The history of Ancient Russia is a subject of many disputes, since this is a great era, and our knowledge of it, alas, is very scarce. Despite the fact that the time distance separating us from this time is increasing, modern historians and archaeologists have more opportunities for research. Thanks to scientific developments and technical means, the excavated remains and artifacts are investigated more thoroughly. In this way, scientists get more information. For example, recently, historians undertook to study the foreign policy of Kievan Rus, as well as the role that the ancient nomads played in it. The facts that were revealed turned out to be very interesting.
Polovtsy and Ancient Russia
What we know from the school curriculum about representatives of nomadic peoples does not quite correspond to reality. A nomad is not only a representative of a half-wild tribe who sought to rob and kill. For example, the Polovtsy - a nomadic tribe that got its name from the yellow hair of its representatives - were engaged in cattle breeding, as well as trade.
But also they were also wonderful warriors and managed over the course of several centuries to cause a lot of inconvenience to the local princes, continually raiding the lands of Kievan Rus. Centuries later, the Polovtsy began to lead a more settled life. Perhaps this affected their ability to fight. As a result, later the tribes became part of the Golden Horde, lost their identity. Very few exhibits belonging to the Polovtsy can be seen by visiting the museum of nomadic culture or looking into private collections.
Pechenegs
There is a hypothesis that the Pechenegs arose as a union of the ancient Turks and Sarmatians. This association took place in the steppes of the Volga region. The Pecheneg nomad is a representative of a nation that lived in a tribal system. The tribes were divided into two branches, each of which had 8 tribes, i.e. approximately 40 genera. They were mainly engaged in cattle breeding and trade, wandering initially between the Urals and the Volga.
An interesting feature of this tribe is the practice of leaving prisoners to live as part of their clans, giving them the same rights that the indigenous people had. A lot of evidence has been found for this, which we can see if we visit the Museum of Nomadic Culture.
It was the countless Pecheneg raids on Kievan Rus that made its rulers begin large-scale construction of defensive structures. When in 1036, Prince Yaroslav the Wise inflicted a crushing defeat on the Pechenegs, the period of their disintegration began. This was facilitated by interaction with other nomadic tribes. Historians claim that finally the Pechenegs settled on the territory of modern Hungary, mingling with the local tribes.
Khazars
Many centuries ago, people lived in present-day Southern Russia, and scientists are still racking their brains about its origin. These are the Khazars. A wonderful rider, a skilled ranger and a fearless nomad warrior. This is all said about him, Khazar. In the entire history of the nomadic peoples who lived in the era of Ancient Russia, they possessed the largest territories. Their kaganate extended from the land of the northerners to the northern part of the Caucasus. The further expansion of the Khazars was prevented by the strengthening of Kievan Rus.
Streets, Vyatichi and others
Among the diversity of tribal peoples of Ancient Russia, not so much has been studied and recognized by official science. Unfortunately, most of the evidence remained inaccessible to us. Some tribes did not try to seize the land from Kievan Rus, but rather sought to get rid of its influence. For their independence, for example, the streets that fought on the banks of the Dnieper near the Black Sea coast fought. The Tale of Bygone Years also mentions such tribes as Vyatichi, Drevlyans and Volhynians. The last two tribes are part of the group of Drevlyans and lived in the basin of the Pripyat River.
Useful Nomad Neighbors
A nomad is not always a dangerous neighbor, who whenever possible strives to chop off a piece of territory or plunder a city, it is also a trading partner. As nomadic tribes moved to vast territories, they were more confronted with new goods, customs, and only then they carried it to the inhabitants of settled areas. But huge nomadic empires could significantly influence the course of life of Kievan Rus and other states.
Ancient Russia and nomads are close trade relations, an exchange of cultural traditions. Nomadic tribes also significantly influenced the beliefs of the ancient Slavs of the pre-Christian period. Their influence on the settled areas was truly enormous, but one fact remains indisputable, indicating that the only empire that survived the onslaught of nomadic tribes was Kievan Rus. She not only survived, but also swallowed up many tribes. But thanks to such an absorption, they themselves were able to maintain their identity for a long time.