▁Var ang ians ▁in ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁N ikon ▁Chron icle , ▁a ▁historic ▁ 1 6 th - century ▁Moscow ian ▁chron icle ▁that ▁covered ▁events ▁of ▁ 8 5 9 – 1 5 2 0 ▁CE , ▁the ▁Nov gor od ians ▁broke ▁into ▁re bell ion ▁against ▁R ur ik , ▁their ▁r uler , ▁but ▁his ▁Var ang ian ▁dru zh ina ▁managed ▁to ▁qu ell ▁the ▁ri ots ▁and ▁murder ed ▁their ▁leader , ▁V ad im . ▁The ▁first ▁Russian ▁historian , ▁Vas ily ▁Tat ish chev , ▁conject ured ▁that ▁V ad im ' s ▁mother ▁was ▁the ▁elder ▁daughter ▁of ▁G ost om ys l . ▁Hence , ▁V ad im ▁was ▁R ur ik ' s ▁elder ▁cousin ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁better ▁claim ▁to ▁the ▁throne . ▁ ▁In ▁Russian ▁literature ▁After ▁Tat ische v ' s ▁publications , ▁V ad im ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁characters ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th - century ▁Russian ▁literature . ▁Y akov ▁K ny az hn in , ▁a ▁leading ▁play w right , ▁p enn ed ▁a ▁play ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁contrast ed ▁V ad im , ▁a ▁def ender ▁of ▁Nov gor od ' s ▁ancient ▁freedom , ▁with ▁the ▁author itar ian ▁R ur ik . ▁When ▁the ▁play ▁appeared ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 1 , ▁Catherine ▁the ▁Great ▁was ▁en rag ed , ▁although ▁she ▁had ▁fict ional ized ▁V ad im