Settlement of East Slavic tribes map. Event maps• Settlement of the Eastern Slavs in the 9th century

25.09.2019

Lecture: Peoples and ancient states on the territory of Russia. East Slavic tribes and their neighbors

East Slavic tribes and their neighbors

Slavic languages belong to the world's most widespread Indo-European language. language family. Therefore, the basis for the formation of the Slavs and others European peoples(Latvians, Lithuanians, Germans, Greeks, Iranians, etc.) became an ancient Indo-European community. According to one version, it was located in the north of Asia Minor (modern Türkiye). From there, at the turn of the 4th-3rd millennium BC. the resettlement of modern Europeans, including Slavs, began.

The ethnogenesis of the Slavs is the subject of scientific debate. Previously, it was believed that the Slavs came from the Danube, but modern researchers claim that the ancestral home of the Slavs is between the Vistula and Odra rivers. Here the settlement of Slavic tribes to the east and south began ( Balkan Peninsula). The first mentions of nationalities on the territory of Russia date back to the Bronze Age. In the Bible, historical documents Ancient Greece and the works of Herodotus are mentioned Cimmerians- a union of tribes living on the Crimean Peninsula and the northern parts of the Black Sea region.

In the Northern Black Sea region of the 7th-6th centuries. BC e. Great colonization of the Greeks to the west began. As a result, many city-states of Chersonesos (Sevastopol), Feodosia, Panticapaeum, Phanagria, Olvia, etc. were founded. They were the center of trade in fish, bread, livestock and slaves. In 480 BC. e. Panticapaeum (current name - Kerch) became the capital of the Bosporan Kingdom - a powerful Greek-barbarian state. At the same time, Iranian-speaking tribes came to the steppe shores of the Black Sea - Scythians. Their main occupation was cattle breeding, agriculture and crafts. Over time, until the 4th century AD. they settled throughout the northern Black Sea region, from the Danube to the Don. Their structure of life is also described by Herodotus. Later they came to these lands Sarmatians, they conquered most of their lands from the Scythians and occupied them with their settlements.

During Great Migration in the IV-VII centuries. n. e. The Northern Black Sea region is becoming a kind of main route for the movement of peoples from east to west. The hegemony of the Sarmatians in the Black Sea steppes passed to those who came from the Baltic gotham who came from Germanic tribes. Goths in the 4th century AD created the first known state in Europe - Oium. Which was soon destroyed by the Huns. The Huns were a nomadic people, living in the area from the Volga to the Danube. They defeated the Roman cities of the Black Sea region and undermined the prosperity of the Slavs of the Middle Dnieper region, depriving them of the opportunity to export grain. The Huns reached their maximum power during the reign of leader Attila in the 5th century, and were even able to form a state. But after Attila's death, due to internecine wars Between the heirs and other leaders, the state quickly fell apart, the Huns went beyond the Dnieper. And the Slavs moved to their place and invaded the Balkan Peninsula en masse.

As a result of the Great Migration of Peoples, the single Slavic community split into three branches: western, southern and Eastern Slavs, which in our time are represented by the following peoples:

Western Slavs (Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Lusatian Serbs);
South Slavs (Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats, Macedonians, Slovenes, Montenegrins, Bosnian Muslims);
Eastern Slavs (Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians).

They settled in the territories of Central, Eastern and South- Eastern Europe.

All Slavic tribes occupied a significant part of the territory of the East European Plain. The Eastern Slavs settled in the west, starting from the Carpathians and to the northern territories of the Dnieper in the east, from Lake Ladoga in the north to the Middle Dnieper region in the south. The names of the tribes are associated with their habitat (glades - field, Drevlyans - tree - forests, Dregovichi - dryagva - swamp). The largest in terms of population and area were Polyana and Sloven.

Neighbors of the East Slavic tribes

The neighbors of the Slavs were not very numerous Finno-Ugric and Baltic tribes. In the north they neighbored the peoples of the Finno-Ugric group: Ves, Merya, Muroma, Chud, Mordovians, Mari. The East Slavic tribes were more numerous and more developed, so many neighboring tribes became part of them. But not only the Slavs taught their neighbors, the Finno-Ugric tribes instilled in the Slavs many of their beliefs, just like the Baltic ones.

Nestor's "Tale of Bygone Years" preserved the news of the "torture" of the Slavic tribes by the "images". We're talking about Avarah- nomadic people of Central Asian origin. Which in the VI century. AD moved to Central Europe, creating their own state, the Avar Khaganate (in the territory of present-day Hungary). This state controlled all of Eastern Europe, including the Slavic lands. To protect themselves from the constant raids of the Avars, the Slavs began to make weapons, and men gathered a militia. At the end of the 8th century. The Avar state was destroyed by Hungarian troops.

Another neighboring nomadic tribes are the Khazars. They came in the 7th century. also from Asia, settled in the south of the Volga. Where the largest state in Eastern Europe was formed - the Khazar Khaganate (which included the northern territories of the Black Sea region, Crimean peninsula, North Caucasus, Lower Volga and Caspian region). Under oppression and constant raids, the Slavs living on the steppes had to pay them tribute, mainly in furs. True, the Khazar state allowed the Slavs to trade along the Volga trade route. Destroyed in the 10th century by the Russian army.

The Varangians played an important role in the life of the Eastern Slavs. The most important trade route that connected Scandinavia and Byzantium passed through the territory of the Eastern Slavs. In addition to economic influence, northern neighbors also had political influence. The Norman theory states that it was people from Scandinavia who gave the Eastern Slavs statehood. In the life of the Slavs, the role of Byzantium, which was one of the largest trade, economic, cultural and religious centers of the 9th century, was also great.

The Eastern Slavs are a large group of related peoples, which today numbers more than 300 million people. The history of the formation of these nationalities, their traditions, faith, relations with other states is important points in history, since they answer the question of how our ancestors appeared in ancient times.

Origin

The question of the origin of the Eastern Slavs is interesting. This is our history and our ancestors, the first mentions of which date back to the beginning of our era. If we talk about archaeological excavations, then scientists find artifacts indicating that the nation began to form before our era.

All Slavic languages belong to a single Indo-European group. Its representatives emerged as a nationality around the 8th millennium BC. The ancestors of the Eastern Slavs (and many other peoples) lived along the shores of the Caspian Sea. Around the 2nd millennium BC, the Indo-European group split into three nationalities:

Pro-Germans (Germans, Celts, Romans). Filled Western and Southern Europe.
Baltoslavs. They settled between the Vistula and the Dnieper.
Iranian and Indian peoples. They settled throughout Asia.

Around the 5th century BC, the Balotoslavs are divided into Balts and Slavs; already in the 5th century AD, the Slavs, in short, are divided into eastern (eastern Europe), western (central Europe) and southern (Balkan Peninsula).

Today, the Eastern Slavs include: Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians.

The invasion of the Hun tribes into the Black Sea region in the 4th century destroyed the Greek and Scythian states. Many historians call this fact the root cause of the future creation of the ancient state by the Eastern Slavs.
Historical background

Settlement

An important question is how the Slavs developed new territories, and how their settlement occurred in general. There are 2 main theories of the appearance of the Eastern Slavs in Eastern Europe:

Autochthonous. It suggests that the Slavic ethnic group was originally formed on the East European Plain. The theory was put forward by historian B. Rybakov. There are no significant arguments in its favor.
Migration. Suggests that the Slavs migrated from other regions. Soloviev and Klyuchevsky argued that the migration was from the territory of the Danube. Lomonosov spoke about migration from the Baltic territory. There is also a theory of migration from the regions of Eastern Europe.

Around the 6th-7th centuries, the Eastern Slavs settled in Eastern Europe. They settled in the territory from Ladoga and Lake Ladoga in the North to the Black Sea coast in the south, from the Carpathian Mountains in the West to the Volga territories in the East.

13 tribes lived in this territory. Some sources talk about 15 tribes, but this data does not find historical confirmation. The Eastern Slavs in ancient times consisted of 13 tribes: Vyatichi, Radimichi, Polyan, Polotsk, Volynians, Ilmen, Dregovichi, Drevlyans, Ulichs, Tivertsy, Northerners, Krivichi, Dulebs.

Specifics of the settlement of the Eastern Slavs on the East European Plain:

Geographical. There are no natural barriers, which makes movement easier.
Ethnic. Lived and migrated in the territory large number people with different ethnic composition.
Communication skills. The Slavs settled near captivity and alliances that could influence ancient state, but on the other hand they could share their culture.

Map of the settlement of the Eastern Slavs in ancient times

Tribes

The main tribes of the Eastern Slavs in ancient times are presented below.

Glade. The most numerous tribe, strong on the banks of the Dnieper, south of Kyiv. It was the clearings that became the drainage of the formation ancient Russian state. According to the chronicle, in 944 they stopped calling themselves Polyans, and began to use the name Rus.

Slovenian Ilmenskie. The most northern tribe, which settled around Novgorod, Ladoga and Lake Peipsi. According to Arab sources, it was the Ilmen, together with the Krivichi, who formed the first state - Slavia.

Krivichi. They settled north of the Western Dvina and in the upper reaches of the Volga. The main cities are Polotsk and Smolensk.

Polotsk residents. They settled south of the Western Dvina. A minor tribal union that did not play an important role in the Eastern Slavs forming a state.

Dregovichi. They lived between the upper reaches of the Neman and the Dnieper. They mostly settled along the Pripyat River. All that is known about this tribe is that they had their own principality, the main city of which was Turov.

Drevlyans. They settled south of the Pripyat River. The main city of this tribe was Iskorosten.

Volynians. They settled more densely than the Drevlyans at the sources of the Vistula.

White Croats. The westernmost tribe, which was located between the Dniester and Vistula rivers.

Duleby. They were located east of the white Croats. One of the weakest tribes that did not last long. They voluntarily became part of the Russian state, having previously split into Buzhans and Volynians.

Tivertsy. They occupied the territory between the Prut and the Dniester.

Uglichi. They settled between the Dniester and the Southern Bug.

Northerners. They mainly occupied the territory adjacent to the Desna River. The center of the tribe was the city of Chernigov. Subsequently, several cities were formed on this territory that are still known today, for example, Bryansk.

Radimichi. They settled between the Dnieper and Desna. In 885 they were annexed to the Old Russian state.

Vyatichi. They were located along the sources of the Oka and Don. According to the chronicle, the ancestor of this tribe was the legendary Vyatko. Moreover, already in the 14th century there are no mentions of the Vyatichi in the chronicles.

Tribal alliances

The Eastern Slavs had 3 strong tribal unions: Slavia, Kuyavia and Artania.

In relations with other tribes and countries, the Eastern Slavs attempted to capture raids (mutual) and trade. Mainly connections were with:

Byzantine Empire (Slav raids and mutual trade)
Varangians (Varangian raids and mutual trade).
Avars, Bulgars and Khazars (raids on the Slavs and mutual trade). Often these tribes are called Turkic or Türks.
Fino-Ugrians (the Slavs tried to seize their territory).

What did you do

The Eastern Slavs were mainly engaged in agriculture. The specifics of their settlement determined the methods of cultivating the land. IN southern regions, as well as in the Dnieper region, chernozem soil dominated. Here the land was used for up to 5 years, after which it was depleted. Then people moved to another site, and the depleted one took 25-30 years to recover. This farming method is called folded .

The northern and central region of the East European Plain was characterized by a large number of forests. Therefore, the ancient Slavs first cut down the forest, burned it, fertilized the soil with ashes, and only then began field work. Such a plot was fertile for 2-3 years, after which it was abandoned and moved on to the next one. This method of farming is called slash-and-burn .

If we try to briefly characterize the main activities of the Eastern Slavs, the list will be as follows: agriculture, hunting, fishing, beekeeping (honey collection).

The main agricultural crop of the Eastern Slavs in ancient times was millet. Marten skins were primarily used by the Eastern Slavs as money. Much attention devoted to the development of crafts.

Beliefs

The beliefs of the ancient Slavs are called paganism because they worshiped many gods. The deities were mainly associated with natural phenomena. Almost every phenomenon or important component of life that the Eastern Slavs professed had a corresponding god. For example:

Perun - god of lightning
Yarilo - sun god
Stribog - god of the wind
Volos (Veles) – patron saint of cattle breeders
Mokosh (Makosh) – goddess of fertility
And so on

The ancient Slavs did not build temples. They built rituals in groves, meadows, stone idols and other places. Noteworthy is the fact that almost all fairy-tale folklore in terms of mysticism belongs specifically to the era under study. In particular, the Eastern Slavs believed in the goblin, brownie, mermaids, merman and others.

How were the activities of the Slavs reflected in paganism? It was paganism, which was based on worship of the elements and elements influencing fertility, that shaped the Slavs’ attitude to agriculture as the main way of life.

Social structure

History does not have accurate data about where the first Slavs appeared. All information about their appearance and settlement throughout the territory of modern Europe and Russia was obtained indirectly:

analysis of Slavic languages;
archaeological finds;
written mentions in chronicles.

Based on these data, we can conclude that the original habitat of the Slavs was the northern slopes of the Carpathians; it was from these places that the Slavic tribes migrated to the south, west and east, forming three branches of the Slavs - Balkan, Western and Russian (Eastern).

The settlement of East Slavic tribes along the banks of the Dnieper began in the 7th century. Another part of the Slavs settled along the banks of the Danube and received the name Western. The South Slavs settled on the territory of the Byzantine Empire.

Settlement of Slavic tribes

The ancestors of the Eastern Slavs were the Veneti - a union of tribes of ancient Europeans who lived in Central Europe in the 1st millennium. Later, the Veneti settled along the coast of the Vistula River and the Baltic Sea to the North of the Carpathian Mountains. The culture, life and pagan rituals of the Veneti were closely connected with the Pomeranian culture. Some of the Veneti who lived in more western areas were influenced by Germanic culture.

Slavic tribes and their settlement, table 1

In the III-IV centuries. The East European Slavs were united under the rule of the Goths as part of the Power of Germanaric, located in the Northern Black Sea region. At the same time, the Slavs were part of the tribes of the Khazars and Avars, but were in the minority there.

In the 5th century, the settlement of East Slavic tribes began from the territories of the Carpathian region, the mouth of the Dniester and the banks of the Dnieper. The Slavs actively migrated to various directions. In the East, the Slavs stopped along the Volga and Oka rivers. The Slavs who migrated and settled in the East began to be called Ants. The Antes' neighbors were the Byzantines, who suffered the raids of the Slavs and described them as "high, strong people With beautiful faces" At the same time, the southern Slavs, who were called Sklavins, gradually assimilated with the Byzantines and adopted their culture.

Western Slavs in the 5th century. were settled along the coast of the Odra and Elbe rivers, and constantly launched raids into more western territories. A little later, these tribes split into many separate groups: Poles, Czechs, Moravians, Serbs, Luticians. The Slavs of the Baltic group also separated

Slavic tribes and their settlement on the map

Designation:

green - Eastern Slavs

light green - Western Slavs

dark green - southern Slavs

Basic East Slavic tribes and their places of residence

in the VII-VIII centuries. stable East Slavic tribes were formed, whose settlement occurred as follows: glades - lived along the Dnieper River. To the north, along the Desna River lived the northerners, and in the northwestern territories lived the Drevlyans. The Dregovichi settled between the Pripyat and Dvina rivers. Polotsk residents lived along the Polota River. Along the Volga, Dnieper and Dvina rivers there are Krivichi.

Numerous Buzhans or Dulebs were settled on the banks of the Southern and Western Bug, some of whom migrated towards the west and assimilated with the Western Slavs.

The places of settlement of the Slavic tribes influenced their customs, language, laws and methods of farming. The main occupations were growing wheat, millet, barley, some tribes grew oats and rye. They raised cattle and small poultry.

The settlement map of the ancient Slavs displays the boundaries and areas characteristic of each tribe.

East Slavic tribes on the map

The map shows that the East Slavic tribes are concentrated in Eastern Europe and in the territory modern Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. During the same period, a group of Slavic tribes began to move towards the Caucasus, therefore in the 7th century. some of the tribes end up on the lands Khazar Khaganate.

More than 120 East Slavic tribes lived on the lands from the Bug to Novgorod. The largest of them:

The Vyatichi are an East Slavic tribe that lived at the mouths of the Oka and Moscow rivers. The Vyatichi migrated to these areas from the Dnieper coast. This is the tribe long time lived separately and retained pagan beliefs, actively resisting joining the Kyiv princes. The Vyatichi tribes were subject to raids by the Khazar Khaganate and paid them tribute. Later the Vyatichi were still annexed to Kievan Rus, but have not lost their originality.
The Krivichi are the northern neighbors of the Vyatichi, living on the territory of modern Belarus and the Western regions of Russia. The tribe was formed as a result of the merger of the Balts and Finno-Ugric tribes that came from the north. Most elements of Krivichi culture contain Baltic motifs.
Radimichi are tribes that lived in the territory of modern Gomel and Mogidev regions. Radimichi are the ancestors of modern Belarusians. Their culture and customs were influenced by Polish tribes and eastern neighbors.

These three Slavic groups subsequently united and formed the Great Russians. It must be understood that the ancient Russian tribes and the places of their settlement did not have clear boundaries, because wars were fought between the tribes for lands and alliances were concluded, as a result the tribes migrated and changed, adopting each other’s culture.

In the 8th century eastern tribes The Slavs from the Danube to the Baltic already had a single culture and language. Thanks to this, it became possible to create a trade route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” and became the root cause of the formation of the Russian state.

East Slavic union of tribes living in the basin of the upper and middle reaches of the Oka and along the Moscow River. The settlement of the Vyatichi occurred from the territory of the Dnieper left bank or from the upper reaches of the Dniester. The substrate of the Vyatichi was the local Baltic population. The Vyatichi retained pagan beliefs longer than other Slavic tribes and resisted influence Kyiv princes. Disobedience and belligerence - business card Vyatichi tribe.

Tribal union of the Eastern Slavs of the 6th-11th centuries. They lived in the territories of what are now Vitebsk, Mogilev, Pskov, Bryansk and Smolensk regions, as well as eastern Latvia. They were formed on the basis of the incoming Slavic and local Baltic population - Tushemlinskaya culture. The ethnogenesis of the Krivichi involved the remnants of local Finno-Ugric and Baltic tribes - Estonians, Livs, Latgalians - who mixed with the numerous newcomer Slavic population. The Krivichi are divided into two large groups: Pskov and Polotsk-Smolensk. In the culture of the Polotsk-Smolensk Krivichi, along with Slavic elements of decoration, there are elements of the Baltic type.

Slovenian Ilmenskie- tribal union of Eastern Slavs in the territory Novgorod land, mainly in the lands near Lake Ilmen, adjacent to the Krivichi. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, the Ilmen Slovenes, together with the Krivichi, Chud and Meri, participated in the calling of the Varangians, who were related to the Slovenes - immigrants from the Baltic Pomerania. A number of historians consider the ancestral home of the Slovenes to be the Dnieper region, others trace the ancestors of the Ilmen Slovenes from the Baltic Pomerania, since the legends, beliefs and customs, the type of dwellings of the Novgorodians and Polabian Slavs are very similar.

Duleby- tribal union of the Eastern Slavs. They inhabited the territories of the Bug River basin and the right tributaries of the Pripyat. In the 10th century The association of Dulebs disintegrated, and their lands became part of Kievan Rus.

Volynians- an East Slavic union of tribes that lived on the territory on both banks of the Western Bug and at the source of the river. Pripyat. In Russian chronicles, Volynians were first mentioned in 907. In the 10th century, the Vladimir-Volyn principality was formed on the lands of the Volynians.

Drevlyans- East Slavic tribal union, which occupied in the 6th-10th centuries. the territory of Polesie, the Right Bank of the Dnieper, west of the glades, along the rivers Teterev, Uzh, Ubort, Stviga. The area of residence of the Drevlyans corresponds to the area of the Luka-Raykovets culture. The name Drevlyans was given to them because they lived in forests.

Dregovichi- tribal union of the Eastern Slavs. The exact boundaries of the habitat of Dregovichi have not yet been established. According to a number of researchers, in the 6th-9th centuries the Dregovichi occupied territory in the middle part of the Pripyat River basin, in the 11th - 12th centuries the southern border of their settlement ran south of Pripyat, the northwestern - in the watershed of the Drut and Berezina rivers, the western - in the upper reaches of the Neman River . When settling Belarus, the Dregovichi moved from south to north to the Neman River, which indicates their southern origin.

Polotsk residents- a Slavic tribe, part of the tribal union of the Krivichi, who lived along the banks of the Dvina River and its tributary Polota, from which they got their name.
The center of Polotsk land was the city of Polotsk.

Glade- a tribal union of Eastern Slavs who lived on the Dnieper, in the area of modern Kyiv. The very origin of the glades remains unclear, since the territory of their settlement was at the junction of several archaeological cultures.

Radimichi- an East Slavic union of tribes that lived in the eastern part of the Upper Dnieper region, along the Sozh River and its tributaries in the 8th-9th centuries. Convenient river routes passed through the lands of the Radimichi, connecting them with Kiev. The Radimichi and Vyatichi had a similar burial rite - the ashes were buried in a log house - and similar female temple jewelry (temporal rings) - seven-rayed (among the Vyatichi - seven-paste). Archaeologists and linguists suggest that in the creation material culture The Radimichi tribes also participated in the Baltic tribes living in the upper reaches of the Dnieper.

Northerners- an East Slavic union of tribes that lived in the 9th-10th centuries along the Desna, Seim and Sula rivers. The origin of the name northerners is of Scythian-Sarmatian origin and is traced back to the Iranian word “black”, which is confirmed by the name of the city of northerners - Chernigov. The main occupation of the northerners was agriculture.

Tivertsy- an East Slavic tribe that settled in the 9th century in the area between the Dniester and Prut rivers, as well as the Danube, including along the Budjak coast of the Black Sea in the territory of modern Moldova and Ukraine.

Ulichi- East Slavic tribal union that existed in the 9th - 10th centuries. The Ulichi lived in the lower reaches of the Dnieper, Bug and on the shores of the Black Sea. The center of the tribal union was the city of Peresechen. The Ulichi for a long time resisted the attempts of the Kyiv princes to subjugate them to their power.

Settlement, customs and beliefsEastern Slavs in ancient times

The ancient history of the Slavs has not yet been fully elucidated by historians; their origin and ancestral home have not been established. The origins of the historical fate of the Slavs go nowhere. Scientists do not have even a mere crumb of information about those times - the times of hoary antiquity. It is not even known exactly when the Slavs learned writing. Many researchers associate the emergence Slavic writing with the adoption of Christianity. All information about the ancient Slavs of the preliterate era was extracted by historians from the meager lines of historical and geographical works belonging to ancient Roman and Byzantine authors. Archaeological finds have shed light on some events, but how difficult it can be to correctly interpret each of them! Archaeologists often argue among themselves, determining which of the objects they found belonged to the Slavs and which did not.

Slav Slav

For every drop solid knowledge there is a whole ocean of assumptions and conjectures. Thus, early history of the Slavs is no less mysterious and mysterious than the history of Atlantis.

The ancestral home of the Slavs and their settlement

No exact information has yet been found about where the Slavs came to Europe and from what peoples they come. Some historians associate the origin of the Slavs with Scythians, who lived in the Northern Black Sea region and along the Dnieper during the time of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BC).

Scientists believe that in the 1st millennium AD. e. The Slavs occupied a vast territory: from the Balkans to modern Belarus and from the Dnieper to the regions of Central Europe. In those distant times There were no Slavic tribes yet within the modern borders of Russia.

Byzantine historians of the 6th century. called the Slavs antami And sklavins. The Antes were distinguished by their belligerence.

antes

Initially they were not Slavic people, but, living for a long time side by side with the Slavs, they became Slavic and, in the minds of their neighbors who wrote about them, became the most powerful of the Slavic tribes.

Neighborhood of the Slavs in the V-VII centuries. was a real disaster for Byzantium. For many centuries, the power of the Roman Empire stopped invasions at its borders barbarian peoples. But time passed, and the empire faded away. It split into two halves - western and eastern, each of which was ruled by its own emperors. The Western Empire fell under the onslaught of the wild Germans. The Eastern Empire, which later became known as Byzantium, withstood many enemies when armed force, and when using subtle diplomacy to ward off the threat of invasion on one’s territory. But the Slavs appeared on its borders. Their constant raids kept the Byzantines at bay.

The horror instilled by the Slavs in the enemy is comparable to the awe that in other times the Huns, Vikings or Mongol-Tatars forced their enemies to experience. Fury in battle and the ability to endure the harshest conditions of campaigns made the Slavs a serious opponent. Feeling that the defense of the empire’s borders was weak, the Slavs eventually poured into its lands in a wide stream, occupying areas from the Danube to Crete and from the Adriatic coast to Asia Minor. At the same time, streams of Slavic settlers rushed in all directions, including to the Russian Plain.

battle between the Slavs and the Pechenegs

From about the 6th century. From the pan-Slavic unity, three branches begin to emerge: southern, western And Eastern Slavs. The South Slavic peoples (Serbs, Montenegrins, etc.) were subsequently formed from those Slavs who settled within the Byzantine Empire, gradually merging with its population. Only the Bulgarians did not stop fighting the Byzantines, but they also experienced the strongest influence of Byzantine culture. Western Slavs became those who occupied the lands modern Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and partly Germany. As for the Eastern Slavs, they inherited a huge territory between three seas: the Black, White and Baltic. Their descendants are modern Belarusians, Ukrainians and Russians.

S. V. Ivanov. "Housing of the Eastern Slavs."

For half a millennium, the Eastern Slavs explored these vast expanses. The territory of Eastern Europe in the 7th-8th centuries. was covered with dense forests. On the border of the forest and steppe, nomadic peoples competed with the Slavs, fighting for territory. But those lands that belonged to the forest belt cannot be called free. Long before the arrival of the Slavs, they were inhabited by Baltic and Finno-Ugric tribes (Ves, Chud, Merya, Muroma, Meshchera, Mordovians, etc.). It would seem that what region of Russia cannot be called anything other than primordially Russian? This is the Russian North. Rostov, Vologda, Arkhangelsk, Beloozero - how much the names of these ancient cities say to the Russian heart! But a thousand years ago, an absolute minority of Slavs lived in these places. Settlements were located here so sparsely that at first the Slavs did not even have to enter into conflicts with the local Baltic and Finno-Ugric population, and the peaceful neighborhood led to the gradual Slavification of a significant part of it. Research by anthropologists shows that the ancestors of Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians are not only the Slavs, but also the ancient Finno-Ugric and Balts.

Slavic village

However, this neighborhood was not always only peaceful. The chronicles contain evidence of armed confrontation between the Slavs and local tribes that broke out from time to time.

East Slavic tribal unions

Initial information about the settlement of the East Slavic tribes was obtained from the Tale of Bygone Years. They are confirmed by archaeological finds.

The Slavs divide slaves and other booty after returning from a long campaign.

From the Slavs “sitting along the Danube”, the Slavic tribes dispersed across different lands and were called by their own names, who sat down where (that is, began to live. - Note ed.) in what place?

Polyans were the name given to the Slavs who settled in the middle reaches of the Dnieper around Kyiv. “There were three brothers,” the chronicler narrates, “Kiy, who sat on the mountain where Borichev now rises, and the second brother Shchek sat on a mountain called Shchekavitsa, and the third brother Khoriv sat on Mount Khorivitsa. And they had a sister named Lybid.” The brothers built a town and named it Kiev after their older brother. There was a “forest and a great forest” around the city, and animals were caught in it.

“And those men were wise and intelligent, and they were called Polyans, from them Polyans to this day in Kyiv.” Elsewhere in the chronicle it is said that they are called glades because “they sit in the field.”

monument to the founders of Kyiv

According to legend, Prince Kiy traveled to Byzantium, to Constantinople (Constantinople), where the emperor gave him great honors. On the way back, Kiy took a fancy to a place on the Danube, cut down a town there called Kievets and wanted to settle there with his family, but was expelled by the surrounding residents. Kiy returned to his city, where he died; both his brothers and sister died here.

To the north of the glades along the Desna and Sula rivers lived northerners, and settled northwest of Kyiv Drevlyans, so named because they lived in dense forests. Their center was the city of Iskorosten. The tribes that settled between Pripyat and Dvina were called Dregovichi; others “sat” along the Dvina in the place where the Polota River flowed into it, and received the name Polotsk They settled in the upper reaches of the Volga, Dnieper and Western Dvina Krivichi, their main city was Smolensk. Radimichi And Vyatichi, according to the chronicle, they descended from the clan of “Poles” (Poles). “After all, the Poles had two brothers - Radim, and the other - Vyatko,” writes the chronicler. - And they came and sat down: Radim on the Sozh (a tributary of the Dnieper. - Note ed.), and from him they were called Radimichi, and Vyatko settled with his family on the Oka River, and from him the Vyatichi received their name.”

Lived along the Bug buzhans, or duleby, about which the chronicler says that they were “tortured” by nomads obry(avars). This nomadic people fought with Byzantium and the Slavs in the 6th century. According to legend, the Avars, when they were planning to go somewhere, did not allow a horse or an ox to be harnessed to a cart, but harnessed three, four or five Duleb women and forced them to drive themselves. These obrins, according to the chronicle, “were great in body and proud in mind, and God destroyed them, and they all died, and not a single obrin remained.”

Since then, a saying has appeared in Rus': “They disappeared like obra.” The Slavs who settled around Lake Ilmen were called Slovenes of Novgorod, or Ilmensky; their main city was Novgorod.

ancient Novgorod

It is not entirely correct to call the Polyans, Drevlyans or, say, Vyatichi tribes. We are talking not just about tribes, but about political and military alliances that included up to a hundred or more small tribes and were called by the name of one of them, the strongest and most numerous. Each such union had its own princes - leaders from the tribal nobility. However, it is not known whether the princes were elected (for the duration of the campaigns) or inherited their power. Historians believe that the East Slavic tribal unions were an embryonic form of the state, sometimes they are even called proto-states.

For a long time, the Eastern Slavs did not abandon their warlike customs and enriched themselves not only through peaceful trades, but also through military booty. Tribal leaders raided Byzantium or neighboring tribes and obtained slaves and luxury goods there. The Slavic princes distributed part of the military spoils among their fellow tribesmen, which increased their prestige as leaders of campaigns. At the same time, squads were formed around the princes - groups of permanent combat comrades, friends (the word “squad” comes from the word “friend”) of the prince, a kind of professional warriors and advisers.

princely squad

The Slavs lived in communities and clans. Every free man (not a slave) was armed and joined the militia. Byzantine authors emphasized that the Slavic tribes live in “national rule”, without any state power. The selection of squads was an essential stage in the stratification of the Slavic community and the transformation of the prince’s power from tribal to state.

Customs of the Eastern Slavs in ancient times

Each association of East Slavic tribes had its own customs, laws, legends and even its own “character”. The chronicle reports: “The Glades have the custom of their fathers, meek and quiet, being bashful before their daughters-in-law and sisters, mothers and parents; They have great modesty before their mothers-in-law and brothers-in-law; They also have a marriage custom: the son-in-law does not go for the bride, but they bring her the day before, and the next day they offer for her - whatever they give.” And the Drevlyans “live in a bestial manner”, kill each other, eat “everything unclean” and they have no marriages, but “kidnap girls near the water.” Radimichi, Vyatichi and northerners, as the Tale of Bygone Years reports, had common custom: they lived in the forest, like animals, ate “everything unclean” and shamed themselves in front of their fathers and daughters-in-law. They also did not have marriages, but held games between villages with dances and songs; and here they “kidnapped” their wives in agreement with them; had two and three wives.

If one of them died, they held a funeral feast (a solemn farewell to the deceased in the form of a military competition, game or battle), and then they made a large deck of firewood and laid the dead man on this deck and burned it.

funeral feast

And then, having collected the bones, they put them in a small clay vessel and placed them on poles along the roads.

Economy of the Eastern Slavs

Slavic settlements were usually located along the banks of rivers and lakes in places suitable for agriculture - their main occupation. They cultivated rye, wheat, barley, oats, millet, beans, and peas; They grew flax, hemp, as well as vegetables - turnips (which were as common as potatoes in our time; they ate them steamed), radishes, onions, garlic, cabbage.

For the northern forest regions it was typical slash-and-burn farming system. In the first year, they cut down the forest, then, when it dried up, they uprooted the stumps and set them on fire, then they sowed into the ashes, having previously plowed the ground, but often without doing this. The area, cleared of forest, produced a harvest for three to four years. This forced the Slavs to leave old areas and cut down new ones. This farming system required huge amount land and forced them to settle in relatively small villages. Agriculture the southern territories of the East Slavic world were more highly developed than in the north. This was facilitated by the blessed natural conditions(warm climate, plenty of rain) and fertile soil. Here the leading method of agriculture was reword The plots were sown for several years, and after the land was depleted, they moved (“shifted”) to another place. They used a plow unknown in the north. All these reasons determined higher and more stable yields in the south than in the north.

Along with farming great place The economy of the Eastern Slavs was dominated by livestock farming. Animal bones found during excavations indicate that the Slavs bred horses, whose meat was rarely eaten (they were used mainly for riding and as draft power), as well as cows, pigs, goats, sheep and poultry.

In the forests that covered the territory of Eastern Europe, animals were found in abundance, and there was a lot of fish in the rivers. Therefore, the Slavs hunted wild boar, deer, bear, beaver, fox, marten, hare and other animals; They caught pike, carp, pike perch, bream, catfish, sturgeon and other fish in the rivers. They took bows and arrows and spears for hunting.

princely hunt

Fish were caught with hooks, nets, seines and various wicker devices. Beekeeping also played an auxiliary role in the economy - collecting honey from wild bees.

Eastern Slavs in the writings of the Byzantines

Byzantine writer of the 6th century. Procopius of Caesarea described the Slavs as people of very tall stature and enormous power, with white skin and hair.

Entering the battle, they went to the enemies with shields and darts in their hands, but they never put on shells. Some of them wore neither shirts nor cloaks, but only pants, pulled up by a wide belt on the hips, and in this form they went to fight the enemy.

Another Byzantine writer of the 6th century, Mauritius the Strategist, talked about the Sklavins and Antes, who were numerous, hardy, and easily endured thirst, cold, rain, nakedness, and lack of food. They preferred to fight the enemy in places covered with dense forest, in gorges, on cliffs; They suddenly attacked day and night, taking advantage of ambushes and tricks, inventing many ingenious ways to surprise the enemy.

S. V. Ivanov. "Bargaining in the country of the Eastern Slavs."

They easily crossed rivers, courageously enduring their stay in the water: being suddenly overtaken by the enemy, they plunged into the water and held in their mouths specially prepared large reeds, hollowed out inside, reaching the surface of the water, while they themselves lay supine at the bottom of the river and breathed with their help sometimes for many hours. And if it happened that the reeds were visible from the water, inexperienced people mistook them for growing in the water.

Slavic settlements of the VI-VIII centuries. The Slavs return from hunting, accompanied by Byzantine traders.

Each Slavic warrior was armed with two small spears, some also had strong, but difficult to carry shields from place to place. The Slavs used wooden bows and small arrows dipped in a special poison. Having no leader over them and being at enmity with each other, they did not recognize the military system, were unable to fight in a proper battle and never showed themselves in open and level places. If it happened that they dared to go into battle, then they all slowly moved forward together, shouting, and if the enemy could not withstand their shout and onslaught, then they actively advanced; otherwise, they fled, slowly trying to measure their strength with the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. Using the forests as cover, they rushed towards them, because only among the gorges they knew how to fight well.

Often the Slavs abandoned the captured booty, allegedly under the influence of confusion, and fled into the forests, and then, when the enemies tried to take possession of it, they unexpectedly struck.

The Slavs did not keep captives in slavery for an unlimited time, like other tribes, but after a certain time they offered them a choice: to return home for a ransom or to remain where they were, in position free people and friends.

Slavic assault on the Byzantine fortress

Continued on the website: For advanced - Paganism of the Eastern Slavs.