Names of princes of Kievan Rus. The first Kiev princes

· Rurik - the leader of the hired Varangian squad, according to the Tale of Bygone Years, invited (called) to Novgorod in 862 BC, seized power and became a prince in Novgorod. The princes of Kiev later considered him the ancestor of their dynasty. Died in 879, leaving the infant son Igor.

· OlegVeshchy (879-912) - the first historical prince of Varangian origin, in 879-882. ruled in Novgorod, 882 seized Kiev, killed Kiev princes Askold and dira , united two East Slavic centers into a single Old Russian state. V 882 Kiev became the center of the Old Russian state. V 907 made a trip to Constantinople (Constantinople) and, as a sign of the end of hostilities and peace, hung his shield on its gates, signed a profitable agreement with Byzantium on duty-free trade on the territory of the empire. Russia received new concessions under an agreement with Byzantium 911

· Igor (912-945) - according to the annals, the son of Rurik (hence - the dynasty Rurikovich ), continued the subjugation of the East Slavic tribes, in 941 and 944 - new campaigns against Byzantium, 944 - a new Russian-Byzantine treaty. 945 - the Drevlyans killed Igor while collecting tribute. His wife, Princess Olga, organized a punitive campaign against the Drevlyans.

· Olga Saint (945-957) - she was regent under Svyatoslav during his childhood and ruled during his campaigns, carried out reforms: established "lessons" - amount of tribute and "graveyards" - places of collection of tribute. V 957 visited Constantinople and was baptized.

· Svyatoslav ( 962–972) - fought with the Khazars, after his campaigns the Khazar Khaganate ceased to exist as a strong state. He made a trip to Byzantium and in 970 . h made peace with her.

· Vladimir Saint, Red Sun (980-1015) - fought with the Pechenegs, married the Byzantine princess Anna. With him in 988 - the baptism of Russia (the adoption of Christianity as the official religion). V Ancient Russia instead of polytheistic (polytheism - polytheism) paganism established monotheistic (monotheism - monotheism) religion .

Reasons for adopting Christianity :

1. the need to strengthen the state and its territorial unity;

2. the need to enter the family of European peoples, paganism doomed to isolation and hostility from Christian neighbors;

3. The growing social heterogeneity of society required a transition to a more complex worldview system.

Reasons for choosing Christianity in its Orthodox version:

1. strong cultural and economic ties with Byzantium, the strongest state of the 10th century, the successor of the great Rome;

2. international situation, the relationship of church and state (the Pope claimed secular power, Catholic Church did not want to take into account local peculiarities, her militancy);

3. tolerance of Orthodoxy to local traditions.

The consequences of the adoption of Christianity (Orthodoxy) in Russia:

1. The ruling class received an ideological means for strengthening power (the Christian religion), as well as an organization that performed the function of divine consecration of the emerging feudal system;

2. ideologically consolidated the unity of the Old Russian state;

3. Russia received a written language and the opportunity to join the culture of Byzantium, the heir to ancient civilization;

4. expanded and strengthened the foreign policy relations of Russia, which entered the family of Christian peoples;

5. The Orthodox Church influenced the ancient Russian society - softened morals, fought against polygamy and other pagan survivals, opposed slavery.

· Yaroslav the Wise (1019-1054) - became an autocrat, put into effect the first written code of laws in Ancient Russia - Russian Pravda (1016.) for the legal regulation of early feudal relations. By dynastic marriages of his children, he contributed to the expansion and strengthening of contacts with European countries. V 1036 inflicted a decisive defeat Pechenegs in the battle near Kiev. The beginning of his reign Kiev Pechersk Lavra . V 1051 for the first time in Kiev metropolitan (the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ancient Russia) was elected Russian by origin Hilarion . Organized the translation of liturgical books. He built the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev.

Brief edition of Russian Pravda, besides Pravda Yaroslav , included Truth of the Yaroslavichs , created by the sons of Yaroslav (Izyaslav, Svyatoslav, Vsevolod) in around 1072 as a reaction of the state to popular unrest. She forbade blood feud, replacing it with viroy (a fine for killing a free person), ensured the protection of the personal possessions of the prince, increased the difference in payment for the murder of various categories of the population.

· Vladimir Monomakh (1113-1125) - as a reaction to the uprising in Kiev v 1113 g . adopted a legislative act "Charter of Vladimir Monomakh" (1113 g .), included in Extended edition of the Russian The truth that fixed the emergence new group feudal dependent people - purchases and set the interest on loans, limiting usury. Organizer of the campaign of Russian princes against the Polovtsy in 1111 Significantly weakened Polovtsian danger due to campaigns against the Polovtsians.

· Mstislav Vladimirovich (1125-1132) - eliminated the Polovtsian danger, finally defeating Cumans .

In 862, Prince Rurik was invited to reign in northwestern Russia, who became the founder of the new state. What was the activity of the first Kiev princes - we learn from the article on history for the 10th grade.

Domestic and foreign policy of the first Russian princes

Let's form a table The first Kiev princes.

Starting in order, one should mention not Rurik as the first Russian prince, but his boyars Askold and Dir as the first princes of Kiev. Having not received cities in Northern Russia for control, they went south, to Constantinople, but, moving along the Dnieper, they landed near a small town that had a convenient geographical and strategic position.

In 879 Rurik died and Oleg became his successor until the age of his son Igor. In 882, Oleg makes an aggressive campaign against Kiev. Fearing major battle with a large army of co-rulers. Oleg lured them out of the city by cunning, and then killed them.

Rice. 1. Borders of Russia in the 9th century.

The names of Askold and Dir are familiar to every resident of Kiev. These are the first martyrs of the Russian land. In 2013, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate canonized them as saints.

Having captured Smolensk and Lyubech, Oleg established control over the trade route "From the Varangians to the Greeks", transferred the capital of Russia from Novgorod to Kiev, creating Kievan Rus - a single principality of the Eastern Slavs. He built cities, determined the amount of taxes from the subordinate southern tribes, and successfully fought the Khazars.

Igor's reign

After the death of Oleg, Igor took the reins of government. He made two campaigns against Byzantium - in 941 and 944, but neither was crowned with great success. The fleet of the Rus was completely burned by Greek fire. In 913 and 943 he made two trips to the Caspian lands.

In 945, while collecting tribute from subordinate tribes, Igor succumbed to the pressure of the squad and decided to collect tribute in a larger amount. Returning to the lands of the Drevlyans for the second time, but already with a small detachment, Igor was killed in the capital of the Drevlyan land, the city of Iskorosten.

Olga and Svyatoslav

The regent for the two-year-old son of Igor Svyatoslav was his mother, Olga. The princess avenged the murder of Igor by devastating the Drevlyane land and burning Iskorosten.

Olga owns the first economic reform in Russia. She established lessons and graveyards - the amount of tribute and the places of their collection. In 955, she converted to Christianity, becoming the first Russian princess of the Orthodox faith.

Svyatoslav, having matured, spent all his time on campaigns, dreaming of military glory. In 965, he destroyed the Khazar Khaganate, and two years later, at the request of the Byzantines, he invaded Bulgaria. He did not fulfill the terms of the agreement with the Romans, capturing 80 Bulgarian cities and starting to reign in the occupied lands. This gave rise to the Byzantine-Russian war of 970-971, as a result of which Svyatoslav was forced to leave Bulgaria, but on the way home he was killed by the Pechenegs.

Vladimir Red Sun

Between the three sons of Svyatoslav, an internecine war broke out, in which Vladimir emerged victorious. Under him, extensive urban planning unfolded in Russia, but his most important achievement was elsewhere. In 988, Vladimir baptized Russia, moving from paganism to Orthodox Christianity, announcing that Russia is now the younger sister of the great Byzantium.

Rice. 3. Baptism of Russia.

Using the prepared soil for development young state, the son of Vladimir, Yaroslav the Wise will make Russia the advanced state of Europe, which will flourish during the years of his reign.

What have we learned?

The first princes of Kiev were mainly engaged in the expansion and strengthening of the young Russian state. Their task was to secure the borders of Kievan Rus from external aggression and to make allies, primarily in the person of Byzantium. The adoption of Christianity and the destruction of the Khazars partially resolved these issues.

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Many historians attribute the formation of Kievan Rus as a state to the years of the reign of Prince Oleg - from 882 to 912, but this is not so. Before him, the great princes ruled, who began the Rurik dynasty, which received its name from Rurik, Prince of Novgorod, whom the people of Kiev called to rule them. He died in 879, and only 3 years later the throne passed to Prophetic Oleg, who raised Rurik's son Igor as his own. It is Igor Rurikovich who is considered the founder of the dynastic family.

This princely family ruled for more than 700 years, distributing Russian cities and small lands among their sons. Some of them built cities, such as Yuri Dolgoruky, who founded Moscow, which still stands as a reminder of the era of Kievan Rus, or Kiy, who gave his name to the future capital of the Rus.

Origins of Kievan Rus

The unification of the lands of the Slavic tribes under the unified rule of Kiev was not an easy task, since it did not make sense to conquer them, because the great city needed allies, not captives. That is why Rurik and his descendants exempted their neighbors from paying tribute to the Pechenegs, but collected it themselves.

It is interesting that for a very long time the great princes of Kiev were elected to the throne by the people and their rule had to justify his trust. This did not prevent representatives of the prolific Rurik family tree from constantly fighting for the throne.

After the death of Prince Oleg, his stepson Igor continued to unite the Slavic tribes under the protection of Kiev, but the exorbitant tribute that they had to pay eventually led to an uprising of the Drevlyans, who killed the prince. Although his widow Olga avenged her husband, being a fair woman and the first to receive Orthodox baptism, she set the amount of tribute that could not be violated.

As a rule, the formation of any state is a matter based on wars and treacherous murders. The Slavic peoples did not pass such acts. The Grand Dukes of Rurikovich were constantly either on campaigns against the Pechenegs or Byzantium, or staged civil strife and killed each other.

The most famous princes of Kievan Rus were either those who committed fratricide for the sake of the throne, or those under whom the state grew stronger and flourished.

Prince Vladimir the Holy

Ancient Russia was often shaken by strife, so the first long peaceful time, when one prince ruled Kiev, and his sons revered and lived each in his own lot, entered the annals. These were the times of Prince Vladimir, called the Holy people.

Vladimir Svyatoslavovich was the grandson of Igor Rurikovich. From his father, he received Novgorod, which was considered the most unprestigious inheritance, to rule. Yaropolk got Kiev, and Oleg - all the Drevlyane lands. After the death of Svyatopolk and Oleg, who was forced to flee from the betrayal of his elder brother, Yaropolk annexed the Drevlyansky lands to Kiev and began to rule alone.

Prince Vladimir, having found out about this, went to war with him, but his elder brother died not from his hand, but from the hand of a servant who betrayed him. Prince Vladimir sat on the throne and even adopted the son of Yaropolk Svyatopolk.

Far from all the great princes of the Rurik family were so concerned for the people as St. Vladimir. Under him, not only schools were built for the children of commoners and a special council was created, which included wise boyars, but fair laws were established, and Orthodoxy was adopted. Baptism of Russia by Vladimir is significant event when people came to God not one by one, but by a whole people. The first baptism took place in the waters of the Dnieper and entered the annals along with other good deeds of the Grand Duke of Kiev.

Prince Svyatopolk

Vladimir the Red Sun had 12 sons and a nephew Svyatopolk. His eldest son Boris was to become his beloved son and heir to the throne, but when the old prince died, he returned from a campaign against the Pechenegs, and Svyatopolk seized power.

In the memory of the people and in the annals of Kiev, he remained as Svyatopolk I Yaropolchich the Accursed. The prince received such a nickname for the murder of his cousins Boris, Gleb and Svyatoslav. He also made an attempt on the life of Yaroslav.

Wanting to personally rule Ancient Russia, Svyatopolk the Accursed committed many betrayals and betrayals, so that when Yaroslav gathered an army and went to Kiev (for the second time), he had to flee. From fear, his mind was clouded, and he ended his days in the Bohemian wastelands, forever remaining in the memory of his descendants as cursed prince who killed his brothers.

Prince Yaroslav

Yaroslav the Wise was one of the most illustrious sons of Vladimir "Red Sun", who received a high people's appreciation and universal love. He was born approximately between 978 and 987. and at first he was the prince of Rostov, then Novgorod, until in 1019 he took the throne of Kiev. Disputes about the date of birth of Yaroslav are still ongoing. Since he was the third son of Vladimir the Holy from his marriage to Ragneda, which took place in 976, he could not have been born in 978, as it is customary to indicate in history books. Examination of the prince's remains indicated that at the time of his death he was between 60 and 70 years old, and not 76 years old.

No matter how much Yaroslav the Wise actually lived, he remained in the memory of the people as a fair, intelligent and brave ruler, although his path to the throne was not easy and bloody. The long reign of Prince Yaroslav in Kiev until his death erased the memories of civil strife between the numerous sons of St. Vladimir, as well as constant military campaigns. His reign was marked by the introduction of a code of laws into state administration, the construction of two great cities - Yaroslavl and Yuryev, and the strengthening of the influence of Kievan Rus in the European political arena. It was he who began to use dynastic marriages as a fastening of military and friendly alliances between powers.

Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich was buried in St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev.

Prince Izyaslav

The eldest son of Yaroslav the Wise took the throne of Kiev in 1054, after the death of his father. This is the only Rurik prince who ruled Russia ineptly, spending his efforts not on strengthening the borders and increasing the welfare of the people, as his father did, but on feuds with his younger brothers Svyatoslav and Vsevolod.

Izyaslav I Yaroslavich was overthrown by a people's council and an uprising twice, which in itself speaks of the quality of his government. Each time he returned the throne of Kiev with the support of the Polish troops. Neither his brothers nor sons made Russia stronger, preferring defense to attack. Until 1113, unrest and the pulling of the throne from one prince to another reigned in the country.

Vladimir Monomakh

The most famous and significant figure on the Kiev throne was Prince Vladimir, who received the nickname Monomakh among the people. At one time, he ceded the Kiev throne to his cousin Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, but after the death of the latter, at the request of the people, he took it.

Vladimir Monomakh can be compared with the legendary King Arthur. He was so loved and revered by the people for his courage, justice and generosity that songs and epics were composed in his honor long after his death.

During the reign of Vladimir, Kievan Rus became a truly powerful and strong power, with which all neighbors reckoned. He conquered the Principality of Minsk, and the Polovtsy moved away from the borders of Russia for a long time. Vladimir Vsevolodovich not only issued laws that make life easier for ordinary people and reduce taxes from them, but also continued the publication of The Tale of Bygone Years. It is in his interpretation that she has survived to this day. In addition, he himself wrote several works, including an autobiography, a set of laws and teachings from Vladimir Monomakh.

Rurik, son of Prince Rostislav

If in the days of Kievan Rus there was a book where they would bring various kinds records, then Rurik Rostislavich would definitely be there. The following factors distinguished him from other princes of Kiev:

Neither the date of his birth nor the name of his mother is known, which is considered nonsense for the ruling dynasties. It is known for certain that his father was Prince Rostislav Mstislavich of Smolensk.
He occupied the princely throne in Kiev 8 times, which in itself speaks either of his stubbornness, or that the people, disliking the prince, overthrew him from the throne every 2-3 years.
He managed to visit not only the ruler of Russia, but also a monk, which had not happened before him with the princes of Kiev.
His reign brought ruin to the capital city as strong as the subsequent attacks of the Mongol army.
The name of Rurik is associated with both the birth of a dynasty on the throne of Kiev and the fall of a great power.

Rurik Rostislavich remained in the memory of people and chroniclers as a man who ruined Kiev Orthodox churches worse than barbarians.

Romanov dynasty

If we turn to the history of Kievan Rus, and then the Russian state, one can notice one oddity: members of the ruling families did not have surnames. The Grand Dukes of the Romanov dynasty began to be so called only from 1917, and until that time all the kings, and later the emperors, were called exclusively by their first name and patronymic.

The Romanov dynasty began in 1613, when the first representative of the boyar family, who had this surname for more than 100 years, ascended Russian throne. Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov, known in history as Peter I, was the last Russian tsar, becoming the first emperor of Russia.

The direct branch of this family ended with his daughter Elizabeth Petrovna, who did not marry and remained childless, being the sovereign empress of the country. The throne passed to the son of her older sister Anna, forming a completely new dynastic surname of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanovsky.

Thus, Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov was the last direct representative of the male line of this surname. In spite of this, Russian emperors all over the world they were perceived as the Romanovs, and after the revolution, the children from the marriages of the descendants of the great royal dynasty left it behind them along with the titles that their ancestors had. She was already called the Grand Dukes by right of birth.

The formation of the nation, later called Russ, Rusichs, Russians, Russians, which became one of the strongest nations in the world, if not the strongest, began with the unification of the Slavs settled in the East European Plain. From where they came to these lands, when - it is not known for certain. History has not preserved any annalistic evidence of the Rus of the early centuries of the new era. Only from the second half of the 9th century - the time when the first prince appeared in Russia - can the process of nation formation be traced in more detail.

"Come reign and rule over us..."

Along the great waterway, which connected the entire East European Plain with numerous rivers and lakes, lived the tribes of the ancient Ilmen Slovenes, Polyans, Drevlyans, Krivichi, Polochans, Dregovichi, Severyans, Radimichi, Vyatichi, who received one common name for all - Slavs. Two large cities built by our ancient ancestors - Dnieper and Novgorod - already existed in those lands before the establishment of statehood, but did not have rulers. The names of the governors of the tribes appeared when the first princes in Russia were inscribed in the annals. The table with their names contains only a few lines, but these are the main lines in our story.

The procedure for calling the Varangians to control the Slavs is known to us from school. The ancestors of the tribes, tired of constant skirmishes and strife among themselves, elected envoys to the princes of the Rus tribe, who lived beyond the Baltic Sea, and obliged them to tell that “... Our whole land is great and plentiful, but there is no dress in it (i.e. . there is no peace and order). Come reign and rule over us." The brothers Rurik, Sineus and Truvor responded to the call. They came not alone, but with their retinue, and settled in Novgorod, Izborsk and Beloozero. It was in 862. And the people whom they began to rule began to be called the Rus - by the name of the tribe of the Varangian princes.

Refuting the initial conclusions of historians

There is another, less popular hypothesis regarding the arrival of the Baltic princes in our lands. According to the official version, there were three brothers, but it is likely that the old tomes were read (translated) incorrectly, and only one ruler arrived in the Slavic lands - Rurik. The first prince of ancient Russia came with his faithful warriors (team) - "tru-thief" in Old Norse, and his family (family, home) - "blue-hus". Hence the assumption that there were three brothers. For some unknown reason, historians conclude that two years after moving to the Slovenes, both Ruriks die like this (in other words, the words “tru-thief” and “blue-hus” are no longer mentioned in the annals). There are several other reasons for their disappearance. For example, that by that time the army, which the first prince gathered in Russia, began to be called not “tru-thief”, but “squad”, and the relatives who came with him - not “blue-hus”, but “genus”.

In addition, modern researchers of antiquity are increasingly inclined to the version that our Rurik is none other than the Danish king Rorik Friesland, famous in history, who became famous for his very successful raids on less weak neighbors. Perhaps that is why he was called to rule because he was strong, courageous and invincible.

Russia under Rurik

Founder political system in Russia, the ancestor of the princely dynasty, which later became royal, ruled over the people entrusted to him for 17 years. He united into one power the Ilmen Slovenes, the Psov and Smolensk Krivichi, the whole and the Chud, the northerners and the Drevlyans, the Merya and the Radimichi. In the annexed lands, he approved his proteges as governors. By the end, Ancient Russia occupied a rather vast territory.

In addition to the founder of the new princely family, two of his relatives, Askold and Dir, entered history, who, at the call of the prince, established their power over Kiev, which at that time did not yet have a dominant role in the newly formed state. The first prince in Russia chose Novgorod as his residence, where he died in 879, leaving the principality to his young son Igor. The heir of Rurik himself could not rule. For many years, undivided power passed to Oleg, an associate and distant relative of the deceased prince.

The first truly Russian

Thanks to Oleg, nicknamed the Prophets by the people, Ancient Russia gained power, which both Constantinople and Byzantium, the strongest states at that time, could envy. What the first Russian prince in Russia did in his time, the regent multiplied and enriched under the juvenile Igor. Gathering a large army, Oleg went down the Dnieper and conquered Lyubech, Smolensk, Kiev. The latter was taken by elimination, and the Drevlyans who inhabited these lands recognized Igor as their real ruler, and Oleg as a worthy regent until he grew up. From now on, the capital of Russia is Kiev.

Prophetic Oleg's legacy

Many tribes were annexed to Russia during the years of his reign by Oleg, who by that time had declared himself the first truly Russian, and not a foreign prince. His campaign against Byzantium ended in an absolute victory and the privileges won for the Russians for free trade in Constantinople. A rich booty was brought by the squad from this campaign. The first princes in Russia, to whom Oleg rightfully belongs, truly cared for the glory of the state.

Many legends and amazing stories circulated among the people after the return of the troops from the campaign against Constantinople. To reach the gates of the city, Oleg ordered the ships to be put on wheels, and when a fair wind filled their sails, the ships “went” across the plain to Constantinople, terrifying the townspeople. The terrible Byzantine emperor Leo VI surrendered to the mercy of the winner, and Oleg, as a sign of stunning victory nailed his shield on the gates of Constantinople.

In the annals of 911, Oleg is already referred to as the first Grand Duke of All Russia. In 912 he dies, according to legend, from a snake bite. His more than 30-year reign did not end heroically.

Among the strong

With the death of Oleg, he took control of the vast possessions of the principality, although in fact he was the ruler of the lands from 879. Naturally, he wanted to be worthy of the deeds of his great predecessors. He also fought (in his reign, Russia was subjected to the first attacks of the Pechenegs), conquered several neighboring tribes, forcing them to pay tribute. Igor did everything that the first prince in Russia did, but he did not succeed immediately in realizing his main dream - to conquer Constantinople. And in their own possessions, not everything went smoothly.

After the strong Rurik and Oleg, Igor's rule turned out to be much weaker, and the obstinate Drevlyans felt this, refusing to pay tribute. The first princes of Kiev knew how to keep the recalcitrant tribe under control. Igor also pacified this rebellion for a while, but the revenge of the Drevlyans overtook the prince a few years later.

The deceit of the Khazars, the betrayal of the Drevlyans

Relations between the crown prince and the Khazars were unsuccessful. Trying to reach the Caspian Sea, Igor concluded an agreement with them that they would let the squad go to the sea, and he, returning, would give them half of the rich booty. The prince fulfilled his promises, but this was not enough for the Khazars. Seeing that the superiority in strength was on their side, in a fierce battle they killed almost the entire Russian army.

Igor experienced a shameful defeat and after his first campaign against Constantinople in 941, the Byzantines destroyed almost his entire squad. Three years later, wanting to wash away the shame, the prince, having united all the Russians, Khazars and even Pechenegs into one army, again moved to Constantinople. Having learned from the Bulgarians that a formidable force was coming at him, the emperor offered Igor peace on very favorable terms for that, and the prince accepted it. But a year after such a stunning victory, Igor was killed. Refusing to pay a second tribute, the Koresten Drevlyans destroyed the few consolation of tax collectors, among whom was the prince himself.

Princess, the first in everything

Igor's wife, the Pskovite Olga, who was chosen as his wife by Oleg the Prophet in 903, cruelly took revenge on the traitors. The Drevlyans were destroyed without any losses for the Rus, thanks to Olga's cunning, but also merciless strategy - to be sure, the first princes in Russia knew how to fight. The hereditary title of ruler of the state after the death of Igor was taken by Svyatoslav, the son of a princely couple, but due to the latter's infancy, for the next twelve years, Russia was led by his mother.

Olga was distinguished by a rare intelligence, courage and the ability to wisely manage the state. After the capture of Korosten, the main city of the Drevlyans, the princess went to Constantinople and received holy baptism there. Orthodox Church was in Kiev also under Igor, but the Russian people worshiped Perun and Veles, and did not soon turn from paganism to Christianity. But the fact that Olga, who took the name Elena at baptism, paved the way for a new faith in Russia and did not betray her until the end of her days (the princess died in 969), elevated her to the rank of saints.

Warrior from infancy

N. M. Karamzin, the compiler of the Russian State, called Svyatoslav the Russian Alexander of Macedon. The first princes in Russia were distinguished by amazing courage and courage. The table, in which the dates of their reign are dryly given, is fraught with many glorious victories and deeds for the good of the Fatherland, which stand behind every name in it.

Having inherited the title of Grand Duke at the age of three (after the death of Igor), Svyatoslav became the actual ruler of Russia only in 962. Two years later, he freed the Khazars from submission and annexed the Vyatichi to Russia, and in the next two years, a number of Slavic tribes living along the Oka, in the Volga region, in the Caucasus and the Balkans. The Khazars were defeated, their capital Itil was abandoned. WITH North Caucasus Svyatoslav brought Yases (Ossetians) and Kasogs (Circassians) to his lands and settled them in the newly formed cities of Belaya Vezha and Tmutarakan. Like the first prince of all Russia, Svyatoslav understood the importance of constantly expanding his possessions.

Worthy of the great glory of the ancestors

In 968, having conquered Bulgaria (the cities of Pereyaslavets and Dorostol), Svyatoslav, not without reason, began to consider these lands his own and firmly settled in Pereyaslavets - he did not like the peaceful life of Kiev, and his mother was well managed in the capital. But a year later she was gone, and the prince of the Bulgarians, united with the Byzantine emperor, declared war. Going to her, Svyatoslav left the great Russian cities to his sons to manage: Yaropolka - Kiev, Oleg - Korosten, Vladimir - Novgorod.

That war was difficult and ambiguous - both sides celebrated victories with varying degrees of success. The confrontation ended with a peace treaty, according to which Svyatoslav left Bulgaria (it was annexed to his possessions by the Byzantine emperor John Tzimiskes), and Byzantium paid the established tribute to the Russian prince for these lands.

Returning from this campaign, controversial in its importance, Svyatoslav stopped for a while in Beloberezhye, on the Dnieper. There, in the spring of 972, the Pechenegs attacked his weakened army. Grand Duke was killed in battle. Historians explain the glory of a born warrior attached to him by the fact that Svyatoslav was incredibly hardy in campaigns, could sleep on damp ground with a saddle under his head, as he was unpretentious in everyday life, not like a prince, and was also picky about food. His message "I'm coming at you", with which he warned future enemies before the attack, went down in history as Oleg's shield on the gates of Constantinople.

The activities of the ruling princes of the Rurik dynasty concentrated on the desire to expand the borders of the state while maintaining the unity of Russia. Important milestones in ancient Russian history were the unification of Novgorod and Kievan Rus by Prince Oleg, the military campaigns of Prince Svyatoslav, the baptism of Prince Vladimir and the spread Orthodox faith on the subject population. Under the conditions of the feudal fragmentation of Kievan Rus, the progressive reigns of Yaroslav the Wise, Vladimir Monomakh and Mstislav the Great were remarkable in their own way.

Prince's name	Years of ruling	Political position	Major Acts
Rurik Varangian "Falcon"		Moderately aggressive. He sought to expand and secure the borders of subject territories.	According to the chronicle legend, he founded the Old Russian state.
Prince Oleg "Prophetic"		Dynamic. In every way he strengthened the princely power in Kiev and forced the enemy to equal cooperation by force.	He united the North and South of Russia, went on campaigns to Constantinople, drew up the first written treaty with Byzantium.
Prince Igor Rurikovich "Old"		Maximalist. Without much success, he tried to continue the policy of Prince Oleg	Continued campaigns to Constantinople. Killed by the Drevlyans during a polyud
Olga "Wise" "Saint"		Moderate. She sought to streamline the internal affairs of Kievan Rus.	She established the norms for collecting tribute (lessons), places of collection (graveyards) and replaced polyudye with a “cart”.
Svyatoslav Igorevich "Warrior", "Bars"	Really began to rule in 964	Aggressive adventurous. By military means he destroyed the sources of danger and expanded the territory of the state.	He conquered the Vyatichi tribes, destroyed the Khazar Khaganate, fought in Bulgaria, with Byzantium and the Pechenegs who killed him.
Yaropolk Svyatoslavich		Moderately centrist. He sought to establish the integrity and authority of Russia.	He established ties with Germany, did not interfere with the spread of Christianity in Russia.
Vladimir Svyatoslavich "Red Sun" "Saint"		Progressive-maximalist. He sought the full entry of Russia into a number of full-fledged European states.	Streamlining state policy on the ground. Baptism of Russia. Strengthening the borders of the state.
Svyatopolk Vladimirovich "Cursed"	For a year, the Poles helped to return Kiev	Reactionary-adventurous. The desire to maintain their power in Kiev at any cost prevailed.	The policy of rapprochement with Poland to the detriment of Russia. The murder of the brothers Boris and Gleb.
Yaroslav Vladimirovich	Svyatopolk was expelled from Kiev for a year		The stormy activity of the prince improved life in Russia in all spheres. By dynastic marriages, he strengthened the interstate ties of Kievan Rus.
Izyaslav Yaroslavich	Twice lost and returned the Kiev table	Confrontational. The desire to maintain their power in Kiev.	Feuded with brothers. He was defeated on Alta by the Polovtsy. Based on Poland.
Vseslav Bryachislavich "Wizard"		There is no political position.	The only prince of Polotsk who happened to be on the throne of Kiev.
Svyatoslav Yaroslavich			Defended the borders of Russia in the south. Compiled a new collection of laws - "Izbornik".
Vsevolod Yaroslavich "Peaceful"	Was replaced by Izyaslav	Moderately progressive. As a member of the triumvirate of the Yaroslavichs, he sought to preserve the integrity of Russia.	He fought with the Polovtsy, established ties with Europe. Participated in the compilation of "Pravda Yaroslavichi".
Svyatopolk Izyaslavich		Confrontational.	He was distinguished by his hypocritical character and cruelty to his subjects.
Vladimir Vsevolodovich "Monomakh"		Progressive. Tried to end the strife.	Preserved the unity of Russia. Defeated the Polovtsy. Supplemented the existing codes of laws.
Mstislav Vladimirovich "The Great"			Participated in the Lubech Congress. He went with the army to the Polovtsians. He defended the western borders of Russia from warlike neighbors.

The historical contribution of the rulers of Kievan Rus

The history of the Old Russian state is a typical development of early feudal political associations that had a tendency to fragmentation. However, during the existence of Kievan Rus was created social structure powers, as well as favorable conditions for the development of the economy and culture. This was greatly facilitated by the activities of the rulers of Russia - the Grand Dukes of Kiev.