Gardariki This is what the Normans and other Vikings called the current territory of Russia. From Icelandic the word “gardariki” can be translated as “country of cities”. Considering the fact that the Normans, who had seen many countries and regions in their lifetime, only called Russia by their “city” name,

GARDARIKS. Rus' IS A COUNTRY OF CITIES

*Gardariki - (country of cities) the former European name of Northern Rus' with the capital Staraya Ladoga - the predecessor of Novgorod.
*Gardar, or Gardariki, is the name of Ancient Rus' in general, and not its cities.
*The ancient Scandinavians called Kievan Rus Gardarika - “Country of Cities”. And it was for some reason that the German Bishop Thietmar of Merzerburg counted about 400 churches alone in Kyiv during the time of St. Vladimir.
*The country of cities - Gardarika - was the name of Ancient Rus' in the Scandinavian sagas of the 9th century. Ancient cities the north-west were the shield of our land. To this day they are witnesses of fame, wealth, greatness and spiritual power.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, says: Gardariki (Isl. Garðaríki, Garðaveldi, Swedish Gårdarike) is the ancient Scandinavian name of the Old Russian state, known to the Vikings in the Middle Ages. The term translates as “country of cities.” Peter Dikman in one of the Gothic stories wrote: “Golmogardia and Gordoriki, the region lying between Lake Ladoga and Peipus (Chudskoe) lakes, in which the main city is Oldengoburg”
The toponym Gardariki first appears in a geographical work of the last quarter of the 12th century. It was also reflected in the collections of royal sagas recorded in the first third of the 13th century. According to F. A. Brown, the Garðaríki form is the creation of the Icelanders who wrote down the sagas (starting from the end of the 12th century). Until this time (in the X-XII centuries) throughout the Scandinavian Peninsula, the form Garđar was used to designate Rus'. This is how Rus' is represented in skaldic verses of the 9th-12th centuries, as well as in runic inscriptions on stones.
In Scandinavian sources of the 14th century, the principalities of Gardariki are called Holmgard, Canugard, and Palteskja.
The Slavic chronicle of Helmold contains the following description: “The Danes also call Rus' Ostrogard for the reason that, being located in the east, it abounds in all blessings. It is also called Hunigard, because the Huns first lived in these places... ...The main city of it is Hue.”

Lands of Gardariki-Rus - Varangians. Kolbyagi. Rus. Slavs. Merya. Bulgars. Khazars.
Gardariki is a country of many cities... Indeed, there were many cities in Rus'. Here are just the most important of them: Kyiv, Novgorod, Belozersk, Murom, Polotsk, Rostov, Smolensk, Pskov, Chernigov, Uglich, Bryansk, Suzdal, Yaroslavl, Kursk, Ryazan, Vladimir, Moscow, Kostroma, Pereslavl, Tver. It was in them that the beavers, beavers, trappers, tar smokers, lykoders and other “industrialists”.
Monuments of ancient Russian literature have preserved relatively few local names, which inseparably include the word "city" - Novgorod (Novgorod the Great and Novgorod "in the land of Rustei", i.e. Novgorod Seversky), Vyshgorod, Zvenigorod, Belgorod - but it is implied with any name such as Pereyaslavl, Vsevolozh, Glebl, Volodymer (Vladimir Volynsky), i.e. the city of Pereyaslav, Vsevolod, Gleb, etc.

All free people of Gardariki were in one way or another involved in trade relations. Some produced goods in the form of hemp, flax, linen fabrics, others were engaged in beekeeping, others hunted fur-bearing animals, fourths grew bread, fifths smelted ore, sixths made necessary products from wood in the form of kitchen utensils and tableware, as well as chests, tubs and barrels in which honey was transported. And everywhere merchants lived or visited, buying goods for sale. There were no lands in Gardarik-Rus that were not covered by trade relations.

The Byzantines provide the earliest idea of ​​how trade was conducted in Rus'. Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus at the beginning of the tenth century describes the routine of the life of a Russian merchant.
With the first cold weather, as soon as it became possible to travel across the rugged Russian expanses on a sleigh, the trading people left the cities and rushed into the outback. There, in places specially adapted for “guests” - churchyards - they bought everything that the villagers had mined and produced during the year: hemp, wax, honey, furs, iron products, woolen cloth and linen, ropes, canvas, hops, lard and beef fat, sheepskins and hides. Even walrus tusks. In good years there is also grain.
“From the Greeks” they brought wine, silk, art objects - icons and jewelry, fruits and glassware to Rus'. However, despite the importance of trade with their southern neighbor, the Russians did not neglect other countries. From the countries of the East they brought spices, precious stones, silk and satin fabrics, weapons of the famous Damascus steel and horses. Some of these goods settled in Rus', some were sent further west through the largest shopping mall Northern Europe - Novgorod. In response, Europeans supplied Rus' with fabrics, needles, weapons, glassware, wine, salt, beer and metals - iron, copper, tin, lead.

Large merchant ships and boats, adapted for transporting goods, sailed along the rivers and seas. Large ships reached the shores of many countries, and merchants could purchase goods in bulk directly at the place of their manufacture, thereby saving money on price differences.

In addition to the fact that Rus' was called Gardarika, a country of many cities, it is equally important to remember that it is also Garda Rica - a country surrounded by the Serpentine Wall. It was a reliable shield against raids by nomads from the south in the form of a colossal protective rampart, which went down in history as the Serpentine Val.

The structure of the shaft consisted of hundreds of layers. The core of the structure is a palisade made of mature oak, with a diameter of up to 49 cm. Inside the shafts there was a wooden structure that gave stability, strengthened the earthen embankment and gave the shaft the necessary height and steepness. The logs were placed in log houses and covered with earth, and wooden walls also stood directly on the ramparts themselves. The total height of the defensive structures reached in some places up to 12 meters. Scientists have calculated that the construction of just one kilometer of shaft alone would require at least 3 thousand cubic meters of wood.

Archaeologists have concluded that the ramparts were created over the course of a millennium. Kyiv researcher A.S. Bugai repeatedly removed coals from the base of the shafts that had fallen there during the construction period. The results of the analyzes showed that the age of the finds is very significant and is determined (for different samples taken from different shafts) from 2100 to 1200 years! In other words, the ramparts examined by A.S. Bugai were built in the period from the 2nd century BC to the 7th century AD, that is, long before the emergence of Kievan Rus... The Serpentine Ramparts are huge structures, the total length of which is several times greater than the Troyan Shafts.

Novgorod, which arose on the river, becomes the northern capital of Gardariki-Rus. Volkhov, near Lake Ilmen. This city is the main trading center of the northern part of Rus'. From here began the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. Like all cities of Rus', Novgorod had a fortress. The Novgorod Kremlin is a typical fortification for storing merchant goods, to protect the population in case of enemy raids and other needs.

Kievan Rus arose on the trade route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” on the lands of the East Slavic tribes - the Ilmen Slovenes, Krivichi, Polyans, then covering the Drevlyans, Dregovichs, Polochans,
Radimichi, Northerners, Vyatichi.
The chronicle legend considers the founders of Kyiv to be the rulers of the Polyan tribe - the brothers Kiya, Shchek and Khoriv. According to archaeological excavations carried out in Kyiv in the 19th-20th centuries, already in the middle of the 1st millennium AD. e. there was a settlement on the site of Kyiv. Arab writers of the 10th century (al-Istarhi, Ibn Khordadbeh, Ibn-Haukal) later speak of Cuyaba as a large city. Ibn Haukal wrote: “The king lives in a city called Cuyaba, which is larger than Bolgar... The Rus constantly trade with the Khozar and Rum (Byzantium).”

From Hyperborea, Gardariki-Rus inherited a lot of secret Knowledge that was used by the Magi. They helped merchants and the entire population live a full life interesting life. So Ancient Rus' had its own secret calendar, which was used by many residents. Guselnik singers moved across all lands, bringing news to the people about what was happening in Rus' and abroad.

From the mouths of the Magi, Kalika travelers, storytellers and epic writers, the people knew about the ancient cities of the Northern Land, like Arkaim, and built their cities in the form of circles, including a fortified settlement and adjacent economic sites, a burial ground and a number of unfortified villages.

Since ancient times, Russians loved to wash in baths. Each family had its own bathhouse. There were also public baths for citizens and visitors. They knew how to and loved various entertainments. Free, cheerful, good-natured, they loved jokes and witty words.
Ancient Russian baths Entertainment of Russians

Our ancestors were never indifferent to beauty. For their beloved children there were the most affectionate, most significant names, taken from ancient sources about the Goddesses and Gods they worshiped, names of spiritual significance. Svetozar (slav.) - illuminating with light, Svyatoslav - sanctified by glory, Yaroslav (slav.) - shining with glory, Mikhail<Михей>- like God, Ilya - the fortress of the Lord, Vladimir (Slavic) - to rule the world, Anna - mercy, Grace, Lyudmila (Slavic) - dear to people, Olga (Scand.) - saint, Rada (Old Russian) - joyful, Lada (peace, well-being).

No matter what people from other countries call ancient Rus', no matter how they attribute alien traits to it, or no matter how they attract it to their history, Rus' remains Russia - the direct heir of Hyperborea, Ruskolani! And the Russian people are direct descendants of the Hyperboreans, Aryan-Russians, who have absorbed the best traits of their ancestors - pride, honor, dignity, readiness for heroism, gullibility, responsiveness, tolerance, and, most importantly, spirituality.

THE LEGEND OF GARDARIK.

Epics and legends about the Russian land are most closely connected with another equally famous legend about the country of Gardarik. This is how it was customary in the Scandinavian countries to call the Russian land.
Gardarika (Islamic Garðaríka or Garðavelda, Swedish Gårdarike) is the ancient Scandinavian name of the Old Russian state, known to the Vikings in the Middle Ages. The term was originally translated without significant reason as “country of cities,” meaning Novgorod land. Since the mid-20th century, Western historical scholarship has formed the opinion that the toponym meant a chain of Old Scandinavian fortresses from Lyubitsa and Ladoga along the Volkhov River.
The word is formed according to the model X+ríki (state, country), which served to designate the state. The toponym is based on the root garđ- (related to the Indo-European gard-), meaning 1) “fence, fence, fortification”, 2) “yard, enclosed space”, 3) “yard, possession, farm (in Iceland), house ( in Norway)" . Here “city” means “fortress, fortification.” The relationship between the Scandinavian “gard” and the Old Russian “city, city” played an important role in the formation of the toponym Gardariki.
The toponym Gardarika first appears in a geographical work of the last quarter of the 12th century. It was also reflected in the collections of royal sagas recorded in the first third of the 13th century. According to F. A. Brown, the Garðaríki form is the creation of the Icelanders who wrote down the sagas (starting from the end of the 12th century). Until this time (in the X-XII centuries) throughout the Scandinavian Peninsula, the form Garđar was used to designate Rus'. This is how Rus' is represented in the skald.
Judging by the above encyclopedic interpretations of the concept of Gardarik, then we are dealing with a very flattering epithet of ancient Rus', which was bestowed on it by the Scandinavian Vikings. And if we take into account the fact that in Western Europe it is very difficult to find a more or less significant city that would not have been attacked by the Vikings, then this epithet takes on an absolutely fantastic coloring. It turns out that for these “sea kings”, well known from Portugal to Byzantium, only one state could be called a country of cities, as if all the others were countries of villages and villages.
Trying to somehow explain this passage, many researchers blindly declare that “There were a lot of cities in ancient Kievan Rus. That is why Western European chronicles call it Gardarika, or the country of cities. In the written sources that have reached us from the 9th-10th centuries, at least 24 Russian cities are mentioned, but scientists believe that there were much more of them.” (newciv.relarn.ru/work/2-09/All of all/str_18.htm)
Of course, 24 cities is not a small figure for medieval Europe, but if it is extrapolated to the vastness of the Russian Plain, it will inevitably turn into a mockery of reality. To call Kievan Rus a country of cities means not knowing anything specific about it. However, the same cannot be said about the Vikings. Throughout their history, they were the most painful “ulcer” for all the peoples of the ecumene, with the exception of Rus'. Moreover, Ancient Rus' directly or indirectly owed many of its military-political successes to the Vikings and Varangians, who from ancient times served in the princely squads. Moreover, they sacredly valued their Russian ancestry, which went back in time immemorial to the shores of the Father Don. And perhaps for this reason, they have always been the most faithful helpers in maintaining peace and tranquility in this holy land of the Gods.
Whatever it was, the name Gardarik in relation to Rus' was used by the Vikings, not at all because of the abundance of large and small cities subject to Kyiv, but for slightly different reasons. In order to deal with them, we need to go back to the times of the Russian Kaganate, when by the beginning of the 9th century, the banks of the Don and Donets were literally dotted with majestic white-stone castles. No country in the world knew at that time such a construction boom, when such a huge number of fortresses, cities and castles would have been erected in a relatively short period, tens of thousands of cubic meters of building materials were spent on the construction of each of them. And all this against the backdrop of the unbridled development of industrial relations based on the highest technologies of the time, among which we should highlight not only unique technologies pottery production, but mainly achievements in the field of metallurgy. According to legend, the famous Damascus swords were actually produced in numerous metallurgical centers of the Russian land. In any case, in Damascus no one really knew the secret of their production, but during excavations of Don cities, blanks for their production are often found. Sometimes in huge quantities.
The successes in the field are no less impressive Agriculture, where special mention should be made of such an industry as viticulture. All this, along with active trade and military power, contributed to the fact that the Don dews had not only silk clothes, inaccessible to very wealthy people of other states, but also prestigious housing, often made of baked bricks and under tiled roofs. At the Kobyakovskoe settlement, fragments of these dwellings could be observed at the beginning of the 20th century. As for fortresses and castles, they were usually built from snow-white chalk blocks, less often from limestone, sandstone, mud and baked bricks. The height of the fortress walls sometimes exceeded 10 meters, and the height of the towers 15. Constant improvement of construction technologies led to the emergence of real masterpieces of fortification art, such as the famous Right Bank Tsimlyansky Castle.

Right Bank Tsimlyansk Fortress. Reconstruction based on excavations and plan of 1743
Watercolor by Oleg Fedorov.

From the stone blocks of which Starocherkassk was subsequently rebuilt. However, the mysterious Semikarakor fortress should be considered the height of construction ambitions.
“In works on archeology, the Semikarakorsk fortress was rarely mentioned due to an opinion that came from nowhere about its complete destruction during plowing already in the 20th century. As for historians, including foreign ones, they do not mention it at all in their numerous reconstructions of the history of the Kaganate. It is possible that most of them simply did not know and do not know about its existence.
Excavations of 1971-1974, begun with a great risk of finding nothing but pitiful ruins, led to the discovery of perhaps the best preserved fortress of the Kaganate in steppe zone. Built according to the “square within a square” system, it consisted of the fortress itself measuring 215 x 200 m and a citadel of 85 x 80 m located inside. But what was surprising was not so much the size as construction material: mud brick, and of extremely high quality. Its format is specific: 25 x 25 x 5 cm. The fortress walls have been preserved to a height of up to a meter, and the donjon built into one of the walls is up to two meters (!). With a wall thickness of about 2 m, their height could reach 5-6 m. Initially, it was assumed that buildings made of mud bricks should also be expected inside the fortress, but as work continued, it turned out that there was a continuous array of ruined buildings made of baked bricks. That is why the assumption arose that the fortress was intended for the kagans: after all, only they had the privilege of living in brick buildings, as medieval historiographers wrote about.
A fortress and citadel with a total length of six-meter walls of almost a kilometer is the “calling card” of the Kaganate, which had the strength and means to build such a large scale. You can calculate the amount of work performed. At least 2 million pieces of mud brick were used for the walls of the fortress and citadel (according to other estimates, at least 3.5 million pieces - A.L.). In addition, at least several tens (taking into account the shell of the walls, several hundred thousand pieces - A.L.) thousand bricks were fired for the construction of buildings inside the citadel. One of the most labor-intensive processes was digging clay for bricks and bringing in sand. The total volume of the fortress walls was about 9 thousand cubic meters. Adding the tower on the northern wall, the donjon, gate structures and probable losses during transportation and during production, we get about 10 (20! - A.L.) thousand cubic meters of finished bricks along with the binder mortar. It was this mass of clay and sand that had to be mined, delivered and processed. But to this we must add the delivery of hundreds of tons of water for the solution. The big problem was to protect the prepared bricks from rain, for which, most likely, reed coverings were used. Let's add some reeds. Let's add the maintenance of horses and bulls necessary for mixing the solution. During the drying process, the bricks had to be turned over several times to ensure uniform evaporation of moisture in order to avoid deformation and cracks. Finally, firing required the construction of furnaces and the preparation of fuel. So, in the conditions of the Don climate, when winter frosts did not allow brick molding, all this work took at least two years.
This example shows that the construction of a fortress requires not only production skills, but, no less important, the ability to organize the whole thing. Accordingly, the fortress should be perceived not only as an archaeological monument of fortification, but as a monument of construction. Maybe mainly in the latter capacity.
Excavations at Semikarakorskaya ended in 1974 and have not been resumed since then, and what was excavated was covered with earth, in other words, buried. The reason is the same as on Mayatskaya. Continuing excavations of the Semkarakor fortress without conservation means losing it. Walls left under open air, will quickly collapse. Developing methods for preserving mud bricks requires lengthy and expensive experiments. But preserved walls should also be covered in pavilions. You shouldn’t even think about the state funding this work.
Fortunately, today the fortress itself and the surrounding territory have not yet awakened the appetite of potential landowners. However, one should not delude oneself, since this prosperity could end at any moment: after all, there is not even a Protective Obligation for the unique monument.” (Flerov)
From all of the above, we can conclude that in the early Middle Ages, on the banks of the Don and Donets, there was located the country of cities - Gardarika. It would be more accurate to say a country of fortresses and castles, as follows from the literal translation of this Scandinavian term. All that remains is to confirm our assumption with written sources. As the first witness, we will use the Book of Veles, which says that Ruskolan had 300 strong cities. Approximately the same number, based on archaeological data, is given in the book by E. Galkina, “Secrets of the Russian Kaganate”. However, this figure is not the limit. The so-called “Bavarian geographer” gives us absolutely fantastic results.
Bavarian Geographer (or East Frankish table of tribes) - a list of peoples and tribes, mainly of Slavic origin, inhabiting the areas east of the Frankish state in the 9th century.
A document on two sheets was discovered in 1722 in Bavaria state library(Munich), where it is currently stored. This is a note at the end of a manuscript containing a treatise on geometry by Boethius. The Bavarian Duke acquired it in 1571 along with the archives of the antiquarian Hermann Schedel (1410-1485). It was introduced into scientific circulation by the French ambassador in Munich, Count du Bua, who published a translation of the monument into French in the mid-18th century. The name “Bavarian Geographer” was given to the document by the Polish writer and scientist Jan Potocki in 1796. This name is associated with the location of the find; in origin, the monument is most likely associated not with Bavaria, but with Swabia (see below). In Russian historiography, “The Bavarian Geographer” was first used by N. M. Karamzin (translated by du Bua).
The peculiarity of this geographical treatise is that the peoples and states closest to the author have a maximum of several dozen cities.
(list taken from Peter Zolin)

(3) Linones (Linaa) - a people who have 7 cities.
(4-6) Not far from them sit those called Bethenici, Smeldingon and Morizani, who have 11 cities.
(7) Next to them sit those who are called Hehfeldi (Hevellers; Gavolians) and who have 8 cities.
(8) Next to them lies a region called Sorbi; in area numerous people, which has 50 cities.
(9) Next to them are those who are called Talaminians (Talaminzi, Dolemnitsy; Dolenchane) and who have 13 cities.
(10) Beheimare (Bohemians - Czechs), who have 15 cities.
(11) Mararii (Moravians) have 40 cities.
(12) The Vulgars (Uulgarii, Bulgarians, Hungarians?) - a huge region and a large people - have only 5 cities, since the majority of the people live outside them, and therefore have no need for cities.
(13) There is a people called Merehanos; he has 30 cities. They point opposite the Bulgarians, on the other side of the Danube.

However, as you move east, the order of numbers constantly grows, and after the Dniester it acquires simply unimaginable proportions.

(18) Glopeani, who have 400 or slightly more cities.
(19) The Zuireani have 325 cities.
(20) Buzhans (Busani) have 231 cities.
(21) Sittici - an area in which there are countless people and fortified cities.
(22) Stadici, in which there are 516 cities and countless people.
(23) Sebbirozi has 90 cities.
(24) Unlitsy (Unlizi, streets?) - a large people, 418 cities.
(25) The Neriuani have 78 cities.
(26) The Attorozi have 148 cities, and are the most unbridled people.
(27) Eptaradici has 243 cities.
(28) The Uuilerozii have 180 cities.
(29) Zabrozi has 212 cities.
(30) Znetalici has 74 cities.
(31) The Aturezani have 104 cities.
(32) Chozirozi has 250 cities.
(33) Lendizi has 98 cities.
(34) Thafnezi has 257 cities.
(35) The Zeriuani, who alone have a kingdom and from whom all the tribes of the Slavs, as they claim, descend and descend (most likely the northerners: P.Z.).
“What our beloved officialdom does not like is the mention of dozens and hundreds of early medieval cities (of course, fortifications with surrounding villages, graveyards) among the Slavic peoples in the middle of the 9th century. And even on the lands around Rus'...
Relations between these local entities were clearly a process of internal diplomacy of peoples during the period when, as Christianization progressed, Great Scythia turned into Great Rus'. And the history of many medieval cities of Rus', often descended from early medieval and ancient settlements, is noted by the source quite objectively. Therefore the source for a long time didn't attract much attention. Thousands of cities in Rus' and in the surrounding area by the middle of the 9th century. Just think about it?!" (Peter Zolin)
You can think about it. It's hard to believe. However, as we have seen more than once, any myth carries at least a grain of the real state of affairs. And they are such that despite the fantastic number of cities located and adjacent to the Russian Kaganate (literally the Russian Empire), there is no doubt about their significant superiority in relation to the countries of Western Europe. In fact, we have before us direct written evidence of what exactly the inhabitants of Western Europe meant when they called Rus' a country of cities (fortresses and castles).
Ruskolan…
Let us remember that “The Bavarian Geographer” describes events that took place long before Kievan Rus with its 24 cities. In addition, it is especially worth noting the fact that in the ethnonyms of the peoples of Gardariki the root rozi (dew) is very often found, which directly indicates that we are dealing with the Russian land. Along with this, it is noteworthy that the remark that “Zeriuani (northerners), who alone have a kingdom and from whom all the tribes of the Slavs, as they claim, descend and descend,” fully confirms our assumption that the originally political the center of the Russian land was in the land of the northerners, from where Donets began to be called Seversky, and where we see the largest concentration of cities and settlements of the Saltovo-Mayak archaeological culture, corresponding to the Russian Kaganate and the epic Russian land.
It seems that we managed to uncover the secret of the legendary Gardarika, the myths and legends about which actually turned out to be very close to the reality that took place in the early Middle Ages, on the territory of the Russian land.

LEGEND OF RURIK.

Legends, myths, there were stories, how different they are. In what an unimaginable way time and space are refracted in them. How the characters and destinies of the prototypes of mythical heroes change beyond recognition. How elusive the hints are. What a fantastic allegory. What a Gordian knot a seemingly simple plot is tied into.
Many years ago, I happened to hear not a myth, not a legend, but something like a saying that “Prince Rurik was from the Don Cossacks” and, like Stenka Razin, he rampaged on the Black Sea, and on the Caspian Sea, until he was invited to the Novgorod table.
However, a great many sayings like this can be cited. It’s just not possible to find a grain of truth in them. After all, they are not talking about mythical characters, but about historical figures, whose fate is quite well reflected in written sources. And although many Russian historians do their best to present Rurik as a semi-mythical hero, in fact he is absolutely a real man, about whom no less written evidence has been preserved than about his descendants.

If we generalize and average all the available data, then in the person of Rurik we get an outstanding representative of the Obodrit people, among whom were the legendary “Slavic sea robbers”, from the tribe of the Vagrs, the Varangians of the Russian chronicles. The state of the Western Obodrites in the early Middle Ages was called Vandalia or Slovenia. Both toponyms go back to the Ilmen Slovenes, who, around the 6th-7th centuries AD. settled the Baltic coast between the Elbe (Laba) and the Rhine. The fact that this was so, and not otherwise, is eloquently evidenced by archaeological data, which does not see a fundamental difference in the material cultures of the Slovenes and the Obodrites (Mecklenburg and Novgorod).
However, in the VIII-IX centuries. lands of Slovenia began to come under increasing pressure from the Frankish state. In the first half of the 9th century, this pressure ended with the occupation of a significant part of Slovenia, including the family estates of the Rurik family, which predetermined it future fate, as one of the most prominent representatives of the “Slavic sea robbers”, the Varangians.
By the time he was called to reign in the land of Slovenia Ilmenskaya, he was already one of the most famous personalities Western Europe, who gained fame in great victories in the territories of Germany, Denmark, England, France, Portugal, Spain, etc. his indestructible flotillas were seen by the inhabitants of Hamburg and Hodeby, Paris and Orleans, London and Lisbon, Seville and La Coruña. All this clearly indicates that the saying that Rurik was a Don Cossack was born out of boredom. Although..?! It depends on how you look.
Leo Tolstoy said that the Cossacks created Russia, putting only the visible part into these words Russian history. But if we appreciate the part that is still hidden from us, then this statement will become prophetic. And if so, then we have a real prospect in searching for threads connecting Rurik with the Don and the Cossacks.
Firstly, I would like to return to the ancient Russian chronicles and legends in which the process of movement of the ancient ancestors of the Slavs is clearly traced, from the shores of the Don and the Black Sea to the north to the lands of Ilmen, under the leadership of Sloven and Rus. Subsequently, one of the descendants of Sloven, named Vandal, conquered all Western countries and installed his subjects there to rule. Studying this vector of development of migration processes in the first centuries of our era, it is not difficult to verify that the shores of the Baltic were inhabited by people from the southern Russian steppes, which was directly reflected in the Scandinavian sagas. As for the Vagr and Vikings, they, being essentially the military class of their peoples, are as close as possible to the Cossacks not only in origin, but also in social status and behavior. It is not without reason that G. Vernadsky argued that the movement of the Vikings (sea kings), and with them the Vagr (Slavic sea robbers), originated on the Don, which indicates a direct genetic connection between the Cossacks and the Vagr. And if this is so, then Rurik, with some reservations, can easily be classified as a Cossack family. It is curious that the appearance of his grandson exactly matched the appearance of the Sich Cossacks.
Secondly, and this is very important, the Vagr of Rurik came to the Slovenian lands, under the name Rus, which automatically put a sign of identity between them and the inhabitants of the Russian land in the Don region. Belonging to Rus' ensured the legitimacy of Rurik’s rule and the legitimacy of his claims not only to Ladoga, but also to Kyiv, which, after the destruction of the Russian land, received the title of “mother of Russian cities.”
Thirdly, we see a very trusting relationship between Rurik and Prophetic Oleg, which symbolized the remnants of the elite of the Russian Kaganate. These relations were so close that Rurik could easily leave Novgorod for several years and go to the encouragement of Stargorod to resolve controversial issues in his western possessions. At the same time, trusting Oleg, also raising his son.
Fourthly, we know that Rurik had direct family ties with the Slovenian elite, to which his grandfather Gostomysl belonged. In this regard, the study of V. Varenik is interesting, who convincingly showed the presence of strong ethnic and cultural ties between the Novgorodians and the Don Cossacks.
Fifthly, in the Arab tradition, in particular in al-Haraki, in his book “The Limit of Comprehension regarding the Division of the Heavenly Spheres,” Meotida is called the Varangian Sea. Other authors, in particular al-Masudi, identify the Varangian Sea - the Baltic - with Meotida, which most eloquently indicates the presence of strong ties between Maeotis and the Baltic.
We could list for a long time the threads connecting Rurik with the Don and the Cossacks, right down to the legends about his ancestry from the Roman Caesars, among whom was the Don Cossack ataman Odoacer, and about his kinship with Lithuania (Lithuanians), who came from the Don shores, and for many centuries they kept the name of Rus', and their princes, long before those of Moscow, were called princes of “All Rus'”. But it seems already clear that by calling Rurik a Cossack, we will sin little before the truth. Or maybe we won’t sin, but call the realities of that time by their real names. The only thing that we apparently won’t be able to do is tie Rurik’s deeds and exploits to the Don shores. Although there are some clues in this direction.

(based on materials from the unpublished book “There Were Myths of Don Antiquity”)

Today we’ll talk about those distant, distant times when Prehistoric Rus' was called the Country of Gardarika... Modern scientists give this name a banal explanation - they say there were many Cities in Rus', hence the name... BUT... at the same time, scientists and the church tell US that in Rus' there lived Barbarians who did not know the language and could not even speak intelligibly... in general, savages... Very interesting... This means they could build many Cities, but could not speak, much less write !!! But let's take it in order.

GARDARIKA is a country of cities. That's what the Vikings called Rus'. This name comes from the Old Russian word - Gard (Grad, City). One unknown Bavarian geographer of the 9th century wrote about Rus' like this: “Ultimate people, they have 318 cities, Buzhans have 231 cities, Volynians - 70 cities, Northerners - 325... and so on... the list is long.”
The statements of this Western anonymous author are quite consistent with the ancient chronicles, in which there are similar references to both the Ulichs and the Tivertsi, there are special references to the “Many Gardars” in the Chernigov and Ryazan estates (Russian-Aryan lands), which is confirmed by archeology.

So, what is Gardar?

GARDAR is the sanctuary of the ancestral fire, along with all the buildings and servants. Gardar is a place of Power where the Ardars (Rus) live. In the literal sense, “GAR-DAR” is the bestowing fire. The ancestral Gardar was erected at the mouth of the river, where there was a place of energy power (the White Pillar), and where there must be a strong spring, because each source carried the energy charge of the “White Pillar”. In such a place, a temple with a wooden hipped roof in the form of a triangular pyramid was erected. The building was not only a place of fire worship, but also a spiritual temple of the Family. An oak pillar was placed in the center of the room - serving as a finger (from the word - Burn) to ignite the ritual ancestral fire. The floor of the temple premises was made of white clay.
Three magic rings (Sutugi) were mounted on the floor around the finger, increasing in diameter from the center to the periphery. Closer to the center the ring was gold, the second was silver, and the outer one was copper. This ring had an unknown power that prevented people uninitiated in the secrets of magic from reaching the center. Only the fire priestesses of Garda could enter this magic circle in order to convey to other tribes the fire reborn on their finger, ignited by the “Apple of the Eye”. Donors left their offerings to the fire temple at the mysterious circle of the first outer ring of Sutuga, since they could not step through the metal hoop. The donor’s body suddenly began to shake in convulsions, and he left his gift at the entrance, not daring to step through the circle of Sutuga.

Enchanted by the inaccessibility and mystery of the magic circle, the donor could only admire and tremble before the Priests dedicated to the Spirit of Fire standing inside Sutuga. During a severe thunderstorm, the “White Pillar” zone became deadly, as it emitted a cone-shaped glow, and spherical clots of energy called RaSeya (Light of Ra) often burst out from under the finger. The fire in the Ancestral Gardar was renewed twice a year - during the spring and autumn equinox. It was obtained by the fire priestess Garda from the Sun using the “Apple of the Eye” (a large collecting lens made of crystal). The sun, exactly at noon, through a special hole in the roof of the temple, its rays fell inside the room, where the Priestess refracted it through Zenits onto a specially prepared bag on her finger, under the choral singing of Gardar's servants. The fuel ignited, leaving the representatives of different tribes present in awe, who were subsequently given smoldering coals from the new fire.

The fire was carried through its community pillars by representatives of the tribes, priestesses and guardians of Fire, who were called Garda. In everyday life, the fire priestess wore the “Zenits of the Eye” in a special expensive frame on her forehead. Nesuns (Danki Gardara) gave fire to the newly formed tribes. The deceased fire priestess Garda was placed in a container made of clay and filled with lime solution, then this sarcophagus was shaped like a Hornbeam shell. Hence the word: Coffin. On the outside of the Coffin, a text was cut out that carried the secret knowledge received by the priestess from the World of Spirit (as the Bitterness of Knowledge of the Essence). Hence the mythical name of the Coffin - “Stone Bel-Goryuch” (symbolizing burning tears for the deceased). In the French, the concept “Garder” means to store, protect. On English language“Garden” - garden, vegetable garden. On German language"Garten" - garden, vegetable garden.

Based on what has been said, it will be interesting to consider a few words that are most directly related to the Gardars and the Great Country of Gardarika:

GARDA - Priestess of the Sacred Fire of Gardara. In French, “Garder” means to store, protect, monitor, protect. In English, “Guard” means security, protection, guard, guard.

GARAKA - an appeal to the Spirit of the Ancestors, in the person of Fire, which was worshiped by the Family of the Great Race. In this case, the Sacred Fire is just a small particle of the Light of God Ra (the Sun, as the embodiment of the Spirit of the Family). The Iranians have “Ghar” - to cry out, to shout. For Alan, “Garun” means to cry out, and “Garongo” is a ritual cry for the deceased, lamentation. For the Goths, “Kara” means grief. Among the ancient Scandinavians, “Kara” means to appeal to the justice of the Gods. In Old German, "Kara" is a lament, and "Karon" is a lament. In French, “Garer” means to cover, hide, place under cover. In Latin “Garrio” means to chatter, chatter, talk nonsense.

GARON is an ancient elder in whom the fire of the Creator Spirit still burns. As a rule, the word “Garont” was used to refer to Elders who lived more than 100 years and who were the Elders of the Family. The ancient Greeks used the word “Geron” to mean elders, as the most noble people by origin who helped the king rule the country. In Sparta, the Geronts are members of the Gerusia, the Council of Elders, which consisted of 28 noble representatives of the Lacedaemonian families (inhabitants of Laconia) under the leadership of two kings. This Council constituted the highest authority in Sparta.

GARYUN is a clergyman of the Russian-Aryan tradition, who played the role of a missionary among dark and gray tribes. A Garyun became a guilty Priest-Spiritualist, appointed by the leadership of Gardar to work off his offense among the peoples of the dark tribes, bringing them the teachings of the White Race. This work was as difficult as it was dangerous, because Garyun, being in disgrace, did not have a family or family support nearby, and his only source of communication with his homeland was Vestun. But Garyun was still not forgotten by the Family, if he got into serious trouble, in his defense or as retribution, the Karabs (warriors of the night) came as the punishing sword of the White Race. If the Power of the Word of Garyun was not convincing for the dark peoples, then the sharp sword of the Karab Warrior convinced the surviving dark ones that resisting the Spirit and Word of the White Race was very dangerous, for God, punishing with his Fury, would come and reward everyone according to their deserts. Those who raised their unfaithful hand against Garyun or any representative of the White Race were subject to secret and total extermination. After such retribution, rumors about the wrath of the Lord did not subside. But, first, Vestun came to the local population and reported about the impending punishment, which served as a sign to action for the Sydneys (scout-saboteurs) hiding there. After the Punishing Hand of the Race Family did its job and the Westun’s prophecies came true, the highest power and the army of the enemy laid down their arms and submitted to the will of the Aryan Gods.

GATAL - great, majestic, magnificent. In the Old Russian tradition, the word “G-ATAL” denotes not just something “Majestic” and “Great”, but has a more specific definition - the Abyss of the Light Spirit of Fire, inherent in the Magi Priests, who honors God Agun. Gatal is the Highest initiation in the tradition of Fire worship.

And of course, it is impossible to ignore even briefly the ancient capital of Gardariki and the ancient Russian-Aryan Power - Gelon.

GELON is the oldest sacred city of the Scythians-Skolots, in the Northern Black Sea region, which was burned by the Persian king Darius during his unsuccessful campaign in Scythia, in 513 BC, and after which he returned to Asia only with the remnants of his guard. The city of Gelon (Golun, Helios) was then restored in another place, and for a long time was the capital of Ruskolani (Rassei). Translated from Old Russian, the word “G-EL-ON” is the Place of the Spirit of Fire (in the person of God Ra-Sun), as the Divine Essence of the entire White Race. Simply put, “GELON” is a Sunny City. After all, according to ancient legends, in Gelon there was main temple God Aguna (Spirit of Fire).

The father of history, Herodotus, described it this way: “The wooden city of Gelon is located in the lands of the Budins. Each side of the city wall is 30 stadia (6 km) long. The city wall is high and all made of wood. Houses and sanctuaries are also built from wood. There are sanctuaries of Hellenic gods with statues... After being expelled from trading settlements, the Hellenes settled among the Budins. They speak partly in the Scythian language, and partly in Hellenic, but the Budins have a different language than the Gelons...”
Gelons for the Romans "Geloni" are Scythian-Sarmatian tribes living north of the Black Sea. In Latin “Gelu” means frost, cold, snow, and “Gelum” means to become numb from the cold. The Northern Gelons, among the Romans, were also called the Cold Getae. This is already on the question of the Getae-Russians (Etruscans)...
http://www.proza.ru/2011/03/16/101

The ancient Roman poet Virgil, in his works, mentions the Gelons as good archers: “And that Scythian tribe is not slow when it takes up its quivers with strong arrows...”.
Virgil writes about the Gelon arrows for a reason, for the Romans were well aware of what skilled archers the Gelons were, and in addition, they were good with a spear. But the Getae remained in the memory of the Romans as excellent warriors who wielded a sword. On the island of Sicily, in the city of Syracuse, in the 5th century BC, the tyrant Gelon ruled. Almost all Roman and Ancient Greek authors identify the Gelons with the Getae, but at the same time, still mentioning them separately, as related peoples, but differing in importance from each other.

“Warlike Mars is the first, not lazily, to drive his Odrian horses against the terrible detachment, with which he usually confuses the Gelons or Getae...” (Claudius Claudian).

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