In what year did the Rurik dynasty end? All the rulers of Russia from Rurik to Putin in chronological order
The legends associated with his name and the names of his followers date back to the ninth century and last for seven long centuries. Our article today will examine the Rurik dynasty - its family tree with photos and years of reign.
Where did the old family come from?
The existence of the commander himself and his wife Efanda is still questioned by most scientists. But some researchers of the origins of Rus' claim that the future governor was born between 806 and 808 in the city of Raroga. His name, according to several versions, has Slavic roots and means “falcon”.
When Rurik was still a baby, the possessions of his father Godolub were attacked by the Danes, led by Gottfried. The future founder of the royal family turned out to be half orphan and spent his entire childhood in a foreign land with his mother. At the age of 20, he arrived at the court of the Frankish king and received his father's lands from him as a vassal.
Then he was deprived of all land plots and sent to fight in a squad that helped the Frankish king seize new lands.
According to legend, the dynastic diagram of the complete family tree of the Rurik family with dates and years of reign was seen in a dream by his grandfather, the Novgorod prince Gostomysl. The theory about the foreign origin of the entire royal family was refuted by Mikhail Lomonosov. By blood, the future Novgorod ruler belonged to the Slavs and was invited to his native lands at a fairly respectable age - he was 52 years old.
Second generation of rulers
After Rurik's death in 879, his son Igor came to power. The situation was complicated by the fact that he was still too young to become the ruler of Rus'. Oleg, Igor’s uncle, was appointed his guardian. He was able to establish relations with the Byzantine Empire and called Kyiv “the mother of Russian cities.” After Oleg's death, Igor came to power in Kyiv. He also managed to do a lot for the benefit of the Russian lands.
But during his reign there were also unsuccessful military campaigns. The most famous of them is the attack on Constantinople from the sea. Having encountered the famous “Greek fire” as the first of the rulers of Rus', Igor realized that he had underestimated the enemy and was forced to turn the ships back.
The prince died unexpectedly - having fought against enemy troops all his life, he died at the hands of his own people - the Drevlyans. Igor's wife, Princess Olga, brutally avenged her husband and burned the city, turning it into ashes.
Having besieged the Drevlyans, the princess ordered them to send her three doves and three sparrows from each house. When her wish was fulfilled, she ordered her warriors to tie tinder to their paws and set it on fire as soon as dusk came. The warriors carried out the princess's order and sent the birds back. So the city of Iskorosten was completely burned.
Igor left two sons - Gleb and Svyatoslav. Since the heirs to the princely throne were still small, Olga began to lead the Russian lands. When Svyatoslav, Igor’s eldest child, grew up and took the throne, Princess Olga still continued to rule in Rus', since the descendant spent most of his life on military campaigns. In one of them he was killed. Svyatoslav wrote his name in history as a great conqueror.
Scheme of the pedigree chronological tree of the Rurikovich family: Oleg, Vladimir and Yaropolk
In Kyiv, after the death of Svyatoslav, Yaropolk ascended the throne. He began to openly quarrel with his brother Oleg. Finally, Yaropolk managed to kill his own brother in battle and lead Kyiv. During the battle with his brother, Oleg fell into a ditch and was trampled by horses. But the fratricide did not remain in power for long and was overthrown from the Kyiv throne by Vladimir.
The history of the genealogy of this prince is extremely interesting: being illegitimate, according to pagan laws, he could still lead Rus'.
Having learned that one brother had killed the other, the future Kiev ruler gathered his army with the help of his uncle and teacher Dobrynya. Having conquered Polotsk, he decided to marry Rogneda, the bride of Yaropolk. The girl did not want to tie the knot with a “rootless” person, which greatly offended the baptist of Rus'. He took her as his wife by force, and then killed her entire family in front of the future bride.
Next, he sent an army to Kyiv, but decided not to fight directly, but to resort to cunning. Having lured his brother into supposedly peaceful negotiations, Vladimir set a trap for him and, with the help of his warriors, stabbed him to death with swords. So all power over Russia was concentrated in the hands of the bloody prince. Despite such a cruel past, the Kiev ruler was able to baptize Rus' and spread Christianity throughout all the pagan lands under his control.
Rurikovich: tree of the royal dynasty with dates and surnames - Yaroslav the Wise
After the passing of the baptist of Rus', disputes and civil strife began again in the large family. This time, 4 brothers wanted to lead the Kiev throne at once. Having killed his relatives, Svyatopolk the Accursed, the son of Vladimir and his Greek concubine, began to lead the capital. But the Accursed One did not manage to stand at the helm of power for long - he was removed by Yaroslav the Wise. Having won the battle on the Alta River, Yaroslav ascended the princely throne, and declared Svyatopolk a traitor to the family line.
Yaroslav the Wise decided to radically change the style of government. He became related to the European royal family by marrying the Swedish princess Ingigerda. His children were related by marriage to the Greek and Polish heirs to the throne, his daughters became queens of France and Sweden. Before his death in 1054, Yaroslav the Wise honestly divided the lands between his heirs and bequeathed to them not to wage internecine wars.
The most important figures in the political arena of that time were his three sons:
- Izyaslav (ruler of Kiev and Novgorod).
- Vsevolod (Prince of Rostov and Pereyaslavl).
- Svyatoslav (ruled in Chernigov and Murom).
As a result of their unification, a triumvirate was formed, and the three brothers began to reign in their lands. To increase their authority, they entered into many royal marriages and encouraged families created with noble foreigners and foreigners.
Rurik dynasty - complete family tree with years of reign and with photos: the largest branches
It is impossible to talk about any former unity of the family: the branches of the princely family multiplied and intertwined, including with foreign noble families. The largest of them were:
- Izyaslavichy
- Rostislavichy
- Svyatoslavichy
- Monomakhovichi
Let's look at each of the branches in more detail.
Izyaslavichy
The founder of the family was Izyaslav, a descendant of Vladimir and Rogneda. According to legend, Rogneda all the time dreamed of taking revenge on the prince because he forced her to marry him and went on to kill members of her family. One night, she snuck into the bedroom to stab her husband in the heart. But the husband slept lightly and managed to fend off the blow. In anger, the ruler wanted to deal with his unfaithful wife, but Izyaslav ran to the screams and stood up for his mother. The father did not dare to kill Rogneda in front of his son, and this saved her life.
Instead, the baptist of the Slavs sent his wife and child to Polotsk. This is how the line of the Rurikovich family began in Polotsk.
Rostislavichy
After the death of his father, Rostislav could not lay claim to the throne and was an exile. But a warlike spirit and a small army helped him lead Tmutarakan. Rostislav had three sons: Volodar, Vasilko and Rurik. Each of them achieved considerable success in the military field.
Izyaslav Yaroslavich headed Turov. A fierce struggle was waged for this land for many years, as a result of which the prince and his descendants were expelled from their native lands by Vladimir Monomakh. Only Yuri, a distant descendant of the ruler, was able to restore justice.
Svyatoslavichy
The sons of Svyatoslav fought for a long time for the throne with Izyaslav and Vsevolod. Young and inexperienced warriors were defeated by their uncles and lost power.
Monomakhovichi
The clan was formed from the heir of Monomakh - Vsevolod. All princely power was concentrated in his hands. It was possible to unite all the lands, including Polotsk and Turov, for several years. The “fragile” world collapsed after the death of the ruler.
It is worth noting that Yuri Dolgoruky also came from the Monomakhovich line and subsequently became the “gatherer of Russian lands.”
Numerous descendants of representatives of the royal family
Did you know that some members of the famous family had descendants with 14 children? For example, according to historians, Vladimir Monomakh had 12 children from two wives - and that’s just the famous ones! But his son, Yuri Dolgoruky, surpassed everyone. The famous founder of Belokamennaya gave birth to 14 successors of the family. Of course, this gave rise to many problems: every child wanted to reign, considered himself truly right and the most important heir to his famous father.
Family genealogical tree of the Rurikovichs with years and dates of reign: who else belongs to the great dynasty
Among the many outstanding figures, it is important to note Ivan Kalita, Ivan the Terrible, Alexander Nevsky and Dmitry Donskoy. The bloody history of the family gave future generations great rulers, generals and politicians.
The most famous cruel king of his time was Ivan IV the Terrible. There were many stories about his bloody glory and the incredible atrocities of the guardsmen loyal to him. But Ivan IV was able to do a lot of good for his country. He significantly expanded the territory of Rus', annexing Siberia, Astrakhan and Kazan.
Theodore the Blessed was to become his successor, but he was weak psychologically and physically, and the tsar simply could not entrust him with power over the state.
During the reign of his son Ivan Vasilyevich, Boris Godunov was the “gray eminence”. He took the throne after the death of the heir.
The Rurikovichs also gave the world great warriors - Alexander Nevsky and Dmitry Donskoy. The first received his nickname thanks to his victory on the Neva in the famous Battle of the Ice.
And Dmitry Donskoy was able to free Rus' from the Mongol invasion.
Who became the last in the family tree of the Rurikovich rule
According to historical data, the last in the famous dynasty was Fyodor Ioannovich. The “blessed” ruled the country purely nominally and passed away in 1589. Thus ended the history of the famous family. The era of the Romanovichs began.
Fyodor Ioannovich was unable to leave offspring (his only daughter died at 9 months). But some facts indicate a relationship between the two families.
The first Russian Tsar from the Romanovich family descended from Filaret - at that time the Patriarch of All Rus'. The head of the church was the cousin of Fyodor the Blessed. Thus, it can be argued that the Rurikovich branch did not break off, but was continued by new rulers.
Studying the history of princely and royal dynasties is a difficult task, to which many scientific studies are devoted. Civil wars and numerous descendants of representatives of an ancient family still remain a relevant topic for the work of specialists.
During the formation of Rus' as the basis of the statehood of the future Russia, a lot of large-scale events took place: the victory over the Tatar and Swedish conquerors, baptism, the unification of princely lands and the establishment of contacts with foreigners. An attempt to unite the history of the glorious family and tell about its milestones was made in this article.
The history of the founding of Rus' in the 9th century AD is shrouded in a dense veil of secrets, which sometimes contradict the statements of the official history of the Russian state. The name of Prince Rurik is associated with many hypotheses and studies that try to restore the chain of true events of that distant time.
Maybe there would be fewer of these hypotheses if not for one main circumstance: the name of Rurik is associated with the founding of the ruling dynasty, whose representatives occupied the Russian thrones until 1610, until the Time of Troubles, until the change from the Rurik dynasty to the Romanov dynasty.
So, Rurik.
Official details:
- year of birth unknown, from the Varangian princely family, family coat of arms - a falcon falling down.
- Called by the Slavs to suppress civil strife with the Finno-Ugric tribes in 862 AD.
- becomes the Prince of Novgorod and the founder of the princely, royal Rurik dynasty.
- died in 879 AD.
The arrival of Rurik with his family retinue, in historiography, is usually called the “Calling of the Varangians.” Brothers Sineus and Truvor came with Rurik. After the death of the brothers in 864, Rurik became the sole ruler of the Novgorod principality.
Versions of the origin of Rurik:
— The Norman version claims that Rurik comes from the Scandinavian Vikings. Some researchers associate Rurik with Rorik of Jutland from Denmark, and others with Eirik from Sweden.
— The West Slavic version claims that Rurik was from the Vagrs or Prussians. This theory was adhered to by M.V. Lomonosov.
After Rurik's death in 879, he was succeeded by his son Igor. Igor was raised by the Prophetic Oleg, whose involvement in the Rurik family is doubtful. Most likely, Prophetic Oleg was one of Rurik’s squad, or at least was distantly related.
The influence of the Rurik dynasty began to spread to all Slavic lands south of Novgorod.
The direct line of succession after Rurik continued. After Igor came Svyatoslav Igorevich, Vladimir Svyatoslavich (the Great), Yaroslav (the Wise). After the death of Yaroslav the Wise (1054), the process of branching of the Rurikovich genealogical line began.
The division was caused by the Ladder order and the increasing feudal fragmentation of Rus'. Individual descendants of the senior princes became sovereign princes of the separated principalities. The sons of Yaroslav the Wise led the so-called “Triumvirate”:
- Izyaslav ruled Kiev, Novgorod and the lands west of the Dnieper.
- Svyatoslav ruled Chernigov and Murom.
- Vsevolod reigned in Rostov, Suzdal and Pereyaslavl.
Of these three branches, the strongest was the branch of Vsevolod and his son Vladimir Monomakh. This branch was able to expand its possessions at the expense of Smolensk, Galich and Volyn. In 1132, the son of Vladimir Monomakh, Mstislav the Great, died. At this time, Kievan Rus completely collapsed. The formation and strengthening of local dynasties began, which, however, were also Rurikovichs.
We will focus on the Rurik dynasty from the main branch - the Monomakhovichs.
The following famous princes belonged to this branch: Yuri Dolgoruky, Andrei Bogolyubsky, Alexander Nevsky, Ivan the First Kalita, Simeon Ivanovich Proud, Ivan the Second Red, Dmitry Donskoy; hereditary princes: Vasily the First Dmitrievich, Vasily the Second Dark, Ivan the Third Vasilyevich, Vasily the Third Ivanovich; Moscow kings: Ivan the Fourth the Terrible, Fyodor the First Ioannovich.
The reign of Fyodor Ioannovich, the third son of Ivan the Terrible, became the last in a long line of offspring of the semi-legendary Varangian prince Rurik. With the death of Fyodor Ioannovich, the bloody Time of Troubles began for Russia, which ended with the capture of Kitai-gorod in Moscow on November 4, 1612 and the election of a new tsar.
The rule of the Rurik dynasty began with the unification of disparate lands into a single state. Although it was too early to talk about the final formation of the current borders of Russia, the foundations of statehood were laid by the grand dukes. Each individual sovereign left his important contribution to the historical past.
Oleg Rurikovich Prophetic
His reign began in 879 after the death of Prince Rurik. The activities of this prince were aimed at strengthening the state and expanding borders. He was able to lay the foundations that guided all subsequent princes. Among the prince's achievements were the following:
created an army from different tribes of the Ilmen Slavs, Krivichi, and partly Finnish tribes;
annexed the lands of Smolensk and Lyubich;
captured Kyiv, making it his capital;
directed efforts to strengthen the city;
built a network of outposts along the borders of his territories;
expanded influence along the coasts of the Dnieper, Bug, Dniester and Sozh.
Igor Rurikovich
Having ascended the throne of the dynasty, he was able to maintain his legacy. After Oleg's death, many lands tried to leave the power of Kyiv. Igor not only suppressed these attempts, but also expanded the borders of the state. His achievements include:
defeated the Pechenegs, throwing them outside their territories;
cleared the passage “from the Varangians to the Greeks”;
built the first fleet;
concluded a number of peace agreements with the nomads.
Duchess Olga
The reign of the princess was distinguished by its progressive conduct of affairs. She was engaged in expanding the influence of the state among civilized countries. She was the founder of the educational movement in her native lands. During Olga's reign, reforms were carried out:
from 945, introduced a fixed amount of quitrent collections;
laid the foundation for taxation;
carried out the administrative-territorial division of the lands of Novgorod;
established and strengthened ties with the Byzantine Empire.
Svyatoslav Rurikovich
One of the progressive figures of the dynasty, he was able to carry out many successful military actions. His activities were aimed at alienating territories previously occupied by the Tatar-Mongol Khanate. Conducted a reform of property law. He was known for his deeds:
laid down a system of viceroyalty;
developed a system of local government;
expanded territories in the East.
Vladimir Monomakh
Under the prince's rule, the Rurikovichs formed a clear state. His system of influence on domestic politics was marked by the emergence of a feudal social structure. The system of relationships between different administrative territories built by Monomakh contributed to the strengthening of statehood:
established relationships with neighboring princes;
transferred the main title of Grand Duke to the brother of Svyatopolk 2 Izyaslavovich;
regulated the rules of contract law;
strengthened the economic and political importance of Rus';
invested funds and efforts in the development of science and culture.
Yury Dolgoruky
A bright representative of the dynasty, he led the principality with a firm hand. Participated in many internecine wars. Thanks to his strategic mindset, he was able to expand his influence in Russian lands. The following achievements are attributed to the period of his reign:
founded Moscow;
was active in creative activities;
was engaged in the arrangement of urban settlements;
built new churches;
actively defended the interests of its citizens.
Andrey Bogolyubsky
The prince's reign was marked by active political and social activities. Continuing his father's work, he was engaged in landscaping. He built the strengthening of power through the honest and competent distribution of resources and human power. During his reign the following things were accomplished:
foundation of the city of Bogolyub;
moved the capital to Vladimir;
subjugated vast territories;
gained significant political influence in the northeastern lands.
Vsevolod Big Nest
He held a princely post in the Vladimir-Suzdal lands and strengthened the position of the dynasty. He proved himself to be a skillful politician and a subtle strategist. His actions include:
made campaigns to Mordva;
from 1183-1185 he organized military marches against Bulgaria;
united various princes in the fight against the Polovtsians;
gained control in Vladimir
built economic and political relations with Kiev;
took possession of the Novgorod territories.
Vasily 2
The reign of this prince was marked by multiple treaties with Lithuania and the Polovtsians. Thanks to this, the state received a short respite from wars. Among the heirs of the Rurikovichs, he was distinguished by a special talent for establishing diplomatic ties:
strengthened power in the Grand Duchy;
united Moscow lands;
glorified the dependence of the Novgorod, Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod, Vyatka land, and Pskov principalities;
contributed to the election of the first Russian bishop Ioan;
laid the foundation for the independence of the Russian Church.
Ivan 3
The first of the Rurikovichs to unite various laws of popular law into a single code. He devoted all his energy to this work, which ultimately led to the appearance of Ivan’s Code of Law 3. All legal norms collected in one document were analyzed. Structured knowledge helped solve the problem of constant claims on various controversial issues. Thanks to this work, he managed to unite all the lands of the state into a single whole.
Vasily 3
A successor to the Rurikovich cause, he sought to strengthen the state. The lands icy under his rule were subject to reformation. Lands were annexed under his rule:
Ryazan;
Pskov;
Novgorod-Seversk Principality;
Smolensk;
Starodub Principality.
During the reign of Vasily 3, the rights of the boyar families were significantly limited.
Ivan groznyj
The most prominent representative of the dynasty, the last of the reigning Rurikovichs. He was famous for his tough temperament, but was distinguished by his high political talents. The reforms of Ivan the Terrible had a strong impact on statehood. He laid the foundation of a strong country and denied the boyar families the right to manage the treasury for their own purposes. His reforms include:
a new set of regulations;
introduced a system of punishments for boyar families;
prosecuted clergy bribery;
introduced a system for accepting complaints addressed to the king from the population;
influenced taxation;
centralized local government.
Became the founder of the grand ducal dynasty. Later, his biography was rewritten more than once.
Since the 18th century, controversy has raged around the personality of Prince Rurik. Behind the meager lines of “The Tale of Bygone Years” are hidden historical facts, for which there are insufficient sources today to identify, and this allows historians to put forward various hypotheses about the origin of the legendary Varangian.
Grandson of Gostomysl. One of the early lists of the Novgorod Chronicle, dating from the mid-15th century, contains a list of local mayors, where the first one is a certain Gostomysl, a native of the Obodrite tribe. Another manuscript, which was created at the end of the 15th century, tells that the Slovenes, coming from the Danube, founded Novgorod and called Gostomysl to be an elder. The “Joachim Chronicle” reports: “This Gostomysl was a man of great courage, the same wisdom, all his neighbors were afraid of him, and his people loved the trial of cases for the sake of justice. For this reason, all close peoples honored him and gave gifts and tributes, buying peace From him". Gostomysl lost all his sons in wars, and married his daughter Umila to a certain ruler of a distant land. One day Gostomysl had a dream that one of Umila’s sons would be his successor. Before his death, Gostomysl, having gathered “the elders of the earth from the Slavs, Rus', Chud, Vesi, Mers, Krivichi and Dryagovichi,” told them about a prophetic dream, and they sent to the Varangians to ask for their son Umila as prince. Rurik and his relatives came to the call.
Testament of Gostosmysl. “..At that time, a certain Novgorod governor named Gostosmysl, before his death, called all the rulers of Novgorod and said to them: “Oh, men of Novgorod, I advise you that you send wise men to the Prussian land and call to you from the local clans ruler." They went to the Prussian land and found there a certain prince named Rurik, who was from the Roman family of King Augustus. And envoys from all the Novgorodians begged Prince Rurik to come to them to reign. (The Legend of the Princes of Vladimir XVI-XVII centuries)"
Descendant of Emperor Augustus. In the 16th century, Rurik was declared a relative of the Roman emperors. The Kiev Metropolitan Spiridon, on the instructions of Emperor Vasily III, was compiling a genealogy of the Moscow kings and presented it in the form of the “Epistle on the Crown of Monomakh.” Spiridon reports that the "voivode Gostomysl", dying, asked to send ambassadors to the land of Prus, who was a relative of the Roman Caesar Gaius Julius Augustus Octavian, (Prussian land), in order to summon the prince "August of the family". The Novgorodians did so and found Rurik, who gave rise to the family of Russian princes. This is what the “Tale of the Princes of Vladimir” (XVI-XVII centuries) says: “...At that time, a certain Novgorod governor named Gostomysl, before his death, summoned all the rulers of Novgorod and told them: “Oh, men of Novgorod, I advise you, so that you send wise men to the Prussian land and call a ruler from the local families." They went to the Prussian land and found there a certain prince named Rurik, who was from the Roman family of Augustus the Tsar. And the envoys begged Prince Rurik from all Novgorodians, so that he would come to reign among them."
Rurik is a Slav. At the beginning of the 16th century, the hypothesis about the Slavic origin of the Varangian princes was put forward by the Austrian ambassador to Russia Sigismund Herberstein. In “Notes on Muscovy,” he argued that the northern tribes found themselves a ruler in Vagria, among the Western Slavs: “... In my opinion, it was natural for the Russians to call the Vagrians, in other words, the Varangians, as sovereigns, and not cede power to foreigners who were distinguished from them in faith, customs, and language." Author of "Russian History" V.N. Tatishchev saw the Varangians as northern peoples in general, and by “Rus” he meant the Finns. Confident that he is right, Tatishchev calls Rurik “the Finnish prince.”
Position of M.V. Lomonosov. In 1749, historian Gerhard Friedrich Miller wrote his dissertation “The Origin of the People and the Russian Name.” He argued that Russia “received both its kings and its name” from the Scandinavians. His main opponent was M.V. Lomonosov, according to whom, “Rurik” was from the Prussians, but had the ancestors of the Roksolan Slavs, who originally lived between the Dnieper and the mouth of the Danube, and after several centuries moved to the Baltic Sea. "The True Fatherland" of Rurik. In 1819, Belgian professor G.F. Holmann published in Russian the book “Rustringia, the original fatherland of the first Russian prince Rurik and his brothers,” where he stated: “The Russian Varangians, from whom Rurik with his brothers and his retinue descended, lived on the shores of the Baltic Sea, which Western sources called the German Sea, between Jutland, England and France. On this coast, Rustringia constituted a special land, which for many reasons can be recognized as the true fatherland of Rurik and his brothers. The Rustrings, who belonged to the Varangians, from ancient times were sailors who hunted the sea and shared with other peoples dominion over the sea; in the 9th and 10th centuries they considered Rurik to be between their first surnames." Rustringia was located on the territory of present-day Holland and Germany.
“The True Fatherland” of Rurik. In 1819, the Belgian professor G. F. Holmann published a book in Russian "Rustringia, the original fatherland of the first Russian prince Rurik and his brothers", where he stated: “ The Russian Varangians, from whom Rurik and his brothers and retinue descended, lived on the shores of the Baltic Sea, which Western sources called the German Sea, between Jutland, England and France. On this bank, Rustringia constituted a special land, which for many reasons can be recognized as the true fatherland of Rurik and his brothers. The Rustrings, who belonged to the Varangians, were from time immemorial seafarers who hunted the sea and shared dominion over the sea with other peoples; in the 9th and 10th centuries they considered Rurik between their first surnames". Rustringia was located on the territory of present-day Holland and Germany.
Conclusions N.M. Karamzin about the origin of the Rurikovichs. Working on “The History of the Russian State,” N. M. Karamzin recognized the Scandinavian origin of Rurik and the Varangians, and assumed that the “Vargs-Rus” lived in Sweden, where there is the Roslagen region. Some of the Varangians moved from Sweden to Prussia, from where they came to the Ilmen region and the Dnieper region.
Rurik of Jutland. In 1836, a professor at the University of Dorpat, F. Kruse, suggested that the chronicle Rurik was a Jutland heving, who in the middle of the 9th century participated in Viking attacks on the lands of the Frankish Empire and had a fief (possession for the term of service to the master) in Friesland. Kruse identified this Viking with Rurik of Novgorod. Old Russian chronicles do not report anything about the activities of Rurik before his arrival in Rus'. However, his name was well known in Western Europe. Rurik of Jutland is a real historical figure, not a mythical hero. Experts consider the historicity of Rurik and his calling to Northern Rus' to be quite probable. In the monograph “The Birth of Rus'” B.A. Rybakov wrote that, wanting to protect themselves from unregulated Varangian exactions, the population of the northern lands could well invite one of the kings as a prince so that he would protect them from other Varangian detachments. Identifying Rurik of Jutland and Rurik of Novgorod, historians rely on data from Western European chronicles, discoveries in the field of archaeology, toponymy and linguistics.
The history of Ancient Rus' is very interesting for posterity. It has reached the modern generation in the form of myths, legends and chronicles. The genealogy of the Rurikovichs with the dates of their reign, its diagram exists in many historical books. The earlier the description, the more reliable the story. The dynasties that ruled, starting with Prince Rurik, contributed to the formation of statehood, the unification of all principalities into a single strong state.
The genealogy of the Rurikovichs presented to readers is a clear confirmation of this. How many legendary personalities who created the future Russia are represented in this tree! How did the dynasty begin? Who was Rurik by origin?
Inviting grandchildren
There are many legends about the appearance of the Varangian Rurik in Rus'. Some historians consider him a Scandinavian, others - a Slav. But the best story about this event is the Tale of Bygone Years, left by the chronicler Nestor. From his narration it follows that Rurik, Sineus and Truvor are the grandchildren of the Novgorod prince Gostomysl.
The prince lost all his four sons in battle, leaving only three daughters. One of them was married to a Varangian-Russian and gave birth to three sons. It was them, his grandchildren, that Gostomysl invited to reign in Novgorod. Rurik became the Prince of Novgorod, Sineus went to Beloozero, and Truvor went to Izborsk. Three brothers became the first tribe and the Rurik family tree began with them. It was 862 AD. The dynasty was in power until 1598 and ruled the country for 736 years.
Second knee
Novgorod prince Rurik ruled until 879. He died, leaving in the arms of Oleg, a relative on his wife’s side, his son Igor, a representative of the second generation. While Igor was growing up, Oleg reigned in Novgorod, who during his reign conquered and called Kyiv “the mother of Russian cities” and established diplomatic relations with Byzantium.
After Oleg's death, in 912, Igor, the legal heir of the Rurik family, began to reign. He died in 945, leaving sons: Svyatoslav and Gleb. There are many historical documents and books that describe the genealogy of the Rurikovichs with the dates of their reign. The diagram of their family tree looks like the one shown in the photo on the left.
From this diagram it is clear that the genus is gradually branching out and growing. Especially from his son, Yaroslav the Wise, offspring appeared that were of great importance in the formation of Rus'.
and heirs
In the year of his death, Svyatoslav was only three years old. Therefore, his mother, Princess Olga, began to rule the principality. When he grew up, he was more attracted to military campaigns rather than reigning. During a campaign in the Balkans in 972, he was killed. His heirs were three sons: Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir. Immediately after the death of his father, Yaropolk became the prince of Kyiv. His desire was autocracy, and he began to openly fight against his brother Oleg. The genealogy of the Rurikovichs with the dates of their reign suggests that Vladimir Svyatoslavovich nevertheless became the head of the Kyiv principality.
When Oleg died, Vladimir first fled to Europe, but after 2 years he returned with his squad and killed Yaropolk, thus becoming the Grand Duke of Kyiv. During his campaigns in Byzantium, Prince Vladimir became a Christian. In 988, he baptized the inhabitants of Kyiv in the Dnieper, built churches and cathedrals, and contributed to the spread of Christianity in Rus'.
The people gave him a name and his reign lasted until 1015. The Church considers him a saint for the baptism of Rus'. The Grand Duke of Kiev Vladimir Svyatoslavovich had sons: Svyatopolk, Izyaslav, Sudislav, Vysheslav, Pozvizd, Vsevolod, Stanislav, Yaroslav, Mstislav, Svyatoslav and Gleb.
Descendants of Rurik
There is a detailed genealogy of the Rurikovichs with the dates of their lives and periods of reign. Following Vladimir, Svyatopolk, who would be popularly called the Damned, took over the principality for the murder of his brothers. His reign did not last long - in 1015, with a break, and from 1017 to 1019.
The Wise One ruled from 1015 to 1017 and from 1019 to 1024. Then there were 12 years of rule together with Mstislav Vladimirovich: from 1024 to 1036, and then from 1036 to 1054.
From 1054 to 1068 - this is the period of the principality of Izyaslav Yaroslavovich. Further, the genealogy of the Rurikovichs, the scheme of rule of their descendants, expands. Some of the representatives of the dynasty were in power for very short periods and did not manage to accomplish outstanding deeds. But many (such as Yaroslav the Wise or Vladimir Monomakh) left their mark on the life of Rus'.
Genealogy of the Rurikovichs: continuation
The Grand Duke of Kiev Vsevolod Yaroslavovich took over the principality in 1078 and continued it until 1093. In the pedigree of the dynasty there are many princes who are remembered for their exploits in battle: such was Alexander Nevsky. But his reign was later, during the period of the Mongol-Tatar invasion of Rus'. And before him, the Principality of Kyiv was ruled by: Vladimir Monomakh - from 1113 to 1125, Mstislav - from 1125 to 1132, Yaropolk - from 1132 to 1139. Yuri Dolgoruky, who became the founder of Moscow, reigned from 1125 to 1157.
The genealogy of the Rurikovichs is voluminous and deserves very careful study. It is impossible to ignore such famous names as John “Kalita”, Dmitry “Donskoy”, who reigned from 1362 to 1389. Contemporaries always associate the name of this prince with his victory on the Kulikovo Field. After all, this was a turning point that marked the beginning of the “end” of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. But Dmitry Donskoy was remembered not only for this: his internal policy was aimed at unifying the principalities. It was during his reign that Moscow became the central place of Rus'.
Fyodor Ioannovich - the last of the dynasty
The genealogy of the Rurikovichs, a diagram with dates, suggests that the dynasty ended with the reign of the Tsar of Moscow and All Rus' - Feodor Ioannovich. He reigned from 1584 to 1589. But his power was nominal: by nature he was not a sovereign, and the country was ruled by the State Duma. But still, during this period, the peasants were attached to the land, which is considered a merit of the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich.
The Rurikovich family tree was cut short, the diagram of which is shown above in the article. The formation of Rus' took more than 700 years, the terrible yoke was overcome, the unification of the principalities and the entire East Slavic people took place. Further on the threshold of history stands a new royal dynasty - the Romanovs.