Death of a pagan prince in Ancient Rus and its reflection in the “druzhina culture” (IX -XI centuries)

The paper is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of the refl ection of the deaths of the fi rst pagan representatives of the princely dynasty of Rurikovich in the minds of the druzhina (prince’s squad). The main attention is paid to the features of the position of the druzhina in the traditional society of Ancient Rus and its interaction with the princes. The author identifi es the main aspects of the druzhina culture, reveals the symbolic and mythological meaning of life and especially the death of the prince in the perception of the druzhina. The paper covers the main options and complexes of actions of the druzhina in relation to the dead prince. The problem is considered on the basis of modern achievements of Russian humanities.