Vyatichi- a union of East Slavic tribes who lived in the second half of the first millennium AD. e. in the upper and middle reaches of the Oka.
The name Vyatichi presumably comes from the name of the ancestor of the tribe, Vyatko.
However, some associate the origin of this name with the morpheme “ven” and the Veneds (or Venets/Vents) (the name “Vyatichi” was pronounced “Ventici”).
In the middle of the 10th century. Svyatoslav annexed the lands of the Vyatichi to Kievan Rus, but until the end of the 11th century. these tribes retained a certain political independence; campaigns against the Vyatichi princes of this time are mentioned.
From the 12th century The territory of the Vyatichi became part of the Chernigov, Rostov-Suzdal and Ryazan principalities.
Until the end of the 13th century. The Vyatichi preserved many pagan rituals and traditions, in particular, they cremated the dead, erecting small mounds over the burial site. After Christianity took root among the Vyatichi, the ritual of cremation gradually fell out of use.
The Vyatichi retained their tribal name longer than other Slavs. They lived without princes, the social structure was characterized by self-government and democracy. The last time the Vyatichi were mentioned in the chronicle under such a tribal name was in 1197.
Buzhans(Volynians) - a tribe of Eastern Slavs who lived in the basin of the upper reaches of the Western Bug (from which they got their name); Since the end of the 11th century, the Buzhans have been called Volynians (from the area of Volyn).
Volynians- an East Slavic tribe or tribal union, mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years and in the Bavarian chronicles. According to the latter, the Volynians owned seventy fortresses at the end of the 10th century. Some historians believe that the Volynians and Buzhans are descendants of the Dulebs. Their main cities were Volyn and Vladimir-Volynsky. Archaeological research indicates that the Volynians developed agriculture and numerous crafts, including forging, casting and pottery.
In 981, the Volynians were subjugated by the Kyiv prince Vladimir I and became part of Kievan Rus. Later, the Galician-Volyn principality was formed on the territory of the Volynians.
Drevlyans- one of the tribes of Russian Slavs, lived in Pripyat, Goryn, Sluch and Teterev. The name Drevlyans, according to the chronicler's explanation, was given to them because they lived in forests.
From archaeological excavations in the country of the Drevlyans, we can conclude that they had a well-known culture. A well-established burial ritual testifies to the existence of certain religious ideas about the afterlife:
the absence of weapons in the graves indicates the peaceful nature of the tribe;
finds of sickles, shards and vessels, iron products, remains of fabrics and leather indicate the existence of arable farming, pottery, blacksmithing, weaving and tanning among the Drevlyans;
many bones of domestic animals and spurs indicate cattle and horse breeding;
many items made of silver, bronze, glass and carnelian, of foreign origin, indicate the existence of trade, and the absence of coins gives reason to conclude that trade was barter.
The political center of the Drevlyans in the era of their independence was the city of Iskorosten; in later times this center apparently moved to the city of Vruchiy (Ovruch)
Dregovichi- an East Slavic tribal union that lived between Pripyat and the Western Dvina.
Most likely the name comes from the Old Russian word dregva or dryagva, which means “swamp”.
Under the name of the Druguvites (Greek δρονγονβίται), the Dregovichi were already known to Constantine the Porphyrogenitus as a tribe subordinate to Rus'. Being aloof from the “Road from the Varangians to the Greeks,” the Dregovichi did not play a prominent role in the history of Ancient Rus'. The chronicle only mentions that the Dregovichi once had their own reign. The capital of the principality was the city of Turov.
The subordination of the Dregovichi to the Kyiv princes probably occurred very early. The Principality of Turov was subsequently formed on the territory of the Dregovichi, and the northwestern lands became part of the Principality of Polotsk.
Duleby(not Duleby) - a union of East Slavic tribes on the territory of Western Volyn in the VI - early X centuries. In the 7th century were subjected to the Avar invasion (obry). In 907 they took part in Oleg’s campaign against Constantinople. They broke up into tribes of Volynians and Buzhanians and in the middle of the 10th century they finally lost their independence, becoming part of Kievan Rus.
Krivichi- a large East Slavic tribe (tribal association), which occupied in the VI-X centuries. the upper reaches of the Volga, Dnieper and Western Dvina, the southern part of the Lake Peipsi basin and part of the Neman basin. Sometimes the Ilmen Slavs are also considered to be Krivichi.
The Krivichi were probably the first Slavic tribe to move from the Carpathian region to the northeast. Limited in their expansion to the northwest and west, where they met stable Lithuanian and Finnish tribes, the Krivichi spread to the northeast, assimilating with the Finns who lived there.
Having settled on the great waterway from Scandinavia to Byzantium (the route from the Varangians to the Greeks), the Krivichi took part in trade with Greece; Konstantin Porphyrogenitus says that the Krivichi make boats on which the Rus go to Constantinople. They took part in Oleg and Igor’s campaigns against the Greeks as a tribe subordinate to the Kyiv prince; Oleg's agreement mentions their city of Polotsk.
Already in the era of the formation of the Russian state, the Krivichi had political centers: Izborsk, Polotsk and Smolensk.
It is believed that the last tribal prince of the Krivichs, Rogvolod, together with his sons, was killed in 980 by the Novgorod prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. In the Ipatiev list, the Krivichi were mentioned for the last time in 1128, and the Polotsk princes were called Krivichi in 1140 and 1162. After this, the Krivichi were no longer mentioned in the East Slavic chronicles.
However, the tribal name Krivichi was used in foreign sources for quite a long time (until the end of the 17th century). The word krievs entered the Latvian language to designate Russians in general, and the word Krievija to designate Russia.
The southwestern, Polotsk branch of the Krivichi is also called Polotsk. Together with the Dregovichi, Radimichi and some Baltic tribes, this branch of the Krivichi formed the basis of the Belarusian ethnic group.
The northeastern branch of the Krivichi, settled mainly in the territory of modern Tver, Yaroslavl and Kostroma regions, was in close contact with Finno-Ugric tribes.
The border between the settlement territory of the Krivichi and the Novgorod Slovenes is determined archaeologically by the types of burials: long mounds among the Krivichi and hills among the Slovenes.
Polotsk residents- an East Slavic tribe that inhabited the lands in the middle reaches of the Western Dvina in today's Belarus in the 9th century.
Polotsk residents are mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years, which explains their name as living near the Polota River, one of the tributaries of the Western Dvina. In addition, the chronicle claims that the Krivichi were descendants of the Polotsk people.
The lands of Polotsk extended from the Svisloch along the Berezina to the lands of the Dregovichi. The Polotsk people were one of the tribes from which the Principality of Polotsk was later formed. They are one of the founders of the modern Belarusian people.
Glade(poly) - the name of a Slavic tribe, during the era of the settlement of the Eastern Slavs, who settled along the middle reaches of the Dnieper, on its right bank.
Judging by the chronicles and the latest archaeological research, the territory of the land of the glades before the Christian era was limited by the flow of the Dnieper, Ros and Irpen; in the northeast it was adjacent to the village land, in the west - to the southern settlements of the Dregovichi, in the southwest - to the Tivertsy, in the south - to the streets.
Calling the Slavs who settled here the Polans, the chronicler adds: “Sedyahu lay in the field.” The Polyans differed sharply from the neighboring Slavic tribes both in moral properties and in forms of social life: “Polyana, for his father’s customs are quiet and meek, and he has shame towards his daughters-in-law and sisters and mothers, having marriage customs.”.
History finds the glades already at a rather late stage of political development: the social system is composed of two elements - communal and princely-retinue, and the first is greatly suppressed by the latter. With the usual and most ancient occupations of the Slavs - hunting, fishing and beekeeping - cattle breeding, agriculture, "timbering" and trade were more common among the Polyans than other Slavs.
The latter was quite extensive not only with its Slavic neighbors, but also with foreigners in the West and East: from the coin hoards it is clear that trade with the East began in the 8th century. - stopped during the strife of the appanage princes.
At first, around the middle of the 8th century, the glades who paid tribute to the Khazars, thanks to their cultural and economic superiority, soon moved from a defensive position in relation to their neighbors to an offensive one; Drevlyans, Dregovichs, northerners and others by the end of the 9th century. were already subject to the glades. Christianity was established among them earlier than others.
The center of the Polyanskaya (“Polish”) land was Kyiv; its other settlements are Vyshgorod, Belgorod on the Irpen River (now the village of Belogorodka), Zvenigorod, Trepol (now the village of Tripolye), Vasilyev (now Vasilkov) and others.
The land of the Polyans with the city of Kiev became the center of the Rurikovich possessions in 882. The name of the Polyans was mentioned for the last time in the chronicle in 944, on the occasion of Igor’s campaign against the Greeks, and was replaced, probably already at the end of the 10th century, by the names Rus (Ros) and Kiyane. The chronicler also calls Polyana the Slavic tribe on the Vistula, mentioned for the last time in the Ipatiev Chronicle in 1208.
Radimichi- the name of the population that was part of the union of East Slavic tribes that lived in the interfluve of the upper reaches of the Dnieper and Desna.
About 885 Radimichi became part of the Old Russian state, and in the 12th century. they mastered most of the Chernigov and southern part of the Smolensk lands. The name comes from the name of the ancestor of the tribe, Radim.
Northerners(more correctly - North) - a tribe or tribal union of Eastern Slavs who inhabited the territories east of the middle reaches of the Dnieper, along the Desna, Seim and Sula rivers. The origin of the name of the north is not completely clear. Most authors associate it with the name of the Savir tribe, which was part of the Hunnic association.
According to another version, the name goes back to an obsolete ancient Slavic word meaning “relative”. The explanation from the Slavic siver, north, despite the similarity of sound, is considered extremely controversial, since the north has never been the most northern of the Slavic tribes.
Slovenia(Ilmen Slavs) - an East Slavic tribe that lived in the second half of the first millennium in the basin of Lake Ilmen and the upper reaches of the Mologa and made up the bulk of the population of the Novgorod land.
Tivertsy- an East Slavic tribe that lived between the Dniester and Danube near the Black Sea coast. They were first mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years along with other East Slavic tribes of the 9th century.
The main occupation of the Tiverts was agriculture. Tivertsy took part in the campaigns of Oleg to Constantinople in 907 and Igor in 944. In the middle of the 10th century. The lands of the Tiverts became part of Kievan Rus. The descendants of the Tiverts became part of the Ukrainian people, and their western part underwent Romanization.
Ulichi- East Slavic tribe that inhabited during the 8th-10th centuries. lands along the lower reaches of the Dnieper, Southern Bug and the Black Sea coast.
The capital of the streets was the city of Peresechen. In the first half of the 10th century. The streets fought for independence from Kievan Rus, but were still forced to recognize its supremacy and become part of it. Later, the Ulichi and neighboring Tivertsy were pushed north by the arriving Pecheneg nomads, where they merged with the Volynians. The last mention of the streets dates back to the chronicle of the 970s.
Croats- an East Slavic tribe that lived in the vicinity of the city of Przemysl on the San River. They called themselves White Croats, in contrast to the tribe of the same name who lived in the Balkans. The name of the tribe is derived from the ancient Iranian word “shepherd, guardian of livestock,” which may indicate its main occupation - cattle breeding.
Bodrichi (obodrit, rarogi)- Polabian Slavs (lower Elbe) in the 8th-12th centuries. - union of Vagrs, Polabs, Glinyaks, Smolyans. Rarog (from the Danes Rerik) is the main city of the Bodrichis. Mecklenburg State in East Germany.
According to one version, Rurik is a Slav from the Bodrichi tribe, the grandson of Gostomysl, the son of his daughter Umila and the Bodrichi prince Godoslav (Godlav).
Vistula- a Western Slavic tribe that lived at least since the 7th century. in Lesser Poland. In the 9th century. The Vistulas formed a tribal state with centers in Krakow, Sandomierz and Stradow. At the end of the century they were conquered by the king of Great Moravia Svyatopolk I and were forced to accept baptism. In the 10th century, the lands of the Vistula were conquered by the Polans and included in Poland.
Zlićane(Czech Zličane, Polish Zliczanie) - one of the ancient Bohemian tribes. Inhabited the territory adjacent to the modern city of Kourzhim (Czech Republic). It served as the center of formation of the Zlichan principality, which covered the beginning of the 10th century. Eastern and Southern Bohemia and the region of the Duleb tribe. The main city of the principality was Libice. The Libice princes Slavniki competed with Prague in the struggle for the unification of the Czech Republic. In 995 Zlican was subordinated to the Přemyslids.
Lusatians, Lusatian Serbs, Sorbs(German: Sorben), Venda- the indigenous Slavic population living in the territory of Lower and Upper Lusatia - regions that are part of modern Germany. The first settlements of Lusatian Serbs in these places were recorded in the 6th century. n e.
The Lusatian language is divided into Upper Lusatian and Lower Lusatian.
The Brockhaus and Euphron Dictionary gives the definition: “Sorbs are the name of the Wends and the Polabian Slavs in general.” Slavic people inhabiting a number of regions in Germany, in the federal states of Brandenburg and Saxony.
Lyutici(Wilts, Velets) - a union of Western Slavic tribes that lived in the early Middle Ages in the territory of what is now eastern Germany. The center of the Lutich union was the “Radogost” sanctuary, in which the god Svarozhich was revered. All decisions were made at a large tribal meeting, and there was no central authority.
The Lutici led the Slavic uprising of 983 against German colonization of the lands east of the Elbe, as a result of which colonization was suspended for almost two hundred years. Even before this, they were ardent opponents of the German king Otto I. It is known about his heir, Henry II, that he did not try to enslave them, but rather lured them with money and gifts to his side in the fight against Boleslaw the Brave Poland.
Military and political successes strengthened the Lutichi's commitment to paganism and pagan customs, which also applied to the related Bodrichi. However, in the 1050s, an internecine war broke out among the Lutichs and changed their position. The union quickly lost power and influence, and after the central sanctuary was destroyed by the Saxon Duke Lothar in 1125, the union finally disintegrated. Over the next decades, the Saxon dukes gradually expanded their possessions to the east and conquered the lands of the Lutichians.
Pomeranians, Pomeranians- Western Slavic tribes who lived from the 6th century in the lower reaches of the Odra on the coast of the Baltic Sea. It remains unclear whether there was a residual Germanic population before their arrival, which they assimilated. In 900, the border of the Pomeranian range ran along the Odra in the west, the Vistula in the east and Notech in the south. They gave the name to the historical area of Pomerania.
In the 10th century, the Polish prince Mieszko I included the Pomeranian lands into the Polish state. In the 11th century, the Pomeranians rebelled and regained independence from Poland. During this period, their territory expanded west from the Odra into the lands of the Lutich. On the initiative of Prince Wartislaw I, the Pomeranians adopted Christianity.
From the 1180s, German influence began to increase and German settlers began to arrive on the Pomeranian lands. Due to the devastating wars with the Danes, the Pomeranian feudal lords welcomed the settlement of the devastated lands by the Germans. Over time, the process of Germanization of the Pomeranian population began.
The remnant of the ancient Pomeranians who escaped assimilation today are the Kashubians, numbering 300 thousand people.
Ruyan(Rana) - a Western Slavic tribe that inhabited the island of Rügen.
In the 6th century, the Slavs settled the lands of what is now eastern Germany, including Rügen. The Ruyan tribe was ruled by princes who lived in fortresses. The religious center of Ruyan was the sanctuary of Yaromar, in which the god Svyatovit was revered.
The main occupation of the Ruyans was cattle breeding, farming and fishing. There is information according to which the Ruyans had extensive trade ties with Scandinavia and the Baltic states.
The Ruyans lost their independence in 1168 when they were conquered by the Danes, who converted them to Christianity. The Rujan king Jaromir became a vassal of the Danish king, and the island became part of the bishopric of Roskilde. Later, the Germans came to the island, in which the Ruyans disappeared. In 1325, the last Ruyan prince, Wislav, died.
Ukrany- a Western Slavic tribe that settled in the 6th century in the east of the modern German federal state of Brandenburg. The lands that once belonged to the Ukrainians are today called Uckermark.
Smolyan(Bulgarian Smolyani) - a medieval South Slavic tribe that settled in the 7th century in the Rhodope Mountains and the valley of the Mesta River. In 837 the tribe rebelled against Byzantine supremacy, concluding an alliance with the Bulgar Khan Presian. Later, the Smolensk people became one of the constituent parts of the Bulgarian people. The city of Smolyan in southern Bulgaria is named after this tribe.
Strumyane- a South Slavic tribe that inhabited the lands along the Struma River in the Middle Ages.
Timochany- a medieval Slavic tribe that lived in the territory of modern eastern Serbia, west of the Timok River, as well as in the regions of Banat and Sirmia. The Timochans joined the first Bulgarian kingdom after the Bulgarian Khan Krum reconquered their lands from the Avar Khaganate in 805. In 818, during the reign of Omurtag (814-836), they rebelled along with other border tribes because they refused to accept a reform that limited their local self-government
In search of an ally, they turned to the Holy Roman Emperor, Louis I the Pious. In 824-826 Omurtag tried to resolve the conflict diplomatically, but his letters to Louis remained unanswered. After this, he decided to suppress the uprising by force and sent soldiers along the Drava River to the lands of the Timochans, who again returned them to Bulgarian rule.
Timochans dissolved into the Serbian and Bulgarian peoples in the late Middle Ages.
The second part of the article is about Slavic tribes. In the last article we met such tribes as: Dulebs, Volynians, Vyatichi, Drevlyans, Dregovichi, Krivichi, Polyane. Here we will continue this long list of tribes. If we speak in dry scientific-historical language, then ancient Slavs- a sedentary people who were mainly engaged in farming, raising livestock and various crafts. According to many researchers, it was this way of life that made our ancestors civilized - the development of agriculture, the construction of villages and cities, infrastructure and much more turned us from nomads into the greatest country in the world. Since ancient times, all other peoples of the world have reckoned with Russia and, despite the great diversity of tribes, in difficult times all Slavic peoples united to defend their lives and territories from enemies.
Radimichi. A union of tribes that lived in the eastern part of the Upper Dnieper region, as well as on the Sozh River and its tributaries. If you believe, then the ancestor of the Radimichi was Radim and his brother Vyatko (later who founded the Vyatichi tribe), who were of Polish origin. Archaeologists note some similarities between the Radimichi and Vyatichi tribes. In particular, both of them buried the ashes of the dead in a log house, and both of them used women's jewelry - temple rings. In 984, the Radimich troops were defeated by the governor of the Prince of Kyiv Vladimir Svyatoslavovich. In the same chronicle, they were mentioned for the last time in 1169. After this date, the lands of this tribe entered the Chernigov and Smolensk principalities.
Rus. The Rus are still the most controversial, interesting and mysterious tribe. Many researchers in our time cannot agree among themselves about the history of this people and their role in the formation of the Old Russian State. Arab geographers in the 9th-10th centuries wrote that the Rus dominated the Slavs and were the ruling elite in the hierarchy of Rus' of that period. German historian G.3. Bayer (1725), considered the Rus and Normans to be the same tribe from which Rurik came. Other modern historians believe that the Rus are related to the Polyan tribe from the upper Danube. Third, that the Rus are of origin from the Northern Black Sea region and the Don basin. There is even an assumption that the Rus are none other than the people of the island of Ruyan in the Baltic Sea or modern Rügen, which is better known as Buyan.
In ancient sources, the names of this tribe are called differently: Rugs, Rogi, Rutens, Ruyi, Ruyans, Rans, Rens, Rus, Rus, Dews. There is a version that the word Rus is similar to island, which may mean that the Rus were Baltic Slavs. There are many versions and therefore the mystery of the Rus tribe has not yet been solved and remains open for discussion and study.
Northerners. The Northerners are an East Slavic union of tribes that lived in the basins of the Desna, Seim and Sula rivers, presumably until the 9th-10th centuries. There are some questions associated with the name of this tribe. The northerners were not the most northern people; the Radimichi and Vyatichi, for example, lived much further north, so the name is not usually associated with the geographical location of the tribe. Researcher V.V. Sedov, who studied this issue, puts forward the following version of the origin: The word “Northerners” may be of Scythian-Sarmatian origin and is translated as “Black”, as confirmed by the city of Northerners - Chernigov.
Slovenia Ilmenskie. In Slovenia, the Ilmenskys lived next door to the Krivichs on the territory of the Novgorod Land, near Lake Ilmen, which is where the name actually came from. The Tale of Bygone Years mentions the Ilmen Slovenians as one of several tribes that called in the Varangians.
Tivertsy. Tivertsy lived in the area between the Dniester and Prut rivers, the Danube, the Budzhak coast of the Black Sea, in the territory of Moldova and Ukraine. The name Tivertsy may go back to the ancient Greek word Tiras, which they used to call the Dniester River. At the beginning of the 12th century, the Tivertsy left their lands due to the constant raids of the Pechenegs and Cumans, and subsequently mixed with other tribes.
Ulichi. They lived in the lower reaches of the Dnieper, Bug and along the shores of the Black Sea (PVL. - “Previously, the streets sat in the lower reaches of the Dnieper, but then they moved to the Bug and Dniester”). The central city of the tribes was Peresechen. It is likely that the ethnonym Ulichi comes from the word “Angle”. It is known that in 885 Oleg the Prophet fought with the Ulichs. In the 10th century, the Kiev governor Svineld kept the main city of Peresechen under siege for three years.
Chud. A legendary tribe that lived in the north of the European part of Rus' and the Urals. This tribe is mainly known only from the legends of the Komi peoples. Currently, it is believed that Chud are the ancestors of modern Estonians, Vepsians, Karelians, Komi and Komi-Permyaks. The name is due to the fact that other tribes believed that this tribe had a wonderful language and wonderful customs.
We touched a little on the description of the Slavic tribes and their settlement in ancient Rus'. In this article we will look in more detail Slavic tribes, so that you can get acquainted with an important component of the life of our ancestors.
It is worth saying that in all written sources that have survived to this day, the mention of the Slavs dates back to the 5th-6th centuries. However, archeology indicates that Slavic culture originated and spread throughout modern Russia much earlier. Academician V.V. Sedov talks about the so-called under-klesh burials in the area between the Oder and Vistula rivers, which date back to 400-100. B.C. Kyiv archaeological culture dates back to the beginning of the 2nd century AD. There are also more ancient finds: on the banks of the Don, archaeologists found human remains and other artifacts about 45 thousand years old.
All the tribes that lived to the west of the headwaters of the Dnieper River, between the Oder and Vistula rivers, were designated as Wends until the 4th-6th centuries. After this date, another name was attached to them - Sklavins or Slavs. A certain Tacitus, who left behind descriptions of various peoples and tribes, wrote that unlike the Sarmatians, who were nomads, the Wends led a more sedentary lifestyle, built strong houses, were engaged in crafts, agriculture, cattle breeding, etc. Among these tribes, communalism was preserved a system where all members of society took equal part in labor and where there was no social inequality. However, as already mentioned, by the 5th century this system began to slowly collapse, since it was opposed by an economic system, where the one who is stronger, richer and who has more power rules. The Ant tribes also belonged to the Slavs. Although the Antovs and the Slavs were distinguished and classified as different tribes, most likely this division was only based on territoriality. The Ants and Slavs had the same language, way of life, customs and beliefs. Historians suggest that they were once one and the same tribe, but after settling throughout Rus' over large territories they became isolated. There is an assumption that the Antes were completely destroyed by the Avars in 602. Extremely scant information has been preserved about that war, but after this event the Antes are not mentioned anywhere else.
Historians of Slavic culture count several tribes that existed in the vastness of our country in the period from the 6th to the 11th centuries:
Duleby. They are considered one of the earliest groups of Eastern Slavs. They lived in the basin of the Bug and tributaries of the Pripyat. It is believed that the Volynians and Drevlyans later descended from Duleb. It is worth saying that the Dulebs took part in Prince Oleg’s campaign against Constantinople in 907.
Volynians. Some researchers disagree about Volynyan and Buzhan. Some say that these are different names for one tribal union, others argue that these are two different tribes. The Volynians lived on the banks of the western Bug and at the source of the Pripyat River. As already mentioned, the Volynians descended from the Dulebs. According to some information, the Volynians had from 70 to 231 cities.
Vyatichi. A union of tribes that lived along the banks of the upper and middle reaches of the Oka and along the banks of the Moscow River. Vyatichi is mentioned in. The PVL says that the Vyatichi descended from the ancestor Vyatko, who was born Lyakh or Polyak. His brother Radim founded the Radimichi tribe. At the beginning of the 12th century, Vladimir Monomakh fought with Prince Khodota, who was the leader of the Vyatichi. For a long time they maintained pagan beliefs.
Drevlyans. The name itself, as explained by one chronicler, suggests that the Drevlyans lived in forests. They lived in the territory of Polesie, the right bank of the Dnieper, near rivers such as Teterev, Uzh, Ubort, Stviga. Judging by archaeological excavations, the Drevlyans lived a peaceful life. Their main business was arable farming, various trades, and cattle breeding. The Drevlyans were a peaceful people and practically did not fight. However, one well-known story is connected with the Drevlyans: in 945 they killed the Kyiv prince Igor, to whom they did not want to pay a large tribute. After the murder, the entire Drevlyan people paid heavily for the crime. Igor's widow Olga burned their capital Iskorosten, many were killed, others were sold into slavery or became slaves.
Dregovichi. The Dregovichi, judging by excavations, lived in the middle of the Pripyat River, in the watershed of the Drut and Berezina rivers, as well as in the upper reaches of the Neman River.
Krivichi. The Tribal Union lived in the territories of Vitebsk, Mogilev, Pskov, Bryansk and Smolensk regions. The Krivichi are also divided into two large groups: Pskov and Polotsk-Smolensk. The Tale of Bygone Years says that the cities of the Krivichi were Smolensk and Polotsk. Part of the Krivichi tribal union were the Polochans (Polotsk), whom some researchers classify as a separate group.
Glade. The Polyans lived on the territory of modern Kyiv and on the Dnieper. One of the most important theories about the origin of Rus' is associated with the glades. According to some sources, the Polyano-Russian legend is much older than the Varangian legend. The glades that came from Norik on the Danube were the first to be called Rus, “The glades that are now called Rus'.”
The Polyans were a very developed culture, and because of this superiority, the Drevlyans, Dregovichi and other tribes became subject to the Polyans by the 9th century. Their cities are Kyiv, Vyshgorod, Belgorod, Zvenigorod, Trepol (Tripolye village), Vasilyev (Vasilkov).
Video. Ancient Slavs. Origins. Part 1
POPOV Flegont Petrovich
Chisinau, 1986
EAST SLAVIC TRIBES BEFORE
FORMATION OF THE Kyiv STATE.
NAMES OF TRIBES.
NORTH GROUP.
SLOVENES OF NOVGOROD - one of the northern groups of Eastern Slavs. The Slavic colonization of the Ilmen region dates back to the 1st half of the 1st millennium AD. Slavic tribes, coming from the south, assimilated the local Finnish-Ugric population, as evidenced by the toponymy of this region. According to the chronicle, the Slovenes lived near Lake Ilmen and the adjacent rivers. In the 6th-8th centuries, the Slovenians apparently developed a large tribal union. In the 9th century, the territory of the Slovenes formed the basis of the Novgorod land.
KRIVICHI - East Slavic tribe; inhabited the territory in the upper reaches of the Dnieper, Western Dvina and Volga. The Krivichi were engaged in agriculture and crafts. In the 9th century, Smolensk apparently arose in the land of the Krivichi. In the 11th century - Toropets. Together with the Vyatichi and Novgorod Slovenes, they formed the basis of the Great Russian (Russian) people. In the 2nd half of the 9th century they were subordinated to the power of the Kyiv princes. The last mention of the Krivichi in the chronicle dates back to 1162.
POLOCHAN - East Slavic tribe. Polotsk is the chronicle name of the Krivichi Slavs who lived along the Polot River (a tributary of the Western Dvina) and were part of the population of the Principality of Polotsk.
RADIMICHI is an East Slavic tribe that lived in the interfluve of the Dnieper and Desna rivers, along the Sozh and Iput rivers. In terms of culture, the Rodimichs were close to the Vyatichi and Northerners. The main occupation is agriculture; Cattle breeding, hunting and beekeeping were also developed. The tribal centers of the Rodimichs are unknown. In the 9th century they became part of the Old Russian state. The last time mentioned in the chronicle was in 1069.
VYATICHI - an East Slavic tribe that lived along the upper Oka and its tributaries - the Ugra, Moscow and other rivers, and also, apparently, in the upper reaches of the Don. The Vyatichi were engaged in farming, hunting and fishing. In the 11th-12th centuries, the cities of Moscow, Dedoslav and others arose on the land of the Vyatichi. In the 9th-10th centuries, the Vyatichi paid tribute to the Khazars. Around 981 they were subordinated to the Kyiv prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. In the 12th-13th centuries, the land of the Vyatichi was part of the Rostov-Suzdal, later - the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, and later part of the Moscow principality. The Vyatichi were an important component of the Great Russian people. The name "Vyatichi" disappeared in the 14th century.
SOUTHERN GROUP.
POLANE - one of the largest East Slavic tribes that lived in the middle Dnieper region. The glades were engaged in arable farming and cattle breeding. The main city of the glades was Kyiv. The higher level of socio-economic development of the Polans compared to other East Slavic tribes was one of the factors that determined the promotion of the Middle Dnieper region as the center of the Old Russian state. The last mention of glades in the chronicle dates back to 944.
NORTHERNS - an East Slavic tribe that lived in the basin of the Desna, Seim and Sula rivers. During the reign of Oleg (late 9th - early 10th centuries) they were included in the Old Russian state. Last mentioned in 1024. By the name of the northerners, the territory of the Chernigov principality until the end of the 17th century was called the Seversk land. The main city of the Seversk land was Chernigov.
DREGOVICHI - an East Slavic tribe living in the 9th-10th centuries between the Pripyat and Western Dvina rivers. The name “Dregovichi” obviously comes from the Slavic word “dryagva” - swamp and indicates the nature of the area where this tribe lived. The Dregovichi were engaged in agriculture and crafts. The center of the Dregovichi was the city of Turov. Apparently, in the 2nd half of the 9th century the Dregovichi were subordinated to the power of the Kyiv princes. After the mid-12th century, they are not mentioned in sources.
DREVLYANE - an East Slavic tribe that lived in the 9th-10th centuries south of the Pripyat River. The name "Drevlyans" apparently comes from the word "tree" and indicates the wooded nature of the area where this tribe lived. The Drevlyans were engaged in agriculture and crafts. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, in the 10th century the Drevlyans still retained significant remnants of group marriage, blood feud, and pagan beliefs. The center of the Drevlyans was the city of Iskorosten. In the 2nd half of the 9th century they were subordinated to the power of the Kyiv princes, who imposed tribute on the Drevlyans. In 945, the Drevlyans, led by their prince Mal, rebelled against Prince Igor and his squad, who were again collecting tribute. After the murder of Igor by the Drevlyans, his wife Princess Olga destroyed Iskorosten and eliminated the independent reign of the Drevlyans. After 990 there is no mention of the Drevlyans in the chronicles.
DULEBS - a Slavic tribe that lived in the 6th-9th centuries along the Western Bug River; subsequently they began to be called Volynians.
BUZHAN (VOLYNIAN) - a tribe of Eastern Slavs who lived in the basin of the upper reaches of the Western Bug (from which they received their name). Since the end of the 11th century, the Buzhans have been called Volynians.
VOLYNIANS are an East Slavic tribe that lived in the territory of modern Volyn. According to the chronicle, the territory of the Volynians and Buzhans (inhabitants of the Bug region) previously belonged to the Dulebs, a tribe that was subjected to cruel oppression by the Avars in the 7th century. Volynians were engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding. The Arab writer Masudi (10th century) reports the existence of the Walinana tribe led by King Majak. In the 9th - early 10th centuries, the Volynians became part of the Old Russian state.
CROATians are an East Slavic tribe that lived in the Carpathians.
STREETS (UGLICH) - an East Slavic tribe that lived initially in the lower reaches of the Dnieper, and then settled between the Bug and the Dniester. Street settlements reached the Black Sea. Since the mid-10th century, the streets have been mentioned as part of Kievan Rus.
TIVERTS - a Slavic tribe that lived in the 9th-11th centuries between the Dniester and the Danube.
SETTLEMENT OF THE SLAVS.
Narrating about the settlement of the Slavs, the chronicler talks about how some Slavs “sedosha along the Dnieper and called Polyana,” others were called “Drevlyans” (“zane sedosha in the forests”), others, who lived between Pripyat and the Dvina, were called Dregovichi, and fourths lived along flow of the Polota River and were called Polochans. Slovenians lived near Lake Ilmensky, and northerners lived along the Desna, Seim and Sula.
Gradually, the names of other East Slavic tribes appear in the chronicler’s story.
In the upper reaches of the Volga, Dvina and Dnieper live the Krivichi, “their city is Smolensk.” “From the Krivichi” the chronicler leads the northerners and Polotsk residents. The chronicler speaks of the inhabitants of the Bug region, who in ancient times were called Dulebs, and now Volynians or Buzhans. In the chronicler's story, the inhabitants of Posozhye - the Radimichi, and the inhabitants of the Oka forests - the Vytichi, and the Carpathian Croats, and the inhabitants of the Black Sea steppes from the Dnieper and Bug to the Dniester and the Danube - the Ulichs and Tivertsy appear. “This is only the Slovenian language (people) in Rus',” the chronicler ends his story about the settlement of the Eastern Slavs.
The chronicles still remember those times when the Slavs of Eastern Europe were divided into tribes, when the Russian tribes “have their own customs and their father’s law and traditions, each with their own character” and lived “separately,” “each with his own clan and in his own place, owning every one of his kind.”
But when the initial chronicle was compiled (11th century), tribal life was already relegated to the realm of legends. Tribal associations were replaced by new associations - political, territorial. The tribal names themselves are disappearing. Already from the middle of the 10th century, the tribal name “Polyane” was replaced by a new one - “Kiyane” (Kievans), the region of Polyane, “field”, became Russia. The same thing happens in Volyn and the Bug region, where the ancient tribal name of the inhabitants of the region - “Duleby” - gives way to a new name - Volynians and Buzhans (from the cities of Volyn and Buzhenka). The exception is the inhabitants of the dense Oka forests - the Vyatichi, who lived “separately”, “with their kind” back in the 11th century.
From the Carpathian Mountains and the Western Dvina to the upper reaches of the Oka and Volga, from Ilmen and Ladoga to the Black Sea and the Danube, Russian tribes lived on the eve of the formation of the Kyiv state: Carpathian Croats, Danube Ulichi and Tivertsy, Pobuzhsky Dulebs or Volynians, inhabitants of the swampy forests of Pripyat - Dregovichi, Ilmensky Slovenia. The inhabitants of the dense Oka forests are the Vyatichi. Numerous Krivichi of the upper reaches of the Dnieper, Western Dvina and Volga, Dnieper northerners and other East Slavic tribes formed a kind of ethnic unity “Slovenian language in Rus'”. This was the eastern, Russian branch of the Slavic tribes. Their ethnic proximity contributed to the formation of a single state, and the single state consolidated. Slavic tribes united into an ethnic massif.
But the Russian tribes did not arise by themselves in a ready-made form with all the inherent features of language, life, and culture, but were the result of a complex ethno- and glottogonic process. The chronicler's story about the settlement of Slavic tribes in Rus' is the last act of the complex process of the formation of Russian tribes. The Tale of Bygone Years reflected only the last hours of the existence of tribal life. New relations of production and the emergence of the state broke the old tribal boundaries, rallied the masses within new political boundaries, and united them along a new territorial basis. When the chronicler told about the East Slavic tribes, they had already ceased to exist, and many of them, if not all, had long been essentially not tribes, but tribal unions.
East Slavic tribes
We already know what system of numbering years was adopted in Ancient Rus', thereby determining their place in time. The second, no less important sign of civilization is determining one’s place on Earth. Where do your people live and with whom do they neighbor, what is located outside the well-known territory and what is the Oikumene, that is, the entire part of the planet inhabited by humanity - these are the questions that literate people who studied the history of their people had to answer. (The arrival of literacy in Rus' and the appearance of the first literate people will be discussed further.)
The ancestors of Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians in the distant past constituted a single people. They spoke the same - Old Russian - language and were called Great Russians, Little Russians and Belorussians (the latter name came from the fact that in White Rus' most people were distinguished by light, whitish hair and white, undyed, homespun clothes). They knew that they belonged to related tribes who called themselves Slavs. The Slavs derived their name from “glory”. They explained their second name - “Slovenians” - by the fact that they should be considered “word-aware”; those who did not understand their language, they called Germans (from the word “mute”).
According to the testimony of Western chroniclers, who received writing earlier than the Slavs, these peoples, who inhabited eastern, southeastern and part of Central Europe, were distinguished by courage, bravery, contempt for physical pain and such honesty that instead of an oath they said: “Shame on me.” , – and they never broke their words. In addition, they were extremely hospitable and, when leaving the house, not only did not lock the doors, but left bread and milk on the table for any passerby.
What Slavic tribes lived in the territory later known as Ancient Rus'?
If we move along the East European Plain from north to south, then 15 tribes will appear in front of us in succession.
1. Ilmen Slovenes, the center of which was Novgorod the Great, which stood on the banks of the Volkhov River, flowing out of Lake Ilmen and on whose lands there were many other cities, which is why the Scandinavians neighboring them called the possessions of the Slovenes “gardarika,” that is, “land of cities.”
These were: Ladoga and Beloozero, Staraya Russa and Pskov. The Ilmen Slovenes got their name from the name of Lake Ilmen, located in their possession and also called the Slovenian Sea. For residents remote from the real seas, the lake, 45 versts long and about 35 wide, seemed huge, which is why it had its second name - the sea.
2. Krivichi, who lived in the area between the Dnieper, Volga and Western Dvina, around Smolensk and Izborsk, Yaroslavl and Rostov the Great, Suzdal and Murom.
Their name came from the name of the founder of the tribe, Prince Krivoy, who received the nickname Krivoy from a natural defect. Subsequently, a Krivichi was popularly known as a person who is insincere, deceitful, capable of deceiving his soul, from whom you will not expect the truth, but will be faced with deceit. (Moscow subsequently arose on the lands of the Krivichi, but you will read about this further.)
3. Polotsk residents settled on the Polot River, at its confluence with the Western Dvina. At the confluence of these two rivers stood the main city of the tribe - Polotsk, or Polotsk, whose name is also derived from the hydronym: “river along the border with the Latvian tribes” - Latami, Leti.
To the south and southeast of Polotsk lived the Dregovichi, Radimichi, Vyatichi and Northerners.
4. The Dregovichi lived on the banks of the Pripyat River, receiving their name from the words “dregva” and “dryagovina,” meaning “swamp.” The cities of Turov and Pinsk were located here.
5. The Radimichi, who lived between the Dnieper and Sozh rivers, were called by the name of their first prince Radim, or Radimir.
6. The Vyatichi were the easternmost ancient Russian tribe, receiving their name, like the Radimichi, from the name of their ancestor - Prince Vyatko, which was an abbreviated name Vyacheslav. Old Ryazan was located in the land of the Vyatichi.
7. The northerners occupied the river Desna, Seim and Sula and in ancient times were the northernmost East Slavic tribe. When the Slavs settled as far as Novgorod the Great and Beloozero, they retained their former name, although its original meaning was lost. In their lands there were cities: Novgorod Seversky, Listven and Chernigov.
8. The glades that inhabited the lands around Kyiv, Vyshgorod, Rodney, Pereyaslavl were called so from the word “field”. Cultivation of fields became their main occupation, which led to the development of agriculture, cattle breeding and animal husbandry. The Polyans went down in history as a tribe, more than others, that contributed to the development of ancient Russian statehood.
The neighbors of the glades in the south were the Rus, Tivertsy and Ulichi, in the north - the Drevlyans and in the west - the Croats, Volynians and Buzhans.
9. Rus' is the name of one, far from the largest, East Slavic tribe, which, because of its name, became the most famous in the history of mankind and in historical science, because in the disputes over its origin, scientists and publicists broke many copies and spilled rivers of ink . Many outstanding scientists - lexicographers, etymologists and historians - derive this name from the almost universally accepted name of the Normans in the 9th-10th centuries - Rus (Russians). The Normans, known to the Eastern Slavs as the Varangians, conquered Kyiv and the surrounding lands around 882. During their conquests, which took place over 300 years - from the 8th to the 11th centuries - and covered the whole of Europe - from England to Sicily and from Lisbon to Kyiv - they sometimes left their name behind the conquered lands. For example, the territory conquered by the Normans in the north of the Frankish kingdom was called Normandy.
Opponents of this point of view believe that the name of the tribe came from the hydronym - the Ros River, from where the whole country later became known as Russia. And in the 11th–12th centuries, Russia began to be called the lands of Rus', glades, northerners and Radimichi, some territories inhabited by the streets and Vyatichi. Supporters of this point of view view Rus' no longer as a tribal or ethnic union, but as a political state entity.
10. The Tiverts occupied spaces along the banks of the Dniester, from its middle reaches to the mouth of the Danube and the shores of the Black Sea. The most likely origin of their name seems to be from the Tivre River, as the ancient Greeks called the Dniester. Their center was the city of Cherven on the western bank of the Dniester.
The Tivertsy bordered on the nomadic tribes of the Pechenegs and Cumans and, under their attacks, retreated to the north, mingling with the Croats and Volynians.
11. The Ulichi were the southern neighbors of the Tiverts, occupying lands in the Lower Dnieper region, on the banks of the Bug and the Black Sea coast. Their main city was Peresechen. Together with the Tiverts, they retreated to the north, where they mixed with the Croats and Volynians.
12. The Drevlyans lived along the rivers Teterev, Uzh, Uborot and Sviga, in Polesie and on the right bank of the Dnieper. Their main city was Iskorosten on the Uzh River, and in addition, there were other cities - Ovruch, Gorodsk, and several others, the names of which we do not know, but traces of them remained in the form of settlements. The Drevlyans were the most hostile East Slavic tribe towards the Polans and their allies, who formed the ancient Russian state centered in Kyiv. They were determined enemies of the first Kyiv princes, they even killed one of them - Igor Svyatoslavovich, for which the prince of the Drevlyans Mal, in turn, was killed by Igor's widow, Princess Olga.
The Drevlyans lived in dense forests, getting their name from the word “tree” - tree.
13. The Croats who lived around the city of Przemysl on the San River called themselves White Croats, in contrast to the tribe of the same name who lived in the Balkans. The name of the tribe is derived from the ancient Iranian word “shepherd, guardian of livestock,” which may indicate its main occupation - cattle breeding.
14. The Volynians were a tribal association formed on the territory where the Duleb tribe previously lived. Volynians settled on both banks of the Western Bug and in the upper reaches of Pripyat. Their main city was Cherven, and after Volyn was conquered by the Kyiv princes, a new city was built on the Luga River in 988 - Vladimir-Volynsky, which gave the name to the Vladimir-Volyn principality formed around it.
15. The tribal association that arose in the habitat of the Dulebs included, in addition to the Volynians, the Buzhans, who were located on the banks of the Southern Bug. There is an opinion that the Volynians and Buzhans were one tribe, and their independent names arose only as a result of different habitats. According to written foreign sources, the Buzhans occupied 230 “cities” - most likely, these were fortified settlements, and the Volynians - 70. Be that as it may, these figures indicate that Volyn and the Bug region were populated quite densely.
As for the lands and peoples bordering the Eastern Slavs, this picture looked like this: Finno-Ugric tribes lived in the north: Cheremis, Chud Zavolochskaya, Ves, Korela, Chud; in the north-west lived the Balto-Slavic tribes: Kors, Zemigola, Zhmud, Yatvingians and Prussians; in the west - Poles and Hungarians; in the southwest - Volokhs (ancestors of Romanians and Moldovans); in the east - the Burtases, the related Mordovians and the Volga-Kama Bulgarians. Beyond these lands lay “terra incognita” - an unknown land, which the Eastern Slavs learned about only after their knowledge of the world greatly expanded with the advent of a new religion in Rus' - Christianity, and at the same time writing, which was the third sign of civilization .
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