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Princess Olga and her children. Grand Duchess Olga

Name: Princess Olga (Elena)

Date of birth: 920

Age: 49 years old

Activity: Princess of Kyiv

Marital status: widow

Princess Olga: biography

Princess Olga - wife of the great Russian prince, mother, ruled Russia from 945 to 960. At birth the girl was given the name Helga, her husband called her own name, but a female version, and at baptism she began to be called Elena. Olga is known for being the first of the rulers of the Old Russian state to voluntarily convert to Christianity.

Dozens of films and TV series have been made about Princess Olga. Her portraits are in Russian art galleries; based on ancient chronicles and found relics, scientists have tried to recreate a photographic portrait of the woman. In his native Pskov there is a bridge, an embankment and a chapel named after Olga and two of her monuments.

Childhood and youth

The exact date of Olga’s birth has not been preserved, but the Degree Book of the 17th century says that the princess died at eighty years old, which means she was born at the end of the 9th century. If you believe the “Arkhangelsk Chronicler”, the girl got married when she was ten years old. Historians are still arguing about the year of birth of the princess - from 893 to 928. Official version recognized as 920, but this is the approximate year of birth.

The oldest chronicle “The Tale of Bygone Years,” describing the biography of Princess Olga, indicates that she was born in the village of Vybuty, Pskov. The names of the parents are not known, because... they were peasants, and not persons of noble blood.

The story of the late 15th century says that Olga was the daughter of the ruler of Russia until Igor, the son of Rurik, grew up. He, according to legend, married Igor and Olga. But this version of the princess’s origin has not been confirmed.

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At the moment when the Drevlyans killed Olga’s husband, Igor, their son Svyatoslav was only three years old. The woman was forced to take power into her own hands until her son grew up. The first thing the princess did was take revenge on the Drevlyans.

Immediately after the murder of Igor, they sent matchmakers to Olga, who persuaded her to marry their prince, Mal. So the Drevlyans wanted to unite the lands and become the largest and most powerful state of that time.

Olga buried the first matchmakers alive along with the boat, making sure that they understood that their death worse than death Igor. The princess sent a message to Mal that she was worthy of the best matchmakers from the strongest men in the country. The prince agreed, and the woman locked these matchmakers in a bathhouse and burned them alive while they washed themselves to meet her.

Later, the princess came with a small retinue to the Drevlyans to, according to tradition, celebrate a funeral feast at the grave of her husband. During the funeral feast, Olga drugged the Drevlyans and ordered the soldiers to cut them down. The chronicles indicate that the Drevlyans then lost five thousand soldiers.

In 946, Princess Olga went into open battle on the land of the Drevlyans. She captured their capital and, after a long siege, using cunning (with the help of birds with incendiary mixtures tied to their paws), she burned the entire city. Some of the Drevlyans died in the battle, the rest submitted and agreed to pay tribute to Rus'.

Since Olga’s grown son spent most of his time on military campaigns, power over the country was in the hands of the princess. She carried out many reforms, including the creation of centers of trade and exchange, which made it easier to collect taxes.

Thanks to the princess, stone construction was born in Rus'. Having seen how easily the wooden fortresses of the Drevlyans burned, she decided to build her houses from stone. The first stone buildings in the country were the city palace and the ruler's country house.

Olga established the exact amount of taxes from each principality, the date of their payment and frequency. They were then called “polyudya”. All lands subject to Kyiv were obliged to pay it, and in each administrative unit The state was appointed a princely administrator - tiun.

In 955, the princess decided to convert to Christianity and was baptized. According to some sources, she was baptized in Constantinople, where she was personally baptized by Emperor Constantine VII. During baptism, the woman took the name Elena, but in history she is still better known as Princess Olga.

She returned to Kyiv with icons and church books. First of all, the mother wanted to baptize her only son Svyatoslav, but he only mocked those who accepted Christianity, but did not forbid anyone.

During her reign, Olga built dozens of churches, including a monastery in her native Pskov. The princess personally went to the north of the country to baptize everyone. There she destroyed all pagan symbols and installed Christian ones.

The vigilantes reacted to the new religion with fear and hostility. They emphasized their pagan faith in every possible way, tried to convince Prince Svyatoslav that Christianity would weaken the state and should be banned, but he did not want to contradict his mother.

Olga was never able to make Christianity the main religion. The warriors won, and the princess had to stop her campaigns, locking herself in Kyiv. She raised Svyatoslav's sons in the Christian faith, but did not dare to baptize, fearing the wrath of her son and the possible murder of her grandchildren. She secretly kept a priest with her so as not to give rise to new persecution of people of the Christian faith.

Not in history exact date, when the princess handed over the reins of government to her son Svyatoslav. He often went on military campaigns, therefore, despite the official title, Olga ruled the country. Later, the princess gave her son power in the north of the country. And, presumably, by 960 he became ruling prince all of Rus'.

Olga's influence will be felt during the reign of her grandchildren and. They were both raised by their grandmother, from infancy they became accustomed to the Christian faith and continued the formation of Rus' on the path of Christianity.

Personal life

According to the Tale of Bygone Years, the Prophetic Oleg married Olga and Igor when they were still children. The story also says that the wedding took place in 903, but, according to other sources, Olga was not even born then, so there is no exact date of the wedding.

There is a legend that the couple met at a crossing near Pskov, when the girl was a boat carrier (she changed into men's clothing– it was a job only for men). Igor noticed the young beauty and immediately began to pester her, to which he received a rebuff. When the time came to get married, he remembered that wayward girl and ordered to find her.

If you believe the chronicles describing the events of those times, then Prince Igor died in 945 at the hands of the Drevlyans. Olga came to power while her son grew up. She never married again, and there is no mention of relationships with other men in the chronicles.

Death

Olga died of illness and old age, and was not killed, like many rulers of that time. The chronicles indicate that the princess died in 969. In 968, the Pechenegs first raided Russian lands, and Svyatoslav went to war. Princess Olga and her grandchildren locked themselves in Kyiv. When the son returned from the war, he lifted the siege and wanted to immediately leave the city.

His mother stopped him, warning him that she was very ill and could sense that own death. She turned out to be right; 3 days after these words, Princess Olga died. She was buried according to Christian customs, in the ground.

In 1007, the grandson of the princess, Vladimir I Svyatoslavich, transferred the relics of all the saints, including the remains of Olga, to the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Kyiv, which he founded. The official canonization of the princess took place in the middle of the 13th century, although miracles were attributed to her relics long before that, she was revered as a saint and called equal to the apostles.

Memory

Olginskaya street in Kyiv
St. Olginsky Cathedral in Kyiv

Movie

1981 – ballet “Olga”
1983 – film “The Legend of Princess Olga”
1994 – cartoon “Pages Russian history. Land of the ancestors"
2005 – film “The Saga of the Ancient Bulgars. The Legend of Olga the Saint"
2005 – film “The Saga of the Ancient Bulgars. Vladimir's ladder "Red Sun"
2006 – “Prince Vladimir”

Literature

2000 – “I know God!” Alekseev S. T.
2002 - “Olga, Queen of the Rus.”
2009 - “Princess Olga”. Alexey Karpov
2015 - “Olga, forest princess.” Elizaveta Dvoretskaya
2016 - “United by Power.” Oleg Panus

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

According to some sources, Prince Igor, Olga’s future husband, met her during a campaign, she helped him swim across the river. Igor saw all the beauty and wisdom of the future princess and brought her to Kyiv. Later, Igor took the girl as his wife. Chronicles note that at the time of her marriage, Olga had just turned 12 years old.

Olga proved herself not only as a caring wife, but also as an excellent ruler. In the absence of Igor, while he was on campaign, Olga resolved the political issues of the Kyiv state.

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

Later, Olga herself turned to the Drevlyans with a request to send 20 husbands to her so that she would be greeted with honor on Drevlyan soil. However, the husbands who arrived were locked in a bathhouse and burned. This was Olga's second revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband.

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

After revenge, Olga took up internal politics states. Under her, the tax reform was transformed, which consisted in the fact that now “pogosts” (regions) had to pay “lessons” (a fixed tribute).

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

Relations with other states, in particular with Byzantium, showed Olga that there is another true religion, unlike paganism - Christianity. In 957, Olga converted to Christianity and received the name Elena. Enchanted by Olga's beauty, the Byzantine emperor wanted to take her as his wife, but the princess of Kyiv managed to refuse without hurting the emperor's feelings.

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

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

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

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

Interesting facts and dates from life

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 Kievan Rus. Ruled after the death of her husband 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. 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.

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 he 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 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 and 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.

Domestic policy of Princess Olga

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 Virgin Mary, St. Nicholas and St. Sophia, the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, were erected.

Foreign policy of Princess Olga

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.

Ancient chronicles provide conflicting information about the place and date of Olga’s birth, whether she comes from a princely family or is of an ordinary family, and disputes about this are still going on. Someone calls her the daughter of Prince Oleg the Prophet, other sources believe that she the race is coming from Bulgaria from Prince Boris. The famous Nestor in “The Tale of Bygone Years” indicates Olga’s homeland is a village near Pskov, and that she is from the common people.

Also, in the biography of Princess Olga, only brief information has been preserved.

According to one legend, Prince Igor Rurikovich met Olga in the forest when he was having fun hunting. Having decided to cross the river, he asked Olga, who was passing by on a boat, to transport him, mistaking her for a young man. The girl turned out to be very beautiful, smart and pure in intentions. Later, Prince Igor married Olga.

Kiev Princess Olga proved herself to be a very wise ruler in Rus'. During the military campaigns of Prince Igor, she dealt with political issues, received ambassadors, and dealt with complainants, governors, and warriors. Prince Igor and Princess Olga were not only a happy married couple, but also ruled the country together, sharing administrative responsibilities.

Igor led the war and resolved intertribal issues, and Olga dealt with inner life countries.

In 945, Prince Igor was killed by the Drevlyans for collecting tribute again. Princess Olga brutally took revenge on the rebels, showing cunning and strong will.

To settle the matter with Olga, the Drevlyans sent 20 husbands to her with an offer to marry their prince Mal. According to Olga's order, they were met and carried with honor right in the boats, and at the place of arrival they were thrown into a pre-prepared pit and buried alive.

Then Princess Olga sent her ambassadors to the Drevlyan land with a demand to send the best men for her in order to come to them with great honor. A bathhouse was flooded for the new ambassadors, where they were locked and then burned.

And again Olga sent ambassadors and demanded that honey be prepared in order to celebrate a funeral feast at her husband’s grave. The princess arrived with a small retinue. During the funeral feast, the Drevlyans became drunk, and Olga’s squad cut them down with swords.

But Princess Olga’s revenge on the Drevlyans did not end there. She gathered an army and next year went to the Drevlyan land. The Drevlyans were defeated, but they main city Korosten was not taken.

Then Olga demanded a tribute from them in the amount of three doves and three sparrows from each yard. The besieged residents of the city were so happy small fee and fulfilled her wish. Olga ordered the soldiers to tie pieces of tinder to the birds’ feet (tinder is a flammable material such as grass, sawdust, bark, paper) and release them into the wild. The birds flew to their nests, and soon Korosten was engulfed in fire. People who fled the city were killed or enslaved, and a heavy tribute was imposed on the rest.

Having pacified the Drevlyans, Grand Duchess Olga actively took up tax reform. She abolished polyudyas, divided the lands into “pogosts” (regions) and established “lessons” (a fixed amount of taxes) for each graveyard. The meaning of Princess Olga's reforms was to create an orderly system for collecting tribute, weakening tribal power and strengthening the authority of the Kyiv prince.

Princess Olga's son Svyatoslav was still small after the death of Prince Igor, so power was concentrated in Olga's hands. And then Olga’s reign in Rus' continued, because Svyatoslav very often went on military campaigns.

Under Princess Olga, the first stone structures began to be built in Kyiv, new cities appeared, surrounded by strong stone walls.

Princess Olga's foreign policy was carried out not through military methods, but through diplomacy. She strengthened international ties with Germany and Byzantium.

Relations with Greece revealed to Olga how Christian faith higher than pagan. In 957, she undertook a trip to Constantinople to receive baptism from Emperor Constantine VII himself (although some sources speak of his co-ruler Romanus II) and Patriarch Theophylact. At baptism Kyiv princess received the name Elena.

The Byzantine emperor, fascinated by the beauty and intelligence of the Russian princess, decided to take her as his wife. Olga, true to her memory of her husband, managed to reject the offer without offending the emperor.

Olga's attempts to convert her son Svyatoslav to Orthodoxy were unsuccessful, apparently because Svyatoslav was afraid of losing the authority and respect of his squad, although he did not prevent others from converting to Christianity.

The baptism of Princess Olga did not lead to the establishment of Christianity in Rus', but she had a great influence on her grandson Vladimir, who continued her work.

Princess Olga died in 969 in Kyiv. And only in 1547 she was recognized as a saint.

Princess Olga is one of the few female rulers in Russian history. Its role in strengthening power ancient Russian state impossible to underestimate. This is the image of a wise, intelligent and at the same time cunning woman who, like a real warrior, was able to avenge the death of her husband Igor the Old.

There are few facts about her, like other rulers, but in the history of her personality there are controversial issues, about which historians debate to this day.

Origin of Princess Olga

There is a lot of controversy about her origin, some believe that Olga was a peasant from Pskov, others consider the princess to be from a noble Novgorod family, and still others generally believe that she is from the Varangians.

Princess Olga Igor's wife

The princess was a worthy wife Prince of Kyiv, had in his possession Vyshgorod, which is near Kiev, the villages of Budutino, Olzhichi and other Russian lands. While her husband was on campaign, she was involved in the internal politics of the Russian state.

She even had her own squad, and her own ambassador, who was third on the list of persons participating in negotiations with Byzantium, after Igor’s successful campaign.

Revenge of Princess Olga on the Drevlyans

In 945, Igor the Old dies at the hands of the Drevlyans. Their son was still small, and therefore the entire burden of governing the state fell on the shoulders of the princess. First of all, she took revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband.

Revenge is almost mythical, but the story about it is truly impressive. It was this time that the princess’s wisdom and her cunning manifested itself most clearly.

The Drevlyans wanted Olga to marry their prince Mal, and sent their embassy in a boat. They said: “We neither ride on horses nor go on foot, but carry us in the boat.” She agreed and ordered to dig a large hole and send people for the Drevlyans. The Kievans carried them in a boat, threw them into a large hole, and buried them alive.

Then she sent a messenger to the Drevlyans with a message: “If you really ask me, then send the best men to marry your prince with great honor, otherwise the people of Kiev will not let me in.” The Drevlyans, hearing this, sent their best men. The princess ordered the bathhouse to be lit for them, and while they were washing, they locked the doors and set the bathhouse on fire.

After this, Olga again sends a messenger to the Drevlyans - “Now I’m coming to you, prepare a lot of honey near the city where they killed my husband, so that I will cry at his grave and arrange a funeral feast for him.” She took a small squad with her and moved lightly to the Drevlyan lands.

Having mourned her husband at his grave, she ordered a great grave to be filled and a funeral feast to begin. Then the feast began. The Drevlyans got tipsy. The princess stepped aside and ordered the Drevlyans to be cut down, and five thousand of them were killed.

Then she returned to Kyiv and began to prepare for the capture of the Drevlyan capital - Iskorosten. The siege of Iskorosten lasted a long time. Here she again showed cunning. Realizing that the city could defend itself for a long time, she sent ambassadors to the city, and they made peace, obliging the Drevlyans to pay tribute in the amount of... three doves and a sparrow from the yard. The Drevlyans were delighted, collected tribute and gave it to Olga. She promised to leave the very next day.

When it got dark, she ordered her warriors to tie tinder (smoldering material) to each dove and sparrow and release the birds. The birds flew to their nests, which were located in barns and haylofts.

The city of Iskorosten was on fire. People fled from the city. The squad grabbed defenders and ordinary civilians. People were enslaved, killed, and some were left alive and forced to pay heavy tribute. This is how she gracefully and insidiously took revenge for the death of her husband Igor the Old.

Years of reign

Princess Olga reigned from 945 to 964.

Domestic policy of Princess Olga

After the reprisal against the Drevlyans, Olga begins to actively study. Instead of polyudya, she established clear tribute amounts for lands under the rule of Kyiv. Established “statutes and lessons”, “camps and traps”, “cemeteries”. Pogosts, a place where tribute was collected, seemed to become small centers of princely power.

The meaning of the princess's reforms was to normalize duties, centralize power, and weaken tribal power. For a long time she put this reform into action, honing its mechanisms. This work did not bring her fame, was not overgrown with legends, but had great value in the formation of the Russian state. Now the Russian economy had an administrative economic system.

Foreign policy of Princess Olga

There was a lull during her reign. There were no major campaigns, Russian blood was not shed anywhere. Having completed domestic affairs, she decided to take care of the prestige of Rus' on the world stage. And, if the predecessors Rurik, Oleg, and Igor gained authority for Rus' with the help of force and military campaigns, then Olga preferred to use diplomacy. And, here special meaning acquired her baptism into Orthodoxy.

Princess Olga and Orthodoxy

“From an early age, Olga searched with wisdom for what is best in this world, and found a pearl of great value - Christ.” The princess converted to Orthodoxy and became the first Christian ruler in Rus'.

Historians argue where she accepted the Orthodox faith, in Kyiv or Constantinople? Most likely, in Kyiv she only became acquainted with Christianity, and received direct baptism in Byzantium, where she was accompanied by the Kiev priest Gregory.

The Byzantine Emperor himself became the godfather of the Russian princess. This state of affairs sharply increased the prestige of Kyiv and elevated the princess among other representatives of other states. Become a godchild Byzantine Emperor worth a lot. Her baptism did not entail the introduction of Christianity in Rus', but her grandson will continue the work he started.

Olga is the first Russian saint. It was from her that Orthodoxy began. Her name will forever go down in the history of our country as the name of a heroine woman who sincerely loved her husband, her Motherland and her people.

Olga and her son Svyatoslav

Olga was the mother of the famous Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich, who would continue her work in establishing and strengthening the Russian state. There were many contradictions in the relationship between mother and son. Olga was Orthodox. Svyatoslav did not want to be baptized, he was afraid that the squad would not approve of his action; he was an ardent defender of paganism. The son went down in history as a talented commander and a good warrior.