According to Vladimir Putin, there is an opinion that the founder of the Russian state had Slavic roots and, thus, he was no coincidence to reign in Novgorod. We tried to figure out what this statement was based on.

April 20, 2022 at a meeting of the Supervisory Board of the Autonomous Non -Profit Organization "Russia - Country of Opportunities" Vladimir Putin He said By video communication with the Skatkov family from the Samara region. Schoolchild Mikhail Skatkov, finalist of the “Big Change” contest in the direction “Remember!”, The president asked about his favorite historical story associated with Rurik. “I liked Kulikovo more, and with Rurik, most likely, this is his calling, how it all happened. Because legends go, antinormanists say that Rurik was a Slav, the Normanists say that Rurik was a Varangian. So I am more about the middle ” - The teenager answered. Putin, in turn, said: “But, by the way, maybe you are right. Because if we keep in mind that he is a Varangian, then there is an opinion that his mother was from the Slavs-something like that. And it was no coincidence that Ryurik, ultimately in Novgorod, was called to the service there, it was no coincidence, he had something to do with it or his relatives had a definite attitude to the Slavs, to the Slavic lands, to Novgorod and so on. But this is a very interesting page in our history. And I think that you are absolutely right, that this truth and truth, as a rule, are in the middle, this is for sure. But the fact that he and the squad came from somewhere in Scandinavia does not mean at all that this Norman theory of education of the Russian state is true, he was called up. ”

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Did Putin say something about this before? November 5, 2014, at a meeting with young historians - scientists and teachers, he declared: “But I looked, for example, yesterday (on the Day of National Unity, at the exhibition“ My History. Rurikovich ”in the arena. - Approx. Ed.), As Rurikovich began. And you have only one version - Karamzin, and that’s it. What is approved there within the framework of this theory - the Norman origin of the Russian state? They called the squad in order to build relationships within the community. There is another point of view according to which the squad was called, but not in order to build relations within the community, but in order to provide external protection: they hired them simply as a security structure, speaking in today's language, that’s all, and then they usurped power to a certain extent. But there is such a point of view. And you have only one there. And this Norman theory suggests that statehood came from the outside. Those who believe otherwise consider otherwise, they believe that statehood has already developed in Novgorod, for example, and a foreign squad was hired only for external protection. That is why the princes were so limited in their rights, and that is why they were expelled when they crossed certain boundaries of their competencies. ” As you can see, Putin in 2014 did not question the foreign origin of Rurik.

What about Rurik's family ties is known to science? The main source of information about the ancient period of the history of Rus' is the annals "Tale of Bygone Years", dating the calling of Rurik 862. The first versions of the Russian annals that have not reached us apparently (the scientific discussion on this continues), were laid on parchment in Kyiv in the middle of the XI century, at the end of the reign of Yaroslav Vladimirovich (which since the XIX century Fastened The nickname is wise). Finally, the text of the "Tale of Bygone Years" was formed at the beginning of the XII century.

Rurik is named in the “Tale” by the prince of the Varangian tribe of Rus', but in the annals there is no information about his ancestors. The source reports about the two brothers Rurik: Sineus and Truvor. Unlike Rurik and his brothers, the subsequent princes of Rus': Oleg (Rurik, which, which took place, according to the “Tale of Bygone Years”, which has been taking place, which, however, does not find any confirmation in other sources), Igor Rurikovich, his widow Olga, Svyatoslav Igorevich, etc. - are known not only from the “Tale of Bygone Years”, but also from numerous foreign sources, but also from numerous foreign sources, but also from numerous foreign sources. shed more light on the events of the ancient history of Rus': in particular, "Cambridge document", treatise "On Empire Management" Konstantin Bagryanorodny, "Antapodosis" Liutprand Kreveron and others.

Names Rurik, Igor, Olga, Olg have Scandinavian origin, unlike Slavic names Svyatoslav, Yaroplk, Volodymyr. It turns out that from the generation of grandchildren Rurik the dynasty was glorified. As part of the "Tale of Bygone Years" before us reached Texts of Russian-Byzantine treaties of the 10th century. They list numerous ambassadors of Rus', most of which also have Scandinavian roots. So, in the agreement concluded between Igor and the Byzantine emperor Roman I Lakapin in 944, the nephew and namesake of the prince are mentioned. There are some Volodislav and Pereslav, who sent their ambassadors to Constantinople. Perhaps they were also some kind of Igor's relatives. Among the high -ranking Rusichs, a certain Uleb is also indicated, this is the Scandinavian name.

Prince of Rus Rurik since the beginning of the XIX century Tried To identify with the famous bearer of the ancients -Kandanavian name Khrerek (Hrœrekr), who lived in the middle of the 9th century, is the Yutland (Danish) prince, whose name was reflected in Latin sources as Roricus or Rorichus (in Russian historiography it is customary to call it Rotland roar). Unfortunately, meager source material does not give reason to confidently support this version.

Where did the idea of the Slavic origin of Rurik's mother come from? It appeared in the middle of the 18th century, when a Russian historian and statesman Vasily Tatishchev (1686–1750) Rethered in his own words by a certain ancient text, the manuscript of which was allegedly received by him from the late relative. Tatishchev considered the author of this text the first Novgorod bishop Joachim and therefore called it the Johamov chronicle. In the work, affordable We are only in the form of retelling and extracts of the historian, Rurik is called the son of Slavyanka of Militia, who was the daughter of the elder of Gostomysl. Allegedly, Gostomysl, who ruled a certain great hail, bequeathed his power to the sons of the Militia. Princess Olga, Igor’s wife and Svyatoslav’s mother, according to Tatishchev, also came from the Gostomysl clan.

From the History of the Russian Tatishchev: “Gostomysl had four sons and three daughters. His sons were either killed in wars, or died in the house, and not a single son left, and the daughter was given to the neighboring princes in their wives. And the GOSTOMSIA and people about this sadness were heavy, GOSTOMOLOV went to the Kolmogard to ask the gods about the heritage and, having risen to a high place, made many Veschunov victims. The Veschuns answered him that the gods promise to give him a legacy from the womb of his woman. But Gostomysl did not believe this, for Star was and his wives did not give birth to him, and therefore sent him to the Bangeles to ask the Veschuns so that they would decide how to inherit him from his descendants. He, he had no faith in all this, was in sorrow. However, a dream was dreamed of sleeping in the afternoon, as a great prolific tree grows from the womb of his middle daughter and covers the whole city of the Great, but from the fruits, people of the whole earth are saturated. Having rebelled from sleep, he called Veschunov, let him set out this dream. They decided: "It should be inherited from her sons, and the earth will be enriched with his reign." And everyone rejoiced that the son of the eldest daughter would not inherit, for there was a nonsense. Gostomysl, anticipating the end of his life, convened all the elders of the Earth from the Slavs, Rus', Chudi, Versi, Measures, Krivichi and Dryagovichi, told them a dream and sent the chosen to the Varangians to ask the prince. And after the death of Gostomysl Rurik with two brothers and their relatives came. ”

But numerous traces indicate that there was no ancient text. So, in the links of Tatishchev, there is a significant contradiction to the appearance of the list of the annals he received. In one place historian Writes: “According to the SIM notebooks, it is clear that the 4th, 5th and 6th letters are taken out of the scented book, a new, but poorly made, old, mixed, but simplest and most dialect of Novgorod,” that is, only three eight-line notebooks from a certain not very ancient manuscript were sent. In another place Tatishchev Indicates: "[I] was so reasonable that these notebooks were deliberately written off for the package."

Tatishchev symptomaticly in the annals of several Scandinavian names. For example, in the Scandinavian saga, Kyiv appears as Könugargan (Könugarðr), and Novgorod as Holmgar (Holmgarðr). In the Ioakimov Chronicle, we find the Kumen River and the city of Kolmard. For certain It is knownthat the Russian historian learned these names from his Swedish colleague Eric Julius Biorner. He identified the Könugard of the ancient sagas with the Finnish toponym Kymenegardia, and Holmgard with Colmogardia. In the first case, we have the result of a clear mixing of the ancient name of Kyiv with the name of the Finnish river Kumen (Switch Kymme älv) and Kumenigord and Neushlot Lena (Slav. Kymmeenegórds Och Nyslotts Län), part of which Sweden lost to Russia Abo's peace treaty 1743. Thus, the ancient Joachim chronicle contains traces of unsuccessful scientists of the first half of the 18th century.

Sometimes they try to reinforce the reliability of the information of the Joachimov Chronicle with archeology: a layer of fire of the late X century in Novgorod (about this He wrote historian and archaeologist Valentin Yanin) or detection the remnants of the oldest bridge over the Volkhov (oak supports of the bridge of the X century were Found In 2018, the expedition of Aivara Stepanov). Both that and that allegedly, the justice of Joachim’s information about the baptism of the Novgorodians under Vladimir Svyatoslavich proves. However, in a large wooden city, which existed on the two banks of Volkhov from the first half of the 10th century, there could not be fires (both archaeologists and the Novgorod annals record them many times), this city could not exist without a reliable connection between the two shores.

To summarize. The version that the mother of Rurik was Slavic origin is part of the hoax of Vasily Tatishchev. Apparently, in this way, Tatishchev, like in the 21st century, Putin wanted to understand the role of foreigners in the history of Russia.