vikings or varangians did piracy and trade throughout northern europe. in the mid-9th century, they conquered the eastern baltic to the black and caspian seas. a varangian named rurik became ruler of novgorod in about 860, before they moved south and conquered kyiv, which had been previously belonged to the turkic khazars. rurik's son igor and igor's son sviatoslav then conquered the east slavic tribes, destroyed the khazar khaganate, and fought wars against byzantium and persia.