Describe the main versions of the settlement of the Eastern Slavs. Settlement of the Eastern Slavs - briefly

The question of the origin of the Eastern Slavs in historiography arose a long time ago. But the lack of direct written sources makes it extremely difficult to solve this problem. The most important chronicle that has come down to us is “The Tale of Bygone Years,” the author of which is considered to be the monk of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, Nestor (late 1113). But this chronicle does not provide accurate data about the origin of the Slavs. Therefore, archaeological data and linguistics, as well as ethnographic material, are of great importance for solving this problem. An analysis of folklore and folk art showed that the evolution of primitive consciousness did not occur by replacing the old with the new, but by layering the new on the preserved old form, preserving the remnants of all previous centuries.

Linguistics of the 18th - 19th centuries conventionally divided all the peoples inhabiting the Earth into 13 large groups or families - these are Indo-European, Finno-Ugric, Tibeto-Chinese, Turkic-Mongolian, Semitic, etc. Each includes languages ​​related in origin. Indo-European includes Slavic, Germanic, Letolithic, Indo-Iranian, Greek, Armenian, etc. In ancient times they were very close. The most ancient among those known in the 19th century were considered to be the dead ancient Iranian languages ​​- Sanskrit and the language of the ancient hymns of the Avesta. The homeland of the Indo-Europeans was initially sought within the Iranian plateau. The settlement of Europe, in their opinion, came in waves, as a result of which the Indo-European community split. First - into several parts, which gave the basis for the division into Indo-European languages, and they, in turn, also continued to divide and acquire differences. The Slavs went through the same process of dismembering the tribe that spoke a single language. In Russia, this theory was supported by the prominent historian Shakhmatov. He believed that after the collapse of the Indo-European community, the Slavs were part of the Slavic-Lithuanian family, lived on the Neman and Daugava, then separated from the Lithuanians and moved to the Vistula basin. There they lived through the pan-Slavic period of their history. Then they spread to the west, south and east. He considered the Carpathian region and the territory within the Russian Plain to be the homeland of the Eastern Slavs. Not earlier than the 1st millennium, moving to the east and northeast, they occupied the Dniester region and ousted autochthonous (local) tribes, capturing the northern regions. By the 8th – 9th centuries they reached the upper reaches of the Dnieper, Volkhov and the ancient Volga region.

The theory of the resettlement of the Slavs was revised by Soviet historians: the Eastern Slavs are local residents of Eastern Europe. In their opinion, the process of formation of peoples is a consequence of the consolidation of an ethnic group, and not fragmentation. The dismemberment of the Indo-Europeans is indeed characteristic of the primitive communal system, and with the transition to a class society, the process of consolidation begins on the basis of the language of the nationality, and the language of the nation is formed.

Soviet historians first identified the homeland of the Indo-Europeans in Asia, as they considered them pastoralists who roamed east of the Sea of ​​Azov and brought Indo-European languages ​​to Asia. Subsequently, this point of view changed; In connection with archaeological discoveries, agriculture began to be considered the main occupation. The earliest agricultural farms arose in the Balkans, in Asia Minor, and therefore they began to look for the homeland of the Indo-Europeans there.

One thing is clear - the homeland of the Indo-Europeans is southeast Asia. It is believed that they lived in Europe at the end of the Stone Age, were pastoralists and farmers, by the end of the 1st millennium BC. spread from the south throughout Europe. Their neighbors to the west were speakers of Proto-Basic in the Pyrenees and Finno-Ugric in northeastern Europe. In the 1st millennium BC. A group of Proto-Slavic tribes emerged from the Indo-European tribes; they occupied the territory of the Czech Republic, Poland and all the way to the Dnieper. They are characterized by commonalities: 1) territories; 2) language; 3) culture; 4) burial fields.

The Slavs were divided into three groups: western (Vends), southern (Slavens on the Danube) and eastern (Antes). They were known to the ancient Greek scientist Herodotus. He wrote: “The Enets live in the north, ... amber comes in.”

Pliny speaks of the Wends living from the Danube to the north. The neighbors of the Wends in the north were the Finno-Ugrians, in the south - the Sarmatians (1st - 2nd centuries). Moving east, the Slavs assimilated with the Scythians and Sarmatians. Sources of those years called them a great people.

By the 6th – 7th centuries, the Slavs settled the territory from the Elbe (Laba) and the Rhine to Lake Ladoga, Neva, Narva to the Volga. In The Tale of Bygone Years, Nestor indicates the territories of settlement of the Eastern Slavs. According to the chronicle, the first Slavic settlements on our land were the settlements of the Polyans and Drevlyans.

The Polyans were engaged in agriculture and were distinguished by great culture in everyday life compared to the Drevlyans. Nestor was also well aware of the settlement of another thirty large tribal formations, on the basis of which the state of Russia was formed. He believes that the state received this name because in his time the glades were called Rus. The neighbors of the glades in the east were the northerners who lived along the Desna River, Seim, Sula and Northern Donets. In the lower reaches of the Dnieper, south of the glades, lived the Ulichi; in the west were the lands of the Volynians, Buzhans and Dulebs. On the Dniester (Tiras) and on the Danube there are Tivertsy; White Croats - in Transcarpathia; on the left bank of the Pripyat were the lands of the Dregovichi; and to the east of them, along the So River - Radimichi; on the Oka River and the Moscow River - Vyatichi; in the upper reaches of the Volga, Dnieper and Dvina - Krivichi; around Lake Ilmen - Polotsk and Slovenians. Some of them were tribal unions and territorial associations (Polotsk, Buzhan).

A tribal union is a federation of tribes. A tribe is a collection of related clans that occupied an area of ​​approximately 60 km. To resolve the main issues of public life, a veche gathered; a military leader (prince) was chosen only for the duration of military campaigns; there was a youth squad and a militia.

The tribe had its own center (city), in which the veche gathered, the court was held and there was bargaining. There was a communal sanctuary in the city.

The process of disintegration of primitive communal relations in tribal unions began among the Eastern Slavs a long time ago, but proceeded unevenly. Economically more developed were the tribal associations of the middle Dnieper and the Dniester region, which were on the verge of creating a state. The emergence and development of new tools contributed to the collapse of the patriarchal blood-related community and its fragmentation into neighboring and territorial ones. Relatives were remembered and honored, but in the area of ​​rights, the economic connection between them disintegrates. In the neighboring community, the process of social and property stratification and differentiation is progressing, caused by the emergence of surpluses of vital products, which were the result of more productive tools of labor (metal) and the presence in the family of workers, labor and practical skills in agriculture and cattle breeding.

In the 6th – 9th centuries, productive and non-productive activities were intertwined in the economic life of the Eastern Slavs. Even in ancient times, they experienced the first social division of labor, that is, the separation of agriculture from cattle breeding. Until the 7th century, the Slavs' occupations were hunting, fishing, gathering, beekeeping (collecting honey from wild bees), and shifting agriculture.

New big changes have arisen in agriculture: a) fallow and fallow systems of land cultivation; b) two- and three-field farming system; c) there is an increase in the number of crops grown: rye, barley, wheat, oats, hemp, flax, cabbage, onions, turnips, radishes, peas.

At the turn of the 8th - 9th centuries, the Eastern Slavs experienced a second social division of labor, that is, the separation of crafts from agriculture, and craft centers - cities - emerged.

There were the following types of crafts: weaving, blacksmithing, pottery, carpentry, weapons, jewelry, etc. Often the Slavs went to the western lands, so under Charlemagne (768 - 814), merchant Slavs visited the French state. By the 9th century, the Eastern Slavs had formed ethnic associations-proto-states, in which private property and early forms of exploitation existed.

Quote from: Settlement of the Eastern Slavs in the VI – IX centuries. Social system and occupations // History of Russia from ancient times to 1917: Textbook / Ed. V.Yu. Khalturina. Ivanovo, 2003. pp. 8 – 11.

It is believed that the Eastern Slavs were the first to populate Eastern Europe. However, it is wrong. The Cro-Magnons first appeared in this territory in the thirtieth millennium BC. They looked a little like modern Caucasians. Gradually, their appearance began to approach more characteristic human features (for example, the jaw no longer protruded forward, the cerebral skull predominated over the facial skull). All this happened in harsh winter conditions.

Around the tenth millennium, the climate in Eastern Europe became less harsh. And then the first Indo-Europeans gradually began to appear on the territory of South-Eastern Europe. Where have they been all this time? Some say south of Europe, others say east. And in the sixth millennium BC, the Indo-Europeans firmly established themselves here in eastern Europe. Therefore, we can conclude that the settlement of Eastern Europe by the Slavs occurred much later than the appearance of ancient people in this territory.

• What century did the Slavic settlement of Eastern Europe date back to? It's difficult to answer this question. History only knows that this process began in the first millennium BC. Because by the sixth century BC the Slavs had already occupied a significant part of Eastern Europe.
• Where did the Slavs come to Eastern Europe from? Most likely, they migrated from the lands of central Europe. But, as always, there are several hypotheses on this matter. According to autochthonous history, they appeared here. However, one can argue with her. According to another point of view, the Slavs came here from Asia.

The settlement of the Slavs in Europe reached its peak in the fifth to seventh centuries of the new era. This was a very important process. It was during this same period, under the pressure of migration, that the Slavs were divided into eastern, southern and western:

• The South Slavs began to settle on the Balkan Peninsula (in the fifth and sixth centuries), as well as in nearby territories. Just at the same time, the clan community ceased to exist, and the first semblance of states appeared.
• At the same time as the southern ones, the Western Slavs also settled. Their direction was northwest. The Western Slavs occupied the lands from the Vistula to the Elbe. But, according to archaeological data, they also ended up in the Baltic states. The first state of this branch of the Slavs dates back to the seventh century. It existed on the territory of modern Czech Republic.
• Let’s talk about the settlement of the Eastern Slavs in more detail. In ancient times, the Eastern Slavs, like all peoples, lived in a primitive communal system, and a little later - in a tribal system.

The settlement of the Slavs in Eastern Europe occurred without major problems. The population at that time was still small, so there was enough land for everyone. By the way, it was in Eastern Europe that the Slavs assimilated with the Finno-Ugric tribes. Then, as we know, the Slavs began to create tribal unions (in the sixth and seventh centuries). By the way, they became the first state entities.

At the time when the ancient Slavs inhabited Eastern Europe, its climate became milder. Therefore, agriculture, cattle breeding, hunting, and fishing began to develop quickly here. Nature itself came to meet the Slavs halfway.

The Slavs of Eastern Europe, or East Slavs, became the largest group of Slavic peoples. We know that today these are residents of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. It was this branch that reached its maximum distribution.

Eastern Slavs and their settlement across the East European Plain

The settlement of the East European Plain by the Slavs began in the early Middle Ages. And by the eighth century they became dominant here. It is difficult to say in what century the Slavs settled the East European Plain. Historians do not give us specific figures. But it is believed that this is the fifth or sixth century AD.

Influence of geographical features

Geography is always closely connected with history. Natural and climatic conditions have a great influence on population settlement and migration. These factors were no exception in the case of the Slavs.

In ancient times, the East European Plain was characterized by a harsh and cold climate. On its lands there were dense forests, as well as a large number of reservoirs. The variety of natural landscapes was also characteristic: forest-steppe in the south, steppe with fertile lands, black soils. And, as you know, the climate significantly influenced the future life of the Slavs: short and hot summers, long and harsh winters. Therefore, agriculture was distinguished by its originality, which is where the proverb “A spring day feeds the year!” came from.

The settlement of the Eastern Slavs across the East European Plain took place in the vicinity of other peoples. These were, for example, the Baltic tribes, Poles, Czechs and Slovaks, Finno-Ugrians, Khazars and Pechenegs. They had both positive and negative influences.

A very important aspect is that the settlement of the Slavs across the East European Plain was accompanied by the decomposition of the primitive communal system. The communities as such ceased to exist in the sixth century. Now the structural unit of the population has become the family. The “wild” tribes were replaced by the so-called tribal reigns (Nestor, “The Tale of Bygone Years”). In one such union there were about a hundred tribes. There were thirteen unions in total. Each of them occupied a certain territory.

Colonization of the East European Plain by the Slavs lasted about half a millennium. She walked very unevenly. Initially, the lands along the so-called route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” were developed. Then the Slavs advanced in other directions: to the east, west and southwest.

Slavic colonization also had its own characteristics:

• The process happened quite slowly. The main reason for this was the harsh climate, which significantly slowed down the processes of land development. Moreover, the Slavs were still at the dawn of civilization.
• Population densities differed in different colonized territories. And their degree of development also varied. It also depended on natural and climatic conditions and land fertility. Few people lived in the northern part of the plain. But the southern regions, famous for their mild and warm climate, immediately attracted streams of immigrants.
• During the resettlement there were almost no confrontations with other peoples. There was enough land for everyone.
• The neighboring tribes were subject to tribute from the Slavs.
• Many small tribes and peoples “merged” with the Slavs, adopting their language, cultures, customs and way of life.

Thus, the settlement of the Slavs across the territory of Eastern Europe and the East European Plain marked a new stage in the life of this people. From then on, the Slavs began a rapid development of the economy, a change in the system of life and way of life. In addition, the prerequisites for the formation of statehood appeared.

Sidorov G.A. Slavic Germany.

The Slavs were part of an ancient Indo-European unity, which included the ancestors of the Germans, Balts, Slavs and Indo-Iranians. Over time, communities with related language, economy and culture began to emerge from the mass of Indo-European tribes. The Slavs became one of these associations.

From about the 4th century, along with other tribes of Eastern Europe, the Slavs found themselves at the center of large-scale migration processes, known in history as the Great Migration of Peoples. During the 4th-8th centuries. they occupied vast new territories.

Within the Slavic community, tribal unions began to take shape - prototypes of future states.

Subsequently, three branches were distinguished from the pan-Slavic unity: southern, western and eastern Slavs. By this time, the Slavs were mentioned in Byzantine sources as Antes.

The South Slavic peoples (Serbs, Montenegrins, etc.) were formed from the Slavs who settled within the Byzantine Empire.

The Western Slavs include tribes that settled in the territory of modern Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The Eastern Slavs occupied a huge space between the Black, White and Baltic seas. Their descendants are modern Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians.

The geography of settlement of East Slavic tribes in the second half of the 1st millennium is described in.

In the 4th-8th centuries. To protect against external attacks, the Eastern Slavs united into 12 territorial tribal unions: Polyans (middle and upper Dnieper), (south of Pripyat), Croats (upper Dniester), Tivertsy (lower Dniester), Ulichs (southern Dniester), Northerners (Desna and Seim), Radimichi (Sozh River), Vyatichi (Upper Oka), Dregovichi (between Pripyat and Dvina), Krivichi (upper reaches of the Dvina, Dnieper and Volga), Dulebs (Volyn), Slovenes (Lake Ilmen).

The Slavic tribes were formed according to the principle of ethnic and social homogeneity. The unification was based on blood, language, territorial and religious-cult kinship. The main religion of belief of the Eastern Slavs until the end of the 10th century. there was paganism.

The Eastern Slavs lived in small villages. Their houses were half-dugouts equipped with stoves. The Slavs settled whenever possible in hard-to-reach places, surrounding the settlements with earthen ramparts.

The basis of their economic activity is arable farming: in the eastern part - slash-and-burn, in the forest-steppe - fallow farming. The main arable tools were the plow (in the north) and the ralo (in the south), which had iron working parts.

Main agricultural crops: rye, wheat, barley, millet, oats, buckwheat, beans. The most important branches of economic activity were cattle breeding, hunting, fishing, beekeeping (honey collection).

The development of agriculture and cattle breeding led to the emergence of surplus products and, as a result, made it possible for individual families to exist independently. In the 6th-8th centuries. this accelerated the process of disintegration of clan associations.

Economic ties began to play a leading role in the relationships between tribesmen. The neighboring (or territorial) community was called vervi. Within this formation, families owned land, and forests, water lands and hayfields were common.

The professional occupations of the Eastern Slavs were trade and crafts. These occupations began to be cultivated in cities, fortified settlements that arose in tribal centers or along water trade routes (for example, “from the Varangians to the Greeks”).

Gradually, self-government began to emerge in the tribes from a tribal council, military and civil leaders. The resulting alliances led to the emergence of larger communities.

In the second half of the 1st millennium, the Russian nationality was formed, the basis of which was the Eastern Slavs.

In the process of settling the Eastern Slavs across the East European Plain, their primitive communal system decomposed. The Tale of Bygone Years talks about tribal reigns, which historians call tribal unions. Such a union included 100-200 tribes, united around the strongest tribe, after which the entire union was named.

In turn, each individual tribe consisted of many clans and occupied a significant territory. The chronicle names a dozen and a half such tribal principalities and their places of settlement. So, in the middle reaches of the Dnieper lived the Polyans, in the Pripyat River basin - the Drevlyans and Dregovichi, in the Sozh River basin (the left tributary of the Dnieper) - the Radimichi. Northerners settled in the basins of the Desna, Seim and Sula rivers, the Ulichi settled in the area between the Southern Bug and the Dniester rivers, and the Tivertsy settled between the Dniester and Prut rivers.

In the foothills of the Carpathians lived “white” Croats, and along the Western Bug - Dulebs, Volynians and Buzhans, in the upper reaches of the Western Dvina and Dnieper - Krivichi, in the middle reaches of the Western Dvina at the confluence of the Polot River - Polotsk, in the north, around Lake Ilmen and along the Volkhov River are the Ilmen Slavs, and in the Oka basin the easternmost of the Slavic tribes are the Vyatichi.

Each tribe was governed by its leader - an elder; there was also a council of elders and a general meeting of the tribe - the veche.

The chronicle data on the settlement of the Eastern Slavs after many centuries was confirmed by archaeological finds of women's jewelry - temple rings, typical of each tribal union.

An important factor in the formation of a people and a state are the neighboring peoples and tribes, which differ in their language, way of life, way of life, morals and customs, culture, etc. At various times, neighboring peoples subjugated the Slavic tribes, drew them into the sphere of their economic activity, or, conversely, were under the influence of the Slavs.

The neighbors of the Eastern Slavs (by the 9th century) were in the west the Baltic tribes: Livs, Chud, Ves, Korela, etc., Western Slavs: Poles (Poles), Slovaks, Czechs, as well as Hungarians (Ugrians); in the northeast - numerous Finno-Ugric tribes: Mordovians, Mari, Muroma, Merya, etc.; in the Lower Volga - the Khazars, in the east - the Volga Bulgarians, and in the south in the Black Sea region - the Pechenegs and other Turkic tribes.

As they settled, the Eastern Slavs displaced the peoples living here or assimilated with them. After settling in new places, the Eastern Slavs created the foundations of their social and economic life.