The Old Russian state is a strong, influential political formation of the Middle Ages. The formation of institutions of power took place in stages. The basis for the formation of Russia was the tribal associations of the Slavs, who, in the course of many years of confrontation, rallied into a single state. The political and economic systems were shaped by the great princes of Kievan Rus.
Early stage of Russian statehood
Initially, there were 14 tribal unions of the Slavs. Among them were Dulibs, Vyatichi, northerners, Tivertsy and many others. Tribal groups evolved into political entities that can be called prototypes of the state. The most influential were the meadows and dulibs. As a result of wars with nomads, the glades became more influential. The foundation of Kyiv, the future capital of Russia, is connected with this tribe. Several strong principalities formed around the city. By the middle of the 9th century, according to historians, we can talk about the consolidation of disparate state associations into a single whole. History speaks of the successful foreign policy activities of the Principality. Kievan Rus successfully fought against the Arabs and other opponents.
Novgorod: secondcenter of Russia
The second most important political center after Kyiv was formed in Novgorod. We can talk about the foundation of this city in the X century. Novgorod was founded on the territory of the Slavic tribes. A confederation was formed here. The association also included representatives of non-Slavic peoples - according to studies, they controlled these territories.
The northern and southern regions of the formation of statehood - Kyiv and Novgorod - differed in the level of political, economic and social development. Historians note that Kyiv was civilized and developed. At the same time, Novgorod remained practically “wild”. The decisive factor in the development of the northern center was the Varangian conquest. The first princes of Kievan Rus were from Scandinavia. The Varangian factor had a significant impact on the development of statehood.
Why Scandinavians? Among the Slavic tribes there was no unity regarding governance. The Varangians at that time controlled the collection of tribute. At first, the Slavs rebelled and refused to pay. The tribes consolidated and drove out the conquerors, but this did not bring them unity. As a result, the Slavs call for Rurik, the Scandinavian king, to rule. The princes of Kievan Rus are considered his descendants.
The initial period of the historical development of Russia
The first princes of Kievan Rus had a significant impact on the course of history. Rurik managed to rally the tribes and solve some problems, but in 879 he died. His son and legitimate heir to the princely title was stilltoo small and could not rule himself - according to existing laws, he was appointed regent.
Oleg is one of the most mysterious historical figures. Very little is known about him - researchers cannot accurately determine its origin. Even the name of the regent caused controversy. Soon he became a full-fledged ruler. Prince of Kievan Rus Oleg led a series of successful campaigns, as a result of one of them he became the head of the entire state.
In 882, Kyiv was captured, which at that time was ruled by Askold and Dir. These princes were killed, and their power was seized by Oleg. Thus, the northern and southern lands of Russia were united. This is one of the main acts of Oleg. The princes of Kievan Rus, who ruled after him, successfully expanded their territories.
Oleg managed to make another change - to change the organization of the Slavic tribes. Previously, these were scattered formations, the prince managed to lay the foundations for centralization.
Prince Igor and his wife Olga
The legal heir of Rurik came to power in 912. His reign cannot be called successful. He had to continue the work of Oleg - to fight the tendencies towards isolation, to which the Slavic tribes gravitated, but this was not always possible.
As a result of the three-year war, Igor subjugated the streets and the Drevlyans, but very conditionally. The streets recognized the supremacy of the prince only conditionally. The biggest failure of Igor's reign was his tax policy. The prince actively fought with many opponents, and this required funds. Once, during a repeated attempt to collect tribute, Igor was killed by the Drevlyans.
After his death toOlga, his wife, came to power. She had the status of regent for her young son Igor. Olga, like other princes of Kievan Rus, did a lot to reform the state. Her first action was revenge on the Drevlyans, but after that the ruler streamlined the tax collection system. Tribute began to be collected centrally and systematically.
Foreign policy of the rulers of Russia at the initial stage of statehood
The reign of the princes of Kievan Rus had one thing in common in foreign policy - maintaining relations with Byzantium. Under each ruler, the nature of contacts was individual.
The reasons for the interest in Byzantium lay in the huge influence that this country had on the whole of Europe: the state was a trading, cultural and religious center. Entering into a struggle or diplomatic relations with Constantinople, the princes of Kievan Rus tried to assert themselves in the international arena. The first campaigns were carried out by Oleg - in 907 and 911. The result was favorable agreements for Russia: Byzantium was obliged to pay a considerable amount of indemnity and provide special trading conditions for Russian merchants.
Igor continued the practice of campaigns against Byzantium, but in his case everything was not so successful. In 941 and 943 the prince made attempts to improve the terms of the old treaty. During the first campaign, his troops suffered a crushing defeat. After 2 years, things did not come to a battle, because Igor gathered a huge army. The Byzantine emperor agreed to the signing of the agreement, but it was less beneficial for Russia thantreaty of 911.
Relations with Olga's Constantinople were of a different nature. The princess visited Byzantium several times. She was interested in the Christianization of Russia. During one visit, Olga converted to Christianity, but in general her religious policy was unsuccessful.
Another direction of foreign policy at an early stage of development of statehood was the countries of the Caucasus and the Arab Caliphate.
Svyatoslav - prince-warrior
Igor's son Svyatoslav came to power in 964 through a coup carried out against his mother and regent, Olga. The prince's campaigns allowed Russia to become one of the most influential countries.
The first direction of Svyatoslav's interest was the Slavic tribes. The prince included some territories in Russia. Svyatoslav fought the Khazars and the Volga Bulgars.
The successes of the prince excited Byzantium - this state was famous for its ability to conduct diplomatic wars. Constantinople managed to tie Russia into resistance with the Bulgarians. Byzantium "asked for help" from Svyatoslav to defeat these people. During a major battle near Dorostol, the Russian prince defeated the Bulgarians - this was the end of the first Balkan campaign. Thus, Byzantium got rid of a major enemy by proxy. A year later, Svyatoslav goes on the second Balkan campaign - its beginning was successful, but Constantinople managed to stop the Russian troops and impose an agreement on the prince. Conditions: Russia should not be at war with Byzantium and make claims to the territory of Crimea.
It is interesting that it was Svyatoslav who was the first to officiallydivided Russia between his sons in order to avoid strife after his death.
The beginning of the "Golden Era" of Russia: the reign of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich
The period of greatest prosperity for Russia experienced during the reign of Vladimir the Great and Yaroslav the Wise. At this time, the borders of the state were finally fixed, the territory was the largest, a number of reforms were carried out regarding the political and economic systems.
After the death of Svyatoslav, a fratricidal struggle for power began. Vladimir, later called the Great, won the confrontation. In 980 he becomes the ruler of all Russia. Over the years of his reign, Vladimir has established himself as a strategist, diplomat, warrior and reformer. During his reign, the territory of Russia completed its formation.
Prince of Kievan Rus Vladimir carried out several reforms:
- During the administrative process, the territorial division of the state was legally formalized.
- Military reform: the changes concerned the tribal organization of the troops. Instead, Vladimir reunited the defense system of Russia and the feudal system. The prince gave the border lands to the best warriors - they cultivated the land and defended the borders.
- Religious: Prince Vladimir baptized Russia in 988.
In the field of foreign policy, relations with Byzantium were continued, contacts were established with the Holy Roman Empire.
Period of power struggles
Prince Vladimir died in 1015. His heirs began to actively fight for theirrights. Even during his lifetime, Vladimir distributed the lands to his sons, but this did not solve the problem - everyone wanted to rule all the territories. Four brothers were killed during the confrontation. As a result, the Chernigov ruler Mstislav and Kyiv Prince Yaroslav turned out to be the most powerful opponents. In 1024, a battle took place between their troops near the city of Listven. Yaroslav was defeated, but the brothers were able to agree and rule together for more than 10 years, until the death of Mstislav.
The princes agreed that Russia would have two centers - Chernihiv and Kyiv. Such a political phenomenon is called a duumvirate - history knows many such examples. Kievan Rus during the reign of the brothers was strengthened, since Yaroslav was a talented politician, and Mstislav was a commander and strategist.
Flourishing time
After the death of Mstislav, Yaroslav became the sole ruler of Russia. The years of his principality are times of unprecedented prosperity, the centralization of the state. Yaroslav was a diplomat, a reformer, but not a warrior. Since childhood, he had a fragile physique, poor he alth and limped. But these shortcomings were compensated by the colossal abilities of the prince in matters of domestic politics and diplomatic contacts.
Even as part of the duumvirate, Yaroslav and his brother managed to conquer lands near the border of Russia. The rulers did a lot to strengthen the defense capability of the state. During the reign of Yaroslav, they managed to defeat the old enemies of Russia - the Pechenegs. Sophia Cathedral, an outstanding architectural monument, was built in honor of such an event.
In the field of foreign policy, the situation was stable. Yaroslav's troops carried out the last campaign against Byzantium. He was not successful, but this did not harm the position of Russia in the international arena.
Yaroslav was the most famous "family diplomat" - all his children married great European rulers or representatives of the noblest families.
The main asset of the heyday was "Russian Truth" - the first written set of laws. The author was Yaroslav, nicknamed the Wise. It contained all the norms that regulated the life of the population.
The Grand Dukes of Kievan Rus - Yaroslav and Vladimir - made the state one of the greatest and most influential in Europe.
The beginning of the fragmentation of Russia
The heyday lasted until the middle of the 11th century, followed by a gradual decline. The prince of Kievan Rus Vladimir and his heir Yaroslav did almost the same thing - they legally fixed the division of the state between their sons. This was done with the best of intentions, but there was no positive result.
Yaroslav's sons began the struggle for power. As a result, the form of the monarchy changed - the centralized turned into a federal one. A triumvirate was also formalized - a unique political union, thanks to which the state functioned successfully for about 20 years. Times passed, and each of the triumvirs wanted to concentrate all power in their hands. The collapse of the union officially took place at the Vyshgorod Congress - the brothers agreed to rule in turn. Then the Pravda of the Yaroslavichs was drawn up, which became an addition to the Russkaya Pravda. Thus, the first was Prince Svyatoslav, after him Izyaslav, the last - Vsevolod.
The end of the century was marked by a large-scale confrontation between the heirs and contenders for power. The Lyubech Congress became the point in the existence of a united Russia - it was decided that each prince should rule his lands. This became the basis of fragmentation.
Russian princes of Kievan Rus at the end of the XI century completed the existence of a single, strong state. The last attempt to return to its former greatness was the reign of Vladimir Monomakh, and after that - his son. For a short period of time, the lands were reunited, and a new code of laws, the Charter, was adopted.
Evolution of state power in Russia
The form of power in Russia was the monarchy. It has changed several times during the development of statehood. The power of the prince in Kievan Rus has come a long way.
At the initial stage of the development of statehood, the prince was a military leader. This is a primitive form of monarchy, which relied on the squad. The army and the prince constituted the state elite. A system of taxation and courts took shape around this simple apparatus of government. It is difficult to speak of a prince at that stage as a statesman or a reformer. These are the reigns of Rurik, Igor, Oleg.
The heyday of Russia is the period of the formation of a centralized monarchy. Now the prince is not just a warrior, but also a reformer, a politician. The army loses influence on the decisions of the ruler - the squad begins to perform its immediate functions. The prince appearsadvisers - boyars. This is the ancient Russian aristocracy, which had a huge influence. The ruler at that time was the bearer of power, the representative of Russia in the international arena, the guarantor of power and stability.
When Russia began to disintegrate, the centralized state gradually turned into a federal one. The nature of the power of the rulers has changed. Now there was no single prince of all Russia - there were many leaders who made common decisions at congresses.
The boyar council was an important authority. In some ways, it resembled the prototype of parliament. Especially the importance of this authority increased at the stage of fragmentation. In times of centralization, the decisions of the boyar council were auxiliary.
Princes of Kievan Rus (table): features of the political development of the state:
| Ruler | Features |
| Rurik | Becoming |
| Oleg, Igor | Unification of Northern and Southern Russia, the first reforms, the period of the retinue form of the monarchy |
| Olga's Regency | Unsuccessful religious policy, an attempt to bring the state to the international arena |
| Svyatoslav | Expansion of territories, an example of a retinue monarchy |
| Vladimir, Yaroslav | Centralizing the ruler's power |
| Yaroslav's heirs | The birth of a federal monarchy |
Political portraits of the princes of Kievan Rus allow us to characterize the features of the reign period of each of them. Military glory and strength of Oleg and Svyatoslavat the initial stage of development, the diplomacy and reforms of Vladimir and Yaroslav in their heyday, civil strife - all this is a story that everyone needs to know. Russia in its development has gone through the classic stages - formation, flourishing, decline.
