For yet a third century, since the dispute between Lomonosov and the “Normanists,” the legendary PRINCE RURIK remains an “apple of discord” for historians, who have not one clear answer to a multitude of questions about the identity and origins of the founder of the Old Rus’ state—while many “inconvenient” facts and “politically incorrect” hypotheses are still under an unofficial ban. Who was the progenitor of the dynasty that ruled Rus’ for more than half a thousand years? What lineage was he from? What language did he speak? Where did he come from the Slavic lands? And DID HE EVEN EXIST AT ALL? Or is he a mythical figure invented “after the fact”? In his new book, the popular historian puts forward and substantiates a sensational version of the “calling of the Varangians,” offering unexpected answers to the most difficult questions and unraveling the main mystery of our past.