Biography of Olga Saint. A message about Princess Olga. The last years of the princess's life

They were also just waiting for an opportunity to plunder the Russian land. But Princess Olga, Svyatoslav’s mother, turned out to be a very smart woman, moreover, of a firm and decisive disposition; fortunately, among the boyars there were experienced military leaders devoted to her.

First of all, Princess Olga cruelly took revenge on the rebels for the death of her husband. This is what the legends say about this revenge. The Drevlyans, having killed Igor, decided to settle the matter with Olga: they chose twenty best husbands and they sent to her with an offer to marry their prince Mal. When they arrived in Kyiv and Princess Olga found out what was the matter, she told them:

“I love your speech, I can’t resurrect my husband.” I want to honor you tomorrow in front of my people. Go now to your boats; tomorrow I will send people for you, and you tell them: we don’t want to ride or walk, carry us in boats, and they will carry you.

When the next morning people came to the Drevlyans from Olga to call them, they answered as she had taught.

“We are in bondage, our prince was killed, and our princess wants to marry your prince!” - said the people of Kiev and carried the Drevlyans in a boat.

The ambassadors sat arrogantly, proud of their high honor. They brought them to the yard and threw them with the boat into a hole that had previously been dug on Olga’s orders. The princess leaned towards the pit and asked:

- Is honor good for you?

“This honor is worse for us than Igor’s death!” - answered the unfortunate ones.

Princess Olga's revenge on the Drevlyans. Engraving by F. Bruni

Princess Olga ordered to cover them alive with earth. Then she sent ambassadors to the Drevlyans to say: “If you really ask me, then send your best men for me, so that I come to you with great honor, otherwise the people of Kiev will not let me in.”

New ambassadors from the Drevlyans arrived. Olga, according to the custom of that time, ordered a bathhouse to be prepared for them. When they entered there, they were locked up by order of the princess and burned along with the bathhouse. Then she sent again to tell the Drevlyans: “I’m already coming to you, prepare more honey– I want to create on my husband’s grave funeral feast(wake)".

The Drevlyans fulfilled her demand. Princess Olga with a small retinue came to Igor’s grave, cried for her husband and ordered her people to build a high burial mound. Then they began to hold a funeral feast. The Drevlyans sat down to drink, the youths (younger warriors) Olgins served them.

-Where are our ambassadors? - the Drevlyans asked the princess.

“They are coming with my husband’s retinue,” Olga answered.

When the Drevlyans became drunk, the princess ordered her squad to cut them down with swords. Many of them were cut down. Olga hurried to Kyiv, began to gather a squad and the next year went to the Drevlyansky land; She also had her son with her. The Drevlyans thought about fighting in the field. When both armies came together, little Svyatoslav was the first to throw a spear, but his childish hand was still weak: the spear barely flew between the horse’s ears and fell at his feet.

- The prince has already begun! - the commanders shouted. - Squad, forward, follow the prince!

The Drevlyans were defeated, fled and took refuge in cities. Princess Olga wanted to take the main one, Korosten, by storm, but all efforts were in vain. The residents defended themselves desperately: they knew what awaited them if they surrendered. The Kiev army stood near the city for a whole summer, but could not take it. Where strength does not take you, sometimes you can take it with intelligence and dexterity. Princess Olga sent to tell the Korosten people:

- Why don’t you give up? All the cities have already surrendered to me, are paying tribute and calmly cultivating their fields, and you, apparently, want to wait until you starve to death?!

The Korostenians replied that they were afraid of revenge, and they were ready to give tribute in both honey and furs. Princess Olga sent to tell them that she had already taken enough revenge and demanded only a small tribute from them: three doves and three sparrows from each yard. The besieged were glad that they could get rid of trouble so cheaply, and fulfilled her wish. Olga ordered her soldiers to tie pieces of tinder (that is, rags soaked in sulfur) to the birds’ feet and, when it got dark, light the tinder and release the birds. The sparrows flew under the roofs to their nests, the pigeons to their dovecotes. The houses at that time were all wooden, with thatched roofs. Soon Korosten was ablaze from all over, all the houses were engulfed in fire! In horror, the people rushed out of the city and fell straight into the hands of their enemies. Princess Olga took the elders captive, and ordered the common people to beat some, gave others as slaves to her warriors, and imposed a heavy tribute on the rest.

Olga sacrificed many captured Drevlyans to the gods and ordered them to be buried around Igor’s grave; then she held a funeral feast for her husband, and war games took place in honor of the late prince, as custom required.

If Olga was not so cunning, and the Drevlyans were so simple and trusting, as legend says, then still the people and the squad believed that this was exactly what happened: they praised the princess for the fact that she cunningly and cruelly took revenge on the Drevlyans for their death husband In the old days, the morals of our ancestors were harsh: bloody revenge was required by custom, and the more terrible the avenger took revenge on the murderers for the death of his relative, the more praise he deserved.

Having pacified the Drevlyans, Princess Olga with her son and retinue went through their villages and cities and established what tribute they should pay her. The next year, she and her squad walked around her other possessions, divided the lands into plots, and determined what taxes and dues the residents had to pay her. The intelligent princess, apparently, clearly understood how much evil there was from the fact that the prince and his squad took tribute as much as they wanted, but the people did not know in advance how much they were obliged to pay.

Princess Olga in Constantinople

Olga’s most important deed was that she was the first of the princely family to convert to Christianity.

Princess Olga. Baptism. The first part of the trilogy "Holy Rus'" by S. Kirillov, 1993

Most sources consider the date of Princess Olga's baptism in Constantinople to be the fall of 957.

Upon returning to Kyiv, Olga strongly wanted to baptize her son Svyatoslav into the Christian faith.

“Now I have come to know the true God and I rejoice,” she told her son, “be baptized, you too will know God, there will be joy in your soul.”

- How can I accept a different faith? – Svyatoslav objected. - The squad will laugh at me!..

“If you are baptized,” Olga insisted, “everyone will follow you.”

But Svyatoslav remained adamant. The soul of the warrior-prince was not ready for baptism, for Christianity with its meekness and mercy.

He believes that Olga accepts Christianity out of the motives of her soul, in accordance with her character traits. Meanwhile, Olga’s baptism can also be viewed as a calculated political move. She becomes one of the few who accept the new faith among the pagans. This step subsequently made it possible to bring Rus' to a new level and establish diplomatic relations with states such as Byzantium and Bulgaria, which were Orthodox at that time.

It is this act that distinguishes Princess Olga as a unique person in history. Vengeance, wisdom, thriftiness, dexterity, loyalty - these are the virtues that are noted in the Russian chronicle tradition and which it preserved throughout the reign.

“The Tale of Bygone Years” indicates the date of Olga’s baptism - 955, during a trip to Constantinople (Constantinople). The trip undoubtedly had diplomatic purposes, and the princess, again showing her cunning, deceives the king of Byzantium around her finger. According to the chronicle, Konstantin wanted her to become his wife, but Olga asks him to become her godfather, which makes it impossible to marry her. “You outwitted me, Olga,” said Konstantin. “And he gave her numerous gifts - gold, and silver, and fibers, and various vessels; and he sent her away, calling her his daughter.” So, according to the chronicle, Olga became a Christian, and she was christened Elena.

Historians have paid attention to two episodes in the chronicle: the place and date of baptism and the princess’s encouragement to accept the new faith. There is still controversy about Princess Olga's trip to Constantinople. So A.V. Nazarenko in his article named possible dates for this event. He does not dispute the generally accepted date - 955, but analyzing the data on the people present at this reception, in particular the children of Roman II, the son of Emperor Constantine, who, according to legend, christened Olga, comes to the conclusion that the trip could have taken place two years later, namely in the fall 957

CM. Solovyov also makes an amendment to the date, speaking about the baptism of the princess: “In 955, according to the chronicler, or rather in 957, Olga went to Constantinople and was baptized there under the emperors Constantine Porphyrogenitus and Roman and Patriarch Polyeuctus.”

N.M. Karamzin writes that in 955 “Olga wanted to be a Christian and she herself went to the capital of the Empire and the Greek faith... There the patriarch was her mentor and baptizer, and Constantine Porphyrogenitus was the recipient of the font. The Emperor... himself described for us all the curious circumstances of her presentation. When Olga arrived at the palace, she was followed by princely persons, ... many noble ladies, Russian ambassadors and merchants who usually lived in Constantinople. ...after which the emperor freely talked with her in the rooms where the queen lived. On this first day, September 9, there was a magnificent dinner in the huge so-called Justinian Temple, where the Empress sat on the throne and where the Russian princess, as a sign of respect for the wife of the great Tsar, stood until the very time when she was shown a place at the same table with the court ladies "

Considering the episode of Olga's reception in Byzantium, you notice that the legend emphasizes the importance of this event, the special position of the princess among the Greek nobility and her respect as a full-fledged ruler. The chronicle praises Olga, just as Emperor Constantine praised her when describing the reception of the princess in Constantinople.

The place of baptism is also not precisely indicated, either Constantinople or Kyiv, in which by the middle of the 10th century. there was already a Christian temple. Historian S.M. Solovyov seemed to be concerned about this problem. He writes that Christians were mocked in Rus', but there was no persecution for religious reasons. Princess Olga could have calmly been baptized both in Kyiv and in Constantinople, but she could not have hidden it from people, and, apparently, she did not want to.

Another equally important episode is what made Olga convert to Christianity. CM. Solovyov writes: “We don’t find anything about the motives that forced Olga to accept Christianity and accept it in Constantinople.” known lists our chronicle, nor in foreign news. It could very easily have been that Olga went to Tsar - the city as a pagan, without yet a firm intention to accept the new faith, was amazed in Constantinople by the greatness of the Greek religion and returned home as a Christian.” Arguing about why Olga so easily accepted the new faith, unlike her Russian warrior husbands, he believes that it was her natural wisdom that made her understand the superiority of the Greek faith over the Russian one.

Having been baptized, Olga tries to convert her family and sons to Christians, but Svyatoslav resisted his mother’s wishes. N.M. Karamzin writes that “the young, proud prince did not want to listen to her instructions. In vain did this virtuous mother speak of the happiness of being a Christian. ...Svyatoslav answered her: “Can I pass a new Law on my own so that my squad will laugh at me?” It was in vain that Olga imagined that his example would lead the entire people to Christianity. The young man was unshakable in his opinion and followed the rituals of paganism; did not forbid anyone to be baptized, but expressed contempt for Christians and with vexation rejected all the beliefs of his mother, who ... had to finally remain silent and entrust to God the fate of the Russian people and her son.”

The historian S.M. Solovyov has the following thought: “Olga, according to the chronicle, often told him: “I recognized God and I rejoice; if you recognize him, you will also begin to rejoice,” Svyatoslav did not listen and answered this: “How can I alone accept another law? The squad will laugh at this.” Olga objected: “If you are baptized, then everyone will do the same.” ...he was not afraid of the ridicule of the squad, but his own character opposed the adoption of Christianity. He did not listen to his mother, says the chronicler, and lived according to pagan customs (he committed filthy behavior). This very inability to answer ... his mother must have irritated Svyatoslav, as evidenced by the chronicle, saying that he was angry with his mother. Olga even expected great dangers from the pagans, as can be seen from her words to the patriarch: “My people and son are in paganism; May God grant me protection from all evil!”

The chronicle does not refute this. These passages show Prince Svyatoslav’s attitude towards Christianity and reveal another character trait of Olga - maternal warmth and concern for the children. At V.N. Tatishchev another character appears - Gleb, younger brother Svyatoslav. According to the Joachim Chronicle, Svyatoslav executes him for the Christian faith, after the death of the princess: “He became so furious that he did not spare his only brother Gleb, but killed him with various torments.” Apparently, the brothers differed from each other in character: Gleb was humble, but Svyatoslav was not. Unfortunately, no other information about Gleb himself could be found.

In addition, V.N. Tatishchev writes that Olga’s baptism is the “fifth baptism.” This may indicate that the chroniclers showed the importance of the adoption of the new faith by the princes even before the adoption of Christianity by all of Russia.

2.5. Recent years life and death of Princess Olga.

The chronicle says that Olga spent the last years of her life in Kyiv with the children of Svyatoslav, while the prince himself lived in Pereyaslavets on the Danube, where he settled after the conquest of vast lands and their annexation to Russian soil. It is this time that coincides with the Pecheneg invasion of Rus', and Olga finds herself imprisoned in the fortress, awaiting the help of Svyatoslav. By this time, the princess was already ill, but the prince, nevertheless, leaves her alone.

This information is also in the work of S. M. Solovyov: “...according to legend, he told his mother and the boyars: “I don’t like Kiev, I want to live in Pereyaslavets on the Danube - there is the middle of my Land; “Everything good is brought there from all sides: from the Greeks - gold, fabrics, wines, various vegetables, from the Czechs and Hungarians - silver and horses, from Rus' - furs, wax, honey and slaves.” Olga answered him: “You see that I’m already sick, where are you going from me? When you bury me, go wherever you want.” Three days later, Olga died, and her son, grandchildren and people all cried for her with great tears. Olga forbade celebrating a funeral feast for herself, because there was a priest with her, who buried her.”

N.M. Karamzin does not write anything about the death of the princess; the episode about the battle of Svyatoslav with the Pechenegs ends with the results of Olga’s reign in Rus', and the date of her death is also indicated - 969.

So, Princess Olga, according to legend, is presented as a completely unique person, an outstanding historical figure. The chronicle praises and exalts her deeds and attributes to her the highest virtues that were valued by the Russian people and Christianity. Naturally, the custom of revenge reveals her as a pagan, but the transition to Christianity becomes a huge event for the formation of the Russian people on the true path. “Tradition called Olga Cunning, the church - Saint, history - Wise,” wrote N.M. Karamzin. The role of her personality in history is undeniable: the image of Princess Olga becomes an example of fidelity, anxiety and maternal warmth. Scientists highlight her thriftiness and prudence, which was so important in political life.

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

Most likely, during the reign of Yaropolk (970 - 978), Princess Olga began to be revered as a saint. This is evidenced by the transfer of her relics to the church and the description of miracles given by the monk Jacob in the 11th century. Since that time, the day of remembrance of Saint Olga (Elena) began to be celebrated on July 11. Official canonization (churchwide glorification) apparently occurred later - until the middle of the 13th century. Her name early becomes baptismal, in particular among the Czechs.

In 1547, Princess Olga was canonized as a saint, equal to the apostles. She is revered as the patroness of widows and new Christians.

Rurik is considered the founder of the Old Russian state; he was the first Novgorod prince. It is the Varangian Rurik who is the founder of an entire dynasty ruling in Rus'. How did it happen that he became a prince, before...

Rurik is considered the founder of the Old Russian state; he was the first Novgorod prince. It is the Varangian Rurik who is the founder of an entire dynasty ruling in Rus'. How it happened that he became a prince will not be fully known. There are several versions, according to one of them, he was invited to rule in order to prevent endless civil strife in the land of the Slavs and Finns. The Slavs and Varangians were pagans, they believed in the gods of water and earth, in brownies and goblins, they worshiped Perun (the god of thunder and lightning), Svarog (the master of the universe) and other gods and goddesses. Rurik built the city of Novgorod and gradually began to rule individually, expanding his lands. When he died, his young son Igor remained.

Igor Rurikovich was only 4 years old, and needed a guardian and a new prince. Rurik entrusted this task to Oleg, whose origins are unclear; it is assumed that he was a distant relative of Rurik. Known to us as Prince Oleg the Prophet, he ruled Ancient Russia from 879 to 912. During this time, he captured Kyiv and increased the size of the Old Russian state. Therefore, he is sometimes considered its founder. Prince Oleg annexed many tribes to Rus' and went to fight Constantinople.

After him sudden death all power passed into the hands of Prince Igor, the son of Rurik. In the chronicles he is called Igor the Old. He was a young man raised in a palace in Kyiv. He was a fierce warrior, a Varangian by upbringing. Almost continuously, he led military operations, raided neighbors, conquered various tribes and imposed tribute on them. Prince Oleg, Igor's regent, selected a bride for him, with whom Igor fell in love. According to some sources, she was 10 or 13 years old, and her name was beautiful - Beautiful. However, she was renamed Olga, presumably because she was a relative or even daughter Prophetic Oleg. According to another version, she was from the family of Gostomysl, who ruled before Rurik. There are other versions of its origin.

This woman went down in history under the name of Princess Olga. Ancient weddings were extremely colorful and original. Red was used for wedding dresses. The wedding took place according to a pagan rite. Prince Igor had other wives, because he was a pagan, but Olga was always his beloved wife. In the marriage of Olga and Igor, a son, Svyatoslav, was born, who would later rule the state. Olga loved her Varangian.

Prince Igor relied on force in everything and constantly fought for power. In 945, he traveled around the captured lands and collected tribute, having received tribute from the Drevlyans, he left. On the way, he decided that he had received too little, returned to the Drevlyans and demanded a new tribute. The Drevlyans were outraged by this demand, they rebelled, grabbed Prince Igor, tied him to bent trees and released them. Grand Duchess Olga was very upset by the death of her husband. But it was she who began to rule Ancient Russia after his death. Previously, when he was on campaigns, she also ruled the state in his absence. Judging by the chronicles, Olga is the first woman to rule the state of Ancient Rus'. She began a military campaign against the Drevlyans, destroying their settlements, and besieged the capital of the Drevlyans. Then she demanded a dove from each yard. And then they were eaten, and no one suspected anything wrong, considering it a tribute. They tied a set of tow to the leg of each pigeon and the pigeons flew to their homes, and the capital of the Drevlyans burned down.

Prince Svyatoslav

Olga's baptism

Princess Olga traveled to Constantinople twice. In 957, she was baptized and became a Christian; her godfather was Emperor Constantine himself. Olga ruled Ancient Russia from 945 to 962. At baptism she took the name Elena. She was the first to build Christian churches and spread Christianity in Rus'. Olga tried to introduce her son Svyatoslav to the Christian faith, but he remained a pagan and, after the death of his mother, oppressed Christians. Olga's son, grandson of the great Rurik, died tragically in a Pecheneg ambush.

Icon of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga

Princess Olga, baptized Helena, died on July 11, 969. She was buried according to Christian custom, and her son did not forbid it. She was the first of the Russian sovereigns to convert to Christianity even before baptism. Ancient Rus', this is the first Russian saint. The name of Princess Olga is associated with the Rurik dynasty, with the advent of Christianity in Rus'; this great woman stood at the origins of the state and culture of Ancient Rus'. The people revered her for her wisdom and holiness. The reign of Princess Olga is filled with important events: restoration of the unity of the state, tax reform, administrative reform, stone construction cities, strengthening the international authority of Rus', strengthening ties with Byzantium and Germany, strengthening princely power. This extraordinary woman was buried in Kyiv.

Her grandson, Grand Duke Vladimir ordered her relics to be transferred to the New Church. Most likely, it was during the reign of Vladimir (970-988) that Princess Olga began to be revered as a saint. In 1547, Princess Olga (Elena) was canonized as Equal-to-the-Apostles. There were only six such women in the entire history of Christianity. In addition to Olga, these are Mary Magdalene, the first martyr Thekla, the martyr Apphia, Queen Helen Equal to the Apostles and the enlightener of Georgia Nina. The memory of Grand Duchess Olga is celebrated with a holiday among both Catholics and Orthodox Christians.

Princess Olga the Saint
Years of life: ?-969
Reign: 945-966

Grand Duchess Olga, baptized Elena. Russian Saint Orthodox Church, the first of the rulers of Rus' to convert to Christianity even before the Baptism of Rus'. After the death of her husband, Prince Igor Rurikovich, she ruled Kievan Rus from 945 to 966.

Princess Olga's baptism

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 among Russian women, for you left darkness and loved the Light. The Russian sons will glorify you to the last generation! »

At baptism, the Russian princess was honored with the name of Saint Helen, Equal to the Apostles, who worked hard to spread Christianity in the vast Roman Empire, but did not find the Life-Giving Cross on which the Lord was crucified.

In the vast expanses of the Russian land, like her heavenly patroness, Olga became an 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 founder of the Russian land, do not raise doubts about their authenticity.

The story 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 names the name of the future ruler of Rus' 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 - the Izborsky family. The life of Saint Princess Olga specifies that she was born in the village of Vybuty in the Pskov land, 12 km from Pskov up the Velikaya River. The names of 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 has a correspondence in Old Scandinavian as Helga, in Russian pronunciation - Olga (Volga). The presence of Scandinavians in those places is noted nearby archaeological finds, dating from the first half of the 10th century.

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

The life of Saint Olga tells that here, “in the Pskov region,” her meeting with her future husband took place for the first time. The young prince was hunting and, wanting to cross the Velikaya River, he saw “someone floating in a boat” and called him to the shore. Sailing away from the shore in a boat, the prince discovered 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 turned out to be not only beautiful, but chaste and smart. She shamed Igor by reminding him of the princely dignity of a ruler and judge, who should be a “bright example of good deeds” for his subjects.

Igor broke up with her, keeping her words and beautiful image in his memory. When the time came to choose a bride, the most beautiful girls principalities. But none of them pleased him. And then he remembered Olga, “wonderful in maidens,” and sent his relative, Prince Oleg, for her. So Olga became the wife of Prince Igor, the Grand Duchess of Russia.

Princess Olga and Prince Igor

Upon returning from the campaign against the Greeks, Prince Igor became a father: his son Svyatoslav was born. Soon Igor was killed by the Drevlyans. After the murder of Igor, the Drevlyans, fearing revenge, sent matchmakers to his widow Olga to invite her to marry their prince Mal. Princess Olga pretended to agree and consistently dealt with the elders of the Drevlyans, and then brought the people of the Drevlyans to submission.

The Old Russian chronicler describes in detail Olga’s revenge for the death of her husband:

1st revenge of Princess Olga: Matchmakers, 20 Drevlyans, arrived in a boat, which the Kievans carried and threw into a deep hole in the courtyard of Olga’s tower. The matchmaker-ambassadors were buried alive along with the boat. Olga looked at them from the tower and asked: « Are you satisfied with the honor? » And they shouted: « Oh! It’s worse for us than Igor’s death » .

2nd revenge: Olga asked, out of respect, to send new ambassadors from the best husbands to her, which the Drevlyans willingly did. An embassy of noble Drevlyans was burned in a bathhouse while they were washing themselves in preparation for a meeting with the princess.

3rd revenge: The princess with a small retinue came to the lands of the Drevlyans to, according to custom, celebrate a funeral feast at her husband’s grave. Having drunk the Drevlyans during the funeral feast, Olga ordered them to be chopped down. The chronicle reports about 5 thousand Drevlyans killed.

4th revenge: In 946, Olga went with an army on a campaign against the Drevlyans. According to the First Novgorod Chronicle, the Kiev squad defeated the Drevlyans in battle. Olga walked through the Drevlyansky land, established tributes and taxes, and then returned to Kyiv. In the Tale of Bygone Years, the chronicler made an insert into the text of the Initial Code about the siege of the Drevlyan capital of 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 incendiaries to be tied. Some of the defenders of Iskorosten were killed, the rest submitted.

Reign of Princess Olga

After the massacre of the Drevlyans, Olga began to rule Kievan Rus until Svyatoslav came of age, but even after that she remained the de facto ruler, since her son was absent most of the time on military campaigns.

The chronicle testifies to her tireless “walks” across 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 “cemeteries” - centers of trade and exchange, in which taxes were collected in a more orderly manner; Then they began to build churches in graveyards.

Rus' 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 tower), surrounded by a loyal squad. She carefully monitored the improvement of lands subject to Kyiv - Novgorod, Pskov, located along the Desna River, etc.

Reforms of Princess Olga

In Rus', the Grand Duchess erected the churches of St. Nicholas and St. Sophia in Kyiv, and the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary in Vitebsk. According to legend, she founded the city of Pskov on the Pskov River, where she was born. In those parts, on the site of the vision of three luminous rays from the sky, the 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 it, but only mocked him.”

The chronicles consider Svyatoslav to be the successor to the Russian throne immediately after the death of Igor, so the date of the beginning of his independent reign is quite arbitrary. He entrusted the internal administration of the state to his mother, being constantly on military campaigns against the neighbors of Kievan Rus. In 968, the Pechenegs first raided Russian land. Together with Svyatoslav’s children, Olga locked herself in Kyiv. Returning from Bulgaria, he lifted the siege and did not want to stay long in Kyiv. The very next year he was going to leave for Pereyaslavets, but Olga held him back.

« You see - I'm sick; where do you want to go from me? “ - because she was already sick. And she said: « When you bury me, go wherever you want “ . Three days later, Olga died (July 11, 969), and her son, and her grandchildren, and all the people cried for her with great tears, and they carried her and buried her in the chosen place, but Olga bequeathed not to perform funeral feasts for her, since she had The priest was with him - he buried 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 Tithe Church. During the Mongol invasion, the relics were hidden under the cover of the church.

In 1547, Olga was canonized as Saint Equal to the Apostles. Only 5 other holy women in Christian history have received such an honor (Mary Magdalene, First Martyr Thekla, Martyr Apphia, Queen Helena and Georgian Enlightener Nina).

The Day of Remembrance of Saint Olga (Elena) began to be celebrated on July 11. She is revered as the patroness of widows and new Christians.

Official canonization (churchwide glorification) occurred later - until the middle of the 13th century.

Olga Pskovskaya

Olga Mudraya. Drawing by V.P. Vereshchagin.

Olga (Olga Pskovskaya) d. 969 - Vel. Princess of Kyiv. According to legendary information, she came “from ordinary people.” She was married to Igor and became the mother of Svyatoslav Igorevich. In 945, after the murder of Prince Igor by the Drevlyans, she brutally took revenge on the rebels. She was the ruler of the state during the childhood of Svyatoslav and during his endless campaigns. Olga Pskovskaya established the amount of tribute from her subjects and set up graveyards ( administrative centers). In 955 she visited Constantinople, where she was baptized, receiving christian name Elena. Russian canonized church.

Book materials used: Shikman A.P. Figures of Russian history. Biographical reference book. Moscow, 1997

Olga Mudraya (? -969) - Kyiv. Princess, wife of Kyiv. book Igor Rurikovich . By V.N. Tatishchev , came “from the Gostomyslov family.” After the murder of her husband by the Drevlyans (945), according to chronicle legend, she took control of the state into her own hands as regent for her young son Svyatoslav . In the same year, she began a war with the Drevlyans, which lasted approx. year. In 946, with greater difficulty, she achieved their capitulation, and as a result of which the Drevlyansk was preserved. cities, and the lives of many of their inhabitants. Then she made a trip to Novg. the land where along the way she established lessons and tributes on the rivers Meta and Luga. After this, Olga visited Constantinople, where she was received twice by the Emperor. Konstantin Porphyrogenitus and where, apparently, she converted to Orthodoxy. baptism under the name Elena. She unsuccessfully tried to spread Christianity, but the missionaries she invited from Germany were expelled from Rus' (96.!). Olga significantly expanded Kyiv's land holdings. Velikiyazh Houses. In 955 (or 957) she visited Constantinople with an embassy, ​​where she introduced Christianity. She continued to manage the state even after her son, who was constantly on campaigns, grew into manhood. In his absence (968) she led the defense of Kyiv from the Pechenegs. At the end of her life she professed Christianity “in secret, since her son Svyatoslav was hostile towards him. Russian canonized Orthodox church.

Materials used from the book: Boguslavsky V.V., Burminov V.V. Rus' of the Rurikovichs. Illustrated Historical Dictionary, M. 2000, p. 393-394.

Olga (Christian name - Elena) (d. 969) - Grand Duchess of Kiev, wife of Igor, mother of Svyatoslav Igorevich. After the uprising of the Drevlyans and their murder of her husband (945), Olga destroyed the members of two embassies of the Drevlyans who arrived with an offer to marry Prince Mal, and then ordered the killing of about 5 thousand Drevlyans and burned the city of Iskorosten (946), near which Igor died. Olga ruled the Kyiv state during Svyatoslav’s childhood and to a large extent afterwards, since Svyatoslav spent almost his entire life on campaigns. Her reign was associated with the establishment of tribute rates in Ancient Rus' and the establishment of graveyards. In order to strengthen trade and political relations with Byzantium, Olga traveled to Constantinople (according to Russian sources - in 955, according to Byzantine - in 957). On the eve of the trip or in Constantinople, she converted to Christianity. But dissatisfied with the reception she received in Byzantium, Olga, after returning to Kyiv, refused the Byzantine emperor the promised military assistance. Olga exchanged embassies with the German Emperor Otto I. In 968, while she was with her three grandchildren in Kyiv besieged by the Pechenegs, Olga called her son from Bulgaria for help. She persuaded Svyatoslav not to perform a pagan funeral feast on her after her death. Canonized by the Russian Church.

G. S. Gorshkov. Moscow.

Soviet historical encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 10. NAHIMSON - PERGAMUS. 1967.

Literature: Solovyov S. M., History of Russia since ancient times, book. 1, M., 1959; Grekov B.D., Kievan Rus, M., 1953.

Olga is the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles princess, wife of the Grand Duke Igor of Kyiv, mother of the Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich and grandmother of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, who was one of the first to convert to Christianity in Rus'. She was born around 895 in the Pskov land, died in 969 in Kyiv. From 945, after the death of her husband in the Drevlyan land, she independently governed principality of Kyiv. Strengthened the foundations of statehood in Rus', centralized management and weakened the influence of local princes in political life by introducing a system of churchyards - financial, administrative, judicial and shopping centers in tribal lands. Concerned about strengthening defense power Kievan Rus, surrounded the residence of the Kyiv princes - Vyshgorod - with stone and oak walls, making it a powerful Kremlin. Since the reign of Princess Olga, stone construction began in Kyiv. In 946, Olga visited the capital of the Byzantine Empire for the first time and was received with honor at the imperial palace, but overall this official visit was not very successful and caused some irritation in the princess. Around 954-955 Olga again visited Constantinople with a diplomatic mission in order to develop trade and political ties between Rus' and Byzantine Empire. During this embassy, ​​she converted to Christianity, was baptized by Patriarch Theophylact of Constantinople (933-956) and received the name Helen. Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (911-959) became her godfather, and she herself received the right to be called “the emperor’s daughter.” At the same time, a new treaty was concluded between Russia and Byzantium, under the terms of which Constantinople received significant military assistance from Kyiv to fight the Arabs. Olga brought the Holy Cross to Rus', carved from a single piece of the Life-Giving Tree of the Lord, which for a long time was the main shrine of Russian Orthodoxy. In the XIV century. The Holy Cross was stolen by Polish Catholics, taken to Lublin and its further fate is unknown. In addition, Olga erected several Christian churches in Kyiv, Vitebsk and Pskov, including the first Kiev church of St. Sophia, consecrated on May 11, 960 (burnt down in 1017). Christian Olga failed to influence her son, Prince Svyatoslav, who remained a pagan until his death. Olga retired from business in 961 and died on July 11, 969, having lived for about 15 years after baptism and bequeathed to be buried according to the Orthodox rite.

Byzantine dictionary: in 2 volumes / [comp. General Ed. K.A. Filatov]. SPb.: Amphora. TID Amphora: RKhGA: Oleg Abyshko Publishing House, 2011, vol. 2, p. 146.

Sergey Soloviev. History of Russia from ancient times. Volume 1 chapter 6 .

Lomonosov M.V. Ancient Russian history. Chapter 4. About the reign of Holguin .

Literature:

Glukhov A.G. "The forerunner of the Christian land." Princess Olga // Bibliography. 1991.N 3;

Sakharov A.N. "We are from the Russian family...". The birth of Russian diplomacy. L., 1986. pp. 226-250.