Eastern Slavs in antiquity

According to historical sources, approximately from the 6th century, Slavic unity began to divide into three branches. Thus, the Southern, Western and Eastern Slavs are formed. In ancient times, the last one was a huge territory. The descendants of these tribes were Russians, Byelorussians, Ukrainians.

Eastern Slavs in antiquity, the settlement of which occurred between the White, Baltic and Black Seas, for nearly five hundred years, were engaged in the development of these lands. The first information about the formation of tribes was obtained from the chronicle of the "Tale of Bygone Years". The information is also confirmed by archaeological finds.

In the ancient times the Eastern Slavs dispersed in various territories from "sitting on the Danube".

Moved to the middle reaches of the Dnieper near Kiev, the tribes began to be called "glades". To the north of their settlements lived "northerners". To the north-west of the glades tribes of "Drevlyans" were formed. They got their name for the territory on which they settled - the dense forests. The center of the drevlyane was the town of Isterosteni.

Between the Dvina and the Pripyat settled tribes, which became known as "Dregovichi". The Slavs settling near the Danube in the place where the Polota River flows into it began to be called "Polotchans". The upper reaches of the Western Dvina, the Dnieper and the Volga were inhabited by "Krivichi". Their center was Smolensk.

According to annalistic information from the Poles ("lyakhs") there were "Vyatichi" and "Radimichi". At Sozh (the tributary of the Dnieper) settled "Radimichi", "Vyatichi" occupied the territory on the Oka.

Dulebs or Buzhans settled the territory along the Bug. The settlements that occupied the territory near Lake Ilmen began to be called Slovenes of Novgorod (Ilmen). Their center was the city of Novgorod.

In the ancient times, Eastern Slavs formed not just tribes. Moving and occupying certain territories, they formed military and political alliances, which included about a hundred small settlements. According to the name of the most numerous and strong village, the whole union was also called.

In each such formation was his prince. There is no exact information on whether the authorities at that time chose or inherited. According to historians, the Eastern Slavs in ancient times created the prerequisites for the formation of statehood in the aftermath, as the unions formed by them were the "germinal" form of the state.

For a long time the people lived according to their military customs. Thus, the occupation of the Eastern Slavs consisted not only in peaceful industries, but also in military extraction. However, the main activity of the people was agriculture.

Located mainly along the shores of lakes, rivers, in areas suitable for farming, people cultivated wheat, rye, beans, barley, millet, oats, peas. On the ground, hemp and flax, vegetable crops (garlic, turnip, radish, cabbage) were grown. In northern territories, agriculture was conducted on a slash-and-burn system. They cut down the forest in the first year and let it dry. In the second year, the stumps were uprooted and set on fire. Then sowing was carried out in ash. The earth was sometimes plowed in advance, sometimes sown unplowed territory. Harvest Slavs from such sites received for three to four years. As a result, the Slavs had to cultivate a huge amount of territory, and they were forced to form relatively small settlements.

In the south, agriculture was developed more highly. This, mainly, contributed to weather conditions and a more fertile soil, rather than in the north.

Together with agriculture in the Eastern Slavs, livestock breeding has developed greatly. Slavs bred cows, goats, poultry, pigs, sheep. Cultivated and horses for farming and riding.

Quite popular among the population was hunting and fishing. An additional economic activity that performed an auxiliary role, the Slavs considered the collection of honey (beekeeping).