Ancient chronicles give conflicting information about the place and date of Olga’s birth, whether she comes from a princely family or is of an ordinary family, and disputes about this are still going on. Someone calls her the daughter of Prince Oleg the Prophet, other sources believe that her family comes from Bulgaria from Prince Boris. The famous Nestor in “The Tale of Bygone Years” indicates Olga’s homeland is a village near Pskov, and that she is from the common people.
Also, in the biography of Princess Olga, only brief information has been preserved.
According to one legend, Prince Igor Rurikovich met Olga in the forest when he was having fun hunting. Having decided to cross the river, he asked Olga, who was passing by on a boat, to transport him, mistaking her for a young man. The girl turned out to be very beautiful, smart and pure in intentions. Later, Prince Igor married Olga.
Kiev Princess Olga proved herself to be a very wise ruler in Rus'. During the military campaigns of Prince Igor, she studied political issues, received ambassadors, dealt with complainants, governors, and warriors. Prince Igor and Princess Olga were not only a happy married couple, but also ruled the country together, sharing administrative responsibilities.
Igor led the war and resolved inter-tribal issues, and Olga dealt with inner life countries.
In 945, Prince Igor was killed by the Drevlyans for collecting tribute again. Princess Olga brutally took revenge on the rebels, showing cunning and strong will.
To settle the matter with Olga, the Drevlyans sent 20 husbands to her with an offer to marry their prince Mal. According to Olga’s order, they were met and carried with honor right in the boats, and at the place of arrival they were thrown into a pre-prepared pit and buried alive.
Then Princess Olga sent her ambassadors to the Drevlyan land with a demand to send for her best husbands to come to them with great honor. A bathhouse was flooded for the new ambassadors, where they were locked and then burned.
And again Olga sent ambassadors and demanded that honey be prepared in order to celebrate a funeral feast at her husband’s grave. The princess arrived with a small retinue. During the funeral feast, the Drevlyans became drunk, and Olga’s squad cut them down with swords.
But Princess Olga’s revenge on the Drevlyans did not end there. She gathered an army and the next year went to the Drevlyan land. The Drevlyans were defeated, but their main city, Korosten, was not taken.
Then Olga demanded a tribute from them in the amount of three doves and three sparrows from each yard. The besieged inhabitants of the city were delighted with such a small payment and fulfilled her wish. Olga ordered the soldiers to tie pieces of tinder to the birds’ feet (tinder is a flammable material such as grass, sawdust, bark, paper) and release them into the wild. The birds flew to their nests, and soon Korosten was engulfed in fire. People who fled the city were killed or enslaved, and a heavy tribute was imposed on the rest.
Having pacified the Drevlyans, Grand Duchess Olga actively took up tax reform. She abolished polyudyas, divided the lands into “pogosts” (regions) and established “lessons” (a fixed amount of taxes) for each graveyard. The meaning of Princess Olga's reforms was to create an orderly system for collecting tribute, weakening tribal power and strengthening the authority of the Kyiv prince.
Princess Olga's son Svyatoslav was still small after the death of Prince Igor, so power was concentrated in Olga's hands. And then Olga’s reign in Rus' continued, because Svyatoslav very often went on military campaigns.
Under Princess Olga, the first stone structures began to be built in Kyiv, new cities appeared, surrounded by strong stone walls.
Princess Olga's foreign policy was carried out not through military methods, but through diplomacy. She strengthened international ties with Germany and Byzantium.
Relations with Greece revealed to Olga how Christian faith higher than pagan. In 957, she undertook a trip to Constantinople to receive baptism from Emperor Constantine VII himself (although some sources speak of his co-ruler Romanus II) and Patriarch Theophylact. At baptism, the Kyiv princess received the name Elena.
The Byzantine emperor, fascinated by the beauty and intelligence of the Russian princess, decided to take her as his wife. Olga, true to her memory of her husband, managed to reject the offer without offending the emperor.
Olga's attempts to convert her son Svyatoslav to Orthodoxy were unsuccessful, apparently because Svyatoslav was afraid of losing the authority and respect of his squad, although he did not prevent others from converting to Christianity.
The baptism of Princess Olga did not lead to the establishment of Christianity in Rus', but she had a great influence on her grandson Vladimir, who continued her work.
Princess Olga died in 969 in Kyiv. And only in 1547 she was recognized as a saint.
Princess Olga is one of the few female rulers in Russian history. Its role in strengthening power ancient Russian state impossible to underestimate. This is the image of a Russian heroine, a wise, intelligent and at the same time cunning woman who, like a real warrior, was able to avenge the death of her husband Igor the Old.
There are few facts about her, like other rulers of the ancient Russian state; in the history of her personality there are controversial issues, about which historians debate to this day.
Origin of Princess Olga
There is a lot of controversy about her origin, some believe that Olga was a peasant from Pskov, others consider the princess to be from a noble Novgorod family, and still others generally believe that she is from the Varangians.
Princess Olga Igor's wife
The princess was a worthy wife Prince of Kyiv, had in his possession Vyshgorod, which is near Kiev, the villages of Budutino, Olzhichi and other Russian lands. While her husband was hiking, she was studying internal politics Russian state.
She even had her own squad, and her own ambassador, who was third on the list of persons participating in negotiations with Byzantium, after Igor’s successful campaign.
Revenge of Princess Olga on the Drevlyans
In 945, Igor the Old dies at the hands of the Drevlyans. Their son Svyatoslav was still small, and therefore the entire burden of governing the state fell on the shoulders of the princess. First of all, she took revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband.
Revenge is almost mythical, but the story about it is truly impressive. It was this time that the princess’s wisdom and her cunning manifested themselves most clearly.
The Drevlyans wanted Olga to marry their prince Mal, and sent their embassy in a boat. They said: “We are neither riding on horses nor walking on foot, but carry us in the boat.” She agreed and ordered to dig a large hole and send people for the Drevlyans. The Kievans carried them in a boat, threw them into a large hole, and buried them alive.
Then she sent a messenger to the Drevlyans with a message: “If you really ask me, then send the best men to marry your prince with great honor, otherwise the people of Kiev will not let me in.” The Drevlyans, hearing this, sent their best men. The princess ordered the bathhouse to be lit for them, and while they were washing, the doors were locked for them and the bathhouse was set on fire.
After this, Olga again sends a messenger to the Drevlyans - “Now I’m coming to you, prepare a lot of honey near the city where they killed my husband, so that I will cry at his grave and arrange a funeral feast for him.” She took a small squad with her and moved lightly to the Drevlyan lands.
Having mourned her husband at his grave, she ordered a great grave to be filled and a funeral feast to begin. Then the feast began. The Drevlyans got tipsy. The princess stepped aside and ordered the Drevlyans to be cut down, and five thousand of them were killed.
Then she returned to Kyiv and began to prepare for the capture of the Drevlyan capital - Iskorosten. The siege of Iskorosten lasted a long time. Here she again showed cunning. Realizing that the city could defend itself for a long time, she sent ambassadors to the city, and they made peace and obliged the Drevlyans to pay tribute in the amount of... three doves and a sparrow from the yard. The Drevlyans were delighted, collected tribute and gave it to Olga. She promised to leave the very next day.
When it got dark, she ordered her warriors to tie tinder (smoldering material) to each dove and sparrow and release the birds. The birds flew to their nests, which were located in barns and haylofts.
The city of Iskorosten was on fire. People fled from the city. The squad grabbed defenders and ordinary civilians. People were enslaved, killed, and some were left alive and forced to pay heavy tribute. This is how she gracefully and insidiously took revenge for the death of her husband Igor the Old.
Years of reign
Princess Olga reigned from 945 to 964.
Domestic policy of Princess Olga
After the reprisal against the Drevlyans, Olga begins to actively engage in the internal politics of the ancient Russian state. Instead of polyudya, she established clear tribute amounts for lands under the rule of Kyiv. Established “statutes and lessons”, “camps and traps”, “cemeteries”. Pogosts, a place where tribute was collected, seemed to become small centers of princely power.
The meaning of the princess's reforms was to normalize duties, centralize power, and weaken tribal power. For a long time she put this reform into action, honing its mechanisms. This work did not bring her fame, was not overgrown with legends, but had great importance in the formation of the Russian state. Now the Russian economy had an administrative economic system.
Foreign policy of Princess Olga
There was a lull in foreign policy during her reign. There were no major campaigns, Russian blood was not shed anywhere. Having completed domestic affairs, she decided to take care of the prestige of Rus' on the world stage. And, if the predecessors Rurik, Oleg, and Igor gained authority for Rus' with the help of force and military campaigns, then Olga preferred to use diplomacy. And here her baptism into Orthodoxy acquired special significance.
Princess Olga and Orthodoxy
“From an early age, Olga searched with wisdom for what is best in this world, and found a pearl of great value - Christ.” The princess converted to Orthodoxy and became the first Christian ruler in Rus'.
Historians argue where she accepted the Orthodox faith, in Kyiv or Constantinople? Most likely, in Kyiv she only became acquainted with Christianity, and received direct baptism in Byzantium, where she was accompanied by the Kiev priest Gregory.
The Byzantine Emperor himself became the godfather of the Russian princess. This state of affairs sharply increased the prestige of Kyiv and elevated the princess among other representatives of other states. It's worth a lot to be the godson of the Byzantine Emperor. Her baptism did not entail the introduction of Christianity in Rus', but her grandson, Vladimir Svyatoslavovich, will continue the work he started.
Olga is the first Russian saint. It was from her that Orthodoxy came to Rus'. Her name will forever go down in the history of our country as the name of a heroine woman who sincerely loved her husband, her Motherland and her people.
Olga and her son Svyatoslav
Olga was the mother of the famous Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich, who would continue her work in establishing and strengthening the Russian state. There were many contradictions in the relationship between mother and son. Olga was Orthodox. Svyatoslav did not want to be baptized, he was afraid that the squad would not approve of his action; he was an ardent defender of paganism. The son went down in history as a talented commander and a good warrior.
Princess Olga (~890-969) – Grand Duchess, widow of the Grand Duke Igor Rurikovich killed by the Drevlyans, who ruled Russia during the childhood of their son Svyatoslav. The name of Princess Olga is at the source of Russian history, and is associated with the greatest events of the founding of the first dynasty, with the first establishment of Christianity in Rus' and the bright features of Western civilization. After her death, ordinary people called her cunning, the church - holy, history - wise.
The Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga, in holy baptism Elena, came from the family of Gostomysl, on whose advice the Varangians were called to reign in Novgorod, was born in the Pskov land, in the village of Vybuty, into a pagan family from the dynasty of the Izborsky princes.
In 903, she became the wife of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Igor. After his murder in 945 by the rebel Drevlyans, the widow, who did not want to marry, took on the burden of public service with her three-year-old son Svyatoslav. The Grand Duchess went down in history as the great creator of state life and culture of Kievan Rus.
In 954, Princess Olga went to Constantinople for the purpose of a religious pilgrimage and a diplomatic mission, where she was received with honor by Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. She was struck by the grandeur of Christian churches and the shrines collected in them.
The sacrament of baptism was performed over her by the Patriarch of Constantinople Theophylact, and the emperor himself became the recipient. The name of the Russian princess was given in honor of the holy Queen Helena, who found the Cross of the Lord. The Patriarch blessed the newly baptized princess with a cross carved from a single piece of the Life-Giving Tree of the Lord with the inscription: “The Russian land was renewed with the Holy Cross, Olga, the blessed princess, accepted it.”
Upon returning from Byzantium, Olga zealously carried the Christian gospel to the pagans, began to erect the first Christian churches: in the name of St. Nicholas over the grave of the first Kiev Christian prince Askold and St. Sophia in Kiev over the grave of Prince Dir, the Church of the Annunciation in Vitebsk, the church in the name of St. Life-Giving Trinity in Pskov, the place for which, according to the chronicler, was indicated to her from above by the “Ray of the Trisplendent Deity” - on the banks of the Velikaya River she saw “three bright rays” descending from the sky.
Holy Princess Olga reposed in 969 on July 11 (old style), bequeathing her open Christian burial. Her imperishable relics rested in the tithe church in Kyiv.
Marriage to Prince Igor and beginning of reign
Olga, Princess of Kyiv
Tradition calls the village of Vybuty, not far from Pskov, up the Velikaya River, Olga’s birthplace. The life of Saint Olga tells that here she first met her future husband. The young prince was hunting “in the Pskov region” and, wanting to cross the Velikaya River, he saw “someone floating in a boat” and called him to the shore. Sailing away from the shore in a boat, the prince discovered that he was being carried by a girl amazing beauty. Blessed Olga, having understood the thoughts of Igor, kindled by lust, stopped his conversation, turning to him, like a wise old man, with the following admonition: “Why are you embarrassed, prince, planning an impossible task? Your words reveal your shameless desire to violate me, which will not happen! I don't want to hear about it. I ask you, listen to me and suppress in yourself these absurd and shameful thoughts that you should be ashamed of: remember and think that you are a prince, and a prince should be a bright example of good deeds for people, as a ruler and judge; Are you now close to some kind of lawlessness?! If you yourself, overcome by unclean lust, commit atrocities, then how will you keep others from doing them and judge your subjects fairly? Abandon such shameless lust, which honest people abhor; and you, although you are a prince, may be hated by the latter for this and subjected to shameful ridicule. And even then, know that, although I am alone here and powerless in comparison with you, you still will not defeat me. But even if you could defeat me, then the depth of this river will immediately be my protection: it is better for me to die in purity, burying myself in these waters, than to be desecrated to my virginity.” She shamed Igor by reminding him of the princely dignity of a ruler and judge, who should be a “bright example of good deeds” for his subjects.
Igor broke up with her, keeping her words in his memory and beautiful image. When the time came to choose a bride, the most beautiful girls principalities. But none of them pleased him. And then he remembered Olga, “wonderful in maidens,” and sent his relative Prince Oleg for her. So Olga became the wife of Prince Igor, the Grand Duchess of Russia.
After his marriage, Igor went on a campaign against the Greeks, and returned from it as a father: his son Svyatoslav was born. Soon Igor was killed by the Drevlyans. Fearing revenge for the murder of the Kyiv prince, the Drevlyans sent ambassadors to Princess Olga, inviting her to marry their ruler Mal.
Princess Olga's revenge on the Drevlyans
After the murder of Igor, the Drevlyans sent matchmakers to his widow Olga to invite her to marry their prince Mal. The princess successively dealt with the elders of the Drevlyans, and then brought the people of the Drevlyans into submission. The Old Russian chronicler describes in detail Olga’s revenge for the death of her husband:
1st revenge of Princess Olga: Matchmakers, 20 Drevlyans, arrived in a boat, which the Kievans carried and threw into a deep hole in the courtyard of Olga’s tower. The matchmaker-ambassadors were buried alive along with the boat.
And, bending towards the pit, Olga asked them: “Is honor good for you?” They answered: “Igor’s death is worse for us.” And she ordered them to be buried alive; and covered them...
2nd revenge: Olga asked, out of respect, to send new ambassadors from the best men to her, which the Drevlyans willingly did. An embassy of noble Drevlyans was burned in a bathhouse while they were washing themselves in preparation for a meeting with the princess.
3rd revenge: The princess with a small retinue came to the lands of the Drevlyans to, according to custom, celebrate a funeral feast at her husband’s grave. Having drunk the Drevlyans during the funeral feast, Olga ordered them to be chopped down. The chronicle reports 5 thousand Drevlyans killed.
4th revenge: In 946, Olga went with an army on a campaign against the Drevlyans. According to the First Novgorod Chronicle, the Kiev squad defeated the Drevlyans in battle. Olga walked through the Drevlyansky land, established tributes and taxes, and then returned to Kyiv. In the PVL, the chronicler made an insert into the text of the Initial Code about the siege of the Drevlyan capital of Iskorosten. According to the PVL, after an unsuccessful siege during the summer, Olga burned the city with the help of birds, to whose feet she ordered lit tow with sulfur to be tied. Some of the defenders of Iskorosten were killed, the rest submitted. A similar legend about the burning of the city with the help of birds is also told by Saxo Grammaticus (12th century) in his compilation of oral Danish legends about the exploits of the Vikings and the skald Snorri Sturluson.
After the massacre of the Drevlyans, Olga began to rule Kievan Rus until Svyatoslav came of age, but even after that she remained the de facto ruler, since her son was absent most of the time on military campaigns.
Reign of Princess Olga
Having conquered the Drevlyans, Olga in 947 went to the Novgorod and Pskov lands, assigning lessons there (a kind of tribute measure), after which she returned to her son Svyatoslav in Kyiv. Olga established a system of “cemeteries” - centers of trade and exchange, in which taxes were collected in a more orderly manner; Then they began to build churches in graveyards. Princess Olga laid the foundation for stone urban planning in Rus' (the first stone buildings of Kyiv - the city palace and Olga's country tower), and paid attention to the improvement of the lands subject to Kiev - Novgorod, Pskov, located along the Desna River, etc.
In 945, Olga established the size of the “polyudya” - taxes in favor of Kyiv, the timing and frequency of their payment - “rents” and “charters”. The lands subject to Kyiv were divided into administrative units, in each of which a princely administrator was appointed - “tiun”.
On the Pskov River, where she was born, Olga, according to legend, founded the city of Pskov. On the site of the vision of three luminous rays from the sky, which the Grand Duchess was honored with in those parts, the temple of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity was erected.
Constantine Porphyrogenitus, in his essay “On the Administration of the Empire” (chapter 9), written in 949, mentions that “the monoxyls coming from external Russia to Constantinople are one of Nemogard, in which Sfendoslav, the son of Ingor, the archon of Russia, sat.”
From this short message it follows that by 949 Igor held power in Kyiv, or, which seems unlikely, Olga left her son to represent power in the northern part of her state. It is also possible that Constantine had information from unreliable or outdated sources.
The Life tells the following about Olga’s labors: “And Princess Olga ruled the regions of the Russian land under her control not as a woman, but as a strong and reasonable husband, firmly holding power in her hands and courageously defending herself from enemies. And she was terrible for the latter, but loved by her own people, as a merciful and pious ruler, as a righteous judge who did not offend anyone, inflicting punishment with mercy and rewarding the good; She instilled fear in all evil, rewarding each in proportion to the merit of his actions, but in all matters of government she showed foresight and wisdom.
At the same time, Olga, merciful at heart, was generous to the poor, the poor and the needy; fair requests soon reached her heart, and she quickly fulfilled them... With all this, Olga combined a temperate and chaste life; she did not want to remarry, but remained in pure widowhood, observing princely power for her son until the days of his age. When the latter matured, she handed over to him all the affairs of the government, and she herself, having withdrawn from rumors and care, lived outside the concerns of management, indulging in works of charity.”
As a wise ruler, Olga saw by example Byzantine Empire that it is not enough to worry only about state and economic life. It was necessary to start organizing the religious and spiritual life of the people.
The author of the “Book of Degrees” writes: “Her (Olga’s) feat was that she recognized the true God. Not knowing the Christian law, she lived a pure and chaste life, and she wanted to be a Christian by free will, with the eyes of her heart she found the path of knowing God and followed it without hesitation.” The Rev. Nestor the Chronicler narrates: “Blessed Olga from an early age sought wisdom, which is the best in this world, and found a valuable pearl - Christ.”
First prayer
O holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olgo, the first saint of Russia, a warm intercessor and prayer book for us before God. We resort to you with faith and pray with love: be your helper and accomplice in everything for our good, and just as in temporal life you tried to enlighten our forefathers with the light of the holy faith and instruct me to do the will of the Lord, so now, in the heavenly lordship, favorable With your prayers to God, help us in enlightening our minds and hearts with the light of the Gospel of Christ, so that we may advance in faith, piety and love of Christ. In poverty and sorrow, give comfort to the needy, give a helping hand to those in need, stand up for those who are offended and mistreated, those who have gone astray from the right faith and are blinded by heresies, and ask us from the all-generous God for all that is good and useful in temporal and eternal life, so that having lived well here, we will be worthy of an inheritance eternal blessings in the endless Kingdom of Christ our God, to Him, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, belongs all glory, honor and worship, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen
Second prayer
O holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olgo, accept praise from us, unworthy servants of God (names), before your honest icon, praying and humbly asking: protect us with your prayers and intercession from misfortunes and troubles, and sorrows, and fierce sins; We will also be delivered from future torment by honestly keeping your holy memory and glorifying God who glorified you, in Holy Trinity glorified, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen
Second prayer
O great saint of God, God-chosen and God-glorified, equal to the apostles Grand Duchess Olgo! You have rejected pagan evil and wickedness, you have believed in the One True Trinitarian God and you have accepted holy baptism and you laid the foundation for the enlightenment of the Russian land with the light of faith and piety. You are our spiritual ancestor, you, according to Christ our Savior, are the first culprit of the enlightenment and salvation of our race. You are a warm prayer book and intercessor for the kingdom of all Russia, for its kings, rulers, the army and for all people. For this reason, we humbly pray to you: look at our weaknesses and beg the most merciful King of Heaven, so that He will not be angry with us, as through our weaknesses we sin all day long, and may He not destroy us with our iniquities, but may He have mercy and save us in His mercy, may He implant His saving fear in our hearts, may He enlighten our minds with His grace, so that we understand the ways of the Lord, leave the paths of wickedness and error, and strive in the paths of salvation and truth, the unwavering fulfillment of the commandments of God and the statutes of the Holy Church. Pray, blessed Olgo, to God, the Lover of Mankind, to add His great mercy to us: may he deliver us from the invasion of foreigners, from internal disorder, rebellion and strife, from famine, deadly diseases and from all evil; may he give us the goodness of the air and the fruitfulness of the earth, may he give the shepherds zeal for the salvation of their flock, may all people hasten to diligently correct their services, may they have love among themselves and like-mindedness, may they strive faithfully for the good of the Fatherland and the Holy Church, may the light of saving faith in Our Fatherland, in all its ends; may unbelievers turn to faith, may all heresies and schisms be abolished; Yes, having lived in peace on earth, we will be worthy of eternal bliss in heaven, praising and exalting God forever and ever. Amen
Baptism of Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga
“Blessed Olga from an early age sought wisdom, which is the best in this world,
and found a pearl of great price - Christ"
Having made her choice, Grand Duchess Olga, entrusting Kyiv to her grown-up son, sets off with a large fleet to Constantinople. Old Russian chroniclers will call this act of Olga “walking”; it combined a religious pilgrimage, a diplomatic mission, and a demonstration of the military power of Rus'. “Olga wanted to go to the Greeks herself in order to look at the Christian service with her own eyes and be fully convinced of their teaching about true God", - narrates the life of Saint Olga. According to the chronicle, in Constantinople Olga decides to become a Christian. The Sacrament of Baptism was performed on her by Patriarch Theophylact of Constantinople (933 - 956), and the successor was Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus (912 - 959), who left a detailed description of the ceremonies during Olga’s stay in Constantinople in his essay “On the Ceremonies of the Byzantine Court”. At one of the receptions, the Russian Princess was presented with gold, decorated precious stones dish. Olga donated it to the sacristy of the Hagia Sophia Cathedral, where it was seen and described at the beginning of the 13th century by the Russian diplomat Dobrynya Yadreikovich, later Archbishop Anthony of Novgorod: “The dish is a great gold service for Olga the Russian, when she took tribute while going to Constantinople: in Olga’s dish there is a precious stone “Christ is written on the same stones.”
The chronicle story about the events preceding Olga's baptism is very peculiar. Here Olga is waiting, waiting for a long time, for months, for the emperor to receive her. Her dignity as a Grand Duchess receives a severe test, just as her desire to receive the true faith, to become a participant in the faith through Holy Baptism, is tested. The main test is before baptism itself. This is the famous “marriage proposal” of the Byzantine emperor, who admired the Russian princess. And the chronicle version, I think, is not accurate. According to it, according to the chronicle, Olga reproaches the emperor, saying how you can think about marriage before baptism, but after baptism - we’ll see. And asks the emperor to be her successor, i.e. godfather. When, after the baptism, the emperor returns to his marriage proposal, Olga reminds him that there can be no marriage between “godfathers”. And the delighted emperor exclaims: “You outwitted me, Olga!”
This message has an unconditional historical basis, but there is also a distortion, perhaps “according to the reason” of those who preserved the tradition. The historical truth is as follows. On the throne of the “universal” Byzantine Empire was then Constantine Porphyrogenet (i.e., “Porphyrogenitus”). He was a man of more than extraordinary intelligence (he is the author of the famous book “On the Administration of the Empire,” which also contains news of the beginning of the Russian Church). Konstantin Porphyrogenet was a hardened politician and a successful politician. And, of course, he was educated enough to remember the impossibility of marriage between a godfather and a goddaughter. In this episode, the chronicler’s “stretch” is visible. But the truth is that there most likely was a “marriage proposal”. And it was probably quite in the spirit of the famous Byzantine treachery, and not simple-minded admiration for the “barbarian”, in the perception of the Byzantine, princess of distant Russia. This proposal put the Russian princess in a very unpleasant position.
This is what the essence of the imperial “marriage proposal”, its subtext, should have been truly “Byzantine” in cunning.
“You, newcomer, princess of a distant but powerful state, which is inhabited by ambitious warriors who have more than once shaken the walls of the “capital of the world” Constantinople, where you are now looking for the true Faith. The glory of what kind of warrior your son is, Svyatoslav, resounds throughout all countries and is known to us. And we know about you how strong you are in spirit, your powerful hand holds in submission the many tribes inhabiting your land. So why did you come, princess from a family of ambitious conquerors? Do you really want to get the true Faith and nothing more? Hardly! Both I, the emperor, and my court suspect that by acquiring baptism and becoming our fellow believer, you want to get closer to the throne of the Byzantine emperors. Let's see how you handle my offer! Are you as wise as your fame says! After all, to refuse the emperor directly is a disregard for the honor bestowed on the “barbarian”, a direct insult to the imperial throne. And if you, princess, despite your advanced age, agree to become the empress of Byzantium, then it is clear why you came to us. It’s clear why you, despite your wounded pride, waited for months for the imperial reception! You are as ambitious and cunning as all your Varangian ancestors. But we will not allow you, barbarians, to be on the throne of noble Romans. Your place is the place of mercenary soldiers - to serve the Roman Empire.”
Olga's answer is simple and wise. Olga is not only wise, but also resourceful. Thanks to her answer, she immediately receives what she is looking for - Baptism in Orthodox Faith. Her answer is the answer of both a politician and a Christian: “I thank you for the honor of becoming related to the great Macedonian (that was the name of the then ruling dynasty) imperial house. Come on, Emperor, let's become related. But our relationship will not be according to the flesh, but spiritual. Be my successor, godfather!”
“I, princess, and we, Russian Christians, need the true, saving Faith, which you, the Byzantines, are rich in. But only. And we don’t need your throne, drenched in blood, disgraced by all the vices and crimes. We will build our country on the basis of the Faith we share with you, and let the rest of yours (and the throne too) remain with you, as given by God in your care.” This is the essence of Saint Olga’s answer, which opened the path to Baptism for her and Russia.
The Patriarch blessed the newly baptized Russian princess with a cross carved from a single piece of the Life-Giving Tree of the Lord. On the cross there was an inscription: “The Russian land was renewed with the Holy Cross, and Olga, the blessed princess, accepted it.”
Olga returned to Kyiv with icons and liturgical books - her apostolic service began. She erected a temple in the name of St. Nicholas over the grave of Askold, the first Christian prince of Kyiv, and converted many Kiev residents to Christ. The princess set off to the north to preach the faith. In the Kyiv and Pskov lands, in remote villages, at crossroads, she erected crosses, destroying pagan idols.
Saint Olga laid the foundation for special veneration of the Most Holy Trinity in Rus'. From century to century, a story was passed down about a vision she had near the Velikaya River, not far from her native village. She saw “three bright rays” descending from the sky from the east. Addressing her companions, who were witnesses to the vision, Olga said prophetically: “Let it be known to you that by the will of God in this place there will be a church in the name of the Most Holy and Life-Giving Trinity and there will be a great and glorious city here, abounding in everything.” At this place Olga erected a cross and founded a temple in the name of the Holy Trinity. It became the main cathedral of Pskov, the glorious Russian city, which has since been called the “House of the Holy Trinity.” Through mysterious ways of spiritual succession, after four centuries, this veneration was transferred to St. Sergius of Radonezh.
On May 11, 960, the Church of St. Sophia, the Wisdom of God, was consecrated in Kyiv. This day was celebrated in the Russian Church as a special holiday. The main shrine of the temple was the cross that Olga received at baptism in Constantinople. The temple built by Olga burned down in 1017, and in its place Yaroslav the Wise erected the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Irene, and moved the shrines of the St. Sophia Olga Church to the still standing stone Church of St. Sophia of Kiev, founded in 1017 and consecrated around 1030. In the Prologue of the 13th century, it is said about Olga’s cross: “It now stands in Kyiv in St. Sophia in the altar on the right side.” After the conquest of Kyiv by the Lithuanians, Holga's cross was stolen from St. Sophia Cathedral and taken by Catholics to Lublin. His further fate is unknown. The apostolic labors of the princess met secret and open resistance from the pagans.
Equal to the Apostles Princess Olga
God-wise princess, protector of the Orthodox,
Together with the apostles you glorify the Creator.
Let, as before, so now, according to your prayers, princess,
God will enlighten our hearts with His eternal light.
You, Olgo, are more beautiful than many wives and to you, our princess,
We pray to glorify the Creator in you.
Do not reject us, princess, and hear how we all are now
We tearfully beg you not to leave us forever!
Among worldly idols and banners,
A living spring feeds the name “Olya”,
The severity of ancient princely times,
And the sound of hooves across the morning field...
For eternity, like the Motherland, like Rus',
Like the sound of a river, like the rustle of falling leaves,
It has a springtime pensive sadness
And the light whisper of the morning garden.
It contains life, and light, and tears, and love,
And the luxury of a wild summer,
A call coming from the depths of centuries,
And a song that has not yet been sung.
There is a riot of wind in it, a flood of feelings,
The dawn is thoughtful and stern,
Hope is the light, loss is a painful burden,
And the road calling to someone’s dreams.
Roman Manevich
Olga sobbed at her husband’s grave.
Buried in the land of the Drevlyan prince,
Where the crows circle in the darkened sky,
And the forest approaches from all sides.
A cry swept through the dark oak groves,
Through the path of animals and windfall...
And she imagined a river crossing
And any heart, kind father's home...
From there Olga, a modest girl,
When the first snow fell to the ground,
They took me to the tower, to Kyiv - the city, the capital:
So commanded Grand Duke Oleg.
Having wooed the commoner Igor,
He saw pride in Olga:
"She belongs only in the princely chambers,
The princess will be assigned her inheritance!
There is no Igor... The husband's killers are smerds -
Life was ruined, love was taken away...
Having sent a funeral feast to her husband, Olga died
She punished cruelly: “Blood for blood!”
The pitiful shacks of the rebellious were burning,
Corpses were lying on the ground of the Drevlyans
Like food for dogs, and in shameful nakedness
They were a horror for the worldly villagers.
The law of the pagans is harsh. And with revenge
And death can only be frightening.
But the prince chose a bride from among the people,
And it is up to her to manage this people.
There are enemies around. And evil slander.
Disobedience and machinations of princes...
The princess heard: somewhere in the world
There is faith not in pagan gods
And the worship is not of idols, but of God.
Recognition of the One Creator!
The princess set off on her journey,
So that hearts in Rus' thaw.
And faith, merciful, holy,
Olga was one of the first to accept.
Blessing to the native land
What a bright, kind mind she brought.
From time immemorial Russia has been strong
Not the fabulous decoration of cities -
In the sacred faith, Rus' nourished strength,
The canon of which: LOVE FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR.
Valentina Kyle
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Last years life
Saint Princess Olga
Among the boyars and warriors in Kyiv there were many people who, according to the chroniclers, “hated Wisdom,” like Saint Olga, who built temples for Her. The zealots of pagan antiquity raised their heads more and more boldly, looking with hope at the growing Svyatoslav, who decisively rejected his mother’s entreaties to accept Christianity. “The Tale of Bygone Years” tells about it this way: “Olga lived with her son Svyatoslav, and persuaded his mother to be baptized, but he neglected this and covered his ears; however, if someone wanted to be baptized, he did not forbid him, nor mocked him... Olga often said: “My son, I have come to know God and I rejoice; so you, if you know it, you will also begin to rejoice.” He, not listening to this, said: “How can I want to change my faith alone? My warriors will laugh at this!” She told him: “If you are baptized, everyone will do the same.” He, without listening to his mother, lived according to pagan customs.
Saint Olga had to endure many sorrows at the end of her life. The son finally moved to Pereyaslavets on the Danube. While in Kyiv, she taught her grandchildren, the children of Svyatoslav, the Christian faith, but did not dare to baptize them, fearing the wrath of her son. In addition, he hindered her attempts to establish Christianity in Rus'. In recent years, amid the triumph of paganism, she, once the universally revered mistress of the state, baptized by the Ecumenical Patriarch in the capital of Orthodoxy, had to secretly keep a priest with her so as not to cause a new outbreak of anti-Christian sentiment. In 968, Kyiv was besieged by the Pechenegs. The holy princess and her grandchildren, among whom was Prince Vladimir, found themselves in mortal danger. When news of the siege reached Svyatoslav, he rushed to the rescue, and the Pechenegs were put to flight. Saint Olga, already seriously ill, asked her son not to leave until her death.
Reign of Princess Olga (briefly)
The reign of Princess Olga - a brief description
Researchers' opinions differ when it comes to the date and place of birth of Princess Olga. Ancient chronicles do not give us accurate information whether she was from a noble family or from a simple family. Some are inclined to believe that Olga was the daughter of the Grand Duke Oleg the Prophet, while others claim that her family descends from the Bulgarian Prince Boris. The author of the chronicle “The Tale of Bygone Years” directly says that Olga’s homeland is a small village near Pskov and that she is “from a simple family.”
According to one version, Prince Igor Rurikovich saw Olga in the forest, where he was hunting game. Deciding to cross a small river, the prince asked for help from a girl passing by on a boat, whom he initially mistook for a young man. The girl turned out to be pure in intentions, beautiful and smart. Later the prince decided to take her as his wife.
Princess Olga, after the death of her husband (and also during the reign of Igor in Kyiv) from the Drevlyans, proved herself to be a firm and wise ruler of Rus'. She dealt with political issues, managed with warriors, governors, complainants, and also received ambassadors. Very often, when Prince Igor went on military campaigns, his responsibilities fell entirely on the shoulders of the princess.
After Igor was killed in 945 for collecting tribute again, Olga brutally repaid them for the death of her husband, showing unprecedented cunning and will. Three times she killed the Drevlyan ambassadors, after which she gathered an army and went to war against the Drevlyans. After Olga was unable to take the main city of Korosten (while the remaining settlements were completely destroyed), she demanded three sparrows and three doves from each house, and then ordered her warriors to attach tinder to the birds’ legs, set it on fire and release the birds. The burning birds flew to their nests. And so Korosten was taken.
After the pacification of the Drevlyans, the princess took up tax reform. It abolished polyudyas and divided them into regions of the earth, for each “lessons” (fixed tax) were established. The main goal of the reforms was to streamline the tribute system, as well as strengthen state authority.
Also during Olga’s reign, the first stone cities appeared, and her foreign state policy was carried out not through military methods, but through diplomacy. Thus, ties with Byzantium and Germany were strengthened.
The princess herself decided to convert to Christianity, and although her baptism did not influence Svyatoslav’s decision to leave pagan Rus', Vladimir continued her work.
Olga died in 969 in Kyiv, and in 1547 she was canonized as a saint.
) from 945, after death Prince Igor, until 962.
She accepted Christianity even before the baptism of Rus' - under the name Elena, since Olga is a Scandinavian name, not a Christian one. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, she was originally from Pskov, from poor family, and Oleg brought her together with Igor.
After Igor's death, her determination tilted her husband's squad in her favor - thanks to this, she became a ruler, which was not typical for Rus' at that time. For the death of her husband Drevlyans(who killed him) Olga took revenge four times:
- When 20 matchmakers of the Drevlyan prince Mal came to Olga on a boat to woo, she buried them alive along with the boat.
- After that, she asked to send to her a new embassy of the Drevlyans from the best husbands (they say the first twenty were not God knows what). She burned the new ambassadors alive in the bathhouse where they bathed before meeting the princess.
- Olga arrived in the lands of the Drevlyans with official version celebrate a funeral feast for the deceased husband at his grave. The Drevlyans fell in love again - Olga drugged them and massacred them cleanly (chronicles speak of 5 thousand dead).
- Campaign of 946 to the lands of the Drevlyans. Princess Olga surrounded the capital Korosten (Iskorosten) and, after a long unsuccessful siege, burned the city with the help of birds (tying set fire tow with sulfur to their paws). Only ordinary peasants were left alive.
Having avenged the death of her husband, Olga returned to Kyiv and ruled there until Svyatoslav came of age, and in fact even after that - because Svyatoslav was constantly on campaigns and did little to govern the principality.
Olga's main achievements in the reign of Russia:
- Strengthened the centralization of power in Rus' by going to Novgorod and Pskov in 947, and appointed tribute (lessons) there.
- Formed a system of trade and exchange centers (the so-called “ churchyards"), which later turned into administrative-territorial units. Initially, these were small settlements with a temple and a market, as well as an inn.
- She conquered the Drevlyan lands and Volyn, opening trade routes to the west, as well as control over them.
- She was the first to start building houses in Kyiv from stone, not wood.
- Back in 945 she developed new system taxation ( polyudya) With different terms, frequency and amount of payments - taxes, dues, charters.
- Divided the lands subject to Kyiv into administrative units with princely administrators ( tiunami) at the head.
- She was baptized in 955 in Constantinople, then promoted Christian ideas among the Kyiv nobility.
An interesting fact from “The Tale...”: the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII wanted to take Olga as his wife, but she replied that it was inappropriate for a pagan to marry a Christian. Then the patriarch and Constantine baptized her, and the latter repeated his request. Olga answered him that now he is hers Godfather, and conducted it in this way. The Emperor laughed, presented Olga with gifts and sent her home.