Exactly one year from now, Russia will enter the third millennium. Today we want to look back and, starting from the "hoary centuries of deep antiquity", chronographically tell how our ancestors lived, built their state. Each monthly issue of the Historical Chronograph will be dedicated to one century of Russian history. Let's start with a brief excursion into the first millennium after the Birth of Christ.

PRIMORDIAL RUSSIA

W - VI centuries. The peoples who settled on the territory of Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe are divided into three groups: :

Wends, who settle along the Eastern Carpathians between the upper reaches of the Vistula, the Dnieper and the Prut;

the Ants (Slavs and Sarmatians) who settled in the Black Sea region, and the Sclavenians who penetrated the Balkan Peninsula.

IV century The Gothic leader Germanaric is defeated by the Slavs. His successor Vinitar tricked 70 Slavic elders led by Bus into joining him and crucified them.

626 The Georgian monk George Mtatsmideli tells that Byzantium "was repeatedly crushed by the Persians and Scythians, who are Russians... The Khagan skiff filled his monoxyl boats with warriors, and he also took many warriors and attacked the city." The Georgian monk's report is confirmed by the Byzantine writer Manasseh.

VIII century At the mouth of the Volkhva River, near Lake Ladoga, the city of Ladoga grows up - a key trading post on the way "from the Varangians to the Greeks".

About 800 g. Ladoga and the surrounding lands are in the power of the Norman-Varangians, as reported by the chronicler:

"...Slovene, and Krivichi, and merya tribute was given to the Varangians." But soon the local tribes drive out the uninvited guests and "plant the elder Gostomysl".

At about the same time, in the south, in the habitats of glades on the banks of the Dnieper, Prince Kiy founded a city called Kiev. The reign of Kiya dates back to 790-800 AD.

Approx. 855 The calling of the Varangians to Russia. The chronicle says that " the tribes of Chud, Slovene, Krivichi and all called the Varangians from across the sea, led by Prince Rurik, inviting them to reign with them." "Our land is large and plentiful, but there is no order in it," the Russian ambassadors are said to have told the Varangians.

856-860 years. Askold and Dir, Varangians from Rurik's retinue, capture Kiev. The wars of As-Kold and Dir with the Drevlyans, Ulics and Hungarians, who were dependent on the Khazars, begin. The war ended with the defeat of the Glades and their submission to the Khazar Khaganate. Askold and Dir accepted the power of the khaganate.

866-Establishment of the first diocese by the Byzantine Patriarch Photius for Slavs and Varangians who, under the influence of contacts with Byzantium, converted to Christianity.

879 Rurik died, having passed on the reign, according to the "Tale of Bygone Years", to his relative - Oleg, later called the Prophetic, because of the infancy of his son Igor. Some scientists suggest that " in the image of Oleg the Prophetic, the features of not one, but two characters of the same name were combined."

882 g. Oleg the Prophetic moved from Novgorod to the south: he planted his governors in Smolensk and Lyubech, and then went to Kiev, where Askold and Dir reigned. The unification of Northern and Southern Russia begins.

883-886 years. Unification of the Eastern Slavs around Kiev. Oleg the Prophetic makes trips to the lands of the Drevlyans, Northerners and Radimichi, forcing them to pay tribute to Kiev. "Don't give tribute to the Kozars," Oleg said, " but give it to me."