Normanism - antinormanism: Polemics and the search for the “third way”
Normanism and its antipode are two approaches to the initial stage of Russian history, combining both scientific and ideological ideas and being an echo of the dispute about the contribution of conquerors and autochthons to the historical development of Europe. The duration of the controversy in this case is explained both by the weakness of the factual base and by the pressure of ideologemes that prevent representatives of both schools from critically evaluating their own scientific background and establishing a constructive discussion. With a more objective approach, the participants in the dispute will be able to abandon the concepts leading to a dead end in favor of new fresh ideas.