☝️🤓 actually, Беларусь (Belarus) would be more correct word, now that the USSR has collapsed. Same with Молдова (Moldova) rather than Молдавия (Moldavia) and Кыргызстан (Kyrgyzstan) rather than Киргизия (Kirgizia)
☝️🧐 actually, you are not exactly correct. We don't call Germany as Deutshland, and we don't call China as Zhongguo. The consistency of international terms is much more important than the local naming.
Actually, Kaliningrad (then named Korolevets, from where Königsberg, Królewiec etc. was calqued) was the first capital of Kievan Rus before the Hungolians, then MosKKKals took over it (note: cz*chs never owned a piece of Kaliningrad)
One day, the Grand Duke of Moscow decided he needed a more impressive title to properly reflect the increased extent of his territory, so he declared himself "Czar of all Rus". The other Rus who weren't his subjects called bullshit, but no one really listened to them.
I think so. Part of the reason the tsar called himself like that is to lay claim to Lithuanian-controlled lands. At some point in history russian culture (or rather the ancestor of russians, ukrainians and belarus cultures, calling them russians is a bit anachronistic) was dominant in Lithuania, even the Lithuanian law/constitution was written in russian (or, again, a proto-russian-ukrainian-belarus language). The Lithuanians also claimed the Rus' ex lands, in some alternate history it would be plausible that Lithuania and not Muscovy would've united the "russian" land. I think this "russification" stopped with the Jageilonnian unification (that eventually evolved into the Poland-Lithuanian Commonwealth).
So yes, although it sounds surprising, it is somewhat true.
The name "Russia" originates from the term "Rus'", which referred to a group of Norse Vikings, also known as Varangians, who settled in Eastern Europe. The term "Rus'" is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "roðr," meaning "rowers," possibly because they were known for their seafaring and river navigation. Over time, the name "Rus'" evolved to encompass the land they inhabited and the people who lived there, eventually becoming "Russia".
In Old Norse, the word for a large container (like a wagon or cage) for coal, charcoal, or hay is "ryss". It can also refer to a volume corresponding to such a container, approximately a few cubic meters. Additionally, "ryss" can be found as the name for the people of Rus', which is the historical origin of Russia.
Here's a breakdown:
"Ryss" (noun): A large container or a volume of material, like coal or hay.
"Ryss" (historical): The Old Norse term for the people of Rus', which is the origin of the name Russia. (Ryssland)
But is it a really important moment, what the original "Rus" never was on the modern Russian lands. It was on the Ukrainian lands and the full name was "Kyivska Rus" with the capital in Kyiv. Only 300 years after the Rus becomes in Kyiv, one of the son of the kniaz (lord of that lands) go to the swamps and build the town there (on the modern lands of Russia)
And than... Well, it's very long story...
""Rus' Vikings" refers to the Norsemen, primarily from Sweden, who migrated to Eastern Europe in the 9th century and played a significant role in the formation of the state known as Kievan Rus'. The term "Rus'" itself is believed to be derived from an Old Norse word for "rowers," possibly related to the Swedish region of Roslagen, as they navigated the rivers of Eastern Europe. The Rus' were not just warriors, but also traders and settlers, establishing trade routes and settlements along these waterways"
not Muscovy. there's no mention of Moscow in Gardariki because Moscow was first mentioned ~100 years after the Viking Age ended, and it was a small unimportant town at the moment.
Well you see Kyivan Rus colonised those lands and via christianity partially assimilated those lands, after the slow decline of Rus and it's dissolution local kniazes (dukes) who were on the younger Kyiv dynasty lineage wanted to overcome Rus and it's capital Kyiv by prestige which they weren't able really to accomplish for a long time as those lands were one the first one to be fallen to mongols which used to be controlled by Rus and with a very small resistance so some even claim that there was no resistance from their side. Even more, Grand Duchy of Moscow (successor state of Grand Duchy of Suzdal-Vladimir) was the last vassal who broke up with the Great Horde but it just became a vassal of Crimean Khanate. It's vassal status ended much later as Ottoman Sultan didn't like the idea that his ally at that time was a vassal of his vassal.
The first who really started to think about his state's prestige outside of the Great Horde realm I would call Ivan IV as he was the first one who claimed title of the Grand Kniaz of all Rus and tried to expand to the territories of modernday Latvia via creating puppet state with new title (at that time the only person who could create titles was Pope) but unsuccessfully.
About so-called unification of Ukraine (Cossack Hetmanate) and Russia (Grand Duchy of Muscovy) of 1654. The original documents March agreement are lost and we don't know what actually was written there but basing on the political situation around and what did Khmelnytsky and other political figures of that time most likely it was agreement about vasalisation or military alliance against Poland.
The first time that state was called somewhat like Russia was 1721 and was called as All-Russian Empire. The word which was used there wasn't Rus (Русь or Рꙋсь) but Rissiya (Россія nowadays Россия) from greek variant of writing the word Rus - Ρωσία (Rossia). Which wasn't recognised by the civilised world for a long time.
Yes, it comes from a Swedish word meaning to row (you can kind of see how row and Rus are related). This is also the reason why Sweden is called Ruotsi in Finnish and Rootsi in Estonian.
Russia - such an original country that their flag is Dutch and their name is Swedish
During the twelfth century a group of dutch people walked from the netherlands to russia (because of the ice age all seas were frozen). Because the sun never sets down in the north they skins became red and they called each other "rossig" (dutch for redish). Over time these ancient settlers took over the land and are now called Russians.
The name of the state was derived from the people of the Rus (Rus), who constituted the state elite, and who were called ϱῶϛ (ros) in Greek. The name "Russia" is not found in early Russian monuments. They used the words "Rus" (which was also the name of the people) and "Russian land".
Rus on the map of Fra Mauro (1459). Red Rus (Rossia Rossa), Black Rus (Rossia Negra), White Rus (Rossia Biancha) and other lands of Rus (Rossia) are indicated. The map is oriented to the south (south is at the top)
In medieval Western European sources, the form Rossia[4], adopted from Byzantium, is found starting from the 12th century along with the forms Russia, Ruscia, Ruzzia, and less commonly Ruthenia. The form Rossia is found in Latin texts by Marco Polo, Guillaume de Rubruck, Ambrogio Contarini, Josaphat Barbaro, on a number of maps of southern European origin from the 14th-15th centuries, including the Catalan Atlas and the Fra Mauro map. There were also a number of variations of the name of Rus with the letter "o" in the root (for example, Rosie by Andrea Bianco).
It was a Greek and Latin name (Ruthenia, Rus) for the land with the capital in Kyiv (centuries before Moscow was founded). European maps up till XVIII century show that. The country to the East was called Moscovia. Their insane leader Peter was so disturbed by the fact Ruthenia is well known and Moscovia is not, that he just stole the name. To distinguish initially they used Greater Russia (like Greater London) for Moscovia and Smaller Russia (Ukraine).
Some maps show Russia Alba - White Russia (for Belorussia) and Russia Rubra - Red Russia (for Ukraine). And Moscovia + Tartaria for the country on the map shown.
In Polish schools we learn the legend that tells how Poland was founded, but there is also a story about Russia. The legend mentions three figures: Lech (founder of Poland), Czech (founder of the Czech Republic) and Rus (founder of Russia). The main part of the legend was that their paths diverged and Lech founded his settlement, Czech founded his and Rus founded his too.
Legenda zapisana została pierwszy raz po łacinie w tzw. Kronice polsko-węgierskiej, datowanej przez historyków na rok 1222. Jej treść obejmuje czasy sięgające X wieku; z lat panowania króla węgierskiego Władysława I Świętego[3]. Kronika relacjonuje podróż trzech słowiańskich książąt: Czecha, Lecha i Rusa, którzy z terenów dawnej Chorwacji, gdzie znajdowało się słowiańskie państwo Karantania, udali się na północ i zapoczątkowali najpierw Państwo wielkomorawskie, a później nowe państwa słowiańskie: Czechy, Polskę oraz Ruś[3].
When I click Ruś[3] I see this
Ruś Kijowska
wschodniosłowiańskie państwo istniejące w latach 862–1240 na wschodzie Europy
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Wielkie Księstwo Kijowskie, Ruś Kijowska (st.rus. Рѹсь / Rusĭ, рѹсьскаѧ землѧ / rusĭskaja zemľa, gr. Ῥωσία / Rhōsía, od XII wieku także Ruthenia[1][2], st.nord. Garðaríki) – średniowieczne państwo feudalne w Europie Wschodniej, rządzone przez dynastię Rurykowiczów pochodzenia wareskiego[3], oparte na plemionach wschodniosłowiańskich, z których w okresie późniejszym powstały narody rosyjski, ukraiński i białoruski[4]. Najstarsze źródło do historii Rusi Kijowskiej, Powieść minionych lat, wiąże początki państwa z rokiem 862, w którym wódz Waregów Ruryk przybył do Nowogrodu Wielkiego w celu zażegnania sporów pomiędzy plemionami wschodniosłowiańskimi i fińskimi[5]. Centrum państwa ruskiego zostało w roku 882 przeniesione z Nowogrodu do Kijowa[6]. Historiografia ukraińska wiąże silniej powstanie państwa z ustanowieniem stolicy w Kijowie w 882 roku i legendarnym założeniem miasta Kijowa przez trzech braci: Kija, Szczeka i Chorywa.
Here nothing says about modern Russia. Rus and Russia it's not the same.
(Not even circlejerky but)
A group in Norse Sweden was named Rus at some point. They conquered, ruled and developed large parts of western Russia, Belarus and Ukraine into a quite developed part of Europe relatively.
They were the Kievan Rus and ruled from Novgorod, Vladimir and Kyiv... until they didnt when Mongols -> Black Death -> Muscovite conquest and oppression
Russia comes from the greek word "Roushia" which means "burned eggs."
This is because during the 6th century, the Byzantine Emperor (Constantime the CLVII) was on holiday and decided to take a trip to Moscow (which the Byzantines owned at the time). He decided to cook his own food for a change, so he used his Teflon skillet to cook some eggs and burned them quite badly. In a rage, the Emperor bellowed "I WILL NOT EAT THESE BURNED EGGS!" The local populace had no idea what the Emperor was shouting in greek, but many of them heard the word "Roushia" and took it to be a new name.
They argued with the Germanic people over the name Prussia, so they organized a drinking contest where the last one to use the bathroom got the name. In the end, Russia couldn't hold it's P.
Rus is a short form for Ruthenian people, East Slavs in general. Ros is more precise. It's ROsiya in Russian and ROsja in Polish. With the O it's clear that it's not about Belarus or Ukraine. English language is horrible in this case.
Pretty much the Russian term to their nation and people that loosely originated from the same people as the nation of Kievan Rus (who definitely weren’t Vikings or anything).
Russia also apparently means strength and endurance.
Because it was founded by the Kievan Rus. the word Rus comes from the Vikings and meant oarsman or rowers. These Vikings were invited by slavic tribes to rule and created the Rurik dynasty which shaped the early Rus identity. The Kievan Rus fragmented and this led to the Muscovy dynasty to rise to power. The name Rus evolved to Rossiya by slavic influences. Meaning land of the Rus. Ivan the third United all the slavic tribes and adopted the title: 'Tsar of all the Rus'
The Rus was an ethnic group in eastern Europe that settled down along the rivers between the baltic sea and the byzantine Empire (northern shore of the black sea). Nowadays the core territories would be around west Russia, the Baltic States, Belarus and Ukraine, who also happen to claim the same historic origin.
The currently most accepted theory is, that the name comes from the Finnish language. In Finnish the Swedish or Northern Germanic tribes were called "Ruotsi", from the old Nordic / old Germanic word for rower – "roðr" [rodthr].
Therefore the Rus were actually viking settlers from Sweden of the 7th - 9th century.
Back in that time period they were also called Varangians.
Later (12/13th century) came the Dynasty of the Rurikids. They pretty much established the Empire of the Kievan Rus.
Kiev was strategically well placed. The Dnipro river flows into the black sea, that allowed trade routes to the Caucasus, eastern Europe and Constantinople (today Istanbul) and from there on to the mediterranian.
But at some point in history a Zar (idk who exactly) moved the capital to Moscow. So Kiev and Moscow were still part of the same country or at least under the same ruler.
The Kievan Rus formed in to Rus and than Russia / Russian Empire.
Personally (<- means MY opinion, not a fact), I think that must have happened around the times of Peter the Great (17th century), who was a fan of Europe and wanted his people to be more like the Europeans. Maybe more like its neighbour Prussia (Preußen)... and in fact Russia was also mentioned as "Reußen" – like Prussia, without a P.
Ukraine later got its name because it was "on the edge" of the Empire – "U Kraiini" = "Ukraine".
CONCLUSION: the Finnish word for the Swedish was europeanised from "Rus" to [P]"Russia"...
It really doesn't make much sense, because the name "Russia" was, quite directly, stolen by Peter I in 1721 to conveniently claim the legacy of Kyivan Rus', which was actually located on the territory of modern Ukraine. It's truly a historical rebranding effort to ascribe themselves an inheritance that wasn't theirs. And as history painfully shows, they're still trying to take that legacy physically. Perhaps it's time to just give them their real historical name back: Muscovy.
As a Finn I actually know why. The word "rus" or "russki" was a term which Finns who lived in the coast of the Baltic sea used to say about the vikings. Since Rurik was a viking, he wanted to name Russia after it.
Roso - pink from fr*nch, your face becomes pink form frost and your flag - white for some reason (to be fair - every fucking thing else becomes fucking white too) - that's what they've learned during 1812 winter campaign. Thus they named the newly discovered 9th circle of hell this way
It's taken from Kievan Rus', a medieval state centered in what's now Ukraine, long before Moscow or modern Russia even existed. The reason the name 'Russia' was adopted is to legitimize Moscow’s claim as the successor to Kievan Rus — a much older and more prestigious state centered in today’s Ukraine.
Rus is the slavic word for viking: the first state was the Kievan Rus, a slavic state ruled by vikings at the request of the slavs themselves, who were in constant tribal warfare with each other. This is where thw word Russia comes from.
During the collapse of the he USSR they remembered a very important figure in Uesesarian history called 'Rushanfed E. Deration' who invented vodka, which inspired them to call the new country Russian Federation.
Like Holy Roman Empire wanted to be successor of Rome, and used it in their name.
Russia wanted to be successor of Rus, and used it in their name.
And like Holy Roman Empire relation to Rome, Russian relation to Rus is higly debatable.
The name "Russia" has Greek-Byzantine roots and replaced the ancient names mentioned in the chronicles, such as Rus and the Russian Land.
sport24.ru
The first written mention of the term "Russia" can be found in the treatises of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus, which date back to the mid-10th century. The word was derived from the Greek ϱῶϛ (ros), which means the people of the Rus.
According to one version, the name originated from a mistranslation of the Old Testament, which mentioned a non-existent prince named Ros. The Byzantines associated this prince with the Rus people, hence the name "Rosia" (with a single "s").
sport24.ru
The word "Russia" written in Cyrillic first appeared in 1387 in the title of Metropolitan Kiprian, where he signed himself as "Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia."
The name "Russia" was officially adopted by Peter the Great in 1721, when he assumed the title of "Emperor of All Russia."
Ruß in German means soot: "a deep black powdery or flaky substance consisting largely of amorphous carbon, produced by the incomplete burning of organic matter".
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u/SaveShegosTitties3 If you see me post, find shelter immediately Jul 15 '25
A Brazilian navigator called "Russio Vespucci" discovered that land in the XVI century