Novgorod and Kiev: The Varangian Kingdoms Hostile to Eastern Slavs

The Historical Context

The question appears to reference the 9th-century formation of Varangian (Rus') polities in what is now northwestern Russia and Ukraine. The premise—that Novgorod and Kiev "broke away and formed kingdoms hostile to the Eastern Slavs"—reflects an outdated or confused narrative. Here's what actually happened.

What the Primary Sources Say (Primary Chronicle, Ibn Fadlan, Byzantine Records)

• Varangians (Scandinavians) were invited/chosen by local Slavic and Finnic tribes (Chuds, Ves', Krivichs, Ilmen Slavs) to "rule and judge" — not as conquerors breaking away.
• Rurik established rule in Novgorod (Holmgard) c. 862.
• Oleg (Helgi) seized Kiev (Kyev) c. 882, united it with Novgorod, and declared it "mother of Rus' cities."
• These were not breakaway provinces of a pre-existing Slavic state—no such state existed. They were new political centers founded by a fusion of Norse elite and local populations.

Relationship with Eastern Slavs

• The ruling elite (Rurikids, druzhina) were initially Norse; the population was predominantly Eastern Slavic (Ilmen Slavs, Polans, Severians, Drevlians, etc.).
• Within 2–3 generations, the elite Slavicized (names, language, culture). By Sviatoslav (945–972) and Vladimir (980–1015), they were culturally Slavic.
• Conflict existed—but between Rurikid princes (succession wars) and between Rus' and steppe nomads (Khazars, Pechenegs, Polovtsy)—not "Varangian kingdoms vs. Eastern Slavs."

Why the "Hostile Kingdoms" Idea Persists

• Soviet historiography (Marxist lens) framed it as "Normanist theory" = foreign yoke vs. Slavic autonomy.
• Anti-Normanist scholars (e.g., Rybakov) argued for indigenous state formation, portraying Varangians as invaders.
• Modern consensus (genetics, archaeology, linguistics): collaborative ethnogenesis—Norse catalysts, Slavic demos.

Bottom Line

Novgorod and Kiev were foundational centers of the Rus' state, not breakaway kingdoms hostile to Eastern Slavs. They became the political framework for Eastern Slavic statehood. The "two provinces broke away" framing is historically inaccurate.