Abstract on the topic:

Imperial Guard ( Star Wars)

Plan:

1 History and traditions of the Guard
2 Training Center
3 Weapons and organization
4 Uniform
5 Insignia

Introduction

Imperial Royal Guard(English) Imperial Royal Guard) - fictional division imperial army from the Star Wars universe. This unit served as bodyguards under Emperor Palpatine.

1. History and traditions of the Guard

The forerunners of the Imperial Guards were the guards of the Senate old republic. When Palpatine became Supreme Chancellor, he created an entire order of bodyguards, which were subordinate only to him personally. The guards did not take all the people who wanted to. Most of the future guardsmen were battle-hardened fighters of the elite stormtrooper units. The Imperial Guard is the pinnacle of an Imperial stormtrooper's career. With the exception of the emperor himself and a few of Palpatine's closest advisors, no one knew exact number guards.

Imperial Guard

The Imperial Guard is one of the most formidable military formations. She obeys only the Emperor himself and is fanatically devoted to him personally. The Emperor's Guard does not seek orders and privileges. Their life purpose and most desired cause of death is service to Emperor Palpatine and his Empire.

The Imperial Guard never openly took part in hostilities. However, in order to maintain combat readiness, some Guardsmen served in ordinary units under the guise of simple stormtroopers and wore the same uniform as ordinary soldiers of the Empire. Usually all the guardsmen served in one unit, and were not scattered in different parts. It is said that not a single guardsman died in battle during the "training".

While some Guardsmen served in the Empire's assault squads, others carried out Palpatine's orders: they organized covert attacks, eliminated assassins, and eliminated the enemies of the Emperor. They protected the emperor's palaces and temples and the cloning cylinders on Byss. Only the Emperor himself knew about their assignments, and he very rarely appeared without at least two guards accompanying him. Occasionally, the guards accompanied the most important persons of the Empire, for example, one of the twelve grand admirals or grand moffs. But such escort was only if there was a corresponding order from Emperor Palpatine.

2. Training center

The training center and headquarters of the guard is located on the planet Yynhorr (Eng. Yinchorr). Future soldiers of the Guard had to be tall, have excellent physical training, outstanding intelligence. Also, and most importantly, all Guardsmen must be loyal to Emperor Palpatine. Future guardsmen were subjected to a mass of tests to determine their endurance and reflexes in battle. Each new guardsman learned to fight, using two short knives with pointed blades in battle. The education and training of a guardsman lasted one standard year. The Imperial Guards fought each other in endless duels, honing and improving their skills in this way. Defeat for a guardsman, even in training, most often meant his death. Seeing the skill and strength of his partner, the Imperial Guardsman had to reach his level, and seeing his weaknesses, he had to overcome his own shortcomings. Trainings were held at the arena "Shkval". Of more than 40 candidates, only a small part of them survived to the last test in the face of Emperor Palpatine himself. In this test, candidates for the Guard had to prove their loyalty to the Emperor by fighting their partner to the death of one of them.

The training center on Yinhorr was headed by master Ved Kennede, who himself served in the guard at one time. Palpatine recognized him as one of the best warriors and honored him with becoming the senior instructor of his entire guard. The identity of the guardsman is a mystery to ordinary people. Their faces and names are known only to Emperor Palpatine and other guardsmen. According to tradition, the guardsmen called each other brothers.

3. Weapons and organization

The Imperial Guard has its own ranks. The best of the guardsmen are called High Imperial Protectors. Imperial Sovereign Protectors). Their armor looks much more ceremonial than that of the regular guardsmen, and is also decorated with ornaments. Some say that the abilities of the Protectors have been enhanced by the dark side of the Force.

The usual weapon of the Imperial Guardsman is a two-meter power lance, more like a harmless addition to ceremonial armor, but in the capable hands of any of the Imperial guards, it turns into a deadly weapon - as deadly as heavy blaster pistols hidden in the folds of red cloaks. Sometimes the Imperial Royal Guards were armed with light poles.

After the death of Emperor Palpatine, the ranks of the Guard quickly dispersed. The Rebel Alliance had long believed that virtually the entire Guard had perished along with their overlord on the second Death Star. But the Imperial Guard survived. Some of the guards followed the warlords, who became the new leaders of the Empire. The other warriors of the Guard retreated to the worlds at the center of the galaxy, only to take their place next to the resurrected Emperor. Little is known about the further fate of the guardsmen. It is said that they tried to seize power in some worlds of the Core, committed mass suicide, etc. It is possible that some guardsmen serve in the assault units of the Empire, others could hide in the Outer Regions.

4. Dress code

The robes of the Imperial Guard are red in color and consist of a wide cloak, helmet and armor. The flowing ceremonial cloaks were designed in such a way as not to interfere with the movements of warriors in battle. The uniforms of the Guardsmen were taken from the uniforms of the Solar Guard from Thyrsus and the Deathguard from Mandalore. These ancient associations of warriors are famous for their ferocity and courage. The brilliance of the armor of the Imperial Guard made even the most daring opponents tremble with fear. The external, ceremonial, appearance of the armor of the guards is deceptive. Although it is thin and smooth, it is far superior in strength to the armor of stormtroopers.

5. Insignia

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This abstract is based on an article from the Russian Wikipedia. Synchronization completed 07/18/11 06:21:52
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An Imperial unit of elite fighters whose exact numbers and whose capabilities have remained a mystery to the galaxy. Constantly accompanying Emperor Palpatine, the red-cloaked warriors were deservedly considered the best of the best in the imperial forces. No one ever knew exactly how many of these warriors the ruler of the Empire could defend - there could be from several tens to several thousand. Always a part of the Imperial Armed Forces, the Guard had only one person to answer to: Emperor Scythe Palpatine.

The Guard was created back in the days of the Old Republic shortly before the Clone Wars, as a special division of the Senate Guard, and was called the Scarlet Guard. The new formation consisted of the best soldiers of the Republican army, but not from clones. The establishment of a bodyguard squad was prompted by an incident involving an attempt on the lives of Chancellor Palpatine and several senators. Only the quick and effective actions of the Jedi Ronhar Kim from Naboo saved the Chancellor from death. Since the creation of the guards detachment was not legalized, this became an occasion for the opposition, led by Bail Organna, to criticize this decision and advocate the dissolution of the Guard. In this, the Jedi agreed with the senators, who believed that a mysterious Sith Lord might be hiding among the Scarlet Guards.

But soon the Scarlet Guard showed themselves during the Battle of Coruscant, when only their squads, led by Master Windu, defended the Senate Building from attacks by the Separatists. Being next to the Supreme Chancellor during the battle, the guards tried for a long time, but unsuccessfully, to persuade him to leave the residence and go under the protection of the Coruscant defense forces or to the Jedi Temple. During the kidnapping of Palpatine, many guardsmen died, but before they died, they took with them a great many Separatist soldiers.

After the execution of order No. 66 and the creation Galactic Empire The Scarlet Guard became the Imperial Scarlet Guard. Having retained the same structure, form and weapons, they took their place in the new state.

Personnel for the highest military unit in the Galaxy were chosen with extreme care. Only the best representatives of the military academies were taken into the Guard after lengthy checks. Warriors were selected to meet strict criteria of physical strength, mental ability, personal allegiance to Kos Palpatine and the New Order, and Force sensitivity was sometimes tested and required. At the same time, the Guard itself had its own hierarchy, the highest level of which was the elite layer of elites - the Imperial bodyguards. These fighters, passing through the most difficult trials, were trained in all types of martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, the use of any technique, as well as the feeling of the Force and its adepts and the use of the basics of the Dark Side to fight them. Personal bodyguards accompanied Palpatine everywhere and at all times, and the main forces were assembled on the Eclipse destroyer, at the Academy on the planet Yinchor and at a secret base in the Byss system. To constantly accompany the Emperor, special Guards TIE interceptors were created, painted red, equipped with a hyperdrive and a protective field generator.

The rest of the Guard also trained under the best warrior training programs in the galaxy. Especially for them, a special language was developed, which only the guards themselves knew. No one outside of the guard knew the names of the warriors who were part of it, except for Emperor Palpatine.

The training of the Scarlet Guard took place at the Imperial Academy on Yinchor. The dead planet was the best suited for training the loyal and invincible soldiers of the Empire. The students were divided into classes of 40 people, in which they improved their skills and learned new things in military science during the year. Particular emphasis was placed on actions alone and in a team. The main martial art taught to beginners was the Yichani fight, which assumed the death of the enemy in any case. The result of the training was the survival of one or two students from the class. The final test for them was to fight each other to the death before the Emperor, who would decide whether the victor was worthy of the honor of serving him.

Despite the comprehensive education and the ability to fight in any circumstances using any forces and means, the guards never fought as part of a large formation. Any operations were carried out either in small groups or individually. To constantly maintain their uniforms, the soldiers of the guard secretly went to the rank and file and other special units, where they fought on a par with ordinary soldiers.

After the death of Palpatine at Endor, the bulk of the guardsmen gathered at their bases located on the planets Yinchor and Byss. Many Imperial leaders, such as Sate Pestage or Rear Admiral Teradoc, used men in the armor of the Guard for their escorts to increase their weight in the political world of the Empire, but there were no real Guardsmen. Among Isane Isard's entourage were real Imperial Guardsmen who had served under her even before Endor, at the behest of the Emperor. Several guardsmen were given by her to the Dark Lady Lumiya and served as the main shock fist of her forces. Among them was the young, but already attained the rank of personal bodyguard, Carnor Jax. Lumiya discovered in him a predisposition to the use of the Force and taught him the basics of Sith skills.

Another Guardsman served the mutant pretender Trioculus, who led the Grand Moff council and opposition to Isana Isard.
Some members of the Imperial Guard showed that they were not so loyal to Kos Palpatine: Guardsman Vyn Northal defected to the rebels, and Major Grodien Tiers gladly served Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Waiting for the return of their master, the loyal guardsmen fought for him for another whole year. After the final death of the Emperor and the failure of the cloning program, the Scarlet Guard gathered on Yinchor, where they learned that one of their own, Karnor Jax's personal bodyguard, was responsible for the death of their master. On that day, the Imperial guards swore an oath to take revenge on all traitors to the Empire and to Scythe Palpatine personally. Topping the list of casualties were Carnor Jax and members of the Imperial High Council, who had usurped power after their defeat in the last campaign. But the guards could not even leave Yinchor. Carnor Jax, realizing that his former brothers were his main enemy, sent a legion of Imperial stormtroopers to the Guard Academy on Yinchor. Thus, the elite of the Empire was exterminated in the same way as the Jedi Order three decades earlier. The Guard took with them almost all of their killers, but could not win. The only survivor was Kir Kanos. He fulfilled his oath by killing the traitor Jax in a duel, as well as hunting down members of the Supreme Council and anyone who considered himself the ruler of the Empire.

Admiral Daala's attempt to recreate the Scarlet Guard from loyal stormtroopers was unsuccessful. After serving for some time as a symbol of the rebirth and rebirth of the Empire, the new guard fell apart. Four of these guardsmen, a few years after the defeat of Daala's Liberation Campaign, became the leaders and inspirers of the Second Empire, creating the image of a surviving Emperor. With this idea, they took control of the Dark Jedi Academy and its Fallen Jedi Master Brakiss. After their plot was revealed, the false guards fell to the sword of Brakiss himself.

Information about the fate of the surviving Guardsmen, such as Kir Kanos and Dark Lady Lumiya's subordinates, remains unknown. One fact is indisputable - the Imperial Guard disappeared along with their Emperor.

Known Guardsmen:

Imperial bodyguards:

Karnor Jax is a student of the Dark Lady Lumiya, the commander of her guards, the killer of Palpatine's clones, the Supreme Ruler of the Empire.

Ordinary Guardsmen:

Guardian 22716
Kyle Hannad is a survivor on Byss who reached Yinchor and reported Carnor Jax's betrayal to the others.
Kir Kanos - Imperial Avenger.
Ved Kennede - Guardsman, master at the Academy on Yinchor.
Ming Kainyo is a master at the Yinchor Academy and accompanied the Emperor on the Death Star.
Vin Northal is a Guardsman who defected to the New Republic.
Grodien Tiers is a Guardsman who served under Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Yinchor Academy students who did not reach the final challenge:

Boer Dunnid
Alum Frost
Lemet Tauk

Chick Apla is a Guardsman who orchestrated the assassination attempt on Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade during their wedding.

The Roman emperor had personal bodyguards. Several cohorts of 1000 warriors each. They were called Praetorians. These were the only people who were allowed to be in Rome with weapons in their hands.

The army usually fought on the outskirts of the empire and the Praetorians pretty soon realized that there was no one in the capital who could resist them. Already the second Roman emperor, Tiberius, was faced with a conspiracy by the head of the Praetorian guard Sejanus, and the third, Caligula, was simply killed by conspirators led by the Praetorian tribune Cassius Hereia.

And from that moment on, not a single emperor could become one or hold his power for any long time without the support of the Praetorian Guard. Moreover: many emperors came from Praetorians.

Something similar was in Russia for almost the entire 18th century after the death of Peter the Great. The guard overthrew Russian emperors, put others in their place and this continued until the Decembrist uprising, which, as you know, was also an uprising of part of the guard.

Beginning with the reign of Nicholas I, who just crushed the Decembrist uprising, the authorities never allowed the guards to be omnipotent. She always had something to oppose: since then, troops and Cossacks have been stationed in the capital, the police have been strengthened, a secret investigation has been established, etc.

Since then, the supreme Russian government has always professed the principle of "divide and conquer" and never again allowed such a concentration of military force in the capital and its environs within the framework of one department.

The Bolsheviks also understood this well. Therefore, contradictions and competition between the troops of the GPU / NKVD and the army have always been inspired. And after the division of the NKVD into the KGB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs - between them.

Suffice it to recall how much Brezhnev paid attention to keeping parity between Andropov (KGB) and Shchelokov (MVD) and never allowed either of them to take over.

Even Yeltsin, forgetting for a moment these basics of power, was about to create a monster in the form of a united KGB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs under the leadership of Barannikov, but he immediately came to his senses and abandoned this idea.

And only our wise leader Putin went to recreate the Praetorian, sorry, Russian Guard: the only serious armed forces in the capital and in the vicinity of 100 km around it. Who can oppose something to her in the capital?

Police? Not! After the internal troops and OMON were taken away from her, and they were transferred to the Russian Guard, she does not have serious forces. It is impossible to take seriously the operatives of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate, armed with PM.

FSB? Where is it: from the strength of a special forces battalion ...

Army? Her main forces are far away. Much further than the Kadyrovites, who are part of the National Guard, by the way. The Kadyrovites will be in the capital on their cayennes during daylight hours: they left in the morning and in the evening they are already in Moscow. This is not counting those who are already in the capital ...

FSO? The main forces are scattered at security sites throughout Russia. I think that in Moscow no more than three or four battalions can be brought into battle.

This is against the Peresvet detachment (the former 55th division of the MVD), located right in Moscow, on the Leningradskoe highway. And a few more divisions of the Russian Guard, standing a couple of hours away from Moscow!

And if Zolotov has not yet come up with the idea that he is the only support and guard of the throne, then he has especially intelligent assistants and subordinates from Chechnya who will soon explain this to him. If not already explained.

And if so, it means that he, Zolotov, the head of the Emperor's Praetorian Guard, can demand from Putin much greater privileges and consideration of opinion than it is now.

And what can Putin object to him when he points the barrel at him? Ask, as in your favorite joke: "What time is it?" Hehe… Security, as they say, quickly turns into an escort…

Zolotov himself, judging by what they say about him, frankly speaking, is not an intellectual. And it is unlikely that he will dopret before this. But it is precisely because of this position that he is in Moscow in a certain vacuum of communication.

It is clear that the leadership of other law enforcement agencies are also not Schopenhauers, but their self-esteem does not allow them to seriously communicate with a person who, as his former boss Korzhakov (who hired him from locksmiths) says, "forgot the letters."

And that's what I think ... Here is his "challenge to a duel" Navalny. This is a purely Chechen approach: "Let's go out and talk like a man to a man." Russian generals don't behave like that. Especially in relation to those arrested ...

The vacuum of communication was filled by Zolotov with glorious Chechen fans of MMA, masters of pankration, broken ears and stabbing. This is their code of honor. It was in front of them that he considered himself humiliated, slandered, and according to their rules, this insult can only be washed away by scuffle ...

Characteristically, the first (and so far the only!) official who supported Zolotov on this issue was Ramzan Kadyrov.

But, unlike Zolotov, Kadyrov, Delimkhanov and Daudov are smart, experienced guys with colossal endurance and deceit. The Chechens have not forgiven the Russians for anything. Neither the 19th century, nor the Stalinist deportation, nor the two Chechen wars in our time. No need for illusions.

And I cannot be particularly worried about this, being myself, in some way, a victim of a similar deportation. In a sense, I understand this mood of theirs ...

And why, in fact, could a Georgian rule over the Russian people, but a Chechen cannot? Anyone can rule these people. Even Putin.

Imperial Guard (Star Wars)

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Imperial Royal Guard(English) Imperial Royal Guard listen)) is a fictional unit of the Imperial army from the Star Wars universe. This unit served as bodyguards under Emperor Palpatine.

History and traditions of the Guard

The forerunners of the Imperial Guards were those of the Senate of the Old Republic. When Palpatine became Supreme Chancellor, he created an entire order of bodyguards that answered only to him personally. The guards did not take all the people who wanted to. Most of the future guardsmen were battle-hardened fighters of the elite stormtrooper units. The Imperial Guard is the pinnacle of an Imperial stormtrooper's career. With the exception of the Emperor himself and a few of Palpatine's closest advisors, no one knew the exact number of the Guard.

Imperial Guard

Training Center

The training center and headquarters of the guard is located on the planet Inchhorr (eng. Yinchorr). Future soldiers of the Guard had to be tall, have excellent physical training, outstanding intelligence. Also, and most importantly, all Guardsmen must be loyal to Emperor Palpatine. Future guardsmen were subjected to a mass of tests to determine their endurance and reflexes in battle. Each new guardsman learned to fight, using two short knives with pointed blades in battle. The education and training of a guardsman lasted one standard year. The Imperial Guards fought each other in endless duels, honing and improving their skills in this way. Defeat for a guardsman, even in training, most often meant his death. Seeing the skill and strength of his partner, the Imperial Guardsman had to reach his level, and seeing his weaknesses, he had to overcome his own shortcomings. Trainings were held at the arena "Shkval". Of more than 40 candidates, only a small part of them survived to the last test in the face of Emperor Palpatine himself. In this test, candidates for the Guard had to prove their loyalty to the Emperor by fighting their partner to the death of one of them.

Weapons and organization

The Imperial Guard has its own ranks. The best of the guardsmen are called Supreme Imperial Protectors (eng. Imperial Sovereign Protectors). Their armor looks much more ceremonial than that of the regular guardsmen, and is also decorated with ornaments. Some say that the Protectors' abilities have been enhanced by the Dark Side of the Force.

The usual weapon of the Imperial Guardsman is a two-meter power lance, more like a harmless addition to ceremonial armor, but in the capable hands of any of the guards of the Empire, it turns into a deadly weapon - as deadly as heavy blaster pistols hidden in the folds of red cloaks. Sometimes the Imperial Royal Guards were armed with light poles.

After the death of Emperor Palpatine, the ranks of the Guard quickly dispersed. The Rebel Alliance has long believed that virtually the entire Guard perished along with their overlord on the second Death Star. But the Imperial Guard survived. Some of the guards followed the warlords, who became the new leaders of the Empire. The other warriors of the Guard retreated to the worlds at the center of the galaxy, only to take their place next to the resurrected Emperor. Little is known about the further fate of the guardsmen. It is said that they tried to seize power in some worlds of the Core, committed mass suicide, etc. It is possible that some guardsmen serve in the assault units of the Empire, others could hide in the Outer Regions.

Dress

The vestments of the Imperial Guard are red in color and consist of a wide cloak, helmet and armor. The flowing ceremonial cloaks were designed in such a way as not to interfere with the movements of warriors in battle. The uniforms of the Guardsmen were taken from the uniforms of the Solar Guard from Thyrsus and the Deathguard from Mandalore. These ancient associations of warriors are famous for their ferocity and courage. The brilliance of the armor of the Imperial Guard made even the most daring opponents tremble with fear. The external, ceremonial, appearance of the armor of the guards is deceptive. Although it is thin and smooth, it is far superior in strength to the armor of stormtroopers.

Insignia

The code	Insignia	Ranks
1	-	-
2	-	-
3		General of the Guard (FG)
4	-	-
5	-	-
6		Colonel General (COL-GEN)
7		Lieutenant General (LT-GEN)
8		Major General (MAJ-GEN)
9		Brigadier General (BRIG-GEN)
10		Oberst (HC)
11		Colonel (COL)
12		Lieutenant Colonel (LT.COL)
13		Major (MAJ)
14		Captain (CPT)
15		Lieutenant (LT)
16		Sub-lieutenant (SUB-LT)
17		Corporal (CPL)
18		Sergeant (SGT)
19		Private (PVT)
20a	-	-
20b	-	-

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Loyal and wild. The legend of the Varangian Guard tells of warriors descended from the Vikings who traveled to Constantinople in search of wealth and glory starting from the 10th century to serve the Byzantine emperors. Military experience and an oath of allegiance made them the most intimidating warriors of that time, for which some rulers - like Basil II - brought them closer to themselves. Like no one else. The Varangians had to cross their axes even with the Crusaders, who during the Fourth Crusade laid siege to the richest city in the world at that time.

Meanwhile, the Varangian guards were the embodiment of not only loyalty and courage. Their reputation was somewhat undermined by the fact that they drank to unconsciousness (for which they were nicknamed "the emperor's wine barrels"), did not get out of the city brothels and played to smithereens on the hippodromes in anticipation of the next trip. In general, they were real Vikings who performed a wide variety of functions - from police officers in peacetime to heavy infantry in wartime.

“The last battle in which the Varangian guard is mentioned is the battle of Pelagonia in 1259 during the wars between the “fragments” of the Byzantine Empire (countries formed as a result of the division of its territory by the crusaders). Although their detachments will exist until the Ottoman conquest in 1453, but already with purely ceremonial functions, ”says ABC, Rouge Loscertales, secretary of the Heirs of History cultural association, which deals with historical reconstructions of the era when these warriors fought in the service of Byzantium .

Origin

What is the true origin of the Varangians? There are several theories on this. Authors such as Carlos Canales and Miguel Del Rey in their last book(“Northern Demons. Viking Expeditions”) argue that, despite the common name, the Vikings came from different places: “They had different origins, but used the same language to communicate with each other - Old Norse. The terms "Rus" and "Varangians" became synonymous, applied to all "northern warriors" without distinction.

Professor of History Maria Isabel Cabrera-Ramos, author of The Varangians in Constantinople: The Origin, Rise, and Epigones of the Mercenary Guard, explores the roots of this phenomenon by placing it in 9th-century Eastern Europe. She believes that these were Russian merchants who inhabited Sweden, who in the region of the 9th century left the shores of the Varangian Sea and descended into the steppes in search of furs and slaves. “There they traded, piracy and served as mercenaries for decades,” she writes in her study.

But besides this, the Varangians founded their own small state, having previously conquered the surrounding settlements. And then they began to improve relations with Constantinople. This is stated by Professor Michel Alain Ducelier in the book “The Close Medieval East”: “Toward the middle of the 9th century, Rus merchants appear in Constantinople,” in other words, the Varangians who crossed Eastern Europe along Lakes Ladoga and Onega to arrive in the capital of the Empire " . "This path connected the Byzantine Empire with northern countries", - adds the expert.

At first, the Varangians did not draw their swords and used this route to trade with Constantinople. But gradually a thirst for profit took possession of them, and in 860 they besieged the city and, although they were defeated, managed to make a frightening impression on its defenders.

Patriarch Photius of Constantinople described the attack of these soldiers as follows: “The people living somewhere far away from us, barbaric, nomadic, proud of their weapons, unexpected, unnoticed, without military art, so menacingly and so quickly rushed to our borders, like a sea wave and exterminated dwelling on this earth, like the wild beast on the grass, or the reeds, or the harvest. One could see how babies, torn from the nipples, were deprived of milk and life itself, and a ready coffin for them were, alas, those rocks on which they were smashed, and mothers sobbed pitifully and were stabbed together with those torn and trembling before death. babies. In the rivers, water turned into blood, springs and reservoirs were littered with dead bodies. This was one of the first contacts between the two civilizations, which can hardly be called harmonious.

In the following decades, however, many of our heroes, without hesitation, decided to make money by hiring themselves as defenders of the very capital that they had previously tried to conquer. In the end, they have already won the glory of cruel and bloody warriors. According to Velasco, before the creation of the Guard, 425 northerners were already in the Byzantine mercenaries during the expedition to the Italian peninsula, and 692 - in the expedition to Crete. Thus, relations between both peoples gradually strengthened, and the Vikings showed their fighting abilities even brighter.

Arrival in Constantinople

Historians Julián Donado Vara and Ana Echevarria Arsuaga (" medieval history I: V-XII centuries) argue that the Varangian guard owes its origin to a curious international pact of the late 10th century. Then Basil II finally settled on the throne of the Byzantine Empire and was considered "the highest authority of the civilized world." This title, however, did not prevent numerous rulers of a smaller caliber from going to him with weapons to take away power.

Emperor's title untold riches and an impressive army did not help, and Vasily had to turn to the Grand Duke of Kyiv Vladimir I for help. This prince was famous for two things. First, he was baptized in 987 (according to other sources, between 988 and 989). Secondly, by his cruelty, because he executed and killed right and left without the slightest reason, just to inspire horror in his subjects.

Despite the controversial nature of this character, Basil II turned to him for help to suppress the unrest that threatened his empire. And he got it, although not for free. Alejandro Muñoz says in his book "The Tsars of Russia": "The Kyiv prince was able to help the Byzantine, but in return he demanded the hand of Princess Anna, the sister of Emperors Basil II and Constantine VIII."

Byzantium responded with a decisive refusal. At least at first. But when a citizen of Kiev decided to turn to the true God (in the form of Orthodox Christianity), everything changed dramatically. So much so that the wedding was played, and both rulers entered into an unshakable alliance. To reinforce it, Kyiv sent about 6,000 soldiers to Constantinople in order to “repel the constant raids of the powerful landowners of Asia Minor,” as he explains in his work “ Short story Vikings" writer and expert on the history of the northern peoples Manuel Velasco Laguna.

Cabrera-Ramos is a supporter of the version that the Varangians quickly occupied a special position in Constantinople. Not only because of the legendary brutality of the Vikings (although because of it too), but also because, coming from distant lands, they had no connection with the treacherous local nobility. All this added to their once again legendary devotion. "Basil II was the first who trusted these "Scythians" more than the Greeks," the researcher writes. From the moment they arrived in the city until the 13th century, their number fluctuated between 5,000 and 6,000, although later it was reduced to negligible numbers.

personal guard

The decisive role of the Varangians in defeating the enemies of Basil II, as well as their subsequent assistance in expanding the boundaries of Constantinople, became the reasons why the emperor elevated the guard to the rank of an elite army. This was partly due to their loyalty and courage, but to a large extent also the fact that they had no personal or political ties with the unreliable metropolitan "bigwigs" who thought more about seizing power as soon as the opportunity presented itself than about the service homeland.

Although the guard was formed by Basil II, one of its curious characteristics was that the soldiers took an oath of allegiance not to a specific emperor, but to the imperial title, as Velasco recalls. This distinctive feature made them ideal soldiers in the imperial service, since when one ruler died, they automatically passed into the jurisdiction of the next. “That is why they did not take part in the endless strife and struggle for power in the Byzantine court,” the expert adds. However, over the two centuries of its existence, this army several times betrayed the one to whom it promised unconditional protection.

Del Rey and Canales specify that the Varangians "accompanied the emperor in all movements and military campaigns" as "an elite personal guard." In the same capacity, they participated in public ceremonies in the capital and guarded key city sites (as the residence of the emperor). Thus, gradually, they won the reputation of his most devoted servants.

At the same time, 6 thousand warriors of the Varangian guards performed a huge number of functions. Chief among them was the protection of the emperor in the palace. In addition, they were responsible for the inviolability of members of the imperial family and the treasury, as well as for the safety of the ruler in battle "by forming a real human shield around him" (writes Velasco). The guards could act as advanced heavy infantry during battles, as well as carry out police functions in Constantinople. Plus, small units of the Varangians were used to “hunt for pirates” on the high seas, as “special forces”, spies, and even to “demonstrate strength in the face of subjects or foreign envoys,” as Carrera-Ramos notes.

For practical purposes, the guards were divided into "urban Varangians", who worked in the capital, and "outsiders", who performed tasks outside of it. Carrera-Ramos describes the structure of the unit as follows: “The soldiers subordinated to their immediate commander of the detachment, who received orders from the “heteriarch” and “akoluf” (head of the detachment of foreign mercenaries in the imperial guard), who did not have to be a Varangian. In addition, the title of the “great translator of the Varangians” is also known by name.

Good reputation

The reason why the Varangians decided to join the personal guards of Vasily II is now, centuries later, obvious: glory and gold. The grateful emperor, for their devotion and courage, gave them a salary worthy of a noble person in that era, and also provided them with the best weapons. And not only so that they fought well, but also with the aim of impressing their subjects with the brilliant appearance of their guards. “The appearance of these mercenaries impressed even the Byzantines, who were accustomed to watching them on the walls and streets of the city. Both the ferocious expression of their faces and their bulging eyes burning with rage, as well as the weapons, were shocking, ”adds the author.

The income that the warriors of the Varangian guard could count on was so high that other princes and other noble Vikings traveled half the world to Constantinople in order to enter the service of the emperor there, make a fortune and return to their native lands with gold and glory. Canales and Del Rey write about it this way: “Serving in the Varangian Guard was an honor for thousands of Vikings. This opened the way for them to wealth, respect and fame. Both ordinary soldiers and princes and future kings sought to get into it.

The same opinion is shared by Cabrera-Ramos and Velasco. Cabrera-Ramos points out that "the fact of serving in the ranks of the Varangian Guard was considered truly honorable and served as an example for the rest" to such an extent that it was necessary to control the outflow of young people abroad. Velasco writes that the salary was "huge" and included spoils of war. Few historians are surprised that hundreds of soldiers were heading to Constantinople. After all, in addition to certain wealth and the desired reputation of the Varangians, an exotic and promised city awaited, where they were revered (almost) as heroes.

Revelry and drunkenness

With their legendary lineage, exotic appearance and luxurious military equipment, the Varangian guards were the talk of the town. But, as they say, not all that glitters is gold - and the mighty northern warriors had flaws. Their exorbitant salaries allowed them to spend huge sums on earthly pleasures. So, for example, in city taverns they got drunk to unconsciousness, for which they were nicknamed "the emperor's wine barrels." “Many chronicles of that time describe Varangian drinking,” adds Varela.

Cabrera-Ramos even reports that the excessive drinking of his compatriots put to shame such prominent figures as the Danish king Eric I, who visited Constantinople in the 12th century. However, drunkenness was not the main entertainment of the Varangians. They literally did not get out of the city brothels and hippodromes. Cabrera-Ramos confirms this in his study: "They had a certain propensity for rowdy parties, brothels, horse races and drinking."

Against the crusaders

The Varangian Guard fought for the Emperors of Constantinople until the 13th century. Then her warriors were gradually replaced by the Anglo-Saxons. The most common theory claims that this happened after the almost complete defeat of the Varangians at the Battle of Manzikert.

This battle, which took place in 1071, was a serious test for the Byzantine Empire. “It was a complete and decisive defeat of Constantinople, anticipating its fall four centuries later,” says Francisco Veiga in The Turks: Ten Centuries at the Gates of Europe (Atril ed.). That day, powerful Varangian axes could not stop the onslaught of the Seljuks. Emperor Roman IV himself was captured after a horse was killed under him.

The renewed Varangian Guard had to defend Constantinople from the Christian army during the Fourth Crusade. Initially, the crusaders were not going to enter the capital of the empire on the way to Jerusalem. But when Emperor Alexei II offered them untold riches for help in returning the throne, the knights accepted the offer and appeared in front of the walls of the city. With luck, they would have received a hefty sum of money that would have helped them achieve their ultimate goal - to recapture the Holy City from the Muslims.

In 1203, the Varangian guards entered their most significant battle. Here is how Hans Eberhard Mayer puts it in his History of the Crusades (Istmo ed.). “Some time after the arrival of the crusaders launched an offensive against Constantinople. On July 17, 1203, they attacked the city from land and sea, which was saved thanks to the British and Danes from the Varangian guard. Despite this, the stoic defense of the city yielded nothing. Alexei III, who reigned then, preferred to escape, saving his life, than to continue participating in the battle. In the end, the invaders stormed the walls of the city on April 12, 1204, and a day later the capital was completely in their power.

And then the crusaders gave vent to themselves to roam. “For three months, indescribable murders and robberies took place in the city,” the author of the book writes. Violence and cruelty reigned all around, which did not spare either the Orthodox Christians of Constantinople or their treasuries.

“Western knights seized priceless relics, which were in abundance in the Byzantine capital, arguing that they could not remain in the hands of schismatics,” writes Jacques Le Goff in The Argumented Dictionary of the Medieval West (ed. Akal) ). This was the last nail in the coffin of the Varangian guards. And although from 1261 this elite guard was formally recreated and existed until the 14th century, its role was insignificant.

Three questions for Maria Isabel Cabrera-Ramos

- Did the Varangian guards fight with Christians during all the Crusades?

- The Varangians did not fight the Christians during the first three campaigns. They were supposed to protect Constantinople from the excesses of the crusaders, which were expressed in provoking the population, raids on the surrounding villages and other atrocities of the participants in the first and second campaigns during their stay in the Greek capital. The matter did not come to a fight even when Gottfried of Bouillon with his knights laid siege to Constantinople in 1096. The mere appearance of the heavily armed Varangians stopped the crusaders, who were expelled from the city and quickly sent to Asia, where they began their long-awaited campaign. The Varangian guard fought fiercely against the Christian knights during the fourth campaign, becoming the only defense and hope of the city for the entire time of the siege: from the moment the crusaders appeared under the walls on July 5, 1203, until the early morning of April 13, 1204, when Constantinople was at the mercy of the barbarism of the crusaders.

Why was the guard abolished after decades of existence?

- The Varangian guard ceased to exist on the same day, more precisely overnight - at midnight from April 12 to 13, 1204. Fighting off the crusaders besieging Constantinople during those difficult hours for the Byzantine capital and its inhabitants, the Varangians realized that they were not only surrounded, but also betrayed by the Greeks. This happened after exhausting months of battles with superior enemy forces, during which the Varangians were the only force capable of resisting the enemy, while being controlled by weak-willed emperors, again and again leaving their people and their personal guards to their fate. The Varangian guard disappeared after so many years of successful battles, not only because of physical and moral "wear and tear" in the face of a more powerful enemy, it became, first of all, a victim of betrayal and the absence of a strong and intelligent leader, whom she could follow as faithfully as throughout its existence.

Byzantine Empire and its economy never recovered from the blow dealt to it by the participants of the fourth campaign, and never again could Constantinople afford to maintain such an expensive guard, therefore, militant Cretans were henceforth hired to protect the emperor.

- Did the Varangian guard consist mainly of the Varangians in last years existence?

“Definitely not. This military unit was originally formed from 6,000 Swedes sent prince of Kyiv Vladimir I Vasily II in 988-989. Then it was one hundred percent Varangian in composition. But in recent years, and even centuries of its existence, the soldiers of the guard were mostly Anglo-Saxons. The Swedes, and therefore the Varangians, were no longer among them. If there were any northerners at the court of Constantinople at the time of the Fourth Crusade, then they were Danes, as follows from their archaeological finds and Latin chronicles.

Roger Loscertales, secretary of the cultural association "Heirs of History": "The formation of the Varangian Guard marked the emergence of a power structure devoted to the title of emperor, and not to a specific ruler."

- What weapons and means of protection did the warriors of the Varangian guard wear?

- We can’t say anything with accuracy about the weapons and equipment of the members of the Varangian guard due to the lack of descriptions of contemporaries. In addition, this unit adapted to its time, which means that the equipment of the warriors of the X century could not be the same in the XIV century. The only thing that can be established from the Byzantine textbooks of military art is the general trend in the equipment of soldiers, bearing in mind that the Varangian guards were part of the Byzantine army, consisting exclusively of people of Germanic culture. The evolution of their equipment has gone through several stages.

- What are these stages?

– At first, the Varangians, sent by the Bulgar king, were apparently dressed in Western fashion: pants, low boots or boots, woolen or linen tunics, protective armor made of padded fabric or leather (including scaly) and rarely helmets. Their weapons were also meager, acquired, as a rule, at their own expense. Probably, these were an ax, a dagger, a shield and sometimes a sword. Helmets at the initial stage could afford only wealthy warriors.

At the second stage, the clothes of the Varangians, who were in the service of the powerful emperor, had to change their cut to Byzantine, and probably acquired some uniformity.

We believe that they wore scaly armor, and also (which, however, cannot be said for sure) plate. In many Byzantine sources (not only the Viking era) they are referred to as warriors armed with axes. Considering their origin, it can be assumed that these were rather large axes with long handles, which were struck with two hands, like those of a similar elite guard in Scandinavia and England - the housecarls. Some theories claim that we are talking about another type of hilt weapon - a romfey, a two-handed sword with a blade curved like a scythe.

At this stage, the guards should already have been better equipped, including helmets (both with and without nose guards) and shields of a different type than round German ones. These were probably almond-shaped wrist shields with a bend along the central axis.

In one of the Byzantine sources that have come down to us, where the warriors of the Varangian guard are supposedly depicted (the Skylitsa manuscript), they are dressed in full armor and round helmets with butt pads and without nose pads. However, in the same manuscript there is another scene where a woman kills a guard who does not have any protective clothing...

From the 12th century until the 14th century, the equipment of the Varangian guards had to undergo significant changes under the influence of clashes between the Byzantine army and the crusaders, the Venetians, the Muslims from the former Persia and the emerging empire of the Turks. But mainly under the influence of the development of metallurgy, which led to the appearance of armor from metal plates superimposed on each other. And so on until the advent of firearms.

- How did the Varangians come into contact with the Byzantine Empire?

- Already in antiquity there was a legend about German military honor. The rulers of Rome and Byzantium highly valued the Germanic warriors for their legendary loyalty.

There are known facts of episodic service of the Varangians (as the Swedes were commonly called in the eastern direction of the expansion of the Vikings) and the Rus (descendants of the Slavic and Scandinavian peoples, residents Kievan Rus) in the years 874-988 in the Byzantine army. Including as sailors during sea voyages against the Emirate of Crete.

Throughout the 9th century, the Byzantine Empire waged continuous wars, including against Kievan Rus. In the end, around 971, a peace agreement was signed, one of the conditions of which was the free transfer of part of the Russian army to the service of the Byzantine emperor.

- Why did the Vikings take such a strong position at the court of Vasily II?

- Prince Vladimir I took advantage of the request for help from the Emperor of Byzantium, Basil II, in order to fulfill the terms of the agreement in 988, and at the same time get rid of too warlike elements of northern origin. And he sent 6,000 people to serve the emperor, thus fulfilling his obligations under the peace treaty.

By this, and also by his conversion to Orthodoxy, Vladimir I succeeded in marrying Anna, the daughter of the Byzantine emperor, and at the same time got rid of the need to pay pensions to Varangian veterans sent to Constantinople.

“What did it mean to be a member of the emperor’s personal guard?”

It was a very honorable position, but at the same time very dangerous because of the constant political intrigues. At the same time, the formation of the Varangian Guard marked the emergence of a power structure devoted to the title of emperor, and not a specific ruler, which was extremely necessary.

The Varangian guards invariably accompanied the emperor. Its elite part - the palace Varangians - were with him constantly.

The guards took an oath of allegiance to death to the imperial title itself, avoiding the very possibility of "favoritism" from any of the political factions, in contrast to what usually happened with the Greek palace guards.

To what extent did loyalty to the emperor extend?

She was absolute. One day, the guards were informed of an attempt on the life of Emperor Nicephorus II. When the guards reached the bedroom of the ruler, his murderer John Tzimisces had already proclaimed himself the new emperor, and the guards swore allegiance to him. They did not avenge a specific person, but re-swear an oath to the title they guarded.

- They say they drank a lot and acted outrageously?

- The Varangian guards were well paid, they were well fed and supplied with the best weapons.

For their addiction to drinking, they received the nickname "wine barrels of the emperor." The Vikings gave special preference to wine, which was practically unknown in their homeland.

Although it may seem surprising today, prostitution has always gone hand in hand with the military. Members of the Varangian Guard (as well as their Greek counterparts) were frequenters of brothels, left the lion's share of their salary in them and accompanied their visits with rivers of wine.

- What was the participation of the Varangians in the opposition to the Crusaders?

- Usually, when they talk about the Varangian Guard, they mean the 10th and 11th centuries, when it consisted mainly of northerners, and one of its captains was the future king of Norway, Harald the Severe. In reality, the guards existed for another four centuries and more than once clashed with the troops of the crusaders.

During the Fourth Crusade (1202-1204), the combined forces of the crusaders, supported by the Venetian fleet, attacked Constantinople to overthrow the reigning emperor and transfer power to someone who would protect their interests.

The Varangian guards distinguished themselves in the defense of the city, furiously repulsing the attacks of the crusaders in hand-to-hand combat. Nevertheless, the victory remained with the attackers, and they were able to elevate their protege to the throne.

— What is your job as a historical reenactment club?

— Our tasks are popularization of historical knowledge, interpretation of historical heritage, consulting, research, historical reconstructions.

We usually hold our events in cultural and educational centers, universities, museums, schools… We also participate in lectures and medieval fairs, which are designed to recreate the atmosphere of the Middle Ages on the streets of a modern city. We are trying to do it differently than is customary. So that the viewer has the opportunity of physical and visual contact with the details characteristic of that era.

Sometimes we hold events tied not only to time, but also to a specific place. We conduct relevant research and recreate a picture of the desired era. A vivid example of such work is the medieval festival in the town of Aiguaviva (Girona) "Aquaviva Medievalis", which will be held on October 21-22 this year.

How many people are in your association?

There are fifteen of us now. The idea of creating a club was born as a collective initiative of several of us. We were already members of other historical clubs, but our views on history and historical reconstruction were very different: someone looked at it from an academic point of view, someone was more interested in folk art, military affairs ... We joined our forces and ideas and created their own club.

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