Trade Route between the Varangians and the Greeks

Categories / Army. Navy/Baltic Fleet
TRADE ROUTE BETWEEN THE VARANGIANS AND THE GREEKS was a route connecting Scandinavia (Varangians) with Byzantium (Greeks). It started from the Baltic Sea, passed along the Neva River, Ladoga Lake, the Volkhov River, Ilmen Lake, the Lovat River, the Western Dvina River, and the Dnepr River to the Black Sea. It was established at the beginning of the 9th century (no later than 825 or 830), proven by the discovery of treasure stores of Arabic silver coins, particularly dirhams from the first quarter of the 9th century (see also Archaeological Treasures). Trade along this route was important for the social-economic development of the northwestern Rus lands, leading to the development of the town-centres of Ladoga (today Old Ladoga) and Great Novgorod on the Volkhov River. In 1985-95, the route was covered by a combination academic-sport expedition called the Nevo-Viking (the academic adviser was Petersburg archaeologist G.S. Lebedev), which proved that during the Middle Ages the route was passable in one navigation.

Reference: Сорокин П. Е. Водные пути и судостроение на Северо-Западе Руси в средневековье. СПб., 1997; Лебедев Г. С., Жвиташвили Ю. Б. Дракон "Нево" на Пути из Варяг в Греки: Археол.-навигац. исследование древних водных коммуникаций между Балтикой и Средиземноморьем. СПб., 1999.

A. Y. Chistyakov. Lebedev Gleb Sergeevich
Сорокин П. Е. Водные пути и судостроение на Северо-Западе Руси в средневековье. СПб., 1997
Лебедев Г. С., Жвиташвили Ю. Б. Дракон "Нево" на Пути из Варяг в Греки: Археол.-навигац. исслед. древних вод. коммуникаций между Балтикой и Средиземноморьем. СПб., 1999