Podcast Summary: How did the Vikings shape Russia and Ukraine?

Podcast: History Extra
Host: James Osborne
Guest: Martin Whittock, historian and author of Vikings in the East: From Vladimir the Great to Vladimir Putin
Release Date: September 2, 2025

Overview

This episode explores the profound influence of the Vikings—specifically the Norse adventurers known as the Rus—on the formation of early Russian and Ukrainian states. Historian Martin Whittock delves into how these Viking origins became deeply embedded in national identities, religious traditions, and are still wielded in modern political narratives, particularly in the context of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Key Discussion Points

1. Putin’s Versions of History and Political Uses of the Kievan Rus Legacy

(02:24–05:35)

• Whittock explains how President Vladimir Putin roots his justification for Russia’s claims over Ukraine in the historical concept of a “shared origin.” Putin’s essay, "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians," claims the two nations are “one people,” with divisions being artificial modern constructs.
  • Quote:

    “Putin's claim... basically claims that because of a shared origin, that the Ukrainians and the Russians are one people and that any division of them into two sovereign states is an artificial modern construct.”
    — Martin Whittock (03:07)

• References to pivotal moments like the baptism of Vladimir the Great and the installation of statues in contemporary Russia are part of this narrative, underscoring a supposed spiritual unity centered on Kievan Rus.

2. The Eastern Viking Frontier: Origins and Motives

(05:35–08:52)

• The mainstream western narrative about the Vikings often ignores their eastward expansion. Whittock highlights how changes in the Islamic Caliphate and the interruption of silver trade across Eurasia in the 8th century prompted Norse traders (especially Swedes) to seek new routes east, leading to direct trade with the Islamic world and Constantinople.
  • Quote:

    “The eastern front was crucial in the origins of the Viking Age. And at the same time, forest products of the eastern Baltic and the supply of slaves, Slavic lands there drew Swedish Viking adventurers eastward.”
    — Martin Whittock (07:26)

3. Vikings: Trade, Slavery & Violence in the East

(08:52–10:59)

• The Viking engagement in the east was both commercial and violent. Slave trading connected the western and eastern Viking worlds. Norse were typically a minority and needed to integrate and adapt to local customs while setting up trading outposts.
  • Quote:

    “Although trade and interaction and setting up of independent trading post is very, very important in the east, there is still a significant amount of violence." — Martin Whittock (09:18)

4. Settlement, Rivers, and Geography

(10:59–14:16; 16:46–18:23)

• Norse settlement followed river routes, with permanent towns emerging along the river systems of modern Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. The Norse term “Gardariki”—“the kingdom of the towns”—points to these trade centers’ importance.

• Rivers were the highways (“motorways”) of the medieval world, allowing movement even during winter when they became frozen paths for sledges or trade.

  • Quote:

    “We need to envisage them as the motorways of the early medieval world, which allow people access deep, deep into the heart of the European continent.” — Martin Whittock (14:16)

• The image of Viking ships here diverges from the dragon-headed longships; instead, they used broad trading vessels and sometimes large log boats finished by local peoples.

5. Who Were the Rus?

(18:23–21:04)

• The Primary Chronicle describes Scandinavian adventurers (Varangian Rus) as founders of what became Kievan Rus. The name “Rus” likely derives from words meaning “rowers.”
  • Quote:

    “The word Rus may be derived from the word for rowers ... but the Finnish Norse origin is the more probable.” — Martin Whittock (19:19)

6. Legendary Founders: Rurik and Oleg

(21:04–24:20)

• The Norse chieftain Rurik is cited as the founder of a dynasty centered in Novgorod, with his successor Oleg moving south to capture Kiev, uniting the region into the polity known as Kievan Rus by 882.

7. Assimilation and Cultural Transformation

(24:20–26:06)

• Initially distinct, the Norse gradually assimilated into the Slavic majority, adopting Slavic customs and deities, leading Kievan Rus to be largely Slavic by the turn of the millennium.

8. Vladimir the Great and the Baptism of Rus

(26:06–32:44)

• Vladimir (Volodymyr) the Great converted Kievan Rus to Eastern Orthodox Christianity in 988, shifting the region’s alignment towards Byzantium.

  • Quote:

    “It was a game changer and of immense historic importance because it allied the Rus with the Eastern Roman Empire and built on well established trading and diplomatic connection with the Eastern Roman Empire.” — Martin Whittock (26:33)

• Vladimir’s decision to convert was pragmatic, aiming for ideological cohesion and political advantage rather than pure religious fervor.

  • Quote:

    “He is seeking an ideological unifying force. And he decides Eastern Orthodoxy because it is the one that has the greatest connection with his biggest trading partners south of the Black Sea.” — Martin Whittock (31:32)

9. Fragmentation and the Mongol Invasions

(32:44–37:50)

• After Vladimir, internal strife weakened Kievan Rus. The Mongol invasions of the 13th century, culminating in the destruction of Kiev in 1240, further shattered the polity and changed the balance of power.
  • Quote:

    “We are seeing a state that already is experiencing a significant amount of stress ... and as the Mongol empire begins to disintegrate, the rulers of Muscovy become the dominant force of what remains.” — Martin Whittock (35:06, 37:18)

10. The Rise of Moscow and the Divergence of Russia and Ukraine

(37:50–40:03)

• Following the Mongols, the center of power gradually moved north to Moscow, whose rulers claimed the legacy of Kiev and expanded south into Ukrainian territories during the 16th to 17th centuries. Ukraine’s lands were contested by multiple powers, involving the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottomans.

11. Identity, Russification, and Modern National Aspirations

(40:03–43:50)

• Whittock explains the increasing differentiation of Russian and Ukrainian identities, especially from the 19th century onward, amid repeated attempts to impose Russian language and culture (“Russification”). Soviet policies and the Holodomor further strained the relationship.
• Ukrainian agency and identity—especially since the 20th century—have asserted themselves in opposition to Russian narratives of unity.
  • Quote:

    “Although we are the inheritors of our history, we are not prisoners of our history, and we still have agency. ... We recognize origins, but we also recognize that we have the right to choose our own current path and our own future path.” — Martin Whittock (42:41)

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Putin’s propaganda:
  “There's a theme running through all of this ... a narrative that says the Ukrainians are not a sovereign state. ... They are part of the Russian state and the modern differences are artificial constructs.”
  — Martin Whittock (03:07)

• On Eastern Viking Expansion:
  “The eastern front was crucial in the origins of the Viking Age ... and at the same time, forest products of the eastern Baltic and the supply of slaves, Slavic lands drew Swedish Viking adventurers eastward.”
  — Martin Whittock (07:26)

• On Rivers as Highways:
  “We need to envisage [rivers] as the motorways of the early medieval world...”
  — Martin Whittock (14:16)

• On the Meaning of ‘Rus’:
  “The word Rus may be derived from the word for rowers ... the Finnish Norse origin is the most probable.”
  — Martin Whittock (19:19)

• On the Baptism of Rus:
  “Vladimir... decides Eastern Orthodoxy... and that becomes a major ideological glue that both unites and its character defines Kievan Rus right through.”
  — Martin Whittock (29:38)

• On Modern Identity:
  “Although we are the inheritors of our history, we are not prisoners of our history, and we still have agency.”
  — Martin Whittock (42:41)

Segment Timestamps

• 02:24 — Putin’s narrative and the invention of shared origins
• 05:35 — Why Vikings went east, trade & Islam’s role
• 10:26 — Establishment of settlements, the “kingdom of the towns”
• 12:42 — Geography of Rus settlements
• 14:16 — Importance of rivers
• 17:09 — Types of ships and transport methods
• 18:23 — Etymology and uses of “Rus”
• 21:04 — Rurik and the beginnings of political organization
• 23:25 — Oleg and the unification of Novgorod and Kiev
• 24:20 — Norse assimilation into Slavic society
• 26:06 — Vladimir the Great and the conversion to Christianity
• 32:44 — Turmoil after Vladimir, fragmentation, Mongol conquest
• 37:50 — Rise of Moscow, decline of Kiev, emergence of Russia and Ukraine
• 40:03 — How history is weaponized in modern politics
• 42:41 — The importance of recognizing Ukrainian agency

Conclusion

Martin Whittock provides a sweeping, engaging reminder that the early history of the region now split between Russia and Ukraine is both a shared legacy and a source of division. While Viking and Slavic interactions gave rise to Kievan Rus and a rich tradition of exchange and assimilation, centuries of divergence, conquest, and identity-formation set these peoples on different historical trajectories. Whittock concludes by cautioning against simplifications and urges the recognition of “agency”—that neither Russia nor Ukraine is bound by medieval origins, but both are actors in shaping their future.

Recommended Reading:
Martin Whittock, Vikings in the East: From Vladimir the Great to Vladimir Putin – The Origins of a Contested Legacy in Russia and Ukraine