There was Prince Rurik. Biography of Rurik. Domestic policy of Prince Rurik

It was this man who was destined to initiate the construction of a new state, which over more than a thousand years of history has grown into the largest state in the world. Let's get acquainted briefly with who was the first prince of young Rus'?

History of the Eastern Slavs before Rurik

The ancient Russian chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years", answering the question: "Where did the Russian land come from," says that before the coming of the first prince of the Varangian Rurik, many scattered tribes lived on the territory of future Rus' - Krivichi, Slovenes and others. All these tribal unions had a common culture, language and religion. Each of them tried to unite the rest of the tribes under its command, but the balance of power and constant wars did not reveal the winner. It was then that the leaders of the tribes decided that none of them would get power and it was decided that the invited prince would rule all the tribes. At that time, the most formidable warriors who were respected among the Slavic tribes, with whom there were close trade and cultural ties, were the Varangians - the inhabitants of Scandinavia. They easily served both the Byzantine emperors and went to hired squads in the west, and were also free to accept local beliefs, which made the Slavic leader Gostomysl and his companions go to Scandinavia and invite the Rus tribe and their king, Rurik, to rule.

Rice. 1. Prince Rurik.

Biography of the first Russian prince

We know very little about Rurik's biography. The date and place of his birth are unknown, and the years of reign are considered 862-879.

Rurik did not come to Rus' alone. He was accompanied by two brothers - Sineus and Truvor. Their squads landed in northeastern Rus' and were invited to Novgorod. Often there are disputes in which city Rurik ruled. There is an opinion that this is Ladoga - the ancient capital of the northeastern Slavs. However, it was in Novgorod, having taken the reins of government, that Rurik went down in history as the first Russian prince.

Rice. 2. The calling of the Varangians.

He sent his brothers to reign in other strategically important cities. Sienus assumed power in Beloozero, and Truvor began to reign in Izborsk.

Domestic politics Prince was aimed at strengthening the external borders of the state, as well as their expansion. During the period of his reign, Smolensk, Murom and Rostov became part of Rus'. Rurik made attempts to move south, but things did not go beyond the robberies of local peoples. Rurik's squad advanced to the Kyiv lands. With the famous rulers of Kyiv, Askold and Dir, Rurik signs a peace treaty. And although Askold still tried to plunder the lands of Rurik, his squad was defeated.

Table “Immediate descendants of Rurik”

*Prince*	*Who is Rurik*	*Years of government*
Igor Rurikovich
	daughter-in-law
Svyatoslav the Warrior
Yaropolk Svyatoslavich

The Norman or Varangian theory, which reveals aspects of the formation of statehood in Rus', is based on one simple thesis - calling Varangian prince Rurik by Novgorodians for control and protection large area tribal union of Slovenian Ilmen. Thus, the answer to the question of what event the emergence of the dynasty is associated with is quite understandable.

This thesis is present in the ancient one written by Nestor. At the moment it is controversial, but one fact is still undeniable - Rurik became the founder of the whole dynasty of sovereigns who ruled not only in Kyiv, but also in other cities of the Russian land, including Moscow, and that is why the dynasty of the rulers of Rus' was called the Rurikovichi.

In contact with

History of the dynasty: the beginning

The pedigree is quite complex, it is not so easy to understand it, but it is very easy to trace the beginning of the Rurik dynasty.

Rurik

Rurik became the first prince in his dynasty. Its origin is a highly controversial issue. Some historians suggest that he was from a noble Varangian-Scandinavian family.

Rurik's ancestors came from the merchant Hedeby (Scandinavia) and were related to Ragnar Lodbrok himself. Other historians, distinguishing between the concepts of "Norman" and "Varangian", believe that Rurik was of a Slavic family, perhaps he was related to the Novgorod prince Gostomysl (it is believed that Gostomysl was his grandfather), and for a long time lived with his family on the island of Rügen .

Most likely, he was a jarl, that is, he had a military squad and kept boats, engaging in trade and sea robbery. But with his calling first to Staraya Ladoga, and then to Novgorod, the beginning of the dynasty is connected.

Rurik was called to Novgorod in 862 (when he began to rule is, of course, unknown, historians rely on data from the PVL). The chronicler claims that he came not alone, but with two brothers - Sinius and Truvor (traditional Varangian names or nicknames). Rurik settled in Staraya Ladoga, Sinius on Beloozero, and Truvor in Izborsk. It's interesting that any other mention there are no brothers in PVL. The beginning of the dynasty is not connected with them.

Oleg and Igor

Rurik died in 879, leaving young son Igor(or Ingvar, according to the Scandinavian tradition). A combatant, and possibly a relative of Rurik, Oleg (Helg) was supposed to rule on behalf of his son until he came of age.

Attention! There is a version that Oleg ruled not just as a relative or confidant, but as an elected jarl, that is, he had all the political rights to power according to Scandinavian and Varangian laws. The fact that he transferred power to Igor could really mean that he was his close relative, possibly a nephew, the son of a sister (according to the Scandinavian tradition, an uncle is closer than father; boys in Scandinavian families were given to be raised by their maternal uncles).

How many years reigned Oleg? He successfully ruled the young state until 912. It is he who deserves the merit of completely conquering the path “from the Varangians to the Greeks” and capturing Kiev, then his place was taken by Igor (already as the ruler of Kiev), by that time married to a girl from Polotsk (according to one of the versions) - Olga.

Olga and Svyatoslav

Igor's reign can't be called successful.. He was killed by the Drevlyans in 945 during an attempt to take a double tribute from their capital, Iskorosten. Since Igor's only son, Svyatoslav, was still small, the throne in Kyiv, by common decision of the boyars and squads, was taken by his widow Olga.

Svyatoslav ascended the throne of Kiev in 957. He was a warrior prince and never stayed long in his capital. rapidly growing state. Even during his lifetime, he divided the lands of Rus' between his three sons: Vladimir, Yaropolk and Oleg. Vladimir (illegitimate son) he gave Novgorod the Great as inheritance. He imprisoned Oleg (the younger) in Iskorosten, and left the elder Yaropolk in Kyiv.

Attention! Historians know the name of Vladimir's mother, it is also known that she was a whitewashed servant, that is, she could not become the wife of the ruler. Perhaps Vladimir was the eldest son of Svyatoslav, his firstborn. That is why he was recognized as a father. Yaropolk and Oleg were born from the legal wife of Svyatoslav, possibly a Bulgarian princess, but they were younger than Vladimir in age. All this, subsequently, influenced the relationship of the brothers and led to the first princely civil strife in Rus'.

Yaropolk and Vladimir

Svyatoslav died in 972 on the island of Khortytsya(Dnieper rapids). After his death, Yaropolk occupied the throne of Kiev for several years. A war for power in the state began between him and his brother Vladimir, which ended with the murder of Yaropolk and the victory of Vladimir, who eventually became the next prince of Kyiv. Vladimir ruled from 980 to 1015. His main merit is Baptism of Rus' and the Russian people into the Orthodox faith.

Yaroslav and his sons

Immediately after his death, an internecine war broke out between the sons of Vladimir, as a result of which one of the eldest sons of Vladimir from the Polotsk princess Ragneda, Yaroslav, occupied the throne.

Important! In 1015, the Kiev throne was occupied by Svyatopolk (later nicknamed the Accursed). He was not Vladimir's own son. His father was Yaropolk, after whose death Vladimir took his wife as his wife, and recognized the born child as his firstborn.

Yaroslav reigned until 1054. After his death, ladder law came into force - the transfer of the Kyiv throne and the "younger" in seniority in the Rurik family.

The Kiev throne was occupied by the eldest son of Yaroslav - Izyaslav, Chernigov (the next in "seniority" throne) - Oleg, Pereyaslavsky - the youngest son of Yaroslav Vsevolod.

For a long time, the sons of Yaroslav lived peacefully, observing the precepts of their father, but, in the end, the struggle for power passed into an active phase and Rus' entered the era Feudal fragmentation.

Pedigree of Rurikovich. The first Kyiv princes (table or Rurik dynasty scheme with dates, by generation)

Generation	Prince's name	Years of government
1st generation	Rurik	862-879 (Novgorod reign)
1st generation	Oleg (Prophetic)	879 - 912 (Novgorod and Kiev reign)
II	Igor Rurikovich	912-945 (Kiev reign)
II	Olga	945-957
III	Svyatoslav Igorevich	957-972
IV	Yaropolk Svyatoslavich	972-980
	Oleg Svyatoslavich	Prince-viceroy in Iskorosten, died in 977
	Vladimir Svyatoslavich (Saint)	980-1015
V	Svyatopolk Yaropolkovich (stepson of Vladimir) Cursed	1015-1019
V	Yaroslav Vladimirovich (Wise)	1019-1054
VI	Izyaslav Yaroslavovich	1054-1073; 1076-1078 (Kiev reign)
	Svyatoslav Yaroslavovich (Chernigov)	1073-1076 (Kiev reign)
	Vsevolod Yaroslavovich (Pereyaslavsky)	1078-1093 (Kiev reign)

Pedigree of the Rurikovichs of the period of Feudal fragmentation

It is incredibly difficult to trace the dynastic line of the Rurik dynasty during the period of feudal fragmentation, since the ruling princely the family has grown to its maximum. The main branches of the clan at the first stage of feudal fragmentation can be considered the Chernihiv and Pereyaslav lines, as well as the Galician line, which must be discussed separately. The Galician princely house originates from the eldest son of Yaroslav the Wise, Vladimir, who died during the life of his father, and whose heirs received Galich as inheritance.

It is important to note that all representatives of the clan sought to occupy the Kiev throne, since in this case they were considered the rulers of the entire state.

Galician heirs

Chernihiv house

Pereyaslav House

With the Pereyaslav house, which was nominally considered the youngest, everything is much more complicated. It was the descendants of Vsevolod Yaroslavovich who gave rise to the Vladimir-Suzdal and Moscow Rurikoviches. Principal Representatives of this house were:

Vladimir Vsevolodovich (Monomakh) - was the Kyiv prince in 1113-1125 (VII generation);
Mstislav (Great) - the eldest son of Monomakh, was the Kyiv prince in 1125-1132 (VIII generation);
Yuri (Dolgoruky) - the youngest son of Monomakh, became the ruler of Kyiv several times, the last in 1155-1157 (VIII generation).

Mstislav Vladimirovich gave rise to the Volyn House of Rurikovich, and Yuri Vladimirovich - to Vladimir-Suzdal.

Volyn house

Pedigree of Rurikovich: Vladimir-Suzdal house

The Vladimir-Suzdal house became the main house in Rus' after the death of Mstislav the Great. The princes who made their capital first Suzdal, and then Vladimir-on-Klyazma, played a key role in the political history of the period of the Horde invasion.

Important! Daniil of Galitsky and Alexander Nevsky are known not only as contemporaries, but also as rivals for the grand prince's label, and they also had a fundamentally different approach to faith - Alexander adhered to Orthodoxy, and Daniil converted to Catholicism in exchange for the opportunity to receive the title of King of Kiev.

Pedigree of Rurikovich: Moscow House

In the final period of feudal fragmentation, the House of Rurikovich had more than 2,000 members (princes and junior princely families). Gradually, the leading positions were taken by the Moscow House, which traces its pedigree from the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky, Daniil Alexandrovich.

Gradually, the Moscow House grand-ducal was transformed into a royal. Why did this happen? Including thanks to dynastic marriages, as well as successful internal and foreign policy individual representatives of the House. The Moscow Rurikovichs did a gigantic job of "gathering" the lands around Moscow and overthrowing the Tatar-Mongol Yoke.

Moscow Ruriks (chart with dates of reign)

Generation (from Rurik in a direct male line)	Prince's name	Years of government	Significant marriages
XI generation	Alexander Yaroslavovich (Nevsky)	Prince of Novgorod, Grand Duke of the Horde label from 1246 to 1263	_____
XII	Daniil Alexandrovich Moskovsky	1276-1303 (Moscow reign)	_____
XIII	Yuri Daniilovich	1317-1322 (Moscow reign)
XIII	Ivan I Daniilovich (Kalita)	1328-1340 (Great Vladimir and Moscow reign)	_____
XIV	Semyon Ivanovich (Proud)	1340-1353 (Moscow and Great Vladimir reign)
XIV	Ivan II Ivanovich (Red)	1353-1359 (Moscow and Great Vladimir reign)
XV	Dmitry Ivanovich (Donskoy)	1359-1389 (Moscow reign, and from 1363 to 1389 - the Great Vladimir reign)	Evdokia Dmitrievna, the only daughter of Dmitry Konstantinovich (Rurikovich), the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod prince; accession to the Moscow principality of all territories of the principality of Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod
XVI	Vasily I Dmitrievich	1389-1425	Sofya Vitovtovna, Daughter of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vitovt (complete reconciliation of the princes of Lithuania with the ruling Moscow house)
XVII	Vasily II Vasilyevich (Dark)	1425-1462	_____
XVIII	Ivan III Vasilievich	1462 - 1505	In the second marriage with Sophia Paleolog (niece of the last Byzantine emperor); nominal right: to be considered the successor of the imperial Byzantine crown and Caesar (king)
XIX	Vasily III Vasilyevich	1505-1533	In the second marriage with Elena Glinskaya, a representative of a wealthy Lithuanian family, leading its origin from the Serbian rulers and Mamai (according to legend)
XX

What do we know about him:

Since all the information about Rurik, which historians have today, is contained in several sources - "The Life of the Holy Prince Vladimir" (about 1070) and, in most detail, in the chronicle of the XII century "Tales of Bygone Years", install true story his existence is not possible.

According to The Tale of Bygone Years, 862 year, the Varangian Rurik with his brothers, at the invitation of such tribes as: Chud, Ilmen Slovenes, Krivichi, and the whole was called to reign in Novgorod. This event V historical science referred to as " The calling of the Varangians". The chronicler calls the reason for inviting the "Varangians" the civil strife that engulfed the Slavic tribes living in the Novgorod lands. Rurik came with his entire family, called Rus, whose ethnicity continues to be discussed.

Tale of Bygone Years:

And they came, and the eldest, Rurik, sat down in Novgorod, and the other, Sineus, on Beloozero, and the third, Truvor, in Izborsk. And from those Varangians the Russian land was nicknamed. Novgorodians are those people from the Varangian family, and before that they were Slovenes. Two years later, Sineus and his brother Truvor died. And one Rurik took all power, and began to distribute cities to his men - Polotsk to that, Rostov to that, Beloozero to another. The Varangians in these cities are nakhodniki, and the indigenous population in Novgorod is Slovene, in Polotsk - Krivichi, in Rostov - Merya, in Beloozero - all, in Murom - Murom, and Rurik 1 ruled over all of them.

Old Russian chronicles began to be compiled 150-200 years after the death of Rurik on the basis of oral traditions, Byzantine chronicles and the few existing documents. Therefore, in historiography, there are different points of view on the annalistic version of the calling of the Varangians. In the 18th - the first half of the 19th century, the opinion about the Scandinavian or Finnish origin of Prince Rurik prevailed, later a hypothesis was proposed about his Pomeranian origin.

There are several versions of the origin of Rurik, the main ones being Norman and West Slavic.

Supporters of the Norman theory speak of the German-Scandinavian origin of the name Rurik, citing a large number of similar-sounding names as evidence.

Also, according to one version, Rurik was the Viking Rorik of Jutland (or Friesland) from the Skjoldung dynasty, the brother (or nephew) of the exiled Danish king Harald Klak, who in 826 a year or so 837 of the year received from the emperor of the Franks Louis the Pious in fief possession on the coast of Frisia with a center in Dorestad, which was raided by the Vikings.

Another version of the Scandinavian origin of Rurik connects him with Eirik Emundarson, king of the Swedish Uppsala.

The West Slavic version of the origin of Rurik also has a number of assumptions.

So, some researchers said that Rurik came from among the West Slavic tribes of Obodrites, Ruyans and Pomeranians. The Tale of Bygone Years directly says that Rurik, being a Varangian, was neither a Norman, nor a Swede, nor an Englishman, nor a Gotlander.

The Austrian Sigismund von Herberstein, being an adviser to the ambassador in the Grand Duchy of Moscow in the first half of the 16th century, was the only one who got acquainted with the Russian chronicles and expressed his opinion about the origin of the Varangians and Rurik. Associating the name of the Varangians with the Slavic Baltic tribe of the Vagrs, Herberstein comes to the conclusion that: “the Russians summoned their princes rather from the Vagrs, or Varangians, than handed over power to foreigners who differed from them in faith, customs and language” 2 .

Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov deduced Rurik with the Varangians from the Prussians, relying on toponyms and later chronicles, which replaced the lexeme "Varangians" with the pseudo-ethnonym "Germans".

M.V. Lomonosov:

"... the Varangians and Rurik with their family, who came to Novgorod, were Slavic tribes, spoke the Slavic language, came from the ancient Russians and were by no means from Scandinavia, but lived on the eastern-southern shores of the Varangian Sea, between the rivers Vistula and Dvina ... named Rus in Scandinavia and on the northern shores of the Varangian Sea, it has not been heard anywhere ... Our chroniclers mention that Rurik and his Family came from the Germans, and in the Indian it is written that from Prussia ... Between the Vistula and Dvina rivers, the river flows into the Varangian Sea from the east-south side, which at the top, near the city of Grodno, is called Nemen, and Rusa is known to its mouth. Here it is clear that the Varangians-Rus lived in the east-south shore of the Varangian Sea, by the river Rusa ... And the very name of the Prussians or Porussians shows that the Prussians lived according to the Russians or near the Russians" 3 .

There is also a folk legend about Rurik and his brothers, published in the 30s of the 19th century by the French traveler and writer Xavier Marmier in the book Northern Letters. He recorded it in northern Germany, among the Mecklenburg peasants who lived on former lands Bodrichi, by that time completely Germanized. The legend tells that in the 8th century the Obodrite tribe was ruled by a king named Godlav, the father of three young men, the first of whom was called Rurik the Peaceful, the second - Sivar the Victorious, the third - Truvar the Faithful.

The 19th-century historian Stepan Alexandrovich Gedeonov suggested that Rurik was not a proper name, but a generic nickname Rerek, which was worn by all representatives of the ruling Obodrite dynasty. In confirmation, Gideonov refers to the Scandinavian saga of Snorri Sturluson about Hakon the Good from the Circle of the Earth cycle, where, in his opinion, the Wends are called falcons.

According to the Joachim Chronicle, Rurik was the son of an unknown Varangian prince in Finland from Umila, middle daughter Slavic elder Gostomysl. The chronicle does not say what tribe the prince was in Finland, it only says that he was a Varangian. Before his death, Gostomysl, who reigned in the "Great City" and lost all his sons, gave the order to call the sons of Umila to reign, in accordance with the advice of the prophets.

However, we will not delve into the details of various hypotheses of the origin of Rurik, looking for confirmation and inconsistencies in some of them, leaving this occupation to professional researchers - historians and archaeologists. We will judge Rurik by his deeds, captured in the annals.

Mark on history:

As we know, in 862 Rurik arrived in Novgorod, Sineus on Beloozero in the region of the Finnish people Vesi, and Truvor in Izborsk, the city of Krivichi. These lands, united under the power of Rurik and his brothers, according to Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, were first named Rus. IN 864, after the death of Sineus and Truvor, the elder brother, having annexed their regions to his Principality, founded the Russian monarchy. Having accepted autocracy, Rurik gave Belaozero, Polotsk, Rostov and Mur, conquered by him or his brothers, to the famous odinozemtsy. Thus, together with the supreme princely power, the feudal (specific) system was established in Russia.

According to the Nestorian chronicle, at that time two of Rurik's united earthmen - Askold and Dir, possibly dissatisfied with the prince, went with their comrades from Novgorod to Constantinople. On the way they saw on the high bank of the Dnieper a small town, which was Kyiv. Askold and Dir took possession of it, annexed many Varangians from Novgorod, began to rule in Kyiv under the name of Russians. Feeling their strength, the new princes of Kyiv decided to undertake a campaign against Constantinople, which, however, although it greatly shocked the Greeks, however, ended in failure.

Thus, the Varangians founded two autocratic regions in Russia: Rurik in the North, Askold and Dir in the South. Unfortunately, nothing is known about Rurik's further actions in Novgorod. However, it seems unlikely that Rurik spent the rest of his life inactive. Surrounded from the West, North and East by the Finnish peoples, could he leave them alone? It is likely that the environs of Lake Peipsi and Lake Ladoga were also witnesses to his courageous deeds, indescribable and forgotten. He reigned unanimously, after the death of Sineus and Truvor, for 15 years in Novgorod and died in 879, having handed over the reign and his young son, Igor, to his relative Oleg.

Although Rurik was not the first ruler of the East Slavic tribes, his memory, as the first ruler of the Russian state, remained immortal in our history. Now from Rurik we begin the countdown of the glorious history of our Fatherland.

Notes:

1. "The Tale of Bygone Years" translated by D.S. Likhachev;

2. Rydzevskaya E.A. To the question of oral traditions in the composition of the most ancient Russian chronicle;

3. Lomonosov M.V. "Objections to Miller's Dissertation".

Time has erased in history the names of many successful Varangians, all of whose thoughts were reduced only to their own enrichment. And only a person with outstanding abilities and statesmanship could leave his name on the dusty pages of history. Rurik turned out to be such a person - the Varangian, who laid the foundation of the Russian state.

Origin of Rurik still causes a lot of controversy. Some argue that Rurik himself and his squad were Scandinavians (Vikings), based on the etymology of the princely name, which means "king" from the Latin rex. It is a well-known fact that the name Rurik is widely used in modern world in Finland, Sweden and other countries. In turn, supporters of the West Slavic version of the development of Rus' prefer to compare the biographical data of Rurik with the Slavic tribe of obodrites, which was also called "falcons".

The word "falcon" Old Church Slavonic sounds exactly like, or almost like, the name of Prince Rurik. "Roruk" or "Rurok" in Old Slavonic is "falcon". Does this not speak of the Slavic, and not the Scandinavian origin of Prince Rurik?

Norman theory

In ancient Russian sources, the word "Varangian" is used in the description of Rurik, which indicates his Scandinavian or Norman origin. In the 9th century, the inhabitants of these regions disturbed the whole of Christian Europe with their merciless raids. Some of them seized land on the continent and integrated into the general feudal system, simultaneously adopting Christianity. Many historians believe that Rurik is Rorik of Jutland. It was a famous Danish king. He fought with the Carolingians for Frisia. Perhaps he was also a vassal of the Frankish sovereign for some time, since coins with the image of Lothair were minted under him. In the late 50s, he tried to take over Jutland, but failed. A little later, he fought with the Western Slavs, the Wends, who lived on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea. Supporters of the idea that Rurik is Rorik, as an argument for their correctness, cite the fact that in the Western annals, references to this king disappear from about the date when the Varangian began to rule in Novgorod. This hypothesis remains unproven and is often the subject of controversy.

Slavic and Baltic theories

There are theories that the Varangians, called to Rus', were called representatives of the West Slavic tribe of Wagrs. If this is so, then Prince Rurik, whose biography does not refute or prove this version, may have been a distant tribesman of the inhabitants of Novgorod. Another close assumption to this theory was made by the great Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov. He considered Rurik a native of the Prussians - the Baltic people who lived in the territories of present-day Poland and Lithuania. In the legends of the Germanized Slavs from the same lands, there were legends about three brothers called to distant Novgorod. These were encouraged, whose representative could be Prince Rurik.

Rurik's life

Rurik was born approximately in 806-807. in the city of Rerik, in the family of Godolub (Godolba), the prince of the Slavs-rarogs (reregs). Rarogs were part of a large tribal union of Obodriches, who were engaged in arable farming, crafts and trade. Rurik's mother was Tender, the middle daughter Prince of Novgorod Gostomysl. The first-born who gave birth in such a family had a secure future practically in his pocket, but "his majesty the case" reshapes human destinies in his own way.

Ilya Glazunov. "Grandchildren of Gostomysl" (1986) - the right part of the triptych "Umila Novgorodskaya"

At the end of the 8th - beginning of the 9th century. in the north-west of our country, a strong union of several Slavic and Finnish peoples has developed: Slovenes, Krivichi, Chud, Vesi, Meryans. It was called the Russian Khaganate. In that era, such a name was prestigious - people remembered the power of the Turkic and Avar Khaganates, there was Khazar. And the title of kagan meant ruler over several peoples.

Russian ships plowed the Baltic. Prince Gostomysl, who became kagan, established ties with overseas countries. IN given time Slavs inhabited the present East Germany- encouraged, Lyutichs, Ruyans, Lusatians, etc. Gostomysl married his middle daughter Umila to Godolub, the prince of the Rarog tribe. It was part of the Obodrite tribal union, occupied the isthmus of the Jutland Peninsula and the lands near its base. Now the cities of Schleswig, Lübeck, Kiel are located on this territory - and at the time described, the Rarogs belonged to Rerik, the largest port in the Baltic.

Obodrites were allies of the Frankish Emperor Charlemagne, in all wars they were on his side. But King Gottfried of Denmark was preparing a blow against Charles, he made alliances with the enemies of the Franks - the Saxons, Lyutichs, Claymen, Smolny.

In 808Danish King Gottfriedcapturesthe city of Rerik and executes Godolub. Affectionate, together with Rurik, flees the city. Now, except for the noble origin and the family coat of arms of the saker falcon, the symbol of Firebog, Rurik had nothing (falconry is a popular royal fun, it leads the tradition from this symbol). A similar fact, for sure, left a deep emotional trauma in the child's psyche (it is possible that epileptic seizures in the Rurik family have their origin precisely in this event). One thing can be said in the affirmative - the Danes became Rurik's blood enemies, he always remembered this. Probably, the fugitives were hiding with their relatives from neighboring tribes, it is possible that Gostomysl was not indifferent to the fate of his daughter and grandson. In the end, Umilena found shelter, somewhere on the territory Frankish kingdom. And the name of Rurik appears on the historical arena after almost twenty years. What he had been doing all these years, maybe preparing himself for a future career - comprehended the art of war and longed to avenge his father. Everything can be.

In 826 in Ingelheim, the residence of the Frankish emperor Louis the Pious, two brothers arrived from somewhere - Rurik and his half brotherHarald. There is no information about Harald. Their very appearance at the court of the emperor is understandable. After all, the obodrite princes were considered vassals of Charlemagne, and Godolub died fighting on his side. When the children grew up, they came to Karl's son for protection. They grew up somewhere in the Slavic countries, both were pagans. Louis christened the young people and personally became their godfather. At the same time, Rurik received the name George. The emperor recognized the rights of the brothers to the paternal inheritance, accepted them among his vassals.

The king blesses the brothers to fight the Danes, thereby confirming their right to own their father's lands. Without much effort, they regain their father's inheritance. But they failed to become sovereign feudal lords. In 829 in Frankish state internecine wars and a new redistribution of land begin. The territory owned by the sons of Godolub is transferred to one of the contenders for the royal throne - Lothar.

A similar turn of events was the reason why Rurik and Harald went to the Varangians.

The gangs of adventurers of the early Middle Ages were replenished with people from different social strata. The thirst for rapid enrichment gathered under its banner the sons of all religions and peoples. But the Varangian squad was not a gang of ordinary murderers and marauders. It was a military order with its unwritten charter and iron discipline, otherwise they would not pose any danger to the states of Europe. Detachments of experienced and cruel Vikings, at that time, were the best army, operating both on land and at sea.

In Byzantium, they were called "warings" or "vorings" - "who took an oath." In Scandinavia, "Vikings" (vik - military settlement, base). In England, all Vikings, regardless of nationality, were designated "Danes" (this country was more often robbed by the Danes). In France - "Normans", Norwegians (literally "people of the north"). The terms "Vikings" or "Varangians" were not defined by nationality, but by occupation. They were free warriors.

Overseas guests (Varangians). Artist Nicholas Roerich, 1901

Varangian squadrons sometimes consisted of several hundred fast and light ships, each of which could accommodate up to 70 people. By today's standards, it was a whole division marines experienced and well armed. The Varangians also carried horses with them, but as a branch of the military, the Varangian cavalry did not take shape, and was only an auxiliary force. The main striking force was precisely the infantry.

The year 843 can be considered the rise of Rurik's military career. As part of a huge Slavic-Norman armada, Rurik and Harald led a large Varangian detachment. This international army took by storm: Nantes, Bordeaux, Seville, Lisbon, many other cities and reached North Africa. With huge booty, Rurik's squad returned home. On the island of Rügen, he set up his well-fortified naval base, from where he planned further campaigns.

Agnus McBride. Viking attack on the Irish coast in the 9th century

Over the next seven years, the name of Rurik becomes widely known. He takes part in the first assault on Paris, in one of the regular raids his half-brother Harald dies.

Rurik, despite his Christian baptism, worshiped his ancient gods, both Svetovit and Odin, bringing them numerous sacrifices. And apparently, the gods were supportive of their lucky son.

In 850, a huge squadron of 20-22 thousand soldiers landed on the shores of England. The campaign was again marked by huge booty. Slava followed Rurik literally on his heels. In 854, Rurik thoroughly beats his blood enemies - the Danes, conducts a raid on the Scandinavian cities subject to the Danish king. He seizes land in the upper Rhine and Friedland, thereby returning his father's inheritance.

By 860, the Novgorod prince Gostomysl, being on the verge of death, was preoccupied with finding a worthy successor (very actual problem at all times). There were no direct heirs in the male line, and Gostomysl was afraid that everything he had created might go to waste. His choice fell on Rurik, firstly: he was the grandson of Gostomysl from his middle daughter; secondly: a famous and experienced military leader. To the appeal of the Novgorod embassy to him: "... Our land is great and plentiful, but there is no outfit in it - go reign and rule over us ..." (here, outfit - management, leadership), Rurik agreed after some deliberation, he, following the example of Western kings, dreamed of founding his own dynastic state.

Glazunov I. S. "Grandchildren of Gostomysl: Rurik, Truvor, Sineus". The central part of the triptych. 1986

Calling Prince Rurik to reign

In the 9th century, numerous tribal unions of Slavs and Finns were dependent on the Varangians - Germanic pagans who lived on the Scandinavian Peninsula. For a short period they managed to expel the interventionists and stop paying tribute. However, local tribes immediately began to fight among themselves. Peace could only begin with the emergence of legitimate power. According to literary sources, namely the Tale of Bygone Years, Rurik's calling took place in 862, as a result of a joint decision of the Slavic tribes (Krivichi, Ilmen Slovenes, Chud and all) in the course of disputes about who will rule them without benefit for their own tribe . Rurik's biography suited everyone. This man was a compromise figure. The prince from across the sea was not a protege or a supporter of any group. Some sources indicate that Novgorodians and their neighbors considered a variety of candidates: from the Khazars to the Polyans. Nevertheless, the choice fell on the Varangian (that is, the Viking).

Prince's call. Artist A.D. Kivshenko. 1880

Rurik entered Novgorod with his brothers. Interestingly, some sources contradict each other as to where Rurik actually ruled. For example, the Laurentian Chronicle says that his first residence was Staraya Ladoga, and Novgorod itself was built only two years later.

Fortress Staraya Ladoga

In addition, under his rule were the lands of the Krivichi, whose main city was Polotsk. In the east of this state were Finnish tribes. They lived in Rostov, Murom and neighboring lands.Archaeological finds (for example, Rurik's Settlement) fully confirm this theory.

Viktor Vasnetsov. Varangians. 1913.

If you believe the chronicle version, then the Rurik brothers also received Slavic lands to reign. So brother Sineus got Beloozero, and Truvor Izborsk, but they did not rule for long. Already two years after their death, Rurik becomes the sole ruler. Many researchers of Rus' tend to believe that Rurik did not have brothers, arguing that "truvor" is translated as "faithful squad", and "sineus" - "his family". That is, we are talking about two of his units. One consisted of fellow tribesmen who, after the defeat, remained loyal to him and left for a foreign land. The second is from Viking mercenaries. The Varangians had a custom of twinning, it was considered no less strong than consanguinity.

The biography of Rurik before his appearance in Rus' is practically unknown and is mostly based on conjecture. Nevertheless, there is accurate information that he had his own squad. It was she who became the backbone of the new government and ensured order in Novgorod land. In exchange for protecting the population, the prince received the right to collect taxes.

Having accepted the reign, Rurik immediately took care to securely cover his borders. One of the detachments was sent to the Krivichi in Izborsk. This outpost kept water roads across Lake Peipsi and the Velikaya River under surveillance, and protected the principality from Estonian and Latvian raids. Another detachment was located in Beloozero. He controlled the way to the Volga, took the entire tribe under protection from the Khazar Khaganate. And after the new ruler looked around at the new place, he behaved very actively. Correctly assessed who is the main enemy of his state, and started a war against Khazaria.

His soldiers from Beloozero moved to the Upper Volga and took Rostov. The large Merya tribe, which inhabited the interfluve of the Volga and the Oka, threw off the yoke of the Khazars and came under the hand of Rurik. The prince did not stop there. Along the rivers, his fleets advanced further and in 864 captured Murom. Another Finnish tribe, Muroma, submitted to Rurik. The accession of two important cities was noted not only by Russian chronicles, the “Cambridge Anonymous” mentions the war of Khazaria with Ladoga.

The Khazars had to be very nervous. Already someone who, and their merchants traded all over the world, they knew what crushing blows the Varangian landings could inflict. But wars are fought not only with swords and spears. A pro-Khazar party already existed in Ladoga, through which the Jewish merchants tried to influence the election of the prince. Now it was used again, inciting dissatisfaction with Rurik among the Slovenes. Finding excuses wasn't that hard. The Ladoga boyars expected that the invited prince would rule at their behest - where would he go in a foreign country? But Rurik did not become a puppet, he undertook to strengthen the centralized power. The content of mercenaries required funds, subjects had to fork out. And the immediate environment of the prince was encouraged and Norwegians. In a word, strangers came and sat on the neck ...

The Khazar agitation achieved its goal. In 864, when Rurik's army was on the Volga and Oka, an uprising broke out in the rear under the leadership of a certain Vadim the Brave. The chronicle reports: “The same summer Novgorodians were offended, saying: so be a slave to us, and suffer a lot of evil in every possible way from Rurik and from his kind.” Yes, even in those days, schemes familiar to us were worked out: in the midst of a war, excite people to fight for “freedoms” and “human rights”. But it is worth paying attention, the Krivichi and Finnish tribes did not support the Slovenes. And the prince acted promptly and harshly. He immediately rushed to the Ladoga region and crushed the rebellion. “The same summer, kill Rurik Vadim the Brave and many other beaten Novgorodians of his advisers” (svetniks - that is, accomplices). The surviving conspirators fled. Krivichi in Smolensk refused to accept them, they proceeded further: "The same summer, many Novogorodsk husbands escaped from Rurik from Novgorod to Kyiv." Men were not called the common people, but the nobility - the uprising was perpetrated by the rich elite.

It was not by chance that they fled to Kyiv. A center of confrontation with Rurik arose there. Two leaders of the hired Varangian squads, Askold and Dir, separated from the prince, decided to look for other crafts. They were heading to Greece, but on the way they saw Kyiv, controlled by the Khazars, they captured it with a sudden raid. They tried to use it as a base for pirate raids - this is what all the Vikings did. They made trips to the Polochan tribe, to Byzantium, Bulgaria. But the Bulgarians beat them, the expedition to Constantinople was swept away by a storm, Polotsk, after suffering horrors, turned to Rurik for protection. And the Khazars were not inclined to forgive the loss of Kyiv. They let their allies, the Pechenegs, attack the aliens. Askold and Dir twitched, began to get out. In 866, they agreed to recognize themselves as vassals of the Byzantine emperor, even to be baptized. Greek diplomats stood up for them before the Khazars, and they also agreed to put up. But with the condition - to oppose Rurik.

The Varangians fulfilled the order. They hit the subjects of the prince, the Krivichi, captured Smolensk. True, they failed to develop success, they were stopped. But the goal of Byzantium and Khazaria was achieved, they pitted Ladoga and Kyiv. Therefore, Rurik did not continue fighting against the kaganate. If he sent troops to the Volga, he would be threatened with a blow to the rear, from the Dnieper. Defeating Askold and Dir was also not easy, behind them were two great powers.

"Reign of Askold and Dir in Kyiv" Radziwill Chronicle

And the accomplices of Vadim the Brave dug in in Kyiv, waiting for the right moment to sow confusion again. On reflection, Rurik agreed to make peace with his opponents.

He took care of the internal structure of the state. He established management structures, appointed governors in Beloozero, Izborsk, Rostov, Polotsk, and Murom. He began to "set up hailstones" everywhere. They served as strongholds of the administration, defended subject tribes. Special attention the prince devoted himself to the defense from the Baltic. In the second half of the ninth century Viking rampage has reached highest point. They terrorized England, every now and then burned German cities along the Elbe, Rhine, Moselle, Weser. Even Denmark, in itself a pirate nest, was completely devastated by the Vikings. And only in Rus' after the arrival of Rurik there was not a single invasion! She was the only one of the European states that had access to the sea, gained safety from the Baltic predators. This was the undoubted merit of the prince.

True, the Varangians began to appear on the Volga, but they came to trade in prisoners. So Khazaria did not remain in the loser. A stream of “living goods” poured from the Baltic, which the Khazars bought in bulk and resold to the markets of the East. But for Rus', the transit turned out to be profitable. The treasury was enriched by duties. The prince could build fortresses, maintain an army and protect his subjects without burdening them with high taxes. And the subjects themselves could sell bread, honey, beer, fish, meat, handicrafts to passing Varangians and merchants for a good price, buy European and oriental goods.

Novgorod market. Painting by A. Vasnetsov, 1909

Rurik, like Gostomysl, took the title of kagan (literally translated “great” - later in Rus' the two titles merged, “ Grand Duke"). He was married several times. His first wife's name was Rutsina, she was from the Baltic Rus. The second was a German or Scandinavian Hetta. There is no information about their fate and offspring. And in 873-874. the sovereign of Ladoga traveled abroad. He made a very large-scale diplomatic tour of Europe for that time. He met and negotiated with Emperor Louis the German, King of France Charles the Bald and King of Lorraine Charles the Bold. What was discussed, history is silent. But Louis the German was at enmity with Byzantium. And Rurik was gradually preparing for the struggle for Southern Rus', he needed allies against the Greeks, who had caught Kyiv in their networks.

Medal in memory of the marriage union with Efanda, princess of Urmansk. End of XVII - early XIX centuries

On the way back, the prince visited Norway. Here he looked after his third wife, the Norwegian princess Efanda. Upon returning to Ladoga, they played a wedding. The young wife gave birth to Rurik's son Igor. And the brother of Efanda Odda became the right hand and adviser of the prince, Viking priest and soothsayer? known in Rus' as Prophetic Oleg. Although it may be that even earlier he was close to the sovereign and betrothed his sister.

In 879 Rurik's turbulent life came to an end. He started it as an unfortunate orphan and an outcast - he completed it as the ruler of many cities and lands from the Gulf of Finland to the Murom forests. Commanded the handful of fighters on board pirate ship- and died in the palace, surrounded by households, hundreds of courtiers and servants. The son Igor remained the heir, but he was still a child, and his uncle Oleg took the place of regent.

The subsequent events testify to the qualities of Rurik as a ruler. After his death, the state did not fall apart, as often happened with the ancient kingdoms. The subjects did not rebel, did not go out of obedience. Three years later, Oleg led not only his squad to Kyiv, but also a large militia of Slovenes, Krivichi, Chud, Vesi, Meryan. This means that Rurik and his successor managed to earn popularity among the people, their power was recognized as legitimate and fair.

By the way, Moscow already existed at that time. She has not yet been mentioned in any chronicle, and we do not even know what she was called. But she was. It was revealed by excavations on the territory of the Kremlin. Under the layer that belonged to the buildings of Yuri Dolgoruky, scientists discovered the remains of more ancient city. It was quite developed and comfortable, with fortress walls, wooden pavements, and one of the squares was paved in a completely unusual way, with bull skulls. On the street of "great-Moscow" archaeologists found two coins: Khorezmian 862 and Armenian 866. This is the era of Rurik.

Rurik created the ancient Russian state, whose borders stretched from the exit from the Baltic to Rostov. Under his rule, the agrarian system also developed. The peasants plowed the land, grew rye, barley, oats and cabbage. Peas and turnips grew in the gardens. Also under Rurik, they began to build ovens, baked bread. There is evidence that the prince also visited the West - he met with kings Louis the German and Charles the Bald. He wanted to enlist their support for a big campaign against Kyiv and Byzantium. Rurik's last wife, Efanda, came from a Norwegian royal family. She bore him an heir, Igor. Rejoicing at the birth of his son, Rurik decided to celebrate this with new victories. He went camping with a squad and caught a cold. For several months, the mighty prince struggled with the disease, but died. Rurik bequeathed to his relative Oleg the care of the young Igor and a campaign against Kyiv. The prince died in 879. They buried the prince with great honor, because he left a big mark in the history of Rus', founded great dynasty wise and courageous princes.

The biography of this man is full of secrets. Some historians even argue that Rurik did not exist at all.

Seven hundred years in Russia ruled by the Rurik dynasty. Prince Rurik gave the name to the dynasty, he was the first prince. Of course, before Rurik there were also princes in Rus', but it was Rurik who created a single state.

Under this name in early 1988 in " Literary Russia"An article was published by Professor, Dr. philosophical sciences Bronislav Lisina. At that time, almost no attention was paid to the publication. Nevertheless, the article seems to be very interesting and worthy of your attention.

Bronislav Lisin - Where is Rurik from?

The millennium of the baptism of Rus' somehow left another in the shade important date our history. Last year marked the 1125th anniversary of the founding of the first Russian state.
Of course, due to the prescription of years, such dates are often somewhat arbitrary. Now there is no doubt that public entities Slavs and neighboring tribes, both in the north, in the region of Novgorod, Pskov, and in the south, in the Dnieper basin, existed earlier than the annalistic date.
But the year 862, the year of the calling of the Varangians, to which the Tale of Bygone Years points, is still dear to us, if not as a starting point, but still a fundamentally important historical milestone for all Eastern Slavs.
With this date, or rather, with what was happening on the Novgorod land at that time, one of the stormy and long-term scientific discussions is connected. This discussion went beyond the scope of scientific disputes and acquired a clearly expressed ideological and political character. Trying to cast doubt on the possibility of implementing plans for a radical restructuring of society in our country, the most "solid" Western opponents begin precisely from ancient times. Say, the Slavs were not even able to create their own state. It took the Normans (Germans) to bring order to the lands of the Eastern Slavs.
Indeed, according to the Russian chronicles, the Varangian Rurik, along with his brothers Sineus and Truvor, was invited to reign in the Novgorod land.
In the 18th century, historians G.F. Miller, G.Z. Bayer, A.L. Schlozer, who worked at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, put forward a version according to which Rurik and his squad were of Swedish (Norman) origin. This is how the Norman theory arose in various versions, which has survived to this day. Moreover, its influence was so strong that even many famous historians- anti-Normanists (H. Lovmyansky, V.T. Pashuto and others) agreed that the Scandinavian dynasty was on the Russian throne. The difference between adherents and opponents Norman theory consists mainly in determining the role of alien elements in the creation of the Russian state. The first consider the arrival of the Varangians-Normans a decisive factor in the unification of the Eastern Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes, others assign this place to the internal processes of economic and socio-political development.
But there is also a fundamentally different point of view. The outstanding merit in its revival belongs to the late V.A. Chivilikhin. Among the priceless placer original ideas And interesting facts in his novel "Memory" there are pages dedicated to the calling of the Varangians. Vladimir Chivilikhin believes and convincingly proves that Rurik and his brothers were Slavs.
Let's turn to The Tale of Bygone Years. It says: "And they went across the sea, to the Varangians, to Rus', for that was the name of those Varangians - Rus, as others are called - Swedes, others are Normans, Angles, other Goths, these are the same."
Tell me, please, where is there even the slightest hint that the invited Varangians are Swedes or Normans? On the contrary, their difference is emphasized here. We are talking about Rus', but not a single source of the X-XIV centuries confuses Rus' with either the Swedes or any other Germanic tribe. In the annals there is no hint of the foreign language of the Varangians. Moreover, it says directly: Slavic and the Russian one and the same.
The Norman theory is not confirmed by the Scandinavian sagas either. They do not report anything about the events before the reign of Vladimir (978-1015). Another common argument of the Normanists is the alleged Scandinavian origin of the names of many ambassadors and merchants who, together with Igor, the son of Rurik, signed an agreement in Constantinople in 945. Meanwhile, these names are of Celtic, Frisian or proper Slavic origin.
By the way, these ambassadors and merchants swear by purely Slavic, not Scandinavian gods.
These and other arguments are presented by Professor A. Kuzmin in his notes and comments on numerous primary sources on the origin of our state, published in the two-volume Young Guard entitled “Where did the Russian land come from” (1986).

... Outside the window of the car, a veil of rain. Somewhere we missed the right turn and now we are trying to orient ourselves on the map. The beam of a flashlight picks out the names of villages and small towns:
Belov, Bobin, Burov, Vitsin, Volkov, Glazov, Gribov, Gurov, Karpov, Lisov, Lukov, Russov, Severin, Shdepkov…
Barkov, Brunov, Bryusov, Shafts, Gustov, Drevelov, Blades, Persons, Malin. Mankov, Medov, Pankov, Tartsov...
We need Stargorod…Novgorod…the old center of the Varangians and new town Varangian, as the chronicles called it.
The most curious thing is toponymy. Thousands of years have passed, many generations and peoples have changed, and human memory keeps the names of places of bygone times. One does not have to be a specialist linguist to recognize at first sight the above names not just Slavic, but purely Russian. Not Polish, Czech or even Belarusian or Ukrainian. One to one - Russians.
Where are these places? In Sweden, where did the fantasy of the Normans place the homeland of the Varangians? Or on the Novgorod-Pskov land? Yes, there are quite a few similar names. But we are now in the north of the German Democratic Republic, on the territory of the former Duchy of Mecklenburg. Here, at the turn of the 10th century, numerous Slavic tribes of Obodrites, Wends, Rugs and others lived. One of these tribes was called Varins or Warings, in Russian it sounded like Varangians. The Slavic tribe, close to them in language and culture, was Rugs, Ruyans or Russ, who lived on the island of Rügen. Moreover, this island occupied a very special position in the world of the Slavs. Many authors, in particular Saxon Grammatik, emphasized that the temple located on the island was revered by "the whole Slavic land".
Interestingly, in a letter to the Rügen princes in 1304, Pope Benedict IX refers to them as "beloved sons, famous men, princes of Russia." Even the city of Lübeck, according to the documents of 1373 and 1388, is placed in Russia. Is it really a coincidence that the last inhabitant of the island of Rügen, who spoke Slavonic and died in 1402, bore the surname Golitsyna?
On the other hand, according to V.A. Chivilikhin, many noble families of Russia - the Vorontsovs, Velyaminovs, Morozovs, Levashovs, Kutuzovs, Tolstoy, Pushkins and others - numbered their ancestors from the former Slavic lands of the southern Baltic.

Who was Rurik?
Arranging in advance by phone to meet in state archive the city of Schwerin, I warned that I was interested in the history of Russia. Dr. Rakov, head of the department, prepared several interesting documents, including the original letters of Peter I. By the way, surnames such as Rakov, Klenov, Dubov, and others are very common in the north of the GDR. For me, the book about the genealogy of the Mecklenburg dukes, published in 1717 in connection with the marriage of Karl-Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg, Prince of the Wends, Count Schwerin, and the daughter of the Russian Tsar Ivan Alekseevich, Catherine, was especially important for me.
The Mecklenburg dukes trace their genealogy to the Slavic kings of the Wends and Obodrites. According to her, Rurik, Truvor, Sineus were the sons of King Godlaib (Godlav, Godoslav), who died in 808 in the war with the Danes. Due to their infancy, the throne passed to Godlav's brothers Trasik and Slavomir, and then to Slavomir's successors - Godomysl and Tabemysl. At the last, this branch of the dynasty is stopped. The throne passes to the descendant of the brother of the grandfather Godlav Bilingus I - Mieczysław III.
Rurik, Sineus and Truvor were forced to look for happiness overseas. Such a turn of affairs was not something unusual for the inhabitants of the kingdom of the Warings, Obodrites, Wends, Rugs. Close ties connected them with the inhabitants of the Eastern Baltic. With full confidence, we can talk about the existence of extensive colonies of Polabian Slavs there. It is indisputable that the Varangians-Rus found themselves practically in their native linguistic and cultural environment. There were extensive dynastic ties. For example, Rurik's uncle Vitislav, Prince Mechislav I and King Mechislav II were married to the daughters of Russian princes. V.A. Chivilikhin even suggests that Godlav himself had a wife - the daughter of the Novgorod prince Gostomysl Umila.
A. Kuzmin collected a lot of other convincing evidence. For example, throughout the north of Rus', specific Feldberger ceramics, characteristic of the Baltic Slavs of the 8th-10th centuries, are widespread. In Pskov, for example, it is more than 80 percent in the corresponding layers. There is a lot of it in Novgorod and other cities where, according to the chronicle, the Vikings lived. It was found that the early medieval Novgorodians, Yaroslavl, Kostroma residents had anthropological characteristics similar to the skulls from the Slavic burial grounds of the Lower Vistula and Oder. Already in our time, on the western coast of Lake Pskov, a population group belonging to the Western Baltic type of the “South Coast of the Baltic Sea” has been recorded. The Izborsk buildings of the 8th-10th centuries are similar to the settlements of the Baltic Pomorie and the Slavic Mecklenburg.
The House of Soviet Science and Culture in Berlin held a colloquium with the participation of leading scientists of the GDR who deal with the history, language, and culture of the Slavic peoples. The report on the formation of the first Russian state was discussed. After a lively discussion, the participants agreed on the following. The connections of the Polabian Slavs with the Eastern Slavs in the 7th-11th centuries were much closer and more intense than the connection of the latter with Scandinavia. However, in historical science, until recently, this direction was not actually developed.
There is little evidence to support the Norman theory. Moreover, the arguments put forward by its founders in the light of modern research methods look completely different.
In fairness, it must be said that the Normanists were given a fierce battle by our Russian scientists back in the 18th century. On September 24, 1752, at the defense of Miller's dissertation "On the Beginning of the Russian People", Lomonosov, Krasheninnikov, Popov spoke out with sharp criticism of its provisions. As a result, it was deemed necessary to destroy the dissertation. Lomonosov was, in particular, convinced that Rurik came from Polabian Slavs. The participants of the colloquium did not argue with this thesis either. However, doubts have been expressed about the authenticity of the Mecklenburg genealogical source. Indeed, there are many cases in history when a family tree was created to please political or dynastic ambitions.
The bias of the Mecklenburg authors could be explained by the marriage between representatives of the two ruling dynasties, Mecklenburg's significant dependence on Russia at that time. Arguments that deserve attention.
However, there are facts and supporting genealogy information. In Chivilikhin, it was established that in the 30s of the last century, the French traveler and writer Xavier Marmier recorded an ancient legend about Rurik and his brothers in Northern Germany. It says that the children of Godlov, the king of obodrites - Rurik, Sivar, Truvar went to the east, where they performed many feats. The grateful people begged them not to leave. Rurik received the Novgorod principality, Sivar - Pskov, Truvar - Belozersk. The younger brothers soon died, leaving no children. Rurik annexed their principalities to his own and became the head of a dynasty that reigned until 1598. It is unlikely that information from the Russian chronicle appeared two thousand miles away in another country in the form of a folk legend.
It is also difficult to suspect bias of the Austrian diplomat Sigismund Herberstein, who, being the emperor's envoy to the Moscow principality in the 16th century, left a detailed description of its history, life, customs, and so on. He also considered Rurik and his brothers to be Slavs.
An interesting book was published in 1858 in St. Petersburg by Alexander Vasiliev. It was called "Oh ancient history northern Slavs before the time of Rurik, and where Rurik and his Vikings came from. The author also proves that the Varangians were Slavs. However, he believes that they did not come from the sea (Baltic), but from Lake Ilmen, where they moved from the Southern Baltic long before that.
A number of sources suggest that the language, culture, customs of the Polabian Slavs were closer to the Eastern Slavs (or even almost identical) than to the Western ones (Poles, Czechs). Unfortunately, the language of the Polabian Slavs is not well known to us.
They could not stand the German expansion. Weakened by civil strife, they were partially exterminated, partially went to other lands, mostly Slavic. Most of them were Germanized. Moreover, the Slavic language was preserved in some places even before the 17th century.
In the customs, national dress, language of the inhabitants of the former Mecklenburg, the current districts of the GDR Schwerin, Rostock and Neubrandenburg, there are features caused by Slavic origin a large part of the indigenous population ...
And yet, history has given us an excellent opportunity to return to the origins of the ties of our ancestors with the Polabian Slavs. Lusatian Serbs live on the territory of the GDR in the districts of Cottbus and Dresden, direct descendants of the Polabian Slavs, siblings of Obodrites, Russes and other tribes. The ancient and original culture of the Lusatians, their language have many common elements with the Russians. Our researchers are waiting for the most interesting discoveries here, shedding light on the history of the Russian and other Slavic peoples.
So, to the question of where Rurik comes from, there are enough grounds for a definite answer. But the search is not over. We have the right to count on the discovery of new facts, new sources in historical archives, archaeological excavations, ethnographic and linguistic research. They will allow us to more fully and tangibly present to us one of the most important pages in the history of our Motherland.

Bronislav Lisin, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor.
Literary Russia. February 5, 1988, No. 5 (1305) P.22