Ancient Russian History Before the Mongol Yoke (set of 2 books)

Mikhail Petrovich Pogodin (1800–1875) — Russian historian, journalist, publisher. During his professional career, he collected a priceless collection of ancient Russian manuscripts and historical documents. The result of their long-term study was the introduction into scientific circulation of a number of important historical sources and monuments of Russian literature, classic works on the history of Russia. The foundation of Pogodin's historical views was the recognition of the originality of the Russian historical process: unlike Western states, where, according to Pogodin, the driving force of history and the key feature of political life was conquest, the origins of Russian history are associated with the voluntary invitation of the Varangians to Rus and the peaceful acceptance of Christianity.
The publication in 1871 of «Ancient Russian History Before the Mongol Yoke», in which Pogodin summarized his research on ancient Russian history, became a significant event in Russian historical science, finally completing the real transition to a genuine research process.
In the first volume of his work, Pogodin creates a general picture of the political and legal life of Ancient Rus from the beginning of statehood to the Mongol invasion. Special attention is paid to the institutionalization of relations within and between principalities, the comparison and discussion of the fates of Western European states and Russian statehood during the Norman period, and finally, the contacts and conflicts with the closest neighbors of Rus.