Neighbors of the Eastern Slavs

The history of the Slavic peoples is described in the most ancient Russian chronicle - The Tale of Bygone Years. It reports on the meadows that inhabited the Middle Dnieper region near Kiev, about the Drevlyans who inhabited the wooded and marshy Pripyat Polesie. On the northern borders of the ancient East Slavic world, the ilmen Slovens lived along the shores of Lake Ilmen, between the Western Dvina and Pripyat - the Dregovichi, which were adjacent to the Krivichi. The latter were a fairly large tribe, which later broke up into three parts. Thus, the tribes of Pskov, Polotsk and Smolensk krivich were formed. On the side of the steppe territories, the neighbors of the glades were the northerners, and along the banks of the Sozh River lived the Radimichi. The basin of the Oka River was inhabited by vyatichi. The southernmost territory, practically on the Black Sea coast, was occupied by Tiverts and ulcers.

The origin and settlement of the Slavs, as it is represented in the annals, has for a long time caused historians doubt. However, in the early 20th century archeology confirmed this scheme.

Living such a vast territory, the Slavic tribes encountered representatives of other peoples who already lived in Eastern Europe before them or came with them simultaneously. At the same time, naturally, these or other relations between nations were formed.

Neighbors of the Eastern Slavs - the Balts - occupied quite a large territory. According to the information, they lived up to the area of modern Moscow. This is indicated by the results of studies of toponymy (names of geographical objects).

Finno-Ugrians are neighbors of the Eastern Slavs from the north-east. In the southern territories, Iranian-speaking tribes lived next to them, who were descendants of the Sarmatians.

Life proceeded in periodic military clashes, followed by peaceful relations, assimilation processes took place. Neighbors of the Eastern Slavs in one way or another influenced the development of tribes: life included various elements of the cultures of other peoples. Interaction of traditions was the most important phenomenon of that period.

Separate neighbors of the Eastern Slavs were able to form strong enough tribal alliances, and some - early state formations. With such peoples there were rather complicated relations. So, Bulgarians in the middle of the 7th century created one of such formations. Internal turmoil and external pressure contributed to the fact that part of the Bulgarians migrated to the Danube. Here they subordinated the local tribes of the southern Slavs. Another part of the Bulgarians, moving to the northeast, settled on the lower Kama and along the middle course of the Volga, forming Bulgaria. For a long period this state was a real threat to the Eastern Slavs.

In the second half of the 7th century, the Bulgars began to oppress the Turkic tribes - Khazars. Over time, the latter settled over the territory of the Lower Volga region, part of the Crimea, the Northern Black Sea Coast, the North Caucasus. Thus, the Khazar Khaganate was formed. The center of this state was located in the lower reaches of the Volga. There were not so many true "ethnic" Khazar-Turks, a large part of the population consisted of representatives of multiethnic nationalities (Slavs including), descendants of the Saltovo-Mayak culture.

The Scandinavian Peninsula was inhabited by Normans. They represented a considerable danger for the ancient Slavs. In the 9th century, the Varangians (the so-called Normans) carried out a huge number of raids on the territory of Slavic settlements. At the same time, in the struggle against enemies, the military organization of the population is growing stronger. The Slavs had military leaders as princes. Like other peoples, the Slavs had a widespread system, when each tribe exhibited a hundred warriors.