Almost two dozen museums and institutions from seven countries lent exhibits to the exhibition. It will be open at the House of Stories in Vilnius until the end of March next year.
Kievan Rus is one of the most important European states of the early Middle Ages, which was spurred on by the Vikings’ desire for silver. It was founded on the Western tradition of rule and was a multicultural entity: it was created and flourished by combining the influences of Slavic, Scandinavian and other cultures.
“And although we wouldn’t find Kievan Rus’ on today’s maps, it didn’t exist that short – the period from its beginning to its collapse lasted almost 500 years. The rich cultural heritage of Kievan Rus’ strongly influenced the formation of the Slavic peoples: after its disintegration, it even became the origin of several current states that went their separate ways – Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.
Unfortunately, today Russia distorts the history of Kievan Rus’ in order to promote a narrative about the so-called “Slavic world” and its indisputable right to all Slavic lands,” says Dr. Rūta Kačkutė.
The dangers of falsifying history
Table of Contents
The history of Kievan Rus’ has been shrouded in incorrect interpretations in Russian propaganda discourses for more than several centuries. Moreover, the falsification of history has become a tool to rewrite the past of the region and thus justify aggression against Ukraine.
The authors of the exhibition do not hesitate to admit that its theme was dictated by the desire to tell a research-based history of the founding of Kievan Rus.
According to R. Kačkute, the history of Kievan Rus’ is insufficiently known both in Lithuania and in Europe, so it may be difficult to understand how it shaped the current face of Eastern Europe.
S.Samson photo/LNM/International exhibition “Kiev Russia. Start” in the House of Stories
“It is precisely the origin factor that is used today to manipulate history. One would like to see more and louder talk about this topic, because it would make it more difficult for Russia to achieve its goals of rewriting history. In the exhibition, we not only discover the beginning of Kievan Rus, but at the same time it becomes the beginning of all our purposeful efforts to study this topic. This is a kind of antidote to the propaganda and disinformation that was spread by the Russian Empire, and now continues to be spread by the Russian Federation, thus justifying imperialist ambitions,” said R. Kačkutė.
Who founded Kievan Rus?
Deconstructing the manipulations of history carried out since the 18th century due to the heritage of Kievan Rus and the influence of the Moscow principality can only be done by showing the complex processes that took place on the eastern coast of the Baltic and neighboring Slavic lands a thousand years ago.
“The beginning of Kievan Rus’ is connected with the Nordic Vikings, thirsty for silver. After establishing the first Scandinavian colonies on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, the Vikings continued to seek trade with the East, which led to a pronounced silver famine in Europe. The most important trade routes ran through the lands where the 9th century and found Kievan Rus. The region was rich in natural resources, captive slaves, and furs, which the East needed in exchange for silver and other goods. “Scandinavian Vikings sailed from the Baltic Sea to Lake Ladoga via the Neva River and thus reached an important trade center – Old Ladoga, which was like a gateway to the Volga and Dnieper trade routes,” says R. Kačkutė.
S.Samson photo/LNM/International exhibition “Kiev Russia. Start” in the House of Stories
The power began to accumulate in the hands of the princes, which encouraged the unification of the lands of individual Slavic tribes into one entity: settlements were created, and over time they grew into political and trade centers, which were finally united into a state – Kievan Rus. It became an important mediator of trade between Scandinavia and the Arab Caliphate and the Byzantine Empire and a guarantor of relatively safe trade.
The exhibition exhibits historical and archaeological material. Ukrainian museums: the National Museum of Ukrainian History, the Lviv Museum of History, the Museum of Local Lore of the Zaporizhia Region and the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine – have lent the most significant exhibits from the gold fund of their collections to the exhibition, which have already become part of their identity. They commemorate the founding of Kievan Rus, witness the history of its prosperity, and represent the heritage of a state full of luxury. In Lithuania, exhibits of such importance will be exhibited on such a scale for the first time.
Rus’ – not Russians at all
It will probably be news to many that there is even a deadline rus’ the origin is still not completely clear. Currently, scholars agree that the term is not of Slavic origin.
“The only thing that is clear is that in the early period of the formation of the state, the East Slavic tribes did not use the term rus’ to describe themselves. The word rus’ associated with the Old Norse word roşrwhich means a rower, or a boat trip with oars. It is a term not to name a nation or a tribe, but to describe a certain social group of people – first of all, it is the close circle of the prince, his confidants, the army, people who collect tribute and come by ships.
S.Samson photo/LNM/International exhibition “Kiev Russia. Start” in the House of Stories
And only later is the deadline rus’ began to be used to name an ethnic group of people”, – points out Eglė Zaveckienė, co-curator of the exhibition, archaeologist of the Lithuanian National Museum.
The same is the case with the names Igor or Olga, which many unquestioningly support as being of Slavic origin, even though they are not.
“The Scandinavians who came to the Slavic lands eventually began to assimilate. This can also be seen from their glorified names listed in 10th-century treaties with the Byzantine Empire, some of which are still popular today: Ingvarr – Igor’, Weekend – Oleg, Helga – Ol’ga“, E. Zaveckienė reveals.
O kas po to?
One of the statements of V. Putin, who started the bloody war against Ukraine, is that Ukrainians and Russians are one and the same, so they must be in one state.
“This is an absolute lie, because the differences in political culture in the regions of Kievan Rus became apparent as early as the 11th century. at the beginning After the death of the then influential ruler Yaroslav the Wise, Kievan Rus began to split into separate lands with princes playing against each other. In the northern and northwestern parts, the assembly of free people had the decisive vote, in the southern and southwestern parts, the ruling elite, originating from the local nobility, had the greatest influence. And here in the north-eastern part the tradition of a single ruler prevailed.
The Principality of Moscow, the beginnings of today’s Russia, emerged from a very small part of the lands that were on the borders of Kievan Rus’ and only in the 14th century, thus with the collapse of Kievan Rus’. It is obvious that Russia cannot be the only contender for all the territories of Kievan Rus and its historical heritage”, says E. Zaveckienė.
The curator also adds that Ukraine shares the same capital with Kievan Rus, is located in a significant part of its former lands, and even the famous churches of Ukraine were built precisely during the times of Kievan Rus. It is not by chance that the symbol of the modern Ukrainian state became the Tridantis, the symbol of the ruling Rurik dynasty of Kievan Rus.
After the collapse of Kievan Rus, some of its lands were joined by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which took over part of its inheritance. This is most reflected in the laws and the work of artisans, as some Russian artisans, fleeing the Mongol-Tatar attack, came to the LDK or were invited by our princes.
The international exhibition of the National Museum of Lithuania “Kiev Rusia. “The Beginning” opens on September 18, 2024 and will run until March 30, 2025 In the house of storiesT. Kosciuškas str. 3, in Vilnius. The exhibition is under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda.
window.fbAsyncInit = function() {
FB.init({
appId: ‘117218911630016’,
version: ‘v2.10’,
status: true,
cookie: false,
xfbml: true
});
};
(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) {
return;
}
js = d.createElement(s);
js.id = id;
js.src = “https://connect.facebook.net/lt_LT/sdk.js”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));
#international #exhibition #Kiev #Rusia #Start #destroys #propaganda #image #Slavic #world #Culture
2024-09-18 12:30:12
Exhibition in Vilnius.
Unveiling the Forgotten History of Kievan Rus: An International Exhibition in Vilnius
Abstract: The history of Kievan Rus, a medieval East European state, has been shrouded in myths and distortions, particularly in Russian propaganda discourses. An international exhibition, “Kiev Russia. Start,” has been launched at the House of Stories in Vilnius, gathering exhibits from seven countries to tell the authentic story of Kievan Rus. This article delves into the significance of Kievan Rus, its founding, and the dangers of falsifying history.
The Birthplace of Eastern Europe
Almost two dozen museums and institutions from seven countries have lent exhibits to the international
