Genetic study of the Rurik DynastyVladimir G. Volkov Andrey N. Seslavin

The genetic lineage of N-Y10931 is derived from the subclade N-Y4339, and distrubition of this subclade is primarily found in Sweden (52%) followed by Finland (14%) Russia (10%), Britain (10%) with a smaller frequency in Norway (5%) and Ukraine (5%).

Introduction Results and Discussion

The House of Rurik (Rurikids) is one of the oldest dynasties of Europe. Rurik the founder of the dynasty lived at the end of the IX century. The House of Rurik ruled Kievan Rus' and its successor states, including the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the Tsardom of Russia, until the 17th century. Presently the descendants of Rurik live in various locations across the globe.

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Initiated in 2006 by Nikita Maksimov and Andrey Seslavin the "Rurikid Genome" project was started with candidates being selected (based on their documented genealogy as being descendants of Rurik) to undergo DNA testing.

Most of the samples were obtained by Andrey Seslavin the head of the international DNA research project "Rurikids - Russian princes". Also considerable work on the collection and financing of the processing of samples was carried out by Polish colleagues: Andrzej Bajor, Tomasz Lenczewski and Marek Jerzy Minakowski.

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The main work of organizing the sequencing process and on financing the project was carried out by the heads of the "Russian Nobility DNA Project": Vladimir Volkov and Alex Chartorisky.

Materials and methods

From 2006 to 2017 over 40 DNA samples were obtained from living members of the Rurikid Dynasty and processed through DNA testing, the eventual results grouped the participants into 3 haplogroups (N lc l, R ia l, and I2al). The group that had the highest frequency and was also the most interrelated was the group belonging to subclade N-Y4339 (40%) represented by the following genealogical lines (Massalsky, Puzyna, Lobanov-Rostovsky, Khilkov, Gagarins, Putyatin, Rzhevsky, Tat ishchev, Kropotk in , and Shakhovsky).

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XIII. Tit Mstislavich, the pr. of Karachev

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princesPutyatins

Rzhevsky

Tatishchevs

princesKropotkins

princesShakhovsky

princesKhilkovs

princesGagarins

princesLobanov-

Rostovsky

princesVadbolsky

princesPuzyna

princesMassalsky

Within the haplogroup N-Y4339 there is a common SNP shared by the entire Rurikid group, that SNP being Y10931 and whiles the presences of other certain SNP’s convincingly shows that the Rurikid group N-Y10931 is divided into three branches. One branch determined by SNPs VL15, VL16, VL17 and VL18 (princes Massalsky and Puzyna), the second by VL11 (princes Lobanov-Rostovsky, Gagarin and Putyatin) and the third by VL12 (princes Kropotkin and Shakhovski, Rzhevsky and Tatishchev).

9 Kb 50 y.a

DYS513 = 12

RURIKIDSY10931

l 000 ± 50 years ■

DYS534 = 19

DYS710 = 40

DYS589 = 11

900±50 y.a.

700±50y.a.

DYS449 = 27

DYS513 = 13 DYS522 = 13

700 ±50 y.a.

DYS513 = 13

YF05587Rzhevsky

YF05025Tatishchev

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YF05251 prince Kropotkin

YF01697 prince Shakhovsky

YF05250 prince Khilkov

YF05890 prince Gagarin

YF07187 prince Putyatin

YF02790 prince Lobanov-

Rostovsky

princeVadbolsky

YF09238 prince Puzyna

YF09286 prince Massalsky

YF02719Rusu

YF09219 prince Koribut-

Voronetsky

Figure 2. Phylogenetic tree of lineage N-Y10931 according to Y-SNP and Y-STR markers.

The extensively sequenced Y-chromosome data clearly shows an extremely accurate correlation between the distribution of distinctive mutations within the different groups of Rurik's descendants and the traditiona documented pedigree of Rurikid. The results clearly testify that the documentary genealogy of Rurikid as a whole truly reflects that of the interrelated genetic structure of the participants within the study.

Perspectives

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The final determination of which genetic lineage did Rurikid belong to can be established on the basis of paleogenetics. In this regard, it is necessary to complete the sequencing of the genome of the ancient Rurikid.

Genetic origin of Rurikid

A separate issue for consideration is the genetic origin of the whole group of Rurikid N-Y10931, i.e. connection to a common ancestor of this group with certain geographic regions.

France: 2%

Ukraine; 5%

Unknown; 2%

Norway; 5%

United Kingdom; 10%

Russia: 10%

Sweden; 52%

Finland; 14%

Figure 3. Frequency of genetic lineage N-Y4339 in Europe.

The phylogenetic tree convincingly shows that the origin of the lineage N-Y4339 is rooted in the territory of Sweden, and the results clearly show that the closest to Rurikid are the representatives of the lineage N-Y85136 whose ancestors lived in the Uppsala region of Sweden and having a common ancestor who lived 1200-1350 years ago, clearly showing a good correlation with the main genealogy of Rurikid and Rurik's lifetime.

N1C1-Y4341Y4341

2 900 - 2 600 years ago

N1C1-BY21874BY21874SwedenFinland

N lc l-Y 4338Y4338

2 600 - 2 600 years ago

N1cl-Y4339 Y4339

2 600 - 1 750 years ago

unknown origin

Ancient Sweden Sigtuna

1 055±30 B.P.

Y5611 1 750 - 1 750 y.a.

Y19111 1 750 - 1 350 y.a.

Y10932 1 750 - 1 350 y.a.

Y12104 1 750 - 1 750 y.a.

UnitedKingdom

Y31253SwedenFinlandFrance

Y57577Sweden

Y22774Sweden

Y21547Sweden

Sweden Russia (Karelia,

Kargopol)

Y10931RURIKIDS

BY30478FinlandNorway

Figure 4. Phylogenetic tree of subclade N-Y4341.

In general, the genetic data indicates that the most likely region of residence of the closest Daternal ancestors of Rurik to be that of the Jppsala region of Sweden.

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Figure 5. Residences of ancestors different lines N-Y4339

Old Ladoga - residence of RurikN-Y85136 - close genetic relatives of RurikidN-Y5611N-Y12104N-Y19111N-Y4339 (XY10932, Y5611, Y12104, Y19111) N-Y4339* (Sigtuna, Sweden)

Again the genetic results fully confirm the historical accounts of the early Russian chronicles about the Scandinavian origin of Rurik.

Acknowledgements

According to the Russian Primary Chronicle, Rurik came from the sea at the head of the Varangians, who "were known as Rus, just as some are called Swedes, and others, Normans, Angles, Gotlanders

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Thus according to the sources Rurik was of Scandinavian origin.

The main funding of the study was due to private donations, as well as funds from the project organizers and some participants. Sequencing of some of the samples was carried out due to inclusion in the projects carried out under the supervision of Dr. Sc. O.P. Balanovsky.

The DNA samples of these genealogical lines of Rurikid underwent extensive sequencing of the Y chromosome (BigY test) in the laboratories of Family Tree DNA in Houston (USA), and the concluding results established the degree of paternal kinship.

Figure 1. A brief version of the Rurikid pedigree according to P.V. Dolgorukov. The ancestors of the genealogical lines and the generation of Rurik are indicated.

Above all we express our immense gratitude, for the donation of DNA samples from members of the House of Rurik, one of the most influential families of Eastern Europe. We also wish to express our special gratitude to Alex Chartorisky (Australia), who provided invaluable assistance not only in funding the study, but also in organizing interaction with the project participants. Likewise our gratitude goes out to Oleg Balanovsky, Nikita Maksimov, Juhani Vayrynen, Raimundas Janusis, Jill Schonfeld White, Aart Berkhout, Yukka Salgren, Konstantin Tsypnyatov, Sergey Kozlov, Alexander Volkhin, Alexander Seliverstov, Vadim Verenich, Viktor Eliseev, Vladimir Tarasenko and Yuri Konovalov not only for their financial assistance but also for their invaluable comments and perceptions, and to those whose names are unknown but who were also very generous with their donations and did not spare their own money so as to help bring about the realization of this study, we are eternally grateful.

Centenary of human Conference proceedings. 2019. М., 2019 P.84 - 85.

Dopulation genetics. Moscow 29 - 31 May