Did you know that Vikings travelled far to the east – all the way to the area around present-day Kyiv? At the Kyivan Rus Festival, you can experience this part of history at Birka. Visit living history camps,see everyday life and craftsmanship brought to life,and listen to fascinating talks.
During the festival you’ll experience living history camps, people in period clothing, cooking, and traditional crafts. You can also listen to talks and take part in different activities.
12:00
Official Opening Ceremony
Arrival of the Viking ship from Sigtuna
13:00
Lecture: From Birka to Rus – Clothing, Contacts and Identity in the Eastern Viking World (10th–11th c.)
Agata Prus – Archaeologist, Institute of Archaeology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin (Poland)
13:30
Guided Tour at the Prehistoric Area (in English)
14:30
Lecture: The Swedish Origin of Kyivan Rus’
Carl-Mikael A. Teglund – PhD Candidate and Lecturer in History Education, Mälardalen University (Sweden)
15:15
Lecture: Connections between Sigtuna and Ancient Kyiv during the Viking Age
Johan Runer – Doctor of Archaeology, Sigtuna Museum (Sweden)
16:00
Guided Tour at the Prehistoric Area (in Swedish)
17:00
M/S Mälar Victoria departs to Stockholm
• Tagelharpa performance by Daniel Høsten (Spain)
• Folk guitar music by Brother Hill (Ohio, USA)
• Workshops
• Dancing
• Tug of war
• Historical coin minting
• Historical fair
• Storytelling by Alex the Viking
• Tattoo
Hosted by the Ukrainian historical reenactment group Grad Trepol.
Maria Videiko (Ukraine)
• Herbal tea made from plants gathered in Vittaholm
• Clay modelling workshop
• Traditional Slavic fabric doll workshop
Alona Nikolenko (Ukraine)
• Workshop on sewing traditional historical hats based on early medieval patterns
Oleksandr Kozaretskyi (Ukraine)
• Historical portrait sketches (approximately 15 minutes)
• Traditional graphic art
Mykhailo Videiko (Ukraine)
• Lecture on the history of Kyivan Rus’
• Cyrillic calligraphy workshop
Historical Tattoo Studio
Traditional Slavic and Scandinavian-style tattoos by Nadia Kalameets. Advance booking is required. To reserve your appointment, please contact Nadia on Instagram: @Tattoo_Nadinko
Viking and Slavic Stories with Alex the Viking (English)
Immerse yourself into the ancient world of gods with a travelling skald!
Children’s Viking Adventure
Children’s area hosted by Merlin Winneräng Moregård
12:00
Arrival of M/S Mälar Victoria
12:15
Guided Tour at the Prehistoric Area (in English)
13:00
Lecture: In the Wake of Ingvar the Far-Travelled: A Voyage in a Viking Ship Replica from Sigtuna to the Caspian Sea
Håkan Altrock – Marine Archaeologist, Vrak – Museum of Wrecks (Sweden)
14:00
Lecture: Archaeology: Cities on the Dnipro Route from Kænugarðr to Miklagarðr
Mykhailo Videiko – Archaeologist, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University (Ukraine)
14:30
Traditional Singing Workshop with Nadia Kalameets (Heilung, Ukraine)
15:30
Guided Tour at the Prehistoric Area (in Swedish)
16:30
Festival Closing Ceremony
17:00
M/S Mälar Victoria departs to Stockholm
• Tagelharpa performance by Daniel Høsten (Spain)
• Folk guitar music by Brother Hill (Ohio, USA)
• Workshops
• Dancing
• Tug of war
• Historical coin minting
• Historical fair
• Storytelling by Alex the Viking
Hosted by the Ukrainian historical reenactment group Grad Trepol.
Maria Videiko (Ukraine)
• Herbal tea made from plants gathered in Vittaholm
• Clay modelling workshop
• Traditional Slavic fabric doll workshop
Alona Nikolenko (Ukraine)
• Workshop on sewing traditional historical hats based on early medieval patterns
Oleksandr Kozaretskyi (Ukraine)
• Historical portrait sketches (approximately 15 minutes)
• Traditional graphic art
Mykhailo Videiko (Ukraine)
• Lecture on the history of Kyivan Rus’
• Cyrillic calligraphy workshop
Viking and Slavic Stories with Alex the Viking (English)
Immerse yourself into the ancient world of gods with a travelling skald!
Children’s Viking Adventure
Children’s area hosted by Merlin Winneräng Moregård.
Experience the Viking Age up close. The festival area includes a Scandinavian Viking camp and a camp showing life in Kyivan Rus (the realm centred around present-day Kyiv). Meet reenactors and explore period clothing, tools, and equipment.
See how people cooked, worked, and made everyday items in the past. Throughout the day you can watch traditional crafts such as weaving, pottery, and wood- and metalworking.
Join short lectures and listen to historians and storytellers share insights into Viking journeys east and how links between Scandinavia and Kyivan Rus shaped both regions.
There will also be a charity tent on site where you can donate or buy items in support of Ukraine. The fundraising is managed by Repower NGO.
Saturday, August 29, 8:00 AM
Join a Viking ship sailing from Sigtuna to the Kyivan Rus Festival at Birka.
Everyone is welcome aboard. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to humanitarian aid in Ukraine.
An initiative organised by Sigtuna Museum.
No, a regular boat ticket to Birka is sufficient. The event is included in your boat ticket.
Birka is located on the island of Björkö in Lake Mälaren, outside Stockholm, and can only be reached by boat.
You can travel with Stromma from central Stockholm (approx. 2 hours) or by taxi boat from Hovgården on Adelsö.
During the Kyivan Rus Festival, the Stromma boat departs for the return journey at 17:00 instead of the usual 15:30.
Book your ticket via stromma.com. You can travel from central Stockholm, Nya Kungshatt, Jungfrusund and Vårby.
