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  Adam and Eve

  Population genetics deals with the study of roots. It is based on indicators of heredity and variability. Geneticists have discovered that all of modern humanity can be traced back to one woman, whom scientists call Mitochondrial Eve. She lived in Africa more than 200 thousand years ago. We all have the same mitochondrion in our genome - a set of 25 genes. It is transmitted only through the maternal line. At the same time, the Y chromosome in all modern men is also traced back to one man, nicknamed Adam, in honor of the biblical first man.

  It is clear that we are only talking about the closest common ancestors of all living people; their genes came to us as a result of genetic drift. It is worth noting that they lived at different times - Adam, from whom all modern males received their Y chromosome, was 150 thousand years younger than Eve.

  Of course, it’s a stretch to call these people our “ancestors,” since out of the thirty thousand genes that a person possesses, we have only 25 genes and a Y chromosome from them. The population increased, the rest of the people mixed with the genes of their contemporaries, changed, mutated during migrations and the conditions in which people lived. As a result, we received different genomes of different peoples that subsequently formed.

  

  Haplogroups

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  It is thanks to genetic mutations that we can determine the process of human settlement, as well as genetic haplogroups (communities of people with similar haplotypes who have a common ancestor who had the same mutation in both haplotypes) characteristic of a particular nation. Each nation has its own set of haplogroups, which are sometimes similar. Thanks to this, we can determine whose blood flows into us and who our closest genetic relatives are. According to a 2008 study conducted by Russian and Estonian geneticists, the Russian ethnic group genetically consists of two main parts: residents of the South and Central

  Russia is closer to other peoples who speak Slavic languages, and the indigenous northerners are closer to the Finno-Ugric peoples. Of course, we are talking about representatives of the Russian people. Surprisingly, there is practically no gene inherent in Asians, including the Mongol-Tatars. So the famous saying: “Scratch a Russian, you will find a Tatar” is fundamentally wrong. Moreover, the Asian gene also did not particularly affect the Tatar people; the gene pool of modern Tatars turned out to be mostly European.

  In general, based on the results of the study, in the blood of the Russian people there is practically no admixture from Asia, from the Urals, but within Europe our ancestors experienced numerous genetic influences from their neighbors, be they Poles, Finno-Ugric peoples, peoples of the North Caucasus or ethnic group Tatars (not Mongols). By the way, haplogroup R1a, characteristic of the Slavs, according to some versions, was born thousands of years ago and was common among the ancestors of the Scythians. Some of these Proto-Scythians lived in Central Asia, while others migrated to the Black Sea region. From there these genes reached the Slavs.

  

  Ancestral home

  Once upon a time, Slavic peoples lived on the same territory. From there they scattered around the world, fighting and mixing with their indigenous population. Therefore, the population of current states, which are based on the Slavic ethnic group, differ not only in cultural and linguistic characteristics, but also genetically. The further they are geographically from each other, the greater the differences.

  Thus, the Western Slavs found common genes with the Celtic population (haplogroup R1b), the Balkans with the Greeks (haplogroup I2) and the ancient Thracians (I2a2), and the Eastern Slavs with the Balts and Finno-Ugrians (haplogroup N). Moreover, the interethnic contact of the latter occurred at the expense of Slavic men who married aboriginal women. Despite the many differences and heterogeneity of the gene pool, Russians, Ukrainians, Poles and Belarusians clearly fit into one group on the so-called MDS diagram, which reflects genetic distance.

  Of all the nations, we are closest to each other. Genetic analysis makes it possible to find the above-mentioned “ancestral home where it all began.” This is possible due to the fact that each migration of tribes is accompanied by genetic mutations, which increasingly distort the original set of genes. So, based on genetic proximity, the original territorial one can be determined. For example, according to their genome, Poles are closer to Ukrainians than to Russians. Russians are close to southern Belarusians and eastern Ukrainians, but far from Slovaks and Poles.

  And so on. This allowed scientists to conclude that the original territory of the Slavs was approximately in the middle of the current settlement area of ​​their descendants. Conventionally, the territory of the subsequently formed Kievan Rus. Archaeologically, this is confirmed by the development of the Prague-Korchak archaeological culture of the 5th-6th centuries. From there the southern, western and northern waves of Slavic settlement had already begun.

  Genetics and mentality

  It would seem that since the gene pool is known, it is easy to understand where the national mentality comes from. Not really. According to Oleg Balanovsky, an employee of the Laboratory of Population Genetics of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, there is no connection between national character and the gene pool.

  These are already “historical circumstances” and cultural influences. Roughly speaking, if a newborn baby from a Russian village with a Slavic gene pool is taken directly to China and raised in Chinese customs, culturally he will be a typical Chinese. But as far as appearance and immunity to local diseases are concerned, everything will remain Slavic.

  

  DNA genealogy

  Along with population genealogy, today private directions for studying the genome of peoples and their origins are emerging and developing. Some of them are classified as pseudo-sciences. For example, Russian-American biochemist Anatoly Klesov invented the so-called DNA genealogy, which, according to its creator, “is a practically historical science, created on the basis of the mathematical apparatus of chemical and biological kinetics.”

  Simply put, this new direction is trying to study the history and time frame of the existence of certain clans and tribes based on mutations in male Y chromosomes. The main postulates of DNA genealogy were: the hypothesis of the non-African origin of Homo sapiens (which contradicts the conclusions of population genetics), criticism of the Norman theory, as well as the extension of the history of the Slavic tribes, which Anatoly Klesov considers the descendants of the ancient Aryans. Where are such conclusions from? Everything is from the already mentioned haplogroup R1A, which is the most common among the Slavs. Naturally, such an approach gave rise to a sea of ​​criticism, both from historians and geneticists.

  In historical science, it is not customary to talk about the Aryan Slavs, since material culture (the main source in this matter) does not allow us to determine the continuity of Slavic culture from the peoples of Ancient India and Iran. Geneticists even object to the association of haplogroups with ethnic characteristics. Doctor of Historical Sciences Lev Klein emphasizes that “Haplogroups are not peoples or languages, and giving them ethnic nicknames is a dangerous and undignified game. No matter what patriotic intentions and exclamations it hides behind.”

  According to Klein, Anatoly Klesov's conclusions about the Aryan Slavs made him an outcast in the scientific world. How the discussion around Klesov’s newly announced science and the question of the ancient origins of the Slavs will further develop remains anyone’s guess.

  

  0,1%

  Despite the fact that the DNA of all people and nations is different and in nature there is not a single person identical to another, from a genetic point of view we are all extremely similar. All the differences in our genes that gave us different skin colors and eye shapes, according to Russian geneticist Lev Zhitovsky, amount to only 0.1% of our DNA. For the remaining 99.9% we are genetically the same. Paradoxical as it may seem, if we compare various representatives of the human races and our closest relatives, chimpanzees, it turns out that all people differ much less than chimpanzees in one herd. So, to some extent, we are all one big genetic family.

Russia is a state with a rich history, rich culture and interesting people. But not all of these people know for certain what their country owes its name to. Although what is there to talk about if not all historians and linguists have a unanimous opinion on this issue. We will try to consider the most reliable theories and find out why Russia has such a name.

A brief excursion into the “evolution” of the name “Russia”
Everyone knows that the history of our country originates in the Old Russian state, founded by the notorious Rurikovichs. They called it Kievan Rus, because... its capital was the glorious city of Kyiv, and the population was the Russian people.

Kievan Rus in its heyday
By the end of the 13th century, the Moscow Principality was formed, which was called “Russia”. And within about a century, the word “Russia” came into use. Researchers suggest that this is due to the peculiarities of the pronunciation of our people, which is why in the word “Russia” the letter “u” gradually turned into “o”. But “Russia” was used much less frequently than “Rus”, “Russian land” and “Muscovy”. The word “Russia” itself (then without the double “s”) arose in Byzantium in the 10th century for the Greek designation of Rus'. “Ρωσία” is what “Rosia” looks like in Greek, and it is in this form that it was supposedly first written. And here is the first mention in Cyrillic, dating back to 1387:

The first mention of Russia in Cyrillic The territory of the Russian state gradually grew, and the population was replenished with peoples of other nationalities - along with this, the word “Russia” was increasingly used. It was officially established in 1547. Then the whole country began to be called the Russian (Russian) kingdom. Ultimately, we have what is called Russian as a separate people, and a large multinational state as Russian. By the way, the Latin name “Russia” was already found in Western European sources in the 11th century. Thus, it was the word “Rus” that became a derivative of “Russia”. But scientists have different opinions regarding Rus' and the Russian people. By the way, the name of Ukraine most likely comes from the consonant Old Russian word “ukraine”, meaning border territory or land near the edge. But with Belarus it’s even simpler - its name comes from the phrase “White Rus'”. Well, now let’s look at the existing theories about the origin of the word “Rus” and “Russians”.

Norman theory
In this case, it is said that Rus' is none other than the Vikings or Normans. The fact is that the Tale of Bygone Years seems to indicate that the East Slavic tribes turned to the Varangians, and, more precisely, to Rus', who were one of the tribes there. If we adhere to this theory, we should turn to the Old Icelandic word "Róþsmenn", which means oarsmen or sailors. Therefore, the name of the Norman tribe of Rus may well have such an origin. Actually, Rurik himself is a Varangian from the Rus people. The Slavic tribes called him to become their ruler, because... at that time they were mired in civil strife.

The Norman theory is supported by many Byzantine and European sources, where Rus' was identified with the Vikings. In the same sources, the names of Russian princes are indicated in a northern manner: Prince Oleg - X-l-g, Princess Olga - Helga, Prince Igor - Inger. Another interesting argument is the essay of a certain Constantine Porphyrogenitus “On the Administration of the Empire,” written in the mid-10th century. The names of the Dnieper rapids are given there. The funny thing is that two languages ​​are used for this: Slavic and Russian. The latter version shows a Scandinavian similarity. Be that as it may, the Scandinavians definitely visited East Slavic territory. This is evidenced by numerous archaeological finds. Moreover, they date back precisely to the time of the “calling of the Varangians.” By the way, the spelling of the double “s” was finally established only under Peter I.

Slavic theory
The name of Rus' is often associated with the name of one of the tribes of the Eastern Slavs - the Ros (or Rus). It is believed that they settled along the Ros River, which is one of the tributaries of the Dnieper. But many researchers consider this theory far-fetched, and the very existence of a Slavic tribe with that name, in their opinion, is doubtful. Firstly, in fact, at that time the river had a name with “ъ” at the root, that is, “Ръь”, and secondly, this assumption arose during the Soviet Union, when they tried in every possible way to challenge the Norman theory. Therefore, many of the claims are dubious. These include the fact that the Rus were so nicknamed because of their light brown hair color.

That same river Ros. More plausible is the opinion of Lomonosov, who believed that the people of the Rus (or Ros) have a connection with the Baltic Prussians (also Slavs). And archaeological finds indicate a connection between the Baltic Slavs and the northern population of Ancient Rus'.

Sarmatian (Iranian) theory
The Sarmatians are nomadic Iranian-speaking tribes who occupied the territory of modern Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan in the mid-1st millennium. These guys had such tribes as the Roxolons and Rosomans, whom many eminent scientists consider to be the ancestors of the Rus. This is where the name Rus' came from.

Sarmatians are another possible ancestor of ours. Why not a modern Russian brigade?
Swedish Theory From the 6th to the 5th centuries, Swedes visited those lands and said they saw Finnish tribes there, whom they called Rotsi.
Military theory There is also a version that says that “Rus” was a name for a special military class back at the time of the birth of the ancient Russian state. Over time, the name passed on to the entire nation.

Conclusion
Why does Russia have such a name? Because the words “Rus” and “Russian” were derivative, the origin of which is associated with the name of one of the rivers in the territory of the Slavs, and with the Varangian tribe, and even with the Sarmatians and their tribe of Roxolans. Today, the Norman theory, supported by historical facts and archaeological finds, seems to be the most plausible. So it is possible that Mother Russia is so called thanks to the legendary Vikings who once came to the lands of our ancestors.

Language is the most important factor in national personal identification, which forms the characteristics of perception, the ability to think and speak, evaluate...

From Masterweb

Language is the most important factor in national personal identification, which forms the characteristics of perception, the ability to think and speak, and evaluate the world around us. The history of the Russian language is rooted in events 1.5-2 thousand years ago, which favored its creation. Today it is recognized as the richest language in the world and the fifth largest population that speaks it.

How did the Russian language appear?

In prehistoric times, Slavic tribes spoke completely different dialects. The ancestors of the Slavs lived on lands washed by the Dnieper, Vistula and Pripyat rivers. Already by the middle of the 1st century AD. e. tribes occupied all territories from the Adriatic to Lake. Ilmen is in the northeastern part of the European continent.

The history of the emergence and development of the Russian language dates back to about 2-1 thousand years BC. e., when the Proto-Slavic dialect was separated from the group of Indo-European languages.

Scientists conventionally divide the Old Russian language into 3 groups according to their ethnic linguistic component:

• South Russian (Bulgarians, Slovenes, Serbo-Croats);
• Western Russian (Poles, Czechs, Pomors, Slovaks);
• Central Russian (eastern).

Modern norms of vocabulary and grammar in the Russian language were formed as a result of the interaction of many East Slavic dialects that were widespread in the territory of Ancient Rus' and the Church Slavonic language. Also, the written form was greatly influenced by Greek culture.

Theories of the origin of the Russian language

There are several theories, the main of which connect the beginning of the history of the Russian language with ancient Indian Sanskrit and Old Norse.

In accordance with the first, experts consider the ancient language Sanskrit, which was spoken only by Indian priests and scientists, to be the closest to Russian, which indicates that it was introduced from the outside. According to a Hindu legend, which is even studied in theosophical universities in India, in ancient times 7 white-skinned teachers came to the Himalayas from the North, who gave Sanskrit.

With his help, the foundations of the Brahmanical religion were laid, which is still one of the mass religions, and through it Buddhism was created. Until now, Brahmins call the Russian North the ancestral home of humanity and even make pilgrimages there.

As linguists note, 60% of words in Sanskrit completely coincide with Russian in their pronunciation. Many scientific works have been devoted to this issue, including those of the ethnographer N.R. Guseva. She spent many years studying the phenomenon of similarity between the Russian language and Sanskrit, calling the latter a simplified version frozen for 4-5 millennia. The only difference between them is the way of writing: Sanskrit is written in hieroglyphs, which scientists call Slavic-Aryan runes.

Another theory of the history of the origin of the Russian language hypothesizes that the word “Rus” itself and the language have Old Norse roots. According to historians, the Greeks called the Norman tribes “dews” until the 9-10 centuries, and only in the 10-11 centuries. this name passed to the Varangian squads who came to the territory of Rus'. It was from them that the future great princes of Ancient Rus' descended. For example, in old birch bark documents from the 11th-13th centuries. Novgorodians consider Russia to be the territory of the Eastern Slavs near Kyiv and Chernigov. And only from the 14th century. when fighting with enemy troops in the chronicles, they define their belonging to the Russians.

Cyril and Methodius: creation of the alphabet

The history of the Russian language, which was formed in written form, dates back to the 9th century, in the era of the formation of Kievan Rus. The alphabet that existed in Greece at that time could not fully convey the features of the Slavic language, therefore in 860-866. Emperor Michael III of Byzantium gave instructions to create a new alphabet for the Old Church Slavonic language. Thus, he wanted to simplify the translation of Greek religious manuscripts into Slavic.

Scientists attribute the success of the creation of its literary form to the Christian preachers Cyril and Methodius, who went to preach in Moravia and, observing fasting and prayer, after 40 days they acquired the Glagolitic alphabet. According to legend, it was faith that helped the brothers preach Christianity to the uneducated peoples of Rus'.

At that time, the Slavic alphabet consisted of 38 letters. Later, the Cyrillic alphabet was modified by their followers, using the Greek uncial letter and charter. Both alphabets are almost identical in the sound of the letters, the difference lies in the form and spelling.

It was the rapidity with which Russian writing spread in Rus' that subsequently contributed to the fact that this language became one of the leading languages ​​in its era. This also contributed to the unification of the Slavic peoples, which occurred in the period 9-11 centuries.

Period 12-17 centuries

One of the famous literary monuments of the period of Ancient Rus' was “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” which tells about the campaign of the Russian princes against the Polovtsian army. Its authorship still remains unknown. The events described in the poem took place in the 12th century. in the era of feudal fragmentation, when the Mongol-Tatars and Polish-Lithuanian conquerors were rampant in their raids.

The next stage in the history of the development of the Russian language dates back to this period, when it was divided into 3 ethno-linguistic groups, the dialectical features of which had already been formed:

• Great Russian;
• Ukrainian;
• Belarusian

In the 15th century On the European territory of Russia, there were 2 main groups of dialects: southern and northern dialects, each of which had its own characteristics: Akanye or Okanye, etc. During this period, several intermediate Central Russian dialects arose, among which Moscow was considered classic. Periodicals and literature began to be published on it.

The formation of Muscovite Rus' served as an impetus for language reform: sentences became shorter, everyday vocabulary and folk proverbs and sayings were widely used. In the history of the development of the Russian language, the era of the beginning of printing played a big role. An illustrative example was the work “Domostroy”, published in the mid-16th century.

In the 17th century, in connection with the heyday of the Polish state, many terms came from the field of technology and jurisprudence, with the help of which the Russian language went through a stage of modernization. By the beginning of the 18th century. French influence was strongly felt in Europe, which gave impetus to the Europeanization of high society in the Russian state.

Works of M. Lomonosov

The common people did not learn Russian writing, and the nobles studied more foreign languages: German, French, etc. Primers and grammar until the 18th century. were made only in the Church Slavonic dialect.

The history of the Russian literary language originates from the alphabet reform, during which Tsar Peter the Great reviewed the 1st edition of the new alphabet. This happened in 1710.

The leading role was played by the scientist Mikhail Lomonosov, who wrote the first “Russian Grammar” (1755). He gave the literary language its final form, merging Russian and Slavic elements.

Lomonosov established a harmonious system of styles and united all its varieties, using oral speech, command and some regional variations, introduced a new system of versification, which still remains the main force and part of Russian poetry.

He also wrote a work on rhetoric and an article in which the scientist successfully used the lexical and grammatical wealth of the Church Slavonic language. Lomonosov also wrote about three main styles of poetic language, in which the work with the greatest use of Slavicisms was considered high.

During this period, the democratization of the language took place, its composition and vocabulary were enriched by literate peasants, oral speech of representatives of the merchant class and the lower strata of the clergy. The first most detailed textbooks on the literary Russian language were published by the writer N. Grech in the 1820s.

In noble families, it was mainly boys who studied their native language, who were trained for military service, because they had to command soldiers from the common people. The girls studied French, and spoke Russian only to communicate with servants. Thus, the poet A.S. Pushkin grew up in a French-speaking family, and spoke his native language only with his nanny and grandmother. Later, he studied Russian with priest A. Belikov and a local clerk. Education at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum was also conducted in the native language.

In the 1820s, in the high society of Moscow and St. Petersburg, there was an opinion that it was indecent to speak Russian, especially in front of ladies. However, the situation soon changed.

XIX century - century of Russian literature

The beginning of the heyday and fashion of the Russian language was the costume ball, which in 1830 was held in the Anichkov Palace. On it, the Empress's maid of honor read the poem "Cyclops", specially written for the celebration by A.S. Pushkin.

Tsar Nicholas I spoke out in defense of his native language, and ordered that all correspondence and office work be conducted in it from now on. All foreigners upon entering the service were required to pass an exam on their knowledge of Russian, and they were also required to speak it at court. Emperor Alexander III put forward the same demands, but at the end of the 19th century. The English language came into fashion and was taught to noble and royal children.

Great influence on the history of the development of the Russian language in the 18-19 centuries. were influenced by Russian writers who became popular at that time: D. I. Fonvizin, N. M. Karamzin, G. R. Derzhavin, N. V. Gogol, I. S. Turgenev, in poetry - A. S. Pushkin and M. Yu. Lermontov. With their works they showed all the beauty of their native speech, using it freely and freeing it from stylistic restrictions. In 1863, V. I. Dahl’s “Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language” was published.

Borrowing

In the history of the Russian language, there are many facts about its growth and enrichment when borrowing a large number of words of foreign origin into the vocabulary. Some of the words came from Church Slavonic. At different times in history, the degree of influence of the neighboring linguistic community differed, but this always helped the introduction of new words and phrases.

With contact with European languages ​​for a long time, many words came into Russian speech from them:

• from Greek: beet, crocodile, bench, and most names;
• from Scythians and Iranian group: dog, paradise;
• Some names came from the Scandinavians: Olga, Igor, etc.;
• from Turkic: diamond, pants, fog;
• from Polish: bank, duel;
• French: beach, conductor;
• from Dutch: orange, yacht;
• from Romano-Germanic languages: algebra, tie, dance, powder, cement;
• from Hungarian: hussar, saber;
• musical and culinary terms were borrowed from Italian: pasta, saldo, opera, etc.;
• from English: jeans, sweater, tuxedo, shorts, jam, etc.

The borrowing of technical and other terms gained widespread importance in the late 19th and 20th centuries as new techniques and technologies developed, especially from the English language.

For its part, the Russian language has given the world many words that are now considered international: matryoshka, vodka, samovar, satellite, tsar, dacha, steppe, pogrom, etc.

20th century and the development of the Russian language

In 1918, a reform of the Russian language was carried out, in which the following changes were introduced to the alphabet:

• the letters “yat”, “fita”, “decimal” were removed and replaced with “E”, “F” and “I”;
• the hard sign at the ends of words has been abolished;
• it is indicated in the prefixes to use the letters “s” before voiceless consonants and “z” - before voiced ones;
• changes in endings and cases of some words have been accepted;
• “Izhitsa” itself disappeared from the alphabet even before the reform.

The modern Russian language was approved in 1942, in the alphabet of which 2 letters “E” and “Y” were added, since then it has already consisted of 33 letters.

By the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century, due to universal compulsory education, the widespread use of print media, mass media, cinema and television, the majority of the Russian population began to speak the standard Russian literary language. The influence of dialects is occasionally felt only in the speech of older people who live in remote rural areas.

Many linguists and scientists believe that the Russian language itself is unique in its richness and expressiveness, and its existence arouses interest throughout the world. This is evidenced by statistics that recognize it as the 8th most common language on the planet, because it is spoken by 250 million people.

The most interesting facts from the history of the development of the Russian language in brief:

• it is one of the 6 working languages ​​of the United Nations (UN);
• ranks 4th in the world in the list of most translated languages;
• large Russian-speaking communities live not only in the countries of the former USSR, but also in Turkey, Israel, the USA, etc.;
• when learning Russian by foreigners, it is considered one of the most difficult, along with Chinese and Japanese;
• the oldest books written in Old Russian: the Novgorod Code (early 11th century) and the Ostrovir Gospel (1057) - in Church Slavonic;
• has a unique alphabet, extraordinary forms and cases, many rules and even more exceptions to them;
• in the Old Church Slavonic alphabet the first letter was “I”;
• the youngest letter “E”, which appeared only in 1873;
• in the Russian alphabet, some letters are similar to Latin ones, and 2 of them are completely impossible to pronounce “b” and “b”;
• in the Russian language there are words that begin with “Y”, but these are geographical names;
• in 1993, the Guinness Book of Records included the longest word in the world with 33 letters, “X-ray electrocardiographic,” and already in 2003, with 39 letters, “highly considerate”;
• In Russia, 99.4% of the population speaks their native language fluently.

A Brief History of the Russian Language: Facts and Dates

Summarizing all the data, you can create a chronological sequence of facts that occurred from ancient times to the present day during the formation of modern language:

The given brief history of the Russian language reflects the course of events rather conditionally. After all, the development and improvement of oral and written forms of speech, the publication of printed publications and literary masterpieces occurred at different times, gradually gaining more and more popularity among various segments of the Russian population.

As evidenced by the history and general characteristics of the Russian language, its development has been carried out over thousands of years, and enrichment through new words and expressions occurs under the influence of socio-political life, especially in the last 100 years. In the 21st century, its replenishment is actively influenced by the media and the Internet.

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Where did the name "Russian" come from?

Before speculating where the name “Russian” itself came from, and where these same Russians came from in Europe, it is necessary to remember one detail: the territory where Slavic tribes settled for a long time, despite the fact that each tribe had its own name, bore and the common name is Russian Land. Early medieval chronicles and legends of all Slavic peoples without exception speak about the land of the Russians. Not only that, but the ancient Scandinavians considered themselves Russians until the 9th century! “Nordic Russians” and “Dan Russians” are recorded in Arab and Byzantine chronicles. There is indisputable information that the early Germans - the inhabitants of modern Bavaria and Saxony - also considered their land Russian and called themselves “Russians” until the 13th century AD. This is evidenced by the works of such famous German researchers as Hermann Wirth, Otto Rahn, Rene Guenon and others. There is information that the ancient Celts, before they were conquered by Caesar’s legions, also called themselves Russians. And their neighbors in Northern Italy brought two of their self-names to historical times: Tyrrhenians and the most ancient - Etruscans (the root “Rus” is evident).

Historical science explains the self-name of peoples, especially nomadic ones, but the name of the leader; settled peoples - by locality; sometimes the self-name of an ethnic group arose due to some cultural traditions that this ethnic group adhered to. For example, the ancient Hittites and Hutts, having come to the territory of Asia Minor from the harsher northern regions, built their dwellings in the old fashioned way: where there was wood, they were cut down, and where there was not enough of it, they were entirely made of adobe. In both the first and second cases, avoiding the mud brick technology adopted by its closest neighbors - the inhabitants of Syria and Akkad. For this they received the nickname “Khatniks” or “Hutts”, “Hittites”. Self-names of tribes arose for other reasons. A serious factor was belief in some god, whose name, in the end, became the self-name of the entire people; or prolonged isolation, when people began to believe that only they existed on earth. Take, for example, the self-name of the American Eskimos: when translated into European languages, it sounds like “real people.” The northeastern Chukchi call themselves approximately the same.
And now let’s return to the now incomprehensible, almost mystical word “Russ”. Why did the Slavic tribes of Eastern and Western Europe, despite their self-names (Polyans, Drevlyans, Radimichi, Krivichi, Vyatichi or Croats, Serbs, Obodrits, etc.), believe that they all live on Russian soil, and that all of them , ultimately, the Russians? Russes is a basic and sacred self-name associated with the memory of some ancestor or with the forces of the Cosmos itself. What does the self-name “Russ” mean, and what meaning does it carry, many researchers and scientists have tried to unravel. Describing the beauty and breadth of the Russian land, the author of “The Tale of Bygone Years,” chronicler Nestor, refuses to give an intelligible explanation for the self-name “Russian Land” and the word “Russies.” In all likelihood, the meaning of this word was lost long before his time. The unknown author of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” also did not know the meaning of the word “Russian”. In addition, the Russian land in his era narrowed significantly: with bitterness and pain, he narrates in “The Lay...” that the Russian land is behind, and ahead is the wild steppe - the Polovtsian land. And in subsequent times, right up to the reign of Ivan the Fourth, the steppes of the Don, Kuban, and Volga were called the Wild Field in Rus'. And, probably, only a few - mostly the descendants of Russian Vedic priests, to whom knowledge was passed on from generation to generation - knew that the expanses of forests and fields lying up to the Yaika-Ural River and further to the east were once also Russian land, where Since time immemorial, there lived tribes of eastern Russ-monasteries of nomads, lake Russ fishermen and plowmen.

Normanists, adherents of the Western historical concept, even in the time of Lomonosov tried to prove that the self-name “Russ” comes from a Scandinavian root, because the tribes of the ancient Vikings also called themselves “Russians”. M. Lomonosov himself fundamentally disagreed with this theory, who rightly believed that the name of a densely populated country rich in cities, which the Vikings themselves called “Gardarika,” i.e., the country of cities, could not have come from the rural semi-wild population of Scandinavia. Gardarika in Viking times consisted of hundreds of towns and cities, while in the entire Scandinavian Peninsula there were then only seven settlements, not all of which resembled cities. It turns out that there once lived a Country of cities without a name, without a self-name, there lived a people who had inhabited it from time immemorial, and suddenly the Vikings came and gave the name to the people - the Russians, and from that time the country began to be called Russia. Wild? Certainly!
Realizing the inconsistency of the conclusion of the Normanists, many generations of not only Russians, but also advanced European researchers tried to find the root of the self-name “Russian”. However, solving this problem turned out to be very difficult. The deeper the scientists dug, the more mysterious the problem became.

Are Russians a bearish people?
According to most scientists, there was undoubtedly an answer to this question, and not only in Russia, but also in the West. The trouble is that written sources that could shed light on this matter were irretrievably lost during the period of general Christianization of Europe. A number of scientists, mainly from Belarus, believe that the word “Russ” once referred to a bear that was especially revered in Rus'. Bear - the one who knows honey - is the second allegorical name of the sacred beast, which remained in everyday use, and the ancient “Russ” was forgotten. Now there is only the “people of bears” - the Russians. The name of the Russa River allegedly comes from the ancient sacred word “bear”. According to some scientists, many bears lived on its banks in those ancient times. This answer is, of course, simple and even logical, considering that the word “Russ” once meant the animal that we know as a bear. But, unfortunately, here we encounter only a hypothesis. We do not have direct evidence that “Russian” and “bear” are the names of the same animal. There is something else: in both Russian and German the bear is called the word “Ber”. In German this name is still alive, but in Russian it is preserved in the word “den”, i.e. “ber’s lair”. Consequently, the word “Russ” could not possibly mean a bear. The bear was called “berom” in Russian, German, and Iranian, and this does not require any special evidence. This means that the theory “Russian is a bear” and “Russian people are bearish people” is utopian.

Are the Russians people from the leopard tribe?
There is another theory of the origin of the word “Russ”. It was put forward by the famous Russian researcher Vladimir Shcherbakov. He believes that the word “Russ” comes from the word “race”, i.e. leopard. In his opinion, Russians are the descendants of the hypothetical people of the “sons of the leopard” who lived in the 7-8 millennium BC. e. on the territory of modern Asia Minor and Asia Minor. This people, according to V. Shcherbakov, once created a powerful Hatto-Luwian state that competed with Babylonia and Egypt. Later, the Hatto-Luwians created the state of Artsawa on the territory of Asia Minor, where the cult of the leopard race was most clearly expressed. According to Shcherbakov, part of the Hutts at the end of the 1st millennium BC. moved from Asia Minor to Europe and created a powerful Getian state on the territory of Thrace, which was later destroyed by Trajan. But over several centuries of war with Rome, part of the Goths settled in the north and populated the Carpathians; another large tribal association of the Goths moved to the East and populated the forest-steppe of the East European Plain. Here, in their new homeland, the word rass-leopard began to be used to describe the lynx, and the people themselves allegedly called themselves Russians.

V. Shcherbakov considers the Hutts, Hutt-Luwians, Hittites, Goths, and therefore the Russians to be descendants of the Eastern Atlanteans. According to not only Shcherbakov, but also a number of other scientists, the war of the Atlanteans with the so-called Proto-Athenians in the Mediterranean was a war of the metropolis with a union of its own colonies. If you believe Plato, the colonies won this war, and if Shcherbakov, Eastern Atlantis won. According to the researcher, after this victory, the Eastern Atlanteans settled over vast areas of Europe, Asia and North Africa. This, in his opinion, happened around 8-7 thousand BC. Later, Semites came to these lands from the Arabian Peninsula and pushed the first settlers to the north. So the descendants of the once powerful people ended up in Asia Minor, and from Asia Minor they moved to Thrace.
The theory put forward by V. Shcherbakov is quite real and does not contradict either archaeological excavations or anthropological research. Indeed, in the territory of Western and Minor Asia in 8 thousand BC. e. The ancient distinctive culture of farmers and cattle breeders flourished. And the boundaries of this culture are quite extensive. The ancient farmers lived in fortified cities (Çatalhöyük), mastered all the major crafts, raised domestic animals except horses, and, in all likelihood, revered either the leopard or some species of now extinct cat. We can agree with Shcherbakov that these people called their totem “race”. But V. Shcherbakov is wrong in that this word gave the name to the people of the “Russians” and, moreover, to the vast territory of Eurasia, inhabited since ancient times, albeit by related, but still different tribes and even peoples.

This researcher, developing his theory of the origin of the Russian people, ignored the culture of the ancient Aryans. If he had compared Sanskrit (the language of the Proto-Indians - Aryans) and the ancient Russian language, he would undoubtedly have come to the conclusion that, in essence, these are varieties of the same language, and in this language the word “Rusa” means the concept of “light, clear, radiant " The Russian word “russ” is more archaic and has its roots, as many scientists believe, in pre-Aryan vocabulary. Until now, a certain hair color in Rus' is called light brown, it is not dark or black. Therefore, Shcherbakovsky “race” could be called that way based on the color of his coat. Actually, in almost all wild cats of Europe and Asia, including the leopard and lynx, this color predominates. In Sanskrit - the same quality: light, radiant. But there is some discrepancy here: the fact is that in Rus' the word “light” also meant the quality of the soul. “Light” meant emitting a special spiritual light, carrying a higher, divine meaning. It was not for nothing that the ancient Russians called their princes Your Serene Highness. From here another meaning of the Sanskrit word “Rusa” becomes clear - radiant...
It would seem that the answer to the question has been found. The word “Rusa” means both the internal and external qualities of a person, and the bearers of these qualities began to be called Russians, and the land on which they settled - the land of the Russians or Russian land, Russia or Russia.

The Russians are the people who came from heaven!
But it turns out that not everything is so simple. The fact is that the words of ancient languages, which include Sanskrit, and even more so the ancient Russian “Prakrit”, always had a double meaning: external and internal. The external meaning of the word “Russa”: light, radiant - there is no doubt, that is what it is. Its internal meaning is unclear. That esoteric sacred cipher, which, in all likelihood, determined the name of the people. And in order to unravel it, it is necessary to go deeper not into the Indo-European layer of culture, but into a more ancient one, into the Hyperborean.

Very little has reached us about the time of the legendary northern continent - Arktogea, and even then only in myths. But, as you know, myths were created by people to preserve and transmit particularly valuable knowledge to future generations. Let's try to decipher some of them and connect them with modern ideas about the Earth, Space and the knowledge of the ancients. Take, for example, the myths of Ancient Greece: in them the God of the sky is called Uranus. It is interesting that Uranus-sky can be traced in the names of some cities of Sumer, for example, the city of Ur - the heavenly city, or the city of Nippur - the city under heaven. The root “ur” sounds in the name of the ancient capital of Assyria - Ashur, and in the name of the country Urartu, even the Ural mountains contain the same root, etc. And everywhere the root “ur” is associated with the sky, Space... Now let’s remember Rigveda. This ancient text speaks of Mount Meru, on the top of which stood the palace of Indra himself. As you know, Mount Meru was located under the North Star or, in Russian, the celestial Kolo. Let's try to decipher the name of Mount Meru, especially since in this word we see the already familiar letters “p” and “u”, but in a different combination. What would that mean? The sky is Ur, the mountain is Meru. The letter combination “me” means the word “place”.
If we consider that the Russian language and the language of the ancient Aryans are essentially two branches of the same proto-language, and the word place is undoubtedly archaic, then everything becomes clear. Then why not “ur”, but “ru”? What's the point here? If you read “ru” from right to left, you get the familiar “ur” - sky. Feedback is encrypted here. That is, a mountain standing in the place where they came from heaven. If we turn to ancient Russian mythology, we will encounter the same thing: at the birth of the Universe, the Great Svarog created the star Sedava, and under it Mount Alatyr, and on that mountain Alatyr subsequently fell the Alatyr-stone with the inscriptions of Svarog to his relatives - the Russian people. Here there is a connection between the Earth and the Sky, and what is clearly expressed is not a departure from the Earth to the stars, but, on the contrary, a coming from the sky to the Earth. And the strange star Sedava is obviously one of the stars that in ancient times played the role of the modern Kolo-Polar star, and below it is Mount Alatyrskaya on Buyan Island, and the Svarog stone flies to this mountain from the sky. Therefore, the word “ru” means coming from heaven.

Russians are a luminous people.
But if we discard research in the field of mythology and turn to science, then here we will encounter the same thing. For example, the prominent German scientist Hermann Wirth, the founder of the Hyperborean theory, describing in his work the religion of the inhabitants of Arctogea, calls the son of God by the name Ur. “Ur,” according to Wirth, is our earthly starry sky. Let's remember the Greek Uranus. Consequently, the word “russ” contains the meaning of feedback: Heaven-Earth. Then how to decipher the letter “s” in this word? But the word “light” begins with it in all Slavic languages: Svetovid, Svetich, Yarosvet, etc. Of course, this word is no less ancient than the Sanskrit “rusa”, and perhaps even older. Then the word “Russ” is translated into modern Russian as those who came from heaven through the light, or “through the light.”

By the way, this does not contradict modern ideas about the connection between energy and matter in physics. Theoretically, this option is possible: the transition of matter into energy and back. But not only theoretically. As scientists prove, this is how UFOs move in space. All this at first glance seems fantastic, but only at first glance. The fact is that there are still peoples alive and well on Earth who stubbornly prove that their ancestors came to Earth from Space. For example, the African Dogon claim that their ancestral home is the double star system Sirius. An interesting fact is that hundreds of years ago the Dogon knew the structure of Sirius, the number of its satellites and accurately named the planet from which their distant ancestors flew to Earth. Modern astrophysics cannot explain such knowledge. But not only the Dogon remember their arrival from the stars. The mysterious Ainu people also remember this. Hokkaido. However, their ancestral home is not Sirius, but another star, which they still refuse to name. Other peoples of the Earth also remember their origin from the stars, but this sacred knowledge is inaccessible to modern scientists: as a rule, it belongs only to initiates.
If we turn to Ancient Egypt, then here we see the same picture. For example, the location of the great pyramids at Giza is an exact copy of the constellation Orion. In addition, the southern shaft, laid in the Khufu pyramid, was aimed (in 2475 BC - apparently when the pyramids were built) at the star Al-Nitak, the middle star of Orion's belt. This was proven by a number of researchers: Hancock, Bauval, Trimbel, Gantenbring and others. It is interesting that the mine coming from the queen’s tomb was targeted in the same 2475 BC. e. to Sirius.

This begs a fair question: have the Russian people retained the memory of the coming from outer space, in addition to their self-name? It turns out he saved it. First of all, these are myths about the Stozhary star. Later legends confuse it with the star Sedava, but the name itself says that these stars are different, since they carry different meanings. Sedava is an ancient proto-polar star, prehistoric Kolo. According to Bauval, Badawi and others, most likely the star is Alpha in the constellation Leo. Stozhary is a completely different star. Its very name says that it is a large, powerful luminary, many times (a hundred) times larger than our sun. So, there are myths that directly say that Stozhary was one of the main stars created by the Great Family, and from Stozhary the wisdom of the Gods came to Earth. In particular, the god Veles flew to Earth from this star in a fiery whirlwind. Veles, as is known from mythology, is one of the most ancient ancestors of the Russian people...
Therefore, the word “Russ” carries the following information:
a) information about the arrival from Space from a certain star Stozhara with the transfer of sacred knowledge and teachings to Earth (letters of Svarog, the arrival of Veles);
b) the word “Russ” means light, carrier of knowledge, radiating spirituality, god-man.

Instead of a preface

I once posted this post in the “Ukraine and Russia” community,
from where it was very quickly removed by the Great Russian moderators suffering
chronic chauvinism and pathological megalomania. Obviously they're afraid
how they don’t want Russians to know the truth about their history. However I think
it is our duty to convey to people the historical truth, which throughout
historians have been hiding and continue to hide for centuries...

Everyone knows that Russians trace their origins back to the medieval
states of Rus', and therefore have long called themselves “Russians”. However
few people know that the names “Rus” and “Russian” have nothing to do with each other
to the Eastern Slavs. Don't believe me? What, you really don’t believe it? well then
take "The Tale of Bygone Years" by Nestor the Chronicler and read carefully
the first few pages, which outline the initial history of Rus'. For those, who
does not have this entertaining book, which can quite seriously be called
The Bible of both the Russian and Ukrainian people, I will give some quotes.

Everyone knows the famous legend about the calling of the Varangians, when the Eastern Slavs,
tired of civil strife, they decided to invite them to reign in their land
overseas ruler. This is how Nestor the Chronicler describes it: “And they went for
the sea to the Varangians, to Rus'. Those Varangians were called Rus, as others are called
Swedes, and some Normans and Angles, and still others Gotlanders - like these." From
This fragment shows that Russia is one of the peoples called the Slavs
called "Varangians". Among anti-Normanists there is an opinion that the Varangians
were not Scandinavian Normans, but Slavs; they say, that’s what the merchants were called,
and the name “Varangian” itself comes from the word “goods”. However, the above
the example clearly indicates that Nestor classifies the Varangians as
Germanic peoples such as the Swedes, Normans and Angles. It's quite understandable
that if the Varangians had at least some relation to the Slavs, Nestor would not
I would compare them with the Germans.

Thus, the Rus were not originally Slavs, but, like the Varangians,
belonged to the Germanic language group. Only after Rurik
began to reign in Novgorod, Rus or Russians also began to be called
Slavic tribes. The chronicle clearly demonstrates this:
"And from those Varangians the Russian land was nicknamed." If this is not enough for someone,
I give another quote from Nestor the chronicler: “And the Slavic people and
“Russian is one; after all, they were called Russia from the Varangians, and before that there were Slavs.”

Well, what do you say about this, gentlemen chauvinists? It's quite understandable
that these gentlemen simply have nothing to say here: “The Tale of Bygone Years”
fully proves that the state of Rus', whose history is so amused
Russian chauvinists, founded not by the Eastern Slavs, but by foreigners -
representatives of one of the Germanic peoples. Anti-Normanists can
You want to splutter and bang your head against the wall, but you can’t argue against the facts:
the book of Nestor the Chronicler is the most ancient document telling
about the history of Rus', and we have no reason not to believe it.

The only exaggeration, in my opinion, is the fact itself
callings of the Varangians: it is unlikely that the Slavs were so stupid as to contact
to people who were known throughout Europe as the most notorious sea
robbers. There was no need to call the Viking Varangians: they always came on their own.
Therefore, it seems to me that Nestor was slightly disingenuous when he wrote about vocation
Varangians In fact, it was about the banal capture of Novgorod by the Vikings
led by King Rurik. The story about the calling, obviously, was subsequently
invented by princely chroniclers, so as not to remind the Slavs once again,
that they were conquered by Norman foreigners. This eliminated the danger
uprisings of the aborigines against the invaders and the right of the Rurikovichs was legitimized
to the princely throne.

However, the best proof that Rus' or Russians were originally
were strangers - newcomers from Scandinavia - says the attitude of the indigenous
residents of the Dnieper region to their past - to the history of Kievan Rus. This
the period is almost completely absent from Ukrainian folklore. You do not
you will not find a single Ukrainian folk song, not a single fairy tale, not a single epic
in Ukrainian, dedicated to this period. It seems as if
after the Tatar-Mongol invasion, the Ukrainian people were struck by massive
amnesia. Doesn't this seem strange to you? After all, other nations have preserved
quite a lot of works of oral folk art dating back to the era
Middle Ages. For example, in England legends about the king were very popular
Arthur and the Ballads of Robin Hood. And in Ukraine, almost all folklore is dedicated to
much later period - XV-XVIII centuries, where the main character was a Cossack
(various kinds of literate people need not worry: the word “Cossack” is given in Ukrainian
transcriptions. These are Russian "Cossacks" spelled with the letter "a"; Ukrainian Cossacks
always and everywhere must be written with an "o". If anyone disagrees with this, let them
will sue me... Ho-ho-ho).

Of course, there will be smart people who will say that, for example, Western Ukrainians
tales about the prince (or king - depending on your preference) Danil Galitsky have been preserved.
But this is most likely the result of the creativity of later authors and collectors,
trying to protect Galicians from Polish cultural influence.

Be that as it may, traditional Ukrainian folklore is in no way connected with
era of Kievan Rus. What does this indicate? Only about what is simple
of the people it was a foreign power; the so-called "Russians" were invaders
for residents of the Dnieper region. That is why the name "Rus" did not take root in
Ukraine: you will not find a single folk song where Ukraine is called
"Rus" or "Russian land". And the fact that the Poles during the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
called the Ukrainian lands “Russian Voivodeship” only means that
this was the official name of the Dnieper region, while the original name was
"Ukraine". Pro-Russian chauvinists can make as much jokes as they want about
this name, comparing it with the word "outskirts", but the name "Ukraine"
mentioned in ancient Russian chronicles from the 11th century. Therefore, Ukraine
existed already in those distant times, which means that the Ukrainian language also existed
people. For Ukrainians, the Russian princes and everyone who came with them were occupiers.
Obviously, the Old Russian language was the language of the northern Slavs who came from
Novgorod together with Oleg, which is why it did not become widespread among
the local population, who from time immemorial spoke Ukrainian. After that,
how the Russian principalities were virtually destroyed by the Tatar invasion
Mongols, everything Russian was very quickly forgotten and practically erased from
memory of Ukrainians. Isn't it a strange attitude towards "one's own" history?
People show such forgetfulness only in relation to strangers and
invaders, like the notorious Russians were...

Why, in this case, the ancestors of Russians, unlike Ukrainians, not only
preserved memories of Rus' in the form of epics that have survived to this day only
thanks to popular memory, but also adopted the name from the Norman invaders
"Russians"? Obviously, the reason is that at the time of the arrival of the Varangians, the ancestors
Ukrainians and Russians were at different stages of development. By this time
Kyiv has stood on the banks of the Dnieper for several centuries and was a center of trade
throughout Eastern Europe. By the beginning of the 9th century, the glades had already formed if
not a state, then at least a powerful tribal union. Completely different
the situation was with the ancestors of the Russians: “and there was no truth among them, and a clan arose
into the family, and they had strife, and began to fight with each other,” as Nestor writes
chronicler. That is, the northern tribes were disunited and did not represent
any ethnic or territorial association. Therefore the arrival
Varangians had only a beneficial influence on them, putting an end to strife and
contributed to the formation of the state.

Another reason why Russians retained the memory of Rus' is that
after the Tatar-Mongol invasion, the Norman Rurik dynasty
continued to rule on the territory of modern Russia until the 17th century.
It is quite clear that thanks to them the memory of past times continued
persist both at the level of the political elite and among the people. However
with the accession of the Romanov dynasty, who belonged to the ancient boyar
family and, obviously, having purely Slavic roots, the name "Rus" begins
to be supplanted by the new - Russia. With the formation of the Russian Empire, the names
“Rus” and “Russian” began to be withdrawn from circulation altogether. So, Karamzin in
in his famous work "History of the Russian State" instead of the word
"Rus" uses the word "Russia" even where we are talking about the most ancient
times, and only occasionally resorts to the epithet “Russian”.

Obviously, such a strange attitude towards the ancient name was due to the fact that
that the Russian authorities already realized that the history of Rus' does not fit into
into the concept of a great empire: the ancient Russian state was founded by invaders
Scandinavians, and this went against the idea of ​​the “greatness” of the Russian people.
It turned out that the Russians were unable to govern themselves and invited
(or they themselves came) foreigners. However, there is nothing shameful here or
humiliating: the Normans influenced the history of many European
states, for example, England, and no one there is ashamed of this, and even more so
doesn't try to hide.

All these theories of anti-Normanists, who categorically reject the Norman
version have no basis. This is nothing more than a whim and
a whim of people who do not want to admit obvious facts. Their arguments
revolve around one thing: we don’t like it, therefore it’s not true.

Finally, it should be noted that the history of Rus' is one of the few
examples in history where foreign occupation had a beneficial effect
on the conquered population: the Eastern Slavs, who were constantly subjected to
attacks by neighboring peoples, not only defended their freedom (thanks to
Normans, of course), but over time they were able to create a powerful state,
which could not be ignored. Looking at how the current rulers
Ukraine and Russia rule their countries, you can’t help but think: maybe
we should take advantage of the experience of the Eastern Slavs and again “summon” the Varangians
(that is, Scandinavians) to restore order? Moreover, the Scandinavian
states have recently confidently occupied the highest positions in
ratings of the most developed and prosperous countries. And what do you think?..