Princess Olga short biography the most important thing. Events during Olga's reign

Igor Tychinin

Grand Duchess Olga is the most recognizable character in the early history of Rus'. The well-known facts of her biography are well known to many. Especially, ritual revenge for the murder of her husband, Prince Igor. Travel to Constantinople. Baptism into Orthodoxy, godfather Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus. Misunderstanding with his son, Svyatoslav, an irreconcilable pagan. Raising grandchildren: Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir. Yes and much more.
However, Olga’s chronicle biography contains many secrets and omissions.
Let's start with her origin, her age at her marriage to Igor and at the birth of Svyatoslav.
Or more. Why, when Olga carried out revenge on the Drevlyans, the Drevlyan prince Mal did not suffer in any way. How did his daughter Malusha, being seemingly a slave, turn out to be Olga’s closest servant (housekeeper, a major position at the court of monarchs of any level). And she gave birth to Olga’s son Svyatoslav, a great son, Vladimir. And Mal’s son, Dobrynya, turned out to be Vladimir’s mentor.
Was Olga a legitimate ruler or guardian of her son Svyatoslav? How did it happen that her son Svyatoslav decided to move the capital of Rus' from Kyiv to Bulgaria? And why did he have a difficult relationship with his mother? Finally, did Olga baptize her grandchildren or not? And many many others. But let's limit ourselves to these questions.
According to the chronicles, Olga married Igor in 903. The son Svyatoslav was born to Olga and Igor in 943. Igor at the time of the wedding was from 26 to 38 years old, according to various chronicles. Accordingly, he gave birth to Svyatoslav at the ages of 66 to 78 years.
We don’t know how old Olga was when she got married. The most probable range can be assumed to be from 12 to 15 years. Then she gave birth to Svyatoslav at the age of 52 to 55 years. In principle, this is possible, although in our time. In the time of Olga and Igor, people gave birth at a much earlier age. Let’s say that before Svyatoslav, Olga and Igor only gave birth to girls. But they definitely should have been known. It remains to be assumed that both girls and boys were born, but they all died in infancy, or for some reason we don’t know about them. And only Svyatoslav, his parents’ last attempt, was lucky. However, all these calculations raise deep doubts.
Moreover, there is another oddity in the activities of Olga and Igor. Their guardian, Grand Duke Oleg, died in 915 (12 years after their wedding). But, having come to power, Igor (and with him Olga) did not show themselves in any way for about 25 years. What they did is unclear. Apparently, they were accumulating strength for a subsequent breakthrough in the 40s of the 10th century. But it would seem more logical that both Olga and Igor were born later, about 30 years later. Then the messages in the chronicles would not cause any discrepancies. They would have gotten married on time, and would have given birth to a son on time, and would have begun to prove themselves at the head of Rus' on time.
Another ambiguity would be removed. The flaring love of Emperor Constantine for 60, and according to some data, for 70-year-old Olga during a reception in Constantinople. In this case, she would be a young, blooming woman of about 30 years old.
Well, now a few words about Olga’s birthplace. This is the city of Pleskov. Pskov in northwestern Rus' and Pliska in Bulgaria are known by this name. The second option looks exotic, but it is more likely if you pay attention to Svyatoslav’s decision to move his capital to Bulgaria. Perhaps not without the influence of his mother’s stories from childhood about her homeland.
Now about Olga's revenge. It has long been noted that all the horrors that she unleashed on the Drevlyans were nothing unusual, not terrible. This is a well-known pagan procedure, seemingly long lost. Another thing is that during the period of revenge she appears as a young, determined woman, bursting with energy.
Another thing is the fate of Mal, the prince of the Drevlyans. Most often it is believed that after Olga’s persecution he turned into Malko Lyubechanin. A very strange, secluded, but peaceful person. We must not forget that Mal wooed Olga after the murder of her husband by his subjects. Maybe this played a role, but it’s unlikely. Matchmaking also stemmed from a typical pagan ritual.
Moreover, it seems that Olga refused not only Mal. From one well-known oral tradition it follows that Olga transferred many princes’ suitors, “whom she would ruin ... she was very cunning.”
But Olga was faced with an extremely important problem. Until her husband was properly buried, her son, whether a child or an adult, was deprived of his father's protection. On the contrary, Mal, having killed the prince of a neighboring tribe, acquired sacred power, as well as his women and his children. But Olga, partially following the general rules, went against them. Or maybe she didn’t go after all. And the chronicles present us with a beautiful, and sometimes bloody, terrible tale. Is there any basis for such a conclusion? Perhaps there is. But it is unlikely that among them there is the following reason. Look. From whom exactly, after all the vicissitudes of the initial period of the history of Rus', did the line of Russian great princes come from? That's right, from St. Vladimir. And who was Vladimir the Saint in relation to our heroes Igor and Olga and, attention, to Mal? Yes, he was a grandson, that’s what. Grandson in relation to all three. Let us remember that to Igor - a grandson on the paternal side, to Mal - a grandson on the female side through Mal's daughter Malusha, Vladimir's mother.
And this can say a lot. There are many options for the development of events. For example, this one. Olga nevertheless became, or almost became, nominally Mal’s wife in accordance with pagan traditions, which is why Mal saved his life. But this marriage was in Olga’s throat; in order to escape from following pagan laws, she was baptized and converted to Christianity. Becomes a free woman. But at what cost? There are only pagans around, after all, they can inflict reprisals. And at the cost of a wedding, why not, the son Svyatoslav and his daughter Mala Malusha. This is how Vladimir is born. At the same time, Mal, having renounced his pagan rights, retires to an honorable rest. This is one of the options, we can come up with others, but we won’t do that.
Well, what then were Olga’s famous three revenges? All of them, of course, were. Only Olga has nothing to do with it. Unless she made sure that everything was done correctly, so that before the pre-prepared “suicide bombers” were placed in the pit, they did not forget to place oak coals. And so that before burning in the bathhouse other people chosen for this purpose (in the chronicle “ambassadors”) they did not forget to give them honey to drink. And, finally, so that the number of the deceased leader’s warriors who commit suicide during the construction of the mound should be no less than 5,000. Accounting and control, that’s all.
The next question is whether Olga was an independent ruler, or ruled the country on behalf of her son. According to the chronicles, she was definitely the regent for her son, but in reality the issue is controversial.
First of all, its much greater role is evidenced by the hierarchy of the ruling layer of Rus', described by Constantine Porphyrogenitus. In his work “On Ceremonies,” he describes the reception of the Russian archontissa with her entourage in her palace and the value of gifts to guests at the reception. To a certain extent, this reflects the hierarchy of the Russian court. So, after Olga in this hierarchy, her nephew is placed. And Svyatoslav’s people are lurking in 11th place, receiving meager rewards.
There are also 6 archontisses on the list, who, according to the table of ranks, are higher than Svyatoslav. It was suggested that these were wives from Igor’s harem. I’m throwing out a version that these could be the daughters of Igor and Olga. And she took them with her to Constantinople in the hope of finding a groom. Why not.
An interesting point is also important here. During Igor’s life, in his treaty with Byzantium, Svyatoslav was placed in second place, before Olga. And a few years after Igor’s death, Svyatoslav already takes 11th place in the table, or rather, his people (ambassadors), but this does not change things significantly.
And this says, at a minimum, that Olga was not regent under Svyatoslav. She is a completely independent, legitimate Grand Duchess. And for now Svyatoslav has been removed from power altogether.
Now a few words about Olga’s baptism. In PVL it is described in an amazing way. It is clear that he is far from life.
From the PVL message it follows that Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus fell in love with Olga during her courtesy visit to Constantinople. He began to invite her to marry, and this with a living wife, the most Christian sovereign. Olga began to make the excuse that she was a pagan. She is baptized right away, the emperor is the imprisoned father.
After which the harassment continues, but now Olga has a reinforced concrete argument to reject them. Marriage between godfather and goddaughter is prohibited according to the canons of Christianity. The Emperor is annoyed; Olga has outwitted him. And we understand that this whole story is a folk invention of the chronicler, which does not add honor to him. But in any fiction there is always at least a handful of truth, otherwise it would not have arisen at all.
It seems to us that there are such handfuls. Olga was baptized not only out of love for Christianity, she also had some political goals.
One of the goals could be the desire to avoid marriage with the emperor. But with which one? Obviously not with Konstantin. Then with whom? It seems to us that with the prince, and possibly the kagan, i.e. Emperor Mal, whose wife she was supposed to become according to pagan laws.
However, apparently, the baptism did not go smoothly. It is known that Olga returned to Kyiv disgruntled. Hence these omissions with Constantine in the folk legend. The emperor did not like something about Olga's baptism. Maybe her desire is to push her son away and not baptize him.
And further. From this passage, no matter how fantastic it may be, it clearly follows that Olga, after the death of Igor, was a young, beautiful woman. And all these tales about her 40-year marriage with Igor and the birth of Svyatoslav at grandmother’s age must be decisively discarded.
Now about the relationship between Olga and Svyatoslav. Why were they bad? It is believed that Olga became a Christian, but Svyatoslav did not want to be baptized and remained a pagan. But is that the whole point? We see that Olga, having gotten rid of Mal, who was laying claim to the throne, also decisively pushed her son away from him. And it is not a fact that she would not have done this if he had been baptized. It is unlikely that the young and energetic prince liked this much.
By the way, if the chronicle is right and Olga was indeed many years old at the time of Svyatoslav’s birth, then he could not have been her son, but the son of one of Igor’s other wives. This would immediately explain a lot. But this is too much, we are not going to edit the PVL like that.
One thing is clear: Olga and Svyatoslav had powerful characters. And so that the sparks from their collision would not burn all of Rus', Svyatoslav left Rus'. And he did not return to Kyiv, except that he arrived during his mother’s last days. And then, this is not a fact. If you look closely at Russian history of this period. Svyatoslav was not a Kyiv prince at all. He was a Russian prince outside Kievan Rus, which he left to his mother, and he himself decided to create some kind of new Rus'. Rus', which the mother would not touch, and to form its capital in the mother’s homeland, in Bulgaria, perhaps in revenge for her disgrace in her homeland.
And one last thing. Grandchildren's baptism. It is very doubtful that a Christian grandmother would not baptize her grandchildren, having full power in the country, let us remember, we are talking about Kievan Rus.
Another thing is that Vladimir, most likely, while still at home with his father (it seems that Vladimir is the eldest son of Svyatoslav) was sent to Novgorod, much more pagan than Kyiv.
Most likely, he could have remained unbaptized. It is quite possible, nothing can be said here, that after Olga’s death, Yaropolk and Oleg, fearing their father, returned to paganism. And after his death, the grandmothers returned to the faith.
This is our vision of a number of secrets associated with Grand Duchess Olga. Gradually, I think, they will open up. And if we managed to guess at least a small part of them here, it would be great.

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The first meeting of Prince Igor with Olga, Vasily Kondratievich Sazonov

Years of life: about 878 – 945
Father and mother: Rurik, mother's name is unknown.
Spouse: Olga.
Children: Svyatoslav Igorevich.

Igor (≈878 – 945) – Prince of Kievan Rus.

In 912, after the death of his father, Igor took power.

Igor was the first Russian prince mentioned in Western sources.

Igor had a wife, Olga, who bore him a son, Svyatoslav.

The Drevlyans, taking advantage of the change in power, decided not to pay tribute. But Igor pacified the riot, and the tribute was paid.

In 913, Igor went on a campaign to the coast of the Caspian Sea.

But it could only be approached through territories that belonged to the Khazars. Prince Igor promised them half of the spoils for letting his army pass.

Igor kept his promise, but the Khazars began to lay claim to the other half. As a result, a battle took place, and the prince lost most of his army.

During the reign of Igor, the Pechenegs first attacked Russian lands.

In 915 a peace treaty was concluded with them. Until 920, the Pechenegs no longer attacked Russian lands.

In 941, Igor made a campaign against Constantinople. The Byzantines destroyed most of the Russian fleet with Greek fire.

Igor Rurikovich

In September 941, after a series of defeats, Igor returned to Kievan Rus.

In 944, Igor decided to organize a second campaign to wash away the shame of his defeats. The prince gathered an army of Russians, Slavs, Varangians and Pechenegs and went to Byzantium. Emperor Roman I Lekapin learned about Igor's huge army and sent ambassadors with gifts and an offer to conclude a peace treaty. The prince accepted the gifts and deployed his army.

In 944, Kievan Rus and Byzantium concluded a military-trade agreement.

Igor no longer fought, but sent the squad of the boyar Sveneld for tribute.

This caused dissatisfaction, because... Sveneld's squad grew rich, but Igor's squad did not.

Igor's warriors persuaded him to go for tribute. As a result, he agreed and in the fall of 945 he went to the Drevlyans for tribute. Igor discovered a shortage and decided to collect the tribute again. The Drevlyans were outraged by Igor’s behavior, and they killed Igor’s entire army and himself.

The widow Olga, according to legend, during her reign avenged the death of her husband.

Princess Olga ruled the Old Russian state from 945 to 960. She was the first of the Old Russian rulers to convert to Christianity, when all her subjects were still in paganism.

Origin
Reign and death of Igor
The Drevlyans and Olga's revenge
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga

Origin

“The Tale of Bygone Years” said that Olga became Igor’s betrothed at the age of 10.

The prince had several wives, but he respected Olga more than others for her wisdom. There are several historical versions regarding the origin of Olga.

There is a legend that she was a simple Varangian peasant woman from near Pskov, who pleased the prince.
Some chronicles indicate that she came from the legendary family of Gostomysl and was called Beautiful, but Oleg the Prophet gave the girl his name.
Some historians consider her the daughter of Oleg, who gave his daughter to Prince Igor.
A 15th-century manuscript reports its Bulgarian origin - it was brought by Oleg from the city of Pliski.

Historians have not been able to establish Olga’s exact origins.

Reign and death of Igor

According to the chronicle, Prince Igor was not a particularly active ruler.

He gained historical fame thanks to his tragic death. Igor came to reign in 912. After a series of raids on the villages of the Drevlyans, as well as the imposition of an exorbitant tribute, they decided not to pay the new prince, they had to be conquered. The prince managed to defeat the Drevlyans and the Ulichs in 914.

In 920, a war with the Pechenegs broke out, but its results are unknown.

Oleg's fame made Prince Igor want to become famous too, so he went on campaign to Byzantium twice.

What was the name of Prince Igor’s wife “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”?

The first in 941 ended in the defeat of the prince - the Byzantines were warned about the attack and burned the attackers’ ships right in the sea. The prince himself, with the remnants of his squad and without glory, fled to Kyiv.

In 944, another campaign took place, the army included many Slavic tribes, and the Pechenegs acted as mercenaries.

To avoid betrayal, Igor took hostages from them and sent his army in two ways - by land on horses and by sea on boats. The Byzantine emperor was again warned by the Bulkhars. The emperor, having learned about the number of approaching troops, sent envoys to Igor with an offer of peace and generous tribute. The parties made peace and signed favorable trade agreements. In these treaties the phrase “Russian land” is mentioned for the first time.

In the fall of 945, at the insistence of a dissatisfied squad, the prince set out to collect tribute from the Drevlyans.

The tribute was received, but on the way home it seemed not enough to the prince. Part of the squad went to Kyiv with tribute, and Igor returned to the Drevlyans and put forward new demands. The Drevlyans were indignant and killed the squad. They executed Igor by tying him to the trunks of young trees, which tore him apart.

The prince was buried near Iskorosten in a high mound.

The Drevlyans and Olga's revenge

After Igor’s execution, the Drevlyans sent matchmakers to the widow so that she would become the wife of the Drevlyan prince.

Olga buried the matchmakers alive along with the boat on which the guests sailed. After this, the widow began to blame the Drevlyans for sending ignorant matchmakers; she asked the best to come. Olga burned the new noble guests, luring them to the bathhouse so that they could wash themselves before visiting the Grand Duchess. Then the widow went to the Drevlyans to celebrate a funeral feast at her husband’s grave. At the funeral feast, Olga gave the guests strong wine to drink and ordered everyone to be chopped up. The chronicles speak of 5,000 dead Drevlyans present at the funeral feast.

In 946, Olga went on a campaign against the Drevlyans and won the battle.

The last to fall was Iskorosten, the Drevlyan capital. The siege lasted the summer, then the princess ordered the besieged to give her tribute in the form of domestic pigeons.

Encouraged and exhausted by the siege, the Drevlyans fulfilled a strange request, in the hope of appeasing their enemies. Olga ordered to attach set fire tow to the birds’ paws and release them.

The pigeons flew home to Iskorosten, and the city burned down. The authenticity of this legend is rejected by many historians - they call it a beautiful legend. The princess established a new tribute in the conquered territories and returned to Kyiv.

Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga

At the time of Igor’s death, his son Svyatoslav was only three years old. After taking revenge on her husband's killers, Olga officially ruled until her son came of age.

Her actual reign lasted even later - Prince Svyatoslav did not like state affairs, preferring to spend time on numerous military campaigns. During the reign of Olga in Rus' they began to build from stone, before that they used wood. The princess devoted a lot of time to the improvement of Kyiv, Novgorod, Pskov and other lands under her control.

In 955, Olga was baptized with the name Helen in Constantinople.

According to legend, it happened like this. Upon arrival in Constantinople, Olga received a marriage proposal from Emperor Constantine VII himself. The intelligent princess gently rejected this proposal, citing the fact that a Christian cannot marry a pagan. The emperor was forced to admit that she was right, inviting the woman to be baptized. Olga agreed, and the patriarch and the emperor himself baptized her.

Then Olga again rejected the emperor’s claims, noting that it was inappropriate for a godfather to marry his goddaughter.

Some historians prove that this is a legend. They claim that Olga visited Constantinople, already a devout Christian. Priest Gregory, who was always with her, baptized her much earlier. But most historians are inclined to believe that Olga was baptized in the fall of 957 in Constantinople.

Be that as it may, Olga persuaded her son Svyatoslav to be baptized, but he flatly refused.

During his mother’s life, Svyatoslav did not forbid others to be baptized, but he mocked this foreign custom. Most likely, the prince was afraid of being considered dependent on his mother and losing the respect of his squad. After the death of his mother, Svyatoslav executed his only younger brother Gleb for his adherence to Christianity.

Olga was buried according to Christian custom in 969.

Grandson Vladimir Svyatoslavovich in 1007 transferred the ashes of the princess to the new Church of the Holy Mother of God (Kyiv). Grand Duchess Olga has been canonized as an Equal-to-the-Apostles saint; besides her, only 5 women have been honored with this in Christianity. The Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of Olga on July 11; the saint is revered as the protector of newly converted Christians and widows.

Princess Olga, baptized Elena. Born approx. 920 - died July 11, 969. The princess who ruled the Old Russian state from 945 to 960 after the death of her husband, Prince of Kyiv Igor Rurikovich. The first of the rulers of Rus' accepted Christianity even before the baptism of Rus'. Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Princess Olga was born ca. 920

The chronicles do not report Olga's year of birth, but the later Degree Book reports that she died at the age of about 80, which places her date of birth at the end of the 9th century. The approximate date of her birth is reported by the late “Arkhangelsk Chronicler”, who reports that Olga was 10 years old at the time of her marriage. Based on this, many scientists (M. Karamzin, L. Morozova, L. Voitovich) calculated her date of birth - 893.

The life of the princess states that her age at the time of death was 75 years. Thus Olga was born in 894. True, this date is called into question by the date of birth of Olga’s eldest son, Svyatoslav (around 938-943), since Olga should have been 45-50 years old at the time of her son’s birth, which seems incredible.

Considering the fact that Svyatoslav Igorevich was Olga’s eldest son, Boris Rybakov, taking 942 as the prince’s date of birth, considered the year 927-928 to be the latest point of Olga’s birth. A similar opinion (925-928) was shared by Andrei Bogdanov in his book “Princess Olga. Holy warrior."

Alexey Karpov in his monograph “Princess Olga” makes Olga older, claiming that the princess was born around 920. Consequently, the date around 925 seems more correct than 890, since Olga herself in the chronicles for 946-955 appears young and energetic, and gives birth to her eldest son around 940.

According to the earliest ancient Russian chronicle, “The Tale of Bygone Years,” Olga was from Pskov (Old Russian: Pleskov, Plskov). The life of the holy Grand Duchess Olga specifies that she was born in the village of Vybuty in the Pskov land, 12 km from Pskov up the Velikaya River. The names of Olga’s parents have not been preserved; according to the Life, they were of humble birth. According to scientists, Varangian origin is confirmed by her name, which has a correspondence in Old Norse as Helga. The presence of presumably Scandinavians in those places is noted by a number of archaeological finds, possibly dating back to the first half of the 10th century. The ancient Czech name is also known Olha.

The typographical chronicle (end of the 15th century) and the later Piskarevsky chronicler convey a rumor that Olga was the daughter of the Prophetic Oleg, who began to rule Russia as the guardian of the young Igor, the son of Rurik: “Nitsyi say, ‘Yolga’s daughter is Yolga’.” Oleg married Igor and Olga.

The so-called Joachim Chronicle, the reliability of which is questioned by historians, reports Olga’s noble Slavic origins: “When Igor matured, Oleg married him, gave him a wife from Izborsk, the Gostomyslov family, who was called Beautiful, and Oleg renamed her and named her Olga. Igor later had other wives, but because of her wisdom he honored Olga more than others.”.

If you believe this source, it turns out that the princess renamed herself from Prekrasa to Olga, taking a new name in honor of Prince Oleg (Olga is the female version of this name).

Bulgarian historians also put forward a version about the Bulgarian roots of Princess Olga, relying mainly on the message of the “New Vladimir Chronicler”: “Igor got married [Ѻlg] in Bulgaria, and princess Ylga sings for him”. And translating the chronicle name Pleskov not as Pskov, but as Pliska - the Bulgarian capital of that time. The names of both cities actually coincide in the Old Slavic transcription of some texts, which served as the basis for the author of the “New Vladimir Chronicler” to translate the message in the “Tale of Bygone Years” about Olga from Pskov as Olga from the Bulgarians, since the spelling Pleskov to designate Pskov has long gone out of use .

Statements about the origin of Olga from the annalistic Carpathian Plesnesk, a huge settlement (VII-VIII centuries - 10-12 hectares, before the 10th century - 160 hectares, before the 13th century - 300 hectares) with Scandinavian and West Slavic materials are based on local legends.

Marriage to Igor

According to the Tale of Bygone Years, the Prophetic Oleg married Igor Rurikovich, who began to rule independently in 912, to Olga in 903, that is, when she was already 12 years old. This date is questioned, since, according to the Ipatiev list of the same “Tale,” their son Svyatoslav was born only in 942.

Perhaps to resolve this contradiction, the later Ustyug Chronicle and the Novgorod Chronicle, according to the list of P. P. Dubrovsky, report Olga’s ten years of age at the time of the wedding. This message contradicts the legend set out in the Degree Book (second half of the 16th century), about a chance meeting with Igor at a crossing near Pskov. The prince hunted in those places. While crossing the river by boat, he noticed that the carrier was a young girl dressed in men's clothing. Igor immediately “flared with desire” and began to pester her, but received a worthy rebuke in response: “Why do you embarrass me, prince, with immodest words? I may be young and humble, and alone here, but know: it is better for me to throw myself into the river than to endure reproach.” Igor remembered about the chance acquaintance when the time came to look for a bride, and sent Oleg for the girl he loved, not wanting any other wife.

The Novgorod First Chronicle of the younger edition, which contains in the most unchanged form information from the Initial Code of the 11th century, leaves the message about Igor’s marriage to Olga undated, that is, the earliest Old Russian chroniclers had no information about the date of the wedding. It is likely that the year 903 in the PVL text arose at a later time, when the monk Nestor tried to bring the initial ancient Russian history into chronological order. After the wedding, Olga’s name is mentioned again only 40 years later, in the Russian-Byzantine treaty of 944.

According to the chronicle, in 945, Prince Igor died at the hands of the Drevlyans after repeatedly collecting tribute from them. The heir to the throne, Svyatoslav, was only three years old at the time, so Olga became the de facto ruler of Rus' in 945. Igor's squad obeyed her, recognizing Olga as the representative of the legitimate heir to the throne. The decisive course of action of the princess in relation to the Drevlyans could also sway the warriors in her favor.

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 their people into submission. The Old Russian chronicler describes in detail Olga’s revenge for the death of her husband:

First revenge:

The 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 they filled them up,” says the chronicler.

Second 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.

Third revenge:

The princess and a small retinue came to the lands of the Drevlyans to celebrate a funeral feast at her husband’s grave, according to custom. Having drunk the Drevlyans during the funeral feast, Olga ordered them to be chopped down. The chronicle reports five thousand Drevlyans killed.

Fourth 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 Tale of Bygone Years (PVL), the chronicler made an insert into the text of the Initial Code about the siege of the Drevlyan capital 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 reprisal against the Drevlyans, Olga began to rule Russia until Svyatoslav came of age, but even after that she remained the de facto ruler, since her son spent most of his time on military campaigns and did not pay attention to governing the state.

Olga's board

Having conquered the Drevlyans, Olga in 947 went to the Novgorod and Pskov lands, assigning lessons (tribute) there, 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. Olga’s journey to the Novgorod land was questioned by Archimandrite Leonid (Kavelin), A. Shakhmatov (in particular, he pointed out the confusion of the Drevlyansky land with the Derevskaya Pyatina), M. Grushevsky, D. Likhachev. The attempts of Novgorod chroniclers to attract unusual events to the Novgorod land were also noted by V. Tatishchev. The chronicle's evidence of Olga's sleigh, allegedly kept in Pleskov (Pskov) after Olga's trip to the Novgorod land, is also critically assessed.

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 lands subject to Kyiv - 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, a tiun, was appointed.

Konstantin Porphyrogenitus, in his essay “On the Administration of the Empire,” 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.

Olga’s next act, noted in the PVL, is her baptism in 955 in Constantinople. Upon returning to Kyiv, Olga, who took the name Elena in baptism, tried to introduce Svyatoslav to Christianity, but “he did not even think of listening to this. But if someone was going to be baptized, he did not forbid it, but only mocked him.” Moreover, Svyatoslav was angry with his mother for her persuasion, fearing to lose the respect of the squad.

In 957, Olga paid an official visit to Constantinople with a large embassy, known from the description of court ceremonies by Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus in his essay “On Ceremonies.” The Emperor calls Olga the ruler (archontissa) of Rus', the name of Svyatoslav (in the list of retinue the “people of Svyatoslav” are indicated) is mentioned without a title. Apparently, the visit to Byzantium did not bring the desired results, since PVL reports Olga's cold attitude towards the Byzantine ambassadors in Kyiv shortly after the visit. On the other hand, Theophanes' Successor, in his story about the reconquest of Crete from the Arabs under Emperor Roman II (959-963), mentioned the Rus as part of the Byzantine army.

It is not known exactly when Svyatoslav began to rule independently. PVL reports his first military campaign in 964. The Western European chronicle of the Successor of Reginon reports under 959: “They came to the king (Otto I the Great), as it later turned out to be a lie, the ambassadors of Helena, Queen of Rugov, who was baptized in Constantinople under the Emperor of Constantinople Romanus, and asked to consecrate a bishop and priests for this people.”.

Thus, in 959 Olga, baptized Elena, was officially considered the ruler of Rus'. The remains of a 10th century rotunda, discovered by archaeologists within the so-called “city of Kiya,” are considered material evidence of the presence of Adalbert’s mission in Kyiv.

The convinced pagan Svyatoslav Igorevich turned 18 years old in 960, and the mission sent by Otto I to Kyiv failed, as the Continuer of Reginon reports: “962 year. This year Adalbert returned back, having been appointed bishop of Rugam, because he did not succeed in anything for which he was sent, and saw his efforts in vain; on the way back, some of his companions were killed, but he himself barely escaped with great difficulty.”.

The date of the beginning of Svyatoslav’s independent reign is quite arbitrary; Russian chronicles consider him to be the successor to the throne immediately after the murder of his father Igor by the Drevlyans. Svyatoslav was constantly on military campaigns against the neighbors of Rus', entrusting the management of the state to his mother. When the Pechenegs first raided the Russian lands in 968, Olga and Svyatoslav’s children locked themselves in Kyiv.

Having returned from a campaign against Bulgaria, Svyatoslav lifted the siege, but did not want to stay in Kyiv for long. When the next year he was about to go back to Pereyaslavets, Olga restrained him: “You see, I’m sick; where do you want to go from me? - because she was already sick. And she said: “When you bury me, go wherever you want.”.

Three days later, Olga died, and her son, and her grandchildren, and all the people cried for her with great tears, and they carried her and buried her in the chosen place, but Olga bequeathed not to perform funeral feasts for her, since she had a priest with her - he and buried blessed Olga.

The monk Jacob, in the 11th century work “Memory and Praise to the Russian Prince Volodymer,” reports the exact date of Olga’s death: July 11, 969.

Olga's baptism

Princess Olga became the first ruler of Rus' to be baptized, although both the squad and the Russian people under her were pagan. Olga’s son, the Grand Duke of Kiev Svyatoslav Igorevich, also remained in paganism.

The date and circumstances of the baptism remain unclear. According to the PVL, this happened in 955 in Constantinople, Olga was personally baptized by Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus with the Patriarch (Theophylact): “And she was given the name Elena in baptism, just like the ancient queen-mother of Emperor Constantine I.”.

PVL and the Life decorate the circumstances of the baptism with the story of how the wise Olga outwitted the Byzantine king. He, marveling at her intelligence and beauty, wanted to take Olga as his wife, but the princess rejected the claims, noting that it was not appropriate for Christians to marry pagans. It was then that the king and the patriarch baptized her. When the tsar again began to harass the princess, she pointed out that she was now the tsar’s goddaughter. Then he richly presented her and sent her home.

From Byzantine sources only one visit of Olga to Constantinople is known. Konstantin Porphyrogenitus described it in detail in his essay “On Ceremonies”, without indicating the year of the event. But he indicated the dates of official receptions: Wednesday, September 9 (on the occasion of Olga’s arrival) and Sunday, October 18. This combination corresponds to 957 and 946 years. Olga's long stay in Constantinople is noteworthy. When describing the technique, the name is basileus (Konstantin Porphyrogenitus himself) and Roman - basileus Porphyrogenitus. It is known that Roman II the Younger, the son of Constantine, became his father's formal co-ruler in 945. The mention at the reception of Roman's children testifies in favor of 957, which is considered the generally accepted date for Olga's visit and her baptism.

However, Konstantin never mentioned Olga’s baptism, nor the purpose of her visit. A certain priest Gregory was named in the princess’s retinue, on the basis of which some historians (in particular, Academician Boris Alexandrovich Rybakov) suggest that Olga visited Constantinople already baptized. In this case, the question arises why Constantine calls the princess by her pagan name, and not Helen, as the Successor of Reginon did. Another, later Byzantine source (11th century) reports baptism precisely in the 950s: “And the wife of the Russian archon, who once set sail against the Romans, named Elga, when her husband died, arrived in Constantinople. Baptized and having openly made a choice in favor of the true faith, she, having received great honor for this choice, returned home.”.

The successor of Reginon, quoted above, also speaks about baptism in Constantinople, and the mention of the name of Emperor Romanus testifies in favor of baptism in 957. The testimony of the Continuer of Reginon can be considered reliable, since, as historians believe, Bishop Adalbert of Magdeburg, who led the unsuccessful mission to Kyiv, wrote under this name (961) and had first-hand information.

According to most sources, Princess Olga was baptized in Constantinople in the fall of 957, and she was probably baptized by Romanos II, son and co-ruler of Emperor Constantine VII, and Patriarch Polyeuctus. Olga made the decision to accept the faith in advance, although the chronicle legend presents this decision as spontaneous. Nothing is known about those people who spread Christianity in Rus'. Perhaps these were Bulgarian Slavs (Bulgaria was baptized in 865), since the influence of Bulgarian vocabulary can be traced in the early ancient Russian chronicle texts. The penetration of Christianity into Kievan Rus is evidenced by the mention of the cathedral church of Elijah the Prophet in Kyiv in the Russian-Byzantine treaty (944).

Olga was buried in the ground (969) according to Christian rites. Her grandson, Prince Vladimir I Svyatoslavich, transferred (1007) the relics of saints, including Olga, to the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Kyiv, which he founded. According to the Life and the monk Jacob, the body of the blessed princess was preserved from decay. Her “shining like the sun” body could be observed through a window in the stone coffin, which was opened slightly for any true believer Christian, and many found healing there. All the others saw only the coffin.

Most likely, during the reign of Yaropolk (972-978), Princess Olga began to be revered as a saint. This is evidenced by the transfer of her relics to the church and the description of miracles given by the monk Jacob in the 11th century. Since that time, the day of remembrance of Saint Olga (Elena) began to be celebrated on July 11, at least in the Tithe Church itself. However, official canonization (churchwide glorification) apparently occurred later - until the middle of the 13th century. Her name early becomes baptismal, in particular among the Czechs.

In 1547, Olga was canonized as Saint Equal to the Apostles. Only five other holy women in Christian history have received such an honor (Mary Magdalene, First Martyr Thekla, Martyr Apphia, Queen Helen Equal to the Apostles and Nina, the enlightener of Georgia).

The memory of Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga is celebrated by Orthodox churches of the Russian tradition on July 11 according to the Julian calendar; Catholic and other Western churches - July 24 Gregorian.

She is revered as the patroness of widows and new Christians.

Princess Olga (documentary film)

Memory of Olga

In Pskov there is the Olginskaya embankment, the Olginsky bridge, the Olginsky chapel, as well as two monuments to the princess.

From the time of Olga until 1944, there was a churchyard and the village of Olgin Krest on the Narva River.

Monuments to Princess Olga were erected in Kyiv, Pskov and the city of Korosten. The figure of Princess Olga is present on the monument “Millennium of Russia” in Veliky Novgorod.

Olga Bay in the Sea of Japan is named in honor of Princess Olga.

The urban-type settlement Olga, Primorsky Territory, is named in honor of Princess Olga.

Olginskaya street in Kyiv.

Princess Olga Street in Lviv.

In Vitebsk, in the city center at the Holy Spiritual Convent, there is the St. Olga Church.

In St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, to the right of the altar in the northern (Russian) transept, there is a portrait image of Princess Olga.

St. Olginsky Cathedral in Kyiv.

Orders:

Insignia of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga - established by Emperor Nicholas II in 1915;
“Order of Princess Olga” - state award of Ukraine since 1997;
The Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga (ROC) is an award of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Olga's image in art

In fiction:

Antonov A.I. Princess Olga;
Boris Vasiliev. "Olga, Queen of the Rus";
Victor Gretskov. "Princess Olga - Bulgarian Princess";
Mikhail Kazovsky. "The Empress's Daughter";
Alexey Karpov. “Princess Olga” (ZhZL series);
Svetlana Kaydash-Lakshina (novel). "Duchess Olga";
Alekseev S. T. I know God!;
Nikolay Gumilyov. "Olga" (poem);
Simone Vilar. "Svetorada" (trilogy);
Simone Vilar. "The Witch" (4 books);
Elizaveta Dvoretskaya “Olga, the Forest Princess”;
Oleg Panus “Shields on the Gates”;
Oleg Panus “United by Power.”

In cinema:

“The Legend of Princess Olga” (1983; USSR) directed by Yuri Ilyenko, in the role of Olga Lyudmila Efimenko;
"The Saga of the Ancient Bulgars. The Legend of Olga the Saint" (2005; Russia) directed by Bulat Mansurov, in the role of Olga.;
"The Saga of the Ancient Bulgars. Vladimir's Ladder Red Sun", Russia, 2005. In the role of Olga, Elina Bystritskaya.

In cartoons:

Prince Vladimir (2006; Russia) directed by Yuri Kulakov, voiced by Olga.

Ballet:

“Olga”, music by Evgeny Stankovych, 1981. It was performed at the Kiev Opera and Ballet Theater from 1981 to 1988, and in 2010 it was staged at the Dnepropetrovsk Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.

) 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 a 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 the official version of celebrating a funeral feast for her 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 a new taxation system ( polyudya) with different terms, frequency and amounts 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 told him that he was now her godfather, and led him in this way. The Emperor laughed, presented Olga with gifts and sent her home.

Many facts from the life of one of the greatest rulers of Rus' are unknown to this day. Princess Olga, whose short biography has many “blank spots”, is still one of the most odious people today

Origin of Princess Olga

Historians and researchers of Olga’s life and work even today have not come to a consensus about her origin. Several sources of those years give different information about the origin of the future wife of Grand Duke Igor.

Thus, one of the recognized sources of those times - “The Tale of Bygone Years” - indicates that the future Princess Olga, whose short biography does not provide accurate information about her parents, was brought from Pskov.

Another source - “The Life of Princess Olga” - claims that she was born on Pskov land, in the village of Vybuty. a commoner, which is why the names of her parents remained unknown.

The Jokimov Chronicle mentions that the future wife of the Prince of Kyiv was from the noble Izborsky family, and her roots go back to the Varangians.

Another version: Olga is a daughter

Marriage

Igor's acquaintance with his future wife is also shrouded in a lot of inaccuracies and mysteries. The “Life” says that the future Princess Olga, whose brief biography is sometimes contradictory in different sources, met her future husband in Pskov, where the prince was hunting. He needed to get across the river, and when he saw the boat, Igor got into it. Afterwards the prince discovered that his ferryman was a beautiful girl. She refused all of her passenger's advances. And when the time came to choose a bride for the prince, he remembered the girl in the boat and sent messengers for her with a marriage proposal. This is how Olga became the wife of a Russian. The Princess of Kiev, whose brief biography has since been traced more clearly, was a good and wise wife. Soon she gave birth to Igor’s son, Svyatoslav.

Murder of Prince Igor

Prince Igor was a great conqueror; he constantly raided neighboring lands with his squad, collecting tribute from weak tribes. One of these campaigns became fatal for the Russian prince. In 945, Igor and his retinue went to the neighboring Drevlyans for the due tribute. Having taken a lot of wealth, destroyed villages and abused the local population, the Russians went home. However, on the way back, the prince with a small number of soldiers decided to return and again plunder the Drevlyan lands. But the local men, making sure that the prince was coming with a small army, attacked him and killed him.

Revenge on the Drevlyans

Having learned about the death of her husband at the hands of the Drevlyans, Olga grieved for a long time. The Princess of Kiev, whose brief biography is described in The Tale of Bygone Years, turned out to be a wise wife and ruler. According to the customs of that time, it was acceptable. Naturally, Olga could not get around this tradition. Having gathered a squad, She began to wait. Soon, ambassadors from the Drevlyans came with a wedding proposal for the sake of uniting the Russian and Drevlyan lands. The princess agreed - this was her revenge.

The gullible Drevlyans believed her, entered the capital, but were captured, thrown into a hole and covered with earth. Thus, some of the bravest and bravest Drevlyans were destroyed. The second batch of ambassadors was also killed by cunning - they were burned in a bathhouse. When Olga and her squad approached the gates of Iskorosten, the main city of the Drevlyans, under the pretext of holding a funeral feast (funeral) for the prince, she drugged her enemies, and the squad chopped them up. According to chroniclers, about five thousand Drevlyans died then.

In 946, the princess and her army went to the Drevlyan lands, destroyed them, collected taxes and established a mandatory, fixed tax, but she never managed to occupy Iskorosten. The city was impregnable. Then Olga burned the city to the ground with the help of pigeons and sparrows, tying burning cloth to their legs. Schoolchildren are told who Princess Olga is. A short biography for elementary school children omits the full story of revenge. Mainly attention is paid to the years of her reign and the adoption of the Christian faith.

Princess Olga: brief biography, years of reign

After Igor's death, their son Svyatoslav became the successor, but virtually all power was concentrated in the hands of his mother, both while he was young and after he came of age. Svyatoslav was a warrior, and spent most of his time on campaigns. Princess Olga was engaged in the improvement of lands and controlled territories. A short biography of the ruler indicates that this woman founded several cities, including Pskov. Everywhere she improved her lands, erected walls around large villages, and built churches in honor of Christian saints. During Olga's reign, excessive taxes were replaced by fixed fees.

The princess's foreign policy also deserves attention. Olga strengthened ties with Germany and Byzantium. This was facilitated, first of all, by her acceptance of the Christian faith.

Princess Olga's baptism

Princess Olga is called the first sign of Christianity on Russian soil. A short biography for grade 4 pays special attention to this event. In written sources of past years there is no single date for the princess’s adoption of Christianity. Some say 955, others say 957.

Having visited Constantinople, Olga was not only baptized in the Christian faith, but also renewed the trade agreements signed by her late husband. The princess was baptized by VII himself and the priest Theophylact. They named her Elena (according to Christian custom).

Returning home, Olga tried in every possible way to introduce her son Svyatoslav to the new faith, but the prince was not inspired by this idea and remained a pagan, fearing the condemnation of the squad. And yet, he did not forbid his mother to build cathedrals and churches. Olga remained in Kyiv and actively participated in raising her grandchildren. Perhaps it was this fact that led Svyatoslav’s son, Vladimir, to baptize Rus' in 988, thereby uniting it.

In 968, the Pechenegs attacked Russian land. Olga was in the besieged capital with her grandchildren. She sent a messenger for Svyatoslav, who at that time was on another campaign. The prince arrived home, defeated the Pechenegs, but Olga asked her son not to plan another campaign, since she was seriously ill and foresaw the end was near. In 969, Princess Olga died and was buried according to Christian rites. Legend says that the relics of the Grand Duchess were incorruptible.

In the 16th century, Olga was canonized.

According to the earliest ancient Russian chronicle, The Tale of Bygone Years, Olga was from Pskov. The life of the holy Grand Duchess Olga specifies that she was born in the village of Vybuty in the Pskov land, 12 km from Pskov up the Velikaya River. The names of Olga’s parents have not been preserved; according to the Life, they were not of noble birth, “ from the Varangian language" Varangian origin is confirmed by her name, which has a correspondence in Old Norse as Helga. The presence of the Scandinavians in those places is noted by a number of archaeological finds dating back to the 1st half of the 10th century.

The typographical chronicle (late 15th century) and the later Piskarevsky chronicler convey a rumor that Olga was the daughter of the Prophetic Oleg, who began to rule Kievan Rus as the guardian of the young Igor, the son of Rurik: “ The netsy say that Olga’s daughter was Olga". Oleg married Igor and Olga.

Perhaps to resolve this contradiction, the later Ustyug Chronicle and the Novgorod Chronicle, according to the list of P. P. Dubrovsky, report Olga’s 10-year-old age at the time of the wedding. This message contradicts the legend set out in the Degree Book (2nd half of the 16th century), about a chance meeting with Igor at a crossing near Pskov. The prince hunted in those places. While crossing the river by boat, he noticed that the carrier was a young girl dressed in men's clothing. Igor immediately " burning with desire" and began to pester her, but received a worthy rebuke in response: " Why do you embarrass me, prince, with immodest words? I may be young and ignorant, and alone here, but know: it is better for me to throw myself into the river than to endure reproach" Igor remembered about the chance acquaintance when the time came to look for a bride, and sent Oleg for the girl he loved, not wanting any other wife.

The Novgorod First Chronicle of the younger edition, which contains in the most unchanged form information from the Initial Code of the 11th century, leaves the message about Igor’s marriage to Olga undated, that is, the earliest Old Russian chroniclers had no information about the date of the wedding. It is likely that the year 903 in the PVL text arose at a later time, when the monk Nestor tried to bring the initial ancient Russian history into chronological order. After the wedding, Olga's name is mentioned again only 40 years later, in the Russian-Byzantine treaty of 944.

The Western European chronicle of the Successor Reginon reports under 959:

Olga's baptism and church veneration

Princess Olga became the first ruler of Kievan Rus to be baptized, and thus predetermined the adoption of Orthodoxy by the entire ancient Russian people.

The date and circumstances of the baptism remain unclear. According to the PVL, this happened in 955 in Constantinople, Olga was personally baptized by Emperor Constantine and the Patriarch (Theophylact before 956): “ And she was given the name Elena in baptism, just like the ancient queen - the mother of Constantine the Great" PVL and the Life decorate the circumstances of the baptism with the story of how the wise Olga outwitted the Byzantine king. He, marveling at her intelligence and beauty, wanted to marry Olga, but the princess rejected the claims, noting that it was not appropriate for Christians to marry pagans. It was then that the king and the patriarch baptized her. When the tsar again began to harass the princess, she pointed out that she was now the tsar’s goddaughter. Then he richly presented her and sent her home.

Only one visit of Olga to Constantinople is known from Byzantine sources. Konstantin Porphyrogenitus described it in detail in his essay “Ceremony”, without indicating the year of the event. But he indicated the dates of official receptions: Wednesday, September 9 (on the occasion of Olga’s arrival) and Sunday, October 18. This combination also corresponds to 946 years. Olga's long stay in Constantinople is noteworthy. When describing the technique, they name basileus (Konstantin himself) and Roman - the purplish-born basileus. It is known that Romanus, the son of Constantine, became his father's formal co-emperor in 945. According to the historian G. G. Litavrin, the visit described by Constantine actually took place in 946, and the baptism took place during the 2nd visit to Constantinople in or 955. The mention of Roman's children at the reception indicates the year 957, which is considered the generally accepted date for Olga's visit and her baptism.

However, Constantine did not mention Olga’s baptism anywhere (as well as the purpose of her visit), and moreover, a certain priest Gregory was named in the princess’s retinue, on the basis of which some historians suggest that Olga visited Constantinople already baptized. In this case, the question arises why Constantine calls the princess by her pagan name, and not Helen, as the Successor of Reginon did. Another, later Byzantine source (11th century) reports baptism in Constantinople in the 950s:

“And the wife of the Russian archon, who once set sail against the Romans, named Elga, when her husband died, arrived in Constantinople. Baptized and openly making a choice in favor of the true faith, she, having received great honor for this choice, returned home.”

The successor of Reginon, quoted above, also speaks about baptism in Constantinople, and the mention of the name of Emperor Romanus testifies in favor of baptism in 957. The testimony of the Continuer Reginon can be considered reliable, since under this name, as historians believe, Bishop Adalbert, who led the unsuccessful mission to Kyiv in 961 and had first-hand information, wrote.



revered	in the Orthodox and Catholic churches
glorified	no later than the 13th century
in the face	equal to the apostles
Day of Remembrance	July 24 (Gregorian calendar)
works	Preparation for the baptism of Rus'

According to most sources, Princess Olga was baptized in Constantinople in the fall of 957, and she was probably baptized by Romanus II (son and co-ruler of Emperor Constantine) and Patriarch Polyeuctus. Olga made the decision to accept the faith in advance, although the chronicle legend presents it as a spontaneous decision. Nothing is known about those people who spread Christianity in Rus'. Most likely, these were Bulgarian Slavs (Bulgaria was baptized in 865), since the influence of Bulgarian vocabulary can be seen in early ancient Russian chronicle texts. The penetration of Christianity into Kievan Rus is evidenced by the mention of the cathedral church of St. Elijah in Kyiv in the Russian-Byzantine treaty of 944.

She is revered as the patroness of widows and new Christians.

Historiography according to Olga

Basic information on Olga’s life, recognized as reliable, is contained in the “Tale of Bygone Years”, the Life from the Book of Degrees, the hagiographic work of the monk Jacob “Memory and Praise to the Russian Prince Volodymer” and the work of Constantine Porphyrogenitus “On the Ceremonies of the Byzantine Court”. Other sources provide additional information about Olga, but their reliability cannot be determined with certainty.

The Joachim Chronicle reports the execution by Svyatoslav of his only brother Gleb for his Christian beliefs during the Russian-Byzantine war of 968-971. Gleb could be Igor’s son either from Olga or from another wife, since the same chronicle reports that Igor had other wives. Gleb's Orthodox faith testifies to the fact that he was Olga's youngest son.

The medieval Czech historian Tomas Peshina, in his work in Latin “Mars Moravicus” (), spoke about a certain Russian prince Oleg, who became the last king of Moravia in 940 and was expelled from there by the Hungarians in 949. According to Tomas Peszyna, this Oleg Morawski was Olga's brother.

About the existence of Olga's blood relative, naming him anepsemia, mentioned by Constantine Porphyrogenitus in listing her retinue during a visit in 957 to Constantinople. Anepsia meant, most often, a nephew, but also a cousin.

Memory of Saint Olga

The Life calls Olga the founder of the city of Pskov. In Pskov there is Olginskaya embankment, Olginsky bridge, Olginsky chapel.
Orders:
- The insignia of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga was established by Emperor Nicholas II in 1915.
- “The Order of Princess Olga” is a state award of Ukraine since 1997.
- “Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga” is an award of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Monuments to Princess Olga were erected in Kyiv, Pskov and the city of Korosten.

Literature

Antonov Alexander. Novel "Princess Olga".
Boris Vasiliev "Olga, Queen of the Rus"
Victor Gretskov. "Princess Olga - Bulgarian princess."
Mikhail Kazovsky "The Empress's Daughter".
Kaydash-Lakshina S. N. “Princess Olga.”

Cinema

“The Legend of Princess Olga”, USSR, 1983.
"The Saga of the Ancient Bulgars. The Legend of Olga the Holy", Russia, 2005.