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Prince Svyatoslav is the legendary ruler of Kievan Rus. The life of the prince was short, but bright.

He went down in history as a hero, as a warrior prince who managed to protect the Russian lands and significantly expand the borders of the young state.

Prince ruled from 945-972

The foreign policy of Prince Svyatoslav

The foreign policy of Prince Svyatoslav was aggressive, but dictated by the peculiarities of that time. Russia bordered on the Khazar Khaganate. Khazaria, one of the strongest states of its time.

The Russian state competed fiercely with the Khazars in trade. In addition, the Khazars did not disdain attacks on Russian lands, the slave trade, and theft. They were forced to conclude unprofitable deals, to participate in joint campaigns that did not meet the interests of the Russian state. Such a neighbor posed a great danger to Kyiv.

Svyatoslav was true to himself and his soldiers. His squad was powerful, friendly, an atmosphere of brotherhood reigned in it. Fighting spirit was at its best. The prince himself never attacked "on the sly". Always before a campaign, he sent messengers to the camp of the enemy. And the message that the messengers carried began like this: "I want to go to you ...".

In 964, Prince Svyatoslav left Kyiv with his retinue and went to the borders of the Khazar Kaganate. The path was long. The prince managed to completely defeat the Khazars and deprive them of statehood. July 3, 964 is a big date that marks the defeat of the Khazar Khaganate. This is a great victory in the history of our country.

Some time later, the Emperor of Byzantium, Nikifor Foka, turned to Svyatoslav. He offered to oppose Bulgaria for good rewards and preferences. Svyatoslav did not refuse. The trip was very successful. The prince took a fancy to the Bulgarian lands and wanted to make Pereyaslavets the capital of his state in the future.

Nikifor Foka, realized what a mistake he had made by giving Bulgaria to the Russians for plunder. On the borders, a huge state was formed, with a militant prince who, sooner or later, wants to conquer Byzantium. And, after all, he can! Nikifor decided to act ahead of the curve.

In 969-972, the young Russian state faced the problems of nomadic raids. The Pechenegs actively plundered Russian lands, killed civilians. Nomads even laid siege to Kyiv. The defense of the city was led by Princess Olga. Kyiv managed to defend by chance. To the city, one of the princes came up to the rescue. The Pechenegs thought that this was the invincible prince Svyatoslav, and fled from the city in horror. The Emperor of Byzantium hired the Pechenegs for raids on Russian cities.

The conflict with Byzantium flared up. Svyatoslav openly declared that he wanted to conquer the ancient Empire. The Byzantines offered him to leave Bulgaria and rich gifts. Svyatoslav was not satisfied with the gifts, and made a counter offer. In order to leave the territory, the prince asked for a huge ransom. The Greeks refused.

The parties spent a long time in local conflicts and battles. The results of the battles are variable, somewhere Svyatoslav took up, somewhere the Greeks.

The Russian army was thinning out. The decisive battle was near the city of Dorostol. Svyatoslav and his team courageously defended the city. The first assault attempts were repulsed. The prince decides to send parliamentarians. Byzantium is also tired of fighting. The parties agreed on peace.

The agreement was beneficial to all parties. The Russians left Bulgaria, but at the same time they got the opportunity to trade with Byzantium on favorable terms. Byzantium, under an agreement dated 907, was obliged to pay tribute to Kiev. And the Russian prince is obliged not to encroach on the borders of the Empire, and to provide military assistance to it, if necessary.

Prince Svyatoslav died at the hands of the Pecheneg nomads in 972. Returning from Dorostol to Kyiv. The Pechenegs ambushed and quickly killed the tired warriors. Khan Kurya made a cup out of the prince's skull. The battle took place on the Dnieper, on the island of Khortitsa.

Domestic policy of Svyatoslav

In domestic policy, Prince Svyatoslav was guided by the desire to strengthen his power, to make it more centralized. But, speaking frankly, Svyatoslav's domestic politics were almost of no interest. His passion is hiking, conquest.

He was able to subjugate the Vyatichi, force them to pay tribute. In all the key lands he put his sons to rule. But he failed to pass the throne by inheritance. After the death of Svyatoslav, Russia was waiting for the first strife.

Domestic and foreign policy of Svyatoslav table

Prince Svyatoslav movie

Results

Prince Svyatoslav is a legendary figure, a great commander and conqueror. His policy marked the complete unification of the East Slavic tribes. As well as the growth of the authority of the Russian state in the international arena.

There have always been prominent and strong princes in Russia, who were distinguished by their originality and uniqueness in the milestones of history. None of them looked like anyone else. If we are talking about that, he is a legislator. If so, this is a successful diplomat of his time.

But what can we say about Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich?

Svyatoslav - who are you?

Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich became All Russia at the age of three. This happened after his father Igor was killed by the people of the Drevlyans in 945 AD. This happened due to the fact that the Grand Duke returned to collect polyudie (tribute) from the people with a small number of his troops. He was killed.

Svyatoslav could not rule at the age of three. Instead of him, his mother, Princess Olga, sat on the throne.

The independent rule of Svyatoslav Igorevich in Kyiv will begin in 964. His mother made the state stronger and more powerful during her reign, transferring to her son the right to inherit the throne.

However, the external and Svyatoslav will be radically different from Olga's policy.

The childhood of Svyatoslav Igorevich

According to the chronicles of the late XII century, Svyatoslav was the only child in the family of Princess Olga. The exact date of his birth is unknown.

Svyatoslav spent all his childhood near his mother in Kyiv. She raised him, instructed him in life and took care of him. It was from his mother that Svyatoslav received important skills with which he went through his whole life. She brought up in him a real faithful warrior of her state. However, Svyatoslav's foreign and domestic policy was not inherited from his mother and was not passed on in the process of education. He will rule in his own way.

Foreign policy

The foreign and domestic policies of Svyatoslav are completely different from each other. Svyatoslav Igorevich was active in the foreign arena. He devoted much more energy to foreign policy than domestic. By nature, he was a conqueror and commander.

Unlike his mother Olga, he did not change his faith to Christianity in order to be closer to his army. The warriors respected him for this and took him for their own. It was this closeness with his own army that in many ways helped him achieve success in military clashes and conquests.

What was the foreign policy of Svyatoslav? The table below will answer this question. The prince was active both in the west and in the east.

The Tale of Bygone Years repeatedly mentions that in 964 Svyatoslav Igorevich went to war against the formidable Khazar Khaganate.

He was the main commercial and military opponent of Kievan Rus. Having defeated them, Svyatoslav wanted to nullify their influence in the region and wipe their cities off the face of the earth. He managed to do this, and he, led by his army, won a landslide victory.

However, the victory over the Khazars brought more disappointment than triumph. The Kaganate held back the nomad raids towards Kievan Rus from the east. When he fell, the hordes of nomads could easily move towards Kiev.

In the western direction, Svyatoslav Igorevich waged war against the Bulgarian principality. These campaigns were successful. Svyatoslav on his way swept away city after city and stopped in the city of Pereyaslavets. He began to collect tribute and planned to move the capital from Kyiv to Pereyaslavets. However, this was not destined to happen. The sad news that nomads were raiding Kyiv and haunting the inhabitants forced him to return home and defend the city from raids. Only in 970 was Prince Svyatoslav able to return to the Balkans again and continue the war.

In 972, Svyatoslav along with the army was defeated by the Pechenegs. The prince died in this battle. The king of the Pechenegs, Kurya, made dishes from his skull for himself, from which he drank in the future. It was believed, according to the customs of the Pechenegs, that the power of Svyatoslav was now passing to Kura.

Domestic politics

We have already said that the policy of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich was more aimed at external conquests than at internal transformations. He was more of a general than a diplomat or reformer.

However, the activities of Svyatoslav also touched the internal life of the country.

The internal policy of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich was aimed at formalizing the tax collection system. His mother Olga approved churchyards during her reign. This means that the prince does not have to go independently to each nation to collect polyudye, but the people themselves or representatives of the people came to certain places and handed over tribute to the treasury.

Svyatoslav once pacified the Vyatichi tribes, who refused to pay tribute in favor of the princes of the treasury. After this campaign, tribute began to flow into the treasury regularly.

Having become the Grand Duke, in the leading cities of Kievan Rus, he began to assert the rule of his sons, so that they kept everything under control when he was on campaigns. It was the right and wise decision on his part. He could completely rely on his sons in all matters of the internal administration of Kievan Rus.

His sons were Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir (the baptist of Kievan Rus).

Svyatoslav in literature and art

The policy of Svyatoslav Igorevich was reflected not only in military affairs.

Many paintings, poems, stories, short stories and even modern songs are dedicated to Svyatoslav. He was an extraordinary person, lived his life briefly and brightly.

There is a painting by the artist Akimov "Grand Duke Svyatoslav", which dates back to the end of the 18th century.

Velimir Khlebnikov dedicated his poem “Svyatoslav” to him, Sklyarenko - his novel “Svyatoslav”, Lev Prozorov - “Svyatoslav. I'm going to you! By the way, "I'm coming for you!" Svyatoslav Igorevich often said when he went into battle.

The printed edition of the fans of the football club "Dynamo Kyiv" is called "Svyatoslav".

Who remained in the history of the Grand Duke?

For current generations, Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich remained a warlike ruler and conqueror who put the interests of Kievan Rus above his own and anyone else.

The foreign and domestic policy of Svyatoslav helped to make Kievan Rus an even more powerful state. Despite the defeat from the Pechenegs, he will remain in history as one of the greatest commanders of his time, who resisted the raids of several peoples at once.

The Kyiv prince Svyatoslav devoted most of his life to foreign policy, developing it in military campaigns. The prince was almost not interested in domestic politics and state affairs. For this reason, he entrusted their conduct to his wise mother, Princess Olga, who, before her son ascended the throne, skillfully dealt with issues of domestic politics.

In 964, Prince Svyatoslav's military campaign against Khazaria begins. The road to it ran through the territory of the Vyatichi - Khazar tributaries. The prince forced them to pay tribute to Kievan Rus and only after the agreement moved forward to the Volga. The Bulgarians living on the banks of the river had a hard time. The prince's campaign against Volga Bulgaria was reflected in the plundering of many local cities and villages. In 965, Svyatoslav managed to win a major victory by capturing the city of Belaya Vezha. This campaign ended with victories over the Yas and Kosog tribes.

But the princely rest in his native land was not long. The ambassadors of the Emperor Nicephorus II Phocas, who soon arrived at Svyatoslav, asked for his military support against the Bulgarians living on the Danube lands. And this campaign was a success for Svyatoslav. Moreover, the Kiev prince liked the local lands so much that he thought about making Pereyaslavets the center of Kievan Rus.

The lands of the defeated Khazar Khaganate, which Svyatoslav had previously defeated and, blocking the path of nomads from Asia during this period, were flooded with the Pechenegs, who were generously paid for such "activities" by the emperor of Byzantium. In 968, the nomads came close to Kiev, while Prince Svyatoslav was on his next campaign. Princess Olga called for the help of the city governor Petich and the Pechenegs fled, deciding that the victorious warlike prince of Kyiv had returned. Some time later, Svyatoslav, who approached, drove the remnants of the Pechenegs out of the territory of Kievan Rus.

In 969, Princess Olga of Kyiv, who was in charge of all the internal political affairs of Russia, died. Along with this, persecution of Christians begins in the state, since there was no one to intercede in a pagan state with a pagan prince for them. Having shifted the occupation of Kiev onto the shoulders of Vladimir, Oleg and Yaropolk, Svyatoslav set off on a new military campaign against the Bulgarians.

The victory won in Bulgaria was not at all beneficial to Byzantium and the emperor sent messengers to the prince with rich gifts and a demand to leave the Bulgarian land, for which Svyatoslav offered to redeem the cities he had captured to the Greeks. This was followed by a war with Byzantium at the end of which Svyatoslav was killed.

Prince of Novgorod and Kyiv Svyatoslav Igorevich ruled the Russian state from 944 to 972. The ruler is known for his military campaigns and conquests, battles against the Bulgarian state and Byzantium.

Svyatoslav became the only son of Prince Igor and Princess Olga. The exact date of birth of the future ruler is still not known. According to the Ipatiev list, Svyatoslav Igorevich was born in 942 (some sources indicate 940). There is no record of the event in the Laurentian list. This raises a lot of questions among researchers, since the information is contradictory. In literary sources, the year 920 is stated, but historians consider this a fiction, not the truth.

The upbringing of the prince's son was entrusted to the Varangian Asmud, who emphasized basic skills. Young Svyatoslav received knowledge that was useful in military campaigns: the art of combat, the management of horses, a rook, swimming, and the skill of disguise. Another mentor, the governor Sveneld, was responsible for the military art. The first data about Svyatoslav, which can be seen in the Russian-Byzantine treaty of Prince Igor, began to appear in 944. A year later, the prince dies.

The death of the ruler led to the dissatisfaction of the Drevlyans about the collection of too much tribute. Since Svyatoslav Igorevich is still a child, the reins of government are transferred to his mother, Princess Olga. A year after the murder of her husband, Olga goes to the lands of the Drevlyans. As befits the head of state, 4-year-old Svyatoslav begins the battle with his father's squad. The young ruler won the battle. The princess forced the Drevlyans to submit. To prevent such tragedies from happening in the future, the regent introduces a new system of government.

The chronicles say that in childhood Svyatoslav Igorevich did not part with his mother and permanently lived in Kyiv. Scientists have found evidence of the incorrectness of this judgment. The Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus recounted the following:

“Monoxyls coming from outer Russia to Constantinople are one of Nemogard, in which Sfendoslav, son of Ingor, archon of Russia, sat.”

Researchers believe that Svyatoslav moved to Novgorod at the request of his father. There was a mention in the annals of Olga's visit to Constantinople. At the same time, they talk about the future prince, without naming the title of Svyatoslav Igorevich.

Beginning of the reign

The Tale of Bygone Years says that the first campaign of Svyatoslav Igorevich happened in 964. The main goal of the ruler was to strike at the Khazar Khaganate. The prince did not become distracted by the Vyatichi, who met along the way. The attack on the Khazars fell a year later - in 965. The chronicle says the following about this:

“In the summer of 6473 (965) Svyatoslav went to the Khazars. Having heard, the Khazars went out to meet him with their prince kagan and agreed to fight, and Svyatoslav the Khazars defeated them in the battle, and took their city and the White Tower. And he defeated the yases of the icasogs.

Interestingly, a contemporary of Svyatoslav presents events in a different way. Ibn-Khaukal argued that the prince dealt with the Khazars later than the time indicated in the annals.

A contemporary recalled other military actions against the Volga Bulgaria, but such information is not available in official sources. Here is what Ibn Haukal said:

“Bulgar is a small city, there are no numerous districts in it, and it was known for being a port for the states mentioned above, and the Rus devastated it and came to Khazaran, Samandar and Itil in the year 358 (968/969) and set off immediately after to the country of Rum and Andalus ... And al-Khazar is a side, and there is a city in it called Samandar, and it is in the space between it and Bab al-Abwab, and there were numerous gardens in it ... but then the Rus came there, and not there are no grapes or raisins left in that city.”

In 965 Svyatoslav Igorevich arrives in Sarkel-on-Don. Several battles were required to conquer this city. But the ruler did not celebrate the victory for long, as Itil, the main city of the Khazar Khaganate, appeared on the way. The conqueror got one more settlement - Semender. This glorious city is located on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

The Khazar Khaganate fell before the onslaught of Svyatoslav, but this was not enough for the ruler. The prince tried to win back and secure these lands. Soon Sarkel was renamed into Belaya Vezha. According to some reports, in the same years, Kyiv received Tmutarakan. It is believed that it was possible to hold power until the beginning of the 980s.

Domestic politics

The domestic policy of Svyatoslav Igorevich was active. The ruler set himself the goal of strengthening power by attracting military squads. Politics did not attract the young prince, so there were no special changes in the internal activities of the state during the years of Svyatoslav's reign.

Despite the dislike for the internal affairs of Russia, Svyatoslav Igorevich made some adjustments. In particular, he formed a new system for collecting taxes and taxes. In different parts of the Old Russian state, special places were organized - graveyards. Here they collected money from the inhabitants. Svyatoslav Igorevich was able to overcome the Vyatichi, who now and then rebelled against the ruler. During the campaign, the prince pacified the violent people. Thanks to this, the treasury began to replenish again. Despite the work in this direction, Princess Olga took on most of the concerns.

The wisdom of the reign of the Grand Duke is manifested after the birth of sons. Svyatoslav Igorevich needed to put faithful and devoted people on the thrones in different cities. In Kyiv, Yaropolk ruled, in Novgorod - Oleg became Prince of Drevlyansky.

Foreign policy

Foreign policy became the passion of the young prince. On his account, several major wars - with the Bulgarian kingdom and Byzantium. Many versions in history have these important events for Russia. Historians settled on two variations of the struggle against the Bulgarian kingdom. The first opinion was that it all started with a conflict between Byzantium and the Bulgarian kingdom. In this regard, the Byzantine emperor turned to Svyatoslav Igorevich for help. It was his soldiers who were supposed to attack Bulgaria.

The second opinion lies in the fact that Byzantium tried to weaken the Kiev prince, since the ruler was able to conquer their lands. And there was no peace in the Byzantine state: the ambassador who arrived at Svyatoslav decided to plot against his emperor. He persuaded the Russian prince, promised him Bulgarian lands and treasures from the treasury of Byzantium.

The invasion of Bulgaria took place in 968. Svyatoslav Igorevich managed to overcome opponents and conquer Pereyaslavets, located at the mouth of the Danube. Relations with the Byzantine state began to deteriorate gradually. In the same year, the Pechenegs raided Kyiv, so the prince had to urgently return to the capital of Russia. In 969, Princess Olga, who was engaged in the internal politics of the state, died. This prompted Svyatoslav Igorevich to attract children to the board. The prince did not want to stay in the capital:

“I don’t like to sit in Kyiv, I want to live in Pereyaslavets on the Danube - for there is the middle of my land, all good things flow there: from the Greek land, gold, curtains, wines, various fruits; from the Czech Republic and from Hungary silver and horses; from Russia, furs and wax, honey and slaves.

Despite the fact that it was the Byzantine government that organized the raid on the Bulgarians, the latter turned to them for help in the fight against Svyatoslav. The emperor thought for a long time what to do, but then decided to strengthen his state with a dynastic marriage. At the end of 969, the sovereign dies, and John Tzimisces ascended the throne. He did not allow the Bulgarian son and the Byzantine maiden to get engaged.

Painting "Meeting of Svyatoslav with John Tzimisces". K. Lebedev, 1916

Realizing that Byzantium is no longer an assistant, the authorities of the Bulgarian state decide to conclude an agreement with Svyatoslav Igorevich. Together the rulers go against Byzantium. Military tension between the empire and the Russian state grew. Gradually, troops were brought up to the fortresses. In 970 there was an attack on Byzantium. On the side of Svyatoslav were the Bulgarians, Hungarians and Pechenegs. Despite the serious advantages in terms of the number of military men, Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich was defeated in a pitched battle.

The painting "The Trinity of Svyatoslav's Vigilantes after the Battle of Dorostol in 971". Henryk Semiradsky

A year later, the troops regained strength and again began to raid the Byzantine state. Now the rulers are in battle. Again the fighters of Byzantium were more successful. They captured the Bulgarian king and crept up to Svyatoslav. In one of the battles, the prince was wounded. After that, the Byzantine emperor and the Russian ruler sat down at the negotiating table. Svyatoslav Igorevich leaves Bulgaria, but restores trade relations with Byzantium. Now the eastern part of the Bulgarian state submits to the emperor. Western regions gained independence.

Personal life

Military campaigns became the main goal of the life of Svyatoslav Igorevich. The personal life of the prince was developing successfully. The ruler became the father of three sons - Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir. The care of the internal politics of the state fell on the shoulders of the young sons, while the father conquered new territories.

The painting "Grand Duke Svyatoslav kissing his mother and children upon his return from the Danube to Kyiv". I. A. Akimov, 1773

In the official documents of that time there is no information about the wife who gave birth to two eldest sons. It is known about Vladimir's mother. The woman was not married to the prince, but was a concubine.

Death and memory

The biography of Svyatoslav Igorevich ends in March 972. The prince could not remain at the mouth of the Dnieper. Together with the army, the ruler tried to get through the ambush of the Pechenegs. This was a disastrous mistake, as the weakened fighters fell at the hands of the nomads. The Pechenegs brutally dealt with Svyatoslav:

“And Kurya, the prince of the Pechenegs, attacked him; and they killed Svyatoslav, and cut off his head, and made a cup out of the skull, encasing the skull, and then they drank from it.

During the reign, the prince expanded the territory of the state and received the nickname Brave. Svyatoslav is so called in historical references. The memory of Svyatoslav Igorevich lives to this day. The image of the warrior prince was used in fiction and art. At the beginning of the 20th century, the first monument "Svyatoslav on the way to Tsar-grad" appeared. Sculptures are located in Kyiv and Ukrainian regions.

A peculiar photo is available on the Internet. According to the descriptions of the prince's contemporaries, the masters created a portrait: a man of medium height, snub-nosed, with thick eyebrows, blue eyes, long mustaches, a strong nape and a broad chest.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

BELARUSIAN STATE UNIVERSITY

HISTORICAL FACULTY

FOREIGN POLICY OF KYIV RUSSIA IN THE IX-XII CENTURIES: THE FOREIGN POLICY OF SVYATOSLAV IGOREVICH

MINSK, 2005

INTRODUCTION

In the IX-XI centuries. Russia was an early feudal monarchy headed by the great prince of Kiev. Under him, a council of the most noble and powerful feudal lords was formed, and an apparatus of warriors also operated. Princely representatives (posadniks and governors) were appointed to cities. In vassal dependence on the Grand Duke were his relatives - appanage princes -, boyars - owners of large land masses - and smaller feudal lords.

The foreign policy of the great Kiev princes was entirely subordinated to the task of strengthening Russia and uniting the tribes of the Eastern Slavs under the auspices of Kyiv. In the X century. Kievan Rus was just taking shape as a state. More and more new tribes of the Eastern Slavs poured into it: the Drevlyans, the Radimichi, the Vyatichi, and so on. Kiev princes Oleg, Igor, Svyatoslav, Vladimir Svyatoslavich consistently pursued a policy of annexing neighboring lands. By the beginning of the XI century. almost all East Slavic lands were included in Kievan Rus.

Regular raids by nomadic tribes - Pechenegs, Khazars, Polovtsy - posed a threat to the young state, undermining its economy and the political unity of the Slavic lands. Therefore, one more task can be singled out in foreign policy, and at the same time an important one - the defense of borders and their expansion due to the subjugation of neighboring peoples.

Prince Svyatoslav (964 - 972) put a lot of effort into ensuring the security of the Russian lands and strengthening the international prestige of the young ancient Russian state. He defeated the Volga Bulgaria, defeated the Khazar Khaganate. Svyatoslav also waged successful wars with the Pechenegs, the Danube Bulgarians, and the Byzantine Empire.

PERSONALITY OF PRINCE SVYATOSLAV IGOREVICH.

Kyiv Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich was the son of Prince Igor and Princess Olga. Leo the Deacon left us a description of his appearance: “... of moderate height, not too tall and not very short, with shaggy eyebrows and light blue eyes, snub-nosed, beardless, with thick, excessively long hair above the upper lip (mustache). His head was completely naked, but on one side a tuft of hair hung down - a sign of nobility of the family. Strong nape, broad chest and all other parts of the body are quite proportionate. He looked sullen and wild. He had a gold earring in one ear; it was adorned with a carbuncle framed by two pearls.

His attire was white and differed from the clothes of others (Russian rowers) only in cleanliness.

Svyatoslav matured early. His mother tried to draw her son's attention to Christianity, but Svyatoslav's thoughts were far from that. Having matured, Svyatoslav began to gather a squad for himself, and it didn’t matter to the prince what nationality his warriors would be: the main thing was that they were good warriors. When he went on a campaign, he did not carry a convoy with him, which ensured the speed of movement (“lightly walking, like a pardus”), he ate, along with simple wars, horse meat or the meat of animals killed on occasion, slept on bare ground, spreading a “lining” and putting a saddle in heads.

The words of Svyatoslav Igorevich went down in history forever: "I want to go to you."

The Greeks, Khazars and Pechenegs had to fight with this man.

THE EASTERN DIRECTION OF SVYATOSLAV'S POLICY

(964-966)

Russian-Khazar-Byzantine relations in the middleXin.

In the X century. Russians repeatedly penetrated into the region of Transcaucasia, but by the middle of the 10th century. couldn't get a foothold there. The reasons for the failure are as follows: the remoteness of the territories they captured in the Caspian Sea, the hostility of the local Muslim population, the hostility of the Khazar Khaganate, which closed the waterway along the Don and Volga. In 912, the Russians asked the Khazars to let their boats through, and on the way back, most of them were killed by the Khazars, Volga Bulgars and Burtases. Taking into account the similar attitude of the Khazars towards them, the Russians made the next campaign in 945 bypassing the Khaganate and its allies on the Volga and Oka, i.e. land through the North Caucasus.

In addition to the above, the question arose of the liberation of the East Slavic lands from the influence of the Khazars and the consolidation of the power of Kyiv over them. The first attempt here was made by Oleg, who in 885 sent an embassy to the Radimichi who were sitting along the banks of the Sozh River, ordering them not to give tribute to the Khazars, but to give him a shelyag from a plow or from a plow.

Byzantium has long had influence in the Northern Black Sea region. She used the Kaganate as a conductor of her policy. Of course, it could not do without conflicts and clashes, but on the whole, the political aspirations of the empire and the kaganate coincided. It is no coincidence that in 834 Greek engineers built the fortress of Sarkel (Belaya Vezha) on the lower Don. The Greeks foresaw the rise of Russia and sought to forestall its expansion.

However, Russia began to act first.

Destruction of the Khazar Khaganate by Svyatoslav.

The liquidation of the Khazar Khaganate was of great foreign policy importance for Kievan Rus. First, the threat of an armed attack from the east was removed. Secondly, cities and fortresses that blocked trade routes were destroyed: Russia got the opportunity to conduct extensive trade with the East, waterways along the Don and Volga were opened. Thirdly, the tribes that were previously dependent on the Khazar Khaganate now fell under the influence of Kievan Rus, or were completely attached to it.

Svyatoslav began his campaign against the Khazars by entering the lands of the Vyatichi in 964. Most likely, there were no hostilities between the Russians and the Vyatichi: Svyatoslav was interested in a friendly rear for the period of the campaign in the lands of the Khazars. The chronicle also speaks in favor of this point of view, where there is no mention of the war with the Vyatichi: “And I went (Svyatoslav) to the Oka River and the Volga, and the Vyatichi climbed, and the Vyatichi said: “To whom do you give tribute?” They decide: “We give Kozar for a schlyag from the ral.” Svyatoslav spent about a year in the Vyatichi lands, of course, the Khazars did not receive the due tribute.

The following year, Svyatoslav fell upon the lands of the old allies of Khazaria - the Volga Bulgars and Burtases. Having defeated them, he now struck at the Khaganate itself: “Go Svyatoslav to the goats. Hearing the kozars, izidosha opposed with his prince Kagan, and stupishasya fought, and were fighting, overcoming Svyatoslav with a kozar and taking their city and White Vezhya. And victorious yasas and kasogs. Following Itil, which is most likely referred to in the annals as “their city”, and Sarkel (Belaya Vezha), the Russian army took Samkerts on the Taman Peninsula and Semender on the Terek.

The Arab chronicler Ibn-Khaukal tells that the inhabitants of the Volga and Azov regions asked that an agreement be concluded with them, and they would submit to the Russians. This fact suggests that the conquest of Khazaria was not a simple raid for the purpose of enrichment. Svyatoslav Igorevich sought to formalize relations with the top of the defeated Khazaria and Bulgaria, determine the nature of power in these lands and, with the help of an agreement, establish the dependence of this region on Kievan Rus.

In his "History" Leo the Deacon mentions the Cimmerian Bosporus (the region of modern Kerch) as the "fatherland" of the Russians, which belonged to them already under Igor. If we take into account this fact, as well as the fact that after the conquest of Khazaria, Svyatoslav founded the principality of Tmutarakan (on the Taman Peninsula), the main goal of the campaign against the kaganate becomes obvious. The influence of Kyiv in the Northern Black Sea region began to grow more and more. The lands of Russia have already come close to the Byzantine possessions.

Svyatoslav completed the campaign where it had begun - in the lands of the Vyatichi. Under 966, the chronicler reports: "Vyatichi defeat Svyatoslav, and pay tribute to them." It was now, when the Khazars were subjugated and the need for a friendly rear disappeared, that Svyatoslav finally seized power in the Vyatichi land and imposed Vyatichi tribute.

FOREIGN POLICY 966-968

The situation in the Northern Black Sea region and Bulgaria in 966-967.

After the defeat of the Khazars and the strengthening of the influence of Kyiv in the Northern Black Sea region, the lands of Russia came close to the borders of Byzantium. There was a real threat to the dominance of the empire in the Crimea. If we turn to the works of the Arab chronicler Yahya of Antioch, we will find there a mention that the Byzantine emperor went on a campaign against the Bulgarians “and struck them and made peace with the Russians - and they were at war with him - and agreed with them to fight the Bulgarians and attack them." An open break in the peaceful relations between Bulgaria and Byzantium occurred in 966. Around the same time, Emperor Nicephorus II Phocas moved to the Bulgarian border and captured the border towns. But what kind of war with the Russians is Yahya of Antioch talking about? Most likely, there was a conflict in the Crimea, and the Russian army threatened Chersonese. Emperor Nikephoros II Phocas (963 - 969) could not allow the loss of Chersonese, the granary of the empire, as well as the main supplier of dried fish - the main food of the poor in Constantinople. An urgent peace with Russia was needed, moreover, the blow aimed at Chersonese had to be urgently redirected.

Mission Kalokir.

The war between the empire and the Bulgarians broke out again in 966. After the death of Tsar Simeon, who was replaced on the throne by his son Peter (927-969), Bulgaria staggered, the ruling circles split into two parties: anti-Byzantine and pro-Byzantine. Emperor Nicephorus took advantage of this by unleashing a war with Bulgaria. At the same time, Byzantium began preparing a diplomatic mission to Kyiv. In 967 such a mission was sent.

The embassy was headed by Kalokir, the son of the Chersonesos strategist. This man must have had excellent knowledge of the situation in the Crimea and the Northern Black Sea region, which once again testifies that the Russian-Byzantine conflict in the Crimea, which threatened Chersonesus, did take place. In the capital, Kalokir was given the high rank of patrician and 15 centinaries (about 450 kg.) of gold were issued for transfer to the Russians. He was instructed to conclude an alliance with Svyatoslav for common military operations against the Bulgarians.