A Short History of Medieval Russia

As early as eight hundred and fifty-nine the Variagi exacted tribute from the Slavs of Ilmen and the Krivitchi, as well as the Tchudi, Ves, and Meriane. The natives had once expelled the Variagi, but, as divisions once more became rife among them, they decided that they needed a strong government, and recalled them in eight hundred and sixty-two. Whether the name Russia, or Bus, was originally derived from a province of Sweden or from the banks of the Dnieper, the fact remains that with the arrival of the Variagi in Slavonia the true history of Russia commences. It was the one thousandth anniversary of this event that was commemorated at Novgorod in eighteen hundred and sixty-two. With the Variagi the Russian name became famous in Eastern Europe. It was the epoch of brilliant and adventurous expeditions; it was the heroic age of Russia...