Eastern Slavs in ancient times. Tribal unions of the Eastern Slavs
Tribal unions of the Eastern Slavs(East Slavic tribal unions, tribes of the Eastern Slavs) - form social organization East Slavic society during the period of the decomposition of the primitive communal system and the formation of statehood. Tribal unions were not only tribal, but also territorial and political in nature. The formation of unions is a stage on the path to the formation of statehood of the Eastern Slavs.
The Tale of Bygone Years does not know any “tribal unions”. After the death of Kiy and his brothers (before the mention of Heraclius and the Obrov), “their clan began to hold a reign near the Polyans, and the Drevlyans had their own reign, and the Dregovichi had theirs, and the Slavs had theirs in Novgorod, and another on the Polota River, where the Polochans” . That is, princely power was inheritable. These are the northern archonties of the Antes king God (IV century), Ardagast, Pirogast, Musokia, Dobrent (VI century), etc., well known to the Byzantines.
- A term used to designate the East Slavic tribes mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years and other written sources. Speaking of “alliances,” in this case, historians mean that the chronicle “tribes” were complex formations and consisted of several territorial or clan groups.
- An association of several tribes (“confederation”), which arises, as a rule, for joint defense against an external threat, and has allied bodies of supra-tribal power.
Ancestors of the Eastern Slavs in multi-ethnic tribal unions
The ancestors of the Eastern Slavs, according to various historians, could have been part of the allied tribal organizations mentioned by the authors of the second half of the 1st millennium BC. e. - first half of the 1st millennium.
The Union of Antes was governed by the veche and the princes, led an independent foreign policy, had customary law, which applied only to the Antes, and had an allied militia. The union could be headed by one prince, designated by a special title, whose power was hereditary.
In the VI-VIII centuries. Eastern Slavs are often mentioned together with the Khazars, which is assessed by historians as evidence of their allied and then tributary relations.
Glade
The Tale of Bygone Years tells a legend about the princes of the Polyan tribe, which has much in common with the history of the Antes. The Polyans moved from place to place: their homeland was the Danube, they got their name from the fact that they “sat in the field,” then they settled on the Dnieper “mountains” and again tried to gain a foothold on the Danube. The Polyan tribe consisted of several related “clans”, governed by their own heads. According to legend, the brothers Kiy, Shchek and Khoriv united their clans under the rule of Prince Kiy, who headed the squad and was in an allied relationship with the Byzantine emperor. The center of the Polyan tribe was the city of Kyiv, founded by the brothers. It played the role of a veche and religious center. Established in the tribe princely dynasty: “And after these brothers their family began to reign over the glades,”
In the “Tale” there is also an indication of the existence of an alliance between the East Slavic tribes during the time of Prince Kiy: “And the Polyans, Drevlyans, Northerners, Radimichi, Vyatichi and Croats lived in peace among themselves. The Dulebs lived along the Bug, where the Volynians are now, and the Ulichi and Tivertsy sat along the Dniester and near the Danube.” Later, this union broke up into separate tribal “princedoms” and “the Drevlyans and other surrounding people began to oppress the glades.” The Kiev veche, consisting of military nobility, decided to subjugate the glades to the Khazars and pay them tribute.
In the Tale of Bygone Years, the legend of Kiy is associated with the question of the origins of the Russian land, and the glades are directly identified with the Rus people of the 10th-12th centuries.
"Power of the Volynians", Dulebs
“The Tale of Bygone Years” tells about the struggle of the Duleb tribe with the Avars (Obras) (560s - 8th century): “In those days, there were obras, they fought against King Heraclius and almost captured him. These obras also fought against the Slavs and oppressed the Dulebs - the real Slavs, and committed violence against the Duleb wives: it happened that when an obrin rode, he would not allow a horse or an ox to be harnessed, but he ordered three, four or five wives to be harnessed to a cart and the obrin to be driven, - and so they tortured the Dulebs. These obrins were great in body and proud in mind, and God destroyed them, they all died, and not a single obrin remained. And there is a saying in Rus' to this day: “They perished like obras,” but they have no tribe or descendants.”
Medieval written documents record the residence of the Dulebs in Volyn, the Czech Republic, on the middle Danube between Lake Balaton and the Mursa River, as well as on the upper Drava. V.V. Sedov considers the Dulebs to be an ancient tribe that settled in the 6th-7th centuries. in the area of the Prague-Korchak culture (Sklavina).
The Tale of Bygone Years says that the Dulebs lived along the Western Bug, where “now the Volynians”, and it also says that the Buzhanians were so nicknamed because they “sat along the Bug”, and then they “began to be called Volynians”. Historians explain this place in the chronicle in different ways. Some see the Buzhans and Volynians of the 9th-10th centuries. descendants of the Dulebs of the 6th-7th centuries. Others see Volynians as a collective polytonym, derived from the name of the city of Volyn, and denoting a union of several tribes.
The nature of the breeding organization
In historical literature, there are several points of view on the nature of the chronicled tribes of the Eastern Slavs:
1. These were exclusively territorial associations (S. M. Seredonin, V. O. Klyuchevsky, M. K. Lyubavsky).
2. Tribes are ethnographic groups (A. A. Spitsyn, A. V. Artsikhovsky and B. A. Rybakov), the same opinion is shared by philologists A. A. Shakhmatov, A. I. Sobolevsky, E. F. Karsky, D. N. Ushakov, N. N. Durnovo.
3. Tribes were political entities (N.P. Barsov). According to the ideas of V.V. Mavrodin and B.A. Rybakov, the chronicle glades, Drevlyans, Radimichi and others were tribal unions that united several separate Slavic tribes.
The Russian chronicle uses the words “clan” and “tribe” to designate a consanguineous group. The word "language" also meant tribes speaking special languages.
Contemporaries distinguished East Slavic tribes according to a number of characteristics: name, place of residence, customs and “laws of the fathers”, which related to marriage and family relations and funeral rites, as well as legends. At the same time, according to contemporaries, the tribes did not differ linguistically, although in fact there were serious dialectal differences, and Rus' was bilingual and used the Scandinavian language. Archaeologists distinguish tribes by characteristic decorations (temporal rings) and the type of burials. Ethnographers believe that the East Slavic tribes differed in their religious preferences for one god or another (Perun is “our god” in Rus').
Each tribe had its own “city” (Tivertsy, Ulich, Drevlyan, Rus) and one main “city”: Kiev (Polyane), Novgorod (Slovene), Smolensk (Krivichi), Polotsk (Krivichi-Polotsk), Iskorosten (Drevlyan) . Archaeologists suggest that some tribes (Smolensk Krivichi) had a “cluster” structure of settlements: next to one fortified “city” there was a nest or two nests of unfortified villages. “Grad” was a gathering place for veches, religious worship (swamp settlements of Smolensk Krivichi) and performed defensive functions.
The chronicler denotes the political organization of tribes with the word “reign,” listing individual reigns: among the Polyans, among the Drevlyans, among the Dregovichi, among the Slovenians “in Novgorod” and “on the Polota River, where the Polotsk people are.” By “princeship” in a narrow sense the presence of the institution of hereditary princely power was understood. The territorial designation of the tribe was the word “land” (Derevskaya land, Russian land). Power in the tribe belonged to the prince and the vech. The chronicler talks about making a decision at a meeting in the city of Iskorosten in 945 with the words “having thought with his prince Mal.” Mal is called the “prince of the village.” Also mentioned are the “best men” who “hold the Tree Land.” These men were sent to the embassy by the "Village Land" and talked about their " good princes”, who “graze” the Derevskaya land. The "elders of the city" are also mentioned. Similar political organization is also detected among other East Slavic tribes of the 9th-12th centuries, as well as among the Ants and Polans in the 6th-8th centuries.
Constantine Porphyrogenitus uses the term “Slavinia” in relation to the East Slavic tribes, which was first used in the 7th century. Theophylact Simocatta in relation to the Slavs who settled in the Balkans. It meant both the area of settlement of a Slavic tribe or tribal union, and a special pre-state socio-political organization of the Slavs, which allowed them to regulate internal relations, defend independence from external forces and organize military enterprises. At the head of each Slavinia was a leader (“archon” or “rix”), surrounded by tribal nobility.
Ibn Ruste (n. 10th century) describes a more developed system of power among the Slavs (information about different groups tribes): “Their head is crowned, they obey him and do not deviate from his words. Its location is in the middle of the country of the Slavs. And the mentioned head, whom they call “the head of the heads” (ra’is ar-ruasa), is called by them swiet-malik, and he is higher than the supanej, and the supanej is his deputy (viceroy). This king has riding horses... He has beautiful, durable and precious chain mail. The city in which he lives is called Jarvab... The king travels around them every year. And if one of them has a daughter, then the king takes one of her dresses per year, and if he has a son, then he also takes one of her dresses per year. Whoever has neither a son nor a daughter gives one of the dresses of his wife or slave a year. And if the king catches a thief in his country, he either orders him to be strangled, or places him under the supervision of one of the rulers on the outskirts of his domain.”
If “principality” and “Slavinia” denote tribal formations of the period of “military democracy,” then in Ibn Ruste’s description historians see signs of an emerging state: the institutionalization of supra-tribal power, reliance on force, the existence of taxes and compulsory law.
Hierarchy of tribes
The tribal structure of East Slavic society during the period of “military democracy” is characterized by the desire of one tribe to rise above other neighboring tribes.
In the 6th century, the Ant envoy Mezamir, who himself was called “an idle talker and a braggart,” upon arriving at the Avars, “bombarded them with arrogant and even impudent speeches.” The words of a similar speech by the Slavic leader Davrit have been preserved: “Was that person born into the world and warmed by the ray of the sun who would subjugate our strength? Not others are our land, but we are accustomed to possessing someone else’s.”
In the legends, the original Slavs called themselves the Polyans, Volynians and, mentioned by the Geographer of Bavaria, the Zaryans, “who alone have a kingdom and from whom all the tribes of the Slavs ... originate and trace their ancestry.” For other tribes, various offensive names were invented: “Tolkovins” (Tivertsi), “carpenters” (residents of Novgorod), “Pishchantsy” (Radimichi), “Nakhodniki”, “Dromites”, “nomads” (Rus), “Paktiots” ( Slavs by Constantine Porphyrogenitus, 10th century), “Germans” (Drevlyans by Leo the Deacon, 10th century), “fleeing slaves” (residents of Kiev by Thietmar of Merseburg, 11th century), etc.
To indicate a place in the hierarchy of tribes, associations with shoes were used: “in boots” - the dominant tribe, “lapotniki” - tributaries, the custom of a barefoot elder leaving the city, which meant submission to the conqueror, was described (Smolensk, Vladimir Volynsky). Also important role The occupation of the tribe (“men of blood” - Rus'), the color of the tents, the material and size of clothes, sails, etc. played a role.
The Tale of Bygone Years tells that the glades “have the custom of their fathers, meek and quiet,” and the Drevlyans, Radimichi, Vyatichi, Northerners and Krivichi “lived the custom of animals, lived like bestials,” “in the forest, like all animals.” : “they killed each other, ate everything unclean, and they did not have marriages, and they dishonored themselves in front of their fathers and daughters-in-law.”
Under the year 907, it is told about the Rus and the Slovenes: “And the Rus raised sails from fibers, and the Slavs were coprine, and the wind tore them apart; and the Slavs said: “Let’s take our thicknesses, the Slavs were not given sails made of pavolok.”
Tribal confederations
Historians believe that the tribes of the “Tale of Bygone Years” included several clan and tribal groups (“clans”, “tribes”), the names of which, unknown to the chronicler, are given by the Geographer of Bavaria. The number of cities named in the source is compared with the number tribal communities(100-150 people each) or their groups, united around the “city”, in which city elders and representatives of surrounding clans gathered at the meeting.
It is most likely that the Krivichi tribe actually consisted of several groups: the chronicle mentions “all Krivichi”; a distinction is made between the Krivichi-Polotsk people and the Smolensk Krivichi, who pursued an independent foreign policy. Archaeologists separate the Pskov Krivichi from the Smolensk-Polotsk. In addition, Latvians still call Russians an ethnonym derived from the name Krivichi (krievs), which indicates its collective nature. Archaeologists call the Krivichi a “tribal group” that emerged as a result of the interaction of Slavic settlers with the local Baltic-speaking population. It is possible that the Krivichi are a political entity known from the Baltic legends about the Great Krivi.
The Ilmen Slovenes were also in confederal relations with neighboring peoples. It is believed that on the site of Novgorod there were settlements of various tribes surrounding an empty space that served as a gathering place for the union council. From these villages arose the “ends” (self-governing areas) of the city, including the Slovenian and Nerevsky ends (the Nerevs are a Baltic tribe). In the middle of the 9th century, a confederation of tribes was formed, located over vast areas, which included the Chud, Slovene (Novgorod), Krivichi (Polotsk), Ves (Beloozero), Merya (Rostov) and Muroma (Murom).
The northerners, according to historians, united three tribal groups. The alliance consisted of the Ulichi and the Tivertsi. The Radimichi and Vyatichi are believed to have originally been one tribe (Vyatichi), and then separated, as evidenced by the legend about the brothers Radim and Vyatko.
Institutionalization of power in tribal alliances
When tribes united into unions, supra-tribal power arose, which was not reduced to patriarchal tribal power. Since alliances were created in connection with the need for protection from external enemies, princes who had the strongest squads of professional warriors had special authority among the tribes. Such princes led tribal militias and thereby institutionalized their power. Ibn Ruste calls the main prince of the union “svet malik (ruler),” which can be understood as “bright prince.” The treaty of 911 mentions the “bright and great princes” of the Eastern Slavs. These titles designated the “prince of princes” of the union, that is, an institution appeared that was not typical a separate family or tribe.
The Union Assembly also differed from an ordinary people's assembly. The Scandinavian saga of Olav mentions a people's meeting in Novgorod, which was attended by "people from all nearby areas", but in practice this was impossible, so it should be considered that at the meeting of the union the tribes were represented " the best husbands" If you literally believe the legend about the “Khazar tribute”, when the glade at the veche decided to pay tribute with swords, then it can be argued that the veche included representatives of the military nobility.
The prince, the squad and the veche, consisting of military and tribal nobility, began to separate from ordinary fellow tribesmen. They personified tribal power. This power was designated by the words “reign”, “possess” and “hold”, and the ruling elite designated themselves by the words “lord” (Dobragast, Kelagast, Ardegast, Gostomysl) and “ruler” (Volodislav, Volodymer).
Tributary relations between tribes
Unlike the state, tribal unions did not imply the establishment of tributary relations between tribes. Tribute was established, as a rule, when tribes of different languages subordinated each other. The Scythian kings collected bronze arrowheads and grain from their subject tribes. Primitive taxes, judging by the German epic about Woden, existed among the Goths in the Black Sea region. The Huns and Avars burdened their neighbors with payments. Avars and Hungarians wintered in Slavic villages. In the VII-X centuries. the Slavs (Polyans, Northerners, Vyatichi and Radimichi) paid tribute to the Khazars with fur “from the smoke” (at home) or money “from the rala” (from the plow). In the VIII-IX centuries. the northern confederation of tribes paid tribute to the Varangians.
The tribute arose from the payment of indemnity to the winner. Since the 6th century, the Slavs and Antes themselves received cash payments in exchange for an alliance from Byzantium. East Slavic folklore mentions tribute by girls; the victors demanded women as booty from the defeated tribe (in the chronicle - Rogneda, Olga). Olga, having gained the upper hand over the Drevlyans, gave some of them into slavery to her soldiers. Captures of slaves with subsequent demands for ransom have been known among the Slavs and Antes since the 6th century. Arab authors call the Slavic tribes slaves of the Rus tribe. Probably, some tribes fell into collective slavery to others, so the Slavs, according to the chronicle, say to Rus': “Come reign and rule over us.”
There is a version of the origin of tribute as sacred gifts to the prince, who personified the sun. The myth about the origin of princes from Dazhbog (“sun king”) is pointed out. winter time collection of tribute and its name “circling” the prince and the squad (Konstantin Porphyrogenitus).
With the separation of the tribal nobility and the professional squad, tributary relations began to arise within the tribes. The tribute was natural. The tribute to dresses described by Ibn Rusta is fixed by linguistic data about “payment money” among the Slavs (cf. Russian “to pay”). In "The Tale of Bygone Years" special meaning is given to the prince's right to hunt (including birds) in the lands of tributary tribes. The Scandinavians borrowed the word “polyudye” from the Slavs, which meant collecting tribute. The presence of the prince and his retinue in the tributary lands was called “feeding,” and the prince’s place of stay was called “the table.” Traditional tribute from the Slavs was collected in fur, honey and wax. The Rus tribe established a monetary percentage form of tribute.
Formation of statehood among the Eastern Slavs
There are different points of view on the process of transforming tribal unions into a state.
In the XI-XVI centuries. Theological and dynastic concepts dominated. According to the first, going back to the Cyril and Methodius tradition, the state arose in the confrontation between paganism (“old”) and Christianity (“new”). The gracious Christian principle was personified by the apostles (Paul, Andronicus, Andrei), Christian martyrs and Christian princes (Askold, Olga, Vladimir). Christians, the “new people,” were contrasted with the tribes “who do not know the law of God, but make the law for themselves.” Vladimir was considered the founder of the state, and all previous history acted only as a “shadow” of the Baptism of Rus' in 988. Ivan the Terrible wrote: “The autocracy of the Russian kingdom, filled with this true Orthodoxy, began by God’s will from Grand Duke Vladimir, who enlightened the Russian land with holy baptism...”
The dynastic concept traces the founding of the state to the establishment of the new Rurik dynasty in 862, when Rurik led the East Slavic tribes. Particular attention is paid to the origin and dynastic connections of the first Russian princes.
According to the theory of social contract, the state of the Eastern Slavs arose as a result of the voluntary calling of the Varangians and the establishment of contractual relations between Russia and other tribes: the existence of a special “row” (“pact”) is noted. Such agreements are known not only in Novgorod, but also in Kyiv (“Askold and Dir remained in this city and began to own the land of the glades”), Smolensk (“the Smolensk people saw this, their elders came out to Oleg’s tents”), Seversk land (placed a light tribute on them, and did not order them to pay tribute to the Khazars, saying: “I am their enemy and you (they) have no need to pay”), an agreement with the Radimichi (Oleg told them: “Do not give to the Khazars, but pay me”), and even in the Caucasus. Having conquered the Caucasian city of Berdaa, the Rus declared: “There is no difference of faith between us and you. The only thing we want is power. We have an obligation to treat you well, and you have an obligation to obey us well.”
Patriarchal theory popularized in Soviet time as a scientific one, insists that the state arose when clans were united into tribes, tribes into unions, unions into “super-unions.” At the same time, the power hierarchy became more complex. On the eve of the emergence of Rus' in Eastern Europe, the existence of “ three parts Rus": Kuyavia (with its center in Kyiv), Artania (east of the Slovenian lands) and Slavia (Slovenian land). When they united in 882, a state arose under the rule of Oleg.
The concept of conquest explains the emergence of the state among the Eastern Slavs by their subordination to the Scandinavians. At the same time, the process of state formation dragged on for a long time, until the scattered Varangian possessions formed single state led by Prince Igor, the first reliably known ruler of the dynasty Kyiv princes. From that time on, the process of centralization of the “patchwork empire” began, consisting of Slavic tribes that paid tribute to the Varangians.
The socio-economic concept that dominated Soviet science, draws attention to the formation in East Slavic society of social prerequisites for the formation of a state: the development of tools, the emergence of surpluses, inequality, private property and classes. The role of tribes varied depending on the degree of development - readiness for the emergence of a state. The center of formation of the preconditions was the “Russian Land” in the Middle Dnieper region (tribes of the Polyans, Sevreans and “Rus”). Within the framework of the concept, the identity of the Polan and Rus (“Rus”) tribes, going back to the Ants, is affirmed. About the emergence of the state in the 850s. in the Middle Dnieper region there is a mention of the “king of the Slavs,” which could well have been the king of the Slavs, Dir, mentioned by Masudi, whose grave is known in Kyiv, and he himself is mistakenly called the co-ruler of the Varangian Askold.
Another point of view highlights foreign policy as a decisive factor. To fight the Khazars, the tribes of the Middle Dnieper region united into an alliance and created in the 830s - 840s. own state led by the Kagan and a squad of mercenary Varangians.
Wikipedia
Kievan Rus 862 1240 ... Wikipedia
Kievan Rus 862 1240 ... Wikipedia
862 1240 ... Wikipedia
East Slavic tribes are more than a dozen different tribes that can be united under the concept of Eastern Slavs. Their tribal unions eventually merged into a single nation, forming the basis Old Russian state. Over time, a political stratification of the Eastern Slavs occurred, which allowed XVII century three main peoples - Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian - will be formed.
Early history
ABOUT early history Very few East Slavic tribes are known. Largely due to the fact that they lacked writing. Only around 863 did the Glagolitic alphabet appear, created specifically by Byzantine linguists.
Some information about the early history of the East Slavic tribes can be found in Arab, Byzantine and Persian sources. The first original East Slavic documents date back to the 11th century. But very few of them have survived. Chronicles are considered the most reliable and complete sources. They began to be actively compiled after the adoption of Christianity, following the model of Byzantine chronicles.
The most complete one that has survived to this day is the “Tale of Bygone Years,” which was written at the turn of the 11th-12th centuries. At the same time, the author is primarily interested in the Old Russian state, therefore Special attention is devoted to the Polans and Novgorod Slovenes, while information about the other tribes is extremely scarce.
Settlement of the Eastern Slavs
The settlement of East Slavic tribes actively began in the 7th-8th centuries. Initially, the glades lived along the Dnieper River, the northerners settled in the north, mainly in the Desna region, the Drevlyans occupied the northwestern regions.
The Dregovichi settled between the Dvina and Pripyat, and the Polotsk residents lived along the Polota River. The Krivichs were given lands in the area of the Dnieper, Volga and Dvina.
On the Western and Southern Bug there were also territories of East Slavic tribes. Dulebs or Buzhans lived there, some of them eventually moved to the west, mixing with the Western Slavs.
The dominant role in which East Slavic tribes lived, where they lived, was played by customs and language, and special methods of farming. Agriculture (growing barley, wheat, millet) remained the key occupation for several centuries; some cultivated rye and oats. Poultry and large animals were bred en masse cattle.
Ants
If we go deeper again ancient history, then we learn that the Ants are one of the early Slavic tribes, from which many tribes of the Eastern Slavs descended. Nowadays, it has been possible to restore ideas about their life and economy as completely as possible.
Now it can be argued that the Antes lived in rural settlements, which were sometimes fortified. They were mainly engaged in farming and arable farming. Metal processing was widespread; archaeologists have more than once found bronze foundries and iron workshops of the Antes. The East Slavic tribes and their neighbors not only fought with each other, but during periods of peace they actively exchanged and conducted trade affairs. First of all, we're talking about about the Goths, Scythians, Sarmatians, Roman provinces.
Already at that time, the very first forms of social organization were being created, unions and associations were being formed.
Krivichi
One of the most famous East Slavic tribes is the Krivichi. They were mainly engaged in agriculture, handicrafts and cattle breeding. To their key cities included Smolensk, Izborsk, Polotsk. In a broad sense, it was a union of East Slavic tribes, which was finally formed in the 8th-10th centuries. According to the most common hypothesis, the Krivichi became part of the Old Russian people. They belong to the East Slavic tribes along with other ancient tribes of that time.
By the 11th century, the Polotsk and Smolensk principalities and part of the Novgorod possessions were located on the territory of the Krivichi. We can get basic information about them from the “Tale of Bygone Years,” which states that they trace their origins to Polotsk residents.
Where did the Krivichi live?
Krivichi settled most modern Belarus over several centuries. Neighboring them were the Dregovichi and Radimichi. Since ancient times, the Krivichi closely interacted with the Varangians, and the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII recalled about them that they made boats on which they could go to Constantinople itself.
According to the most common version, he was killed in 980 the last prince Krivichi, whose name was Rogvolod. This was done by the Novgorod prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich.
After formation Kievan Rus Krivichi took part in the colonization of the eastern lands, partially assimilating there.
Vyatichi
Another important East Slavic tribe is the Vyatichi. They settled in the Oka basin in the 8th-13th centuries. From the Tale of Bygone Years we can learn that in the 9th century the Vyatichi began to live under the Khazars, to whom they paid tribute. Governance, as in most other neighboring tribes, was carried out by the prince and the veche. Judging by archaeological finds, the Vyatichi actively participated in international trade.
The power of the prince among the East Slavic tribes was very limited by the powerful veche, that is, the people's assembly. Moreover, it was precisely this that was the initial governing body in the tribes, because it was such an “organization” that invited Rurik to reign.
Presumably, it included adult men. Everyone who was in the meeting was not united family ties, and public social functions. Most likely, it was a highly militarized community.
In the second half of the 10th century, the Vyatichi were subordinated to Kievan Rus after the campaigns of Prince Svyatoslav.
Drevlyans
The names of the East Slavic tribes are largely determined by the place of their residence. One of them, which deserves special mention, is the Drevlyans. Mostly they lived in Ukrainian Polesie (forest, tree line).
Until they were subjugated by Kievan Rus, they had a very developed government organization. The political center of the tribe was based in the city of Iskorosten, and eventually moved to Ovruch.
The Radimichi tribe is also known. They lived in the upper reaches of the Dniester and Dnieper. On the territory of modern Gomel and Mogilev regions of present-day Belarus. The first written evidence that confirms their existence dates back to the end of the 9th century.
As a result archaeological excavations A large number of Radimichi burials were discovered, which were carried out according to the ritual of corpse burning. They are characterized by funeral pyres with oval outlines, and in such mounds the dead were placed on the pyre in the direction from west to east. The structure of the funeral pyres, which resembled the so-called tower houses, is also noteworthy.
Most mounds lack personal belongings of the deceased. Most likely, they burned to ashes on funeral pyres. By the way, burial traditions were similar among other East Slavic tribes. For example, the Gnezdovo mounds are known in the places where the Krivichi lived.
Kievan Rus
The ancient East Slavic tribes include not only the Krivichi, Drevlyans and Vyatichi, but also Polotsk, Polyan, Pskov Krivichi, Zveryan, Bolokhovo, Buzhan, Narevyan, Severyan, Tivertsy, Radimichi.
Over time, they began to unite. The state that included all the East Slavic tribes was Kievan Rus.
It arose in the 9th century thanks to the dynasty of the Rurik princes, who united the East Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes.
At its peak, Kievan Rus occupied the territory from the Dniester in the west, Taman Peninsula on South, Northern Dvina in the north, tributaries of the Volga in the east.
Already by XII century Feudal wars began within the state, in which about one and a half dozen Russian principalities took part, led by representatives of different branches of the Rurik dynasty.
Kyiv has lost its former greatness and meaning, the principality itself was in the collective possession of the princes, but Rus' existed later as an ethnocultural region, which played a decisive role in the unification of the Slavic lands.
East Slavic unity
The unification of the East Slavic tribes dates back to the end of the 9th century. It was then that the Novgorod prince Oleg, who most likely was a Varangian by origin, decided to unite power over Novgorod and Kiev in his hands. In the chronicle this event dates back to 882.
As a result, the class of the early feudal Old Russian state was formed, from which Kievan Rus emerged. This moment became a turning point in the history of the Eastern Slavs. But not everything went smoothly. In some lands, the princes from Kyiv met fierce resistance from local feudal lords, which was suppressed only with the help of weapons.
Drevlyan resistance
The Drevlyans turned out to be one of the most stubborn; the longest struggle was waged against them. When, during the next campaign, Prince Igor decided to collect double tribute from the Drevlyans, they defeated his squad and took his own life.
Instead of Igor, his wife Olga began to rule, who finally, using harsh measures, subjugated the Drevlyans directly to Kyiv. Their capital, which was in the city of Iskorosten, was completely destroyed.
At the same time, centers of East Slavic tribes were formed, which ultimately submitted to Kyiv. Thus, under Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the lands of the Vyatichi and modern North Caucasus. When the early feudal state was finally formed, more favorable conditions were created for economic growth and maintaining security.
Soon, more favorable conditions began to emerge for economic growth and maintaining the country's security. But these processes were associated with restrictions on the freedoms of the peasants, as evidenced by numerous sources.
Neighbors of the Slavs
East Slavic tribes and their neighbors often cooperated with each other. In this article we have already named several tribes with which the Slavs most often had to intersect.
Now let's look at this issue in more detail. In the west, the main neighbors of the Eastern Slavs were Germanic and Celtic tribes. In the east lived the Finno-Ugric peoples and the Balts, among them there were Sarmatians and Scythians, some of whom are considered the ancestors of modern Iranians. Over time, the Khazars and Bulgars increasingly began to supplant them.
In the south, the Slavs were traditionally neighbors with the Greeks, Romans, Illyrians, and ancient Macedonians.
Byzantine chronicles more than once emphasized that proximity to Slavic tribes turned into a real disaster. Numerous Germanic peoples also had a hard time in their neighborhood, as daring raids were regularly carried out, as a result of which the most fertile lands were captured, residential buildings and outbuildings were destroyed.
The situation changed somewhat in the 6th century, when Turkic tribes arose in neighboring territories. They began to wage a fierce struggle with the Slavs for lands located in the Danube and Dniester regions. Moreover, some Slavic tribes eventually went over to the side of the Turks, who set their ultimate goal to capture the Byzantine Empire. As a result of a long war, the Byzantines completely enslaved the Western Slavs, but the southern Slavs were able to defend their independence.
East Slavic tribes are more than a dozen different tribes that can be united under the concept of Eastern Slavs. Their tribal unions eventually merged into a single nationality, forming the basis of the Old Russian state. Over time, a political stratification of the Eastern Slavs occurred, which allowed the formation of three main peoples by the 17th century - Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian.
Early history
Very little is known about the early history of the East Slavic tribes. Largely due to the fact that they lacked writing. Only around 863 did the Glagolitic alphabet appear, created specifically by Byzantine linguists.
Some information about the early history of the East Slavic tribes can be found in Arab, Byzantine and Persian sources. The first original East Slavic documents date back to the 11th century. But very few of them have survived. Chronicles are considered the most reliable and complete sources. They began to be actively compiled after the adoption of Christianity, following the model of Byzantine chronicles.
The most complete one that has survived to this day is the “Tale of Bygone Years,” which was written at the turn of the 11th-12th centuries. At the same time, the author is primarily interested in the Old Russian state, therefore special attention is paid to the Polyans and Novgorod Slovenes, while information about other tribes is extremely scarce.
Settlement of the Eastern Slavs
The settlement of East Slavic tribes actively began in the 7th-8th centuries. Initially, the glades lived along the Dnieper River, the northerners settled in the north, mainly in the Desna region, the Drevlyans occupied the northwestern regions.
The Dregovichi settled between the Dvina and Pripyat, and the Polotsk residents lived along the Polota River. The Krivichs were given lands in the area of the Dnieper, Volga and Dvina.
On the Western and Southern Bug there were also territories of East Slavic tribes. Dulebs or Buzhans lived there, some of them eventually moved to the west, mixing with the Western Slavs.
The dominant role in which East Slavic tribes lived, where they lived, was played by customs and language, and special methods of farming. Agriculture (growing barley, wheat, millet) remained the key occupation for several centuries; some cultivated rye and oats. Poultry and cattle were reared en masse.
Ants
If we delve into ancient history again, we learn that the Ants are one of the early Slavic tribes, from which many tribes of the Eastern Slavs descended. Nowadays, it has been possible to restore ideas about their life and economy as completely as possible.
Now it can be argued that the Antes lived in rural settlements, which were sometimes fortified. They were mainly engaged in farming and arable farming. Metal processing was widespread; archaeologists have more than once found bronze foundries and iron workshops of the Antes. The East Slavic tribes and their neighbors not only fought with each other, but during periods of peace they actively exchanged and conducted trade affairs. First of all, we are talking about the Goths, Scythians, Sarmatians, and Roman provinces.
Already at that time, the very first forms of social organization were being created, unions and associations were being formed.
Krivichi
One of the most famous East Slavic tribes is the Krivichi. They were mainly engaged in agriculture, handicrafts and cattle breeding. Their key cities included Smolensk, Izborsk, and Polotsk. In a broad sense, it was a union of East Slavic tribes, which was finally formed in the 8th-10th centuries. According to the most common hypothesis, the Krivichi became part of the Old Russian people. They belong to the East Slavic tribes along with other ancient tribes of that time.
By the 11th century, the Polotsk and Smolensk principalities and part of the Novgorod possessions were located on the territory of the Krivichi. We can get basic information about them from the “Tale of Bygone Years,” which states that they trace their origins to Polotsk residents.
Where did the Krivichi live?
The Krivichi settled most of modern Belarus over several centuries. Neighboring them were the Dregovichi and Radimichi. Since ancient times, the Krivichi closely interacted with the Varangians, and the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII recalled about them that they made boats on which they could go to Constantinople itself.
According to the most common version, in 980 the last prince of the Krivichi, whose name was Rogvolod, was killed. This was done by the Novgorod prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich.
After the formation of Kievan Rus, the Krivichi took part in the colonization of the eastern lands, partially assimilating there.
Vyatichi
Another important East Slavic tribe is the Vyatichi. They settled in the Oka basin in the 8th-13th centuries. From the Tale of Bygone Years we can learn that in the 9th century the Vyatichi began to live under the Khazars, to whom they paid tribute. Governance, as in most other neighboring tribes, was carried out by the prince and the veche. Judging by archaeological finds, the Vyatichi actively participated in international trade.
The power of the prince among the East Slavic tribes was very limited by the powerful veche, that is, the people's assembly. Moreover, it was precisely this that was the initial governing body in the tribes, because it was such an “organization” that invited Rurik to reign.
Presumably, it included adult men. Everyone who was in the meeting was united not by family ties, but by public social functions. Most likely, it was a highly militarized community.
In the second half of the 10th century, the Vyatichi were subordinated to Kievan Rus after the campaigns of Prince Svyatoslav.
Drevlyans
The names of the East Slavic tribes are largely determined by the place of their residence. One of them, which deserves special mention, is the Drevlyans. Mostly they lived in Ukrainian Polesie (forest, tree line).
Until they were subjugated by Kievan Rus, they had a very developed state organization. The political center of the tribe was based in the city of Iskorosten, and eventually moved to Ovruch.
The Radimichi tribe is also known. They lived in the upper reaches of the Dniester and Dnieper. On the territory of modern Gomel and Mogilev regions of present-day Belarus. The first written evidence that confirms their existence dates back to the end of the 9th century.
As a result of archaeological excavations, a large number of Radimichi burials were discovered, which were carried out according to the ritual of corpse burning. They are characterized by funeral pyres with oval outlines, and in such mounds the dead were placed on the pyre in the direction from west to east. The structure of the funeral pyres, which resembled the so-called tower houses, is also noteworthy.
Most mounds lack personal belongings of the deceased. Most likely, they burned to ashes on funeral pyres. By the way, burial traditions were similar among other East Slavic tribes. For example, the Gnezdovo mounds are known in the places where the Krivichi lived.
Kievan Rus
The ancient East Slavic tribes include not only the Krivichi, Drevlyans and Vyatichi, but also Polotsk, Polyan, Pskov Krivichi, Zveryan, Bolokhovo, Buzhan, Narevyan, Severyan, Tivertsy, Radimichi.
Over time, they began to unite. The state that included all the East Slavic tribes was Kievan Rus.
It arose in the 9th century thanks to the dynasty of the Rurik princes, who united the East Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes.
At its peak, Kievan Rus occupied the territory from the Dniester in the west, the Taman Peninsula in the south, the Northern Dvina in the north, and tributaries of the Volga in the east.
Already by the 12th century, feudal wars began within the state, in which about one and a half dozen Russian principalities took part, led by representatives of different branches of the Rurik dynasty.
Kyiv lost its former greatness and significance, the principality itself was in the collective possession of the princes, but Rus' existed later as an ethnocultural region, which played a decisive role in the unification of the Slavic lands.
East Slavic unity
The unification of the East Slavic tribes dates back to the end of the 9th century. It was then that the Novgorod prince Oleg, who most likely was a Varangian by origin, decided to unite power over Novgorod and Kiev in his hands. In the chronicle this event dates back to 882.
As a result, the class of the early feudal Old Russian state was formed, from which Kievan Rus emerged. This moment became a turning point in the history of the Eastern Slavs. But not everything went smoothly. In some lands, the princes from Kyiv met fierce resistance from local feudal lords, which was suppressed only with the help of weapons.
Drevlyan resistance
The Drevlyans turned out to be one of the most stubborn; the longest struggle was waged against them. When, during the next campaign, Prince Igor decided to collect double tribute from the Drevlyans, they defeated his squad and took his own life.
Instead of Igor, his wife Olga began to rule, who finally, using harsh measures, subjugated the Drevlyans directly to Kyiv. Their capital, which was in the city of Iskorosten, was completely destroyed.
At the same time, centers of East Slavic tribes were formed, which ultimately submitted to Kyiv. Thus, under Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the lands of the Vyatichi and the modern North Caucasus became part of Kievan Rus. When the early feudal state was finally formed, more favorable conditions were created for economic growth and maintaining security.
Soon, more favorable conditions began to emerge for economic growth and maintaining the country's security. But these processes were associated with restrictions on the freedoms of the peasants, as evidenced by numerous sources.
Neighbors of the Slavs
East Slavic tribes and their neighbors often cooperated with each other. In this article we have already named several tribes with which the Slavs most often had to intersect.
Now let's look at this issue in more detail. In the west, the main neighbors of the Eastern Slavs were Germanic and Celtic tribes. In the east lived the Finno-Ugric peoples and the Balts, among them there were Sarmatians and Scythians, some of whom are considered the ancestors of modern Iranians. Over time, the Khazars and Bulgars increasingly began to supplant them.
In the south, the Slavs were traditionally neighbors with the Greeks, Romans, Illyrians, and ancient Macedonians.
Byzantine chronicles more than once emphasized that proximity to Slavic tribes turned into a real disaster. Numerous Germanic peoples also had a hard time in their neighborhood, as daring raids were regularly carried out, as a result of which the most fertile lands were captured, residential buildings and outbuildings were destroyed.
The situation changed somewhat in the 6th century, when Turkic tribes arose in neighboring territories. They began to wage a fierce struggle with the Slavs for lands located in the Danube and Dniester regions. Moreover, some Slavic tribes eventually went over to the side of the Turks, who set their ultimate goal to capture the Byzantine Empire. As a result of a long war, the Byzantines completely enslaved the Western Slavs, but the southern Slavs were able to defend their independence.
In the year 6370... we went overseas to the Varangians, to Rus'. Those Varangians were called Rus, just as others are called Swedes, and some Normans and Angles, and still others Gotlanders, and so are these. They said to the Russians... the Slovenes...: “Our land is great and abundant, but there is no order in it. Come reign and rule over us"
“And he had two husbands, not his relatives, but boyars, and they asked to go to Constantinople with their family. And they set off along the Dnieper, and when they sailed past, they saw a small city on the mountain. And they asked: “Whose town is this?” They answered: “There were three brothers Kiy, Shchek and Khoriv, who built this town and disappeared, and we sit here, their descendants, and pay tribute to the Khazars.” Askold and Dir remained in this city, gathered many Varangians and began to own the land of the glades..."
“Per year 6374 (866). Askold and Dir went to war against the Greeks..., they killed many Christians and besieged Constantinople with two hundred ships. The king entered the city with difficulty and prayed all night with Patriarch Photius in the Church of the Holy Mother of God..., and with songs they carried out the divine robe of the Holy Mother of God, and soaked its floor in the sea. At that time there was silence and the sea was calm, but then suddenly a storm arose with the wind, and huge waves arose again, scattering the ships of the godless Russians, and washed them to the shore, and broke them, so that few of them managed to avoid this disaster and return home "
“Per year 6387 (879). Rurik died and handed over his reign to his relative Oleg, giving him his son Igor, for he was still very small. Per year 6390 (882). Oleg set out on a campaign, taking with him many soldiers... And they came to the Kiev mountains, and Oleg learned that Askold and Dir were princes here... When Askold and Dir came,... Oleg said to Askold and Dir: “You are not princes and not of a princely family , but I am of a princely family,” and showed Igor: “And this is the son of Rurik.” And they killed Askold and Dir, carried him to the mountain and buried Askold on the mountain, which is now called Ugorskaya"
Homework: carefully read § 5, answer in writing the question: “In the year 6370 ... we went overseas to the Varangians, to Rus'.” In what year from the birth of Christ did this event take place, if our ancestors believed that Jesus was born in 5508 from creation peace. Remember the date!
“The First Slavs” - “The Tale of Bygone Years” has not reached us in its original form. Neighbors of the Eastern Slavs: Khazars and Varangians. Varangian warrior. What did the word “Rus” mean? 1. What is “pedigree”? 3. Origin and settlement of the Slavs. Among the Scandinavian tribes there were no Russian people (ruotsi). Khazar warrior. By the 8th century. The Khazars conquered the tribes of the Polans, Severians, Radimichi, and Vyatichi.
“Ancestors of the Slavs” - I had to Slavic tribe split up and move to other lands. Benches, tables and all household utensils were made of wood. Clothes for cold winters were made from animal skins. And in the summer, when it was warm, men wore only shirts and pants. A quick arrow will catch both a hare in the field and a bird in the sky. You just need to get creative, but you could get fur.
“Ancient Eastern Slavs” - Commands mermaids, undines and other aquatic inhabitants. The big holiday for mermaids is Kupala. (Conversation). What role did our ancestors assign to the Sun? The brownie is the patron of the house. Dazhdbog was at pagan Slavs god of the sun. Slash-and-burn agriculture. The myth explains in its own way the origin of the Earth and man.
“Gods of the ancient Slavs” - Rivers. From history... Dogoda, marshmallows. Underworld Gods. Niy is the ruler of the underworld. Delight, pleasure. Polkany Volkhv Voloty Volkhovets Slavyan Rudotok. Kors, god of drunkenness. Sva, goddess of fruits. Svetovid, sun, vital warmth. Zimtserla, or Zimsterla, spring. Mogosh, earthly fruits.
“Religion of the Slavs” - the Sun God was called Hore (Khoros) or Yarilo. Sun worship was widespread among the Slavs. The head of the idol is crowned with a cap. Others suggest a connection between Mokoshi and spinning and weaving.. Eastern Slavs. Head: Kalashnikova T.V. Religion, rituals. Mokosh (Makosh) is a female deity that still remains not fully understood.
"Unions of Eastern Slavs" - All. White Croats. The illustrations were chosen by Dima Frolov. Merya. Dryagovichi. Ilmen Slovenes. Avars. The Slavs believed in an afterlife and revered their ancestors. Noble people practiced polygamy. Civil uprising. The Eastern Slavs were pagans. Consanguineous community. The roof was covered with branches coated with clay.
There are a total of 34 presentations in the topic