evil in every possible way from Rurik and from his kind.” Yes, even in those days, schemes familiar to us were worked out: in the midst of a war, excite people to fight for “freedoms” and “human rights”. But it is worth paying attention, the Krivichi and Finnish tribes did not support the Slovenes. And the prince acted promptly and harshly. He immediately rushed to the Ladoga region and crushed the rebellion. “The same summer, kill Rurik Vadim the Brave and many other beaten Novgorodians of his advisers” (svetniks - that is, accomplices). The surviving conspirators fled. Krivichi in Smolensk refused to accept them, they proceeded further: "The same summer, many Novogorodsk husbands escaped from Rurik from Novgorod to Kyiv." Men were not called the common people, but the nobility - the uprising was perpetrated by the rich elite.

It was not by chance that they fled to Kyiv. A center of confrontation with Rurik arose there. Two leaders of the hired Varangian squads, Askold and Dir, separated from the prince, decided to look for other crafts. They were heading to Greece, but on the way they saw Kyiv, controlled by the Khazars, they captured it with a sudden raid. They tried to use it as a base for pirate raids - this is what all the Vikings did. They made trips to the Polochan tribe, to Byzantium, Bulgaria. But the Bulgarians beat them, the expedition to Constantinople was swept away by a storm, Polotsk, after suffering horrors, turned to Rurik for protection. And the Khazars were not inclined to forgive the loss of Kyiv. They let their allies, the Pechenegs, attack the aliens. Askold and Dir twitched, began to get out. In 866, they agreed to recognize themselves as vassals of the Byzantine emperor, even to be baptized. Greek diplomats stood up for them before the Khazars, and they also agreed to put up. But with the condition - to oppose Rurik.

The Varangians fulfilled the order. They hit the subjects of the prince, the Krivichi, captured Smolensk. True, they failed to develop success, they were stopped. But the goal of Byzantium and Khazaria was achieved, they pitted Ladoga and Kyiv. Therefore, Rurik did not continue military operations against the Khaganate. If he sent troops to the Volga, he would be threatened with a blow to the rear, from the Dnieper. Defeating Askold and Dir was also not easy, behind them were two great powers.

"Reign of Askold and Dir in Kyiv" Radziwill Chronicle

And the accomplices of Vadim the Brave dug in in Kyiv, waiting for the right moment to sow confusion again. On reflection, Rurik agreed to make peace with his opponents.

He took care of the internal structure of the state. He established management structures, appointed governors in Beloozero, Izborsk, Rostov, Polotsk, and Murom. He began to "set up hailstones" everywhere. They served as strongholds of the administration, defended subject tribes. The prince paid special attention to the defense from the Baltic. In the second half of the ninth century Viking rampage reached its highest point. They terrorized England, every now and then burned German cities along the Elbe, Rhine, Moselle, Weser. Even Denmark, in itself a pirate nest, was completely devastated by the Vikings. And only in Rus' after the arrival of Rurik there was not a single invasion! She was the only one of the European states that had access to the sea, gained safety from the Baltic predators. This was the undoubted merit of the prince.

True, the Varangians began to appear on the Volga, but they came to trade in prisoners. So Khazaria did not remain in the loser. A stream of “living goods” poured from the Baltic, which the Khazars bought in bulk and resold to the markets of the East. But for Rus', the transit turned out to be profitable. The treasury was enriched by duties. The prince could build fortresses, maintain an army and protect his subjects without burdening them with high taxes. And the subjects themselves could sell bread, honey, beer, fish, meat, handicrafts to passing Varangians and merchants for a good price, buy European and oriental goods.

Novgorod market. Painting by A. Vasnetsov, 1909

Rurik, like Gostomysl, took the title of kagan (literally translated "great" - later in Rus' the two titles merged, "great prince"). He was married several times. His first wife's name was Rutsina, she was from the Baltic Rus. The second was a German or Scandinavian Hetta. There is no information about their fate and offspring. And in 873-874. the sovereign of Ladoga traveled abroad. He made a very large-scale diplomatic tour of Europe for that time. He met and negotiated with Emperor Louis the German, King of France Charles the Bald and King of Lorraine Charles the Bold. What was discussed, history is silent. But Louis the German was at enmity with Byzantium. And Rurik was gradually preparing for the struggle for Southern Rus', he needed allies against the Greeks, who had caught Kyiv in their networks.

Medal in memory of the marriage union with Efanda, princess of Urmansk. Late 17th - early 19th centuries

On the way back, the prince visited Norway. Here he looked after his third wife, the Norwegian princess Efanda. Upon returning to Ladoga, they played a wedding. The young wife gave birth to Rurik's son Igor. And the brother of Efanda Odda became the right hand and adviser of the prince, Viking priest and soothsayer? known in Rus' as Prophetic Oleg. Although it may be that even earlier he was close to the sovereign and betrothed his sister.

In 879 Rurik's turbulent life came to an end. He started it as an unfortunate orphan and an outcast - he completed it as the ruler of many cities and lands from the Gulf of Finland to the Murom forests. He commanded a handful of fighters aboard a pirate ship - and died in the palace, surrounded by households, hundreds of courtiers and servants. The son Igor remained the heir, but he was still a child, and his uncle Oleg took the place of regent.

The subsequent events testify to the qualities of Rurik as a ruler. After his death, the state did not fall apart, as often happened with the ancient kingdoms. The subjects did not rebel, did not go out of obedience. Three years later, Oleg led not only his squad to Kyiv, but also a large militia of Slovenes, Krivichi, Chud, Vesi, Meryan. This means that Rurik and his successor managed to earn popularity among the people, their power was recognized as legitimate and fair.

By the way, Moscow already existed at that time. She has not yet been mentioned in any chronicle, and we do not even know what she was called. But she was. It was revealed by excavations on the territory of the Kremlin. Under the layer, which belonged to the buildings of Yuri Dolgoruky, scientists discovered the remains of an older city. It was quite developed and comfortable, with fortress walls, wooden pavements, and one of the squares was paved in a completely unusual way, with bull skulls. On the street of "great-Moscow" archaeologists found two coins: Khorezmian 862 and Armenian 866. This is the era of Rurik.

Rurik created the ancient Russian state, the borders of which stretched from the exit from the Baltic to Rostov. Under his rule, the agrarian system also developed. The peasants plowed the land, grew rye, barley, oats and cabbage. Peas and turnips grew in the gardens. Also under Rurik, they began to build ovens, baked bread. There is evidence that the prince also visited the West - he met with kings Louis the German and Charles the Bald. He wanted to enlist their support for a big campaign against Kyiv and Byzantium. Rurik's last wife, Efanda, came from a Norwegian royal family. She bore him an heir, Igor. Rejoicing at the birth of his son, Rurik decided to celebrate this with new victories. He went camping with a squad and caught a cold. For several months, the mighty prince struggled with the disease, but died. Rurik bequeathed to his relative Oleg the care of the young Igor and a campaign against Kyiv. The prince died in 879. The prince was buried with great honor, because he left a big mark in the history of Rus', founded a great dynasty of wise and courageous princes.

The biography of this man is full of secrets. Some historians even argue that Rurik did not exist at all.

Seven hundred years in Russia ruled by the Rurik dynasty. Prince Rurik gave the name to the dynasty, he was the first prince. Of course, before Rurik there were also princes in Rus', but it was Rurik who created a single state.

Rurikovich. Collectors of the Russian Land Burovsky Andrey Mikhailovich

Chapter 1 Who is Rurik and where did he come from?

Who is Rurik and where did he come from?

3. Where did the double-headed eagle on Russian coins come from? It is believed that the double-headed eagle appeared on Russian coins no earlier than 1472, p.54. The history of its appearance is as follows. It first appeared on the seal of Ivan III in 1497. Some experts attribute his appearance to his marriage in 1472.