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What tribes did the East Slavic peoples have?

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

How did the tribes of the Eastern Slavs originate?

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

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

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

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

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

Table: East Slavic tribal unions

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

How did the Slavic tribes coexist with other peoples?

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

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

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

Opposition of the Eastern Slavs to the nomads

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

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

Buzhan - the name of a group of tribes of Eastern Slavs who lived in the upper reaches of the Western Bug. From the end 10th century were part of the Old Russian state.

Volhynia is one of the East Slavic associations that arose on the territory of the Dulebs. There were up to 70 "grads" (cities). The center is Volyn (it is mentioned in the annals from 1018). In 907 - an ally of Kyiv.

Vyatichi - the union of the East Slavic tribes of the upper and middle reaches of the river. Okie. As part of Kievan Rus from ser. 10th century From the 12th century the territory of the Vyatichi was part of the Chernigov, Rostov-Suzdal and Ryazan principalities.

Drevlyans - a tribal association that occupied in VI-X centuries territory of Polissya, Right-bank Ukraine according to tech. rr. Black grouse, Uzh, Harvest, Stviga. They bordered on the Volhynians, Buzhans, Dregovichi. The main city is Iskorosten. For a long time they resisted inclusion in the Kievan Rus. They were taxed by Oleg in 883.

Dregovichi - tribal union of the Slavs. Habitats - northern regions of the Dnieper right bank. In ancient times, they had their reign with the main city of Turov on Pripyat. As part of Kievan Rus from the 10th century. They became the basis of the Turov principality.

Duleby - a tribal association on the territory of Western Volhynia. AT VII in. subjected to devastating raids by the Avars. In 907, the duleb squad participated in Oleg's campaign against Tsargrad. Under the name of Buzhan and Volynyan in X in. became part of Kievan Rus.

Ilmen Slovenes - one of the largest Slavic associations located near Fr. Ilmen, along the river. Volkhov, Lovat, Msta, Molocha. Neighbors are the Finno-Ugric tribes of Chud and Merya. In the beginning. IX in. Together with the Krivichi and Chud, they created the union of Slavia, which became the core of the Novgorod land.

Krivichi - union of East Slavic tribes in VI–X centuries It was located on the watershed of the Western Dvina, Dnieper and Volga. The main cities are Smolensk, Polotsk and Izborsk. FROM IX in. within Kievan Rus. AT 11th-12th centuries the territory of the Krivichi - in the Smolensk and Polotsk principalities, the northwestern part - in the Novgorod possessions.

Glade - East Slavic tribal union VI-IX centuries along the middle course of the Dnieper from Pripyat to Ros. They formed the core of the ancient Russian state.

Radimichi - a tribal association located in the eastern part of the upper Dnieper region, along the river. Sozh and its tributaries. As well as Vyatichi, it is possible that they are connected with the Western Slavs. From Ser. IX in. paid tribute to the Khazars. In 885 they were annexed by Oleg, they finally lost their political independence in 984, when their army was defeated by the Wolf's Tail - the governor of Prince Vladimir.

Northerners - an alliance of tribes in the 7th - 9th centuries, located along the river. Desna, Sejm, Sule. They paid tribute to the Khazars. From about 865 they were part of Russia.

Tivertsy - a tribal association that lived along the Dniester to the Black Sea and the mouth of the Danube. In 907 and 944 they took part in the campaign against Tsargrad. C ser X in. within Kievan Rus. Under the blows of the Pechenegs and Polovtsy to 12th century moved north, where they gradually mixed with other tribes.

Uchi - one of the tribal associations of the Eastern Slavs, who lived, according to the PVL, in the Lower Dnieper region, the Bug region and on the shores of the Black Sea. They waged a stubborn struggle with Kyiv for independence. For three years, their main city Peresechen was besieged by the Kyiv governor Sveneld. Under the onslaught of nomadic tribes, they retreated to the North. From Ser. X in. as part of the Old Russian state

DULEBS - a tribal union of the Eastern Slavs.
They lived in the basin of the Bug and the right tributaries of the Pripyat from the 6th century.
VOLYNYANS, Velynians - an East Slavic union of tribes that inhabited the territory on both banks of the Western Bug and at the source of the river. Pripyat.
VYATICHI - East Slavic union of tribes that lived in the basin of the upper and middle reaches of the Oka and along the river. Moscow.
DREVLYANS - East Slavic tribal union, which occupied in the 6-10 centuries. the territory of Polissya, the Right Bank of the Dnieper, west of the glades, along the course of the Teterev, Uzh, Ubort, Stviga rivers.
DREGOVICHI - tribal union of Eastern Slavs.
The exact boundaries of the Dregovichi habitat have not yet been established. According to a number of researchers (V.V. Sedov and others), in the 6th-9th centuries. Dregovichi occupied the territory in the middle part of the river basin. Pripyat, in the 11th - 12th centuries. the southern border of their settlement passed south of Pripyat, the northwestern - in the watershed of the Drut and Berezina rivers, the western - in the upper reaches of the river. Neman.
Krivichi - tribal union of the Eastern Slavs 6-11 centuries. They lived in the territories of the current Vitebsk, Mogilev, Pskov, Bryansk and Smolensk regions, as well as eastern Latvia.
POLOCHANES - Slavic tribe, part of the tribal union of the Krivichi; lived along the banks of the river. Dvina and its tributary Polot, from which they got their name.
POLYANES - a tribal union of Eastern Slavs who lived on the Dnieper, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bmodern Kyiv.
RADIMICHI - East Slavic union of tribes that lived in the eastern part of the Upper Dnieper, along the river. Sozh and its tributaries in the 8th-9th centuries.
RUSSIA - in the sources of 8-10 centuries. the name of the people who participated in the formation of the Old Russian state.
In historical science, discussions about the ethnic origin of the Rus are still ongoing. According to the testimony of Arab geographers in the 9th-10th centuries. and the Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus (10th century), the Rus were the social elite of Kievan Rus and dominated the Slavs.
NORTH - East Slavic union of tribes that lived in the 9th-10th centuries. by pp. Desna, Seim, Sula.
The western neighbors of the northerners were the meadows and the Dregovichi, the northern neighbors were the Radimichi and Vyatichi.
SLOVENE ILMENSKY - a tribal union of Eastern Slavs on the territory of Novgorod land, mainly in the lands near Lake. Ilmen, next to the Krivichi.
Tivertsy - an East Slavic tribe that settled in the 9th century in the interfluve of the Dniester and Prut, as well as the Danube, including the Budzhak coast of the Black Sea on the territory of modern Moldova and Ukraine.
STREETS - East Slavic union of tribes that existed in 9 - ser. 10th century
According to the "Tale of Bygone Years", the streets lived in the lower reaches of the Dnieper, the Bug and on the Black Sea. The center of the tribal union was the city of Peresechen.

East Slavic tribes are more than a dozen different tribes that can be united under the concept of Eastern Slavs. Their tribal unions eventually merged into a single nationality, forming the basis of the Old Russian state. Over time, there was a political stratification of the Eastern Slavs, which allowed the formation of three main peoples by the 17th century - Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian.

Early history

Very little is known about the early history of the East Slavic tribes. Largely due to the fact that they did not have a written language. Only around 863 did the Glagolitic script, created specially by Byzantine linguists, appear.

Some information about the early history of the East Slavic tribes can be found in Arabic, Byzantine and Persian sources. The first original East Slavic documents date back to the 11th century. But very few of them have survived. Chronicles are considered the most reliable and complete sources. They began to be actively compiled after the adoption of Christianity, following the model of Byzantine chronicles.

The most complete of those that have survived to this day is The Tale of Bygone Years, which was written at the turn of the 11th-12th centuries. At the same time, the author is primarily interested in the Old Russian state, therefore, special attention is paid to the glades and Novgorod Slovenes, while information about the other tribes is extremely scarce.

The resettlement of the Eastern Slavs

The resettlement of the East Slavic tribes began actively in the 7th-8th centuries. Initially, glades lived along the Dnieper River, northerners settled in the north, mainly in the Desna region, and the Drevlyans occupied the northwestern regions.

Dregovichi settled between the Dvina and Pripyat, and the Polotsk people lived along the Polota River. The Krivichi received lands in the region of the Dnieper, Volga and Dvina.

On the Western and Southern Bug there were also territories of East Slavic tribes. Dulebs or Buzhans lived there, some of them eventually moved to the west, mixing with the Western Slavs.

The dominant role in which East Slavic tribes, where they lived, played customs and language, special ways of doing business. Agriculture (growing barley, wheat, millet) remained the key occupation for several centuries, some cultivated rye and oats. Massively bred poultry and cattle.

Anty

If we delve again into ancient history, we will find out that the Antes are one of the early Slavic tribes, from which many tribes of the Eastern Slavs originated. Nowadays, it has been possible to restore ideas about their life and economy as fully as possible.

Now it can be argued that the Antes lived in rural settlements, which were sometimes fortified. Mostly they were engaged in agriculture, arable business. The processing of metals was widespread, archaeologists have repeatedly found bronze and iron workshops of the Ants. The East Slavic tribes and their neighbors not only fought with each other, but in peaceful periods they actively exchanged and traded. First of all, we are talking about the Goths, Scythians, Sarmatians, Roman provinces.

Already at that time, the very first forms of social organization were being created, unions and associations were being formed.

Krivichi

One of the most famous East Slavic tribes is the Krivichi. They were mainly engaged in agriculture, handicrafts and cattle breeding. Their key cities included Smolensk, Izborsk, Polotsk. In a broad sense, it was a union of East Slavic tribes, which was finally formed in the VIII-X centuries. According to the most common hypothesis, the Krivichi became part of the Old Russian people. They belong to the East Slavic tribes along with other ancient tribes of that time.

By the 11th century, the Polotsk and Smolensk principalities and part of the Novgorod possessions were located on the territory of the Krivichi. We can get basic information about them from the "Tale of Bygone Years", which states that they originate from Polotsk.

Where did the Krivichi live?

The Krivichi settled most of modern Belarus over several centuries. Dregovichi and radimichi neighbored with them. From ancient times, the Krivichi closely interacted with the Varangians, and the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII recalled them that they made boats that could go to Constantinople itself.

According to the most common version, in 980 the last prince of the Krivichi, whose name was Rogvolod, was killed. This was done by the Novgorod prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich.

After the formation of Kievan Rus, the Krivichi took part in the colonization of the eastern lands, partially assimilated there.

Vyatichi

Another important East Slavic tribe is the Vyatichi. They settled in the Oka basin in the VIII-XIII centuries. From the "Tale of Bygone Years" we can learn that in the 9th century the Vyatichi began to live under the Khazars, who were paid tribute. Management, as in most other neighboring tribes, was carried out by the prince and veche. Judging by the archaeological finds, the Vyatichi actively participated in international trade.

The power of the prince among the East Slavic tribes was very limited by a powerful veche, that is, a popular assembly. Moreover, it was it that was the initial governing body in the tribes, because it was precisely such an "organization" that invited Rurik to reign.

Presumably, it included adult men. All those who were in the meeting were united not by family ties, but by social social functions. Most likely, it was a highly militarized community.

In the second half of the 10th century, the Vyatichi were subordinated to Kievan Rus after the campaigns of Prince Svyatoslav.

Drevlyans

The names of the East Slavic tribes are largely determined by their place of residence. One of them, which deserves special mention, is the Drevlyans. Mostly they lived in the Ukrainian Polissya (forest, tree strip).

Until they were subjugated by Kievan Rus, they had a highly developed state organization. The political center of the tribe was based in the city of Iskorosten, eventually moved to Ovruch.

The Radimichi tribe is also known. They lived in the upper reaches of the Dniester and Dnieper. On the territory of modern Gomel and Mogilev regions of present-day Belarus. The first written evidence that confirms their existence dates back to the end of the 9th century.

As a result of archaeological excavations, a large number of graves of the Radimichi were discovered, which were carried out according to the rite of cremation. They are characterized by funeral pyres with oval outlines, while in such burial mounds the dead were laid on a fire in the direction from west to east. The structure of the funeral bonfires, which resembled the so-called domino-towers, is also noteworthy.

Most burial mounds do not contain the personal belongings of the deceased. Most likely, they burned to the ground on funeral pyres. By the way, the burial traditions were similar among other East Slavic tribes. For example, the Gnezdovsky burial mounds are known in the places where the Krivichi lived.

Kievan Rus

The ancient East Slavic tribes should include not only the Krivichi, Drevlyans and Vyatichi, but also the Polochans, Polyans, Pskov Krivichi, Zveryans, Bolokhovtsy, Buzhans, Narevyans, Severyans, Tivertsy, Radimichi.

Over time, they began to unite. The state, which included all the East Slavic tribes, is Kievan Rus.

It arose in the 9th century thanks to the dynasty of the princes of Rurik, who united the East Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes.

At its peak, Kievan Rus occupied the territory from the Dniester in the west, the Taman Peninsula in the south, the Northern Dvina in the north, and the tributaries of the Volga in the east.

By the 12th century, feudal wars within the state began, in which about a dozen Russian principalities participated, led by representatives of different branches of the Rurik dynasty.

Kyiv lost its former grandeur and significance, the principality itself was in the collective possession of the princes, but Russia also existed later as an ethno-cultural region, which played a decisive role in the unification of the Slavic lands.

East Slavic unity

The unification of the East Slavic tribes dates back to the end of the 9th century. It was then that the Novgorod prince Oleg, who, most likely, was a Varangian by origin, decided to unite power over Novgorod and Kyiv in his hands. In the annals, this event dates back to 882.

As a result, a class of the early feudal Old Russian state is formed, from which Kievan Rus appeared. This moment was a turning point in the history of the Eastern Slavs. But not everything went smoothly. In some lands, the princes from Kyiv met fierce resistance from local feudal lords, which was suppressed only with the help of weapons.

Drevlyane resistance

The Drevlyans turned out to be one of the most stubborn, the longest struggle was waged with them. When, during the next campaign, Prince Igor decided to collect a double tribute from the Drevlyans, they defeated his squad and took his own life.

Instead of Igor, his wife Olga became the ruler, who finally, using harsh measures, subordinated the Drevlyans directly to Kyiv. Their capital, which was in the city of Iskorosten, was completely destroyed.

At the same time, the centers of the East Slavic tribes were formed, which, ultimately, were subject to Kyiv. So, under Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the lands of the Vyatichi and the modern North Caucasus became part of Kievan Rus. When the early feudal state was finally formed, more favorable conditions were created for economic growth and maintaining security.

Soon, more favorable conditions began to form for economic growth and the maintenance of the country's security. But these processes were associated with restrictions on the freedoms of the peasants, as evidenced by numerous sources.

Neighbors of the Slavs

East Slavic tribes and their neighbors often cooperated with each other. In this article, we have already named several tribes with which the Slavs most often had to intersect.

Now let's look at this issue in more detail. In the west, the main neighbors of the Eastern Slavs were Germanic and Celtic tribes. Finno-Ugric peoples and Balts lived in the east, among them there were Sarmatians and Scythians, some of whom are considered the ancestors of modern Iranians. Over time, the Khazars and Bulgars began to oust them more and more actively.

From the south, the Greeks, Romans, Illyrians, and ancient Macedonians traditionally coexisted with the Slavs.

In the Byzantine chronicles, it was repeatedly emphasized that the proximity to the Slavic tribes turned into a real disaster. The neighborhood and numerous German peoples were also hard pressed, as daring raids were regularly made, as a result of which the most fertile lands were seized, residential buildings and outbuildings were destroyed.

The situation somewhat changed in the 6th century, when Turkic tribes arose in neighboring territories. They began to wage a fierce struggle with the Slavs for the lands located in the Danube and Dniester regions. Moreover, some Slavic tribes eventually went over to the side of the Turks, who set as their ultimate goal the capture of the Byzantine Empire. As a result of a long war, the Byzantines completely enslaved the Western Slavs, but the southern ones were able to defend their independence.

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

Origin

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

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

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

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

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

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

History reference

resettlement

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

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

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

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

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

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

Map of the settlement of the Eastern Slavs in antiquity

Tribes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tribal unions

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

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

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

What did you do

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

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

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

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

Beliefs

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

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

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

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

social order