Information about which way from the Varangians to the Greeks, that is, from the lands adjacent to the B altic Sea, to the countries of the Mediterranean, was chosen by our ancestors for trade travels, and sometimes even military campaigns, keep the yellowed pages of the ancient chronicles. Having opened them, we will try to feel that era that has long sunk into oblivion and trace the route of fearless merchant travelers.
Waterways are the forerunners of land roads
In those times, the description of which is contained in the Tale of Bygone Years, the oldest chronicle, the authorship of which is attributed to the Kyiv saint, the Monk Nestor the Chronicler, there were no roads in our understanding of this word yet. But since the development of trade relations required constant traveling, rivers, which Europe is very rich in, became alternative ways of communication.
It was along these waterways that merchant boats moved, filled with goods delivered by them to neighboring countries. Over time, travelers began to give preference to certain, the most convenient ways for themselves, fromwhich already formed certain trade routes, the movement along which every decade became more and more intense.
The longest trade route
The formation of such trade routes had a very favorable effect on the inhabitants of the coastal regions. Their settlements grew rich, gradually became trading hubs, and some eventually turned into cities. In addition, river and sea communications, connecting the economically developed West with the rich countries of the East, contributed to the establishment of international relations, as well as the development of world culture.
One of these highways was the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks, described in detail by the chronicler Nestor. It is considered the longest of all known to science. Its length only on the territory of ancient Russia was about 2850 kilometers, and it ran not only along rivers and lakes, but also partially on land, where the boats had to be dragged.
From the harsh B altic to the shores of sunny Hellas
The route from the Varangians to the Greeks is a trade route that connected the economically developed centers of the B altic Sea coast (the chronicler calls it Varangian) with Central Russia, and later with its numerous specific principalities. Then he went to the steppe expanses of the Black Sea, which at that time was the refuge of nomads, and, having overcome the Black Sea, reached Byzantium - the eastern territory of the once powerful, but by that time collapsed Roman Empire. Leaving behind the noisy markets of Tsargrad, the northernmerchants continued their journey to the Mediterranean, where rich coastal cities were waiting for them. Let us consider in more detail the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks and dwell on its main stages.
The start of a long journey
It is generally believed that he took his beginning on Lake Mälaren, located on the territory of modern Sweden. On the island located in its center, to this day there is a settlement called Birka, which in ancient times was a large trading center, where goods were brought from all over Scandinavia, and where there was a brisk trade. This is evidenced by ancient coins from different states, found during recent archaeological excavations.
From there, the boats loaded with goods went out to the B altic (Varangian) Sea and moved to the island of Gotland, which was also a major trade hub, whose inhabitants derived considerable benefits from commercial operations, and therefore welcomed guests cordially. Having made a number of intermediate trade deals there and having replenished their supplies, the merchants, following along the B altic coast, entered the mouth of the Neva and, having climbed along it, fell into Lake Ladoga.
From Ladoga to Novgorod
It should be noted that the journey from the Varangians to the Greeks was an extremely difficult and dangerous undertaking. Not only the sea sections of the route, but also the river and lake sections, were fraught with many dangers. Already at the beginning of the journey, overcoming the Neva rapids, it was necessary to pull the boats ashore, and drag them for a considerable distance, which required considerable strength and endurance. As for Ladoga, notorious for its suddenstorms, it sometimes hid mortal danger for travelers.
Further, describing the detailed route from the Varangians to the Greeks, the chronicler reports that from Lake Ladoga, caravans of ships ascended the Volkhov River and, having reached Novgorod, the first large Russian city they met on their way, lingered in it for a long time. Some merchants, not wanting to continue on their way and thus tempt fate by selling their goods in the Novgorod markets and purchasing new ones, turned back.
On the way to the Dnieper
Those who certainly wanted to enrich themselves on the sunny shores of the Mediterranean continued on their way. Leaving Novgorod, they climbed the Volkhov and, having reached Lake Ilmen, followed up the Lovat River, which flowed into it. Further, the merchants, sitting in the boats among the bales of goods, had the opportunity to stretch their legs: having passed the Lovat, they had to pull their ships ashore and, using log rollers, drag them to the banks of the Western Dvina.
On its ancient shores, trade was resumed, and here Slavic merchants joined the Scandinavians in large numbers, also heading to the cities of the Mediterranean in search of profit. New hardships awaited all of them, since between the basins of the Western Dvina and the Dnieper, where their path lay, a pedestrian crossing was ahead, associated with the same dragging on dry land, albeit small, but loaded with goods ships.
Trade in the cities of the Dnieper region
Caught up in the waters of the Dnieper, on the banks of which they were met by such largecities like Smolensk, Chernigov, Lyubich and, finally, the mother of Russian cities - Kyiv, travelers received a worthy reward for all the work they had done. In each of them there was a brisk trade, due to which the sold goods were replaced by newly bought ones, and the voluminous merchant's purses acquired a pleasant roundness.
Here, as in Novgorod, part of the travelers completed their journey and from here returned home with a new load. Only the most desperate followed, because in those ancient times the path from the Varangians to the Greeks was, in fact, a challenge to fate, so many unforeseen and unpredictable things could await the daredevils.
The way across the sea
Their further adventures began immediately at the Dnieper rapids, which in those years represented a serious danger to navigation, since the boats had to be dragged along the shore, where ambushes of nomads were already waiting for them, announcing the shores with the whistle of their arrows. But even those who managed to safely pass these dead places and enter the Black Sea could not yet breathe a sigh of relief - new dangers awaited them ahead.
But, having finally reached the opposite shore, the fate-preserved merchants found themselves in the rich and luxurious capital of Byzantium - Constantinople, which the Slavs used to call Constantinople. Here, in noisy and vociferous markets, imported goods were sold at a profit, giving way to new stocks.
The crown of labors and the return home
The path from the Varangians to the Greeks, the description of which we meet inNestor the Chronicler, continued further through the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. He brought those who managed to avoid storms, fever, or encounters with pirates who ruled the waters to blessed Rome, as well as other rich cities in Italy and Greece. It was the end point of the journey - the result of many months of work. However, it was still too early to thank fate for her favor - an equally dangerous return journey lay ahead.
To return home and enter under their native shelter, merchants through the Mediterranean took their caravans to the Atlantic and, skirting the entire coast of Western Europe, reached the Scandinavian shores. Trying to minimize the risk and moving as close to the coast as possible, they stopped in all the major coastal cities, where they also conducted their endless buying and selling. Thus, the path from the Varangians to the Greeks, a brief description of which became the subject of this article, went around the whole of Europe and ended at its starting point.
Assortment of merchant goods
What did those who made such a difficult and dangerous journey from the Varangians to the Greeks trade? The cities located along the shores of the seas and rivers through which their route ran had their own individual economic characteristics, and this, of course, affected the assortment of both imported and exported goods. It is well known, for example, that Volhynia and Kyiv offered bread, silver, weapons and all kinds of products of local artisans in large quantities, and therefore at very reasonable prices.
The residents of Novgorod generously supplieda market with the fur of fur-bearing animals, honey, wax, and, most importantly, timber, which is cheap and available in their area and extremely scarce in the south. Since the path from the Varangians to the Greeks passed through a large number of cities and even countries with different economic characteristics, the range of goods was constantly changing.
The common thing, as a rule, was that the merchants began their campaign by thoroughly filling the boats with the original gifts of the B altic countries: weapons, amber and wood. And they returned - laden with spices, overseas wines, books, expensive fabrics and works of jewelry.
The influence of the trade route on the development of the state
According to the most authoritative researchers, the path from the Varangians to the Greeks was the most important factor that influenced the development of international relations of that era. It was thanks to him that Ancient Russia established relations with Byzantium, from where Christianity and various technical innovations came to it, as well as with the states of the Mediterranean.
He influenced the internal life of the Old Russian state, linking two of its major centers, Novgorod and Kyiv. In addition, thanks to such a well-established route for merchant caravans, each nearby city was able to freely sell the goods common in its area. This had the most favorable effect on the country's economy as a whole.
The trade route that became the road of war
As is known from the chronicles, and primarily from the "Tale of Bygone Years", many ancient Russiancommanders in their campaigns used the path from the Varangians to the Greeks. Rivers, which served as highways for trade communications, in these cases became roads of war.
As an example, we can cite Prince Oleg, nicknamed the Prophetic and widely known thanks to the immortal poem by A. S. Pushkin. In 880, using the already well-known river route, he and his squad managed to reach Kyiv and capture it.
Having also subjugated all the cities he met along the way, the prince thereby united most of the Slavic lands. Thus, the path from the Varangians to the Greeks, briefly described by the chronicler Nestor, played a significant role in the creation of a unified Russian state.
Further, in 907, Prince Oleg, using the same waterway, made his historical campaign against Byzantium, captured Constantinople and, nailing his own shield on its gates as a sign of victory, concluded a number of profitable trade and political agreements.
The same route in 941, making a military campaign, reached the shores of the Bosporus, his successor - Prince Igor. In addition, one can recall the names of Prince Svyatoslav, nicknamed for his military talent by the ancient Russian Alexander the Great, Alexander Nevsky and many others who skillfully used the waterway beaten by the merchant class.
