July 16, 2017 in the Moscow historical park Kolomenskoye there will be a festival"Battle of a Thousand Swords", where Russian reenactors and guests from Bulgaria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland and other countries will present life medieval Rus' and her neighbors. This will be a military holiday, the main decoration of which will, of course, be the Battle. The holiday will take place on the site of the Dyakovsky settlement, an ancient settlement of the 5th century. On the eve of the festival Agency historical projects"Ratobortsy" prepared several materials specifically for "Morning" about the life of our ancestors.

Photo: agency of historical projects "Ratobortsy"

We now live in a time when, after several decades of wandering around the world, many have begun to return to the question “who are we?” Some people think that the question is rhetorical, and everything is clear - look, read Karamzin. But some people have never cared about this issue, and never will. But if you ask where and when Rus' came from, who the Russians are, then many will immediately begin to get confused. We decided to clarify this issue. As Vovchik Maloy said in the book “Generation P”, so that one could “simply explain to anyone from Harvard: poke-dagger-eight-holes, and there’s no point in looking like that.”

So, let's begin our story about Ancient Rus'. As pundits say, our civilization on Earth is not the first, not the second, and not the last. And peoples settled throughout the planet in different centuries and from different starting points. Ethnic groups mixed, various tribes formed and disappeared. Natural disasters occurred, the climate, flora and fauna changed, even the poles, they say, moved. The ice melted, the ocean level rose, the center of gravity of the planet changed, and rolled across the continents. giant wave. The survivors gathered in groups, forming new tribes, and everything began again. All this happened so slowly that it is difficult to imagine. It would probably be more difficult to observe only how coal is formed.

So here it is. There was a time in the history of our civilization that historians call the Age of Migration. In the 4th century AD there was an invasion of the Huns into Europe and from there it went on and on. Everything began to seethe and move. The ancestors of the Slavs, the Wends, described by Herodotus back in the 5th century BC, lived between the Oder and Dnieper rivers. Their settlement occurred in three directions - to Balkan Peninsula, in the area between the Elbe and Oder rivers and on the East European Plain. This is how three branches of the Slavs were formed, which exist to this day: the Eastern, Western and Southern Slavs. We know the names of the tribes preserved in the chronicles - these are the Polyans, Drevlyans, Northerners, Radimichi, Vyatichi, Krivichi, Dregovichi, Dulebs, Volynians, Croats, Ulichs, Tivertsy, Polotsk, Ilmen Slovenes.

Photo: agency of historical projects "Ratobortsy"

By the 6th century AD. The Slavs were at the stage of decomposition of the primitive communal system; its place was gradually taken by the so-called military democracy. The tribes expanded their possessions, and that's it higher value acquired the military strength of each tribe or union of tribes. The squad started playing key position in society, and at its head was the prince. Accordingly, as many squads as there are princes, and if the tribe settled widely and established several cities, there will be several princes there. In the 9th century, we can already talk about the established borders of the principalities, calling this formation Ancient Russia with its center in the city of Kyiv.

It is very easy to find maps of Rus' of the 9th-10th centuries in Internet search engines. On them we will see that the territory of Ancient Rus' was not localized around the capital. It stretched from south to north from the Black Sea to the Baltic and Lake Onega, and from west to east - from the modern Belarusian city Brest to Murom. That is, to the border of the Finno-Ugric tribes, partially including them in its composition (remember that Ilya Muromets came to to the prince of Kyiv from the village of Karacharova).

Photo: agency of historical projects "Ratobortsy"

The territory is huge not only in those times, but also in modern times. Now there is none European country this size did not exist at that time. One problem - all the princes were equal to each other, recognizing the supremacy of the prince who sits in Kyiv. Why in Kyiv? Because since ancient times, the Slavs preferred to settle on the banks of rivers, and when active trade was established, those settlements that stood on trade routes grew rich and attracted the most active and creative people. The Slavs actively traded with the south and east, and the “path from the Varangians to the Greeks” passed right along the Dnieper.

A few words about the squad and the peasantry. The peasant at that time was free and could change his place of residence, fortunately there were plenty of free remote places. Methods of enslaving him had not yet been invented; the social conditions were not the same. The prince's warriors were also free people and were in no way dependent on the prince. Their interest was in joint military spoils. The prince, who was more likely just a military leader for the squad, could immediately lose its favor if military success did not accompany him all the time. But over the course of a couple of centuries, this system of relations has changed. The warriors began to receive land plots from the prince, acquired a farm and their own small squads. There was a need to secure the peasants on their land. The squad turned into a local noble army.

Photo: agency of historical projects "Ratobortsy"

Of course, life in the principalities was not idyllic. The princes envied each other, quarreled, went to war against each other, indulging their ambitions. This happened primarily because inheritance rights were not transferred from father to son, but vertically - through brothers. The princes multiplied, placing their sons on thrones in different cities and towns. Thus, large principalities were divided into so-called appanage principalities. Each brother was given his own inheritance, which he ruled, defended, collected tribute from the people and gave part of it to the Grand Duke. So the princes began to compete.

This all continued for a long time, until in the 13th century the reverse process of gathering small principalities into large ones began. This was due to external factors- firstly, the need to repel the external enemy, which the Horde Mongols became for both Europe and Rus'. Secondly, trade and political centers shifted. Trade along the Dnieper faded, new trade routes opened, for example, along the Volga. Ancient Rus' gave birth to such political entities as Kiev, Vladimir-Suzdal and Novgorod Rus'. As a result, everything came down to a confrontation between two large state associations - the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. But that's a completely different story.

Our ancestors, the Slavs, came to Europe from Asia in ancient times. The Slavs settled along the lower reaches of the great Danube. Here the climate is good and the lands are fertile. Our ancestors would not have left those places, but other peoples began to crowd them out. Our ancestors divided into several territories:

• Some of the Slavs remained to live on the Danube. From them came the beginning of the Serbs and Bulgarians.
• The other part of the tribe went north. The Moravians, Poles and Slovaks found their beginnings here.
• Another part of the people went to the tributaries of the Dnieper and gave rise to the Russian people, who are our ancestors.
• Those Slavs who lived in the fields near the middle reaches of the Dnieper began to be called Polyans.
• The Drevlyans also appeared and settled in the forests near the mighty Pripyat River.
• Other various tribes of Slavs appeared. For example, Rodimichi, Polotsk, Northerners.

Economy of the Slavs

How did our Slavic ancestors live when they came to different territories of Europe? When the cold set in, our ancestors thought about how to make themselves a stronger and warmer shelter. They began to cover the huts that they had built with clay. And those tribes that settled near the forests decided to build huts from logs. Among the dwellings, the Slavs made hearths to light a fire. The smoke that came from the fire went into a hole in the roof or in the wall. Tables and various utensils were made of wood.

Bad weather and low temperatures forced the Slavs to make warm clothes for themselves. Various fur-bearing animals lived in the forests. To catch a quick hare or a cunning fox, a man made a bow and sharp arrows. With such a weapon you can catch up with a bird in the sky, and a fast hare in the field.

Of course, in those distant times our ancestors did not have good weapons. But they still had arrows, a bow, and spears with sharp tips.

Activities of our ancestors

What did the Slavs do, how did our ancestors live, in order to have food and culture?

The Slavs loved agriculture. Our ancestors grew millet, buckwheat, and flax. They cultivated the fertile southern lands. To sow them, the Slavs spent three years cultivating the new soil:

• 1 year: cutting down trees;
• Year 2: all trees were burned, and the ash was left to increase the fertility of the land;
• Year 3: sowing and harvesting.

After three years, this land lost its fertility, so new areas were taken for cultivation. The main tools of labor of the Slavs were an axe, a plow, a hoe, chains, and a harrow.

The South also has a lot of fertile soil. Sowing on each plot lasted about three years, then the plots were changed to new lands. Here the ralo, plow and wooden plow became the tools of the ancestors.

Our Slavic ancestors were engaged in cattle breeding. They raised pigs, cows, horses, and oxen here. Fishing and hunting were one of the most important activities at that time.

The Slavs ate rough food, and sometimes completely raw:

• animal meat;
• fish;
• milk.

Slavic art

Art did not bypass our great ancestors. They knew how to carve various images on wood and paint them. Music was one of the most beloved art forms. The Slavs made various musical instruments and learned to play them:

• harp;
• bagpipes;
• pipes.

Slavic charter

What else can we learn about how our distant ancestors lived? They did not know how to read and write, but they had information about chronology and arithmetic. Polysyllabic numbering was not a mystery to our ancestors. The Slavs observed the seasons and gave them 12 names, just as the Romans did.

The rule of the Slavs was popular, and then transformed into “aristocratic”. Military leaders were chosen as rulers, and then boyars, princes, lords and kings.

The Slavic language was quite rough in its sound. Our eastern ancestors had a common language for a very long time. These Slavs became the ancestors of Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians. After influence various factors, the language began to change. New words were formed from common ones, or old expressions were reinterpreted, and some words were borrowed.

Slavic religion

How did our ancestors live in religion? Until the end of the 10th century, the Slavs were pagans and worshiped the forces of nature and the souls of deceased ancestors.

The main deity of all Slavs was the thunder god Perun. They imagined him as a tall, black-haired, black-eyed man with a golden beard. IN right hand he held a bow and in his left hand a quiver of sharp arrows. According to ancient beliefs, Perun raced across the sky in his chariot and shot fiery arrows.

The ancestors of our Slavs had many revered gods:

• Stribog – god of the wind;
• Dazhbog – sun deity;
• Veles is the patron of herds;
• Svarog is the god of the sky and the father of all deities.

Their beliefs in a future afterlife can also tell us how our distant ancestors lived. The Slavs buried their dead in the ground, but there were cases when they were burned. With the deceased person, his utensils, belongings, and weapons were placed in the grave and on the fire. If the Slav was a warrior, then his war horse was also placed nearby. Our ancestors believed that the dead would rise again, and there they would need everything that accompanied their life on earth. After the burial ritual, funeral feasts were organized.

Omens also played a big role for the Slavs. It was believed that the gods send various signs so that people know the future. From this belief came the custom of fortune telling. People who knew a lot about omen and fortune-telling bore the names of sorcerers, sorcerers, witches and magicians.

There are many theories about how man originated. How did our ancestors live? Who were they? There are a lot of questions, and the answers, unfortunately, are ambiguous. Well, let's try to figure out where man came from and how he lived in ancient times.

Origin theory

• There are several theories about how man appeared: he is a creature of the cosmos, a creature from another world;
• the creator of man is God, it was he who laid down everything possible that man possesses;
• man emerged from the monkey, evolving and reaching new stages of development.

Well, since most scientists still adhere to the third theory, because man is so similar in structure to animals, we will analyze this version. How did they live in ancient times?

First stage: Parapithecus

As is known, the ancestor of both humans and monkeys was Parapithecus. If we tell the approximate time of existence of Parapithecus, then these animals inhabited the Earth about thirty-five million years ago. Despite the fact that scientists know too little about such ancient mammals, there is plenty of evidence that apes are evolved parapithecus.

Second stage: Dryopithecus

If you believe the still unproven theory of human origin, then Dryopithecus is a descendant of Parapithecus. However, it is a well-established fact that Dryopithecus is the ancestor of humans. How did our ancestors live? Exact time The life of Dryopithecus has not yet been established, but scientists say that they lived on Earth about eighteen million years ago. If we talk about lifestyle, then, unlike Parapithecus, which settled exclusively in trees, Dryopithecus already settled not only at altitude, but also on the ground.

Third stage: Australopithecus

Australopithecus is the direct ancestor of humans. How did our Australopithecus ancestors live? It has been established that the life of this ancient mammal began about five million years ago. Australopithecines were already more like modern humans in their habits: they calmly moved on hind legs, used the most primitive tools and protection (sticks, stones, etc.). Unlike their predecessors, Australopithecus ate not only berries, herbs and other vegetation, but also ate animal meat, since these same tools often served for hunting. Despite the fact that evolution was clearly moving forward, Australopithecus was more like a monkey than a human - thick hair, small proportions and average weight still distinguish them from modern humans.

Stage four: a skilled person

At this stage of evolution, the human ancestor was no different from Australopithecus in its appearance. Although skillful, he was distinguished by the fact that he could freely make tools, means of protection and hunting on his own. All the products that this ancestor produced were made mainly of stone. Some scientists are even inclined to believe that in his development, Homo habilis reached the point where he tried to transmit information to his own kind using certain combinations of sounds. However, the theory that the rudiments of speech already existed at this time has not been proven.

Stage five: Homo erectus

How did our ancestor, whom today we call “homo erectus”, live? Evolution did not stand still, and now this mammal was very similar to modern humans. In addition, already at this stage of development, a person could make sounds that served as certain signals. This means that we can conclude that there was already speech at that time, but it was inarticulate. At this stage, the volume of the human brain has greatly increased. Thanks to this, a skilled person no longer worked alone, but the work was collective. This human ancestor was able to hunt large animals because hunting tools were already sophisticated enough to kill a large animal.

Stage six: Neanderthal

For a very long time, the theory that Neanderthals were the direct ancestors of humans was considered correct and accepted by many scientists. However, studies have shown that Neanderthals did not have any descendants, which means that the branch of this mammal was a dead end. Despite this, Neanderthals are very similar in structure to modern humans: a large brain, lack of hair, and a developed lower jaw (this suggests that Neanderthals had speech). Where did our "ancestors" live? Neanderthals lived in groups, making their homes on river banks, in caves and between rocks.

The last stage: Homo sapiens

Scientists have proven that this species appeared 130 thousand years ago. External resemblance, the structure of the brain, all the skills - all this suggests that Homo sapiens is our direct ancestor. It is at this stage of the revolution that people begin to grow their own food, settle not just in groups, but in families, run their own private farms, keep their own barnyard and begin to explore new plant crops.

Slavs

How our people lived. This is a fully developed ancestor of modern man, who is characterized by division into racial groups. Human ancestors living in the Middle Ages were mainly Slavs. In general, this race appeared in the Baltic lands, and soon, due to its large numbers, settled throughout the territory Western Europe and the northwestern part of Russia. In addition, the Slavs fought constant battles and were distinguished by their special weapons technique and steadfastness in battle. The Slavs are the ancestors of specifically Russian, German, Baltic and other peoples.

The life of any person greatly depends on the environment around him, natural conditions, climate. The life of the ancient Slavs was no exception. Overall it was very simple and original. Life went on as usual, measuredly and naturally. But, on the other hand, we had to survive and look for food for ourselves and our children every day. So how did our ancestors, the Slavs, live?

They lived near rivers and other bodies of water. The reason for this is the need for large quantities water, and the land there is very fertile. The southern Slavs especially could boast of such lands. Therefore, one of their main occupations was agriculture. The main crops grown were millet, buckwheat, and flax. There were special tools for cultivating land: hoes, harrows, plows and others. The Slavs had several types of agriculture (for example, slash-and-burn). It differed in different regions of residence. Most often they burned trees in the forest. The resulting ash was used for fertilizer. After the land “tired” (usually after three years), they moved to new territories.

Housing

The Slavs tried to settle so that there were steep slopes around them. This could save them from enemy attacks. For the same purpose, a palisade was placed around the dwellings. It was made from logs.

As is known, in the territory modern Russia and Europe have frosty winters. Therefore, during this period the Slavs insulated their homes (huts) with clay. A fire was lit inside, and special holes were provided for the smoke. Later they began to build real huts with a stove. But initially, such a resource as logs was available only to the Slavs living near the forest.

As for household items, they were also made from different types of trees (these included dishes, tables, benches, and even children’s toys). And clothes were made from flax and cotton, which they grew themselves.

Lifestyle

Over time, the Slavs developed a tribal system, tribal relations. The unit or cell was the genus. This is a collection of people united by family ties. Today it can be imagined as if all the children of parents and their families live together. In general, the life of the Slavs was characterized by unity; they did everything together and together. When difficulties or disputes arose, they gathered at a special meeting (veche), where the elders of the clan solved the problems.

Nutrition

If the Slavs are basically what they grew and caught themselves. They prepared soups (cabbage soup), porridges (buckwheat, millet and others). Drinks included jelly and kvass. Vegetables used were cabbage and turnips. Of course, there were no potatoes yet. The Slavs also prepared various pastries. The most popular were pies and pancakes. They brought berries and mushrooms from the forest. In general, the forest was a source of life for the Slavs. From there they took wood, animals, and plants.

Hunting and herding

It is important to note that along with farming, our ancestors were also engaged in hunting.

Many animals lived in the forest (foxes, hares, moose, wild boars, bears). They drew double benefits. Firstly, the meat was used for food. Secondly, animal hair and fur are used for clothing. To hunt, the Slavs built primitive weapons - bows and arrows. Fishing was also important.

Over time, cattle breeding also appeared. Now you don’t have to run after the animals, they lived nearby. Basically, the Slavs had cows and pigs, as well as horses. Cattle also brought many benefits to humans. This is both delicious meat and milk. And large animals were used both as labor in the fields and as transport.

Leisure of the Slavs

You also need to be able to rest! How did our ancestors have fun? First, they carved various pictures from wood, then gave them bright colors. Secondly, the Slavs also loved music. They had harps and pipes. All musical instruments, of course, were also made of wood. Thirdly, women weaved and embroidered. After all, all the clothes of the Slavs were always decorated with fancy ornaments and patterns.

In conclusion

This was the life of the ancient Slavs. Although it was not filled with simple everyday amenities, it was there. And it was no worse than that of other tribes that developed in parallel with the Slavs and often had best conditions. The Slavs were able to get used to it and were able to move to the next level. Hardly modern man could have survived at that time without all his comforts, which he no longer notices. Therefore, let's respect and honor the memory of our ancestors. They did something that you and I couldn't do. We owe them what we have today.