We call ourselves Russians, we are arguing about the Russian idea and we consider Russia the heiress of Ancient Rus, not even knowing the original meaning of the word "Rus".
Slavic version
The evidence base here is as follows. In the VIII-IX centuries. among the Eastern Slavs, a tribe began to stand out living along the middle course of the Dnieper: south of Kiev to the Ros River and along the course of this river and its tributary Rossava. Here, at the confluence of the Ros and the Dnieper, was the chronicle city of Kinsfolk, the remains of which can be seen in Knyazha Gora, rich in archaeological finds. Several centuries later, Yaropolk fled from Kiev to the town of Kinsfolk "at the mouth of the Ros", taking his feet away from his brother Vladimir the Saint. Thus, Ros, Rossava, Kinsfolk are united in one place. The Varangians who came to these places, without further ado, called the land of the aborigines Rus.
Swedish version
Ruotsi, Roots, Rotsi - this is how the Finnish tribes (Suomi, Karelians, Vod, Chud, etc.) inhabiting the territory of North-West Russia called the Swedes. The latter (in Norman and Varangian guise) from the 6th to the 9th century were frequent guests in those places. Not always called.
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"Sarmatian" version
The defender of this hypothesis was Mikhailo Lomonosov, who believed that the Rus were the direct descendants of the warlike Sarmatian tribes of the Roksolans or Rosomans (these self-names evolved over time into the word “Rus”). By the way, the Polish gentry were also competitors of Russia for the right to bear the title of descendants of the Sarmatians.
"Tax" version
A number of historians claim that they called “Rus” not a separate tribe, but a profession - tribute collectors. Remember the term "polyudye"? Among some Finno-Ugric peoples, the word "people" meant those who were forced to pay tribute, and Russia was probably called those who collected this tribute. Among the collectors of that time, there were many Varangian warriors, so the social term, apparently, was transferred to the ethnic name of the Varangians. It is interesting that the word "people" even became the self-name of one of the Finno-Ugric peoples (Ljudi)
"Rowing" version
Recently, a hypothesis has spread that there was no tribe "Rus" at all. And there were international (Swedish, Norwegian, Danish) rowers, participants in cruises on rowing ships, who called themselves "robs" in the Norman maritime jargon. Well, the locals (Slavs and Finno-Ugrians), for convenience, renamed them to a more euphonious "Rus".
"Military" version
In the early stages of the formation of the Old Russian state, the military class was called "Rus". A little later, “Rus” began to be called a form of government (like a military republic), and only then the name passed to the whole people.
"Red-faced" version
As you know, the Byzantines called the aggressors who periodically raided Constantinople, passing the way "from the Varangians to the Greeks", "Rossi" (that is, "red" or "red"). This gave rise to hypotheses that the guests from Kievan Rus got their nickname for their complexion (either for their blush, or for their tendency to burn in the southern sun - it is unclear). It is interesting that Ibn-Fadlan, who met the Varangians in 922, said about them: "They are like palms, blush, red."
In principle, it doesn't really matter which version is closer to the truth. The main thing is that this should in no way affect the love for the Motherland!
