Family tree of Russian princes. Rurik Dynasty

Ability to call up a menu by right-clicking on an empty space with the following items:

• Hide everyone except the highlighted princes. Even hide their brothers.
• Clear selection
• Save the current tree view as pdf/jpg/…

List of all princes. The ability to select any princes from the list and build a tree up to the selected tribe, in which the selected princes would be shown and highlighted, while hiding as much as possible. This is very useful if you need information on specific princes.

In case of identical names, display dates of life. When you hover over a name in the list, show information with all ancestors and a short biography.

Make a smart search for princes, offering options as you type.

Make rescaling in Firefox smoother. Everything is fine in Chrome, Opera and Safari.

Clicking the “Show all” button often leaves you in front of a blank screen, the tree completely moving beyond the boundaries of the visible area. To correct.

When the window size increases, the borders of the tree-container do not increase - as a result, not everything is used available space. You have to refresh the page. To correct.

The knee numbers are above and below the diagram, appearing as the knees open. By clicking on the knee number, the diagram is collapsed to this knee; with a second click, the previous view is restored. By pointing at the number of a knee, the number of people in this knee is displayed. And, for example, general characteristics of this time, the most important events that took place during this generation. What to do when the illuminated painted lines of the princes intersect?

List of hikes in a pull-out menu. By clicking on the hike you are interested in, all participants are highlighted.

Now Rurik and Prophetic Oleg are the second knee, and the root and its lines are made invisible (to match the background color). Is there a more normal solution to start the tree with two roots?

Now double-clicking zooms in. I think it should be removed/replaced with something more useful.

Do separate function for the location of the tree at start. Now the same function is used, which centers the tree when you click on its elements. It is not possible to achieve an acceptable tree position both at start and at click.

Select the Grand Dukes.

Make lists for cities: under whose power (prince, principality, governors...) they were in time.

Not a fully thought out idea: the ability to color the background under the pedigree in different colors, where the color would indicate a specific region. Since children usually ruled over their father's fiefdom, this should make sense. Let's check it out.

Make the pedigree list (source.data) easy to download and view.

We welcome reports of any inaccuracies (especially factual ones) and broken buttons. Advice, suggestions and wishes are also welcome.

The Rurikovichs are a dynasty of princes (and from 1547, kings) of Kievan Rus, later of Muscovite Rus, the Moscow Principality, and the Muscovite Kingdom. The founder of the dynasty is a legendary prince named Rurik (this is the answer to the question why the dynasty was called by the name of the founder). Many copies were broken in disputes about whether this prince was a Varangian (that is, a foreigner) or a native Russian.

The family tree of the Rurik dynasty with years of rule is available in such a well-known Internet resource as Wikipedia.

Most likely, Rurik was the original Russian contender for the throne, and this contender turned out to be in the right place at the right time. Rurik ruled from 862 to 879. It was then that the predecessor of the modern Russian alphabet appeared in Rus' - the Cyrillic alphabet (created by Cyril and Methodius). The long, 736-year history of the great dynasty begins with Rurik. Its scheme is extensive and extremely interesting.

After the death of Rurik, his relative, Oleg, nicknamed the Prophet, became the ruler of Novgorod, and from 882 of Kievan Rus. The nickname was fully justified: this prince defeated the Khazars - dangerous opponents of Rus', then, together with his army, crossed the Black Sea and “nailed a shield to the gates of Constantinople” (that’s what Istanbul was called in those years).

In the spring of 912, Oleg died from an accident - a viper bite (this snake is especially poisonous in the spring). It happened like this: the prince stepped on the skull of his horse and managed to disturb the snake that was wintering there.

Igor became the new prince of Kievan Rus. Under him, Rus' continued to grow stronger. The Pechenegs were defeated, and power over the Drevlyans was strengthened. The most important event was the clash with Byzantium.

After failure in 941 (the so-called Greek fire was used against the Russian fleet), Igor returned to Kyiv. Having collected large army, in 944 (or 943) he decided to attack Byzantium from two sides: from land - cavalry, and the main forces of the army were to attack Constantinople from the sea.

Realizing that this time the battle with the enemy was fraught with defeat, the Byzantine emperor decided to pay off. In 944, a trade and military agreement was signed between Kievan Rus and the Byzantine Empire.

The dynasty is continued by Igor’s grandson Vladimir Svyatoslavovich (aka the Baptist or Yasno Solnyshko) - a mysterious and contradictory personality. He often fought with his brothers and shed a lot of blood, especially during the spread of Christianity. At the same time, the prince took care of a reliable system of defensive structures, hoping to solve the problem of Pecheneg raids.

It was under Vladimir the Great that a terrible disaster began, which ultimately destroyed Kievan Rus - civil strife between the local Rurikovichs. And although strong princes appeared like Yaroslav the Wise or Vladimir Monomakh (it is symbolic that it was the “Monomakh’s crown” that adorned the heads of the first Romanovs), Rus' strengthened only during their reign. And then civil strife in Rus' flared up with renewed vigor.

Rulers of Moscow and Kievan Rus

After the split of the Christian Church into Orthodox and Catholic directions, the Suzdal and Novgorod princes realized that Orthodoxy was much better. As a result, original paganism was fused with the Orthodox direction of Christianity. This is how Russian Orthodoxy appeared, a powerful unifying idea. Thanks to this, the powerful Moscow principality, and later the kingdom, eventually arose. From this core Russia later emerged.

In 1147, a settlement called Moscow became the center of new Rus'.

Important! The Tatars played an important role in the founding of this city. They became a link between Christians and pagans, a kind of intermediaries. Thanks to this, the Rurik dynasty firmly occupied the throne.

But Kievan Rus sinned with one-sidedness - Christianity was forcibly introduced there. At the same time they destroyed adult population professing paganism. It is not surprising that there was a split between the princes: some defended paganism, while others converted to Christianity.

The throne became too shaky. So the family tree of the Rurik dynasty was divided into successful rulers, creators future Russia, and losers who disappeared from history by the end of the 13th century.

In 1222, the squad of one of the princes robbed a Tatar trade caravan, killing the merchants themselves. The Tatars set out on a campaign and in 1223 clashed with the Kyiv princes on the Kalka River. Due to civil strife, the princely squads fought uncoordinatedly, and the Tatars completely defeated the enemy.

The insidious Vatican immediately took advantage of the convenient opportunity and gained the trust of the princes, including the ruler of the Galicia-Volyn principality Danila Romanovich. We agreed on a joint campaign against the Tatars in 1240. However, the princes were in for a very unpleasant surprise: the allied army came and... demanded a colossal tribute! And all because these were the notorious crusading knights of the Teutonic Order - armored bandits.

Kyiv desperately defended itself, but on the fourth day of the siege the crusaders broke into the city and carried out a terrible pogrom. This is how Kievan Rus perished.

One of the rulers of Muscovite Rus', Prince of Novgorod Alexander Yaroslavovich, learned about the fall of Kyiv. If before this there was serious mistrust of the Vatican, now it has grown into hostility.

It is quite possible that the Vatican tried to play the same card as with the Kyiv princes, and sent ambassadors with a proposal for a joint campaign against the Tatars. If the Vatican did so, then it was in vain - the answer was a categorical refusal.

At the end of 1240, the combined army of crusading knights and Swedes was completely defeated on the Neva. Hence the prince’s nickname -

In 1242, the crusading knights again clashed with the Russian army. The result was the complete defeat of the crusaders.

Thus, in the middle of the 13th century, the roads of Kievan and Moscow Rus' diverged. Kyiv fell under the occupation of the Vatican for several centuries, while Moscow, on the contrary, grew stronger and continued to defeat its enemies. But the history of the dynasty continued.

Princes Ivan III and Vasily III

By the 1470s, the Moscow Principality was a fairly strong state. His influence gradually expanded. The Vatican sought to solve the problem of Russian Orthodoxy, and therefore constantly fueled the quarrel between high-born princes and boyars, hoping to crush the future Russian state.

However, Ivan III continued the reforms, simultaneously establishing profitable ties with Byzantium.

This is interesting!Grand Duke Ivan III first used the title “tsar”, albeit in correspondence.

Vasily III continued the reforms begun under his father. Along the way, the struggle continued with the eternal enemies - the Shuisky family. The Shuiskys were engaged, in Stalinist terms, in espionage for the Vatican.

Childlessness upset Vasily so much that he divorced his first wife and got her tonsured as a nun. The prince's second wife was Elena Glinskaya, and it turned out to be a marriage of love. For the first three years the marriage was childless, but in the fourth year a miracle happened - the heir to the throne was born!

Board of Elena Glinskaya

After the death of Vasily III, his wife Elena managed to seize power. In a short five years, the Empress of All Rus' achieved a lot.

For example:

• One of the revolts was suppressed. The instigator, Mikhail Glinsky, ended up in prison (in vain he went against his niece).
• The evil influence of the Shuiskys decreased.
• For the first time, a coin was minted, depicting a horseman with a spear, the coin was called a penny.

However, the enemies poisoned the hated ruler - in 1538 the princess dies. And a little later, Prince Obolensky (the possible father of Ivan the Terrible, but the fact of paternity has not been proven) ends up in prison.

Ivan IV the Terrible

The name of this king was cruelly slandered at first by order of the Vatican. Later, freemason-historian N. Karamzin, commissioned by Amsterdam, in the book “History of the Russian State”, will draw a portrait of the great ruler of Rus' Ivan IV only in black paints. At the same time, both the Vatican and Holland called such scoundrels as great Henry VIII and Oliver Cromwell.

If we take a sober look at what these politicians did, we will see a completely different picture. For Ivan IV, murder was a very unpleasant thing.

Therefore, he executed enemies only when other methods of struggle were ineffective. But Henry VIII and Oliver Cromwell considered murder the norm and encouraged it in every possible way public executions and other horrors.

The childhood of the future Tsar Ivan IV was alarming. His mother and named father led unequal struggle with numerous enemies and traitors. When Ivan was eight years old, his mother died, and his named father ended up in prison, where he also soon died.

Five many years lasted for Ivan like a complete nightmare. The most terrible figures were the Shuiskys: they robbed the treasury with might and main, walked around the palace as if at home, and could unceremoniously throw their feet on the table.

At thirteen years old, young Prince Ivan showed his character for the first time: on his orders, one of the Shuiskys was seized by the huntsmen, and this happened right at a meeting of the boyar duma. Taking the boyar out into the courtyard, the hounds finished him off.

And in January 1547 it happened important event, truly historical: Ivan IV Vasilyevich was “crowned to the throne,” that is, declared tsar.

Important! The pedigree of the Romanov dynasty was tied to kinship with the first Russian Tsar. This was a strong trump card.

The reign of Ivan IV the Terrible is an entire era 37 years long. You can learn more about this era by watching analyst Andrei Fursov’s video dedicated to it.

Let's briefly go over major milestones this board.

These are the milestones:

• 1547 - Ivan’s crowning, the Tsar’s marriage, the fire of Moscow set up by the Shuiskys.
• 1560 – death of Ivan’s wife Anastasia, escalation of hostility between the tsar and the boyars.
• 1564 – 1565 – departure of Ivan IV from Moscow, his return and the beginning of the oprichnina.
• 1571 – Tokhtamysh burns Moscow.
• 1572 – Khan Devlet-Girey gathered the entire army Crimean Tatars. They attacked, hoping to finish off the kingdom, but the entire people rose to defend the country, and the Tatar army returned to Crimea.
• 1581 – Tsarevich Ivan, the Tsar’s eldest son, dies of poisoning.
• 1584 – death of Tsar Ivan IV.

There was a lot of controversy about the wives of Ivan IV the Terrible. However, it is reliably known that the king was married four times, and one of the marriages was not counted (the bride died too soon, the reason was poisoning). And three wives were tortured by boyar poisoners, among whom the main suspects were the Shuiskys.

The last wife of Ivan IV, Marya Nagaya, outlived her husband for a long time and became a witness to the Great Troubles in Rus'.

The last of the Rurik dynasty

Although Vasily Shuisky is considered the last of the Rurik dynasty, this has not been proven. In reality, the last of the great dynasty was the third son of Ivan the Terrible, Fedor.

Fedor Ivanovich ruled only formally, but in reality power was in the hands of the chief adviser Boris Fedorovich Godunov. In the period from 1584 to 1598, tension grew in Rus' due to the confrontation between Godunov and the Shuiskys.

And the year 1591 was marked by a mysterious event. Tsarevich Dmitry died tragically in Uglich. Was Boris Godunov guilty of this or was it the devilish machinations of the Vatican? So far there is no clear answer to this question - this story is so confusing.

In 1598, the childless Tsar Fedor died without continuing the dynasty.

This is interesting! Upon autopsy of the remains, scientists learned the terrible truth: Fyodor was persecuted for many years, just like the family of Ivan the Terrible in general! A convincing explanation was obtained for the fact why Tsar Fedor was childless.

Boris Godunov took the throne, and the reign of the new tsar was marked by an unprecedented crop failure, famine of 1601–1603, and rampant crime. The intrigues of the Vatican also took their toll, and as a result, in 1604, the active phase of the Troubles began, Time of Troubles. This time ended only with the accession of a new dynasty - the Romanovs.

The Rurik dynasty is an integral part of the history of Rus'. The genealogy of Russian princes, sovereigns and the first Russian tsars is something that any self-respecting historian of Russia needs to know.

Photo family tree You can see the Rurik dynasty with years of rule below.

Useful video

Historians call the first dynasty of Russian princes and tsars the Rurikovichs. They did not have a surname, but the dynasty received its name from the name of its legendary founder - Prince of Novgorod Rurik, who died in 879.

Glazunov Ilya Sergeevich. Gostomysl's grandchildren are Rurik, Truvor and Sineus.

The earliest (XII century) and most detailed Old Russian chronicle, “The Tale of Bygone Years,” talks about Rurik’s calling:

"Rurik's Calling". Unknown author.

“There are 6370 per year (862 according to modern chronology). They drove the Varangians overseas, and did not give them tribute, and began to control themselves, and there was no truth among them, and generation after generation rose up, and they had strife, and began to fight with each other. And they said to themselves: “Let’s look for a prince who would rule over us and judge us by right.” And they went overseas to the Varangians, to Rus'. Those Varangians were called Rus, just as others are called Swedes, and some Normans and Angles, and still others Gotlanders, so are these. The Chud, the Slovenians, the Krivichi and all said to the Russians: “Our land is great and abundant, but there is no order in it.

"Rurik's Calling".

Come reign and rule over us." And three brothers were chosen with their clans, and they took all of Rus' with them, and they came and the eldest, Rurik, sat in Novgorod, and the other, Sineus, in Beloozero, and the third, Truvor, in Izborsk. And from those Varangians the Russian land was nicknamed. Novgorodians are those people from the Varangian family, and before they were Slovenians. Two years later, Sineus and his brother Truvor died. And Rurik alone took over all power and began to distribute cities to his husbands—Polotsk to one, Rostov to another, Beloozero to another. The Varangians in these cities are finders, and indigenous people in Novgorod - the Slovenes, in Polotsk - the Krivichi, in Rostov - the Merya, in Beloozero - the whole, in Murom - the Muroma, and Rurik ruled over them all.”

Rurik. Grand Duke of Novgorod in 862-879. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Old Russian chronicles began to be compiled 200 years after the death of Rurik and a century after the baptism of Rus' (the appearance of writing) on ​​the basis of some oral traditions, Byzantine chronicles and a few existing documents. Therefore, in historiography there have been different points of view on the chronicle version of the calling of the Varangians. In the 18th - first half of the 19th centuries, the prevailing theory was about the Scandinavian or Finnish origin of Prince Rurik, and later the hypothesis about his West Slavic (Pomeranian) origin developed.

However, more reliable historical figure, which means that the founder of the dynasty is the Grand Duke of Kiev Igor, whom the chronicle considers to be the son of Rurik.

Igor I (Igor the Ancient) 877-945. Grand Duke of Kyiv in 912-945.

The Rurik dynasty ruled the Russian Empire for over 700 years. The Rurikovichs ruled Kievan Rus, and then, when it collapsed in the 12th century, large and small Russian principalities. And after the unification of all Russian lands around Moscow, the Grand Dukes of Moscow from the Rurik family stood at the head of the state. The descendants of the former appanage princes lost their possessions and formed the highest stratum of the Russian aristocracy, but they retained the title “prince”.

Svyatoslav I Igorevich the Conqueror. 942-972 Grand Duke of Kyiv in 966-972.
Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Vladimir I Svyatoslavich (Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko) 960-1015. Grand Duke of Kyiv in 980-1015. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Yaroslav I Vladimirovich (Yaroslav the Wise) 978-1054. Grand Duke of Kyiv in 1019-1054. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Vsevolod I Yaroslavich. 1030-1093 Grand Duke of Kyiv in 1078-1093.

Vladimir II Vsevolodovich (Vladimir Monomakh) 1053-1025. Grand Duke of Kyiv in 1113-1125. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Mstislav I Vladimirovich (Mstislav the Great) 1076-1132. Grand Duke of Kyiv in 1125-1132. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Yaropolk II Vladimirovich. 1082-1139 Grand Duke of Kyiv in 1132-1139.
Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Vsevolod II Olgovich. ?-1146 Grand Duke of Kyiv in 1139-1146.
Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Igor II Olgovich. ?-1147 Grand Duke of Kyiv in 1146.
Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Yuri I Vladimirovich (Yuri Dolgoruky). 1090-1157 Grand Duke of Kyiv in 1149-1151 and 1155-1157. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Vsevolod III Yurievich (Vsevolod the Big Nest). 1154-1212 Grand Duke of Vladimir in 1176-1212. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich. 1191-1246 Grand Duke of Kyiv in 1236-1238. Grand Duke of Vladimir in 1238-1246. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Alexander I Yaroslavich (Alexander Nevsky). 1220-1263 Grand Duke of Kyiv in 1249-1252. Grand Duke of Vladimir in 1252-1263. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Daniil Alexandrovich. 1265-1303 Grand Duke of Moscow in 1276-1303.
Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Ivan I Danilovich (Ivan Kalita). ?-1340 Grand Duke of Moscow in 1325-1340. Grand Duke of Vladimir in 1338-1340. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Ivan II Ivanovich (Ivan the Red). 1326-1359 Grand Duke of Moscow and Vladimir in 1353-1359. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Dmitry III Ivanovich(Dmitry Donskoy). 1350-1389 Grand Duke of Moscow in 1359-1389. Grand Duke of Vladimir in 1362-1389. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Vasily I Dmitrievich. 1371-1425 Grand Duke of Moscow in 1389-1425. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Vasily II Vasilievich (Vasily the Dark). 1415-1462 Grand Duke of Moscow in 1425-1446 and 1447-1462. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Ivan III Vasilievich. 1440-1505 Grand Duke of Moscow in 1462-1505. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Vasily III Ivanovich. 1479-1533 Grand Duke of Moscow in 1505-1533. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

Ivan IV Vasilievich (Ivan the Terrible) 1530-1584. Grand Duke of Moscow in 1533-1584. Russian Tsar in 1547-1584. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

In 1547, the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan IV was crowned king in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin and took the title “Tsar of All Rus'”. The last representative of the Rurik dynasty on the Russian throne was Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, who died childless in 1598.

Fedor I Ivanovich. 1557-1598 Russian Tsar in 1584-1598. Portrait from the Tsar's title book. 1672

But this does not mean that this is the end of the Rurik family. Only its youngest branch, the Moscow branch, was suppressed. But the male offspring of other Rurikovichs (former appanage princes) by that time had already acquired surnames: Baryatinsky, Volkonsky, Gorchakov, Dolgorukov, Obolensky, Odoevsky, Repnin, Shuisky, Shcherbatov, etc.

A very developed, clearly recognized ethnic self-identification (“we are from the Russian family”) must certainly have been accompanied by the cult of a common ancestor.

Historical research in this direction is complicated by the fact that the ancient genealogy of Russian princes was subsequently subjected to significant distortions and reinterpretation in the spirit of the “Varangian” legend. Meanwhile, in the 9th - 10th centuries. Rurik was not listed among the ancestors of the princes of the Russian land*. This name was not in use among Igor’s descendants until the second half of the 11th century. and not a single written monument of the pre-Mongol era, including the chronicle, names Russian princes collective name Rurikovich. The “Varangian” legend was accepted by the princes “from the Russian family,” so to speak, with their minds, not their hearts.

*For historical criticism this conclusion is obvious. If V.O. Klyuchevsky still hesitated, attributing the calling of the Varangian princes to the “dark traditions” of our chronicle ( Klyuchevsky V. O. Works in nine volumes. M., 1989. T. I. P. 145), then D.I. Ilovaisky already completely rejected any historical basis in the chronicle legend about the calling of Rurik ( Ilovaisky D.I. History of Russia. Part I. M., 1876. P. 19 - 25). Historians of the 20th century expressed themselves even more clearly. E.F. Shmurlo called the chronicle genealogy a “fairy tale-legend” ( Shmurlo E.F. Russian history course. The emergence and formation of the Russian state (862 - 1462). Ed. 2nd, rev. T. 1. St. Petersburg, 1999. P. 73). S.P. Tolstov and M.N. Tikhomirov were confident that “we are undoubtedly facing a deliberately falsified pedigree” ( Tolstov S.P. Ancient history The USSR in the coverage of Vernadsky // Questions of history. No. 4. 1946. P. 12 2). B.A. To Rybakov, chronicle genealogy seemed “primitively artificial” ( Rybakov B.A. World of history. The initial centuries of Russian history. M., 1987. P. 65). For A.L. Nikitina Rurik is “just a legend and, like Lieutenant Kizha, “has no figure” in Rus'” ( Nikitin A.L. Foundations of Russian history. M., 2000. P. 164).

Along with the “Varangian” genealogical ladder, in ancient Rus' There was another, alternative one, according to which the dynastic roots of the Russian princes went much deeper than the second half of the 9th century. This original, “pre-Rurikov” tradition, apparently oral, appeared in the written monuments of the Kyiv period only once - in the expressions "grandchildren of Vseslavl" And "The Life of Vseslavl"(that is, “the property of Vseslav”), used by the author of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” in relation, respectively, to all Russian princes and to the Russian land: “Yaroslav and all the grandchildren of Vseslav! I will glorify life." This is the only collective genealogical formula remaining from that time.

A literal reading of the expressions “Yaroslav and all the grandchildren of Vseslavl” and “the life of Vseslavl” does not clarify anything, but, on the contrary, gives rise to new, insoluble questions. The assumption that the author of the Lay in this fragment has in mind some specific personalities of his time faces a number of difficulties. Thus, it is impossible to personify “Yaroslav”. The Chernigov prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich is an unsuitable candidate, because, according to the chronicle, he became guilty of “bringing the filth” to the Russian land only in 1195 and 1196, that is, ten to eleven years after Igor Svyatoslavich’s campaign. In addition, he is mentioned in the “golden word” of Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich (“And I no longer see the power [force] of my strong and rich and many-armed brother Yaroslav with the Chernigov tales [boyars]..."), and not among the princes to whom the author’s text is addressed a call to avenge “Igor’s wounds.” Among the latter, however, there is the Galician prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich (Osmomysl), but the chronicle does not know of any dirty deeds behind him, including treacherous relations with the Polovtsians.

The identification of the “grandsons of the Vseslavs” with the grandchildren of the Polotsk prince Vseslav Bryachislavich also looks extremely controversial. It is noted, in particular, that the words “grandson”, “grandsons” occur six times in the Lay, “and only once (“Igor... grandson of Olgov”), certainly in the meaning of “son of a son”,” from which a reasonable conclusion follows that “these sayings (“the grandeur of Vseslavl” and “the life of Vseslavl.” - S.Ts.) have nothing to do with Vseslav Bryachislavich” ( Encyclopedia “Tales of Igor’s Campaign.” T. 1. A-V. St. Petersburg, 1995. P. 216, 261).

“With your sedition, you are deliberately bringing filth to the Russian land, to the life of Vseslavl” - a strange reproach. The indignant appeal of the author of the Lay does not fit at all into the historical situation of the end of the 12th century, when the family feud between the Yaroslavichs and Vseslavichs had already ceased to be the living nerve of princely strife due to the division of the Yaroslavichs into two warring clans - the Monomashichs and the Olgovichs, who, in fact, “brought about the filthy "to the Russian land during the lifetime of the author of the Lay." But the initiative in using Polovtsian force to settle princely disputes belonged, of course, not to the Monomashichs, not to the Olgovichs, and certainly not to the grandchildren of Vseslav of Polotsk, to whom the chronicle generally assigns a very modest place in the fratricidal wars of that time. The phrase “you are definitely bringing filth to the Russian land with your sedition” in relation to the princes of the second half of the 12th century. looks like an obvious anachronism.

Even more surprising is the posthumous patronage of Vseslav of Polotsk over the Russian land, which suddenly turns out to be “Vseslav’s property.” Meanwhile, this prince sat on the Kiev table for a very short time, only about a year (from 1068 to 1069), and, strictly speaking, not at all on legitimate grounds, being, in fact, a protege of the rebellious Kievites. With the exception of this short-term episode, his real power over the Russian land never extended beyond the boundaries of the Principality of Polotsk.

Therefore, instead of “Yaroslav”, one should undoubtedly read “Yaroslavli”, as D.S. Likhachev once suggested, that is: “Yaroslavichs and all the grandchildren of Vseslavov.” This amendment eliminates all the absurdities and contradictions in the reading and makes this expression completely intelligible.

It is obvious that the expression “Yaroslavl and all the grandchildren of Vseslavl” is nothing more than a universal and generally accepted genealogical formula, equally suitable for the present and for the past (the author pronounces it now, addressing the living Russian princes, but wants to talk about the historical sins of their grandfathers , who lived in the second half of the 11th century and were responsible for the ruin of the Russian land: “You are bringing filth to the Russian land with your sedition, I will glorify life"*). Moreover, it is important to note that the “Yaroslavichs” in this formula turn out to be only part of “all the grandchildren of the Vseslavlevs.” Consequently, some other “grandchildren” are not named by their family name. However, their incognito is revealed without difficulty. In the second half of the 11th century. Polotsk princes, descendants of Prince Izyaslav Vladimirovich (d. 1001), son of Vladimir I and Rogneda, openly opposed themselves to the Yaroslavichs - the descendants of Yaroslav I Vladimirovich. There was a branching of the grand ducal family. The Polotsk princes isolated themselves and ranked themselves as a separate branch of it - the “Rogvolozhich”, the Rogvolozhichi, who were constantly at enmity with the Yaroslavichs (due to the reprisal of Vladimir I Svyatoslavich against Rogneda and her father, Rogvolod), raising, according to the chronicler, “a sword against the Yaroslavl grandson " Thus, the expression “Yaroslavl and all the grandsons of Vseslavl” means all the male offspring of Vladimir I Svyatoslavich - the Yaroslavichs and Rogvolozhichs.

* According to the chronicle, the Polovtsians were the first (in 1078) to be invited under Russian banners Chernigov prince Oleg Svyatoslavich and Smolensk Prince Boris Vyacheslavich are both “Yaroslavl”, grandchildren of Yaroslav I.

Now we see that the exclamation “Yaroslavl and all the vnutsi Vseslavli!” can actually mean only one thing: “Yaroslavichs and all Russian princes!”

Who is this Vseslav, back at the end of the 12th century. counted among the ancestors of Russian princes?

Let us note an important circumstance: Vseslav’s activity in the “Tale” is dated to the time of Troyan: “In the seventh century [century] of Trojans, Vseslav [threw] lots for the maiden he loved.”* The author of the Lay himself defined the place of the “Trojan Ages” in historical time as follows: “There were the eves [centuries, times] of Troy, the years of Yaroslavl passed; there were plats [regiments, that is, campaigns, wars] of the Olgovs, Olga Svyatoslavlich [grandson of Yaroslav I, d. in 1115]".

* “Liuba maiden” of Vseslav is Kyiv, as is clear from the following phrase: “You prop yourself up with your sticks, window and gallop to the city of Kiev and whittle away the gold of the Kyiv table...”, that is: relying on your “sticks” (“cunning”, prophetic wisdom), jumped on his horse and rushed to Kyiv, touched the golden table of Kyiv with his spear.

According to this periodization, the “age of Trojans” precedes the time of the “grandfathers,” thus coinciding with pagan era*. In ancient Russian sources, including those contemporary to The Tale of Igor's Campaign, the name of Troyan is borne by an ancient Slavic deity. Thus, the ancient Russian insert into the apocrypha “The Virgin Mary’s Walk through Torment,” Slavic manuscripts of which go back to the 12th century, denounces the pagans for “calling them gods: the sun and the month, the earth and the water, the beasts and the reptiles... from that stone the creation of Trojan , Khorsa, Veles, Perun." In another ancient Russian anti-pagan work (from Tolstoy’s collection of the 16th century), the pagans “are supposed to be many gods: Perun and Khors, Dyya and Troyan.” A. N. Afanasyev expressed the opinion that the name Troyan was formed from the word “three”, “three” ( Afanasyev A.N. Myths, beliefs and superstitions of the Slavs. T. 2. M., 2002. P. 497, 607 - 609). The Old Russian Trojan can be connected with a pagan deity, known among the Pomeranian Slavs and the Czechs under the name Triglav (Triglav was also the name of the sacred mountain in the land of Khorutan). The most revered idol of Triglav stood in the Pomeranian Shchetin, in the “three-horned” (three-towered) castle. This deity was credited with dominion over three kingdoms: heaven, earth and the underworld, symbolically corresponding to the three roots of the world tree. In Serbian folklore there is a legend about King Troyan, comparable to the Russian fairy tale about the Snow Maiden (the unfortunate king in love also dies from sun rays). The affinity of Troyan with Triglav, by the way, is evident from the fact that goat heads were offered to the latter as a sacrifice, and the Serbian fairy tale gives King Trojan goat ears and three heads. In other versions of this fairy-tale plot, the place of King Trojan is taken by a serpent - among the Slavs, as is known, the creature usually has three heads. Most likely, Trojan, hiding from the sun, was the deity of the underworld, Night. However, another interpretation of his name and position in the divine pantheon of the Slavs is also possible. Ukrainian retained the adjective “Trojan” in the meaning “father of three sons” (triplets) ( Vernadsky G.V. Kievan Rus. Tver; Moscow, 2001. P. 62). Then Troyan can be considered the parent of some divine triad of brothers.

* Captivated by the seductive consonance, most commentators make the mistake of seeing in the “Trojan centuries” an allusion to the wars of the Roman emperor Trajan in Dacia or even a vague memory of the Trojan War. There is no need to prove that neither one nor the other event made an era in Slavic history and therefore could not remain in ancient Russian folklore.

From a literal reading of the text of the “Tale,” it turns out that Prince Vseslav of Polotsk decided to get himself a Kiev table in the pagan “times of Trojan,” even before the “summers of Yaroslavl” and “Paltsy Olgova” had passed, in other words, long before his birth. There is a fusion of two Vseslavs - historical and legendary *, or, more precisely, there is every reason to believe that when describing the personality and activities of the Polotsk prince Vseslav Bryachislavich, the author of the Lay used artistic imagery and stylistic techniques taken from the once existing epic about his ancient namesake .

* A.L. Nikitin saw in Vseslav a character of a “common Slavic epic completely unknown to us,” “a mythical common Slavic hero or progenitor (“Vse-slav”),” which in the minds of the poet of the late 12th century. “merged with the image of the contemporary Polotsk prince Vseslav Bryachislavich, thanks to which the latter found himself shrouded in mystery and magic” ( Nikitin A.L. Foundations of Russian history. P. 454; It's him. "The Tale of Igor's Campaign." Texts. Events. People. Research and articles. M., 1998. P. 185).

Thanks to the works of A. N. Veselovsky ( Veselovsky A.N. Epics about Volkh Vseslavich and poems about Ortnit // Russian folklore. St. Petersburg, 1993. T. 27) and S. N. Azbeleva ( Azbelev S.N. Legends about the most ancient princes Rus' according to the records of the 11th - 20th centuries. // Slavic traditional culture and modern world. M., 1997. Issue. 1), this “old” Vseslav is today in the field of historical vision. The oldest generational painting of Russian princes “before Rurik” is contained in the Joachim Chronicle. Rurik here is assigned only a tertiary role. This pedigree opens with the name of Prince Vladimir, but with the mention of the reign of his father, from whom, in fact, the princely “tribes” are counted. Before Gostomysl, Rurik’s predecessor, there were 14 generations of princes. Since in the most ancient genealogies the reign of one “tribe” was given on average 25 years, the reign of Vladimirov’s father falls at the beginning of the 5th century - the era of the Great Migration of Peoples. Also dating back to the 5th century. The German saga about Thidrek of Berne (that is, Verona) depicts the fierce struggle of the Gothic king Theodoric Amal (Thidrek of Berne) with the Russian “King Valdemar,” whose father is named Vseslav (Old German Gertnit). Both German and Russian sources talk about the same person - the “Russian” ruler of the Slavic Pomerania (among the peoples subject to Gertnit/Vseslav, the saga calls “Viltins,” that is, Velets/Lutichs). Comparison of these news with the one in use at the end of the 12th century. The genealogical formula “grandchildren of Vseslav” shows that the princes of the Russian land descended from one of the princely families of the Baltic Rus, whose ancestor was considered the semi-legendary Vseslav, the father of the Vseslav who lived in the 5th century. Prince Vladimir.

As a result, a genuine ancient Russian genealogical tradition opens before us, according to which any representative was called “grandson of Vseslavlev” or Vseslavich grand ducal family*. At the same time, the Russian land (like, perhaps, any of) at the end of the 12th century. was known as “the life of Vseslavleva,” that is, the princely heritage of Vseslav, the great-grandfather and patron of all princes “from the Russian family.”

*Subsequently, the patronymic Vseslavich was assigned in epics and some chronicles to one Vladimir I (see: Moiseeva G.N. Who are they - “the grandsons of Vseslavli” in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” // Research on ancient and modern literature. L., 1987. P. 158) - probably due to his exceptional role in Russian history and historical association with the illustrious Vladimir Vseslavich of the 5th century.

For more than seven centuries, Rus' was ruled by the Rurik dynasty. With her it formed Russian state, fragmentation was overcome, the first monarchs ascended the throne. The ancient Varangian family has sunk into oblivion, leaving historians with many unsolvable mysteries.

Dynastic intricacies

The greatest difficulty for historians is compiling the family tree of the Rurikovichs. The point is not only the remoteness of the eras, but also the breadth of the geography of the clan, its social interweaving, and the lack of reliable sources.

Certain difficulties in studying the Rurik dynasty are created by the so-called “ladder” (sequential) law, which existed in Rus' until the 13th century, in which the successor of the Grand Duke was not his son, but the next oldest brother. Moreover, princes often changed their inheritance, moving from city to city, which further confuses the overall picture of the genealogy.

True, until the reign of Yaroslav the Wise (978-1054), succession in the dynasty proceeded in a straight line, and only after his sons Svyatoslav and Vsevolod, during the period of feudal fragmentation, the branches of the Rurikovichs began to continually multiply, spreading across the ancient Russian lands.

One of the Vsevolodovich branches leads to Yuri Dolgoruky (1096?-1157). It is from him that the line begins to count, which subsequently led to the emergence of the Grand Dukes and Tsars of Moscow.

First of a kind

The identity of the founder of the dynasty, Rurik (d. In 879), to this day causes a lot of controversy, even to the point of denying his existence. For many, the famous Varangian is nothing more than a semi-mythical figure. This is understandable. In the historiography of the 19th – 20th centuries, the Norman theory was criticized, since domestic science could not bear the idea of ​​​​the inability of the Slavs to create their own state.

Modern historians are more loyal to the Norman theory. Thus, academician Boris Rybakov puts forward a hypothesis that in one of the raids on the Slavic lands, Rurik’s squad captured Novgorod, although another historian, Igor Froyanov, supports the peaceful version of “calling the Varangians” to reign.

The problem is that the image of Rurik lacks specificity. According to some sources, he could be the Danish Viking Rorik of Jutland, according to others, the Swede Eirik Emundarson, who raided the lands of the Balts.

There is also a Slavic version of the origin of Rurik. His name is associated with the word “Rerek” (or “Rarog”), which in the Slavic tribe of Obodrits meant falcon. And, indeed, during excavations of early settlements of the Rurik dynasty, many images of this bird were found.

Wise and Damned

After the division of ancient Russian lands between the descendants of Rurik, with appanages in Rostov, Novgorod, Suzdal, Vladimir, Pskov and other cities, a real fratricidal war broke out for the possession of the estates, which did not subside until the centralization of the Russian state. One of the most power-hungry was the Prince of Turov, Svyatopolk, nicknamed the Damned. According to one version, he was the son of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich (the Baptist), according to another, Yaropolk Svyatoslavovich.

Having rebelled against Vladimir, Svyatopolk was put in prison on charges of trying to turn Rus' away from baptism. However, after the death of the Grand Duke, he turned out to be more efficient than others and took the empty throne. According to one version, wanting to get rid of competitors represented by stepbrothers Boris, Gleb and Svyatoslav, he sent his warriors to them, who dealt with them one by one.

According to another version, favored by historian Nikolai Ilyin, Svyatopolk could not kill Boris and Gleb, since they recognized his right to the throne. In his opinion, the young princes fell victim at the hands of the soldiers of Yaroslav the Wise, who laid claim to the Kiev throne.

One way or another, a long fratricidal war broke out between Svyatopolk and Yaroslav for the title of great Prince of Kyiv. It continued with varying success until decisive battle on the Alta River (not far from the place of Gleb’s death), Yaroslav’s squads did not completely defeat Svyatopolk’s detachment, who was branded a treacherous prince and a traitor. Well, “history is written by the victors.”

Khan for the kingdom

One of the most odious rulers from the Rurik family was Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible (1530-1584). On his father's side he descended from the Moscow branch of the dynasty, and on his mother's from Khan Mamai. Perhaps it was his Mongolian blood that gave his character such unpredictability, explosiveness and cruelty.

Mongolian genes partly explain Grozny's military campaigns in the Nogai Horde, Crimean, Astrakhan and Kazan khanates. By the end of the reign of Ivan Vasilyevich, Muscovite Rus' possessed a territory larger than the rest of Europe: the expanding state was more likely to correspond to the possessions of the Golden Horde.

In 1575, Ivan IV unexpectedly abdicated the throne and proclaimed Kasimov Khan, Semeon Bekbulatovich, a descendant of Genghis Khan and great-grandson of the Khan of the Great Horde, Akhmat, as the new king. Historians call this action a “political masquerade,” although they cannot fully explain it. Some argue that in this way the tsar was saved from the predictions of the magi who prophesied his death, others, in particular the historian Ruslan Skrynnikov, see this as a cunning political move. It is interesting that after the death of Ivan the Terrible, many boyars consolidated around Semeon’s candidacy, but they ultimately lost the fight with Boris Godunov.

Death of the Tsarevich

After the weak-minded Fyodor Ioannovich (1557-1598), the third son of Ivan the Terrible, was installed in the kingdom, the question of a successor became relevant. They were considered younger brother Fedora and Grozny's son from his sixth marriage, Dmitry. Even despite the fact that the Church did not officially recognize Dmitry’s right to the throne, since only children from his first three marriages could be contenders, Fyodor’s brother-in-law, who was really running the state and counting on the throne, Boris Godunov seriously feared a competitor.

Therefore, when on May 15, 1591, in Uglich, Tsarevich Dmitry was found dead with his throat cut, suspicion immediately fell on Godunov. But, as a result, the prince’s death was blamed on an accident: allegedly, the prince, suffering from epilepsy, mortally wounded himself during an attack.

Historian Mikhail Pogodin, who worked with the original of this criminal case in 1829, also exonerates Godunov and confirms the version of the accident, although some modern researchers tend to see insidious intent in this.

Tsarevich Dmitry was destined to become the last of the Moscow branch of the Rurikovichs, but the dynasty was finally interrupted only in 1610, when Vasily Shuisky (1552-1612), representing the Suzdal line of the Rurikovich family, was overthrown from the throne.

Ingigerda's betrayal

Representatives of the Rurikovichs can still be found today. Russian scientists recently conducted studies of DNA samples of those who consider themselves to be the legal heirs ancient family. The researchers came to the conclusion that the descendants belong to two haplogroups: N1c1 - branches leading from Vladimir Monomakh and R1a1 - descending from Yuri Tarussky.

However, it is the second haplogroup that is recognized as the original one, since the first could have appeared as a result of the infidelity of the wife of Yaroslav the Wise, Irina. Scandinavian sagas tell that Irina (Ingigerda) fell in love with the Norwegian king Olaf II. According to historians, the fruit of this love was Vsevolod, the father of Vladimir Monomakh. But even this option once again confirms the Varangian roots of the Rurikovich family.