In Russian science, the role of the Varangians in the formation of the Old Russian state is highly appreciated, in particular, the Scandinavian origin of the princely Rurikovich dynasty itself is practically beyond doubt among researchers. However, today in the so-called Varangian question there is a certain contradiction: with a huge array of archaeological data, unequivocally testifying to the active presence of Varangians in Russia in the X-XI centuries, we have a very limited number of linguistic traces and will accept the ethnocultural interaction of Russians and Scandinavians in this era.