Verification of E.V. Kuznetsov’s Hypothesis about the Origin of the Rus, the Veneds and the Lems from One Tribe Phratries

The article is devoted to the problem of verification of E.V. Kuznetsov's hypothesis about the origin of the Rus, the Veneds and the Lems from one tribe phratries. It was shown that in relation to genesis and ethnicity of these societies in historiography antagonistic representations were formed. On an example of the Rus, with application of data of historical geography, anthropology and linguistics, the belonging of the ethnonyms connected with them to concrete ethnoses and possible communications between them is analyzed. On the basis of archaeological data and to-ponymic markers-ethnicons, it was shown that as a result of the complex process of ethnogenesis during migrations, surrounded by alien peoples, different culturally different groups of the previously unified meta-ethnic community could be formed. Possible routes of resettlement of ethnic groups were presented. It was found that the different variants of ethnonyms of Rug, Ruten and Rus can have not only Indo-European, but also Semitic etymology, from the base meaning red color and its shades. At the same time, it was shown that, despite the possible genetic and anthropological closeness of these ethnic groups, they do not represent a single cultural community, and therefore, the hypothesis of E.V. Kuznetsov should be considered erroneous.