EAST SLAVS
The ancestors of Ukrainians are Slavs. Where did the Slavs come from and how did they appear in the Ukrainian lands?
The Slavs are the autochthonous (indigenous) population of Europe of Indo-European origin. The Indo-Europeans, having settled widely in Europe and Asia, gave rise to many peoples, including the Slavs.
Here are some illustrations that you can find in the book. The history of Ukraine is full of oppression, the occupation of this country by its more powerful neighbors, and a proud, if not always successful, struggle for independence. The first surviving signs of the settlement of today's Ukraine date back to seventy thousand years ago, when members of the so-called Tripoli culture lived here.
The strength of the development of human civilization in ancient Europe was an ancient civilization with powerful Mediterranean city states. was on the very edge of the influence of both the Greek and Roman empires. The first comprehensive state body that arose here was in the middle of the century. AD Kingdom of Skit. Their battles with Greek forces in the Black Sea and settlements on the southern coast of Ukraine can be read in the writings of the famous Greek historian Herodotus.
As a separate ethnic community, the Slavs formed at the beginning of our era. A number of historians identify the Slavs with the Wends. The first written references to the Slavs (Venedi) are found among Roman authors of the 1st-11th century. AD - Pliny, Tacitus, Ptolemy. According to most scientists, the homeland of the Slavs covered the territory from the middle reaches of the Dnieper to the Vistula.
The end of the Scythian settlement caused a great migration of the peoples of the country. p. l. when the Goths and Huns were expelled. Starting from the eighth century, the first Slavic tribes began to settle here. Their home is a predominantly fertile area around the Dnieper. The greatest prosperity in the Middle Ages was achieved by the local civilization in relatively early times, when there was a strong state department on behalf of Kyiv.
Already in the century, when the two most powerful centers of Novgorod and Kyiv were under the rule of Prince Oleg, the foundations of Kievan Russia began to form. After the gradual annexation of new territories, the most powerful Slavic empire existed at that time. He not only acquired a powerful ally, but also fell into the sphere of influence of the Byzantine Empire. Instead of hoping for a reunion, he invaded the Asian nomadic tribes associated with the Golden Horde, which had conquered much of this once mighty empire.
Hence, in the II-VII Art. AD - during the period of the Great Migration of Nations - the Slavs settled widely in all directions. As a result, the Slavic ethnos broke up into three branches: Western Slavs, southern and Eastern Slavs. Eastern Slavs settled on the territory of modern Ukraine, Belarus, partly Russia (Oka, upper reaches of the Volga).
After the defeat of the Tatar conquerors, the principles were associated with more powerful neighbors throughout the century. Some came to Poland, others Lithuania and the eastern regions were under the influence of Moscow. The eastern part of the Dnieper was practically uninhabited due to the constant invasions of the Tatar hordes.
Ukrainians did not fare well under foreign domination, and the following years were full of Cossack uprisings against Poland. He was assisted by the Russian car Alexander, who took it a little strange, and after the defeat of the Polish troops, Russia moved to the western part of Ukraine. A hundred years later, with the division of Poland into Russia, the territory on the left side of the Dnieper fell. However, except for Galicia and Bukovina, which became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Western Slavs gave rise to the Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Lusatian Serbs.
South Slavs - Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Bosnians, Macedonians, Montenegrins.
East Slavs - Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusians.
From IV Art. AD Ants tribes settled on the territory of Ukraine between the Dniester and the Seversky Donets, who created a state association (Union of Ants) with a hereditary leader, an organized army and the participation of the population in political life (veche). The Aptian Union had the character of a military democracy. It existed until the 7th century. AD and fell apart under the blows of the Avars.
For a century, the final breakdown of Turkish power in the south is already fully included as one of the governors in Russian empire. Royal Russia not only led to national oppression and exploitation, as is often seen. Odessa, Sevastopol or Simferopol.
The century, the rise of the Renaissance, and the gradual flourishing of industry and transport took place elsewhere in Europe. Combining a future with a communist dictatorship was not a happy solution, as Ukrainians have already become convinced in the coming decades. Not only did they suffer from famines, some of which were probably the work of Stalin, but the local economy was also devastated by Moscow planners.
After its collapse, on the territory of Ukraine, where the Eastern Slavs settled, separate tribal associations were formed, the resettlement and names of which are known from the chronicle "The Tale of Past Years": clearing lived near Kyiv, in the Middle Dnieper their neighbors were northerners ; lived in deep forests Drevlyans ; between Pripyat and Western Dvina - Dregovichi ; in the Carpathians - white croats ; along the Western Bug River there were lands Volhynians and Dulebov . In the interfluve of the Dniester and Danube and the Western Black Sea region lived Tivertsy , their neighbors were convict . The northern group of Slavic tribes was Krivichi, Polovtsy, Slovenes (Upper Volga region, the coast of the Western Dvina, the basins of Lake Ilmen, Lake Peipsi).
There was a period of redress for the planned economy and the race to catch up with the rest of Europe. By the way, at this time a book is being published, which also tells about the events in modern Russia. First of all, the reader can understand what is going on and where it has roots.
The book is called "Painting from the history of the culture of Russian religiosity." The title is a paraphrase from my old book Pictures from the Cultural History of American Religiosity. This book was blue, this is red, it was optimistic, this is pessimistic. And this name also signifies the establishment of the tradition of Czech books about Russia, such as "Russian Paintings or Havlisko Paintings" from the history of Russian education by Pavel Milyukov - a Russian translation and very influential in our time. These are the cultural and historical roots of it all.
The main occupation of the Slavs was agriculture. The land was cultivated with a plow with an iron share, but more often with a wooden plow. Along with agriculture, the Slavs were engaged in cattle breeding, bred horses, cows, pigs. They were engaged in the collection of honey from wild bees - beekeeping, hunting, fishing. High level crafts reached: blacksmithing, jewelry, stone processing, weaving, pottery.
How the Russian mentality and certain archetypes of political and cultural influence were formed. So, Putin is still the pinnacle of some logical historical development? Putin's style and cult of Putin follow the tradition of cruel and ruthless rulers who were loved by much of the nation. Cruelty did not blame them. On the contrary, she confirmed that they were the rightful rulers. Such a person can shut down and kill whoever he wants, and nothing will happen to him. Putin, finally, is a loyal macho who, when he wants, takes part of someone else's territory and legitimizes it.
Trade played an important role in the life of the Slavs. Slavs traded with their neighbors, with the cities of the Northern Black Sea region (Kerch, Kherson), Arab countries. The main trade artery was the so-called "the path from the Varangians to the Greeks", i.e. from Scandinavia to the Dnieper and along the Dnieper further south, across the Black Sea to Constantinople. The Slavs traded in bread, cattle, furs, honey, and wax.
If there is no legal form of political struggle, and the opposition is completely forced into a corner, we will make crazy speeches. Such protest is also religious in nature. It looks like blasphemy, but in fact he points to the ruler in the spirit of the old prophets: You look pious, but you are a rapist! And if you look pious, you yourself blaspheme! When it's impossible to say in Parliament or in the newspapers, we have to say that, like the old Jurassic people who roam naked in Red Square.
The third archetype is a completely corrupt church hierarchy that believes that religion is observance. This faith in Orthodoxy is terrible. Its content: If you do the right thing to perform the ceremony and keep the daily calendar, that's all the Lord wants from you. From Moscow, Russia, the church hierarchy was taken as part of the state apparatus. Fortunately, it never happened that there was only one Russian identity, one Russian state.
In the VII-VIII centuries. among the Slavs there is a disintegration of primitive communal relations. A neighborhood community appears. Although the land was jointly owned by the whole tribe, private property emerged, which led to inequality. It stands out to know (elders of clans, leaders with squads). At the head of the tribe was prince. The Slavs had slaves, but slavery was domestic, patriarchal, since the scope of slave labor was limited. The Eastern Slavs waged a hard, long struggle against the nomadic tribes of the Avars and Pechenegs, who raided their lands. They also fought with the Khazars, who imposed tribute on the conquered tribes of the Slavs.
Kyiv was actually a group of several principalities before the creation of Moscow. And then, up to a century, there were always other state units in the west of Moscow that were in some sense Russian, but they did not fit the negative stereotypes that we represent Russia. There was no self-help, there was no serfdom, there was no anti-Western rhetoric, there was no inspiration in the Tatar style of government. Today, Ukraine actually plays the role of Western Russia: it is Slavic, mostly Orthodox, writes Cyrillic.
The main characteristics are general. But at the same time, he does not feel like something fundamentally different from Europe, but a part of Europe. Over the centuries, the first free emigrants from the kingdom of Ivan the Terrible ran away, so today they are running again. My friends in Moscow are now looking to see if any of them have a forgotten jewish grandmother or some farmhouse in Lithuania that could somehow resurrect. Now Moscow is working because it is known that it is bad.
The Slavs were pagans, that is, they deified the forces of nature. The main gods were Perun- the god of thunder - the patron saint of warriors, Yarilo- Sun God, Veles- god of cattle moko wa - Goddess of fertility.
The most ancient city of the Eastern Slavs - Kyiv - was founded in the 5th century. Around him formed the largest tribal union - Polyansky. From ancient sources, three state groups of Eastern Slavs are known: Kuyavia_ (Kyiv land, “Kuyaba”), Slavia (usually the Slavic lands around Novgorod are called here), Artania (possibly the territory of northeastern Russia).
This is what Ukraine matters for the whole of Europe and for Russia itself. This is not only the final end of the constitution, but also as close as possible to our standards, but also to Russia. Because there, in Ukraine, Russian culture can somehow continue.
Answer: Herodotus Greek historian in the fifth century BC. Because he has a description of Scythia, which today is Ukraine and Crimea. The myth of Iphigenia in Tavria is located in the Crimea. Crimea - Taurida, this is a part ancient world. Since the sixth century there have been Greek cities.
Crimea and the adjacent part of Ukraine have much more in common with our history than we think. What about the idea that the Russian people are good, but the machine is evil? When we hear that 80 percent of people sympathize with Putin, we get the impression that they can do everything for themselves.
The Eastern Slavs became a major ethno-formation. They entrenched themselves in a certain territory, reached the origins of statehood, had their own political organization, economic life, and cultural and everyday traditions. On this basis, a single ancient Russian nationality was subsequently formed. Over time, the territories occupied by the Eastern Slavs began to be called Rus, and they were called Rus. At the beginning of the 8th century glades and northerners became dependent on the Khazar Khaganate. In the middle of the ninth century warlike Scandinavian tribes (Norman Varangians) appeared on the lands of the East Slavic tribes. Started new period history of the Eastern Slavs. There was a long struggle for the formation, development and preservation of their statehood.
Because Moscow Russians, that is, the main line of the state coming from Moscow, Ivan the Terrible, to Moscow, were actually determined by the fact that European culture was not interested in Europe. The fact that he is a "heretic", then to the Bolsheviks he is a "bourgeois", today he is considered "decadent". It has been a century since it was said that the West is in decline and should not be believed. Paradoxically, Russia has taken the consumption of the West from the West, he likes it. But such values as political and religious plurality, open society, local autonomy, the principle of subsidiarity, that municipalities choose their representatives and from there only upwards legitimate power - they are unknown or only discredit.
In domestic scientific literature political history Kievan Rus is divided into three periods. The first period - the rapid expansion of lands and the strengthening of state activity covers 90 years - from 882, when Oleg sat on the throne in Kyiv, until the death of Svyatoslav in 972. The second period - the heyday of Kievan Rus - the years when Vladimir the Great was in power ( 980-1015) and Yaroslav the Wise (1019-1054). The third period - fragmentation and death of Kievan Rus in 1240. as a result of the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars.
Most people do live in isolation. Television printing presses, today's state television, confirm that this is correct. Those who receive and disseminate other information are in fact a minority. What about academic freedoms?
I had a course in Russian spiritual history in which some students from Russia or Ukraine took part. And some of them came to thank them quietly: "We have never heard of such connections." Mentioned - the principle of "Western Russia", or the Jewish and Catholic current in the history of Russia. Can academics publish freely?
The emergence of Kievan Rus and its first steps are closely connected with the activities of the first Kiev prince Oleg (882 - 912). In 879, Rurik died, leaving his infant son Igor, whom he gave to be raised by his relative Oleg. The latter, as the eldest in the family, received all the power of Rurik, gathered a large squad and went on a campaign from Novgorod in the direction of Kyiv. Being a talented and decisive person, Oleg subjugated and secured territories that had not previously belonged to the Novgorod principality throughout his journey. AT 882g. he captured Kyiv, making it his capital. For a number of years after the conquest of Kyiv, its ruler subjugated almost all the eastern, northern and southern tribes to his influence, planted his governors there, secured the right of annual fees (tribute). Some of the conquered tribes (northerners, Radimichi) used to pay tribute to the Khazars, now they began to pay it to Oleg. This drew him into a war with the Khazars, which ended with Oleg destroying all the Khazar ports in the Caspian.
In principle, yes, but that's because it doesn't have much of an impact on the public. The time when Catherine the Great sent Novikov and Radishcheva to the fortress for a book, even for some kind of fiction, has disappeared. Very culturally educated chickens. Today, literature and science are far from playing the role they played at that time. Important information about television, radio and newspapers. If they are not in direct confrontation with the regime, let them write.
The most perfect description of the Russian, or rather Moscow mentality, Karel Chapek at the plant is absolutely: Wait, - said General Bukhtin, - no Japanese faith. If there is any faith, be it Orthodox. First of all, because it is Orthodox, and secondly, Russian, and, thirdly, the Sovereign wants it, and, fourthly, we have the greatest detachment. I, gentlemen, am in the army: directly and truthfully. So, when faith, then our Orthodox. So this is a typical Russian theological argument. The young literary critic Alena Machonin, who lives in Moscow and has translated several books by contemporary Russian authors, should, in my opinion, write great story modern Russian literature.
AT 907 g., being at the zenith of glory and power, Oleg, at the head of a large army, went on foot, on horseback and on 2000 ships (40 soldiers on each ship) to march on Byzantium and soon began the siege of Constantinople. Offering a peaceful solution to the conflict, the Greeks agreed to pay a large indemnity to Kievan Rus and signed a trade agreement with Oleg that was beneficial to him. The treaty established duty-free trade relations between Russia and Byzantium. Russian merchants, arriving in Constantinople, had the right to stay there for 6 months, to receive food supplies and necessary equipment for ships at that time and on the way back. It even pointed out that Russian merchants were given the right to "wash in the baths as much as they want." After the conclusion of the treaty, Prince Oleg and his warriors hung their battle shields on the gates of Constantinople and returned to Kyiv with gold, expensive fabrics, wines and many other trophies. The people were so surprised by Oleg's success that they called him prophetic, i.e. sorcerer, sorcerer.
The second treaty with Byzantium was concluded in 911 g. Oleg's envoy as a continuation of the first. This agreement determined the legal norms of the behavior of Rusyns and Greeks in their relations. In the second paragraph of the agreement, for example, it was written that “if a Rusyn kills a Christian, i.e. Greek, or a Christian is a Rusyn, then let the criminal die on the spot. The fourth clause of the contract determined the punishment for theft. The owner of the stolen item was allowed, if the thief resisted, "to kill him with impunity and take back his own." The sixth article determined the line of conduct of the parties in the event of a shipwreck of a Russian or Greek ship. The treaty established the procedure for solving problems related to the heredity of Russian merchants who died on Byzantine territory, it was allowed for Russian people to serve in the imperial army. In the eighth article, it was written that way: "Those Russians who want to serve the Greek emperor are free to do so." A number of articles concerned the attitude of the Greek authorities towards those slaves, criminals who fled from Russia and lived on Greek territory.
As in the first case, the Byzantine emperor presented the Russian ambassadors with gold, expensive fabrics, organized excursions for them to the churches of Constantinople, where they were shown various riches and decorations, the relics of saints, preached the essence of the Christian faith, thereby paving its way to Kievan Rus.
The actions of Prince Oleg were not and could not be decisive in the historical processes of that time. But as an outstanding personality, the prince made a significant contribution to the creation, formation and strengthening of Kievan Rus. In numerous legends that have survived to this day, Oleg is a brave warrior, cunning, wise statesman. He distributes tribute, builds cities, gathers under one banner almost all the tribes along the eastern Dnieper waterway, for the first time, with united forces, accomplishes long hikes, does not give in to provocations and tricks of both external and internal enemies.
Prince Oleg's successor Igor, son of Rurik, reigned, like Oleg, for more than 30 years (912-945) , but his reign was not as successful as that of his predecessor. According to the traditions of the rulers of Kyiv, from the beginning of his activity, Igor asserted his power over the subordinate tribes. The Drevlyans were the first to rebel against him. He and his retinue went to the Drevlyans, and imposed tribute on them more than the one they paid before. It took Igor several years to join the territories of the streets and Tivertsy, which stretched between the Dniester and the Danube. He waged war with the Pechenegs, defending his southeastern borders. And only after the establishment of power in his lands, Igor was able to start large-scale distant campaigns, trading or predatory, along the lines of those conducted by Prince Oleg.
When in 941 The peace treaty with Byzantium ceased to operate, Igor began a sea campaign against Constantinople. For Igor, it ended in disaster. With the help of a combustible mixture - "Greek fire" - the Byzantines burned the Russian fleet, forcing the Kiev squad to a hasty flight. As a result, during negotiations with Byzantium in 944 The ambassadors of Kyiv signed an agreement unfavorable for Russia with the Byzantine emperor, which she had to impeccably fulfill.
After the failure with Byzantium, Prince Igor tried his luck in the east, and here he was more fortunate. Numerous Russian troops descended down the Volga, robbed the rich Muslim cities in the Caspian Sea and returned to Kyiv not empty-handed.
The time when Prince Igor was in power is already a complete consolidation of the Kievan state. Under his rule there were about 20 "bright Russian princes", possibly his deputies. Igor's reign ended, as it had begun, with the uprising of the Drevlyans. Angry with frequent campaigns for tribute, the Drevlyans set up an ambush, in which the prince died with all his small retinue.
The domestic and foreign policies of Oleg and Igor contributed to the strengthening of the Kievan state. The most characteristic features of such a policy were the annexation of new lands, the conquest of other Slavic tribes, the protection of foreign trade interests, and military campaigns against neighboring states.
The uprising of the Drevlyans was brutally suppressed by the widow of Igor Olga, which, due to the minority of their son Svyatoslav, actually became Grand Duchess (945-964) . To prevent new popular uprisings, she was forced to improve the norms of feudal duties and carried out some reforms for this purpose: she determined the amount and time of tax collection, secured the exclusive right to own a rich fur-bearing animal for the state treasury. In all respects, Olga preferred diplomacy to war. AT 957 In the year she visited Constantinople, received the rite of baptism there, and established diplomatic relations with Byzantium. She established ties with the German Emperor Otto the Great. In 961, a mission arrived from Otto I with the aim of joining Russia to the Roman Catholic world, but was not successful. Russia was in the sphere of influence of Orthodox Byzantium.
In 964, the new prince of Russia became Svyatoslav (964-972). Svyatoslav was more of a warrior than a statesman and politician. He carried out tactical operations with brilliance and planned lengthy military campaigns. Svyatoslav joined the union of the Vyatichi tribes living in the interfluve of the Oka and Volga. There was a reform of state administration: in the large cities of Russia, instead of tribal leaders, the sons of Svyatoslav were planted to rule. This was supposed to strengthen the princely power and prevent the process of isolation of the territories of the former unions of tribes.
Svyatoslav saw the strengthening of the state in an active foreign policy. With 965 on 968 gg. the prince carried out successful campaigns against the Khazar Khaganate, as a result of which he conquered the Volga Bulgars, finally cracked down on the Khazars, conquered the Circassians in the North Caucasus, and strengthened his dominance on the Taman Peninsula (Tmutarakan). The threat from the East and South-East was removed, and Russian merchants were free to trade on the Don and Volga.
During 968-971 gg. Svyatoslav's troops successfully fought with the Byzantine Empire and annexed part of the Danube lands to their state. However, the Byzantine army opposed Svyatoslav and surrounded the Russians near Dorostol. At the end of July 971 they made peace
The active policy of Svyatoslav in the south and east also took into account the struggle against the nomadic hordes of the Pechenegs. But in 968 the Pechenegs suddenly attacked Kyiv. The hasty return of the prince made it possible to drive away the nomads. Constantly fighting, Svyatoslav abandoned state affairs, which became the basis for the statements: "You, prince, are looking for someone else's land and take care of it, but left your own to the mercy."
Svyatoslav died at the hands of the Pechenegs when he was returning home after a battle with the Byzantines in Bulgaria. It happened in the spring of 972 near the Dnieper rapids. The merits of Princess Olga in strengthening the state were appreciated. Olga was later canonized by the Orthodox Church as equal to the apostles (equal in her deeds to the disciples of Jesus Christ), canonized as a saint. Under Svyatoslav, the military power of Russia was strengthened, and its international prestige grew.
Kievan Rus reached its peak during the reign of Volodymyr the Great and Yaroslav the Wise.
Vladimir the Great (980-1015) , concentrating in his hands the sole power, began new era in the history of Kievan Rus. He introduced a more constructive system of government. Unlike his predecessors, he focused not on the seizure of land and the collection of tribute, but on the well-being of his possessions. During his reign, Russia began to rise as an integral society and state. And at the same time, at the beginning of his reign, Vladimir seemed to differ little from his predecessors. He gave gifts and in every possible way encouraged his numerous retinue, supported traditional pagan cults, went to the disobedient Vyatichi and extended his power to the Radimichi. Like his father, Vladimir appointed his own sons governors of large cities and lands in his possessions. That is, he removed the local princes from power and concentrated it exclusively in the hands of his dynasty. Vladimir carried out a military reform, as a result of which the "tribal" military formations were replaced by hired ones, which were recruited in the southern regions bordering the steppe.
Instead of distant campaigns, Vladimir focused on protecting his own borders. To counter the threat from the Pechenegs, he built an extensive network of fortifications and a number of new cities south of Kyiv. Breaking with the tradition of his predecessors, he turned his attention to the west and annexed the lands of modern Western Ukraine to his possessions, thus initiating a long rivalry between Russia and Poland for this region. In general, Vladimir established friendly relations with the Poles, Hungarians and Czechs. At the heart of this new Western orientation was his desire to subjugate the main trade routes. As a result of these acquisitions Vladimir's possessions expanded significantly. The area of the state reached 800 thousand square meters. km.
Vladimir was a prominent political figure in the international arena as well. His marriage to the sister of the Byzantine emperor, Princess Anna, concluded under pressure from Vladimir (military campaign against Korsun), made him equal to the emperor.
However, the greatest achievement in the activities of Vladimir the Great was the adoption of Christianity in 988g. The Tale of Bygone Years tells how the envoys of the Russians, who arrived from Constantinople, rejected Islam because it forbade the use of alcoholic beverages and opted for Christianity from Byzantium, which, with its rich rites, aroused universal delight. Vladimir had an alternative - Christianity and Islam - two highly developed systems of religions at that time. He chose and chose the Christian religion, which, compared with Islam, had more refined ways of expressing the spiritual, social and political life of the Slavic people. With the help of Christian ideology, Vladimir intended to achieve new, more significant results in the political and socio-economic development of Kievan Rus. Therefore, he was in a hurry with the adoption of Christianity, as evidenced by the very fact of baptism. AT 988 year, seeking to quickly baptize his people, Vladimir ordered crowds of Kievans to be driven into the Pochaina River, a tributary of the Dnieper, and they were all christened there at the same time. Despite the resistance of some people of the old faith, pagan idols were destroyed, Christian churches were quickly built. Christian church wide privileges were granted, a part of the princely profit was directed to her needs.
As a result, the prestige dynasty of Prince Vladimir among the states professing the Christian religion. In the Kievan state itself, innovations had a huge impact on the further development of cultural and economic life countries. Christianity contributed to the development of education, the enrichment of Russian culture the best achievements the Christian world. It contributed to the emergence of new customs and more humane moral norms in relations between people, strengthening family values. It is difficult to overestimate the fact that Christianity came to Kyiv not from Rome, but from Byzantium. Over time, when a split occurred between these two centers, Kyiv took the side of Constantinople, completely rejecting Catholicism.
After the death of Prince Vladimir, a struggle for the Grand Duke's throne flared up between his sons. It lasted almost 20 years. The winner in this protracted battle was Yaroslav the Wise (1019-1054). His reign in history is considered to be the apogee! power of Kievan Rus. He developed and improved much of what he took from his father. Like Vladimir, Yaroslav continued to expand the borders of his state at the expense of the western and northern Slavic, and partly non-Slavic lands. He defeated the Pechenegs (1036) and made a campaign (though unsuccessful) to Byzantium. The borders of Russia were expanded to the limit.
Military campaigns of Yaroslav the Wise, foreign policy activities led to an even greater strengthening of the international prestige of Kievan Rus. This was also facilitated by the wide marriage ties of the Yaroslav dynasty with the leading European dynasties. The wife of Yaroslav himself was a Swedish princess, one of his sisters was married by the Polish king, the other by the Byzantine prince, three sons of Yaroslav tied their fate with European princesses and three daughters married the French, Norwegian and Hungarian kings. It is not surprising that historians often call Yaroslav "the father-in-law of Europe."
But the loud glory of Yaroslav the Wise is connected, first of all, with his domestic political activities.
Firstly, thanks to the energetic activity of Yaroslav, the Christian religion began to take root and expand everywhere: monasteries were built and turned into cells of culture, many churches were erected. During his reign, Kyiv turned into a "golden-domed" city, more than 400 churches were built. AT 1051 year, for the first time in the history of Russia, a “Rusyn” was appointed prince Hilarion Metropolitan of Kiev
Much attention was paid to the development of education, science and art. The centers of education were churches and monasteries. So Sofia of Kiev had the library of Yaroslav the Wise, by the way, the largest then in Europe, there was a school for children from noble families; there were also special rooms where works were translated from foreign languages, original works of ancient Russian literature were created, the chronology was kept.
The second direction of Yaroslav's internal activity is connected with the appearance "Russian Truth"- the legal legal code of all Kievan Rus. "Pravda" brought together the weight of legal laws generally accepted at that time. Many changes and additions were made, most of which testified to the concern of the princely dynasty for its subordinates. Blood feud, for example, was replaced by monetary compensation. Former "lashes" were replaced by monetary fines. For the compilation of "Russian Truth" Prince Yaroslav began to be called the Wise.
Consequently, under Yaroslav the Wise, Kievan Rus reached the zenith of its heyday and power. It became on a par with the advanced countries of the medieval world. However, on the slope of his life, Yaroslav laid the foundation for the specific system, introducing the joint government of the state by the entire princely family. It was a careless move that deprived the power of the Grand Duke of the economic basis and increased his dependence on the appanages. In the second half of the XI century. in Russia, the order of succession to the throne was formed according to the established order according to the hierarchy of destinies. This system led to numerous conflicts that had to be resolved with the help of weapons.
Describing the board Vladimir Monomakh (1113-1125), it should be noted that while still a prince in Pereyaslav, he constantly made campaigns against the Polovtsians. Historical facts claim that he 83 times united the forces of other princes of Russia in the fight against enemies, destroying 200 Polovtsian khans. Having established himself in Kyiv, he supplemented the articles of Russkaya Pravda, for which usury was limited, and the position of the peasants was somewhat facilitated. Monomakh was an extremely conscientious and dutiful prince. He resumed the autocratic monarchy of the times of Yaroslav the Wise, was the initiator of the Lyubetz Congress (1097). The main resolutions of this congress were:
Each prince owns his "patrimony" and undertakes not to encroach on the possessions of another;
An alliance of princes was established for defense against external enemies;
Private relations between the princes and the Polovtsy were forbidden.
However, the resolutions of the congress were declarative in nature and were quickly violated. Consequently, Vladimir Monomakh managed to temporarily delay the process of fragmentation of the Kievan state. But the subsequent development of feudal relations and the strengthening of individual principalities made this fragmentation inevitable, which took place after the death of the prince. Although he protected the unity of the state with his activities, at the end of his life - just like Yaroslav the Wise - he agreed to its division in order to calm the ambitions of the princes. In external relations, he acted diplomatically, concluding dynastic marriages. Vladimir Monomakh was the greatest writer of his time. He owns the highly artistic Teaching to Children, in which he describes episodes of his life, gives practical advice to their children, how to effectively lead the princely court and the state, successfully protecting it from the enemy. In this "testament" the prince opposes the abuse of power, insulting the orphans and the poor.
Thus, with 9th century until the middle of the XII in. Kievan Rus was a large medieval European state that played a big role both in the history of our people and in world history. The formation of a unified centralized state accelerated the economic, political and cultural development of the Eastern Slavs and provided them with the opportunity to defend their lands from numerous external enemies: in the east and south - the Pechenegs and Polovtsy, in the north - the Normans, in the west - Poles and Hungarians. The period of existence of the Old Russian state and the Old Russian nationality is the most important joint period in the development of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.
30.08.2015
"Kievan Rus" is a historiographic designation of the chronological framework in the existence of the East Slavic state, which can be divided into 3 stages. The first - from the beginning of the 9th century to the 80s of the 10th century. This is the time of the emergence, formation of statehood under the legendary Rurik, princes Oleg, Igor, Olga and Svyatoslav. The second falls on the years 980-1054. Heyday under Vladimir the Great and Yaroslav the Wise. In this era, important changes took place - the adoption of Christianity, the growth of international prestige, the growth of state institutions, enshrined in legislative acts, urban planning, the development of crafts, trade and arts. The third one is 1054-1132. Time of feudal fragmentation, decline and disintegration.
The origin of the name "Rus" is a subject of long-standing disputes among scientists, an inexhaustible source of historical hypotheses, and sometimes even deliberate falsifications dictated by the ideological conjuncture. The chronicler Nestor (at the turn of the 11th-12th centuries) raised the problem of the origin of the state called "Russian Land". According to one version (Norman), the word "Rus" has Swedish roots. It was brought to the lands of the Middle Dnieper by the Varangians, allegedly invited to restore order in the life of the Slavic tribes. There is a linguistic assumption based on the phonetic consonance of the word "Rus" with hydronyms (names of rivers) - Ros, Rosava, Roska.
Another philological theory deduces the origin of "Rus" from the Finnish language, in which Sweden was called "Ruotsi". The Scandinavian tribes "ruotsalainen" who arrived and assimilated among the local population gave a common name to the peoples in the northern lands of the Eastern Slavs. Well-known connoisseurs of history, the Americans, represented by the scientist O. Pritsak, generally derive the name along with the origin of the state from the Khazars. According to the hypothesis of the historian B. A. Rybakov, the name "Rus" arose at the end of the 8th century from the name of one of the united tribes - Ros (Rus), mentioned in eastern documents - Arabic and Byzantine.
The phrase "Kyiv Rus" appeared only in the 19th century, and was associated with the statement attributed by the chroniclers to Prince Oleg - "Kyiv is the mother of Russian cities." The scientist Sergei Solovyov proposed a periodization of the history of Russia, based on the "migration" of the capitals of Russia - Kyiv, Vladimir, Moscow, St. Petersburg. The term was enshrined in Soviet historical science, entered school and university textbooks as a postulate: “From the tenth century, the Kievan principality began to be called Kievan Rus,” although the Russians and their princes did not actually use it.
