Staraya Ladoga is the capital of ancient Russia

Staraya Ladoga has existed since the XVIII century, it is called the "first capital of Russia" - it was here in 862 that Rurik came to reign. The Varangians did not choose this place as their residence by chance - many centuries ago, the small village was now a prosperous and developed city: a crossroads of trade routes, a craft center and an international trade port providing connections between the Slavs and European countries. Nowadays, Staraya Ladoga is a unique complex of historical monuments united under the auspices of the Staraya Ladoga Historical, Architectural and Archaeological Reserve.

It is believed that the Scandinavians originally lived here, and later the ancient Germans and the Baltic-Finnish peoples. It was they who built the first houses and fortifications in the image and likeness of those that were characteristic of early medieval Europe. Such guesses are confirmed by Merovingian artifacts found at excavations in the 2000s. Slavic tribes came to this land after the XVIII century, having conquered the living space from earlier settlers.