The history of the founding of Rus' in the 9th century AD is shrouded in a dense veil of secrets, which sometimes contradict the statements of the official history of the Russian state. The name of Prince Rurik is associated with many hypotheses and studies that try to restore the chain of true events of that distant time.
Perhaps there would be fewer of these hypotheses if not for one main circumstance: the name of Rurik is associated with the founding of the ruling dynasty, whose representatives occupied Russian thrones until 1610, until the Time of Troubles, until the change from the Rurik dynasty to the Romanov dynasty.
So, Rurik.
Official details:
- year of birth unknown, from the Varangian princely family, family coat of arms - a falcon falling down.
- Called by the Slavs to suppress civil strife with the Finno-Ugric tribes in 862 AD.
- becomes the Prince of Novgorod and the founder of the princely, royal Rurik dynasty.
- died in 879 AD.
The arrival of Rurik with his family retinue, in historiography, is usually called the “Calling of the Varangians.” Brothers Sineus and Truvor came with Rurik. After the death of the brothers in 864, Rurik became the sole ruler of the Novgorod principality.
Versions of the origin of Rurik:
— The Norman version claims that Rurik comes from the Scandinavian Vikings. Some researchers associate Rurik with Rorik of Jutland from Denmark, and others with Eirik from Sweden.
— The West Slavic version claims that Rurik was from the Vagrs or Prussians. This theory was adhered to by M.V. Lomonosov.
After Rurik's death in 879, he was succeeded by his son Igor. Igor was raised by the Prophetic Oleg, whose involvement in the Rurik family is doubtful. Most likely, Prophetic Oleg was one of Rurik’s squad, or at least was distantly related.
The influence of the Rurik dynasty began to spread to all Slavic lands south of Novgorod.
The direct line of succession after Rurik continued. After Igor came Svyatoslav Igorevich, Vladimir Svyatoslavich (the Great), Yaroslav (the Wise). After the death of Yaroslav the Wise (1054), the process of branching the genealogical line of the Rurikovichs began.
The division was caused by the Ladder order and the increasing feudal fragmentation of Rus'. Individual descendants of the senior princes became sovereign princes of the separated principalities. The sons of Yaroslav the Wise led the so-called “Triumvirate”:
- Izyaslav ruled Kyiv, Novgorod and the lands west of the Dnieper.
- Svyatoslav ruled Chernigov and Murom.
- Vsevolod reigned in Rostov, Suzdal and Pereyaslavl.
Of these three branches, the strongest was the branch of Vsevolod and his son Vladimir Monomakh. This branch was able to expand its possessions at the expense of Smolensk, Galich and Volyn. In 1132, the son of Vladimir Monomakh, Mstislav the Great, died. At this time, Kievan Rus completely collapsed. The formation and strengthening of local dynasties began, which, however, were also Rurikovichs.
We will focus on the Rurik dynasty from the main branch - the Monomakhovichs.
The following famous princes belonged to this branch: Yuri Dolgoruky, Andrei Bogolyubsky, Alexander Nevsky, Ivan the First Kalita, Simeon Ivanovich Proud, Ivan the Second Red, Dmitry Donskoy; hereditary princes: Vasily the First Dmitrievich, Vasily the Second Dark, Ivan the Third Vasilyevich, Vasily the Third Ivanovich; Moscow kings: Ivan the Fourth the Terrible, Fyodor the First Ioannovich.
The reign of Fyodor Ioannovich, the third son of Ivan the Terrible, became the last in a long line of offspring of the semi-legendary Varangian prince Rurik. With the death of Fyodor Ioannovich, the bloody Time of Troubles began for Russia, which ended with the capture of Kitay-gorod in Moscow on November 4, 1612 and the election of a new tsar.
And the expansion of the territory of Russian lands was facilitated by more than seven centuries of rule of the Rurik dynasty.
Russian chronicle legends, in particular ““, explain the appearance of the leaders of the Varangian squads at the head of the ancient Russian state, by the request of the Novgorodians. It was the Novgorodians who invited Rurik the Varangian to reign in order to stop civil strife.This legend of the appearance of the founder of the Rurik dynasty is refuted by many historians and consider the Rurik brothers to be invaders who took advantage of the internecine strife of the Slavs.
But in any case, the year 862 is considered the beginning of the reign of the Rurik dynasty - the great princes of Novgorod, Kyiv, Vladimir, and Moscow. Russian tsars, until the 16th century, were considered descendants of Rurik. The last of this dynasty was Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich.So, from 862 to 879, Rurik of Varangia became the great prince of Novgorod. His reign was marked by the establishment of feudal relations, identical to the European feudal system.
After his death, power passed to, who was the guardian of Rurik’s young son, Igor. Oleg the Prophet is known as the first gatherer of Russian land into one state. According to legend, he died from a snake bite.For the first time, the son of Rurik became the Grand Duke of Kyiv and all Rus'. He contributed to the strengthening of statehood among the Eastern Slavs by extending the power of the Kyiv prince to the East Slavic tribal associations between the Dniester and the Danube.
The first Russian prince named by name in non-Russian chronicles. This happened during his campaign against Byzantium during the capture of Constantinople. His reign was not successful; from 915, numerous tribes of Pechenegs began to settle between the Don and Danube, who carried out devastating raids on peaceful Slavic tribes. Igor himself was killed in 945 while collecting annual tribute from conquered tribes.
His wife and temporary ruler cruelly punished the Drevlyan tribe for the death of her husband and the prince of Kyiv. She became the first woman to rule the state. Her reign was marked by rationality, wisdom and diplomatic abilities. She personally toured the estates, established the amount of state tribute, the timing of its collection, and divided the entire land into graveyards (volosts).As the ruler of the Russian land, Olga was known in all European countries.
The son of Olga and Igor was the first among the princes of Kyiv to bear a Slavic name. Known as a prominent commander, for the most part, he was on military campaigns.His son Yaropolk is considered guilty of the death of his brother Oleg, who tried to claim the Kiev throne. Yaropolk himself was killed by his brother Vladimir.The Grand Duke of Kyiv received the nickname “Saint” in Russian chronicles. The brave and warlike prince was a fanatical pagan in his youth and, at the same time, a vengeful and bloodthirsty fratricide, who, because of the desire to possess the princely throne, went to war against his half-brother.
Under the influence of circumstances, he decided that Rus' should become Christian and in 988 the townspeople were gathered on the banks of the Dnieper and a solemn baptism ceremony was performed. From that moment on, Christianity became the state religion, the persecution of pagan idols began, and the Christian church began to call Prince Vladimir “Saint” and “Equal to the Apostles.”
His son Yaroslav Vladimirovich, to whom history added the nickname “Wise,” was truly a wise and diplomatic ruler of the Old Russian state. The time of his reign was not only internecine feudal wars between close relatives, but also attempts to bring Kievan Rus to the world political arena, attempts to overcome feudal fragmentation, and the construction of new cities. The reign of Yaroslav the Wise is the development of Slavic culture, a kind of golden period of the Old Russian state.
He himself was a great connoisseur and admirer of beauty, directing his energy to the development of education - schools were organized for all classes. He personally collected a rich library of ancient and modern manuscripts and contributed to the development of monasteries, which at that time played a fundamental role in the spread of book publishing in Rus'. Under Yaroslav, the first written laws of public administration appeared, called “Russian Truth,” which became the basis of legal proceedings in Rus'.
The sons of Yaroslav the Wise, during their stay on the Kiev throne, tried to complement the deeds of their great father.Izyaslav made additions to “Russian Truth”, Svyatoslav replenished the library. The famous “Izbornik” with instructions and teachings is one of the pearls of Russian literature.Vsevolod, throughout his reign, tried to reconcile and unite the growing dynasty - his additions to the “Russian Truth” abolish blood feuds, regulate the degree of feudal dependence, and determine the status of the princely warriors.
One of the most prominent rulers of Ancient Rus' was Vladimir Monomakh, who fought for the restoration of the unity of the Russian lands. He was the first of the Kyiv princes to transfer his throne by inheritance to his son Mstislav, thereby laying the foundation for succession to the throne and taking a step towards state centralization.The sons tried to continue their father’s work of unifying the Russian lands and, most of all, Prince Yuri Vladimirovich Dolgoruky and his son, Monomakh’s grandson, Andrei Yuryevich Bogolyubsky succeeded in this.
During their reign, the principalities of Vladimir and later Moscow became the center of the Old Russian state. Kyiv is beginning to lose its political and economic significance. Numerous Rurikovichs moved to the outskirts of Rus', turning them into developed and significant principalities.Feudal strife and princely strife led to the Mongol invasion. For almost 300 years, Russian princes paid shameful tribute to the Mongol khans. Individual pockets of protest were brutally punished not only by the Baskaks, the governors of the Horde khans, but also by the Russian princes, who preferred to pay tribute rather than fight.
The grandson was able to unite the forces of the Russian princes and, as a result of the victory on the Kulikovo Field, put an end to the hated power of the Horde. The Moscow principality expands and becomes the center. The next ruler is the son of Dmitry Donskoy, Vasily I, and Moscow becomes an all-Russian cultural and political center in which state power is concentrated.Even during his reign, Vasily II makes his son Ivan co-ruler and heir. Under Ivan's eldest son, Vasily III, the unification of Russian lands into a single state ends.
He became the first Tsar of All Rus', who significantly increased the territory of the state and forced European countries to reckon with Muscovy.The last Russian tsar from the Rurik dynasty was the childless son of Ivan the Terrible, Fyodor Ioannovich, with whom this dynasty ended.
Rurikovich- a princely and royal dynasty that ruled in Ancient Rus', and then in the Russian kingdom from 862 to 1598. In addition, in 1606-1610 the Russian Tsar was Vasily Shuisky, also a descendant of Rurik.
Numerous noble families go back to Rurik, such as the Shuisky, Odoevsky, Volkonsky, Gorchakov, Baryatinsky, Obolensky, Repnin, Dolgorukov, Shcherbatov, Vyazemsky, Kropotkin, Dashkov, Dmitriev, Mussorgsky, Shakhovsky, Eropkin, Lvov, Prozorovsky, Ukhtomsky, Pozharsky, Gagarins, Romodanovskys, Khilkovs. Representatives of these clans played a significant role in the social, cultural and political life of the Russian Empire, and then of the Russian diaspora.
The first Rurikovichs. Period of the centralized state
The Kyiv chronicler of the early 12th century brings the Rurik dynasty “from beyond the sea.” According to the chronicle legend, the peoples of the north of Eastern Europe - the Chud, the Ves, the Slovenes and the Krivichi - decided to look for a prince from the Varangians, who were called Rus. Three brothers responded to the call - Rurik, Sineus and Truvor. The first sat down to reign in Novgorod, the center of the Slovenes, the second - on Beloozero, the third - in Izborsk. Rurik's warriors Askold and Dir, having descended the Dnieper, began to reign in Kyiv, in the land of the glades, saving the latter from the need to pay tribute to the nomadic Khazars. Many scientists identify Rurik with the Scandinavian king Rorik of Jutland; F. Kruse was the first to put forward this hypothesis in 1836.
The direct ancestors of the subsequent Rurikovichs were the son of Rurik Igor (ruled 912-945) and the son of Igor and Olga (945-960) Svyatoslav (945-972). In 970, Svyatoslav divided the territories under his control between his sons: Yaropolk was planted in Kyiv, Oleg in the land of the Drevlyans, and Vladimir in Novgorod. In 978 or 980, Vladimir removed Yaropolk from power. In Novgorod (Slovenia) he planted his eldest son - Vysheslav (later Yaroslav), in Turov (Dregovichi) - Svyatopolk, in the land of the Drevlyans - Svyatoslav, and in Rostov (land Merya, colonized by the Slavs) - Yaroslav (later Boris), in Vladimir -Volynsk (Volynians) - Vsevolod, in Polotsk (Polotsk Krivichi) - Izyaslav, in Smolensk (Smolensk Krivichi) - Stanislav, and in Murom (originally the land of the Murom people) - Gleb. Another son of Vladimir, Mstislav, began to rule the Tmutorokan principality - an enclave of Rus' in the Eastern Azov region with its center on the Taman Peninsula.
After Vladimir's death in 1015, his sons launched an internecine struggle for power. Vladimir wanted to see his son Boris as his successor, but power in Kyiv ended up in the hands of Svyatopolk. He organized the murder of his three brothers - Boris and Gleb, who later became the first Russian saints, as well as Svyatoslav. In 1016, Yaroslav, who reigned in Novgorod, opposed Svyatopolk. In the battle of Lyubech, he defeated his younger brother, and Svyatopolk fled to Poland to his father-in-law Boleslav the Brave. In 1018, Boleslav and Svyatopolk set out on a campaign against Rus' and were taken to Kyiv. Having returned the Kyiv throne to his son-in-law, the Polish prince returned. Yaroslav, having hired a Varangian squad, again moved to Kyiv. Svyatopolk fled. In 1019, Svyatopolk came to Kyiv with the Pecheneg army, but was defeated by Yaroslav in the battle on the Alta River.
In 1021, the war with Yaroslav was waged by his nephew, the Polotsk prince Bryachislav, and in 1024 - by his brother, the Tmutorokan prince Mstislav. Mstislav's forces won a victory at Listven near Chernigov, but the prince did not lay claim to Kyiv - the brothers entered into an agreement under which the entire left bank of the Dnieper with its center in Chernigov went to Mstislav. Until 1036, there was dual power in Rus' between Yaroslav and Mstislav Vladimirovich, but then the second died, leaving no sons, and Yaroslav concentrated all power in his hands. To prevent a repetition of civil strife, he drew up a will, according to which Kyiv and Novgorod remained in the hands of one person - the eldest son of Izyaslav. In the south of Rus', power was to be shared with Izyaslav by his brothers Svyatoslav (Chernigov) and Vsevolod (Pereyaslavl). After the death of Yaroslav in 1054, this “triumvirate” shared supreme power in the state for 14 years, after which Rus' again faced strife. The Kiev table was captured by the Polotsk prince Vseslav Bryachislavich (in 1068-1069), and then Svyatoslav Yaroslavich (in 1073-1076). After 1078, when Vsevolod Yaroslavich became the prince of Kyiv, the situation in Rus' stabilized. In 1093, after his death, internecine struggle broke out with renewed vigor: the grandchildren and great-grandsons of Yaroslav competed for power. A particularly fierce struggle took place in the South-West of Rus'; in addition to the Russian princes, foreigners - the Hungarians and the Polovtsians - were involved in it. At the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries, the descendants of Yaroslav were able to agree on the distribution of volosts: at the congress of princes in Lyubech (1097) it was decided that the descendants of the three eldest sons of Yaroslav Vladimirovich should own the lands received from their fathers - “patterns”.
The period of strengthening the supreme power in Rus' began after the reign in Kyiv in 1113 of the son of Vsevolod Yaroslavich and the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX Monomakh - Vladimir Vsevolodovich, who also received the nickname “Monomakh”. He reigned in Kyiv until 1125. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Mstislav Vladimirovich, after whose death the process of separation of the principalities became irreversible. Several state entities appeared on the territory of Rus'. Of these, only the Kyiv land did not have its own dynasty or its semblance, and, as a result, until the invasion of Batu, Kyiv was the object of constant struggle between different princes.
Rurikovich during the period of fragmentation
All lands gained political independence at different times. The Chernigov land actually received it before 1132. By decision of the Lyubech Congress, Davyd and Oleg Svyatoslavich, the sons of the Kyiv prince Svyatoslav Yaroslavich, settled here, and then their descendants - the Davydovich and Olgovich. In 1127, the Murom-Ryazan land was separated from the Chernigov principality, inherited by Oleg and Davyd’s brother Yaroslav and later divided into Murom and Ryazan. The Przemysl and Trebovl principalities united in 1141 under the rule of Vladimirko Volodarievich, the great-grandson of the eldest son of Yaroslav the Wise Vladimir. Vladimirko made Galich his capital - this is how the history of the separate Galician land began. The Polotsk land in 1132 again passed into the hands of the descendants of Izyaslav Vladimirovich. Representatives of the senior branch of the descendants of Vladimir Monomakh (from his first wife) ruled in the Smolensk and Volyn lands. His grandson Rostislav Mstislavich became the first independent prince in Smolensk and the founder of an independent Smolensk dynasty. In the Volyn land, a local dynasty was founded by Izyaslav Mstislavich, the brother of the previous one, and in the Suzdal (Rostov) land - the son of Monomakh from his second marriage, Yuri Dolgoruky. All of them - Rostislav, Mstislav, and Yuri - at first received their lands only as a holding, but after some time they secured them for themselves and their closest relatives.
Another territory where the power of the Monomashichs was established was the Pereyaslavl land. However, a full-fledged dynasty did not form there - both branches of Monomakh’s descendants argued over ownership of the land.
The Turovo-Pinsk land passed from hand to hand for a long time, and only towards the end of the 1150s did the princely family, founded by Yuri Yaroslavich, the grandson of Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, gain a foothold there. In 1136, the Novgorod land also finally separated from Kyiv - after the expulsion of Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich, the period of the Novgorod Republic began here.
In the conditions of division of the state, the most powerful princes tried to expand their possessions and political influence. The main struggle took place over Kyiv, Novgorod, and, from 1199, the Galician table. After the death of Vladimir Yaroslavich, the Galician land was captured by the Volyn prince Roman Mstislavich, who united the Galician and Volyn lands into a single power. Only his son Daniel, who ruled the Galician-Volyn principality from 1238 to 1264, was able to finally restore order in these territories.
Monomashichi - descendants of Yuri Dolgoruky
Suzdal Prince Yuri Dolgoruky had several sons. In an effort to protect the Suzdal land from internal fragmentation, he allocated land to them not within its borders, but in the South. In 1157, Yuri died and was succeeded in the Suzdal land by Andrei Bogolyubsky (1157-1174). In 1162, he sent several brothers and nephews outside the Suzdal region. After his death at the hands of the conspirators, two of his expelled nephews - Mstislav and Yaropolk Rostislavich - were invited by the Rostov and Suzdal residents to the throne. Meanwhile, the “younger” cities of Suzdal land supported the claims to power of Andrei’s brothers - Mikhalka and Vsevolod. In 1176, after the death of his brother, Vsevolod began to reign individually in Vladimir, and a year later he defeated the Rostov squad of Mstislav Rostislavich near Yuryev. Vsevolod Yurievich ruled until 1212, he received the nickname Big Nest. He began to title himself "Grand Duke."
After the death of Vsevolod the Big Nest, his sons, and then the sons of his son, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, became the Grand Dukes of Vladimir for several decades, one after another. In 1252, Alexander Nevsky received the label for the great reign of Vladimir. Under him, the authority of the Grand Duke's power strengthened, and Novgorod and Smolensk finally entered its field of influence. After the death of Alexander, under his sons Dmitry Pereyaslavsky (1277-1294) and Andrei Gorodetsky (1294-1304), Vladimir’s political weight, on the contrary, weakened. The “ladder system” of succession to the Vladimir throne assumed that the great reign would belong to the eldest descendant of Vsevolod the Big Nest, and from the beginning of the 14th century the great princes of Vladimir preferred to live in the centers of their fiefs, only occasionally visiting Vladimir.
Moscow dynasty
The independent Principality of Moscow arose under Alexander Nevsky. Daniil of Moscow became the first prince. By the end of his life, he annexed a number of territories to his inheritance, and the young principality began to quickly gain strength. The goal of Daniel's eldest son, Yuri (1303-1325), was the great reign of Vladimir: in 1318, having defeated the Tver prince Mikhail Yaroslavich, Yuri received the label, but in 1322 Khan Uzbek transferred it to the Tver prince Dmitry. Having gone to the Horde to defend his rights, Yuri was killed by Dmitry Tverskoy. Childless Yuri was succeeded by his younger brother Ivan Danilovich, better known by his nickname Kalita. His goal was the rise of Moscow. In 1327, he took part in the punitive campaign of the Tatars against Tver, the inhabitants of which killed a large Tatar detachment, and soon received the khan's label for the great reign of Vladimir. Both Kalita and his sons Semyon the Proud (1340-1353) and Ivan the Red (1353-1359) strove in every possible way to maintain peace in relations with the Horde. Ivan the Red was succeeded by his young son Dmitry. Under him, the great reign of Vladimir became the “patrimony” of the Moscow princes. In 1367, the Moscow ruling elite took into custody the Tver prince Mikhail, who came to the negotiations. He miraculously escaped from captivity and complained to his son-in-law, the Lithuanian prince Olgerd. The Lithuanians marched on Moscow three times. In 1375, Dmitry Ivanovich marched to Tver with a large army. The city withstood the siege, but Mikhail Tverskoy decided not to risk it and recognized himself as a vassal of Dmitry of Moscow. In the mid-1370s, Dmitry began to prepare for war with the Horde. Many princes supported him. In 1380, Russian troops won a decisive victory over the forces of the Horde commander Mamai in the Battle of Kulikovo, but the princes failed to quickly unite in the face of a new danger. In the summer of 1382, Moscow was captured by the troops of Khan Tokhtamysh, and Dmitry had to resume paying tribute. After Dmitry Donskoy, his son Vasily I (1389-1425) reigned. Under him, Moscow managed to avoid plunder twice: in 1395, Timur, who had already occupied the city of Yelets, unexpectedly abandoned the campaign against Moscow, and in 1408, the Muscovites managed to pay off Timur’s protege Edigei, whose troops were already standing under the walls of the city.
In 1425, Vasily I died, and a long dynastic turmoil began in the Moscow principality (1425-1453). Some of the descendants of Dmitry Donskoy and the nobility supported the young Vasily II, and some supported his uncle, Prince Yuri of Zvenigorod. A weak ruler and commander, in the summer of 1445 Vasily II was captured by the Tatars and was released in exchange for a huge ransom. The son of Yuri Zvenigorodsky, Dmitry Shemyaka, who ruled in Uglich, took advantage of the outrage over the size of the ransom: he captured Moscow, took Vasily II prisoner and ordered him to be blinded. In February 1447, Vasily regained the Moscow throne and gradually took revenge on all his opponents. Dmitry Shemyaka, who fled to Novgorod, was poisoned in 1453 by people sent from Moscow.
In 1462, Vasily the Dark died, and his son Ivan (1462-1505) ascended the throne. During the 43 years of his reign, Ivan III managed to create a unified Russian state for the first time after hundreds of years of fragmentation. Already in the 1470s, Ivan Vasilyevich ordered that in diplomatic correspondence he be called “the sovereign of all Rus'.” In 1480, with the stand on the Ugra, more than two centuries of the Horde yoke ended. Ivan III set out to gather all Russian lands under his scepter: one after another, Perm (1472), Yaroslavl (1473), Rostov (1474), Novgorod (1478), Tver (1485), Vyatka (1489), Pskov fell under the rule of Moscow. (1510), Ryazan (1521). Most of the estates were liquidated. Ivan III's heir was ultimately his son, Vasily III, born in marriage to Sophia Paleologus. Thanks to his mother, he won the long dynastic struggle with the grandson of Ivan III from the eldest son born of his first wife. Vasily III ruled until 1533, after which the throne was taken by his heir Ivan IV the Terrible. Until 1538, the country was actually ruled by the regent, his mother Elena Glinskaya. Ivan Vasilyevich's heir was his eldest son Ivan, but in 1581 he died from a blow from a staff that his father dealt him. As a result, his father was succeeded by his second son, Fedor. He was incapable of government, and in fact the country was ruled by his wife’s brother, boyar Boris Godunov. After the death of the childless Fyodor in 1598, the Zemsky Sobor elected Boris Godunov as tsar. The Rurik dynasty on the Russian throne came to an end. In 1606-1610, however, Vasily Shuisky, from the family of descendants of the Suzdal princes, also Rurikovich, reigned in Russia.
Tver branch
The Tver principality began to gain strength in the second half of the 13th century, becoming an independent inheritance of Alexander Nevsky's younger brother Yaroslav Yaroslavich. After him, Svyatoslav Yaroslavich (until 1282) and Mikhail Yaroslavich (1282-1318) reigned in Tver in turn. The latter received the label for the great reign of Vladimir, and Tver became the main center of North-Eastern Rus'. Serious political mistakes led to the loss of leadership in favor of Moscow of the Tver princes: both Mikhail Tverskoy and his sons Dmitry Mikhailovich the Terrible Ochi (1322-1326) and Alexander Mikhailovich (1326-1327, 1337-1339) were executed by order of the Horde khans. The fate of his two older brothers forced Konstantin Mikhailovich (1328-1346) to be extremely careful in his political steps. After his death, another son of Mikhail Tverskoy, Vasily Mikhailovich (1349-1368), reigned in Tver. As a result of long strife, he eventually lost the throne, and Tver came under the rule of the appanage prince Mikhail Alexandrovich Mikulinsky. In 1375, he made peace with Dmitry of Moscow, after which Moscow and Tver did not conflict for a long time. In particular, the Tver prince maintained neutrality during the war between Dmitry of Moscow and Mamai in 1380. After Mikhail Alexandrovich, Ivan Mikhailovich (1399-1425) ruled in Tver; he continued his father’s policies. The heyday of the Tver principality came under the successor and grandson of Ivan Mikhailovich Boris Alexandrovich (1425-1461), but the continuation of the policy of “armed neutrality” did not help the Tver princes prevent the conquest of Tver by Moscow.
Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod and Ryazan branches
The Principality of Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod occupied a prominent position in North-Eastern Rus'. The short-lived rise of Suzdal occurred during the reign of Alexander Vasilyevich (1328-1331), who received the label for the great reign from the Uzbek Khan. In 1341, Khan Janibek transferred Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodets from Moscow back to the Suzdal princes. In 1350, Prince Konstantin Vasilyevich of Suzdal (1331-1355) moved the capital of the principality from Suzdal to Nizhny Novgorod. The Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod princes failed to achieve the flourishing of their state: the uncertain foreign policy of Dmitry Konstantinovich (1365-1383) and the strife that began after his death undermined the resources and authority of the principality and gradually turned it into the possession of the Moscow princes.
The Ryazan principality, which emerged in the middle of the 12th century, was ruled by the descendants of Yaroslav Svyatoslavich, the youngest son of Svyatoslav Yaroslavich of Chernigov, one of the three Yaroslavichs. In the second half, Prince Oleg Ivanovich Ryazansky ruled here. He tried to pursue a flexible policy, maintaining neutrality in the confrontation between the Tatars and Moscow. In 1402, Oleg Ryazansky died, and dynastic ties between Ryazan and Moscow began to strengthen. Prince Vasily Ivanovich (1456-1483) married the daughter of Ivan III of Moscow, Anna. In 1521, Vasily III included the lands of the Ryazan principality into his possessions.
Polotsk, Chernigov, Galician dynasties
The Polotsk princes did not descend from Yaroslav the Wise, like all the other Russian princes, but from another son of Vladimir the Saint, Izyaslav, therefore the Principality of Polotsk always kept itself apart. The Izyaslavichs were the senior branch of the Rurikovichs. From the beginning of the 14th century, rulers of Lithuanian origin reigned in Polotsk.
In the Chernigovo-Bryansk and Smolensk principalities, Moscow competed with Lithuania. Around 1339, Smolensk recognized the suzerainty of Lithuania over itself. In the winter of 1341-1342, Moscow established family relations with the Bryansk princes, vassals of Smolensk: the daughter of Prince Dmitry Bryansk was married to the son of Ivan Kalita. By the beginning of the 15th century, both Smolensk and Bryansk were finally captured by the Lithuanians.
At the beginning of the 14th century, the grandson of Daniil Galitsky Yuri Lvovich (1301-1308), having subjugated the entire territory of Galicia-Volyn Rus', following the example of his grandfather, took the title of “King of Rus'”. The Galicia-Volyn principality acquired serious military potential and a certain foreign policy independence. After Yuri's death, the principality was divided between his sons Lev (Galich) and Andrei (Vladimir Volynsky). Both princes died in 1323 under unclear circumstances and left no heirs. With the passing of the Yuryevichs, the Rurikovich line in Galicia-Volyn Rus', which had ruled for more than a hundred years, came to an end.
The history of Ancient Rus' is very interesting for posterity. It has reached the modern generation in the form of myths, legends and chronicles. The genealogy of the Rurikovichs with the dates of their reign, its diagram exists in many historical books. The earlier the description, the more reliable the story. The dynasties that ruled, starting with Prince Rurik, contributed to the formation of statehood, the unification of all principalities into a single strong state.
The genealogy of the Rurikovichs presented to readers is a clear confirmation of this. How many legendary personalities who created the future Russia are represented in this tree! How did the dynasty begin? Who was Rurik by origin?
Inviting grandchildren
There are many legends about the appearance of the Varangian Rurik in Rus'. Some historians consider him a Scandinavian, others - a Slav. But the Tale of Bygone Years, left by the chronicler Nestor, tells the best story about this event. From his narration it follows that Rurik, Sineus and Truvor are the grandchildren of the Novgorod prince Gostomysl.
The prince lost all his four sons in battle, leaving only three daughters. One of them was married to a Varangian-Russian and gave birth to three sons. It was them, his grandchildren, that Gostomysl invited to reign in Novgorod. Rurik became the Prince of Novgorod, Sineus went to Beloozero, and Truvor went to Izborsk. Three brothers became the first tribe and the Rurik family tree began with them. It was 862 AD. The dynasty was in power until 1598 and ruled the country for 736 years.
Second knee
Novgorod Prince Rurik ruled until 879. He died, leaving in the arms of Oleg, a relative on his wife’s side, his son Igor, a representative of the second generation. While Igor was growing up, Oleg reigned in Novgorod, who during his reign conquered and called Kyiv “the mother of Russian cities” and established diplomatic relations with Byzantium.
After the death of Oleg, in 912, Igor, the legal heir of the Rurik family, began to reign. He died in 945, leaving sons: Svyatoslav and Gleb. There are many historical documents and books that describe the genealogy of the Rurikovichs with the dates of their reign. The diagram of their family tree looks like the one shown in the photo on the left.
From this diagram it is clear that the genus is gradually branching out and growing. Especially from his son, Yaroslav the Wise, offspring appeared that were of great importance in the formation of Rus'.
and heirs
In the year of his death, Svyatoslav was only three years old. Therefore, his mother, Princess Olga, began to rule the principality. When he grew up, he was more attracted to military campaigns rather than reigning. During a campaign in the Balkans in 972, he was killed. His heirs were three sons: Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir. Immediately after the death of his father, Yaropolk became the prince of Kyiv. His desire was autocracy, and he began to openly fight against his brother Oleg. The genealogy of the Rurikovichs with the dates of their reign suggests that Vladimir Svyatoslavovich nevertheless became the head of the Kyiv principality.
When Oleg died, Vladimir first fled to Europe, but after 2 years he returned with his squad and killed Yaropolk, thus becoming the Grand Duke of Kyiv. During his campaigns in Byzantium, Prince Vladimir became a Christian. In 988, he baptized the inhabitants of Kyiv in the Dnieper, built churches and cathedrals, and contributed to the spread of Christianity in Rus'.
The people gave him a name and his reign lasted until 1015. The Church considers him a saint for the baptism of Rus'. The Grand Duke of Kiev Vladimir Svyatoslavovich had sons: Svyatopolk, Izyaslav, Sudislav, Vysheslav, Pozvizd, Vsevolod, Stanislav, Yaroslav, Mstislav, Svyatoslav and Gleb.
Descendants of Rurik
There is a detailed genealogy of the Rurikovichs with the dates of their lives and periods of reign. Following Vladimir, Svyatopolk, who would be popularly called the Damned, took over the principality for the murder of his brothers. His reign did not last long - in 1015, with a break, and from 1017 to 1019.
The Wise One ruled from 1015 to 1017 and from 1019 to 1024. Then there were 12 years of rule together with Mstislav Vladimirovich: from 1024 to 1036, and then from 1036 to 1054.
From 1054 to 1068 - this is the period of the principality of Izyaslav Yaroslavovich. Further, the genealogy of the Rurikovichs, the scheme of rule of their descendants, expands. Some of the representatives of the dynasty were in power for very short periods and did not manage to accomplish outstanding deeds. But many (such as Yaroslav the Wise or Vladimir Monomakh) left their mark on the life of Rus'.
Genealogy of the Rurikovichs: continuation
The Grand Duke of Kiev Vsevolod Yaroslavovich took over the principality in 1078 and continued it until 1093. In the pedigree of the dynasty there are many princes who are remembered for their exploits in battle: such was Alexander Nevsky. But his reign was later, during the period of the Mongol-Tatar invasion of Rus'. And before him, the Principality of Kyiv was ruled by: Vladimir Monomakh - from 1113 to 1125, Mstislav - from 1125 to 1132, Yaropolk - from 1132 to 1139. Yuri Dolgoruky, who became the founder of Moscow, reigned from 1125 to 1157.
The genealogy of the Rurikovichs is voluminous and deserves very careful study. It is impossible to ignore such famous names as John “Kalita”, Dmitry “Donskoy”, who reigned from 1362 to 1389. Contemporaries always associate the name of this prince with his victory on the Kulikovo Field. After all, this was a turning point that marked the beginning of the “end” of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. But Dmitry Donskoy was remembered not only for this: his internal policy was aimed at unifying the principalities. It was during his reign that Moscow became the central place of Rus'.
Fyodor Ioannovich - the last of the dynasty
The genealogy of the Rurikovichs, a diagram with dates, suggests that the dynasty ended with the reign of the Tsar of Moscow and All Rus' - Feodor Ioannovich. He reigned from 1584 to 1589. But his power was nominal: by nature he was not a sovereign, and the country was ruled by the State Duma. But still, during this period, the peasants were attached to the land, which is considered a merit of the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich.
The Rurikovich family tree was cut short, the diagram of which is shown above in the article. The formation of Rus' took more than 700 years, the terrible yoke was overcome, the unification of the principalities and the entire East Slavic people took place. Further on the threshold of history stands a new royal dynasty - the Romanovs.
The Rurikovichs are a princely, royal and later royal family in Ancient Rus', descended from the descendants of Rurik, which over time split into many branches.
The Rurikovich family tree is very extensive. Most of the representatives of the Rurik dynasty were rulers, as well as the Russian principalities that were formed after. Some of the representatives of the dynasty later belonged to the royal family of other states: the Hungarian-Croatian Kingdom, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Bulgarian Kingdom, the Georgian Kingdom, the Duchy of Austria, etc.
History of the Rurik dynasty
According to the chronicles, in 862 several tribes (Ilmen Slovenes, Chud, Krivich) called three Varangian brothers Rurik, Truvor and Sineus to reign in Novgorod. This event was called the “calling of the Varangians.” According to historians, the calling occurred due to the fact that the tribes living on the territory of future Rus' were constantly overwhelmed and they could not decide who should rule. And only with the arrival of the three brothers, civil strife ceased, the Russian lands began to gradually unite, and the tribes became a small semblance of a state.
Before the calling of the Varangians, numerous scattered tribes lived on Russian lands that did not have their own state and governance system. With the arrival of the brothers, the tribes began to unite under the rule of Rurik, who brought his entire clan with him. It was Rurik who became the founder of the future princely dynasty, which was destined to rule in Rus' for many centuries.
Although the first representative of the dynasty is Rurik himself, very often in the chronicles the Rurik family is traced back to Prince Igor, the son of Rurik, since it was Igor who was not a conscript, but the first truly Russian prince. Disputes about the origin of Rurik himself and the etymology of his name are still ongoing.
The Rurik dynasty ruled the Russian state for more than 700 years.
The reign of the Rurik dynasty in Rus'
The first princes from the Rurikovich family (Igor Rurikovich, Oleg Rurikovich, Princess Olga, Svyatoslav Rurikovich) began the process of forming a centralized state on Russian lands.
In 882, under Prince Oleg, Kyiv became the capital of a new state - Kievan Rus.
In 944, during the reign of Prince Igor, Rus' for the first time concluded a peace treaty with Byzantium, stopped military campaigns and was given the opportunity to develop.
In 945, Princess Olga for the first time introduced a fixed amount of quitrent - tribute, which marked the beginning of the formation of the state tax system. In 947, the Novgorod lands underwent administrative-territorial division.
In 969, Prince Svyatoslav introduced a system of governorship, which helped the development of local self-government. In 963, Kievan Rus was able to subjugate a number of significant territories of the Tmutarakan principality - the state expanded.
The formed state came to a feudal system of government during the reign of the Yaroslavichs and Vladimir Monomakh (second half of the 11th - first half of the 12th century). Numerous internecine wars led to the weakening of the power of Kyiv and the Kyiv prince, to the strengthening of local principalities and a significant division of territories within one state. Feudalism lasted quite a long time and seriously weakened Rus'.
Starting from the second half of the 12th century. and until the middle of the 13th century. the following representatives of the Rurikovich ruled in Rus': Yuri Dolgoruky, Vsevolod the Big Nest. During this period, although princely feuds continued, trade began to develop, individual principalities grew greatly economically, and Christianity developed.
From the second half of the 13th century. and until the end of the 14th century. Rus' found itself under the yoke of the Tatar-Mongol yoke (the beginning of the Golden Horde period). The ruling princes more than once tried to throw off the oppression of the Tatar-Mongols, but they failed, and Rus' gradually declined due to constant raids and devastation. Only in 1380 was it possible to defeat the Tatar-Mongol army during the Battle of Kulikovo, which was the beginning of the process of liberation of Rus' from the oppression of the invaders.
After the overthrow of the Mongol-Tatar oppression, the state began to recover. During the reign of Ivan Kalita, the capital was moved to Moscow, under Dmitry Donskoy it was built, and the state actively developed. Vasily the 2nd finally united the lands around Moscow and established the practically inviolable and sole power of the Moscow prince over all Russian lands.
The last representatives of the Rurikovich family also did a lot for the development of the state. During the reign of Ivan the 3rd, Vasily the 3rd and Ivan the Terrible, the formation began with a completely different way of life and a political and administrative system similar to an estate-representative monarchy. However, the Rurik dynasty was interrupted by Ivan the Terrible, and soon it came to Rus' - it was unknown who would take the post of ruler.
The end of the Rurik dynasty
Ivan the Terrible had two sons - Dmitry and Fyodor, but Dmitry was killed, and Fyodor was never able to have children, so after his death he began to rule in Rus'. During the same period, it began to gain strength and political authority, whose representatives became related to the royal Rurik family and soon ascended the throne. They ruled for several centuries.
