Genealogical tree of the princes of Kievan Rus. Rurik dynasty scheme with dates

The Rurikovichs were for sure, but was there Rurik ... Most likely he was, but his personality still raises many more questions than answers.

The Tale of Bygone Years tells about the calling of Rurik by the Eastern Slavs. It was according to the "Tale" in 862 (although the chronology in Rus' in those years was different, and the year actually was not 862). Some researchers. and this can be seen in particular from the diagram below, Rurik is called the ancestor of the dynasty, but its foundation is considered only from his son Igor. Probably, during his lifetime, Rurik did not have time to realize himself as the founder of the dynasty, because he was busy with other things. But the descendants, on reflection, decided to call themselves a dynasty.

Three main hypotheses have been formed regarding the origin of .

• The first - the Norman theory - claims that Rurik with his brothers and squad were from the Vikings. At the time, as proven by research, the name Rurik really existed among the Scandinavian peoples (meaning "illustrious and noble husband"). True, here with a specific candidate, information about which is available in other historical stories or documents, problems. There is no unequivocal identification with anyone: for example, the noble Danish Viking of the 9th century, Rorik of Jutland, or a certain Eirik Emundarson from Sweden, who raided the Baltic lands, is described.
• The second, Slavic version, where Rurik is shown as a representative of the princely family of obodrites from the West Slavic lands. There is evidence that one of the Slavic tribes living on the territory of historical Prussia was then called the Varangians. Rurik, on the other hand, is a variant of the West Slavic “Rerek, Rarog” - the name is not personal, but the name of the Obodrite princely family, denoting “falcon”. Supporters of this version believe that the coat of arms of the Rurikovich was just a symbolized image of a falcon.
• The third theory believes that Rurik did not really exist at all - the founder of the Rurik dynasty came forward during the struggle for power from the local Slavic population, and two hundred years later, his descendants, in order to ennoble their origin, ordered the author of The Tale of Bygone Years a propaganda story about the Varangian Rurik.

The princely dynasty of Rurikovich over the years was split into many branches. Few European dynasties can compare with her in branching and numerous offspring. But such was the very policy of this ruling group, they did not set the task of firmly sitting in the capital, on the contrary, they sent their offspring to all corners of the country.

The branching of the Rurikoviches begins in the generation of Prince Vladimir (some call him Saint, and some call him Bloody), and the line of the princes of Polotsk, descendants of Izyaslav Vladimirovich, is separated first of all.

Very briefly about some of the Ruriks

After the death of Rurik, power passed to Saint Oleg, who became the guardian of the young son of Rurik - Igor. Prophetic Oleg united the Russian disparate principalities into one state. He glorified himself with intelligence and militancy, with a large army he went down the Dnieper, took Smolensk, Lyubech, Kyiv and made the latter his capital city. Askold and Dir were killed, and Oleg showed little Igor to the glades:

"Here is the son of Rurik - your prince."

As you know, according to legend, he died from a snake bite.

Further Igor grew up and became the Grand Duke of Kyiv. He contributed to the strengthening of statehood among the Eastern Slavs, the expansion of the power of the Kyiv prince to the Eastern Slavic tribal associations between the Dniester and the Danube. But in the end he turned out to be a greedy ruler, for which he was killed by the Drevlyans.

Olga, Igor's wife, cruelly avenged the Drevlyans for the death of her husband and subjugated them main city Korosten. She was distinguished by a rare mind and great abilities. In her declining years, she adopted Christianity and was later canonized as a saint.

One of the most famous princesses in Rus'.

Svyatoslav. Known as one of the most prominent commanders from the Rurik dynasty, for the most part, he did not sit still, but was on military campaigns. his son Yaropolk blamed for the death of his brother Oleg, who tried to claim the throne of Kiev.

But Yaropolk was also killed, and again by his brother, Vladimir.

the same Vladimir that Rus' baptized. The Kiev Grand Duke Vladimir Svyatoslavovich was at first a fanatical pagan, he is also credited with such traits as vindictiveness and bloodthirstiness. At least he did not spare his brother and got rid of him in order to take the princely throne in Kyiv.

His son Yaroslav Vladimirovich, to whom history added the nickname “Wise”, was a really wise and diplomatic ruler of the Old Russian state. The time of his reign is not only internecine feudal wars between close relatives, but also attempts to bring Kievan Rus to the world political arena, attempts to overcome feudal fragmentation, and the construction of new cities. The reign of Yaroslav the Wise is the development Slavic culture, a kind of golden period of the Old Russian state.

Izyaslav - I- the eldest son of Yaroslav, after the death of his father, took the throne of Kiev, but after an unsuccessful campaign against the Polovtsy, he was driven out by the people of Kiev, and his brother became the Grand Duke Svyatoslav. After the death of the latter, Izyaslav returned to Kyiv again.

Vsevolod - I could be a useful ruler and a worthy representative of the Ruriks, but it did not work out. This prince was pious, truthful, very fond of education and knew five languages, but the raids of the Polovtsians, famine, pestilence and troubles in the country did not favor his principality. He stayed on the throne only thanks to his son Vladimir, nicknamed Monomakh.

Svyatopolk - II- the son of Izyaslav-I, who inherited the throne of Kiev after Vsevolod-I, was characterized by spinelessness and was not able to pacify the civil strife of the princes for the possession of cities. At the congress in Lyubich, Pereslavl in 1097, the princes kissed the cross "to each own his father's land", but soon Prince David Igorevich blinded Prince Vasilko.

The princes gathered again for a congress in Vyatichenia in 1100, and deprived David of Volhynia; at the suggestion of Vladimir Monomakh, they decided at the Dolobsky congress, in 1103, to undertake a joint campaign against the Polovtsy, the Russians defeated the Polovtsy on the Sala River (in 1111) and took a multitude of people: Cattle, sheep, horses, etc. Some Polovtsian princes killed up to 20 people . The fame of this victory spread far among the Greeks, Hungarians and other Slavs.

Vladimir Monomakh. A well-known representative of the Rurik dynasty. Despite the seniority of the Svyatopolk II, after the death of Svyatopolk II, Vladimir Monomakh was elected to the throne of Kiev, who, according to the chronicle, "wished well the brethren and the whole Russian land." He stood out for his great abilities, rare intelligence, courage and tirelessness. He was happy in campaigns against the Polovtsians. He humbled the princes with his severity. Remarkably left by him is the “teaching to children”, in which he gives a purely Christian moral teaching and a high example of the service of the prince to his homeland.

Mstislav - I. Resembling his father Monomakh, the son of Monomakh, Mstislav I, lived in harmony with his brothers in mind and character, inspiring respect and fear in recalcitrant princes. So, he expelled the Polovtsian princes who disobeyed him to Greece, and instead of them in the city of Polotsk he planted his son to rule.

Yaropolk, brother of Mstislav, Yaropolk, the son of Monomakh, decided to transfer the inheritance not to his brother Vyacheslav, but to his nephew. Thanks to the strife that arose from here, the “Monomakhovichi” lost the Kiev throne, which passed to the descendants of Oleg Svyatoslavovich - the “Olegovichi”.

Vsevolod - II. Having achieved the great reign, Vsevolod wanted to secure the throne of Kiev in his own way and handed it over to his brother Igor Olegovich. But not recognized by the people of Kiev and tonsured a monk, Igor was soon killed.

Izyaslav - II. The people of Kiev recognized Izyaslav II Mstislavovich, who, with his intelligence, brilliant talents, courage and friendliness, vividly resembled his famous grandfather Monomakh. With the accession to the grand-ducal throne of Izyaslav-II, the rooted in ancient Rus' the concept of seniority: In one way, a nephew during the life of an uncle could not be a grand duke.

Yury Dolgoruky". Prince of Suzdal since 1125, Grand Duke Kiev in 1149-1151, 1155-1157, founder of Moscow. Yuri was the sixth son of Prince Vladimir Monomakh. After the death of his father, he inherited the Rostov-Suzdal Principality and immediately began to strengthen the borders of his inheritance, building fortresses on them. So, for example, during his reign, the fortress of Xiantin, as modern Tver was called before, arose. By his order, the cities were founded: Dubna, Yuryev-Polsky, Dmitrov, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Zvenigorod, Gorodets. The first annalistic mention of Moscow dated 1147 is also associated with the name of Yuri Dolgoruky.
The life of this prince is unusual and interesting. The younger son of Vladimir Monomakh could not claim more than a specific principality. As an inheritance, he received the Rostov Principality, which became prosperous under Yuri. Many settlements arose here. The indefatigable son of Monomakh received his nickname "Long-armed" for his ambitions, for constantly interfering in other people's affairs and for the constant desire to seize foreign lands.
Owning the Rostov-Suzdal land, Yuri always sought to expand the territory of his principality and often raided neighboring lands owned by his relatives. Most of all, he dreamed of taking possession of Kyiv. In 1125, Yuri moved the capital of the principality from Rostov to Suzdal, from where he made campaigns to the south, reinforcing his squad with mercenary Polovtsian detachments. He annexed the cities of Murom, Ryazan, part of the lands along the banks of the Volga to the Rostov principality.
The Suzdal prince occupied Kyiv three times, but he never managed to stay there for a long time. The struggle for a great reign with his nephew Izyaslav Mstislavich was long. Three times Yuri entered Kyiv as the Grand Duke, but only the third time he remained so until the end of his days. The people of Kiev did not like Prince Yuri. This was due to the fact that Yuri had resorted to the help of the Polovtsy more than once and was almost always a troublemaker during periods of struggle for the throne. Yuri Dolgoruky was a "newcomer" for the people of Kiev, from the North. According to the chronicler, after the death of Yuri in 1157, the people of Kiev plundered his rich mansions and killed the Suzdal detachment that came with him.

Andrey Bogolyubsky. Having taken the grand ducal title, Andrey Yuryevich transferred the throne to Vladimir on the Klyazma, and since then Kyiv began to lose its leading position. The stern and strict Andrei wanted to be autocratic, that is, to rule Russia without a vecha and squads. Andrei Bogolyubsky mercilessly pursued the disgruntled boyars, they plotted on Andrei's life and killed him.

Alexander Nevskiy". Grand Duke of Novgorod (1236-1251). Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky consistently pursued a policy aimed at strengthening the northwestern borders of Rus' and reconciliation with the Tatars.
While still the prince of Novgorod (1236-1251), he showed himself to be an experienced commander and a wise ruler. Thanks to the victories won in the "Battle of the Neva" (1240), in the "Battle of the Ice" (1242), as well as numerous sorties against the Lithuanians, Alexander on for a long time repulsed the desire of the Swedes, Germans and Lithuanians to take possession of the northern Russian lands.
Alexander conducted an opposite policy towards the Mongols-Tatars. It was a policy of peace and cooperation, the purpose of which was to prevent a new invasion of Rus'. The prince often traveled to the Horde with rich gifts. He managed to achieve the release of Russian soldiers from the obligation to fight on the side of the Mongol-Tatars.

Yuri - III. Having married the sister of Khan Konchak, in Orthodoxy Agafya, Yuri gained great strength and help in the person of the Tatars who were related to him. But soon, thanks to the claims of Prince Dmitry, the son of Mikhail, who was tortured by Khan, he had to appear for a report to the horde. Here, at the first meeting with Dmitry, Yuri was killed by him, in revenge for the death of his father and for the violation of morality (marrying a Tatar).

Dmitry - II. Dmitry Mikhailovich, nicknamed "terrible eyes", for the murder of Yuri III, was executed by the Khan for arbitrariness.

Alexander Tverskoy. Brother executed in the horde of Dmitry -II Alexander Mikhailovich was approved by the Khan on the throne of the Grand Duke. He was distinguished by his kindness and was loved by the people, but he ruined himself by allowing the Tverichians to kill the hated Khan's ambassador Shchelkan. Khan sent 50,000 Tatar troops against Alexander. Alexander fled from the Khan's wrath to Pskov, and from there to Lithuania. Ten years later, Alexander of Tver returned and was forgiven by the khan. Not getting along, however, with the Prince of Moscow, John Kalita, Alexander
he was slandered by him before the khan, the khan summoned him to the horde and executed him.

John I Kalita. John -I Danilovich, the cautious and cunning prince, nicknamed Kalita (money purse) for his thrift, devastated the Tver principality with the help of the Tatars, taking advantage of the violence of the indignant Tverichans against the Tatars. He took upon himself the collection of tribute from all over Rus' for the Tatars, and having greatly enriched himself thanks to this, he bought cities from the specific princes. In 1326, thanks to the efforts of Kalita, the metropolis from Vladimir was transferred to Moscow, and here, according to Metropolitan Peter, the Assumption Cathedral was laid. Since then, Moscow, as the seat of the Metropolitan of All Rus', has become important Russian center.

John -II Ioannovich, a meek and peace-loving prince, followed the advice of Metropolitan Alexei in everything, who was of great importance in the Horde. During this time, relations between Moscow and the Tatars have improved significantly.

Vasily - I. Sharing with the father of the reign, Vasily I ascended the throne as an experienced prince and, following the example of his predecessors, actively expands the boundaries of the Moscow principality: Nizhny Novgorod and other cities. In 1395, Rus' was threatened by the danger of an invasion by Timur, the formidable Tatar khan. Between
Vasily did not pay tribute to the Tatars, but collected it in the grand ducal treasury. In 1408, the Tatar Murza Edigey attacked Moscow, but having received a ransom of 3,000 rubles, he lifted the siege from it. In the same year, after long disputes between Vasily I and Lithuanian prince Vitovt, both cautious and cunning, the Ugra River was appointed the extreme border of Lithuanian possessions from Rus'.

Vasily - II Dark. Vasily II's infancy was taken advantage of by Yuri Dmitrievich Galitsky, who declared his claims to seniority. But at the trial in the horde, the khan leaned in favor of Vasily, thanks to the efforts of the smart Moscow boyar Ivan Vsevolozhsky. The boyar hoped to marry his daughter to Vasily, but was deceived in his hopes: Offended, he left Moscow to Yuri Dmitrievich and assisted him in mastering the grand throne, on which Yuri died in 1434, when Yuri's son Vasily oblique decided to inherit his father's power, then all the princes rebelled against him.

Vasily-II took him prisoner and blinded: Then Dmitry Shemyaka, brother of Vasily Kosoy, by cunning captured Vasily II, blinded him and took the Moscow throne. Soon, however, Shemyaka had to give the throne to Vasily II. During the reign of Vasily II, the Greek metropolitan Isidore accepted the Florentine union (1439), for which Vasily II put Isidore in custody, and Ryazan Bishop John was appointed metropolitan. Thus, from now on, Russian metropolitans are supplied by a council of Russian bishops. Behind last years grand duchy, the internal structure of the grand duchy was the subject of the main concerns of Vasily II.

John III. Adopted by his father as a co-ruler, John III Vasilievich ascended the throne as the full owner of Rus'. At first, he severely punished the Novgorodians who started to become Lithuanian subjects, and in 1478, “for a new offense,” he finally subdued them. Novgorodians lost at this veche and
self-government, and the Novgorod posadnitsa Maria and the veche bell were sent to the camp of John.

In 1485, after the final conquest of other appanages more or less dependent on the Moscow principality, John finally annexed the Tver principality to Moscow. By this time, the Tatars were divided into three independent hordes: Golden, Kazan and Crimean. They were at enmity with each other and were no longer afraid of the Russians. IN official history it is believed that it was John III in 1480, having entered into an alliance with the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey, tore the khan's basma, ordered the khan's ambassadors to be taken to execution, and then, without bloodshed, overthrew the Tatar yoke.

Vasily III. The son of John -III from his marriage with Sophia Paleologus Vasily -III was distinguished by pride and impregnability, punished the descendants of appanage princes and boyars subject to him, who dared to rebuke him. He is "the last collector of the Russian land."
Having annexed the last appanages (Pskov, the northern principality), he completely destroyed the appanage system. He fought twice with Lithuania, on the teaching of the Lithuanian nobleman Mikhail Glinsky, who entered his service, and, finally, in 1514, he took Smolensk from the Lithuanians. The war with Kazan and the Crimea was difficult for Vasily, but ended in the punishment of Kazan: Trade was diverted from there to the Makaryev fair, which was later transferred to Nizhny. Vasily divorced his wife Solomonia and married Princess Elena Glinskaya, the more he aroused the boyars dissatisfied with him. From this marriage, Vasily had a son, John.

Elena Glinskaya. Appointed by Vasily III as the ruler of the state, the mother of three-year-old John, Elena Glinskaya, immediately took drastic measures against the boyars who were dissatisfied with her. She made peace with Lithuania and decided to fight with Crimean Tatars, who boldly attacked Russian possessions, but in the midst of preparing for a desperate struggle, she suddenly died.

John IV the Terrible. Left at the age of 8 in the hands of the boyars, the intelligent and talented Ivan Vasilievich grew up among the struggle of parties over the rule of the state, among violence, secret murders and incessant exile. He himself often endured harassment from the boyars, he learned to hate them, and the cruelty, violence and violence that surrounded him
rudeness contributed to the hardening of his heart.

In 1552, Kazan, which dominated the entire Volga region, was conquered by John, and in 1556 the kingdom of Astrakhan was annexed to the Moscow state. Desire to establish itself on the shores Baltic Sea forced John to start the Livonian War, which brought him into conflict with Poland and Sweden. The war began quite successfully, but ended in the most unfavorable truce for John with Poland and Sweden: John not only did not establish himself on the shores of the Baltic, but also lost the coast of the Gulf of Finland. The sad era of "search", disgrace and executions began. John left Moscow, went with his entourage to Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda and here he surrounded himself with guardsmen, whom John opposed to the rest of the land, the Zemstvo.

For more than seven centuries, the Rurik dynasty ruled in Rus'. With her formed Russian state, fragmentation was overcome, the first monarchs ascended the throne. The ancient Varangian family has sunk into oblivion, leaving historians with many unsolvable mysteries.

Dynastic intricacies

The greatest difficulty for historians is the compilation of the Rurik family tree. The point is not only in the remoteness of the eras, but also in the breadth of the geography of the clan, in its social interweaving, in the absence of reliable sources.

Certain difficulties in the study of the Rurik dynasty are created by the so-called “ladder” (next) law that existed in Rus' until the 13th century, in which not his son, but the brother next in seniority acted as the successor of the Grand Duke. Moreover, the princes often changed their inheritance, moving from city to city, which further confuses big picture pedigree.

True, until the reign of Yaroslav the Wise (978-1054), the inheritance in the dynasty went in a straight line, and only after his sons Svyatoslav and Vsevolod, during the period of feudal fragmentation, the branches of the Rurikovich began to multiply incessantly, spreading across the ancient Russian lands.

One of the Vsevolodovich branches leads to Yuri Dolgoruky (1096? -1157). It is from him that the line begins its countdown, which subsequently led to the appearance of the Grand Dukes and Tsars of Moscow.

First of a Kind

The identity of the founder of the Rurik dynasty (died in 879) to this day causes a lot of controversy, up to the denial of his existence. For many, the famous Varangian is nothing more than a semi-mythical figure. This is understandable. In the historiography of the 19th - 20th centuries, the Norman theory was criticized, since the idea of ​​the inability of the Slavs to create their own state was unbearable to domestic science.

Modern historians are more loyal to the Norman theory. So, Academician Boris Rybakov hypothesizes that in one of the raids on Slavic lands Rurik’s squad captured Novgorod, although another historian, Igor Froyanov, supports the peaceful version of the “calling of the Varangians” to reign.

The problem is that the image of Rurik lacks specifics. According to some sources, he could be the Danish Viking Rorik of Jutland, according to others, the Swede Eirik Emundarson, who raided the lands of the Balts.

There is also a Slavic version of the origin of Rurik. His name is associated with the word "Rerek" (or "Rarog"), which in the Slavic Obodrite tribe meant a falcon. And, indeed, during the excavations of the early settlements of the Rurik dynasty, many images of this bird were found.

Wise and Cursed

After the division of the ancient Russian lands between the descendants of Rurik, with destinies in Rostov, Novgorod, Suzdal, Vladimir, Pskov and other cities, a real fratricidal war broke out for the possession of estates, which did not subside until the centralization of the Russian state. One of the most power-hungry turned out to be Prince Turovsky, Svyatopolk, nicknamed the Accursed. According to one version, he was the son of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich (the Baptist), according to another, Yaropolk Svyatoslavovich.

Having rebelled against Vladimir, Svyatopolk was imprisoned on charges of trying to turn Rus' away from baptism. However, after the death of the Grand Duke, he turned out to be quicker than others and took the empty throne. According to one version, wanting to get rid of competitors in the face of half-brothers Boris, Gleb and Svyatoslav, he sent his warriors to them, who dealt with them one by one.

According to another version, to which the historian Nikolai Ilyin is inclined, Svyatopolk could not kill Boris and Gleb, since they recognized his right to the throne. In his opinion, the young princes fell victim to the hands of the warriors of Yaroslav the Wise, who claimed the throne of Kiev.

One way or another, a long fratricidal war broke out between Svyatopolk and Yaroslav for the title of Grand Prince of Kyiv. It continued with varying success, until in the decisive battle on the Alta River (not far from the place of Gleb's death), Yaroslav's squads finally defeated Svyatopolk's detachment, who was branded a treacherous prince and a traitor. Well, history is written by the winners.

Khan for the kingdom

One of the most odious rulers of the Rurik family was Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible (1530-1584). On the paternal side, he came from the Moscow branch of the dynasty, and on the maternal side from Khan Mamai. Perhaps it was the Mongolian blood that gave his character such unpredictability, explosiveness and cruelty.

Mongolian genes partly explain Grozny's military campaigns in the Nogai Horde, the Crimean, Astrakhan and Kazan khanates. By the end of the reign of Ivan Vasilievich, Muscovite Rus' had a territory larger than the rest of Europe: the growing state rather corresponded to the possessions of the Golden Horde.

In 1575, Ivan IV unexpectedly abdicated and proclaimed the new king of Kasimov Khan, Semeon Bekbulatovich, a descendant of Genghis Khan and great-grandson of the Khan of the Great Horde, Akhmat. Historians call this action a "political masquerade", although they cannot fully explain it. Someone argues that in this way the tsar was saved from the predictions of the Magi, who prophesied his death, others, in particular the historian Ruslan Skrynnikov, see this as a cunning political move. Interestingly, after the death of Grozny, many boyars consolidated around the candidacy of Semeon, but they eventually lost the fight against Boris Godunov.

The death of the prince

After the weak-minded Fyodor Ioannovich (1557-1598), the third son of Ivan the Terrible, was placed in the kingdom, the question of the successor turned out to be relevant. They were considered the younger brother of Fedor and the son of the Terrible from his sixth marriage, Dmitry. Even despite the fact that the Church did not officially recognize Dmitry's right to the throne, since only children from the first three marriages could be applicants, Fyodor's brother-in-law, who actually ruled the state and counted on the throne, was seriously afraid of a competitor.

Therefore, when on May 15, 1591, in Uglich, Tsarevich Dmitry was found dead with his throat cut, suspicion immediately fell on Godunov. But, as a result, an accident was blamed for the death of the prince: allegedly, the prince suffering from epilepsy during an attack mortally wounded himself.

The historian Mikhail Pogodin, who in 1829 worked with the original of this criminal case, also justifies Godunov and confirms the version of the accident, although some modern researchers tend to see this as an insidious intent.

Tsarevich Dmitry was destined to become the last of the Moscow branch of the Rurikovich, but the dynasty was finally interrupted only in 1610, when Vasily Shuisky (1552-1612), representing the Suzdal line of the Rurik family, was overthrown from the throne.

Treason Ingigerda

Representatives of the Rurikovichs can be met today. Russian scientists recently conducted a study of DNA samples of those who consider themselves the rightful heirs ancient family. The researchers came to the conclusion that the descendants belong to two haplogroups: N1c1 - branches leading from Vladimir Monomakh and R1a1 - descending from Yuri Tarussky.

However, it is the second haplogroup that is recognized as the original, since the first could have appeared as a result of the infidelity of the wife of Yaroslav the Wise, Irina. Scandinavian sagas they say that Irina (Ingigerda) burned with love for the Norwegian king Olaf II. According to historians, the fruit of this love was Vsevolod, the father of Vladimir Monomakh. But even this option once again confirms the Varangian roots of the Rurik family.

The Rurikoviches are the descendants of Rurik, who became the first known chronicle prince of ancient Rus'. Over time, the Rurik family split into several branches.

Dynasty

The Tale of Bygone Years, written by the monk Nestor, tells the story of the calling of Rurik and his brothers to Rus'. The sons of the Novgorod prince Gostomysl died in the wars, and he married one of his daughters to a Varangian-Russian, who gave birth to three sons - Sineus, Rurik and Truvor. They were called by Gostomysl to reign in Rus'. It was with them that the Rurik dynasty began in 862, which reigned in Rus' until 1598.

First princes

In 879, the summoned Prince Rurik died, leaving his little son Igor. At the time when he was growing up, Oleg, a relative of the prince through his wife, ruled the principality. He conquered the entire Kiev principality, and also built diplomatic relations with Byzantium. After the death of Oleg in 912, Igor began to reign until he died in 945, leaving two heirs - Gleb and Svyatoslav. However, the eldest (Svyatoslav) was a three-year-old child, and therefore his mother, Princess Olga, took the reign into her own hands.

Having become the ruler, Svyatoslav was more fond of military campaigns, and in one of them he was killed in 972. Svyatoslav left three sons: Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir. Yaropolk killed Oleg for the sake of autocracy, while Vladimir first fled to Europe, but later returned, killed Yaropolk and became the ruler. It was he who baptized the people of Kiev in 988, built many cathedrals. He reigned until 1015 and left behind 11 sons. After Vladimir, Yaropolk began to reign, who killed his brothers, and after him Yaroslav the Wise.

Yaroslavichi

Yaroslav the Wise reigned in total from 1015 to 1054 (including breaks). When he died, the unity of the principality was broken. His sons divided Kievan Rus into parts: Svyatoslav received Chernigov, Izyaslav - Kyiv and Novgorod, Vsevolod - Pereyaslavl and the Rostov-Suzdal land. The latter, and later his son Vladimir Monomakh, significantly expand the inherited lands. After the death of Vladimir Monomakh, the disintegration of the unity of the principality is finally established, in each part of which a separate dynasty rules.

Rus' specific

Feudal fragmentation is growing due to the ladder of succession to the throne, according to which power was transferred by seniority to the brothers of the prince, while the younger ones were given in cities of less significant importance. After the death of the chief prince, everyone moved by seniority from city to city. This order led to internecine wars. The most powerful princes launched a war for Kyiv. The power of Vladimir Monomakh and his descendants proved to be the most influential. Vladimir Monomakh leaves his possessions to his three sons: Mstislav, Yaropolk and Yuri Dolgoruky. The latter is considered the founder of Moscow.

Moscow's struggle with Tver

One of the famous descendants of Yuri Dolgoruky was Alexander Nevsky, under whom an independent Moscow principality arose. In an effort to elevate their influence, the descendants of Nevsky begin to fight with Tver. During the reign of a descendant of Alexander Nevsky, the Moscow principality becomes one of the main centers of the unification of Rus', but the Tver principality remains outside its influence.

Creation of the Russian state

After the death of Dmitry Donskoy, power passes to his son Vasily I, who managed to maintain the greatness of the principality. After his death, a dynastic struggle for power begins. However, under the reign of a descendant of Dmitry Donskoy, Ivan III, the Horde yoke ends and the Moscow principality plays a decisive role in this. Under Ivan III, the process of forming a unified Russian state was completed. In 1478, he appropriated the title of "sovereign of all Rus'" to himself.

The last Rurikovichs

The last representatives of the Rurik dynasty in power were Ivan the Terrible and his son Fyodor Ivanovich. The latter was not a ruler by nature, and therefore, after the death of Ivan the Terrible, the Boyar Duma essentially controls the state. In 1591 Dmitry, another son of Ivan the Terrible, dies. Dmitry was the last contender for the Russian throne, since Fyodor Ivanovich had no children. In 1598, Fedor Ivanovich also dies, with whom the dynasty of the first Russian rulers, who had been in power for 736 years, is interrupted.

The article mentions only the main and most prominent representatives of the dynasty, but in fact there were much more descendants of Rurik. The Rurikovichs made an invaluable contribution to the development of the Russian state.

From the book Medieval France author Polo de Beaulieu Marie-Anne

Family tree of the Capetian and Valois dynasties (987-1350) The Valois genealogy (1328-1589) is presented in part. The Valois branch ruled France from 1328 to 1589. The direct descendants of the Valois were in power from 1328 to 1498, from 1498 to 1515. the throne was occupied by the Orleans Valois, and from 1515 to 1589