Its leaders used a system of succession in which the throne would pass to the eldest brother of the deceased, called the (*) rota or "ladder" system.
Orphans protected by the church in this polity were called izgoi. One ruler of this nation was killed when a snake living in his horse's skeleton bit him, while another died by being torn apart by two trees while exacting tribute from the Drevlians. The sister of one ruler of this place got a divorce from Henry IV because he attempted to perform a black mass on her naked body. Forces from this kingdom captured the fortress of Sarkel and renamed it the Bila Vezha. The Council of Liubech divided this kingdom up between a series of princes. Its leaders used a system of succession in which the throne would pass to the eldest brother of the deceased, called the (*) rota or "ladder" system. The Laurentian and Hypatian Codices contain the oldest and second-oldest extant copies of a history of this polity, which tells the story of how it was founded by three Varangian brothers; that work was written by Nestor the Chronicler. One ruler of this nation was aided by Viking mercenaries against his brother, Sviatopolk the Accursed, and ordered the construction of a Golden Gate. For 10 points, name this nation ruled by Yaroslav the Wise and other members of the early Rurikid dynasty, a predecessor state to Russia.
Orphans protected by the church in this polity were called izgoi.
{Kievan Rus} [or {Kiev}; prompt on “Russia” before mention]