To understand what Russia was originally called requires a journey back to the origins of the East Slavic peoples and the formation of early medieval states. The name Russia, or Rossiya, is not an ancient designation tied to the land from time immemorial, but rather the result of specific historical developments involving Viking traders and local populations. The story begins long before the Tsardom of Muscovy or the vast empire of the Soviet Union, rooted in the tribal landscapes of Eastern Europe.
The Origins of the Name: From Rus to Russia
The most widely accepted theory regarding the original name for Russia centers on the term "Rus." The name likely derives from the Rus' people, a group of Norse warriors and traders from Scandinavia who ventured south along the waterways connecting the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. According to the Primary Chronicle, a seminal historical text compiled in the 12th century, the Varangian chieftain Rurik was invited by the Slavic tribes to rule over them, establishing the Rurik Dynasty in Novgorod around 862 AD.
The Land of the Rus
Initially, the term "Rus" referred specifically to the people and the state controlled by the Norse rulers, which was centered in what is now northern Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. Over time, the designation expanded to encompass the broader region and the Slavic populations who inhabited it. The state they formed is often referred to by historians as Kievan Rus', the first major state to unify the East Slavic tribes. This entity existed from the late 9th to the mid-13th century, when it was ultimately fragmented by the Mongol invasion.
Early Exonyms and Geographic Terms
While "Rus'" was the internal name for the state and its people, outsiders used various terms to describe the land and its inhabitants. In Byzantine Greek, the cultural and commercial center with which Rus' had extensive contact, the region was often referred to as "Rhōsía" or "Rosía." The Byzantines viewed the Rus' primarily as traders, particularly for furs, wax, and slaves, before they became prominent as mercenaries and raiders.
Byzantine Greek: Used variations like Ρωσία (Rosia) to denote the land of the Rus'.
Arabic and Persian Traders: Referred to the Rus' as al-Rūs (الروس), and their trade routes passed through territories they described broadly as "the lands of the Slavs."
Latin Sources: Medieval Latin texts often used "Russia" or "Ruscia" as a geographical term for the northern regions inhabited by these peoples.
The Evolution of the Modern Name
The transition from "Rus'" to "Russia" occurred gradually as the center of political power shifted. After the fall of Kiev, northeastern principalities, particularly the Grand Duchy of Moscow, began to assert dominance. The Grand Princes of Moscow cultivated the idea of being the rightful successors to the legacy of Kievan Rus', positioning their seat as the "Third Rome."
As the Muscovite state expanded and solidified its sovereignty under Ivan IV (the Terrible), who was crowned Tsar in 1547, the official name evolved. The formal designation became the "Tsardom of Russia," replacing the earlier "Grand Duchy of Moscow." This marked a definitive shift from the tribal origins of the Rus' to a centralized, sovereign empire claiming a continuous historical lineage.
