RUTHENIANS/RUSYNS IN THE ARAB WORLD: THECHING HISTORY OF UKRAINE IN THE CIVILIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to demonstrate a new direction of integrating educational material from the History of Ukraine into the context of world history. Namely to outline the ethnic and civilizational contacts in the Middle Ages and define the place of Ruthenians in the processes.

Methodology. The main research method was the historical-cultural method, which consists in close studying relevant historical sources.

Scientific novelty. The article traces the history of the Slavic ethnic groups as it was reflected in the Muslim sources. It is proved that in many cases the Slavs, mentioned in these sources were in fact, Ruthenians/Rusyns.

Conclusions. Contacts between the Slavic and Arab world’s existed from the earliest times of the new era, as indicated by the texts of Muslim historians, travel writers, geographers, traders, and other scholars of that time. Even though Rusyns are not explicitly mentioned in Arab documents, it is obvious that they were slaves from Rus, especially when described as white slaves (saqaliba) in Andalusia although they may not be exclusively from Rus. Geographical position of Andalusia, Varangians, and Kyivan Rus makes this assumption quite plausible. Therefore, the prospects of further research should include not only the clarification and clarification of specific scientific facts, but also further popularization and explanatory work on the civilizational contacts (both positive and negative) in different historical periods. All of the above is directly related to teaching the subject of History of Ukraine in both secondary and higher education. This concerns, firstly, the introduction of new sources and new material (although some points remain hypothetical, which should be emphasized during teaching), and, secondly, the formation of a broader horizon and ability among students to consider the history of Ukrainian lands and the Ukrainian people in a broader European and civilizational (on the scale of the Greater Mediterranean) context. This task is relevant, since many pages of Ukrainian history remain little known to the general public and insufficiently covered in modern scientific publications. This especially applies to contacts between the peoples of Ukraine and the cultures of the Orient.