Ancient historians were sure that warlike tribes and "people with dog heads" live on the territory of Ancient Russia. A lot of time has passed since then, but many mysteries of the Slavic tribes have not yet been solved.

Northerners living in the south

The tribe of northerners at the beginning of the 8th century inhabited the banks of the Desna, the Seim and the Seversky Donets, founded Chernigov, Putivl, Novgorod-Seversky and Kursk.
The name of the tribe, according to Lev Gumilyov, is due to the fact that it assimilated the nomadic tribe of the Savirs, who lived in Western Siberia in ancient times. It is with the Savirs that the origin of the name "Siberia" is also associated.

Archaeologist Valentin Sedov believed that the Savirs were a Scythian-Sarmatian tribe, and the toponyms of the northerners are of Iranian origin. So, the name of the river Seim (Seven) comes from the Iranian śyama or even from the ancient Indian syāma, which means "dark river".

According to the third hypothesis, the northerners (northers) were immigrants from the southern or western lands. On the right bank of the Danube lived a tribe with that name. It could easily be "moved" by the Bulgars who invaded there.

The northerners were representatives of the Mediterranean type of people. They were distinguished by a narrow face, an elongated skull, were thin-boned and nosy.
They brought bread and furs to Byzantium, back - gold, silver, luxury goods. Traded with the Bulgarians, with the Arabs.
The northerners paid tribute to the Khazars, and then entered into an alliance of tribes united by the Novgorod prince Prophetic Oleg. In 907 they participated in the campaign against Tsargrad. In the 9th century, the Chernigov and Pereyaslav principalities appeared on their lands.

Vyatichi and Radimichi - relatives or different tribes?

The Vyatichi lands were located on the territory of the Moscow, Kaluga, Orel, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tula, Voronezh and Lipetsk regions.
Outwardly, the Vyatichi resembled the northerners, but they were not so nosey, but they had a high bridge of the nose and blond hair. The "Tale of Bygone Years" indicates that the name of the tribe came from the name of the ancestor Vyatko (Vyacheslav), who came "from the Poles."

Other scientists associate the name with the Indo-European root "ven-t" (wet), or with the Proto-Slavic "vęt" (big) and put the name of the tribe on a par with the Wends and Vandals.

Vyatichi were skilled warriors, hunters, collected wild honey, mushrooms and berries. Cattle breeding and slash-and-burn agriculture were widespread. They were not part of Ancient Russia and more than once fought with the Novgorod and Kyiv princes.
According to legend, Vyatko's brother Radim became the ancestor of the Radimichi, who settled between the Dnieper and the Desna in the territories of the Gomel and Mogilev regions of Belarus and founded Krichev, Gomel, Rogachev and Chechersk.
Radimichi also rebelled against the princes, but after the battle on Peschan they submitted. Chronicles mention them for the last time in 1169.

Krivichi - Croats or Poles?

The passage of the Krivichi is not known for certain, who since the 6th century lived in the upper reaches of the Western Dvina, Volga and Dnieper and became the founders of Smolensk, Polotsk and Izborsk. The name of the tribe came from the ancestor of Kriv. Krivichi differed from other tribes in high growth. They had a nose with a pronounced hump, a well-defined chin.

Anthropologists attribute the Krivichi to the Valdai type of people. According to one version, the Krivichi are the migrating tribes of white Croats and Serbs, according to another, they come from the north of Poland.

The Krivichi worked closely with the Varangians and built ships on which they went to Constantinople.
The Krivichi became part of Ancient Russia in the 9th century. The last prince of the Krivichi Rogvolod was killed with his sons in 980. Smolensk and Polotsk principalities appeared on their lands.

Slovenian vandals

Slovenes (Itelmen Slovenes) were the northernmost tribe. They lived on the shores of Lake Ilmen and on the Mologa River. Origin unknown. According to legend, their ancestors were Sloven and Rus, who founded the cities of Slovensk (Veliky Novgorod) and Staraya Russa even before our era.

From Slovene, power passed to Prince Vandal (known in Europe as the Ostrogoth leader Vandalar), who had three sons: Izbor, Vladimir and Stolposvyat, and four brothers: Rudotok, Volkhov, Volkhovets and Bastarn. The wife of Prince Vandal Advind was from the Varangians.

Slovene now and then fought with the Vikings and neighbors.

It is known that the ruling dynasty descended from the son of Vandal Vladimir. The Slavs were engaged in agriculture, expanded their possessions, influenced other tribes, engaged in trade with the Arabs, with Prussia, with Gotland and Sweden.
It was here that Rurik began to reign. After the emergence of Novgorod, the Slovenes began to be called Novgorodians and founded the Novgorod Land.

Russ. A people without a territory

Look at the map of the settlement of the Slavs. Each tribe has its own lands. Russians are not there. Although it was the Rus who gave the name to Russia. There are three theories of the origin of the Russians.
The first theory considers the Rus to be Varangians and relies on The Tale of Bygone Years (written from 1110 to 1118), it says: “They drove the Varangians across the sea, and did not give them tribute, and began to rule themselves, and there was no truth among them , and generations stood up against generations, 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, and so are these.

The second says that the Rus are a separate tribe that came to Eastern Europe earlier or later than the Slavs.

The third theory says that the Rus are the highest caste of the East Slavic tribe of the Polyans, or the tribe itself, which lived on the Dnieper and on the Ros. “The meadows are even more called Rus” - it was written in the “Laurentian” chronicle, which followed the “Tale of Bygone Years” and was written in 1377. Here the word "Rus" was used as a toponym and the name of the Rus was also used as the name of a separate tribe: "Rus, Chud and Slovene", - this is how the chronicler listed the peoples who inhabited the country.
Despite the research of geneticists, disputes around the Rus continue. According to the Norwegian researcher Thor Heyerdahl, the Varangians themselves are descendants of the Slavs.

POPOV Flegont Petrovich
Chisinau, 1986

EAST SLAVIC TRIBES BEFORE
FORMATION OF THE Kyiv STATE.

TRIBE NAMES.

NORTHERN GROUP.

SLOVENE NOVGOROD - one of the northern groups of Eastern Slavs. Slavic colonization of Priilmenye dates back to the 1st half of the 1st millennium AD. The Slavic tribes, having come from the south, assimilated the local Finno-Ugric population, as evidenced by the toponymy of this region. According to the annals, Slovenes lived near Lake Ilmen and the rivers adjacent to it. In the 6th-8th centuries, the Slovenes apparently formed a large tribal union. In the 9th century, the Slovenian territory formed the basis of the Novgorod land.

Krivichi - East Slavic tribe; inhabited the territory in the upper reaches of the Dnieper, Western Dvina and Volga. The Krivichi were engaged in agriculture and crafts. In the 9th century, Smolensk arose in the land of the Krivichi, apparently. In the 11th century - Toropets. Together with the Vyatichi and Novgorod Slovenes, they formed the basis of the Great Russian (Russian) people. In the 2nd half of the 9th century they were subject to the power of the Kyiv princes. The last mention of the Krivichi in the annals dates back to 1162.

POLOCHANES - East Slavic tribe. Polochans - the annalistic name of the Krivichi Slavs who lived along the Polot River (a tributary of the Western Dvina) and were part of the population of the Polotsk principality.

RADIMICHI - an East Slavic tribe that lived in the interfluve of the Dnieper and Desna rivers, along the Sozha and Iput rivers. In terms of culture, the Rodimichi were close to the Vyatichi and Northerners. The main occupation is agriculture; cattle breeding, hunting and beekeeping were also developed. The tribal centers of the natives are unknown. In the 9th century they became part of the Old Russian state. The last time they are mentioned in the annals is under 1069.

VYATICHI - an East Slavic tribe that lived along the upper Oka and its tributaries - the rivers Ugra, Moscow and others, and also, apparently, in the upper reaches of the Don. Vyatichi were engaged in agriculture, hunting and fishing. In the 11th-12th centuries, the cities of Moscow, Dedoslav and others arose on the land of the Vyatichi. In the 9th-10th centuries, the Vyatichi paid tribute to the Khazars. Around 981 they were subordinated to the Kyiv prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. In the 12-13 centuries, the land of the Vyatichi was part of the Rostov-Suzdal, later - the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, later part of the Moscow principality. Vyatichi were an important constituent element of the Great Russian people. The name "Vyatichi" disappeared in the 14th century.

SOUTHERN GROUP.

POLYANES - one of the largest East Slavic tribes that lived in the middle Dnieper region. The meadows were engaged in arable farming and cattle breeding. Kyiv was the main city of Polyany. The higher level of socio-economic development of the Polyans in comparison with other East Slavic tribes was one of the factors that determined the promotion of the Middle Dnieper region as the center of the Old Russian state. The last mention of glades in the annals dates back to 944.

SEVERYANES - an East Slavic tribe that lived in the basin of the Desna, Seim and Sula rivers. In the reign of Oleg (late 9th - early 10th centuries) they were included in the Old Russian state. The last time they are mentioned is in 1024. By the name of the northerners, the territory of the Chernihiv principality until the end of the 17th century was called Seversk land. The main city of the Seversk land was Chernihiv.

DREGOVICHI - an East Slavic tribe living in the 9th-10th centuries between the Pripyat and Western Dvina rivers. The name "Dregovichi" comes, obviously, from the Slavic word "dryagva" - a swamp and indicates the nature of the area where this tribe lived. The Dregovichi were engaged in agriculture and crafts. The center of the Dregovichi was the city of Turov. Apparently, in the 2nd half of the 9th century, the Dregovichi were subordinated to the power of the Kyiv princes. After the middle of the 12th century, they are not mentioned in the sources.

DREVLYANS - an East Slavic tribe that lived in the 9th-10th centuries south of the Pripyat River. The name "Drevlyane", apparently, comes from the word "tree" and indicates the wooded nature of the area where this tribe lived. The Drevlyans were engaged in agriculture and crafts. According to The Tale of Bygone Years, in the 10th century, the Drevlyans still retained significant remnants of group marriage, blood feud, and pagan beliefs. The center of the Drevlyans was the city of Iskorosten. In the 2nd half of the 9th century, they were subject to the power of the Kyiv princes, who imposed tribute on the Drevlyans. In 945, the Drevlyans, led by their prince Mal, rebelled against Prince Igor and his squad, who were re-collecting tribute. After the murder of Igor by the Drevlyans, his wife, Princess Olga, destroyed Iskorosten and liquidated the independent reign of the Drevlyans. After 990, there is no mention of the Drevlyans in the annals.

DULEBS - a Slavic tribe that lived in the 6th-9th centuries along the Western Bug River; later became known as Volynians.

BUZHANES (VOLYNYANS) - a tribe of Eastern Slavs who lived in the basin of the upper reaches of the Western Bug (from which they got their name). Since the end of the 11th century, the Buzhans have been called Volynians.

VOLYNYANS - an East Slavic tribe that lived on the territory of modern Volhynia. According to the chronicle, the territory of the Volhynians and Buzhans (inhabitants of the Bug region) used to belong to the Dulebs, a tribe that was subjected to cruel oppression by the Avars in the 7th century. Volynians were engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding. The Arabic writer Masudi (10th century) reports the existence of the Valinana tribe, headed by King Majak. In the 9th - early 10th centuries, the Volynians became part of the Old Russian state.

CROATS - an East Slavic tribe that lived in the Carpathians.

STREETS (UGLICHI) - an East Slavic tribe that originally lived in the lower reaches of the Dnieper, and then settled between the Bug and the Dniester. The settlements of the streets reached the Black Sea. Since the middle of the 10th century, streets have been mentioned as part of Kievan Rus.

TIVERTS - Slavic tribe that lived in the 9th-11th centuries between the Dniester and the Danube.

SETTLEMENT OF THE SLAVES.

Narrating about the resettlement of the Slavs, the chronicler tells how some Slavs “sedosha along the Dnieper and swung across the Polyana”, others were called “Drevlyans” (“zane sedosha in the forests”), the third, who lived between Pripyat and the Dvina, were called Dregovichi, the fourth lived along the course of the Polota River and were called Polochans. Slovenes lived near Ilmenskoye Lake, and northerners lived along the Desna, Seim and Sula.

Gradually, the names of other East Slavic tribes appear in the chronicler's story.

In the upper reaches of the Volga, Dvina and Dnieper live Krivichi, "their own city is Smolensk." “From the Krivichi” the chronicler brings out the northerners and the Polotsk people. The chronicler speaks of the inhabitants of the Bug region, who in ancient times were called Dulebs, and now Volynians or Buzhans. In the chronicler's story, the inhabitants of Posozhye - Radimichi, and the inhabitants of the Oka forests - Vytchi, and the Carpathian Croats, and the inhabitants of the Black Sea steppes from the Dnieper and Bug to the Dniester and Danube - Uchi and Tivertsy act. “This is the only Slovene language (people) in Russia,” the chronicler ends his story about the settlement of the Eastern Slavs.

The chronicles still remember those times when the Slavs of Eastern Europe were divided into tribes, when the Russian tribes “have their own customs and the law of their fathers and traditions, each their own temper” and lived “individually”, “each with their own family and in their own places, owning the skin of his kind.

But when the annalistic initial set was compiled (11th century), tribal life was already receding into the realm of legends. Tribal associations were replaced by new associations - political, territorial. The tribal names themselves disappear. Since the middle of the 10th century, the tribal name "Polyane" has been replaced by a new one - "Kiyans" (Kyivians), the area of ​​​​Polyany, "field", becomes Rus. The same thing happens in Volhynia and the Bug region, where the ancient tribal name of the inhabitants of the region - "Dulebs" - gives way to a new name - Volhynians and Buzhans (from the cities of Volyn and Buzhenka). The exception is the inhabitants of the dense forests of the Oka - the Vyatichi, who lived "individually", "of their kind" back in the 11th century.

From the Carpathian Mountains and the Western Dvina to the upper reaches of the Oka and Volga, from Ilmen and Ladoga to the Black Sea and the Danube, Russian tribes lived on the eve of the formation of the Kyiv state: Carpathian Croats, Danubian streets and Tivertsy, Pobuzh Dulebs or Volynians, inhabitants of the marshy forests of Pripyat - Dregovichi, Ilmensky Slovenia. The inhabitants of the dense Oka forests are Vyatichi. Numerous Krivichi of the upper reaches of the Dnieper, Western Dvina and Volga, the Dnieper northerners and other East Slavic tribes constituted a kind of ethnic unity "Slovenian language in Russia". It was the eastern, Russian branch of the Slavic tribes. Their ethnic closeness contributed to the formation of a single state, and consolidated a single state. It rallied the Slavic tribes into an ethnic array.

But the Russian tribes did not arise by themselves in a finished form with all the peculiarities of their language, way of life, culture, but were the result of a complex ethno- and glottogonic process. The chronicler's story about the settlement of Slavic tribes in Russia is the last act of the complex process of the formation of Russian tribes. The Tale of Bygone Years reflects only the last hours of the existence of tribal life. New production relations, the emergence of the state broke the old - tribal borders, rallied the masses within the new political borders, united on a new territorial basis. When the chronicler narrated about the East Slavic tribes, they had already ceased to exist, and many of them, if not all of them, for a long time, in essence, were not tribes, but unions of tribes.

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. Primarily, 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?

Krivichi settled most modern Belarus for 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, beasts, 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.

Original taken from lsvsx in the Lands and tribes which began to be called Slavic
Vyatichi is a union of East Slavic tribes that lived in the second half of the first millennium AD. e. in the upper and middle reaches of the Oka. The name Vyatichi supposedly came from the name of the ancestor of the tribe, Vyatko. However, some associate this name by origin with the morpheme "veins" and Venedi (or Veneti / Venti) (the name "Vyatichi" was pronounced as "Ventichi").

In the middle of the 10th century, Svyatoslav annexed the lands of the Vyatichi to Kievan Rus, but until the end of the 11th century, these tribes retained a certain political independence; campaigns against the Vyatichi princes of this time are mentioned. Since the XII century, the territory of the Vyatichi became part of the Chernigov, Rostov-Suzdal and Ryazan principalities. Until the end of the 13th century, the Vyatichi retained many pagan rituals and traditions, in particular, they cremated the dead, erecting small mounds over the burial place. After Christianity took root among the Vyatichi, the rite of cremation gradually went out of use.

Vyatichi retained their tribal name longer than other Slavs. They lived without princes, the social structure was characterized by self-government and democracy. The last time the Vyatichi are mentioned in the annals under such a tribal name was in 1197.

Buzhans (Volynians) - a tribe of Eastern Slavs who lived in the basin of the upper reaches of the Western Bug (from which they got their name); since the end of the 11th century, the Buzhans have been called Volynians (from the locality of Volyn).

Volhynia is an East Slavic tribe or tribal union, mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years and in the Bavarian chronicles. According to the latter, the Volhynians owned seventy fortresses at the end of the 10th century. Some historians believe that the Volhynians and Buzhans are descendants of the Dulebs. Their main cities were Volyn and Vladimir-Volynsky. Archaeological research indicates that the Volynians developed agriculture and numerous crafts, including forging, casting and pottery.

In 981, the Volynians were subordinated to the Kyiv prince Vladimir I and became part of Kievan Rus. Later, the Galicia-Volyn principality was formed on the territory of the Volynians.

Drevlyans - one of the tribes of Russian Slavs, lived along Pripyat, Goryn, Sluch and Teterev.
The name Drevlyane, according to the chronicler, was given to them because they lived in the forests.

From archaeological excavations in the country of the Drevlyans, it can be concluded that they had a well-known culture. A well-established burial rite testifies to the existence of certain religious ideas about the afterlife: the absence of weapons in the graves testifies to the peaceful nature of the tribe; finds of sickles, shards and vessels, iron products, remnants of fabrics and leather indicate the existence of arable farming, pottery, blacksmithing, weaving and leather crafts among the Drevlyans; many bones of domestic animals and spurs indicate cattle breeding and horse breeding; many items made of silver, bronze, glass and carnelian, of foreign origin, indicate the existence of trade, and the absence of coins suggests that the trade was barter.

The political center of the Drevlyans in the era of their independence was the city of Iskorosten; at a later time, this center, apparently, moved to the city of Vruchiy (Ovruch)

The Dregovichi are an East Slavic tribal union that lived between the Pripyat and the Western Dvina.
Most likely the name comes from the Old Russian word dregva or dryagva, which means "swamp".

Under the name Drugovites (Greek δρονγονβίται), the Dregovichi are already known to Konstantin Porfirorodny as a tribe subordinate to Russia. Being aloof from the "Road from the Varangians to the Greeks", the Dregovichi did not play a prominent role in the history of Ancient Russia. The chronicle mentions only that the Dregovichi once had their own reign. The capital of the principality was the city of Turov. The subjugation of the Dregovichi to the Kyiv princes probably happened very early. On the territory of the Dregovichi, the principality of Turov was subsequently formed, and the northwestern lands became part of the principality of Polotsk.

Duleby (not duleby) - an alliance of East Slavic tribes on the territory of Western Volhynia in the 6th - early 10th centuries. In the 7th century they were subjected to the Avar invasion (obry). In 907 they took part in Oleg's campaign against Tsargrad. They broke up into tribes of Volhynians and Buzhans, and in the middle of the 10th century they finally lost their independence, becoming part of Kievan Rus.

Krivichi is a numerous East Slavic tribe (tribal association), which occupied the upper reaches of the Volga, Dnieper and Western Dvina, the southern part of the Lake Peipsi basin and part of the Neman basin in the 6th-10th centuries. Sometimes the Ilmen Slavs are also classified as Krivichi.

The Krivichi were probably the first Slavic tribe to move from the Carpathians to the northeast. Limited in their distribution to the northwest and west, where they met stable Lithuanian and Finnish tribes, the Krivichi spread to the northeast, assimilating with the living Tamfins.

Having settled on the great waterway from Scandinavia to Byzantium (the path from the Varangians to the Greeks), the Krivichi took part in trade with Greece; Konstantin Porphyrogenitus says that the Krivichi make boats on which the Rus go to Tsargrad. They participated in the campaigns of Oleg and Igor against the Greeks as a tribe subordinate to the Kyiv prince; Oleg's contract mentions their city of Polotsk.

Already in the era of the formation of the Russian state, the Krivichi had political centers: Izborsk, Polotsk and Smolensk.

It is believed that the last tribal prince of the Krivichi Rogvolod, together with his sons, was killed in 980 by the Novgorod prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. In the Ipatiev list, the Krivichi are mentioned for the last time under 1128, and the Polotsk princes are named Krivichi under 1140 and 1162. After that, the Krivichi are no longer mentioned in the East Slavic chronicles. However, the tribal name Krivichi was used for quite a long time in foreign sources (until the end of the 17th century). The word krievs entered the Latvian language to designate Russians in general, and the word Krievija to designate Russia.

The southwestern, Polotsk branch of the Krivichi is also called Polotsk. Together with the Dregovichi, Radimichi and some Baltic tribes, this branch of the Krivichi formed the basis of the Belarusian ethnic group.

The northeastern branch of the Krivichi, settled mainly in the territory of modern Tver, Yaroslavl and Kostroma regions, was in close contact with the Finno-Ugric tribes.

The border between the territory of settlement of the Krivichi and Novgorod Slovenes is determined archaeologically by the types of burials: long barrows near the Krivichi and hills among the Slovenes.

The Polochans are an East Slavic tribe that inhabited the lands in the middle reaches of the Western Dvina in today's Belarus in the 9th century.

Polochans are mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years, which explains their name as living near the Polota River, one of the tributaries of the Western Dvina. In addition, the chronicle claims that the Krivichi were descendants of the Polotsk people. The lands of the Polochans stretched from the Svisloch along the Berezina to the lands of the Dregovichi. The Polochans were one of the tribes from which the Polotsk principality was later formed. They are one of the founders of the modern Belarusian people.

Glade (poly) - the name of the Slavic tribe, in the era of the settlement of the Eastern Slavs, who settled along the middle course of the Dnieper, on its right bank.

Judging by chronicle news and the latest archaeological research, the territory of the land of the glades before the Christian era was limited to the course of the Dnieper, Ros and Irpin; in the north-east it was adjacent to the derevskaya land, in the west - to the southern settlements of the Dregovichi, in the south-west - to the Tivertsy, in the south - to the streets.

Calling the Slavs who settled here glades, the chronicler adds: “outside in the gray field.” The glades differed sharply from the neighboring Slavic tribes both in moral properties and in the forms of social life: and to sisters and to their mothers .... marriage customs having a husband.

History finds the glades already at a rather late stage of political development: the social system is composed of two elements - communal and princely-druzhina, the former being strongly suppressed by the latter. With the usual and ancient occupations of the Slavs - hunting, fishing and beekeeping - cattle breeding, agriculture, "woodworking" and trade were more common among the meadows than other Slavs. The latter was quite extensive not only with Slavic neighbors, but also with foreigners in the West and East: the coin treasures show that trade with the East began as early as the 8th century - it stopped during the strife of the specific princes.

At first, about the middle of the 8th century, the glades, who paid tribute to the Khazars, due to their cultural and economic superiority, from a defensive position in relation to their neighbors, soon turned into an offensive one; Drevlyans, Dregovichi, northerners and others by the end of the 9th century were already subject to the glades. They also adopted Christianity earlier than others. Kiev was the center of the Polyana (“Polish”) land; its other settlements are Vyshgorod, Belgorod on the Irpen River (now the village of Belogorodka), Zvenigorod, Trepol (now the village of Trypillya), Vasilev (now Vasilkov) and others.

The land of the glades with the city of Kyiv became the center of the possessions of the Rurikovichs from 882. The last time in the annals the name of the glades is mentioned in 944, on the occasion of Igor's campaign against the Greeks, and is replaced, probably already at the end of the Χ century, by the name Rus (Ros) and Kiyane. The chronicler also calls the Glades the Slavic tribe on the Vistula, mentioned for the last time in the Ipatiev Chronicle under 1208.

Radimichi - the name of the population that was part of the union of East Slavic tribes that lived in the interfluve of the upper reaches of the Dnieper and the Desna.

Around 885 Radimichi became part of the Old Russian state, and in the XII century they mastered most of Chernigov and the southern part of Smolensk lands. The name comes from the name of the ancestor of the Radima tribe.

Northerners (more correctly - the North) - a tribe or tribal union of Eastern Slavs who inhabited the territories east of the middle reaches of the Dnieper, along the Desna and Seimi Sula rivers.

The origin of the name of the north is not fully understood. Most authors associate it with the name of the Savir tribe, which was part of the Hunnic association. According to another version, the name goes back to the obsolete Old Slavic word meaning "relative". The explanation from the Slavic siver, north, despite the similarity of sound, is considered extremely controversial, since the north has never been the most northerly of the Slavic tribes.

Slovenes (Ilmen Slavs) are an East Slavic tribe that lived in the second half of the first millennium in the basin of Lake Ilmen and the upper reaches of the Mologa and made up the bulk of the population of Novgorod land.

The Tivertsy are an Eastern Slavic tribe that lived between the Dniester and the Danube near the Black Sea coast. They are first mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years along with other East Slavic tribes of the 9th century. The main occupation of the Tivertsy was agriculture. The Tivertsy took part in the campaigns of Oleg against Tsargrad in 907 and Igor in 944. In the middle of the 10th century, the lands of the Tivertsy became part of Kievan Rus.

The descendants of the Tivertsy became part of the Ukrainian people, and their western part underwent Romanization.

The Ulichs are an East Slavic tribe that inhabited the lands along the lower reaches of the Dnieper, the Southern Bug and the Black Sea coast during the 8th-10th centuries.

The capital of the streets was the city of Pereseken. In the first half of the 10th century, the streets fought for independence from Kievan Rus, but nevertheless they were forced to recognize its supremacy and become part of it. Later, the streets and neighboring Tivertsy were driven north by the arriving Pecheneg nomads, where they merged with the Volhynians. The last mention of the streets dates back to the annals of the 970s.

Croats are an Eastern Slavic tribe that lived in the vicinity of the city of Przemysl on the San River. They called themselves white Croats, in contrast to the tribe of the same name with them, who lived in the Balkans. The name of the tribe is derived from the ancient Iranian word "shepherd, guardian of cattle", which may indicate its main occupation - cattle breeding.

Bodrichi (encouraged, rarogs) - Polabian Slavs (lower reaches of the Elbe) in the VIII-XII centuries. - the union of the Wagrs, Polabs, Glinyakov, Smolensk. Rarog (among the Danes Rerik) is the main city of the Bodrichs. Mecklenburg in East Germany.

According to one version, Rurik is a Slav from the Bodrich tribe, the grandson of Gostomysl, the son of his daughter Umila and the Bodrich prince Godoslav (Godlav).

The Vistulas are a West Slavic tribe that has lived in Lesser Poland since at least the 7th century. In the 9th century, the Vistulas formed a tribal state with centers in Krakow, Sandomierz and Straduv. At the end of the century, they were subjugated by the king of Great Moravia Svyatopolk I and were forced to be baptized. In the 10th century, the lands of the Vistulas were conquered by the Polans and incorporated into Poland.

Zlicane (Czech Zličane, Polish Zliczanie) is one of the ancient Czech tribes. Inhabited the territory adjacent to the modern city of Kourzhim (Czech Republic). It served as the center of formation of the Principality of Zlichansk, which embraced at the beginning of the 10th century. East and South Bohemia and the region of the Duleb tribe. The main city of the principality was Libice. The princes of Libice Slavniki competed with Prague in the struggle for the unification of the Czech Republic. In 995, the Zlichans were subjugated by the Přemyslids.

Lusatians, Lusatian Serbs, Sorbs (German Sorben), Wends - the indigenous Slavic population living in the territory of Lower and Upper Lusatia - areas that are part of modern Germany. The first settlements of the Lusatian Serbs in these places were recorded in the 6th century AD. e.
The Lusatian language is divided into Upper Lusatian and Lower Lusatian.

The dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron gives a definition: "Sorbs are the name of the Wends and, in general, the Polabian Slavs." Slavic people inhabiting a number of areas in Germany, in the federal states of Brandenburg and Saxony.

Lusatian Serbs are one of the four officially recognized national minorities in Germany (along with gypsies, Frisians and Danes). It is believed that about 60,000 German citizens now have Lusatian Serb roots, of which 20,000 live in Lower Lusatia (Brandenburg) and 40,000 in Upper Lusatia (Saxony).

The Lyutichi (Wiltzes, Velets) are a union of West Slavic tribes that lived in the early Middle Ages on the territory of present-day eastern Germany. The center of the union of the Lyutichs was the sanctuary "Radogost", in which the god Svarozhich was revered. All decisions were made at a large tribal meeting, and there was no central authority.

The Lyutichi led the Slavic uprising of 983 against the German colonization of lands east of the Elbe, as a result of which colonization was suspended for almost two hundred years. Even before that, they were ardent opponents of the German king Otto I. About his heir, Henry II, it is known that he did not try to enslave them, but rather lured them with money and gifts to his side in the fight against Poland, Boleslav the Brave.

Military and political successes strengthened the adherence to paganism and pagan customs in the Lutiches, which also applied to related Bodrichs. However, in the 1050s, civil war broke out among the Lutici and changed their situation. The union quickly lost power and influence, and after the central sanctuary was destroyed by the Saxon duke Lothar in 1125, the union finally broke up. Over the following decades, the Saxon dukes gradually expanded their holdings to the east and conquered the lands of the Luticians.

Pomeranians, Pomeranians - West Slavic tribes that lived from the 6th century in the lower reaches of the Odryn coast of the Baltic Sea. It remains unclear whether there was a residual Germanic population prior to their arrival, which they assimilated. In 900, the border of the Pomeranian area passed along the Odra in the west, the Vistula in the east and the Notech in the south. They gave the name of the historical area of ​​Pomerania.

In the 10th century, the Polish prince Mieszko I included the lands of the Pomeranians into the Polish state. In the 11th century, the Pomeranians revolted and regained their independence from Poland. During this period, their territory expanded westward from the Odra into the lands of the Luticians. At the initiative of Prince Vartislav I, the Pomeranians adopted Christianity.

From the 1180s, German influence began to grow and German settlers began to arrive on the lands of the Pomeranians. Because of the devastating wars with the Danes, the Pomeranian feudal lords welcomed the settlement of the devastated lands by the Germans. Over time, the process of Germanization of the Pomeranian population began.

The remains of the ancient Pomeranians who escaped assimilation today are the Kashubians, numbering 300 thousand people.

Ruyan (wounds) - a West Slavic tribe that inhabited the island of Rügen.

In the VI century, the Slavs settled the lands of present-day eastern Germany, including Rügen. The Ruyan tribe was ruled by princes who lived in fortresses.

If we move along the East European Plain from north to south, then we have successively 15 East Slavic tribes will appear:

1. Ilmen Slovenes, the center of which was Novgorod the Great, standing on the banks of the Volkhov River, which flowed from Lake Ilmen and on whose lands there were many other cities, which is why the neighboring Scandinavians called the possessions of the Slovenes "gardarika", that is, "land of cities".

These were: Ladoga and Beloozero, Staraya Russa and Pskov. The Ilmen Slovenes got their name from the name of Lake Ilmen, which is in their possession and was also called the Slovenian Sea. For residents remote from real seas, the lake, 45 miles long and about 35 wide, seemed huge, and therefore bore its second name - the sea.

2. Krivichi, living in the interfluve of the Dnieper, Volga and Western Dvina, around Smolensk and Izborsk, Yaroslavl and Rostov the Great, Suzdal and Murom.

Their name came from the name of the founder of the tribe, Prince Kriv, who apparently received the nickname Krivoy, from a natural deficiency. Subsequently, the people called Krivich a person who is insincere, deceitful, capable of prevaricating, from whom you will not expect the truth, but you will encounter falsehood. (Moscow subsequently arose on the lands of the Krivichi, but you will read about this later.)

3. Polotsk settled on the Polot River, at its confluence with the Western Dvina. At the confluence of these two rivers, there was the main city of the tribe - Polotsk, or Polotsk, the name of which is also produced by the hydronym: "the river along the border with the Latvian tribes" - lats, years.

Dregovichi, Radimichi, Vyatichi and northerners lived to the south and southeast of the Polochans.

4. Dregovichi lived on the banks of the river Accept, getting their name from the words "dregva" and "dryagovina", meaning "swamp". Here were the cities of Turov and Pinsk.

5. Radimichi, living in the interfluve of the Dnieper and Sozha, were called by the name of their first prince Radim, or Radimir.

6. Vyatichi were the easternmost ancient Russian tribe, having received their name, like the Radimichi, on behalf of their progenitor, Prince Vyatko, which was an abbreviated name Vyacheslav. Old Ryazan was located in the land of the Vyatichi.

7. Northerners occupied the rivers of the Desna, the Seimas and the Courts and in ancient times were the northernmost East Slavic tribe. When the Slavs settled as far as Novgorod the Great and Beloozero, they retained their former name, although its original meaning was lost. In their lands there were cities: Novgorod Seversky, Listven and Chernigov.

8. Glades, inhabiting the lands around Kyiv, Vyshgorod, Rodnya, Pereyaslavl, were called so from the word "field". The cultivation of the fields became their main occupation, which led to the development of agriculture, cattle breeding and animal husbandry. The glades went down in history as a tribe, to a greater extent than others, contributing to the development of ancient Russian statehood.

The neighbors of the glades in the south were Rus, Tivertsy and Ulichi, in the north - the Drevlyans and in the west - the Croats, Volynians and Buzhans.

9. Russia- the name of one, far from the largest East Slavic tribe, which, because of its name, became the most famous both in the history of mankind and in historical science, because in disputes over its origin, scientists and publicists broke many copies and spilled rivers of ink. Many prominent scholars - lexicographers, etymologists and historians - derive this name from the name of the Normans, almost universally accepted in the 9th-10th centuries, - the Rus. The Normans, known to the Eastern Slavs as the Varangians, conquered Kyiv and the surrounding lands around 882. During their conquests, which took place for 300 years - from the 8th to the 11th centuries - and covered all of Europe - from England to Sicily and from Lisbon to Kyiv - they sometimes left their name behind the conquered lands. For example, the territory conquered by the Normans in the north of the Frankish kingdom was called Normandy.

Opponents of this point of view believe that the name of the tribe comes from the hydronym - the river Ros, from which later the whole country began to be called Russia. And in the XI-XII centuries, Rus began to be called the lands of Rus, glades, northerners and Radimichi, some territories inhabited by streets and Vyatichi. Supporters of this point of view consider Russia no longer as a tribal or ethnic union, but as a political state formation.

10. Tivertsy occupied spaces along the banks of the Dniester, from its middle course to the mouth of the Danube and the shores of the Black Sea. The most probable seems to be their origin, their names from the river Tivr, as the ancient Greeks called the Dniester. Their center was the city of Cherven on the western bank of the Dniester. The Tivertsy bordered on the nomadic tribes of the Pechenegs and Polovtsians and, under their blows, retreated to the north, mixing with the Croats and Volynians.

11. Convict were the southern neighbors of the Tivertsy, occupying lands in the Lower Dnieper, on the banks of the Bug and the Black Sea coast. Their main city was Peresechen. Together with the Tivertsy, they retreated to the north, where they mixed with the Croats and Volynians.

12. Drevlyans lived along the Teterev, Uzh, Uborot and Sviga rivers, in Polissya and on the right bank of the Dnieper. Their main city was Iskorosten on the Uzh River, and besides, there were other cities - Ovruch, Gorodsk, several others, whose names we do not know, but their traces remained in the form of settlements. The Drevlyans were the most hostile East Slavic tribe in relation to the Polans and their allies, who formed an ancient Russian state with a center in Kyiv. They were decisive enemies of the first Kyiv princes, even killed one of them - Igor Svyatoslavovich, for which the prince of the Drevlyans Mal, in turn, was killed by Igor's widow, Princess Olga.

The Drevlyans lived in dense forests, getting their name from the word "tree" - a tree.

13. Croats who lived around the city of Przemysl on the river. San, called themselves white Croats, in contrast to the tribe of the same name with them, who lived in the Balkans. The name of the tribe is derived from the ancient Iranian word "shepherd, guardian of cattle", which may indicate its main occupation - cattle breeding.

14. Volynians represented a tribal association formed on the territory where the Duleb tribe had previously lived. Volynians settled on both banks of the Western Bug and in the upper reaches of the Pripyat. Their main city was Cherven, and after Volyn was conquered by the Kievan princes, a new city, Vladimir-Volynsky, was established on the Luga River in 988, which gave its name to the Vladimir-Volyn principality that formed around it.

15. To a tribal association that arose in the habitat dulebov, In addition to the Volynians, the Buzhans, who were located on the banks of the Southern Bug, were also included. There is an opinion that Volhynians and Buzhans were one tribe, and their independent names came about only as a result of different habitats. According to written foreign sources, the Buzhans occupied 230 "cities" - most likely, they were fortified settlements, and the Volynians - 70. Be that as it may, these figures indicate that Volyn and the Bug region were rather densely populated.

The same applies to the lands and peoples bordering on the Eastern Slavs, this picture looked like this: Finno-Ugric tribes lived in the north: Cheremis, Chud Zavolochskaya, all, Korela, Chud; in the northwest lived the Balto-Slavic tribes: Kors, Zemigola, Zhmud, Yatvingians and Prussians; in the west - Poles and Hungarians; in the southwest - Volohi (ancestors of the Romanians and Moldovans); in the east - the Burtases, the related Mordovians and the Volga-Kama Bulgarians. Outside these lands lay "terra incognita" - an unknown land, which the Eastern Slavs learned about only after their knowledge of the world greatly expanded with the advent of a new religion in Russia - Christianity, and at the same time writing, which was the third sign of civilization .