"Kievan Rus" is a concept that is subject to numerous speculations today. Historians argue not only whether there was a state with that name, but also who inhabited it.
Where did Kievan Rus come from?
If today in Russia the phrase "Kievan Rus" is gradually leaving scientific use, being replaced by the concept of "Old Russian state", then Ukrainian historians use it everywhere, and in the context of "Kievan Rus - Ukraine", emphasizing the historical continuity of the two states.
However, up to early XIX century the term "Kievan Rus" did not exist, the ancient inhabitants of the Kiev lands did not even suspect that they live in a state with such a name. The first to use the phrase "Kievan Rus" was the historian Mikhail Maksimovich in his work "Where does the Russian land come from", which was completed in the year of Pushkin's death.
It is important to note that Maksimovich used this expression not in the sense of the state, but in a number of other names of Russia - Chervonnaya, White, Suzdal, that is, in the sense of geographical location. Historians Sergei Solovyov and Nikolai Kostomarov used it in the same sense.
Some authors of the beginning of the 20th century, including Sergei Platonov and Alexander Presnyakov, began to use the term "Kievan Rus" already in the sovereign-political sense, as the name of the state Eastern Slavs with a single political center in Kyiv.
However, Kievan Rus became a full-fledged state in Stalin era. Exist curious story, as Academician Boris Grekov, while working on the books “Kievskaya Rus” and “Culture of Kievan Rus”, asked his colleague: “You are a party member, advise, you should know what concept He (Stalin) will like.”
Using the term “Kievan Rus”, Grekov considered it necessary to explain its meaning: “In my work, I deal with Kievan Rus not in the narrow territorial sense of this term (Ukraine), but precisely in that broad sense of the “Rurikovich empire”, corresponding to the Western European empire Charlemagne - which includes a vast territory, on which several independent state units were subsequently formed.
State before Rurik
The official domestic historiography says that statehood in Russia arose in 862 after the Rurik dynasty came to power. However, for example, political scientist Sergei Chernyakhovsky argues that the beginning of Russian statehood should be pushed back at least 200 years into history.
He draws attention to the fact that the Byzantine sources, when describing the life of the Rus, reflected clear signs of their state structure: the presence of writing, the hierarchy of the nobility, Administrative division lands, petty princes are also mentioned, over which "kings" stood.
And yet, despite the fact that Kievan Rus united vast territories inhabited by East Slavic, Finno-Ugric and Baltic tribes under its rule, many historians are inclined to believe that in the pre-Christian period it cannot be called a full-fledged state, since there were no class structures there. and there was no centralized authority. On the other hand, it was not a monarchy, not a despotism, not a republic, most of all, according to historians, it looked like some kind of corporate governance.
It is known that the ancient Russians lived in tribal settlements, were engaged in crafts, hunting, fishing, trade, agriculture, and cattle breeding. The Arab traveler Ibn Fadlan in 928 described that the Russians built large houses in which 30-50 people lived.
“Archaeological monuments of the Eastern Slavs recreate a society without any clear traces of property stratification. In the most diverse regions of the forest-steppe belt, it is not possible to indicate those that, in terms of their architectural appearance and the content of the household and household equipment found in them, would be distinguished by wealth, ”stressed the historian Ivan Lyapushkin.
Russian archaeologist Valentin Sedov notes that the emergence of economic inequality on the basis of existing archaeological data cannot yet be established. “It seems that there are no distinct traces of the property differentiation of the Slavic society in the grave monuments of the 6th-8th centuries,” the scientist concludes.
Historians conclude that the accumulation of wealth and their transmission by inheritance in ancient Russian society was not an end in itself, it apparently was neither a moral value nor vital necessity. Moreover, hoarding was clearly not welcomed and even condemned.
For example, in one of the treaties between the Russians and the Byzantine emperor there is a fragment of the oath of the Kiev prince Svyatoslav, telling what will happen in case of violation of obligations: “let us be golden, like this gold” (meaning the golden plate-stand of the Byzantine scribe) . This once again shows the despicable attitude of the Rus to the golden calf.
A more correct definition of the political structure of pre-dynastic Kievan Rus is a veche society, where the prince was completely dependent on the people's assembly. Veche could approve the transfer of power of the prince by inheritance, or could re-elect him. The historian Igor Froyanov noted that “an ancient Russian prince is not an emperor or even a monarch, because a veche stood over him, or popular assembly to whom he was accountable."
The first Kiev princes
The Tale of Bygone Years tells how Kiy, who lived on the Dnieper "mountains", together with the brothers Shchek, Khoriv and sister Lybid, built a city on the right bank of the Dnieper, later named Kiev in honor of the founder. Kiy, according to the annals, he was the first prince of Kiev. However, modern authors are more inclined to believe that the story of the founding of the city is an etymological myth designed to explain the names of Kievan areas.
Thus, the hypothesis of the American-Ukrainian orientalist Omelyan Pritsak, who believed that the emergence of Kyiv is associated with the Khazars, and Kiy as a person is identical to the hypothetical Khazar vizier Kuya, became widely known.
At the end of the 9th century, no less legendary princes, Askold and Dir, appeared on the historical stage of Kyiv. It is believed that they were members of the Varangian squad of Rurik, who later became the rulers of the capital city, converted to Christianity and laid the foundations of ancient Russian statehood. But even here there are many questions.
in Ustyug chronicle it is said that Askold and Dir were "neither the tribe of the prince, nor the boyars, and Rurik will not give them either a city or a village." Historians believe that their desire to go to Kyiv was stimulated by the desire to obtain land and a princely title. According to the historian Yuri Begunov, Askold and Dir, having betrayed Rurik, turned into Khazar vassals.
The chronicler Nestor writes that the troops of Askold and Dir in 866 made a campaign against Byzantium and plundered the environs of Constantinople. However, Academician Aleksey Shakhmatov argued that in the older chronicles telling about the campaign against Constantinople there is no mention of Askold and Dir, nothing is said about them either in Byzantine or Arabic sources. “Their names were inserted later,” the scientist believed.
Some researchers suggest that Askold and Dir ruled in Kyiv at different times. Others put forward the version that Askold and Dir are one and the same person. According to this assumption, in the Old Norse spelling of the name "Haskuldr", the last two letters "d" and "r" could be separated into a separate word, and eventually become an independent person.
If you look at the Byzantine sources, you can see that during the siege of Constantinople, the chronicler speaks of only one commander, though without naming him.
Historian Boris Rybakov explained: “The personality of Prince Dir is not clear to us. It is felt that his name is artificially attached to Askold, because when describing their joint actions, grammatical form gives us a single, not a double number, as it should be when describing the joint actions of two persons.
Kievan Rus and Khazaria
The Khazar Khaganate is considered a powerful state, under whose control the most important trade routes from Europe to Asia turned out to be. +During the heyday (at the beginning of the 8th century), the territory Khazar Khaganate stretched from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, including the lower Dnieper region.
The Khazars made regular raids on the Slavic lands, plundering them. According to the testimony of the medieval traveler Ibrahim ibn Yakub, they procured not only wax, furs and horses, but mainly prisoners of war for sale into slavery, as well as young men, girls and children. In other words, the lands of Southern Russia actually fell into the Khazar bondage.
Maybe the state of the Khazars was looking in the wrong place? Publicist Alexander Polyukh is trying to sort out this issue. In his research, he focuses on genetics, in particular, on the position according to which the blood type corresponds to the way of life of the people and determines the ethnos.
He notes that according to genetic data, Russians and Belarusians, like most Europeans, have more than 90% of blood type I (O), and ethnic Ukrainians are 40% carriers of group III (B). This is a sign of peoples who led a nomadic lifestyle (here he also includes the Khazars), whose blood group III (B) approaches 100% of the population.
These conclusions are largely supported by the archaeological finds of Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Valentin Yanin, who confirmed that Kyiv at the time of its capture by the Novgorodians (IX century) was not a Slavic city, this is also evidenced by the "birch bark letters".
According to Polyukh, the conquest of Kyiv by the Novgorodians and the revenge on the Khazars, carried out by Prophetic Oleg, suspiciously coincide in time. Perhaps it was the same event? Here he makes a loud conclusion: “Kyiv is a possible capital of the Khazar Khaganate, and ethnic Ukrainians are the direct descendants of the Khazars.”
Despite all the paradoxical conclusions, perhaps they are not so divorced from reality. Indeed, in a number of sources of the 9th century, the ruler of the Rus was called not a prince, but a kagan (khakan). The earliest message about this refers to the year 839, when, according to the ancient Russian chronicles, Rurik's warriors had not yet arrived in Kyiv.
Who is the first prince of Kievan Rus?
Ancient tribes that are located throughout the great waterway, which connected the entire East European Plain, were united into one ethnic group, which was called the Slavs. The Slavs were considered such tribes as the glades, the Drevlyans, the Krivichi, the Ilmen Slovenes, the northerners, the Polochans, the Vyatichi, the Radimichi and the Dregovichi. Our ancestors built two greatest cities- Dnieper and Novgorod - which already existed at the time of the establishment of the state, but did not have any ruler. The ancestors of the tribes constantly quarreled and fought with each other, having no way to find " mutual language and come to a unanimous decision. It was decided to call to rule their lands and people by the Baltic princes, brothers named Rurik, Sineus and Truvor. These were the first names of the princes who entered the annals. In 862, the prince brothers settled in three large cities - in Beloozero, in Novgorod and in Izborsk. The people of the Slavs turned into Russ, since the name of the tribe of the Varangian princes (and the brothers were Varangians) was called Rus.
The story of Prince Rurik - another version of events
Few people know, but there is another old legend about the emergence of Kievan Rus and the appearance of its first princes. Some historians suggest that the chronicle was incorrectly translated in some places, and if you look at a different translation, it turns out that only Prince Rurik sailed to the Slavs. "Sine-hus" in Old Norse means "clan", "house", and "tru-thief" - "squad". The annals say that the brothers Sineus and Truvor allegedly died due to unclear circumstances, since the mention of them in the annals disappears. Perhaps it’s just that now “tru-thief” was listed as “squad”, and “sine-hus” was already mentioned as “genus”. This is how non-existent brothers died in the annals and a squad appeared with the Rurik clan.
By the way, some scholars argue that Prince Rurik was none other than the Danish king Rorik Friesland himself, who committed great amount successful raids on their warlike neighbors. It was for this reason that the Slavic tribes called on him to rule their people, because Rorik was brave, strong, fearless and smart.
The reign of Prince Rurik in Russia (862 - 879)
The first prince of Kievan Rus, Rurik, was not just an intelligent ruler for 17 years, but the ancestor of the princely dynasty (which became royal years later) and the founder of the state system, thanks to which Kievan Rus became a great and powerful state, despite the fact that it was founded completely recently. Since the newly formed state had not yet been fully formed, Rurik devoted most of his reign to seizing lands by uniting all Slavic tribes: the northerners, the Drevlyans, the Smolensk Krivichi, the Chud tribe and the whole, the Psovski Krivichi, the Merya tribe and the Radimichi. One of his most great achievements, thanks to which Rurik strengthened his authority in Russia - the suppression of the uprising of Vadim the Brave, which took place in Novgorod.
In addition to Prince Rurik, there were two more brothers, relatives of the prince, who ruled in Kyiv. The brothers' names were Askold and Dir, but according to the legends, Kyiv existed long before their reign and was founded by three brothers Kyi Shchek and Khoriv, as well as their sister Lybid. Then Kyiv did not yet have a dominant significance in Russia, and Novgorod was the residence of the prince.
Princes of Kyiv - Askold and Dir (864 - 882)
The first Kiev princes entered history only partially, since very little was written about them in the Tale of Past Years. It is known that they were the warriors of Prince Rurik, but then they left him down the Dnieper to Tsargrad, but, having mastered Kiev along the way, they decided to stay here to reign. Details of their reign are not known, but there are records of their deaths. Prince Rurik after himself left the reign to his young son Igor, and until he grows up, Oleg was the prince. Having taken power into their own hands, Oleg and Igor went to Kyiv and in a conspiracy killed the Kiev princes, justifying themselves by the fact that they did not belong to the princely family and did not have the right to reign. They ruled from 866 to 882. Such were the first Kiev princes - Askold and Dir.
Prince of ancient Russia - the reign of Prince Oleg the Prophet (879 - 912)
After the death of Rurik, power passed to his combatant Oleg, who was soon nicknamed the Prophet. Oleg the Prophet ruled Russia until the son of Rurik, Igor, becomes of age and can become a prince. It was during the reign of Prince Oleg that Russia gained such power that such great states as Byzantium and even Constantinople could envy him. The regent of Prince Igor multiplied all the achievements that Prince Rurik had achieved, and enriched Russia even more. Gathering a huge army under his command, he went down the Dnieper River and conquered Smolensk, Lyubech and Kyiv.
After the assassination of Askold and Dir, the Drevlyans who inhabited Kyiv recognized Igor as their legitimate ruler, and Kyiv became the capital of Kievan Rus. Oleg recognized himself as a Russian, and not a foreign ruler, thus becoming the first truly Russian prince. The Prophetic Oleg's campaign against Byzantium ended in his victory, thanks to which the Rus received favorable benefits for trade with Constantinople.
During his campaign against Constantinople, Oleg showed an unprecedented "Russian ingenuity", ordering the warriors to nail the wheels to the ships, due to which they were able to "ride" along the plain with the help of the wind right to the gate. The formidable and powerful ruler of Byzantium, named Leo VI, surrendered, and Oleg, as a sign of his impeccable victory, nailed his shield to the very gates of Constantinople. It was a very inspiring symbol of victory for the entire squad, after which his army followed their leader with even greater devotion.
Prophecy about the death of Oleg the Prophet
Oleg the Prophet died in 912, having ruled the country for 30 years. There are very interesting legends about his death, and even ballads were written. Before his campaign with his retinue against the Khazars, Oleg met a magician on the road, who prophesies the death of the prince from his own horse. The Magi were held in high esteem in Russia, and their words were considered the true truth. Prince Oleg the Prophetic was no exception, and after such a prophecy he ordered a new horse to be brought to him. But he loved his old "comrade-in-arms", who went through more than one battle with him, and could not forget about him so easily.
Many years later, Oleg learns that his horse has long gone into oblivion, and the prince decides to go to his bones to make sure that the prophecy has not come true. Stepping on the bones, Prince Oleg says goodbye to his "lonely friend", and almost convinced that his death has passed, he does not notice how a poisonous snake crawls out of the skull and bites him. So Oleg the Prophet met his death.
The reign of Prince Igor (912 - 945)
After the death of Prince Oleg, Igor Rurikovich took over the rule of Russia, although in fact he was considered the ruler since 879. Remembering the great achievements of the first princes, Prince Igor did not want to lag behind them, and therefore he also often went on campaigns. During the years of his reign, Russia was subjected to many attacks by the Pechenegs, so the prince decided to conquer the neighboring tribes and force them to pay tribute. He coped with this problem quite well, but he did not succeed in fulfilling his old dream and completing the conquest of Constantinople, since everything inside the state gradually plunged into chaos. The powerful princely hand was weakened in comparison with Oleg and Rurik, and this was noticed by many obstinate tribes. For example, the Drevlyans refused to pay tribute to the prince, after which a riot arose, which had to be pacified with blood and a sword. It would seem that everything has already been decided, but the Drevlyans have been plotting revenge on Prince Igor for a long time, and a few years later she overtook him. We will talk about this a little later.
It was not possible for Prince Igor to control his neighbors, with whom he signed a peace agreement. Having agreed with the Khazars that on the way to the Caspian they would let his army go to the sea, and in return he would give half of the booty received, the prince, along with his retinue, was practically destroyed on the way home. The Khazars realized that they outnumbered the army of the Russian prince, and staged a brutal massacre, after which only Igor and a few dozen of his warriors managed to escape.
Victory over Constantinople
This was not his last shameful defeat. He felt another thing in the battle with Constantinople, which also destroyed almost the entire princely squad in battle. Prince Igor was so angry that, in order to wash his name from shame, he gathered under his command all his squad, Khazars and even Pechenegs. In this composition, they moved to Tsargrad. The Byzantine emperor learned from the Bulgarians about the impending disaster, and upon the arrival of the prince began to ask for pardon, offering very favorable conditions for cooperation.
Prince Igor did not enjoy his brilliant victory for long. The revenge of the Drevlyans overtook him. A year after the campaign against Constantinople, as part of a small detachment of tribute collectors, Igor went to the Drevlyans to collect tribute. But they again refused to pay and destroyed all the tax collectors, and with them the prince himself. Thus ended the reign of Prince Igor Rurikovich.
The reign of Princess Olga (945 - 957)
Princess Olga was the wife of Prince Igor, and for the betrayal and murder of the prince, she cruelly avenged the Drevlyans. The Drevlyans were almost completely destroyed, and without any damage to the Russians. Olga's ruthless strategy exceeded all expectations. Having gone on a campaign against Iskorosten (Korosten), the princess and her friends spent almost a year in a siege near the city. Then the great ruler ordered to collect tribute from each court: three doves or sparrows. The Drevlyans were very happy with such a low tribute, and therefore, almost immediately, they hurried to fulfill the order, wanting to appease the princess. But the woman was distinguished by a very sharp mind, and therefore she ordered to tie a smoldering tow to the foot of the birds, and let them go free. The birds, carrying fire with them, returned to their nests, and since earlier houses were built of straw and wood, the city quickly began to burn and completely burned to the ground.
After his great victory, the princess went to Constantinople and received holy baptism there. Being pagans, the Russians could not accept such an antics of their princess. But the fact remains, and Princess Olga is considered the first who brought Christianity to Russia and remained faithful to her faith until the end of her days. At baptism, the princess took the name Elena, and for such courage she was elevated to the rank of saints.
Such were the princes of ancient Russia. Strong, brave, merciless and smart. They managed to unite the eternally warring tribes into one people, form a powerful and rich state and glorify their names for centuries.
The formation of the nation, later called Russ, Rusichs, Russians, Russians, which became one of the strongest nations in the world, if not the strongest, began with the unification of the Slavs settled in the East European Plain. From where they came to these lands, when - it is not known for certain. History of no chronicle evidence for the Rus of the early centuries new era did not save. Only from the second half of the 9th century - the time when the first prince appeared in Russia - can the process of nation formation be traced in more detail.
"Come reign and rule over us..."
Along the great waterway, which connected the entire East European Plain with numerous rivers and lakes, lived the tribes of the ancient Ilmen Slovenes, Polyans, Drevlyans, Krivichi, Polochans, Dregovichi, Severyans, Radimichi, Vyatichi, who received one common name for all - Slavs. Two large cities built by our ancient ancestors - Dnieper and Novgorod - already existed in those lands before the establishment of statehood, but did not have rulers. The names of the governors of the tribes appeared when the first princes in Russia were inscribed in the annals. The table with their names contains only a few lines, but these are the main lines in our story.
The procedure for calling the Varangians to control the Slavs is known to us from school. The ancestors of the tribes, tired of constant skirmishes and strife among themselves, elected envoys to the princes of the Rus tribe, who lived beyond the Baltic Sea, and obliged them to tell that “... Our whole land is great and plentiful, but there is no dress in it (i.e. . there is no peace and order). Come reign and rule over us." The brothers Rurik, Sineus and Truvor responded to the call. They came not alone, but with their retinue, and settled in Novgorod, Izborsk and Beloozero. It was in 862. And the people whom they began to rule began to be called the Rus - by the name of the tribe of the Varangian princes.
Refuting the initial conclusions of historians
There is another, less popular hypothesis regarding the arrival of the Baltic princes in our lands. According to the official version, there were three brothers, but it is likely that the old tomes were read (translated) incorrectly, and only one ruler arrived in the Slavic lands - Rurik. The first prince of ancient Russia came with his faithful warriors (team) - "tru-thief" in Old Norse, and his family (family, home) - "blue-hus". Hence the assumption that there were three brothers. For some unknown reason, historians conclude that two years after moving to the Slovenes, both Ruriks die like this (in other words, the words “tru-thief” and “blue-hus” are no longer mentioned in the annals). There are several other reasons for their disappearance. For example, that by that time the army, which the first prince gathered in Russia, began to be called not “tru-thief”, but “squad”, and the relatives who came with him - not “blue-hus”, but “genus”.
In addition, modern researchers of antiquity are increasingly inclined to the version that our Rurik is none other than the Danish king Rorik Friesland, famous in history, who became famous for his very successful raids on less weak neighbors. Perhaps that is why he was called to rule because he was strong, courageous and invincible.
Russia under Rurik
The founder of the state system in Russia, the founder of the princely dynasty, which later became royal, ruled the people entrusted to him for 17 years. He united into one power the Ilmen Slovenes, the Psov and Smolensk Krivichi, the whole and the Chud, the northerners and the Drevlyans, the Merya and the Radimichi. In the annexed lands, he approved his proteges as governors. By the end, Ancient Russia occupied a rather vast territory.
In addition to the founder of the new princely family, two of his relatives - Askold and Dir, who, at the call of the prince, established their power over Kiev, which at that time did not yet have a dominant role in the newly formed state, went down in history. The first prince in Russia chose Novgorod as his residence, where he died in 879, leaving the principality to his young son Igor. The heir of Rurik himself could not rule. For many years, undivided power passed to Oleg, an associate and distant relative of the deceased prince.
The first truly Russian
Thanks to Oleg, nicknamed the Prophets by the people, Ancient Russia gained power that both Constantinople and Byzantium, the strongest states at that time, could envy. What the first Russian prince in Russia did in his time, the regent multiplied and enriched under the juvenile Igor. Having collected large army, Oleg went downstream the Dnieper and conquered Lyubech, Smolensk, Kyiv. The latter was taken by elimination, and the Drevlyans who inhabited these lands recognized Igor as their real ruler, and Oleg as a worthy regent until he grew up. From now on, the capital of Russia is Kyiv.
Prophetic Oleg's legacy
Many tribes were annexed to Russia during the years of his reign by Oleg, who by that time had declared himself the first truly Russian, and not a foreign prince. His campaign against Byzantium ended in an absolute victory and the privileges won for the Russians for free trade in Constantinople. A rich booty was brought by the squad from this campaign. The first princes in Russia, to whom Oleg rightfully belongs, truly cared for the glory of the state.
Many legends and amazing stories circulated among the people after the return of the troops from the campaign against Constantinople. To reach the gates of the city, Oleg ordered the ships to be put on wheels, and when a fair wind filled their sails, the ships “went” across the plain to Constantinople, terrifying the townspeople. The terrible Byzantine emperor Leo VI surrendered to the mercy of the winner, and Oleg, as a sign of stunning victory nailed his shield on the gates of Constantinople.
In the annals of 911, Oleg is already referred to as the first Grand Duke of All Russia. In 912 he dies, according to legend, from a snake bite. His more than 30-year reign did not end heroically.
Among the strong
With the death of Oleg, he took control of the vast possessions of the principality, although in fact he was the ruler of the lands from 879. Naturally, he wanted to be worthy of the deeds of his great predecessors. He also fought (in his reign, Russia was subjected to the first attacks of the Pechenegs), conquered several neighboring tribes, forcing them to pay tribute. Igor did everything that the first prince in Russia did, but he did not succeed immediately in realizing his main dream - to conquer Constantinople. And in their own possessions, not everything went smoothly.
After the strong Rurik and Oleg, Igor's rule turned out to be much weaker, and the obstinate Drevlyans felt this, refusing to pay tribute. The first princes of Kyiv knew how to keep the recalcitrant tribe under control. Igor also pacified this rebellion for a while, but the revenge of the Drevlyans overtook the prince a few years later.
The deceit of the Khazars, the betrayal of the Drevlyans
Relations between the crown prince and the Khazars were unsuccessful. Trying to reach the Caspian Sea, Igor concluded an agreement with them that they would let the squad go to the sea, and he, returning, would give them half of the rich booty. The prince fulfilled his promises, but this was not enough for the Khazars. Seeing that the superiority in strength was on their side, in a fierce battle they killed almost the entire Russian army.
Igor experienced a shameful defeat and after his first campaign against Constantinople in 941, the Byzantines destroyed almost his entire squad. Three years later, wanting to wash away the shame, the prince, having united all the Russians, Khazars and even Pechenegs into one army, again moved to Constantinople. Having learned from the Bulgarians that a formidable force was coming at him, the emperor offered Igor peace on very favorable terms for that, and the prince accepted it. But a year after such a stunning victory, Igor was killed. Refusing to pay a second tribute, the Koresten Drevlyans destroyed the few consolation of tax collectors, among whom was the prince himself.
Princess, the first in everything
Igor's wife, the Pskovite Olga, who was chosen as his wife by Prophetic Oleg in 903, cruelly took revenge on the traitors. The Drevlyans were destroyed without any losses for the Rus, thanks to Olga's cunning, but also merciless strategy - to be sure, the first princes in Russia knew how to fight. The hereditary title of ruler of the state after the death of Igor was taken by Svyatoslav, the son of a princely couple, but due to the latter's infancy, for the next twelve years, Russia was led by his mother.
Olga was distinguished by a rare intelligence, courage and the ability to wisely manage the state. After the capture of Korosten, the main city of the Drevlyans, the princess went to Constantinople and received holy baptism there. The Orthodox Church was also in Kyiv under Igor, but the Russian people worshiped Perun and Veles, and did not soon turn from paganism to Christianity. But the fact that Olga, who took the name Elena at baptism, paved the way for a new faith in Russia and did not betray her until the end of her days (the princess died in 969), elevated her to the rank of saints.
Warrior from infancy
N. M. Karamzin, the compiler of the Russian State, called Svyatoslav the Russian Alexander of Macedon. The first princes in Russia were distinguished by amazing courage and courage. The table, in which the dates of their reign are dryly given, is fraught with many glorious victories and deeds for the good of the Fatherland, which stand behind every name in it.
Having inherited the title of Grand Duke at the age of three (after the death of Igor), Svyatoslav became the actual ruler of Russia only in 962. Two years later, he freed the Khazars from submission and annexed the Vyatichi to Russia, and in the next two years, a number of Slavic tribes living along the Oka, in the Volga region, in the Caucasus and the Balkans. The Khazars were defeated, their capital Itil was abandoned. From the North Caucasus, Svyatoslav brought Yasses (Ossetians) and Kasogs (Circassians) to his lands and settled them in the newly formed cities of Belaya Vezha and Tmutarakan. Like the first prince of all Russia, Svyatoslav understood the importance of constantly expanding his possessions.
Worthy of the great glory of the ancestors
In 968, having conquered Bulgaria (the cities of Pereyaslavets and Dorostol), Svyatoslav, not without reason, began to consider these lands his own and firmly settled in Pereyaslavets - he did not like the peaceful life of Kyiv, and his mother was well managed in the capital. But a year later she was gone, and the prince of the Bulgarians, united with the Byzantine emperor, declared war. Going to her, Svyatoslav left the great Russian cities to his sons to manage: Yaropolka - Kyiv, Oleg - Korosten, Vladimir - Novgorod.
That war was difficult and ambiguous - both sides celebrated victories with varying degrees of success. The confrontation ended with a peace treaty, according to which Svyatoslav left Bulgaria (it was annexed to his possessions by the Byzantine emperor John Tzimiskes), and Byzantium paid the established tribute to the Russian prince for these lands.
Returning from this campaign, controversial in its importance, Svyatoslav stopped for a while in Beloberezhye, on the Dnieper. There, in the spring of 972, the Pechenegs attacked his weakened army. Grand Duke was killed in battle. Historians explain the glory of a born warrior attached to him by the fact that Svyatoslav was incredibly hardy in campaigns, could sleep on damp ground with a saddle under his head, as he was unpretentious in everyday life, not like a prince, and was also picky about food. His message "I'm coming at you", with which he warned future enemies before the attack, went down in history as Oleg's shield on the gates of Constantinople.
Hi friends!
In this post, we will focus on such a difficult topic as the first Kiev princes. Today, 7 author's historical portraits from Oleg the Prophet to Vladimir II Monomakh will be presented, all these historical portraits are written for the maximum score and meet all the criteria for assessing work on the exam.
You see a map in front of you Ancient Russia, or rather the tribes that lived on their territory. You see that this is the territory of present-day Ukraine and Belarus. Ancient Russia stretched from the Carpathians in the West, to the Oka and Volga in the East, and from the Baltic in the North, to the Black Sea steppes in the South. Of course, Kyiv was the capital of this Old Russian state and it was there that the princes of Kiev sat. We will begin the study of Ancient Russia with Prince Oleg. Unfortunately, no information about this prince has been preserved, and only the legend “The Legend of Prophetic Oleg which you all know very well. And in 882, Oleg went to Kyiv from Novgorod. He was Rurik's combatant (862-882) and while Rurik's son, Igor, was small, Oleg was his regent. And in 882, Oleg captured Kyiv, killing Askold and Dir, and from that moment the time of his reign began.
Oleg Veshchiy - Historical portrait
Lifetime:9th century - beginning10th century
Years of government: 882-912
1.1. He made Kyiv the capital of Ancient Russia, so some historians consider Oleg the founder of the Old Russian state. “Let Kyiv be the mother of Russian cities”
1.2. He united the northern and southern centers of the Eastern Slavs, by conquering the lands of the streets, Tivertsy, Radimichi, northerners, Drevlyans, subjugating such cities as Smolensk, Lyubech, Kyiv.
2. Foreign policy:
2.1. He made a successful campaign against Constantinople in 907.
2.2. Concluded favorable for the country peace and trade agreements with Byzantium.
Results of activity:
Prince Oleg during the years of his reign significantly increased the territory of Russia, concluded the first trade agreement with Byzantium (Constantinople)
The second ruler after Oleg was Igor Stary and about his reign modern history much is unknown and we only know about the last four years of his reign in Kyiv.
Historical portrait of Igor Stary
Life time: endIX century -II quarterX century
Years of government: 912-945
Main activities:
1. Domestic policy:
1.1. Continued the unification of the East Slavic tribes
1.2. He was the governor in Kyiv during the reign of Oleg
2. Foreign policy:
2.1. Russian-Byzantine war 941-944
2.2. War with the Pechenegs
2.3. War with the Drevlyans
2.4. Military campaign against Byzantium
Results of activity:
He extended his power to the Slavic tribes between the Dniester and the Danube, concluded a military-trade agreement with Byzantium, conquered the Drevlyans.
After the murder of Igor by the Drevlyans for excessive collection of tribute, his wife, Olga, ascended the throne.
Duchess Olga
Lifetime:II-3rd quarterX century.
Years of government: 945-962
Main activities:
1. Domestic policy:
1.1. strengthening central government by reprisal against the tribe of the Drevlyans
1.2. She carried out the first tax reform in Russia: she introduced lessons - a fixed amount of tribute collection and graveyards - places of tribute collection.
2. Foreign policy:
2.1. She was the first Russian princess and ruler in general who converted to Christianity.
2.2. She was able to prevent the Drevlyan dynasty of princes from reigning in Kyiv.
Results of activity:
Olga strengthened the internal position of the young Russian state, established relations with Byzantium, increased the authority of Russia, and was able to maintain the Russian throne for her son Svyatoslav.
After the death of Olga, the reign of Svyatoslav Igorevich, known for his wealth, began in Kyiv. foreign policy
Svyatoslav Igorevich
Time of life: second half of the 10th century.
Years of reign 945 - 972
Main activities:
1. Domestic policy:
1.1. He led the further strengthening of the ancient Russian state, like his predecessors.
1.2. Tried to create an empire.
2. Foreign policy:
2.1. He conducted a military campaign against Bulgaria in 967.
2.2. Defeated the Khazar Khaganate in 965.
2.3. Conducted a military campaign against Byzantium.
Results of activity:
He established diplomatic relations with many peoples of the world, strengthened the position of Russia on the world stage, removed the threat from the Volga Bulgaria and the Khazar Khaganate, expanded the possessions of the Kiev prince, wanted to create an empire, but his plans were not destined to come true.
After the death of Svyatoslav, Prince Yaropolk (972-980) ascended the throne of Kyiv, who, over the 8 years of his reign, made a very small contribution to the history of Ancient Russia. After his reign, Vladimir I, popularly nicknamed the Red Sun, entered the throne of Kyiv.
Vladimir I Svyatoslavovich (Saint, Red Sun) – Historical portrait
Life time: 3rd quarter of the 10th century - first half of the 11th century (~ 960-1015);
Years of government: 980-1015
Main activities:
1. Domestic policy:
1.1. The final annexation of the lands of the Vyatichi, Cherven cities, as well as lands on both sides of the Carpathians.
1.2. pagan reform. In order to strengthen the grand ducal power and to introduce Russia to the rest of the world, in 980 Vladimir carried out a Pagan reform, according to which Perun was placed at the head of the pantheon of Slavic gods. After the failure of the reform, Vladimir I decided to baptize Russia according to the Byzantine rite.
1.3. Acceptance of Christianity. After the failure of the pagan reform, under Vladimir in 988, Christianity was adopted as the state religion. The baptism of Vladimir and his entourage was performed in the city of Korsun. The reason for choosing Christianity as the main religion was the marriage of Vladimir to the Byzantine princess Anna and the prevalence of this faith in Russia.
2. Foreign policy:
2.1. Protection of the borders of Russia. Under Vladimir, in order to protect, the Unified Defensive System from nomads and the Alert System were created.
2.2. The defeat of the Radimichi militia, a campaign in the Volga Bulgaria, the first clash of Russia with Poland, as well as the conquest of the Polotsk principality.
Results of activity:
1. Domestic policy:
1.1. The unification of all the lands of the Eastern Slavs as part of Kievan Rus.
1.2. The reform streamlined the pagan pantheon. It prompted Prince Vladimir to turn to a fundamentally new religion.
1.3. Strengthening princely power, raising the authority of the country on the world stage, borrowing Byzantine culture: fresco, architecture, icon painting, the Bible was translated into Slavic...
2. Foreign policy:
2.1. The Unified Defense System from nomads and the Notification System helped to quickly notify the center about crossing the border, and accordingly about the attack, which gave Russia an advantage.
2.2. Expansion of the borders of Russia through the active foreign policy of Prince Vladimir the Holy.
After Vladimir, a very prominent ruler was Yaroslav, nicknamed the Wise.
Yaroslav the Wise
Life time: endX- middleXI century
Years of government: 1019-1054
Main activities:
1. Domestic policy:
1.1. Establishment of dynastic ties with Europe and Byzantium, through the conclusion of dynastic marriages.
1.2. The founder of written Russian legislation - "Russian Pravda"
1.3. Erected St. Sophia Cathedral and the Golden Gate
2. Foreign policy:
2.1. Military campaigns in the Baltic
2.2. The final defeat of the Pechenegs
2.3. Military campaign against Byzantium and the Polish-Lithuanian lands
Results of activity:
During the reign of Yaroslav, Russia reached its peak. Kyiv became one of the largest cities in Europe, the prestige of Russia increased on the world stage, the active construction of temples and cathedrals began.
And the last prince, whose characteristics we will give in this post, will be Vladimir II.
Vladimir Monomakh
ATTime of life: second half of the 11th century - first quarter of the 12th century.
Years of government: 1113-1125
Main activities:
1. Domestic policy:
1.1. He stopped the collapse of the Old Russian state. "Let each one keep his fatherland"
1.2. Nestor compiled "The Tale of Bygone Years"
1.3. Introduced the "Charter of Vladimir Monomakh"
2. Foreign policy:
2.1. He organized successful campaigns of princes against the Polovtsy
2.2. Continued the policy of strengthening dynastic ties with Europe
Results of activity:
He was able to unite the Russian lands for a short time, became the author of Teachings to Children, he managed to stop the Polovtsian raids on Russia.
© Ivan Nekrasov 2014
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