Princess Olga is one of the most prominent and mysterious personalities on the Kiev throne. She ruled Russia for 15 years: from 945 to 960. And she became famous as the first woman ruler, as a firm, decisive politician and as a reformer. But some facts of her affairs and life are very contradictory, and many points have not yet been clarified. This allows you to question not only her political activity but existence itself. Let's take a look at the data that has come down to us.

Information about Olga's life can be found in the "Book of Degrees" (1560-1563), which gives a systematic presentation of Russian history, in the Tale of Bygone Years, in the collection "On the ceremonies of the Byzantine court" by Konstantin Porphyrogenitus, in the Radziwill and some others annals. Some of the information that can be gleaned from them is controversial, and sometimes the exact opposite.

Personal life

The greatest doubts are caused by the dating of the princess's birth. Some chroniclers report the year 893, but then she would have married at the age of ten, and gave birth to her first son at 49. That is why this date seems unlikely. Modern historians put forward their dating: from 920 to 927-928, but confirmation of these guesses is nowhere to be found.

Also, Olga's nationality remained unclear. She is called a Slav from Pskov (or from the ancient near Pskov), a Varangian (because of the similarity of her name with the Old Scandinavian Helga), and even a Bulgarian. This version was put forward by Bulgarian historians, translating the ancient spelling of Pskov Pleskov as Pliska - the capital of what was then Bulgaria.

Olga's family is also controversial. It is generally accepted to consider her an ignorant family, but there is the Joachim Chronicle (although its authenticity is in doubt), which informs about the princely origin of the princess. Some other chronicles, also controversial, confirm the speculation that Olga was allegedly a daughter Prophetic Oleg- choir director Igor Rurikovich.

Olga's marriage is the next controversial fact. According to The Tale of Bygone Years, the wedding took place in 903. Exists beautiful legend, announcing an unintentional meeting between Igor and Olga in the woods near Pskov. Allegedly, the young prince was crossing the river on a ferry, which was ruled by a beautiful girl in men's clothing- Olga. He proposed to her - she refused, but later their marriage still took place. Other chronicles tell the legend of an intentional marriage: the regent Oleg himself chose Igor's wife - a girl named Prekras, to whom he gave his name.

We cannot know anything about Olga's future life. The only known fact is the birth of her first son - about 942. In the chronicle records, she reappears only after the death of her husband in 945. As you know, Igor Rurikovich died while collecting tribute in the Drevlyan lands. His son was then a three-year-old child, and Olga took the board into her own hands.

The beginning of the reign

Olga began with the massacre of the Drevlyans. Ancient chroniclers claim that the Drevlyane prince Mal twice sent matchmakers to her with a proposal to marry him. But the princess responded with refusals, cruelly killing the ambassadors. Then she made two military campaigns in the lands of Mala. During this time, more than 5,000 Drevlyans were killed and their capital, the city of Iskorosten, was destroyed. This begs the question: how, after that, was Olga ranked among the saints of the Equal to the Apostles and called Saint?

The subsequent reign of the princess was of a more humane nature - she gave the first example of the construction of buildings made of stone (the Kiev palace and Olga's country residence), traveled around the lands of Novgorod and Pskov, and established the amount of tribute and the place of its collection. But some scientists doubt the truth of these facts.

Baptism in Constantinople

All sources name only the approximate date, place and godparents of Olga, which also raises many questions. But most of them agree that she accepted the Christian faith in 957 in Constantinople, and the Byzantine emperor Roman II and the patriarch Polyeuctus became her godparents. Slavic chronicles even cite a legend about how the emperor wanted to marry Olga, but she twice outwitted him and left him with nothing. But in the collection of Konstantin Porphyrogenitus it is indicated that Olga was already baptized during the visit.

Assumptions

Of course, such contradictions in the sources can be explained by the prescription of Olga's era. But we can assume that the chronicles tell us about two (or even more) women of the same name. After all, then in Russia there was a custom of polygamy, and there is evidence of several of Igor's wives. Maybe in 903 the prince took one Olga of one origin as his wife, and another Olga of another origin gave birth to him Svyatoslav. This easily explains the confusion with the year of her birth, the date of her marriage and the birth of her son.

And just as I want to believe that a completely different Olga was ranked among the saints, not the one who repaired the brutal massacres of the Drevlyans.

Since ancient times, people have called St. Olga the Equal-to-the-Apostles "the head of the faith" and "the root of Orthodoxy" in the Russian land. Olga's baptism was marked by the prophetic words of the patriarch who baptized her: “Blessed are you in the wives of the Russians, for you 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. Helena, Equal to the Apostles, who labored a lot in spreading Christianity in the vast Roman Empire and acquired the Life-giving Cross, on which the Lord was crucified. Like her heavenly patroness, Olga became an Equal-to-the-Apostles preacher of Christianity in the vast expanses of the Russian land. There are many chronological inaccuracies and mysteries in the chronicles about her, but doubts can hardly arise about the reliability of most of the facts of her life, conveyed to our time by the grateful descendants of the holy princess - the organizer of the Russian land. Let's turn to the story of her life.

The name of the future enlightener of Russia and her homeland is the oldest of the chronicles - "The Tale of Bygone Years" in the description of the marriage of Prince Igor of Kiev: "And they brought him a wife from Pskov named Olga." The Joachim Chronicle specifies that she belonged to the family of the Izborsk princes - one of the ancient Russian princely dynasties.

Igor's wife was called by the Varangian name Helga, in Russian pronunciation - Olga (Volga). Tradition calls the village of Vybuty, not far from Pskov, up the Velikaya River, Olga's homeland. The life of Saint Olga tells that here for the first time she met her future husband. The young prince was hunting "in the Pskov region" and, wishing to cross the Velikaya River, he saw "a certain one floating in a boat" and called him to the shore. Having sailed from the coast in a boat, the prince discovered that a girl of amazing beauty was taking him. Igor was inflamed with lust for her and began to persuade her to sin. The carrier turned out to be not only beautiful, but chaste and intelligent. She shamed Igor by reminding him of the princely dignity of the ruler and judge, which should be “ bright example good deeds ”for their people. Igor parted with her, keeping in his memory her words and a beautiful image. When the time came to choose a bride, the most beautiful girls principality. But none of them pleased him. And then he remembered Olga, "marvelous in girls" and sent for her a relative of his prince Oleg. So Olga became the wife of Prince Igor, the great Russian princess.

After his marriage, Igor went on a campaign against the Greeks, and returned from him as a father: his son Svyatoslav was born. Soon Igor was killed by the Drevlyans. Fearing revenge for the murder of the Kiev prince, the Drevlyans sent ambassadors to Princess Olga, inviting her to marry their ruler Mal. Olga pretended to agree. By cunning she lured two Drevlyan embassies to Kiev, putting them to painful death: the first was buried alive "in the prince's courtyard," the second was burnt in a bathhouse. After that, five thousand Drevlyansky men were killed by Olga's soldiers at a funeral service for Igor near the walls of the Drevlyansky capital Iskorosten. The next year Olga again approached Iskorosten with an army. The city was burned with the help of birds, to whose feet a burning tow was tied. The surviving Drevlyans were captured and sold into slavery.

Along with this, the annals are full of evidence of her tireless "walks" across the Russian land in order to build the political and economic life of the country. She achieved the strengthening of the power of the Kiev Grand Duke, centralized public administration using the "graveyard" system. The chronicle notes that she and her son and retinue walked through the Drevlyansky land, "establishing tributes and quitrent fees", marking villages and encampments and hunting places to be included in the Kiev grand ducal possessions. She went to Novgorod, arranging churchyards along the Msta and Luga rivers. “She caught (hunting places) were all over the land, established signs, her places and graveyards,” writes the chronicler, “and her sleigh stands in Pskov to this day, there are places indicated by her for catching birds along the Dnieper and along the Desna; and her village Olgichi still exists today. " Pogosts (from the word "guest" - merchant) became the mainstay of the grand ducal power, centers of ethnic and cultural unification of the Russian people.

Life tells the following about Olga's works: “And Princess Olga ruled the regions of the Russian land subject to her not as a woman, but as a strong and reasonable husband, firmly holding power in her hands and bravely defending herself from enemies. And she was terrible for the latter, loved by her own people, as a merciful and pious ruler, as a righteous judge and not offending anyone, imposing punishment with mercy, and rewarding the good; she instilled fear in all evil, rewarding each in proportion to the dignity of his actions, but in all matters of government she showed foresight and wisdom. At the same time Olga, merciful by heart, was generous to the poor, the poor and the poor; fair requests soon reached her heart, and she quickly fulfilled them ... With all this Olga combined a temperate and chaste life, she did not want to remarry, but was in pure widowhood, observing her son's princely power until the days of his age. When the latter matured, she handed over to him all the affairs of the government, and she herself, having withdrawn from rumor and care, lived outside the worries of government, indulging in matters of goodness. "

Russia grew and became stronger. Cities were built, surrounded by stone and oak walls. The princess herself lived behind the reliable walls of Vyshgorod, surrounded by a faithful squad. Two-thirds of the collected tribute, according to the chronicle, she gave at the disposal of the Kiev veche, the third part went “to Olga, to Vyshgorod” - to the military building. The establishment of the first state borders of Kievan Rus dates back to the time of Olga. The heroic outposts, sung in epics, guarded the peaceful life of the Kievites from the nomads of the Great Steppe, from attacks from the West. Foreigners rushed to Gardarika ("the land of cities"), as they called Russia, with goods. Scandinavians, the Germans willingly joined as mercenaries in Russian army... Russia was becoming a great power.

How wise ruler Olga saw on the example of the Byzantine Empire that it was not enough to worry only about state and economic life. It was necessary to start organizing the religious, spiritual life of the people.

The author of the Book of Degrees writes: “Her / Olga's feat / was that she recognized the true God. Not knowing the Christian law, she lived a pure and chaste life, and she wanted to be a Christian by free will, with her heart's eyes she found the way of knowing God and followed it without hesitation. " The Monk Nestor the chronicler narrates: "Blessed Olga from an early age sought wisdom, which is the best in this light, and found a precious pearl - Christ."

Having made your choice grand duchess Olga, having entrusted Kiev to her grown-up son, sets off with a large fleet to Constantinople. Old Russian chroniclers will call this act of Olga "walking", it combined in itself a religious pilgrimage, and a diplomatic mission, and a demonstration of the military might of Russia. “Olga wanted to go to the Greeks herself, in order to see with her own eyes the Christian service and be fully convinced of their teaching about the true God,” narrates the life of Saint Olga. According to the chronicle, Olga made the decision to become a Christian in Constantinople. The sacrament of Baptism was performed over her by the Patriarch of Constantinople Theophylact (933 - 956), and the emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus (912 - 959) was the recipient, who left in his work "On the ceremonies of the Byzantine court" detailed description ceremonies during Olga's stay in Constantinople. At one of the receptions, the Russian Princess was presented with a golden dish adorned with precious stones. Olga donated it to the sacristy of the Cathedral of St. Sophia, where he was seen and described at the beginning of the 13th century by the Russian diplomat Dobrynya Yadreykovich, later Archbishop Anthony of Novgorod: “The dish is great for Olga the Russian service, when she took a tribute when she went to Constantinople: in Olga's dish there is a precious stone , on the same stones Christ is written. "

The Patriarch blessed the newly baptized Russian princess with a cross carved from a single piece of the Life-giving Tree of the Lord. On the cross was the inscription: "The Russian land was renewed with the Holy Cross, and Olga, the noble princess, received him."

Olga returned to Kiev with icons, liturgical books - her apostolic ministry began. She erected a church in the name of St. Nicholas over the grave of Askold - the first Kiev prince-Christian and she converted many people of Kiev to Christ. With the preaching of faith, the princess set off to the north. In the Kiev and Pskov lands, in distant lands, at crossroads, she erected crosses, destroying pagan idols.

Saint Olga laid the foundation for a special veneration of the Most Holy Trinity in Russia. From century to century, the story of a vision that happened to her near the Velikaya River, not far from her native village, was passed on. She saw that "three bright rays" were descending from the sky from the east. Addressing your companions former witnesses vision, Olga said prophetically: "Let it be known to you that the will of God in this place will be a church in the name of the Most Holy and Life-giving Trinity, and there will be a great and glorious city, abounding in all." At this place Olga erected a cross and founded a church in the name of the Holy Trinity. It became the main cathedral of Pskov, a glorious Russian city, which has since been called the "House of the Holy Trinity". Through the mysterious paths of spiritual succession, four centuries later, this veneration was transmitted to the Monk Sergius of Radonezh.

On May 11, 960, the Church of St. Sophia, the Wisdom of God, was consecrated in Kiev. This day was celebrated in the Russian Church as a special holiday. The main shrine of the temple was the cross received by Olga during her baptism in Constantinople. The temple, built by Olga, burned down in 1017, and in its place Yaroslav the Wise erected the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Irina, and the relics of St. Sophia Holguin's temple were transferred to the still standing stone church of St. Sophia of Kiev, founded in 1017 and consecrated around 1030. In the Prologue of the XIII century about Olga's cross it is said: "That one now stands in Kiev in St. Sophia in the altar on the right side." After the conquest of Kiev by the Lithuanians, the Holguin cross was stolen from the St. Sophia Cathedral and taken by the Catholics to Lublin. His further fate is unknown to us. The princess's apostolic labors met with secret and open resistance from the pagans. Among the boyars and warriors in Kiev, there were many people who, according to the chroniclers, “hated Wisdom,” like St. Olga, who built her temples. The zealots of pagan antiquity raised their heads more and more boldly, looking with hope at the growing Svyatoslav, who resolutely rejected his mother's persuasions to accept Christianity. “The Tale of Bygone Years” tells about it this way: “Olga lived with her son Svyatoslav, and her mother persuaded him to be baptized, but he neglected it and plugged his ears; however, if anyone wanted to be baptized, he did not oppose him, nor mocked him ... Olga often said: “My son, I have come to know God and I rejoice; here you too, if you learn, you will also begin to rejoice. " He, not listening to this, said: “How can I want to change my faith alone? My vigilantes will laugh at this! " She told him: "If you are baptized, everyone will do the same."

He, not listening to his mother, lived according to pagan customs, not knowing that if someone does not listen to his mother, he will get into trouble, as it is said: "If someone does not listen to his father or mother, then he will die." Besides, he was also angry with his mother ... But Olga loved her son Svyatoslav when she said: “Let the will of God be done. If God wants to have mercy on my descendants and the Russian land, may he command their hearts to turn to God, as it was granted to me. " And saying this, I prayed for my son and for his people all days and nights, taking care of her son until he matured. "

Despite the success of her trip to Constantinople, Olga was unable to persuade the emperor to agree on two important issues: on the dynastic marriage of Svyatoslav with the Byzantine princess and on the conditions for the restoration of the metropolitanate that existed under Askold in Kiev. Therefore, Saint Olga turns her gaze to the West - the Church was at that time one. The Russian princess could hardly have known about the theological differences between the Greek and Latin doctrines.

In 959, a German chronicler writes: "The ambassadors of Helena, the queen of the Russians, who was baptized in Constantinople, came to the king and asked to consecrate a bishop and priests for this people." King Otto, the future founder of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, responded to Olga's request. A year later, Libucius was made bishop of Russia, from the brethren of the monastery of St. Alban in Mainz, but he soon died (March 15, 961). In his place, they dedicated Adalbert of Trier, whom Otto, “having generously supplied with everything necessary,” finally sent to Russia. When in 962, Adalbert appeared in Kiev, he "did not have time in anything for which he was sent, and saw his efforts in vain." On the way back, "some of his companions were killed, and the bishop himself did not escape mortal danger," - this is how the chronicles of Adalbert's mission tell.

The pagan reaction manifested itself so strongly that not only German missionaries suffered, but also some of the Kiev Christians who were baptized with Olga. On the orders of Svyatoslav, Olga's nephew Gleb was killed and some of the temples she built were destroyed. Saint Olga had to come to terms with what had happened and go into matters of personal piety, leaving control to the pagan Svyatoslav. Of course, she was still reckoned with, her experience and wisdom were invariably referred to on all important occasions. When Svyatoslav was absent from Kiev, the administration of the state was entrusted to Saint Olga. The glorious military victories of the Russian army were consolation for her. Svyatoslav defeated the long-standing enemy of the Russian state - the Khazar Kaganate, forever crushing the power of the Jewish rulers of the Azov region and the lower Volga region. The next blow was dealt to the Volga Bulgaria, then the turn of the Danube Bulgaria came - eighty cities were taken by the Kiev warriors along the Danube. Svyatoslav and his soldiers personified the heroic spirit of pagan Rus. The chronicles have preserved the words of Svyatoslav, surrounded with his retinue by a huge Greek army: “We will not disgrace the Russian land, but we will lay our bones here! The dead have no shame! " Svyatoslav dreamed of creating a huge Russian state from the Danube to the Volga, which would unite Russia and others Slavic peoples... Saint Olga understood that with all the courage and courage of the Russian squads, they could not cope with ancient empire Romans, which will not allow the strengthening of pagan Russia. But the son did not listen to his mother's warnings.

Saint Olga had to endure many sorrows at the end of her life. The son finally moved to Pereyaslavets on the Danube. While in Kiev, she taught her grandchildren, the children of Svyatoslav, the Christian faith, but did not dare to baptize them, fearing the anger of her son. In addition, he obstructed her attempts to establish Christianity in Russia. Last years, in the midst of the triumph of paganism, she, once the revered mistress of the state, who was baptized by the Ecumenical Patriarch in the capital of Orthodoxy, had to secretly keep a priest with her so as not to cause a new outbreak of anti-Christian sentiments. In 968 Kiev was besieged by the Pechenegs. The holy princess and her grandchildren, among whom was Prince Vladimir, found themselves in mortal danger. When the news of the siege reached Svyatoslav, he hurried to help, and the Pechenegs were put to flight. Saint Olga, already seriously ill, asked her son not to leave until her death. She did not lose hope of turning her son's heart to God and on her deathbed did not stop preaching: “Why are you leaving me, my son, and where are you going? Looking for a stranger, to whom do you entrust yours? After all, Thy children are still small, and I am already old, and even sick, - I expect an imminent death - a departure to beloved Christ, in whom I believe; I now do not worry about anything, but only about you: I regret that although I taught and persuaded a lot to leave the idolatrous wickedness, to believe in the true God, which I have known, and you neglect this, and I know what kind of disobedience you are a bad end awaits you on earth for me, and after death - eternal torment prepared for the Gentiles. Fulfill now at least this last request of mine: do not go anywhere until I am dead and buried; then go wherever you want. After my death, do not do anything that is required in such cases by pagan custom; but let my presbyter with the clergy bury my body according to the Christian custom; do not dare to pour a grave mound over me and do funeral feasts; but send gold to Constantinople to the holy patriarch, so that he would make a prayer and an offering to God for my soul and give alms to the poor. "

“Hearing this, Svyatoslav wept bitterly and promised to fulfill everything she bequeathed, refusing only to accept the holy faith. After three days, blessed Olga fell into extreme exhaustion; she partook of the Divine Mysteries of the Most Pure Body and the Life-giving Blood of Christ our Savior; all the time she was in fervent prayer to God and to the Most Pure Theotokos, whom, according to God, she always had as a helper; she called all the saints; Blessed Olga prayed with special zeal for the enlightenment of the Russian land after her death; looking into the future, she repeatedly predicted that God would enlighten the people of the Russian land and many of them would be great saints; Blessed Olga prayed for the speedy fulfillment of this prophecy at her death. And another prayer was on her lips, when her honest soul was released from the body, and, as a righteous one, was accepted by the hands of God. " On July 11, 969, Saint Olga died, "and her son and grandchildren and all people wept for her with great lamentation." Presbyter Gregory fulfilled her will exactly.

Saint Olga, Equal to the Apostles, was canonized at the Council of 1547, which confirmed the widespread veneration of her in Russia even in the pre-Mongol era.

God glorified the "leader" of faith in the Russian land with miracles and incorruptible relics. Under the holy prince Vladimir, the relics of Saint Olga were transferred to the Tithe Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos and placed in the sarcophagus, in which it was customary to place the relics of saints in the Orthodox East. There was a window in the church wall above the tomb of St. Olga; and if anyone came to the relics with faith, he saw through the window of the relics, and some saw the radiance emanating from them, and many who were possessed by diseases received healing. For those who came with disbelief, the window was opened, and he could not see the relics, but only the coffin.

So after her death, Saint Olga preached eternal life and resurrection, filling the faithful with joy and admonishing the unbelievers.

Her prophecy about the evil death of her son came true. Svyatoslav, as the chronicler reports, was killed by the Pechenezh prince Kurei, who cut off Svyatoslav's head and made himself a cup from the skull, bound it with gold and drank from it during feasts.

The saint's prophecy about the Russian land was also fulfilled. The prayer labors and deeds of Saint Olga confirmed the greatest deed of her grandson Saint Vladimir (Comm. 15 (28) July) - the Baptism of Rus. The images of Saints Equal to the Apostles Olga and Vladimir, mutually complementing each other, embody the maternal and paternal principles of Russian spiritual history.

Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga became the spiritual mother of the Russian people, through her began their enlightenment with the light of Christ's faith.

Olga's pagan name corresponds to the male Oleg (Helgi), which means "saint." Although the pagan understanding of holiness differs from the Christian one, it presupposes in a person a special spiritual attitude, chastity and sobriety, intelligence and foresight. Revealing the spiritual meaning of this name, the people called Oleg the Prophetic, and Olga - the Wise. Subsequently, Saint Olga will be called God-wise, emphasizing her main gift, which became the basis of the entire ladder of holiness of Russian wives - wisdom. Itself Holy Mother of God- House of the Wisdom of God - blessed Saint Olga for her apostolic labors. Her construction of the Sophia Cathedral in Kiev - the mother of Russian cities - was a sign of the participation of the Mother of God in the House-building of Holy Russia. Kiev, i.e. Christian Kievan Rus became the third Lot of the Mother of God in the Universe, and the approval of this Lot on earth began through the first of the holy wives of Rus - St. Olga, Equal to the Apostles.

The Christian name of Saint Olga - Elena (translated from the ancient Greek "Torch"), became an expression of the burning of her spirit. Saint Olga (Elena) received the spiritual fire, which has not died out in the entire thousand-year history of Christian Russia.

After completing the "dispensation" of the state and ordering the collection of tribute, Princess Olga thought about choosing a new faith. She was the first ruler of Russia to adopt Christianity.

Remaining a pagan, Olga watched for many years the life of Christians, of whom there were already quite a few in Kiev. At the end of 866, Patriarch Photius of Constantinople, in the "District Epistle" sent to the hierarchs of the Eastern Church, reported on the baptism of the Kievan Rus in Byzantium. In the 944 Russian-Byzantine peace treaty, in addition to the pagans, Christians were mentioned as part of the squad and retinue of Prince Igor. They took an oath of fidelity to the clauses of the agreement at Hagia Sophia. In Kiev in the era of Olga, there were several Christian churches and the cathedral church of St. Elijah.

  Olga's interest in Christianity. Having become the ruler of the Kiev state, Princess Olga began to look closely at religious doctrine followed by many European countries. Gradually Olga came to the idea that the adoption of a new faith could further unite the country, put it on a par with other Christian states of the world. She was seized with a desire to visit Constantinople, see the magnificence of its temples and meet with the emperor, and then receive holy baptism.

  Chronicle of Olga's baptism. The chronicle story about Olga's trip to Constantinople refers to the years 954-955 and reports that the princess went "to the Greeks" and reached Constantinople. The Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus received her and honored her with a conversation. He was struck by the beauty and intelligence of the guest, and he said, hinting at a possible marital union with her: " You are worthy to reign in the city with us!"Olga evaded a direct answer. She wished to accept the faith of Christ and asked the emperor to become her successor from the font. This was done. When the Basileus again suggested Olga to become his wife, she replied that Christians did not accept marriages between godfathers. and goddaughters. The emperor appreciated her ingenious move and did not get angry. " And he gave her many gifts - gold, silver, sheepskin, and various vessels; and let her go ..."- says" The Tale of Bygone Years. " Elena, the princess returned to Kiev.

  Testimony of a contemporary. The baptism of the Russian princess is mentioned in the German Chronicle and Byzantine sources, among which the treatise of Constantine Porphyrogenitus "On the ceremonies of the Byzantine court", where he describes two receptions of Olga Rosskaya in Constantinople, is of particular interest to us. The composition of the basileus allows us to restore the true course of events that led to the baptism of Olga.

  Archontissa's embassy. Historians believe that in the summer of 957, the princess went by water to Constantinople. She carried with her rich gifts to the emperor of Byzantium. On the way she was accompanied by a large retinue, a total of about a thousand people. Her journey to Constantinople took at least forty days. Finally, a caravan of Russian ships entered the Golden Horn Bay. There Olga had to endure an agonizing wait: the Byzantine authorities could not decide how they should receive the distinguished guest. Finally, on September 9, she was assigned to appear before the eyes of the emperor.

  Lavish ceremony. Emperor Constantine received Princess Olga in the Golden Chamber of the Grand Palace. The ceremony was furnished with the usual splendor. The sovereign sat on a throne, which was an amazing work of art. Olga entered the hall, accompanied by close relatives. In addition to them, there were 20 ambassadors and 43 merchants in the retinue. Bowing to the emperor with dignity, she presented her gifts to him. Basilevs Romeev did not say a word. The courtier spoke on his behalf - dromologofet. This concludes the reception.

  Stay in Constantinople. On the same day, Princess Olga was received by the wife of the emperor Elena in her half of the palace. After the presentation of the gifts, Olga and her companions were escorted to the chambers for rest. Later, the princess was invited to talk with the emperor, where she was able to discuss state issues with him. Historians also suggest that Olga wanted to find out the possibility of a dynastic marriage of her son Svyatoslav and one of Byzantine princesses... To this Konstantin Porphyrogenitus refused, which offended the princess. The peace treaty between the two countries was confirmed: Constantine needed military assistance from the Russians in the fight against the domestic Nikifor Foka. In honor of the stay of the princess in Constantinople in August, Elena gave a dinner, after which the guests were presented with gifts from the emperor. The princess received " a gold, jeweled bowl", and it contains 500 silver coins. Soon there was a second reception at the Byzantine emperor. Konstantin Porphyrogenitus did not give any new details about him. It is important for us that Princess Olga was already a Christian for this reception. The version of the Russian chronicle about the Basileus' involvement in Olga's baptism has a clearly mythological character.In reality, the sacrament was performed by the Patriarch of Constantinople Polyeuct in Sophia Cathedral... Olga donated a golden liturgical dish to the church.

The approximate date of birth of Olga is 894. Various chronicles do not give an unambiguous answer about its origin. Some sources say that Olga (Helga) comes from a family of Scandinavian princes, others that Olga is the daughter of Prophetic Oleg. The chronicler Nestor, who wrote The Tale of Bygone Years, believes that Olga was born into a simple village family near Pskov.

According to some sources, Prince Igor, Olga's future husband, met her during the campaign, she helped him swim across the river. Igor saw all the beauty and wisdom of the future princess and brought her to Kiev. Later Igor married a girl. Chronicles note that at the time of her marriage, Olga was just 12 years old.

Olga proved herself not only as a caring wife, but also as a wonderful ruler. In the absence of Igor, while he was on campaigns, Olga decided the political issues of the state of Kiev.

In 945, Igor was killed, and Princess Olga became regent for their young son Svyatoslav. To settle the conflict and take over Kievan Rus the Drevlyans sent 20 husbands to Olga, with a proposal to marry Prince Mal. According to the chronicle, they were all buried alive.

Later, Olga herself turned to the Drevlyans with a request to send 20 husbands to her to be greeted with honor on the Drevlyansky land. However, the husbands who arrived were locked up in a bathhouse and burned. This was Olga's second revenge against the Drevlyans for the death of her husband.

The princess's military campaign against the Drevlyans was not crowned with success. Despite the fact that many cities were captured, the city of Korosten could not be besieged. However, having demanded tribute from each court for three doves and sparrows, she tied tinder to their paws and the city was engulfed in fire.

After revenge Olga took up domestic politics state. Under her, the tax reform was transformed, which consists in the fact that now "graveyards" (regions) had to pay "lessons" (a fixed tribute).

Olga's foreign policy also showed her wisdom. Business with other states was conducted not through military campaigns, but through diplomacy. Friendly relations were concluded with Byzantium and Germany.

Relations with other states, in particular with Byzantium, showed Olga that there is another true religion, in contrast to paganism - Christianity. In 957, Olga converted to Christianity and received the name Elena. Fascinated by the beauty of Olga, the Byzantine emperor wanted to marry her, but the princess of Kiev managed to refuse without hurting the feelings of the emperor.

Olga tried to convert her son to Orthodoxy, but her attempts were in vain, Svyatoslav remained a pagan. According to historians, Svyatoslav feared the indignation of his squad and that is why he refused to accept Christianity.

Despite this, Olga's baptism made an indelible impression on her grandson Vladimir, who in 988 not only baptized himself, but also baptized all of Kievan Rus.

However, Olga did not live to see this event, she died in 969. And only in the middle of the 16th century, Princess Olga of Kiev was recognized as a saint.

Grades 3, 4, 6 for children and schoolchildren with interesting facts

Interesting facts and dates from life