Mostly Swedish Vikings traveled along the rivers of Russia. In fact, “Russia” was known as “Greater Sweden”. "Rus" in the Viking Age were the Scandinavians. They were also known as "Varangians".
Sagas taken from the Tale of Bygone Years, a collection of chronicles written in a monastery near Kiev in the 12th century, are covered with a large number of secrets. Although Swedish "tourism" and trade has been developing since at least 650, it was only around 860 that the rulers of Kiev invited the "Rus" to Russia.
The chronicle says: “We will find a prince to rule over us and judge according to the law. Our land is large and rich, but there is no order on it. So come and reign over us."
Rurik was one of those who left for Russia. His name is associated with the founding of Novgorod. The Hermitage Museum in Leningrad, housed in the Winter Palace, displays a large collection of Viking artifacts. There is no doubt that the Vikings were in Russia. But what did they do and how much did they contribute?
In addition to Russian and Scandinavian chronicles, there were also Arabic treatises in which records were kept of current events and personal impressions. Ibn Fadlan wrote: “I saw the Russians who arrived on their own business and stopped on the Volga. I have never seen a more perfect specimen: tall, like date palms, light and ruddy. Every man has an ax, a sword and a knife with him, with which he never leaves. Every woman wears a ring of silver and gold around her neck, one for every thousand dinars her husband owned."
The Arab geographer Ibn Rust described the Rus as traders in furs and slaves. He noted that they wore clean clothes and made strangers feel welcome. However, he was shocked by the rite of burial of the living beloved wife of the leader together with him in the grave.
Unlike the Danes and Norwegians who were involved in agriculture in England, Ireland and France, the Swedes in Russia were primarily interested in trade. Oleg was one of the great princes of Kievan Rus. In 907, attacking Constantinople, he forced the Greek emperor to conclude a treaty that would give Rus' trade advantages: the abolition of customs duties, as well as access to markets and resources. He also received the consent of the Greeks to freely visit the Russian baths at any time. Despite conflicting descriptions, the Scandinavians were a clean nation.
The most famous prince of Russia was Vladimir (Valdemar) - the great-grandson of Rurik and the first baptized ruler of Russia. Thanks to the Scandinavian allies, he defeated his rivals and united the Kiev principality, which stretched from Poland to the Volga.
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In 988, when Sweden was still pagan, Vladimir, having married Anna, the sister of the Greek emperor, converted to Christianity. It is important that instead of Greek or Old Scandinavian, he recognized Slavic as the official language of the church. This step helped make Christianity a native religion, and not an alien one.
During that period, there was a close connection between Scandinavia and Russia. Kings Olaf Tryggvason and Olaf Haraldsson (Olaf the Saint), expelled from the country, lived in Russia. Prince Vladimir is revered not only by the Russian Orthodox Church - the date of his death, July 15, is included in the calendar of the Lutheran Book of Worship.
Converted to Christianity, Vladimir was adamant. He gave up 800 mistresses, destroyed idols and became a great church builder. In Kiev alone, 350 churches were built. Perhaps it is not strange that he died in battle, in 1015, when his former wives and sons rebelled against him.
Time passed, and the Vikings in Russia adopted the primordial Slavic customs. They did the same in England, France, Ireland, Italy and America. The last known Scandinavian prince of Russia was Yaroslav, who built his first cathedral, the Sophia Church, after the model of the famous church in Constantinople.
It is worth noting that Soviet historians interpreted the importance of the Scandinavian presence differently. "The role of the Varangians in the formation of the Russian state was quite small." Maybe the Western point of view is embellished with some kind of romantic mythology. However, there are those who attribute this understatement to typical Soviet revisionism and Slavic chauvinism. But in any case, the mystery surrounding the saga of the Vikings in Russia only fuels interest in them.
Olga Melnik