1. Formation of the Old Russian state - Kievan Rus

The state of Kievan Rus was created at the end of the 9th century.

The emergence of the state among the Eastern Slavs is reported by the chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years" (XIIin.). It tells that the Slavs paid tribute to the Varangians. Then the Varangians were expelled across the sea and the question arose: who would rule in Novgorod? None of the tribes wanted to establish the power of a representative of a neighboring tribe. Then they decided to invite a stranger and turned to the Varangians. Three brothers responded to the invitation: Rurik, Truvor and Sineus. Rurik began to reign in Novgorod, Sineus on Beloozero, and Truvor - in the city of Izborsk. Two years later, Sineus and Truvor died, and all power passed to Rurik. Two of Rurik's squad, Askold and Dir, went south and began to reign in Kyiv. They killed Kiy, Shchek, Khoriv and their sister Lybid who ruled there. Rurik died in 879. His relative Oleg began to rule, since the son of Rurik, Igor, was still a minor. After 3 years (in 882), Oleg and his retinue seize power in Kyiv. Thus, under the rule of one prince, Kyiv and Novgorod were united. This is what the chronicle says. Were there really two brothers - Sineus and Truvor? Today, historians believe that they were not. "Rurik blue hus truvor" means, translated from the ancient Swedish language, "Rurik with a house and a squad." The chronicler took incomprehensibly sounding words for personal names, and wrote that Rurik arrived with two brothers.

Exists two theories of the origin of the ancient Russian state: Norman and anti-Norman. Both of these theories appeared in the XYIII century, 900 years after the formation of Kievan Rus. The fact is that Peter I - from the Romanov dynasty, was very interested in where the previous dynasty appeared - the Rurikovich, who created the state of Kievan Rus and where this name came from. Peter I signed a decree establishing the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg. German scientists were invited to work at the Academy of Sciences.

Norman theory . Its founders are the German scientists Bayer, Miller, Schlozer, invited under Peter I to work at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. They confirmed the calling of the Varangians and made the assumption that the name of the Russian Empire was of Scandinavian origin, and that the state of Kievan Rus itself was created by the Varangians. “Rus” is translated from Old Swedish as the verb “to row”, the Rus are rowers. Perhaps "Rus" is the name of the Varangian tribe from which Rurik came. At first, the Varangians-druzhinniks were called Rus, and then this word gradually passed to the Slavs.

The calling of the Varangians was confirmed at a later time by the data of archaeological excavations of burial mounds near Yaroslavl, near Smolensk. Scandinavian burials in the boat were found there. Many Scandinavian items were obviously made by local Slavic craftsmen. This means that the Varangians lived among the locals.

But German scientists exaggerated the role of the Varangians in the formation of the ancient Russian state. As a result, these scientists agreed to such an extent that, allegedly, the Varangians are immigrants from the West, which means that it is they - the Germans - who created the state of Kievan Rus.

Anti-Norman theory. She also appeared in the XYIII century, under the daughter of Peter I - Elizabeth Petrovna. She did not like the statement of German scientists that the Russian state was created by immigrants from the West. In addition, she had a 7-year war with Prussia. She asked Lomonosov to look into this matter. Lomonosov M.V. did not deny the existence of Rurik, but began to deny his Scandinavian origin.

Anti-Norman theory intensified in the 30s of the twentieth century. When the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, they tried to prove the inferiority of the Eastern Slavs (Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poles, Czechs, Slovaks), that they were not able to create states, that the Varangians were Germans. Stalin gave the task of refuting the Norman theory. This is how the theory appeared, according to which, to the south of Kyiv, on the Ros River, the Ros (Rossy) tribe lived. The Ros River flows into the Dnieper and it is from here that the name of Rus comes from, since the Russians allegedly occupied a leading place among the Slavic tribes. The possibility of the Scandinavian origin of the name of Russia was completely rejected. The anti-Norman theory tries to prove that the state of Kievan Rus was created by the Slavs themselves. This theory penetrated into textbooks on the history of the USSR, and was prevailing there until the end of "perestroika".

The state appears there and then, when opposing, mutually hostile interests, classes appear in society. The state regulates relations between people, relying on armed force. The Varangians were invited to reign, therefore, this form of power (reigning) was already known to the Slavs. It was not the Varangians who brought property inequality to Russia, the division of society into classes. The Old Russian state - Kievan Rus - arose as a result of a long, independent development of Slavic society, not thanks to the Varangians, but with their active participation. The Varangians themselves quickly became Slavic, they did not impose their own language. The son of Igor, the grandson of Rurik, already bore the Slavic name - Svyatoslav. Today, some historians believe that the name of the Russian Empire of Scandinavian origin and the princely dynasty begins with Rurik, and was called the Rurikovichi.

The ancient Russian state was called Kievan Rus.

2 . Socio-economic and political system of Kievan Rus

Kievan Rus was an early feudal state. It existed from the end of the 9th to the beginning of the 12th century (about 250 years).

The head of state was Grand Duke. He was the supreme commander, judge, legislator, recipient of tribute. Conducted foreign policy, declared war, made peace. Appointed officials. The power of the Grand Duke was limited to:

Council under the prince, which included the military nobility, the elders of the cities, the clergy (since 988)

Veche - a popular assembly in which all free people could take part. Veche could discuss and resolve any issue that interested him.

Specific princes - local tribal nobility.

The first rulers of Kievan Rus were: Oleg (882-912), Igor (913-945), Olga - Igor's wife (945-964).

The unification of all East Slavic and part of the Finnish tribes under the rule of the great Kyiv prince.

The acquisition of overseas markets for Russian trade and the protection of trade routes that led to these markets.

Protection of the borders of the Russian land from the attacks of the steppe nomads (Khazars, Pechenegs, Polovtsy).

The most important source of income for the prince and the squad was the tribute paid by the conquered tribes. Olga streamlined the collection of tribute and set its size.

The son of Igor and Olga - Prince Svyatoslav (964-972) made trips to the Danube Bulgaria and Byzantium, and also defeated the Khazar Khaganate.

Under the son of Svyatoslav - Vladimir the Holy (980-1015) in 988, Christianity was adopted in Russia.

Socio-economic structure:

The main branch of the economy is arable farming and cattle breeding. Additional industries: fishing, hunting. Russia was a country of cities (more than 300) - in the XII century.

Kievan Rus reached its peak under Yaroslav the Wise (1019-1054). He intermarried and made friends with the most prominent states of Europe. In 1036, he defeated the Pechenegs near Kyiv and ensured the security of the eastern and southern borders of the state for a long time. In the Baltic states, he founded the city of Yuryev (Tartu) and established the position of Russia there. Under him, writing and literacy spread in Russia, schools were opened for the children of the boyars. graduate School located in the Kiev-Pechersk monastery. The largest library was in St. Sophia Cathedral, also built under Yaroslav the Wise.

Under Yaroslav the Wise appeared the first set of laws in Russia - "Russian Truth", which operated during the XI-XIII centuries. 3 editions of Russkaya Pravda are known:

1. Brief truth of Yaroslav the Wise

2. Spacious (grandchildren of Yar. the Wise - Vl. Monomakh)

3. abbreviated

Russkaya Pravda consolidated the feudal property that was taking shape in Russia, established harsh penalties for attempts to encroach on it, and defended the lives and privileges of members of the ruling class. According to Russkaya Pravda, one can trace the contradictions in society and the class struggle. Russkaya Pravda by Yaroslav the Wise allowed blood feuds, but the article on blood feuds was limited to defining the exact circle of close relatives who have the right to take revenge: father, son, brother, cousin, nephew. Thus, the end of the endless chain of murders that exterminate entire families was set.

In Pravda Yaroslavichi (with the children of Yar. the Wise), blood feud is already prohibited, and instead a fine for murder has been introduced, depending on the social status of the murdered, from 5 to 80 hryvnias.

The history of the emergence of the state, uniting the tribes of the Eastern Slavs, still causes a lot of controversy. There are two theories of the formation of the Old Russian state: Norman and anti-Roman. About them, as well as about the reasons for the emergence and development of the state in Russia today, and will be discussed.

Two theories

The date of formation of the Old Russian state is considered to be 862, when the Slavs, due to strife between the tribes, invited a "third" side - the Scandinavian princes Rurik to restore order. However, in historical science there are disagreements about the origin of the first state in Russia. There are two main theories:

• Norman theory(G. Miller, G. Bayer, M. M. Shcherbatov, N. M. Karamzin): referring to the chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years", the creation of which belongs to the monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery Nestor, scientists came to the conclusion that statehood in Russia - the work of the Normans Rurik and his brothers;
• Anti-Norman theory(M.V. Lomonosov, M.S. Grushevsky, I.E. Zabelin): the followers of this concept do not deny the participation of the invited Varangian princes in the formation of the state, but believe that the Ruriks did not come to an “empty” place and given form board already existed among the ancient Slavs long before the events described in the annals.

Once, at a meeting of the Academy of Sciences, Mikhailo Vasilyevich Lomonosov beat Miller for a "false" interpretation of the history of Russia. After the death of the great Russian scientist, his research in the field of the history of the Old Russian state mysteriously disappeared. After some time they were discovered and were published under the editorship of the same Miller. It is interesting to note that modern research showed that the published works did not belong to the hand of Lomonosov.

Rice. 1. Collection of tribute from the Slavic tribes

Reasons for the formation of the ancient Russian state

Nothing in this world just happens. For something to happen, there must be a reason. There were prerequisites for the formation of the state among the Slavs:

• Unification of Slavic tribes to confront more powerful neighbors: At the beginning of the 9th century, the Slavic tribes were surrounded by stronger states. To the south is a large medieval state- The Khazar Khaganate, to which northerners, glades and Vyatichi were forced to pay tribute. In the north, the hardy and warlike Normans demanded a ransom from the Krivichi, Ilmen Slovenes, Chud and Merya. Only the unification of the tribes could change the existing injustice.
• The destruction of the tribal system and tribal ties: Military campaigns, development of new lands and trade have led to the fact that in tribal communities based on property equality and housekeeping together, stronger and richer families appear - tribal nobility;
• Social stratification: The destruction of the tribal and communal system among the Slavs led to the emergence of new strata of the population. Thus, a layer of tribal nobility and combatants was formed. The first included the descendants of the elders who managed to amass more wealth. The second, combatants, are young warriors who, after military campaigns, did not return to agriculture, but became professional warriors who defended the rulers and the community. A layer of ordinary community members, as a token of gratitude for the protection of the soldiers and princes, presented gifts, which later turned into a mandatory tribute. In addition, a layer of artisans also emerged, who abandoned agriculture and exchanged their “fruits” of labor for food. There were also people living solely at the expense of trade - a layer of merchants.
• Urban Development: In the 9th century, trade routes (land and river) played an important role in the development of society. All new strata of the population - nobility, combatants, artisans, merchants and farmers sought to settle in the villages on the trade routes. Thus, the number of inhabitants increased, the social system changed, new orders appeared: the power of princes turned into state power, tribute - into a mandatory state tax, small cities - into large centers.

Rice. 2. Gifts to combatants for protection from enemies

two centers

All of the above main stages in the development of statehood in Russia naturally led in the first half of the 9th century to the formation on the map modern Russia two centers - two early ancient Russian states:

• in the north- Novgorod Union of Tribes;
• on South- association with the center in Kyiv.

By the middle of the 9th century, the princes of the Kyiv Union - Askold and Dir achieved the liberation of their tribes from the "offerings" of tribute to the Khazar Khaganate. Events in Novgorod developed differently: in 862, due to strife, the inhabitants of the city invited the Norman prince Rurik to reign and own the lands. He accepted the offer and settled in the Slavic lands. After his death, his entourage Oleg took the reign into his own hands. It was he who in 882 went on a campaign against Kyiv. Thus, he united the two centers into one state - Rus or Kievan Rus.

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After the death of Oleg, the title of "Grand Duke" was taken by Igor (912 -945) - the son of Rurik. For excessive extortions, he was killed by people from the tribe of the Drevlyans.

Rice. 3. Monument to Prince Rurik - the founder of the Old Russian state

What have we learned?

Today, the following questions on history (Grade 6) were briefly considered: what century does the formation of the Old Russian state belong to (9th century), what events became the prerequisites for the emergence of statehood in Russia, and who were the first Russian princes (Rurik, Oleg, Igor). These theses can be used as a cheat sheet for preparing for exams in history.

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In the process of formation of the Old Russian state, three main stages can be distinguished:

Stage I (VIII-mid-IX centuries). going on maturation of the prerequisites for statehood in the East Slavic tribes. Internal factors played a decisive role in this process:

ethnic community,

A certain similarity of economic interests,

Proximity of the area

The need for protection from external enemies (neighboring tribes and states),

The need to expand the territory through military campaigns.

Starting from the VI century. among the Eastern Slavs, power is isolated and strengthened tribal aristocracy, primarily military leaders, relying directly on real armed force - squad. This type of social organization is called "military democracy".

Against this background, there are tribal unions and their centers are highlighted. By the 8th century the Eastern Slavs had certain state forms. Historical sources testify to the existence of unions of East Slavic tribes:

- Valinana (among the Volhynians in the upper reaches of the Bug River),

- Kuyavia (identified with Kyiv),

- Slavia (associated with Novgorod),

· - Artania (location unknown, possibly in the area of ​​the modern city of Ryazan).

Appears polyudya system(collection of tribute from community members in favor of the leader-prince, so far voluntarily, perceived as compensation for military expenses and administrative activities).

Stage II (II half of the IX-mid-X centuries). The process of folding the state accelerated largely due to active intervention external forces- Khazars and Normans (Varangians), who forced the Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes to pay tribute.

But one can speak about the real principles of ancient Russian statehood first of all when prince's power came to be seen as special government (second half of the 9th-first half of the 10th centuries). Its character can be judged, first of all, by the organization of the collection of tribute and people, by an active foreign policy, especially in relation to Byzantium.

Vocation Rurik Novgorodians (862) and unification by his successor Oleg (879-912) Northern and Southern Russia under the rule of Kyiv in the 9th century. allowed to concentrate the power of the Kyiv princes over the territory from Ladoga to the lower reaches of the Dnieper.

There was a kind of federation of tribal principalities, headed by Prince of Kyiv. His power was manifested in tribute collection from all the tribes included in this association.

Oleg, relying on the power of the Slavic-Norman squad and "wars" (armed free community members), commits successful campaigns against Byzantium in 907 and 911. As a result, they signed beneficial agreements for Russia, providing her with the right to duty-free trade on the territory of the empire and a number of other privileges.

Igor(912-945)

and also defended its borders from the formidable nomads who appeared - Pechenegs.

In 944-945. he committed two trips to Byzantium, which violated its agreements with Russia, but, having suffered defeat, was forced to conclude a less favorable agreement with the empire.

In an agreement with Byzantium in 945, the term itself is found "Russian land". In the same year, during the polyudya, he was killed by the Drevlyans for demanding tribute in excess of the usual.

Stage III (II half of the X-beginning of the XI centuries). It begins with the reforms of the princess Olga (945-964). Having avenged the Drevlyans for the death of her husband, in order to prevent what happened to Igor in the future, she established a fixed rate of tribute collection (“lessons”), and to collect it set special places ("graveyards"), where the boyar with a small retinue "sat" (i.e. watched the collection of tribute).

"Polyudye" turned into "reason».

Graveyards become the backbone of local princely power.

Politics of Olga's son, Prince Svyatoslav (964-972) was aimed mainly at fight against an external enemy. The defeat of Khazaria and campaigns on the Danube required a lot of effort, money and time. In connection with this, the prince-warrior (that was the name of Svyatoslav both among the people and in the annals) practically did not deal with issues of the internal structure of the state.

New steps in the development of the Russian state is associated with the activities of the illegitimate son of Svyatoslav - Vladimir I (980-1015), who came to power as a result of a cruel, bloody struggle with his brothers for the throne of Kyiv.

1. He expanded the territory of Kyiv states, adding to it the southwestern (Galicia, Volyn) and western (Polotsk, Turov) Slavic lands.

In addition, feeling the danger to the strength of his power, associated with the inferiority of his origin (the son of the slave Malusha - the housekeeper of Princess Olga), Vladimir sought strengthen princely power basically -

Introduction monotheistic religion (monotheism) .

Introduction institute of governors

It first does this by creating pantheon of 5 gods headed by Perun, which was especially revered by warriors. But this reform did not take root, and he went for radical changes - he introduced monotheism, accepting himself and forcing all of Russia to accept Christianity.

The introduction of Christianity not only created the basis for the spiritual unity of the Russian people, but also strengthened the supreme power in the state ("one god in heaven, one prince on earth"), increased the international prestige of Kievan Rus, which ceased to be a barbarian country. In addition, Christian morality called for humility, which justified the feudal exploitation of ordinary community members by the prince, his entourage, and the landowning boyars, who were the backbone of princely power.

The next decisive step, completing the creation of the state, was the replacement of the tribal princes by Vladimir governors (they were 12 sons of Vladimir and approximate boyars), appointed by the Kyiv prince. Governors should have

defend the new faith

and to strengthen the power of the prince in the field, being the "eye of the sovereign."

The strengthening of power gave Vladimir the opportunity to organize the population of the country for creating powerful defensive lines on the southern borders state and resettle part of the population here from more northern territories (Krivichi, Slovenes, Chudi, Vyatichi). This made it possible to successful fight with raids Pechenegs . As a result, the prince, as epics testify, began to be perceived in the popular mind not just as a warrior-defender, but as the head of state, organizing the protection of his borders.

The final step in the formation of Russian statehood was made by the son of Vladimir I, Yaroslav the Wise (1019-1054), which marked the beginning of Russian written legislation. He created the first part of the first written code of laws - "Russian Truth" ("The Truth of Yaroslav"). It was written back in 1015, when he was his governor in Novgorod, and was intended for Novgorodians. Having entered the throne of Kyiv in 1019, Yaroslav extended it to the territory of the entire state. Subsequently, for a century and a half, Yaroslav's Truth was supplemented by his sons ("The Truth of the Yaroslavichs"), Vladimir Monomakh ("Charter of Vladimir Monomakh") and subsequent rulers of the Russian state and existed as a legislative basis until the adoption of the first Sudebnik in 1497.

The emergence of a written code of laws in the early ninth century. became necessary because disintegration of the tribal community many simple people lost their status and suffered insults, not being able to turn to tribal groups. The only protection for community members and ordinary citizens was the prince and his squad. This further increased the power of the prince.

Russkaya Pravda, as a developing monument, gives an idea of ​​the increasingly complex social structure, categories of free and dependent population, i.e. actually objects and subjects of state administration.

Being predominantly a procedural collection, Russkaya Pravda said little about judicial organization (the prince and judges are mentioned as court bodies, and the prince's court as a place of court). The fact is that many disputes were resolved out of court, by the forces of the interested parties themselves.

The significance of Russkaya Pravda lies in the fact that it influenced the development of local legislation and, in the future, national legislation.

In addition, it carried the idea of ​​the responsibility of the authorities in court cases, primarily before God, and the self-serving court in the interests of the authorities itself was qualified as wrong.

In general, the first written legislative code of Russia is important evidence of the maturity of the state.

Thus, by the beginning of the XI century. Kievan Rus had the main features of the formed statehood:

A single territory covering the place of residence of all Eastern Slavs;

Dynastic princely power, which extended to the entire territory of the state;

A unified system of state administration based on vicegerency;

A single tax system for the entire state;

A single monotheistic religion that enhances the process of sacralization (sanctification) of princely power;

A unified legal basis in the form of a written set of laws.

In subsequent periods, these features of Russian statehood were further developed.

3. Basic concepts

Boyars - the highest, along with the great and specific princes, the stratum of society in Russia from the 10th to the 18th centuries.

Bylina - an epic song dedicated to actual historical events.

Vira - money penalty.

virniki those who levied fines.

Vladimir-Suzdal architecture - openwork stone carving.

Votchina - an allotment of land that is inherited.

"Guests" - foreign merchants.

Smoke -tax from a small family.

Life (apography) -biography of spiritual and secular persons canonized by the Christian Church.

outcasts people who have lost touch with their social environment.

cabal - a form of personal dependence of one person on another, associated with a loan.

Princely congresses -meetings of the princes of Kievan Rus with the aim of making joint decisions on certain issues.

king -Prince of the Varangians.

Feeding - in-kind cash security for service.

Kupa -duty.

ladder law -according to this principle, each prince during his life could repeatedly move from less significant "tables" to more significant ones.

chronicle writing -chronological records with the main dates, events, heroes.

People the bulk of the free population.

swordsman - a princely servant from the warriors, armed with a sword, as well as a servant of the princely court - the holder of the sword as a symbol of justice.

Miniature – colorful illustrations.

Mosaic – paintings made of vitreous smalt material.

Novgorod and Pskov architecture - the rigor and simplicity of forms.

Norman theory - a direction in historiography, whose supporters consider the Normans to be the founders of the Slavic state.

ognischanin - from the word fire - hearth, yard. Initially, the junior combatant of the ancient Russian prince, who was at the head of the princely economy.

Youths, children, gridneys - junior companions.

"Pavoloki" - brocade, oriental fabrics.

Parchment - dressed calfskin.

cart - a form of tribute collection in Kievan Rus.

Pogost - a place of collection of monetary and in-kind tribute.

Access - tax collectors.

Polycentric state structure –multivariance of further political development.

polyudie -winter detour of the prince with combatants in order to collect tribute.

Posadnik -princely governor in ancient Russia. In Novgorod and Pskov - the highest state position, elected at a veche from the most noble and wealthy boyar families. The posadnik convened, opened meetings of the veche and executed its decisions. He directed foreign relations, controlled the actions of the prince, and carried out judicial functions.

Row – contract.

Ryadovichi - temporarily obligated, semi-free smerds who fell into temporary dependence due to the “row” - the contract on the basis of which they worked for the owner.

buffoons - the first actors who combined singers, musicians, dancers, acrobats.

Word (teaching) - a work related to the genre of eloquence.

Smerdy - the mass of the rural population, which gradually turned from a free peasantry into a dependent one.

Tiun -princely or boyar servants who manage the feudal economy in Ancient Russia and Russian principalities. In some cases, the grand ducal tyuns ruled over individual volosts and cities, ruled the court in the name of the prince.

Tysyatsky -military leader of the city militia in Russia until the middle of the 15th century. In the Novgorod Republic, he was chosen at a veche from a non-Yarsk settlement (black people and townspeople), because. they formed the main force of the militia for a period of one year.

Lesson - rate of collection of tribute.

lot - the hereditary possession of the prince.

frescoes - the technique of painting with paint on fresh, damp plaster.

Walking – description of travels about Christian shrines, sights, nature, customs of other countries.

serfs -slaves.

Chelyadin -slave.

What is a state? This is the administrative apparatus, which stood out from society and rose above it in order to protect its order. In the early Middle Ages, the signs of a nascent state were:

• the emergence of power, separated from the people;
• territorial sign of residence;
• collection of taxes by the center for the maintenance of the "administrative apparatus" and the defense of territories.

Starting from the 7th century the Slavic tribes merge with their territories of residence into larger tribal unions, the management of which is entrusted to the nobility of the tribes. After some time, a special caste appears in the tribal unions - the military, designed to protect the territory of the union.

At a certain historical moment, it became obvious that on the territories of the tribes of the ancient Slavs, the main prerequisites for the formation of the ancient Russian state:

• Tribal ties began to break down.
• The production method has improved and become more progressive.

By this time, feudal relations had arisen in their places of residence. Against the background of their formation, the emergence and took place, which was the result of contradictions between the newly emerging classes. Over time, the dominant role passes to the princes and their squads.

The first state of the ancient Slavs and its capitals

According to the records in the "Bavarian Chronograph" at the beginning of the 9th century, the Rusichs are perceived as one of the Khazar peoples living in the east of Europe, which included glades and northerners. By the end of the century, these ethnic groups were united in a political union, and on their territory, the ancient Russian state was created. But, since the new formation included the peoples of two groups, the capital of the ancient Russian state could not be located in one place: the clearing settled in Kyiv, and the northern tribes settled near about. Ilmen with its capital in Novgorod.

Formation of the Old Russian state

The further history of the appearance of the ancient Russian state on the map of Europe cannot be considered definitively reliable. About how it went the formation of the ancient Russian state briefly narrate two theories: Norman and autochthonous (Slavic).

Norman theory

In accordance with the work of that time - "The Tale of Bygone Years" - three brothers from the Varangian princes were called to rule with the northerners. These brothers were Rurik, who arrived in Novgorod, Sineus, who arrived in Belozero, Truvor, who took the throne of Izborsk. Rurik turned out to be the most energetic and, after three years, he united these principalities under his command. According to the sources of those times, this happened in 862, but it was not yet the emergence of the ancient Russian state. After 20 years, the Novgorod prince Oleg, in the process of expanding his lands, conquered Kyiv with the surrounding territories and united everything under his rule. Based on this, it is considered that the formation of the ancient Russian state of Kievan Rus happened in 882.

However, this theory is doubtful, since at the time of the arrival of the Varangian princes on the territory of the Slavs, the latter had all the prerequisites for the emergence of their statehood.

1. The ancient Slavs had warriors organized into squads.
2. They already lived in tribal unions, which speaks of the birth of the state.
3. The economy was well developed: there was trade, there was a division of labor.

Noteworthy is the fact that in the early Middle Ages it was customary to invite neutral princes from distant lands to restore order, and this case was not the only one in the history of those times.

Autochthonous theory

According to the autochthonous theory, formation of the ancient Russian state occurred due to the prevailing objective economic and political conditions. As a consequence of the developed situation, the emergence of a Slavic state was bound to occur.

Comparing historical sources, it can be seen that the Eastern Slavs had a more developed political system, unlike the Normans, and their statehood. They have already passed the path of long-term development and the formation of the prerequisites for the emergence of statehood. That's why the emergence and development of the ancient Russian state was the logical conclusion of the next stage of socio-economic relations.

Moments of the formation of the ancient Russian state

In the period after the formation of Kievan Rus, there was formation of the ancient Russian state. At this time, power in the cities quickly passes to the princes, who, having a repressive apparatus - a squad, seek to influence the political life in them. Under these conditions, the class of the military quickly becomes significant, one of the functions of which is to intimidate and induce the inhabitants of the principalities to commit acts beneficial to the princes. Taxes from the population are beginning to be collected systematically by trusted people of the princes. From Byzantium comes a new religion, which very quickly becomes mandatory for everyone. The last moment in the approval of the state apparatus was the legitimization of the principles of inheritance of power.

As a result, at the end of the 10th century, an ancient Russian state arose in the area where the Slavs lived - from the Carpathians to the Don steppes and between the Black and White Seas. It existed until the Tatar-Mongol invasion, which occurred in the middle of the XIII century.

The political system of Kievan Rus

Politically, the ancient Russian state had a system, the basis of which was a mixed type of government, which had two components:

• monarchical (the central authority is the prince);
• democratic (veche).

During the time of the Rurikids, the princes owned volosts around the main cities, the management of which was entrusted to representatives of their family. In Kievan Rus, the right of inheritance by father was introduced, according to which the prince endowed each son with a part of his lands - a volost, where the young prince later lived and ruled.

By virtue of this, political system ancient Russian state was based on members of the same clan, who in the future would inevitably move away and start a struggle for possession of the central lands.

The collapse of the state of Kievan Rus

Kievan Rus began to be divided into specific principalities during the time of Yaroslav the Wise. Vladimir Monomakh, by the power of his authority, was able to stop this process, however, only for the duration of his reign. With his active participation, around 1097, a congress of county princes was held in Lübeck, the main task of which was to stop strife between the princes and collapse of the ancient Russian state. At the congress, the princes agreed:

• Stop internecine wars.
• They proclaimed the principle of inheritance: "Princes have the right to reign exclusively in those lands owned by their fathers."

This principle of inheritance later showed that the congress in Lübeck legitimized the further fragmentation of the ancient Russian state. Gradually, it turned out that it became more and more difficult to establish priorities in inheritance among relatives each time. The once great principalities began to be divided into destinies, which very quickly began to become impoverished. The power of such princes was less and less considered. Then the governors in the remote princely territories began to take political power into their own hands.

The once great state of Kievan Rus at the end of the 12th century was mortally sick. And, as subsequent history showed, it turned out to be possible to overcome it only against the backdrop of a huge common misfortune that swept over the ancient Russian state in the middle of the 13th century.

How the Russian Empire was created. Baptism of Russia-988.