Studying the history of your native country is very important for understanding its present. For example, you need to know the history of your native land. There are various versions of the point at which the countdown of Russian history can begin.
The resettlement of Slavic tribes on the territory of the modern European part of Russia began during the Great Migration of Peoples and generally ended by the 7th century AD. The appearance of settlements on the site of the first Russian cities — Kiev and Novgorod — dates to this time. However, statehood as such did not yet exist. Krivichi, Vyatichi and a number of other peoples formed a union of tribes, remaining generally quite independent.
According to the "Tale of Bygone Years", the oldest Russian annalistic codex dating back to the 12th century, in 862 the Slavic tribes, tired of internecine conflicts, decided to call the Vikings to establish princely power. Prince Rurik arrived with his brothers and a squad and established his power in Novgorod. However, this post leaves a lot of questions. And the main one is whether statehood already existed on the territory of Russia before the Varangians appeared. Historians have no common opinion on this matter, but the following point of view is most widespread - the calling of the Varangians became only an element in the creation of the Russian state, and various prerequisites for this appeared earlier.
It is still unknown who the called Varangians were. As early as the 18th century, the theory arose that they were Normans. Most modern historians adhere to this version. However, there are those who believe that Rurik and his squad were still representatives of Slavic tribes.
Rurik himself ruled only a small territory around Novgorod. The unification of the Slavic territories began under Oleg, who became ruler after the death of Rurik. Oleg's origin also remains controversial, but it is known that he was not the direct heir to Rurik. In 882, Oleg made a trip to Kiev, capturing the lands lying on his way. He transferred the capital of the state to the captured city. From this period, one can begin the countdown to the history of Kievan Rus, a state entity that subsequently gave rise to Muscovite Rus, the Russian Empire, and the Russian Empire.
