Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LCN5-99B
• Life Event: 879; Forster son of his uncle Oleg of Kiev
• Appointments / Titles: 924, Kiev, Kiev, Ukraine; Grand Duke of Kiev

Notes:

Igor of Kiev History:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_of_Kiev

britannica.com/biography/Igor
Igor, also called Ingvar, (born c. 877—died 945, Dereva region [Russia]), grand prince of Kiev and presumably the son of Rurik, prince of Novgorod, who is considered the founder of the dynasty that ruled Kievan Rus and, later, Muscovy until 1598. Igor, successor to the great warrior and diplomat Oleg (reigned c. 879–912), assumed the throne of Kiev in 912.
Depicted as a greedy, rapacious, and unsuccessful prince by the 12th-century The Russian Primary Chronicle, Igor in 913–914 led an expedition into Transcaucasia that ended in total disaster for his forces. He also conducted two expeditions against Byzantium (941 and 944), but many of his ships were destroyed by “Greek fire,” and the treaty that he finally concluded in 944 was less advantageous to Kiev than the one obtained by Oleg in 911. Igor did manage to extend the authority of Kiev over the Pechenegs, a Turkic people inhabiting the steppes north of the Black Sea, as well as over the East Slavic tribe of Drevlyane. When he went to Dereva (the land of the Drevlyane located in the region of the Pripet River) to collect tribute (945), however, his attempt to extort more than the customary amount provoked the Drevlyane into rebelling and killing him.

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/igor-of-kiev.htmlIgor of Kiev History:

Igor the Old (Old East Slavic: Игорь, Igor'; Russian: Игорь Рюрикович; Ukrainian: Ігор Рюрикович; Old Norse: Ingvarr Hrøríkrsson; died 945) was a Rurikid ruler of Kievan Rus' from 912 to 945.
Information about Igor comes mostly from the Primary Chronicle. This document has Igor as the son of Rurik, the first ruler of Kievan Rus':

On his deathbed, Rurik bequeathed his realm to Oleg, who belonged to his kin, and entrusted to Oleg's hands his son Igor', for he was very young.

Oleg set forth, taking with him many warriors from among the Varangians, the Chuds, the Slavs, the Merians and all the Krivichians. He thus arrived with his Krivichians before Smolensk, captured the city, and set up a garrison there. Thence he went on and captured Lyubech, where he also set up a garrison. He then came to the hills of Kiev, and saw how Askold and Dir reigned there. He hid his warriors in the boats, left some others behind, and went forward himself bearing the child Igor'. He thus came to the foot of the Hungarian hill, and after concealing his troops, he sent messengers to Askold and Dir, representing himself as a stranger on his way to Greece on an errand for Oleg and for Igor', the prince's son, and requesting that they should come forth to greet them as members of their race. Askold and Dir straightway came forth. Then all the soldiery jumped out of the boats, and Oleg said to Askold and Dir, "You are not princes nor even of princely stock, but I am of princely birth." Igor' was then brought forward, and Oleg announced that he was the son of Rurik. They killed Askold and Dir, and after carrying them to the hill, they buried them there, on the hill now known as Hungarian, where the castle of Ol'ma now stands.[1]

Igor married of Kievian Rus', Saint Olga in 903. Olga (daughter of of Novgorod, Prince Oleg and Ketilsdatter, Queen Thorunn Hydrna) was born in 890 in Pskov, Russia; was christened in 955 in Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey; died on 11 Jul 969 in Kiev, Kiev, Ukraine. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Igorevich, Svyatoslav I was born in 942 in Kiev, Ukraine; died on 26 Mar 972 in Khortytsa Dnieper, Zaporozh'ye, Dnipropetrovs'k, Ukraine; was buried after 26 Mar 972 in Chernihiv, Ukraine.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Denmark
• FSID: 935Z-J1R
• Appointments / Titles: Between 862 and 879, Novgorod, Russia; Prince of Novgorod

Notes:

RURIK [Roric] (-[879]).  According to the Primary Chronicle 860/62, following a call to "the Varangian Russes [=Scandinavians]…to come to rule and reign over us", Rurik and his two brothers migrated to settle, Rurik the oldest brother settling in Novgorod[15].  Franklin & Shephard comment that "the story [in the Primary Chronicle]…remains highly controversial"[16].  The initial Scandinavian settlements seem to have been at Gorodishche, the town of Novgorod (as its name implies) being a new settlement which was probably established nearby in the 950s[17].  The Primary Chronicle records Rurik´s death in 879[18].  This chronology is dubious when compared with the more robust dates attributable to his supposed grandson Sviatoslav (see below).  m ---.  The name of Rurik´s wife is not known.  Rurik & his wife had [two possible children]:

Rurik married of Novgorod, Princess Efanda-Edvina in 877 in Velikiy Novgorod, Novgorod, Russia. Efanda-Edvina (daughter of Ketil Prince) was born in 857 in Velikiy Novgorod, Novgorod, Russia; died in 930. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: GWS8-4DQ

Notes:

-- http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/RUSSIA,%20Rurik.htm#_Toc481496211 --

!! "THE NAME OF RURIK'S WIFE IS NOT KNOWN." !!

The earliest generations of the so-called Rurikid family are reconstructed solely on the basis of the sparse information in the Povest' vremennykh let or 'Tale of the Years of Time', better known as the Primary Chronicle and also sometimes known as Nestor´s Chronicle[1].  As pointed out by Franklin & Shepard[2], the extant manuscripts of the Primary Chronicle which date from the 12th century should not be taken at face value as they must have been compiled from patchy sources of information.  It is likely that the compilers exaggerated the role of Rurik's family in the 9th and 10th centuries, in order to establish a lengthy, credible history for the Russian principalities which were flourishing by the 12th century.  In particular, the alleged establishment by "Oleg" in 882 of the principality of Kiev should be treated with caution.  Nevertheless, the historical existence of Rurik´s supposed son Igor, and Igor´s son Sviatoslav, is corroborated by the De Administrando Imperio of Emperor Konstantinos VII Porphyrogennetos[3], written in the mid-10th century and therefore contemporary with Sviatoslav´s reign.

The arrival of Scandinavian traders in the territories which later developed into "Rus" should be seen in the context of the Khazar and Pecheneg 9th and 10th century occupations of the area, which would appear to have left little opportunity for the establishment of powerful principalities by Scandinavian newcomers, at least in the open plain lands.  Archaeological evidence corroborates Scandinavian presence at Gorodishche, Timerëvo and other Upper Volga sites in the late 9th century.  This indicates an increasing, although still limited, number of immigrants tempted no doubt by trading opportunities, but Franklin & Shepard point out that it provides little evidence of organised government[4].  Chirovsky discusses the development of two theories concerning the origin of Russia: the "Normanistic" theory, developed by 18th century historians of German descent who supported a literal reading of the Primary Chronicle and emphasised Norse rule over the Slavs who were unable to rule themselves), and the "anti-Normanistic" theory, which posits the rapid assimilation of small groups of Norse immigrants into the local Slav community and is based on a broad interpretation of the Primary Chronicle[5].  Franklon & Shepard state that there is no firm evidence of Scandinavian settlement at the same time, either in the middle Dnieper area around Kiev or on the northern coast of the Black Sea[6].  A Scandinavian-origin trading community at Kiev appears to have been formed during the early 900s as an offshoot of the more northerly settlements, although it is possible that the Khazars still exercised hegemony in this area as late as [930][7].  The Kiev settlement appears to have developed quickly: the De Administrando Imperio describes the Rus way of life[8].  In 941, it was on the point of launching an attack on Constantinople, and in the late 950s it established diplomatic contacts both with the emperor in Constantinople and with the German emperor.

The titles attributed to the rulers of the Rus principalities are a source of confusion, in particular the use of "Grand Prince/Grand Duke" as opposed to "Prince/Duke", especially in relation to the rulers of Kiev and Vladimir.  Chirovsky points out that all Kievan princes were theoretically equal  (they are all referred to in the Russian chronicles as "Knyaz", female "Knyaginya") and that Vsevolod III Prince of Vladimir was the first prince to start calling himself "Grand Prince/Duke" ("Veliki Knyaz")[9].  The author suggests that Vsevolod adopted this title to strengthen the separation of the principality of Vladimir from Kiev and also to place himself over the lesser princes of the Russian north.  Use of the title by Vladimir´s descendants was confirmed when Prince Iaroslav Vsevolodich received the title "Grand Prince of Vladimir" from Khan Batu of the Golden Horde in 1243, in return for swearing allegiance.  In the present document, the rulers of Kiev are referred to as "Grand Prince" to indicate their position of supremacy over the other principalities and to reflect the fact that they appointed the rulers of these principalities from among the various members of their own family.

The system of princely appointments from Kiev was first formalised by Grand Prince Iaroslav under his 1054 testament[10], which made it clear that appointments to appanage territories were "temporary", and emphasised the common good of the whole realm in such a system[11].  In practice, the appointments were changed rapidly, giving little opportunity for any principality to develop its own hereditary leadership (except while the 1097 Liubech family accord was being observed).  Over time, certain family lines of the dynasty did establish hereditary succession for themselves in particular principalities.  However, a further problem arose with the fragmentation of this patrimony into even smaller territories to provide property for junior male members of the family.  This fragmentation increased with the expansion of the different families.  Family rivalry inevitably intensified: the sources record numerous examples of individual princes being dispossessed by more powerful rivals.  The decline was halted temporarily by the 1097 Liubech accord, but the fragmentation and dynastic rivalry soon resumed and was only eliminated when all principalities were annexed by Moscow in the early 16th century.

From the time of Grand Prince Iaroslav I, the genealogy of the dynasty can be considered more reliable.  However, there are still many gaps and uncertainties, particularly relating to the female members of the family.  Iaroslav I's testament, referred to above, provided the basis for the tradition of succession to the title of Grand Prince of Kiev which, on the death of each grand prince, was inherited by the oldest surviving male member of each generation of the descendants of Iaroslav I's sons, passing from one branch to another before passing to the oldest member of the succeeding generation.  A further requirement was that the title of grand prince must previously, at some time, have been held by the successful candidate's father.  In this way, various branches of the family were excluded from the succession.  For example, the descendants of Iaroslav I's oldest son by his second marriage, Vladimir Iaroslavich, never held the title as their progenitor predeceased his father.

Iaroslav I consolidated the dynasty's contacts with other European ruling families by arranging dynastic marriages.  The countries included the Scandinavian kingdoms, reflecting the dynasty's sense of origin, its neighbours Byzantium, Hungary and Poland, and countries further afield such as France and several of the Germanic states.  This policy of foreign marriages was pursued by Iaroslav's successors but did not survive long into the 13th century.  After that time, the Rus principalities restricted contacts with their western neighbours, and the Russian princes mainly sought brides from among the ever-growing number of collateral branches of their own dynasty.

The Grand Prince of Kiev was recognised as the nominal head of the family and overlord of the other Rus principalities.  However, he took no active part in the government of the other territories, except through the appointment of their princes from among members of his family.  The principalities of Chernigov, Galich (Galicia), Novgorod, Pereyaslavl, Polotsk, Riazan, Smolensk, Suzdal, Turov and Volynia thus developed separately.  Appointments to rule these principalities appear to have followed no particular pattern.  Government of the principalities was exchanged and reshuffled with great regularity, all under the direction of the Grand Prince of Kiev, motivated by personal and family considerations, not least the wish to prevent rival princes from consolidating too much power in particular locations.

The principality of Kiev proper was relatively small in area compared to the other Rus principalities, although the city of Kiev was strategically well-placed on the River Dnepr which gave direct access to the Black Sea in the south and indirect access to the Baltic in the north.  Kiev was bounded on its southern border by territory controlled by the Kumans.  The territorial integrity of the principality was soon fragmented as additional principalities were created for junior members of the ruling family.

As Kiev's central authority declined in the 13th century, the line of the princes of Suzdal-Rostov assumed the role of "superior ruler", the focus of their political power transferring to the city of Vladimir and, in the 15th century, to Moscow.

The main near contemporary sources for the history of the Rurikid dynasty are as follows[12]:
§  the Ipatevskiy Chronicle, consisting of its three components, the so-called "Primary Chronicle" up to 1117, a south Russian compilation made in 1200 at the Vydubetskiy Monastery near Kiev, and the Chronicle of Galicia and Volynia (1200-1292).
§  the Lavrentevskiy Chronicle, the chief source for the history of Suzdalia which was copied in 1377 from a 1305 compilation, and its derivatives (the Chronicle of Pereyaslavl-Suzsalskiy which covers events from 1138 to 1214, and the Moscow Academy manuscript of the Suzdal Chronicle which brings the text up to 1419).
§  the Novgorod First Chronicle, in two versions up to 1330 and 1446/47.
§  the Moscow svod of 1479.
Only the Primary Chronicle and the Novgorod First Chronicle have been studied in the compilation of the present document.

The descent of the Rurikid dynasty from Grand Prince Vladimir I (who died in 1015) has been treated in detail by N. de Baumgarten.  Although his works date from 1927[13] and 1934[14], they have the great advantage of citing the primary sources on which the information is based.  Nevertheless, his citations are not as helpful as they could be, firstly because the publications include no key to the abbreviations which the author uses and no full list of works cited, and secondly because the absence of exact quotations means it is impossible to judge the weight of their evidence.  In any case, many of the works cited are in the Russian language.  The outline genealogies in the present document, into which primary source information has been fitted, were compiled mainly from Baumgarten´s works.  Few primary sources have been noted for the members of the dynasty set out in chapters 7 to 12.

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LYSZ-774

Notes:

Godlib History:
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Годлиб_(князь_ободритов)

Godlib (Godolyub, Godeleib, Godlaw, killed in 808) is one of the specific princes of the Union of Obodrites. Brother of the Grand Dukes of the Union of Obodrites - Thrascon and Slavomir.
His name in comes from the Lower German Godleifr. It was suggested that the name could be just a form of the Slavic name Boguslav.
In 808, after the death of Trascon, he was captured and hanged by the army of Goodfred, ruler of southern Denmark, who attacked the Obodrite tribal alliance and seized part of their lands, including the settlement of Roerik (there is information that the Danes called Veligrad so). It is impossible to say abolutically clear whether he could ever succeed Trascon as Grand Duke, or would continue to lead only some part of the tribal union.
According to F. Wigger, Danish and English sources also called Godlib Prince of the Varyags.
Writer Marmier published a legend about Godlib's sons in 1857:
Another tradition of Mecklenburg deserves mention, as it is related to the history of the great power. In the 8th century AD, the Obodrite tribe was ruled by a king named Godlaw, the father of three young men who are equally strong, brave and thirsty for glory. The first was called Rurik, the second was called Sivar, the third Truvar. The three brothers, having no opportunity to test their courage in their father's peaceful kingdom, decided to go in search of battles and adventures in other lands. ... After many good deeds and terrible battles, the brothers, whom they admired and blessed, came to Russia. The people of this country suffered under the burden of long tyranny, against which no one else dared to rebel. Three brothers, touched by his misfortune, woke up his lulled courage, gathered an army, led him and overthrew the power of the oppressors. Having restored peace and order in the country, the brothers decided to return to their old father, but the grateful people begged them not to leave and take the place of the former kings. Then Rurik received the Novgorod Principality, Sivar Pskov, Truvar Beloozerskoe. After a while, as the younger brothers died without leaving children, Rurik annexed their principalities to his own and became the head of the dynasty that reigned until 1598.

Godlib married von Nowgorod, Umila. Umila was born in 815; died in DECEASED. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LH55-VFG

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Prince of Ladoga and Novgorod
• FSID: LYLQ-WYD

Notes:

Rurik History:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rurik

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Rurik

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LYSZ-QKV
• Appointments / Titles: Between 747 and 795; Supreme prince of the Obodrit union

Notes:

Vyshan History:

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Вышан

Vyshan[1] (German). Witzan, Latin. Witzlaus (born 795 in Luna) is the supreme prince of the Obodrite Tribal Union (747 ?-795). The first of the Obodrite princes mentioned in modern historical sources.
Biography[edit | edit code]
Genealogy of local rulers compiled in Mecklenburg in the XVIII century reports that Vyshan was the only son of the Obodrite Prince Aribert II[2] and his wife, daughter of the Anglo-Saxon Prince Alfred, who died in 747. Georg Rüksner[de] in 1530 in the manuscript "Origines et insignia regum Obotritarum et ducum Mecklenburgensium" wrote about the "Russian wife" of King Vitislava[3], and J., who lived in the XVII century. F. Kemnitz mentioned her as "the daughter of the prince from Russia and Lithuania". Mecklenburg legends also tell about Vyšan's campaign against Magdeburg in 782, during which the city was completely destroyed by the odorrified[4]. However, since this information is not confirmed by other sources, historians consider these evidence unreliable[5][6][7][8].
Vyshan's first reliable mention in a historical source dates back to 789, when he and his future successor Dragko[9] were named among the participants of a large campaign organized by Frankish King Charlemagne against Slavic Vilians, long-term enemies of obodrites. The Annals interpret Vyšan's status in different ways in this campaign: some sources call him a vassal of the Frankish state, some call him an ally, on the basis of which historians assume the existence of a Franco-Obodrite alliance against the Vilians, dating its conclusion to 780[10]. The latter assumption is also supported by Einhard's testimony, who reported that the reason for the campaign was repeated attacks by the Vilians on the lands of the Obodrites, allies of the Franks[11]. During the campaign, in which, in addition to the Franks and Obodrites, the Saxons, Sorbians and Frisians also participated, Charlemagne managed to defeat the army of the Vilts and force them to Prince Dragovit to recognize his dependence on the Frankish state[12][13].
In the following years, Vyshan continued to be a loyal ally of Charlemagne. This led the Obodrites to clash with their neighbors, the Nordalbing Saxons, the main opponents of the Franks during the last stage of the long-term Saxon Wars. In 795, the Frankish ruler organized a new campaign against the rebels, intending to strike at the northern Saxony with the help of the Obodrites. However, while waiting for the arrival of the Slavs in Bardovik, Charlemagne learned that when crossing the Elbe near the village of Lüne (near modern Lüneburg), the Obodrite army was ambushed by the Saxons, and that Vyshan himself died during the battle. In response to the death of the prince, the Frankish king ravaged the Saxon lands between Weser and the Elbe, owned by the Nordalbing allies, and resettled 7,070 Saxons to the interior of the Frankish state[14][15].
After Vyshan's death, Dragko became the new supreme prince of the Obodrit Union. Modern historical sources do not report anything about his relationship with his predecessor[16], but Mecklenburg genealogies call Dragko, as well as Godlav and Slavomir, sons of Vyshana[4].