Name: Princess Olga (Elena)

Date of Birth: 920

Age: 49 years old

Activity: princess of Kyiv

Family status: widow

Princess Olga: biography

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

Dozens of films and series have been shot about Princess Olga. Her portraits are in Russian art galleries, according to ancient chronicles and relics found, scientists have tried to recreate a photograph of a 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 Book of Powers of the 17th century says that the princess died at the age of eighty, which means that she was born at the end of the 9th century. According to 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 920 is recognized, 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, not persons of noble blood.

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

Governing body

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 to 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 together with the boat, making sure that they understand that their death is worse than the death of Igor. The princess sent a message to Malu that she deserved the best matchmakers from the strongest men in the country. The prince agreed, and the woman closed these matchmakers in a bathhouse and burned them alive while they were washing to meet her.

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

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, to the paws of which incendiary mixtures were tied), burned the entire city. Part of the Drevlyans died in battle, the rest submitted and agreed to pay tribute to Rus'.

Since the grown-up son of Olga spent most of his time on military campaigns, power over the country was in the hands of the princess. She introduced 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'. Looking at how easily the wooden fortresses of the Drevlyans burn, she decided to build her houses from stone. The first stone buildings in the country were the city palace and the country house of the ruler.

Olga set 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 a princely administrator, tiun, was appointed in each administrative unit of the state.

In 955, the princess decided to convert to Christianity and was baptized. According to some sources, she was baptized in Constantinople, where Emperor Constantine VII personally baptized her. At the time of 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 placed Christian ones.

The combatants reacted with apprehension and hostility to the new religion. 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 argue with his mother.

Olga was never able to make Christianity the main religion. The warriors won, and the princess had to stop her campaigns, closing herself in Kyiv. She raised the sons of Svyatoslav 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 persecutions of people of the Christian faith.

There is no exact date in history when the princess handed over the reins of government to her son Svyatoslav. He was often 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 reigning prince all of Rus'.

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

Personal life

According to The Tale of Bygone Years 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 wedding date.

There is a legend that the couple met at the crossing near Pskov, when the girl was a boat carrier (she changed into men's clothes - this was a job only for men). Igor noticed a young beauty and immediately began to pester, to which he was rebuffed. When it was time 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 was growing up. She did not marry again, and there is no mention of ties with other men in the annals.

Death

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

His mother stopped him, warning him that she was very ill and felt that own death. She was 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 founded by him in Kyiv. 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, they were 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 - the film "The Legend of Princess Olga"
• 1994 - cartoon "Pages Russian history. Land of the Ancestors"
• 2005 – film “The Saga of the Ancient Bulgars. The Tale of Olga the Holy»
• 2005 – film “The Saga of the Ancient Bulgars. Ladder of Vladimir the 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, the forest princess." Elizabeth Dvoretskaya
• 2016 - "Unified in power". Oleg Panus

Regency under Svyatoslav: 945-962

From the biography

Princess Olga is cunning (according to legend), a saint (such was the name of her church), wise (such has remained in history).

In the annals, she is described as a beautiful, intelligent, energetic woman and, at the same time, a far-sighted, cold-blooded and rather cruel ruler.

There is a legend how Olga brutally avenged the death of her husband, Igor. The first embassy was buried alive in the ground. The second - killed after a drunken feast. By order of Olga, the capital of the Drevlyans, Iskorosten, was burned (she asked two pigeons and a sparrow from each yard, to whose paws a lit tow was tied). 5000 people died.

Such revenge was not considered cruelty in those days. It was a natural desire to avenge a loved one.

Olga ruled during the infancy of her son Svyatoslav, but even after that she remained in leadership for a long time, since Svyatoslav spent most of his time on military campaigns.

Princess Olga was one of the first rulers who great attention paid diplomacy in relations with neighboring countries.

In 1547 she was canonized as a saint.

Activities

1. Domestic policy

Activities	results
Improving the taxation system.	Carried out tax reform lessons- the amount of tribute, which was clearly defined.
Improving the system of administrative division of Rus'.	Carried out administrative reform: introduced administrative divisions –campsites and graveyards where the tribute was taken.
Further subordination of the tribes to the power of Kyiv.	She cruelly suppressed the uprising of the Drevlyans, set fire to Iskorosten (she avenged the death of her husband according to custom). It was under her that the Drevlyans were finally subordinated.
Strengthening of Rus', active construction.	During the reign of Olga, the first stone buildings began to be built, stone construction began. She continued to strengthen the capital, Kiev. During her reign, cities were actively improved, the city of Pskov was founded.

Foreign policy

RESULTS OF ACTIVITIES

Strengthening of princely power

Strengthening and flourishing of the state, its power

The beginning of stone construction in Rus' was laid.

Attempts were made to adopt a single religion - Christianity

Expansion of diplomatic relations with the West and Byzantium.

20. Foreign policy of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich.
The Tale of Bygone Years notes that in 964 Svyatoslav "went to the Oka River and the Volga, and met the Vyatichi." It is possible that at this time, when the main goal of Svyatoslav was to strike at the Khazars, he did not subdue the Vyatichi, that is, he had not yet imposed tribute on them.
According to one version, Svyatoslav first took Sarkel on the Don (in 965), then conquered Itil and Semender with the second campaign in 968/969. According to another version, there was one big campaign in 965, the Russian army was moving down the Volga and the capture of Itil preceded the capture of Sarkel.

Svyatoslav not only crushed the Khazar Khaganate, but also tried to secure the conquered territories for himself. On the site of Sarkel, a Slavic settlement Belaya Vezha appeared. Perhaps, at the same time, Tmutarakan also passed under the authority of Kyiv. There is information that Russian detachments were in Itil until the early 980s.

Under the year 966, after the defeat of the Khazars, the Tale of Bygone Years reports a second victory over the Vyatichi and the imposition of tribute on them.

In 967, a conflict broke out between Byzantium and the Bulgarian kingdom, the cause of which the sources state in different ways. In 967/968, the Byzantine emperor Nicephorus Foka sent an embassy to Svyatoslav. The head of the embassy, ​​Kalokir, was given 15 centinaries of gold (approximately 455 kg) to send the Rus to raid Bulgaria. According to the most common version, Byzantium wanted to crush the Bulgarian kingdom by proxy, and at the same time weaken the Old Russian state, which, after the annexation of Khazaria, could turn its gaze to the Crimean possessions of the empire.
In 968, Svyatoslav invaded Bulgaria and, after the war with the Bulgarians, settled at the mouth of the Danube, in Pereyaslavets, where "tribute from the Greeks" was sent to him. By 968-969, the Pechenegs attacked Kyiv. Svyatoslav returned with his cavalry to defend the capital and drove the Pechenegs into the steppe. During the stay of the prince in Kyiv, his mother, Princess Olga, who actually ruled Russia in the absence of her son, died. Svyatoslav arranged the administration of the state in a new way: he put his son Yaropolk on the reign of Kiev, Oleg - on the Drevlyansk, Vladimir - on the Novgorod. After that, in the fall of 969, the Grand Duke again went to Bulgaria with an army.
Faced with an attack by Svyatoslav, the Bulgarians asked for help from Byzantium. Emperor Nikifor Foka, greatly worried about the invasion of the Rus, decided to secure the alliance with the Bulgarian kingdom by a dynastic marriage. The brides from the royal Bulgarian family had already arrived in Constantinople when, as a result of a coup on December 11, 969, Nicephorus Foka was killed, and John Tzimisces was on the Byzantine throne. John tried to convince Svyatoslav to leave Bulgaria, promising tribute, but to no avail. Svyatoslav decided to firmly establish himself on the Danube, thus expanding the possessions of Rus'. Byzantium hastily transferred troops from Asia Minor to the borders of Bulgaria, placing them in fortresses. According to Byzantine sources, all the Pechenegs were surrounded and killed, and then the main forces of Svyatoslav were defeated. The Old Russian chronicle tells the events differently: according to the chronicler, Svyatoslav won a victory, came close to Constantinople, but retreated, only taking a large tribute, including on the dead soldiers. In April 971, Emperor John I Tzimisces personally opposed Svyatoslav at the head of a land army, sending a fleet of 300 ships to the Danube to cut off the retreat of the Rus. On April 13, 971, the Bulgarian capital Preslav was captured, where the Bulgarian Tsar Boris II was captured. Part of the Russian soldiers, led by the governor Sfenkel, managed to break through to the north to Dorostol, where Svyatoslav was with the main forces.

On April 23, 971, Tzimisces approached Dorostol. In the battle, the Rus were thrown back into the fortress, a three-month siege began. The parties suffered losses in continuous skirmishes, the leaders of Ikmor and Sfenkel died among the Rus, the commander John Kurkuas fell among the Byzantines. On July 21, another general battle took place, in which Svyatoslav, according to the Byzantines, was wounded. The battle ended inconclusively for both sides, but after it Svyatoslav entered into peace negotiations.

John Tzimiskes unconditionally accepted the conditions of the Rus. Svyatoslav with an army had to leave Bulgaria, the Byzantines provided his soldiers (22 thousand people) with a supply of bread for two months. Svyatoslav also entered into a military alliance with Byzantium, trade relations were restored. Under these conditions, Svyatoslav left Bulgaria, greatly weakened by the wars on its territory.

21. Svyatoslav 1 Igorechich and history Kievan Rus.
The reign of Svyatoslav is assessed differently by researchers. Some consider him a talented commander and statesman, others argue that he was a prince - an adventurer whose life goal was war. One Byzantine author described Svyatoslav as a man of medium height, slender, with blue eyes and a flat nose. He shaved his beard and head, leaving a long tuft of hair on his head and a long mustache. A golden earring with two pearls and a ruby ​​in the middle shone in Svyatoslav's ear. The Russian chronicler says that Prince Svyatoslav walked like a leopard, and during military campaigns he slept right on the ground under the open sky, putting a saddle under his head. Before going on a campaign, he would certainly warn the enemy with the words: "I'm coming at you!" It all started with the subjugation of the Vyatichi (964), who were the last of all the East Slavic tribes to pay tribute to the Khazars. In 965, Svyatoslav made a campaign against the Khazar Khaganate, taking by storm its main cities: the fortress city of Sarkel, Semender and the capital Itil. On the site of the city-fortress Sarkel, built by the Khazars to block a new route for transporting silver, which bypassed the Khazar Kaganate, and with it such burdensome duties, Svyatoslav built the Belaya Vezha fortress. The Mordovian tribes were also conquered. Svyatoslav also carried out two trips to Bulgaria (Volga Bulgaria), where he intended to create his own state with its capital in the Danube region. Made successful trips to North Caucasus and the Azov coast. The absence of Svyatoslav in Kyiv quite often used the Pechenegs, who became a constant threat to the southern borders of Rus'. (In the future, the Pechenegs will be expelled from Russian lands during the reign of Svyatoslav's grandson, Yaroslav the Wise.) The Great Warrior had a double task: not only to protect Rus', but also to pave trade routes to other countries. And the prince successfully coped with these tasks, which allows us to conclude about him as a capable statesman and talented commander. In addition, he tried to bring the borders of his state closer to Byzantium and waged a stubborn struggle with Constantinople for the Balkans. For this reason, in 969. Svyatoslav decided to leave Kyiv for his mother, and he himself moved to Pereyaslavets on the Danube. But his mother dissuaded him from such an intention, motivating her request with a fatal illness. The boyars were afraid of the wrath of Svyatoslav, because they understood that if the prince left, then uprisings would begin among the conquered peoples, but they were even more afraid of the Pechenegs, who could capture Kiev at any moment without the reliable protection of the prince and his squad. This was the end... After that, the prince gathered his squad and left for another campaign! After the resounding victories in Bulgaria and Byzantium, the Byzantine emperor began to seriously fear for the borders of his state ... He gathered a huge army and gradually began to oust Svyatoslav's squad from the borders of his empire. Svyatoslav resisted a powerful enemy for a long time, but gradually his strength began to dry up .... During the last retreat, Svyatoslav's army was besieged in one of the Byzantine fortresses he had captured earlier. Attempts to take the fortress by storm were not successful and then the emperor decided to starve the fortress! He and his army did not let anyone into the city for many months and did not let anyone out of the city either. During the long siege, the people in the fortress, as well as the army of Svyatoslav, did not know the need, but the food and water supplies ran out, famine began, it was necessary to do something, otherwise the irreparable could happen ... that is why the prince decided to accept the conditions of the emperor and surrender the fortress. According to the chronicle, at a meeting with the prince, to sign a peace treaty, the emperor of Byzantium appeared with a huge army on a white horse, all dressed in precious clothes in a golden cloak embroidered with precious stones and intricate patterns. The meeting was supposed to take place on the banks of the river, which is why the emperor was waiting for Svyatoslav's fleet to cross the river in order to capture him and shamefully drive him out of his country. At the appointed time, traffic began on the river ... but to the surprise of the Byzantines, it was not a huge Russian fleet, but a small boat in which there was only one person. The boat landed on the shore, and from there came out a burly fellow, tall, broad in shoulders, with his head held high in the city! He was dressed in a long white shirt tied with a red belt in blue trousers and red morocco boots. His head was shaved bald, and a single strand of hair fell regally from the top of his head, a golden earring with two pearls and a ruby ​​in the middle shone in his ear. That's all the decoration of the great warrior! But this stately young man was Prince Svyatoslav! After the truce with Byzantium, Svyatoslav went home, but, alas, the associates of the Byzantine emperor decided to destroy Svyatoslav, and therefore they warned the Pechenegs that the Russian prince was very weak and that it was in their interests that he would not get to Kiev. In 972, on the way to Kyiv, Svyatoslav was ambushed by the Pechenegs at the Dnieper rapids. He was killed. By order of the Pecheneg Khan, a cup was made from the skull of the Kyiv prince, bound with gold and decorated with precious stones. After the death of Svyatoslav, an internecine war began between his sons Yaropolk, Vladimir and Oleg, for the right to the throne (972 - 978 or 980).

22. The struggle for power in Kievan Rus after the death of Svyatoslav 1.
The first family feud broke out after the death of Svyatoslav, who left three sons. Yaropolk received power in Kyiv, Oleg - in the territory of the Drevlyans, and Vladimir - in Novgorod. The first time after the death of their father, the brothers lived peacefully, but then the first conflicts over territory began.

In 975 (76), on the orders of Prince Oleg, on the territory of the Drevlyans, where Vladimir ruled, the son of one of the governors of Yaropolk was killed. The governor, who learned about this, reported to Yaropolk about what had happened and persuaded him to attack Oleg with an army. This was the beginning of the civil strife, which lasted for several years.

In 977 Yaropolk attacks Oleg. Oleg, who did not expect an attack and was not prepared, was forced, together with his army, to retreat back to the capital of the Drevlyans, the city of Ovruch. As a result of panic, during the retreat, Oleg accidentally dies under the hooves of the horse of one of his warriors. The Drevlyans, having lost their prince, quickly surrender and submit to the authority of Yaropolk. At the same time, Vladimir, fearing an attack by Yaropolk, runs to the Varangians.

In 980, Vladimir returned to Rus' with the Varangian army and immediately undertook a campaign against his brother Yaropolk. He quickly retakes Novgorod and then moves on to Kyiv. Yaropolk, having learned about his brother's intentions to seize the throne in Kyiv, follows the advice of one of his assistants and flees to the city of Rodna, fearing an assassination attempt. However, the adviser turns out to be a traitor who entered into an agreement with Vladimir and Yaropolk, dying of hunger in Lyubech, is forced to negotiate with Vladimir. Having reached his brother, he dies from the swords of two Varangians, without concluding a truce.

Thus ends the civil strife of the sons of Svyatoslav. At the end of 980, Vladimir becomes a prince in Kyiv, where he rules until his death.

The first feudal civil strife marked the beginning of a long period of internal wars between the princes, which would last for almost a century and a half.

23. Domestic politics Vladimir 1.
Domestic policy of Vladimir Krasnoe Solnyshko

Further strengthening Old Russian state:

980 - the first religious reform was carried out, a pagan reform, the proclamation of Perun as the supreme deity.

988 - Christianity adopted. Strengthened the power of the prince under the name of one God.

The adoption of Christianity led to the acquisition of a spiritual core, the church became a huge force uniting the people.

988 - the administrative reform was completed: Vladimir appointed his sons as governors in the cities.

Carried out judicial reform, adopted the "Charter earthen", a set of norms of oral customary law.

Military reform: instead of Varangian mercenaries, “the best men” from the Slavs serve the prince, Vladimir fortified the southern borders with the “Zmiev Shafts” system - this is a solid wall of earthen embankment, earthen trenches, outposts.

Expansion of the territory of Rus':

The accession of new East Slavic tribes: the Vyatichi were tamed in 981-982, the Radimichi and Croats were subordinated in 984.

Construction of new cities, strengthening and decoration of the capital:

In Kyiv, they built a new fortress, fortified the city with earthen ramparts, and decorated it with architectural structures.

Cities were built: Belgorod, Pereyaslavl, Vladimir-on-Klyazma and others.

Cultural development

Enlighteners Cyril and Methodius created Slavic alphabet

Books were translated from Greek, literacy began to spread

Introduced a special tax on the development of culture and architecture- tithe. In 986-989 the first church was built - Tithes (Assumption of the Virgin)

The development of icon painting, as well as fresco painting - images on wet plaster.

Christianity united Eastern Slavs into one people - Russian.

Large-scale stone construction began.
RESULTS OF THE GOVERNMENT: Limiting the power of the tribal princes strengthened the power of the prince. In addition to the administrative, the prince takes into his own hands also military power. The fortification of the borders provided permanent protection against nomads. The adoption of Christianity strengthened the power of the prince. The division of land between the sons led to a new dynastic war.

24. Religious reforms of Vladimir 1.
In 980, Prince Vladimir undertook a religious reform that did not go beyond paganism. A pantheon of the highest Slavic gods was established, headed by Perun. The pagan reform of Vladimir did not receive popular support, since the cult created artificially on the basis of fragmentary mythological ideas was narrow-group, estate, but it should be recognized that the reform of paganism had its own cultural, historical and civilizational consequences.

First, there was a new structuring of the mythological picture of the world; the semantic accents shifted, the hierarchy of the gods and the natural and social forces personified by them changed. The picture of the world has become much simpler.

Secondly, the creation of a strictly limited pantheon of gods contributed to the preparation of public consciousness for the transition from pagan political polytheism to the monotheism of world religions. The entire pantheon was organized around the central figure of the supreme deity, the formidable and warlike Perun.

On this basis, two counter processes were formed - the Christianization of paganism and the "paganization" of Christianity, which led to the interaction and interpenetration of the two worldview systems. Thus, in Ancient Rus' even before the official adoption of Christianity, dual faith was established.

The first religious reform failed. New ideas about the old gods were not assimilated by the population. In addition, paganism could not resist the growing influence of monotheism, which was professed by neighboring powers: Byzantium, the Khazar Khaganate, Volga Bulgaria. Contacts with neighboring peoples led to the penetration of monotheistic ideas into the Slavic environment. The failure of an attempt to reform the old Slavic faith prompted Vladimir to turn to a fundamentally new religion.

"Choice of Faith"

The chronicle tells about the choice of faith by Prince Vladimir, to which representatives of all religions came. Islam was rejected due to the ban on alcohol, Judaism - due to the fact that the Jews who professed it lost their state and scattered throughout the earth. The arguments of the Byzantine priest seemed the most convincing to the prince. The ambassadors of Vladimir sent to other countries also found the best Byzantine church service. It was decided to baptize Rus' according to the Byzantine rite.

Most likely, this story is a legend, the purpose of which is to emphasize the superiority of Orthodoxy over other religions2. The real reason for the transition to Christianity, and in its eastern (Orthodox) version, is the existence of strong ties between Rus' and Byzantium, especially in connection with trade along the route "from the Varangians to the Greeks." Back in the middle of the 10th century (under Igor and especially under Olga), Christians lived in Kyiv, who even built their own church.

Baptism of Rus' by St. Prince Vladimir

The baptism of Rus' turned out to be connected with the internal political crisis in the Byzantine Empire.

The Byzantine emperors Constantine and Basil asked Vladimir for help against the rebel Varda Foki. Vladimir promised help on the condition that the emperors give him his sister Anna as a wife. The emperors agreed, but demanded that the prince be baptized. After the defeat of Phocas, they were in no hurry to fulfill their promise. Then Vladimir captured the city of Chersonesus and threatened to capture Constantinople. The emperors had to agree not only to the marriage of his sister, but also to the fact that Vladimir was baptized not in Constantinople, but in Chersonesos by priests from the princess's retinue. Upon his return to Kyiv, Vladimir baptized the people of Kiev in the river. Pochaina and destroyed the pagan idols. The statue of Perun was tied to the tail of a horse, dragged to the Dnieper and thrown into the river. Thus, the impotence of idols was demonstrated - the impotence of paganism. The baptism of Vladimir and the people of Kiev, which took place in 988, marked the beginning of the widespread spread of Christianity in Rus'.

The baptism of the rest of Rus' took long time. In the Northeast, the conversion of the population to Christianity was completed only by the end of the 11th century. Baptism met with resistance more than once. The most famous uprising took place in Novgorod. Novgorodians agreed to be baptized only after the prince's combatants set fire to the recalcitrant city.

The baptism of Rus' did not mean a complete farewell to paganism. Many ancient Slavic beliefs entered the Christian canon in Rus', and pagan gods were identified with Christian saints. So, the Thunderer Perun was identified with Elijah the prophet, Veles - with St. Vlasiy, the holiday of Kupala turned into the day of St. John the Baptist. Shrovetide pancakes are a reminder of the pagan worship of the Sun. The people retained faith in lower deities - goblin, brownies, mermaids, and the like. However, all these are only remnants of paganism, which do not make an Orthodox Christian a pagan.

25. Spread Christ The destruction of idols served as a preparation for this celebration: some were chopped up, others were burned. Perun, the chief of them, was tied to a horse's tail, beaten with canes and overthrown from the mountain into the Dnieper. So that the zealous pagans would not remove the idol from the river, the princely warriors pushed him away from the banks and carried him to the very rapids, behind which he was cast out by the waves to the shore (and this place was called Perunov for a long time). The amazed people did not dare to defend their imaginary gods, but shed tears, which were for them the last tribute to superstition: for the next day Vladimir ordered an announcement in the city that all Russian people, poor and rich, should go to be baptized - and the people, already deprived of objects of ancient adoration, rushed in crowds to the banks of the Dnieper, arguing that the new faith should be wise and holy, when Grand Duke and the boyars preferred it to the old faith of their fathers. Vladimir appeared there, escorted by a cathedral of Greek priests, and, at a given sign, countless people entered the river: the big ones stood in the water up to their chests and necks; fathers and mothers held babies in their arms; the priests read the prayers of baptism and sang the glory of the Almighty. When the solemn ceremony was completed, when the holy cathedral called all the citizens of Kiev Christians, then Vladimir, in joy and delight of his heart, looking up at the sky, loudly uttered a prayer: “Creator of earth and sky! Bless these new children of yours; let them know you, the true God; affirm in them the right faith. Help me in the temptations of evil, let me praise worthy the holy your name!..” On this great day, says the chronicler, earth and sky rejoiced.

As for the baptism of the people of Kiev, the sources give contradictory indications of its time. Along with the traditional date of 988. researchers substantiate both earlier and later dates, in particular 990. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, the baptism of the people of Kiev took place in the Dnieper, according to the Life of Vladimir, in the Pochaina River, a tributary of the Dnieper. The baptism of Vladimir, who received the Christian name Vasily in honor of the patron saint of Emperor Basil II - Basil the Great.

The change of religious cults was accompanied by the destruction of the images of the once revered gods, their public desecration by the princely servants, the construction of churches on the sites where pagan idols and temples stood. Soon the signs of the Christian faith, accepted by the sovereign, his children, nobles and people, appeared on the ruins of gloomy paganism in Russia, and the altars of the true God took the place of idols. The Grand Duke built a wooden church of St. Basil, at the place where Perun stood, and called skilful architects from Constantinople to build a stone temple in the name of the Mother of God, where in 983 the pious Varangian and his son suffered for their faith. In Kiev itself, in 989, Vladimir founded the first stone church in Rus' in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos, erected by a Byzantine architect, since the Russians at that time, and much later, still did not know how to build large stone buildings. This church was called the Tithes, since Prince Vladimir presented her with a gift of a tenth (tithe) of his income. Meanwhile, zealous servants of the altars, priests, preached Christ in various regions of the state. Many people were baptized, arguing, no doubt, in the same way as the citizens of Kyiv; others, tied to the ancient law, rejected the new one: for paganism dominated in some countries of Russia until the 12th century. Vladimir did not seem to want to force his conscience; but he took the best, most reliable measures for the extermination of pagan errors: he tried to enlighten the Russians. In order to establish faith on the knowledge of divine books, translated into Slavic Cyril and Methodius and, no doubt, already known to Kyiv Christians for a long time, the Grand Duke started schools for the youths, former first foundation of public education in Russia. This beneficence then seemed like terrible news, and famous wives, from whom they unwittingly took children into science, mourned them as if they were dead, for they considered literacy a dangerous sorcery.

The spread of Christianity was carried out by the princely authorities and the emerging church organization by force, with the resistance not only of the priesthood, but also of various segments of the population. Metropolitan Hilarion of Kiev admitted that baptism in Kiev took place under duress: “no one resisted the princely order, pleasing to God, and they were baptized, if not of their own free will, then out of fear of the one who ordered, for their religion was connected with power.” In other cities, the replacement of the traditional cult by a new one met with open resistance. In Novgorod, a legend has been preserved about the introduction of Christianity there by Bishop Joachim Korsunyanin and the princely governors Dobrynya and Putyata, when "Putyata baptize with a sword, and Dobrynya with fire." Thus, the Christianization of Ancient Rus' proceeded inconsistently. If the Kiev community, obeying the authority of the princely power, accepted the new faith meekly, then other regions, for example, Novgorod, had to be baptized with "fire and sword." Paganism retained its position for a long time, especially in the minds of people. Orthodox Church, adapting to the local environment, combined the holidays of worship of pagan gods with the cults of saints. So, the Kupala holiday merged with the day of John the Baptist, Perun - with the day of Elijah the Prophet. The holiday of Shrovetide, which is purely pagan in origin, has also been preserved. As a result, there was a synthesis of Orthodoxy and paganism, which led to the formation of the so-called. "Dual Faith", or Russian Orthodoxy. Gradually, pagan elements were forced out of it, but many of them persisted for a long time.

Ianism in Ancient Rus'.

Regency under Svyatoslav: 945-962

From the biography

• Princess Olga is cunning (according to legend), a saint (such was the name of her church), wise (such has remained in history).
• In the annals, she is described as a beautiful, intelligent, energetic woman and, at the same time, a far-sighted, cold-blooded and rather cruel ruler.
• There is a legend how Olga brutally avenged the death of her husband, Igor. The first embassy was buried alive in the ground. The second - killed after a drunken feast. By order of Olga, the capital of the Drevlyans, Iskorosten, was burned (she asked two pigeons and a sparrow from each yard, to whose paws a lit tow was tied). 5000 people died.
• Such revenge was not considered cruelty in those days. It was a natural desire to avenge a loved one.
• Olga ruled during the infancy of her son Svyatoslav, but even after that she remained in leadership for a long time, since Svyatoslav spent most of his time on military campaigns.
• Princess Olga was one of the first rulers who paid great attention to diplomacy in relations with neighboring countries.
• In 1547 she was canonized as a saint.

Historical portrait of Olga

Activities

1. Domestic policy

Activities	results
Improving the taxation system.	Carried out tax reform lessons- the amount of tribute, which was clearly defined.
Improving the system of administrative division of Rus'.	Carried out an administrative reform: introduced administrative units - camps and graveyards where the tribute was taken.
Further subordination of the tribes to the power of Kyiv.	She cruelly suppressed the uprising of the Drevlyans, set fire to Iskorosten (she avenged the death of her husband according to custom). It was under her that the Drevlyans were finally subordinated.
Strengthening of Rus', active construction.	During the reign of Olga, the first stone buildings began to be built, stone construction began. She continued to strengthen the capital, Kiev. During her reign, cities were actively improved, the city of Pskov was founded.

2. Foreign policy

Activities	results
The desire to strengthen the prestige of the country on the world stage through the adoption of Christianity.	In 955 g (957 g). adopted the Christian faith under the name of Elena. But her son, Svyatoslav, did not support his mother. 959 - an embassy to Germany to Otto I. The German Bishop Adelbert was expelled by pagans from Kyiv in the same year.
Defense of Kyiv from raids.	968 - led the defense of Kyiv from the Pechenegs.
Strengthening ties with the West and Byzantium	Carried out a skillful diplomatic policy with neighboring countries, especially with Germany. They exchanged embassies with her.

RESULTS OF ACTIVITIES

• Strengthening of princely power
• Strengthening and flourishing of the state, its power
• The beginning of stone construction in Rus' was laid.
• Attempts were made to adopt a single religion - Christianity
• Significant strengthening of the international authority of Rus'
• Expansion of diplomatic relations with the West and Byzantium.

Chronology of life and work of Olga

Duchess Olga.
Nesterov, 1892

Saint Olga.
Icon

Monument to Princess Olga, the Apostle Andrew, Cyril and Methodius in Kyiv, on Mikhailovskaya Square
1911 Authors: I. Kavaleridze, P. Snitkin, architect V. Rykov.

Baptism of Olga in Constantinople.
N.Akimov.

Princess Olga is very contradictory. On the one hand, she, in fact, ruling the state, was cruel, irreconcilable to enemies, arrogant, prudent. Times demanded these qualities in order to maintain their independence. On the other hand, after converting to the faith, she built churches, preached the ideals of the Gospel, and carried out missionary work.

All this intertwined and melted in the character and actions of this outstanding personality. At school, high school students receive the task: “Compose historical portrait Princess Olga. We will try to do this below.

Origin

Chronicles do not give either the exact time or place of Olga's birth. And who would watch the birth of a girl. Here the boy is another matter, he is the successor of the family. Presumably, she came from a Pskov noble Varangian family with the name Helga. There are other options:

• The girl came from a noble family of Gostomysl.
• She was the daughter of Prince Oleg.
• She was brought from the Bulgarian city of Pliska.

Only one thing is clear: the girl was unusually beautiful and smart from her youth.

Legendary Encounter

The meeting of future spouses by our time has become fabulous. Young Prince Igor hunted in the Pskov lands. He needed to cross the river to rich hunting grounds. There was a young girl in the boat. Her attractive appearance made the prince want to treat her indecently. To which the girl replied that she would rather drown herself than lose her girlhood and honor. The firmness of character from a young age is a sign that is included in the historical portrait of Princess Olga.

Marriage and death of Igor

The exact date of the wedding of Igor and Olga has not been established by ancient historians. It is also unclear how old she was. It is known that Igor had other wives. But he respected Olga more than others. Despite the fact that Igor was in continuous military campaigns, their son Svyatoslav was born in 942.

In 945, Igor's squad went to the conquered Drevlyans for tribute. They got it. But on the way back, part of the squad went to Kyiv, and Igor returned with the remnants of the army to collect even more. The Drevlyans were outraged and brutally executed Igor. He was tied to the tops of two trees, and they straightened up and tore him apart.

Olga's character

Since her son was only three years old, the squad recognized her as the ruler of Kievan Rus. Princess Olga differed from many women in her iron character. Her historical portrait would be incomplete without a description of revenge for the death of her husband. The Drevlyans had a poor idea of ​​this cruel woman. They sent 20 matchmakers to her so that she would marry them. They sailed on boats. They were asked to wait until the next day, after which the boat with them was solemnly carried in their arms to the capital. She was placed in a dug hole and everyone who was there was buried alive.

The insidious Olga turned to the Drevlyans and asked them to send more noble matchmakers. They readily responded. Before meeting with the princess, dear guests were sent to the bathhouse and burned alive in it. The treacherous and dangerous Olga, pretending to be an inconsolable widow, came with a detachment to celebrate a feast for the late Igor. She made the Drevlyans drunk with strong wine, and five thousand people were mercilessly destroyed. The ruthless Olga continued to pursue the Drevlyans. She laid siege to their capital, Iskorosten, and said that she would lift the siege if she was given a sparrow from every yard. Without flinching, Olga brought her revenge to the end.

Having received the birds, the avenger tied a burning tow to their feet, which they brought on their wings to their native nests. The city burned to the ground.

Governing body

The growing son was little interested in the affairs of the state. Everything fell on the shoulders of the princess. Instead of wooden houses, she began to build stone houses, set the size and terms of taxes in favor of Kyiv, and divided the land into administrative units. The ruler of Kievan Rus had a great mind in political and state affairs. So little by little the historical portrait of Princess Olga is taking shape.

Baptism

For a pagan, this was an unusual act. To believe, you usually need to grow up in this faith, so the author is inclined to think that this was a political action, which speaks of Olga's pragmatism. The Eastern Empire was a powerful neighbor with whom, having established friendly ties, it was possible to trade profitably and grow rich. There the paths of wealthy Venetian merchants crossed, trading duty-free with people carrying goods from India and Arabia. It is possible that smart and reasonable Olga was counting on such preferences. One way or another, but in 955 she was baptized, accepting Helen. Two years later, the ruler with a large embassy arrives in Constantinople, but, apparently not having received the expected benefits, she goes home and coldly receives the ambassadors of Byzantium in Kyiv.

veneration

During Olga's lifetime, her son was not baptized. Svyatoslav Igorevich, like the whole squad, was a pagan. Only his son Vladimir, wishing to marry, was baptized and baptized pagan Rus' with fire and sword. In 969, on June 11, the princess died and was buried according to the Christian rite, having bequeathed not to arrange feasts on her own.

Her grandson Vladimir, the baptizer of Rus', built a temple in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos and transferred the relics of the parent there. We are finishing the historical portrait of Princess Olga, briefly compiled with some clarifications:

• In 1547, Olga was canonized as a saint and Equal-to-the-Apostles.
• Her memory is celebrated on June 11 in the Russian Orthodox Church.
• She is considered the patroness of widows and newly converted Christians.

We tried to objectively recreate the historical portrait of Princess Olga.