Rurik or Riurik (Ðþðèê) was a Varangian chieftain who gained control of Ladoga in 862, built the Holmgard settlement near Novgorod, and founded the Rurik Dynasty which ruled Kievan Rus until the 17th century.
There is a debate over how Rurik came to control Ladoga and Novgorod. The only information about him is contained in the 12th
