RUSSIA, IN treating of the history of Russia some authors have adopted regular plans. The learned and famous Schleetzer divided Russian history into five great pe riods. Ile was of opinion, 1st, That Russia, from the year 862 till the time of Sviatopolk, ought to he named cdnimencing (nascens): 2d, from the time of Yarsalaf till the Mogoles, divided (divisa): 3d, From the time of I3atii till INtm III. oppressed (opprcssa): 4th, From IvAn III. till the time of Peter the Great, victorious (victrix): 5th, From Peter the Great till Catharine the 2d,fiourishing. But Karamzin thinks this division is rather ingenious than well founded, because, 1st, The age of Vladimir was already an age of pciwer and fame, and not of birth: 2d, The kingdom was also formed before the year 1015: 3d, If, according to her internal situation, and her external operations, it be necessary to mark periods, can we associate the time of the great Duke Dmitrii Alexandrovitch and of Dmitrii Donskoi ? passiVe slavery, with victory and fame ? 4th, The time of the usurpers is more characterised by misfortune than by victory. The same author is likewise of opinion that it would be much better, and more just, to divide Russian histOry into, 1st, ancient, from Rurik to Ivhn the III.; 2d, middle, from Ivtn III. to Peter the Great ; and, 3d, modern, from Peter the Great to Alexander I. The system of appanage was the character of the first epoch; monarchy of the second; and the change of civil customs of the third. In our sketch of the history of Russia, we do not deem it necessary to adopt any divisions.
The origin of the Russian empire is involved in great obscurity.* A herd of the Slavi, Slavonians, or as they are oftener called, Sclavonians, who had advanced from the banks of the Danube, and were wandering upon those of the Dneper, are supposed to have fixed themselves about the 5th century, in the region now occupied by the government of KiEf, and to have built their capital, which is still known by the same name. It is also conjectured that another tribe of the Slavi fixed themselves on the Volchof, and founded the well-known city of Novgorod. Of neither tribe do we possess any regular accounts till about the middle of the 9th century. According to the Russian historians the Slavi were completely subjected about the year 860, by the Varages, or Varagians, a piratical nation who dwelt upon the coasts of the Baltic, under their leader, Rurik, who established the seat of his go vernment, near the Volchof, at a place called Old La doga, and who, with two other chiefs, governed the conquered provinces. From this period may be dated
the commencement of the Russian monarchy.
In the year 865, the Slavi flew to arms, and made a brave but vain attempt to regain their independence. Emboldened by success, Rurik extended his territo ries, and fixed the seat of his government at Novgo rod, which was already a large city. Soon afterwards, by the death of his copartners in the government, Ru rik became sole ruler of the conquered territories, reigned over them seventeen years in tranquillity, and became the primogenitor of a long line of descendants, who swayed the sceptre for several centuries. Rurik assumed the title of relikii Kniaz, or Great Duke. His territories were of considerable magnitude, and to them he recalled his countrymen the Varagians.
At his death, his only son Igor, was a minor; and Oleg, a kinsman of the deceased sovereign, took upon himself the administration of affairs. Endowed with a martial spirit, add ambitious of military fame, or of conquest, he collected a numerous army, marched to the south, and after reducing several towns, reached Kief, which he got possession of, after treacherously and barbarously murdering Oskhold, and Dir, the two chieftains of the Kievians. Kief then became the ca pital of Russia. In 886 Oleg defeated the Drevlians, the Severyani, and the Raditmitchei. In 900 the am bitious Oleg next projected and successfully executed an expedition to Constantinople. With 80,000 troops, on board of 2000 vessels, he sailed, by the Dneper, to the Black Sea, and from thence to that capital, and triumphed over Leo, who then swayed the sceptre of the Grecian empire. He returned loaded with im mense booty, and so astonished the people that they imagined him endowed with supernatural powers. During the thirty-three years which Oleg maintained the sovereign power, it appears that his administra tion was well regulated. He is said to have built many towns.