| The Trade Route From The Varangians To The Greeks |
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| byzantine empire | |
| scandinavia | |
| viking age | |
| economic history of russia | |
| history of ukraine | |
| trade routes | |
| portages | |
| rus | |
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The route began in Scandinavian trading centres such as Birka , Hedeby , and Gotland , crossed the Baltic Sea entering the Gulf Of Finland , followed the Neva River , into the Lake Ladoga . Then it went upstreams the Volkhov River past the town of Staraya Ladoga into Lake Ilmen and over to the Lovat River . From there, the ships had to be Portage d 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. __TOC__ HISTORY 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''. Though this has come to mean "Vikings" to many, the term for the Bzyantines meant all Scandinavians and their kindred living in what is now Russia. It was probably established in the late 8th - early 9th Century as Varangian explorers searched for plunder but also for Slave s and lucrative goods. The route gained significant importance in the 10th until the first third of the 11th Century . According to = Νεμογαρδα = Hólmgarðr = "island enclosure", and Nýgarðr = "new enclosure"; Kiev = Kœnugarðr = "boatyard" and Σαμβατας = Sandbakki-áss = "sandbank ridge". 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. {Link without Title} On the Dnieper the Varangian s had to Portage their ships round seven Rapid s and at each they had to watch out for Pecheneg nomads. The old and modern names of those rapids are:- Afterwards they had to pass a narrow rocky spot called the ''Ford of Vrar'' (Russian: ''Krariyskaya'' crossing), where the Varangians were often attacked by the ). 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, Icon s, and books came from the Byzantine Empire . Kiev used to trade bread, handmade goods, silver coins etc. Volhyn traded Spinning Wheel s and other items. Certain kinds of Weapon and Handicraft s used to come from Scandinavia . Northern Rus' offered timber, fur, honey and wax, the Baltic Tribes traded Amber . 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. REFERENCES
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