Is this the coat of arms of ancient Ukraine? LJ from Legart (Anton Tolmachev)

Many already know that the coat of arms of Ukraine is not a "sign of Rurik", but a Khazar tamga. But where did it come from. The Khazars are a Turkic people who adopted Judaism and Jewish priests, who were called Kogans. They secretly initiated the Khazar ruler Bulan, and formed a ruling elite with him, passing off their daughters as his close warriors. The kogans had their own special gesture, with which they blessed their followers - fingers extended like a trident.

In its form, this gesture repeated the Hebrew letter Shin (trident). Later, the ruler of Khazaria himself began to be called a kagan - and the state became a khaganate. The kagan performed a ritual role, because through him blessing and good luck came to all the Khazars. If the kagan was a cult figure, then a real political and military authority its minister - bek was in charge. Under his command was a garrison of variegated mercenaries who were supposed to ensure the dictatorship of the Khazar Jewish elite over the enslaved population, including the Slavs. Under Prince Svyatoslav, the yoke of the Khazar Khaganate was thrown off, and its capital Sarkel was destroyed. A thousand years later, the descendants of the Khazars are trying to take revenge by making Dnepropetrovsk their capital. The American Khazar woman Nulland (by her husband's surname Kagan) helps them in this.

The tamga (sign of property) of the khagans originated from the gesture of blessing and the letter Shin. Now all these symbols have been returned to New Khazaria - Ukraine. And the leader of the Svoboda party, the chauvinist Oleg Tyagnibok (Frotman), and his boss, the oligarch Kalomoisky, bless their mercenaries for genocide with the "Kagan's gesture."

Myth about the coat of arms of Ukraine

Let's once again remember in more detail what it is and what you can be proud of here ...

The Old Russian nationality or the Old Russian ethnos is a single ethnocultural and social community, which, according to the widespread historiographic concept, was formed from East Slavic tribes in the process of ethnogenesis in the Old Russian state during the 10th-13th centuries. Within the framework of this concept, it is believed that all three modern East Slavic peoples - Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians - arose as a result of the gradual disintegration of the Old Russian people after Mongol invasion to Russia. The concept of the ancient Russian people, who spoke a single Old Russian, has both its supporters and opponents.

Signs of Rurikovich are heraldic signs that were used by ancient Russian princes to indicate ownership of certain items. Depicted on stamps, seals, coins of Rurikovich. Unlike noble coats of arms, such emblems did not belong to the whole family or clan, but were personal signs: each prince had his own “coat of arms”.

As a rule, on the coins of the Kiev princes there are figures resembling an inverted letter “P”, to which “shoots” were added from below or in the middle, as well as dots, crosses, etc. The same signs could look different, depending from the subject on which they were depicted. So, the princely emblems on the seals were depicted schematically, in the most simplified form, while on the coins the same symbols had many additional ornamental elements.

The heraldic signs of ancient Russian princes have come down to us not only in the form of images on coins and seals, but also on pendants, rings, weapons, etc. Using these finds, one can not only trace the evolution of the princely symbols of Ancient Russia, but also try to restore their origin.

The use of images of a bident and a trident brings together the signs of the Ruriks with the complex royal coats of arms of the Bosporan kingdom, the main elements of which were also these symbols. The connection between the Bosporan and Old Russian princely emblems is indicated by the predominant use of the bident as the basis of the “coat of arms” composition.

The diving falcon is a symbol of Rurik, the founder of the city of Novgorod and the ancestor of the princely, which later became royal, Rurik dynasty.

Another point that brings the emblems of ancient Russian princes closer to the emblems of the Bosporan kings is the hereditary nature of their development. As mentioned above, the princely "coats of arms" of Ancient Russia were personal signs that were not inherited, but, like the symbols of the Bosporan kingdom, had a single base in the form of a bident, to which each ruler added (or removed) elements in the form various kinds of "shoots", curls, etc.

Among the "coats of arms" of the ancient Russian princes, there were also complete analogues of the coats of arms of the Bosporan rulers. For example, the personal sign of Yaroslav the Wise on the belt plaques found in the Ladoga region and in the vicinity of Suzdal almost completely coincides with the one depicted on the belt set from the Pereshchepinsky treasure of the Poltava region, made in the 7th-8th centuries in the Middle Black Sea region. Both images resemble a trident in shape.

Similar signs (bidents and tridents) were widely used in the territory Khazar Khaganate as symbols of supreme power - they were tamgas of the ruling clans. This was a continuation of the Sarmatian-Alanian tradition of using such signs, dating back to the time of the Bosporan kingdom.

Two-toothed and three-toothed tamgas are known in the 8th - 9th centuries. in the Khazar world on the details of a belt set (Podgorovsky burial ground), in the form of graffiti on stone blocks and bricks of fortresses (Sarkel, Mayatsky, Semikarakorsky, Khumarinsky settlements), in the form of pottery marks on vessels (Dmitrievsky burial ground). It is possible that such signs came to the Old Russian environment precisely from Khazaria, as well as the title “Kagan”, adopted by the first Russian princes.

In 1917, after the October Revolution, when on the territory of the former Russian Empire new states began to be created, the trident of Prince Vladimir was proposed by the historian Mikhail Grushevsky as national symbol Ukraine. Status of the small coat of arms of Ukrainian People's Republic Vladimir received his personal badge on March 22, 1918 as a result of a decision of the Central Rada. In the future, this symbol was used with some changes and additions to Ukrainian state entities created between 1918 and 1920. With the establishment of Soviet power in Ukraine, the trident lost its state status, but continued to be used by organizations of Ukrainian nationalists, as well as, with the addition of a cross on a prong, as part of the coat of arms of the Carpathian Ukraine proclaimed in 1939. In 1941 it was used by the Ukrainian state government

After the liquidation of the USSR in 1991, by a resolution of the Supreme Council of Ukraine dated February 19, 1992, the trident was approved as the small state emblem of Ukraine. In accordance with Article 20 of the 1996 Constitution of Ukraine, “the main element of the large State Emblem of Ukraine is the Sign of the Princely State of Volodymyr the Great (small National emblem Ukraine)" (which, despite the state status of this decision, is a bit of a historical stretch: as mentioned above, the "coat of arms" of St. Volodymyr was only a personal symbol, like other emblems of the Rurikids of that time).

In this regard, we can recall the following image:

The Don Cossacks contributed to the discovery of Khazar graphics. Getting building material for their buildings, they dismantled the walls of ancient fortresses. Some of the first finds of the Khazar graphics were discovered at several of the settlements on the left bank of the Don (Sarkel, Right-bank Tsimlyanskaya, Mayatskaya, Semikarakorskaya) at the beginning of the 20th century.

The tribal tamga in ancient times was a scar symbol associated with the patron of the clan (family). The symbol of the clan was placed on the bricks from which the walls of houses and fortresses were erected. When laying a brick into the wall, the generic seal was completely hidden from view. Thus, making it clear to future generations the true owner of the settlement (household).

Thus, the Khakhar tamga is nothing but a SEAL. There is also a mention of him as the TRIDENT of Yaroslav of Novgorod, but the essence is the same, the very first mention of the image belongs to the Khazars.

To give today any interpretation of the Khazar bident and trident is, at best, futile. As a curiosity, different versions of the decoding of the reverse side of the first Russian coins were considered by the authors of a multi-volume work on medieval coins - in relation to the trident. As they wrote, the assumptions follow each other: from the Norman hat to the schematic dove - the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, at present, scientific world the opinion was established that the sign could be a tamga. In itself, the fact of imitation is not something special. In the early coinage of the Germanic peoples (for example, among the Vandals), coin types, usually imitating Rome (breast image in a wreath, Victoria holding a crown), on the reverse side may bear the image of a horse's head. On early Anglo-Saxon coins, one can see a snake or a dragon, explained as a consequence of ancient local beliefs in which the monstrous Wotan (Wodan-Odin) played an important role.

Then, after the adoption of Christianity in Russia, a cross appears on the coins of Vladimir on the Khazar tamga, and as Christianity strengthened and the victory over Khazaria became history, tamga-like signs disappear from use on the coins of Russia.

This coincided with the time when the title of the Russian ruler "Kagan" ceased to be used and was replaced by "Prince"; and as the state of the Rus grew stronger and established itself in the international arena, it was no longer used. In any case, by the beginning of the XIII century. The system of marks in the signs of the Igorevichs is coming to naught, which means that the princes are cooling off towards these signs alien to them.

Here is a coin...

There is such a discussed opinion about the first photo:

"Mysterious figures" on the coins and seals of the Rurikovich, on the rings and pendants belonging to the princes and their combatants, on the bricks of the Church of the Tithes, as well as on other items that were the property of the family that headed the feudal elite in Kievan Rus, have long caused a lot of all sorts of disputes and interpretations. A detailed historiographical review of the question of the essence of the Rurik sign is contained in the works of I.I. Tolstoy and A.V. Oreshnikov (1). There are references to various decipherings of the sign in the works of N.P. Likhachev and B.A. Rybakov (2). Below we provide a short list of all existing opinions on this issue.

N.M. Karamzin in the "History of the Russian State" called the sign depicted on the coins of Rurikovich "trident" (3). Numismatists of the 19th century - A. Voeikov, Ya. Ya. Y.Voloshinsky, F.A.Zhil, A.Tilzeus von Tilnau, to whose opinion I.I. S. G. Stroganov in a letter to A. A. Kunik noted that the sign of the Ruriks "is nothing but a church portal" (6). I.A.Bartolomei suggested to consider the "figure" as an anchor. (7) Famous archaeologist of the 19th century. A.A. Uvarov argued that the sign is a distorted image of the upper part of a special Byzantine scepter (8). I.I. Tolstoy came to the same conclusion in 1884, according to whom, this Byzantine scepter was delivered to Russia from Constantinople by Princess Anna to Vladimir (9). B.V. Koene and A.A. Kunik saw the image of a bird in the sign. B.V. Köhne believed that a raven is depicted on the coin (10). A.A. Kunik stated that the “mysterious figure” is a dove, symbolizing the holy spirit (11). Later, A.A. Kunik, under the influence of the arguments of A.A. Uvarov and I.I. Tolstoy, who indicated that in Byzantium until the 13th century. the dove was depicted flying or hovering head up, moved away from its original opinion and began to consider the sign as an image of power - a symbol of the power of the Kiev princes (12). The famous Swedish scientist T. Arne, who studied the pendants with the signs of Rurik, found in Sweden, came to the conclusion that they depict a “bird with spread wings” - “the famous generic sign of Yaroslav's silver, repeating schematically the same generic sign of St. Vladimir " (thirteen). K. Bolsunovsky saw an encrypted word (14) in the Rurik sign. P.N. Milyukov in his article “The Norman sign on the coins of the Grand Duchy of Kiev” (1889) wrote about the similarity of the “mysterious figure” with the helmets depicted on the Bayeux carpet (15). Subsequently, the opinion of P.N. Milyukov was subjected to crushing criticism by A.V. Oreshnikov (16). D.Ya. Samokvasov proposed to consider the sign of the Rurikids as a scepter, the shape of which was borrowed from the Scythian burial mounds (17). Vyatka statistician P.M. Sorokin saw in the sign an image of an ax with two blades - Francis. Comparing the family sign of the Rurikovich with the family signs of the Votyaks, P.M. Sorokin believed that the first should change during the transition from prince to prince (18). A.V. Oreshnikov believed that P.M. Sorokin most closely approached the explanation of signs on coins and joined the opinion of the latter (19). Further researchers of the Rurikovich sign and its evolution refused to interpret this figure in any way in their works.

In the historiographic review, one phrase from the book by S.A. Gedeonov "Varyags and Russia" should be cited. He wrote: “The bird depicted on the Igor hryvnia with claws raised upwards may be a rerik falcon” (20). What kind of "Igor's hryvnia" is in question - it is not clear. One of the oldest Russian coins (or seals?) with the sign of the Ruriks depicted on it in the 19th century. attributed to Prince Igor. Perhaps S.A. Gedeonov meant it?

The classification of signs of the Rurikovich was first created by A.V. Oreshnikov (21). Subsequently, it was amended three times - once by B.A. Rybakov (22) and twice by V.L. Yanin (23). A.V. Oreshnikov based his classification on the principle of “formation of a sign from a simple to a more complex one” (24). Since a “trident” is depicted on the silver of Yaroslav the Wise, he suggested that the sign of Yaroslav’s father, Vladimir, was simpler - a two-prong found on one of the ancient seals (25). The principle on which A.V. Oreshnikov's classification is based raises serious objections. If we turn to the article by V.L. Yanin (26), we will see that the signs of the princes of the XI-XII centuries. much simpler and more schematic than the ancient ones.

A.A. Ilyin and N.P. Bauer considered as belonging to Vladimir Svyatoslavich those signs that A.V. Oreshnikov attributed to Vladimir Monomakh (27). B.A. Rybakov also expressed doubts about the “first sign of A.V. Oreshnikov”. He noted that “... in a number of cases, coins of Vladimir (“Vladimir's silver”) are found with things from the 11th century, for example, in the Radimch burial mound of the 11th century. near the village Votnya on the Dnieper, in the Liplyavsky burial ground of the 11th-12th centuries. with a western coin, modern to Vladimir Svyatoslavich, etc. (we note that in both cases the coin has already managed to turn into a pendant to a necklace). This view (the view of A.A. Ilyin and N.P. Bauer. - O.R.) is also supported by the presence of coins in hoards no later than the middle of the 11th century, and the paleographic analysis of the letters indicates rather an early date ”(28 ).

B.A. Rybakov considers the sign depicted on the brick from the Church of the Tithes to be indisputably belonging to Vladimir Svyatoslavich, since none other than Vladimir was the builder of this first Russian Christian church (29).

If we compare the signs that A.V. Oreshnikov attributed to Vladimir Monomakh with the sign on the brick from the Church of the Tithes, then we will see that their similarity is obvious. They differ only in that the sign on the brick does not have a process from the middle prong, and in the middle part of the sign there are some very insignificant details (which, by the way, are depicted differently on all available coins with the names of Vladimir and Yaroslav, and sometimes even completely missing) are depicted somewhat differently. Thus, the belonging to Vladimir Svyatoslavich of the signs classified by A.V. Oreshnikov as the signs of Vladimir Monomakh does not raise any doubts.

If you look closely at the signs of Vladimir, it seems that the “figure” was constantly being improved during the period of minting the coin. However, it is difficult to say in what direction it was improved - simplified or complicated. Most likely, changes in the "figure" took place in the direction of simplifying the sign.

Consider the "mysterious figure" depicted on the coins of Vladimir and Yaroslav the Wise. The signs are some kind of unusual tridents. The extreme teeth most of all resemble the blades of knives or the wings of a bird. The middle prong differs sharply from the two extreme ones - on most signs of Vladimir it consists of two unequal parts: the lower one is thickened, and the upper one is thinner. The middle prong of the sign applied to the brick of the Church of the Tithes has only the lower thickened part. On the coin of Yaroslav the Wise, the middle prong does not have a double division, but ends with a circle. The three upper ends of the trident rest against the crossbar, from which the fourth prong descends downward. This prong on some signs of Vladimir is slightly rounded, on others, as well as on the signs of Yaroslav, it appears in the form of an isosceles triangle. On some signs of Vladimir, some strange “hooks” are placed from the middle part of the “figure” to the outer teeth.

G.N.Anpilogov convincingly proved that many of the signs of ownership, applied to the owner's sides, represent the image of pitchforks, axes, plows and many other items. He points out that the drawings on the sides so accurately convey the essence of objects that they can be used to study the level of development. material culture the time they were depicted. The researcher adds that often these realistic drawings "... were made various kinds of additions in the form of crosses, separate dashes, etc." (31). Probably, the signs of the Ruriks, which are also signs of property, should be characterized by the same features that G.N. Anpilogov revealed when analyzing the side banners, namely: some extraneous additions and slight deviations from the norm are possible, but basically the drawing should convey the most essential features the depicted item.

To determine the essence of the "figure" it is very important to consider the Stockholm copy of Yaroslav's silver. It was first found and published by B.V. Köhne (32). True, B.V. Köhne introduced Stockholm silver as a coin of Prince Oleg. He argued that the sign on the "Oleg coin" is the image of a raven - the oldest coat of arms of Denmark. The inscription along the edge of the coin was considered by B.V. Koene to be Latin and read by OLEG REX, arbitrarily arranging the letters, and also taking one of the crosses printed on the surface as the letter X33. A.A. Kunik opposed such a reading of the inscription, proving that the “Latin inscription” was made in Russian letters and reads O GEORGI (oagios George), and the inscription on the reverse side of the coin clearly reads as: YAROSLAVLE SREBRO (34).

Thus, the coin does not belong to Oleg, but to Yaroslav. All the major numismatists of the 19th and 20th centuries agreed with the reading of A.A. Kunik. A.A. Kunik believed that on the coin of a Christian prince there could not be such a pagan image as a raven. At the same time, he, in turn, noticed that on the Stockholm copy of Yaroslav's silver, on the lower prong of the "figure" there are some circles that are very similar to the eyes of a bird. This gave him reason to assert that the "mysterious figure" depicts creature, but not a crow, as B.V. Koene thought, but "a dove personifying the holy spirit."

Subsequently, A.A. Kunik, under the influence of the arguments of A.A. Uvarov and I.I. Tolstoy, departed from his original opinion. (35) The Stockholm copy was recognized as a crude Scandinavian imitation of the silver of Yaroslav the Wise. They stopped paying attention to this coin when deciphering the Rurik sign. However, already in the XX century. such authoritative scientists as N.P. Bauer and N.P. Likhachev spoke out strongly against considering the Stockholm copy an imitation of Yaroslav's coins (36).

T. Arne, who published the pendants found in Sweden, the image of the sign on which is almost similar to the image on the Yaroslavl silver and on the Stockholm copy (the "bird" on the pendants, as well as on the Stockholm copy, is depicted with eyes), recognized them as Russian by origin (37). The assumption that somewhere in Birka or in Rosskill someone in the 11th century (!) had to forge silver for the coin of Yaroslav the Wise and at the same time write on it in Russian letters ABOUT GEORGE, YAROSLAVL SREBRO, is deprived, in our opinion, of any common sense. There is no doubt that the Stockholm copy is a Russian coin, although it could have been minted abroad by order of Yaroslav the Wise.

The sign depicted on the Stockholm copy, and especially on the pendants published by T. Arne, is very reminiscent of a flying bird. However, the signs inscribed on the coins of Vladimir Svyatoslavich and Yaroslav the Wise are also extremely similar to the image of a flying bird: a massive head lowered downwards, sharp wings, a short body, to which a thin tail adjoins (on the coins of Vladimir), and the integrity of the body and tail ( on the coins of Yaroslav). It looks like the image of a flying bird and the sign on the brick of the Church of the Tithes. The difference between the latter and the former is that the “bird” applied to the brick does not have a tail. Note that the length of the wings - the lateral teeth on the signs of Vladimir significantly exceeds the length of the body of the "bird" - the lower half of the middle tooth.

Let's look now at the signs usually attributed to the princes of the X-XI centuries. For some reason, all the researchers who tried to decipher the "mysterious figure" did not pay any attention to them. Meanwhile, these signs are an important link in determining the essence of the "figure". On the lower part of both signs, the front part of the head of a bird of prey is clearly visible: a long beak, small round eyes surrounded by additional circles, a low, large forehead. The body of the bird is missing. A wing rises above her head on the left side - almost exact copy wings depicted on the signs of Vladimir Svyatoslavich and Yaroslav the Wise, a cross rises on the right side. Between the wing and the cross there is some kind of curl (on another sign, a cross without an upper end; another cross adjoins the bird's beak). The signs differ from each other only in the smallest details, their essence remains the same - the image of a bird.

The anterior part of the bird's head in no way resembles the anterior part of the dove's head. The dove does not have such a long, perhaps even slightly curving beak. The dove has a rather high frontal part, and the eyes are strongly shifted to the sides. Thus, the probability of depicting a dove is eliminated. Even less similar is the head of a bird to the head of a raven. And the proportions of the body of a flying bird have nothing to do with the proportions of the body of a flying crow. The weak shoulders of a raven, almost completely not prominent against the background of the body, cannot be compared with the mighty shoulders of a bird. The front part of the bird's head, depicted on the coins of the Rurikovich, can belong to only one of the types of fighting birds: an eagle, a hawk or a falcon. However, both the eagle and the hawk have "blunt" and short wings in relation to the length of their bodies (38), while on the coins of the Rurik dynasty the bird is depicted with sharp and long wings. The “figure”, depicted on the coins of the Rurikovich, most of all resembles a flying falcon.

The falcon has a short dense body, a large massive head, quite long neck, which during flight enters the shoulders, sharp and long wings, significantly exceeding the length of the body of the bird, a short powerful tail adjacent to the body (sometimes it is somewhat pointed at the end, but more often ends in a rounding in the form of a spatula), which, together with the body, forms during flight birds the third middle prong of the "trident". The eyes of falcons are bordered by additional circles, resulting from the fact that the bird in these places does not have vegetation cover. Neither the raven nor the dove has anything similar. But this sign of a falcon is very clearly fixed on the signs of the Rurikovich. The main characteristic features of the falcon on the coins of Rurikovich X-XI centuries. can be traced well, although some "unnecessary" additions to the drawings in the form of crosses, circles, etc. are not uncommon. These additions, as well as the inscriptions on the rim of the coins, the banknotes of one prince differed from the banknotes of other princes. The essence of the sign, at least for the X-XI centuries, remained the same - the image of a falcon. On a brick from the Church of the Tithes, the characteristic features of a falcon are also clearly visible.

The falcon on the coins of Vladimir differs from the falcon on the coins of Yaroslav in that the bird is depicted from different angles. On the coins of Vladimir, the minter in the Falcon on the coins of Vladimir differs from the falcon on the coins of Yaroslav in that the bird is depicted from different angles. On the coins of Vladimir, the minter recreated the bird as it is seen when you watch it dive from below, from the ground. That is why the signs of Vladimir do not depict the eyes of a falcon, but the legs of the bird, placed under the wings, are clearly visible, as well as the division of the “middle prong” into two parts - into the body and into the tail adjacent to it. On the coins of Yaroslav, the flying falcon is depicted as it is seen when looking at the bird from above. From this angle, we will not see either his legs or the division of the middle part, but he can see the eyes of a bird.

The signs that the researchers attribute to the end of the 11th-12th centuries are very far from their prototype. On some of them (for example, on the sign attributed to Vsevolod the Big Nest), it is impossible to find not only the characteristic features of a falcon, but in general the features of a bird. The later signs are transformed to such an extent that a doubt arises: are these signs of the Rurikovich really? Somewhat apart is the sign depicted on the oldest, according to some researchers of the Russian press (39). It is available on both sides. The upper middle tooth of this sign is completely absent. The inscription on the coin is not readable. A.V. Oreshnikov, as mentioned above, attributed this sign to Vladimir Svyatoslavich. It is possible that the "figure" printed on the seal is also an image of a flying falcon, because despite the missing elements - the absence of a tail and back of the body - the proportions of the body of this bird are transmitted to some extent.

When a falcon dives on its prey, the back of its body and tail rise upwards, and they can not always be seen from the ground. Therefore, it is possible that in the case of the "bident" we have not an accidental, but a special distortion (if it can only be called a distortion) of the bird's body. When considering the signs of the Ruriks, it is important to consider at what angle the artist decided to depict a flying falcon. However, the belonging of this sign to Vladimir Svyatoslavich is extremely doubtful, because an almost similar sign (also a “bident”) was found on a fragment of a pottery vessel of the 11th-12th centuries. during the excavations of Izyaslav (Rognedin).

The image of a falcon in Kievan Rus was often used. If we turn to our ancient epics, we will see that Volga has the ability to turn into a bird - a falcon, then a fish - a pike, then gray wolf(40). In the same way, Volkhv Vseslavich reincarnates into a wolf, into a tour of the "golden horns", into a clear falcon (41). Of particular interest is the epic "Volga", recorded by A.F. Gilferding and commented by B.A. Rybakov (42). It tells about the struggle of Volga with Santal: “While Volga was going to Volgugorod, the queen had a bad dream: a falcon and a black crow were fighting, the falcon was killing the black crow. That clear falcon is Volga the hero, that black raven is Santal himself ”(43). B.A. Rybakov convincingly proved that this epic tells about real historical events that took place in Russia in the second half of the 10th century. Volga - the Drevlyansk prince Oleg Svyatoslavich is fighting the powerful Varangian Santal - Sveneld (“black raven” (44). The names “falcon” and “black raven”, in relation to these historical persons, apparently, are not accidental. The ancient coat of arms of the Danes, as we have already indicated above that there was a raven, and a falcon was depicted on the coins of the Kievan princes.

In other epics of the Vladimirov cycle, it is told how Ilya Muromets and Dobrynya Nikitich "walk - walk" along blue sea Khvalynsky on the "Falcon" - a ship attacked by "black crows" - in one case the Turks, in the other - the Tatars. After Ilya Muromets smashes the enemies, the Sokol safely returns to Russia. Turks and Tatars in this case are a later substitution. In the time of Vladimir, neither one nor the other had yet reached the world stage. In the XII century. The Polovtsians were called "black crows", and the Russian princes were still called falcons. Probably already mentioned here. folk tradition call all the enemies who encroached on the Russian land "ravens".

In the Tale of Igor's Campaign, the terms "falcon" and "falcon" serve to designate the princes of the Rurikovichs - Igor, Vsevolod, Vladimir, and others. "Not a storm will bring the falcons across the wide fields, the flocks of the herd will flee to the Great Don" (45). By "falcons" here is meant "Olgo's good nest", and by galits - Polovtsy, which can be seen from the context. After describing the defeat of Igor's troops, the singer exclaims: “Oh! Farther away, the falcon came flying to the sea: but do not baptize the brave Igorev! (46). The boyars say to Svyatoslav of Kiev: behold, two falcons flew down from the table of gold to look for the city of Tmutorokan, or drink the helm to the Don. Already the falcons of the krillz were rushing the filthy sabers, and the very entangled in the Putins iron ”(47). After Igor’s escape from captivity (he “flys like a falcon under the soaps” (48), Gzak says to Konchak: “Already the falcon (Igor. - O.R.) flies to the nest, the falconer (Vladimir. - O.R.) shoots with its green arrows (49). In The Lay of Igor's Campaign, even the Polovtsians call the Rurik princes "falcons."

The question arises: how did the falcon "fly" on the coins and seals of the Rurikovichs, in Russian epics, in "The Tale of Igor's Campaign"? Why exactly a falcon, and not an eagle, not a hawk, not a raven? The falcon was not an ancient deity either among the Slavs or the Scandinavian peoples. Yes, with the adoption of Christianity, not a single pagan god was left with a place in the Russian religious pantheon, although the remnants of paganism still persisted for a long time. The fact that the princes from the house of Rurikovich are called epics and “Falcons” in the Tale of Igor’s Host speaks for the fact that the falcon was an emblem, the coat of arms of the family that headed the feudal elite of Kievan Rus. It is possible that the falcon in ancient times was the totem of the clan from which the princely family originated. Traces of totemism often appear in the cult of animals, in heraldry, in folklore several centuries after the adoption of a new religion.

1 Tolstoy I.I. The oldest Russian coins of the Grand Duchy of Kiev. - St. Petersburg, 1882. S. 165-183; Oreshnikov A.V. New materials on the issue of mysterious figures ah on the oldest Russian coins // AIZ. - M., 1894, 10. S. 301-311.
2 Likhachev N.P. Materials for the history of Russian and Byzantine sphragistics. Issue 2. - L., 1928; Rybakov B.A. Property signs in the princely economy of Kievan Rus // SA, VI, 1940. S. 230, 231, 233.
3 Tolstoy I.I. UK. op. S. 165.
4 Ibid. pp. 165, 166.
5 Ibid. pp. 166, 180.
6 Ibid. S. 166.
7 Ibid.
8 Ibid.
9 Tolstoy I.I. Banner of our first Christian Grand Dukes. Tr. VI, AC. - Odessa, 1886. S. 269.
10 Tolstoy I.I. The most ancient Russian coins... S. 62-65.
11 Ibid. S. 166.
12 Ibid. S. 183.
13 Arne T.I. Fornvännen meddellanden fren K. Vitterhets historie och antikvitets Akademien. 1911-12, 47.
14 Bolsunovsky K. The family sign of the Rurikovichs, the Grand Dukes of Kiev. - Kyiv, 1908. S. 4-6.
15 Oreshnikov A.V. UK. op. S. 304.
16 Ibid. S. 304.
17 Ibid.
18 Ibid. pp. 305-308.
19 Oreshnikov A.V. Banknotes of pre-Mongol Rus. - M., 1936. S. 33.
20 Gideon S. Varangians and Russia. II. - SPb., 1876. S. XXXIV.
21 Oreshnikov A.V. Banknotes of pre-Mongol Rus.
22 Rybakov B.A. UK. op.
23 Yanin V.L. Ancient Russian seal of the 10th century. // KSIIMK, 57, 1955; his own. Princely signs of the Suzdal Rurikovich // KSIIMK, 62, 1956.
24 Oreshnikov A.V. Banknotes of pre-Mongol Rus. S. 35.
25 Ibid.
26 Yanin V.L. Princely signs of the Suzdal Rurikovich // KSIIMK, 62, 1956.
27 Ilyin A.A. Topography of hoards of ancient Russian coins of the X-XI centuries. and coins of a specific period. - L., 1924. Tab. I; Bauer N.P. Old Russian coinage of the late X - early XI century. // IGAIMK, 1927. S. 315.
28 Rybakov B.A. UK. op. S. 231.
29 Ibid. S. 247.
30 Anpilogov G.N. Airborne banners as a historical source // SA, 1964, 4. P. 154-156 and others.
31 Ibid. S. 168.
32 There are currently six copies similar to the Stockholm one. Therefore, the very name "Stockholm specimen" is purely arbitrary.
33 Tolstoy I.I. The most ancient Russian coins... S. 62-69.
34 Ibid. pp. 72-74.
35 Ibid. pp. 167, 168.
36 Bauer N.P. UK. op. pp. 316, 317; Likhachev N.P. UK. cit., 2, pp. 178, 179, 183.
37 Arne T.I. UK. op. S. 47.
38 Brem A.E. Life of animals. - St. Petersburg, 1903. S. 692, 717.
39 Likhachev N.P. UK. op. 2. S. 173; VL Yanin considers the seal of Novgorod Prince Izyaslav Vladimirovich to be the most ancient Russian seal. The sign on this seal is very similar to the sign depicted on the brick of the Church of the Tithes: the falcon on it also does not have a tail. Yanin V.L. The oldest Russian seal of the 10th century // KSIIMK, 57, 1955. P. 40.
40 Epics. I. - M., 1958. S. 318.
41 Ibid. S. 10, 11.
42 Gilferding A.F. Collected works. I. - St. Petersburg, 1884. S. 247-248; Rybakov B.A. Ancient Russia(tales, epics and annals). - M., 1963. S. 54-58.
43 Gilferding A.F. UK. op. pp. 247, 248.
44 Rybakov B.A. UK. op. S. 55.
45 A word about the regiment of Igor, son of Svyatoslav, grandson of Olgov. - M., 1954. S. 4.
46 Ibid. S. 6.
47 Ibid. S. 18.
48 Ibid. S. 32.
49 Ibid. S. 34.

In Staraya Ladoga found a casting mold of the symbol of the "Russian family"

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On the border of the first and second millenniums, the well-known process "Choice of Faiths" was going on. More precisely, these “faiths” chose us, dividing Russia and at the same time fighting with each other. Traces of the turbulent past have been preserved. Particularly curious are the so-called. Rurik signs.

The bident symbolized the dual nature of power in theocratic states: its secular and spiritual incarnations. In Khazaria, these functions were performed by the kagan and the bek.
From the chronicles it is known that the symbol of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich was a bident. It's understandable. This is the trophy of the defeated Khazaria. Moreover, they adopted not only the sign, but also the title of one of the rulers. Metropolitan Hilarion in "Sermon on Law and Grace" ( XI century) calls Vladimir the Baptist “our kagan”, and not at all “prince” as we were taught to believe. Dual system power since ancient times exists in Russia. At first, a tandem of the prince and governor. Later, the tandem was transformed into a king and a metropolitan, and already into Soviet time the secretary of the Party Committee looked after the boss. It was the same in the army. Politruk deputy commander. So the tandem in the power of Russia is a common thing.
Before Russia, the "bident" was the emblem of Khazaria. And the Khazars, in turn, adopted this sign from their conquered neighbors. There he represented A two-pronged tamga as an artistic representation of a cattle skull, which, in the form of a talisman, was already explicitly hung over the entrance to a dwelling or installed in the middle of a camp. It was assumed that the skull of dead cattle protects the living, but, becoming an emblem, led to the death of Khazaria, Prince Svyatoslav and did not give way to the statehood of Kievan Rus. Everything is natural "amulet" indicates dives to the ground.
This is what the sign of the supposedly Rurikovichs is, the sign of which is a bident. Now it's the turn for the so-called. "Trident". There are several versions of this.
Chernihiv version.
At the beginning of the last century, attempts were made to read tridents, considering them to be monograms made up of Greek letters. Based on probability, the word "Basileus" was read. : XIV archaeological congress in Chernigov, 1908
What is interesting about the intricate ornament of the "trident"? It can be disassembled into its component parts. But why did the Greek alphabet on the Russian state sign, when we had the Russian script (which Konstantin-Kirill studied in Korsun), had its own Glagolitic alphabet, and then, for some reason, we were enlightened with Cyrillic? There is only one answer here. The monogram came to us from Byzantium as a dowry of Princess Anna. Vladimir received the hand of Princess Anna and the title basileus, she became Vasilisa. From where it must be assumed, the name Vasilisa, of course, the Beautiful, went through Russia. The origin of Anna, the Christian wife of Vladimir, is also interesting. She is the daughter of the Armenian people and at the same time a member of the Byzantine imperial dynasty, one of the longest and most influential. And we then thought the Romans were the Byzantines and without exception all the Greeks. It is high time to forget what we were taught in the past, and forget like a nightmare. “Reality is richer…” and so on.

The very word "vasileus" is interesting. key value in the title is that it is inherited, but the title has a catch. With which? More on that below. Having received a “trident” with a title, the heirs of Vladimir regularly correct the Christian monogram, add Christian cross symbols and even the moon, as if they do not realize that they are changing the sign of Emperor Basileus and thereby deprive themselves of a beautiful title. Vasilevs is a king.
It turns out that the binding to the title is nothing more than a beautiful fairy tale for the current dynasty? “Historians have long agreed among themselves” that the real first tsar will appear in Russia in the person of Ivan the Terrible in 1547, and crown him not in Korsun, but in the Moscow Kremlin.
In addition, there was previously a bident and “basileus” could not be unequivocally obtained from it. Just as according to this method, the word “Rurikovich” is not visible on a sign with any number of “teeth”. Well, whose is this sign?
Apparently this is still the dowry of the Christian wife of Vladimir, the Byzantine princess Anna. It was Anna and the crown that Vladimir wanted, promising Byzantium to return Chersonese for such a ransom.
However, having received the title of basileus, he also received the problems associated with it.
What is vasileus.
The emperor of Byzantium received a crown from the Church, and how could he give it to a barbarian? Popes of Rome at one time put crowns on emperors and reserved this right zealously even in parallel with the Patriarch of Constantinople. And what about Vladimir? Probably, the coronation of Vladimir as basil was not recognized in the world, the heirs did not hold on to this title, and everything came to naught.
What is the difference between the prince and the Byzantine monarch Basileus?
First of all, the title was received by the porphyry-born Romans, and Rabichich Vladimir and his descendants were obviously not such. The ruler of Byzantium appeared before the people with a cross and a bag of ashes (akakiya), symbolizing his emperor's frailty. This is clearly seen on the coins. Many things limited the basileus, there was even no freedom of movement. The emperor was constantly in the capital, in the palace, symbolizing the steadfastness of power. The ruler was the slave of the ritual. Vasilevs was considered an ordinary person, gifted with divine power from above. Yes, the patriarch crowned the head of the Empire on behalf of the Church, but the same Church constantly reminded the chosen one of his perishability: during the coronation ceremony, he was shown a pot of human bones and offered to choose marble for his own tombstone. He could not even visit Russia at the coronation of Vladimir. How many inconveniences, and therefore the Russian princes refused such a title.
This is what, according to this version, is hidden by the deciphered monogram "vasileus" on the "trident", received not from Rurik, but from Byzantium.
union version.
Weird. Rurikovich came from the Baltic to the south and returned to the North. If we are talking about the princes of one dynasty, then why is the sign of the power of one family different in different places? Doesn't the variety of ancient signs of power reflect the traces of real history? Stories so unlike those in modern textbooks.
Going through the dictionaries of the Slavic peoples, you can create another version as a result.
"Falcon" in modern languages: in Polish rar o g, in Czech Raroh, in Old Ukrainian rarig, rarog... This is consonant with the chronicle name Rurik.
The Slavs came out with their sign from the southern Baltic and central Europe, and rolled out in two waves to the north and south. In the north, the falcon of the Slavs met with the bear of the Rus, and the vigilant falconry gaze and bearish strength united. Russia Velia bear appeared. But the union did not work out in the south. Polyane intervened. Even today they are not on the sidelines.
Or maybe it was not the prince who was called to himself by "those who do not know how to manage themselves", but they invited a whole Slavic family. So the falconers were called under the sign of the falcon Rarog. Although it fogs the PVL, it hints: “And Rurik came with all of Russia ... and the Russian land was nicknamed from those Varangians.” And if the chronicle is read differently?
And the clan of the Slavs Sokolov came, and Russia and the Slavs united, and the Russian land went from that union.

Findings.
The presented versions make it possible to assume the following.
1. Rurik's falcon is a falcon. It was painted like this in the ancient past. Oriental patterns taken for different kind tridents are copies of the Black Sea property signs - tamga.
2. Sign "Bident of Svyatoslav" - most likely a trophy from the defeated Khazaria.
3. "Trident of Vladimir" - the dowry of Princess Anna, the Christian wife of Vladimir. The sign was handed over to Khagan Vladimir as confirmation of the transfer of the Byzantine title Vasilevs to him. The title in Great Russia did not take root.
4. Obodridsky Falcon Rarog is precisely the Slavic falcon. The sign of Rurik has nothing to do with the "dive" symbolism.
5. "Dive" symbolism is actually the symbolism of the southern peoples, it is amulets and signs of property (tamga). The signs of the "Kiev princes" were borrowed by the South Russian princes from the traditions of the peoples of the Black Sea region.
6. Rurik's falcon could not dive. Large birds of prey strike their prey with their claws, not their beaks. Their beak is rounded and serves exclusively as a cutlery for tearing prey; it is impossible to hit them from the fly: this is not a ram. If someone tries to reconstruct the coat of arms as a dive, then, alas, he will receive a dead falcon on the coat of arms. Such a coat of arms is a falling

Few people know that the sign of a diving falcon is displayed in the Ukrainian trident, and its history goes back to the Rurikovichs. How is it explained that the trident is not the tool of the pagan Poseidon at all, but the diving falcon - the national symbol of Ukraine?

Princes Rurikovich

The Rurik Dynasty is a princely dynasty, which, as is commonly believed, originates from Rurik. The question of origin leaves behind a lot of controversy. So, there is an opinion that he comes from the Rus people. Often his name is identified with the Danish prince Rorik. There are also researchers who fundamentally deny the existence of the Varangian commander-in-chief.

Another version is kinship with the obodrite tribe (the union of individual fans of the latest version speaks of the Slavic origin of the prince's surname, since in Slavic this word was pronounced as "rarog", that is, a falcon. A diving falcon is also tied here, as a sign of Rurik. So or otherwise, Rurik is considered the founder of the clan, subsequently ruling in Kievan Rus.

Distinctive signs of Rurikovich

Conclusion

It is not completely known how deep the roots of the image of the attacking falcon are. This sign for many centuries became the main symbol of an entire princely dynasty, and now continues its life as a national symbol of Ukraine.

Rurik is one of the most mysterious figures in ancient Russian history. For a long time, he was, as it were, a symbol of Normanism, which denied the organizational abilities of the Slavs. They considered him a Scandinavian king, who allegedly managed to establish order in the land of the "wild" Slavic tribes and give them a state organization.

In the 19th century the French traveler C. Marmier visited Mecklenburg, which, as is known in the early Middle Ages, was the center of the West Slavic tribal union encouraged. There he wrote down one very interesting legend. According to her, Rurik- son of obodrite prince godlove, called at one time to Russia together with two brothers. And in this regard, the very name "Rurik" is interesting. Consistent anti-Normanists have always brought it closer to the ethnonym "rereg". The fact is that obodrites were also called "reregs", that is, "falcons". The image of a falcon served as their tribal sign.

But after all, it also served as the coat of arms of the Rurik dynasty, which ruled our country for a long time. O. M. Rapov convincingly proved that their coins depict a falcon with folded wings diving on its prey. It turns out that the famous trident of the Rurikovichs is a schematized image of a falcon.

Coat of arms of Staraya Ladoga - a falcon falling down (the coat of arms of Rurik)

The rereg falcon was widely known among the Eastern Slavs. The falcon warrior is often found in the Russian epic. So, the epic Volga-bogatyr often turned into this formidable bird and, in its guise, fought with the black raven Santal. In the Vladimir epics, Ilya Muromets and Dobrynya Nikitich travel across the Khvalynsk (Caspian) Sea on the Sokol, a ship that is attacked by "black crows" (Turks or Tatars). In Kievan Rus, Polovtsians were called black crows, and Russian princes were called falcons.

I can't resist the temptation to delve a little deeper into mythology. Rereg-falcon is etymologically close to the fiery spirit Rarog-Rarig. The Slavs represented him bird of prey. The falcon was also popular with other Indo-European peoples. For example, among the ancient Iranians, who considered him one of the incarnations (incarnations) of the Iranian god of War and Victory Veretragna (analogous to our Perun). In addition, in the form of a falcon, the Iranians depicted a farn - a symbol of royal power.

The search again leads us to the military-aristocratic theme, to princes and knights. The falcon is their bird. She, as it has already become clear, is closely connected with Rurik and the Rurikovichs. And then the question arises: "Why is nothing said about the Rurikoviches in the Lay of Igor's Campaign"? This question has worried and still worries many researchers.

Charm in the form of a falling falcon.

And at the same time, there is still an indirect mention of the Rurikovichs in the Lay - it calls the Russian princes falconers. The already mentioned Rapov drew attention to this. And not in vain! We are talking here about the Reregovichs, the descendants of Rereg-Falcon. This is the true name of Rurik.

Further, the data of the "Chronograph" of the former Rumyantsev Museum (Description" by A. Vostokov) will greatly help us, which contains the following statement: "In the days of Michael the King of Greece and in the days of Prince Rerek of Novgorod, Saint Konstyantin, a philosopher called Cyril, created a letter, in the Slovenian language, We must remember that the Poles have the name Ririk, and the Czechs Rerek. I also note that the Obodrites had a trading post called the Danes "Reric".

Everything converges. However, there is one difficulty. The very name "Rurik" got into the East Slavic annals in the Celtic vowel. Not in Scandinavian, but specifically in Celtic, because it is more characteristic of ancient France (among the Scandinavians, only the name Hrerek is close to the type under consideration), where in the 9th-12th centuries. the name Rurik occurs 12 times. Some researchers even bring it closer to the tribal name "ruriks" or "rauriks" (from the rivers Rura and Ruara).

But all this can be explained by the mixing of two stories in written sources. One plot is connected with the activities of Rereg of Novgorod, the other - with King Rorik of Denmark. In the 30s. 9th c. he inherited from his father Halfdan Friesland (the region of the Germanized Celts), bordering on the lands of the Obodrites. They decided to use the services of an experienced warrior and invited him to serve. The activity of Rorik in the Obodrite lands is very similar to the activity of Rereg of Novgorod in the East Slavic lands. Most likely, at a later time, the image of Rorik the German (a second name inherited from the Germanized Frisians) was superimposed on the image of Roereg the Slav and remained so on the pages of Russian chronicles.

The identity of Rurik's mother allows you to establish the Joachim Chronicle. One of the princes of the so-called. The great city of Gostomysl had problems with the continuation of the dynasty - all his sons died in wars. One night he saw prophetic dream: a huge tree grew from the womb of his middle daughter Umila, covering the whole city. The prince decided that her sons would continue the dynasty. Umila herself was at that time married to some neighboring prince, whose name the Joachim Chronicle does not name. But she calls the name of one of her sons - Rurik.

Rurik, Sineus and Truvor receive Slavic ambassadors calling them to reign.

Figure 19th century

After the death of Gostomysl, Rereg and his brothers began to rule the Velicegrad land. It is noteworthy that the Joachim Chronicle does not say a word about the unrest that allegedly caused his calling. And the very expression "and alongside (supposedly order - A. K.) it does not", known to us from "The Tale of Bygone Years" and dearly loved by Russophobes of all stripes, does not at all indicate the inclination of the Ilmen Slavs to anarchy. The outstanding Russian historian S. Lesnoy (Paramonov) argued that the word "outfit" meant "power", "management", "order", and not at all "order". Moreover, some chronicles say ":" there is no dresser (i.e., ruler) in it. "The Velicegrad land simply needed a prince related to the old dynasty and able to prevent disastrous turmoil. Moreover, it needed its own, Slavic prince, and not in a foreigner teaching the Slavs how to live.

Initially, Rereg reigned not in Novgorod, but in Ladoga. The Joachim Chronicle clearly contrasts Velitsa with the city of Novgorod. The latter became the capital of Northern Russia only in the fourth year of the reign of Rereg, and before that it was Ladoga. It is generally much older than Novgorod, which arose somewhere in the middle of the 9th century. The formation of Ladoga can be safely attributed to the 6th century. - this is exactly the time of the earthen settlement dug out by archaeologists in the place where the Ladozhka River flows into the Volkhov. The agricultural implements found here allow us to speak about the high agricultural culture of the inhabitants of the settlement, who knew field arable farming. According to archeology, Ladoga already in the 8th century. becomes a major international port and the most important point of local and transit trade. Here they find a huge number of treasures of Arab coins - dirhams, which testifies to the trade and economic power of the city. In ancient times, it was Ladoga, and not Novgorod, that controlled the entire Lower Volkhov region, the Izhora land, Ladoga Karelia, and the regions of the Obonezh series. Strictly speaking, Novgorod itself was "new" precisely in relation to the old Great City, to Ladoga, hence the "Lord Velikiy Novgorod", i.e., "new Great City".

We know very little about Rereg's activities as the prince of the Ladoga-Novgorod land - the Joachim Chronicle claims that he did not fight with anyone and reigned in peace. But his reign was by no means so peaceful. The Nikon chronicle speaks of the presence among the Novgorodians of a strong opposition to Rereg, headed by a certain Vadim the Brave. The confrontation ended tragically. In 872, Rereg killed Vadim and his followers. However, there were many dissatisfied - in 875 many Novgorodian husbands fled to Kyiv.

From the same Nikon chronicle it is clear that under Rereg, Novgorod and Kyiv entered into an armed confrontation with each other. In 873 the princes of Kiev Askold and Dir went to war against Polotsk, which belonged to Novgorod.

One of the most important supports of Rereg was the Vikings. Today, almost anyone will say with confidence that the Varangians are Scandinavian Vikings, mercenaries used by princes in the struggle for power and during military campaigns.

Such a statement is one of the most common stereotypes that we inherited from the long decades of Normanist domination in historical science. In fact, the Varangians are by no means identical to the Vikings. For a long time, many Russian historians (F. L. Moroshkin, I. E. Zabelin, A. G. Kuzmin, and others) rejected the version of their purely Scandinavian origin and turned their eyes to the southern coast of the Baltic. In the early Middle Ages, it was inhabited by Slavs up to the mouth of the Laba (Elbe). It was here that the turbulent history of the Varangians began.

The Varangians had three "hypostases": ethnic, territorial and professional. I will briefly talk about each of them.

Ethnic. In Soviet times, in the south of the Baltic, there lived a Slavic tribe of Vagrs-Vagirs, whose name is etymologically close to the word "Varangian". In the same place, the sources localize the tribal union of the Varns.

Territorial. In connection with the mention of the Varangian (i.e., Baltic) Sea, The Tale of Bygone Years says that “on the same sea, the Varyazis sit to the east to the limit of Simov (Volga Bulgaria - A.K.), along the same sea, sit to west to the land of Agnyansky (Denmark - A.K.) and Voloshsky (Frankish Empire - A.K.) ". It is clear that the Vikings simply could not inhabit the southern Baltic, and stretched right up to Vozhskaya Bulgaria. Before us is the population of the south coast Baltic Sea, "splashed" also on the territory of the European part of modern Russia (historians have long recorded the presence of intensive colonization by the Baltic Slavs of the East Slavic lands of Northern Russia).

Professional. Special attention should be paid to it. Talking about the famous calling of the Varangians to Novgorod, "The Tale of Bygone Years" states the following: "Sitse bo is called Ty Varyazi Rus, like all friends are called Svie, friends are Urman, Anglyan, friends Gotha, still and si." Who are these "friends", i.e. others? It is quite obvious that we are talking about other Varangians. Some Varangians were Russians, some Angles, etc. So they were also a professional multi-ethnic (more precisely, Slavic-Scandinavian) organization. The "Saga of the Yomsky Knights" tells about the presence of such mixed military communities. It describes a detachment consisting of Slavic and Scandinavian warriors located in the city of Wolin. The name of the community of the Varangians was probably given by the Vagry - according to the medieval German author Helmold, the most talented sailors among the Slavs.

Varyagov - experienced warriors and sailors - made up the inner circle of Rereg. For the inhabitants of Ladoga and Novgorod, they were by no means strangers, finders. In Northern Russia, somewhere half Slavic-Baltic, the Varangian-Russians arrived from the Southern Baltic. Obviously their home was legendary island Ruyan (Ryugen) is the religious center of the Western Slavs, inhabited by ruyans-rugs, that is, the same Russ. And they surrounded not some stranger there, but the grandson of the natural Ladoga prince Gostomysl.

The Varyago-Rus played a huge role in the history of the Eastern Slavs. Researchers have long noted the greatest, for the fate of the Old Russian state, the importance of the Black Sea region - the Kuban and the Crimea. Here there were powerful centers of naval expansion of the Rus to the south and east. So the Genoese portolan charts are localized in the region of the Cimmerian Bosporus ( Kerch Strait) a certain "Varangolimen" - "the bay of the Varangians".

"Vlesova book" talks about how, in pre-Oleg times, detachments of the Varangians arrived in Kyiv and defeated the Khazars, who had established themselves there, for a while.

The Varangians supported Prince Oleg in the struggle for the throne of Kyiv. They also actively supported Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich, who later baptized Russia. The Varangians in general were characterized by a keen interest in Christianity - it is no coincidence that the first Russian martyrs were two Christian Varangians killed by a crowd of militant supporters of the old gods (the annals say that among the first Russian Christians there were especially many Varangian warriors). By the way, of all these gods, the Vikings preferred Perun. In the religion of Christ and the cult of Perun (Christian Varangians extremely revered St. Elijah the Prophet - the Old Testament Thunderer), they saw a severe militant faith in a fiery transfiguration. They were professional warriors, proud knights, who liked that Christianity and "Perunism" appealed to the aristocracy, to the princely-monarchical, and not to the priestly-veche principle. The Varangians are one of the most powerful elements of the centralization of Russia.

Even more than Rereg himself, such an event as the establishment of his dynasty in the Principality of Kiev, the most powerful of all Slavic military-political formations, is mysterious. There is already a place to be a kind of historical detective story.

PVL claims that Rereg died in 872, leaving his infant son Igor as heir to the throne. Boyar Oleg (Olg), one of the closest associates of the Obodrite prince, became regent under him. According to the PVL, Oleg undertook a campaign to the south, during which he captured Smolensk, Lyubech, and then Kyiv. Moreover, the latter was not captured during military attack but as a result of a conspiracy. Pretending to be a merchant, Oleg treacherously killed Askold and Dir (the former boyars of Rereg), who ruled Kiev, and seized power in the capital of southern Russia, declaring Igor its prince.

At first glance, this famous, textbook story does not raise any particular doubts, because it fits perfectly into the realities of the confrontation between Kyiv and Novgorod. At second glance, it already seems doubtful. The third one is simply implausible.

Much is not clear.

It is not clear how Oleg was able to usurp power in Kyiv in such a brazen way. Kyiv of that time is the most powerful medieval city, main center Rusi-Gardariki ("power-cities"). If he entered Kyiv under the guise of a merchant, then he should have very few soldiers, which immediately casts doubt on the possibility of a successful, and even such a frank usurpation.

Further - in the PVL, Oleg "presents" the young Igor to the people of Kiev, "certifying" him as a Kiev prince - "behold, your prince." But what did the Kievan Rus care about a representative of a dynasty alien to them, why was its establishment so painless?

Why " sabotage group"Oleg arrived in Kyiv not from the north, but from the south - near the village of Ugorskoe? Why was Novgorod, from where Oleg began his campaign, not one of the cities that took part in his campaign against Constantinople (i.e., it turns out that Novgorod with Oleg was not part of the Principality of Kiev, but was annexed to it later)? )?

It is well known that the original text of the PVL, written by the famous monk Nestor, underwent the most serious revision, which political significance. In the PVL, there is a clearly expressed desire to elevate Novgorod at the expense of other centers of the Slavs. Obviously, behind this desire were certain forces within the dynasty, closely associated with Novgorod and the Scandinavians (the offspring of Vladimir Monomakh from his marriage to the Scandinavian princess Gita). In the Novgorod chronicles, Kyiv is generally proclaimed a contemporary of Novgorod, so the trend is more than obvious.

At the same time, the "southern" trace is noticeable in the plot being considered now. Oleg arrives in Kyiv from the south (through the village of Ugorskoe). His name is most easily etymologized on the "southern" Bulgarian basis - "olgu" in ancient Bulgarian means "great". Oleg marries Igor to a Bulgarian - today it has been proven that Princess Olga (note - again the ancient Bulgarian name with the base "olgu") was from the Bulgarian city of Pliska, as indicated by an ancient document found in the collection of Count Uvarov. Indeed, it is ridiculous to consider Olga, the wife of the powerful Kiev sovereign, a simple villager (from Vybutovskaya village) or even the daughter of a Pskov prince - the role of Pskov was then insignificant. If we take into account that during the confrontation between Rereg and Kiev, the latter fought against Bulgaria, then the following version clearly emerges.

Oleg, who fled with Igor from Kyiv, arrived in his homeland in Bulgaria, where he enlisted the support of the local monarch. At the same time, he felt the ground in Kyiv, where, judging by the data of the Joachim Chronicle, they were extremely dissatisfied with the activities of Askold, by the way, a usurper. After all, Oleg overthrew not two princes (Askold and Dir), but one - Askold. Yes, for some time they were co-rulers, but they belonged to completely different military and political traditions. Dir was a local prince - a descendant of Kiy, Askold - the boyar of Rereg, who left his leader and fled to Kyiv. This is confirmed by the data of the Vlesovaya Book and the writings of the medieval Polish author Jan Dlugosh, who used Russian chronicle sources that have not come down to us. According to the first source, Askold, the "dark warrior", ingratiated himself with Dir, became his co-ruler, after which he killed the natural Kiev prince (In the VK, Dir is called Hellenic, A. Busov erroneously translates - "Alanian", which for some reason makes historians believe At the same time, in ancient times, the titles of rulers often included the names of conquered or conquered peoples. Thus, Emperor Justinian was called Antique by the name of the Slavic people of the Antes, whom he defeated. We know that around 860 a victorious campaign took place Russians to Tsargrad.). According to Dlugosh, Askold and Dir were descendants of Kiy, the founder of Kievan Rus. The latest data are corrected by the data of the Vlesovaya Book, as well as the message of Al-Masudi, who names Dir as the sole ruler ("the first of the Slavic kings is Tsar Dir" - the statement refers to the 9th century).

"Vlesova book" claims that the usurper Askold mocked the customs of the Rus, combining the preaching of Christianity with an insult to the Russian national feeling. Obviously, this twice traitor and usurper led a pro-Byzantine policy (judging by the data of the VK, he once guarded Byzantine merchants) - his "baptism" was very different from that carried out by Prince Vladimir, who always sought to speak with Byzantium on an equal footing.

Naturally, the people of Kiev had no reason to love such a "prince". On the contrary, they hated him passionately. The "Joachim Chronicle" reports that Askold was removed from power and killed by the people of Kiev themselves, dissatisfied with his pseudo-Christianization.

Then it turns out that Oleg was one of the initiators of Askold's removal. And it is quite obvious - it was supposed to be of a legitimist nature, to take place under the flag of the struggle for the restoration of the former dynasty. The people of Kiev so easily recognized Prince Igor because he had some kind of dynastic rights to the throne of Kyiv. The direct branch of the Kieviches could be interrupted with the death of Dir, and now it was necessary to look for a dynasty closest to them (a similar situation developed in Russia at the beginning of the 17th century). She became the dynasty of the Rurikovichs, or rather, the Reregoviches.

Most likely, she was close to the dynasty of Bulgarian kings. The personalities of Oleg and Olga confirm this perhaps best of all. The fact that the text of the famous treaty between Russia and the Greeks, concluded as a result of Oleg's victorious campaign against Constantinople, abounds in various Bulgarianisms, speaks volumes. The events of the Russian-Bulgarian war in the time of Svyatoslav also attract attention. During the entry of the troops of Prince Svyatoslav into the territory of Bulgaria, 80 cities located in its east immediately recognized his authority. Why? Didn't he already have some weighty rights to the Bulgarian throne? In addition, we must not forget that even now the population of eastern Bulgaria has the maximum similarity with the eastern Slavs, as Academician Tretyakov wrote about in the early 50s. ("East Slavic tribes"). Svyatoslav, as "PVL" tells us, wanted to move the capital of Russia precisely to the Danube - to eastern Bulgaria, to the city of Pereyaslavets, which was founded by his distant ancestor Kiy. Obviously, the great Svyatoslav pursued far-reaching goals - to crush Byzantium and turn Kievan Rus into the most powerful pan-Slavic empire - listing the merits of Pereyaslavets, the prince clearly highlights his central position in the entire Slavic ethnic array.