The reign of princes in Rus' is in order. Chronological sequence of princes in Rus'

The Norman or Varangian theory, which reveals aspects of the formation of statehood in Rus', is based on one simple thesis - the calling of the Varangian prince Rurik by the Novgorodians to manage and protect a large territory of the Ilmen Slovenian tribal union. Thus, the answer to the question of what event is associated with the emergence of the dynasty is quite clear.

This thesis is present in the ancient one, written by Nestor. At the moment it is controversial, but one fact is still indisputable - Rurik became the founder of a whole dynasties of sovereigns who ruled not only in Kyiv, but also in other cities of the Russian land, including Moscow, and that is why the dynasty of rulers of Rus' was called Rurikovich.

History of the dynasty: the beginning

The genealogy is quite complex, it is not so easy to understand it, but the beginning of the Rurik dynasty is very easy to trace.

Rurik

Rurik became the first prince in his dynasty. Its origin is a highly controversial issue. Some historians suggest that he was from a noble Varangian-Scandinavian family.

Rurik's ancestors came from the trading Hedeby (Scandinavia) and were related to Ragnar Lothbrok himself. Other historians, distinguishing between the concepts of “Norman” and “Varangian”, believe that Rurik was of Slavic origin, perhaps he was related to the Novgorod prince Gostomysl (it is believed that Gostomysl was his grandfather), and for a long time he lived with his family on the island of Rügen .

Most likely, he was a jarl, that is, he had a military squad and kept boats, engaging in trade and sea robbery. But precisely with his calling first to Staraya Ladoga, and then to Novgorod the beginning of the dynasty is connected.

Rurik was called to Novgorod in 862 (when he began to rule exactly, of course, is unknown; historians rely on data from the PVL). The chronicler claims that he came not alone, but with two brothers - Sinius and Truvor (traditional Varangian names or nicknames). Rurik settled in Staraya Ladoga, Sinius in Beloozero, and Truvor in Izborsk. I wonder what any other mentions there is no mention of brothers in PVL. The beginning of the dynasty is not associated with them.

Oleg and Igor

Rurik died in 879, leaving young son Igor(or Ingvar, according to the Scandinavian tradition). A warrior, and possibly a relative of Rurik, Oleg (Helg) was supposed to rule on behalf of his son until he came of age.

Attention! There is a version that Oleg ruled not just as a relative or confidant, but as an elected jarl, that is, he had all the political rights to power according to Scandinavian and Varangian laws. The fact that he transferred power to Igor could indeed mean that he was his close relative, perhaps a nephew, his sister’s son (according to Scandinavian tradition, an uncle is closer than his own father; boys in Scandinavian families were given to be raised by their maternal uncle).

How many years did Oleg reign?? He successfully ruled the young state until 912. It is he who is credited with the complete conquest of the route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” and the capture of Kyiv, then his place was taken by Igor (already as the ruler of Kiev), by that time married to a girl from Polotsk (according to one version) - Olga.

Olga and Svyatoslav

Igor's reign can't be called successful. He was killed by the Drevlyans in 945 during an attempt to take double tribute from their capital, Iskorosten. Since Igor’s only son, Svyatoslav, was still small, the throne in Kyiv, by common decision of the boyars and squads, was taken by his widow Olga.

Svyatoslav ascended the Kiev throne in 957. He was a warrior prince and never stayed long in his capital rapidly growing state. During his lifetime, he divided the lands of Rus' between his three sons: Vladimir, Yaropolk and Oleg. He gave Novgorod the Great as his inheritance to Vladimir (illegitimate son). Oleg (the younger) was imprisoned in Iskorosten, and the elder Yaropolk was left in Kyiv.

Attention! Historians know the name of Vladimir’s mother; it is also known that she was a whitewashed servant, that is, she could not become the ruler’s wife. Perhaps Vladimir was the eldest son of Svyatoslav, his first-born. That is why he was recognized as the father. Yaropolk and Oleg were born from the legitimate wife of Svyatoslav, possibly a Bulgarian princess, but they were younger than Vladimir in age. All this subsequently influenced the relations between the brothers and led to the first princely feud in Rus'.

Yaropolk and Vladimir

Svyatoslav died in 972 on the island of Khortitsa(Dnieper rapids). After his death, the Kiev throne was occupied by Yaropolk for several years. A war for power in the state began between him and his brother Vladimir, ending with the murder of Yaropolk and the victory of Vladimir, who ultimately became the next prince of Kyiv. Vladimir ruled from 980 to 1015. His main merit is Baptism of Rus' and the Russian people into the Orthodox faith.

Yaroslav and his sons

An internecine war broke out between Vladimir’s sons immediately after his death, as a result of which one of Vladimir’s eldest sons from the Polotsk princess Ragneda, Yaroslav, took the throne.

Important! In 1015, the Kiev throne was occupied by Svyatopolk (later nicknamed the Accursed). He was not Vladimir’s own son. His father was Yaropolk, after whose death Vladimir took his wife as his wife, and recognized the born child as his first-born.

Yaroslav reigned until 1054. After his death, the right of ladder came into force - the transfer of the Kyiv throne and the “junior” in seniority in the Rurikovich family.

The Kiev throne was occupied by Yaroslav's eldest son - Izyaslav, Chernigov (the next "seniority" throne) - Oleg, Pereyaslavsky - Yaroslav's youngest son Vsevolod.

For a long time, the sons of Yaroslav lived peacefully, observing the behests of their father, but, ultimately, the struggle for power entered an active phase and Rus' entered the era of Feudal fragmentation.

Pedigree of the Rurikovichs. The first Kyiv princes (table or Rurik dynasty diagram with dates, by generation)

Genealogy of the Rurikovichs of the period of feudal fragmentation

Tracing the dynastic line of the Rurikovich family during the period of Feudal fragmentation is incredibly difficult, since the ruling princely the genus has grown to its maximum. The main branches of the clan at the first stage of feudal fragmentation can be considered the Chernigov and Pereyaslav lines, as well as the Galician line, which needs to be discussed separately. The Galician princely house originates from the eldest son of Yaroslav the Wise, Vladimir, who died during his father’s lifetime, and whose heirs received Galich as an inheritance.

It is important to note that all representatives of the clan sought to occupy the Kiev throne, since in this case they were considered the rulers of the entire state.

Galician heirs

Chernigov house

Pereyaslavsky house

With the Pereyaslav House, which was nominally considered the youngest, everything is much more complicated. It was the descendants of Vsevolod Yaroslavovich who gave rise to the Vladimir-Suzdal and Moscow Rurikovichs. The main representatives of this house were:

• Vladimir Vsevolodovich (Monomakh) - was the prince of Kyiv in 1113-1125 (VII generation);
• Mstislav (the Great) - the eldest son of Monomakh, was the prince of Kyiv in 1125-1132 (VIII generation);
• Yuri (Dolgoruky) - the youngest son of Monomakh, became the ruler of Kyiv several times, the last in 1155-1157 (VIII generation).

Mstislav Vladimirovich gave rise to the Volyn House of Rurikovich, and Yuri Vladimirovich - to the Vladimir-Suzdal House.

Volyn House

Pedigree of the Rurikovichs: Vladimir-Suzdal House

The Vladimir-Suzdal house became the main one in Rus' after the death of Mstislav the Great. The princes who made first Suzdal and then Vladimir-on-Klyazma their capital, played a key role in the political history of the period of the Horde invasion.

Important! Daniil Galitsky and Alexander Nevsky are known not only as contemporaries, but also as rivals for the grand ducal label, and they also had a fundamentally different approach to faith - Alexander adhered to Orthodoxy, and Daniil accepted Catholicism in exchange for the opportunity to receive the title of King of Kyiv.

Pedigree of the Rurikovichs: Moscow House

In the final period of Feudal fragmentation, the House of Rurikovich numbered more than 2000 members (princes and younger princely families). Gradually, the leading position was taken by the Moscow House, which traces its pedigree to the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky, Daniil Alexandrovich.

Gradually, the Moscow house from grand ducal transformed into royal. Why did this happen? Including thanks to dynastic marriages, as well as the successful domestic and foreign policies of individual representatives of the House. The Moscow Rurikovichs did a gigantic job of “gathering” the lands around Moscow and overthrowing the Tatar-Mongol Yoke.

Moscow Ruriks (diagram with dates of reign)

Who were the princes of Ancient Rus'?

In the ninth century, the powerful state of Kievan Rus was created on the territory of Eastern Europe - a significant political and military force until the Mongol invasion in the thirteenth century. The rulers of Ancient Rus' were princes, and they soon began to call themselves grand princes.
Grand Duke is the title that was borne by the monarchs, the rulers of the Old Russian state, and then of Kievan Rus.
The prince combined the following functions as head of state:
– judicial (he held court over the population, over his subordinates);
– military (the prince had to vigilantly defend the borders of his state, organize defense, gather troops and, of course, prepare for an attack when necessary; the Russian people especially appreciated the military courage of the princes);
– religious (in the pagan era of Rus', the Grand Duke was the organizer of sacrifices in favor of the pagan gods);
At first, the princely power was elective, but gradually began to gain hereditary status.
The Grand Duke was the main figure in the state; the appanage Russian princes were subordinate to him. The Grand Duke had the right to collect tribute from the princes subordinate to him.

The first prince of Ancient Rus'

Rurik is considered to be the first prince of Ancient Rus', who laid the foundation for the Rurik dynasty. By origin, Rurik was a Varangian, therefore, he could be a Norman or a Swede.
There is no information about the exact origin of the first Russian prince, just as there is little information about his activities. As the chronicles say, he became the sole ruler of Novgorod and Kyiv, then created a united Rus'.
Chronicles say that he had only one son, who was named Igor, who later became the Grand Duke. Rurik had several wives, but Igor himself was born to the Norwegian princess Efanda.

Russian princes of Ancient Rus'

Oleg

Igor

After Oleg’s sudden death, Rurik’s son, Igor, began to rule the country. Igor took as his wife the legendary Princess Olga, whom he brought from Pskov. She was twelve years younger than Igor when they got engaged. Igor was 25 years old, she was only 13.
Like Oleg, Igor pursued an active foreign policy; it was aimed at conquering nearby lands. Already in 914, after two years of his establishment on the throne, Igor subjugated the Drevlyans and imposed tribute on them. In 920, he first attacked the Pecheneg tribes. The next thing mentioned in the chronicles was his campaign against Constantinople in 941-944, which was crowned with success.
After the campaign against Byzantium, in 945, Prince Igor was killed by the Drevlyans while collecting tribute.
After his death, his wife Princess Olga began to rule. Igor left behind his young son Svyatoslav.

Svyatoslav

Until Igor’s son Svyatoslav came of age, Kievan Rus was ruled by his mother, Princess Olga, who was the regent. Svyatoslav began to rule independently only in 964.
Svyatoslav, unlike his mother, remained a pagan and was against conversion to Christianity.
Svyatoslav became famous primarily as a successful commander. Having ascended the throne, the prince immediately set off on a campaign against the Khazar Khaganate in 965. In the same year, he managed to completely conquer it and annex it to the territory of Ancient Rus'. He then defeated the Vyatichi and imposed tribute on them in 966.
The prince also waged an active struggle against the Bulgarian kingdom and Byzantium, where he was successful. After returning from the Byzantine campaign in 972, Prince Svyatoslav was ambushed by the Pechenegs on the rapids of the Dnieper. In this unequal battle he met his death.

Yaropolk

After the murder of Svyatoslav, his son Yaropolk began to rule. It should be said that Yaropolk ruled only in Kyiv, his brothers ruled Novgorod and the Drevlyans. Yaropolk began a war for power and defeated his brother Oleg in 977. The very next year he was killed by his brother Vladimir.
Yaropolk is not remembered as a great commander, but had some success in politics. Thus, under him, negotiations were conducted with Emperor Otto II. Chronicles indicate that ambassadors from the Pope came to his court. Yaropolk was an obvious admirer of the Christian church, but he did not have time to make this religion a state religion.

Ancient Rus': Prince Vladimir

Vladimir was the son of Svyatoslav and seized power in Rus' by killing his brother Yaropolk in 978, becoming the sole prince of Ancient Rus'.
Vladimir became famous primarily for making Rus' a Christian state in 988. However, Vladimir is also known as an excellent commander.
Already in 981-982. Vladimir went on a campaign against the Vyatichi, already subject to tribute, and seized their land, making it Russian. In 983, he opened the way to the Baltic for Rus', conquering the Yatvingian tribe. Later he managed to conquer the Radimichi and, for the first time, the White Croats, and he annexed their lands to Rus'.
In addition to military successes, Vladimir managed to conclude profitable agreements with many European states (Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Byzantium and the Papal States).
Under him, coinage began to be minted, which strengthened the Russian economy. These were the first coins issued on the territory of Kievan Rus. The reason for minting the coin was the desire to prove the sovereignty of the young Christian state. There were no economic reasons; Rus' got along just fine with Byzantine coins.
Prince Vladimir the Great died in 1015. After his death, the throne was seized by his son Svyatopolk, but he was soon overthrown by Yaroslav the Wise.

Many historians attribute the formation of Kievan Rus as a state to the years of the reign of Prince Oleg - from 882 to 912, but this is not so. Before him, the great princes ruled, who began the Rurik family, which received its name from Rurik, Prince of Novgorod, whom the people of Kiev called to rule them. He died in 879, and only 3 years later the throne passed to the Prophetic Oleg, who raised Rurik’s son Igor as his own. It is Igor Rurikovich who is considered the founder of the dynastic family.

This princely family ruled for more than 700 years, distributing Russian cities and small lands among their sons. Some of them built cities, such as Yuri Dolgoruky, who founded Moscow, which still stands as a reminder of the era of Kievan Rus, or Kiy, who gave his name to the future capital of the Rus.

Origins of Kievan Rus

Uniting the lands of the Slavic tribes under the unified rule of Kyiv was not an easy task, since there was no point in conquering them, because the great city needed allies, not captives. That is why Rurik and his descendants exempted their neighbors from paying tribute to the Pechenegs, but collected it themselves.

It is interesting that for a very long time the great princes of Kyiv were elected to the throne by the people and with their rule they had to justify their trust. This did not stop representatives of the prolific Rurik family tree from constantly fighting for the throne.

After the death of Prince Oleg, his stepson Igor continued to unite the Slavic tribes under the protection of Kyiv, but the exorbitant tribute they had to pay eventually led to an uprising of the Drevlyans, who killed the prince. Although his widow Olga avenged her husband, being a fair woman and the first to accept Orthodox baptism, she established the amount of tribute that could not be violated.

As a rule, the formation of any state is a matter based on wars and treacherous murders. The Slavic peoples did not escape similar acts. The Grand Dukes of Rurik were constantly either on campaigns against the Pechenegs or Byzantium, or staged civil strife and killed each other.

The most famous princes of Kievan Rus were either those who committed fratricide for the sake of the throne, or those under whom the state grew stronger and prospered.

Prince Vladimir the Saint

Ancient Rus' was often shaken by strife, so the first long period of peace, when Kiev was ruled by one prince, and his sons were revered and each lived in his own inheritance, entered the chronicles. These were the times of Prince Vladimir, called the Holy People.

Vladimir Svyatoslavovich was the grandson of Igor Rurikovich. From his father he received Novgorod to rule, which was considered the most unprestigious inheritance. Yaropolk got Kyiv, and Oleg got all the Drevlyansky lands. After the death of Svyatopolk and Oleg, who was forced to flee from the betrayal of his elder brother, Yaropolk annexed the Drevlyansky lands to Kyiv and began to rule alone.

Prince Vladimir, having learned about this, went to war against him, but his elder brother died not at his hand, but at the hand of the servant who betrayed him. Prince Vladimir sat on the throne and even adopted Yaropolk's son Svyatopolk.

Not all the great princes of the Rurik family cared for the people as much as Vladimir the Holy. Under him, not only were schools built for the children of commoners and a special council was created, which included wise boyars, but also fair laws were established and Orthodoxy was adopted. The baptism of Rus' by Vladimir is a significant event when not one person at a time, but a whole people came to God. The first baptism took place in the waters of the Dnieper and was included in the chronicles along with other good deeds of the Grand Duke of Kyiv.

Prince Svyatopolk

Vladimir Krasnoye Solnyshko had 12 sons and a nephew, Svyatopolk. His eldest son Boris was supposed to be his favorite son and heir to the throne, but when the old prince died, he was returning from a campaign against the Pechenegs, and Svyatopolk seized power.

In the people's memory and in the annals of Kyiv he remained as Svyatopolk I Yaropolchich the Accursed. The prince received this nickname for the murder of his cousins ​​Boris, Gleb and Svyatoslav. He also attempted to kill Yaroslav.

Wanting to personally rule Ancient Russia, Svyatopolk the Accursed committed many betrayals and betrayals, so that when Yaroslav gathered an army and went to Kyiv (for the second time), he had to flee. His mind became clouded from fear, and he ended his days in the Bohemian wastes, forever remaining in the memory of his descendants as the accursed prince who killed his brothers.

Prince Yaroslav

One of the most famous sons of Vladimir “Red Sun”, who received high popular praise and universal love, was Yaroslav the Wise. He was born approximately between 978 and 987. and at first he was the prince of Rostov, then of Novgorod, until in 1019 he took the throne of Kiev. Disputes about the date of birth of Yaroslav are still ongoing. Since he was the third son of Vladimir the Saint from his marriage to Ragneda, which took place in 976, he could not have been born in 978, as is usually indicated in history textbooks. A study of the prince's remains indicated that he was between 60 and 70 years old at the time of his death, not 76 years old.

No matter how long Yaroslav the Wise actually lived, he remained in people's memory as a fair, intelligent and brave ruler, although his path to the throne was not simple and bloody. The long reign of Prince Yaroslav in Kyiv until his death erased the memories of civil strife between the numerous sons of Vladimir the Saint, as well as constant military campaigns. His reign was marked by the introduction of a set of laws into public administration, the construction of two great cities - Yaroslavl and Yuryev, and the strengthening of the influence of Kievan Rus in the European political arena. It was he who began to use dynastic marriages to cement military and friendly alliances between powers.

Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich was buried in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv.

Prince Izyaslav

The eldest son of Yaroslav the Wise took the Kiev throne in 1054, after the death of his father. This is the only Rurik prince who ruled Russia incompetently, spending his efforts not on strengthening the borders and increasing the well-being of the people, as his father did, but on feuds with his younger brothers Svyatoslav and Vsevolod.

Izyaslav I Yaroslavich was overthrown by the people's assembly and uprising twice, which in itself speaks of the quality of his rule. Each time he returned the throne of Kiev with the support of Polish troops. Neither his brothers nor his sons made Rus' stronger, preferring defense to attack. Until 1113, the country was in turmoil and the throne was being pulled from one prince to another.

Vladimir Monomakh

The most famous and significant figure on the Kiev throne was Prince Vladimir, who was popularly nicknamed Monomakh. At one time, he ceded the Kiev throne to his cousin Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, but after the death of the latter, at the request of the people, he took it.

Vladimir Monomakh can be compared to the legendary King Arthur. He was so loved and revered by the people for his courage, justice and generosity that songs and epics were composed in his honor long after his death.

During the reign of Vladimir, Kievan Rus became a truly powerful and strong power, which was taken into account by all its neighbors. He conquered the Principality of Minsk, and the Polovtsy moved away from the borders of Rus' for a long time. Vladimir Vsevolodovich not only issued laws making life easier for the common people and reducing taxes from them, but also continued the publication of The Tale of Bygone Years. It is in his interpretation that it has survived to this day. In addition, he himself wrote several works, including an autobiography, a set of laws and teachings from Vladimir Monomakh.

Rurik, son of Prince Rostislav

If during the times of Kievan Rus there was a book where various kinds of records would be entered, then Rurik Rostislavich would definitely be there. The following factors distinguished him from other princes of Kyiv:

• Neither the date of his birth nor the name of his mother is known, which is considered nonsense for the ruling dynasties. It is known for certain that his father was Prince of Smolensk Rostislav Mstislavich.
• He occupied the princely throne in Kyiv 8 times, which in itself speaks either of his stubbornness, or of the fact that the people, disliking the prince, overthrew him from the throne every 2-3 years.
• He managed to be not only the ruler of Rus', but also a monk, which had never happened to the princes of Kyiv before him.
• His reign brought ruin to the capital city as severe as subsequent attacks by the Mongol army.
• The name of Rurik is associated with both the birth of a dynasty on the Kiev throne and the fall of a great power.

Rurik Rostislavich remained in the memory of people and chroniclers as a man who ravaged Kyiv Orthodox churches worse than barbarians.

Romanov Dynasty

If we turn to the history of Kievan Rus, and then the Russian state, we can notice one oddity: members of the ruling families did not have surnames. The Grand Dukes of the House of Romanov began to be called that way only in 1917, and before that time all tsars, and later emperors, were called exclusively by their first name and patronymic.

The Romanov dynasty began in 1613, when the first representative of the boyar family, who bore this surname for more than 100 years, ascended the Russian throne. Peter Alekseevich Romanov, known in history as Peter I, was the last Russian Tsar, becoming the first Emperor of Russia.

The direct branch of this family ended with his daughter Elizaveta Petrovna, who did not marry and remained childless, being the sole empress of the country. The throne passed to the son of her elder sister Anna, forming a completely new dynastic surname of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanovsky.

Thus, Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov was the last direct representative of the male line of this family. Despite this, Russian emperors were perceived throughout the world as the Romanovs, and after the revolution, children from marriages of descendants of the great royal dynasty retained it along with the titles that their ancestors had. They were called grand dukes more by right of birth.

In modern historiography, the title “Kyiv princes” is usually used to designate a number of rulers of the Kyiv principality and the Old Russian state. The classical period of their reign began in 912 under the reign of Igor Rurikovich, the first to bear the title of “Grand Duke of Kyiv,” and lasted until approximately the middle of the 12th century, when the collapse of the Old Russian state began. Let's briefly look at the most prominent rulers during this period.

Oleg Prophetic (882-912)

Igor Rurikovich (912-945) – the first ruler of Kyiv, called the “Grand Duke of Kyiv.” During his reign, he conducted a number of military campaigns, both against neighboring tribes (Pechenegs and Drevlyans) and against the Byzantine kingdom. The Pechenegs and Drevlyans recognized the supremacy of Igor, but the Byzantines, better equipped militarily, put up stubborn resistance. In 944, Igor was forced to sign a peace treaty with Byzantium. At the same time, the terms of the agreement were beneficial for Igor, since Byzantium paid significant tribute. A year later, he decided to attack the Drevlyans again, despite the fact that they had already recognized his power and paid him tribute. Igor’s vigilantes, in turn, were able to profit from the robberies of the local population. The Drevlyans set up an ambush in 945 and, having captured Igor, executed him.

Olga (945-964)– Widow of Prince Rurik, killed in 945 by the Drevlyan tribe. She headed the state until her son, Svyatoslav Igorevich, became an adult. It is unknown when exactly she transferred power to her son. Olga was the first of the rulers of Rus' to convert to Christianity, while the entire country, army, and even her son still remained pagans. Important facts of her reign were the submission of the Drevlyans, who killed her husband Igor Rurikovich. Olga established the exact amounts of taxes that the lands subject to Kyiv had to pay, systematized the frequency of their payment and deadlines. An administrative reform was carried out, dividing the lands subordinate to Kyiv into clearly defined units, at the head of each of which a princely official “tiun” was installed. Under Olga, the first stone buildings appeared in Kyiv, Olga's tower and the city palace.

Svyatoslav (964-972)- son of Igor Rurikovich and Princess Olga. A characteristic feature of the reign was that most of its time was actually ruled by Olga, first due to Svyatoslav’s minority, and then due to his constant military campaigns and absence from Kyiv. Took power around 950. He did not follow his mother’s example and did not accept Christianity, which was then unpopular among the secular and military nobility. The reign of Svyatoslav Igorevich was marked by a series of continuous campaigns of conquest that he carried out against neighboring tribes and state entities. The Khazars, Vyatichi, the Bulgarian Kingdom (968-969) and Byzantium (970-971) were attacked. The war with Byzantium brought heavy losses to both sides, and ended, in fact, in a draw. Returning from this campaign, Svyatoslav was ambushed by the Pechenegs and was killed.

Yaropolk (972-978)

Vladimir the Holy (978-1015)- Kyiv prince, most famous for the baptism of Rus'. He was the prince of Novgorod from 970 to 978, when he seized the Kiev throne. During his reign, he continuously carried out campaigns against neighboring tribes and states. He conquered and annexed to his power the tribes of the Vyatichi, Yatvingians, Radimichi and Pechenegs. He carried out a number of government reforms aimed at strengthening the power of the prince. In particular, he began minting a single state coin, replacing the previously used Arab and Byzantine money. With the help of invited Bulgarian and Byzantine teachers, he began to spread literacy in Rus', forcibly sending children to study. Founded the cities of Pereyaslavl and Belgorod. The main achievement is considered to be the baptism of Rus', carried out in 988. The introduction of Christianity as a state religion also contributed to the centralization of the Old Russian state. The resistance of various pagan cults, then widespread in Rus', weakened the power of the Kyiv throne and was brutally suppressed. Prince Vladimir died in 1015 during another military campaign against the Pechenegs.

SvyatopolkDamned (1015-1016)

Yaroslav the Wise (1016-1054)- son of Vladimir. He feuded with his father and seized power in Kyiv in 1016, driving out his brother Svyatopolk. The reign of Yaroslav is represented in history by traditional raids on neighboring states and internecine wars with numerous relatives laying claim to the throne. For this reason, Yaroslav was forced to temporarily leave the Kiev throne. He built the churches of St. Sophia in Novgorod and Kyiv. The main temple in Constantinople is dedicated to her, so the fact of such construction spoke of the equality of the Russian church with the Byzantine one. As part of the confrontation with the Byzantine Church, he independently appointed the first Russian Metropolitan Hilarion in 1051. Yaroslav also founded the first Russian monasteries: the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery in Kyiv and the Yuriev Monastery in Novgorod. For the first time he codified feudal law, publishing a code of laws “Russian Truth” and a church charter. He did a lot of work translating Greek and Byzantine books into Old Russian and Church Slavonic languages, and constantly spent large sums on rewriting new books. He founded a large school in Novgorod, in which the children of elders and priests learned to read and write. He strengthened diplomatic and military ties with the Varangians, thus securing the northern borders of the state. He died in Vyshgorod in February 1054.

SvyatopolkDamned (1018-1019)– secondary temporary government

Izyaslav (1054-1068)- son of Yaroslav the Wise. According to his father's will, he sat on the throne of Kyiv in 1054. Throughout almost his entire reign, he was at odds with his younger brothers Svyatoslav and Vsevolod, who sought to seize the prestigious Kiev throne. In 1068, the Izyaslav troops were defeated by the Polovtsians in the battle on the Alta River. This led to the Kyiv Uprising of 1068. At the veche meeting, the remnants of the defeated militia demanded that they be given weapons in order to continue the fight against the Polovtsians, but Izyaslav refused to do this, which forced the Kievites to revolt. Izyaslav was forced to flee to the Polish king, his nephew. With the military help of the Poles, Izyaslav regained the throne for the period 1069-1073, was again overthrown, and ruled for the last time from 1077 to 1078.

Vseslav the Magician (1068-1069)

Svyatoslav (1073-1076)

Vsevolod (1076-1077)

Svyatopolk (1093-1113)- son of Izyaslav Yaroslavich, before occupying the Kyiv throne, periodically headed the Novgorod and Turov principalities. The beginning of the Kyiv principality of Svyatopolk was marked by the invasion of the Cumans, who inflicted a serious defeat on Svyatopolk’s troops in the battle of the Stugna River. After this, several more battles followed, the outcome of which is not known for certain, but ultimately peace was concluded with the Cumans, and Svyatopolk took the daughter of Khan Tugorkan as his wife. The subsequent reign of Svyatopolk was overshadowed by the continuous struggle between Vladimir Monomakh and Oleg Svyatoslavich, in which Svyatopolk usually supported Monomakh. Svyatopolk also repelled the constant raids of the Polovtsy under the leadership of the khans Tugorkan and Bonyak. He died suddenly in the spring of 1113, possibly poisoned.

Vladimir Monomakh (1113-1125) was the prince of Chernigov when his father died. He had the right to the Kiev throne, but lost it to his cousin Svyatopolk, because he did not want war at that time. In 1113, the people of Kiev rebelled and, having overthrown Svyatopolk, invited Vladimir to the kingdom. For this reason, he was forced to accept the so-called “Charter of Vladimir Monomakh”, which alleviated the situation of the urban lower classes. The law did not affect the foundations of the feudal system, but regulated the conditions of enslavement and limited the profits of moneylenders. Under Monomakh, Rus' reached the peak of its power. The Principality of Minsk was conquered, and the Polovtsians were forced to migrate east from the Russian borders. With the help of an impostor who posed as the son of a previously murdered Byzantine emperor, Monomakh organized an adventure aimed at placing him on the Byzantine throne. Several Danube cities were conquered, but it was not possible to further develop the success. The campaign ended in 1123 with the signing of peace. Monomakh organized the publication of improved editions of The Tale of Bygone Years, which have survived in this form to this day. Monomakh also independently created several works: the autobiographical “Ways and Fishing”, a set of laws “The Charter of Vladimir Vsevolodovich” and “The Teachings of Vladimir Monomakh”.

Mstislav the Great (1125-1132)- son of Monomakh, formerly the prince of Belgorod. He ascended the throne of Kyiv in 1125 without resistance from the other brothers. Among the most outstanding acts of Mstislav, one can name the campaign against the Polovtsians in 1127 and the plunder of the cities of Izyaslav, Strezhev and Lagozhsk. After a similar campaign in 1129, the Principality of Polotsk was finally annexed to the possessions of Mstislav. In order to collect tribute, several campaigns were made in the Baltic states against the Chud tribe, but they ended in failure. In April 1132, Mstislav died suddenly, but managed to transfer the throne to Yaropolk, his brother.

Yaropolk (1132-1139)- being the son of Monomakh, inherited the throne when his brother Mstislav died. At the time of coming to power he was 49 years old. In fact, he only controlled Kyiv and its environs. By his natural inclinations he was a good warrior, but did not have diplomatic and political abilities. Immediately after taking the throne, traditional civil strife began related to the inheritance of the throne in the Pereyaslav Principality. Yuri and Andrei Vladimirovich expelled Vsevolod Mstislavich, who had been placed there by Yaropolk, from Pereyaslavl. Also, the situation in the country was complicated by the increasingly frequent raids of the Polovtsians, who, together with the allied Chernigovites, plundered the outskirts of Kyiv. Yaropolk's indecisive policy led to military defeat in the battle on the Supoya River with the troops of Vsevolod Olgovich. The cities of Kursk and Posemye were also lost during the reign of Yaropolk. This development of events further weakened his authority, which was taken advantage of by the Novgorodians who announced their secession in 1136. The result of Yaropolk's reign was the virtual collapse of the Old Russian state. Formally, only the Principality of Rostov-Suzdal retained its subordination to Kyiv.

Vyacheslav (1139, 1150, 1151-1154)

The Rurikovichs are the descendants of Rurik, who became the first known chronicle prince of ancient Rus'. Over time, the Rurik family split into several branches.

The birth of a dynasty

The Tale of Bygone Years, written by the monk Nestor, tells the story of the calling of Rurik and his brothers to Rus'. The sons of the Novgorod prince Gostomysl died in the wars, and he married one of his daughters to a Varangian-Russian, who gave birth to three sons - Sineus, Rurik and Truvor. They were called by Gostomysl to reign in Rus'. It was with them that the Rurik dynasty began in 862, which reigned in Rus' until 1598.

The first princes

In 879, the summoned prince Rurik died, leaving a young son Igor. While he was growing up, the principality was ruled by Oleg, a relative of the prince through his wife. He conquered the entire Principality of Kiev, and also built diplomatic relations with Byzantium. After Oleg's death in 912, Igor began to reign until he died in 945, leaving two heirs - Gleb and Svyatoslav. However, the eldest (Svyatoslav) was a three-year-old child, and therefore his mother, Princess Olga, took the reign into her own hands.

Having become a ruler, Svyatoslav was more interested in military campaigns and in one of them he was killed in 972. Svyatoslav left three sons: Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir. Yaropolk killed Oleg for the sake of autocracy, while Vladimir first fled to Europe, but later returned, killed Yaropolk and became ruler. It was he who baptized the people of Kiev in 988 and built many cathedrals. He reigned until 1015 and left behind 11 sons. After Vladimir, Yaropolk began to reign, who killed his brothers, and after him Yaroslav the Wise.

Yaroslavichy

Yaroslav the Wise reigned in total from 1015 to 1054 (including breaks). When he died, the unity of the principality was disrupted. His sons divided Kievan Rus into parts: Svyatoslav received Chernigov, Izyaslav - Kyiv and Novgorod, Vsevolod - Pereyaslavl and the Rostov-Suzdal land. The latter, and subsequently his son Vladimir Monomakh, significantly expanded the acquired lands. After the death of Vladimir Monomakh, the disintegration of the unity of the principality was finally established, each part of which was ruled by a separate dynasty.

Rus' is specific

Feudal fragmentation is growing due to the laddered right of succession to the throne, according to which power was transferred according to seniority to the prince's brothers, while the younger ones were given to them in cities of lesser importance. After the death of the main prince, everyone moved according to seniority from city to city. This order led to internecine wars. The most powerful princes launched a war for Kyiv. The power of Vladimir Monomakh and his descendants turned out to be the most influential. Vladimir Monomakh leaves his possessions to three sons: Mstislav, Yaropolk and Yuri Dolgoruky. The latter is considered the founder of Moscow.

The fight between Moscow and Tver

One of the famous descendants of Yuri Dolgoruky was Alexander Nevsky, under whom an independent Moscow principality arose. In an effort to increase their influence, the descendants of Nevsky begin a fight with Tver. During the reign of the descendant of Alexander Nevsky, the Moscow Principality became one of the main centers of the unification of Rus', but the Tver Principality remained outside of its influence.

Creation of the Russian State

After the death of Dmitry Donskoy, power passes to his son Vasily I, who managed to preserve the greatness of the principality. After his death, a dynastic struggle for power begins. However, under the reign of Dmitry Donskoy's descendant Ivan III, the Horde yoke ends and the Principality of Moscow plays a decisive role in this. Under Ivan III, the process of forming a unified Russian state was completed. In 1478, he appropriated the title “Sovereign of All Rus'”.

The Last Rurikovichs

The last representatives of the Rurik dynasty in power were Ivan the Terrible and his son Fyodor Ivanovich. The latter was not a ruler by nature, and therefore, after the death of Ivan the Terrible, the state was essentially ruled by the Boyar Duma. In 1591, Dmitry, another son of Ivan the Terrible, dies. Dmitry was the last contender for the Russian throne, since Fyodor Ivanovich had no children. In 1598, Fyodor Ivanovich also died, with whom the dynasty of the first Russian rulers, who had been in power for 736 years, was interrupted.

The article mentions only the main and most prominent representatives of the dynasty, but in fact there were much more descendants of Rurik. The Rurikovichs made an invaluable contribution to the development of the Russian state.