Ruler Princess Olga, Vasily Petrovich Vereshchagin
- Years of life: circa 890 – July 11, 969
- Father and mother: unknown, presumably not of noble origin.
- Spouse: .
- Children: .
Princess Olga (≈890 – July 11, 969) – ruler of Kievan Rus. Ruled after the death of her husband Igor Rurikovich from 945 to 966. Olga was the first of the Russian rulers to convert to Christianity. At baptism she was named Elena.
Unfortunately, Olga’s origins are unknown for certain. Historians still have not come to a consensus on this matter. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, she was of ignoble origin - a peasant from Pskov.
According to the opinion of the Piskarevsky chronicler and the typographic chronicle (XV century), Olga was the daughter of the Prophetic Oleg. He ruled Kievan Rus and was Igor’s guardian, and then he married Igor and Olga.
The Normanists believed that Olga was of Varangian origin. In accordance with the Joachim Chronicle, Olga is of noble origin from the Gostomyslov family.
Historians from Bulgaria believe that Olga has Bulgarian roots. There are other theories.
There is also a legend about the acquaintance of Igor and Olga. The young prince went hunting in the Pskov region. There he wanted to cross the river. Igor saw a boat in which Olga, dressed in men's clothing, was sailing; he asked the girl to take him to the other side. Igor began to pester Olga, but was refused in response.
When Igor decided to get married, the most beautiful girls came to Kyiv. But the prince did not like any of them. Then he remembered Olga, his casual acquaintance. Igor sent Prophetic Oleg for her. And Olga became the wife of Prince Igor.
Olga owned Vyshgorod, Olzhichi, the village of Budutino, etc. In addition, she had her own squad, her own ambassador. Olga, while her husband was away on campaigns, was involved in domestic politics.
The princess gave her husband a son, Svyatoslav.
In 945, the Drevlyans killed Igor. Svyatoslav was only three years old, so Princess Olga became the ruler of Kievan Rus.
Princess Olga's revenge for the death of her husband
First revenge. The Drevlyans were afraid of Olga's revenge, so they sent Prince Mal to woo her. He and 20 Drevlyans sailed on a boat. Olga agreed to their proposal. Then she ordered to dig a large hole into which they threw the Drevlyan boat, then the matchmakers were sent there too. Olga ordered them to be buried alive.
Second revenge. Olga sent a messenger demanding that they send her the best people from the Drevlyans so that she could “marry with great honor” for their prince. The Drevlyans obeyed and sent her the best husbands. Olga ordered the bathhouse to be lit for them, and while the Drevlyans were washing, all the doors were locked and the bathhouse was set on fire.
Third revenge. Olga went to the Drevlyans to arrange a funeral feast for her late husband. She came, cried at her husband’s grave, and then had a feast. After getting the Drevlyans drunk, Olga ordered their heads to be cut off. According to data, about five thousand Drevlyans died that day.
Fourth revenge. In 946, Olga decided to capture Iskorosten, the capital of the Drevlyans. The siege dragged on, and the princess decided to use a trick. She sent envoys to the city to make peace. The Drevlyans had to pay a tribute of three doves and sparrows. Of course, the Drevlyans were pleased with this news, they sent tribute. At night, Olga ordered tinder to be tied to the birds and released. The birds flew to their nests, located in Iskorosten. A fire started in the city. Residents fled the city, and Olga’s squad was already waiting for them there. So the princess captured the city. Some of the Drevlyans were killed, some became slaves, and Olga ordered them to pay a large tribute.
Princess Olga: domestic politics
Olga was the official ruler until Svyatoslav came of age. Although even after that she was the actual ruler, because her son was constantly on military campaigns.
Olga established tribute on the land during her reign. The princess established a system of “cemeteries”. Cemeteries are places where tribute is collected. Olga also established “polyudya” (taxes to Kyiv) and “tributes, charters.” All lands were divided into parts, and a tiun (princely administrator) was appointed at the head of each. There was a centralization of power and a weakening of the power of the tribes.
Under Olga, the first stone buildings were built - Olga's tower and the city palace. The princess was also involved in the improvement of Pskov, Novgorod and other lands belonging to Kyiv. Also during her reign, the churches of the Annunciation of the Mother of God, St. Nicholas and St. Sophia, the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, were erected.
Princess Olga: foreign policy
There were no major campaigns under Olga. The princess decided to raise the prestige of Kievan Rus in the world. But she did not conquer him by force, but decided to act diplomatically.
Olga's baptism
Olga was the first ruler to convert to Orthodoxy. In 955, the princess was baptized in Byzantium, and the Emperor of Byzantium became her godfather. But under Olga, Christianity did not take root in Rus'.
Olga tried to introduce Svyatoslav to Christianity. But he refused, because... I was afraid of losing the respect of my squad.
On July 11, 969, Olga died. The place of her burial is unknown. During the reign of Vladimir in 1547, she was canonized and her relics were transferred to the Tithe Church.
Olga is revered as the patroness of Christian converts and widows.
Princess Olga became one of the first rulers of the Russian land who turned her attention to domestic politics.
The first princes chose an extensive path of development, expanding their borders and growing rich by seizing foreign territories.
During Olga's reign, extensive and intensive paths of development converged in symbiosis, which allowed the princess to leave a big mark on the history of Rus'.
Domestic politics of Princess Olga
The reign began with tragedy. The Drevlyans killed her husband. They killed him because the squad returned to collect tribute again. The Drevlyans had nothing to lose, so a “rebellion” happened. They refused to pay tribute, caused great damage to Igor’s squad, and killed the prince himself.
Olga brutally suppressed the Drevlyan uprising. But the reasons for the riot became a good lesson for her. She rightly decided that it was necessary to establish a clear and fair amount of tribute in order to avoid conflicts in the future.
If the action took place in the modern world, then one could say that Olga carried out tax reform. The new rules included the establishment of a place for collecting tribute - “pogost”, and the amount of tribute - “lesson”.
Subsequently, incidents similar to the incident with the Kyiv prince and the Drevlyans did not happen.
Princess Olga's politics in the table
After the introduction of graveyards and lessons, Olga actively builds cities and fortresses around them, strengthening the defense of Ancient Rus'.
Foreign policy of Princess Olga
Princess Olga's foreign policy boiled down to finding new allies and strengthening international relations. In 956, the Byzantine emperor came to Kyiv. A year later, Olga made a visit to Constantinople, where she converted to Orthodoxy under the name Elena. In 958, Olga went to Germany, seeking to gain a new ally. The Germans sent Christian clergymen to Kyiv. But pagan Kyiv did not accept the preachers and sent them home.
Under Olga, Rus' survived the war with Khazaria and the Pechenegs. In 968 the Pechenegs besieged Kyiv. The city was defended, and the princess personally led its defense.
Results of Olga's policy
- Strengthening centralized power
- Development of diplomatic relations with European countries
- Establishing tax amounts
- First steps to Christianity
The years of the princess's reign were not marked by major military conquests. First, it was important to strengthen the state internally and only then begin to pursue an active foreign policy. It is not without reason that Solovyov draws an analogy between the first years of the reign of Olga and Prince Oleg. In addition to the similarities in character, it is clear that both of them, only having strengthened the position of the grand ducal power, began to solve foreign policy problems. The princess tried to raise the prestige of Rus' not through military conquests, but through skillful, wise diplomacy, which bore fruit.
Olga pursued a course towards rapprochement with Byzantium, while the chronicle also indicates the princess’s connection with Catholic states, in particular with the German lands and the Holy Roman Empire led by Otto I. These connections did not suit the Byzantine nobility, but Olga herself gravitated towards cooperation with a powerful power. The religious issue was also resolved here (this will be discussed below). The purpose of Olga's trips was to establish diplomatic relations and mutual support in trade and supply of troops. The trip to Constantinople became the clearest example of how the unity of the people in spiritual life influences the successful development of the economic and political spheres. The chronicle does not dwell in detail on this episode, but the notes of the Byzantine emperor about this visit have been preserved, where the attitude of the Byzantine nobility towards the Russian princess is clearly expressed. This cooperation was beneficial to both, and Olga was given a special welcome.
The chronicle does not record any particularly noteworthy events in foreign policy. While his son Svyatoslav was growing up, there were no military campaigns. Olga earned authority for Rus' through diplomatic negotiations. Therefore, the trip to Constantinople is considered the most striking and important event, since, according to the chronicle, during this visit Olga converted to Christianity.
2.4 The political aspect of Olga’s adoption of Christianity
The episode of the princess's baptism is also important. The adoption of Christianity obviously also had a strong political connotation - it is clear that Olga was pursuing a rapprochement with Byzantium. But, despite connections with Western European lands, the princess and the Kiev nobility remained on the side of the Christian community of Russians who came from Moravia, and, therefore, the Byzantine Empire.
Characterizing Olga’s policy before and after baptism, it is worth noting its softening. The new faith made her character kinder; According to the chronicle, her pagan cruelty, so obvious in the legend of revenge on the Drevlyans, disappeared. In addition, Olga was already aged - Karamzin reports that the princess was already more than sixty years old at the time of her trip to Constantinople. Thus, Olga became the first Christian ruler and the new faith was spreading at a slow pace, but still spreading throughout Russian soil.
Of course, Svyatoslav’s orientation towards pagan values greatly slowed down the process of Christianization of Rus', but already during the reign of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the entire Russian land would be converted to the Christian faith. This is an important step for Rus', because the development of spiritual life meant an impetus for the development of the economy, the emergence of authority among other states and, as a result, the rapid development of trade and political ties. The departure from archaic, pagan foundations increased the level of Rus' among Western European countries. Therefore, Olga’s adoption of Christianity can be considered a very important stage on the path to accepting a new faith.
Olga, being the regent of Svyatoslav, and then the ruler of Rus' in the absence of the prince, is depicted in the chronicle as a wise, economic manager, as well as a fair and cunning person. Despite the tradition of transferring power through the male line accepted at that time, the princess becomes a striking exception in the historical process: successful internal politics and diplomatic negotiations with other countries become a truly innovative step for the Russian land, which had not previously known diplomatic methods for resolving relations.
Conclusions
The particular relevance of studying the life and work of Princess Olga is due to the fact that the image of a female ruler has always stood out in the historical process, often radically different from the image of a male ruler. Turning to historical sources and scientific literature, it became possible to find out how chroniclers and historians of the 18th-20th centuries treated Olga as the ruler of the state.
Olga is an example of will, feminine wisdom, and thriftiness. No wonder Olga is called “the mother of the Russian people.” She, guided not so much by personal interests, but by the interests of her state, acted clearly and cunningly: the episode of revenge against the Drevlyans is an excellent confirmation of this. Olga is one of the first Christians in Rus'. According to the chronicle, she laid the foundation for a new faith, and was not afraid of the pagans who did not welcome Christianity in their native land. The fate of the princess is closely intertwined in legend with the fate of Rus', and scientists have repeatedly noted this strong relationship in their works: legend honors Olga, elevates her image, puts her on a par with other major political figures: the noted similarity in the character of Olga and Oleg and comparison with her activities with the activities of princes Oleg and Igor indicate that Olga’s personality is just as important in the life of the Russian state. But she can be considered a kind of exception to tradition, because a woman stood at the head of the state, and all the activities of the princess are strongly connected with precisely feminine qualities, which distinguishes her in history.
The princess's policy contributed to the strengthening of the state, the unification of lands, and increasing the authority of princely power. It was Olga who, through purely diplomatic actions, managed to gain the trust and respect of both the squad and the civilian population. Tradition honors Olga as an excellent manager who was able to calmly overcome arbitrariness when collecting tribute. Olga brought Christianity to Russian soil; with it, in fact, a new era in Rus' begins, because Rus' gains authority and trust in European countries. With her diplomacy, Olga loudly declared the power of the Russian state, which ensured the further development of the economy and trade with the West.
Of course, factual material is not enough to fully achieve the goal: the chronicle texts are very subjective, addressed to the Christian tradition and embellished, and historians could only use these texts, since more reliable sources have not been found, so many stages of the princess’s life still remain controversial. But the collected material still allows us to judge how important the role Princess Olga played in the formation of Russian statehood. To fully study the problem, you should turn to European sources, which directly or indirectly indicate any information about the life and activities of the princess.
List of sources and literature
1. The Tale of Bygone Years [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: #"justify">. Alexandrov A.A. Olga toponymy, Vybut hills and Russes in the Pskov land // Monuments of medieval culture. Discoveries and versions [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: #"justify">. Illustrated encyclopedic dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron. Modern version. - M.: Eksmo, 2009.
2. History of the USSR. From ancient times to the present day. In 2 series, in 12 volumes/Ch. ed. B.N. Ponomarev. - T.1. Primitive communal system. The most ancient states of Transcaucasia and Central Asia. Ancient Rus' until the beginning of the 13th century / Ed. S.A. Pletnev and B.A. Rybakov. - M.: Nauka, 1966.
3. Karamzin N.M. History of the Russian State from the 6th century to the beginning of the 14th century / N.M. Karamzin - M.: AST: Astrel, 2009.
4. Klyuchevsky V.O. Russian history course. Part 1. - M.: Mysl, 1987.
5. Kostomarov N.I. Russian history in the biographies of its main figures. - M.: Eksmo, 2009.
6. Nazarenko A.V. Once again about the date of Princess Olga’s trip to Constantinople: source notes [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: #"justify">. Sakharov A.N. Diplomacy of Svyatoslav [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: #"justify">. Solovyov S.M. Works/S.M. Solovyov - M., 1959.
7. Tatishchev V.N. Collected works. T.1: Russian History. Part 1./V.N. Tatishchev - M.: Ladomir, 1994.
8. Olga (Princess of Kyiv) - Wikipedia.
There is a historical tale that the ideal ruler for Princess Olga was the Roman Emperor Constantine. This cannot be proven, but the fact is that she was similar to him: just as intelligent, persistent, talented and completely ruthless.
Long regency
Olga was a de facto ruler, but not a de jure one. After the death of her husband Igor in 945, she became only a regent for her young son Svyatoslav. Some sources claim that he was 3 years old, but this is doubtful; one thing is important: he was incapable of independent rule. And the last documented fact of Olga’s participation in state affairs dates back to 968. At this time, Svyatoslav is no longer only an adult, but also a seasoned warrior, and his mother leads the defense of Kyiv from the Pechenegs while her son robs the Bulgarians.
Consequently, Olga was actually not only a regent, but also a co-ruler of Svyatoslav. This prince was not at all interested in the internal structure of the state and willingly pushed such matters onto his mother.
Carrot and stick
This is how we can characterize Olga’s attitude towards the internal structure of the country. She became a widow as a result. The prince became the first victim of tax evasion in our history - the Drevlyans took revenge on him for trying to collect tribute from them twice. But such actions undermined the prestige of the Kyiv authorities. And Olga, to begin with, decisively stopped them.
Chronicles tell horror stories of the “four vengeances,” with ambassadors buried alive, funeral participants slaughtered, and a city burned with the help of sparrows. Almost certainly this overkill is due to the artistic imagination of the authors of the chronicles. But it’s a fact: Olga suppressed the resistance of the Drevlyans by force and put an end to their princely dynasty.
But then she did exactly the opposite. She established the exact amounts of the “uplift” (that is, per household) tribute. Thus, antics like the one that led to Igor's death were now excluded. For the convenience of collecting taxes and resolving local conflicts, places were organized near some settlements where tribute was paid and where litigation was resolved. It is characteristic that later the word “pogost” became synonymous with cemetery - one can guess how they were punished for offenses. But for those years it was the norm.
Diplomacy successes
On the external frontiers, Olga preferred negotiations to force. It is known that she visited Byzantium (approximately in 955) and negotiated with the German Emperor Otto I. This should also include her adoption of Christianity - this was well received by foreign sovereigns.
This could only harm domestic politics. It is known that the Russians simply kicked out the missionary sent by Otto I. Son Svyatoslav responded to his mother’s offer to be baptized with a categorical refusal and stated that he did not want to become a laughing stock in the eyes of his own soldiers. Christianity was not persecuted in Rus', but the prince and most of his subjects considered the baptized “strange” and sarcastically teased them.
And until his son Svyatoslav came of age. Converted to Christianity with the name Elena. History has not preserved information about the princess’s date of birth, but the Degree Book reports that she died presumably at the age of eighty. The impeccable and wise policy of Princess Olga made her a famous historical figure almost all over the world.
Life path
There is no reliable information about her place of birth. Chroniclers and modern historians put forward various assumptions in this regard. The closest thing to the truth is the statement in The Tale of Bygone Years that she came from a simple family that lived in the small village of Vybuty, located on Pskov land. But no matter where Olga was born and no matter what tribe she belonged to, the wisdom of her policies and deeds are an integral part of Slavic history.
Before Igor's death, there is practically no information about the princess. The death of her husband put her in first place in the life of Kievan Rus, because Svyatoslav was three years old, and, of course, he was not fit to be a prince. She took over the management of the state, which was at that time in an extremely difficult situation, and for 19 years she completely coped with all the problems. External and Olga created a single power with international authority.
Revenge on the Drevlyans
The beginning of her reign can be considered the revenge on Igor’s murderers, which consisted of four parts. The princess's first revenge was the burial of the Drevlyan ambassadors alive. The reason for this was their offer to marry her to theirs. After that, she burned alive in the bathhouse the noble Drevlyans who arrived after the first. For the third time, Olga drugged 5 thousand of their fellow tribesmen at her husband’s funeral funeral, after which her small squad killed everyone. The final stage of revenge was the burning of the city of Iskorosten.
In addition to cruel revenge, these acts also have their own deep meaning. Olga had to show both well-wishers and enemies that she was not a weak woman, but a strong ruler. “The hair is long, but the mind is short,” this is what they said about women in those days. Therefore, she was forced to clearly demonstrate her wisdom and knowledge of military affairs in order to prevent any conspiracies from arising behind her back. For the second time, the princess did not want to get married; she preferred to remain a widow.
Thus, it became clear that Olga’s foreign and domestic policies would be wise and fair. In essence, this bloody revenge was aimed at abolishing the power of the Mala dynasty, subjugating the Drevlyans to Kyiv and suppressing the nobility from neighboring principalities.
Reforms and introduction of Christianity
After taking revenge on the Drevlyans, the princess established clear rules for collecting tribute. This helped prevent outbreaks of discontent, one of which resulted in the murder of her husband. Churchyards were introduced near large cities. It was in these administrative and economic cells that the authorities collected tribute.
Olga's foreign and domestic policies have always been aimed at centralizing government, as well as unifying and strengthening Russian lands.
Olga’s name is associated with the construction of not only the Church of St. Nicholas, but also the St. Sophia Church in Kyiv. Although she was the first to convert to Christianity, they supposedly began to venerate her as a saint no earlier than in the 13th century.
Olga’s foreign and domestic policies characterize her not as a defenseless woman, but as a strong and reasonable ruler who firmly and confidently holds power over the entire country in her hands. She wisely defended her people from ill-wishers, for which people loved and respected her. In addition to the fact that the ruler had a large number of already mentioned positive qualities, she was also attentive and generous to poor people.
Domestic policy
While the empress was in power, peace and order reigned in Kievan Rus. The domestic policy of Princess Olga was closely intertwined with the structure of the spiritual and religious life of the Russian people.
One of her most important achievements was the introduction of organized points for collecting tribute, at which later, after the ruler adopted Christianity, the first churches and temples began to be built on the site of graveyards. Since then, the development of stone construction began. The first such buildings were a country tower and a city palace, owned by the empress. The remains of their walls and foundation were excavated by archaeologists only in the early 70s of the 20th century.
Princess Olga's domestic policy is inextricably linked with strengthening the country's defense. Cities then were literally overgrown with oak and stone walls.
Relations with neighboring principalities
Olga's foreign policy deserves special attention. The table below contains the main deeds of the princess.
When the ruler improved the situation within Kievan Rus, she set about strengthening the international prestige of her country. Princess Olga's foreign policy was diplomatic, unlike her husband.
At the beginning of her reign, she converted to Christianity, and the Byzantine emperor became her godfather. These events contributed to increasing the authority of Kievan Rus among the rulers of other countries, because it seemed unrealistic to have such a person as a godfather.
Basically, Princess Olga's foreign policy was aimed at improving relations with Byzantium. And she did it well. For this reason, part of the Russian squad participated together with the Byzantine army in hostilities, while simultaneously maintaining the independence of their state.
In 968, Kyiv was attacked by the Pechenegs. The defense of the city was led by the princess herself, thanks to which it was spared the siege.
During Olga's reign, conditions were created that created the advantage of conducting a peaceful foreign policy over a military one, if such was necessary.
Attempts to establish relations with the German Empire
Over time, friendly relations with Byzantium began to weaken, and Olga decided to find a strong ally. She chose Germany.
In 959, the princess sent a Russian embassy to Otto I with a request to provide priests for the introduction of Christianity in the Kyiv lands, as well as with an offer of friendship and peace.
He responded to Olga's calls, and in 961 several clergymen, led by Adalbert, came to her. True, they were never able to expand their activities on Kyiv territory, since at the end of her life Olga no longer had the same influence as before.
In 964, power passed to Svyatoslav, who radically changed his tactics and, it must be said, not for the better.
