The first prince in Russia. The first princes in Russia: the table

Formation of a nationality, later called Rus, Rus, Russian, Russians, which became one of the strongest nations in the world, if not the strongest, began with the unification of the Slavs settled along the East European Plain. Whence they came to these lands, when - it is not known for certain. The history of no annalistic evidence of the Ruses of the early centuries of the new era has not been preserved. Only from the second half of the 9th century - the times when the first prince appeared in Russia - can one trace the process of nation formation in more detail.

"Come and reign and possess us ..."

The tribes of the ancient Ilmen Slovaks, glades, drevlyans, krivichs, Polotchans, Dregoviches, Northerners, Radimichs, Vyatichs lived in the great waterway, which connected the whole East European Plain with numerous rivers and lakes, and received the same common name for all - the Slavs. Two large cities built by our ancient ancestors - the Dnieper and Novgorod - to establish statehood in those lands already existed, but had no rulers. The name-bearing mention of the governors of the tribes appeared when the first princes in Rus were inscribed in the annals. The table with their names contains only a few lines, but these are the main lines in our history.

The procedure for calling the Varangians to the management of the Slavs is known to us from the school bench. The ancestors of the tribes, tired of constant skirmishes and scolding among themselves, elected envoys to the princes of the tribe Rus who inhabited the Baltic Sea, and obliged those to tell that "... all our land is large and plentiful, but there is no attire (that is, There is no peace and order). Come and reign and own us. " The brothers Rurik, Sineus and Truvor responded to the call. They came not alone, but with their squad, and settled in Novgorod, Izborsk and Beloozero. It was in 862 year. And the people, whom they began to rule, began to call Russia - by the name of the tribe of Varangian princes.

Refuting the historians' initial conclusions

There is another, less popular hypothesis regarding the arrival of the Zaltic princes in our lands. According to the official version, there were three brothers, but it is likely that the old volumes were read incorrectly, and only one ruler, Rurik, arrived on the Slavic lands. The first prince of ancient Russia came with his faithful soldiers (squad) - "trumpet" in Old Norse, and his home (clan, house) - "blue-hus." Hence the assumption that there were three brothers. For some unknown reason, historians conclude that two years after the move to the Slovens, the two so -called brothers Rurik die (in other words, the words "truvo" 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 had gathered in Russia, began to be called not a "trumpet", but a "squad", and the relatives who came with him were not "blue hus", but "kindred."

In addition, modern scholars of antiquity are increasingly inclined to the version that our Rurik is none other than the well-known Danish king Rörik Friesland, famous for his very successful raids on weaker neighbors. Perhaps, that's why he was called to the government, that he was strong, courageous and invincible.

Russia at Rurik

The founder of the state system in Russia, the ancestor of the princely dynasty, who later became royal, ruled the people entrusted to them for 17 years. He united in one power Ilmen Slovaks, Psovian and Smolensk krivich, all and chud, Northerners and Drevlyans, measuring and Radimich. In the annexed lands, the governors claimed their proteges. By the end of Rurik's rule, Ancient Rus occupied quite a vast territory.

In addition to the founder of the new princely family, two of his relatives, Askold and Dir, were also included in the story, who, according to the prince's call, had established their authority over Kiev, which then did not have the dominant significance in the newly-formed state. The first prince in Russia chose Novgorod as his residence, where he died in 879, leaving the principality to his young son Igor. Rurik's heir himself could not rule. For many years, undivided power passed to Oleg, a companion and distant relative of the deceased prince.

First truly Russian

Thanks to Oleg, nicknamed in the people of the Prophet, Ancient Rus gained power, which could be envied by Constantinople and Byzantium - the strongest at that time of the state. What the first Russian prince did in Russia, Regent with a young Igor multiplied and enriched. Gathering a large army, Oleg went downstream of the Dnieper and conquered Lyubech, Smolensk, Kiev. The latter was taken by eliminating Askold and Dir, and the drelandians who inhabited these lands recognized Igor as their real ruler, and Oleg as a worthy regent before he grew up. From now on, Kiev is the capital of Russia.

The Legacy of the Prophetic Oleg

Many tribes joined Oleg during the years of his reign Oleg, who at that time declared himself the first truly Russian, and not an alien prince. His campaign against Byzantium ended with an absolute victory and privileges won for the Russians in free trade in Constantinople. A rich squad was brought by the squad from this expedition. The first princes in Russia, to which Oleg rightfully belongs, truly radiated the glory of the state.

A lot of legends and amazing stories were heard by the people after the army returned from the march to Constantinople. To get to the gates of the city, Oleg ordered to install the ships on the wheels, and when the fair wind filled their sails, the ships "went" across the plain to Tsargrad, terrifying the townspeople. Terrible Byzantine emperor Leo VI surrendered to the mercy of the winner, and Oleg in a sign of a 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, as the legend says, from the snake bite. His more than 30-year rule ended not at all heroically.

In a series of strong

With the death of Oleg, the administration of the vast possessions of the principality was accepted by Igor Rurikovich, although in fact he was the ruler of lands from 879th. Naturally, he wanted to be worthy of the deeds of his great predecessors. He also fought (in his reign, Rus was subjected to the first attacks of the Pechenegs), subdued several neighboring tribes, forcing them to pay tribute. Igor did everything that the first prince in Russia did, but he failed to realize his main dream - to conquer Constantinople. And in their own lands, not everything went smoothly.

After the strong Rurik and Oleg, Igor's rule turned out to be much weaker, and this was felt by the obstinate Drevlyane, refusing to pay tribute. The first princes of Kiev knew how to keep a rebellious tribe under control. Igor also at the time pacified this riot, but the revenge of the drevlyane overtook the prince a few years later.

The insidiousness of the Khazars, the treachery of the Drevlyans

The relationship between the Crown Prince and the Khazars was unsuccessful. Trying to reach the Caspian Sea, Igor concluded an agreement with them that they would miss the squad to the sea, and he, returning, would give them half of the rich booty. His prince fulfilled his promises, but this was not enough for the Khazars. Seeing that the preponderance of force on their side, in a fierce battle, they almost killed the entire Russian army.

It was Igor who, after his first campaign against Constantinople in 941, experienced a shameful defeat, almost the whole of his squad was destroyed by the Byzantines. Three years later, wishing to wash away the disgrace, the prince, having united in one army all Rusich, Khazars and even Pechenegs, again moved to Tsargrad. Having learned from the Bulgarians that a formidable force was on him, the emperor offered Igor peace on a very advantageous conditions for him, and the prince accepted him. But a year after such a stunning victory Igor was killed. Refusing to pay a second tribute, the Koresten drevlyane destroyed a small number of tax collectors, among whom was the prince himself.

Princess, the first in all

Cruelly avenged traitors Igor's wife - pskovityanka Olga, whom he chose as his wife, Oleg the Prophetic, in 903. Drevlyane were destroyed without any losses for the Rus, thanks to Olga's clever, but merciless strategy-which, to be sure, was able to fight the first princes in Russia. He inherited the title of steward after the death of Igor, Svyatoslav, the son of a princely couple, but because of the young age of the latter for the next twelve years for him, Russia was led by his mother.

Olga was distinguished by a rare intelligence, courage and ability to wisely govern the state. After the capture of Korosten, the main city of the Drevlyans, the princess went to Constantinople and took holy baptism there. The Orthodox Church was still in Kiev 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 Elena as her baptismal name, paved the way for a new faith in Rus, and did not betray her to the end of her days until the end of her days (the princess died in 969), elevated her to the rank of saints.

Warrior from infancy

Russian Alexander of Macedon called Svyatoslav N. M. Karamzin, compiler of the "State of Russia". The first princes in Russia were distinguished by amazing bravery and bravery. The table, in which the dates of their reign are dryly given, conceals in itself many glorious victories and deeds for the good of the Fatherland, which are behind every name in it.

Having inherited the title of Grand Duke (after Igor's death) at the age of three, Svyatoslav became the de facto ruler of Russia only in 962. Two years later he freed the Khazars from submission and annexed Vyatichi to Russia, and in the next two years - a number of Slavic tribes living along the Oka, in the Volga region, the Caucasus and the Balkans. The Khazars were defeated, their capital Itil was abandoned. From the North Caucasus Svyatoslav brought to his land yasov (Ossetians) and kasogs (Circassians) 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 constant expansion of possessions.

Worthy of the great glory of our ancestors

In 968, after conquering Bulgaria (the cities of Pereyaslavets and Dorostol), Svyatoslav began to consider these lands with his own and firmly established in Pereyaslavets - he did not like the peaceful life of Kiev, and even his mother, Princess Olga, was well managed in the capital. But a year later it was gone, and the Bulgarians, united with the Byzantine emperor, declared war on the prince. Going to her, Svyatoslav left his sons in command of the great Russian cities: Yaropolk - Kiev, Oleg - Korosten, Vladimir - Novgorod.

It was a difficult and controversial war: victories with variable success were celebrated in turn by both sides. Ended opposition to the peace treaty, according to which Svyatoslav left Bulgaria (it was annexed to his possessions by the Byzantine emperor John Tzimischii), and Byzantium for these lands paid the Russian prince an established tribute.

Returning from this controversial in its importance campaign, Svyatoslav stopped for a while in the White Coast, which is on the Dnieper. There in the spring of 972, Pechenegs attacked his weakened army. The Grand Duke was killed in battle. The historians attributed to him the glory of the born warrior are explained by the fact that Svyatoslav was incredibly hardy in campaigns, he could sleep on the damp earth, putting the saddle under his head, since he was unpretentious in priests' way, he was also unpretentious. His message "I'm going to you", which he warned future enemies before the attack, went down in history as Oleg's shield on the gates of Constantinople.