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Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich (Brave) - the conqueror of the Vyatichi and the winner of the Khazars
The Great Kiev Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich (born in 940 - died in 972) - without exaggeration, the most desperate warrior in the history of medieval Rus'. He was the son of his cruel time, and it is certainly not worth judging the actions of this militant monarch from a modern point of view. The prince does not fit into the ethical canons of today, just like all his contemporaries, by the way. At the same time, Svyatoslav would ideally look in the Ukrainian version of "Game of Thrones" as one of the most striking characters and colorful characters.
The Great Kiev Prince Svyatoslav (Brave) is the first Great Kiev Prince with a Slavic name, which even historians themselves cannot give an unambiguous assessment of. So,
How did the great Kiev prince Svyatoslav Igorevich become famous, whose monuments are erected in many cities of Ukraine?
1. Territory expansion Kievan Rus due to the accession to Kyiv of the lands of the Vyatichi (modern Smolensk, Moscow, Tula, Voronezh region RF).
2. The defeat and robbery of numerous neighbors - Volga Bulgaria, the Khazar Khaganate and the invasion of the Balkans, where he was eventually defeated by Byzantium. He was killed by the Pechenegs on the island of Khortitsa on the Dnieper, when he returned with a small squad from his disastrous campaign in Bulgaria.
From these 2 points, Professor Solovyov's sarcasm about the "great warrior" and "the uselessness of his deeds for his native land" becomes understandable. Yes, in that era all the greats national heroes other countries, at first glance, acted in exactly the same way, but they not only smashed, ruined and weakened their neighbors, but also held this territory, annexing it to their state. So,
The son of the wise Christian princess Olga and Prince Igor Svyatoslav was raised by the Vikings Sveneld and Asmud, which, together with the veneration of pagan idols, inspired him with militancy unusual for a Slav. From the age of 10, the prince was taken to numerous battles, where the boy had to fully master all the military wisdom of that harsh time. When Svyatoslav was relentlessly there was a friend of his father, the governor Sveneld, who, to the best of his ability, introduced the young man to military affairs.
Each year of the reign of the young prince was marked by a new war. Under him, the Russians turned into very dangerous neighbors for literally everyone. Svyatoslav never looked for serious reasons to start hostilities, he simply sent a messenger in front of him with a laconic message "I'm coming at you." It was in this way that he subjugated the Slavic tribe of the Vyatichi, defeated the Volga Bulgaria and inflicted a crushing defeat on the Khazar Khaganate. The ancient Russian troops not only finished off their long-standing and powerful enemy (the Khazars took tribute from the Slavs even before the arrival of Prince Oleg in Kiev), but also demonstrated their extraordinary strength to the whole world by capturing the impregnable fortresses of Itil and Sarkel. At the same time, Svyatoslav and his close combatants received control over the busy trade route along the Volga with access to the Caspian.
For all his adventurism, the prince, like his Varangian entourage, remained a calm pragmatist. Having imposed tribute on the peoples in the east, he fixed his gaze in a southwestern direction - on the Balkans. Svyatoslav's dream was to take over the entire "Road from the Varangians to the Greeks", which would promise him fabulous profits.
In the light of such plans, the offer of the Byzantine emperor Nicephorus Foki to help suppress the uprising of the Danube Bulgarians subject to Constantinople came in very handy. The Emperor of Byzantium Nicephorus Foka, wanting to take revenge on the Bulgarians for condoning the Hungarians who attacked his country, promised great gifts if the prince opposes Bulgaria. In 967, Svyatoslav, having received several pounds of gold, captured the cities along the Danube with 60,000 soldiers. Together with his faithful companions Sveneld, Sfenkel, Ikmor and his retinue, the prince crossed snow-covered passes, captured the Bulgarian capital Preslav and captured the local king Boris.
The legend included extreme cruelty with which the victors treated the enslaved Slavic people, sparing neither mothers nor babies. The king of Bulgaria soon died of grief, and Svyatoslav sat down to reign in the Bulgarian city of Pereyaslavets. "I don't like Kiev, I want to live on the Danube, in Pereyaslavets. That town is the middle of my land!" - he said to his mother and the boyars.
Of course, Tsargrad could not put up with the fact that Kiev power was strengthened in the Balkans. Ahead of Prince Svyatoslav was the most difficult war in his life - the war with the only superpower of that time, the great Byzantine Empire. It was then, in a fight with the most powerful enemy, that all the heroic qualities of Prince Svyatoslav and his brave warriors manifested themselves.
The main feat of Prince Svyatoslav is the war with Byzantium.
As one would expect, the Byzantines had a slightly different opinion regarding the limits of the possessions of an unruly prince. In Tsaregrad, they have long wondered why he does not leave the borders of their empire. When the skillful commander John Tzimiskes sat on the throne of Constantinople, the Byzantines decided to move from words to deeds.
The first clash with the army of John Tzimiskes near Adrianople ended with the victory of the Russian prince. The chronicler Nestor cites a legend about the gifts presented to him after the battle: “Tzimiskes, in fear, in bewilderment, called the nobles for advice and decided to tempt the enemy with gifts, gold and precious curtains; he sent them with a cunning man and ordered him to observe all the movements of Svyatoslav. But this prince did not want to look at the gold laid at his feet, and indifferently said to his youths: take it.Then the emperor sent him a weapon as a gift: the hero grabbed it with lively pleasure, expressing gratitude, and Tzimisces, not daring to fight with such an enemy, paid him tribute".
After the conclusion of a peace treaty with the Greeks, the Kiev prince made a number of strategic mistakes: he did not occupy the mountain passes through the Balkans, did not block the mouth of the Danube and divided his army into two parts, placing them in Preslav and Dorostol. The self-confident commander, apparently, relied heavily on his military happiness, but this time he was opposed by a very competent and experienced opponent. John Tzimisces in 971 sent large fleet(300 ships) to the mouth of the Danube in order to cut off the retreat of Svyatoslav's troops. The emperor himself, under whose command 13,000 horsemen, 15,000 infantrymen, 2,000 of his personal guards ("immortals"), as well as a huge convoy with wall-beating and flame-throwing machines, moved through mountain passes without any difficulties and entered the operational space. The Bulgarians, who lived for several years under the rule of Svyatoslav, gladly supported the civilized Byzantines. With the very first blow, Tzimiskes captured Preslav, while the remnants of the defeated Rus, led by the governor Sfenkel, barely managed to retreat to Dorostol. It's time for the final battle.
The first battle near Dorostol took place on April 23, 971. The Greeks approached the residence of Svyatoslav. Their troops several times outnumbered the Russians besieged in Dorostol, while the Byzantines had an obvious advantage in weapons, combat equipment and equipment. They were led by experienced commanders who had studied all the wisdom of military art from ancient Roman treatises. Despite this, the soldiers of Svyatoslav boldly met the attackers in the open field, "closing their shields and spears like a wall." So they withstood 12 attacks of the Byzantines (in the last heavy cavalry was led into battle by the emperor himself) and retreated under the protection of the city walls. It is believed that the first battle ended in a draw: the Greeks could not immediately defeat the Russian squad, but Svyatoslav also realized that this time he was faced with a serious opponent. This belief was only strengthened the next day, when the prince saw huge Byzantine wall-beating machines installed in front of the fortress walls. And on April 25, the Byzantine fleet also approached the Danube, finally slamming the death trap. On this day, for the first time in his life, Svyatoslav did not answer the call, the troops of Tzimiskes waited in vain for the Russians in the field, returning to their camp with nothing.
The second battle near Dorostol took place on 26 April. Voivode Sfenkel died in it. Fearing to be cut off from the city by the Byzantine cavalry, the Russians again retreated under the protection of the fortress walls. An exhausting siege began, during which Svyatoslav's warriors were able to undertake a series of daring sorties, and the Byzantine guns nevertheless made a breach in the wall. So three months passed.
Third fight passed on July 20 and again without a definite result. Having lost one of the commanders, the Russians "threw their shields on their backs" and hid in the city gates. Among the dead enemies, the Greeks were surprised to find women dressed in chain mail who fought on an equal footing with men. Everything spoke of a crisis in the camp of the besieged. The next day, a military council met in Dorostol, at which it was decided what to do next: try to break through or stand to the death. Prince Svyatoslav told his commanders: “Grandfathers and fathers bequeathed to us brave deeds! Let’s stand strong. We don’t have the habit of saving ourselves with a shameful flight. people's eyes?" On that they all agreed.
Fourth fight. On July 24, the Russians entered the fourth battle, which was supposed to be their last. Svyatoslav ordered the city gates to be locked so that no one in the army would think about retreating. Tzimiskes came out with an army to meet them. During the battle, the Russians held firm, they had no reserves and were very tired. The Byzantines, on the contrary, could change the attacking units, the soldiers who left the battle were refreshed with wine by order of the emperor. Finally, as a result of an imitation of flight, the Greeks were able to take the enemy away from the walls of Dorostol, after which the detachment of Varda Sklir was able to enter the rear of Svyatoslav's army. At the cost of huge losses, the Russians still managed to retreat to the city. The next morning, the prince invited John Tzimisces to start peace negotiations. The Greeks, not wanting to lose their people anymore, went towards Svyatoslav's proposals and agreed to let his army go home with weapons, and even supplying them with bread for the road. The prince vowed not to fight with Constantinople again. After the signing of the peace, a personal meeting of the generals took place. The emperor was not immediately able to recognize the ruler of Rus', who sailed up to him in a boat, sitting at the oars on a par with simple warriors. Of the 60,000-strong army that Svyatoslav brought with him to Bulgaria, approximately 22,000 people remained alive at that time.
On the way to Kyiv, the weakened army of Svyatoslav fell into an ambush set up on the island of Khortitsa by nomadic Pechenegs. The Russians fought bravely, but, unfortunately, the forces were unequal. Svyatoslav, who died in battle, was beheaded, and a bowl was made from the skull for their khans. So the glorious warrior ended his journey, about whom the chronicler said: "Seeking someone else, he lost his own."
Biography of Prince Svyatoslav.
940 (approximately) - Prince of Kiev Svyatoslav Igorevich was born.
945 - after the death of his father, he became the nominal ruler of Kievan Rus.
961 - Princess Olga ceases to be regent, and Svyatoslav becomes the sovereign ruler of all ancient Russian lands.
964 - Svyatoslav undertook a campaign on the Oka River, where he subjugated the Slavic tribe of the Vyatichi.
964-967 - the prince with the army won whole line victories over the Volga Bulgars, Burtases and Khazars, destroyed the powerful citadel of Sarkel, went to the Cimmerian Bosporus. He also went on devastating trips to North Caucasus, where he defeated the Yas and Kasog tribes. Returning, he destroyed the last Khazar fortress Semender.
967 - Svyatoslav went on his first campaign against the Danube Bulgaria. Svyatoslav defeated the Bulgarians in battle and, having taken 80 of their cities along the Danube, he sat down to reign in Pereyaslavets, taking tribute, including from the Greeks.
968 - taking advantage of the absence of Svyatoslav, the Pechenegs approached Kyiv. The prince and his retinue had to hurriedly return from the campaign in order to drive the nomads away from the capital.
969 - Svyatoslav planted Yaropolk in Kyiv, Oleg - at the Drevlyans, Vladimir sent to reign in Novgorod, and he sailed to Bulgaria in Pereyaslavets. Then he returned to Bulgaria, where he hardly suppressed the uprising of the local population.
970 - the war moved to Thrace, as Svyatoslav began to advance on Constantinople. Rusichi captured Philippopolis and Tzimiskes, preoccupied with the rebellion of the commander Barda Foki that had begun in his rear, agreed to pay a large tribute to the northern "guests".
971 - John Tzimisces returned to Bulgaria with an army, resuming the war. The Byzantines captured Preslav, and many Bulgarian cities recognized their power over them. Svyatoslav with the remnants of the army locked himself behind the walls of Dorostol. The months-long defense of the city began.
972 - Returning from Bulgaria to Ukraine, Prince Svyatoslav was attacked by the Pechenegs and was killed. According to one version, the Byzantines sent a message to the Pechenegs: "Here, Svyatoslav is going past you to Rus' with a small squad, taking from the Greeks a lot of wealth and captives without number."
Historical memory of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich.
Monuments to Prince Svyatoslav were erected in the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv, Zaporozhye and Mariupol, in the village. Old Petrivtsy, as well as in the village. Withers of the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation.
A memorial sign is at the probable place of the death of the prince on about. Khortytsya.
There are streets named after Svyatoslav the Brave in Dnepropetrovsk, Lvov, Strya, Chernihiv, Radekhov, Shepetovka.
In 2002 The National Bank of Ukraine issued a 10-hryvnia commemorative silver coin dedicated to Prince Svyatoslav.
Prince Svyatoslav in social networks.
129 videos were found in Odnoklassniki.
In Youtube, for the query "Prince Svyatoslav" - 8,850 responses.
How often do Yandex users from Ukraine search for information about Svyatoslav the Brave?
To analyze the popularity of the request "Svyatoslav the Brave", the Yandex wordstat.yandex search engine service is used, based on which we can conclude: as of March 17, 2016, the number of requests per month was 16,116, which can be seen on the screen.
Since the end of 2014, the largest number of requests for "Svyatoslav the Brave" was registered in September 2014 - 33,572 requests per month.
In many historical sources one can find the fact that Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich was truly a brave warrior. A brief biography can tell that his reign was short, but nevertheless during this period he managed to significantly increase the territory Ancient Rus'. In terms of his character, he was more of a conqueror than a politician, so he spent most of his reign on campaigns.
Childhood and early reign
Presumably, we can say that Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich was born in 940. His biography in this place is slightly different in different sources, so it is difficult to name the exact date of the birth of the son of Igor and Olga.
At the time of his father's death, he was only three years old, so he could not head the state on his own. His wise mother began to rule the country.
She decided to take revenge on the Drevlyans for the cruel death of her husband and went on a campaign against them. According to the tradition of those times, only the ruler of the state, who was the four-year-old prince Svyatoslav Igorevich, could lead the campaign. short biography early years life tells that it was he who then threw a spear at the feet of the enemy, after which he gave the order to his squad to advance.
In subsequent years, the affairs of the state and domestic politics The prince was completely uninterested. The solution to all these issues was always dealt with by the regent, who was his mother. But it was so until a certain point.
Further reign
The first independent action of the young ruler Great Rus' there was an expulsion from their lands of the bishop and all the priests who came with him, invited by Olga for the baptism and Christianization of the state. This happened in 964 and was a fundamental moment for a young man, so this is exactly what Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich decided to do. His brief biography tells that the mother tried to convert her son to the Christian faith, and he preferred to remain a pagan.
Being a great commander, he explained this by saying that he could lose authority with his squad by becoming a Christian. At the same moment of life, an independent military activity young ruler and he spent the following years away from home.
Hike to the Khazars
Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich led his mighty army to the east against the Vyatichi. A brief biography of his conquest can tell that he conquered this tribe and went on. This time he decided to subjugate the Khazar Kaganate.
Having reached the Volga itself and having conquered many villages and towns on his way, the commander moved further to Khazaria, where he met a large marching army. In 965, the Khazars were completely prince and his glorious retinue was defeated, and their lands were devastated. After that, a brief biography of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich tells that he won another series of victories and decided to return home.
Bulgarian campaigns
But the prince did not have long to rest, after some time the ambassador of the ruler of the Greek lands arrived to him and began to ask for help in the battle against the Bulgarians living on the Danube. So the ruler ancient Russian state went to the banks of this river, defeated the people living there and seized their territory.
The vile Pechenegs, bribed by the emperor of Byzantium, took advantage of the absence of the prince and his squad. They surrounded Kyiv, but Olga still managed to call the Old Russian governor Pretich to her aid, who at that very time was nearby with his army. The enemies thought that it was Svyatoslav himself in a hurry to rescue the city and hastily retreated. And then the prince himself returned to Kyiv, driving the Pechenegs even further away from the capital of Rus'.
After the death of his mother, the great warrior decided to go on another campaign to the Bulgarian lands, and instead of himself left his sons on the throne, of whom he had three. This offensive was also crowned with the victory of the prince, and he even managed to capture the children of the king of Bulgaria.
But the new ruler of Byzantium did not like this, and he sent his messengers demanding that the prince leave this territory. In his response, Svyatoslav offered him to buy out the Bulgarian territory. Thus was the beginning of the war between these powerful states, in which almost the entire Russian army was destroyed.
The biography of Prince Svyatoslav briefly tells that he spent four months in a besieged city and, together with his squad, experienced deprivation, need and hunger. The Greek army was also exhausted long wars, so the warring parties decided to conclude a truce. The prince of Rus' promised to extradite all the captured Greeks and leave the Bulgarian cities, and also not to start a war with Byzantium again.
Doom
In 972, after the conclusion of such an agreement, the prince safely reached the banks of the Dnieper and set off on boats to its thresholds. At this time, the Byzantine ruler informed the leader of the Pechenegs that the great Russian commander was heading home with a small number of soldiers.
The Pecheneg leader took advantage of this situation and attacked him. In this battle, the entire squad and Prince Svyatoslav himself died. Summary The history of the reign tells that after him the son Yaropolk ascended the throne.
Board results
He spent most of his reign in endless battles. Some historians can be quite critical of the commander and say that he participated in various foreign policy adventures.
But, as the brief biography of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich shows, the years of reign (from 965 to 972) were not in vain. Campaigns against the Khazars, as well as on the Bulgarian lands, were able to ensure the access of the Russian state to the Caspian waters.
In addition, Kievan Rus acquired its own fortification post on the Tamakan Peninsula, and also won recognition as a strong and powerful state.
Since the Grand Duke was also an experienced conqueror, he knew how to correctly bring confusion into the ranks of the enemy army in order to subsequently defeat him. Just before the start of the battle, he sent his messenger to the enemy with a message in which it was written: "I'm going to you!". At first glance, it may seem that this is completely contrary to common sense, but the prince had his own calculation.
Such a letter forced the entire enemy army to gather in one place for a decisive battle. Thus, Svyatoslav could avoid battles with separate groups of soldiers. We can say that he was one of the first to use information and psychological warfare.
This great man accomplished many feats in his short life and remained in history as a wise and warlike ruler of Ancient Rus'.
Russian Prince Svyatoslav spent most of his life in military campaigns. His first campaign took place when the prince was only four years old. It was Olga's campaign against the Drevlyans, who brutally killed her husband -. By tradition, only the prince could lead it, and it was the hand of the young Svyatoslav who threw the spear, giving the first order to the squad.
Svyatoslav was practically not interested in state affairs and domestic politics, the prince completely left the decision of these issues to his wise mother. IN short biography Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich is worth mentioning that the passion and meaning of his life was war. The squad of Svyatoslav moved unusually quickly, since the prince, who did not recognize luxury in campaigns, did not take with him tents and convoys that would slow down the movement. He enjoyed considerable respect among the soldiers, as he shared their way of life. Svyatoslav never attacked unexpectedly. Warning the enemy about the attack, the prince won a fair battle.
In 964, Svyatoslav's campaign began in Khazaria. His path lay through the lands of the Khazar tributaries - Vyatichi. Svyatoslav forced them to pay tribute to himself, and only after that he moved on, to the Volga. The Bulgarians living on the banks of the river had a hard time. Svyatoslav's campaign against the Volga Bulgaria (Bulgaria) led to the plundering of many villages and towns. The complete defeat of the Khazars by Prince Svyatoslav took place in 965. The Russian prince ruined the Khazar lands and captured their main city - Belaya Vezha. The campaign ended with victories over the inhabitants of the Caucasus, the tribes of Kosogs and Yases.
However, the rest from military labors in Kyiv was not long. The embassy of Emperor Nicephorus 2nd Phocas, who soon arrived at the prince, asked for his support against the Bulgarians living on the Danube lands. This campaign also turned out to be victorious. The Kyiv prince Svyatoslav liked the Bulgarian lands adjacent to Byzantium so much that he wanted to move his capital from Kyiv to Pereyaslavets.
The territories defeated by Svyatoslav, which had previously closed the way for nomads from Asia, were now flooded with the Pechenegs, bribed by the emperor of Byzantium. Nomads in 968 surrounded Kyiv in the absence of the prince. Olga called on the help of the voivode Petich. retreated, perhaps deciding that the warlike prince was returning. Svyatoslav, who appeared much later, drove them far from the borders of Kievan Rus.
In 969, Princess Olga died, and the Christians who lost her patronage were persecuted. In the same year, leaving his sons, Oleg and, to rule, Svyatoslav went on a second campaign against the Bulgarians. By that time, Nikephoros 2nd Phocas had been killed, and John Tzimiskes occupied the throne.
The victory won by Svyatoslav in Bulgaria was unprofitable for Byzantium. Tzimiskes, not wanting to strengthen Svyatoslav in the Bulgarian lands, sent ambassadors to the prince with rich gifts and a demand to leave the conquered territories. Svyatoslav's response was a proposal to redeem the captured Bulgarian cities. An exhausting war with the Greeks began. The soldiers of Tzimiskes, after a hard struggle, took possession of Pereyaslavets. The fighting moved to Dorostol, where the Greeks were able to surround the prince and the squad. The siege continued for three months. Svyatoslav and his warriors endured hunger and suffered from diseases. As a result, an agreement was concluded, according to which the prince undertook to leave Bulgaria, extradite all captured Greeks and prevent other tribes from attacking the territory of Byzantium.
While the prince was fighting the Greeks, the Pechenegs again came to the Kyiv lands and almost captured the capital city. According to historians, the emperor of Byzantium informed the Pecheneg leader Kure that the Kiev prince was returning with a small retinue. Svyatoslav and his soldiers died in a fight with the Pechenegs who attacked them. Thus ended the reign of Svyatoslav Igorevich, after which Yaropolk ascended the throne of Kiev. The legend says that from the skull of Svyatoslav Kurya he made a bowl decorated with gold and stones.
Svyatoslav received the position and title of great commander at the age of about three years. His father, a direct descendant of the first Rurik Igor, was killed by the Drevlyans, but he himself was too small to lead the state. Therefore, until the very age of majority, his mother, Olga, ruled in Kyiv. But everyone has their own time, and Svyatoslav Igorevich also left his indelible mark on history, which we will talk about today.
Biography of Prince Svyatoslav: the story of a great warrior
If we rely on the information given to us by the ancient Russian chronicles, then Svyatoslav was the only son of Igor, the direct heir to the first Rurik, in fact being his grandson. The boy's mother was Princess Olga, who has a rather vague origin. Many believe that she is the daughter of Oleg, nicknamed the Prophet, others call the Varangian princess Helga, and still others shrug their shoulders, thinking that she was an ordinary Pskov peasant woman. It is not possible to find out exactly in what year she gave birth to Svyatoslav, there are only a few scattered indications from ancient scrolls.
According to the Ipatiev Chronicle, the birth of Svyatoslav is dated to 942, just at the time when Igor brought defeat after unsuccessful campaign to Byzantium. However, neither in The Tale of Bygone Years, nor in the Laurentian list of such information. Historians are puzzled by the fact that such an important event was overlooked by the chroniclers as insignificant. In literary works, another date is sometimes called - 920, but you cannot trust them as historical sources.
All the ancestors of the Grand Duke Svyatoslav bore Scandinavian (Varangian) names, he was the first to be named in Slavic. However, historians were looking for a catch here too. For example, Vasily Tatishchev found Byzantine scrolls in which this name was read as Sfendoslavos (), from which he concluded that this is a combination of the Greek version of Sven or Svent and the Russian ending -slav. Over time, the first part of the name was transformed into the variant Svyat (holy).
Personal qualities and childhood of the prince
You can find the first mention of the name of Svyatoslav in a documentary plan in the agreement that his father Igor made with Byzantium in 944. According to scattered information, Rurikovich was killed by the Drevlyans for exorbitant greed in 945 or even in 955, but the first date seems more likely. After that, the wife of Igor and the mother of the future prince Olga, waited another year and went on a military campaign to take revenge on her rebellious subjects.
According to the legends that have come down to us, the son was also with her at that time. The Tale of Bygone Years says that he swung and threw a heavy spear, which flew between the horse's ears and fell at his feet. And so began the extermination of the Drevlyans for the murder of the prince. The boy really grew up belligerent and courageous, while being constantly with his mother. He was brought up not by nannies and mothers, but by falconers and vigilantes.
It is worth saying a few words about the appearance of the young and brave prince, all of whose thoughts were directed exclusively to military achievements, campaigns, battles and great victories. The famous Byzantine historian and writer Leo the Deacon writes that he saw Svyatoslav on the boat, along with his subjects. He rowed like the rest, willing to do hard work if needed. The same source writes that he was of medium height, with light, blue eyes. His head was clean-shaven, only a tuft of blond hair stuck out on the top of his head, a sign of a princely family.
The deacon writes that he was a young man of strong build, stocky and handsome, despite a slightly gloomy expression on his face. In one ear, Svyatoslav wore a gold earring adorned with a carbuncle, his nose was snub-nosed, and an early mustache made his way above his upper lip. Russian professor Sergei Solovyov believes that he had a sparse beard and two braids, braided in the Scandinavian style.
The reign of Prince Svyatoslav
It is believed that until the very beginning of his reign in Kyiv, Svyatoslav was constantly with his mother Olga, but this does not fit with some historical information. The Byzantine emperor of that time, Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, noted that in Novgorod in 949 "Sfendoslav, son of Ingor, archon of Russia" ruled. Therefore, many believe that the young prince was placed on the throne of this city long before the untimely death of his father. However, this is inconsistent with the timing. There is evidence from the same emperor that Svyatoslav was at Olga's embassy during her visit to Constantinople in 957.
The beginning of the reign
The mother of the young prince Svyatoslav Igorevich, Grand Duchess Olga, was early imbued with Byzantine culture. Approximately in 955-957, she was baptized, going to Tsargrad for this, where for these purposes she was even assigned her own bishop. After that, she repeatedly asked her son to follow her example, but he was a convinced pagan and only chuckled at his mother, believing that he had simply found a whim on her. And besides, among the pagan army, it would hardly be possible for a Christian to earn authority.
As already mentioned, Leo the Deacon says that Svyatoslav's people also entered Olga's embassy in Constantinople, but they received very few gifts, even less than her slaves at the first reception. During the second visit, the name of the heir is not mentioned at all. Soviet historian and the philologist believes that everything is much more banal. He says that Svyatoslav came to woo the Greek princess, which he was politely, but quite accessible, refused. Therefore, after the first reception, he simply went home, and became a pagan until the end of his life.
The history of Prince Svyatoslav is rather confusing and vague, but his attitude towards Christianity as a whole can be traced perfectly. The first missionary and archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg writes that in 595 Queen Olga of the Rugs sent an embassy to Otto I the Great, the German king, where the questions of the wholesale baptism of Rus' were discussed. He did not fail to immediately send a bishop with a retinue, but their mission in Kyiv in 961 ended in nothing, that is, a complete failure.
This may indicate that at that time it was not Olga, a staunch Christian, who was in power at that time, but her stubborn offspring. The following information already concerns the year 964. The famous Nestor in his "Tale ..." tells about how brave and strong warrior the prince of Rus' Svyatoslav was, how respected he was among his squad and what glory he covered himself with before the people.
On the throne: achievements and military campaigns
Approximately in 960-961, the Khazar king Joseph complained in a letter to the dignitary of the Caliphate of Cordoba, Hasdai ibn Shafrut, that he was waging an endless and stubborn war with the Rus, which he could neither win nor complete. He believed that, not letting them go by sea to Derbent, he was protecting all Islamic lands, along with the Muslim faith, since this army could also conquer Baghdad. Indeed, over the previous years, the Russians had successfully repaired almost all the Khazar tributaries - the Eastern European Slavs. The Russians wanted to get the strategic Kerch Strait and the Don region, because the war was clearly inevitable, and no Joseph could stand in their way.
- Hike to Khazaria.
According to the "Tale ..." in 964 or 965, Grand Duke Svyatoslav set out towards the Oka and the Volga. On the way, he met the Vyatichi, but did not conquer them and impose tribute, since, apparently, he pursued other goals. The following year, he came close to Khazaria, namely to Belaya Vezha (Sarkel, today located under the water of the Tsimlyansk reservoir). The Khazars came out to meet the prince with their kagan and suffered a crushing defeat. The capital of Khazaria, the city of Itil, Semender and many others upstream the Volga were plundered by the Russians.
Svyatoslav also managed to subdue the Yases, that of their Ugric peoples, and the Kasogs. The Arab traveler and geographer of that time, Abul-Kasim Muhammad ibn Khaukal an-Nisibi, also names the Volga Bulgaria in 968 or 969 among the “trophies” of the prince. He managed to crush the hitherto strong Khazar Khaganate, at the same time the city of Tmutarakan joined Rus'. According to some reports, the Russians were in Itil until 980. But even before that, in 966, the Vyatichi were still conquered, with the imposition of tribute on them, as the Tale of Bygone Years writes about.
- Misunderstandings with the Bulgarian kingdom.
Starting from 967, a conflict suddenly broke out between Byzantium and the Bulgarian kingdom, the causes of which historians interpret in different ways. In the same year or a year later, the emperor of the Greeks Nicephorus II Phocas decided to suck up to Svyatoslav and sent an embassy to him. It was lucky generous gifts, the historian says, about half a ton of gold (15 centinaries), not counting everything else. The main purpose of this was, apparently, the crushing of the Bulgarian kingdom, while by proxy, as if without taking any special part in this.
The head of the embassy in Kiev, Klokir, with Svyatoslav, “resolved” the issues and agreed not only to conquer the Bulgarian kingdom, but also that he would help him take the Byzantine throne. In 968, Russian troops entered Bulgaria and won the decisive battle near Dorostol (Silistra), although the fortress itself could not be taken. But managed to capture more than eight dozen other fortified cities. He set up his settlement in Pereyaslavets, on the Danube River, where he was also brought gifts from the Greeks.
But then news came that the rebellious Pechenegs, knowing when the prince was not in the city, laid siege to Kyiv and Svyatoslav Igorevich had to hastily return home. Russian historian Anatoly Novoseltsev believes that the Khazars could incite the nomads to take such a step, but Byzantine intervention cannot be completely ruled out, because this country has always been distinguished by unscrupulous decisions for its own benefit. The prince with his horse squad easily drove the crowds of Pechenegs back to the steppe, but did not want to stay at home, even despite the death of his beloved, albeit often condemned, mother, Grand Duchess Olga, later recognized as a saint.
Geographically, Pereyaslovets, who fell in love with Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich, is very difficult to determine. Many believe that this is a port town on the Danube, called Pereslav or Pereslav Small. Tatishchev cites evidence that while Svyatoslav was frightening the Pechenegs around Kiev, his governor in Pereyaslovets Volk had to constantly defend himself from the raids of the Bulgarians, which again indicates the proximity of the Bulgarian capital Preslav the Great. There is also data that last battle the prince of Kyiv managed to capture the Bulgarian Tsar Boris himself.
- Byzantine war.
Svyatoslav did not manage to sit quietly in Pereyaslovets, although he was not the kind of person to just stay in place. He was drawn to the battle, to the battle, to win glory and wealth for himself and the people, which will not be forgotten forever and ever. Already in 970, he made a deal with the Bulgarians, Ugrians (Hungarians) and Pechenegs, who obeyed him, and attacked the historical region of Thrace, which belongs to Byzantium. Leo the Deacon says that on the side of the Kyiv prince there were more than thirty thousand warriors, while the Greek commander Varda Sklir could have no more than twelve thousand soldiers.
The Russian army came very close to Tsargrad (Constantinople) and besieged Arcadiopol. There, at first, the Pechenegs were surrounded and killed, followed by the Bulgarians, and only then the squad of Svyatoslav was defeated. This is what the Deacon says, but The Tale of Bygone Years interprets events somewhat differently. It says that the Grand Duke approached the very walls of the capital, did not attack, but only took a rich tribute.
Contrary to earlier expectations, Byzantium remained very dissatisfied with the Russian occupation of Bulgarian possessions. Instead of a weak Christian neighbor, the Greeks received a strong, courageous and brave pagan who was not ready to stop there. Emperor John I Tzimisces, who came to power in 969, began to prepare for a war with the Rus, realizing that it would not be possible to resolve issues with them by agreement. In the early spring of 971, the ruler personally, accompanied by five thousand soldiers, crossed the Balkan Mountains, and the main part of the army followed, under the command of the famous eunuch Vasily Lekapin.
In Pereyaslovets, they learned about John's shock detachment quite late, so they had to hide behind the walls of the city, although at that time there was a squad of their eight thousand warriors. This was a fatal mistake, as the help of the Byzantines arrived in time and they took the city by storm. Then many Russian soldiers died, and Volk and his associates managed to hide in the fortress of the palace of Tsar Simeon. Svyatoslav, who was just on the way, tried to recapture the city, but he failed. He was besieged in a symbolic place - the fortress of Dorostol, from where it all began, and after three months of exhausting skirmishes and hunger, he began to seek peace. He gave Bulgaria to Byzantium, and he himself was released on his own, with the condition of restoring his own father from 944 (military trade agreement).
Personal life and death of the great warrior Svyatoslav Igorevich
The reign of Prince Svyatoslav is filled with military exploits and victories. He himself, as if not of a noble family, took up arms and always fought in the forefront. However, it does not hurt to tell a little about how he was in everyday life, whether he had children and what kind of legacy this person left behind. He always stood his ground, defended the faith of his ancestors, guarded the borders of the state and tried to expand them as much as possible, therefore even descendants as distant as you and I can appreciate his contribution to the history of the great Kievan Rus.
Family life: residence, marriages and children
The chroniclers of that time have very little information about weddings-marriages of the Grand Duke of Kyiv. Apparently special attention he did not devote this moment, but was more busy with military affairs. The policy of Prince Svyatoslav was more directed outward than inland, this also played a role. Kyiv is considered his main residence, but nevertheless the ruler appeared there quite rarely. He did not like his capital and felt better in the wild, for example, in the same Pereyaslovets, where he knew that everything was under control.
The Tale of Bygone Years quotes him as if he were writing to his mother, calling him home, that “I don’t like to sit in Kiev, I want to live in Pereyaslavets”, “where all the blessings flow: from the Greek land, gold, curtains, wines, various fruits ; from the Czech Republic and from Hungary silver and horses; from Rus', furs and wax, honey and slaves. However, there is evidence of at least three sons.
- Yaropolk Svyatoslavovich (born 955), Prince of Kiev (972-978), Prince of Novgorod (977-978).
- Oleg Svyatoslavich (born 955), prince of the Drevlyans (970-977).
- Vladimir Svyatoslavich, also known as Vladimir I, Vladimir the Great, Vladimir the Baptist, Vladimir the Holy (born around 960), Prince of Novgorod (970-988) and Kiev (978-1015).
History does not indicate the names or indications of the relationship of the mothers of the first two offspring. But already something is known about Vladimir's mother. Her name was Malusha Lubechanka and she was not a noble family, but served as a housekeeper for Svyatoslav's mother Olga, when she was still just a child. After that, she was given as a concubine to the prince. According to legend, it was her brother who became the prototype for creating the image of the Russian hero Dobrynya Nikitich.
The Byzantine chronicler and official of the ninth century, John Skilitsa, speaks of another brother of Vladimir, named Sfeng, who in 1016 allegedly helped the Greeks suppress the rebellion of George Tsul in Chersonese. However, the Russian historian Alexander Solovyov believes that this is not at all about another son of Svyatoslav, but about his grandson, the son of Vladimir Mstislav the Brave, Prince of Tmutarakan and Chernigov.
Betrayal and death of a brave warrior
After the conclusion of a separate peace with Byzantium, Svyatoslav and his army were safely released home, where he went, embarking on boats. However, realizing that he would never leave the Greeks alone, the emperor ordered the Pechenegs roaming around Kyiv to be informed of his return, surrounded by a very small army. The Khazar Khaganate was utterly defeated, and the paths to the East were open, the cunning Byzantines could not miss such a chance.
In 971, the prince approached the Dnieper and wanted to climb it to Kiev, but the governor, whose name was preserved in the Tale ..., like Sveneld, warned that the Pechenegs were standing a hundred higher above the thresholds, ready to destroy the remnants of Svyatoslav's squad. However, having approached the rapids by land, he did not escape the battle here either, since the Pecheneg prince Kurya attacked him, which killed Igor's son. The same information is confirmed by the Byzantine Leo the Deacon. He says that the Russian army was ambushed by the Patsenaks (Pechenegs).
The great Russian historian Nikolai Karamzin, however, like all his followers, believe that it was the Greeks who convinced the Pechenegs to attack the Russians and kill them. They feared the growing power and influence of Kievan Rus. If we analyze the treatise of Konstantin Porphyrogenitus "On the management of the empire", then you can find lines in which it is written in plain text that you should make friends with the patsenaks in order to jointly fight against the Ugrians (Hungarians) and Russians. Nestor the chronicler attributes the death of Svyatoslav to the fact that he disobeyed the will of his parents and did not accept baptism, as Olga ordered him to. However, such a development of events is extremely unlikely.
Perpetuating the memory of the people
The personality of the great warrior Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich did not immediately attract artists, although contemporaries remembered a lot of military songs about him. Russian poets and artists pulled out the image of a glorious warrior, brave and incorruptible, shaken off the dust of centuries and used in times Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774. After all, all this again happened on the Danube, it was easy to draw an analogy. For example, in the painting by Ivan Akimov " Grand Duke Svyatoslav kissing his mother and children upon his return from the Danube to Kyiv” shows all the throwing of the soul of a warrior, between family and duty to the state.
By the nineteenth century, interest in the figure of Svyatoslav had subsided somewhat. However, in 1843 Alexander Fomich Veltman published a story, Raina, the Bulgarian Princess, about the prince's Bulgarian wars. At the dawn of the twentieth century, the sculpture "Svyatoslav on the way to Tsar-grad" was erected, created by Evgeny Lansere, a Russian animal sculptor. The image of a stubborn prince was already used today by neo-pagans, as an example of the steadfastness of views and worldview. There are monuments to Svyatoslav Igorevich in Kyiv, Mariupol, Serpukhov, Zaporozhye.
Not a weak resonance was caused by one of the monuments to the 1040th anniversary of the defeat of the Khazar Khaganate, which was first planned to be erected in Belgorod, but in the end it was erected in the village of Kholki. The thing is that the sculptor Vyacheslav Klykov depicted the six-pointed star of David on the shield of the defeated Khazarin, which they saw as anti-Semitism. As a result, the shield was changed, and the sculpture itself was placed in the village so that it would not be an eyesore. Svyatoslav is also a symbol of the ultras of the Dynamo football club from Kyiv. They even publish a newspaper with the same name.
The Grand Duke, who forever went down in the history of Rus' as a warrior prince. There was no limit to the courage and dedication of the prince. Not much information has been preserved about Svyatoslav Igorevich, even the date of his birth is not exactly known. Chronicles brought to us some facts.
- Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich (brave). Born in 942, died in March 972.
- Son of Prince Igor and Princess Olga.
- Prince of Novgorod 945-969
- Grand Duke of Kiev from 964 to 972
The first time the name of Svyatoslav is mentioned in the chronicle describing the events of 945, when Svyatoslav's mother, Princess Olga, went with an army to the Drevlyans to avenge the death of her husband, Prince Igor. Svyatoslav was just a child, but he took part in the battle. His participation was symbolic and consisted of the following. Svyatoslav, sitting on a horse, was in front of the Kyiv squad. According to the military tradition of that time, it was the prince who had to start the battle. Svyatoslav started - threw a spear. And no matter that it did not fly far, the fact was that the prince gave rise to the battle.
Svyatoslav received precisely military education. Asmud is mentioned as his mentor. Svyatoslav was taught the military art of warfare by the chief Kiev voivode Sveneld.
Since the mid 60s. X century, you can count the time of the beginning of the independent reign of Prince Svyatoslav. The Byzantine historian Leo Deacon left a description of him: medium height, with a broad chest, blue eyes, thick eyebrows, beardless, but with a long mustache, only one strand of hair on his shaved head, which testified to his noble origin. In one ear he wore an earring with two pearls.
Although the prince was from Kiev, he did not like to sit in the capital. The internal affairs of the state did not fascinate him. But hiking was everything to him. They write that he shared life with simple warriors, ate with everyone, did not have any special amenities during the campaign.
The squad of Svyatoslav, unencumbered by convoys, moved very quickly and appeared in front of the enemy unexpectedly, instilling fear in them. And Svyatoslav himself was not afraid of his opponents, and moreover, before the campaign he sent a warning to the enemy.
End of the Khazar Khaganate
The first big campaign of Svyatoslav and perhaps his most famous victory came in 964-65. There was then a strong Jewish state of the Khazar Khaganate in the lower reaches of the Volga, which imposed tribute on the Slavic tribes. The squad of Svyatoslav left Kyiv and went to the lands of the Vyatichi, who at that time paid tribute to the Khazars. The Kiev prince ordered the Vyatichi to pay tribute to Kyiv, and not to the Khazars.
Svyatoslav sent his squads against the Volga Bulgars, Burtases, Khazars, and then the North Caucasian tribes of Yases and Kasogs. Volga Bulgaria - also a powerful state - was forced to pay off a tribute to the Kyiv prince and agreed to allow Russian merchants through its territory.
Winning in all battles, the prince crushed, captured and destroyed the capital of the Jewish Khazaria, the city of Itil, took the well-fortified fortresses Sarkel on the Don, Semender in the North Caucasus. On the shores of the Kerch Strait, he founded an outpost of Russian influence in this region - the city of Tmutarakan, the center of the future Tmutarakan principality.
How Byzantium killed the prince of Kyiv
Behind the Volga campaigns of 964-966. followed by two Danube campaigns of Svyatoslav. In the course of them, Svyatoslav made an attempt to create a huge Russian-Bulgarian kingdom with its center in Pereslavets on the Danube, which in geopolitical terms could become a serious counterbalance to the Byzantine Empire.
The first trip to Bulgaria happened in 968. At that time, he was led there by a debt of honor - an agreement with Byzantium, concluded in 944 by Prince Igor. Svyatoslav contacted Europe, and eventually died. But that was later.
The ambassador of the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Foki, named Kalokir, summoned Svyatoslav to Bulgaria, ostensibly to protect the interests of his emperor. In fact, the calculation was to push Rus' and the Bulgarians against each other in order to weaken both powers.
Pereyaslavets
Svyatoslav, with a 10,000-strong army, defeated the army of the Bulgarians three times superior in number and captured the city of Malaya Preslava. Svyatoslav called this city Pereyaslavets. Svyatoslav even wanted to move the capital to Pereyaslavets from Kyiv, arguing that this city was located in the middle of his possessions. But Byzantium had other plans that Svyatoslav apparently did not know about.
Emperor Nicephorus Fokoi bribed the Pecheneg leaders, who agreed to attack Kyiv in the absence of the Grand Duke. From Kyiv, they managed to send news to the Grand Duke, who, leaving part of his squad in Pereyaslavets, hurried to Kyiv and defeated the Pechenegs. Three days later, Princess Olga died.
Svyatoslav divided the Russian land between his sons:
- Yaropolk planted to reign in Kyiv,
- Oleg was sent to the Drevlyane land,
- Vladimir - in Novgorod.
He himself returned to the Danube.
Byzantium tightens the noose
While the prince was in Kyiv, an uprising broke out in Pereyaslavets, and the Bulgarians drove the Russian warriors out of the city. The prince could not come to terms with this state of affairs, and again led the troops to the west. He defeated the army of Tsar Boris, captured him and took possession of the whole country from the Danube to the Balkan Mountains. In the spring of 970, Svyatoslav crossed the Balkans, took Philippol (Plovdiv) by storm and reached Arcadiopol.
His squads had only four days to travel across the plain to Tsargrad. Here the battle with the Byzantines took place. Svyatoslav won, but the losses were great and the prince decided not to go further, but, having taken "many gifts" from the Greeks, he returned back to Pereyaslavets.
In 971 the war continued. This time the Byzantines prepared well. The newly trained Byzantine armies moved to Bulgaria from all sides, many times outnumbering the Svyatoslav squads standing there. With heavy fighting, fighting off the pressing enemy, the Russians retreated to the Danube. The last stronghold was the city of Dorostol, where Svyatoslav's army was under siege. For more than two months, the Byzantines besieged Dorostol.
On July 22, 971, the last battle took place. The Russians no longer had much hope of surviving. The battle was very stubborn, and many Russian soldiers died. Prince Svyatoslav was forced to retreat back to Dorostol. And the Russian prince decided to make peace with the Byzantines, so he consulted with the squad: “If we don’t make peace and find out that we are few, then they will come and besiege us in the city. And the Russian land is far away, the Pechenegs are fighting with us, and who will help us then? Let's make peace, because they have already pledged to pay tribute to us - that's enough for us. If they stop paying tribute to us, then again, having gathered a lot of soldiers, we will go from Rus' to Tsargrad. And the soldiers agreed that their prince was speaking correctly.
Svyatoslav began peace negotiations with John Tzimiskes. Their historical meeting took place on the banks of the Danube and was described in detail by a Byzantine chronicler who was in the emperor's retinue. Tzimiskes, surrounded by close associates, was waiting for Svyatoslav. The prince arrived on a boat, sitting in which he rowed along with ordinary soldiers. The Greeks could distinguish him only because the shirt he wore was cleaner than that of other warriors and by an earring with two pearls and a ruby worn in his ear.
Last trip
Despite the clear superiority of the Byzantines in strength, Svyatoslav managed to make peace with the Greeks. After that, together with his retinue, he went to Rus' along the rivers in boats. One of the governor warned the prince: "Go around, prince, the Dnieper rapids on horseback, for the Pechenegs are standing at the thresholds." But the prince did not listen to him.
And the Byzantines of the Pechenegs then informed, hinting at the great wealth that Prince Svyatoslav was carrying with him. When Svyatoslav approached the rapids, it turned out that there was no passage. The prince did not enter the battle, but decided to wait it out and stayed for the winter. 
With the beginning of spring, Svyatoslav again moved to the rapids, but he was ambushed and died. The Pechenegs did not retreat anywhere, but waited stubbornly. The chronicle conveys the story of Svyatoslav's death in this way: "Svyatoslav came to the thresholds, and Kurya, the Pecheneg prince, attacked him, and killed Svyatoslav, and took his head, and made a cup from the skull, fettered him, and drank from it." So Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich perished. It happened in 972.
