Research work of chupysheva veronica "historical portrait of princess olga". Origin and marriage. The last years of life and memory
Regency under Svyatoslav: 945-962
From biography
§ Princess Olga is cunning (according to legend), saint (this is how the church called her), wise (she has remained so in history).
§ In the annals she is described as a beautiful, intelligent, energetic woman and, at the same time, a far-sighted, cold-blooded and rather cruel ruler
§ There is a legend how Olga brutally avenged the death of her husband, Igor. The first embassy was buried alive in the ground. The second was killed after a drunken feast. By order of Olga, the capital of the Drevlyans, Iskorosten, was burned (she asked from each yard for two pigeons and a sparrow, to whose paws a lighted tow was tied). 5,000 people died.
§ Such revenge was not considered cruelty in those days. It was a natural desire to avenge a loved one.
§ Olga ruled during the early childhood of her son Svyatoslav, but even after she remained with the leadership for a long time, since Svyatoslav spent most of his time on military campaigns.
§ Princess Olga was one of the first rulers who paid great attention to diplomacy in relations with neighboring countries.
§ In 1547 she was canonized.
Historical portrait of Olga
Activities
Domestic policy
| Activities | results |
| Improving the taxation system. | Carried out a tax reform, introduced lessons - the size of the tribute, which was clearly defined. |
| Improvement of the system of administrative division of Rus. | Carried out an administrative reform: introduced administrative units - camps and graveyardswhere the tribute was taken. |
| Further subordination of the tribes to the power of Kiev. | She brutally suppressed the uprising of the Drevlyans, set fire to Iskorosten (she avenged her husband's death according to custom). It was under her that the Drevlyans were finally subordinated. |
| Strengthening of Rus, active construction. | During the reign of Olga, the first stone buildings began to be built, stone construction began. She continued to strengthen the capital, Kiev. Under her, cities were actively improved, the city of Pskov was founded. |
Foreign policy
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
§ Strengthening the princely power
§ Strengthening and flourishing of the state, its power
§ The beginning of stone construction was laid in Russia.
§ Attempts have been made to adopt a single religion - Christianity
§ Significant strengthening of the international authority of Russia
§ Expansion of diplomatic ties with the West and Byzantium.
Question 20. Foreign policy of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich.
In the "Tale of Bygone Years" it is noted that in 964 Svyatoslav "went to the Oka River and the Volga, and met the Vyatichi." It is possible that at this time, when Svyatoslav's main goal was to strike at the Khazars, he did not subdue the Vyatichi, that is, he had not yet imposed a tribute on them.
According to one version, Svyatoslav first took Sarkel on the Don (in 965), then with the second campaign in 968/969 he conquered Itil and Semender. According to another version, there was one big campaign in 965, the Russian army moved down the Volga and the capture of Itil preceded the capture of Sarkel.
Svyatoslav not only crushed the Khazar Kaganate, but also tried to secure the conquered territories for himself. The Slavic settlement Belaya Vezha appeared in the place of Sarkel. Perhaps at the same time Tmutarakan also came under the rule of Kiev. There is information that Russian troops were in Itil until the early 980s.
In 966, after the defeat of the Khazars, the "Tale of Bygone Years" reports on the repeated victory over the Vyatichi and the imposition of tribute on them.
In 967, a conflict broke out between Byzantium and the Bulgarian Kingdom, the cause of which is explained in different ways by the sources. In 967/968, the Byzantine emperor Nikifor Phoca sent an embassy to Svyatoslav. The head of the embassy, \u200b\u200bKalokir, was given 15 centinarii of gold (approximately 455 kg) to send the Russians to raid Bulgaria. According to the most common version, Byzantium wanted to crush the Bulgarian kingdom with someone else's hands, and at the same time weaken the Old Russian state, which, after the annexation of Khazaria, could turn its eyes to the Crimean possessions of the empire.
In 968 Svyatoslav invaded Bulgaria and after the war with the Bulgarians settled at the mouth of the Danube, in Pereyaslavets, where "tribute from the Greeks" was sent to him. The attack on Kiev by the Pechenegs dates back to 968-969. Svyatoslav with a horse squad returned to the defense of the capital and drove the Pechenegs to the steppe. During the prince's stay in Kiev, his mother, Princess Olga, who actually ruled Russia in the absence of her son, died. Svyatoslav arranged the government in a new way: he put his son Yaropolk on the Kiev reign, Oleg - on the Drevlyanskoye, Vladimir - on the Novgorod one. After that, in the fall of 969, the Grand Duke again went to Bulgaria with an army.
Faced with the attack of Svyatoslav, the Bulgarians asked for help from Byzantium. Emperor Nikifor Foka, greatly disturbed by the invasion of the Rus, decided to consolidate the alliance with the Bulgarian kingdom by dynastic marriage. The brides from the royal Bulgarian family had already arrived in Constantinople, when as a result of the coup on December 11, 969, Nikifor Phocas was killed, and John Tzimiskes was on the Byzantine throne. John tried to convince Svyatoslav to leave Bulgaria, promising tribute, but to no avail. Svyatoslav decided to firmly establish himself on the Danube, thus expanding the possession of Russia. Byzantium hastily transferred troops from Asia Minor to the borders of Bulgaria, placing them in fortresses. According to Byzantine sources, all the Pechenegs were surrounded and killed, and then the main forces of Svyatoslav were defeated. The Old Russian chronicle presents events differently: according to the chronicler, Svyatoslav won a victory, came close to Constantinople, but retreated, only taking a large tribute, including on the dead soldiers. In April 971, Emperor John I Tzimiskes personally opposed Svyatoslav at the head of the land army, sending a fleet of 300 ships to the Danube to cut off the route of retreat for the Rus. On April 13, 971, the Bulgarian capital Preslav was captured, where the Bulgarian Tsar Boris II was captured. Part of the Russian soldiers, led by the commander Sfenkel, managed to break through to the north to Dorostol, where Svyatoslav was with the main forces.
On April 23, 971, Tzimiskes approached Dorostol. In the battle, the Russians were thrown back into the fortress, and a three-month siege began. The parties suffered losses in continuous skirmishes, the leaders of Ikmor and Sfenkel perished among the Rus, the military leader Ioann Kurkuas fell among the Byzantines. On July 21, another general battle took place, in which Svyatoslav, according to the Byzantines, was wounded. The battle ended in vain for both sides, but after it Svyatoslav entered into peace negotiations.
John Tzimiskes unconditionally accepted the conditions of the Rus. Svyatoslav with the army had to leave Bulgaria, the Byzantines provided his soldiers (22 thousand people) with a supply of bread for two months. Svyatoslav also entered into a military alliance with Byzantium, and trade relations were restored. On these conditions, Svyatoslav left Bulgaria, which was greatly weakened by wars on its territory.
Question 21. Svyatoslav 1 Igorechich and history Kievan Rus.
Governing body Svyatoslav is assessed differently by researchers. Some consider him a talented commander and statesman, others assert that he was a prince - an adventurer, whose life goal was war. One Byzantine author described Svyatoslav as a man of medium height, slender, with blue eyes and a flat nose. He shaved his beard and head, leaving a long tuft of hair on his head and a long mustache. A gold earring with two pearls and a ruby \u200b\u200bin the middle glittered in Svyatoslav's ear. The Russian chronicler says that Prince Svyatoslav walked like a leopard, and during military campaigns he slept right on the ground under the open sky, placing a saddle under his head. Before setting out on a campaign, he certainly warned the enemy with the words: "I'm going to you!" It all began with the subordination of the Vyatichi (964), who were the last of all the East Slavic tribes to pay tribute to the Khazars. In 965, Svyatoslav made a campaign against the Khazar Kaganate, taking by storm its main cities: the fortress city of Sarkel, Semender and the capital Itil. On the site of the fortress city of Sarkel, built by the Khazars to block a new route for transporting silver, which passed the Khazar Kaganate, and with it such burdensome duties, Svyatoslav built the Belaya Vezha fortress. The Mordovian tribes were also conquered. Svyatoslav also made two trips to Bulgaria (Volga Bulgaria), where he intended to create his own state with a capital in the Danube region. He made successful trips to the North Caucasus and the Azov coast. By the absence of Svyatoslav in Kiev, the Pechenegs were quite often used, which became a constant threat to the southern borders of Russia. (In the future, the Pechenegs will be expelled from the Russian lands during the reign of Svyatoslav's grandson, Yaroslav the Wise.) The Great Warrior had a double task: not only to protect Russia, but also to pave trade routes to other countries. And the prince successfully coped with these tasks, which allows us to conclude that he was a capable statesman and a talented commander. In addition, he tried to bring the borders of his state closer to Byzantium and waged a stubborn struggle with Constantinople for the Balkans. For this reason, in 969. Svyatoslav decided to leave Kiev for his mother, and he himself moved to Pereyaslavets on the Danube. But his mother dissuaded him from such an intention, motivating his request with a fatal disease. The boyars were afraid of Svyatoslav's anger, as they understood that if the prince left, then uprisings would begin among the conquered peoples, but they were even more afraid of the Pechenegs, who could capture Kiev at any time without reliable protection the prince and his retinue. That was the end of it. ... After that the prince gathered his squad and left for the next campaign! After deafening victories in Bulgaria and Byzantium, the Byzantine emperor began to seriously fear beyond the borders of his state ... He gathered a huge army and gradually began to oust Svyatoslav's squad from the borders of his empire. For a long time Svyatoslav confronted a powerful enemy, but gradually his strength began to dry up .... During the last retreat, Svyatoslav's army fell into a siege in one of the Byzantine fortresses he had captured earlier. Attempts to take the fortress by storm were unsuccessful, and then the emperor decided to starve the fortress out! For many months he and his army did not let anyone into the city and did not let anyone out of the city either. During the long siege, the people in the fortress, as well as the army of Svyatoslav, did not know the need, but food and water supplies ran out, hunger began, it was necessary to do something otherwise it could not be reparable ... that is why the prince decided to accept the conditions of the emperor and surrender the fortress. According to the chronicle, to a meeting with the prince to sign a peace treaty, the emperor of Byzantium appeared with a huge army on a white horse, all dressed in precious clothes in a gold cloak embroidered with precious stones and intricate patterns. The meeting was supposed to take place on the banks of the river, which is why the emperor was waiting for Svyatoslav's fleet to cross the river in order to capture him and shamefully expel him from the borders of his country. At the appointed time, movement began on the river ... but to the surprise of the Byzantines, it was not a huge Russian fleet, but a small boat, in which there was only one person. The boat docked to the shore, and a burly fellow, tall, broad in shoulders with his head raised, came out from there! He was dressed in a long white shirt tied with a red belt in blue trousers and red morocco boots. His head was shaved bald, and a single strand of hair fell regally from the crown of his head, a golden earring with two pearls and a ruby \u200b\u200bin the middle shone in his ear. This is all the decoration of the great warrior! But this handsome young man was Prince Svyatoslav! After the armistice with Byzantium, Svyatoslav went home, but, alas, the associates of the Byzantine emperor decided to destroy Svyatoslav and therefore they warned the Pechenegs that the Russian prince was very weak and that it was in their interests so that he would not get to Kiev. In 972, on the way to Kiev, Svyatoslav was ambushed by the Pechenegs at the Dnieper rapids. He was killed. By order of the Pechenezh Khan, a bowl was made from the skull of the Kiev prince, bound in gold and decorated with precious stones. After the death of Svyatoslav, an internecine war began between his sons Yaropolk, Vladimir and Oleg, for the right to the throne (972 - 978 or 980).
Question 22. Struggle for power in Kievan Rus after the death of Svyatoslav 1.
The first family feud broke out after the death of Svyatoslav, who left three sons. Yaropolk received power in Kiev, Oleg - on the territory of the Drevlyans, and Vladimir - in Novgorod. The first time after the death of their father, the brothers lived peacefully, but then the first conflicts over territory began.
In 975 (76), by order of Prince Oleg, on the territory of the Drevlyans, where Vladimir ruled, the son of one of the governors of Yaropolk was killed. The voivode, who learned about this, reported to Yaropolk about what had happened and persuaded him to attack Oleg with an army. This was the beginning of the civil strife, which lasted for several years.
In 977, Yaropolk attacks Oleg. Oleg, who did not expect an attack and was not prepared, was forced to retreat with his army back to the capital of the Drevlyans - the city of Ovruch. As a result of panic, during the retreat, Oleg accidentally dies under the hooves of one of his warriors. The Drevlyans, having lost their prince, quickly surrender and submit to the power of Yaropolk. At the same time, Vladimir, fearing an attack by Yaropolk, flees to the Varangians.
In 980, Vladimir returned to Russia with the Varangian army and immediately undertook a campaign against his brother Yaropolk. He quickly recaptures Novgorod, and then moves to Kiev. Yaropolk, having learned about his brother's intentions to seize the throne in Kiev, follows the advice of one of his assistants and fled to the city of Rodna, fearing an attempt on his life. However, the adviser turns out to be a traitor who entered into an agreement with Vladimir and Yaropolk, dying of hunger in Lyubech, is forced to negotiate with Vladimir. Having reached his brother, he dies from the swords of two Varangians, without concluding a truce.
So the feud between the sons of Svyatoslav ends. At the end of 980, Vladimir became a prince in Kiev, where he ruled until his death.
The first feudal civil strife and marked the beginning of a long period of internal wars between the princes, which will last almost a century and a half.
Princess Olga is very controversial. On the one hand, she, in fact, ruling the state, was cruel, irreconcilable to enemies, arrogant, calculating. Times required these qualities in order to maintain their independence. On the other hand, after turning to the faith, she built temples, preached the ideals of the Gospel, and conducted missionary work.
All this was intertwined and melted in the character and actions of this outstanding personality. At school, high school students receive the task: "Make a historical portrait of Princess Olga." Below we will try to do this.
Origin
The chronicles do not give either the exact time or the place of Olga's birth. And who would follow the birth of the girl. A boy is another matter, he is a successor of the family. Presumably she came from the Pskov ignoble Varangian family with the name Helga. There are other options:
- The girl came from a noble family of Gostomysl.
- She was the daughter of Prince Oleg.
- She was brought from the Bulgarian town of Pliska.
Only one thing is clear: the girl was unusually beautiful and intelligent from her youth.
Legendary meeting
The meeting of the future spouses has become fabulous by now. Young Prince Igor hunted in the Pskov lands. It took him to cross the river to rich hunting grounds. There was a young girl in the boat. Her attractive appearance made the prince want to treat her indecently. To which the girl replied that it would be better to drown herself than to lose her girlhood and honor. Strength of character from a young age is a sign that is included in the historical portrait of Princess Olga.
Igor's marriage and death
The exact date of the wedding of Igor and Olga has not been established by ancient historians. It is also unclear how old she was. It is known that Igor had other wives. But he respected Olga more than others. Despite the fact that Igor was in continuous military campaigns, their son Svyatoslav was born in 942.
In 945, Igor's squad went to the conquered Drevlyans for tribute. They got it. But on the way back, part of the squad went to Kiev, and Igor with the remnants of the army returned back to collect even more. The Drevlyans were outraged and brutally executed Igor. They tied him to the tops of two trees, and they straightened and tore him apart.
Olga's character
Since her son was only three years old, the squad recognized her as the ruler of Kievan Rus. Princess Olga differed from many women by her iron character. Her historical portrait would be incomplete without a description of revenge for her husband's death. The Drevlyans had a poor idea of \u200b\u200bthis cruel woman. They sent 20 matchmakers to her to marry them. They sailed on boats. They were asked to wait until the next day, after which the boat with them was solemnly carried in their arms to the capital. She was placed in a dug hole and everyone who was there was buried alive.
The insidious Olga turned to the Drevlyans and asked to send more noble matchmakers. Those willingly responded. Before meeting the princess, dear guests were sent to the bathhouse and burned alive in it. The treacherous and dangerous Olga, pretending to be an inconsolable widow, came with a detachment to celebrate the funeral of the late Igor. She fed the Drevlyans with strong wine, and five thousand people were mercilessly destroyed. The ruthless Olga continued to pursue the Drevlyans. She laid siege to their capital, Iskorosten, and said that she would lift the siege if she was given a sparrow from each court. Without flinching, Olga brought her revenge to the end.
Having received the birds, the avenger tied a burning tow to their feet, which they brought on their wings to their native nests. The city was burnt to the ground.
Governing body
The growing son took little interest in the affairs of the state. Everything fell on the shoulders of the princess. She instead wooden houses began to build stone, set the size and timing of taxes in favor of Kiev, and divided the land into administrative units. The ruler of Kievan Rus had a great mind in political and state affairs. So, little by little, the historical portrait of Princess Olga takes shape.
Epiphany
This was an unusual act for a heathen. To believe, one must, as a rule, grow up in this faith, so the author is inclined to think that this was a political action that speaks of Olga's pragmatism. The Eastern Empire was a powerful neighbor, with whom it was possible, by establishing friendly ties, to profitably trade and grow rich. There, the paths of wealthy Venetian merchants crossed, who traded duty-free with people bringing goods from India and Arabia. The smart and judicious Olga may have counted on such preferences. One way or another, but in 955 she was baptized, accepting Elena. Two years later, the ruler with a large embassy arrives in Constantinople, but, apparently having not received the expected benefits, goes home and coldly receives the ambassadors of Byzantium in Kiev.
Veneration
During Olga's lifetime, her son was not baptized. Svyatoslav Igorevich, like the whole squad, was a pagan. Only his son Vladimir, wanting to marry him, was baptized and baptized pagan Russia with fire and sword. In 969, on June 11, the princess died and was buried according to the Christian rite, bequeathed not to arrange funeral feasts on her own.
Her grandson Vladimir, the Baptist of Russia, built a temple in honor of Holy Mother of God and transferred the relics of the parent there. We are finishing a historical portrait of Princess Olga, briefly compiled with some clarifications:
- In 1547 Olga was canonized as saints and equal to the apostles.
- Her memory is celebrated on June 11 in the Russian Orthodox Church.
- She is considered the patroness of widows and Christian converts.
We tried to objectively recreate the historical portrait of Princess Olga.
Little was written about women in Russian chronicles. They did not even receive a date of birth. They were mentioned, as a rule, in connection with marriage. And this was more likely a confirmation of the marriage of a male person. And the biography ended with the day of death or leaving for a monastery. After all, a woman in the state usually did not play any role. The exception was the Kiev princess Olga.
The power of Kievan Rus was laid by Olga!
Photo: Princess Olga - historical portrait
About the origin of Russian princess Olga there is no single version. And they call her by different names: Olga, Helga, Halga, Elga, Alogy, Elena. The chronicle says that Igor brought his wife Olga from Pleskov - either it is Pskov, or the Bulgarian city of Pliskuvot. According to other sources, she was a relative of Prophetic Oleg and her name is Varangian. Vasily Tatishchev believed that Olga was the granddaughter of the Novgorod mayor Gostomysl and her name was Beautiful.
Massacre of the Drevlyans
In 903, a girl, about 10 years old, was brought to Kiev to betrothed to the 25-year-old son of Prince Rurik - Igor. In 912 Igor became the Grand Duke of Kiev. He had a chance to conquer drevlyan, look back at the Pechenegs that appeared in the steppes of the Black Sea region, and unsuccessfully fight with Byzantium. The prince constantly had to make long and long campaigns. Therefore, Olga was engaged in internal affairs. Her husband gave her the Vyshgorod principality, where she signed state treaties during Igor's life.
In the fall of 945, Grand Duke Igor set out with his retinue to collect tribute from the conquered lands. His path lay to the people of the Drevlyans. Collecting the tribute, he went to Kiev, but on the way his soldiers began to reproach him that the youths (servicemen) of the Kiev governor Sveneld had better weapons and were dressed in richer clothes.
Igor sent most of the troops to Kiev with carts, and with a smaller number returned to the Drevlyansky villages. Upon learning of this, the Drevlyan prince Mal sent a messenger to Igor with a demand to leave their lands, since all the tribute that was due under the contract had been paid. But the proud Igor did not listen to him ... Soon a messenger brought the sad news to Princess Olga that the squad was defeated, and her husband was killed - torn between two trees.
The cruel reprisal against the prince aroused the discontent of the Kievites. From all over the city, people began to converge on the square near the princess's tower. Everyone was noisy: the women were crying, and the men were demanding blood feud. Finally, the heavy oak doors, studded with gilded brass, opened. In the silence that followed, the princess appeared on the porch, dressed in mourning. “I will act as the laws of our ancestors require. I swear to avenge Prince Igor! " - announced Olga.
A day later, collecting money began, the people of Kiev carefully prepared for a military campaign. Suddenly, elders from Iskorosten, the capital, arrived in Kiev drevlyan... They offered the princess to marry Mal. Olga did not receive the ambassadors. And in the morning the prince's servants came to them, saying that they would do them great honor and take them to the city right in the boats. But they did not bring them to the chambers, but threw them into a deep hole and fell asleep.
The Drevlyans were told that it was useless to send matchmakers to the princess unworthy of her greatness. Then they sent noble people of the princely family to Olga. Olga met the matchmakers with honors: a bath was heated for them and offered to wash from the road. And when they entered the bathhouse, they closed the doors and burned them alive.
Meanwhile, the army was ready. But the princess moved to the Drevlyans with only a small detachment. At the grave of Igor she ordered to fill a large mound, and ordered the Drevlyans to bring more honey. According to custom, war games were staged at the grave. After them the youths of the princess drank with the Drevlyans until they lost consciousness. When they fell asleep, the Kiev squad came up and cut everyone. Their number, as the chronicle says, was about 5,000.
But this was not enough for the princess. Olga decided to finally conquer the Drevlyans. Gathering an even larger army, she headed to their capital. The Drevlyans went out to meet, but the forces were unequal, and they retreated, hiding in the city. Olga burned down Iskorosten and returned to Kiev.
Uncompromising Byzantium
There is a legend that, upon returning to Kiev, Olga noticed an old man who once predicted to her that she would become a great ruler. Proud of her actions, the princess approached him and recalled his prediction. However, instead of praising speeches, the elder, who turned out to be a Christian, raised his hands to heaven and said: “You are a great sinner! You have the blood of innocent people on you. Repent! " After these words, Olga began to visit him often and soon changed beyond recognition.
This legend, most likely, does not correspond to reality - the Christian community appeared in Kiev much later. But Olga clearly understood that it was very problematic to manage disparate pagans from one center. To unite, a new, united faith was needed. And Christianity was perfect for this. In addition, the princess decided to sign a peace treaty with Byzantium, sealing it with her son's marriage Svyatoslav and one of the emperor's daughters.
In the summer of 957, a caravan of Kiev ships arrived in Constantinople, on which there were almost one and a half thousand people. However, they were not greeted very kindly. The Grand Duchess waited for a reception for about two months, standing under the walls of Constantinople. Finally she was informed that Emperor Constantine VII was inviting her to the palace.
We have survived not only rich folklore evidence of this audience, but also the records of the emperor himself, who was a historian and writer. In the work "On the ceremonies of the Byzantine court" he described the official reception of the Kiev ruler Elga in the imperial palace. She was given the honors prescribed by the rank, but the princess was unhappy. She was kept in port for too long, and besides, her pagan son was refused marriage with the imperial daughter. She wanted to negotiate a Christian metropolis in Kiev, but Constantine considered this impudence, emphasizing with his refusal the superiority of the Byzantine Empire.
There are several versions about Olga's baptism in Byzantium. One by one, she traveled to the empire specifically to accept the new faith. According to another, the princess was already baptized, and she was accompanied by the priest Gregory - a mentor or confessor. Although, to give importance to the visit, she could perform a second public baptism in Constantinople, where the emperor himself became her godfather.
A tribute to justice
Princess Olga went down in history as a great reformer. She began with "going" to the Drevlyans and Novgorodians. She personally determined the types of crafts, made sure that the subjects were not deprived of the opportunity to earn their livelihood, and they were able to pay taxes. Olga approved a constant norm of tribute ("lessons"), established special places for collecting it ("graveyards"), at which she placed princely signs ("signs"). There were no more self-styled plundering raids or demands exceeding the prescribed amount.
Seeing that such a method appealed to those who pay tribute to Kiev, she extended it to all lands.
Soon the "graveyards" were overgrown with fortifications and became centers of trade and culture, places of concentration of foreign merchants. And Olga tried to conclude peace treaties with the militant European rulers, as with the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire Otgon I.
Over time, the calm situation inside the country made it possible to strengthen the power and transform the princely fiefdom itself. In Vyshgorod, next to a stone tower, a palace also grew, where a throne room, richly decorated with frescoes, marble and pink slate, appeared for a solemn reception of foreign ambassadors and guests, which served to strengthen the political authority of Kievan Rus in the international arena. Nikolai Karamzin wrote that Princess Olga "She has taken possession of the helm of the state and wise government has proved that a weak wife can sometimes equal with great men."
Olga did not forbid paganism, but gradually eliminated temples and built Christian churches. The princess, who died in 969, was buried in one of her churches. In the 16th century, the church canonized her as an equal to the apostles saints.
Many of Olga's affairs and undertakings were completed by her grandson, Prince Vladimir. He baptized Russia, married a Byzantine princess and strengthened the princely power. And later he was also numbered among the clique of saints.
Regency under Svyatoslav: 945-962
From biography
- Princess Olga is cunning (according to legend), saint (this is how the church called her), wise (this has remained in history).
- In the annals she is described as a beautiful, intelligent, energetic woman and, at the same time, a far-sighted, cold-blooded and rather cruel ruler.
- There is a legend about how Olga brutally avenged the death of her husband, Igor. The first embassy was buried alive in the ground. The second was killed after a drunken feast. By order of Olga, the capital of the Drevlyans, Iskorosten, was burned (she asked from each yard for two pigeons and a sparrow, to whose paws a lighted tow was tied). 5,000 people died.
- Such revenge was not considered cruelty in those days. It was a natural desire to avenge a loved one.
- Olga ruled during the early childhood of her son Svyatoslav, but even after she remained with the leadership for a long time, since Svyatoslav spent most of his time on military campaigns.
- Princess Olga was one of the first rulers who paid great attention to diplomacy in relations with neighboring countries.
- In 1547 she was canonized.
Historical portrait of Olga
Activities
1. Domestic policy
| Activities | results |
| Improving the taxation system. | Carried out a tax reform, introduced lessons - the size of the tribute, which was clearly defined. |
| Improvement of the system of administrative division of Rus. | Carried out an administrative reform: introduced administrative units - encampments and churchyardswhere the tribute was taken. |
| Further subordination of the tribes to the power of Kiev. | She brutally suppressed the uprising of the Drevlyans, set fire to Iskorosten (she avenged her husband's death according to custom). It was under her that the Drevlyans were finally subordinated. |
| Strengthening of Rus, active construction. | During the reign of Olga, the first stone buildings began to be built, stone construction began. She continued to strengthen the capital, Kiev. Under her, cities were actively improved, the city of Pskov was founded. |
2. Foreign policy
| Activities | results |
| Striving to strengthen the country's prestige on the world stage by adopting Christianity. | In 955 g (957 g). adopted the Christian faith under the name of Elena. But her son, Svyatoslav, did not support his mother. 959 - the embassy to Germany to Otto I. German bishop Adelbert was expelled from Kiev by the pagans in the same year. |
| Protection of Kiev from raids. | 968 - led the defense of Kiev from the Pechenegs. |
| Strengthening ties with the West and Byzantium | She pursued a skillful diplomatic policy with neighboring countries, especially Germany. We exchanged embassies with her. |
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
- Strengthening princely power
- Strengthening and flourishing of the state, its power
- The beginning of stone construction in Russia was laid.
- Attempts have been made to adopt a single religion - Christianity
- Significant strengthening of the international authority of Russia
- Expansion of diplomatic ties with the West and Byzantium.
Chronology of Olga's life and work
Princess Olga.
Nesterov, 1892
Saint Olga.
Icon
Monument to Princess Olga, Apostle Andrew, Cyril and Methodius in Kiev, on Mikhailovskaya Square
1911 Authors: I. Kavaleridze, P. Snitkin, architect V. Rykov.
Baptism of Olga in Constantinople.
N. Akimov.
Name:Princess Olga (Elena)
Date of Birth: 920 BC
Age: 49 years old
Activity: princess of Kiev
Family status: widow
Princess Olga: biography
Princess Olga - the wife of the great Russian prince, mother, ruled Russia from 945 to 960. At birth, the girl was given the name Helga, her husband called her by his own name, but the female version, and when baptized, Elena began to be called. Olga is known for being the first ruler of the Old Russian state to voluntarily adopt Christianity.
Dozens of films and TV series have been shot about Princess Olga. Her portraits are in Russian art galleries, according to ancient chronicles and relics found, scientists have tried to recreate a photograph of a woman. In his native Pskov there is a bridge, an embankment and a chapel named after Olga and two of her monuments.
Childhood and youth
The exact date of Olga's birth has not been preserved, but the Book of the Degree of the 17th century says that the princess died at eighty years old, which means that she was born at the end of the 9th century. According to the "Arkhangelsk Chronicler", the girl got married when she was ten years old. Historians are still arguing about the year of birth of the princess - from 893 to 928. The official version is the 920th, but this is an approximate year of birth.
The oldest chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years", describing the biography of Princess Olga, indicates that she was born in the village of Vybuty, Pskov. The names of the parents are not known as they were peasants, not individuals of noble blood.
The tale of the late 15th century says that Olga was a daughter who ruled Russia until Igor, the son of Rurik, grew up. He, according to legends, married Igor and Olga. But this version of the origin of the princess has not been confirmed.
Governing body
At the moment when the Drevlyans killed Olga's husband, Igor, their son Svyatoslav was only three years old. The woman was forced to take power into her own hands until her son grew up. The first thing the princess did was take revenge on the Drevlyans.
They immediately after the murder of Igor sent matchmakers to Olga, who persuaded her to marry their prince - Mal. So the Drevlyans wanted to unite the lands and become the largest and most powerful state of that time.
Olga buried the first matchmakers alive along with the boat, making sure that they understand that their death is worse than Igor's death. The princess sent Malu a message that she was worthy of the best matchmakers from the strongest men in the country. The prince agreed, and the woman locked these matchmakers in the bathhouse and burned them alive while they washed to meet her.
Later, the princess came with a small retinue to the Drevlyans, in order to traditionally celebrate a funeral at the grave of her husband. During the funeral feast, Olga drank the Drevlyans and ordered the soldiers to chop them down. The annals indicate that the Drevlyans then lost five thousand soldiers.
In 946, Princess Olga went into open battle on the land of the Drevlyans. She captured their capital and after a long siege, using cunning (with the help of birds, to whose paws incendiary mixtures were tied), burned the entire city. Some of the Drevlyans died in the battle, the rest obeyed and agreed to pay tribute to Russia.
Since the grown-up son of Olga spent most of his time in military campaigns, power over the country was in the hands of the princess. She undertook many reforms, including the creation of trade and exchange centers that made it easier to collect lodges.
Thanks to the princess, stone construction was born in Russia. After looking at how easily the wooden fortresses of the Drevlyans burned, she decided to build her houses of stone. The first stone buildings in the country were the city palace and vacation home rulers.
Olga established the exact amount of taxes from each principality, the date of their payment and the frequency. Then they were called "polyudya". All lands subject to Kiev were obliged to pay it, and in each administrative unit of the state a princely administrator was appointed - tiun.
In 955, the princess decided to convert to Christianity and was baptized. According to some sources, she was baptized in Constantinople, where she was personally baptized by Emperor Constantine VII. During her baptism, the woman took the name Elena, but in history she is still better known as Princess Olga.
She returned to Kiev with icons and church books. First of all, the mother wanted to baptize her only son Svyatoslav, but he only scoffed at those who accepted Christianity, but did not forbid anyone.
During her reign, Olga built dozens of churches, including a monastery in her native Pskov. The princess personally went to the north of the country to baptize everyone. There she destroyed all pagan symbols and put Christian ones.
The guards reacted with apprehension and hostility to the new religion. They emphasized their pagan faith in every possible way, tried to convince Prince Svyatoslav that Christianity would weaken the state and must be banned, but he did not want to contradict his mother.
Olga was never able to make Christianity the main religion. The guards won, and the princess had to stop her campaigns, closing in Kiev. She raised the sons of Svyatoslav in the Christian faith, but did not dare to baptize, fearing the anger of her son and the possible murder of her grandchildren. She secretly kept a priest with her, so as not to give rise to new persecutions of people of the Christian faith.
There is no exact date in history when the princess handed over the reins of government to her son Svyatoslav. He was often in military campaigns, therefore, despite the official title, Olga ruled the country. Later, the princess gave her son power in the north of the country. And, presumably, by 960 he became the ruling prince of all Russia.
Olga's influence will be felt during the reign of her grandchildren and. Both of them were raised by their grandmother, from infancy they got used to the Christian faith and continued the formation of Russia on the path of Christianity.
Personal life
According to The Tale of Bygone Years, Prophetic Oleg married Olga and Igor when they were still children. The story also says that the wedding was in 903, but, according to other sources, Olga was not even born then, so there is no exact date for the wedding.
There is a legend that the couple met at the ferry near Pskov, when the girl was a boat carrier (she changed into men's clothes - it was a job only for men). Igor noticed the young beauty and immediately began to pester, to which he was rebuffed. When the time came to get married, he remembered that wayward girl and ordered to find her.
If you believe the chronicles describing the events of those times, then Prince Igor died in 945 at the hands of the Drevlyans. Olga came to power while her son was growing up. She did not marry again; she did not mention any connections with other men in the annals.
Death
Olga died of disease and old age, and was not killed, like many rulers of that time. The annals indicate that the princess died in 969. In 968, the Pechenegs first raided the Russian lands, and Svyatoslav went to war. Princess Olga and her grandchildren locked themselves in Kiev. When his son returned from the war, he lifted the siege and wanted to immediately leave the city.
His mother stopped him, warning him that she was very sick and felt the approach own death... She turned out to be right, 3 days after these words, Princess Olga died. She was buried according to Christian traditions, in the ground.
In 1007, the princess's grandson, Vladimir I Svyatoslavich, transferred the relics of all saints, including the remains of Olga, to the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Kiev, which he founded. The official canonization of the princess took place in the middle of the 13th century, although miracles were attributed to her relics long before that, they were revered as a saint and called Equal to the Apostles.
Memory
- Olginskaya street in Kiev
- St. Olginsky Cathedral in Kiev
Movie
- 1981 - ballet "Olga"
- 1983 - the film "The Legend of Princess Olga"
- 1994 - cartoon “Pages of Russian History. Land of the ancestors "
- 2005 - the film “Saga of the Ancient Bulgars. The Legend of Olga Saint "
- 2005 - the film “Saga of the Ancient Bulgars. Ladder of Vladimir Krasnoe Solnyshko "
- 2006 - "Prince Vladimir"
Literature
- 2000 - "I know God!" Alekseev S. T.
- 2002 - Olga, Queen of the Rus.
- 2009 - "Princess Olga". Alexey Karpov
- 2015 - Olga, the forest princess. Elizaveta Dvoretskaya
- 2016 - "United Power." Oleg Panus
