Normann: The Right to Power

Ruslan Arturyevich Normashov never dreamed of a career as a commander—especially as a self-ruling ruler. Nevertheless, he unexpectedly became the recognized prince of the Karelian lands. Personal courage, resourcefulness, and kindness made it possible to form a large retinue by the standards of the fourteenth century. His first timid attempt to test his strength and military skill ended in a successful campaign into the Volga region. A solitaire of intrigues laid out around him forced him to go to war against Lithuania—and again luck smiled on the hero.

Two loud victories reverberated among Russian princes with a negative resonance, because in both cases the “Norman” touched centuries-old family ties.