100% cotton. Excellent quality. Image in front. The origin of the Russian state coincides with the arrival (9th cent.) of Scandinavian traders and warriors, the Varangians . Tradition has it that one of their leaders, Rurik , established himself peaceably at Novgorod by 862 and founded a dynasty. The name Russ or Rhos possibly originally designated the Varangians, or some of them, but it was early extended to the Eastern Slavs and became the name of their country in general. Rurik's successor, Oleg (reigned 879-912), transferred (882) his residence to Kiev, which remained the capital of Kievan Rus until 1169. He united the Eastern Slavs and freed them from Khazar suzerainty, and signed (911) a commercial treaty with the Byzantine Empire. Under Sviatoslav (reigned 964-72) the duchy reached the peak of its power. Belarus , most of the Ukraine , and part of W Russia were incorporated (14th cent.) into the grand duchy of Lithuania . Thus NE Russia became the main center of economic and political life. At the end of the 13th cent. Tver was the most important political center, but in the 14th cent. the Muscovite princes of the grand duchy of Vladimir, although still tributary to the Tatars, began to consolidate their position. Under Ivan I (Ivan Kalita; reigned 1328-41), Moscow took precedence over the other cities. After the victory of Dmitri Donskoi (reigned 1359-89) over the Tatars at Kulikovo in 1380, the grand duchy of Vladimir was bequeathed, without the sanction of the Golden Horde, to his son Vasily (reigned 1389-1425), and its rulers began to be called grand dukes of Moscow or Muscovy.