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Title of the article: The speed which was used in old Russia during prince Vladimir rule
Author(s): AVERYANOV K. A.
Section: Theory and history of culture
Year: 2016
Issue: № 1 (39)
Pages: 41-52
Index UDK: 94(47)
Index BBK: 63.3(2)41
Abstract: The Arab sources of IX–X centuries mentioned three centers of Russes: Slavia, Kujavia, Artania. Researchers usually identified Slavia with area near Novgorod, Kujavia with Kiev. The question of the location of Artania, which, according to Arab authors was between Kiev and Novgorod, has been the matter of controversy for 200 years. The historians are puzzled by the evidence of ancient writers that the famous «route from the Vikings to the Greeks», as long as 1200 km, could be covered within 8 days. Repeated experiments have shown that modern kayaks cover from 40 km to 75 km per day. Based on the analysis of ancient sources, it appears that the average speed of movement along the rivers in ancient Russia was much higher and reached 150 km per day. This makes it possible to place Artania on the map precisely near modern Smolensk, and it proves the accuracy of the Arab authors.
Keywords: movement speed, route from the Vikings to the Greeks, Slavia, Kuyavia, Artania
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