How Kremlin falsifies history of Kyivan Rus to undermine Ukraine (Honest History. Episode 1)

This is the first episode of "Honest History" by the Kyiv Post, a series that aim to debunk myths about Ukrainian history that are used by propagandists. The series is supported by the Black Sea Trust, a project of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Black Sea Trust, the German Marshall Fund or its partners.

[TheZerech]

The Kyivan Rus', while being dominated by a Scandinavian-Slavic nobility, was primarily a Ukrainian (Ruthenian) state. ~68% of major Kyivan Rus' religious centers were based in modern Ukraine. The capitol, Kyiv, was founded by Polianians, the tribe which modern Ukrainians are primarily descended from. The tribes that became Moscow-Russia were only conquered by Prince Svyatoslav the Brave after they murdered his father when he attempted to seek tribute. The Belarussians have a separate identity to Ukrainians, a unique ethnic one with west Slavic and Baltic tribal influence, while also being inheritors of some of the Rus' legacy. However, Muscovy-Russia really has little claim to a Kyivan successor. They destroyed Novgorod, an important Kyivan successor state, and collaborated with the Mongol invaders. Hardly living up to the legacy of Svyatoslav or Volodomyr.

[canstermeat]

New places gained by Russian Empire like Donbas/Crimea/Bessarabia regions and new cities like Xarkiv were settled primarily by Ukrainians because of tax policies at the time. Only under soviet rule they were thinned out with people of different nationalities(mostly Russian), as well as in other regions of USSR. It was done by government controlled workforce and education, where people didn't apply in place they want to work/study in, but were sent where officials say. And of course it was done to destroy the national identity of people and places to create a new world order of multi-cultural multi-national communist utopia. Though Russian is the biggest diaspora in Ukraine, they make up only around 16-17% (compared to >5% in 1900), which would not be enough to cover all the territories Russia has claims for.

[UkeTube]

This video could have benefited by pointing out how the Kremlin ignores the tryzub - a Kyivan Rus' symbol dating back to 945 AD. If Russia is the legitimate heir to Kyivan Rus', then why do they never acknowledge the tryzub? Why are they afraid of it? It is unfortunate that this first episode of "Honest History" misses this key detail.

[kjk]

The Old Rus' people collapsed into three ethnicities after the Mongol invasion and that's it. No amount of Russian revisionism will change that. The truth is Moscow failed in establishing the "Triune Russian Nation", had they really wanted that then they would have first of all in the late 17th/early 18th century promoted a standard language that would combine all three East Slavic languages in equal measure and secondly they would not try to supress Ukrainian (or Small Russian) and Belarusian culture, but they didn't. They wanted to make Small Russians and Belarusian into Great Russians and the result was the definitive crystalisation of three East Slavic nations instead of one. And thats that.

[Supermariocrosser]

Something tells me people drastically changed their opinion on kievan rus when the war started this first winter

[silvertuscani]

[Full Korean texts for Koreans]
안녕하세요!

러시아 연방 정부 소식을 줄곧 듣고 있었다면, 아마 러시아 연방이 고대 끠이브 루스 국가의 주축 계승국이라는 주장도 들었을 것입니다.

역사 기록을 바로 잡읍시다!

1, 000여년 전, 끠이브 루스는 유럽에서 가장 큰 국가자 가장 부유한 국가 중 한 곳이었습니다.

끠이브 루스는 끠이브의 볼오듸믜르 대공 통치 아래 슬아브 민족이 개종했고 구원자 정통교의 보루가 되었습니다.

볼오듸믜르의 아들 야로쓸아브 현자의 통치 하에 야로쓸아브의 막내 딸 안나는 프랑스의 앙리 1 세하고 결혼해서 프랑스의 왕비가 되었습니다.

러시아 연방은 자국을 끠이브 루스의 직접 후계자로 인식하고, 이를 이용해서 현재 우크라이나와 벨라루스의 영토 일부를 포함하는 모든 끠이브 루스 영토에 대한 주권을 정당화했습니다.

블라지미르 푸틴 러시아 연방 대통령은 최근 현자 야로쓸아브의 딸인 끠이브의 안나를 “러시아인” 안나라고 부르고, 야로쓸아브를 “우리의 위대한 대공”이라고 불렀습니다.

러시아 연방 정부는 또한 모스크바에 거대한 볼오듸믜르 대공 기념상을 건립했지만, 볼오듸믜르 대공은 러시아 연방의 수도하고는 아무 관련 없습니다. 그가 살아있을 때, 모스크바는 존재하지도 않았습니다.

푸틴은 우크라이나인과 러시아인을 “동일 민족”이라고 불렀고, 한때는 우크라이나 남부와 동부 지역을 “노보로씨야” 즉, “신러시아”라고 불렀습니다. 하지만, 잠깐만요. 이 이름 속에 그 땅이 과거에 러시아의 일부가 아니었다는 뜻이 내포되어 있지 않습니까?

사실 돈바스(동부 도네즈크 분지)를 포함한 현대 우크라이나의 남부와 동부는 러시아 제국 시대를 제외하면, 끠이브 루스의 일부도 아니었고 러시아 연방의 기원 국가의 일부도 아니었습니다.

끠이브 루스(끠이브 대 대공국)는 몽골의 침략 이후 붕괴했고, 우크라이나, 벨라루스, 러시아 연방은 모두 자국의 기원을 그 고대국가로 인식할 수도 있겠지만, 사실, 직접 계승국은 아무도 없습니다.

끠이브 루스 (끠이브 대 대공국) 붕괴 후, 줄곧 우리가 현재 우크라이나라고 부르는 땅의 대부분은 수많은 제국과 국가의 일부였고, 러시아 제국이 차지했던 기간은 몇 세기에 불과합니다.

사실, 볼오듸믜르 대공, 현자 야로쓸아브, 끠이브의 안나는, 우리가 이해하고 있는 그 수식어 ("끠이브의"라는; of Kyiv; de Kyiv) 뜻대로, “러시아인”이 결코 아니었습니다. 그들과 그들의 조상인 루스 왕조의 창시자 류릑은 실제 스칸디나비아가 기원입니다. 그렇습니다. 그들은 바이킹이었습니다. 이 사실은 기본적으로 끠이브 루스의 땅 뿐만 아니라 옛 소비에트 사회주의 공화국들의 연합 (소위 소련) 전체를 러시아의 제국주의 유산으로 인식하는 러시아 연방 정부의 선전 논조하고는 맞지 않습니다.

네, 러시아 연방 정부는 자국이 고대 끠이브 루스 국가의 주축 계승국이라고 주장하는 동시에 우크라이나인, 벨라루스인, 러시아인이 모두 동일 민족이라고 주장함으로써 현재 우크라이나와 벨라루스의 국가 정체성을 훼손시키고 있습니다.

그리고, 러시아 연방 정부는 여러 국가가 공유하고 있는 역사를 강탈해서( 자국 역사로 편입하므로써) 우크라이나 영토에서 자국의 강도 행각을 정당화하려고 혈안입니다.

[RIOT]

Take a Ukrainian, and an ancient denizen of the Kievan Rus, and you will have two people who can converse in a common language. Russia cannot do this, Belarus somewhat can. Say the word 'Ukraine' and they will have an understanding of the name as the land they are standing on, because 'у країни' means 'in the country' while 'країни' in Ukrainian and Belarusian means 'country'. It's no coincidence Ukraine is named for what it is, it's an ancient romanticization of the steppes, the earth, and the fields upon which the grain grows. We have never left Kyiv, and we helped build Moscow.

[dotvill]

What a f... you talking about? Wasn't Moscovite Tzar Ivan 3rd and 4th direct grandsons of Rurik? Yes he was. No word about Novgorod and Tver who was the biggest cities in that time who fall agree to fall under Moscows influence because of common ethnicity and Rurik legacy in the face of Moscow Tzar? Wasn't Kiev mithropoly of Russian Orthodox Church moved to Moscow in 15th century by decision of Kiev Pathriarch

[facundofierro]

Sorry, I'm not russian, neither ukranian, I only like history. For my point of view there are some mistakes. If there is a monument in Moscow about the Rurik dinasty it doesnt mean that the city need to be related, you can make a monument in Sochi or Vladivostok if you want. The name Novorossiya from a historical point of view is a region of the Russian empire, and is more or less what is show in the map. And yes, It was no part of Ukraine neither Russia until was conquer by Russian Empire. There you had some people inmigration, Russians and Ukranians. There is recently a separatist movement that also use the name of Novorossiya but this is a different thing. In history this is a region conquer by Russian empire. About the direct succesor, you can have different point of view but are talking about monarchies, and the Rurik dinasty continues ruling Russia after liberation from Mongols. I think Its acceptable to consider Russia and Russian Empire a direct succesor of Kievan Rus from the point of view or the monarchy that was the goverment of this time. The Rurik dinasty also was present when Ukranian population emerged, and of course its presence can be seen in the national symbols. At this point you can talk about Ukranian language, and Ukranian people during Poland and Lithuanian ocupation. It is said that "the bulk of the land we now call Ukaine has been part of numerous empires and states", but It depends of wich part. The west has a long history of Rurik dinasty, and occuped then by Poland and Lithuania. Then goes to the Russian empire when Ukranian cossacks revealed from Poland. It was not a conquer, It was and agreement that Ukranian population decided to be part of Russian Empire. The south and east was a Russian empire conquer, and yes Its not a long history, Kiev is much more older. Then, you have the comunist revolution where you have a short period of a comunist Ukranian republic, that join Soviet Union. And there with some modifications along the time It was formed the piece of land that now we know as Ukraine. At the end it is said that Rurik where not russians, and they where vikings....mmm... to be correct, "they were not slavic people, they where vikings"... how can be russians if modern russia doesnt exists??? :) name Russia may sound different than Rus in english, but Russia (руссия) word has it origins in greek word for calling rus people (рус), so russia is rus, it has the same meaning from its creation, and it is the direct continuation of the same dinasty, I dont think It can be consider wrong to say that russian empire are direct sucessor of Rus people. But if you prefer to consider the people ethnicity instead of goverment then you can say that majority Russian, Ukrainian and Belaruss people are direct descent of Rus people. All this doesnt means that Ukraine should be part of Russia or not, this has nothing to do with it. Its up to the people if they want to be one sate, separate state, friends, enemies(I hope not) or whatever.

[xelldincht]

Its obviously a lie to claim that only Russia is the direct/only descendant of Kievan Rus but it would be also a lie to claim the Kieven Rus was only the birthplace of Ukraine. Weliki Nowgorod was part of the Kievan Rus and that area was populated by ancestors of Russians

Ukraine, Belarus and Russia are all decendents of the Kieven Rus

[shevel]

The amount of bullshit in the video has now reached the stratosphere. Nobody and I means NOBODY had ever claimed that Rurik was Russian or that Kievan Rus was exclusively Russian. This man is lying. Kievan Rus was the predecessor to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. All 3 countries have cultural roots from Kievan Rus. Russians, Ukrainians and Belorusians are culturally and ethnically similar because we share a common history. Putin said that Russians and Ukrainians are the same people because of the common history and similarities in the language, which is historically accurate.

[__Man__]

All Rus were Rus. The word "Russian" has a wrong translation in English since in Russian language, there are two different words to describe ethnic Russian and Russian citizenship, but in English two of that become "Russian", the ethnic Russian should be redefined as Rus in English because it came from the word Ruski, while the word "Russian" should be used for every citizen of Russian Federation regardless their ethnicity. "Ethnic" Ukrainian are also Rus even "ethnic" Belarusian are also Rus. Language diversion is normal, even in China the Han have many different languages yet they still call themselves as Han because Han is proto-ethnicity, which the Rus should be more reasonably attached together than the Hans. Even, the intermarriages are still common among all Rus. Why do the Rus fight each other instead of uniting?

[Kovalyov]

Kyvian rus speaks Ukrainian language, so it is the reason why putin wants to destroy this language so much, thats the prove that Kyivan rus is Ukrainee and there no relation with Moscow

[dotvill]

Yuri I Vladimirovich (Russian: Юрий Владимирович), known under his soubriquet Yuri Dolgorukiy (Russian: Юрий Долгорукий, literally "Yuri the Long-Armed"; also known in various accounts as Gyurgi, Dyurgi, or George I of Rus), (c. 1099 – 15 May 1157) was a Rurikidprince and founder of the city of Moscow. He reigned as Velikiy Kniaz (Grand Prince) of Kievfrom September 1149 to April 1151 and then again from March 1155 to May 1157. Yuri played a key role in the transition of political power from Kiev to Suzdal following the death of his elder brother Mstislav the Great in 1132.

[csabafamin]

The first and biggest rus city was novgorod not kiev!

[dimakaliuzhnyi]

Kievan Rus' (Rusia) - is Rusia
Moskovia is Mockovia
(Kiev was founded by Kiy, Zhek, Horyv and their sister Lybid' in 482 after born of Christ, and Moscow was founded by Khan Mengu Timur in 1272)

[tarviky]

Russians claim that inheritor of Kyivan Rus was their "Grand Duchy of Moscow" and not ukrainian "Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia". The fact is that Kievan Rus stopped its existence in 1240. But the Duchy of Moscow appeared only in 1277. And it was founded by the Golden Horde Khan Mengu-Timur in 1277. So no. Russia not inherited Kievan Rus. They have more common with Golden Horde history, just look at their state emblem, for example, - eagle with two heads. The same emblem had Golden Horde, and Russia inherited it from them. Also interesting fact that the Kyiv is much older city than the Moscow. It was founded in 482. Moscow in 1147.

[louisxiv]

If russia want to claim former kievan rus territory, they should abandon caucasus and east of ural, only the ‘authentic’ area of kievan rus

[rusgercin]

When the Mongols came there is No common state fiction and was the Principality each tribe of Slavs their own, hence the defeat at the river Kalka.Only Moscow was able to unite all Russian lands.

[argumentativelysound]

I love the impartial approach and factual clarity. However, there is one claim I must question. The people who lived there then live there still and their languages did not change much. Ukrainian language is close to the language of old Rus, when Belarusian rose at the times of Grand Duchy of Lithuania, yet both languages are very close, apart from Russian, which has its own origin and did not derived from Rus. So, I think there are two clear descendants of Rus, which are Ukraine and Belarus.