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) - chronicle founder of the statehood of Russia, Varangian, prince of novgorod 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 Slavic languages also called 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 is the event from which the beginning of statehood is traditionally counted. Eastern Slavs, in historiography received the conditional name 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 people of Russia, ethnicity which 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 associate the message of the Nikon Chronicle about the uprising of the Novgorodians with more later events XI 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 a few existing documents. Therefore, in historiography there are different points view of the chronicle 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 Russia, 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 the Varangian, and the Varangians are Rus according to various sources associated with the Normans or the 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 have been used in legends and myths 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 Skjöldung dynasty, the brother (or nephew) of the exiled Danish king Harald Klak, who in 826 received from Louis the Pious a fief of possession 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 yield to Rorik Dorestad and most Frisia, baptizing him 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. AT modern pronunciation the name sounds something like Vierega, which is close to the ancient Russian Vikings. 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 while 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 Austrialand […] 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". Australland ( Eastern land) and Austrwegi (Eastern Ways) in the sagas was called Russia.

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.

During the time of Eirik Emundarson, Norwegian king Harald Fairhair had a son named Hrörek (Snorri Sturluson's saga of 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 Skilvings, kings 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 Bjarmians 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, also not known scientific publications on this saga in English. 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 the Russians princely families have a different genotype, indicating different ancestors in the male line. The genetic set of the studied individuals itself belongs to the common in Eastern Europe (haplogroup R1a) and in northern Europe(haplogroup N1c1a). Since the opinion is accepted about the origin of Rurik from Scandinavia, the authors of the project selected the result with the haplogroup N1c1a and, according to the available results genetic research(in SNP markers) European residents made a conclusion about the origin of the roots of Rurik 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 Haplotypes of Residents Northwestern Russia was not carried out.

An ethnic marker is certain proportion haplogroups, since people usually have several haplogroups within a population, often with a predominant haplogroup. The 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". Slavic origin Rurik Lomonosov a priori accepted as an indisputable fact:

... the Varangians and Rurik with their family, who came to Novgorod, were Slavic tribes, spoke the Slavic language, came from the ancient Russians and were by no means from Scandinavia, but lived on the eastern-southern shores of the Varangian Sea, between the rivers Vistula and Dvina ... named Rus in Scandinavia and on the northern shores of the Varangian Sea have never been heard of ... Our chroniclers mention that Rurik and his Family came from the Germans, and in the Indian it is written that from Prussia ... Between the rivers Vistula and Dvina flows into the Varangian Sea from the east-south side of the river, which above, near the city of Grodno, it is called Nemen, and Rusa is reputed to its mouth. Here it is clear that the Varangians-Rus lived in the east-south shore of the Varangian Sea, near the river Rusa ... And the very name of the Prussians or Poruss shows that the Prussians lived along the Russ or near the Russ. M. V. Lomonosov. "Objections to Miller's Dissertation"

Mecklenburg genealogies

There is a folk legend about Rurik and his brothers, published in the 30s years XIX century by the French traveler and writer Xavier Marmier in the book Northern Letters. He wrote it down in Northern Germany, among 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, father of three young men, the first of which 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 Novgorod principality(Nowoghorod), Sivar - Pskov (Pleskow), Truvar - Belozerskoe (Bile-Jezoro). Because after a while younger brothers died without leaving 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, former region resettlement of the Slavic tribes of encouragement or Bodrichi. In 1716, Friedrich Thomas, vice-rector of the gymnasium, 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.

By german version 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 date ancient Russian chronicles in the period up to the middle of the 10th century is approximate, unless Byzantine sources are used.

Vendian falcon

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

• Slavic peoples There are many. 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 given name, and the 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". AT Scandinavian sagas Wends (Pomeranian Slavs) began to engage in sea robbery from the 10th century, in more early times sources record only their overland 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 emblem 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.

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 Prophetic Oleg in 882 he went to Smolensk and Kyiv, then in the enumeration of 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 of those that have 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.

Doubted in different time the chronology of Rurik's vocation was put, 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. 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 about the calling of the Varangians in the form in which it appears in The Tale of Bygone Years is distorted. The calling 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 tribute to them and often did it themselves”), 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 aid. 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, because in Russian-Byzantine treaty 944, Igor's nephews - Igor and Akun are mentioned.

On December 29, the Russian film Viking, which tells about the coming to power of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich, is released on cinema screens. Lenta.ru begins publishing a series of materials dedicated to events that time. The identity of Prince Rurik, the Varangian, who, according to The Tale of Bygone Years, was called to reign on the land where the Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes lived, remains a mystery. Historians are still arguing about where the man who is considered the founder of Russian statehood came from. Lenta.ru talks about theories that interpret its origin in different ways.

Normanism and Anti-Normanism

“In the year 6370 (862) they expelled the Varangians across the sea, and did not give them tribute, and began to rule themselves, and there was no truth among them, and clan stood against clan, and they had strife, and began to fight with each other. And they said to themselves: "Let's look for a prince who would rule over us and judge by right." And they went across the sea to the Varangians, to Russia. Those Varangians were called Rus, as others are called Swedes, and others are Normans and Angles, and still others are Gotlanders - like these. The Russians said Chud, Slovenes, Krivichi and all: "Our land is great and plentiful, but there is no order in it. Come reign and rule over us." And three brothers with their clans were elected, and they took all of Russia with them, and they came, and the eldest, Rurik, sat in Novgorod, and the other, Sineus, on Beloozero, and the third, Truvor, in Izborsk. And from those Varangians the Russian land was nicknamed.

So The Tale of Bygone Years, the earliest ancient Russian chronicle, tells about the birth of Russian statehood: allegedly, the inhabitants of Novgorod called for the reign of the Scandinavians, since they themselves were immersed in the abyss of internecine wars. Believe this information or not - open question, since no other sources directly telling about this event have been preserved.

In modern national historiography There are two theories on this subject: Norman and anti-Norman. Supporters of the first believe that the people of Rus, mentioned in the annals, really belong to the Scandinavians and greatly influenced the formation of Russia as a state. The latter often seek not only to deny the influence of the Varangians, but also attribute to them a native, Slavic or South Baltic origin. Representatives of both camps are heatedly arguing with each other, although it is worth noting that such a rigid division exists only in domestic historiography, foreign historians prefer to take softer positions.

If everything is clear with the roots of Normanism, then anti-Normanism deserves separate consideration. Academician Mikhail Lomonosov is considered the first anti-Normanist, who was not satisfied with the way the German historians Gottlieb Bayer and Friedrich Miller approached the interpretation of The Tale of Bygone Years, practically calling the Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes that inhabited the Ladoga region dark and ignorant. On the one hand, his claims to the works of the Germans were fully justified, on the other hand, they gave rich ground to patriotic scientists for asserting that the Rus tribe was Slavic, and only Russophobes allegedly claim the opposite.

Despite the fact that the name Rurik in various variants was widespread in Scandinavia, modern anti-Normanists are trying to glorify it, arguing, for example, that it is derived from the word rarog (falcon), and the word "Varangian" is derived from "cook". Why would the Varangians in this case, say, not be saltworkers from Rusa (a city in Novgorod region, now called Staraya Russa)?

The anti-Normanists also have another argument: there are very few borrowings from Scandinavian languages ​​in Russian, while the population of Britain was actively replenishing its vocabulary from the vocabulary of their conquerors - the Vikings. This statement, however, is quite easily refuted: the fact is that the Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse dialects at that time were quite close. If you look, for example, at Sicily, where the Vikings also created their own states, you can see a picture similar to Russia: it is difficult to borrow incomprehensible gibberish.

However, the extremely meager base of sources does not allow us to speak about anything exactly and leaves plenty of scope for interpretations of the few events that are described in them. In addition to isolated stories of travelers and texts of the Viking sagas (which often mention their trips to the Ladoga region), historians can only hope for the finds of archaeologists.

swedish jewelry

In Priilmenye, archaeologists find many objects and evidence of the stay of the ancient Scandinavians here. Rurik's settlement (presumably the residence of Rurik himself and his descendants) is a real treasure trove for a researcher. Excavations have shown that in the middle of the 9th century (the time of the alleged “summoning of the Varangians”) Scandinavian artifacts are quite rare, and by the beginning of the next century their number increases several times.

The earliest are women's jewelry: molded brooches found in the Swedish Viking settlement of Birka. The steel neck rings also belong to the same period, and some of them are decorated with pendants in the shape of the hammer of Thor, the Scandinavian god of thunder. There are rings and other jewelry, clothes and household items, analogues of which are mostly found in Sweden. Similar finds are often made in other settlements of the region.

Affairs long ago past days

Why, then, are the events described in The Tale of Bygone Years questioned? As the Polish archaeologist Vladislav Duchko writes in his book Vikings Rus, for the compiler of the chronicle, they were things of bygone days. For example, if we take the passage that Rurik brought with him "the whole of Russia", having driven out "all the Varangians" before that, it becomes clear that he separates these two peoples. There are some Varangians, robbers from across the sea, and there is Rus - completely different Varangians. The chronicle even says: “Those Varangians were called Rus, as others are called Swedes, and others are Normans and Angles, and still others are Gotlanders, so are these.” By the way, at the time in question, the mentioned names of the peoples were not known.

The compiler of the chronicle really knew about the arrival of Rurik, however, he placed him in the later medieval realities in which he himself lived. The term "Varangians", which he uses, is an anachronism, since it appeared in the East only at the end of the 10th century. In addition, the cities mentioned (in particular, Novgorod) did not exist in the middle of the 9th century.

The mention that Rurik arrived at the invitation of the local nobility is an attempt to legitimize this event. But there was hardly an invitation, because such an agreement - "riad" - required the existence of one absolute ruler, which at that time the tribes inhabiting the region did not have.

Whose will you be?

With the same difficult problems historians have to face when it comes to who Rurik himself was. FROM early XIX century, it has been suggested that here we are talking about Rorik, a member of the Danish royal family, brother or nephew of the Danish king Harald Klak. He was a real historical figure, and references to him are contained in the Annals of the Kingdom of the Franks. In them he appears as fearless viking famous for his many military campaigns.

In the narrative about him, there is no period of time that roughly coincides with the period of the reign of the legendary Rurik, and some historians make bold statements that it is he who is the same Varangian. However, it is difficult to draw such a conclusion based on the available sources.

Image: "Arrival of Rurik in Ladoga" V. M. Vasnetsov.

Despite this, Rurik should not be considered a chronicler's fantasy. Most likely, he really was a real historical figure, but at the time of writing The Tale of Bygone Years (beginning of the 12th century), these events were already such a distant past that nothing remained of the prince except his name. The history of Rurik should be considered as extremely simplified, in which some elements were invented, while others were greatly distorted.

The chronicler confuses the dates. For example, when he writes about the calling of Rurik, he reports the expulsion of the Varangians, who previously imposed tribute on the inhabitants of the region in one entry for 862. In the same place, he reports that the prince's brothers, Truvor and Sineus, died two years later, but leaves three entries for subsequent years empty - here you can directly see how the chronicler is trying to squeeze something out of the meager information he has and come up with his own course of events. This becomes even more obvious when he writes about the campaign of Russia against the capital of Byzantium, dating this event to 866. According to another source, it happened in 860.

Where did the Rus of Rurik come from? As already mentioned, many of the items left by these people, which are found at the excavations of the settlements of Ladoga and Rurik's settlement, come from Sweden. If you look at the chronology of the emergence of settlements on the Volkhov River starting from the middle of the 9th century, then we can assume that the Normans were present in them in in large numbers if they were not in the majority of the population. Even in the east, in the upper reaches of the Volga, settlements are found that contain traces of the Scandinavian culture, the carriers of which settled there. And undoubtedly, they had a considerable influence on the local tribes.

There are many theories about how Rurik was "called" to reign. Some historians say that the native peoples signed an agreement with him and his retinue to hire them as mercenaries. Others believe that the prince was really called because there was no order on the land where the Chud, Slovene, Krivichi and all lived.

The third option is most likely. Rurik's Russia was no different from those very "other" Varangians who took tribute and were expelled local population. It was not so easy to expel the Rurikovichs.

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

History of the Eastern Slavs before Rurik

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

Rice. 1. Prince Rurik.

Biography of the first Russian prince

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

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

Rice. 2. The calling of the Varangians.

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

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

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

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

Rice. 3. Prince Igor.

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

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

Table “Immediate descendants of Rurik”

prince	Who is Rurik	Years of government
Igor Rurikovich
	daughter-in-law
Svyatoslav the Warrior
Yaropolk Svyatoslavich

The calling of Rurik and the Varangians.

Anti-Normanism in its struggle for the "purity" of Russian history has long become a form of Russian Svidomo *, which is being planted various personalities(I don't know why). The scientific dispute itself has long gone beyond the scope of the dispute on the part of anti-Normanists, becoming an instrument of ideological struggle. The anti-Normanists use the dirtiest and most primitive means of propaganda to sling mud at their opponents. They sink to the lowest lies, and replace historical facts and evidence with their pseudo-historical fantasies. All uncomfortable facts either hushed up or dismissed. For example, they say that Scandinavian archaeological finds in Russia are single 10-15 pieces, although this is a lie - more than 250 Scandinavian brooches alone were known by 1971. I wonder how the icon of anti-Normanism L. Grotto can fight historical science while living in Sweden? Such is the passionate patriot of Russia.

The personality of Prince Rurik, who lived 11 centuries ago, is subjected to special attacks. Here anti-Normanists fall into a real schizophrenia: literally everything infuriates them. And the fact that the Slavs called Rurik, and the fact that his nationality is not of that system. They are against calling, but they also believe that nationality must meet "patriotic" standards. Let Rurik be anyone: a Celt, an Estonian, a Frank, a Lithuanian, even a half-Slav, the grandson of the mythical Gostomysl from the Joachim Chronicle (a semi-fantastic work of the 17th century), than a German. Although why a called-up Prussian or Lithuanian is better than a called-up Scandinavian prince is a mystery to me. But for the anti-Normanist Svidomites, the very thought of a "German" prince is hateful. All who do not agree are automatically labeled "enemies of the Russian people."

Lithuanians. These ones a good choice for the nationality of Rurik according to anti-Normanists.
The Prussians are the Germanized descendants of the Prussians and Slavs. These are even dearer to the anti-Normanists than the Scandinavians.

Any sane person does not understand why the legitimate prince, called by the people to rule, is worse than the purebred German Sophia Augusta Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst, who gained power by conspiracy and coup d'état? Something is not visible here, the struggle for the purity of history from our fighters for the purity of history (although our Svidomites and Catherine II are trying to attribute Russian origin). The main question of anti-Normanist Svidomites: "Were our ancestors really so helpless that they could not find their prince?" It seems to them that this should hurt the patriotic feelings of the Russian people. The origin of Rurik from the Polabian Slavs does not bother anti-Normanists. That is, if the state was formed under the arrival of a Slav, and not a Scandinavian, then everything is in order and fine - the patriots can sleep peacefully. It is necessary to answer the question, why did our ancestors really decide to invite someone else's prince?

Prehistory of calling.

Map of the settlement of the Slavic tribes. The Finno-Ugric tribe Vod is usually forgotten to be marked on maps, as a result, their territory is usually included in the possessions of the Slavs.

By the 9th century Slavic colonists for two or three centuries managed to settle down and gain a foothold in the occupied territories. The tribes united in tribal unions, the social and property stratification of Slavic society began, and the process of class formation began. The Eastern Slavs came close to creating their own states. But there were serious obstacles: external - the Khazar Khaganate, internal - the tribal system and economic - our ancestors were poor and support state machine there was nothing. Individually, these obstacles were not serious, but collectively they were insurmountable.

Khazar Khaganate in the IX century. was the strongest and most aggressive state of Eastern Europe. The Khazar kings of the Jewish dynasty sought to expand their state as much as possible and put as many peoples in dependent position. They acted very energetically and already 30-50 years. they subjugated the glades, northerners, Vyatichi, imposing tribute on them, apparently with the skins of fur-bearing animals, because the Slavs had nowhere to take silver. By the 80s. Radimichi fell under the rule of the Khazars. It must be assumed that the Slavs were well aware that sooner or later the Khazars would get to them. Separately, not a single Slavic tribal union was able to repulse the predators from the Khaganate. The idea of ​​unification must have been in the air, but here the tribal structure of our ancestors stood up as an obstacle.

Our ancestors lived in clans united in tribes, that is, they had one ancestor and were united by the cult of a common god. Other Slavic tribes, although they were considered related in language and origin, they were not considered their own - and their ancestor was different, and the god is not the same, and the embroideries on the towels are not correct, and the accent is funny. To submit to another tribe was considered shameful and unacceptable. The Celts were never able to unite and as a result survived only on the outskirts of Europe. Look at modern tribes in Africa or Yemen. It would seem that the people are one and the languages ​​differ little, but they cut each other at the first opportunity without any pity. Therefore, the attempt of any Slavic tribal union to establish hegemony would end in a long intertribal war and enmity for centuries. This enmity destroyed the Polabian Slavs, who not only fought with a common enemy, but were at enmity with each other. The Slavs could still unite under the rule of one tribe if at least one tribal union grew rich and strengthened, becoming a center of attraction for the rest. But here an economic obstacle arose - the Eastern Slavs were poor.

The usual historical stamp - Russia was rich, so its wealth attracted neighbors. This is not true. In the VIII-IX centuries. our ancestors could not boast of wealth. Therefore, the sources report little about them - they were not interesting to the neighbors. Our ancestors lived subsistence farming, were engaged in slash-and-burn agriculture, hunting, fishing, raising small and large cattle. Our ancestors had nothing to trade with.

The Drevlyans pay tribute to Prince Igor with furs.

Prince Svyatoslav named the following goods that Russia supplied to the foreign market: "furs, and wax, and honey, and slaves are from Russia," other sources add horses to the list of goods. Furs were the main source of trade income. So the Khazars and Russian princes took tribute from the Slavs with the skins of fur-bearing animals. But having a product is not enough - it must also be sold. The trade route that passed through the Slavic lands was the so-called Volga-Baltic trade route. He connected Arab Caliphate with Scandinavia.

The trade route began to function in the 80s. VIII century, as a result of which Arab silver flowed to Europe in exchange for furs and slaves. It would seem that there is nothing better to get rich than transit trade: serve and protect merchants, collect duties and trade your goods yourself. But everything worked out for the Slavs, and vice versa - they did not receive any benefits from the trade route. On the one hand, trade was intercepted by the resourceful merchants of the Khazar Khaganate, and from the west, trade was intercepted by cunning Polabian Slavs, who even formed trade and craft quarters in Pskov (it is these quarters that anti-Normanists pass off as some kind of West Slavic migration). As a result, instead of remaining in Russia, Arab silver flowed west and settled in the form of treasures on the island of Rügen. The local Slavic nobility received crumbs from trade, and the population either handed over furs in the form of tribute to the Khazars, or sold them for next to nothing (there were no merchants of their own, so they did not set the price.) As a result, the Slavic Slavs and Jewish merchants of the Khaganate grew rich, and our ancestors became poorer.

Russian Khaganate.

It couldn't go on like that for a long time. And the Slavic tribes in the north made the first attempt to create their own state. Since our ancestors understood that no one would obey any one local prince (even within the tribal union there were several princes), they relied on a prince called and recognized by all, neutral to local contradictions, who would be recognized by everyone. We know very little about these events. By 839, a state existed in the north of Russia, ruled by a Swedish ruler who bore the title of kagan. The Tale of Bygone Years speaks of this sparingly under 859: "The Varangians, coming from across the sea, levied tribute from the Chud, and from the Slavs, and from Mary, and from Vesi, and from Krivichi." The boundaries of the state are generally clear. This was not a conquest - not a single Scandinavian ruler of that time was able to subdue the Slavic tribal unions. It was voluntary submission. The title of the kagan speaks of the confrontation between the young state and the kaganate, as a foreign policy program. Another goal of creating the state was to intercept trade routes in the hands of the local nobility.

But the Russian Khaganate perished as a result of a general uprising. PVL again speaks very sparingly about these events under 862: "And they drove the Varangians across the sea, and did not give them tribute, and began to rule themselves." Archeology says that they not only expelled, but also burned Ladoga and Pskov to the ground. This indicates the fierce nature of the uprising, apparently all the newcomers were killed, because the Scandinavian sources did not retain any memory of the Russian Kaganate.

But what made our ancestors so furious? Apparently, the Swedes did not fulfill a single point of the series-agreement according to which they were invited to reign. First, we lost the war with Khazar Khaganate, as a result of which the southern Slavic lands remained under the rule of the Khaganate and even the Radimichi began to pay tribute to the Khazars. Secondly, the West Slavic merchants were replaced by Swedish and Arab silver now flowed into Scandinavia, leaving the local nobility out of work. So the first attempt of the Eastern Slavs to create their own state ended unsuccessfully.

Why called Rurik?

PVL again writes sparingly about the subsequent events: "... and more often you yourself will be free. And there was no truth in them, and you would rise up to the people, and there would be strife in them, and fight on your own more often" ("... and they began to rule themselves, and there was no truth among them, and generation upon generation stood up, and they had strife, and began to fight with each other.

And stand up kind on kind! Few people pay attention to these words, but they are very important and scary words. Ancestral war is not just a war. This is a war according to the customs of blood feud, when blood for blood, death for death, and the death of a relative cannot be left unpunished. Such wars could be fought for centuries. Our ancestors could not agree among themselves. Under the tribal system, they never could. It is impossible to choose the main one if equal. Before the war, I think, it did not come, here historical memory rather thickened the colors. But the situation. apparently heated to the limit. And here, instead of squeamishly rolling out lips, you need to bow your head before the wisdom of our ancestors - instead of slaughtering each other for their own greatness, they got together and decided to invite a new prince. They perfectly understood that strife would only lead to death and submission to foreigners. The Polabian and Balkan Slavs did not understand this.

Rurik. Monument to the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia.

Why did they choose Rurik? Here we took into account negative experience of the past. The following tasks were set before the future ruler: the fight against the Khazar Khaganate, the liberation of the Slavic tribes from the Khazar oppression, ensuring the foreign economic interests of the future state. The Swedes and Norwegians fell away, because the experience of the Russian Khaganate showed that in this case all power and trade would fall into the hands of the Scandinavians. The Polabian Slavs also fell away - they had their own economic interests. The Baltic tribes were backward savages, so they were not even considered. Our ancestors were pagans, so Christian princes fell away automatically. Thus, the only suitable candidate at that time was the Danish prince Rorik.

Firstly, he was the son of a king and himself a prince, that is, of a noble family, and this was a very important moment in the Middle Ages.

Secondly, Rorik at that time lost his possessions in Friesland and waged an unsuccessful struggle for the return of his possessions. According to Russian law, Rurik was an outcast prince, that is, a prince who had lost his inheritance. Rurik had a squad, there were ships, but there was nothing else. Such people in Scandinavia were called "sea princes". Rurik, therefore, would come not as a conqueror, but as a ruler dependent on inviting.

Thirdly, since Rurik was an outcast prince, no third force stood behind him. Rurik had only a squad and relatives, him and his warriors. Thus, there will be no one but them in Russia. This actually happened - no mass colonization (as happened in Normandy and England) of Russia by the Scandinavians happened.

Rurik, Sineus and Truvor.

These reasons determined historical choice our ancestors. The arrival of Rurik and his squads became a catalyst for the formation of the state in Russia. If the Slavic tribes refused to obey each other, then the figure of the Scandinavian prince reconciled them with submission - they paid tribute not to the Slovenes or Krivichi, but to the prince chosen by everyone and under the protection of the gods. Problems, of course, arose, as with the Drevlyans, Tivertsy or streets, but even if the tribes surrendered, they surrendered not to the meadows or the Dregovichi, but to the Russian prince. The prince became a personified power, a symbol of the state, which was able to break the tribal isolation of the Slavs and unite them into one people. And this must be respected, not to look for Rurik a suitable nationality.

*Svidomo- a form of mass insanity on the basis of national greatness, when historical consciousness deliberately distorted and replaced by historical myths and fantasies.

About where and when the ancient Russian state arose, there are disputes to this day. According to legend, in the middle of the IX century. in the land of the Ilmenian Slovenes and the Finno-Ugric tribes (Chud, Merya, etc.), civil strife began, “kind to kindred stood up.” Tired of strife, the local leaders in 862 decided to invite rulers from Scandinavia, Rorik (Rurik) and his brothers: Sineus and Truvor. As it is said in the chronicle, the leaders turned to the brothers with the words: “Our land is great and plentiful, but there is no order in it. Come reign and rule over us." There was nothing offensive or humiliating in such an invitation for the local tribes - many peoples then, and even later, invited noble foreigners to their throne who were not connected with the local tribal nobility and did not know the traditions of clan struggle. People hoped that such a prince would rise above the warring local leaders and thereby ensure peace and tranquility in the country. An agreement was concluded with the Varangians - a "row". The transfer of supreme power (“possession”) to him was accompanied by the condition to judge “by right”, that is, according to local customs. "Ryad" also stipulated the conditions for the maintenance and provision of the prince and his squad.

Rurik and his brothers

King Rurik and his brothers (or more distant relatives) agreed to the conditions of the Slavic leaders, and soon Rurik arrived in Ladoga - the first known city in Russia, and "sat" in it to "own". Sineus settled in the north, in Beloozero, and Truvor - in the west, in Izborsk, where the hill - "Truvor's settlement" is still preserved. After the death of his younger brothers, Rurik began to "own" all the lands alone. It is generally accepted that Rurik (Rorik) was a petty Danish king (prince) from the banks North Sea, one of the many conquering Vikings who, on their swift ships - drakars, raided the countries of Europe. Their goal was prey, but on occasion the Vikings could seize power as well - this happened in England, Normandy. The Slavs who traded with the Vikings (Varangians) knew that Rurik was an experienced warrior, but not a very rich ruler, and that his lands were constantly threatened by powerful Scandinavian neighbors. It is not surprising that he readily responded to tempting offer ambassadors. Having settled in Ladoga (now Staraya Ladoga), Rurik then climbed the Volkhov to Lake Ilmen and laid new town- Novgorod, having taken possession of all the surrounding lands. Together with Rurik and the Varangians, the word “Rus” came to the Slavs, the first meaning of which is a rowing warrior on a Scandinavian boat. Then they began to call the Varangian combatants who served with the king-princes. Then the name of the Varangian "Rus" was first transferred to the Lower Dnieper region (Kyiv, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl), where the Varangians settled. For a long time, the inhabitants of Novgorod, Smolensk or Rostov said, going to Kyiv: "I will go to Russia." And then, after the Varangians "dissolved" in the Slavic environment, the Eastern Slavs, their lands and the state created on them began to be called Rus. So, in an agreement with the Greeks in 945, the possessions of the descendants of Rurik were first called "Russian land".

The emergence of the Kyiv principality

The Slavic tribe of Polyans lived on the Dnieper in the 9th century. Their capital was the small city of Kyiv, which received (according to one version) the name of the leader local tribe Kiya, who ruled in it with the brothers Shchek and Khoriv. Kyiv stood in a very convenient place, at the intersection of roads. Here, on the banks of the full-flowing Dnieper, a bargaining arose, where they bought or exchanged grain, cattle, weapons, slaves, jewelry, fabrics - the usual trophies of leaders and their squads who returned from raids. In 864, two Scandinavian Vikings, Askold and Dir, captured Kyiv and began to rule there. Passing along the Dnieper, they, according to the chronicle, noticed a small settlement and asked local residents: Whose town is this? And they answered: “No one! It was built by three brothers - Kyi, Shchek and Khoriv, ​​disappeared somewhere, and we pay tribute to the Khazars. Then the Vikings captured the "homeless" Kyiv and settled there. At the same time, they did not obey Rurik, who ruled in the north. What actually happened? Apparently, the Polans who lived in these places were a rather weak tribe, a fragment from the once united tribe that came from Poland, known from Byzantine sources as “Lendzyans”, that is, “Polyakhs”. This tribe, oppressed by the mighty Krivichi tribe, began to disintegrate. At that moment, the kings Dir and Askold appeared on the Dnieper, subjugating the glades and founding their principality. From this legend about the conquest of the meadows by Dir and Askold, it is clear that Kyiv already existed as a settlement. Its origin is shrouded in deep mystery, and no one can say exactly when it arose. Some historians believe that this happened in the 5th century, others are convinced that Kyiv is “younger” than Ladoga, which appeared in the 8th century. After the separation of Ukraine from Russia, this problem immediately acquired a political dimension - Russian authorities would like to see the capital of Russia not in Kyiv, but in Ladoga or Novgorod. Consume formerly popular in Soviet time the term "Kievan Rus" is no longer fashionable. They think differently in Kyiv itself, repeating the formula known from the annals: "Kyiv is the mother of Russian cities." In fact, in the middle of the IX century. neither Kyiv, nor Ladoga, nor Novgorod were the capitals of the ancient Russian principality, because this principality itself had not yet taken shape.