Ancient Russia has become a cultural teacher of Europe. Her science, style of government, etiquette and architecture were admired far beyond the borders of the state. No wonder the princes were held in high esteem, and each of the rulers had the honor to be friends and intermarry with them.
The ghostly founder of the city
All words are messages. The message that the ancestors left for future generations. And the history of ancient Kyiv is hidden in its name.
The most famous legend about the founding of the city is the story of three brave brothers: Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv and their beautiful sister Lybid. According to legend, it was this family that laid the first stones for the future city at the end of the 5th century. In honor of the elder brother, the settlement was named. But the opinion of scientists is divided on the veracity of this theory. The first believe that only Kiy was a real historical figure, and his brothers were the fantasy of the people. The latter cast doubt on the existence of even an older brother. In general, ancient Kyiv is not the only city that the three brothers built. Also scattered throughout Europe are more than a hundred other ancient towns with a similar root. Therefore, researchers criticize this concept.
Origin of the name
By dismissing the myth of Kee, scientistsfind other explanations. So, in the Turkic language there is the word "kov", which translates as "river bank". "Kiwi" in the Sarmatian dialect means mountains. There is also a very distant version. According to her, the city took its name from Prakrit (ancient Indian language), where the word "koyava" is translated as "place of the throne." Considering that Kyiv - the capital of ancient Russia - is located in a mountainous area on the banks of the Dnieper and has been the center of the political elite since its foundation, each of the explanations has a right to exist.
The most native is the Slavic interpretation. She leads the name of the city from the word "cue" - that is, a stick, staff. Magi and princes owned such an item, and every city in which these people were was called Kyiv. This explains dozens of namesake cities across Europe.
Heart of Russia
In fact, Kievan Rus as a state did not exist. The term was coined by scientists in order not to be confused between Russia, which was formed in the 9th century, and the Moscow kingdom, which is five centuries older.
At that time, one of the largest states of medieval Europe, the center of which was ancient Kyiv, was simply called Rus. The territory was inhabited by Eastern Slavs, who later gave rise to Ukrainians, Belarusians and Russians. Trade did a lot on the way to establishing statehood. The country arose on the transport route from Scandinavia along the Dnieper down through the Black Sea to Byzantium. This road was called “the path from the Varangians to the Greeks.”
In the middle of the 9th century, the Varangian Rurik was called to reign in Novgorod. It wasdone for a specific purpose. The foreigner had to clean up the mess. But there are no other reliable sources confirming the words from The Tale of Bygone Years (these events are mentioned in the annals). The representative of the new government came with his people, who were called Russ. It was from the Varangian that the word "Rus" came from.
First Princes
In 862, Askold and Dir, who arrived with Rurik, subjugated ancient Kyiv. According to other sources, these men were descendants of the famous Kiy, who founded the city.
882 was a turning point in history. Prince Oleg approached Kyiv. He was from the Rurik dynasty. After the death of the latter, he became regent under his son Igor and began to reign in Novgorod land. During his campaigns, he approached Kyiv and learned about who rules there. Then he hid his army and summoned the rulers to himself, calling himself a merchant. Askold and Dir took the bait and were subsequently executed by Oleg's army. Igor's regent noticed that they are not of a princely family, therefore they do not have the right to sit on the throne.
Since then, ancient Kyiv has become the new capital, thus uniting the two centers of the Slavs. It is Prince Oleg that scientists consider to be the ancestor of Kievan Rus.
Pagan culture
Long before the arrival of the Christian rulers, the lands of Kyiv were inhabited by pagans who had their own culture and architecture.
Eastern Slavs believed in the forces of nature, idolized them. Places of worship became energy points where strong mystical energies were felt. As a rule, these were hills. On them our ancestorsset up a shrine. It was the first architecture of ancient Kyiv. Usually in the center stood a figure of a wooden or stone idol. There was an altar to which believers offered gifts. Such temples were found on the Annunciation Mountain, which was a holy place for the god of lightning Perun.
The ancient Slavs attached great importance to the mountains, although they lived mainly on the banks of rivers. On the hills they prayed and made sacrifices. Until now, places of their worship have been preserved in Kyiv. Usually it is a stone circle with ledges on the four cardinal directions. At the same time, temples were political centers where important issues were resolved. The general geographical map of ancient Kyiv reveals all the places of worship of the Old Believers. Each mountain was the center of a sacrificial ritual.
There are allegations that the pagans built temples a few years before the adoption of Christianity.
Pearl of Christianity
With the advent of the princes, Christianity was popularized. It was the basis of the architecture of Russia and gave a new direction in the development of spiritual construction.
Earlier, religious objects were built of wood. The first stone center of worship was the Church of the Tithes, which glorified ancient Kyiv. Photo-reconstruction of this architectural masterpiece takes into account the description of chronicles. You can get acquainted with it at the Historical Museum of Kyiv.
It was a miracle that struck with its we alth and magnificence. It was built around 989 at the expense of taxes. For its construction were brought the bestmasters from Byzantium. It was also lavishly decorated on the inside. The number of mosaics, frescoes and icons is still not taken to be counted. Feudal fragmentation was the beginning of its collapse.
Modern Kyiv architecture
The history of ancient Kyiv has been preserved in architecture to this day. The most striking example is St. Sophia Cathedral. The first stones were laid in 1037. Constantinople and Slavic architects worked on it. In the XVII-XVIII centuries the cathedral was rebuilt in the Ukrainian baroque style. In 1934 it became a museum - the Sofia Reserve.
Scientists are still arguing about who initiated the idea of building the temple - Vladimir or his son Yaroslav.
Golden Gate - another architectural monument of Russia, which pleases today. In addition to the cultural meaning, the construction carried a security purpose. The city was actively built and required defensive fortifications. The name comes from its counterpart in Constantinople.
Architecture is a time machine that will show ancient Kyiv. Photos of objects can be found in the article, but it's best to see everything with your own eyes.
