After the murder of Prince Igor, the Drevlyans decided that from now on their tribe was free and they could not pay tribute to Kievan Rus. Moreover, their prince Mal made an attempt to marry Olga. Thus, he wanted to seize the throne of Kyiv and single-handedly rule Russia. For this purpose, an embassy was assembled, which was sent to the princess. The ambassadors brought with them rich gifts. Mal hoped for the cowardice of the "bride" and that she, having accepted expensive gifts, would agree to share the throne of Kyiv with him.
At this time, Grand Duchess Olga was raising her son Svyatoslav, who, after the death of Igor, could claim the throne, but was still too small. Governor Asmud took over the guardianship of the young Svyatoslav. The princess herself took up state affairs. In the fight against the Drevlyans and other external enemies, she had to rely on her own cunning and prove to everyone that a country that had previously been ruled only by the sword could be ruled by a woman's hand.
The war of Princess Olga with the Drevlyans
Accepting the ambassadors, Grand Duchess Olga showed cunning. By her order, the boat on which the ambassadors sailed , lifted up and carried into the city along the abyss. At one point, the boat was thrown into the abyss. The ambassadors were buried alive. Then the princess sent a message with her consent to the marriage. Prince Mal believed in the sincerity of the message, deciding that his ambassadors had achieved their goal. He gathered noble merchants and new ambassadors to Kyiv. According to the ancient Russian custom, a bath was prepared for the guests. When all the ambassadors were inside the bath, all exits from it were closed, and the building itself was burned. After that, a new message was sent to Mal, that the "bride" was going to him. The Drevlyans prepared a luxurious feast for the princess, which, at her request, took place not far from the grave of her husband, Igor. The princess demanded that as much as possible be present at the feast. large quantity Drevlyans. The prince of the Drevlyans did not mind, believing that this only increased the prestige of his fellow tribesmen. All guests were drunk to satiety. After that, Olga gave a signal to her warriors and they killed everyone who was there. In total, about 5,000 Drevlyans were killed that day.
In 946 Grand Duchess Olga organizes a military campaign against the Drevlyans. The essence of this campaign was a show of force. If earlier they were punished by cunning, now the enemy had to feel the military power of Russia. The young Prince Svyatoslav was also taken on this campaign. After the first battles, the Drevlyans retreated to the cities, the siege of which lasted almost the entire summer. By the end of the summer, the defenders received a message from Olga that she was fed up with revenge and no longer wants it. She only asked for three sparrows, and also one dove from every inhabitant of the city. The Drevlyans agreed. Having accepted the gift, the princess's team tied an already lit sulfur tinder to the paws of the birds. After that, all the birds were released. They returned to the city, and the city of Iskorosten plunged into a huge fire. The townspeople were forced to flee the city, and fell into the hands of the warriors of Russia. Grand Duchess Olga condemned the elders to death, some to slavery. On the whole, the murderers of Igor were subjected to an even heavier tribute.
Acceptance of Orthodoxy by Olga
Olga was a pagan, but often visited Christian cathedrals, noticing the solemnity of their rites. This, as well as Olga's extraordinary mind, which allowed her to believe in God Almighty, was the reason for baptism. In 955, Grand Duchess Olga went to the Byzantine Empire, in particular to the city of Constantinople, where the adoption of a new religion took place. The patriarch himself was her baptist. But this was not the reason for the change of faith in Kievan Rus. This event did not alienate the Russians from paganism. Having adopted the Christian faith, the princess left the administration of the state, devoting herself to serving God. She also took up helping in the construction of Christian churches. The baptism of the ruler did not yet mean the baptism of Russia, but it was the first step towards the adoption of a new faith.
The Grand Duchess died in 969 in Kyiv.
Princess Olga Saint
Years of life: ?-969
Reign: 945-966
Grand Duchess Olga, baptized Elena. Holy Russian Orthodox Church, the first of the rulers of Russia who converted to Christianity even before the Baptism of Russia. After the death of her husband, Prince Igor Rurikovich, she ruled Kievan Rus from 945 to 966.
Baptism of Princess Olga
From ancient times in the Russian land people called Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga"the head of the faith" and "the root of Orthodoxy". The patriarch, who baptized Olga, marked the baptism with prophetic words: « Blessed are you in Russian wives, for you have left the darkness and loved the Light. Russian sons will glorify you to the last generation! »
At baptism, the Russian princess was honored with the name of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Helena, who worked hard to spread Christianity in the vast Roman Empire, but did not find the Life-Giving Cross on which the Lord was crucified.
In the vast expanses of the Russian land, like her heavenly patroness, Olga became the Equal-to-the-Apostles seer of Christianity.
There are many inaccuracies and mysteries in the chronicle about Olga, but most of the facts of her life, brought to our time by the grateful descendants of the organizer of the Russian land, do not raise doubts about their authenticity.
History of Olga - Princess of Kyiv
One of ancient chronicles"The Tale of Bygone Years" in the description 
the marriage of the Kyiv prince Igor calls the name of the future ruler of Russia and her homeland: «
And they brought him a wife from Pskov named Olga »
. The Jokimov Chronicle specifies that Olga belonged to one of the ancient Russian princely dynasties - to the Izborsky family. The Life of the Holy Princess Olga specifies that she was born in the village of Vybuty, Pskov land, 12 km from Pskov, up the Velikaya River. The names of the parents have not been preserved. According to the Life, they were not of a noble family, of Varangian origin, which is confirmed by her name, which corresponds in Old Norse as Helga, in Russian pronunciation - Olga (Volga). The presence of the Scandinavians in those places is marked by a number of archaeological finds dating back to the first half of the 10th century.
The later Piskarevsky chronicler and typographic chronicle (end of the 15th century) tells a rumor that Olga was the daughter of the Prophetic Oleg, who began to rule Kievan Rus as the guardian of the infant Igor, the son of Rurik: « Netsyi say, like Olga's daughter was Olga » . Oleg married Igor and Olga.
The life of St. Olga tells that here, "in the Pskov region" for the first time, her meeting with her future spouse took place. The young prince was hunting and, wishing to cross the Velikaya River, he saw "a certain person floating in a boat" and called him to the shore. Having sailed from the shore in a boat, the prince found that he was being carried by a girl of amazing beauty. Igor was inflamed with lust for her and began to incline her to sin. The carrier was not only beautiful, but chaste and intelligent. She shamed Igor, reminding him of the princely dignity of the ruler and judge, who should be " bright example good deeds" for their subjects.
Igor broke up with her, keeping in mind her words and a beautiful image. When it came time to choose a bride, the most beautiful girls principalities. But none of them pleased him. And then he remembered the "wonderful in girls" Olga and sent for her a relative of his prince Oleg. So Olga became the wife of Prince Igor, the Grand Russian Duchess.
Princess Olga and Prince Igor
Upon his return from a campaign against the Greeks, Prince Igor became a father: a son, Svyatoslav, was born. Soon Igor was killed by the Drevlyans. After the murder of Igor to his widow Olga, the Drevlyans, fearing revenge, sent matchmakers to call her to marry their prince Mal. Duchess Olga pretended to agree and consistently dealt with the elders of the Drevlyans, and then led the people of the Drevlyans to obedience.
The Old Russian chronicler details Olga's revenge for her husband's death:
1st revenge of Princess Olga: Matchmakers, 20 Drevlyans, arrived in a boat, which the Kievans carried and threw into a deep pit in the yard of Olga's tower. The matchmakers-ambassadors were buried alive along with the boat. Olga looked at them from the tower and asked: « Are you satisfied with the honor? » And they shouted: « Oh! We are worse than Igor's death » .
2nd revenge: Olga asked, for respect, to send new ambassadors to her from the best husbands, which was readily done by the Drevlyans. An embassy of noble Drevlyans was burned in a bathhouse while they were washing, preparing for a meeting with the princess.
3rd revenge: The princess, with a small retinue, came to the lands of the Drevlyans to, as usual, celebrate a feast at her husband's grave. Having drunk the Drevlyans during the feast, Olga ordered them to be cut down. The chronicle reports about 5 thousand killed Drevlyans.
4th revenge: In 946, Olga went on a campaign against the Drevlyans with an army. According to the Novgorod First Chronicle, the Kyiv squad defeated the Drevlyans in battle. Olga walked through the Drevlyane land, established tributes and taxes, and then returned to Kyiv. In The Tale of Bygone Years, the chronicler made an insert into the text of the Initial Code about the siege of the Drevlyan capital Iskorosten. According to The Tale of Bygone Years, after an unsuccessful siege during the summer, Olga burned the city with the help of birds, to which she ordered to tie incendiary means. Part of the defenders of Iskorosten were killed, the rest submitted.
The reign of Princess Olga
After the massacre with 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 from military campaigns most of the time.
The chronicle testifies to her tireless "walking" on the Russian land with 
the purpose of building the political and economic life of the country. Olga went to the Novgorod and Pskov lands. Established a system of "graveyards" - centers of trade and exchange, in which taxes were collected in a more orderly manner; then temples began to be built around the graveyards.
Russia grew and strengthened. Cities were built surrounded by stone and oak walls. The princess herself lived behind the reliable walls of Vyshgorod (the first stone buildings of Kyiv - the city palace and Olga's country house), surrounded by a faithful retinue. She closely followed the improvement of the lands subject to Kyiv - Novgorod, Pskov, located along the Desna River, etc.
Reforms of Princess Olga
In Russia, the Grand Duchess erected the churches of St. Nicholas and St. Sophia in Kyiv, the Annunciation of the Virgin in Vitebsk. According to legend, on the Pskov River, where she was born, she founded the city of Pskov. In those parts, at the place of seeing three luminous rays from the sky, a temple of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity was erected.
Olga tried to introduce Svyatoslav to Christianity. He was angry with his mother for her persuasion, fearing to lose the respect of the squad, but “he did not even think of listening to this; but if someone was going to be baptized, he did not forbid, but only mocked him.
Chronicles consider Svyatoslav the successor on the Russian throne immediately after the death of Igor, so the date of the beginning of his independent reign is rather arbitrary. He entrusted the internal administration of the state to his mother, being all the time in military campaigns against the neighbors of Kievan Rus. In 968, the Pechenegs for the first time raided the Russian land. Together with the children of Svyatoslav, Olga locked herself in Kyiv. Returning from Bulgaria, he lifted the siege and did not want to stay in Kyiv for a long time. Already in next year was about to leave for Pereyaslavets, but Olga held him back.
« You see, I'm sick; where do you want to go from me? “ Because she's already sick. And said: « When you bury me, go wherever you want “ . Three days later, Olga died (July 11, 969), and her son, and her grandchildren, and all the people, wept for her with a great cry, and carried and buried her in the chosen place, Olga bequeathed not to perform funeral feasts for her, as she had with a priest - he buried the blessed Olga.
Holy Princess Olga
Olga's burial place is unknown. During the reign of Vladimir, her 
began to be revered as a saint. This is evidenced by the transfer of her relics to the Church of the Tithes. During the invasion of the Mongols, the relics were hidden under the vault of the church.
In 1547 Olga was canonized as a saint Equal-to-the-Apostles. Only 5 more holy women in Christian history have received such an honor (Mary Magdalene, the first martyr Thekla, the martyr Apphia, Queen Elena and the Enlightener of Georgia Nina).
Memorial Day of St. Olga (Helena) began to be celebrated on July 11. Revered as the patroness of widows and newly converted Christians.
Official canonization (general church glorification) occurred later - until the middle of the 13th century.
There have been many cases in history when a woman ruled a state so successfully that it became much stronger and more majestic than it was before. One of them was Olga, Princess of Kyiv. Historians around the world know quite a bit about the life and work of this amazingly strong woman, but what they managed to find out showed that she was a very wise and strong ruler. The main thing that she did for Kievan Rus was to make her the strongest state in the world.
History and origins
The exact date of birth of the Grand Duchess is unknown. Only fragments of her biography can be found in history. Many scientists are inclined to believe that she was born around 890. This conclusion was made on the basis of the records of the Steppe Book, which says that she lived to be 80 years old, and this date is known quite accurately - 969. The place of her birth also remains unknown. Some historians are inclined to believe that woman born:
- in Pskov;
- in Izborsk.
How Princess Olga appeared, whose biography today can only be read thanks to the annals of the monk Nestor, there are many legends. One of them is about how Olga first met Igor, the prince who ruled Kyiv. She came from a simple family and earned money by transporting people across the river. Prince Igor was hunting in those places, and he urgently needed to cross to the other side. He turned to the young carrier. But already in the boat, he took a closer look and realized that it was not a young man standing in front of him, but a beautiful and fragile woman.
He decided to try to seduce the beauty, but received a fitting rebuff. This was the end of the meeting. But when the time came for the Grand Duke to marry, he remembered the proud beauty from Pskov, who sunk into his soul. He found her and got married.
But there is another legend, according to which the future Princess Olga bore the name Prekrasa. She came from a rich and noble family of Prince Gostomysl, who lived in Vitebsk. And her name, under which the world knows her, she received only after her wedding with Igor. They named her in honor of Prince Oleg, who was Igor's tutor.
For a long time, the couple lived separately from each other. She ruled Vyshgorod, and he ruled Kyiv. Igor had several more wives. BUT common child the couple appeared only 40 years after the wedding. It was Svyatoslav, who in the future will continue the work of his mother and father.
Revenge for the death of her husband
In 945 Prince Igor went to collect tribute from the Drevlyansk lands, where he was treacherously killed. Svyatoslav at that time was only three years old, and he could not govern the state. Therefore, his mother Olga sat on the throne. All Great Russia came under her control. But the Drevlyans did not want to put up with the fact that they would pay tribute to a woman.
They decided to marry their Prince Mala to Olga and thus gain power over the Russian lands. But they did not take into account the fact that a woman was not only beautiful but also very smart. She lured the Drevlyan embassy into a large pit and ordered to fill it up. So they were buried alive. No less cruel was the ruler and to next ambassadors. A bathhouse was heated for them, and when they entered it, the doors were locked and the walls set on fire. All the visitors were burned alive. It was cruel revenge for the death of her beloved.
But that was only the beginning of the cruel punishment. She went to the Drevlyane lands in order to celebrate a funeral ceremony at the grave of her husband. She is with her took a few warriors. The noblest Drevlyans were also invited to the ceremony. During dinner, the princess gave them a sleeping potion to drink, and then ordered the guards to chop up everyone who came. The Tale of Bygone Years tells that more than 5 thousand Drevlyans were killed at that dinner.
Soon Olga, together with her son, went on a military campaign against the Drevlyans. Her army surrounded the walls of their capital - Iskorosten. The princess ordered that three doves and three sparrows be brought to her from each yard. The inhabitants performed this in the hope that it would bring liberation and save them from bloodshed.
But the ruler ordered to tie a bunch of burning dry grass to the paws of the birds and let them go. Doves and sparrows flew into their nests and the city was burned. Not only the capital of the Drevlyans burned down, but also many of its inhabitants. Only this could calm the bleeding heart of the princess.
Politics of the Grand Duchess
As a ruler, Olga in many ways surpassed her great husband. She introduced many reforms domestic politics. But foreign policy was not left out. She was able to conquer many eastern tribes. All Kyiv lands were divided into regions, at the head of which the princess appointed tiuns - managers. She also carried out a tax reform, which led to a strict amount of polyudya, which had to be brought to churchyards. It was she who became the first of the Russian rulers who organized stone construction. During the reign, a stone palace and a country princely house were erected.
The main course of foreign policy was rapprochement with Byzantium. But at the same time, the princess sought to ensure that her possessions remained completely free from the power of Constantinople. Such a rapprochement led to the fact that the Russian troops successfully helped Byzantium in the fight against its enemies. The reforms of Princess Olga were of great importance for the further development of Russia.
Baptism and adoption of Christianity
At all times, the population of Russia worshiped many gods. They professed paganism. And the first ruler who brought Christianity to the Russian lands was just Olga. The princess was baptized approximately in 957, according to chronicles and sources that have survived to this day. It happened during her diplomatic trip to Constantinople - Constantinople.
According to the chronicler Nestor, when Olga visited Byzantium, her emperor liked the Russian princess very much and he decided to marry her. But the woman decided to do everything in her own way. She said that it was wrong for a Christian ruler to marry a pagan. Therefore, he needs to introduce her to his faith, thereby becoming her godfather.
After the ceremony, she received the name Elena. The emperor again proposed to her, but the woman replied that he could not be her husband, because he became her father, and she was his daughter by baptism. Then Konstantin realized that he had been deceived, but he could not do anything.
Upon returning to her homeland, the princess decided to start spreading Christianity in Russia. But the Slavs opposed this. Even her son Svyatoslav refused to accept Christianity, deciding that the combatants would laugh at him. Faith was further spread under Vladimir, Prince of Kiev.
The last years of life and memory
The very fact that a woman ruled the country in those cruel times when the fairer sex did not even have the right to sit at the same table with men is interesting. But during the years of Olga's reign, so much was done that was necessary for Russia that to this day she is honored as the most powerful and wise princess. She was able to become famous over the centuries not only for her political deeds, but also for her cruelty to enemies.
Only after being baptized did the princess become a little softer. She ruled the country almost until her death, because, according to the reports of the chroniclers, her son was constantly on campaigns and he had no time to maintain order in his principality.
The Grand Duchess died in 969 at the age of 80. Today she is canonized by the church and is considered the patroness of all those who want to be independent and free. Prayers are offered to her at those moments of life when help is needed in wars or the fight against the enemy.
In history, she remained a proud ruler, faithful to her husband alone. It is not without reason that even today essays are written about her at school, and they worship her in temples.
There is no exact description of the Grand Duchess. But the pictures that have been preserved since those times convey the beauty of this amazing woman. Also, a brief portrait of her can be compiled according to the description in The Tale of Bygone Years, which conveys the life of Prince Igor and Princess Olga, albeit briefly, but accessible in order to understand what contribution they made to the development of the Russian land and why Olga was awarded the title Equal-to-the-Apostles .
Today is the memory of the Grand Duchess of Kyiv immortalized:
- in painting;
- in cinema;
- in literature.
The mighty, it seemed, state was on the verge of collapse. Igor's wife Olga remained in Kyiv with a minor heir,. The Drevlyans broke away from Kyiv and stopped paying tribute. However, the Russian elite rallied around Princess Olga and not only recognized her rights to the throne until her son came of age, but also unconditionally supported the princess.
Illustration. Princess Olga and the squad.
By this time Duchess Olga She was in the prime of her physical and spiritual powers. From the first steps of her reign, she showed herself as a resolute, imperious, far-sighted and stern ruler. First of all, the princess took revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of the Grand Duke and her husband. She ordered to kill the Drevlyansk ambassadors who came to Kyiv to woo her for their prince Mal.
Then she herself moved with the army to the Drevlyansk land. In battle, the Drevlyans were defeated. Heavy tribute was again imposed on the vanquished. The unity of the state was restored.
But Olga established her power not only with cruel punishments and force. As a smart and far-sighted ruler, she understood that the polyudie with its violence, sometimes with the uncontrolled collection of tribute, causes discontent in people, and this threatens the very existence of the young state. And the Grand Duchess went on reforms. She changed the tribute collection system, starting from the Drevlyane land. Now the population paid tribute according to fixed norms. She also determined the places where the tribute was to be brought annually by the population itself. These were the so-called graveyards. There she was received by representatives of the princely administration and sent to Kyiv. Then Olga moved with her retinue to other Russian lands and everywhere set new standards - they were called lessons - and established graveyards.
This was the end of polyudya and start organized system Russian taxation. The state has taken another step in its development.
Having established order within Russia, Olga turned her gaze to foreign policy. She had to show that the times of unrest did not shake the strength and international prestige of Russia. In 957, she went to Constantinople at the head of a crowded embassy, which numbered more than a hundred people. The princess was received there at the highest rank. The Byzantine emperor, writer, major diplomat Konstantin Porphyrogenitus gave a dinner in her honor. During the conversations, the emperor and Olga confirmed the validity of the previous agreement, concluded by Igor, as well as the military alliance of the two states. This alliance was henceforth directed against Khazaria and the Arab Caliphate.
An important issue of the negotiations was the baptism of the Russian princess.
Illustration. Baptism of Princess Olga in Byzantium.
By the X century. almost all the major states of Western Europe, as well as part of the peoples of the Balkan Peninsula and the Caucasus, adopted Christianity. Some did it under the influence of papal Rome, others under the influence of Byzantine Empire. Christianity introduced states and peoples to a new civilization, enriched their culture, and raised the prestige of the baptized rulers. It is no coincidence that the peoples of Western Europe, who were baptized 300-500 years earlier than the peoples of Eastern Europe overtook them in their development. But everywhere this process was painful, since it meant the rejection of the pagan religion familiar to the peoples.
Olga understood that further strengthening of the country is impossible without the adoption of Christianity. But at the same time she understood the power of paganism, the commitment of people to it. Therefore, she decided to be baptized herself and thereby set an example for others. However, she had someone to rely on. Among the merchants, townspeople, part of the boyars, there were already quite a few people who converted to Christianity.
For Olga herself, baptism was not only a matter of politics, but also the answer to many questions of conscience. By this time, she had experienced a lot: the tragic death of her husband, the bloody reprisals against enemies. Sometimes we think that all this passes without a trace for the human soul. This is not so - in adulthood, a person will certainly sum up the results of his life. He asks himself why he lived, what is his place in this life. Paganism looked for answers to these questions in the mighty phenomena of nature, in the action of the gods. Christianity turned to the world of human feelings, human reason and faith in the eternal life of the human soul, but on the condition that a person on earth would be righteous: fair, humane, tolerant of people.
Olga embarked on this path in her declining years. But she arranged the baptism in such a way as to bring as much glory to her Fatherland as possible. She was baptized in the church of Hagia Sophia, the main temple of Byzantium. The emperor himself was her godfather, and the Patriarch of Constantinople baptized her. From now on, Olga became a Christian according to the Orthodox, Byzantine model, in contrast to the Roman, Catholic rite.
After returning to Kyiv, Olga tried to persuade Svyatoslav to Christianity, but his son grew up as an ardent pagan. He, like his entire squad, worshiped Perun and refused her. Alienation began between mother and son. Soon the pagan group removed Olga from management. The young Svyatoslav took full power. This happened in 962.
Gaps in biography
Princess Olga (baptized Elena) is certainly a historical person. Her high status in the power hierarchy of the Rus as the wife of Igor and the extraordinary position in Russian history as the first independent female ruler, “the foremother of all Russian princes”, are confirmed by three modern sources: 1) an agreement with the Greeks of 944, in which the ambassador from "Olga princesses"; 2) the work of Constantine Porphyrogenitus "On the ceremonies of the Byzantine court", which contains the famous description of two palace receptions "Elga Rosena" (literally: Olga the Russian) in Constantinople; 3) the message of the Continuer of the chronicle, Reginon of Prüm, about the mission of the German Bishop Adalbert to "Helen, Queen of the Rug".
Despite this, the most important milestones of her biography still remain the subject of unceasing disputes and cardinal reassessments. First of all, the annalistic and hagiographic versions of Olga's life are subjected to revision, since from a historical point of view, both of them are nothing more than a mixture of half-forgotten and peculiarly interpreted legends strung on two ideological rods of ancient Russian annals and hagiography, which are the "Varangian" origin of the Kyiv dynasty and Russian land and the fundamental, original "purity" of Russian Christianity, that is, its acceptance directly from the Greeks.
The first thing that catches your eye in a traditional biography Kievan princess, - this is her complete "dependence", in the sense that the most important age parameters of Olga's life (except for the exact date of death - July 11, 969) are determined in the annals exclusively through Igor's biography. The latter, as we have had the opportunity to see, is a poor guide for a biographer due to its undeniable artificiality and implausibility. The absolute reference point of Olga's age - the date of her birth - is absent in the chronicle. The first indirect information about the age of the princess is given under 903, when, according to chronicle calculations, she was married to Igor. Based on this date, some editions of Olga's Life report that by that time she was about twenty years old, which is unlikely, since this age, according to the then prevailing concepts, automatically transferred her to the category of "overripe" girls who could not count on a prestigious princely marriage. The prologue Life of Olga measures her 75 years of life, and the Book of Degrees indicates that, having lived in marriage for 42 years, the blessed princess died "about 100 years old." The Mazurin chronicler reports that some learned scribes considered her to be 88 years old.
Thus, the chronicle-hagiographic chronology pushes the date of Olga's birth to the 9th century, timing it to the interval between 881 and 894. There is no faith in her, or, more precisely, she requires such blind faith, which allowed the chronicler, without any hesitation, to place under the year 955 the tradition of the courtship of the Byzantine emperor to Olga, seduced by the beauty of the Kievan princess. Meanwhile, the beauty was supposed to go either in her seventh or in her eighth decade! 1 This tradition, of course, has independent, non-annalistic roots, and its very existence perfectly exposes the rather late origin and clumsy methods of the chronicle-hagiographic reconstruction of Olga's biography 2 .
1
N.M. Karamzin, calling the story of matchmaking a fable, nonetheless assured the readers of his History that the emperor was truly fascinated by Olga's wisdom.
2
(if you return to the note, then all notes can be inserted at the end of the article, see below)
The wedding of Igor and Olga, allegedly played in 903, is also incredible because it is almost four decades away from the birth of their first child. In this state of affairs, it is the time of Svyatoslav's birth that acquires a decisive role in the question of Olga's age ( Cm.: Nikitin A. Foundations of Russian history. M., 2000. S. 202; Rybakov B.A. The world of history. The initial centuries of Russian history. M., 1987. S. 113 ). We have no other, more reliable measure. True, The Tale of Bygone Years, even here, cannot boast of the impeccable accuracy of its information. The phrase “in this same summer Svyatoslav was born to Igor” is placed under 942. Then, in the treaty of 944, he is presented by his own ambassador as a full-fledged prince. This means that by this time the rite of tonsure (cutting of hair) had already been performed on him, accompanied by a public action - girdling with a sword and “mounting on a horse”, which symbolized the acquisition by the young prince of the rights of inheritance of “here and grandfather's” property. Usually tonsures were arranged when the heir reached three years. In this case, the birth of Svyatoslav is postponed from 942 to 940 - the beginning of 941, and Igor's marriage to Olga should be attributed, respectively, to 938 - the first half of the 940s. Archangel Chronicle 3 reports that Olga became Igor's wife at the age of ten. There is nothing impossible in this, since for women the usual age of marriage (12-14 years) could be significantly reduced. For example, from the "Tale of Bygone Years" it is known about the wedding of the fifteen-year-old prince Rostislav Rurikovich with the eight-year-old Verkhuslav Vsevolodovna (1187). So, taking into account the testimony of the Arkhangelsk chronicler, the probable time of Olga's birth dates back to the second half of the 20s. 10th century If we accept the assumption that by the time of her marriage, Olga nevertheless crossed the then threshold of adulthood for women, then her birth took place, most likely, between 924 and 928. four
3
A.A. Shakhmatov believed that this chronicle contains "an older, complete and more corrected edition of the Initial Code" ( Shakhmatov A.A. About the initial Kiev annalistic code. M., 1897. S. 56).
4
For the 920s. also points out B.A. Rybakov (see: Rybakov B.A. The world of history. The initial centuries of Russian history. M., 1987. S. 113).
Olga's homeland - Pskov or Bulgaria?
The Tale of Bygone Years describes the appearance of Olga in Kyiv as follows: the matured Igor still dutifully obeyed the prophetic Oleg, who “brought him a wife from Pleskov, named Olga.”
According to another legend, Olga's real name was Prekrasa, "and Oleg named [renamed] her name and named her Olga" (Ioakimov Chronicle, as presented by Tatishchev). However, the sources do not know of any such case of changing a pagan name to another, pagan one. But we know that, in fact, the prophetic Oleg and Igor never met, so we have the right to assume that Oleg took the place of another, genuine matchmaker here, which will be discussed ahead. In the meantime, let's ask ourselves the question: where did Igor "bring" his famous wife from?
In the question of Olga's origin, the "Pskov legend" still dominates, identifying the chronicle "Pleskov" with the ancient Russian Pskov, which is declared the birthplace of the princess. "People's Local History" gave Olga an even more accurate registration, making her a native of the "visi of Vybutskaya" (the village of Vybutino / Vybuty, or Labutino, twelve miles from Pskov up the Velikaya River). This eliminates the contradiction with the testimony of the Life, that at the time of Olga's youth there was no mention of Pskov: "I still bring the city of Pskov." Besides, in folk tradition Vybutino was also known as the birthplace of Prince Vladimir I Svyatoslavich, which "provided, as it were, a direct connection between the first two Russian saints - equal to the apostles, grandmother and grandson, Olga and Vladimir" ( Pchelov E.V. Genealogy of ancient Russian princes of the 9th - early 11th century. M., 2001. S. 129 ).
The version about Olga's Pskov roots should be questioned primarily in view of her rather late origin. Although both forms of this toponym - "Pleskov" and "Pskov" - are present in the Novgorod I Chronicle of the senior and junior versions, however, in the Novgorod I Chronicle of the senior version, the lexeme "Pskov" appears and displaces the previous one - "Pleskov" - only from 1352, which makes it possible to date the emergence of the "Pskov legend" to a time not earlier than the end of the 14th - beginning of the 15th centuries. However, for the first time in its finished form, it is read only in the Book of Powers (1560s), where the very foundation of Pskov is already attributed to Olga. This legend also quickly became for the old Moscow scribes. historical fact». Olgino's Life in the edition of Dimitry of Rostov (1651-1709) reports that Olga "went from Novagrad to her fatherland, where she was born, into the whole of Vybutskaya and taught her relatives the knowledge of God. When in that country I came to the banks of the river, called the Great, where another river from the east, called Pskov, flows in, but there was a great forest in that place, and he prophesied that in that place there would be a great and glorious city. inhabit" [cit. on: Tatishchev V.N. Collected Works in 8 vols.: Russian History. - Reprint from ed. 1963, 1964 - M., 1994. T. IV. S. 404).
Undergo changes and views on the socio-ethnic origin of Olga. From a Slavic commoner, a carrier across the Velikaya River (“the family is not princely or noble, but from ordinary people 5) she turned under the pen of chroniclers and historians into the “daughter” of Oleg the Prophet, into the “grandson” or “great-grandson” of Gostomysl, a princess from the family of Izborsk princes, or into the noble Scandinavian Helga 6.
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However, this simplicity is imaginary, because it hides in itself the guarantee of future greatness. Making Olga a translator, the Life actually likens her to the mother of Constantine the Great, Empress Elena (according to the old Russian tradition, the heavenly patroness of Olga / Elena), who until her august marriage was the daughter of a postal station superintendent ( Kartashev A.V. History of the Russian Church. T. 1. M., 2000. S. 120).
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However, for some reason, the sagas call this "their" Olga/Helga the distorted name of Alogia, without saying a word about her "Variagism". It is also unclear how the Scandinavian Helga found herself in the Pskov land, which, even by Norman standards, "was not the center where the positions of the Scandinavians were strong" ( Pchelov E.V. Genealogy of ancient Russian princes of the 9th - early 11th century. S. 128).
In the "Pskov legend" the influence of another legend, the "Varangian", with its concept of the origin of the ancient Russian state from the northern Russian lands, is clearly traced. Both of them received nationwide recognition almost simultaneously, and precisely when in the XV - XVI centuries. Kalita's heirs adopted the family nickname Rurikovich, which allowed them to look at the surrounding Russian principalities, including the Novgorod-Pskov lands, as their "fatherland and grandfather". Just at this time, Olga was canonized (1547). Consequently, the finalization of the "Pskov" version of her origin and other "facts" of her hagiographic biography took place in the second half of the 15th - the first third of the 16th century. But in fact, the historian does not have at his disposal a single fact confirming the existence of strong ties between Northern Russia and Southern Russia in the early Middle Ages, which would not be of a legendary character 7 . Therefore, the search for a wife for Igor on the banks of the Velikaya River, and even “from ordinary people” 8, is nothing more than a pastoral fantasy of the Moscow-Novgorod scribes of the 15th-16th centuries. Young Igor, the legend says, once hunted "in the Pskov region" and, wanting to cross to the other side of the Velikaya River, called out to a boatman who was passing by. Sitting in the boat, the prince found that a girl of extraordinary beauty rules it. Igor immediately tried to seduce her, but was stopped by the pious and reasonable speeches of his carrier. Ashamed, he left his unclean thoughts, but later, when it was time for him to get married, he remembered Olga, “wonderful in girls,” and sent his relative, the prophetic Oleg, after her. It is easy to see that the pagan Slav here copies the ideal behavior of a pious girl from the Russian tower of the 15th-16th centuries, brought up in the traditions of Domostroy. But in pagan society, premarital sexual relations were not regarded as a "scandal" of a girl's honor (cf., for example, with the message of the 11th-century writer al-Bekri about the Slavic customs of that time: "And when a girl falls in love with someone, she goes to him and satisfies her passion with him") . In Russian folklore, a meeting at the crossing means a foreshadowing of a wedding (see: Afanasiev A.N. Myths, beliefs and superstitions of the Slavs. In 3 vols. M., 2002. T. I. S. 89).
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The chronicle reports about the campaigns from north to south of Askold and Dir, and then Oleg, certainly belong to the field of legends, being "echoes of the later events of the time of Vladimir and Yaroslav, who conquered Kyiv from Novgorod" ( Lovmyansky X. Russia and the Normans. M., 1985. S. 137). According to A.A. Shakhmatova, the oldest annalistic news about Oleg did not name his capital at all, from where he made the conquest of Kyiv (see: Shakhmatov A.A. Research on the most ancient Russian chronicle vaults. SPb., 1908. S. 543-544, 612).
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The idea of marriage with a commoner was swept aside by members of the princely families from the threshold. Rogneda, refusing her hand to Vladimir, reproached the groom for his origin from the housekeeper mother: "I don't want to undress the robichich [the son of a slave]..." Undressing the groom is an element of the old Russian wedding ceremony.
The Tale of Bygone Years, in fact, does not give any reason to consider Olga a Pskovite. All Olga's connections with Pskov (not with "Pleskov"!) Are limited in the annals by indicating that in the time of Nestor the Pskovites kept a relic that allegedly belonged to her - a sleigh, which, as the chronicle text allows one to guess, got them during a detour by Olga Novgorodsko-Pskovskaya earth. From the standpoint of modern historical knowledge, the inclusion of Olga's name in the history of Pskov - it doesn't matter whether it is its founder or a native - does not stand up to criticism, because archaeologists do not dare to date the formation of this city even to the beginning of the 11th century. Researchers are increasingly inclined to believe that in the IX - X centuries. the tribal center of the Pskov Krivichi was not Pskov, but Izborsk ( Cm.: Sedov V.V. The beginning of cities in Russia // Proceedings of the V International Congress of Slavic Archeology. 1-1. M., 1987 ). For this weakness"Pskov legend" at one time was unmistakably pointed out by D. I. Ilovaisky. Reflecting on the chronicle "Pleskov", he reasonably noted that "it is difficult to understand here our Pskov, then not only did not play any political role, but hardly even existed" ( Ilovaisky D.I. The likely origin of St. Princess Olga and the New Source about Prince Oleg // Ilovaisky D.I. Historical writings. Ch. 3rd. M., 1914. S. 441-448 ).
For a long time, the correct solution of the question of Olga's birthplace was hampered by the complete absence of any sources that refuted the "Pskov legend". But in 1888, Archimandrite Leonid (Kavelin) introduced into scientific use a previously unknown manuscript from the collection of A. S. Uvarov - the so-called Short Vladimir Chronicler (end of the 15th century). Then it became clear that in Kievan Rus there was a different, “pre-Pskov” version of the origin of the “foremother of the Russian princes” from Danube Bulgaria. This text read: “Igor, Oleg, marry in Bolgarech, they sing for him a princess named Olga, and be wise velmi” ( Leonid (Kavelin), archimandrite. Where was St. Russian Grand Duchess Olga // Russian antiquity. 1888. No. 7. S. 217 ).
Indeed, in the first half of the tenth century. there was a single city whose name could give the Russified form "Pleskov" - the Bulgarian Pliska or Pliskova (in the area of \u200b\u200bmodern Shumen). Linguistic correspondence in this case is complete and undeniable. In favor of the identity of Pliska with the chronicle Pleskov, there is also a lot of historical evidence. This ancient capital of the First Bulgarian kingdom repeatedly mentioned in the sources of the first half of the 9th - 12th centuries. (the inscription of Khan Omortag, the writings of the Byzantine writers Leo the Deacon, Anna Komnenos, Kedrin, Zonara). Pliska was a large and densely populated city, with a huge pagan temple with an area of more than 2000 m2, in the second half of the 9th century. rebuilt into a majestic Christian church. Burned down in 893 by the Hungarians, Pliska was abandoned for a while, and therefore the residence of the Bulgarian kings and archbishops was moved to Veliki Preslav. But the ruined city in the first quarter of the tenth century. revived, hosting prominent figures of the church and many representatives of the Bulgarian nobility, and then for a long time retained the importance of an outstanding cultural and spiritual center. Of course, this "Pleskov" was an incomparably more attractive fair for brides than the God-forsaken settlement of the Krivichi on the deserted banks of the Velikaya River.
It is worth noting that different lists The Tale of Bygone Years places the phrase about the arrival of Olga from Pleskov to Kyiv immediately after the message about the unsuccessful war of the Bulgarian Tsar Simeon with the Greeks and Hungarians. Both news, therefore, refer to the same region - the Balkans.
Olga's Bulgarian origin, however, does not yet mean that she was an ethnic Bulgarian 9 . The fact is that there is a message from the chronicler of 1606 from the Pogodinsky collection: "... marry Prince Igor Rurikovich in Pleskov, singing for himself Princess Olga, daughter of Tmutarkan, Prince of Polovtsy." In view of the obvious anachronism of the mention here of the Polovtsy, who appeared in the southern Russian steppes only in the middle of the 11th century, this spoiled place can be restored as follows: “... marry Prince Igor Rurikovich in Pleskov, singing for yourself Princess Olga, daughter of the Prince of Tmutarkan”.
9 Bulgarian historians, relying on the established identity of Pliska and Pleskov, proclaim Olga a native Bulgarian, the niece of Tsar Simeon (888-927) (see: Nestor, archimandrite. Did Prince Svetoslav Igorevich, Prince Svetoslav Igorevich, exist in the dwelling of the Sea of Bulgaria? // Spiritual culture. 1964. No. 12. S. 12-16; He is. Bulgarian tsar Simeon and Kievan Rus // Spiritual culture. 1965. No. 7-8. pp. 45-53; Chilingirov S. Kakvo e gave bulgarint to other people. Sofia, 1941). A.L. Nikitin, one of the Russian supporters of the Bulgarian version, is not satisfied here only with the personality of Olga's uncle. "The revision of the traditional chronology of the Tale of Bygone Years in relation to Oleg, Igor and Olga," he writes, "makes the possibility of such a close relationship between the latter and Simeon doubtful..." ( Nikitin A.L. Foundations of Russian history. M., 2000. S. 210). But the very fact of Olga's origin from the Bulgarian Pliska seems to him undeniable, which, in turn, is declared "an unambiguous evidence of her relationship with the reigning house of the First Bulgarian Kingdom and directly with Tsar Peter Simeonovich, who was alive at that time (the son and heir of Tsar Simeon. - S. C.)..." (There. S. 218). In support of this, the scientist refers to the honors that accompanied Olga’s two receptions in the palace of Constantine Porphyrogenitus: “The triple pricinesis (a bow, in which they prostrate on the floor), which is obligatory in such cases, was replaced for her only by a slight tilt of the head, and then, sitting in the presence of the empress and the emperor, she talked with the latter "as much as she wished" ( There. S. 217). The following chain of evidence is built. Peter Simeonovich was married to Maria-Irina, granddaughter of Emperor Roman I Lekapin (920-944); "in this case, Olga / Elga fell to the emperor (Konstantin Porphyrogenitus. - S. C.) a relative, which is why she was adopted in the inner chambers of the palace, where foreign ambassadors and foreigners in general were not allowed "( There. S. 218). Here it is appropriate to note that Olga was still neither an ambassador nor a “foreigner in general”, but came to Constantinople as the head of a sovereign state, in connection with which with good reason could count on special attention. This means that the honors shown to Olga were not due to either her property with the emperor, or family ties with the Bulgarian royal house, and are explained by her status as the Grand Russian Princess, "Archontissa of Russia." So, the description of Olga's receptions by Konstantin does not at all indicate that she was a native Bulgarian from the family of the rulers of the First Bulgarian Kingdom. By the way, if she were a Bulgarian princess, then, of course, she would have been baptized in infancy and would hardly have become the wife of a Russian pagan prince.
Olga really belonged to high nobility, princely family. In Igor's treaty with the Greeks, she bears the title of princess and her ambassador is named immediately after the ambassadors of Igor and Svyatoslav - a significant argument in favor of Olga's clan nobility, especially if you remember that the treaties of Oleg and Svyatoslav do not mention their wives at all. “Princess from Pleskov” Olga is referred to in the Ermolin Chronicle (second half of the 15th century). From The Tale of Bygone Years it is known that after her marriage with Igor she received her own destiny - the city of Vyshgorod; in addition, she owned the village of Olzhichi. Subsequently, a third of the tribute collected in the "Derevskoy zemli" went to the needs of her court. Even during the life of her husband, Olga had "her own squad" at her disposal. Finally, Olga ruled Kyiv during the minority of Svyatoslav and then - in those years when the matured prince was looking for "honor" in foreign lands. All this quite definitely indicates her belonging to some kind of sovereign family.
But who is this "Tmutarkan prince"?
Assessing the testimony of the Pogodinsky collection, it should be borne in mind that the ancient Russian Tmutorokan (on the Taman Peninsula) has a Danubian counterpart - the city of Tutrakan, which still exists (in the lower reaches of the Danube, not far from Silistra). The old Russian form "Tmutarkan" (from the Pogodin collection) is clearly closer to the Bulgarian version - Tutrakan, than to Tmutorokani from The Tale of Bygone Years. It is also extremely important that the appearance of “Prince Tmutarkan” in the text did not prevent the chronicler from the Pogodinsky collection from mentioning “Pleskov” again - we will not find a city with that name on the Taman Peninsula, and in Danube Bulgaria Tutrakan and Pliska are neighbors. It is worth noting that in the XII-XIV centuries, a part of the Polovtsian horde really roamed in the "Tutrakan" region of the Northern Danube. But under the pen of the chronicler of the early XVII century. Polovtsy, no doubt, took the place of some other people, which in the first half of the tenth century. inhabited Tutrakan and its environs.
We have no direct evidence of the ethnicity of the Tutrakan princes. But here's what's interesting: Tutrakan lies in the area that medieval sources allow us to conditionally call the Danube Rus. Here, on the Bulgarian Danube, there was a whole scattering of “Russian cities”, mentioned in the “List of Russian cities far and near” (XIV century): Vidychev grad (modern Vidin), Ternov (present-day Veliko Tarnovo, next to which the Rositsa River flows ), Kiliya (on the Kiliya branch of the Danube), Kavarna (50 km north of Varna), as well as "at the mouth of the Dniester above the Belgorod Sea" (modern Belgorod-Dniester). About sixty kilometers from Tutrakan, up the Danube, there is still the city of Ruse / Rus, and closer to Black Sea coast- the city of Rositsa. Perhaps Cardinal Caesar Baronius had in mind one of these "Russian" settlements when he mentioned a certain "Russian city", in which the messengers of the Byzantine emperor Constantine Monomakh caught up with the papal envoys returning to Rome in the summer of 1054 (the message between Constantinople and Rome was carried out by Danube) ( Cm.: Ramm B.Ya. Papacy and Russia X-XV centuries. M., 1959. S. 58 ).
Finally, there is direct evidence of Olga’s ambassador named Iskusevi, who, of course, belonged to the closest circle of the princess, who in the treaty of 944 announced his (and, therefore, Olga’s) belonging to the “Russian family”. In one of the lists of the Pskov Chronicle (XVI century), it is reported that Olga's father was Russian, and her mother "from the Varangian language" ( Macarius, Metropolitan. History of Christianity in Russia. SPb., 1897. T. I. S. 228 ), which seems to also indicate Olga's ethnic ties with Slavic Pomorye; perhaps Olga's mother was a Wendish princess.
Hence it is very likely that the princes of Tutrakan were "from the Russian family."
Returning to the name of Olga's father "Polovtsian prince" ("daughter of Tmutarkan, prince of the Polovtsy"), I note that the mixing of the Rus with the Polovtsy can be considered a fairly characteristic phenomenon for late medieval sources. For example, in the Serbian translation of the XIV century. additions to the Byzantine chronograph of Zonara we read: "The clans called Rus, Kuman [one of the names of the Polovtsians] exist, live in Evksin ..." In the Mazurin Chronicle there is a legend about five brothers - the ancestors of the peoples of Great Scythia: two of them were called Rus and Kuman . Thus, we have before us a stable tradition of "overlapping" the ethnonyms "Rus" and "Polovtsy" on each other, or their root connection. Its origin, apparently, is explained by the very widespread custom of medieval historiography to assign to the "new" peoples who have recently settled in the "ancient" land, the name of this land, which was attached to it much earlier. So, the Slavs, having penetrated into the "Great Scythia", became "Scythians", the Rus settled in the Crimea - "Tauris", "Tauroscythians", etc. As we have seen, Tutrakan was in an area that even in the 17th century, according to persuasion of ancient Russian scribes, "bysh Rus" (postscript to "The Tale of the Russian Literacy"). Therefore, the ethnonyms "Russian" and "Polovtsian" in this region could subsequently be synonyms.
The Tutrakan Ruses, of course, experienced a strong Bulgarian influence - political and cultural. The latter can be seen, for example, from the fact that Konstantin Porphyrogenitus reproduces the name of Olga from its Bulgarian version - Elga (Bulgarian Elga). It can be assumed that Olga in her adolescence was given to the court of the Bulgarian archbishop in Pliska / Pleskov, from where she was then "brought" to Kyiv as Igor's bride.
In conclusion, let us pay attention to the fact that Olgin's son, Svyatoslav, in full consciousness of his right, continued to consider the Bulgarian Danube "his" land: my…” (about this phrase sounds especially absurd in the "Norman" interpretation of the origin of the ancient Russian state). Obviously, for Svyatoslav, the lower reaches of the Danube could be "the middle of his land" only by virtue of hereditary rights to this territory, which had passed to him from Olga. In the story of Konstantin Porphyrogenitus about the annual voyage of the Kievan Rus to Tsargrad, it is said, among other things, that, having passed the Danube Delta, they are no longer “afraid of anyone” - that is, as follows from the meaning of the phrase, not only the Pechenegs, but also the Bulgarians. Sources did not retain indications of a conclusion in the first half of the 10th century. of the allied Russian-Bulgarian treaty, by the presence of which they tried to explain this place in the work of Constantine ( Cm.: Litavrin G.G. Ancient Russia, Bulgaria and Byzantium in the IX-X centuries. // IX International Congress of Slavists. History, culture, ethnography and folklore of the Slavic peoples. M., 1983. S. 73-74 ). On the other hand, Igor’s marriage to the Tutrakan princess, directly or indirectly confirmed by several testimonies at once, perfectly clarifies the matter, exhaustively answering the question of why the ambassadors and combatants of the Kyiv prince felt at home in “Russian” (Danube) Bulgaria.
The most far-sighted historians have previously noted that “from the point of view of historical probability, the bringing of his wife to Igor from the Bulgarian city of Pliskov is more understandable than the appearance of Olga from Pskov, about which nothing else is known in the 10th century.”110. Indeed, the “Bulgarian-Russian” origin of Olga becomes quite clear in the light of the main direction of Russian expansion in the late 30s and early 40s. 10th century Strengthening the positions of the Kievan Rus in the Northern Black Sea region and the search for a wife for Igor in Pskov is a political absurdity. But taking possession of the mouth of the Dnieper and marrying a Bulgarian “Rusinka” are links in the same chain.
2 The first mentions of Olga in ancient Russian sources are found in Jacob Mnich and Metropolitan Hilarion, the authors of the second third of the 11th century. In their very brief characteristics The holy princess still lacks many details that were later included in the Tale of Bygone Years and Olga's Life.
