The Trade Route from the Varangians to the Greeks (Путь «из варяг в греки» in Russian) was a trade route, which connected Scandinavia, Kievan Rus' and the Byzantine Empire. A trade route is a commonly used path of travel for those (e. ... Scandinavia is the cultural and historic region of the Scandinavian Peninsula. ... Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Ру́сь, Kievskaya Rus in Russian; Київська Русь, Kyivs’ka Rus’ in Ukrainian) was the early, mostly East Slavic¹ state dominated by the city of Kiev (ru: Ки́ев, Kiev; uk: Ки́їв, Kyiv), from about 880 to the middle of the 12th century. ... The Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ...

The route began in Scandinavian trading centres such as Birka, Hedeby and Gotland, crossed the Baltic Sea, followed the Neva River, into the Lake Ladoga. Then it went upstreams the Volkhov River into the Lake Ilmen and over to the Lovat River. From there, the ships had to be portaged to the Dnieper River. A second route was along the Western Dvina between the Lovat and the Dnieper in the Smolensk region, and along the Kasplya River. Townsite of Birka Archaeological excavation at Birka Birka  listen , also Birca and Bierkø (today named Björkö, literally Birch Island), was an important trading center in the Baltic Sea region from the 8th century, which handled goods from Eastern Europe and the Orient, possibly as far as China, thus covering... Hedeby (referred to also as Haithabu and Latin Heidiba) was a settlement and trading center on the southern Baltic Sea coast of the Jutland Peninsula at the head of a narrow, navigable inlet, the Schlei in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany. ... Gotland is the largest island in the Baltic Sea. ... The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Eastern Europe and Central Europe, and the Danish islands. ... River Neva (Нева́) is a 74 km long Russian river flowing from the Lake Ladoga (Ладожское Озеро - Ladozhskoye Ozero) through the Carelian Isthmus (Карельский Перешеек - Karelskii Peresheyek) and the city of Saint Petersburg (Санкт-Петербург - Sankt Peterburg) to the Gulf of Finland (Финский Залив - Finskii Zaliv). ... Map of Scandinavia Lake Ladoga (Russian: Ладожское озеро, Finnish: Laatokka) is the largest lake in Europe, located in Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia (since WWII), near the border to Finland. ... Volkhov River (Волхов in Russian) is a river in the Novgorod Oblast and Leningrad Oblast in Russia. ... Lake Ilmen (Russian: Озеро Ильмень), a lake in Novgorod Oblast of Russia. ... Portage refers to the practice of carrying a canoe or other boat overland land to avoid an obstacle on the water route (such as rapids in a river), or between two water routes. ... The Dnieper River (Belarusian: Дняпро/Dnyapro; Russian: Днепр/Dnepr; Ukrainian: Днiпро/Dnipro; Polish: Dniepr; Latin: Borysthenes, Danaper) is a river (2290 km length) which flows from Russia through Belarus and then Ukraine. ... The Daugava or Western Dvina (Russian: За́падная Двина́, Belarusan: Дзьвіна́, Latvian: Daugava, German: Düna, Polish Dźwina) is a river rising in the Valdai Hills flowing through Russia and Belarus, to drain into the Gulf of Riga, an arm of the Baltic Sea at Riga, Latvia. ...

The route from the Varangians to the Greeks was first mentioned in the Primary Chronicle, but its effects were reported much earlier, in the early 9th century when the Byzantines noted newcomers in their regions, the Varangians. The Russian Primary Chronicle (Russian: Повесть временных лет, Povest vremennykh let, which is often translated in English as Tale of Bygone Years), is a history of the early East Slavic state, Kievan Rus, from around 850 to 1110. ... ( 8th century - 9th century - 10th century - other centuries) Events Beowulf might have been written down in this century, though it could also have been in the 8th century Reign of Charlemagne, and concurrent (and controversially labeled) Carolingian Renaissance in western Europe Viking attacks on Europe begin Oseberg ship burial The... Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered around its capital in Constantinople. ... The Varangians or Variags were Vikings who travelled eastwards from Sweden and Norway. ...

It was probably established in the late 8th - early 9th century as Varangian explorers searched for plunder but also for slaves and lucrative goods. The route gained significant importance in the 10th - first third of the 11th century. (7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. ... ( 8th century - 9th century - 10th century - other centuries) Events Beowulf might have been written down in this century, though it could also have been in the 8th century Reign of Charlemagne, and concurrent (and controversially labeled) Carolingian Renaissance in western Europe Viking attacks on Europe begin Oseberg ship burial The... ( 9th century - 10th century - 11th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ... (10th century - 11th century - 12th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ...

According to Constantine VII, the Krivichs and other tribes dependent on Kiev transported hollowed-out lad'yas, or sailboats (called однодерёвки, which could accommodate 30 to 40 people) to Smolensk, Lubech, Chernigov and other cities. Then, these sailboats were transported along the Dnieper to Kiev. There, they were sold to the Varangians who re-equipped them and loaded them with merchandise[1] (http://faculty.washington.edu/dwaugh/rus/texts/constp.html). Constantine VII Porphyrogenitos (the Purple-born) ( 905 – November 9, 959) was the son of Byzantine emperor Leo VI and nephew of Alexander III. He earned his nickname as the legitimate (or more accurately legitimized) son of Leo, as opposed to the others who claimed the throne during his lifetime. ... This article or section should be merged with Kryvian The Krivichs (Кривичи́ in Russian, Крывічы́ in Belarusian or Krivichi), a tribe of Early East Slavs between the 6th and the 12th centuries, which inhabited the upper reaches of the Volga, Dnieper, Western Dvina, the southern part of the Lake Peipus... Kiev (Київ, Kyiv, in Ukrainian; Киев, Kiev, in Russian) is the capital and largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper river. ... Traditional wooden cutter beating. ... The view of Smolensk in 1912 Smolensk (Russian: Смоленск; Polish Smoleńsk) is a city in western Russia, located on the Dniepr river at 54. ... Chernihiv (Чернігів in Ukrainian) is an ancient city in northern Ukraine, the central city of Chernihivska oblast. Some common historical spellings of the name are Polish: Czernichów, and Russian: Чернигов, Chernigov. ... The Varangians or Variags were Vikings who travelled eastwards from Sweden and Norway. ...

After passing the seven rapids (the Varangians would portage their ships around the biggest of these rapids that they called Aeifor (Old Norse eiforr, "ever fierce") (Russian Nenasytetsky) and a narrow, rocky spot called the Ford of Vrar (Russian Krariyskaya crossing), where the Varangians were often attacked by the Pechenegs. The Varangians stopped at St Gregory Island (Khortitsa Island). Then, they equipped their ships with sails in the Dnieper estuary and continued to navigate along the western shore of the Black Sea all the way to Constantinople (Old Norse Miklagard, Slavic Czargrad). A rapid is a section of a river where it loses elevation over a relatively short distance (that is, the stream gradient is locally steepened), causing an increase in water flow and (usually) turbulence. ... Old Norse or Danish tongue is the Germanic language once spoken by the inhabitants of the Nordic countries (for instance during the Viking Age). ... Pechenegs or Patzinaks, also known as Besenyők, were a semi-nomadic steppes people of Central Asia that spoke a Turkic language. ... Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing numerous ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits and services. ... Satellite view of the Black Sea, taken by NASA MODIS Cities of the Black Sea The Black Sea (known as the Euxine Sea in the antiquity) is an inland sea between southeastern Europe and Asia Minor. ... Map of Constantinople. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Tsargrad (Russian: Царьгра́д, also rendered as Czargrad and Tzargrad; see Tsar) is another name for the city of Constantinople, which is modern day Istanbul in Turkey. ...

The Trade Route from the Varangians to the Greeks was connected to other waterways of Eastern Europe, such as the Pripyat-Bug waterway leading to Western Europe, and the Volga waterway leading to the Caspian Sea. Another offshoot was along the Dnieper and the Usyazh-Buk River towards Lukoml and Polotsk. The Trade Route from the Varangians to the Greeks was used to transport different kinds of merchandise. Wine, spices, jewelry, glass, expensive fabrics, icons, and books came from the Byzantine Empire. Kiev used to trade bread, handmade goods, silver coins etc. Volhyn traded spinning wheels and other items. Certain kinds of weapon and handicrafts used to come from Scandinavia. Northern Rus' offered timber, fur, honey, wax. The Baltic tribes traded amber. The Pripyat River (Ukrainian: Припять, Prýpyat; Belarusian: Прыпяць, Prýpyats, Polish Prypeć) is a river in Eastern Europe, of approximately 440 miles (710 km). ... Bug at Wlodawa One of the two rivers called Bug (pronounced Boog), the Western Bug, or Buh (Belarusian: Захо́дні Буг; Russian: За́падный Буг; Ukrainian: Західний Буг, Zakhidnyi Buh), flows from central Ukraine to the west, forming part of the boundary between that nation and Poland, passes along the Polish-Belarusian... Western Europe is distinguished from Eastern Europe by differences of history and culture rather than by geography. ... For other meanings of the word Volga see Volga (disambiguation) Волга Length 3,690 km Elevation of the source 225 m Average discharge  ? m³/s Area watershed 1. ... Caspian Sea viewed from orbit The Caspian Sea or Mazandaran Sea is a landlocked sea between Asia and Europe (European Russia). ... Polatsk (Belarusian: По́лацак, По́лацк; Polish: Połock, also spelt as Polacak; Russian: По́лоцк, also transliterated as Polotsk, Polotzk, Polock) is the most historic city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina river. ... A glass of red wine This article is about the beverage. ... External links Wikibooks Cookbook has more about this subject: Spice Food Bacteria-Spice Survey Shows Why Some Cultures Like It Hot Citat: ...Garlic, onion, allspice and oregano, for example, were found to be the best all-around bacteria killers (they kill everything). ... Jewellery (spelled jewelry in American English) consists of ornamental devices worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. ... The physics definition of a glass is a uniform amorphous solid material, usually produced when a suitably viscous molten material cools very rapidly, thereby not giving enough time for a regular crystal lattice to form. ... Fabric can refer to: Cloth Fabric, a London dance club This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Savior Not Made By Hands (1410s, by Andrei Rublev) An icon (from Greek εικων, eikon, image) is an artistic visual representation or symbol of anything considered holy and divine, such as God, saints or deities. ... A book is a collection of leaves of paper, parchment or other material, bound together along one edge within covers. ... The Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... Residents of North America and Europe often eat pre-sliced white bread. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series Transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Density, Hardness 10490 kg/m3, 2. ... Volhynia (Wołyń in Polish; Волинь, Volyn’ in Ukrainian; also called Volynia, Volyň in Czech) comprises the historic region in western Ukraine located between the rivers Pripyat and Western Bug. ... A spinning wheel is a device for making thread or yarn from fibrous material such as wool or cotton. ... The bayonet, still used in war as both knife and spearpoint. ... Handicraft, also known as craftwork or simply craft, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or using only simple tools. ... Scandinavia is the cultural and historic region of the Scandinavian Peninsula. ... Timber Timber is a term used to describe clusters of trees. ... For alternative meanings, see Fur (disambiguation). ... for the 2003 movie starring Jessica Alba, see Honey (movie). ... Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by bees (beeswax) and used by them in constructing their honeycombs. ... AMBER (an acronym for Assisted Model Building and Energy Refinement) is a force field for molecular dynamics developed by Peter Kollmans group in the University of California, San Francisco. ...

In the second half of the 11th century, Rus' strengthened its commercial ties with Western Europe, and the route from the Varangians to the Greeks gradually lost its significance and made way for the Pripyat-Bug, Western Dvina and other waterways.

External link and primary source

• An English translation of Constantine VII's account (http://faculty.washington.edu/dwaugh/rus/texts/constp.html)