Welcome to the Swedish Vikings!
The Swedish vikings concentrated their trips to Russia and further down
to Istanbul. They also went so far as Persia and some historians think that they even
reached China. The words rus, varjager and svear are all words for the
people from Sweden. I will concentrate my studies on the relationship between the Rus
people and the Swedish Vikings.
I hope that you will enjoy the reading. Please, contact me if you have any remarks or
further information.
The name "Viking" was first used by foreign authors in the
11th century. It's origin is probably the Swedish word for bay, "vik". The
Swedish vikings went mostly eastwards into Russia and further on to Byzantine and the
Caliphate. According to a chronicle written in the 12th century, the Swedish vikings were
the founders of Russia. The Vikings called the land Gårdarike (the land with the many
towns)the western part of todays Russia.
Different Slav tribes lived in the northwest of Russia. The trade crossroads between
northern Europe and the Byzantine empire required a commercial centre, so the town of
Novgorod was founded.
- ~750: The first Swedish settlement in Staraja Ladoga, Aldeigjuborg
- 793: The monistary of Lindesfarne in England was attacked by Vikings. This is the first documented viking attac and counts as the beginning of the Viking era.
- 8th century: The Swedish Vikings created the trade center Holmgård (the city on
the island, Gorodisce), 2 km upstreams from todays Novgorod (the New Town). Contacts were made with Bagdad (Särkland).
- 829: Ansgar arrives to Birka
- 839: The first Rus travels through Russia to Constantinople
- ~840: The Vikings travels on the Russian rivers to the Caspian Sea and Bagdad
- ~850: The Vikings founded the town Gnezdovo, near Smolensk (between Novgorod and
Kiev)
- 850: Vikings from Birka attacked Kurland (Kurzeme in todays Latvia)
- 852: The first Rus people visited Constantinople
- 853: Askold's arrival to Kiev
- 858: Rurik (all Swedish name Hrörek) rouled in Novgorod (Holmgård)
- 859: The Vikings collected tax from the tribes in northern Russia
- 860: The Viking Rurik and his two brothers Sineus and Beloozere with their
relatives arrived as ruling princes of the Novgorod empire. The Russian empire was founded.
- 860: The Vikings, lead by Askold & Dir (Höskuld and Dyre in Swedish),
attacks Constantinople (Istanbul). Before, they have been the masters of Kiev. Later, they
were killed by Oleg.
- 860-1043: Russian expeditions against Byzantium
- 862: The Slavs wanted the Vikings (known as Varangians, varjager which is
equal to the nordic word väringar from var, a person who has given his
faith to a group or a leader) to help them with to make order in their area. The Vikings
were called the Rus (a word that one strongly believes comes from the Finnish word
"Routsi" which still means "Sweden" and the Swedes. That what was the
Finnish people called the Vikings.). Three Swedish Vikings were interested and came to
Russia. Rurik (Rörik) became governor of Novgorod, Sineus settled down in Beloozero and
Truvor (Torvald) in Izborsk. Novgorod is founded by Rurik (rouled 862-879, from the Viking
name Hrorekr). This is the traditional moment for the foundation of the Russian state
- 862: Polotsk (Belarus) is founded
- 864: Sineus and Truvor both died and Rurik extended his rule over Russia
- 865: The men of Rurik (from Kiev) attacks Constantinople (Miklagård)
- 866: Askold and Dir went against the Greeks. The attacked Constantinople, but big
waves stopped them.
- 878: Prince Oleg's journey from Novgorod to Kiev
- 879: Rurik establishes Kiev as power center of the Kievan Rus domains. He dies
the same year and Oleg (he Viking name Helgi, Swedish name Helge) becames his successor
- 880: Oleg (rouled 879-913) conquered the Slavic-ruled Kiev (Könugård)
- 880: The Vikings attacks Constantinople again
- 882: Oleg and his men conquered Smolensk (Gnezdovo)
- 882: Oleg made Kiev his capital. With the two areas united, the State of
Rus became one of the largest kingdoms in the world. Rurik's successors became a ruling
dynasty in Russia for more than 700 years.
- 907-12: Oleg's army (80 000-100 000 men) attacks Constantinople (Istanbul, called
Tsargrad by the slavs), but it's city walls stands the attack
- 909: The Vikings attacks muslim Abaskun (south Caspian Sea) by 16 ships
- 911: Oleg's peace treaty with the Byzantine Empire
- 912: The Rus people attacks the area around the Caspian Sea
- 912: Igor (from the Swedish name Ingvar) roules 912-945
- 941: Igor Ruriksson with ten thousands of ships attacks Constantinople
- 943: The Vikings sails upon the Kura river and destroys large areas (incl. the town
Berda) in todays Azerbajdsjan
- 943: Both the Vikings and the Bulgarians attacks Constantinople. The Empiror of Constantinopel paid taxes to the Vikings to avoid an attack.
- 944: Igor Ruriksson attacks Bulgaria. Peace between the Vikings and Constantinople
- 945: Igor's treaty with the Byzantine Empire. Igor killed in Iskorosten by the Drevlians, when he tried to get more tax from them.
- 945: Olga (Helga, died 969) roules 945-962
- ~950: The town Tjernigiv (northeast of Kiev). The Swedish town Uppåkra (south of todays Lund), an important viking town, disappears.
- 957: Olga baptized in Constantinople
- 962: Svjatoslav (-972) roules 962-972
- 965-67: Svjatoslav conquers the Khazar city of Sarkel and destroyed Itil (the Khazar capital)
- the end of the 10th century: The whole area north of the Black Sea is called
"Svitjod (Sweden) the great" by the Nordic people
- ~970: The town Birka (close to Stockholm) got less important and the new town Sigtuna takes over.
- 977: Vladimir (from the Swedish name Valdemar) escapes from Novgorod to
Scandinavia
- 980-1015: Vladimir returns together with the Vikings, conqueres Kiev, kills
Jaropolk and becames the Grand Duke of Kievan Russia. He rouled until year 1015
- 980: Sigtuna is founded by Erik Segersäll. He builts his home, Kungsgården, in
the middle of the town.
- 981: Russes went to Volõn (Estonia) to drive out the polaks
- 985: Vladimir went to Bulgaria
- 988: Christianity is adopted from the Byzantine Empire
- ~990: The Swedish town Lund was founded.
- 992: Vladimir attacked the croats in Galizia
- 995: The first Swedish coin is minted in Sigtuna. Olof Skötkonung, the son of
Erik Segersäll, imported masters from England. During 30 years, about 2 millions of coins
were minted
- 997: Erik Jarl burned down Aldeigjuborg
- 1000: The Swedish town Visby (on Gotland) was founded
- 1015-19: Vladimir died in Kiev and his oldest son Svjatopolk ruled 1015-1019
- 1015: Yaroslav gets some Swedish soldiers and conquers Kiev
- 1016-1041: Ingvar, son to a sister of Olof Skötkonung, lived. He was with
Yaroslav in Russia..
- 1017: The Swedish town Skara was declared as a place for bishops
- 1019-1054: Yaroslav (ruled 1019-1054), Vladimir's younger son and successor,
marries the Swedish princess Ingigerd (Ingegärd, Irina in Russian) in Kiev. She was the
daughter of the Swedish king Olof Skötkonung in Sigtuna. Their daughters became the wives
of the King of Hungary, the King of France and the King of Norway
- 1022: Olof Skötkonung dies and his son Anund Jakob rouled in Sweden until 1050.
- 1024: Yaroslav in war with his brother Mstislav. Yaroslav got help from the
Vikings and their leader Håkon (Jakun).
- 1036-41: Ingvar Vittfarne travel to southern Russia, Caucasus and the Orient
- 1036: Yaroslav near by Kiev win ORDA
- 1041: The viking chief Ingvar died. He lead the last known big expedition to the East.
- 1043: Vladimir, the son of Yaroslav, leads the attack on Constantinople and
suffers massive defeat in people and materiel
- 1050: Ingigerd dies
- 1050: The Swedish town Skara was founded
- 1050: Anund Jakob dies. Emund the Slimy or Emund the Old (halfbrother to Anund
Jakob) start to roule in Sweden.
- ~1050: The Comans (kumanerna) stops the trips on the river Dnepr. The Vikings
have to go over the Nordic sea, English channel and the Medeteranian Sea on the way to
Constantinople
- 1054: The last year that Novgorod paid tax to the Vikings
- 1054: Yaroslav died och buried in the Sofia church in Kiev. The decline of the Viking era starts.
- 1060: The oldest Roman stonechurch in Scandinavia was built in Dalby (outside Lund in southern Sweden)
- 1066: The Normands wins at Hastings. The Viking era ends during the second half
of the 11th century
- 1067-69: War between the sons of Yaroslav and Vseslav of Polotsk
- 1073: Svjatoslav becomes the prince of Kiev
- 1076-77: Svjatoslav dies. Izjaslavs regains the power in Kiev
- 1078: Vsevolod becomes the prince of Kiev (ruled 1078-1093)
- 1093: Svjatopolk becomes the prince of Kiev (ruled 1093-1113). The people of
Polotsk became slaves in Kiev.
- 1094: Svjatopolk married the daughter of Tugarkan (Khan) for the peace
- 1101: The princes of south Russia made peace
- 1103: Vladimir Monomah came to Svjatopolk in Dolobsk and convinced him to start a
war. An united army of 7 Russian princes went by Dnepr to Polotsk. The people of Polotsk
left their town.
- 1107: Khan Bonyak attacked Lyuben, but the Russian struck back. The people of
Polotsk have to leave their town again.
- 1108: The town of Vladimir is founded
- 1111: The second big attack on Polotsk by Vladimir Monomakh. The people gave them
some presents and freed some Russian prisoners, so they could stay in their hometown. The
Russians burned down the town Sugrov. The army of Polotsk attacked the Russians when they
returned back. The Russians won a big battle, but Polotsk continued the war.
- 1113: After the death of Svjatopolk, Aepa and Bonyak tested the strength of the
Russian army by the attack of the fortress Vjor. But they finally run away.
- 1113-25: Vladimir II (Monomakh) was the prince of Kiev.
- 1116: The army of Polotsk routed. The great period for Polotsk ended.
- 1125: Mstislav (ruled 1125-1132)
- 1142: The Svea kingdom attacks Novgorod
- 1147: Moscow first documented
- 1149: Yuri Dolgoruki (ruled 1149-1157, Suzdal)
- 1155-57: The Swedish starts to conquere Finland
- 1157: Suzdal become the capital
- 1162: The Russians won over the people of Polotsk at Jurev (Tartu).
- 1164: A Swedish fleet attacks Ladoga (Aldeigjuborg) and Novgorod again
- 1174: Igor Svyatoslavovich, the young prince of Novgorod, wins over Khan Konchak
and Kobyak
- 1179: The people of Polotsk came with Khan Konchak and ruined Peroslavl
- 1184: The people of Polotsk attacks Kiev. The Russians won. Later, 10 Russian
princes went to Polotsk and won.
- 1185: Khan Konchak and his army were on the border of Russ. Svyatoslav and Rurick
won.
- 1187: Novgorod (Karelians) uses its fleet to attacks the Swedes and burn Sigtuna.
The most prized treasure was Sigtuna's massive red copper gate, called the
"Sigtunskiye Vrata", which to the present day adorns Novgorod's St.Sophia
Cathedral.
- 1188: Varjags plunderer Novgorod citizens on the island of Gotland (Swedish
today)
- 1195: The first Novgorod treaty with German towns and the Swedish island of
Gotland
- 1203: A fleet from Saaremaa (Estonia today) attacks Listerlandet (in the Swedish
county of Blekinge today)
- ~1223: Battle at the River Kalka (north of the Sea of Azov). The Tartars beat a
Russian-Polovtzian army.
- 1226: People of Saaremaa attacks the people on the Swedish coast
- 1236-1239: The Mongols starts their conquering from the capital Karakorum. First,
they destroyed the land of the Volga bulgars and then Moscow, Vladimir, Suzdal and Rostov.
- 1236-42: Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod defeats first the invading Swedes
and then the Teutonic Knights
- 1240: Alexander beats the Swedes on Neva. After the place of the battle, he gets
the name Nevsky
- 1240: The Tartars (Mongols) invaded Kiev and control most of Rus
- 1247: The Maria church in Sigtuna is built. Sigtuna had six churches during the
12th century
- 1250: Stockholm becomes the capital in Sweden (after Birka and Sigtuna)
- 1252: Alexander Nevsky roules 1252-1263. After his death, he was declaired as a
saint
- 1255: A fire destroyed the most of the Swedish town Sigtuna
- 1292-93: The Swedes, lead by Torgils Knutsson, atttacks Karelia and build the
fortress Viborg
- 1294: The Russians attacks Viborg, but the Swedes defend it and storms Keksholm
- 1300: Metropolitan See is transferred from Kiev to Vladimir
- 1300: The Swedes, lead by Torgils Knutsson, build the fortress Landskrona at the
point where the rivers Neva and Ochta meets (today St.Petersburg)
- 1300: The Swedes, build the fortress Nöteborg on Nötön on the Neva river (near
the Ladoga lake)
- 1301: The Russians conqueres Landskrona
- 1323: The peace treaty between Sweden and Novgorod in Nöteborg (Pähkinälinna).
Sweden got Karelia and Neva is shared by both countries. The new border starts at
Systerbäck, 35 km from todays St.Petersburg
- 1325-40: Ivan I rules Moscow
- 1328: Metropolitan See is transferred from Vladimir to Moscow
- 1348: Magnus Eriksson conqueres Nöteborg. But he loose again the following year
- 1348: The Swedish king Magnus marches against Novgorod
- 1359-1389: Reign of Dimitri Donskoy
- 1362: Kiev is taken by the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Olgerd
- 1380: Battle of the Don. Russian victory over the Tartars
- 1382: Moscow was burned down by the Mongols. 35 000 persons were killed and 25
000 persons was captured
- 1462-1505: Reign of Ivan the Great
- 1471-1496: Russian conquest of Novgorod
- 1475: Erik Axelsson Tott build the fortress Olofsborg (Nyslott) between the lakes
Haukivesi and Pihlajavesi.
- 1478: Novgorod came under control of Moscow
- 1480: Battle of the Oka. Russia is free from the Mongols
- 1493: The first Russian-Danish alliance against Sweden
- 1510: End to Pskov's independence. Russia took over it.
- 1514: Russia regained Smolensk from the Poles
- 1533-84: Reign of Ivan IV (the Terrible)
- 1547: Ivan IV (the Terrible) rouled 1547-1584
- 1554-57: War againt Russia and Sweden. Peace treaty in Novgorod (status quo)
- 1555: The battle at Kivinäbb (Joutselkä) (between todays Viborg and St.Petersburg) on March 11. Swedish victory
- 1555: The Swedes attacked Nöteborg on September 15-29. Russian victory
- 1556: The Russians attacked Viborg on January 21-25. Swedish victory
- 1558-95: The Livonian war between Russia, Poland and Sweden for the posession of
the Baltics
- 1561: The Swedes takes Reval (Tallinn)
- 1573: The Russians conquered Weissenstein on January 1
- 1578: The battle at Wenden (Cesis) on October 21. Polish-Swedish victory over the Russians
- 1580: The Swedes conquered Kexholm on November 4
- 1581: The Swedes takes Narva (September 6). Later, also Ivangorod, Jama, Koporje and other
important nests in Ingria
- 1583: At Plussa, Russia loose Narva and the towns south of the Finnish Bay to
Sweden
- 1584-98: The last of the Rurik rulers, Fyodor I, was the grand prince
- --------------------- End of the Rurik (Swedish Vikings) rulers in Russia
--------------------
- 1590: The Russians attacks Narva and the Swedes had to give up western Ingria
- 1591: The Swedes attacks Narva, but loose
- 1595: The peace treaty in Tensina, Teusina (Täysinä, close to Ivangorod), Ingria. Sweden gets
Estonia and Russia gets the Keksholm county
- 1598: Fjodor, the last rouling Rurikiden, died
- 1606: Czar Vasilij Sjusjkij want a Swedish Czar and offer the Keksholm county as
a reward
- 1609: The battle at Kamenka on May 15. Swedish victory
- 1609: The battle at Torzhok on June 17. Swedish victory
- 1609: The battle at Tver on July 15. Swedish victory
- 1609: The battle at Kaljazin on August 18. Swedish victory
- 1609: The battle at Troitsko on October 28. Swedish victory
- 1610: The battle at Rzjov in April. Swedish victory
- 1610: The battle at Klusina on June 24. Russian victory
- 1610: The last Rurikiden, Vassilij IV Sjusjkij, died
- 1610-12: The Poles rules in Moscow
- 1610: Jacob de la Gardie deliberates Moscow (Karl XII, Napoleon & Hitler
didn't make it...)
- 1611-17: The Swedes occupied Novgorod
- 1612: Evert Horn's men takes Ivangorod
- 1613: The Romanov family succeeded to the Russian throne after a period of chaos
and war
- 1614: The battle at Bronnicy (west of Novgorod) on July 14. Swedish victory
- 1615: The Russians attacked Pskov on October 9
- 1617: Peace treaty in Stolbova (west of Ladoga, now vanished) between Sweden and Russia. Russia lost all their outlets to the
Baltic. Sweden accepted Michail Romanov as the new Russian czar.
- 1656: The battle at Rautu (south of Kexholm) in July. Swedish victory over the Russians
- 1657: The battle at Walk (Valga, southern Estonia) on July 8. Swedish victory over the Russians
- 1657: The Russians attacked Lava (southern shore of Ladoga) on August 1.
One of the first Scandinavian settlements in Russia was Aldeigjuborg (known today
as Staraia Ladoga=Old Ladoga). The village was situated by the river Volkhov near Lake
Ladoga. The Vikings started here with plunder, trade and then settlement as early as 750
AD.
Another important place was Holmgård, known as Gorodishche (gorod=fortified
settlement, the site of the 7-8th century city of Rostov). It was a trading post dating
from 800 AD at the confluence of Lake Ilmen and the river Volkhov.
In the 10th century, Novgorod was founded some kilometers downstream on the river
Volkhov and in the 11th century the Russian Prince Iaroslav the Wise moved there from
Gorodishche. He was married to Ingegärd, Olof Skötkonung's daughter. Swedish Vikings
among the prince's followers (druzina) played important roles as traders and warriors. It
is Iaroslav's father, Prince Vladimir, who is considered to have converted Russia to
Christianity in 988 AD.
Road crossing in Novgorod from the Viking period. Three layers of timber made a
firm ground and easy to repair too. Every 20 years, the roads were rebuilt. |
- 1018: Thietmar of Merseburg reported almost four hundred churches in Kiev
- 1036-46: The Cathedral of Hagia Sofia in Kiev was built
- 1044: The wall around Novgorod was built
- 1045-57: The second Cathedral of Hagia Sofia in Novgorod was built
- 1119: The Church of St George in the Yuriev Monastery was built. A Byzantine
building.
- 1164: The Golden Gate at Vladimir was built
- 1185: The Church of St George is completed at Staraya Ladoga
- 1292: The Church of St Nicholas, Lipna, Novgorod was built
- 1361: The Church of St Theodore Stratelites was built in Novgorod
Links to different sites with info about the Swedish Vikings:
- Viking Heritage
- The Viking
Homepage
- Yggrasil:
Viking Links
By Fredrik, Stockholm, Sweden. Please, send
comments and your information to me. TIA.