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The history of Russia begins in the 9th century AD as part of the outburst of the Norsemen from Scandinavia that so affected England and Western Europe. Norsemen also moved east. While Danish and Norwegian Vikings struck west and south, Swedish Vikings moved east and played a major role in the development of Russia. These Vikings are know as the Rus and it is from this name that the name of Russia has been derived. Actually the Rus were Swedish Vikings meaning the northern Germanic tribes which settled in Sweden. The Term Rus was not what they called themselves, but the name given them by the Finns. The Varangians from modern Sweden crossed the Baltic Sea and landed in Eastern Europe. The Varangians leader was the warrior Rurik. He was an actual historical figure, although most of what we know about him comes from legend. He led a band of Varangians to Novgorod on the Volkhov River (862). He became the ruler of the city, although we are not sure he actually conquered the city. Legend suggests that the Slavs invited him. That may or may not be true. It rather sounds like Rurik's descendants legitimizing the dynasty. Based on the Western experience, the Vikings were not the sort of people one invited nor did they require invitations.
"Viking" is a Western term, probably derived from the the Swedish word for bay--"vik". Early medieval Scandinavians were a farming people with a close connection with the sea in large measure for trade. Some of these trading expeditions descended into looting and Scandinavians gradually began to see the potential for raiding rather than trading.The history of Russia begins in the 9th century AD as part of the outburst of the Norsemen from Scandinavia that so affected England and Western Europe. The "Swedish" and "Danish/Norwegian" Vikings were similar, but geography dictated that the Danes and Norwegians raid west, attacking Western Europe and the British Isles. The Swedes raided east, dominated much of the Baltic and into what is now Russia. Swedish Vikings moved east and played a major role in the development of Russia. These Vikings are know as the Rus and it is from this name that the name of Russia has been derived. Actually the Rus were Swedish Vikings meaning the northern Germanic tribes which settled in Sweden. The Term Rus was not what they called themselves, but the name given them by the Finns. Viking expeditions were often organized started from trade centers like "Birka", located on an island in Lake Mälaren--close to modern-day Stockholm.
The Varangians from modern Sweden crossed the Baltic Sea and landed in Eastern Europe. The Varangians leader was the warrior Rurik. He was an actual historical figure, although most of what we know about him comes from legend. He led a band of Varangians to Novgorod on the Volkhov River (862). He became the ruler of the city, although we are not sure he actually conquered the city. Legend suggests that the Slavs invited him. That may or may not be true. It rather sounds like Rurik's descendants legitimizing the dynasty. Based on the Western experience, the Vikings were not the sort of people one invited nor did they require invitations. Much of what we know about this period of Russian history is more legend than history, but we do know that Rurik was an actual historical figure.
Both the Vikings and Slavs at the time were pre-literate people. Thus the accounts of the coming of the Rus was written by Russian Orthodox monks over a century later. Various Slavic tribes inhabited what is now northeastern Russia, the area along the Neva and the Volkhov rivers and around lakes Ladoga and Ilmen. The great Russian plain included both forest and grassland, offering rich agricultural land as well as hunting and fishing in the rivers. In addition to the bountiful land and rivers, the area also was a connecting point between European traders in the Baltic Basin and the southern flowing rivers leading to the Black Sea and Byzantium. For this reason, Novgorod grew as an important trading town and capital of the first state in northern Russia. The Slavic tribes in norther Russia engaged in unrelenting inter-tribal wars. No tribe would accept rule from a leader of another tribe. The Slavs Made an offer to the Rus, "Our country is rich and immense, but it is rent by disorder. Come and govern us and reign over us." (862) This occurred at almost the same time that the western Vikings began to raid the British isles. Three Swedish Vikings accepted the offer and moved east.
Following the great rivers, Swedish Vikings/the Rus eventually reached Byzantium. Runestones and other archaeological artifacts found in eastern Sweden and on the island of Gotland confirm that trade relations existed between eastern Sweden and the Near East.
Swedish Vikings settled in Novgorod, which they called "Holmgard". It emerged as the first center of the Russian nation. Rurik became ruler of Novgorod, Sineus settled down in Beloozerg and Truvor in Izborsk. Rurik from his base in Novgorod in only a short period extended his rule over the Slavic tribes in northern Russia.
Rurik's descendents became known as the Rus. Rurik's successor Oleg using Novgorod as a base, extended his influence south along rivers which were the principal trade routes at the time. Oleg seized control of Kiev, the most important city on the Dineper (882). This provided the beginning of a unified state based on dynastic rule. Kiev was of special importance. Its strategic location along the Dnipper surounded by rich farm land was a key trading center located between between Scandinavia in the north and Byzantium in the south. Dominated by te Rus, Kiev was an important trading empire which dominated much of European Russia and the Ukraine for three centuries. Vladimir I ruled a Kiev which dominated a vast area extending south to the Black Sea and Caucasus Mountains, controlling the Dnipper and much of the Volga (989). Vladamir decided that an established religion was necessary for the Kievian state. He reportedly assessed several possibilities before deciding on Greek Orthodoxy. It is likely that trade and diplomacy rather than religiius zeal explained his choice. The choice of Orthodoxy allied him with the wealthy Byzantine trading center of Constaniople, at the time the richest city in the world and crucial to the Kievian economy. Vladmir apparently rejected Islam, apparently because he did not want to give up alcoholic beverages and was not sure he could bring his people to do so. It was certainly one if not the most important religious decesion of European history. Vladimir's successor Yaroslav the Wise codified laws and promoted the arts. He decided, however, to divide his kingdom among his sons upon his death (1054). Once powerful Kiev son was split with interacine warfare. Gradually regional power centers began to develop, including the once small village of Moscow at the confluence of the Moskva and Neglina Rivers which first appeared in the historical record (1147). The decline of powerful central rule also exposed the Rus to raids by war-like people from the East which in the 13th century was the Mongols. The Kievian Rus were important in Russian history, but they were also of considerable importance to Europe to the west. They acted as a shield for several centuries, protecting the rest of Europe from the deprevations of the war-like Asian steppe peoples.
The successors of Rurik and Oleg came a dynasty that would rule Russia for more than 700 years. Oleh/Oleg during the mid-8th century became the first prince of Kiev and founded the Rurick Dynasty. Oleh employed mercenary troops to unite the Eastern Slavs for the first time. He introduced a complex system combining tribute and military democracy. Oleh also led impressive military operations against Khozzars, a nation of Jewish origin residing on Volga. Oleh led and even larger army against Byzantium and assaulted Constantinople. This was the first Western introduction to a Slavic power in the East--the Kievian Rus. After Oleg's death, his relative Ihor became the Great Prince of Kiev. Thor's greed and cruelty led to his downfall. His wife, Olga, replaced him as the Great Princess. She accepted Christianity and this became the Christianization of the Eastern Slavs. Olga also sought to establish more cooperative relations with Byzantium. Olga's son Svyatoslav, was a superb military leader. He fought predatory nomadic tribes like Pechenigy and conquered Bulgaria. SvyatoslavHe was killed by a group of Pechenigy after his victory over Byzantium. Kiev declined as a result of a debilatating feud among his sons. This period of instability was finally ended when Vladimir the Red Sun, seized Kiev and became the fifth Great Prince. He baptized the Rus' into Christianity (988) and repulsed a Byzantine army. His son, Yaroslav the Wise, enacted the first legal code which made up the first set of laws in Russia, came to be known as Rus's Truths. An internal power struggle and an invasion by the Cumans followed.
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