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Why does "Ladoga" redirect here instead of to Lake Ladoga??--Kallerdis 20:11, 13 May 2006 (UTC)Reply
First of all, calling Staraya Ladoga "the first capital of Russia" is hugely anachronistic which is to say, plainly wrong: Russia did not exist yet in the 8th century. Staraya Ladoga was a settlement that did not administer any tribal unions or lands. It was a trading (and raiding) outpost, not a capital of anything.
Second, the word 'Vikings' CANNOT be used interchangeably with the word 'Norsemen' or 'Scandinavians'. The Vikings were the raiders of the shores of Western Europe, a people defined by their occupation as well as by their ethnicity. The settlement at Staraya Ladoga had a rather large population of craftsmen. Many - perhaps most of whom - appear to have been of Scandinavian (Norse) background. Few - if any - were involved in naval raids and expiditions that define the word viking in English and traditional Scandinavian usage. They were NOT VIKINGS. They were, however, Norsemen (Scandinavians).
Third, the statement "In 862, the legendary Varangian leader Rurik arrived to Ladoga and made it his capital" is not verifiable in any meaningful way, contradicts the sole reference to Rurik we possess (i.e. the Primary Chronicle, which states that Rurik was invited from overseas and established himself in Novgorod), and does not mention the fact that Rurik quite possibly was a legendary character.
Does anyone (Ghirla?) know what the sources for this are? I know that Fagrskinna and Heimskringla (using Bandadrápa as their source) say that Eiríkr Hákonarson sacked Ladoga between 995 and 1000. But I'm a bit surprised to see talk of a "trustworthy record". This sounds a lot like a destruction and rebuilding of the city just before 1000 is confirmed by archaeological evidence - but it's not quite explicit. Does anyone know more or know where I can find out more? Haukur 15:46, 12 May 2006 (UTC)Reply
Finnish viewpoint is this:
The history for Laatokanlinna (later Laatokankaupunki) former known as Nevanlinna (Castle Of Neva) dates back to the time of Guetes (Goths) when Jordanes mentioned the Finnish tribes ruled by Guete (Goth) King Ermanarik and little later in 551, when Jordanes wrote his describtion. By that time Finno Ugrian tribes had settled more than 1.000 years the area around Lake Neva which become later better known as Lake Laatokka. There was a large village founded 13 km inland from shores of Nevajärvi in the place now known Staraja Ladoga. That is for sure that the Slavonic tribes had nothing to do with this old settlement, because their most northern outposts by that time were in the upper course of River Dnjepr, south of Ilmajärvi (Ilmen Lake), of which direct transliteration in English is Air Lake.
Between 550 - 900 Laatokanlinna (Castle of Laatokka) become important trading place which was used as etappen point for mixed (Sveas, Hämes and Ests / Aestes) living in so called "Saaristolais Suomi" also known as "Luotola", in Ojamaa / Vuojonmaa (Gotland), the Moonsund Archipelago (Vormsi, Muhu, Hiiumaa, Saaremaa), The Ahvene / Åland (Perch) Archipelago, in addition to Roslagen (Uppland / Ylämaa) Archipelago. These tribes formed so called Rod (Rower) people, later known by Vatjas, Ingermanlanders, Karelians, Vepsäs (Veps) and other Finno Valka (Volga) peoples Merjas, Muromas, Mordvas, Maris and Ud-murts as Rootshis or Ruotshis.
Rootshis / Ruotshis started to seek new trading routes to the east and these trading routes along the great eastern rivers formed so called『Idäntiet』/『Östenvägar』(Eastways or East routes) to Black Sea and Caspian Sea. The Varakkis / Varjags (Pedlars) came later into the scene, in 750 - 1200 when they shared the use of『Idäntiet』and one earliest name for all these was simply『Idäntien kulkijat』(Eastway travellers). These were Rootshis and Scandinavian Pedlars, named Varakkis by Finno Volga tribes and Varjags by the Eastern Slav tribes who had settled by that time to the shores of Ilmajärvi (Lake Ilmen) and continued to spread toward north along the Alavanmaanjoki / Olhava River (Low Land River) toward Lake Neva / Laatokka. The Varakkis / Varjags settled in to this trading village in which the population incresed so much that in ancient Finnish history Nevanlinna / Laatokanlinna become named by Finns to Laatokankaupunki (which confirms the change of the name of commonly used Nevanlinna in c. 750 - 900), to a status of "town". The Scandinavian pedlars called this town Aldeigborg (Sveas) and Aldeigburg (Norsemen), the incoming Eastern Slav tribe population Staraja Ladoga. It is one of the oldest towns in Northern Roshland (actually located in Eastern Inkeremaa (Inkereland) and Vepsäland (Vepsland) borders. It is mentioned in Scandinavian sagas to be Rurik´s (Rurikka´s) first adminstration post in 862 - 865 before he moved it to Novgorod (Nygord, Nygard, Nogardia, Uuskul, Uuskylä etc.)
The Swedes destroyed it in 997 as said in old Scandinavian written sagas. There is also written mention of this "town" in old Arabic Bagdad Califate sources, formely not used by "Western" historians until recent days when they were "founded", which mentions undirectly the "town" in c.950. Swedes sieged the castle in 1164 but did not manage to capture it. In 1313 they managed to capture Staraja Ladoga and (probably) the castle remained in their hands up to 1323 when the first peace treaty in Noteborg (Pähkinäsaari = Nut Island) on the Neva Neck was signed between the Novgorod Commercial Republic and Kingdom of Sweden.
In 1338, when the hostilities broke out again the Swedes tried again to capture Staraja Ladoga but failed to capture it. After the Sweden-Finland and Muscovite Great Prince (Tsar) Vasili Shuiski agreement of Viipuri in 1610 broke down in 1611 the Swedish - Finnish troops commanded by French Colonel Laville, serving in Swedish army, captured Staraja Ladoga. This was the first military action taken by Swedish army during the "Sable War". The main aim was to blockade trade from Novgorod to overseas. They stayed there as long as war lasted, until the Peace Treaty of Stolbova was signed in 1617. It was from Staraja Ladoga the Swedish - Finnish negotiaters started their journey to small village of Stolbova, located in middle course of Sääsjoki on the historical border of Vepsäland (Vepsland). For some curious reason nearly all new ( after 1917 written Soviet / Russian histories) do not mention the internationally recogniced Peace Treaty of Stolbova. They talk commonly of "Swedish Occupation" over their land, which lasted until Peter the Great "opened the window" to Baltic Sea and West. According to Russian sources Carolus (Kaarle) XII attempt to conquere Staraja Ladoga during the Great Northern War in 1701 failed.
Staraja Ladoga lost its importance when Peter the Great founded new town in the mouth of Olhava River, Novaja Ladoga. Both Vanha (Old) Laatokankaupunki and Uusi (New) Laatokankaupunki lost their meaning as important trading posts after the foundation of St.Petersburg. The last nail was the railway line which was completed in 1906 and took the role of main transport route from Zvanka (Nevasi) on River Olhava to St.Petersburg.
JN
The picture of Old Ladoga in 1911, I believe, is actually of New Ladoga, (which is about 15 km north of Old Ladoga). I believe the churches pictures are the Church of St. Clement and the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin at the end of Karl Marx Street. They do not look like any of the still-extant churches in Old Ladoga.
The picture of Old Ladoga in 1911, I believe, is actually of New Ladoga, (which is about 15 km north of Old Ladoga). I believe the churches pictures are the Church of St. Clement and the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin at the end of Karl Marx Street. They do not look like any of the still-extant churches in Old Ladoga. M. Paul
I see that nobody posted the etymology of the word Ladoga
Ladoga derived from old pre christian Slavic term Ladyaga or Ladyoga; which meant "Lada"(goddess representing a swan; "ruler"(lada) or mLada (=Lads in english; "young people") & Yaga (like Baba Yaga.
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