The sword is the main weapon of the warrior, and the goldsmith, the first gold coin of the Old Russian minted, can be called the symbols of the Old Russian state, the date of formation of which is considered to be 862 - the time of the calling of the Varangians to reign. One of them, Rurik, became the founder of the dynasty that ruled in Russia until the end of the 16th century. The exhibition "Sword and Goldilocks" in the Historical Museum is devoted primarily to the initial period of the history of the Old Russian state - the time of paganism, heroic military campaigns and the emergence of diplomatic relations with its closest neighbors. However, one should not forget that the East Slavic tribes entered the historical arena long before the second half of the 9th century. During the VI-VIII centuries. the Slavs were drawn into a whirlpool of events, as a result of which the geopolitical picture of Europe became completely different. Visitors to the exhibition will get an idea of ​ ​ the culture of East Slavic tribes that had trade and political ties with the Byzantine Empire and the nomadic empires of Eurasia. In 988, Russia was baptized by Prince Vladimir. This event brought the young state into the circle of European Christian powers.