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Dnieper Trade Route
The trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks was a medieval trade route that connected Scandinavia, Kievan Rus' and the Eastern Roman Empire. The route allowed merchants along its length to establish a direct prosperous trade with the Empire, and prompted some of them to settle in the territories of present-day Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. The majority of the route comprised a long-distance waterway, including the Baltic Sea, several rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea, and rivers of the Dnieper river system, with portages on the drainage divides. An alternative route was along the Dniestr river with stops on the Western shore of Black Sea. These more specific sub-routes are sometimes referred to as the Dnieper trade route and Dniestr trade route, respectively. The route began in Scandinavian trading centers such as Birka, Hedeby, and Gotland, the eastern route crossed the Baltic Sea, entered the Gulf of Finland, and followed the Neva River into Lake Ladoga. Then it followed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Varangian Routes
The Varangians (; non, Væringjar; gkm, Βάραγγοι, ''Várangoi'';Varangian " Online Etymology Dictionary : варяже, varyazhe or варязи, varyazi) were , conquerors, traders and settlers, mostly from . Between the 9th and 11th centuries, Varangians ruled the state of |
Birka
Birka (''Birca'' in medieval sources), on the island of Björkö (lit. "Birch Island") in present-day Sweden, was an important Viking Age trading center which handled goods from Scandinavia as well as many parts of the European continent and the Orient. Björkö is located in Lake Mälaren, 30 kilometers west of contemporary Stockholm, in the municipality of Ekerö. Birka was founded around AD 750 and it flourished for more than 200 years. It was abandoned c. AD 975, around the same time Sigtuna was founded as a Christian town some 35 km to the northeast. It has been estimated that the population in Viking Age Birka was between 500 and 1000 people. The archaeological sites of Birka and Hovgården, on the neighbouring island of Adelsö, make up an archaeological complex which illustrates the elaborate trading networks of Viking Scandinavia and their influence on the subsequent history of Europe. Generally regarded as Sweden's oldest town, Birka (along with Hovgården) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kasplya River
The Kasplya ( Belarusian and russian: Каспля) is a river in Smolensky, Demidovsky, and Rudnyansky Districts of Smolensk Oblast of Russia and in Vitebsk Region of Belarus, and a major left tributary of the Daugava. Its length is , the first are in Russia, and the rest in Belarus. It joins the Daugava in the urban-type settlement of Surazh. The town of Demidov is situated on the Kasplya. The source of the Kasplya is in Lake Kasplya in Smolensky District. It flows north, crosses the border with Demidovsky District and turns northwest. It flows through Demidov, and next to the selo of Boroda turns west, crosses Rudnyansky District and enters Belarus. There, it turns northwest again and enters the Daugava. During the Viking Age, the river was an important part of the Dnieper trade route, as there was a portage from the Kasplya to the Dnieper tributaries entering the Dnieper near Gnezdovo Gnezdovo or Gnyozdovo (russian: Гнёздово) is an archeological site located ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Dvina River
, be, Заходняя Дзвіна (), liv, Vēna, et, Väina, german: Düna , image = Fluss-lv-Düna.png , image_caption = The drainage basin of the Daugava , source1_location = Valdai Hills, Russia , mouth_location = Gulf of Riga, Baltic Sea , mouth_coordinates = , subdivision_type1 = Country , subdivision_name1 = Belarus, Latvia, Russia , length = , source1_elevation = , mouth_elevation = , discharge1_avg = , basin_size = , pushpin_map = , pushpin_map_size = , pushpin_map_caption = , pushpin_map_alt = The Daugava ( ltg, Daugova; german: Düna) or Western Dvina (russian: Западная Двина, translit=Západnaya Dviná; be, Заходняя Дзвіна; et, Väina; fi, Väinäjoki) is a large river rising in the Valdai Hills of Russia that flows through Belarus and Latvia into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea. It rises close to the source of the Volga. It is in length, of which are in Latvia and are in Russia. It is a westward-flowing river, tra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kunya River
The Kunya (russian: Ку́нья) is a river in Kunyinsky, Velikoluksky, and Loknyansky Districts of Pskov Oblast, Toropetsky District of Tver Oblast, and Kholmsky District of Novgorod Oblast in Russia. It is a major right tributary of the Lovat. It is long, and the area of its basin . The town of Kholm is located in the mouth of the Kunya. The principal tributaries of the Kunya are the Oka, the Serezha, the Maly Tuder, and the Bolshoy Tuder (all from the right). The source of the Kunya is in Lake Vsteselovo in the central part of Kunyinsky District, in the southeast of Pskov Oblast. It flows out of the lake in the southern direction and gradually makes a U-turn and turns north. Some stretches of the Kunya make the border between Kunyinsky and Velikoluksky Districts, and, more to the north, between Velikoluksky District and Tver Oblast. North of the village of Chaltsevo, the border between the oblasts turns west, and the Kunya continues north and enters Toropetsky Distric ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lovat River (Russia)
The Lovat ( be, Ловаць ''Łovać'', ; russian: река́ Ло́вать) is a river in Vitebsk Oblast of Belarus, Usvyatsky, Velikoluksky, and Loknyansky Districts, as well as of the city of Velikiye Luki, of Pskov Oblast and Kholmsky, Poddorsky, Starorussky, and Parfinsky Districts of Novgorod Oblast in Russia. The source of the Lovat is Lake Lovatets in northeastern Belarus, and the Lovat is a tributary of Lake Ilmen. Its main tributaries are the Loknya (left), the Kunya (right), the Polist (left), the Redya (left), and the Robya (right). The towns of Velikiye Luki and Kholm, as well as the urban-type settlement of Parfino, are located on the banks of the Lovat. From the source, the Lovat flows in the southeastern direction along the border between Russia and Belarus, it turns north and enters Pskov Oblast of Russia, crossing the border as Lake Sesito. In this area, the Lowat flows through the lake district, passing, in particular, Lake Vorokhobskoye. Downstre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lake Ilmen
Lake Ilmen ( rus, И́льмень, p=ˈilʲmʲɪnʲ) is a large lake in the Novgorod Oblast of Russia. A historically important lake, it formed a vital part of the medieval trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. The city of Novgorod - which is a major trade-center of the route - lies six kilometers below the lake's outflow. According to the Max Vasmer's ''Etymological Dictionary'', the name of the lake originates from the Finnic ''Ilmajärvi'', which means "air lake". Thanks to Novgorodian colonisation, many lakes in Russia have names deriving from Lake Ilmen. Yuri Otkupshchikov has argued that the presence of the name "Ilmen" in Southern Russia can't be explained by the Novgorodian colonisation alone, and proposed a Slavic etymology instead. Откупщиков Ю. В. Индоевропейский суффикс *-men-/*-mōn- в славянской топонимике // Откупщиков Ю. В. Из истории индоевропейского слово ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Velikiy Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod ( rus, links=no, Великий Новгород, t=Great Newtown, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət), also known as just Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the Volkhov River just downstream from its outflow from Lake Ilmen and is situated on the M10 federal highway connecting Moscow and Saint Petersburg. UNESCO recognized Novgorod as a World Heritage Site in 1992. The city has a population of At its peak during the 14th century, the city was the capital of the Novgorod Republic and was one of Europe's largest cities. The "Veliky" ("great") part was added to the city's name in 1999. History Early developments The Sofia First Chronicle makes initial mention of it in 859, while the Novgorod First Chronicle first mentions it in 862, when it was purportedly already a major Baltics-to-Byzantium station on the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Staraya Ladoga
Staraya Ladoga (russian: Ста́рая Ла́дога, p=ˈstarəjə ˈladəɡə, lit=Old Ladoga), known as Ladoga until 1704, is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Volkhov River near Lake Ladoga, north of the town of Volkhov, the administrative center of the district. It used to be a prosperous trading outpost in the 8th and 9th centuries. It was dominated by Varangians who became known as the Rus'. For that reason, it is sometimes called the first capital of Russia. History Origin Dendrochronology suggests that Ladoga was founded in 753. Until 950, it was one of the most important trading ports of Eastern Europe. Merchant vessels sailed from the Baltic Sea through Ladoga to Novgorod and then to Constantinople or the Caspian Sea. This route is known as the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. An alternative way led down the Volga River along the Volga trade route to the Khazar capital of Atil, and then ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Volkhov River
The Volkhov (russian: Во́лхов) is a river in Novgorodsky and Chudovsky Districts of Novgorod Oblast and Kirishsky and Volkhovsky Districts of Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia. It connects Lake Ilmen and Lake Ladoga and forms part of the basin of the Neva. The length of the river is , and the area of its drainage basin is . The city of Veliky Novgorod, the towns of Kirishi, Volkhov and Novaya Ladoga, and the historically important village of Staraya Ladoga are located along the Volkhov. Etymology A number of etymologies, none universally accepted, have been proposed for the name of the river. In his ''Etymological dictionary of the Russian language'', Max Vasmer doubted some philologists' opinion that the river's name is related to the Finnish ''velho'' ("magician") or Russian ''volkhv'' ("pagan priest"). Geography The Volkhov flows out of Lake Ilmen north into Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europe. It is the second largest tributary of Lake Ladoga. It is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga (; rus, Ла́дожское о́зеро, r=Ladozhskoye ozero, p=ˈladəʂskəjə ˈozʲɪrə or rus, Ла́дога, r=Ladoga, p=ˈladəɡə, fi, Laatokka arlier in Finnish ''Nevajärvi'' ; vep, Ladog, Ladoganjärv) is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, in the vicinity of Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake located entirely in Europe, the second largest lake after Baikal in Russia, and the 14th largest freshwater lake by area in the world. ''Ladoga Lacus'', a methane lake on Saturn's moon Titan, is named after the lake. Etymology In one of Nestor's chronicles from the 12th century a lake called "the Great Nevo" is mentioned, a clear link to the Neva River and possibly further to Finnish ''nevo'' 'sea' or ''neva'' 'bog, quagmire'. Evgeny Pospelov: ''Geographical names of the world. Toponymic dictionary.'' Second edition. Astrel, Moscow 2001, pp. 106f. Ancient Norse sagas and Hanseatic tr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neva River
The Neva (russian: Нева́, ) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of , it is the fourth-largest river in Europe in terms of average discharge (after the Volga, the Danube and the Rhine). The Neva is the only river flowing from Lake Ladoga. It flows through the city of Saint Petersburg, the three smaller towns of Shlisselburg, Kirovsk and Otradnoye, and dozens of settlements. It is navigable throughout and is part of the Volga–Baltic Waterway and White Sea–Baltic Canal. It is the site of many major historical events, including the Battle of the Neva in 1240 which gave Alexander Nevsky his name, the founding of Saint Petersburg in 1703, and the Siege of Leningrad by the German army during World War II. The river played a vital role in trade between Byzantium and Scandinavia. Etymology The earliest people i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
