ACTIVITIES OF THE FIRST RUSSIAN PRINCES

Rurik. Oleg. Igor. Olga. Svyatoslav. The first princely civil strife in Russia and the coming to power of Vladimir. The reign of Vladimir, his adoption of Orthodoxy and the baptism of Rus. The reasons for Vladimir's choice of Orthodoxy. The historical significance of the introduction of Orthodoxy in Russia. The main activities of the first Russian princes.

RURIK
Rurik Novgorodsky (862-879) the personality is in many ways mysterious; historians are still controversial about his nationality. Norman historians, including such authoritative ones as V.G. Vernadsky consider Rurik a Dane and identify him with Rurik of Friesland. But this hypothesis has no serious scientific substantiation, since not a single Western European chronicle mentions the calling of Rurik of Friesland with his brothers to reign in Novgorod. Therefore, most likely those historians are right who recognize Rurik as a Slav. At least three sources speak of Rurik's Slavism: the genealogy of Friedrich Chemnitz (17th century), in which Rurik is named the son of the encouraging prince Gottlib. Rurik's brothers are named in the genealogy Sivar and Trivar; Mecklenburg legend, recorded by the French traveler K. Mermier in the 19th century. In Mecklenburg and included in his book "Letters about the North", published in 1840 in Paris and reprinted in 1841 in Brussels, which also speaks of the vocation of Rurik with his brothers to reign in Novgorod and also how the genealogy of Friedrich Chemnitz recognizes them as sons Gottlieb; the last third source is already of domestic origin. This is the so-called Joachim Chronicle, the author of which is the Novgorod Bishop Joachim, who came to Russia under Vladimir the Holy in 991. This chronicle was not preserved in the original, but has come down to us thanks to VN's History of Russia. Tatishcheva, because he was included in his work almost completely. From this chronicle we learn that in Novgorod, long before Rurik, there was ancient dynasty, which reigned for more than one century. The last male representative of this dynasty, Gostomysl, had four sons and three daughters. All sons died, some in wars, and some from diseases. Gostomysl gave his daughters in marriage to foreign princes, including the middle daughter Umila for the prince of the vigorous Godlav. So their children were called to reign, after the death of Gostomysl, when the dynasty died out. Children from other daughters of Novgorod did not want to see on the throne, as princes, since they were married to princes of non-Slavic origin.

Thus, the data on Rurik's Slavism are confirmed by three independent sources. Perhaps there were more such data, but they did not reach us. Although, it may still be possible to find new evidence.

We know little about the reign of Rurik itself. It is known that for the first two years he ruled together with his brothers, and he did not immediately take Novgorod, but sat down in Ladoga, his brothers Sineus on the White Lake, and Truvor in Izborsk. And only two years after the death of the brothers, he moved to Novgorod. Why Rurik did not immediately occupy Novgorod, but preferred Ladoga to him, it is not known exactly. Most historians explain this by the more favorable geographical position of Ladoga relative to Novgorod, since it was at the very beginning of the Great Waterway "from the Varangians to the Greeks." But it is also likely that there was a strong opposition to Rurik in Novgorod, not everyone, for some reason, wanted to see Rurik as their prince. We have heard of the uprising against Rurik, which was led by Vadim the Brave. Rurik managed to suppress this uprising with great difficulty. In the future, Rurik ruled calmly until his death, handed out, proud to his governors to whom Polotsk, to whom Rostov, and to whom Beloozero, the Slovenes obeyed him, Krivichi, measure, all, Muroma. Thus, the power of Rurik extended to the entire north of Russia.

According to the chronicle legend that has come down to us, two boyars Rurik Askold and Dir, with the consent of Rurik, went to Constantinople, moving along the Dnieper, they saw the city. Locals they told them that this city was founded by three brothers - Kyi, Shchek, Khoriv and their sister Lybid, and they named it in honor of their elder brother Kiev. Brothers and sister died long ago, and the people of Kiev, their descendants now pay tribute to the Khazars. Askold and Dir liked Kiev and, with the consent of its inhabitants, they remained to rule in it.

Thus, two centers of state power were formed in Russia. In the north with the Center in Novgorod and in the south with the center in Kiev. Which later united into a large strong state, which received the name Kievan Rus.

OLEG
Before his death, Rurik handed over power in Novgorod to his brother-in-law Oleg (879-912) , to the brother of his wife Efanda, who was the daughter of the Urman prince, since his own son Igor was still too young to rule the state. So Oleg became the guardian of the young Igor and the de facto ruler of Novgorod.

Having ruled in Novgorod for three years, Oleg prepared and carried out a successful campaign against Kiev, which was Novgorod's main political rival and fought with him for power over east Slavic tribes... Gathering a huge army, consisting of the Varangians and tribes subject to Novgorod: Chud, Sloven, Meru, all, Krivichi, Oleg moved along the Dnieper to Kiev. He subdued Smolensk and Lyubech along the way, leaving the mayor with a squad in them to maintain power, and approached Kiev. Here Oleg, posing as a merchant going to Greece, deceived and killed Askold and Dir who reigned in him. Having usurped power in Kiev, Oleg made it the capital of the united state.

Subjugating Kiev to his power, Oleg continued to conquer neighboring Slavic tribes in 882, the Drevlyans were subdued and imposed by him, in 884, the northerners, and in 885 the Radimichi, who paid tribute to the Khazars, but were brought out by Oleg from the Khazar dependence and entered into the structure of the Kiev state.

But Oleg's activities are not limited to the unification of the East Slavic tribes: he built cities, defended Russia from the Khazar raids. And in 907 he glorified himself with a successful campaign against Byzantium, as a result of which a treaty, beneficial for Russia, was concluded, which was drawn up in duplicate in Russian and Greek. Under this agreement, the Greeks were obliged to pay tribute to the following Russian cities: Kiev, Chernigov, Pereslavl, Polotsk, Rostov, Lyubech and other cities where princes were sitting under Oleg's control. The treaty also provided Russian merchants with the right of duty-free trade in Constantinople, provided that they entered the city through only one gate, accompanied by the tsar's husband, without weapons and no more than fifty people. This agreement was confirmed a year before Oleg's death in 911.

Oleg's activities were of great and positive importance for the Russian state. Very accurately, correctly, and objectively Oleg's merits were assessed by S.F. Platonov in his "Course of Lectures on Russian History": « The activity of Oleg, in fact, was of exceptional importance: he created a large state from the scattered cities and tribes, brought the Slavs out of subordination to the Khazars and arranged, by means of treaties, correct trade relations between Russia and Byzantium; in a word he was the creator of Russian-Slavic independence and strength» .

IGOR
After Oleg's death, his pupil Igor began to reign in Kiev. (912-945 ). He tried to continue the policies of his great predecessor, but was less successful in both internal and external affairs. Under him, sensing the weakening of the grand ducal power, the Drevlyans separated in 914. Igor again has to conquer them and impose tribute. A year later, the Pechenegs made their first foray into Russia. Igor concluded a peace treaty with them, but already in 920 he was again forced to fight with them. Igor made two campaigns against Byzantium in 941 and 944. The first campaign ended with Igor's military defeat. The Greeks burned almost all of his fleet, Igor himself barely managed to escape. The second campaign ended not so tragically. Igor managed to take a rich tribute from Byzantium and conclude a peace treaty. But this agreement was less beneficial for Russia than Oleg's agreement, since it deprived Russian merchants of the right to duty-free trade in Constantinople and obliged the Russian prince to provide military assistance to Byzantium in people if necessary.

Igor's reign ended tragically, in 945 he was killed in the rebellious Drevlyansky land, while trying to collect more tribute than usual. Thus, Igor's reign is not marked by any achievements in the military, political or diplomatic field. With difficulty, Igor managed to preserve only what had been created by Oleg before him.

OLGA
After Igor's death, his wife Olga (945-964) cruelly avenged the Drevlyans for the death of her husband. The first embassy of the Drevlyans, offering her to marry their prince Mal, was buried alive in Olga's terem yard, the second was burnt alive in a bathhouse. After that, at the grave of her husband during the funeral feast, Olga gave drink to five thousand Drevlyans, and when they got drunk, her squad dried up. However, Olga did not limit herself to this, but returned to Kiev, gathered an army and laid siege to the capital of the Drevlyans, Iskorosten. Having taken the city, after a long siege, she again subdued the Drevlyans, and imposed a heavy tribute on them. Having conquered the Drevlyans, Olga took up the administrative organization of her land, going round it and establishing lessons - the size of tribute and graveyards - places for collecting tribute. In addition to the Drevlyans, Olga managed to subordinate the authorities of Kiev to the Uliches and Tivertsy. But Olga became famous not for this, but for her official adoption of Orthodoxy. In 955, she made a trip to Constantinople and was baptized there, in the St. Sophia Cathedral by the Patriarch himself, and the Emperor Constantine became her godfather. But having adopted Orthodoxy, Olga could not yet baptize all of Russia, as her grandson Vladimir did later, since the religious dependence of Russia on Byzantium inevitably attracted political dependence, therefore Olga could not introduce Orthodoxy in her country without violating the interests of her state.

SVYATOSLAV
The son of Igor and Olga Svyatoslav, (964-972) he was little engaged in internal affairs, but actively continued the foreign policy of his predecessors. He managed to conquer the easternmost tribe of the Vyatichi, who then paid tribute to the Khazars, and to destroy the Kama Bulgaria, including its capital, the Great Bulgar. Defeat the Burtases.

After his first successful campaigns, Svyatoslav begins a war with Khazaria. The Khazar troops were defeated, and their most important cities Sarkel and Itil were taken and literally wiped off the face of the earth. The Khazar state ceased to exist politically. After that Svyatoslav moved the theater of military operations to the North Caucasus. He conquered the Yases (Circassians) and Kasogs (Ossetians) there. “In a word, Svyatoslav defeated and ruined all the eastern neighbors of Russia, which were part of the system of the Khazar state. Russia was now becoming the main force in the Black Sea region. But the fall of the Khazar state strengthened the nomadic Pechenegs. All the southern Russian steppes, previously occupied by the Khazars, now fell into their possession; and Russia itself soon had to experience great troubles from these nomads. "

The strengthening of Rus aroused serious concern in Byzantium. Therefore, the emperor Nikifor Phocas, tried to drag Svyatoslav into the war with Bulgaria, pursuing a twofold goal: to weaken both of his political opponents with this war, and at the same time to return the lands taken from Byzantium by the Bulgarian Tsar Semeon and restore the old borders of his empire. The emperor's calculation was not justified, Svyatoslav quickly conquered Bulgaria, taking and destroying eighty of its cities, and concluded a profitable and honorable peace treaty with it, according to which the entire lower reaches of the Dnieper with the city of Pereyaslavets departed for Rus. Having conquered Bulgaria, Svyatoslav, on the demand of Byzantium to leave his new land answered with a categorical refusal. The war between the two states from this moment becomes inevitable.

True, Svyatoslav still had to leave Bulgaria for a short time in order to repulse the Pechenegs who besieged Kiev, incited against Russia by the cunning Byzantines, but after repelling the attack and burying his mother Princess Olga, he again returned to Pereyaslavets. A difficult, protracted, full of dramatic war with Byzantium begins.

At first, in this war, success accompanied Svyatoslav in 970, in a difficult battle, he defeats the Byzantine army, many times outnumbered by Russian forces, under the command of the emperor - John Tzimiskes, and approaches Constantinople. The Greeks were forced to negotiate peace. Byzantium pledged to pay tribute to Russia, recognized all of its possessions on the Danube for Russia, and also confirmed the terms of contracts concluded under Oleg and Igor. After that Svyatoslav returned to the Danube, and Byzantium began to prepare for new battles.

In 971, John Tzimiskes crossed the Balkan ridge. He besieged Pereyaslavets, and took him by storm. At the same time, his fleet blocked the mouth of the Danube, which would deprive Svyatoslav of the opportunity to receive help from Kiev. The hostilities resumed. This time, luck turned away from Svyatoslav, he not only failed to free Pereyaslavets, but he himself was locked up and besieged by Tzimiskes in the fortress of Dorostol. An attempt to break the blockade failed, losing about fifteen thousand and a half soldiers in a fierce battle. Svyatoslav was forced to conclude a peace treaty with John Tzimiskes, according to which Svyatoslav pledged not to fight with Byzantium, not to bring either his own or foreign troops to Greece, Chersonesos and Bulgaria, to provide Byzantium with military assistance if necessary. This agreement did not provide any benefits to Russia.

Having concluded a treaty with Byzantium, Svyatoslav left Bulgaria and went to Russia, but at the Dnieper rapids he was watched over and killed by the Pechenegs. It happened in 972. This is how the warlike prince Svyatoslav ended his life.

Historians assess the reign of Svyatoslav differently. For example, N.M. Karamzin saw in Svyatoslav a prince - an adventurer, for whom the whole meaning of life was only in war : « ... Svyatoslav, an example of great commanders, is not an example of a great sovereign: for he respected the glory of victories more than the public good, and by his character, captivating the imagination of a poet, deserves the reproach of a historian» ... Svyatoslav received a higher rating as a statesman in Soviet historiography. The pride of the Soviet historical science academician B.D. Grekov gave Svyatoslav a very high assessment as a politician: “Svyatoslav is a major political figure, and not just the leader of wandering daredevils, leading campaigns in order to profit at someone else's expense. Of course, the wars of that time pursued this goal, but this one cannot be limited to, otherwise we would have misunderstood the political role of Svyatoslav and the international position of Russia. His activities are connected with Eastern and Western countries, he took a direct part in resolving the largest and most complex issues of the then politics " .

THE FIRST PRINCE INTERSECRETARY IN RUSSIAANDARRIVAL TO THE POWER OF VLADIMIR
Before returning to Bulgaria. After the invasion of the Pechenegs to Kiev, which was already mentioned above, Svyatoslav divided power in Russia between his three sons: the eldest, Yaropolk, he put in Kiev, the middle one, Oleg in the land of the Drevlyans, and the youngest, his illegitimate son from the housekeeper Malusha Vladimir, in Novgorod ... This division resulted in the first princely civil strife in Russia. The reason for the strife was the murder by the Drevlyane prince Oleg of the son of the governor Sveneld, who was still serving with Igor and collecting tribute from the Drevlyans, Lyuta for hunting in the prince's forest lands. Sveneld, wishing to avenge the death of his son, persuaded Yaropolk to go to war against Oleg in order to seize his principality. Yaropolk went to his brother and defeated him. Prince Oleg died in a crush on the bridge trying to escape outside the walls of the city of Ovruch.

Upon learning of his brother's death, Vladimir fled across the sea to the Varangians. Yaropolk sent his governor to Novgorod, thus becoming for a short time the sole ruler of all Kievan Rus. Two years later, Vladimir returned, relying on the support of the Varangian mercenaries. He drove the governor Yaropolk out of Novgorod, telling him "Go to my brother and tell him:" Vladimir is coming at you, get ready to fight him. " Having regained power in Novgorod, Vladimir gathered a large army of the Varangians, Krivichi, Slovens, Chudi and moved to Kiev. On the way, Vladimir conquered Polotsk, killed the Varangian Rogvold and his sons who reigned in it, and took his daughter Rogneda as his wife by force. After that, having tricked Yaropolk out of Kiev by deceit, saying that he wanted to make peace with him, Vladimir killed him too, seizing the supreme power. Assessing the personality of Vladimir and how he came to power N.I. Kostomarov wrote: “Our chronicler portrays Vladimir in general as cruel, bloodthirsty and woman-loving; but we cannot trust such an image, since it is evident that the chronicler intends to paint as many black colors as possible on Vladimir, the pagan, in order to point out the more vividly the miraculous effect of the grace of baptism, presenting the same prince in the brightest form after acceptance Christianity " .

PRINCE VLADIMIR ACCEPTANCE OF ORTHODOXYANDBAPTISM OF RUSSIA
Becoming the sole ruler Vladimir (980 - 1015 ) proved to be a wise statesman. He took care of protecting the Russian lands from Polovtsian raids. For this, he created a whole defensive system in the south. On the rivers Desna, Sturgeon, Sule, Stugna, Vladimir erected fortresses that reliably protected Russia from the raids of nomads. He re-annexed the Vyatichi and Radimichs, who decided to secede during the strife, won back from Poland the territory of modern Zapornaya Ukraine, then called Cherven Rus with the cities of Przemysl and Cherven. But the main business of Vladimir was the adoption of Orthodoxy and the baptism of Rus. However, the introduction of Christianity was preceded by Vladimir's attempt to reform the obsolete paganism. For this purpose, on a hill in Kiev, he created a single all-Slavic pantheon of six most important Slavic gods: Perun, Dazhbog, Khoros. Simargla, Striboga and Mokoshi. By carrying out the pagan reform, Vladimir tried to ideologically strengthen the state unity of the country, consisting of many Slavic and Finnish tribes united by only one military force and striving at the first opportunity to get out of the power of the Grand Duke of Kiev. But paganism could not cope with the task entrusted to him by Vladimir, each tribe continued to pray to its tribal gods. In addition, Russia, the only major European power, continued to remain a pagan country, which doomed it to international isolation. Realizing this, Vladimir was concerned about choosing a new religion.

Having learned about Vladimir's intention to accept the new faith, the Bulgarians were the first to come to him preaching the Mohammedan faith, then the Germans sent by the Pope, then the Khazar Jews and the very last Greek philosopher. Thus, Vladimir had a choice of four religions: Islam, Catholicism, Judaism and Orthodoxy. The strongest impression on Vladimir was made by the sermon of the Greek priest, but in order not to be mistaken in the correctness of his choice, the wise prince decided to send his smartest boyars to see where and how the divine service is conducted. After their story, when they returned. Vladimir finally made a choice in favor of Orthodoxy and began to wait for a suitable opportunity for its adoption. Such a case presented itself when, in 887, an uprising of the commander Barda Phocas broke out in Byzantium, who claimed the throne of the Byzantine Empire. Emperors Basil and Constantine turned to Vladimir for help. Vladimir agreed, on condition that the brothers would give him their sister Anna. With the help of Vladimir, the uprising was suppressed, but the emperors were in no hurry to fulfill their promise. Then Vladimir besieged and took Korsun, threatening the brothers with the capture of Constantinople, he demanded that they fulfill their promise. Frightened Vasily and Konstantin were forced to fulfill their part of the contract, and sent Anna to him in Korsun. Here in Korsun, Vladimir was baptized and married to Anna in a Christian marriage. He returned Korsun to Byzantium.

Returning to Kiev in 889, Vladimir baptized his entire population in the Dnieper. Pagan idols were overthrown. From Kiev, Orthodoxy gradually spread throughout Russia.

REASONS FOR VLADIMIR'S CHOICE OF ORTHODOXY
What circumstances have persuaded Vladimir in favor of Orthodoxy? Although, as we know, he had a fairly large selection. Apparently there were many reasons. We know from the chronicle that the eloquent preaching of the Greek theologian also played a role; neither the Latins, nor the Muslims, nor the Jews were so convincing. There was also the beauty of the Greek rite, which amazed the ambassadors of Vladimir: « We cannot forget the beauty of that one, because if every person tastes something sweet he will not take bitter afterwards, so we cannot already arrive here» ... An even more important role was played by Vladimir's awareness of the ideological inconsistency of paganism after his attempt to create a single pantheon of gods led by Perun failed. But the most important reason for Vladimir's adoption of Orthodoxy, and not any other religion, was the long-standing relationship of Russia with Byzantium. And not only political, military, commercial, but also religious. The Tale of Bygone Years reports that the Apostle Andrew, preaching on the Dnieper, baptized the mountains, on which Kiev later arose and erected a cross on them, predicting that there would be a city with a great future: "Do you see these mountains? On these mountains the grace of God will shine, there will be a great city, and God will raise up many churches".

"The Life of Stephen of Surzhsky", written by an unknown Byzantine author, speaks of the attack of the Novgorod prince Bloodvin on the Greek city of Surozh, about 70 -80 years. 8 c. and the illness caused by St. Stephen against the prince, for the plundering of the temple, and the healing of Bloodwin after baptism. Finally, Vladimir's grandmother Olga had already adopted Orthodoxy in Byzantium, but did not dare to introduce it throughout Russia. In a word, the penetration of Orthodoxy began long before the baptism of Russia by Vladimir, and was well known to the Slavs.

THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE INTRODUCTION OF ORTHODOXYIN RUSSIA
The adoption of the Byzantine version of Christianity by Vladimir had a great cultural, moral, internal and foreign policy significance, and had a serious impact on the entire future fate of the Russian state. Assessing the importance of this event, the great revolutionary democrat A.I. Herzen wrote: « The conversion of Russia to Orthodoxy is one of those most important events of innumerable consequences, which, affecting over the centuries, sometimes change the face of the whole world.» .

The cultural role of Orthodoxy was expressed in the fact that with it new forms of art came to Russia: stone construction, mosaics, frescoes, icon painting and church chants. Works of secular and ecclesiastical content, translated from Greek and Latin, appeared, which contributed to the development and spread of writing. Thus, Orthodoxy contributed to the formation of Russian national culture.

The moral influence of Christianity affected all aspects of ancient Russian society. The Orthodox Church called for mercy, compassion, tolerance, respect for the human person, strongly condemned slavery, polygamy and consanguineous marriages. Such a humane policy of the Orthodox Church led to a decrease in the exploitation of the feudal-dependent population, a softening of morals, helped to strengthen the institution of the family and ultimately predetermined the moral character of the Russian people.

As for the internal political significance of Orthodoxy, with its adoption in Russia, a church hierarchy appears, an alliance is established between secular and ecclesiastical authorities, the power of the prince is strengthened, the ethnic and territorial unity of the state is ideologically consolidated. Finally, in the foreign policy sphere, Orthodoxy contributed to the political, economic, cultural and religious rapprochement of Russia with the Orthodox countries: Byzantium, Serbia, Bulgaria, but at the same time isolated it from the countries Western Europe... In this, some historians see the negative consequences of adopting the Eastern version of Christianity. Since, in their opinion: “With the fall of Byzantium, the Russian state found itself isolated from the rest of the Christian world» ... However, as one of the best pre-revolutionary historians K.N. Bestuzhev-Ryumin: « Torn away from the general unity of the German-Romanesque world, we may have gained more than we lost: the Roman Church appeared in slavic lands with German preachers, and if she did not bring material slavery, as in many Slavic lands, then she brought spiritual slavery, drawing into alien interests and introducing alien elements and always separating the educated estates, speaking and writing Latin, from the uneducated speakers of the local language and not having no letters» .

The well-known German historian Oskar Jaeger also noted the positive significance of Orthodoxy for Russia. In his World History, he wrote the following: " It was important for Russia that Christianity was introduced not from the West, not by Roman missionaries, but came from the Greek East, which at that time was already on the verge of breaking with Rome. Sharp wrangling and discord between the western and eastern churches, which began under Patriarch Photius, did not stop during the 10th century. and at the beginning of the XI century. led to a complete rupture that forever separated the East from the West. The Russian Church, which received the blessings and traditions from the Eastern Greek Catholic Church, firmly and constantly adhered to them, and no flattering promises and ingratiations could shake the Russian Church and win it over to the Pope's side as a single ecumenical patriarch. This should have, to some extent, influenced the isolation of Russia from Western Europe and in politics, but, on the other hand, it contributed to the preservation and development of the original and distinctive type of Russian nationality, which is closely connected with the historical living conditions of the Russian people and with the Orthodox faith, which imposes imprint on every Russian person ".

MAIN ACTIVITIESFIRST RUSSIAN PRINCES
The activities of the first Russian princes were of a pronounced creative character and followed the following main directions:
Creation of a unified Old Russian state and expansion of its borders. Unification of the East Slavic tribes under the rule of Kiev. The introduction and collection of taxes from tribes subject to the Grand Duke. Development of overseas sales markets for Russian trade. Ensuring the safety of the most important trade routes. Strengthening and protection of the southern Russian borders from the raids of nomads. This is what their policy was aimed at.

It was the labors of the first Kiev princes that laid the foundation on which, despite the subsequent collapse of the Old Russian state, the Moscow Centralized State arose, and later the USSR and modern Russia.
Platonov S.F. A course of lectures on Russian history S - P .: 1998.S. 79.
See Platonov S.F. Decree op. P. 81.
Karamzin N.M. History of Russian Goverment. Rostov - on - Don .: 1995. BookI... TomI P. 149.
See B.D. Grekov. Decree op. P. 561.
See The Tale of Bygone Years. In the book. Tale of Ancient Russia. Ed. Likhacheva D.S. M .: 2002.S. 104.
Kostomarov N.I.Russian history in the biographies of its main figures M .: 1991. S. 5.
Quoted from the book. Tale of Ancient Russia. Ed. Likhacheva D.S. M .: 2002.S. 133.
In the same place. P. 49.
Herzen AI On the development of revolutionary ideas in Russia Collected Works. In 8 volumes. TomIII... M .: 1975.S. 376.
Russian history. Ed. A.A. Radugina M .: 1998.S. 63.
Bestuzhev-Ryumin K.N. Russian History M .: 2004.S. 143-144.
See Oscar Jaeger. The World History. M.: 2001. Volume 2.Cp 5.P. 388.

Author I: Copyright: Historian, 2014
Certificate of publication No. 214062302100

Training on the topic "Ancient Rus"

1. Working with chronology

Fill the table. Determine the sequence of events.

P / p No.

	Drevlyan uprising
	Death of Svyatoslav
	Baptism of Russia
	Lyubech congress
	Varangian calling
	Defeat of the Khazar Kaganate

­­­­­­­­___→___→___→___→___→___→___→___→___→___→___→___

2. Working with personalities

Fill the table. (The right column shows the minimum number of facts you need to know.)

Historical

When was (s) active?	Who is (s)?
Askold and Deer
Bayer, Miller and Schletzer
Boris and Gleb
Vladimir I
Vladimir II Monomakh
Cyril and Methodius
Svyatopolk the Damned
Svyatoslav
Yaroslav the Wise
Yaroslavichi

3. Working with the scheme

1. Complete the pedigree chart. Emphasize those princes who occupied the Kiev throne.

2. Fill in the scheme of management of the Old Russian state.

4. Working with the map

Find on the map:

Volga Bulgaria;

the city of Dorostol;

the city of Itil (the capital of the Khazar Kaganate);

the city of Kiev;

the city of Constantinople;

the city of Korsun;

the city of Novgorod;

borders of the DRG under Vladimir I

the borders of the DRG under Prince Igor and Princess Olga;

the borders of the DRG under Prince Oleg;

the borders of the DRG under Yaroslav the Wise;

Danube Bulgaria;

the most likely ancestral home of the Slavs;

settlement area of \u200b\u200bthe Varangians;

vyatichi settlement area;

settlement area of \u200b\u200bthe Drevlyans;

the area of \u200b\u200bsettlement of the Pechenegs in the X - early XI centuries;

settlement area of \u200b\u200bthe Polovtsians in the second half of the 11th - early 12th centuries;

settlement area of \u200b\u200bthe glades;

settlement area of \u200b\u200bSlovens Ilmensky.

5. Working with concepts

Give a definition of the concepts.

Corvee __________________________________________________.

Rope _____________________________________________________.

Magus _____________________________________________________.

Fiefdom ___________________________________________________.

Purchase _____________________________________________________.

Grain _____________________________________________________.

Idol ______________________________________________________.

Temple ___________________________________________________.

Metropolitan _______________________________________________.

Mosaic ___________________________________________________.

Rent _____________________________________________________.

Ryadovich ___________________________________________________.

Scan _____________________________________________________.

Fresco ____________________________________________________.

Serf _____________________________________________________.

6. Working with sources

Determine what events are referred to in the excerpts from The Tale of Bygone Years. Fill the table.

1. “And he commanded his soldiers to make wheels and put ships on wheels. And with a fair wind they raised their sails and went across the field towards the city. The Greeks, seeing this, were frightened and said through the ambassadors: "Do not destroy the city, we will give you any tribute you want." And he stopped (he) the soldiers, and brought him food and wine, but did not accept it, since it was poisoned ... And he ordered to give tribute for two thousand ships: twelve hryvnias per person, and there were forty men in each ship. "

2. “... He let his squad go home, and he himself returned with a small part of the squad, wanting more wealth. The Drevlyans, having heard that they were coming again, held a council with their prince Mal: \u200b\u200b“If a wolf gets into the habit of the sheep, he will carry out the whole flock until they kill him; so is this one: if we do not kill him, he will destroy all of us. " And they sent to him, saying: “Why are you going again? I have already taken all the tribute. " And he did not listen to them ... ".

3. “And they sent with the words:“ You, prince, are looking for a foreign land and you care about it, but you left yours, and the Pechenegs and your mother and your children almost took us. If you don’t come and protect us, they will take us. Don't you feel sorry for your fatherland, your old mother, your children? "

4. “And he set idols on the hill behind the terem courtyard: the wooden Perun with a silver head and golden mustache, then Khors, Dazhbog, Stribog, Simargla and Mokosh. And they brought sacrifices to them, calling them gods, and brought their sons and daughters to them, and these sacrifices went to demons, and defiled the earth with their sacrifices. And the Russian land and that hill were defiled with blood. "

5. “... He commanded to overturn the idols - to chop up some, and burn others. Perun, however, ordered to tie the horse to the tail and drag it ... to the Stream and assigned twelve men to beat him with rods. This was done not because the tree senses something, but to mock the demon who deceived people in this image, so that he would take retribution from people. "

6. “His mother taught him to be baptized, but he did not think to listen to it; but if anyone was going to be baptized, he did not forbid, but only mocked, saying: “How can I alone accept another faith? And my retinue will scoff. " She told him: "If you are baptized, then everyone will do the same."

7. “And a terrible miracle was seen. The Russians, seeing the flames, threw themselves into the sea water, trying to escape - and so the rest of them returned home. And when they came to their land, they told - each to his own - about what had happened and about the rook fire. “It was as if the lightning from heaven,” they said, “had the Greeks and, letting it go, burned us; that's why they did not overcome them. "

8. “They drove the Varangians across the sea, and did not give them tribute, and began to dominate themselves, and there was no truth among them, and family after generation rose up, and they had strife, and began to fight with each other. And they said to themselves: "Let us look for a prince who would rule over us and judge by right." And they went across the sea to the Varangians ... ".

9. “When he grew up and matured, he began to gather many brave warriors, and he was fast, like a pardus (leopard), and fought a lot. On campaigns, he did not carry either carts or cauldrons with him, did not cook meat, but, having thinly sliced \u200b\u200bhorse meat, or animals, or beef and roasted on coals, he ate it; he did not have a tent, but slept, spreading a saddle-cloth with a saddle in their heads — so were all his other soldiers. And he sent them to other lands with the words: "I want to go for you." And he went to the Oka River and the Volga, and met the Vyatichi ... ".

10. “And there were no number of Pechenegs. He set out from the city and defeated the squad, and put the Varangians in the middle, and on the right side - the Kievites, and on the left wing - the Novgorodians; and stood before the hail. The Pechenegs attacked and seized on the place where Saint Sophia, the Russian Metropolitanate, stands now: there was then a field outside the city. And there was a cruel slaughter ... And the Pechenegs ran scatteringly, and did not know where to run, some, fleeing, drowned in Setomli, others in other rivers, and the rest of them run somewhere to this day.

ANSWERS

Training

1. Working with chronology

Fill in the table (1 - you must specify the century or decade, 2 - the exact date). Determine the sequence of events.

P / p No.

	Drevlyan uprising
	The second uprising in Kiev and the vocation of Vladimir Monomakh
	Death of Svyatoslav
	Baptism of Russia
	Lyubech congress
	Unification of Novgorod and Kiev within one state
	The final collapse of the Old Russian state
	The defeat of the Yaroslavichs from the Polovtsy and the uprising in Kiev
	Oleg's campaign to Constantinople
	Varangian calling
	Defeat of the Khazar Kaganate
	Strife among the sons of Vladimir

10 → 6 → 9 → 1 → 11 → 3 → 4 → 12 → 8 → 5 → 2 → 7

2. Working with personalities

Historical

When was (s) active?	Who is (s)?	What did you do? What happened to him?
	tue floor. Hv.	byzantine princess	1. Married Vladimir I after baptism
Askold and Deer	tue floor. IX century.	rulers of Kiev	1. Killed by Prince Oleg during the capture of the city
Bayer, Miller and Schletzer	XVIII century.	scientists, Germans by origin, worked in Russia	1. Creators of the Norman theory
Boris and Gleb	beginning of the XI century	princes, sons of Vladimir I	1. Killed by Svyatopolk the Damned 2. The first Russian saints
Vladimir I	reign: 980-1015		1. Won the fight with his brother Yaropolk 2. Made his sons governors 3. Organized the defense of the southern borders from the raids of the Pechenegs 4. Tried to reform paganism 5. Baptized Russia (988)
Vladimir II Monomakh	years of government in Kiev: 1113-1125	prince, grandson of Yaroslav the Wise, maternal grandson of the Byzantine emperor Constantine Monomakh	1. Organizer of the joint struggle against the Polovtsy 2. Earned fame as a just ruler, an opponent of civil strife 4. Was invited to the Kiev throne in violation of the established order of inheritance 5. Supplemented "Russian Truth", regulating the collection of usurious interest
	first floor. X century.	great Kiev prince, son of Rurik	1. The leader of an unsuccessful campaign against Byzantium in 941. 2. The leader of the campaign against Byzantium in 944. 3. Killed by the Drevlyans during the collection of tribute
	XI century.	metropolitan	1. The first Russian metropolitan
Cyril and Methodius	IX century.	educators in the Slavic lands	1. Creators of Slavic writing
	the beginning of the XII century	monk of the Kiev-Pechersk monastery
	late 9th - early 10th centuries	first - the ruler of Novgorod, then - and Kiev, possibly a relative of Rurik	1. Captured Kiev, killing Askold and Dir 2. Subdued most of the East Slavic tribes 3. Made in 907 a very successful campaign against Constantinople 4. He concluded a treaty with Byzantium beneficial for the Rus.
		igor's wife, ruler of the DRG with her young son Svyatoslav	1. Severely avenged the Drevlyans for the death of her husband 2. Introduced firm tribute collection rates 3. Made a diplomatic trip to Constantinople 4. She was baptized according to the Byzantine rite
	IX century.	varangian prince	1.In 862 he was called to reign in Novgorod
Svyatopolk the Damned	beginning of the XI century	prince, son of Vladimir I (possibly Yaropolk)	1. Seized power in Kiev after the death of Vladimir I 2. Charged with the murder of Boris and Gleb
Svyatoslav		great Kiev prince, son of Igor	1. Defeated the Khazar Kaganate 2. Joined Vyatichi to the DRG 3. Fought in Danube Bulgaria, first against the Bulgarians, and then against Byzantium 4. I wanted to transfer the center of my state to the Danube 5. Retreated after the defense of Dorostol 6. Killed by the Pechenegs while returning from the Danube
		great Kiev prince, son of Svyatoslav	1. Lost the power struggle to Vladimir I
Yaroslav the Wise	reign: 1019-1054	great Kiev prince, son of Vladimir I	1.With the help of the Vikings, he won the internecine struggle among the sons of Vladimir 2. Inflicted a decisive defeat on the Pechenegs 3. Under him, Ancient Russia reached its prime 4. The temples of St. Sophia were built in Kiev, Novgorod and Polotsk 5. The compilation of "Russian Truth" has begun 6. Divided the state between sons 7.Married daughters to the kings of France, Norway and Hungary
Yaroslavichi	tue floor. XI century.	princes, sons of Yaroslav the Wise	1. We entered into an internecine struggle with each other 2. Defeated by the Polovtsians 3. Added and changed "Yaroslav's Pravda"

3. Working with the scheme

1 . 1 - Oleg; 2 - Rurik; 3 - Igor; 4 - Olga; 5 - Svyatoslav; 6 - Yaropolk; 7 - Oleg; eight - VladimirI ; 9 - Svyatopolk the Damned; 10 - Yaroslav the Wise; 11 - Saints Boris and Gleb; 12 - Izyaslav; 13 - Svyatoslav; 14 - Vsevolod; 15 - Svyatopolk; 16 - VladimirII Monomakh.

2 ... 1 - the great Kiev prince; 2 - senior squad; 3 - junior squad; 4 - local princes (independent dynasties); 5 - princes-governors from the clan of Rurikovich (descendants of Vladimir I).

4. Working with concepts

Corvee is a feudal duty, which consisted in the duty of a dependent peasant to work on the farm and in the field of the feudal lord.

Verv is a peasant community among the ancient Slavs.

Magus is a pagan priest among the ancient Slavs.

Patrimony is a large land holding with dependent peasants, which was inherited.

Zakup is a dependent peasant who worked for debt ("kupu").

A grain is a pattern of small gold or silver grains that were soldered onto a metal plate.

Idol is a sculptural image of a pagan deity.

The temple is a sanctuary of the ancient Slavs, in which sacrifices were made to the gods.

Metropolitan is the head of the Russian Orthodox Church after baptism, appointed by the patriarch.

Mosaic is a picture of colored glass.

Quitrent - the feudal duty of dependent peasants, which consisted in the obligation to give the feudal lord a part of the products produced on their allotment or the money earned.

Ryadovich was a dependent peasant who worked under a contract ("row").

Cloth is a pattern made of gold or silver wire soldered onto a metal base.

The fresco is painting on wet plaster.

A slave is a slave.

5. Working with sources

Excerpt no.

Place and time of the event	Characters	Effects
	At the walls of Constantinople (Constantinople), 907	Prince Oleg and the Byzantines	Byzantium paid a huge tribute and agreed to conclude a treaty beneficial for the Russians
	The land of the Drevlyans, 945	Prince Igor and the Drevlyans	Igor was killed by the Drevlyans, Princess Olga avenged her husband's death, but established firm norms for collecting tribute
		Letter from Kiev to Prince Svyatoslav	Svyatoslav still did not become the defender of his land (although he responded to this specific letter, came and defeated the Pechenegs)
	Kiev, 980	Prince Vladimir I	The pagan reform did not succeed, and a "change of faith" was needed
	Kiev, 988	Prince Vladimir I	Christianity from Kiev began to spread throughout Russia
	Kiev, during the reign of Svyatoslav	Svyatoslav and his mother, Princess Olga	Svyatoslav never received baptism
	Ancient Russia, 941	Participants of the campaign of Prince Igor	After 3 years, Igor made new hike, more successful
	Novgorod, 862	Novgorodians	The vocation of the Varangians, the beginning of the Rurik dynasty
	Frontiers of Ancient Rus, during the reign of Svyatoslav	Prince Svyatoslav	Submission of Vyatichi, other victories
	At the walls of Kiev, during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise	Armies of the Old Russian state and the Pechenegs	The Pecheneg threat was eliminated, but soon the Polovtsians came to the steppe to "replace" the Pechenegs

6. Working with the historian's judgment

"Episode" - the capture of Kiev by Prince Oleg in 882. The views of the historian can be characterized as extreme anti-Normanism. His opponents were supporters of the Norman theory, who emphasized the importance of the Varangians in the formation of the Old Russian state and called Prince Oleg its founder.

Part 3

Note. Here are only brief outline of answers, they can be more detailed. The number of points for each required element of the answer and the total points are indicated in brackets.

C1. The calling of Prince Vladimir Monomakh to the Great Kiev reign (1) in 1113 (1) ( Total - 2.)

C2. The cause of the riots is the dissatisfaction of the poor townspeople with the debt to the usurers (1), who, taking advantage of the patronage of the deceased prince, took high interest rates. The chronicler uses the word “Kievites” in two meanings: 1) the rebels who plundered the courtyard of the tysyatsky and the houses of the usurers (1); 2) noble townspeople who called Prince Vladimir to calm the city (1). ( Total - 3.)

C3. Vladimir Monomakh had no rights to the Kiev throne in accordance with the order of inheritance established by his grandfather Yaroslav the Wise, and did not want to violate it (1). However, the danger of escalating riots forced him to agree (1). ( Total - 2.)

C4. In domestic politics, Prince Oleg subdued most of the East Slavic tribes (1) and created a state with a center in Kiev (1). However, there were no laws regulating this subordination, which created the basis for conflicts in the near future (1). In foreign policy the main achievement of Prince Oleg was the successful campaign against Byzantium, which gave the Old Russian state a profitable trade agreement (1). ( Total - 4.)

C5. ( In total - 6.)

C6. The adoption of Christianity from Byzantium was facilitated by the long-standing trade (1) and cultural (1) ties of this country with Russia. In Byzantium, Vladimir's grandmother, Princess Olga, was baptized (1). The Byzantine Empire was at that time the most powerful and richest state among the neighbors of Russia, it was prestigious to accept religion from it (1). At the same time, Prince Vladimir did not want to ask for faith, but decided to achieve equality with Byzantium, becoming related with the imperial dynasty. This could only be achieved by force (1). ( Total - 5.)

C7. (Note: When completing tasks for the consideration of historical versions and grades, it is desirable that the examinee name extreme, polar opposite points of view, and his own point of view would be "intermediate", as neutral as possible, but at the same time be sufficiently reasoned.)

Two opposing points of view are extreme Normanism (the Old Russian state was created by the Varangians) (1) and extreme anti-Normanism (the participation of the Varangians in the formation of the Old Russian statehood was insignificant) (1). The Normanists rely on the chronicle story about the vocation of Rurik, as well as on the testimony of foreign authors who separated the Slavs and "Russia" (2). Anti-Normanists question many of the chronicle evidence, pointing out the bias of the authors (1). But the main thing is that, according to the modern point of view, the state cannot be created by an outside force, its emergence is the result of the development of objective socio-economic processes (1).

In my opinion, it was precisely such processes that developed in the territory of residence of the East Slavic tribes (stratification into rich and poor led to the emergence of new social contradictions that could not be solved within the framework of the tribal system; the needs of defense from the raids of the Varangians and Khazars affected; nobility in establishing mutually beneficial trade with Byzantium, and such a trade could not be provided by scattered tribes) (3). Hence, east Slavs went to the creation of the state, and if Rurik was invited to rule, then there was where to invite. Thus, the Varangians played an important, but auxiliary role in the creation of the Old Russian state (1). ( In total - 10.)

The activity of Oleg was, in fact, of exceptional importance: he created a large state out of disunited cities and tribes, brought the Slavs out of the Khazars' subordination and arranged, through treaties, trade relations between Russia and Byzantium; in short, he was the creator of Russian - Slavic independence and strength.

The capture of Kiev by Oleg opens a new page in Russian history - the period of the so-called Kiev state

army, or Kievan Rus. Unlike the previous southern Russian formations of the state type in earlier periods, located on the Don and in the Azov region, the Dnieper river route - "Varangian to the Greeks" - is now becoming the main geographical axis of the Russian state. For Oleg, however, Kiev was only the first, albeit the most important, point on the way to the South. The southern Dnieper region remained in the hands of the Magyars for a number of years, and it would take about thirty years after the conquest of Kiev for Oleg to start his first campaign against Constantinople. Nevertheless, Kiev remained a strong point in all his subsequent campaigns to the south, and therefore we consider the date of Oleg's arrival in Kiev to be an important milestone.

ACTIVITIES OF THE FIRST PRINCES.

The first thing to note is that the Varangians did not influence the main forms of social life of our Slavic ancestors. The placement of the Varangian princes in Novgorod, then in Kiev, did not bring with it a tangible alien influence on the life of the Slavs, and the newcomers themselves, the princes and their squads, underwent rapid Slavization in Russia.

The princes of Kiev, in essence, are the defenders of the country, who, for a certain fee, protect society from the enemy. Reading the scanty evidence of the chronicle, we see that the main activity of the princes was aimed at: 1) uniting the Russian tribes and creating a single state in Russia; 2) arrange as profitable trade relations with neighbors as possible and secure trade movements to foreign markets and; 3) to defend Russia from external enemies.

1) Unification of tribes.

Having first taken possession of the entire great waterway “from the Varangians to the Greeks,” from Ladoga to Kiev, the Kiev princes then tried to conquer for themselves those Slavic tribes who lived away from this route.

Expanding their possessions, the princes of Kiev established state order in the countries under their control, first of all, of course, the administration of taxes. The old city areas served as a ready-made foundation administrative division land. In the subordinate city regions in the cities of Chernigov, Smolensk and other princes imprisoned their governors, whose mayors were either their hired warriors or their own sons and relatives. These governors had their own, squads, special armed detachments, acted quite independently, stood only in weak connection with the state center, with Kiev.

2) Trade.

This is how the internal political life in the Kiev principality of the 9th and 10th centuries was arranged. It is easy to see the main economic interest that guided this life, bringing together and uniting distant and scattered parts of the earth: the tribute that went to the Kiev prince with his retinue fed the foreign trade of Rus. This economic interest also directed the external activities of the first Kiev princes.

According to the Initial Chronicle, the most prominent phenomenon in the external history of Rus until the half of the 11th century was the military campaigns of the Kiev princes against Constantinople.

It is enough to know the reason for the first and last of these campaigns to understand the main motivation that caused them. Under Askold, Russia attacked Constantinople, irritated, according to Patriarch Photius, by the killing of its fellow countrymen, obviously Russian merchants, after the Byzantine government refused to satisfy this offense, thereby terminating its agreement with Russia. In 1043 Yaroslav sent his son with a fleet against the Greeks, because Russian merchants were beaten in Constantinople and one of them was killed. So, the Byzantine campaigns were caused, for the most part, by the desire of Russia to support or restore the broken trade relations with Byzantium. That is why they usually ended with trade treatises. All the treaties of Russia with the Greeks of the 10th century that have come down to us have such a commercial character. Of these, two of Oleg's agreements have come down to us, one by Igor and one short agreement, or just the beginning of Svyatoslavov's agreement. The treaties were drawn up in Greek and, with appropriate changes in form, were translated into a language that Rus could understand. Reading these treaties, it is easy to see what interest was associated in the X century. Russia with Byzantium. In total, they define in more detail and more precisely the order of the annual trade relations between Russia and Byzantium, as well as the order of private relations between Russians in Constantinople and the Greeks: on this side, the treaties are distinguished by a remarkable development of legal norms, especially international law.

Treaties and trade with Byzantium.

Every summer Russian merchants came to Constantinople for a trading season that lasted 6 months; according to Igor's agreement, none of them had the right to stay there for the winter. Russian merchants stayed on the outskirts of Constantinople at St. Mothers, where the monastery of St. Mamant. Since the time of the same treaty, the imperial officials took away from the merchants who arrived the princely letter indicating the number of ships sent from Kiev and copied the names of the princely ambassadors and ordinary merchants, guests, "yes, we too," add the Greeks from themselves in the treaty, "with peace come ": it was a precaution so that Russian pirates would not sneak into Constantinople under the guise of agents of the Kiev prince.

During their stay in Constantinople, Russian ambassadors and guests used free fodder and a free bath from the local government - a sign that these trade trips of Rus in Constantinople were viewed not as private industrial enterprises, but as trade embassies of the Kiev Union court. According to the testimony of Leo the Deacon, such a significance of Russian trade expeditions to Byzantium was directly stipulated in the treatise of Tzimiskes with Svyatoslav, where the emperor pledged to accept the Russians who came to Constantinople for trade as allies, "as was customary from time immemorial." At the same time, it should be noted that Russia was a paid ally of Byzantium, was obliged by treaties for the agreed "tribute" to provide the Greeks with some defensive services on the borders of the empire. So, Igor's contract obliged the Russian prince not to let the Black Bulgarians into the Crimea to "dirty" in the Korsun country. The trade ambassadors of Russia received their ambassadorial salaries in Constantinople, and ordinary merchants received a month, a monthly feed, which was distributed to them in a certain order according to the seniority of Russian cities, first Kiev, then Chernigov, Pereyaslavl and other cities. The Greeks were afraid of Russia, which even came with a legitimate appearance: merchants entered the city with their goods, without fail, without weapons, in parties of no more than 50 people, with only a gate, with an imperial bailiff, who observed the correctness of trade transactions between buyers and sellers; added in Igor's treaty: "As soon as Russia enters the city, let them not do dirty tricks." Under Oleg's agreement, Russian merchants did not pay any duty. The trade was mainly exchange: this can explain the relatively small amount of Byzantine coins found in ancient Russian hoards and barrows. Russia exchanged furs, honey, wax and servants for silk fabrics, gold, wine, vegetables. After the expiration of the trading period, going home, Russia received from the Greek treasury for the journey food and ship's gear, anchors, ropes, sails, everything that she needed.

HISTORY OF RUSSIA Test number 1
Topic: "Ancient Russia". Option 3 (profile)
1. The X century includes:

























1) the calling of the Varangians to reign 2) the campaign of Askold and Dir to Constantinople
3) the death of Prince Igor 4) the formation of the Old Russian states








15. From what historical source these words are taken:



16. (1 point) Arrange historical events in chronological order. Write down the numbers that indicate historical events in the correct sequence in the table.
1) the uprising of the Drevlyans
2) calling Rurik by Novgorodians
3) capture of Kiev by Prince Oleg
4) Oleg's campaign to Constantinople
5) the campaigns of Prince Svyatoslav
17. (2 points) Which three of the listed terms denoted the categories of people dependent on large landowners in Ancient Russia

18. (2 points) What three events relate to the reign of Vladimir Monomakh? (1113-1125)
1) annexation of the Vyatichi, imposing tribute on them
2) the first chronicle mention of Moscow
3) creation of the "Charter"
4) organizing an offensive against the Polovtsians and preventing their raids on Russia
5) "Lesson"
3 4 5
6) the appointment of Hilarion to the Kiev Metropolitanate
19. (2 points) Establish a correspondence between the princes of Ancient Rus and the peoples and states to which these princes inflicted major military defeats, which had important consequences for the further course of events. For each position of the first column, select the corresponding position of the second and write down the selected numbers in the table under the corresponding letters.


B) Oleg 2) Varangians
C) Svyatoslav 3) Pechenegs
D) Yaroslav the Wise 4) Cumans
5) Khazar Kaganate
A B C D
4 1 5 3
20. (2 points) Establish a correspondence between the name of the people (tribe, union of tribes) and the region of its residence.


B) vyatichi 2) lower Volga

D) Khazars 4) Scandinavia
5) middle course of the Dnieper
A B C D
4 1 5 2
21. (2 points) Establish a correspondence between the name of the people (tribe, union of tribes) and the area of \u200b\u200bits residence.
Peoples (tribes, tribal unions) Areas of residence
A) Varangians 1) Oka river basin
B) vyatichi 2) lower Volga
C) meadow 3) lower course of the Danube river
D) Khazars 4) Scandinavia
5) middle course of the Dnieper
A B C D
22. (2 points) Establish a correspondence between the rulers of Ancient Russia and their contribution to the formation of the Ancient Russian state.
Rulers Contribution





A B C D
5 4 3 1
23 (1 point) Read an excerpt from the essay of the historian S.M. Solovyov and write about who it is.

Answer:________________
24. (1 point) Read the passage from The Tale of Bygone Years and write the name of the place where the described event took place.
“We got together… to establish peace and said to each other:“ Why are we destroying the Russian land, arranging feuds among ourselves? And the Polovtsians carry the land in a rosy manner and are glad that there are wars between us. May we henceforth unite with one heart and observe the Russian land, and let everyone own his fatherland ... "And on that they kissed the cross." Answer:_____________
HISTORY OF RUSSIA Home test number 1
Topic: "Ancient Rus".
Read the questions and after each mark the correct answer (circle the number).
Perform the tasks of part "B" strictly according to the instructions. Return the completed test to the teacher for review before starting the lesson.
Full name Group No.
Test score (A + B + C) scores Max. score (A + B + C) points
Tasks of part "A" of the USE (score 1 point for each test task).
1. The X century includes:
1) the baptism of Russia 2) the vocation of the Varangians
3) the creation of the "Tale of Bygone Years" 4) the congress of princes in Lyubich2. The first prince to subdue most of the East Slavic tribes was:
1) Rurik 2) Svyatoslav 3) Oleg 4) Igor
3. According to the chronicles, the Drevlyan uprising in 945 was caused by:
1) intertribal discord between Drevlyans and Slovens Ilmensky 2) an attempt by the Kiev prince to take tribute from the Drevlyans again
3) the reluctance of the Drevlyans to accept Christianity 4) the violent recruitment of the Drevlyans into the squad of Prince Vladimir
4. Read an excerpt from a 20th century historian and indicate who it is.
"Under him, as the chronicler says," the Christian faith began to multiply and expand. " Calling masters from Byzantium, he built churches (of which the most famous was the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Kiev), founded monasteries, continued the organization of church administration and contributed to the spread and consolidation of Christianity within the vast borders of his state.
1) Vladimir Monomakh 2) Vladimir Saint 3) Svyatoslav Igorevich 4) Yaroslav the Wise
5. Read an excerpt from a 19th century historian and indicate whose reign the author characterizes.
“His activity was of exceptional importance: he created a large state out of disunited cities and tribes, brought the Slavs out of subordination to the Khazars and arranged, through treaties, correct trade relations between Russia and Byzantium; in a word, he was the creator of Russian-Slavic independence and strength. "
1) Rurik 2) Oleg 3) Igor 4) Svyatoslav
6. In what war were the Russians forced to retreat with honor after the stubborn defense of the city, but their leader died while returning from the campaign?
1) the war of Prince Svyatoslav with Byzantium in Danube Bulgaria 2) the campaign of Prince Igor against Constantinople
3) the defeat of the Khazar Kaganate by Prince Svyatoslav 4) the campaign of Vladimir Monomakh against the Polovtsy
7. Among the changes in management carried out by Vladimir I include:
1) the use of their sons as governors 2) granting the Varangians privileges in the Russian service
3) the creation of a senior squad as a council under the prince 4) strengthening the role of the veche
8. What was the name of the trade and craft part of the Russian medieval city?
1) veche 2) posad 3) county 4) inheritance
9. In what year was Vladimir Monomakh invited to the Kiev throne?
1) 1111 2) 1113 3) 1125 4) 1132
10. Which of the listed princes ruled earlier than others?
1) Vladimir Monomakh 2) Alexander Nevsky 3) Svyatoslav 4) Yaroslav the Wise
11. What event happened in 882?
1) the calling of the Varangians to reign 2) the death of Prince Igor
3) the formation of the Old Russian state 4) the campaign of Askold and Dir to Constantinople
12. Which cathedral was the main one in Novgorod?
1) Kazan 2) Sophia 3) Assumption 4) Pokrovsky
13. The congress of Russian princes in Lyubech was convened with the aim of:
1) establish a new procedure for collecting tribute 2) stop civil strife
3) accept the Russian truth 4) decide on the baptism of Rus
14. Read a passage from the ancient Russian chronicle and indicate the name of the prince in question.
“He said to his mother and his boyars:“ I don’t like to sit in Kiev, I want to live in Pereyaslavets on the Danube - because there is the middle of my land, all the benefits flow there: from the Greek land - gold, poultry, wine, various fruits, from the Czech Republic and from Hungary silver and horses, from Russia furs and wax, honey and slaves. "
1) Oleg 2) Igor 3) Svyatoslav 4) Yaroslav
15. From what historical source these words are taken:
"My children or someone else who, listening to this letter, do not laugh at it, but accept it in your heart and do not be lazy, but work hard."
1) "The Word about Igor's Regiment" 2) "The Teaching of Vladimir Monomakh"
3) "The Tale of Bygone Years" 4) "Russian Truth"
Tasks of part "B" of the USE (the number of the assignment and the grade on the USE are indicated in brackets)
16 (B1-1 point) Arrange historical events in chronological order. Write down the numbers that indicate historical events in the correct sequence in the table.
1) the uprising of the Drevlyans (945)
2) calling of Rurik by Novgorodians (862)
3) capture of Kiev by Prince Oleg (882)
4) Oleg's campaign to Constantinople (907, 911)
2 3 4 1 5
5) the campaigns of Prince Svyatoslav (964-966) or (969-972 at Orlov)
17 (B1-1 point) Arrange historical events in chronological order.
1) war of Prince Svyatoslav with Byzantium (967-971)
2) the uprising in Kiev (1113)
3) the formation of the Kiev Metropolis (1036)
4) the campaign of Prince Igor against Constantinople and its defeat by the Greeks (941)
5 4 1 3 2
5) the formation of the state of Rus (882)
18 (B2-2 points) Which three of the listed terms denoted the categories of people dependent on large landowners in Ancient Russia. Circle the appropriate numbers and write them down in the table.
1) smerd 2) ryadovichi 3) serf 4) monk 5) sorcerer 6) purchase
1 2 6
19 (B2-2 points) What three events relate to the reign of Vladimir Monomakh? (1113-1125)
1) annexation of Vyatichi, imposing tribute on them (966)
2) the first chronicle mention of Moscow (1147)
3) the creation of the "Charter" (1113)
4) organizing an offensive against the Polovtsians and preventing their raids on Russia (1116) 5) "Instructions" (at the end of life)
3 4 5
6) the appointment of Hilarion to the Kiev Metropolis (1051)
20 (B3-2 points) Establish a correspondence between the princes of Ancient Rus and the peoples and states to which these princes inflicted major military defeats, which had important consequences for the further course of events. For each position of the first column, select the corresponding position of the second and write down the selected numbers in the table under the corresponding letters.
Princes Peoples or States
A) Vladimir Monomakh 1) Byzantine Empire
B) Oleg 2) Varangians
C) Svyatoslav 3) Pechenegs
D) Yaroslav the Wise 4) Cumans
5) Khazar Kaganate
A B C D
4 1 5 3
21 (В3-2 points) Establish a correspondence between the name of the people (tribe, union of tribes) and the region of its residence.
Peoples (tribes, tribal unions) Areas of residence
A) Varangians 1) Oka river basin
B) vyatichi 2) lower Volga
C) meadow 3) lower course of the Danube river
D) Khazars 4) Scandinavia
5) middle course of the Dnieper
A B C D
4 1 5 2
22 (В3-2 points) Establish a correspondence between the rulers of Ancient Russia and their contribution to the formation of the Old Russian state.
Rulers Contribution
A) Oleg 1) the beginning of written legislation
B) Olga 2) mixing of tribes in order to create a single people
C) Rurik 3) creation of the ruling layer
D) Yaroslav the Wise 4) establishment of regular taxation
5) the formation of the main territory of the state
A B C D
5 4 3 1
23 (B9-1 point) Read an excerpt from the essay of the historian S.M. Solovyov and write about who it is.
He is presented in the annals as “an inactive prince, an unimportant leader. He does not go for tribute to the previously subordinate tribes, does not conquer new ones, his squad is poor and timid, like him: with great forces, without a fight, they return back from the Greek campaign. But to these character traits in the legend is added another one - greed, unworthy by the then concepts of a good leader of the squad, who shared everything with her "
Answer: ________________ (Igor)
24 (Q9-1 point) Read the passage from The Tale of Bygone Years and write the name of the place where the described event took place.
“We got together… to establish peace and said to each other:“ Why are we destroying the Russian land, arranging feuds among ourselves? And the Polovtsians carry the land in a rosy manner and are glad that there are wars between us. May we henceforth unite with one heart and observe the Russian land, and let everyone own his fatherland ... "And on that they kissed the cross." Answer: _____________ Lyubech

There are almost no legends about the activities of the semi-fabulous Rurik (in Old Norse Hroerekr) in Novgorod. It was said that he originally lived not in Novgorod, but in Ladoga, at the mouth of the river. Volkhov, he moved to Novgorod after the death of his brothers. His rule aroused displeasure and even provoked a mutiny under the leadership of some Vadim the Brave; but Rurik killed Vadim and defeated the rebels. Those dissatisfied with him fled to Kiev, where the Varangian warriors Askold and Dir were already sitting, who left Rurik's squad and founded their principality in Kiev. It is, of course, difficult to say how true all these legends are.

After the death of Rurik (879), his relative Oleg (in Old Norse Helgi) began to reign in Novgorod. He exercised power as the guardian of the young son of Rurikov Igor (in Old Norse Ingvarr). Oleg did not stay in Novgorod: together with Igor, he moved south, along the great path "from the Varangians to the Greeks", conquered Smolensk and Lyubech on the Dnieper and approached Kiev. By deception, he captured and killed Askold and Dir on the grounds that they were "not princes and not a princely family", while he himself is a prince, and Igor is a prince of Rurik. After occupying Kiev, Oleg settled in it and made it the capital of his principality, saying that Kiev would be "the mother of Russian cities." So Oleg managed to unite in his hands all the main cities along the great waterway. This was his first goal. From Kiev, he continued his unifying activity: he went to the Drevlyans, then to the northerners and conquered them, then he subdued the Radimichs. Thus, under his hand gathered all the main tribes of the Russian Slavs, except for the outlying ones, and all the most important Russian cities. Kiev became the focus of a large state and freed the Russian tribes from the Khazar dependence. Throwing off the Khazar yoke, Oleg tried to strengthen his country with fortresses from the eastern nomads (both Khazars and Pechenegs) and built cities along the border of the steppe.

But Oleg did not stop at uniting the Slavs. Following the example of his Kiev predecessors, Askold and Dir, who raided Byzantium, Oleg planned a campaign against the Greeks. With a large army "on horses and on ships" he approached Constantinople (907), devastated its surroundings and laid siege to the city. The Greeks started negotiations, gave Oleg a "tribute", that is, bought off the ruin, and entered into a treaty with Russia, which was reaffirmed in 912. Oleg's success made a deep impression in Russia: Oleg was sung in songs, and his feats were decorated with fabulous features. From the songs, the chronicler recorded in his chronicle a story about how Oleg put his ships on wheels and on dry land on sails "across the fields" went to Tsaryugrad. From the song, of course, taken into the chronicle is the detail that Oleg, "showing victory", hung his shield in the gates of Constantinople. Oleg was given the nickname "prophetic" (wise, who knows what others are not given to know). Oleg's activities really were of exceptional importance: Oleg created a large state from the scattered cities and tribes, brought the Slavs out of subordination to the Khazars and arranged through treaties the correct trade relations between Russia and Byzantium; in a word, he was the creator of Russian-Slavic independence and strength.

On the death of Oleg (912) came to power Igor , apparently, did not have the talent of a warrior and ruler. He made two raids into Greek possessions: Asia Minor and Constantinople. The first time he suffered a severe defeat in sea \u200b\u200bbattle, in which the Greeks used special ships with fire and let "fire trumpets on Russian boats". The second time Igor did not reach Constantinople, he made peace with the Greeks on the terms set out in the agreement of 945. This agreement is considered less beneficial for Russia than Oleg's agreements. Igor took part in the campaign against the Greeks and pechenegs(§2), who attacked the Russian land for the first time under Igor, and then made peace with Igor. Igor ended his life sadly: he died in the country of the Drevlyans, from whom he wanted to collect a double tribute. His death, the matchmaking of the Drevlyane prince Mal, who wanted to take over the widow of Igor Olga, and Olga's revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband are the subject of a poetic legend, described in detail in the chronicle.

Prince Igor's campaign to Constantinople in 941. Miniature from the Radziwill Chronicle

Olga (in Old Norse and Helga in Greek) remained after Igor with her young son Svyatoslav and took over the reign of the principality. According to the ancient Slavic custom, widows enjoyed civil independence and full rights, and in general the position of women among the Slavs was better than among other European peoples. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that Princess Olga became the ruler. The chronicler's attitude to her is the most sympathetic: he considers her "the wisest man of all" and ascribes to her great concern for the organization of the earth. Traveling around her possessions, she established order everywhere and left a good memory everywhere. Her main business was the adoption of the Christian faith and a pious journey to Constantinople (957). According to the chronicle, Olga was baptized “tsar with the patriarch” in Constantinople, although it is more likely that she was baptized at home in Russia, before her trip to Greece. Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus, who honorably received Olga in his palace and described her reception (in the essay "On the Rites of the Byzantine Court"), narrates about the Russian princess with restraint and calm. The legend, prevailing in Russia about the journey of the princess, says that the emperor was struck by Olga's beauty and intelligence so much that he even wanted to marry her; however, Olga shied away from this honor. She behaved respectfully towards the patriarch, but quite independently towards the emperor. The chronicler is even sure that she managed to outwit the emperor twice: firstly, she deftly managed to refuse his matchmaking, and secondly, she refused him tributes or gifts, which he supposedly gullibly counted on. Such was the naive tradition that assimilated Olga into exceptional wisdom and cunning. With the triumph of Christianity in Russia, the memory of Princess Olga, in the holy baptism of Helen, began to be venerated by the Orthodox Church and Princess Olga was canonized.

Princess Olga. Epiphany. The first part of the trilogy "Holy Russia" S. Kirillov, 1993

Olga's son Svyatoslav already bore a Slavic name, but his disposition was a typical Varangian warrior and warrior. As soon as he had matured, he formed himself a large and brave squad, and with it began to seek glory and prey for himself. He early came out of the influence of his mother, "was angry with his mother" when she urged him to be baptized. “How can I alone change my faith? The squad will start laughing at me, ”he said. He got along well with the squad, led a harsh camp life with her, and therefore moved unusually easily: "walking easily, like a pardus (leopard)," as the chronicle puts it.

Even during his mother's life, leaving the principality of Kiev in Olga's care, Svyatoslav made his first brilliant campaigns. He went to the Oka and subdued the Vyatichi, who then paid tribute to the Khazars; then he turned to the Khazars and defeated the Khazar kingdom, taking the main Khazar cities (Sarkel and Itil). At the same time Svyatoslav defeated the tribes of Yases and Kasogs (Circassians) on the river. Kuban and seized the area from Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov under the name Tamatarha (later Tmutarakan, and now Taman). Finally, Svyatoslav, having penetrated the Volga, ravaged the land of the Kama Bulgarians and took their city of Bolgar. In a word, Svyatoslav defeated and ruined all the eastern neighbors of Russia, which were part of the Khazar state. Russia was now becoming the main force in the Black Sea region. But the fall of the Khazar state strengthened the nomadic Pechenegs. All the southern Russian steppes, which had previously been occupied by the Khazars, were now at their disposal; and Russia itself soon had to experience great troubles from these nomads.

Returning to Kiev after his conquests in the east, Svyatoslav received an invitation from the Greeks to help Byzantium in its struggle against the Danube Bulgarians. Gathering a large army, he conquered Bulgaria and stayed there to live in the town of Pereyaslavets on the Danube, as he considered Bulgaria to be his property. “I want to live in Pereyaslavets Danube,” he said, “there is the middle of my land, there are all sorts of benefits: from the Greeks gold, fabrics, wine and fruits, from the Czechs and Ugrians - silver and horses, from Russia - furs, wax and honey and slaves. " But he had to return from Bulgaria to Kiev for a while, because in his absence the Pechenegs attacked Russia and laid siege to Kiev. The Kievites with Princess Olga and the children of Svyatoslav barely sat out from the formidable enemy and sent them to Svyatoslav with reproaches and asking for help. Svyatoslav came and drove the Pechenegs to the steppe, but did not stay in Kiev. Olga, who was dying, asked him to wait in Russia until her death. He fulfilled her wish; but, having buried his mother, he immediately left for Bulgaria, leaving his sons as princes in Russia. However, the Greeks did not want to allow the domination of the Russians over the Bulgarians and demanded the removal of Svyatoslav back to Russia. Svyatoslav refused to leave the banks of the Danube. The war began, and the Byzantine emperor John Tzimiskes defeated Svyatoslav. After a series of hard efforts, he locked the Russians in the fortress of Doristole (now Silistria) and forced Svyatoslav to make peace and purge Bulgaria. The army of Svyatoslav, exhausted by the war, on the way home was captured in the Dnieper rapids by the Pechenegs and scattered, and Svyatoslav himself was killed (972). So the Pechenegs completed the defeat of the Russian prince, begun by the Greeks.

Monument to Prince Svyatoslav in Zaporozhye

After the death of Svyatoslav in Russia, bloody feuds took place between his sons (Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir), in which the brothers of Prince Vladimir died, and he remained the sovereign sovereign. Shocked by the strife, the Kiev principality showed signs of internal decay, and Vladimir had to spend a lot of effort to pacify the Varangians who served with him and subdue the settled tribes (Vyatichi, Radimichi). After the failures of Svyatoslav, the external power of Russia was also shaken. Vladimir fought many wars with various neighbors for border volosts; also fought with the Volga Bulgarians. He got involved in the war with the Greeks, as a result of which he adopted Christianity according to the Greek rite. This most important event ended the first period of power of the Varangian dynasty in Russia.