Sineus and Truvor

[3] According to the Primary Chronicle, compiled in c. 1113,[4] a group of Varangian Rus' were invited to rule over the local East Slavic and Finnic tribes after they began fighting each other.

[12] Melnikova (1998) disagreed, arguing that modern linguistical expertise shows that "sine hus" and "thru varing" contradict basic morphology and syntax of known old Scandinavian dialects, and could never be translated as "our faithful" and "his households".

[13] On the other hand, historians of the 19th century (A. Kunik, N. Belyaev, et al.) had already found common old Scandinavian names such as Signjótr (also Sveinn?)

[citation needed] Russian historian Valentin Yanin (2008) agreed that the "existence of the "Rurik brothers" seems doubtful" based on the linguistic argument, adding: "The distance of Beloozero from Novgorod is quite significant, and the subordination of the territory closer in the direction of Beloozero to Novgorod occurred only in the middle of the 10th century, when Princess Olga established churchyards on the Msta.

The most significant thing is that neither in Izborsk nor in Beloozero have archaeological excavations found any traces of Scandinavian presence in the 9th century.