2001 marks the 1139th anniversary of the Russian state. It was in 862, according to modern chronology, that the Varangian Rurik appeared in Rus', who founded the great dynasty of Russian rulers.

Rurik's descendants ruled over the Russian lands for 740 years, creating and strengthening the Russian state. This great family played a colossal role in the historical process and gave Russia many wonderful people in various fields.

This book is dedicated to the thousand-year history of the Rurikovichs.

Eugene. Bees

Moscow

"Olma-Press"

Series "Archive"

A thousand years of the same kind

Dedicated to all descendants of the first dynasty of Russia.

Introduction

2001 marks the 1139th anniversary of the Russian state. Many people will find this statement strange. Can just one year be considered the founding date of a state? And isn’t the emergence of a state a complex and long process, the result of economic and political development? All this, of course, is true. States are not created in the blink of an eye, with the wave of a magic wand. And it is not so easy for a historian to determine when there is still no state and when it already exists. But that's not what this is about. It’s just that in Russian history, like in any other, there is a date from which the life of our country begins. And even if it is conventional or even “legendary”, it exists, not invented by us or introduced by us, and for this reason it must be respected.

In former times, they tried to erase this date from history - its “monarchical” and, as some thought, unpatriotic connotations were too obvious. Therefore, it cannot be found in school textbooks of the Soviet era. She disappeared, just as the names of those first princes with whom the history of Russia began its “movement” also disappeared. Instead of a clear and clear beginning, something amorphous and vague appeared: “The 9th century - the formation of a state among the Eastern Slavs.” Firstly, it turns out that the Slavs themselves created their own state, and secondly, this happened thanks to the “productive forces” and “relations of production”. This is how it turns out now.

I do not at all want to belittle the importance of the productive forces, nor to question the independence of the East Slavic tribes. But in the history of any country there is some starting point, some starting point, which becomes the basis for all subsequent chronology. Yes, this tradition of mythological consciousness. Yes, this is a kind of archaic idea, but this is the great meaning of such dates. The Romans believed that their Great City was founded on April 21, 753 BC, as determined by the historian Varro. And the Greeks counted the years from the first, mythical Olympics. And the entire Christian civilization is based on the calendar from the Nativity of Christ, although we now know that Jesus was born several years earlier. But these are the beginnings, those necessary, most important milestones, thanks to which a person’s idea of ​​history is formed. Consciousness seeks the beginning and finds it. And even though these are legends and myths, people needed them and believed in their truth.

Now, of course, historical science has reached colossal heights. And after a period of denial, a more attentive and more balanced approach to the legendary fundamental principles begins. It turns out that not everything and not all legends are fiction, but there is also some rational grain. So it is with the date of “the beginning of Russian history.” She is entering public life again. Attempts by subverters to “knock out” the rug from under Russian history are a thing of the past. Legendary images of ancestors are returning to us.

By the way, in the pre-revolutionary period the attitude towards the historical legends of “primordial Rus'” was different. Chronicle narratives and chronology remained the necessary foundation, the historical outline by which Russian people studied Russian history. And it was not without reason that in September 1862 a solemn and significant event took place in Veliky Novgorod: in the presence of the imperial family, the opening of a unique monument took place - “The Millennium of Russia”. It was created by two wonderful sculptors - Mikhail Osipovich Mikeshin and Ivan Mikhailovich Schroeder. Then still very young, novice masters, they carried out this grandiose plan with amazing inspiration. The authors seem to have immersed themselves in the world of Russian history, were able to “pass” it through themselves, presenting in bronze a long line of ascetics, heroes and creators - more than a hundred characters adorn the monument, unparalleled in world history, and each is given a true and poignant description.

The monument “Millennium of Russia” has become a true masterpiece of Russian art, one of its greatest achievements. Unfortunately, this was not understood by everyone. And in the middle of the 19th century, and much later, there were people who reviled the creation of Mikeshin and Schroeder with the last words, labeling it “bad taste” and “eclecticism.” The first among the detractors was the “progressive” critic V.V. Stasov, who openly admitted that since he himself was mediocre and could not create anything, he saw his task as “helping others.” This “help” was very unique. From the height of his omniscience, he judged everyone and reasoned about everything. How much bile and anger he brought down on the wonderful masters of Russian art who “dared” to deviate from the main “different-liberal” line, which presupposed a truthful depiction of all the “abominations of life.” And, of course, the construction of a small but majestic monument glorifying his native history and its great heroes was a knife to his heart. The subversives did not stop afterwards either. The monument miraculously survived the first years of Soviet power. Then during the war it was destroyed by the Nazis. Surprisingly, the monument was restored, and so it remained for many years in semi-oblivion, and now it has finally again taken its rightful place among other great monuments of Russia.

Mikeshin and Schroeder created many other masterpieces. Mikeshin, in particular, belongs to Kiev's Bogdan Khmelnitsky and St. Petersburg's Catherine the Great. And Schroeder is the author of an excellent monument to the great I.F. Krusenstern in St. Petersburg. But “The Millennium of Russia” remained their most famous work.

After 100 years, the Russian emigration again remembered the significant date and celebrated the 1100th anniversary of the Russian state. At home, they preferred not to mention this date. Meanwhile, on the pedestal of the Mikeshi monument stood the figure of a formidable warrior holding a shield on which could be seen the ancient Russian letters - STO. According to the “letter numbers” system adopted in medieval Rus', in which numbers were designated by letters of the Cyrillic alphabet, this corresponded to the number - 6370. And if you consider that in Rus' it was not the era from the Nativity of Christ, but the Byzantine era from the Creation of the World (beginning - 5508) that was used BC), then according to the modern era it was 862. It was in this year, according to the instructions of Russian chronicles, that the Varangian Rurik appeared in Rus', who founded the great dynasty of Russian rulers.

The descendants of Rurik ruled over the Russian lands for 740 years. They ruled continuously from 862 to 1598 and from 1606 to 1610. For almost seven and a half centuries, the Rurik dynasty created, protected and strengthened Rus'. But she didn't disappear. In many of its branches, the Rurikovichs continue to this day. This great family played a colossal role in the historical process and gave Russia many wonderful people in various fields. This book is dedicated to the thousand-year history of this family.

Dawn on the Baltic

In Russian lands, the Rurik dynasty began in the north. Here, in the Baltic Sea region, one of the centers of ancient Russian statehood arose. Finno-Ugric tribes have lived there for a long time. Their names were brought to us by historical monuments - Chud, Merya, all. But gradually the East European Plain was populated by Slavs coming from the west. The Slavs from the Baltic moved to the north of Rus'. This is how an international region was formed, in which the Slavs coexisted with the Finno-Ugric and Baltic tribes. Each tribe lived according to its own laws and customs. The Slavs on the territory of future Rus' formed the eastern branch of the Slavs. In the 7th - 9th centuries it was represented by one and a half dozen tribes.

In the image you can see the sequence of changing rulers of Rus', as well as their many relatives: sons, daughters, sisters and brothers. The family tree of the Rurikovichs, the diagram of which begins with the Varangian prince Rurik, represents the most interesting material for study by historians. It was this that helped researchers find out interesting facts about the descendants of the Grand Duke - the founder of the Old Russian state, and became a symbol of the unity of family members, power and continuity of generations.

Where does the tree of the Rurik dynasty come from?

Prince Rurik himself and his wife Efanda are semi-mythical figures, and there is still debate among historians about their possible origin. The most common version, based on the Tale of Bygone Years, says that a native of the Varangians was voluntarily invited to reign, although some suggest that Rurik and his squad captured Novgorod during one of their campaigns. There are also opinions that the founder of the royal dynasty had Danish roots and was called Rorik. According to the Slavic version, the origin of his name is associated with the designation of a falcon in the language of one of the tribes. There are also those who believe that the prince, as a historical figure, did not exist at all and was a fictional character.

Ambition pushed Rurik’s descendants into internecine wars and murders. In the battle for the throne, the strongest won, but the loser faced death. Bloody divisions of lands were accompanied by fratricide. The first happened between the sons of Svyatoslav: Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir. Each of the princes wanted to gain power in Kyiv and for this purpose they were ready to make any sacrifices. So, Yaropolk killed Oleg, and he himself was destroyed by Vladimir. The winner became the Grand Duke of Kyiv. This bright historical figure deserves to be told in more detail.

The rise to power of Vladimir Svyatoslavich

A photo of the Rurik family tree with dates of reign shows that the reign of Svyatoslav Igorevich’s son, Prince Vladimir, falls at the end of the 10th century. He was not a legitimate son, since his mother was the housekeeper Malusha, but according to pagan customs he had the right to inherit the throne from his father of princely origin. However, the story of his birth caused many to smile. Due to his low origins, Vladimir was dubbed “robichich” - the son of a slave. Vladimir’s mother was removed from raising the child and the boy was handed over to the warrior Dobrynya, who is Malusha’s brother.

When Svyatoslav died, a struggle for power broke out in Kyiv between Yaropolk and Oleg. The latter, retreating during a battle with his brother, fell into a ditch and was crushed to death by horses. The Kiev throne passed to Yaropolk, and Vladimir, having learned about this, moved with Dobrynya to the Varangian lands to gather an army.

Together with his soldiers, he conquered Polotsk, which was on the side of Kyiv at that time, and decided to marry Yaropolk’s bride, Princess Rogneda. She did not want to take the slave’s son as her husband, which greatly offended the prince and aroused his rage. He forcibly took the girl as his wife and killed her entire family.

To overthrow Yaropolk from the throne, Vladimir resorted to cunning. He lured his brother to negotiations, where the Kyiv prince was stabbed to death by Vladimir’s soldiers. So power in Kyiv was concentrated in the hands of the third son of Svyatoslav Igorevich, Grand Duke Vladimir. Despite such a bloody background, a lot was done during his reign for the development of Rus'. The most significant merit of Vladimir is considered to be the baptism of Rus' in 988. From that moment on, our state turned from pagan to Orthodox and received a new status in the international arena.

Branching of the family tree of the Rurik dynasty

The direct heirs through the line of the first prince were:

• Igor
• Olga
• Svyatoslav
• Vladimir

There are documents in which you can find references to Igor’s nephews. According to sources, their names were Igor and Akun, but little is known about them. The ramifications in the scheme of the Rurikovich tree began after the death of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Vladimir. In the previously united family, a struggle for power began between the princes, and feudal fragmentation only aggravated the situation.

Thus, the son of the Kyiv prince Vladimir, Svyatopolk the Accursed, killed his brothers Boris, Gleb and Svyatoslav in the battle for the throne. However, another figure claimed power, which can be seen in the photo of the family tree of the Rurik dynasty. Svyatopolk's opponent was Prince Yaroslav the Wise. A destructive internecine war was waged between the two contenders for the throne for a long time. It ended with the victory of Yaroslav in the battle on the Alta River. Kyiv came under the rule of Yaroslav the Wise, and Svyatopolk was recognized as a traitor to the Rurik family.

Yaroslav the Wise died in 1054, after which the tree changed radically. Over the years of Yaroslav's reign, the unity of the clan came to an end, the state was divided into fiefs with their own way of life, laws, power and government. Most of the inheritance and lands were divided between the three sons of the Wise:

• Izyaslav – Kyiv, Novgorod
• Vsevolod – Rostov-Suzdal possessions and the city of Pereyaslavl
• Svyatoslav – Murom and Chernigov

As a result, the previously unified government split and the so-called triumvirate was formed - the rule of three Yaroslavich princes.

Local dynasties began to form in appanage lands. The photo shows that it was from this period that the genus began to expand greatly. This happened mainly due to the large number of dynastic marriages that princes entered into in order to increase their authority, maintain and consolidate power. Previously, only the most influential and significant princes could afford to look for a spouse abroad. Now many people have begun to enjoy this privilege.

Family tree of the Rurikovichs: branching diagram

There could no longer be any talk of the original unity of the clan; the branches multiplied and intertwined. Let's take a closer look at the largest of them.

Izyaslavich Polotsk

The line received its name from the founder of the branch - Izyaslav, the son of Vladimir Yaroslavich and the Polotsk princess Rogneda. According to legend, Rogneda decided to take revenge on her husband for what he did to her and her family. At night, she snuck into his bedroom and wanted to stab him, but he woke up and deflected the blow. The prince ordered his wife to put on an elegant dress and stood in front of her with a sword in his hands. Izyaslav stood up for his mother and Vladimir did not dare to kill his wife in front of his son.

The prince decided to send Rogneda and Izyaslav to live in the Polotsk lands. This is where the line of Izyaslavichs of Polotsk came from. There is information that some descendants of Izyaslav attempted to seize power in Kyiv. Thus, Vseslav and Bryacheslav tried to oust Yaroslav the Wise, but their expectations were not destined to come true.

Rostislavichy

They originate from Prince Rostislav. He was an outcast and had no right to claim the throne after the death of his father, but with the help of wars he managed to gain power in Tmutarakan. He left behind three sons:

• Vasilko
• Volodar
• Rurik

Rurik left no descendants behind, and Vasilko’s sons ruled Terebovlya and Galich. Volodar's son, Vladimirko, trying to expand the estates of the Rostislavichs, annexed Galich to the lands. His cousin Ivan Galitsky helped him. He added Terebovl to his possessions. This is how the large and influential Principality of Galicia was formed. The Rostislavich branch was interrupted when Vladimir Yaroslavich, the son of the famous prince Yaroslav Osmomysl, died. After this event, Roman the Great, one of the heirs and descendants of Yaroslav the Wise, began to rule in Galich.

Izyaslavich Turovsky

Another descendant of the Wise, Izyaslav Yaroslavich, ruled in Turov. The prince died in 1078, his brother Vsevolod began to rule in Kyiv, and his youngest son Yaropolk began to rule in Turov. However, a fierce struggle was waged for these lands, as a result of which Izyaslav’s descendants died one after another. In the end, they were forever expelled from their possessions by Vladimir Monomakh. Only in 1162, Izyaslav’s distant descendant Yuri was able to regain his lost possessions and strengthen them for himself. According to some sources, some Lithuanian-Russian princely dynasties originate from the Izyaslavichs of Turov.

Svyatoslavichy

This branch of the Rurik family tree originates from Svyatoslav, one of the members of the triumvirate formed after the death of Yaroslav the Wise. After the death of their father, the sons of Svyatoslav fought with their uncles Izyaslav and Vsevolod, as a result of which they were defeated. However, one of the sons, Oleg Svyatoslavich, did not lose hope of regaining power and expelled Vladimir Monomakh. The lands rightfully belonging to the Svyatoslavichs were divided among the surviving brothers.

Monomakhovichi

The line was formed from Vladimir Monomakh, the son of Prince Vsevolod. He also had a brother who died fighting the Polovtsians. Thus, all princely power was concentrated in the hands of Vladimir. The princes of Kyiv gained control and influence in all Russian lands, including Turov and Polotsk. But the fragile unity did not last long. With the death of Monomakh, civil strife resumed and power in the destinies again became fragmented.

It is noteworthy that a descendant of the Monomakhovich branch on the family tree of the Rurik dynasty was Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. It is he who is indicated in the chronicles as the founder of Moscow, which later became the collector of Russian lands.

The Rurik family tree is full of tyrants, murderers, traitors and conspirators. One of the most cruel sovereigns of Rus' is consideredIvan IV the Terrible. The atrocities that occurred during his reign on Russian lands are still remembered with shudder. Murders, robberies, raids on civilians, which the guardsmen carried out with the permission of the tsar, are bloody and terrible pages in the history of our state. It is not for nothing that the sculpture of Ivan the Terrible is missing from the “Millennium of Russia” monument, erected in honor of the great sovereigns of our country.

Among the Rurikovichs there were also wise rulers - the pride of the family and defenders of their state. ThisIvan Kalita- collector of Russian lands, brave warriorAlexander Nevskiyand liberated Rus' from Tatar-Mongol dependence, the Grand DukeDmitry Donskoy.

Compiling a family tree of the Rurik dynasty with dates and years of reign is a difficult task for historians, requiring deep knowledge and lengthy research. The point here is both in the remoteness of the era and in the numerous intertwining of surnames, clans and branches. Since the great princes had many descendants, it is now almost impossible to find the person on whom the royal dynasty was finally interrupted and ceased to exist. It is only known that the last kings from this ancient family before the Romanovs came to power were Fyodor Ioannovich and Vasily Shuisky. It is difficult to answer the question whether the descendants of the first Russian prince exist today or whether the family has sunk into oblivion forever. Researchers have tried to find out this using a DNA test, but reliable data on this matter still does not exist.

Rurikovich.

862 –1598

Kyiv princes.

Rurik

862 – 879

IX century – formation of the Old Russian state.

Oleg

879 – 912

882 - unification of Novgorod and Kyiv.

907, 911 – campaigns against Constantinople (Constantinople); signing a treaty between Rus' and the Greeks.

Igor

912 – 945

941, 944 - Igor's campaigns against Byzantium. /the first one is unsuccessful/

945 - Treaty between Rus' and the Greeks. /not as profitable as Oleg/

Olga

945 –957 (964)

/regetsha of the young prince Svyatoslav/

945 - an uprising in the land of the Drevlyans. Introduction of lessons and graveyards.

Svyatoslav

I957 –972.

964 – 966 - defeat of the Kama Bulgarians, Khazars, Yases, Kosogs. The annexation of Tmutarakan and Kerch, a trade route to the East was opened.

967 – 971 - war with Byzantium.

969 - appointment of his sons as governors: Yaropolk in Kyiv, Oleg in Iskorosten, Vladimir in Novgorod.

Yaropolk

972 – 980

977 - the death of Prince Oleg in the struggle with his brother Yaropolk for leadership in Rus', the flight of Prince Vladimir to the Varangians.

978 - victory of Yaropolk over the Pechenegs.

980g. - Defeat of Yaropolk in the battle with Prince Vladimir. Murder of Yaropolk.

VladimirISaint

980 – 1015

980g. – pagan reform /unified pantheon of gods/.

988 –989 - adoption of Christianity in Rus'.

992, 995 - battles with the Pechenegs.

Svyatopolk the Accursed

1015 - 1019

1015 - the beginning of strife between the sons of Vladimir. The murder of the young princes Boris and Gleb on the orders of Svyatopolk.

1016 - the battle of the princes of the skiatopolk and Yaroslav near Lyubich. Flight of Svyatopolk to Poland.

1018 – return of Svyatopolk to Kyiv. Flight of Yaroslav to Novgorod.

1018 – 1019 -war between Yaroslav and Svyatopolk.

Yaroslav the Wise

1019 –1054

Beginning XI century - compilation of the “Russian Truth” (Yaroslav’s Truth), which consisted of 17 articles (according to academician B.A. Rybakov, this was an instruction on fines for scandals and fights).

1024 - the battle between Yaroslav and his brother Mstislav Listven for control over all territories of Rus'.

1025g. - division of the Russian state along the Dnieper. Mstislav is the eastern, and Yaroslav is the western part of the state.

1035 - death of Mstislav Vladimirovich. Transfer of his inheritance to Yaroslav.

1036 – formation of the Kyiv Metropolis

1037 – the beginning of construction of the Church of St. Sophia in Kyiv.

1043 - Vladimir Yaroslavich’s unsuccessful campaign against Byzantium.

1045 - the beginning of construction of the Church of St. Sophia in Novgorod.

IzyaslavIYaroslavich

1054 – 1073, 1076 – 1078

1068 - defeat of the Yaroslavichs on the river. Alte from the Polovtsians.

1068 – 1072 – popular uprisings in Kyiv, Novgorod, Rostov-Suzdal and Chernigov lands. Supplementation of “Russian Pravda” with “Pravda Yaroslavichs”.

Svyatoslav

II 1073 –1076gg.

Vsevolod

1078 – 1093

1079 - speech of the Tmutarakan prince Roman Svyatoslavich against Vsevolod Yaroslavich.

SvyatopolkIIIzyaslavich

1093 – 1113

1093 - the devastation of Southern Rus' by the Polovtsians.

1097 - Congress of Russian princes in Lyubich.

1103 - defeat of the Polovtsians by Svyatopolk and Vladimir Monomakh.

1113 – the death of Svyatopolk II, the uprising of townspeople, smerds and purchases in Kyiv.

Vladimir Monomakh

1113 – 1125

1113 – addition of “Russkaya Pravda” to the “Charter” of Prince Vladimir Monomakh on “purchases” /debtors/ and “cuts” /interest/.

1113 –1117 - writing “The Tale of Bygone Years.”

1116 - the campaign of Vladimir Monomakh with the sons of the Polovtsians.

Mstislav the Great

1125 – 1132

1127 – 1130 - Mstislav’s struggle with the Polotsk appanage princes. Their exile to Byzantium.

1131 – 1132 – successful campaigns in Lithuania.

Strife in Rus'.

Moscow princes.

Daniil Alexandrovich 1276 – 1303

Yuri Danilovich 1303 –1325

Ivan Kalita 1325 – 1340

Semyon the Proud 1340 – 1355553

IvanIIRed 1353–1359

Dmitry Donskoy1359 –1389

BasilI1389 – 1425

BasilIIDark 1425 – 1462

IvanIII1462 – 1505

BasilIII1505 – 1533

IvanIVGrozny 1533 – 1584

Fyodor Ivanovich 1584 – 1598

The end of the Rurik dynasty.

Time of Troubles.

1598 – 1613

Boris Godunov 1598 – 1605

False DmitryI1605 – 1606

Vasily Shuisky 1606 – 1610

“Seven Boyars” 1610 – 1613.

Romanov dynasty.

1613 –1917

4. Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev (04/17/1894-09/11/1971)

Soviet statesman and party leader. First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR from 1958 to 1964. Hero of the Soviet Union, Three times Hero of Socialist Labor. The first laureate of the Shevchenko Prize, reign 09/07/1. (Moscow city).

Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev was born in 1894 in the village of Kalinovka, Kursk province, into the family of miner Sergei Nikanorovich Khrushchev and Ksenia Ivanovna Khrushcheva. In 1908, having moved with his family to the Uspensky mine near Yuzovka, Khrushchev became an apprentice mechanic at a factory, then worked as a mechanic at a mine and, as a miner, was not taken to the front in 1914. In the early 1920s, he worked in the mines and studied at the workers' department of the Donetsk Industrial Institute. Later he was engaged in economic and party work in Donbass and Kyiv. Since January 1931, he was at party work in Moscow, during which time he was the first secretary of the Moscow regional and city party committees - MK and MGK VKP (b). In January 1938, he was appointed first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine. In the same year he became a candidate, and in 1939 - a member of the Politburo.

During World War II, Khrushchev served as a political commissar of the highest rank (a member of the military councils of a number of fronts) and in 1943 received the rank of lieutenant general; led the partisan movement behind the front line. In the first post-war years he headed the government in Ukraine. In December 1947, Khrushchev again headed the Communist Party of Ukraine, becoming the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Ukraine; He held this post until he moved to Moscow in December 1949, where he became the first secretary of the Moscow Party Committee and secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks. Khrushchev initiated the consolidation of collective farms (kolkhozes). After Stalin's death, when the Chairman of the Council of Ministers left the post of Secretary of the Central Committee, Khrushchev became the “master” of the party apparatus, although until September 1953 he did not have the title of First Secretary. Between March and June 1953 he attempted to seize power. In order to eliminate Beria, Khrushchev entered into an alliance with Malenkov. In September 1953, he took the post of First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. In June 1953, a struggle for power began between Malenkov and Khrushchev, in which Khrushchev won. At the beginning of 1954, he announced the start of a grandiose program for the development of virgin lands in order to increase grain production, and in October of the same year he headed the Soviet delegation to Beijing.

The most striking event in Khrushchev's career was the 20th Congress of the CPSU, held in 1956. At a closed meeting, Khrushchev condemned Stalin, accusing him of mass extermination of people and erroneous policies that almost ended with the liquidation of the USSR in the war with Nazi Germany. The result of this report was unrest in the Eastern bloc countries - Poland (October 1956) and Hungary (October and November 1956). In June 1957, the Presidium (formerly Politburo) of the CPSU Central Committee organized a conspiracy to remove Khrushchev from the post of First Secretary of the Party. After his return from Finland, he was invited to a meeting of the Presidium, which, by seven votes to four, demanded his resignation. Khrushchev convened a Plenum of the Central Committee, which overturned the decision of the Presidium and dismissed the “anti-party group” of Molotov, Malenkov and Kaganovich. He strengthened the Presidium with his supporters, and in March 1958 he took the post of Chairman of the Council of Ministers, taking into his own hands all the main levers of power. In September 1960, Khrushchev visited the United States as head of the Soviet delegation to the UN General Assembly. During the assembly, he managed to hold large-scale negotiations with the heads of government of a number of countries. His report to the Assembly called for general disarmament, the immediate elimination of colonialism and the admission of China to the UN. During the summer of 1961, Soviet foreign policy became increasingly harsh, and in September the USSR ended a three-year moratorium on nuclear weapons testing with a series of explosions. On October 14, 1964, by the Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee, Khrushchev was relieved of his duties as First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee and member of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee. He was succeeded by becoming the First Secretary of the Communist Party, and becoming the Chairman of the Council of Ministers. After 1964, Khrushchev, while retaining his seat on the Central Committee, was essentially in retirement. Khrushchev died in Moscow on September 11, 1971.

In modern historiography, the title “Kyiv princes” is usually used to designate a number of rulers of the Kyiv principality and the Old Russian state. The classical period of their reign began in 912 under the reign of Igor Rurikovich, the first to bear the title of “Grand Duke of Kiev,” and lasted until approximately the middle of the 12th century, when the collapse of the Old Russian state began. Let's briefly look at the most prominent rulers during this period.

Oleg Prophetic (882-912)

Igor Rurikovich (912-945) – the first ruler of Kyiv, called the “Grand Duke of Kyiv.” During his reign, he conducted a number of military campaigns, both against neighboring tribes (Pechenegs and Drevlyans) and against the Byzantine kingdom. The Pechenegs and Drevlyans recognized the supremacy of Igor, but the Byzantines, better equipped militarily, put up stubborn resistance. In 944, Igor was forced to sign a peace treaty with Byzantium. At the same time, the terms of the agreement were beneficial for Igor, since Byzantium paid significant tribute. A year later, he decided to attack the Drevlyans again, despite the fact that they had already recognized his power and paid him tribute. Igor’s vigilantes, in turn, had the opportunity to profit from the robberies of the local population. The Drevlyans set up an ambush in 945 and, having captured Igor, executed him.

Olga (945-964)– Widow of Prince Rurik, killed in 945 by the Drevlyan tribe. She headed the state until her son, Svyatoslav Igorevich, became an adult. It is unknown when exactly she transferred power to her son. Olga was the first of the rulers of Rus' to convert to Christianity, while the entire country, the army, and even her son still remained pagans. Important facts of her reign were the submission of the Drevlyans, who killed her husband Igor Rurikovich. Olga established the exact amounts of taxes that the lands subject to Kyiv had to pay, and systematized the frequency of their payment and deadlines. An administrative reform was carried out, dividing the lands subordinate to Kyiv into clearly defined units, at the head of each of which a princely official “tiun” was installed. Under Olga, the first stone buildings appeared in Kyiv, Olga's tower and the city palace.

Svyatoslav (964-972)- son of Igor Rurikovich and Princess Olga. A characteristic feature of the reign was that most of its time was actually ruled by Olga, first due to Svyatoslav’s minority, and then due to his constant military campaigns and absence from Kiev. Took power around 950. He did not follow his mother’s example and did not accept Christianity, which was then unpopular among the secular and military nobility. The reign of Svyatoslav Igorevich was marked by a series of continuous campaigns of conquest that he carried out against neighboring tribes and state entities. The Khazars, Vyatichi, the Bulgarian Kingdom (968-969) and Byzantium (970-971) were attacked. The war with Byzantium brought heavy losses to both sides, and ended, in fact, in a draw. Returning from this campaign, Svyatoslav was ambushed by the Pechenegs and was killed.

Yaropolk (972-978)

Vladimir the Holy (978-1015)- Kiev prince, most famous for the baptism of Rus'. He was the prince of Novgorod from 970 to 978, when he seized the Kiev throne. During his reign, he continuously carried out campaigns against neighboring tribes and states. He conquered and annexed to his power the tribes of the Vyatichi, Yatvingians, Radimichi and Pechenegs. He carried out a number of government reforms aimed at strengthening the power of the prince. In particular, he began minting a single state coin, replacing the previously used Arab and Byzantine money. With the help of invited Bulgarian and Byzantine teachers, he began to spread literacy in Rus', forcibly sending children to study. Founded the cities of Pereyaslavl and Belgorod. The main achievement is considered to be the baptism of Rus', carried out in 988. The introduction of Christianity as a state religion also contributed to the centralization of the Old Russian state. The resistance of various pagan cults, then widespread in Rus', weakened the power of the Kyiv throne and was brutally suppressed. Prince Vladimir died in 1015 during another military campaign against the Pechenegs.

SvyatopolkDamned (1015-1016)

Yaroslav the Wise (1016-1054)- son of Vladimir. He feuded with his father and seized power in Kyiv in 1016, driving out his brother Svyatopolk. The reign of Yaroslav is represented in history by traditional raids on neighboring states and internecine wars with numerous relatives laying claim to the throne. For this reason, Yaroslav was forced to temporarily leave the Kiev throne. He built the churches of St. Sophia in Novgorod and Kyiv. The main temple in Constantinople is dedicated to her, so the fact of such construction spoke of the equality of the Russian church with the Byzantine one. As part of the confrontation with the Byzantine Church, he independently appointed the first Russian Metropolitan Hilarion in 1051. Yaroslav also founded the first Russian monasteries: the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery in Kyiv and the Yuriev Monastery in Novgorod. For the first time he codified feudal law, publishing a code of laws “Russian Truth” and a church charter. He did a lot of work translating Greek and Byzantine books into Old Russian and Church Slavonic languages, and constantly spent large sums on rewriting new books. He founded a large school in Novgorod, in which the children of elders and priests learned to read and write. He strengthened diplomatic and military ties with the Varangians, thus securing the northern borders of the state. He died in Vyshgorod in February 1054.

SvyatopolkDamned (1018-1019)– secondary temporary government

Izyaslav (1054-1068)- son of Yaroslav the Wise. According to his father's will, he sat on the throne of Kyiv in 1054. Throughout almost his entire reign, he was at odds with his younger brothers Svyatoslav and Vsevolod, who sought to seize the prestigious Kiev throne. In 1068, the Izyaslav troops were defeated by the Polovtsians in the battle on the Alta River. This led to the Kyiv Uprising of 1068. At the veche meeting, the remnants of the defeated militia demanded that they be given weapons in order to continue the fight against the Polovtsians, but Izyaslav refused to do this, which forced the Kievites to revolt. Izyaslav was forced to flee to the Polish king, his nephew. With the military help of the Poles, Izyaslav regained the throne for the period 1069-1073, was again overthrown, and ruled for the last time from 1077 to 1078.

Vseslav the Magician (1068-1069)

Svyatoslav (1073-1076)

Vsevolod (1076-1077)

Svyatopolk (1093-1113)- son of Izyaslav Yaroslavich, before occupying the Kyiv throne, he periodically headed the Novgorod and Turov principalities. The beginning of the Kyiv principality of Svyatopolk was marked by the invasion of the Cumans, who inflicted a serious defeat on Svyatopolk’s troops in the battle of the Stugna River. After this, several more battles followed, the outcome of which is not known for certain, but ultimately peace was concluded with the Cumans, and Svyatopolk took the daughter of Khan Tugorkan as his wife. The subsequent reign of Svyatopolk was overshadowed by the continuous struggle between Vladimir Monomakh and Oleg Svyatoslavich, in which Svyatopolk usually supported Monomakh. Svyatopolk also repelled the constant raids of the Polovtsy under the leadership of the khans Tugorkan and Bonyak. He died suddenly in the spring of 1113, possibly poisoned.

Vladimir Monomakh (1113-1125) was the prince of Chernigov when his father died. He had the right to the Kiev throne, but lost it to his cousin Svyatopolk, because he did not want war at that time. In 1113, the people of Kiev rebelled and, having overthrown Svyatopolk, invited Vladimir to the kingdom. For this reason, he was forced to accept the so-called “Charter of Vladimir Monomakh”, which alleviated the situation of the urban lower classes. The law did not affect the foundations of the feudal system, but regulated the conditions of enslavement and limited the profits of moneylenders. Under Monomakh, Rus' reached the peak of its power. The Principality of Minsk was conquered, and the Polovtsians were forced to migrate east from the Russian borders. With the help of an impostor who posed as the son of a previously murdered Byzantine emperor, Monomakh organized an adventure aimed at placing him on the Byzantine throne. Several Danube cities were conquered, but it was not possible to further develop the success. The campaign ended in 1123 with the signing of peace. Monomakh organized the publication of improved editions of The Tale of Bygone Years, which have survived in this form to this day. Monomakh also independently created several works: the autobiographical “Ways and Fishing”, a set of laws “The Charter of Vladimir Vsevolodovich” and “The Teachings of Vladimir Monomakh”.

Mstislav the Great (1125-1132)- son of Monomakh, formerly the prince of Belgorod. He ascended the throne of Kyiv in 1125 without resistance from the other brothers. Among the most outstanding acts of Mstislav, one can name the campaign against the Polovtsians in 1127 and the plunder of the cities of Izyaslav, Strezhev and Lagozhsk. After a similar campaign in 1129, the Principality of Polotsk was finally annexed to the possessions of Mstislav. In order to collect tribute, several campaigns were made in the Baltic states against the Chud tribe, but they ended in failure. In April 1132, Mstislav died suddenly, but managed to transfer the throne to Yaropolk, his brother.

Yaropolk (1132-1139)- being the son of Monomakh, inherited the throne when his brother Mstislav died. At the time of coming to power he was 49 years old. In fact, he only controlled Kyiv and its environs. By his natural inclinations he was a good warrior, but did not have diplomatic and political abilities. Immediately after taking the throne, traditional civil strife began related to the inheritance of the throne in the Pereyaslav Principality. Yuri and Andrei Vladimirovich expelled Vsevolod Mstislavich, who had been placed there by Yaropolk, from Pereyaslavl. Also, the situation in the country was complicated by the increasingly frequent raids of the Polovtsians, who, together with the allied Chernigovites, plundered the outskirts of Kyiv. Yaropolk's indecisive policy led to military defeat in the battle on the Supoya River with the troops of Vsevolod Olgovich. The cities of Kursk and Posemye were also lost during the reign of Yaropolk. This development of events further weakened his authority, which the Novgorodians took advantage of, announcing their secession in 1136. The result of Yaropolk's reign was the virtual collapse of the Old Russian state. Formally, only the Principality of Rostov-Suzdal retained its subordination to Kyiv.

Vyacheslav (1139, 1150, 1151-1154)