Rurikovo Gorodische ( rus, Рю́риково Городи́ще, p=ˈrʲʉrʲɪkəvə ɡərɐˈdʲiɕːə, t=

Rurik Rurik (also spelled Rorik, Riurik or Ryurik; ; ; died 879) was a Varangians, Varangian chieftain of the Rus' people, Rus' who, according to tradition, was invited to reign in Veliky Novgorod, Novgorod in the year 862. The ''Primary Chronicle' ...

Hillfort A hillfort is a type of fortification, fortified refuge or defended settlement located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typical of the late Bronze Age Europe, European Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe, Iron Age. So ...

, r=Ryúrikovo Gorodíshche), the primary settlement in the area known in Scandinavian sources as Holmgård, was the 9th century predecessor of

Veliky Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as 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 ...

. The

archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or recorded history, historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline ...

is 2 km to the south of the current city center, across from

Yuriev Monastery The St. George's (Yuriev) Monastery () is usually cited as Russia's oldest monastery. It stands in 5 kilometers south of Novgorod on the left bank of the Volkhov River near where it flows out of Lake Ilmen. The monastery used to be the most impor ...

where the

Volkhov River The Volkhov ( ; ; ) is a river in Novgorodsky District, Novgorodsky and Chudovsky Districts of Novgorod Oblast and Kirishsky District, Kirishsky and Volkhovsky Districts of Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia. The Volkhov River, Volkhov, whi ...

flows out of

Lake Ilmen Lake Ilmen (, ) is a large lake in Novgorod Oblast, Russia. A historically important lake, it formed a vital part of the medieval trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. The city of Veliky Novgorod, which is a major trade center of the ro ...

. Part of the Novgorod World Heritage site, it includes the original residence of the

princes of Novgorod The Prince of Novgorod () was the title of the ruler of Novgorod in present-day Russia. From 1136, it was the title of the figurehead leader of the Novgorod Republic. The position was originally an appointed one until the late 11th or early 12t ...

, connected with the names of many famous political figures of ancient Russia. Siversov kanal

History

The settlement began in the 8th century with a fortress, built by

Ilmen Slavs The Novgorod Slavs, Ilmen Slavs (, ''Il'menskiye slovene''), or Slovenes (not to be confused with the South Slavic Slovenes) were the northernmost tribe of the Early Slavs, and inhabited the shores of Lake Ilmen, and the river basins of the ...

, which had a wooden wall on the shaft. Until the 19th century the tract, as well as the adjacent village was called simply Gorodische. The word ''Rurikovo'' was added at the beginning of the 19th century, under the influence of chronicle legends that identify this place with the legendary

.'' Янин В., Алешковский М. Х.'
Происхождение Новгорода (К постановке проблемы)
// История СССР. — 1971. — № 2. — С. 32—61.

References

E. N. Nosov: Research about the settlement

{{Gardariki Archaeological sites in Russia Geography of Novgorod Oblast Rus' settlements Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Novgorod Oblast

History

See also

References