The reign of Prince Rurik is a time shrouded in legends and secrets. It is still not known exactly who this legendary person was, who gave the Slavs the first ruling dynasty.
"The Tale of Bygone Years" tells that in 862 the Ilmen Slovenes (tribes of Chudi, Meri and Vesi), tired of protracted internecine wars for power, called for a foreign ruler. They hoped that in this way they would be able to conclude a long-awaited peace. Three brothers responded to their request at once - Truvor, Sineus and Rurik. The first of them settled in Izborsk, the second - on the White Lake, and the third - in Novgorod. After the death of the brothers, Rurik took over all power over their lands.
Ryurik's reign is connected with the hypothesis that the northern prince was not completely alien to the Slavs. Later sources say that he was a descendant of Gostomysl, the elder prince of Novgorod: his middle daughter Umila married one of the Varangian rulers. The new Prince of Novgorod married Efanda, who came from a noble local family.
During the reign of Rurik, Novgorodians raised an uprising. However, the prince severely suppressed the forces of Vadim the Brave, and hisexecuted himself. Many rebels, fearing the revenge of the ruler, fled to Kyiv. The chronicle also describes how two boyars asked the prince to go on a campaign (or to help Constantinople). Askold and Dir left Novgorod with their clans and squads, but did not reach their destination, and also settled on the banks of the Dnieper. Rurik's reign continued for another twelve years after these events. After the death of the ruler, power passed to his closest relative, Oleg Veshchy, who was appointed guardian of the young Igor. He drove Askold and Dir from the golden-domed Kyiv, and proclaimed himself the Grand Duke.
However, some historians believe that the rule of Rurik was not at all based on his calling by the boyars. Most likely, he seized power during a military campaign, which is why the Novgorodians rebelled against him. Perhaps the boyars did not come to an agreement: some of them supported the Varangians, and some were against the stranger. It is also unknown who the legendary prince was: a B altic Slav, a Finn or a Scandinavian.
The very name Rurik has been known in Europe since the fourth century. Some researchers believe that it comes from the name of one Celtic tribe - either the Rauriks, or the Ruriks. In the eighth and ninth centuries, princes with that name ruled on the Jutland Peninsula. Sineus can be translated from the same Celtic language as "senior", Truvor means "third born". Other historians consider Rurik Rerik, the leader of the Vikings. Perhaps the plot with the calling of the Varangian to the throne of Novgorod was entered into the annals much later, which is why there is so little detailed information in it.
However, despite a number of inaccuracies, the rule of Rurik on the territory of Russian lands remains a fact. It had important consequences for the Slavs, since it established the ruling dynasty (Rurikovich), contributed to the development of Russia as a state, and centralized power. The reign of Rurik, whose ancestral sign was a trident (or two-tooth), marked a new page in the development of Kievan Rus, its golden era, the climax of which fell on the reign of Yaroslav the Wise.
