Since 862 Rurik, according to the Tale of Bygone Years, established himself in Novgorod. According to tradition, the beginning of Russian statehood dates back to this time. (In 1862, the monument “Millennium of Russia” was erected in the Novgorod Kremlin, sculptor M. O. Mikeshin.) Some historians believe that Rurik was a real historical figure, identifying him with Rurik of Friesland, who, at the head of his squad, repeatedly made campaigns against Western Europe. Rurik settled in Novgorod, one of his brothers - Sineus - on White Lake (now Belozersk, Vologda region), the other - Truvor - in Izborsk (near Pskov). Historians consider the names of the “brothers” to be a distortion of ancient Swedish words: “sineus” - “with their clans”, “truvor” - faithful squad. This usually serves as one of the arguments against the reliability of the Varangian legend. Two years later, according to chronicles, the brothers died, and Rurik handed over the management of the most important cities to his husbands. Two of them, Askold and Dir, who made an unsuccessful campaign against Byzantium, occupied Kyiv and freed the Kyivans from Khazar tribute.
After death in 879 Rurik, who did not leave behind an heir (according to another version, he was Igor, which later gave rise to the basis in historical literature to call the dynasty of the Kiev princes “Rurikovichs”, and Kievan Rus - the “power of the Rurikovichs”), power in Novgorod was seized by the leader of one of the Varangian detachments Oleg (879-912).
Unification of Kyiv and Novgorod
Treaty between Rus' and the Greeks. In 882 Oleg undertook a campaign against Kyiv, where at that time Askold and Dir reigned (some historians consider these princes to be the last representatives of the Kiya family). Posing themselves as merchants, Oleg's warriors, using deception, killed Askold and Dir and captured the city. Kyiv became the center of the united state.
Rus''s trading partner was the powerful Byzantine Empire. The Kyiv princes repeatedly made campaigns against their southern neighbor. So, back in 860, Askold and Dir this time undertook a successful campaign against Byzantium. The agreement between Rus' and Byzantium, concluded by Oleg, became even more famous.
In 907 and 911 Oleg and his army successfully fought twice under the walls of Constantinople (Constantinople). As a result of these campaigns, treaties were concluded with the Greeks, drawn up, as the chronicler wrote, “in two harathys,” that is, in two copies - in Russian and Greek. This confirms that Russian writing appeared long before the adoption of Christianity. Before the advent of “Russian Pravda,” legislation was also being developed (in the agreement with the Greeks, the “Russian Law” was mentioned, according to which the inhabitants of Kievan Rus were judged).
According to the agreements, Russian merchants had the right to live for a month at the expense of the Greeks in Constantinople, but were obliged to walk around the city with weapons. At the same time, merchants had to have written documents with them and warn the Byzantine emperor about their arrival in advance. Oleg's agreement with the Greeks provided the possibility of exporting the tribute collected in Rus' and selling it in the markets of Byzantium.
Under Oleg, the Drevlyans, northerners, and Radimichi were included in his state and began to pay tribute to Kyiv. However, the process of incorporating various tribal unions into Kievan Rus was not a one-time event.
Prince Igor. Revolt of the Drevlyans
After the death of Oleg, Igor began to reign in Kyiv (912-945). During his reign in 944, an agreement with Byzantium was confirmed on less favorable terms. Under Igor, the first popular disturbance described in the chronicles occurred - the uprising of the Drevlyans in 945. The collection of tribute in the Drevlyan lands was carried out by the Varangian Sveneld with his detachment, whose enrichment caused a murmur in Igor’s squad. Igor’s warriors said: “Sveneld’s youths are decked out with weapons and ports, and we are naked. Come with us, prince, for tribute, and you will get it for yourself and for us.”
Having collected tribute and sent carts to Kyiv, Igor returned with a small detachment, “wanting more estates.” The Drevlyans gathered at the veche (the presence of their own principalities in individual Slavic lands, as well as veche gatherings, indicates that the formation of statehood continued in Kievan Rus). The Veche decided: “If a wolf gets into the habit of getting close to the sheep, he will drag everything around if you don’t kill him.” Igor's squad was killed, and the prince was executed.
Lessons and churchyards
After Igor's death, his wife Olga (945-957) brutally took revenge on the Drevlyans for the murder of her husband. The first embassy of the Drevlyans, offering Olga in return for Igor as the husband of their prince Mal, was buried alive in the ground, the second was burned. At the funeral feast (funeral), on Olga's orders, the tipsy Drevlyans were killed. As the chronicle reports, Olga suggested that the Drevlyans give three doves and three sparrows from each yard as tribute. Lighted tow with sulfur was tied to the pigeons' feet; when they flew to their old nests, a fire broke out in the Drevlyan capital. As a result, the capital of the Drevlyans, Iskorosten (now the city of Korosten), burned down. According to the chronicles, about 5 thousand people died in the fire.
Having cruelly taken revenge on the Drevlyans, Olga was forced to streamline the collection of tribute. She established “lessons” - the amount of tribute and “cemeteries” - places for collecting tribute. Along with the camps (places where there was shelter, the necessary food supplies were stored, and the princely squad stayed while collecting tribute), graveyards appeared - apparently, the fortified courtyards of the princely rulers, where the tribute was brought. These graveyards then became strongholds of princely power.
During the reign of Igor and Olga, the lands of the Tiverts, Ulichs and finally the Drevlyans were annexed to Kyiv.
Campaigns of Svyatoslav
Some historians consider Svyatoslav (957-972), the son of Olga and Igor, a talented commander and statesman, others argue that he was an adventurer prince who saw the goal of his life in war.
Svyatoslav was faced with the task of protecting Rus' from raids by nomads and clearing trade routes to other countries. Svyatoslav coped with this task successfully, which confirms the validity of the first point of view.
Svyatoslav, in the course of his numerous campaigns, began annexing the lands of the Vyatichi, defeated Volga Bulgaria, conquered the Mordovian tribes, defeated the Khazar Khaganate, successfully fought in the North Caucasus and the Azov coast, captured Tmutarakan on the Taman Peninsula, and repelled the onslaught of the Pechenegs. He tried to bring the borders of Rus' closer to Byzantium and became involved in the Bulgarian-Byzantine conflict, and then waged a stubborn struggle with the Emperor of Constantinople for the Balkan Peninsula. During the period of successful military operations, Svyatoslav even thought about moving the capital of his state to the Danube, to the city of Pereyaslavets, where, as he believed, “goods from different countries would converge”: silk, gold, Byzantine utensils, silver and horses from Hungary and the Czech Republic, wax, honey, furs and captive slaves from Rus'. However, the fight with Byzantium ended unsuccessfully; Svyatoslav was surrounded by a hundred thousand Greek army. With great difficulty he managed to leave for Rus'. A non-aggression treaty was concluded with Byzantium, but the Danube lands had to be returned.
On the way to Kyiv, Svyatoslav in 972 was ambushed by the Pechenegs at the Dnieper rapids and was killed. The Pechenezh Khan ordered a cup bound in gold to be made from Svyatoslav’s skull and drank from it at feasts, believing that the glory of the murdered man would pass to him. (In the 30s of the 20th century, during the construction of the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station, steel swords were discovered at the bottom of the Dnieper, which are believed to have belonged to Svyatoslav and his warriors.)
“Kievan Rus” is a concept that is subject to much speculation today. Historians argue not only about whether there was a state with that name, but also about who inhabited it.
Where did “Kievan Rus” come from?
If today in Russia the phrase “Kievan Rus” is gradually leaving scientific usage, being replaced by the concept “Old Russian state,” then Ukrainian historians use it everywhere, and in the context of “Kievan Rus - Ukraine,” emphasizing the historical continuity of the two states.
However, until the beginning of the 19th century, the term “Kievan Rus” did not exist; the ancient inhabitants of the Kyiv lands did not even suspect that they lived in a state with such a name. The first to use the phrase “Kievan Rus” was the historian Mikhail Maksimovich in his work “Where does the Russian Land Come From,” which was completed in the year of Pushkin’s death.
It is important to note that Maksimovich used this expression not in the sense of the state, but in a number of other names of Rus' - Chervonnaya, Belaya, Suzdal, that is, in the sense of geographical location. The historians Sergei Solovyov and Nikolai Kostomarov used it in the same meaning.
Some authors of the early 20th century, including Sergei Platonov and Alexander Presnyakov, began to use the term “Kievan Rus” in the sovereign-political sense, as the name of the state of the Eastern Slavs with a single political center in Kyiv.
However, Kievan Rus became a full-fledged state during the Stalin era. There is an interesting story about how academician Boris Grekov, working on the books “Kievan Rus” and “Culture of Kievan Rus,” asked his colleague: “You are a party member, please advise, you should know what concept He (Stalin) will like.”
Having used the term “Kievan Rus”, Grekov considered it necessary to explain its meaning: “In my work, I deal with Kievan Rus not in the narrow territorial sense of this term (Ukraine), but precisely in the broad sense of the “Rurikovich empire”, corresponding to the Western European empire Charlemagne, which includes a vast territory on which several independent state units were subsequently formed.”
State before Rurik
Official domestic historiography says that statehood in Rus' arose in 862 after the Rurik dynasty came to power. However, for example, political scientist Sergei Chernyakhovsky argues that the beginning of Russian statehood should be pushed back at least 200 years into history.
He draws attention to the fact that in Byzantine sources, when describing the life of the Rus, obvious signs of their state structure were reflected: the presence of writing, the hierarchy of the nobility, the administrative division of lands, small princes, over whom stood “kings,” are also mentioned.
And yet, despite the fact that Kievan Rus united under its rule vast territories inhabited by East Slavic, Finno-Ugric and Baltic tribes, many historians are inclined to believe that in the pre-Christian period it could not be called a full-fledged state, since there were no class structures there and there was no centralized authority. On the other hand, it was not a monarchy, not a despotism, not a republic; most of all, according to historians, it was like some kind of corporate governance.
It is known that the ancient Russians lived in tribal settlements, were engaged in crafts, hunting, fishing, trade, agriculture, and cattle breeding. The Arab traveler Ibn Fadlan described in 928 that the Russians built large houses in which 30-50 people lived.
“The archaeological monuments of the Eastern Slavs recreate a society without any clear traces of property stratification. In the most diverse regions of the forest-steppe zone, it is not possible to indicate those that, in their architectural appearance and in the content of the household and household equipment found in them, would stand out for their wealth,” emphasized historian Ivan Lyapushkin.
Russian archaeologist Valentin Sedov notes that the emergence of economic inequality is not yet possible to establish based on existing archaeological data. “It seems that there are no clear traces of property differentiation of Slavic society in the grave monuments of the 6th-8th centuries,” the scientist concludes.
Historians conclude that the accumulation of wealth and its transfer by inheritance in ancient Russian society was not an end in itself; it apparently was neither a moral value nor a vital necessity. Moreover, hoarding was clearly not welcomed and even condemned.
For example, in one of the agreements between the Rus and the Byzantine emperor there is a fragment of the oath of the Kyiv prince Svyatoslav, telling what will happen in case of violation of obligations: “let us be golden, like this gold” (meaning the golden tablet-stand of the Byzantine scribe) . This once again shows the despicable attitude of the Rus towards the golden calf.
A more correct definition of the political structure of pre-dynastic Kievan Rus is a veche society, where the prince was completely dependent on the people's assembly. The veche could approve the transfer of power to the prince by inheritance, or it could re-elect him. The historian Igor Froyanov noted that “the ancient Russian prince was not an emperor or even a monarch, for above him stood a veche, or people’s assembly, to which he was accountable.”
The first Kyiv princes
The Tale of Bygone Years tells how Kiy, who lived on the Dnieper “mountains,” together with his brothers Shchek, Khoriv and sister Lybid, built a city on the right bank of the Dnieper, which was later named Kiev in honor of the founder. Kiy, according to the chronicle, he was the first prince of Kyiv. However, modern authors are more inclined to believe that the story of the founding of the city is an etymological myth designed to explain the names of Kyiv localities.
Thus, the hypothesis of the American-Ukrainian orientalist Omelyan Pritsak, who believed that the emergence of Kyiv is connected with the Khazars, and Kiy as a person is identical to the hypothetical Khazar vizier Kuya, became widely known.
At the end of the 9th century, no less legendary princes appeared on the historical stage of Kyiv - Askold and Dir. It is believed that they were members of the Varangian squad of Rurik, who later became the rulers of the capital city, adopted Christianity and laid the foundations of ancient Russian statehood. But here too there are many questions.
The Ustyug Chronicle says that Askold and Dir were “neither the tribe of a prince nor a boyar, and Rurik would not give them a city or a village.” Historians believe that their desire to go to Kyiv was stimulated by the desire to obtain lands and a princely title. According to historian Yuri Begunov, Askold and Dir, having betrayed Rurik, turned into Khazar vassals.
The chronicler Nestor writes that the troops of Askold and Dir in 866 made a campaign against Byzantium and plundered the outskirts of Constantinople. However, academician Alexei Shakhmatov argued that in the more ancient chronicles telling about the campaign against Constantinople there is no mention of Askold and Dir, nothing is said about them in either Byzantine or Arab sources. “Their names were inserted later,” the scientist believed.
Some researchers suggest that Askold and Dir ruled in Kyiv at different times. Others put forward the version that Askold and Dir are one and the same person. According to this assumption, in the Old Norse spelling of the name "Haskuldr", the last two letters "d" and "r" could be isolated into a separate word, and over time turn into an independent person.
If you look at Byzantine sources, you can see that during the siege of Constantinople, the chronicler speaks of only one military leader, although without naming his name.
Historian Boris Rybakov explained: “The personality of Prince Dir is not clear to us. It is felt that his name is artificially attached to Askold, because when describing their joint actions, the grammatical form gives us a single, and not a double, number, as it should be when describing the joint actions of two persons.”
Kievan Rus and Khazaria
The Khazar Kaganate is considered a powerful state, under whose control were the most important trade routes from Europe to Asia. +In its heyday (at the beginning of the 8th century), the territory of the Khazar Kaganate extended from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, including the lower Dnieper region.
The Khazars carried out regular raids on the Slavic lands, subjecting them to plunder. According to the testimony of the medieval traveler Ibrahim ibn Yaqub, they mined not only wax, furs and horses, but mainly prisoners of war for sale into slavery, as well as young men, girls and children. In other words, the lands of Southern Rus' actually fell into Khazar bondage.
Maybe they were looking for the Khazar state in the wrong place? Publicist Alexander Polyukh is trying to understand this issue. In his research, he focuses on genetics, in particular, on the position according to which the blood type corresponds to the way of life of the people and determines the ethnic group.
He notes that according to genetic data, Russians and Belarusians, like most Europeans, have more than 90% blood group I (O), and ethnic Ukrainians are 40% carriers of group III (B). This serves as a sign of peoples who led a nomadic lifestyle (he includes the Khazars here), in whom blood group III (B) approaches 100% of the population.
These conclusions are largely supported by the archaeological finds of Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Valentin Yanin, who confirmed that Kyiv at the time of its capture by the Novgorodians (IX century) was not a Slavic city, this is also evidenced by “birch bark letters”.
According to Polyukh, the conquest of Kyiv by the Novgorodians and the revenge on the Khazars carried out by the Prophetic Oleg suspiciously coincide in terms of timing. Perhaps it was the same event? Here he makes a resounding conclusion: “Kyiv is the possible capital of the Khazar Kaganate, and ethnic Ukrainians are the direct descendants of the Khazars.”
Despite the paradoxical nature of the conclusions, perhaps they are not so divorced from reality. Indeed, in a number of sources of the 9th century, the ruler of the Rus was called not a prince, but a kagan (khakan). The earliest report of this dates back to 839, when, according to ancient Russian chronicles, Rurik’s warriors had not yet arrived in Kyiv.
The formation of the nationality, later called the Rus, Rusichs, Russians, Russians, which became one of the strongest nations in the world, if not the strongest, began with the unification of the Slavs settled across the East European Plain. Where they came to these lands from and when is not known for certain. History has not preserved any chronicle evidence on the Rus of the early centuries of the new era. Only from the second half of the 9th century - the time when the first prince appeared in Rus' - can the process of nation formation be traced in more detail.
"Come reign and rule over us..."
Along the great waterway, which connected the entire East European Plain with numerous rivers and lakes, lived the tribes of the ancient Ilmen Slovenes, Polyans, Drevlyans, Krivichi, Polotsk, Dregovichi, Northerners, Radimichi, Vyatichi, who received one common name for all - the Slavs. Two large cities built by our ancient ancestors - the Dnieper and Novgorod - already existed in those lands before the establishment of statehood, but did not have rulers. The name mention of tribal governors appeared when the first princes in Rus' were entered into the chronicle. The table with their names contains only a few lines, but these are the main lines in our story.
The procedure for calling the Varangians to govern the Slavs is known to us from school. The ancestors of the tribes, tired of constant skirmishes and warfare among themselves, elected envoys to the princes of the Rus tribe, who lived beyond the Baltic Sea, and ordered them to tell that “... Our whole land is great and abundant, but there is no outfit in it (i.e. .no peace and order). Come reign and rule over us." The brothers Rurik, Sineus and Truvor responded to the call. They came not alone, but with their retinue, and settled in Novgorod, Izborsk and Beloozero. This was in 862. And the people they began to rule began to be called Rus - after the name of the tribe of Varangian princes.
Refuting the initial conclusions of historians
There is another, less popular hypothesis regarding the arrival of the Baltic princes in our lands. As the official version says, there were three brothers, but it is likely that the old tomes were read (translated) incorrectly, and only one ruler arrived in the Slavic lands - Rurik. The first prince of ancient Rus' came with his faithful warriors (squad) - “tru-vor” in Old Scandinavian, and his household (family, house) - “sine-hus”. Hence the assumption that there were three brothers. For some unknown reason, historians conclude that two years after moving to the Slovenes, both Ruriks die (in other words, the words “tru-thief” and “sine-hus” are no longer mentioned in the chronicles). Several other reasons for their disappearance can be cited. For example, that by that time the army that the first prince had assembled in Rus' began to be called not “tru-thief”, but “druzhina”, and the relatives who came with him were not “sine-khus”, but “clan”.
In addition, modern researchers of antiquity are increasingly inclined to the version that our Rurik is none other than the famous Danish king Rorik of Friesland, famous in history, who became famous for his very successful raids on less weak neighbors. Perhaps that is why he was called to rule because he was strong, courageous and invincible.
Rus' under Rurik
The founder of the political system in Rus', the founder of the princely dynasty, which later became the royal dynasty, ruled the people entrusted to him for 17 years. He united the Ilmen Slovenes, the Psov and Smolensk Krivichi, the whole and the Chud, the Northerners and the Drevlyans, the Meryas and the Radimichi into one state. In the annexed lands he appointed his proteges as governors. By the end, Ancient Rus' occupied quite a vast territory.
In addition to the founder of the new princely family, history also included two of his relatives - Askold and Dir, who, at the call of the prince, established their power over Kiev, which at that time did not yet have a dominant role in the newly formed state. The first prince in Rus' chose Novgorod as his residence, where he died in 879, leaving the principality to his young son Igor. Rurik's heir could not rule himself. For many years, undivided power passed to Oleg, an associate and distant relative of the deceased prince.
The first truly Russian
Thanks to Oleg, popularly nicknamed the Prophetic, Ancient Rus' gained power, which could be envied by both Constantinople and Byzantium - the strongest states at that time. What the first Russian prince did in Rus' in his time, the regent under the young Igor multiplied and enriched. Gathering a large army, Oleg went down the Dnieper and conquered Lyubech, Smolensk, and Kyiv. The latter was taken by elimination and the Drevlyans who inhabited these lands recognized Igor as their true ruler, and Oleg as a worthy regent until he grew up. From now on, Kyiv is appointed the capital of Rus'.
The legacy of Prophetic Oleg
Many tribes were annexed to Rus' during the years of his reign by Oleg, who by that time declared himself the first truly Russian, and not a foreign prince. His campaign against Byzantium ended in absolute victory and benefits for free trade in Constantinople won for the Russians. The squad brought back rich booty from this campaign. The first princes in Rus', to which Oleg rightfully belongs, truly cared about the glory of the state.
Many legends and amazing stories circulated among the people after the army returned from the campaign against Constantinople. To reach the city gates, Oleg ordered the ships to be installed on wheels, and when a fair wind filled their sails, the ships “went” across the plain to Constantinople, terrifying the townspeople. The formidable Byzantine emperor Leo VI surrendered to the mercy of the winner, and Oleg, as a sign of stunning Victory nailed his shield on the gates of Constantinople.
In the chronicles of 911, Oleg is already referred to as the first Grand Duke of All Rus'. In 912 he dies, as legend says, from a snake bite. His more than 30-year reign did not end heroically.
Among the strong
With the death of Oleg, he took over the management of the vast possessions of the principality, although in fact he had been the ruler of the lands since 879. Naturally, he wanted to be worthy of the deeds of his great predecessors. He also fought (during his reign Rus' suffered the first attacks of the Pechenegs), conquered several neighboring tribes, forcing them to pay tribute. Igor did everything that the first prince in Rus' did, but he did not immediately succeed in realizing his main dream - to conquer Constantinople. And not everything went smoothly in our own domains.
After the strong Rurik and Oleg, Igor’s reign turned out to be much weaker, and the obstinate Drevlyans felt this, refusing to pay tribute. The first princes of Kyiv knew how to keep the rebellious tribe under control. Igor also pacified this rebellion for a time, but the revenge of the Drevlyans overtook the prince a few years later.
The treachery of the Khazars, the betrayal of the Drevlyans
The relations of the crown prince with the Khazars were also unsuccessful. Trying to reach the Caspian Sea, Igor made an agreement with them that they would let the squad go to the sea, and he, returning, would give them half of the rich booty. The prince kept his promises, but this was not enough for the Khazars. Seeing that the advantage in strength was on their side, in a fierce battle they destroyed almost the entire Russian army.
Igor experienced a shameful defeat and after his first campaign against Constantinople in 941, the Byzantines destroyed almost his entire squad. Three years later, wanting to wash away the shame, the prince, having united all the Russians, Khazars and even the Pechenegs into one army, again moved to Constantinople. Having learned from the Bulgarians that a formidable force was coming against him, the emperor offered Igor peace on very favorable terms, and the prince accepted it. But a year after such a stunning victory, Igor was killed. Refusing to pay repeated tribute, the Koresten Drevlyans destroyed the few comforts of tax collectors, among whom was the prince himself.
Princess, first in everything
Igor’s wife, Olga from Pskov, whom the Prophetic Oleg chose as his wife in 903, took cruel revenge on the traitors. The Drevlyans were destroyed without any losses for the Rus, thanks to Olga’s cunning but also merciless strategy - needless to say, the first princes in Rus' knew how to fight. After the death of Igor, Svyatoslav, the son of the princely couple, took the hereditary title of ruler of the state, but due to the latter’s youth, his mother ruled Russia for the next twelve years.
Olga was distinguished by her rare intelligence, courage and ability to wisely govern the state. After the capture of Korosten, the main city of the Drevlyans, the princess went to Constantinople and received holy baptism there. The Orthodox Church was in Kyiv even under Igor, but the Russian people worshiped Perun and Veles, and did not soon turn from paganism to Christianity. But the fact that Olga, who took the name Elena at baptism, paved the way for a new faith in Rus' and did not betray it until the end of her days (the princess died in 969), elevated her to the rank of saints.
Warrior from infancy
N.M. Karamzin, the compiler of the “Russian State,” called Svyatoslav the Russian Alexander the Great. The first princes in Rus' were distinguished by amazing courage and bravery. The table, which dryly lists the dates of their reign, conceals many glorious victories and deeds for the benefit of the Fatherland, which stand behind each name in it.
Having inherited the title of Grand Duke at the age of three (after the death of Igor), Svyatoslav became the de facto ruler of Rus' only in 962. Two years later, he freed the Vyatichi from subordination to the Khazars and annexed the Vyatichi to Rus', and in the next two years - a number of Slavic tribes living along the Oka, in the Volga region, the Caucasus and the Balkans. The Khazars were defeated, their capital Itil was abandoned. From the North Caucasus, Svyatoslav brought the Yases (Ossetians) and Kasogs (Circassians) to his lands and settled them in the newly formed cities of Belaya Vezha and Tmutarakan. Like the first prince of all Rus', Svyatoslav understood the importance of constantly expanding his possessions.
Worthy of the great glory of our ancestors
In 968, having conquered Bulgaria (the cities of Pereyaslavets and Dorostol), Svyatoslav, not without reason, began to consider these lands his own and firmly settled in Pereyaslavets - he did not like the peaceful life of Kyiv, and his mother managed well in the capital. But a year later she was gone, and the Bulgarians, having united with the Byzantine emperor, declared war on the prince. Going to it, Svyatoslav left the great Russian cities for his sons to manage: Yaropolk - Kyiv, Oleg - Korosten, Vladimir - Novgorod.
That war was difficult and controversial - victories were celebrated alternately by both sides with varying degrees of success. The confrontation ended with a peace treaty, according to which Svyatoslav left Bulgaria (it was annexed by the Byzantine emperor John Tzimiskes to his possessions), and Byzantium paid the established tribute to the Russian prince for these lands.
Returning from this campaign, controversial in its importance, Svyatoslav stopped for a while in Beloberezhye, on the Dnieper. There, in the spring of 972, his weakened army was attacked by the Pechenegs. The Grand Duke was killed in battle. Historians explain his fame as a born warrior by the fact that Svyatoslav was incredibly hardy on campaigns, could sleep on damp ground with a saddle under his head, since he was unpretentious in everyday life, not like a prince, and was also not picky about food. His message “I’m coming to you,” with which he warned future enemies before the attack, went down in history as Oleg’s shield at the gates of Constantinople.
FIRST PRINCE OF KIEVAN RUS
The Old Russian state was formed in Eastern Europe in the last decades of the 9th century as a result of the unification under the rule of the princes of the Rurik dynasty of the two main centers of the Eastern Slavs - Kyiv and Novgorod, as well as lands located along the waterway “from the Varangians to the Greeks”. Already in the 830s, Kyiv was an independent city and claimed to be the main city of the Eastern Slavs.
Rurik, as the chronicle tells, when dying, transferred power to his brother-in-law Oleg (879–912). Prince Oleg remained in Novgorod for three years. Then, having recruited an army and moved in 882 from Ilmen to the Dnieper, he conquered Smolensk, Lyubech and, settling in Kiev for a living, made it the capital of his principality, saying that Kyiv would be “the mother of Russian cities.” Oleg managed to unite in his hands all the main cities along the great waterway “from the Varangians to the Greeks.” This was his first goal. From Kyiv he continued his unification activities: he went against the Drevlyans, then against the northerners and conquered them, then he subjugated the Radimichi. Thus, all the main tribes of the Russian Slavs, except for the outlying ones, and all the most important Russian cities gathered under his hand. Kyiv became the center of a large state (Kievan Rus) and freed the Russian tribes from Khazar dependence. Having thrown off the Khazar yoke, Oleg tried to strengthen his country with fortresses from the eastern nomads (both Khazars and Pechenegs) and built cities along the border of the steppe.
After Oleg's death, his son Igor (912–945) took over, apparently having no talent as a warrior or ruler. Igor died in the country of the Drevlyans, from whom he wanted to collect double tribute. His death, the matchmaking of the Drevlyan prince Mal, who wanted to marry Igor’s widow Olga, and Olga’s revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband form the subject of a poetic legend, described in detail in the chronicle.
Olga remained after Igor with her young son Svyatoslav and took over the rule of the Principality of Kyiv (945–957). According to ancient Slavic custom, widows enjoyed civic independence and full rights, and in general, the position of women among the Slavs was better than among other European peoples.
Her main business was the adoption of the Christian faith and a pious journey in 957 to Constantinople. According to the chronicle, Olga was baptized “by the king and the patriarch” in Constantinople, although it is more likely that she was baptized at home in Rus', before her trip to Greece. With the triumph of Christianity in Rus', the memory of Princess Olga, in the holy baptism of Helen, began to be revered, and Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.
Olga's son Svyatoslav (957–972) already bore a Slavic name, but his character was still a typical Varangian warrior, a warrior. As soon as he had time to mature, he formed himself a large and brave squad and with it began to seek glory and prey for himself. He left his mother's influence early and was "angry with his mother" when she urged him to be baptized.
How can I change my faith alone? The squad will start laughing at me,” he said.
He got along well with his squad and led a harsh camp life with them.
After the death of Svyatoslav in one of the military campaigns, an internecine war occurred between his sons (Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir), in which Yaropolk and Oleg died, and Vladimir remained the sole ruler of Kievan Rus.
Vladimir waged many wars with various neighbors over the border volosts, and also fought with the Kama Bulgarians. He also became involved in a war with the Greeks, as a result of which he converted to Christianity according to the Greek rite. This most important event ended the first period of power of the Varangian Rurik dynasty in Rus'.
This is how the Principality of Kiev was formed and strengthened, politically uniting most of the tribes of the Russian Slavs.
Another even more powerful factor of unification for Rus' was Christianity. The baptism of the prince was immediately followed by the adoption of Christianity in 988 by all of Russia and the solemn abolition of the pagan cult.
Returning from the Korsun campaign to Kyiv with the Greek clergy, Vladimir began to convert the people of Kiev and all of Rus' to the new faith. He baptized people in Kyiv on the banks of the Dnieper and its tributary Pochayna. The idols of the old gods were thrown to the ground and thrown into the river. Churches were erected in their places. This was the case in other cities where Christianity was introduced by princely governors.
During his lifetime, Vladimir distributed control of individual lands to his numerous sons.
Kievan Rus became the cradle of the Russian land, and the son of Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, Grand Duke of Kyiv Yuri Dolgoruky, who was also the Prince of Rostov, Suzdal and Pereyaslavl, is called by historians the first ruler of Russia.
From the book Ancient Rus' and the Great Steppe author Gumilev Lev Nikolaevich155. About the “desolation” of Kievan Rus Banal versions have the attractiveness that they allow one to make a decision without criticism, which is difficult and one does not want to think about. So, it is indisputable that Kievan Rus of the 12th century. was a very rich country, with excellent crafts, and brilliant
authorThe desolation of Kievan Rus Under the pressure of these three unfavorable conditions, the legal and economic humiliation of the lower classes, princely strife and Polovtsian attacks, from the half of the 12th century. signs of desolation of Kievan Rus and the Dnieper region become noticeable. River
From the book Course of Russian History (Lectures I-XXXII) author Klyuchevsky Vasily OsipovichThe Collapse of Kievan Rus The political consequences of the Russian colonization of the Upper Volga region, which we have just studied, laid the foundation for a new system of social relations in that region. In the further history of Upper Volga Rus', we will have to follow the development of the foundations laid in
From the book World History. Volume 2. Middle Ages by Yeager OscarCHAPTER FIVE The most ancient history of the Eastern Slavs. - Formation of the Russian state in the north and south. - Establishment of Christianity in Rus'. The fragmentation of Rus' into fiefs. - Russian princes and Polovtsians. - Suzdal and Novgorod. - The emergence of the Livonian Order. - Internal
author Fedoseev Yuri GrigorievichChapter 2 The calling of the Varangians, their first steps. Education of Kievan Rus. Tormenting neighboring tribes. Squads. Communities. Social stratification. Tribute. Remains of ancient democracy So what about Rurik and his Varangians? How to explain their appearance in 862 in Rus': how
From the book Pre-Letopic Rus'. Pre-Horde Rus'. Rus' and the Golden Horde author Fedoseev Yuri GrigorievichChapter 4 Ladder order of succession to the throne. Outcasts. Tribal viceroy. Division of Rus' under Yaroslavich Civil strife. Vladimir Monomakh. Reasons for the collapse of Kievan Rus. Population outflow In the initial period of statehood in Rus' there were problems with
From the book Millennium around the Black Sea author Abramov Dmitry MikhailovichTwilight of Golden Kievan Rus, or the First Glimpses of Dawn The second half of the 13th century became for many Russian lands a time of final decline, feudal wars and fragmentation. Western Rus' suffered less from the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars than other Russian lands. In 1245
From the book Russian Lands through the Eyes of Contemporaries and Descendants (XII-XIV centuries). Lecture course author Danilevsky Igor NikolaevichLecture 1: FROM KIEVAN Rus' TO APART Rus' In domestic historiography, the boundary between the first and second is considered to be the boundary of the existence of that very shaky and rather amorphous association, which is loudly called Kievan Rus or the Old Russian state
author Semenenko Valery IvanovichThe first princes of the Kyiv land. Askold, Oleg (Helg), Igor were already mentioned above. The chronology of the reign of Oleg, who most likely did not belong to the Rurik dynasty, suggests that there were two Olegs over a 33-year period. First of all, we note that
From the book History of Ukraine from ancient times to the present day author Semenenko Valery IvanovichCulture of Kievan Rus Some historians and archaeologists believe that in the 9th century in Rus' there was proto-writing in the form of “lines and cuts”, which was later written about by the Bulgarian Chernorizets Khrobr, the Arabs Ibn Fadlan, El Masudi and Ibn el Nedima. But after accepting Christianity here
From the book History of Ukraine from ancient times to the present day author Semenenko Valery IvanovichLaw of Kievan Rus The first codified collection of legal norms in Rus' was “Russian Truth,” which consisted of two parts: “The Truth of Yaroslav” of 17 articles (1015–1016) and “The Truth of the Yaroslavichs” (up to 1072). To date, more than a hundred copies of the Brief are known,
From the book Ancient Rus'. Events and people author Tvorogov Oleg ViktorovichTHE FLOWING OF KIEVAN Rus' 978 (?) - Vladimir Svyatoslavich from Novgorod goes to Polotsk. He wanted to marry the daughter of the Polotsk prince Rogvolod Rogneda, but Rogneda, who was counting on a marriage with Yaropolk, refused Vladimir, speaking disparagingly about the son of a slave (see 970).
author Kukushkin Leonid From the book History of Orthodoxy author Kukushkin Leonid From the book In Search of Oleg's Rus' author Anisimov Konstantin AlexandrovichThe Birth of Kievan Rus The only logical explanation for the success of the coup carried out by Oleg can be considered the dissatisfaction of Rus' with Askold's religious reforms. Oleg was a pagan and led the pagan reaction. Above, in the chapter “The Riddles of Prophetic Oleg”, already
From the book Smoke over Ukraine by the LDPRFrom Kievan Rus to Little Russia The Mongol invasion of 1237–1241 dealt a terrible blow to the entire ancient Russian civilization, as a result of which there was a total redrawing of the political map of Eastern Europe. The immediate political consequences of this event are very
Hello friends!
In this post we will focus on such a difficult topic as the first Kyiv princes. Today we will present 7 original historical portraits from Oleg the Prophet to Vladimir II Monomakh, all of these historical portraits were painted with the maximum score and meet all criteria for assessing work on the Unified State Exam.
You see in front of you a map of Ancient Rus', or rather the tribes that lived on their territory. You see that this is the territory of present-day Ukraine and Belarus. Ancient Rus' extended from the Carpathians in the West, to the Oka and Volga in the East and from the Baltic in the North, to the steppes of the Black Sea region in the South. Of course, Kyiv was the capital of this Old Russian state and it was there that the princes of Kyiv sat. We will begin our study of Ancient Rus' with Prince Oleg. Unfortunately, no information about this prince has been preserved, but only the legend “The Legend of the Prophetic Oleg” has been preserved, which you all know very well. And so in 882, Oleg headed to Kyiv from Novgorod. He was a warrior of Rurik (862-882) and while Rurik’s son, Igor, was small, Oleg was his regent. And in 882, Oleg captured Kyiv, killing Askold and Dir, and from that moment his reign began.
Oleg the Prophet – Historical Portrait
Lifetime:9th century – beginningX century
Reign: 882-912
1. Domestic policy:
1.1. He made Kyiv the capital of Ancient Rus', so some historians consider Oleg the founder of the Old Russian state. “Let Kyiv be the mother of Russian cities”
1.2. He united the northern and southern centers of the Eastern Slavs by conquering the lands of the Ulichs, Tivertsi, Radimichi, Northerners, Drevlyans, and subjugating cities such as Smolensk, Lyubech, Kyiv.
2. Foreign policy:
2.1. He made a successful campaign against Constantinople in 907.
2.2. He concluded peace and trade agreements with Byzantium that were beneficial for the country.
Results of activities:
During the years of his reign, Prince Oleg significantly increased the territory of Rus' and concluded the first trade agreement with Byzantium (Constantinople)
The second ruler after Oleg was Igor the Old and much is unknown about his reign in modern history and we only know about the last four years of his reign in Kyiv.
Historical portrait of Igor Stary
Lifetime: end9th century –II quarterX century
Reign: 912-945
Main activities:
1. Domestic policy:
1.1. Continued the unification of East Slavic tribes
1.2. Was governor in Kyiv during the reign of Oleg
2. Foreign policy:
2.1. Russian-Byzantine War 941-944.
2.2. War with the Pechenegs
2.3. War with the Drevlyans
2.4. Military campaign against Byzantium
Results of activities:
He extended his power to the Slavic tribes between the Dniester and Danube, concluded a military-trade agreement with Byzantium, and conquered the Drevlyans.
After the murder of Igor by the Drevlyans for excessive collection of tribute, his wife, Olga, ascended the throne.
Duchess Olga
Lifetime:II-III quarterX century.
Reign: 945-962
Main activities:
1. Domestic policy:
1.1. Strengthening the central government through reprisals against the Drevlyan tribe
1.2. She carried out the first tax reform in Rus': she introduced lessons - a fixed amount of tribute collection and graveyards - places where tribute was collected.
2. Foreign policy:
2.1. She was the first Russian princess and ruler in general to convert to Christianity.
2.2. She was able to prevent the Drevlyan dynasty of princes from reigning in Kyiv.
Results of activities:
Olga strengthened the internal position of the young Russian state, improved relations with Byzantium, increased the authority of Rus', and was able to preserve the Russian throne for her son Svyatoslav.
After Olga's death, the reign of Svyatoslav Igorevich, known for his rich foreign policy, began in Kyiv
Svyatoslav Igorevich
Life time: second half of the 10th century.
Reigned 945 - 972
Main activities:
1. Domestic policy:
1.1. He led the further strengthening of the ancient Russian state, like his predecessors.
1.2. Tried to create an empire.
2. Foreign policy:
2.1. Conducted a military campaign against Bulgaria in 967.
2.2. Defeated the Khazar Khaganate in 965.
2.3. Conducted a military campaign against Byzantium.
Results of activities:
He established diplomatic relations with many peoples of the world, strengthened the position of Rus' on the world stage, removed the threat from the Volga Bulgaria and the Khazar Khaganate, expanded the possessions of the Kyiv prince, wanted to create an empire, but his plans were not destined to come true.
After the death of Svyatoslav, Prince Yaropolk (972-980) ascended the Kiev throne, who during the 8 years of his reign made a very small contribution to the history of Ancient Rus'. After his reign, Vladimir I, popularly nicknamed the Red Sun, ascended the Kiev throne.
Vladimir I Svyatoslavovich (Saint, Red Sun) – Historical portrait
Life time: 3rd quarter of the 10th century - first half of the 11th century (~ 960-1015);
Reign: 980-1015
Main activities:
1. Domestic policy:
1.1. The final annexation of the lands of the Vyatichi, Cherven cities, as well as the lands on both sides of the Carpathians.
1.2. Pagan reform. In order to strengthen the grand-ducal power and introduce Rus' to the rest of the world, in 980 Vladimir carried out the Pagan Reform, according to which Perun was placed at the head of the pantheon of Slavic gods. After the failure of the reform, Vladimir I decided to baptize Rus' according to the Byzantine rite.
1.3. Acceptance of Christianity. After the failure of the pagan reform, under Vladimir in 988, Christianity was adopted as the state religion. The baptism of Vladimir and his entourage took place in the city of Korsun. The reason for choosing Christianity as the main religion was the marriage of Vladimir to the Byzantine princess Anna and the prevalence of this faith in Rus'.
2. Foreign policy:
2.1. Protection of the borders of Rus'. Under Vladimir, for the purpose of protection, a Unified Defense System against nomads and an Alert System were created.
2.2. The defeat of the Radimichi militia, the campaign in Volga Bulgaria, the first clash between Rus' and Poland, as well as the conquest of the Principality of Polotsk.
Activity results:
1. Domestic policy:
1.1. The unification of all the lands of the Eastern Slavs as part of Kievan Rus.
1.2. The reform streamlined the pagan pantheon. Encouraged Prince Vladimir to turn to a fundamentally new religion.
1.3. Strengthening princely power, raising the country's authority on the world stage, borrowing Byzantine culture: frescoes, architecture, icon painting, the Bible was translated into Slavic language...
2. Foreign policy:
2.1. The Unified Defense System against nomads and the Alert System helped to quickly notify the center of a border crossing, and, accordingly, of an attack, which gave Rus' an advantage.
2.2. Expansion of the borders of Rus' through the active foreign policy of Prince Vladimir the Saint.
After Vladimir, Yaroslav, nicknamed the Wise, turned out to be a very noticeable ruler.
Yaroslav the Wise
Lifetime: endX – middle11th century
Reign: 1019–1054
Main activities:
1. Domestic policy:
1.1. Establishing dynastic ties with Europe and Byzantium through dynastic marriages.
1.2. Founder of written Russian legislation - “Russian Truth”
1.3. Built St. Sophia Cathedral and Golden Gate
2. Foreign policy:
2.1. Military campaigns in the Baltic states
2.2. The final defeat of the Pechenegs
2.3. Military campaign against Byzantium and Polish-Lithuanian lands
Results of activities:
During the reign of Yaroslav, Rus' reached its peak. Kyiv became one of the largest cities in Europe, the authority of Rus' increased on the world stage, and the active construction of temples and cathedrals began.
And the last prince, whose characteristics we will give in this post, will be Vladimir II.
Vladimir Monomakh
INTime of life: second half of the 11th century - first quarter of the 12th century.
Reign: 1113-1125
Main activities:
1. Domestic policy:
1.1. Stopped the collapse of the Old Russian state. “Let everyone keep his homeland”
1.2. Nestor compiled “The Tale of Bygone Years”
1.3. Introduced the “Charter of Vladimir Monomakh”
2. Foreign policy:
2.1. Organized successful campaigns of princes against the Polovtsians
2.2. Continued the policy of strengthening dynastic ties with Europe
Results of activities:
He was able to unite the Russian lands for a short time, became the author of “Instructions for Children”, and managed to stop the Polovtsian raids on Rus'.
© Ivan Nekrasov 2014
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