The formation of the nationality, later called Rus, Rus, Russians, Russians, which became one of the strongest nations in the world, if not the strongest, began with the unification of the Slavs settled on the East European Plain. Where they came to these lands from when it is not known reliably. History has not preserved any chronicle evidence on the Rus of the early centuries of the new era. 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 to reign and rule us ..."
The great waterway, which connected the entire East European Plain with numerous rivers and lakes, was inhabited by tribes of the ancient Ilmen Slovens, Polyans, Drevlyans, Krivichi, Polocians, Dregovichi, Northerners, Radimichi, Vyatichi, who received one common name for all - Slavs. Two large cities built by our ancient ancestors - the Dnieper and Novgorod - to establish statehood in those lands already existed, but did not have rulers. A mention 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 history.
| Name | Years of rule |
| Rurik | 862-879 |
| Oleg (Prophetic) | 879-912 |
| Igor | 912-945 |
| Svyatoslav | 962-972 |
The procedure for calling the Vikings to control the Slavs is known to us from the school bench. The ancestors of the tribes, tired of constant skirmishes and battles among themselves, elected envoys to the princes of the Rus tribe, who lived beyond the Baltic Sea, and ordered those to tell that "... Our whole earth is large and plentiful, but there is no dress in it (i.e. There is no peace and order). Come to reign and rule 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 call the Rus - by the name of the tribe of 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 folios were read (translated) incorrectly, and only one ruler arrived on Slavic lands - Rurik. The first prince of ancient Russia came with his faithful warriors (squad) - "Truvor" in Old Norse, and his home (family, home) - "blue-hus". Hence the assumption that there were three brothers. For some reason, historians conclude that two years after moving to Slovenia, both of the so -called Rurik brothers die (in other words, the words “truvor” and “blue-hus” are no longer mentioned in the chronicles). There are several other reasons for their disappearance. For example, that by that time the army, which was assembled by the first prince in Russia, began to be called not a "thief", but a "squad", and relatives who came with him were not a "blue-house", but a "clan".
In addition, modern scholars of antiquity are increasingly inclined to the version that our Rurik is none other than the Danish king Rurik of Friesland, famous in history, who became famous for his very successful raids on less weak neighbors. Perhaps this is why he was called to the board, that he was strong, courageous and invincible.
Russia at Rurik
The founder of the political system in Russia, the founder of the princely dynasty, which later became the royal, ruled over the people entrusted to him for 17 years. He united into one power the Ilmen Slovens, the Canine and Smolensk Krivichi, all and the Chud, northerners and Drevlyans, merya and radimichi. In the annexed lands he asserted his henchmen as governors. Towards the end of Rurik's reign, Ancient Rus occupied a rather vast territory.
In addition to the founder of the new princely family, his two relatives, Askold and Dir, entered the history upon the prince’s call and established their power over Kiev, which at that time did not yet have dominant importance 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. The heir to Rurik himself could not rule. For many years, undivided power passed to Oleg, an associate and distant relative of the deceased prince.
The first is truly Russian
Thanks to Oleg, nicknamed the Prophetic People, Ancient Russia gained power, which both Constantinople and Byzantium could envy, the strongest states at that time. What the first Russian prince did in Russia in his time, the regent at the young Igor multiplied and enriched. Gathering a large army, Oleg went downstream the Dnieper and conquered Lubech, Smolensk, Kiev. The latter was taken by eliminating Askold and Dir, and the Drevlyans who inhabited these lands recognized Igor as their real ruler, and Oleg as a worthy regent before he grew up. From now on, the capital of Russia is Kiev.
Legacy of the Prophetic Oleg
Over the years of his reign, Oleg joined many tribes to Russia, by which time he had declared himself the first truly Russian, and not an alien prince. His campaign against Byzantium ended in absolute victory and the benefits conquered for Russes for free trade in Constantinople. The squad from this campaign brought rich booty. The first princes in Russia, to which Oleg rightfully belongs, truly cherished the glory of the state.
Many legends and amazing stories circulated among the people after the return of the army from a campaign on Constantinople. To get to the gates of the city, Oleg ordered the ships to be mounted on wheels, and when a fair wind filled their sails, the ships “went” along the plain to Constantinople, terrifying the townspeople. The terrible Byzantine emperor Leo VI surrendered to the mercy of the victor, 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, according to tradition, from a snakebite. His more than 30-year reign ended by no means heroic.
Among the strong
With the death of Oleg, Igor Rurikovich took control of the vast estates 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 first attacked by the Pechenegs), subjugated 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 strengths of 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 Kiev were able to keep the rebellious tribe in control. Igor also temporarily pacified this rebellion, but the revenge of the Drevlyans overtook the prince a few years later.
Treachery of the Khazars, 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 preponderance is in force on their side, in a fierce battle they destroyed almost the entire Russian army.
Igor suffered a shameful defeat even after his first campaign to Constantinople in 941 - almost the entire squad was destroyed by the Byzantines. Three years later, wanting to wash away the shame, the prince, uniting all the Russians, the Khazars and even the Pechenegs into one army, again moved to Constantinople. Having learned from the Bulgarians that a formidable force was coming against him, the emperor offered Igor peace on conditions very favorable for that, and the prince accepted him. But a year after such a stunning victory, Igor was killed. Refusing to pay a second tribute, the Korestan drevlians destroyed a few pleasures of tax collectors, among which was the prince himself.
Princess, the first in everything
Igor's wife, a Pskovite Olga, who was chosen by his Prophet Oleg as his wife in 903, cruelly avenged the traitors. The Drevlyans were destroyed without any losses for the Rus, thanks to Olga's cunning, but also ruthless strategy - of course, the first princes in Russia were able to fight. After the death of Igor, Svyatoslav, the son of a princely couple, took the hereditary title of ruler of the state, but due to the infancy of the last twelve years, mother led Russia for him.
Olga was distinguished by a rare mind, 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 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 the name Elena at baptism, paved the way for a new faith in Russia and, until the end of her days (the princess died in 969), did not change her, elevated her to the rank of saints.
Warrior from infancy
Russian Alexander the Great was called Svyatoslav N. M. Karamzin, compiler of the “Russian State”. 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 are 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 from submission to the Khazars 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 yas (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 the constant expansion of possessions.
Worthy of the glory of the ancestors
In 968, having conquered Bulgaria (the cities of Pereyaslavets and Dorostol), Svyatoslav not without reason began to consider these lands to be his own and firmly settled in Pereyaslavts - he did not like the peaceful life of Kiev, and his mother, Princess Olga, was perfectly managed in the capital. But a year later she was gone, and the Bulgarians, having united with the Byzantine emperor, declared war on the prince. Going to her, Svyatoslav left his great sons of Russia to his sons in control: Yaropolk - Kiev, Oleg - Korosten, Vladimir - Novgorod.
That war was difficult and ambiguous - both sides celebrated successes with varying successes. The confrontation ended with a peace treaty, according to which Svyatoslav left Bulgaria (the Byzantine Emperor John Tzimiskes attached to his possessions), and Byzantium paid the established tribute to the Russian prince for these lands.
Returning from this campaign, which was controversial in importance, Svyatoslav temporarily stopped in the White Bank, on the Dnieper. There, in the spring of 972, the Pechenegs attacked his weakened army. The Grand Duke was killed in battle. The historians explain the glory of a born warrior assigned to him by the fact that Svyatoslav was incredibly hardy on campaigns, could sleep on damp ground, putting a saddle under his head, since he was unpretentious not princely at home, he was also not picky about food. His message "I am coming to you", with which he warned future enemies before the attack, went down in history as Oleg’s shield on the gates of Constantinople.