Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
K IEVAN
R US
882-1240
The origins of the people who call themselves Russians and of the polity that we
know as Russia remain somewhat obscure, but we can sketch the basic outlines
of those early centuries. It is generally accepted that the ancestors of the Slavs,
from which the Russians descend, first appeared in the sixth century during the
“great migration of peoples,” moving eastward from the Carpathians into the
area of the Dnieper River basin. The Dnieper River Slav settlements became part
of an important trading route linking Scandinavia with Constantinople, capital
of the Byzantine Empire. By the ninth century, a number of trading towns had
developed in the area, and through a series of frequent wars they tried to seize
nearby territory.
It is at this point that the Varangians (Norsemen or Vikings) made their
appearance in the old historical chronicles that remain as one of the few pri-
mary sources of early Russian history. Regardless of their warrior image else-
where in Europe, it seems that in the Dnieper River basin the Varangians were
primarily interested in trade. Moving up and down the rivers of western Rus-
sia, the Varangians eventually linked Scandinavia and northern Europe to the
Black Sea and Constantinople at a time when the Muslim conquests of the
eighth century had reduced European trade in the Mediterranean Sea. The
details surrounding the appearance of the Varangians have been debated by his-
torians through the centuries, with much of the debate centering around the
question of whether the Varangians gradually settled in the Dnieper River basin
or whether they were invited by the local population to serve as a ruling class.
At the center of this debate is the semilegendary figure of Rurik, whom the
sources record as having conquered the city of Novgorod in 862.
Although little is known about Rurik, there is agreement that the reign of
Oleg (r. 882-913), a relative of Rurik, is an important marker in the develop-
ment of the political entity that came to be known as Kievan Rus. Oleg first suc-
ceeded Rurik as ruler of Novgorod, then moved southward, establishing himself
at Kiev, a city on the Dnieper River. One of the main achievements of Oleg's
reign was territorial expansion. He began the process of bringing the East Slavic
tribes near Kiev under control, which his successors would continue. Another
important achievement was the establishment of close trade relations with
 
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