Units of History: The Druzhina - Knights of the Kievan Rus DOCUMENTARY

The Druzhina were the elite knights of the Medieval Kievan Rus! Click the link in my description to start your free 7 day trial with Blinkist and get 25% off of a Premium membership. This Units of History documentary explores the early history of Ukraine and Russia through the lens of the Elite Druzhina of the Kievan Rus. The video begins with the geography of eastern europe and the various peoples of early and late antiquity who came to occupy these lands. Among the most prominent of these were the Slavs who soon merged with the steppe and norse tribes that frequently entered their lands for trade and conquest. We cover the rise of the Kievan Rus under Prince Rurik and how his descendants came to carve out a vast domain with the help of their loyal bodyguards. It is these men who would eventually become the Druzhina that both served as the military and administrative backbone of the realm. The documentary next covers the equipment, organization, tactics, and servic