The specificity of interaction of the vyatich ethno-political association with its nomad neighbors in the IX-XI centuries

Introduction. Relevance and dating: one of the widely known stereotypes of the interaction between the Forest and the Steppe, considered as economic and social structures, is their innate rivalry and struggle.Materials and methods. An analysis of the data available to historical science suggests that following the stereotypes described above, when considering specific events and consequences of the interaction between the Vyatichi ethno-potestar association and its nomadic neighbors (near and distant) in the 9th-11th centuries, leads to obviously erroneous conclusions.Results. Source base: the sources here are, first of all, the results of archaeological research, which indicate numerous and clear signs of cultural, economic, administrative-military interaction. Applied methods: comparative-historical, diachronic-analytical using an interdisciplinary approach. In medieval Slavic history, one can find examples of different types of interaction between Slavic societies and their steppe neighbors: permanent struggle, principled war, neutral coexistence, as well as cooperation and interaction. One of the specific examples of this kind of interaction is the history of the emergence and development of the Upper Oka Vyatichi ethno-political association, which refutes most of the stereotypes stated above.Conclusion. The period considered in this report indicates, rather, the likely symbiotic reciprocity of the interaction of the Vyatichi community with representatives of the nomadic culture, which over time was destroyed by the military and political activity of the Kievan Rurikovich. The first centuries of the existence of this community demonstrate the enviable productivity and effectiveness of the interaction of the Vyatichi with their nomadic neighbors in various aspects of interaction, ranging from economic, political and cultural enrichment to possible cooperation in the field of animal husbandry.