Education, History
The first Russian princes, their reformatory activities
We learn about the life of the first rulers in Russia from the most ancient of the chronicles that have survived to the present day, The Tale of Bygone Years. The activities of the first Russian princes are directly connected with the birth of an independent Old Russian state. Today, the study of the history of our country deals with a huge number of specialists in this field and just enthusiastic historical enthusiasts. The history of Russia is quite interesting, every year it reveals more and more secrets and presents more and more mysteries.
According to the Tale, the princes of Old Rus derive their origin from the Rurik dynasty, the ancestor of which is Rurik, who was invited to the Russian lands by the Ilmen sloven in 862. The first place of settlement and reign of Rurik was Ladoga, then his authority spread to all Novgorod lands.
The average life expectancy of men of the ninth century was no more than 35 years, this is mainly due to the rapid change of managers in Russia. Dying, the ruler transferred his powers to a close relative or a loyal soldier of his squad. A little later the reins of government the first Russian princes began to transfer to their sons.
For the time being it is for certain unknown whether the second prince was in Russia a blood relative of Rurik, his reign had a huge impact on the development of the Russian state as a whole. Oleg, who received the nickname "prophetic", became the first representative of the princely dynasty, during the reign of which the formation of Kievan Rus began. In 882 Oleg the Prophet is capturing the city of Kiev, which for many centuries became the capital and center of the Russian lands. Prince Oleg was actively engaged in expanding the territories of Russia, as well as strengthening its foreign policy relations with other countries. In 907, his army made a military campaign against Constantinople, the ancient capital of Byzantium, which resulted in the conclusion of two peace treaties, very beneficial for Russia. The feat of the prince was immortalized in his work "The Song of the Wise Oleg" by Alexander Pushkin.
Among the merits of the third Russian prince Igor, who became the ruler of the country in 912:
- Expansion of the state borders by subordinating the tribes of the ulcers that are adjacent to it;
- Development of the lands of the Taman Peninsula;
- Victory over the nomadic Pechenegs.
The life of Prince Igor ended in a very tragic way. As is known, the first Russian princes took part in collecting tribute (polyudja) from tribes subordinate to them. In one of these campaigns to collect polyudya, Igor was killed by representatives of the Drevlyans. After the death of the prince, the reins of government fell into the hands of his wife Olga, since Igor's only son, Svyatoslav, was still too young during his father's death.
The first reform of Princess Olga was the introduction of exact amounts of tribute to subordinate peoples, as well as the establishment of the main place of its collection. In 957, the ruler of Rus visited Constantinople and adopted the Christian faith under the name of Elena. It is with her rule that a great event in the religious life of the country is connected - the baptism of Rus (Kyivans), which occurred in 988. Although it is impossible to establish the exact date of this event, it was held for several decades. Pagan Rus very reluctantly and slowly adopted another's religion.
The main activity of the next Russian prince Sviatoslav was aimed at conducting military operations against the ancient tribes located in immediate accessibility. On his account, the destruction of the Khazar Kaganate, the war with Byzantium, a march on the Danube Bulgaria. Like his father, Svyatoslav was killed by representatives of enemy tribes. In this case, the Pechenegs.
The first Russian princes were outstanding personalities. Take, for example, Olga. The ability to lead this woman could be envied by a modern business woman. The Christian church called her Equal-to-the-Apostles. At the same time, the chroniclers called Olga cunning, and historians - wise.
So, the dynasty of Russian princes - descendants of Rurik originates from the middle of the ninth century. The first rulers of Russia were quite fair in relation to the subjects of their country and cruel to their neighbors. If you turn to history, you can see that the formation of virtually all states of the world occurs through the conquest and subjugation of enemy territory. Ancient Russia is no exception. The first Russian princes took care of the expansion of the borders of their state, and only then thought about the well-being of the subjects living on its territory. The first half of the 12th century was marked by the beginning of the disintegration of one big principality into fifteen smaller and separate lands, which went down in history as "feudal fragmentation of Rus." Since this time, Kievan Rus as a single state has ceased to exist.
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