What peoples lived next to the Eastern Slavs?

The Eastern Slavs occupied an intermediate position between the Eastern and Western tribes and states. They were surrounded by different peoples at different levels of development. In the South, there was a powerful power – the Byzantine Empire. From the north, trade caravans headed from the Scandinavian countries. To the east of them were the Fino-Ugric tribes, who were on friendly terms with the Eastern Slavs. To the west lay the lands of the Bulgarians, Western and Southern Slavs, who collaborated with each other.