Calling of the Varangians
By the chronicle, Rurik's rule marks the start of Rus'
According to the Primary Chronicle, Slavic and Finnic tribes invited the Varangian Rurik to rule over them. Chronicle tradition dates the beginning of Rus' and of the Rurikid dynasty, which ruled for over seven centuries, to this event.
Wikipedia (Russian) · Wikipedia (English) · 9th century
Did you know
According to the chronicle, the Varangians were invited to Rus' in 862, and in 863 Cyril and Methodius set out for Moravia with a Slavic alphabet.
Meanwhile around the world (±25 years)
Europe
- 843 Treaty of Verdun — 19 years earlier
Africa
- 859 Fatima al-Fihri founds al-Qarawiyyin — 3 years earlier
Asia
- 868 The Diamond Sutra is printed — 6 years later
Alive at the time
- Charles the Bald (aged 39)
- Rurik (aged 32)
- Oleg the Wise (aged 17)
- Alfred the Great (aged 13)