The new work of Konstantin Penzev, author of the books “Russian Tsar Batu” and “Great Tartary: the history of the Russian Land”, became a continuation of his historical research and. is devoted to the question of the origin of the Russian people and state. When covering the topic, ancient Russian chronicles, Eastern, Byzantine and Western European sources and other documents were widely used. The author refutes the popular “Norman theory” and convincingly proves that the Varangians who came to Rus' were of Slavic origin. The book, without a doubt, will be of interest to both high school and university students, as well as readers interested in the history of our Motherland.