Map of the Eastern Tribes. Eastern Slavs in ancient times
Origin of the Slavs. Settlement and occupations of the Eastern Slavs.
In history, the question of the origin and initial settlement of the Slavs is called the question of the “ancestral homeland” of the Slavs. Have the Slavs always lived where they live now?
The very first look at this problem was substantiated by a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery Nestor- chronicler (12th century), who settled the Slavs in the upper Danube in the Roman province of Noricum. Danube version the origin of the Slavs was also adhered to by such prominent Russian historians 19th century, like S.M. Soloviev and V.O. Klyuchevsky.
According to the Soviet scientist academician Boris Rybakov the Proto-Slavs occupied a wide strip of Central and of Eastern Europe from Oder to Dne9pra. This strip, stretching from north to south for about 400 kilometers, and from west to east for about 1.5 kilometers, was supported in the west by the European mountains of the Tatras and Sudetes, in the north it reached the Baltic Sea. The eastern half of the Proto-Slavic territory was limited from the north by Pripyat, from the south by the upper reaches of the Dnieper and Yu. Bug and the Ros River basin.
The Slavs belong to the Indo-European family of peoples, which also includes Germanic, Celtic, Iranian Greek and Indian peoples. In sources, under their own name, the Slavs appear relatively late in the 6th century by the Gothic historian Jordan in the Greek transcription “sklaveni”. They are also known under the names Veneti, Antes, Sklavens. Moreover, he also says that the Veneti are the most ancient name of the Slavs. Even earlier, ancient authors wrote about the Veneti: Polybius (3rd – 2nd century BC), Titus Livius (1st century AD), Ptolemy (2nd century AD), Tacitus (2nd century AD .e.).
From the end of the 4th century, the Slavs became involved in the world migration process, known in history as the “Great Migration of Peoples.” The Great Migration of Peoples began with the invasion of Turkic-speaking peoples - the Huns, who came from Central Asia to the Black Sea steppes. They defeated the Goths, who went to the Balkans and Western Europe. Affected by the Huns and other Turkic-speaking peoples, the Slavs settled in three main directions, which predetermined their gradual division into three main branches - southern, western and eastern:
To the south - to the Balkan Peninsula. The southern Slavs subsequently began to live there. These include Serbs, Bulgarians, Montenegrins, Bosnians, Slovenes, Croats;
To the east and north - along the East European Plain - the Eastern Slavs - Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians - settled;
- Western Slavs - Poles, Czechs and Slovaks - moved to the west, to the middle Danube and between the Oder and Elbe rivers.
In eastern Europe, the Slavs met Finno-Ugric tribes and settled among them. The settlement of the Slavs took place peacefully, since the population density was low and there was enough land for everyone. The Slavs settled throughout the East European Plain. In the 6th century they united into tribal alliances. A tribe is an association of clans. In turn, a tribal union is a formation that includes several tribes connected not so much by unity of origin, but by area of residence, since territorial ties prevailed over tribal ties.
On the middle reaches of the Dnieper and along the Ros River they lived clearing;
To the north of them - northerners;
To the north-west - Drevlyans;
On the Pripyat River - Dregovichi(from “dryagva” - swamp);
On the Sozh River - Radimichi;
On Ilmen - lake and Volkhov river - Ilmen Slovenes;
In the Smolensk area and to the north - Krivichi;
In the northeast (region of the Oka River) - Vyatichi;
In the South-West ( Western Ukraine) - Ulichi, Tivertsy, White Croats, Volynians.
The neighbors of the Slavs in the north were the northern people (Normans), who lived along the shores of the Baltic Sea in Scandinavia. In Rus' they were called Varangians(var – sea). The meager lands of Scandinavia pushed out large detachments of seekers of prey and glory. These troops were led by Vikings. The Varangians were excellent sailors and warriors and posed a great danger to Europe and the Eastern Slavs. The peak of armed raids of the Varangians on the lands of the Eastern Slavs was in the 9th century.
In the south, Turkic-speaking peoples roamed the Black Sea steppes - until 1036 Pechenegs, and after their defeat by Yaroslav the Wise, their place was taken Cumans. These nomads often attacked nearby Slavic territories.
A strong warlike state was formed in the Lower Volga and Don region in the 7th century Khazar Khaganate. The capital of this state was Itil on the lower Volga. Mostly the Khazar population were Muslims, but the elite of the Khazars adopted the religion of the ancient Jews Judaism m. This state lived by collecting trade duties, since it controlled the lower Volga, and frequent raids on East Slavic lands. The Polans, northerners and Radimichi at one time had to pay them tribute.
Across the Black Sea were vast and rich possessions Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium), where the Slavs often went on military and trading campaigns.
Neighbors in the east Slavic peoples were Finno-Ugric tribes - Merya, Muroma, Mordovians, Mari. In the 7th century middle Volga and Kama a state was formed Volga Bulgaria. It for a long time posed a danger to Rus'.
In the west, the Slavs lived next to Poles and Hungarians.
The formation of the state and the occupations of its inhabitants are influenced by such factors as geographical position, climatic and natural conditions. The place of settlement of the Eastern Slavs is the East European Plain. Unlike Western Europe it is devoid of large mountains. The flat terrain contributed to close communication and rapprochement between Eastern European tribes, on the one hand. On the other hand, the plain and the absence of natural obstacles facilitated the aggressive campaigns of their neighbors. Moreover, the East European Plain lay at the junction of routes from Asia to Europe.
The climate was sharply continental: hot and short summers are replaced by long and snowy winters. The territory of settlement of the Eastern Slavs was replete with forests and rivers.
These natural conditions determined the way of life and the main activities of the Slavs.
Lecture: Peoples and ancient states on Russian territory. East Slavic tribes and their neighbors
East Slavic tribes and their neighbors
Slavic languages belong to the most widespread Indo-European language family in the world. Therefore, the basis for the formation of the Slavs and other European peoples (Latvians, Lithuanians, Germans, Greeks, Iranians, etc.) was the ancient Indo-European community. According to one version, it was located in the north of Asia Minor (modern Türkiye). From there, at the turn of the 4th-3rd millennium BC. the resettlement of modern Europeans, including Slavs, began.
The ethnogenesis of the Slavs is the subject of scientific debate. Previously, it was believed that the Slavs came from the Danube, but modern researchers claim that the ancestral home of the Slavs is between the Vistula and Odra rivers. Here the settlement of Slavic tribes to the east and south (Balkan Peninsula) began. The first mentions of nationalities on the territory of Russia date back to Bronze Age. In the Bible, historical documents Ancient Greece and the works of Herodotus are mentioned Cimmerians- a union of tribes living on the Crimean Peninsula and the northern parts of the Black Sea region.
In the Northern Black Sea region of the 7th-6th centuries. BC e. Great colonization of the Greeks to the west began. As a result, many city-states of Chersonesos (Sevastopol), Feodosia, Panticapaeum, Phanagria, Olvia, etc. were founded. They were the center of trade in fish, bread, livestock and slaves. In 480 BC. e. Panticapaeum (current name - Kerch) became the capital of the Bosporan Kingdom - a powerful Greek-barbarian state. At the same time, Iranian-speaking tribes came to the steppe shores of the Black Sea - Scythians. Their main occupation was cattle breeding, agriculture and crafts. Over time, until the 4th century AD. they settled throughout the northern Black Sea region, from the Danube to the Don. Their structure of life is also described by Herodotus. Later they came to these lands Sarmatians, they conquered most of their lands from the Scythians and occupied them with their settlements.
During Great Migration in the IV-VII centuries. n. e. The Northern Black Sea region is becoming a kind of main route for the movement of peoples from east to west. The hegemony of the Sarmatians in the Black Sea steppes passed to those who came from the Baltic gotham who came from Germanic tribes. Goths in the 4th century AD created the first known state in Europe - Oium. Which was soon destroyed by the Huns. The Huns were a nomadic people, living in the area from the Volga to the Danube. They defeated the Roman cities of the Black Sea region and undermined the prosperity of the Slavs of the Middle Dnieper region, depriving them of the opportunity to export grain. The Huns reached their maximum power during the reign of leader Attila in the 5th century, and were even able to form a state. But after the death of Attila, due to internecine wars between the heirs and other leaders, the state quickly disintegrated, the Huns went beyond the Dnieper. And the Slavs moved to their place and invaded the Balkan Peninsula en masse.
As a result of the Great Migration of Peoples, the single Slavic community split into three branches: Western, Southern and Eastern Slavs, who in our time are represented by the following peoples:
- Western Slavs (Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Lusatian Serbs);
- South Slavs (Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats, Macedonians, Slovenes, Montenegrins, Bosnian Muslims);
- Eastern Slavs (Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians).
They settled in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe.
All Slavic tribes occupied significant part territory of the East European Plain. The Eastern Slavs settled in the west, starting from the Carpathians and to the northern territories of the Dnieper in the east, from Lake Ladoga in the north to the Middle Dnieper region in the south. The names of the tribes are associated with their habitat (glades - field, Drevlyans - tree - forests, Dregovichi - dryagva - swamp). The largest in terms of population and area were Polyana and Sloven.
Neighbors of the East Slavic tribes
The neighbors of the Slavs were not very numerous Finno-Ugric and Baltic tribes. In the north they neighbored the peoples of the Finno-Ugric group: Ves, Merya, Muroma, Chud, Mordovians, Mari. The East Slavic tribes were more numerous and more developed, so many neighboring tribes became part of them. But not only the Slavs taught their neighbors, the Finno-Ugric tribes instilled in the Slavs many of their beliefs, just like the Baltic ones.
Nestor's "Tale of Bygone Years" preserved the news of the "torture" of the Slavic tribes by the "images". We are talking about Avarah- nomadic people of Central Asian origin. Which in the VI century. AD moved to Central Europe, creating their own state, the Avar Khaganate (in the territory of present-day Hungary). This state controlled all of Eastern Europe, including the Slavic lands. To protect themselves from the constant raids of the Avars, the Slavs began to make weapons, and men gathered a militia. At the end of the 8th century. The Avar state was destroyed by Hungarian troops.
Another neighboring nomadic tribe is the Khazars. They came in the 7th century. also from Asia, settled in the south of the Volga. Where they formed the largest state in Eastern Europe - the Khazar Kaganate (which included the northern territories of the Black Sea region, the Crimean peninsula, North Caucasus, Lower Volga and Caspian region). Under oppression and constant raids, the Slavs living on the steppes had to pay them tribute, mainly in furs. True, the Khazar state allowed the Slavs to trade along the Volga trade route. Destroyed in the 10th century by the Russian army.
The Varangians played an important role in the life of the Eastern Slavs. Through the territory of the Eastern Slavs, the most important trade route, which connected Scandinavia and Byzantium. In addition to economic influence, northern neighbors also had political influence. Norman theory says that it was people from Scandinavia who gave the Eastern Slavs statehood. In the life of the Slavs, the role of Byzantium, which was one of the largest trade, economic, cultural and religious centers of the 9th century, was also great.
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What tribes did the East Slavic peoples have?
According to information, much of which was obtained as a result of the study of ancient written sources and archaeological finds, the tribes of the Eastern Slavs separated from the Indo-European community around one hundred and fifty BC, after which their numbers and influence began to rapidly increase.
How did the tribes of the Eastern Slavs arise?
The first mentions of the numerous tribes of the Wends, as well as the Sklavins and Antes (that is what the first Slavic ethnic groups were called in those days) are present in the manuscripts of Greek, Byzantine, Roman, and Arab authors. ABOUT early times You can also glean information from Russian chronicles.
The very fragmentation of this people into eastern, western and southern, according to some scientists, occurs due to their displacement by other peoples, which was not uncommon in that period (the times of the great migration of peoples).
South Slavic (Bulgarian, Slovenian, as well as Serbo-Croatian and Macedonian) tribes are those communities that chose to remain in Europe. Today they are considered the ancestors of Serbs, Montenegrins, Croats, Bulgarians, as well as Slovenes and Bosnians.
Scientists include the Slavs who moved to northern latitudes among the tribes of the Western Slavs (Slenzhans, Polans, Pomorians, as well as Bohemians and Polabs). From these communities, according to the authors of the most popular versions of the emergence of the Slavic peoples, came the Czechs, Poles and Slovaks. The southern and western Slavic tribes were, in turn, captured and assimilated by representatives of other peoples.
The East Slavic tribes, to which scientists include the Tiverts, White Croats, Northerners, Volynians, Polotsk, Drevlyans, as well as the Ulitsch, Radimichi, Buzhan, Vyatichi and Dregovichi, consist of Slavs who moved to the territory of the so-called East European Plain. Today's historians and Slavophile researchers consider Ukrainians, Russians and Belarusians to be the descendants of the above tribes.
Table: East Slavic tribal unions
Scheme: Eastern Slavs during the era of the “Great Migration”
How did the Slavic tribes coexist with other nationalities?
Most of Slavic tribes were forced to move to the territory of central Europe, in particular, to the lands of the once great Roman Empire, which collapsed in 476. At the same time, the conquerors of this empire formed a new statehood during this period, which, although based on the experience of the legacy of the Roman Empire, was different from it. At the same time, the territories chosen by the East Slavic tribes were not so culturally developed.
Some Slavic tribes settled on the shores of Lake Ilmen, subsequently founding the city of Novgorod on this place, others decided to continue their journey and, settling on the banks of the Dnieper River, founded the city of Kyiv there, which later became the mother of Russian cities.
By around the sixth to eighth centuries, the Eastern Slavs were able to occupy the entire territory of the East European Plain. Their neighbors were Finns, Estonians, Lithuanians, Laishes, Mansi, Khanty, as well as Ugrians and Komi. It is worth noting that according to available historical data, the settlement and development of new territories took place peacefully, without any military action. The Eastern Slavs themselves were not at enmity with the above-mentioned peoples.
Confrontation of the Eastern Slavs with the nomads
But in the territories located in the east and southeast, a completely different situation developed at the same time. In these regions, the plain adjoined the steppe and the neighbors of the Slavs there became a nomadic people called the Turks. Regular raids by steppe nomads ravaged Slavic settlements for about a thousand years. At the same time, the Turks formed their states on the southeastern and eastern borders of the Eastern Slavs. Their largest and most powerful state, the Avar Kaganate, existed in the mid-500s and fell in 625, after the collapse of Byzantium. However, in the seventh and eighth centuries, the Bulgarian kingdom was located on the same territory. Most of the Bulgars, who settled along the middle reaches of the Volga, formed a state that went down in history as Volga Bulgaria. The remaining Bulgars who settled near the Danube formed Danube Bulgaria. A little later, as a result of the assimilation of representatives of the South Slavic tribes with Turkic settlers, new people, who called themselves Bulgarians.
The territories liberated by the Bulgars were occupied by new Turks - the Pechenegs. These people subsequently founded the Khazar Kaganate, on the steppe territories located between the banks of the Volga and the Azov and Caspian seas. Later, the tribes of the Eastern Slavs were enslaved by the Khazars. At the same time, the Eastern Slavs pledged to pay tribute to the Khazar Kaganate. Such relations between the Slavic eastern tribes and the Khazars continued until the ninth century.
Comment: It is better to do the work step by step, sequentially completing tasks for the contour maps. To enlarge the map, simply click on it.
TASKS
1. Label different colors territories of settlement of the Eastern, Western and Southern Slavs.
Eastern Slavs - in green
Western Slavs - yellow
Southern Slavs - in pink
2. Write the names of the rivers along which the Eastern Slavs settled.
Volga, Desna, Seim, Southern Bug, Dnest, Prut, Pripyat, Bug, Dnieper, Western Dvina, Lovat, Neva, Volkhov
3. Write the names of the tribal unions of the Eastern Slavs, about which the chronicler wrote:
1. “These Slavs came and sat down along the Dnieper... [in the fields]” - clearing
2. “And others sat down in the forests” - Drevlyans
3. “And others sat down between Pripyat and Dvina [in the swamps]” - Dregovichi
4. “Some sat down along the Dvina, along a river that flows into the Dvina and is called Polota” - Polotsk residents
5. “The same Slavs who settled around Lake Ilmen were called by their own name” - Slovenian Ilmenskie
6. “And others sat along the Desna, and the Seim, and the Sula” - northerners
7. “And they sit in the upper reaches of the Volga, and in the upper reaches of the Dvina, and in the upper reaches of the Dnieper” - Krivichi
8. “After all, the Poles had two brothers - Radim, and the other - Vyatko; and they came and sat down: Radim on the Sozh, and Vyatko sat down with his family along the Oka" - Radimichi and Vyatichi
9. “There were many of them: they sat along the Dniester and near the Danube all the way to the sea” - Tivertsy
Write the names of the cities that became the centers of these unions.
Kyiv, Iskorosten, Smolensk, Polotsk, Chernigov, Izborsk, Pskov, Novgorod, Ladoga, Rostov
4. Write the names of non-Slavic tribes neighboring the Eastern Slavs.
Merya, Murom, Meshchera, Mordovians, Hungarians (Magyars), Yases (Alans), Wallachians, Avars, Golyad, Yatvingians, Lithuania, Semigallians, Latgallians, Chud (Ests), Vod, Korela, all.
5. Circle the borders of the three largest states beginning of the 9th century and sign their names.
Byzantine Empire
Khazar Khaganate