Princess Olga origin briefly. Princess Olga of Kyiv

Ruler Princess Olga, Vasily Petrovich Vereshchagin

• Years of life: about 890 - July 11, 969
• Father and mother: unknown, presumably not of noble birth.
• Spouse: .
• Children: .

Princess Olga (≈890 - July 11, 969) - ruler Kievan Rus. Ruled after the death of her husband Igor Rurikovich from 945 to 966. Olga was the first of the Russian rulers to accept Christianity. At baptism, she was named Elena.

Unfortunately, the origin of Olga is not known for certain. Still historians have not come to a consensus on this score. According to The Tale of Bygone Years, she was of ignoble origin - a peasant woman from Pskov.

According to the Piskarevsky chronicler and typographic chronicle (XV century), Olga was the daughter of Prophetic Oleg. He ruled Kievan Rus and was Igor's guardian, and then he also married Igor and Olga.

Normanists believed that Olga was of Varangian origin. In accordance with the Joachim Chronicle, Olga is of noble origin from the Gostomyslov family.

Historians from Bulgaria believe that Olga has Bulgarian roots. There are other theories.

There is also a legend about the acquaintance of Igor and Olga. The young prince went hunting in the Pskov region. There he wanted to cross the river. Igor saw the boat in which Olga was sailing, dressed in men's clothing, he asked the girl to ferry him to the other side. Igor began to pester Olga, but in response he was refused.

When Igor decided to get married, the most beautiful girls came to Kyiv. But the prince did not like any of them. Then he remembered Olga, his casual acquaintance. Igor sent Prophetic Oleg after her. And Olga became the wife of Prince Igor.

Olga owned Vyshgorod, Olzhichi, the village of Bududino, etc. In addition, she had her own squad, her own ambassador. Olga, while her husband was on campaign, was engaged in domestic politics.

The princess gave her husband a son, Svyatoslav.

In 945, the Drevlyans killed Igor. Svyatoslav was only three years old, so Princess Olga becomes the ruler of Kievan Rus.

Revenge of Princess Olga for the death of her husband

First revenge. The Drevlyans were afraid of Olga's revenge, so they sent Prince Mala to woo her. He, along with 20 Drevlyans, sailed on a boat. Olga responded to their proposal with consent. Then she ordered to dig big hole, into which the boat of the Drevlyans was thrown, then matchmakers were also sent there. Olga ordered them to be buried alive.

Second revenge. Olga sent a messenger demanding to send her the best people from the Drevlyans so that she could “go with great honor” for their prince. The Drevlyans obeyed and sent her the best husbands. Olga ordered that a bath be heated for them, and while the Drevlyans were washing, all the doors were locked and the bath was set on fire.

Third revenge. Olga went to the Drevlyans to arrange a feast for her late husband. She came, wept at her husband's grave, and then made a feast. Having drunk the Drevlyans, Olga ordered to cut off their heads. According to data, about five thousand Drevlyans died that day.

Fourth revenge. In 946, Olga decided to capture Iskorosten, the capital of the Drevlyans. The siege dragged on, and the princess decided to use a trick. She sent ambassadors to the city to make peace. The Drevlyans had to pay tribute in the amount of three doves and sparrows. Of course, the Drevlyans were delighted by this news, they sent tribute. At night, Olga ordered to tie tinder to the birds and let them go. The birds flew to their nests in Iskorosten. A fire started in the city. Residents fled from the city, and there Olga's squad was already waiting for them. So the princess captured the city. Some of the Drevlyans were killed, some became slaves, and Olga also ordered them to pay a large tribute.

Princess Olga: domestic politics

Olga was the official ruler until Svyatoslav came of age. Although even after that she was the actual ruler, because. her son was constantly on military campaigns.

Olga during her reign established a tribute to the land. The princess established a system of "graveyards". Pogosts are places where tribute is collected. Olga also established “polyudya” (taxes to Kyiv) and “tire, statutes”. All the lands were divided into parts, at the head of each was appointed a tiun (princely administrator). There was a centralization of power and a weakening of the power of the tribes.

Under Olga, the first stone buildings were built - Olga's tower and the city palace. Also, the princess was engaged in the improvement of Pskov, Novgorod and other lands belonging to Kyiv. Also during her reign, the churches of the Annunciation of the Virgin, St. Nicholas and Hagia Sophia, the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, were erected.

Princess Olga: foreign policy

Under Olga, there were no major campaigns. The princess decided to raise the prestige of Kievan Rus in the world. But she did not begin to conquer him by force, but decided to act diplomatically.

Baptism of Olga

Olga was the first ruler to accept Orthodoxy. In 955, the princess was baptized in Byzantium, and the Emperor of Byzantium became her godfather. But under Olga, Christianity did not take root in Russia.

Olga tried to introduce Svyatoslav to Christianity. But he refused, because. afraid of losing the respect of his squad.

July 11, 969 Olga died. The place of her burial is unknown. During the reign of Vladimir in 1547, she was canonized as a saint, and her relics were transferred to the Church of the Tithes.

Olga is revered as the patroness of newly converted Christians and widows.

Princess Olga was the very first ruler who converted to Christianity. Moreover, this happened even before the baptism of Russia.

She ruled the state from hopelessness, since her husband, Prince Igor, was killed, and his heir, their son Svyatoslav, was still too small to rule. She ruled from 945 to 962.

After the murder of Prince Oleg, the Drevlyansky Prince Mal really wanted to take his place. His plans were to marry Princess Olga and capture Kievan Rus. He sent her a lot of gifts and jewelry through his ambassadors.

Olga was very smart and cunning. The first ambassadors of Mala, who sailed on a boat, she ordered to be carried along with the boat over the abyss, the ambassadors were thrown into the abyss and they were buried alive.

Olga burned the second batch of ambassadors in the bathhouse. Then she herself went to the prince of the Drevlyans, allegedly to get married, on that day more than 5,000 Drevlyans were drunk and killed.

The reign of Princess Olga.

Activities of Princess Olga.

Olga was inspired by the thought that she needed to take revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband.

She was going on a military campaign. It was 946. The siege of the Drevlyans continued almost all summer. In this case, Olga showed the strength of mighty Russia. After the siege, she sent a message that they were retreating, but asking the inhabitants to give them a dove and three sparrows from each Drevlyan. Then the birds were tied with lit tinder and released. So the city of Iskorosten was completely burned.

Domestic policy and reforms of Princess Olga.

Olga systematized the collection of taxes from the population. She organized special places to collect tribute, which were called churchyards. The princess was actively engaged in urban planning and beautification of the territory.

All the lands that were in the power of the princess were divided by her into administrative units. Each unit was assigned its manager - tiun.

The foreign policy of Princess Olga.

Since Olga was still a woman, she rarely went on hikes. She developed the trade with her mind and quick wits. Olga was a supporter of a peaceful solution to the conflicts that arose. Scandinavians and Germans went to work as hired workers in the Russian troops.

Grand Duchess Olga

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, will agree to share the Kyiv throne with him.

At that time grand duchess Olga raised 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 many Drevlyans as possible be present at the feast. 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 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 helped with the construction 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.

History of Russia / Princess Olga /

The reign of Princess Olga (briefly)

The reign of Princess Olga - a brief description

The opinions of researchers differ when it comes to the date and place of birth of Princess Olga.

The ancient chronicles do not give us accurate information whether she was from a noble family or from a simple family. Some are inclined to believe that Olga was the daughter of the Grand Duke Oleg the Prophet, while others argue that her family comes from the Bulgarian prince Boris. The author of the chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years" directly says that Olga's homeland is a small village near Pskov and that she is "from a simple family."

According to one version, Prince Igor Rurikovich saw Olga in the forest, where he was hunting game.

Deciding to cross a small river, the prince asked for help from a girl passing by on a boat, whom he at first mistook for a young man. The girl turned out pure thoughts, beautiful and smart.

Later, the prince decided to take her as his wife.

Princess Olga after the death of her husband (as well as during the reign of Igor in Kyiv) from the Drevlyans, proved to be firm and wise ruler Russia. She dealt with political issues, managed with combatants, governors, complainants, and also received ambassadors. Very often, when Prince Igor went on military campaigns, his duties fell entirely on the shoulders of the princess.

After Igor was killed in 945 for the repeated collection of tribute, Olga cruelly repaid them for the death of her husband, showing unprecedented cunning and will.

Three times she killed the Drevlyan ambassadors, after which she gathered an army and went to war against the Drevlyans. After Olga could not take main city Korosten (while the rest of the settlements were completely destroyed), she demanded three sparrows and three doves from each house, and then ordered her soldiers to attach tinder to the paws of birds, set it on fire and release the birds.

Burning birds flew to their nests. So Korosten was taken.

After the pacification of the Drevlyans, the princess took up tax reform. She abolished polyudia and divided it into areas of land, for each "lessons" (a fixed tax) were established. The main goal of the reforms was to streamline the tribute system, as well as to strengthen state authority.

Also during the reign of Olga, the first stone cities appeared, and her foreign state policy was carried out not with the help of military methods, but with diplomacy.

Thus, ties with Byzantium and Germany were strengthened.

The princess herself decided to accept Christianity, and although her baptism did not affect Svyatoslav's decision to leave pagan Russia, Vladimir continued her work.

Olga died in 969 in Kyiv, and in 1547 she was canonized as a saint.

Interesting materials:

Education

Politics of Princess Olga. Olga's foreign and domestic policy

Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna ruled in Kievan Rus after the death of her husband Igor Rurikovich and until the coming of age of her son Svyatoslav. She converted to Christianity with the name Elena.

History has not preserved information about the princess's date of birth, but the Book of Degrees says that she died presumably at the age of eighty. The impeccable and wise policy of Princess Olga made her a well-known historical figure almost all over the world.

life path

There is no reliable information about the place of her birth.

Chroniclers and modern historians put forward a variety of assumptions in this regard. As close as possible to the truth is the statement of Nestor the Chronicler in The Tale of Bygone Years that she comes from a simple family that lived in the small village of Vybuty, located on Pskov land. But no matter where Olga was born and no matter what tribe she belongs to, the wisdom of her policies and deeds are an integral part of Slavic history.

Before the death of Igor, there is practically no information about the princess.

The death of her husband put her in first place in the life of Kievan Rus, because Svyatoslav was three years old, and, of course, he was not fit to be a prince. She took over the management of the state, which was at that time in an extremely difficult situation, and for 19 years completely coped with all the problems. External and domestic politics Olga created a single state with international authority.

Revenge on the Drevlyans

The first revenge of the princess was the burial of the Drevlyansk ambassadors alive. The reason for this was their proposal to marry her to their prince Mal. After that, she burned alive in the bathhouse the noble Drevlyans, who arrived after the first.

For the third time, Olga drugged 5,000 of their fellow tribesmen at her husband's feast, after which her small squad killed everyone. The final stage of revenge was the burning of the city of Iskorosten.

In these acts, in addition to cruel revenge, there is also a deep meaning. Olga had to show both well-wishers and enemies that she was not a weak woman, but a strong ruler. “The hair is long, and the mind is short,” they said about women in those days.

Therefore, she was forced to demonstrate her wisdom and knowledge in military affairs in order to prevent the emergence of any conspiracies behind her back. For the second time, the princess did not want to get married, she preferred to remain a widow.

Thus, it became clear that Olga's foreign and domestic policy would be wise and fair. In fact, this bloody revenge was aimed at abolishing the power of the Mala dynasty, subordinating the Drevlyans to Kyiv and suppressing the nobility from neighboring principalities.

Related videos

Reforms and introduction of Christianity

After taking revenge on the Drevlyans, the princess established clear rules for collecting tribute.

This helped prevent outbreaks of discontent, one of which resulted in the murder of her husband. Near big cities graveyards were introduced. It was in these administrative and economic cells that the authorities collected tribute.

Olga's foreign and domestic policy has always been aimed at the centralization of state administration, as well as the unification and strengthening of Russian lands.

The construction of not only the Church of St. Nicholas, but also the St. Sophia Church in Kyiv is associated with the name of Olga.

Olga's foreign and domestic policy characterizes her not as a defenseless woman, but as a strong and reasonable ruler who firmly and confidently holds power over the whole country in her hands. She wisely defended her people from ill-wishers, for which people loved and respected her.

In addition to the fact that the ruler had large quantity already mentioned positive qualities, she was still attentive and generous to the poor people.

Domestic politics

While the empress was in power, peace and order reigned in Kievan Rus.

The internal policy of Princess Olga was closely intertwined with the dispensation of the spiritual and religious life of the Russian people.

One of her most important achievements was the introduction of organized tribute collection points, on which later, after the ruler adopted Christianity, the first churches and temples began to be erected on the sites of churchyards. Since that time, the development of stone construction began. The first such buildings were the country tower and the city palace, which belonged to the empress.

The remains of their walls and foundations were excavated by archaeologists only in the early 70s of the XX century.

The domestic policy of Princess Olga is inextricably linked with the strengthening of the country's defense. Cities then literally overgrown with oak and stone walls.

Relations with neighboring principalities

Olga's foreign policy deserves special attention.

The table below contains the main deeds of the princess.

When the ruler established the state of affairs within Kievan Rus, she set about strengthening the international prestige of her country. The foreign policy of Princess Olga was diplomatic, in contrast to her husband.

At the beginning of her reign, she converted to Christianity, and the Byzantine emperor became her godfather.

Basically, the foreign policy of Princess Olga was aimed at improving relations with Byzantium.

And she did it well. For the sake of which part of the Russian squad participated together with the Byzantine army in hostilities, while maintaining the independence of their state.

In 968 Kyiv was attacked by the Pechenegs. The defense of the city was led by the princess herself, thanks to which he was spared from the siege.

During the reign of Olga, conditions were formed that created the advantage of conducting a peaceful foreign policy before the military, if there was a need for it.

Attempts to establish relations with the German Empire

Over time, friendly relations with Byzantium began to weaken, and Olga decided to find a strong ally.

She stopped her choice in Germany.

In 959, the princess sent a Russian embassy to Otto I with a request to provide priests for the introduction of Christianity in the Kyiv lands, as well as with an offer of friendship and peace.

He responded to Olga's calls, and in 961 several clergy led by Adalbert arrived to her.

True, they did not manage to deploy their activities on Kyiv territory, since at the end of her life Olga no longer had such influence as before.

In 964, power passed to Svyatoslav, who radically changed the tactics of state policy.

And, I must say, not for the better.

  Around 893 Birth of Olga in Vybutovskaya village on the Pskov land.

  903 Mention in "The Tale of Bygone Years" about the marriage of Igor and Olga.

  907 Prince Oleg's campaign against Constantinople. The conclusion of the Russian-Byzantine treaty on peace and the permission of duty-free trade for Russian merchants in Constantinople.

  911 The conclusion of a written Russian-Byzantine treaty "about peace and love".

  912 The death of the Grand Duke Kievsky Oleg. The beginning of the reign in Kyiv of Igor Rurikovich.

  913 The tribe of the Drevlyans fell away from the power of Prince Igor of Kyiv.

  914 Igor's campaign against the Drevlyans and the imposition of a new tribute on them.

  Later 914 Igor transfers the right to collect tribute from the Drevlyans to the governor Sveneld. This dissatisfied Kyiv squad.

  915 The first annalistic mention of the Pechenegs' campaign against Russia. The conclusion of peace between the Pechenegs and Prince Igor.

  920 Prince Igor's campaign against the Pechenegs.

  922 Igor's campaign against the streets and the imposition of tribute on them.

  Around 940 Birth of Prince Igor and Olga's son Svyatoslav.

  Early 940s The reign of the infant Svyatoslav in Veliky Novgorod.

  941 The campaign of Prince Igor to Constantinople, which ended in the complete defeat of the Russian fleet and heavy losses during the return of the Russian army to their homeland.

  942 The campaign of Prince Igor against the Drevlyans and their pacification.

  944 The campaign of Prince Igor in alliance with the Pechenegs against Byzantium. The conclusion of the Russian-Byzantine peace treaty. Mention in the text of the treaty of Princess Olga and her son Svyatoslav.

  944 The campaign of Prince Igor in the Drevlyansk land for tribute.

  945 The murder of Prince Igor by the Drevlyans. Beginning of Olga's reign in Kievan Rus.

  946 spring- The arrival of the Drevlyansk ambassadors to Kyiv with the intention of wooing Olga for Prince Mala. Olga's massacre with the Drevlyansk embassy.

  946 summer- Arrival in Kyiv to Olga of the "best husbands" of the Drevlyane land. The burning of the Drevlyansk matchmakers on the orders of Olga.

  946 end of summer- Olga's third revenge on the Drevlyans. The murder of representatives of the Drevlyansk clans during the funeral feast for Igor.

  946 The campaign of the Kyiv army, led by the governor Sveneld, together with Princess Olga and Prince Svyatoslav, to the Drevlyane land. Siege, capture and burning of Iskorosten. Murder of city elders. The end of the war with the Drevlyans. The imposition of "tribute heavy" on them.

  947 Detour by Princess Olga of the volosts of Kievan Rus. Establishment of graveyards and camps for collecting tribute in the Meta and Luga basin and along the Dnieper and Desna. Determination of a fixed amount of tribute from subject tribes.

  Middle of the 10th century Resettlement of the Polovtsy in the steppes of the Black Sea region and the Caucasus.

  Middle of the 10th century Accession to the Kyiv Principality of the land of Tivertsy.

  Middle of the 10th century Separation of the Principality of Polotsk.

  Middle of the 10th century the first mention in the annals of Vyshgorod - a city north of Kyiv.

  2nd floor 10th century Formation of the Vladimir-Volyn principality.

  954 Participation of the Byzantines (together with the Russians) in the battle of Al-Hadas.

  955 Annalistic reference to Olga's journey to Constantinople.

  957 September 9- Reception of Princess Olga in Constantinople by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus.

  959 autumn- The message of the German chronicle about the embassy of Princess Olga to the German king Otto I with a request to send a Catholic bishop to the Russian land.

  Before 962 The arrival of the German Bishop Adalbert in Kyiv with the aim of converting the Russians to Catholicism. The expulsion of the bishop and his retinue from Kyiv. The dissatisfaction of pagan adherents with Olga's policy in Kyiv. Removal of Olga from direct control of the country.

  964 Start state activities Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich.

  964 The war of Prince Svyatoslav against the Vyatichi.

  965 The beginning of the hostilities of Prince Svyatoslav against the Khazar Khaganate. Eastern campaign of Svyatoslav against the Volga Bulgars and Burtases. Capture by Svyatoslav of the capital of Khazaria - Itil. The conquest of the land of the yas. The defeat of the Khazar fortress Sarkel. The growth of the influence of Kievan Rus in the Northern Black Sea region.

  965 The Volga Bulgaria gaining independence from the Khazars.

  966 Svyatoslav's new campaign against the Vyatichi and the laying of tribute on them.

  966 The arrival of the Byzantine patrician Kalokir to Prince Svyatoslav in order to convince him to oppose the Bulgarian kingdom.

  968 August- The attack of the Russian troops led by Svyatoslav on the Danube Bulgaria. Svyatoslav conquers 80 Bulgarian cities and decides to transfer the capital of the power he conquered to Pereyaslavets-on-the-Danube.

  969 spring- The siege of Kyiv by the Pechenegs. Olga, being in the besieged city with her grandchildren Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir, shows courage and endurance. Arrival of Prince Svyatoslav to Russia.

  Around 999 The transfer of the relics of Princess Olga by her grandson, Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich to the church Holy Mother of God 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

Since 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 St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Helena, who worked hard in spreading 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 the oldest 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 the age of Svyatoslav, but even after that she remained the de facto ruler, since her son most absent from military campaigns.

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 next year he was going to leave for Pereyaslavets, but Olga kept him.

« 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.

Igor Rurikovich was killed by the Drevlyans when he tried to take too much tribute from them. Having killed Igor, the Drevlyans considered that they had the right to rule over Kyiv, and sent ambassadors to his young widow, Princess Olga, with an offer to become the wife of their prince Mal.

Revenge of the young princess

At first glance, the princess favorably accepted the offer and even promised the ambassadors unprecedented honors. The next day they were supposed to be brought to her tower right in the boat. And indeed, the satisfied ambassadors were brought to Olga in a boat, and together with the boat they were thrown into a previously prepared pit and buried alive.

However, this seemed to Olga not enough. She sent her ambassador to the unsuspecting Drevlyans, demanding that a more magnificent and numerous embassy be sent for her. The ambassadors who arrived soon were given a very welcome, offering to take a steam bath in the bath from the road. There they were locked up and burned alive.

After that, Olga informed the Drevlyans, who did not know about the fate of her ambassadors, that before her second marriage she wanted to perform a feast over the grave of her first husband. In the funeral feast, which took place near the city of Iskorosten, where Igor was killed, 5 thousand noble Drevlyans participated, who were then chopped down by soldiers.

Burnt city

But even this revenge seemed insufficient to Olga. She wanted to destroy Iskorosten. However, the inhabitants of the city put up fierce resistance to her army. And then Olga resorted to a new trick. The princess pretended to be satisfied with the revenge that had already taken place and demanded a symbolic tribute from the townspeople: three doves and three from each yard. Breathing a sigh of relief, the inhabitants of Iskorosten complied with her demand. After that, Olga ordered to tie a lit tinder to the leg of each bird and release them to freedom. Birds in their native nests and set fire to the city. The unfortunate inhabitants of Iskorosten tried to escape, but, as a result, they were captured by Olga's soldiers. Some of them were betrayed, another part was sold into slavery, and the rest were overlaid with exorbitant tribute.

The terrible revenge of the pagan Olga, who later became Christian, cannot but terrify. Although, as you know, pagan times were generally distinguished by cruelty, and the actions of Olga, who avenged the death of her beloved husband, fully corresponded to the mores of these times.

It is also quite possible that, having become a Christian, Olga repented of her deed. In any case, in the future she would be known as a wise and merciful ruler, who remained faithful to the memory of her husband until the end of her days.

Related videos

If you want to know which man you are compatible with, you can draw conclusions based on numerology. It is this science that will help you choose a couple according to your name and the name of a man.

Overview of the compatibility of the name Olga with some male names in numerology

Numerology is a very interesting thing. She can decompose letters into numbers and recognize names. Based on this, you can find out which person with what name suits you best. Numerology is built entirely on, but in this case already described finished characteristics names so as not to confuse the reader. The numbers are excluded. The name Olga, despite the fact that it is quite ancient, is quite common in Russia.

Pairs made up of older names

Olga and Dmitry. This combination suggests financial well-being. People with these names have a similar train of thought. And it plays into their hands.

A prosperous union based on a material basis.

Olga and Eugene will get along better together if one is in the role of a leader, and the second is in the role of a performer. Such relationships will be most convenient for them. The most important thing is to try to agree on who will take on what role, and then everything will go like clockwork. The main thing is not to forget to give in to each other during the time.

Olga and Mikhail are a great travel couple. Both the woman and this pair are inquisitive and easy-going. Their family will feel great on the road. This couple will be very hospitable, because they both do not like silence.

They both have a wide social circle, so there will be a lot of friends.

Olga and Sergey are a quiet and calm couple. These people can easily create a quiet cozy, because they both love peace and quiet. The pair will work out well if Olga does not forget to give in to Mikhail.

Olga and Yuri are very subtle born psychologists, so it is not difficult for them to interact with each other. If they don’t dig deep into the arcs of a friend and don’t try to change the partner’s character and habits for themselves, everything will be fine. These people are very fond of being in society and impressing others. A very ambitious couple. Will always strive forward to new knowledge.

Olga and Oleg can organize a couple, but only if both of them really want it. Not the most strong alliance, but if desired, it is possible. True, the couple will rely more on the everyday side of the issue if they manage to agree that they can exist together.

As you can see, ladies named Olga are quite flexible and can successfully pair with many people. Olga can adapt to her partner, settle misunderstandings, improve life, but only when they themselves see the meaning in this for themselves.