The emergence of ancient Russian cities over the years. The most ancient cities of Russia

Russian chronicles, Byzantine and other sources tell us about the existence of cities on the territory of Ancient Rus'. The Scandinavians mention the territory of Ancient Rus' as a country of cities and call it Gardaria. It is possible with a high degree of probability to list at least 25 large ones that existed in the ancient Russian state already in the 9th-10th centuries. These cities are mentioned in Russian chronicles. Slavic roots sound in their names - Beloozero, Belgorod, Vasilev, Izborsk, Vyshgorod, Vruchey, Iskorosten, Ladoga, Kiev, Lyubich, Novgorod, Murom, Crossed, Przemysl, Pskov, Polotsk, Pereyaslavl, Smolensk, Rostov, Rodnya, Turov, Cherven , Chernihiv. Not being mentioned in the annals does not yet mean that the city did not exist. For example, the ancient Russian city of Suzdal is mentioned for the first time in the chronicles in the 11th year, although archaeological excavations confirm that the city existed much earlier. The same with the rest of the cities, they appear much earlier than the annals mention them. For example, the Byzantine emperor Konstantin Bagryanorodsky left a description of the ancient Russian cities that were located on the way "from the Varangians to the Greeks." Historians have learned that the ancient Russian city of Vitichev, which is mentioned in the Russian chronicle only in the 11th century, is older by one or two centuries.

The existence of cities is a confirmation of the existence of the state. Cities arose as centers of administrative control, the development of crafts, and, of course, the perpetual motion machine of civilization - trade. The territory of the ancient Russian state was crossed by two busy military and trade routes - the Volga and "from the Varangians to the Greeks." The most ancient, the Volga route, connected Scandinavia and the states located on the shores of the Caspian Sea. On its way, such cities as Pereslavl, Chernigov arose and rapidly developed , Rostov. But in the 10th century, the Pechenegs cut off this trade route for many centuries, which also affected the development of cities. The situation was completely different with the cities that arose on the way "from the Varangians to the Greeks." Lively trade between distant regions had a beneficial effect on the development of cities. From small settlements, they grew into military-administrative centers that controlled the river systems. Cities became centers of a wide variety of crafts, which were used not only in the cities themselves, but also became objects of trade. The very term "city" in the Middle Ages in Russia had a completely different meaning than now. It was a settlement that necessarily had a fortification. guests. Therefore, the place for the city was chosen taking into account natural barriers - an island in the middle of the river, hills or impenetrable swamps. In addition to the natural barrier, additional fortifications were installed. If there was an opportunity, and there were enough workers, then an artificial earthen obstacle was built around the city - an earthen moat. This made it possible to additionally strengthen the city with an earthen rampart and made it difficult for opponents to access the settlement.Wooden fortifications in ancient Russian cities were called kremlin or detinets.Actually, everything that was inside the kremlin was a city.

The inhabitants of the ancient Russian cities did not differ much from the peasants. They cultivated vegetable gardens, orchards and kept domestic animals. Archaeologists find bones not only of horses, but also of cows, pigs, and sheep. The central place is the town square. It was the venue for city meetings, when residents elected or expelled the prince, traded. In the pre-Christian period, all kinds of rituals were held here. After the adoption of the Christian faith, the central place of the city, as a rule, became the temple and the square in front of it. Such were the ancient Russian cities during the early feudal period.

Brief historiography of the issue. The problem of the emergence of the first Russian cities is still controversial. V. O. Klyuchevsky believed that they arose as a result of the success of the eastern trade of the Slavs, as points of storage and departure of Russian export. In Soviet times, M.N. Tikhomirov opposed this. In his opinion, trade did not bring cities to life, it only created the conditions for singling out the largest and richest from them. He considered the development of agriculture and handicrafts in the field of economy and feudalism in the field of social relations to be the real force that brought Russian cities to life. The specific paths of the emergence of cities seemed to Soviet historians to be quite diverse. According to N. N. Voronin, cities in Rus' were built on the basis of trade and craft settlements, feudal castles or princely fortresses. E. I. Goryunova, M. G. Rabinovich, V. T. Pashuto, A. V. Kuza, V. V. Sedov and others agreed with him, to one degree or another. M. Yu. Braichevskii singles out one of the listed possibilities. Most of the cities, from his point of view, arose around the early feudal fortresses-castles. V. L. Yanin and M. Kh. Aleshkovsky believe that the ancient Russian city developed not from princely castles or trade and craft settlements, but from administrative veche centers of rural districts-graveyards, places of concentration of tribute and its collectors. V. V. Mavrodin, I. Ya. Froyanov and A. Yu. Dvornichenko believe that the cities in Rus' at the end of the 9th - 10th centuries. built on a tribal basis. They arose as a result of the formation of tribal unions, as vital bodies coordinating and directing the activities of the unions.

Kyiv. According to archaeological data on the appearance of manor buildings, bridges, drainage systems, etc., in relation to the 10th century, we can talk about the existence of only five real cities. At the end of the 9th - beginning of the 10th century, Kyiv and Ladoga arose, in the first half of the century - Novgorod, and at the end of the century - Polotsk and Chernigov.

Author of "The Tale of Bygone Years" calls the first Russian city Kyiv, and considers the founder of the Russian land Oleg. This follows from the words that he puts into the mouth of the prophetic prince: And Oleg, the prince, sat down in Kyiv and Oleg said:This will be the mother of Russian cities ". And he had- continues the chronicler, - Varangians, and Slovenes, and others who were nicknamedRussia » . By "others" he meant other participants in the campaign (Chud, I measure, Krivichi) and polyan. It turns out that " Russian land" arose as a result of the merger of heterogeneous clans with the arrival of Oleg and his troops in Kyiv. The meaning of the phenomenon is clear. It has been well known since ancient times and is usually called the Greek word "sinoikism". The expression "mother of Russian cities", like the Greek "metropolis" (from meter - mother and polis - city) - means the founding city. The words of the Prophetic Oleg “Kyiv is the mother of Russian cities” is a kind of prophecy that predicts Kyiv the laurels of the founder of all Russian cities (or older cities).

Such information also penetrated into the chronicle that does not fit into the concept of the Kyiv scribe. Based on the Greek chronicles, he tells that the Russian land became known during the reign of the Roman Emperor Michael. According to the chronicle, in 866 (according to Greek sources in 860), the Rus attacked Constantinople. These Russ are connected by the chronicler with the Kyiv princes Askold and Dir. If this was indeed the case, it turns out that the Russian land arose at least a quarter of a century before the arrival of Oleg.

The story about Oleg's campaign against Kyiv is contradictory, and as it turns out, it is full of legendary details that never really happened. The chronicler claims that Oleg took Smolensk and Lyubech along the way and planted his husbands there. However, these cities did not exist at that time. According to the chronicle, Oleg went to Kyiv with a large army - "we will drink a lot of howls." But, having come to the mountains of Kyiv, for some reason he began to hide him in the boats and pretend to be a merchant. Firstly, if this multi-tribal army was really large, it was not so easy to hide it. Secondly, if it was really significant, why didn’t Oleg openly take Kiev - by siege or attack, as he allegedly did with Lyubech and Smolensk, the news of the capture of which would have reached the Kiev princes before the largest army? Most likely, Oleg's campaign was in fact a robber raid of a small detachment, consisting of representatives of Slovenes, Krivichi, Varangians, Mary, etc. But not a state enterprise. In this case, it makes sense to pretend to be merchants, especially since to a certain extent this actually happened. The raids of the Rus on the Slavs, which are described by Eastern authors, were directly related to the trade interests of the latter.

According to archaeological excavations, Kyiv arose on the site of a nest of Slavic settlements, located in the 7th - 9th centuries on the Starokievskaya mountain and its slopes, the mountains of Kiselevka, Detinka, Shchekovitsa and Podil. The settlements were interspersed with empty spaces, arable land and burial grounds. The ancient settlement was located in the north-west of the Starokievskaya mountain. According to B. A. Rybakov, it dates from the end of the 5th - beginning. 6th century At the end of the 9th century, Kiev Podil developed rapidly, yard buildings and street planning appeared here.

In 969 - 971, during the reign of the famous warrior prince Svyatoslav Igorevich, Kyiv almost lost its status as the "middle" of the Russian land. Not only the prince and his family could leave him, but also the best part of the local nobility. The Kiev boyars were ready to change their place of residence to a more attractive one, having agreed, together with the prince, to settle in another city - Pereyaslavets on the Danube. Both Svyatoslav and his squad were only waiting for the death of the sick mother of the prince. The reason why such an outcome did not take place was the failure of the Russians in the fight against the Roman Empire. The reason why such an outcome could have taken place was that the Kiev squad had not yet completely settled on the ground and the old squad ideals of loyalty and brotherhood meant more to it than their own villages in the district of Kiev.

Under Vladimir, not only religion was changed, but the final step was taken towards the settlement of the Russian squad. The development of Kyiv, its strengthening and growth begins at this time. This can be seen from the construction undertaken by the prince. First, a pagan sanctuary "outside the courtyard" of the Terem was built, then the Church of the Tithes and the fortifications of the "city of Vladimir".

A real leap in the development of Kyiv occurred in the era of Yaroslav the Wise after a period of temporary decline caused by the shock of the introduction of Christianity and the struggle of the sons of Vladimir for the Kievan inheritance. Then the boundaries of the city are noticeably expanding. The plan becomes sustainable. The center is being finalized - the "city of Vladimir" and the "city of Yaroslav" with the Golden Gate and the grandiose St. Sophia Cathedral. The fortifications of Kyiv increase in area by 7 times.

Ladoga. Judging by archaeological data, Ladoga arose at the same time as Kyiv. This is the only possible place where the legendary Rurik could come, and from where Prophetic Oleg could go on a campaign against Kyiv. The calling of Rurik to Ladoga, and not Novgorod, is mentioned in the Ipatiev and Radzivilov chronicles.

Archaeological excavations have shown that Ladoga as a settlement appears in the middle of the VIII century, but at that time, along with the Slavs, the Balts, Finns and Scandinavians lived here. Archaeologists have discovered both Slavic square log cabins with a stove in the corner, and large Scandinavian-style houses. The Slavs began to dominate here in the 10th century. The first fortress in Ladoga was built at the turn of the 9th - 10th centuries. Gradually, Ladoga becomes a Slavic city. The first streets appear, stretching along the banks of the Volkhov, and courtyard and estate buildings, typical of ancient Russian cities.

When Rurik came to Ladoga, it was an international trading post, with a more or less permanent agricultural and trade and craft population. Oleg left her together with his gang even when Ladoga did not represent a single organism. And only with his direct participation, it acquires urban features. Most likely, it was Oleg who built a stone fortress here, dated by archaeologists to the end of the 9th - beginning of the 10th centuries, which became the first step towards Slavic predominance. Oleg and his people took the trade route "from the Varangians to the Greeks" under their control - this is the goal of strengthening the northernmost point of this trading system. In the X century, the Kiev community persistently sought to master the East Slavic lands, rebuilding fortresses in the most important places, from the point of view of Kyiv. The most ancient Russian cities (Kyiv fortresses) ensured the dominance of Kyiv among the Slavic tribes.

Novgorod. Information about the construction of Novgorod is contradictory. Initially, according to chronicles, the Novgorod fortress was built by the Slovenes who came to these places, then Rurik set up his fortifications here. Finally, in 1044 Novgorod was once again laid by Vladimir, son of Yaroslav the Wise. Slovenian Novgorod is a ancestral village or tribal center, the location of which is unknown. Rurik's Novgorod is associated by many with the "Rurik settlement", located 2 km from ancient Russian Novgorod. Excavations have shown that a settlement existed here already in the middle of the 9th century. Along with the Slavs, who built wooden log cabins here (the walls are 4-6 meters long) and left behind molded dishes and socketed arrowheads, characteristic of the Western Slavs, a certain number of Scandinavians lived here. The Scandinavian trace is represented by torcs with pendants in the form of Thor's hammers, equal-armed and shell-shaped brooches, playing checkers, pendants with runic spells, etc. Only the last message pertains to the now-famous Novgorod citadel. It has been confirmed by archaeological excavations. Novgorod of Vladimir Yaroslavich is the oldest citadel, which occupied the northwestern part of the modern citadel and included St. Sophia Cathedral and the episcopal court. V. L. Yanin and M. Kh. Aleshkovsky believe that a pagan temple used to be on the site of the St. Sophia Cathedral, i.e. this part of the detinets was the center of the boyar farms surrounding it in pre-Christian times. There was also an older citadel. The first fortress of detinets could have been erected on this site during the reign of Oleg or Igor.

Initially, Novgorodians were part of the Kyiv city community. The unity of Kyiv and Novgorod of the 10th century is evidenced by the reports of the chronicle about the tributes established by Oleg, and then Olga, quitrents, traps and banners of the Kyiv princes in the Novgorod land. The connection with the "mother" was mainly political. Posadniks were sent from Kyiv. If it was a prince, for example, Svyatoslav, Vladimir, Yaroslav, this flattered the Novgorodians and made them more independent. The personality of the prince gave the city completeness - both political and spiritual: the pagans believed in a mystical connection between the ruler and the good of society.

Polotsk. For the first time, Polotsk is mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years under the year 862 among the cities subject to Rurik. It is also on the list of Russian cities to which the Greek tribute taken by Oleg in 907 was intended. Under the year 980, the chronicle speaks of the first prince of Polotsk, Rogvolod, who allegedly came "from beyond the sea."

Systematic archaeological study of the city began in Soviet times. A. N. Lyavdansky, M. K. Karger, P. A. Rappoport, L. V. Alekseev and others excavated here. According to archaeological data, the original settlement in Polotsk arose in the 9th century on the right bank of the river. Cloths. The oldest Slavic strata date back to the 10th century. Detinets at the mouth of the Polota River was built in the second half of the 10th century. It became the center of the future city. Polotsk acquires city features in the late 10th - early 11th centuries, when courtyard and manor buildings spread and pavements were built. Polotsk was founded to control the trade route "from the Varangians to the Arabs" (as I. V. Dubov puts it), which passed from the Baltic Sea along the Western Dvina, through the portage along the Volga to the Caspian Sea.

Chernigov. The city was first mentioned in the annals under the year 907, among the Russian cities - recipients of Greek tribute. Konstantin Porphyrogenitus speaks of Chernigov as one of the “Russian fortresses”, from where Slavic one-trees come to Constantinople. The first event associated with the city dates back to 1024. Then Prince Mstislav Vladimirovich, not accepted in Kyiv, " gray hair on the table Chernihiv».

The city has long attracted the attention of researchers. Mass excavations of the Chernihiv mounds were carried out in the 70s of the XIX century by D. Ya. Samokvasov. Detinets was studied by B. A. Rybakov. Architectural monuments were studied by N. V. Kholostenko and P. D. Baranovsky. In our time, excavations in Chernigov are led by V.P. Kovalenko. P. V. Golubovsky, D. I. Bagalei, M. N. Tikhomirov, A. N. Nasonov, V. V. Mavrodin, A. K. Zaitsev, M. Yu. Cuza and others.

Archaeological excavations have shown that on the territory of Chernihiv in the VIII-IX centuries there were several settlements of the Romny culture, traditionally associated with the tribes of the northerners. At the end of the 9th century, they cease to exist as a result of a military defeat. Their place is occupied by monuments of the Old Russian type. The first fortifications in the area of ​​​​the Chernigov citadel, apparently, were built at the beginning of the 10th century (there is no exact data on this). It is believed that in the 80s and 90s of the 10th century the citadel was rebuilt by Prince Vladimir. Chernihiv acquires urban character at the beginning of the 11th century, like Polotsk. The city probably followed the movement along the Desna and held the exit to the trade route "from the Varangians to the Greeks", connecting it through the Ugra and Oka with the Volga route.

Forced Synoykism. Among the first Kyiv fortresses are Vyshgorod and Pskov. IN Vyshgorod there are no undisturbed deposits of the 10th century, there are only isolated finds. IN Pskov the first fortifications date back to the beginning or middle of the 10th century, but the settlement becomes a city only in the 11th century.

At the end of the 10th century, Vladimir Svyatoslavich built a number of fortresses near Kyiv to protect it from Pecheneg raids. Among them were Belgorod And Pereyaslavl. Archaeological excavations have confirmed the information of the chronicle. Belgorod was built on the site of a Slavic settlement (with an area of ​​​​8.5 hectares), located on a cape formed by a ravine and the bank of the river. Irpin. According to excavations, at the end of the 10th century, fortifications of the citadel (12.5 hectares) and the first roundabout city were built here. The ramparts of the city had internal log structures and powerful mud-brick masonry. Ancient fortifications Pereyaslavl also belong to the end of the 10th century.

Chronicle reports about the construction of Belgorod and information under the year 988 make it possible to find out exactly how Kyiv created its colonies. According to the chronicle, Vladimir " chop”, i.e. collected,scored people in Belgorod from other cities. He did the same when settling other, nameless cities, the construction of which is reported in the article of 988. Therefore, Vladimir united into one whole representatives of various tribes and clans, i.e. artificially did what had previously happened by itself in Kyiv. Before us is the real forced synokism, similar to those arranged by the Seleucids in their kingdom more than a thousand years before.

Information from the chronicles about other ancient Russian cities has not been confirmed as a result of archaeological excavations. First fortifications Smolensk dated by archaeologists at the turn of the 11th-12th centuries. The settlement of Podil dates back to the middle of the 11th century. As you know, the ancient Russian Smolensk was preceded by Gnezdovo X-XI centuries - an open trade and craft settlement with a multinational population. However, Gnezdovo cannot be recognized as the original Smolensk. In fact, it was a settlement closely associated with the interests of international trade and distant predatory campaigns. It was primarily trading place, a trading post and had no direct relation to the future of Smolensk. Beloozero(up. under 862) in the X century - the village of Vesi. It became an Old Russian city only in the 12th century. fortifications Izborsk were built at the turn of the 10th-11th centuries, although the settlement has been known here since the 8th century. Rostov According to archaeological data, it appears no earlier than the 11th century. It is preceded by the Sarskoye settlement of the 9th-10th centuries, but, like Gnezdovo in relation to Smolensk, it cannot be recognized as the original Rostov. The oldest layers Turov belong to the turn of the 10th-11th centuries, and the fortifications of the city were built no earlier than the 11th century. fortifications Lyubech were also built in the 11th century.

Plan:

Introduction

• 1 Origin
• 2 Household
• 3 Population
• 4 Early medieval cities of Russian princes
• 5 The most famous cities of the pre-Mongol era
  • 5.1 Kyiv and Pereyaslav lands
  • 5.2 Novgorod land
  • 5.3 Volyn land
  • 5.4 Galician land
  • 5.5 Chernihiv land
  • 5.6 Smolensk land
  • 5.7 Polotsk land
  • 5.8 Rostov-Suzdal land
  • 5.9 Ryazan land
Notes
Literature

Introduction

Map of ancient Russian cities in the State Historical Museum

Old Russian cities- permanent settlements of the Eastern Slavs, formed as trade and craft centers, cult centers, defensive fortresses, or princely residences. Another type of urban settlements were graveyards - points for collecting tribute, polyudya, through which the grand ducal power secured the subject tribal territories.

Nowadays, instead of “Old Russian”, the term medieval cities of Rus' or cities of medieval Rus' has been adopted, and the origins of domestic urban planning on the lands of Russia are from the ancient cities of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov (if Arkaim and similar settlements of the proto-urban level are ignored).

1. Origin

The history of any settlements on the planet begins from the moment the first people appeared in a given place, and, if necessary, the depths of the past of all living nature and geological history are also taken into account. On the territory and in the vicinity of many medieval cities that survived until the 21st century (Moscow, Kiev, Vladimir, etc.), various traces of the Paleolithic and subsequent eras have been identified. Since the Neolithic, relatively stable settlements have existed in the districts of future cities, consisting of several or dozens of dwellings (the proto-cities of the Trypillia culture on the lands of the future Russia included hundreds of dwellings). During the Eneolithic period, settlements become more and more fortified, fenced off or located on elevated places near water bodies. At the beginning of the Iron Age (long before our era), there were hundreds of various settlements of various archaeological cultures on the territory of the future Russia (at least twenty "Dyakovo" ones only on the territory of present-day Moscow). Their unambiguous ethnic links are impossible, but there are opinions that they belong to the ancestors of the local Finno-Ugric tribes (Merya, Muroma) and the Baltic tribe Golyad. The emergence of real ancient cities on the lands that later became part of medieval Rus' is well known: Olbia, Tiras, Sevastopol, Tanais, Phanagoria, Korchev, etc. Gelon.

The oldest actually Russian cities of the early Middle Ages were also far from always founded by the Slavs. Rostov appeared as the center of the Finno-Ugric Merya tribe, Beloozero - the entire tribe, Murom - the Muroma tribe, Staraya Ladoga was founded by immigrants from Scandinavia. The cities of Galich, Suzdal, Vladimir, Yaroslavl were also founded by the Meryans and Slavs on the lands of the Merya tribe. The ethnogenesis of the Eastern Slavs had not yet ended by the time of the formation of Kievan Rus, and in addition to the Slavs, the Old Russian ethnos included the Balts and numerous Finno-Ugric peoples, the merging of which into a single people was one of the results of political unification. However, the political unification itself was prepared by the appearance in Eastern Europe of cities and proto-states, the political centers of which they were.

The immediate predecessors of the Russian cities of the early Middle Ages were fortified sanctuaries and shelters such as citadel or kremlin, which were erected by the inhabitants of a number of neighboring villages scattered among the surrounding fields and meadows. This type of settlement is typical for archaeological cultures that preceded Kievan Rus, for example, Tushemlinskaya (IV-VII centuries), common on the territory of the Smolensk Dnieper region. The Tushemla culture was apparently created by the Balts., And its villages perished in a fire in the 7th-8th centuries, possibly during the onset of the Krivichi. The presence of powerful fortifications is also characteristic of the settlements of the Yukhnov and Moshchin cultures. A similar transformation of the type of settlements “from unprotected settlements located in low places to settlements in high, naturally protected places” takes place in the 8th-9th centuries. and among the Slavs (Romny-Borschev culture, late Luka-Raikovets culture).

In the 9th-10th centuries, along with the cities of refuge, small inhabited fortresses appeared, near which no earlier than the end of the 10th century. urban settlements appear - settlements of artisans and merchants. A number of cities were the main settlements of one or another "tribe", the so-called tribal centers, in fact - the centers of "their principalities", which was emphasized by the annals. Lack of written sources for the 7th-8th centuries. and chronicle evidence for the IX-X centuries. do not allow to establish at least an approximate number of cities of Rus' of that era. So, according to the mentions in the annals, a little more than two dozen cities can be identified, but their list is certainly not complete.

It is difficult to establish the dates of the foundation of the early cities of Rus', and the first mention in the annals is usually given. However, it should be taken into account that at the time of the annalistic mention, the city was an established settlement, and a more accurate date of its foundation is determined by indirect data, for example, based on archaeological cultural layers excavated on the site of the city. In some cases, archaeological data contradict chronicles. For example, for Novgorod, Smolensk, which are mentioned in the chronicles under the 9th century, archaeologists have not yet discovered cultural layers older than the 10th century, or the method of archaeological dating of early cities has not been sufficiently developed. Priority in dating is still given to written chronicle sources, but everything is done to discredit very early dates in these sources (especially ancient ones, of the Ptolemy level).

From the 11th century begins a rapid growth in the number of urban population and the number of ancient Russian cities around the existing city centers. It is noteworthy that the emergence and growth of cities in the XI-XIII centuries. also occurs to the west - in the territories of modern Czech Republic, Poland and Germany. There are many theories about the reasons for the massive emergence of cities. One of the theories belongs to the Russian historian Klyuchevsky and connects the emergence of ancient Russian cities with the development of trade along the route "from the Varangians to the Greeks." This theory has its opponents, who point to the emergence and growth of cities not only along this trade route.

2. Household

The close connection between urban and rural life is characteristic of early cities from ancient times, which was also preserved on the lands of medieval Rus', which partly inherited the traditions of Great Scythia.

Archaeological excavations in Russian cities of the 9th-12th centuries. confirm the constant connection of townspeople with agriculture. Vegetable gardens and orchards were an indispensable part of the economy of the townspeople. Animal husbandry was of great importance in the economy - archaeologists discovered in the cities the bones of many domestic animals, including horses, cows, pigs, sheep, etc.

Handicraft production was well developed in the cities. In his capital research, based on a deep study of material monuments, Boris Rybakov identifies up to 64 craft specialties and groups them into 11 groups. Tikhomirov, however, prefers a slightly different classification and questions the existence or sufficient prevalence of some of them.

The following is a list of specialties that are the least controversial and are recognized by most professionals.

• blacksmiths, including nailsmiths, locksmiths, boilermakers, silversmiths, coppersmiths;
• gunsmiths, although the existence of this specialty is sometimes questioned, but the term can be used here to generalize the various artisans associated with the manufacture of weapons;
• jewelers, goldsmiths, silversmiths, enamellers;
• "woodworkers", which included architecture, architecture and carpentry proper;
• "gardeners" - builders of city fortifications - gorodnikov;
• "ships" - builders of ships and boats;
• masons-builders, with whom bonded labor and servitude were associated;
• "builders", "stone-builders" - architects associated with stone construction;
• bridgemen
• weavers, tailors (Shevtsy);
• tanners;
• potters and glass-workers;
• icons;
• book scribes

Sometimes artisans were engaged in the production of one specific item, designed for constant demand. Such were saddlers, archers, tulniki, shieldmen. One can assume the existence of butchers and bakers, as, for example, in the cities of Western Europe, but written sources do not confirm this.

The mandatory affiliation of cities - as in antiquity of the Northern Black Sea region - was the city market. However, retail trade in our sense of the word in the market was poorly developed.

3. Population

The total population of Novgorod at the beginning of the 11th century was approximately 10-15 thousand, at the beginning of the 13th century - 20-30 thousand people.

In the XII-XIII centuries, Kyiv was undoubtedly larger than Novgorod. One can presumably think that the population in Kyiv during its heyday was considered to be in the tens of thousands; for the Middle Ages it was a giant city.

Russian boyars

Chernigov, both Vladimirs (Volynsky and Zalessky), Galich, Polotsk, Smolensk also stand out among the big cities. To a certain extent, Rostov, Suzdal, Ryazan, Vitebsk, and Pereyaslavl Russian adjoined them in size.

The population of other cities rarely exceeded 1,000 people, as evidenced by the small areas occupied by their kremlins, or citadels.

Craftsmen (both free and serfs), fishermen and day laborers made up the main population of medieval cities. A significant role in the composition of the population was played by princes, warriors and boyars, connected both with the city and with land holdings. Quite early, merchants emerged as a special social group, they constituted the most revered group under direct princely protection.

From the time of baptism, one can speak of such a stratum of the population as the clergy, in whose ranks the black (monasteries and monasticism), which played an important role in political and cultural events, and the white (parish), which served as a conductor of church and political ideas, sharply differed.

4. Early medieval cities of Russian princes

According to the annals, it is possible to establish the existence in the IX-X centuries. more than two dozen Russian cities.

5. The most famous cities of the pre-Mongol era

Below is a short list, broken down by lands, indicating the date of the first mention, or the date of foundation.

5.1. Kyiv and Pereyaslav lands

* - the marked cities never grew beyond the fortified castles, although they are often mentioned in chronicles. For the Kyiv land was characterized by the existence of cities, the prosperity of which did not last long, and which were replaced by new cities that arose in the neighborhood.

5.2. Novgorod land

5.3. Volyn land

5.4. Galician land

5.5. Chernihiv land

Starodub - is one of the top ten most ancient cities of Rus' (Starodub-Seversky has been mentioned in the annals since 1080, however, archaeological research in 1982 showed: - that a settlement existed on this site much earlier; approximately from the end of the 8th century) cities also includes distant Tmutarakan on the Taman Peninsula.

5.6. Smolensk land

5.7. Polotsk land

5.8. Rostov-Suzdal land

The question of "The most ancient city of Russia" has long been debatable for scientists and historians. The fact is that they single out several settlements at once, as the most ancient city in Russia.

Among them is Old Novgorod

Derbent

.

Derbent is located in Dagestan and it was built many years before our era, and, accordingly, long before the founding of Kievan Rus itself and the Russian Empire in general.

Now Derbent is part of the Russian Federation and on this basis, a huge number of scientists attribute it to the status of "The Most Ancient City of Russia". Critics of this theory, no less distinguished scientists and historians, point out that this city cannot be considered the most ancient city of Russia, even because it was when there was no reminder about Russia or Rus'. In addition, this region is significantly different from ancient Rus' and, in general, from the culture of the Russian people, so it is difficult to attribute it to a Russian city. Like it or not, it is up to each individual to decide. It remains only to say that a true patriot of his country should know at least a little the history of his fatherland.

Adding fuel to the fire, I would like to note that the dispute over the status of the most ancient city in Russia also enters

If Ancient Novgorod was founded in 859, then Murom marked its formation in 862,

but this date cannot be considered 100% true, since the only source of its mention is the Tale of Bygone Years.

Research is being carried out in this city, according to the results of which, it is already becoming known that even before 862 there were settlements of the Finno-Ugric peoples, who called this city by its current name (Murom). The Finno-Ugric people themselves appeared in these parts back in the 5th century AD, respectively, the city may well claim the title of the oldest in Russia, since it may already be about 1500 years old at the moment

It is also worth mentioning one of the oldest cities in Russia, which is called

Bryansk .

It is officially believed that it was founded in 985. Over the years of its formation, the city has undergone minor changes in the name, since initially it was called Debriansk. The first mention of the city is in the Hypatian Chronicle, which dates back to 1146.

As we can see, the question of the most ancient city in Russia remains debatable to this day. It is extremely difficult to find the true truth, but knowing the facts about the cities of your country is necessary and interesting.

Smolensk

is one of the first cities of Rus'. In the dated part of The Tale of Bygone Years, it was first mentioned under 862 as the center of the Krivichi tribal union.

According to the Ustyuzhensky (Arkhangelsk) vault in the record under 863, when Askold and Dir, on a campaign from Novgorod to Tsargrad, bypassed the city, since the city was heavily fortified and crowded. In 882, the city was captured and annexed to the Old Russian state by Prince Oleg, who handed it over to Prince Igor, from whose infancy power in the city was exercised by governors and squads, and general administration was carried out from Kiev.

Staraya Russa is an ancient provincial town in the Novgorod region. His exact age is not known, since Karamzin had a hand in history, who confused many events in ancient Rus'.

Veliky Novgorod appears on a paper five-ruble banknote, and Staraya Russa on an iron ten-ruble coin.

So judge who is older.

The city of Staraya Russa is mentioned in The Tale of Bygone Years, the fundamental book of the history of Rus'. The city stands on museum values. The area of ​​the ancient settlement is 200 hectares, and excavations were carried out carelessly on one thousandth of this territory. Staraya Russa is an ideal springboard for those who want to make a historic discovery.

Church of the Miraculous Icon of the Old Russian Mother of God

Velikiy Novgorodconsidered to be the oldest.

At least that's what almost every resident of the city thinks. The date of reckoning is 859. The grandiose city, washed by the waters of the Volkhov River, became the progenitor of Christianity in Rus', the Kremlin and numerous architectural monuments remember the rulers of the early period of our state. This version is also supported by the fact that Novgorod has always been a Russian city and there is a starting age calculation (not something blurry, such and such a century ...).

Another version that also has the right to exist is the one that most historians insist on.

Staraya Ladoga- the most ancient city of Russia. Now Staraya Ladoga has the status of a city and the first mention of it comes to us from the middle of the VIII century. Tombstones have been preserved that date back to 753 year . Not so long ago, when visiting Staraya Ladoga, V.V. Putin decided to conduct additional studies of the city's environs in order to nominate it for the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014, and this will serve as an impetus for studying its history.

In Staraya Ladoga, a church has been preserved in which, according to legend, the descendants of Rurik were baptized.

The debate on this subject will not cease for a long time, until irrefutable evidence is found:

Belozersk (Vologda region) - 862

From the name of Lake Beloe and happenedBelozersk city name.

The first mention of the city refers to 862 in the Tale of Bygone Years under the name Beloozero. This date is also the date of foundation of the current Belozersk.Initially, the city was located on the northern shore of the White Lake, in the Ⅹ century it was moved to the southern shore, where it stood until 1352.

From 1238, the city became the center of the Belozersky Principality, and from 1389 it passed into the Principality of Moscow. The city was devastated by epidemics in 1352 and revived again, flourished in the ⅩⅥ century and fell into decay at the end of the ⅩⅦ century.
At the beginning of the 2nd century, the development of the city was promoted by the Belozersky bypass canal (construction of the Mariinsky water system). Timber industry materials are transported to St. Petersburg with the help of the canal Belozersk. With the opening of the Volga-Baltic waterway, Belozersk established links with other industrial cities.
The current coat of arms of the city was approved on October 12, 2001 and is: "In a shield wavy-crossed with azure and silver, at the top there is a broadened cross over a silver crescent, at the bottom there are two silver sterlets with scarlet fins, thinly bordered with azure." The former coat of arms was approved under Soviet rule in 1972.

Former and current coat of arms of Belozersk

The architecture of Belozersk is a complex of one-story buildings built in 1846 along the embankment of the Belozersk Canal. Five of its buildings are arranged symmetrically
* The Kremlin and the Transfiguration Cathedral - a ring of earthen rampart surrounded on all sides by a moat. The earthen rampart and the moat amaze with their scale. A three-span stone bridge leads across the moat to the territory of the Kremlin. In the center of the Kremlin rises the five-domed Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior.
* Church of the All-Merciful Savior (1716-1723) - the five-domed church is one of the first stone churches in the city.
* Church of Elijah the Prophet (1690-1696) - a wooden three-tier one-domed church in the western part of the city
* The Church of the Assumption (1553) is the oldest building in Belozersk. This five-domed temple together with the Church of the Epiphany make up an architectural complex. At the moment, these churches are active.
* Belozersky Museum of Art and History - the museum is divided into 8 parts, for example
- "Museum Russian hut"
- "Museum of the History of the Region"
- "Museum of Nature"
* A monument created on the 1112th anniversary of the city (pay attention to the date) boat, symbolizing that the history of the city is closely connected with waterways.

Rostov (Yaroslavl region) - 862

Smolensk - 862

Cities appeared in ancient times. These were fortified settlements of farmers and pastoralists. The Russian word "city" comes from the words "fence", "fence". The settlement was surrounded by a defensive fence - an earthen rampart, a palisade or a wall.

In Ancient Rus', any residential place surrounded by such a protective fence was called a city. Over time, the inhabitants of the cities began to engage in crafts and trade, markets and fairs appeared everywhere. The area for trade was called trade. Shops of merchants and public buildings were located here. Guest yards were built for visiting merchants. Cities often arose along the shores of seas and rivers or at crossroads: it was easier for merchants to bring goods on ships or horses. The proximity of the crossing - a bridge or a ford - also mattered. Sometimes a city arose next to a portage - a dry path along which shipbuilders "dragged" ships with goods from one river to another (this is how Volokolamsk appeared). Sometimes the city grew up around a large monastery (like Sergiev Posad).

The city consisted of a fortress (Kremlin) and a suburb. Posad was divided into settlements. In each of them lived artisans of the same profession - potters, tanners, blacksmiths. The city could appear at the behest of the prince or king. So, Vladimir-on-Klyazma was founded by Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. And preparing a trip to Kazan, Tsar Ivan the Terrible ordered to build a fortress Sviyazhsk on the Sviyaga River - a tributary of the Volga.

The city survived if there was a well-established agriculture in its district. Urban life had the imprint of rural life. Often the enemies burned the ancient cities to the ground, but the inhabitants rebuilt them from the ashes and ruins. The city could “disappear” if the petty principality to which it belonged ceased to exist or the district was depleted of valuable raw materials for the extraction of which the city was built. People also left the "restless" cities, tired of the constant raids of the steppe nomads.

There were many artisans among the inhabitants. The townspeople were served by masters of “costume” (weavers, tailors, tanners), masters of “cooking” (pancake makers, butchers, fermenters), masters of “construction” (boilermakers, masons, locksmiths). The life of merchants passed on the market. There were service people in the city, headed by the governor, as well as the military - archers, gunners, collars.

What is an ancient Russian city like? The city was wooden. Temples and rarely chambers were built of stone. Residential buildings were most often one-story. Often, a city surrounded by a wooden (and later stone) wall and a moat was additionally protected by an earthen rampart or another wooden wall. People lived between the Kremlin and these fortifications. So, in the center of Moscow there was the Kremlin and Kitay-gorod. At a distance from them was another defensive wall - the White City. And then came the next fortification - an earthen rampart.