Siverianians

Siverianians (siveriany). An East Slavic tribe that lived in the Desna River Basin and the upper reaches of the Seim River, the Sula River, the Psol River, and the Vorskla River late in the 1st millennium AD. Their main settlements included Chernihiv, Novhorod-Siverskyi, Putyvl, Kursk, and Liubech. The Siverianian territories bordered on those of the Polianians and Drehovichians in the west and the Radimichians, Krivichians, and Viatichians in the north. They settled the uninhabited southern steppes. The Siverianians were primarily farmers, herders, hunters, fishermen, and artisans. In the 8th and early 9th centuries they paid tribute to the Khazars. Later, together with other East Slavic tribes, they belonged to the Kyivan Rus’ state. According to the Primary Chronicle Prince Oleh conquered the Siverianians in 884, and imposed a light tribute upon them and forbade them to give the Khazars any further payments. In 907 they took part in Oleh's campaign against Byzantium. The Siverianians lost their distinctive tribal features, and after 1024 they are not mentioned in the chronicles. A vestige of their name remained in Siversk principality: the Siversk land was known as such until the 16th or 17th century. Many Siverianian settlements of the 8th to 10th centuries have been discovered near Romny (Monastyryshche fortified settlement, Petrivske fortified settlement, and Novotroitske fortified settlement), as well as kurhan burial sites (with evidence of the tribe's practice of cremation) and valuable treasures.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Samokvasov, D. Severianskaia zemlia i severiane po gorodishcham i mogilam (Moscow 1908)

Arkadii Zhukovsky