peoples who inhabit large areas of Central and Eastern Europe, Siberia, Central Asia, the Balkans, speak languages that have similarities in sound structure and grammatical structure.It is this similarity is an important manifestation of their relationship.
All these peoples are considered to be Slavic.Depending on the language class decided to allocate 3 groups: East, West Slavic and South Slavic.
of the eastern categories accepted to Ukrainian, Belarusian and Russian languages.
K West Slavic - Macedonian, Bulgarian, Slovenian, Serbo-Croatian.
K West Slavic - Slovak, Czech, Polish, Upper and Lower Sorbian.
all Slavic tribes had linguistic similarities, so we can judge that in ancient times there was a single tribe or a few large groups, which gave rise to the Slavic peoples.
first mention of a single settlement belong to ancient writers (first century AD).However, archaeological excavations suggest a more ancient people.According to the fossil it can be judged that the Slavic tribes occupied the territory of Eastern Europe over many millennia before our era.However, for some reason, single people had to search for new land to stay.
Settling Slavic tribes took place in the era of the "great migration of peoples."Mainly this was due to the changing socio-economic conditions.
In this period, a new tool for working the land, so the opportunity to work the land individual family, not the whole community.In addition, the constant growth of the population demanded the expansion of land for food production.Frequent war pushed the Slavic tribes to the capture of new processed and fertile land.Therefore, during the military victories of the people some of the single remained on the occupied territories.
East Slavic tribes - the largest group of Slavs.
These include:
- vyatichi.Spread over the upper and middle reaches of the Oka.This is longer than any other tribe retained its identity.For a long time they did not have the princes, the public mood was characterized by democracy and self-government;
- Dregovichi.Settled between the Western Dvina and Pripyat.The name comes from the word "dregva", which means "marsh".On the territory of the tribe formed Turov-Pinsk principality;
- krivichi.They settled along the banks of the Dnieper, Volga, Western Dvina.The name comes from the word "kryva", ie"Related by blood".The center of this tribe was the city of Polotsk.The last leader was Krivichy Rogvolod, which, together with his sons killed the Prince of Novgorod, Vladimir.After this incident, Vladimir married the daughter Rogvolod thus united Novgorod and Polotsk;
- radzimichy - tribes living between the rivers Desna and the Dnieper;
- Tivertsy.We lived at the Black Sea coast between the Danube and the Dnieper.Their main occupation was agriculture;
- Croats.We lived on the banks of the San River.They were called the White Croats.Pastoralists;
- Vistulans.They occupied the territory of modern Krakow.After the conquest of meadows have been incorporated into Poland;
- Sorbs.Residing in the territory of the Lower and Upper Lusatia, on the territory of modern Germany.Today the Sorbs (descendants of the Sorbs) are among the minority of the Federal Republic;
- Slovenia.They lived in the Lake Ilmen and flow Mologa.Slovenia made up a significant part of the population of Novgorod;
- Ulichi.Living along the Southern Bug and lower reaches of the Dnieper.This tribe long fought for its independence from the Kievan Rus, but was forced to join the group.
Thus, the Slavic tribes are an important ethnic group, play a significant role in the history of Europe and the formation of modern states.
