Rurik: The founder of Kievan Rus and ruler of russia

I was away this weekend and was haveing history talks with one of my militant minded cousins and he was asking me "were was russia during everything" like during the times of the romans and greeks.I realized my knowledge on them was very limited so I went into a reading frenzy which led me to the discovery of Rurik

heres some wiki on the famous ruler
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rurik

Imperator_Boru wrote:

I was away this weekend and was haveing history talks with one of my militant minded cousins and he was asking me "were was russia during everything" like during the times of the romans and greeks.I realized my knowledge on them was very limited so I went into a reading frenzy which led me to the discovery of Rurik

heres some wiki on the famous ruler
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rurik

Russia wasn't even fully established with a government during Ancient Greek times until around the end of the Roman Empire. The people were there yes, but they weren't entirely organized. Nice find though.

Konst, I beg to differ. Russia was not their as a country until much later mate. They where more or less Nomadic Tribesmen, who where unified by language and culture. Russia is a mix of many different cultures (including Western European, and Asian) from the Imperial Age.

Oh ya, look at my new sig down at the bottom of my message! Alexander inspiring the Phalanxes of his army.

Is that a photo-shopped picture of you?

Ranger wrote:

Is that a photo-shopped picture of you?

hahaha, nope.

Imperator_Alexander wrote:

Konst, I beg to differ. Russia was not their as a country until much later mate. They where more or less Nomadic Tribesmen, who where unified by language and culture. Russia is a mix of many different cultures (including Western European, and Asian) from the Imperial Age.

Oh ya, look at my new sig down at the bottom of my message! Alexander inspiring the Phalanxes of his army.

There were already Tsars of Russia when the Byzantine Empire was alive in the 6th to 7th centuries. No they were not Nomads, where do you think the slavs came from? The slavs dominated areas around there. I will edit this and say more soon.

Ok konst, you are blending cultures and time frames right now. At the point of the Byzantine Empire, they where not known as Russians. The country was know as Kievan Russ (as in Stainless Steel) and it was the Byzantine Empire that converted them from paganism to Orthodox Christianity. Secondly, how can you say that the Slavs dominated the region, when Atilla the Hun came from that region of the world in a massive military sweep. He came during the time when the Western Roman Empire was in decline, but was still a force to be reckoned with militarically. Thirdly and finally, the Slavs did not dominate the entire region, as you said the Byzantine Empire had an impact on the region, as did the Islamic Empires that formed around the Byzantine Empire during its decline, which still have a profound effect on the Russian Culture today. All I am saying is that Russia as you call it was never a country as a whole, rather the modern Russia formed from cultural diffusion during the Imperial Age as I have already said, until then, they where nomadic people surrounding the people, with the Kievan Russ princes still in control of portions of the land.

well said Alexander.Thats pretty much what I just read about.

Imperator_Boru wrote:

well said Alexander.Thats pretty much what I just read about.

Thank you Boru. Sorry for my ranting.

Imperator_Alexander wrote:

Ok konst, you are blending cultures and time frames right now. At the point of the Byzantine Empire, they where not known as Russians. The country was know as Kievan Russ (as in Stainless Steel) and it was the Byzantine Empire that converted them from paganism to Orthodox Christianity. Secondly, how can you say that the Slavs dominated the region, when Atilla the Hun came from that region of the world in a massive military sweep. He came during the time when the Western Roman Empire was in decline, but was still a force to be reckoned with militarically. Thirdly and finally, the Slavs did not dominate the entire region, as you said the Byzantine Empire had an impact on the region, as did the Islamic Empires that formed around the Byzantine Empire during its decline, which still have a profound effect on the Russian Culture today. All I am saying is that Russia as you call it was never a country as a whole, rather the modern Russia formed from cultural diffusion during the Imperial Age as I have already said, until then, they where nomadic people surrounding the people, with the Kievan Russ princes still in control of portions of the land.

"and it was the Byzantine Empire that converted them from paganism to Orthodox Christianity."

Well I knew that. ok I lost this debate. Heroic victory awarded to Alexander

To be honest I haven't even read Russian history, or I guess you could say "history in that area". I have read byzantine history. The reason I went hard as to say russia was there around the 6 to 8th centuries was because I recall sieges of Russian kings on Constantinople. With that being said I am probably wrong with those dates because I haven't really used my knowlege of Byzantine History in so long I am forgetting it. I know for sure though that The Byzantine Empire sent missionaries there around between the 8th and 10th centuries. I have never even heard of Kieven Russ until SS came out.

"Secondly, how can you say that the Slavs dominated the region, when Atilla the Hun came from that region of the world in a massive military sweep."

Well, LOADS of slavs migrated from the area where Russia is down towards Greece and those areas and toward western Europe. Now before Atilla came sweeping toward Western Europe I am pretty sure thatalmost everyone around the area of Modern day Russia and the areas of Kieven Russ spoke Slavic. Therefore, the influence of the slavs was dominated there.
How old did you say you were?

"Well, LOADS of slavs migrated from the area where Russia is down towards Greece and those areas and toward western Europe. Now before Atilla came sweeping toward Western Europe I am pretty sure thatalmost everyone around the area of Modern day Russia and the areas of Kieven Russ spoke Slavic. Therefore, the influence of the slavs was dominated there.
How old did you say you were?"

hahaha, I am 16 Konst, and yes lots of Slavs did migrate, but they did not dominate the region prior to that, they where as I said, servants to the Kievan Russ Princes (who where Slavs possibly, im not quite sure) but the region surrounding their little land was controlled by Nomadic Herders. It was the same scenario that Ancient China saw when the Mongols invaded and conquered and formed a new dynasty. Many of the Mongols migrated into China, and their culture followed.


"Heroic victory awarded to Alexander"


Thank you for the victory Konst....

Imperator_Alexander wrote:

"Well, LOADS of slavs migrated from the area where Russia is down towards Greece and those areas and toward western Europe. Now before Atilla came sweeping toward Western Europe I am pretty sure thatalmost everyone around the area of Modern day Russia and the areas of Kieven Russ spoke Slavic. Therefore, the influence of the slavs was dominated there.
How old did you say you were?"

hahaha, I am 16 Konst, and yes lots of Slavs did migrate, but they did not dominate the region prior to that, they where as I said, servants to the Kievan Russ Princes (who where Slavs possibly, im not quite sure) but the region surrounding their little land was controlled by Nomadic Herders. It was the same scenario that Ancient China saw when the Mongols invaded and conquered and formed a new dynasty. Many of the Mongols migrated into China, and their culture followed.


"Heroic victory awarded to Alexander"


Thank you for the victory Konst....

I am certain Kievan Rus was Slavic. By the way, what area are you talking about? Show me.

The early Rus' were most likely a Scandinavian warrior-elite that ruled a majority of Slavic subjects. Scandinavians continued to remain in control until at least the mid-11th century.

heres some wiki for you guys
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kievan_Rus%27