The Vladimir-Suzdal Rus' and Volga Bulgaria at the End of 10th–the Beginning 13th Centuries according to Old Russian Chronicles

Every medieval realm, whether it was located in Europe or Asia, during its existence had permanent trade, cultural and political ties with other states. The Old Rus’ state and its principalities, which appeared in the period of Rus’ political division of the 12th-13th centuries, are not the exclusion. The historical sources that give the profound reason for such statement are the Old Russian chronicles. The chronicle articles report about several military campaigns of the first Rus’ princes against the Byzantine Empire in the 10th -11th centuries and the wars against the Khazars, the Danube Bulgaria and the Old Poland state. The same chronological period marks the beginning of the contacts between the Rus’ state and the Volga Bulgaria within different areas of human activity. However, relatively peaceful relationships during 10th- the beginning of 12th centuries were changed by a series of military campaigns against the Bulgars in the middle of 12th-the beginning of 13th centuries, which were headed by the Vladimir-Suzdalian princes. The description of the Bulgars as ethnic and confessional community, which was accompanied by the narrative image in chronicle compilations, has also changed. Thus, the aim of my study is the exhaustive analysis of the Rus'-Bulgarian relations during the 10-13 centuries. basing on the chronicle articles, as well as the chronicle image of the Bulgars in the context of the interstate interaction.