Invocation of the Vikings. According to the chronicles, in the year 862, a number of Slavic and Finnic tribes called the Vikings led by Rurik and his brothers Sineus and Truvor to reign. This event is considered to be the starting point of Russian statehood.Viktor Vasnetsov
Oleg by the bones of a horse. Prince Oleg, the ruler of the Novgorod land, conquered Kiev in 882, uniting two main centers of east Slavs and forming the major state of Kievan Rus’.Viktor Vasnetsov
Prince Igor collects a tribute from Drevlyans in 945. In the year 945, Kiev prince Igor arbitrarily increased the collection of tribute from the tribe of Drevlyans, which led to the revolt of the latter and the murder of the ruler himself. Claudius Lebedev
Trizna, a funeral feast, which was conducted for distinguished members of society before their cremation.Andrey Shishkin
Princess Olga (Baptism). The first part of the ‘Holy Russia’ trilogy. Avenged by Drevlyans for the death of her husband Prince Igor Princess Olga was the first ruler of Russia, which adopted Christianity (but only for herself).Sergey Kirillov
Svyatoslav’s meeting with the Byzantine Emperor Tzimiskes on the shores of the Danube. Son of Igor and Olga, prince Svyatoslav spent all his life in military campaigns. Among the main opponents of the ruler were the nomadic Pechenegs, the Bulgarians and also the Byzantine Empire. Claudius Lebedev
Baptism of Russia. Christianity as the state religion was introduced in Kievan Rus’ by Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich in the year 988.Claudius Lebedev
