Ushkuiniks

thumb|Novgorodian ushkuyniks capturing Kostroma, miniature from the [[Illustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible (16th century)]] The ushkuyniks (, ), also spelled ushkuiniks, were medieval Novgorodian pirates who operated in the north of European Russia as well as along the Volga River until the 15th century.

==Etymology== The word is derived from '' (), a type of small, shallow-draught Russian ship. These ships could be easily transported over portages between watersheds.