How Rus Became Rus

Imagine a map where familiar borders don't exist yet, but there are rivers, forests, paths, and people. The Slavs are settling in Central and Eastern Europe. Cities are emerging. And gradually, from this vast world, Rus is born.

"How Rus Became Rus" tells how the ancient Rus formed from disparate tribes and peoples — with its cities and fortresses, princes and retinues, estates and everyday life. Here, alongside the Slavs, other nations lived, each with its own history, the traces of which can still be found today. The book will show you exactly where.

You will learn how people of different social strata — from peasants to princes — lived and what rules and laws helped them maintain order.