Sweden's Delta: The Viking Colony That Became Russia

Long before Rurik founded the Rurikid dynasty, Swedish Vikings known as the Rus established a foothold on Lake Ladoga and the Volkhov River. This episode dives into the archaeological and textual evidence for the earliest Scandinavian settlements in what would become Russia — Staraya Ladoga, the Gorodishche, and the network of portages that connected the Baltic to the Black Sea. Lucas and Luna explore the controversial Normanist debate, the role of the Rus in the formation of the Kievan state, and the everyday life of these Norse traders and warriors in the Slavic wilderness. Drawing on the Primary Chronicle, Birka graves, and recent excavations, they piece together how a small band of Swedes from the Mälaren valley helped shape the history of Eastern Europe.

#Sweden #Vikings #Rus #StarayaLadoga #KievanRus #Rurik #NormanistTheory #LakeLadoga #Volkhov #Gorodishche #PrimaryChronicle #Birka #EasternEurope #Slavs #Portage #Varangians #History #FexingoHistory

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