Staraya Ladoga: Russia's First Capital, Explored by Video

Staraya Ladoga, Russia's first capital, sits at the confluence of the Volkhov and Ladozhka rivers near Lake Ladoga. This historically significant location served as Prince Rurik's initial settlement in 862 before the capital moved to Novgorod, and functioned as a crucial northern outpost on the ancient Varangian trade route to the Baltic Sea.