Rurikid

The Rurikid dynasty was the medieval East Slavic ruling dynasty that gave rise to Kievan Rus' and governed numerous principalities in what is now Russia, Ukraine and Belarus from the 9th to the 16th centuries. According to the Primary Chronicle, the semi-legendary Varangian prince Rurik was invited to rule the Slavic polity of Novgorod around 862, establishing the first ruling dynasty in the region. Rurikid rulers later extended their authority to Kiev and other major centers, forming the basis of medieval East Slavic statehood.

The early Rurikids—Rurik, his successors Oleg, Igor, Olga, and Sviatoslav—built a system of loose, dynastic leadership over a constellation of principalities. The consolidation culminated under Vladimir the Great, who Christianized Rus' in 988, unifying many territories under a centralized church and state structure. Yaroslav the Wise (reigned 1019–1054) promoted law, learning, and diplomacy, and his reign is often cited as a high point of Kievan Rus'.

After the death of Yaroslav's heirs, the dynasty's rule became increasingly divided among rival branches that controlled different principalities, notably in the northeast (Vladimir-Suzdal, later Moscow) and other areas. Over several centuries, Moscow rose in prominence and eventually became the leading seat of Rurikid rule, laying the groundwork for the future Tsardom of Russia.

The male line of the Rurikid dynasty in Moscow effectively ended with Tsar Feodor I in 1598. The Time of Troubles followed, after which the throne passed to non-Rurikid houses, notably the House of Godunov and later the Romanovs. The term Rurikid continues in genealogical and scholarly contexts to denote this historic dynasty and its cadet branches.