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Prince Rurik is one of those images in the Ukrainian history that are most controversial, and few reliable sources are available to help and find the historical truth. Since time immemorial, scholars broke too many lances, published thousands of books and completed a huge number of historical studies of Rurik. Since the medieval times, his image has been used for fictional and scientific purposes as well as imperial propaganda, and due to all that the image is now buried under numerous pseudo-historical details. Without joining the dispute on their truthfulness, we may consider what Nestor the Chronicler wrote about Rurik in The Tale of Bygone Years.

Rurik. From the Title reference book. 1672

Explaining the origin of Kyivan Princes’ dynasty, Nestor referred to the tale about the three brothers’ arrival from the Norman lands. The Slavs decided to take the state power in Rus’ over.

“…From Germans the three brothers came with their relatives and a lot of soldiers. Rurik came to the throne in Novgorod, his brother Syneus – near the White Lake, and Truvor – in Izborsk. And they started to fight everywhere. From those settled Vikings the name Rus’ originated. After those Vikings the land of Rus’ got named”.

The brothers’ names mentioned by Nestor correspond to Scandinavian Hrorekr, Signiutr and Torvarr. It was this fact that supported the version about Norman origin of Rurik dynasty. As the chronicle reports, two years after the Vikings settled in Rus’, brothers Syneus and Truvor died and the power was concentrated in Rurik’s hands. However, some historians believe that Rurik’s brothers did not exist in fact and their names can be interpreted as merely inadequate translation of the Swedish words ‘his clan’ (sine hus) and ‘faithful wife’ (thru varing).

“And he came to the throne there and distributed districts to his men ordering them to found towns: one of them – Polotsk, some other – Rostov, one more – Biloozero (the White Lake). But the Vikings were the newcomers there. The first settlers in Novgorod were the Slovens, in Polotsk – the Kryvyches, in Rostov – the Merya, in Biloozero – the Ves’, and in Murom – the Muroms. And Rurik ruled over them all”.

The chronicles do not tell about Prince Rurik’s further life. It is known that in 864 Novgorod inhabitants rebelled against Rurik’s rule. As a result, the prince had to take very cruel measures to keep his power. As the Nykon chronicle of the first half of the XVII century goes, by Rurik’s order, Vadym the Brave, a representative of Novgorod nobility was killed, and “a lot of other people from Novgorod, his advisers” were killed, too.

It should be noted that Prince Rurik is often mistaken for Danish konung Rurik from Jutland who was in service with Carolingian Dynasty and lived approximately at the same time to which The Tale of Bygone Years indicates, telling about the founder of the ruling dynasty in Kyivan Rus’. However, contemporary historiography cannot prove or disprove the theory due to lack of sources. Pursuant to the chronicle data, Prince Rurik died in 879. He left his son Ihor who later came to Kyiv throne.

V. Vasnetsov. Rurik’s arrival in Ladoga