The years of Princess Olga's reign in Rus'. Olga, Princess of Kyiv: reign and historical portrait
Princess Olga was the very first ruler to convert to Christianity. Moreover, this happened even before the baptism of Rus'. She ruled the state out of hopelessness, since her husband, Prince Igor, was killed, and his heir, their son Svyatoslav, was still too young to rule. She ruled from 945 to 962.
After the murder of Prince Oleg, the Drevlyan prince Mal really wanted to take his place. His plans were to marry Princess Olga and conquer Kievan Rus. He sent her a bunch of gifts and decorations through his ambassadors. Olga was very smart and cunning. She ordered the first ambassadors of Mal, who arrived on a boat, to be carried along with the boat over the abyss; the ambassadors were thrown into the abyss and they were buried alive.
Olga burned the second batch of ambassadors in the bathhouse. Then she herself went to the prince of the Drevlyans, ostensibly to get married; on that day more than 5,000 Drevlyans were given water and killed.
Reign of Princess Olga.
Activities of Princess Olga.
Olga was inspired by the thought that she needed to take revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband. She was getting ready for a military campaign. It was 946. The siege of the Drevlyans lasted almost the entire summer. In this case, Olga showed the strength of mighty Rus'. After the siege, she sent a message that they were retreating, but asking the residents to give them a dove and three sparrows from each Drevlyan. Light tinder was then tied to the birds and released. So the city of Iskorosten was completely burned.
Domestic policy and reforms of Princess Olga.
Olga systematized the collection of taxes from the population. She organized special places for collecting tribute, which were called graveyards. The princess was actively involved in urban planning and improvement of the territory. All lands that were in the power of the princess were divided by her into administrative units. Each unit was assigned its own manager - tiun.
Foreign policy of Princess Olga.
Since Olga was still a woman, she rarely went on hikes. She developed the trade with her intelligence and ingenuity. Olga was a supporter of peaceful resolution of conflicts that arose. Scandinavians and Germans went to work as hired workers in the Russian troops.
Since ancient times, people in the Russian land have called Saint Olga Equal to the Apostles “the head of the faith” and “the root of Orthodoxy.” Olga’s baptism was marked by the prophetic words of the patriarch who baptized her: “Blessed are you among Russian women, for you have left darkness and loved the Light. The Russian sons will glorify you to the last generation!” At baptism, the Russian princess was honored with the name of Saint Helen, Equal to the Apostles, who worked hard to spread Christianity in the vast Roman Empire and gained Life-giving Cross, on which the Lord was crucified. Like her heavenly patroness, Olga became an equal-to-the-apostles preacher of Christianity in the vast expanses of the Russian land. There are many chronological inaccuracies and mysteries in the chronicles about her, but there can hardly be any doubt about the reliability of most of the facts of her life, brought to our time by the grateful descendants of the holy princess - the organizer of the Russian land. Let's turn to the story of her life.
The name of the future enlightener of Rus' and her homeland are named in the oldest of the chronicles - “The Tale of Bygone Years” in the description of the marriage of the Kyiv prince Igor: “And they brought him a wife from Pskov named Olga.” The Joachim Chronicle specifies that she belonged to the family of the Izborsky princes - one of the ancient Russian princely dynasties.
Igor's wife was called by the Varangian name Helga, in Russian pronunciation - Olga (Volga). Tradition calls the village of Vybuty, not far from Pskov, up the Velikaya River, Olga’s birthplace. The life of Saint Olga tells that here she first met her future husband. The young prince was hunting “in the Pskov region” and, wanting to cross the Velikaya River, he saw “someone floating in a boat” and called him to the shore. Sailing away from the shore in a boat, the prince discovered that he was being carried by a girl of amazing beauty. Igor was inflamed with lust for her and began to incline her to sin. The carrier turned out to be not only beautiful, but chaste and smart. She shamed Igor by reminding him of the princely dignity of a ruler and judge, who should be a “bright example of good deeds” for his subjects. Igor broke up with her, keeping her words and beautiful image in his memory. When the time came to choose a bride, the most beautiful girls principalities. But none of them pleased him. And then he remembered Olga, “wonderful in maidens,” and sent his relative, Prince Oleg, for her. So Olga became the wife of Prince Igor, the Grand Duchess of Russia.
After his marriage, Igor went on a campaign against the Greeks, and returned from it as a father: his son Svyatoslav was born. Soon Igor was killed by the Drevlyans. Fearing revenge for the murder of the Kyiv prince, the Drevlyans sent ambassadors to Princess Olga, inviting her to marry their ruler Mal. Olga pretended to agree. By cunning, she lured two embassies of the Drevlyans to Kyiv, putting them to painful death: the first was buried alive “in the princely courtyard,” the second was burned in a bathhouse. After this, five thousand Drevlyan men were killed by Olga’s soldiers at a funeral feast for Igor at the walls of the Drevlyan capital Iskorosten. The next year, Olga again approached Iskorosten with an army. The city was burned with the help of birds, to whose feet burning tow was tied. The surviving Drevlyans were captured and sold into slavery.
Along with this, the chronicles are full of evidence of her tireless “walks” across the Russian land with the aim of building political and economic life countries. She achieved strengthening of the power of the Kyiv Grand Duke, centralized public administration using the "graveyard" system. The chronicle notes that she, her son and her retinue, walked through the Drevlyansky land, “establishing tributes and quitrents,” noting villages and camps and hunting grounds to be included in the Kyiv grand-ducal possessions. She went to Novgorod, setting up graveyards along the Msta and Luga rivers. “Hunting places for her (hunting places) were all over the earth, signs were installed, places for her and graveyards,” writes the chronicler, “and her sleigh stands in Pskov to this day, there are places indicated by her for catching birds along the Dnieper and along the Desna; and her village Olgichi still exists today.” Pogosts (from the word “guest” - merchant) became the support of the grand ducal power, centers of ethnic and cultural unification of the Russian people.
The Life tells the following about Olga’s labors: “And Princess Olga ruled the regions of the Russian land under her control not as a woman, but as a strong and reasonable husband, firmly holding power in her hands and courageously defending herself from enemies. And she was terrible for the latter, loved by her own people, as a merciful and pious ruler, as a righteous judge who did not offend anyone, inflicting punishment with mercy and rewarding the good; She instilled fear in all evil, rewarding each in proportion to the merit of his actions, but in all matters of government she showed foresight and wisdom. At the same time, Olga, merciful at heart, was generous to the poor, the poor and the needy; fair requests soon reached her heart, and she quickly fulfilled them... With all this, Olga combined a temperate and chaste life; she did not want to remarry, but remained in pure widowhood, observing princely power for her son until the days of his age. When the latter matured, she handed over to him all the affairs of the government, and she herself, having withdrawn from rumors and care, lived outside the concerns of management, indulging in works of charity.”
Rus' grew and strengthened. Cities were built surrounded by stone and oak walls. The princess herself lived behind the reliable walls of Vyshgorod, surrounded by a loyal squad. Two-thirds of the collected tribute, according to the chronicle, she gave to the Kyiv veche, the third part went “to Olga, to Vyshgorod” - to the military building. The establishment of the first state borders of Kievan Rus dates back to Olga's time. The heroic outposts, sung in epics, guarded the peaceful life of the people of Kiev from the nomads of the Great Steppe and from attacks from the West. Foreigners flocked to Gardarika (“the country of cities”), as they called Rus', with goods. The Scandinavians and Germans willingly joined the Russian army as mercenaries. Rus' became a great power.
As a wise ruler, Olga saw by example Byzantine Empire that it is not enough to worry only about state and economic life. It was necessary to start organizing the religious and spiritual life of the people.
The author of the “Degree Book” writes: “Her /Olga/’s feat was that she learned true God. Not knowing the Christian law, she lived a pure and chaste life, and she wanted to be a Christian by free will, with the eyes of her heart she found the path of knowing God and followed it without hesitation.” The Rev. Nestor the Chronicler narrates: “Blessed Olga from an early age sought wisdom, which is the best in this world, and found a pearl of great value—Christ.”
Having made her choice, Grand Duchess Olga, entrusting Kyiv to her grown-up son, sets off with a large fleet to Constantinople. Old Russian chroniclers will call this act of Olga “walking”; it combined a religious pilgrimage, a diplomatic mission, and a demonstration of the military power of Rus'. “Olga wanted to go to the Greeks herself in order to look at the Christian service with her own eyes and be fully convinced of their teaching about the true God,” the life of Saint Olga narrates. According to the chronicle, in Constantinople Olga decides to become a Christian. The sacrament of Baptism was performed on her by Patriarch Theophylact of Constantinople (933 - 956), and the successor was Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus (912 - 959), who left a detailed description of the ceremonies during Olga’s stay in Constantinople in his essay “On the Ceremonies of the Byzantine Court”. At one of the receptions, the Russian Princess was presented with a golden dish decorated with precious stones. Olga donated it to the sacristy of the Hagia Sophia Cathedral, where it was seen and described at the beginning of the 13th century by the Russian diplomat Dobrynya Yadreikovich, later Archbishop Anthony of Novgorod: “The dish is a great gold service for Olga the Russian, when she took tribute while going to Constantinople: in Olga’s dish there is a precious stone “Christ is written on the same stones.”
The Patriarch blessed the newly baptized Russian princess with a cross carved from a single piece of the Life-Giving Tree of the Lord. On the cross there was an inscription: “The Russian land was renewed with the Holy Cross, and Olga, the blessed princess, accepted it.”
Olga returned to Kyiv with icons and liturgical books—her apostolic service began. She erected a temple in the name of St. Nicholas over the grave of Askold, the first Christian prince of Kyiv, and converted many Kiev residents to Christ. The princess set off to the north to preach the faith. In the Kyiv and Pskov lands, in remote villages, at crossroads, she erected crosses, destroying pagan idols.
Saint Olga laid the foundation for special veneration of the Most Holy Trinity in Rus'. From century to century, a story was passed down about a vision she had near the Velikaya River, not far from her native village. She saw “three bright rays” descending from the sky from the east. Addressing her companions, who were witnesses to the vision, Olga said prophetically: “Let it be known to you that by the will of God in this place there will be a church in the name of the Most Holy and Life-Giving Trinity and there will be a great and glorious city here, abounding in everything.” At this place Olga erected a cross and founded a temple in the name of the Holy Trinity. It became the main cathedral of Pskov, the glorious Russian city, which has since been called the “House of the Holy Trinity.” Through mysterious ways of spiritual succession, after four centuries, this veneration was transferred to St. Sergius of Radonezh.
On May 11, 960, the Church of St. Sophia, the Wisdom of God, was consecrated in Kyiv. This day was celebrated in the Russian Church as special holiday. The main shrine of the temple was the cross that Olga received at baptism in Constantinople. The temple built by Olga burned down in 1017, and in its place Yaroslav the Wise erected the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Irene, and moved the shrines of the St. Sophia Olga Church to the still standing stone Church of St. Sophia of Kyiv, founded in 1017 and consecrated around 1030. In the Prologue of the 13th century it is said about Olga’s cross: “It now stands in Kyiv in St. Sophia in the altar on right side" After the conquest of Kyiv by the Lithuanians, Holga's cross was stolen from St. Sophia Cathedral and taken by Catholics to Lublin. His further fate is unknown to us. The apostolic labors of the princess met secret and open resistance from the pagans. Among the boyars and warriors in Kyiv there were many people who, according to the chroniclers, “hated Wisdom,” like Saint Olga, who built temples for Her. The zealots of pagan antiquity raised their heads more and more boldly, looking with hope at the growing Svyatoslav, who decisively rejected his mother’s entreaties to accept Christianity. “The Tale of Bygone Years” tells about it this way: “Olga lived with her son Svyatoslav, and persuaded his mother to be baptized, but he neglected this and covered his ears; however, if someone wanted to be baptized, he did not forbid him, nor mocked him... Olga often said: “My son, I have come to know God and I rejoice; so you, if you know it, you will also begin to rejoice.” He, not listening to this, said: “How can I want to change my faith alone? My warriors will laugh at this!” She told him: “If you are baptized, everyone will do the same.”
He, not listening to his mother, lived according to pagan customs, not knowing that if anyone does not listen to his mother, he will get into trouble, as it is said: “If anyone does not listen to his father or mother, he will suffer death.” He was also angry with his mother... But Olga loved her son Svyatoslav when she said: “God’s will be done. If God wants to have mercy on my descendants and the Russian land, let him command their hearts to turn to God, as it was granted to me.” And saying this, she prayed for her son and for his people all days and nights, taking care of her son until he reached manhood.”
Despite the success of her trip to Constantinople, Olga was unable to persuade the emperor to agree on two important issues: on the dynastic marriage of Svyatoslav with the Byzantine princess and on the conditions for the restoration of the metropolis in Kyiv that existed under Askold. Therefore, Saint Olga turns her gaze to the West - the Church was united at that time. It is unlikely that the Russian princess could have known about the theological differences between the Greek and Latin doctrines.
In 959, a German chronicler writes: “The ambassadors of Helen, Queen of the Russians, who was baptized in Constantinople, came to the king and asked to consecrate a bishop and priests for this people.” King Otto, the future founder of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, responded to Olga's request. A year later, Libutius, from the brethren of the monastery of St. Alban in Mainz, was installed as Bishop of Russia, but he soon died (March 15, 961). Adalbert of Trier was ordained in his place, whom Otto, “generously providing everything necessary,” finally sent to Russia. When Adalbert appeared in Kyiv in 962, he “did not succeed in anything for which he was sent, and saw his efforts in vain.” On the way back, “some of his companions were killed, and the bishop himself did not escape mortal danger,” as the chronicles tell about Adalbert’s mission.
The pagan reaction manifested itself so strongly that not only the German missionaries suffered, but also some of the Kyiv Christians who were baptized along with Olga. By order of Svyatoslav, Olga's nephew Gleb was killed and some of the temples she built were destroyed. Saint Olga had to come to terms with what had happened and go into matters of personal piety, leaving control to the pagan Svyatoslav. Of course, she was still taken into account, her experience and wisdom were invariably turned to on all important occasions. When Svyatoslav left Kyiv, the administration of the state was entrusted to Saint Olga. The glorious military victories of the Russian army were consolation for her. Svyatoslav defeated the longtime enemy of the Russian state - the Khazar Khaganate, forever crushing the power of the Jewish rulers of the Azov and lower Volga regions. The next blow was dealt to Volga Bulgaria, then it was the turn of Danube Bulgaria - eighty cities were taken by Kyiv warriors along the Danube. Svyatoslav and his warriors personified the heroic spirit of pagan Rus'. The chronicles have preserved the words of Svyatoslav, surrounded with his retinue by a huge Greek army: “We will not disgrace the Russian land, but we will lie with our bones here! The dead have no shame!” Svyatoslav dreamed of creating a huge Russian state from the Danube to the Volga, which would unite Rus' and other Slavic peoples. Saint Olga understood that with all the courage and bravery of the Russian squads they could not cope with ancient empire Romans, which will not allow the strengthening of pagan Rus'. But the son did not listen to his mother’s warnings.
Saint Olga had to endure many sorrows at the end of her life. The son finally moved to Pereyaslavets on the Danube. While in Kyiv, she taught her grandchildren, the children of Svyatoslav, the Christian faith, but did not dare to baptize them, fearing the wrath of her son. In addition, he hindered her attempts to establish Christianity in Rus'. Recent years, amid the triumph of paganism, she, once the universally revered mistress of the state, baptized by the Ecumenical Patriarch in the capital of Orthodoxy, had to secretly keep a priest with her so as not to cause a new outbreak of anti-Christian sentiment. In 968, Kyiv was besieged by the Pechenegs. The holy princess and her grandchildren, among whom was Prince Vladimir, found themselves in mortal danger. When news of the siege reached Svyatoslav, he rushed to the rescue, and the Pechenegs were put to flight. Saint Olga, already seriously ill, asked her son not to leave until her death. She did not lose hope of turning her son’s heart to God and on her deathbed did not stop preaching: “Why are you leaving me, my son, and where are you going? When looking for someone else's, to whom do you entrust yours? After all, Your children are still small, and I am already old, and sick, - I expect an imminent death - departure to my beloved Christ, in whom I believe; Now I don’t worry about anything except about you: I regret that although I taught a lot and convinced you to leave the wickedness of idols, to believe in the true God, known to me, but you neglect this, and I know what for your disobedience A bad end awaits you on earth, and after death - eternal torment prepared for the pagans. Now fulfill at least this last request of mine: do not go anywhere until I am dead and buried; then go wherever you want. After my death, do not do anything that pagan custom requires in such cases; but let my presbyter and the clergy bury my body according to Christian custom; do not dare to pour a grave mound over me and hold funeral feasts; but send the gold to Constantinople to the Holy Patriarch, so that he would make a prayer and an offering to God for my soul and distribute alms to the poor.”
“Hearing this, Svyatoslav wept bitterly and promised to fulfill everything she had bequeathed, refusing only to accept the holy faith. After three days, blessed Olga fell into extreme exhaustion; she received communion of the Divine Mysteries of the Most Pure Body and the Life-Giving Blood of Christ our Savior; all the time she remained in fervent prayer to God and to the Most Pure Mother of God, whom she always had as her helper according to God; she called upon all the saints; Blessed Olga prayed with special zeal for the enlightenment of the Russian land after her death; seeing the future, she repeatedly predicted that God would enlighten the people of the Russian land and many of them would be great saints; Blessed Olga prayed for the speedy fulfillment of this prophecy at her death. And there was also prayer on her lips when her honest soul was released from her body, and, as righteous, was accepted by the hands of God.” On July 11, 969, Saint Olga died, “and her son and grandchildren and all the people cried for her with great tears.” Presbyter Gregory fulfilled her will exactly.
Saint Olga Equal to the Apostles was canonized at a council in 1547, which confirmed her widespread veneration in Rus' even in the pre-Mongol era.
God glorified the “leader” of faith in the Russian land with miracles and incorruption of relics. Under Saint Prince Vladimir, the relics of Saint Olga were transferred to the Tithe Church of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary and placed in a sarcophagus, in which it was customary to place the relics of saints in the Orthodox East. There was a window in the church wall above the tomb of St. Olga; and if anyone came to the relics with faith, he saw the relics through the window, and some saw the radiance emanating from them, and many people possessed by illnesses received healing. For those who came with little faith, the window was opened, and he could not see the relics, but only the coffin.
So after her death Saint Olga preached eternal life and resurrection, filling believers with joy and admonishing unbelievers.
Her prophecy about the evil death of her son came true. Svyatoslav, as the chronicler reports, was killed by the Pecheneg prince Kurei, who cut off Svyatoslav’s head and made himself a cup from the skull, bound it with gold and drank from it during feasts.
The saint’s prophecy about the Russian land was also fulfilled. The prayerful works and deeds of Saint Olga confirmed the greatest deed of her grandson Saint Vladimir (July 15 (28)) - the Baptism of Rus'. The images of Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga and Vladimir, mutually complementing each other, embody the maternal and paternal origins of Russian spiritual history.
Saint Olga, Equal to the Apostles, became the spiritual mother of the Russian people, through her their enlightenment with the light of the Christian faith began.
The pagan name Olga corresponds to the masculine Oleg (Helgi), which means “holy.” Although the pagan understanding of holiness differs from the Christian one, it presupposes in a person a special spiritual attitude, chastity and sobriety, intelligence and insight. Revealing the spiritual meaning of this name, the people called Oleg Prophetic, and Olga - Wise. Subsequently, Saint Olga will be called Bogomudra, emphasizing her main gift, which became the basis of the entire ladder of holiness for Russian wives - wisdom. Herself Holy Mother of God- House of the Wisdom of God - blessed Saint Olga for her apostolic labors. Her construction of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv - the mother of Russian cities - was a sign of the participation of the Mother of God in the House-Building of Holy Rus'. Kyiv, i.e. Christian Kievan Rus, became the third Lot of the Mother of God in the Universe, and the establishment of this Lot on earth began through the first of the holy wives of Rus' - Saint Olga, Equal-to-the-Apostles.
The Christian name of Saint Olga - Helen (translated from ancient Greek as “Torch”), became an expression of the burning of her spirit. Saint Olga (Elena) received a spiritual fire that did not go out throughout the thousand-year history of Christian Russia.
Name Grand Duchess Olga is mentioned whenever it comes to prominent women Ancient Rus'. Her husband was Prince Igor. Igor, who replaced Oleg on the Kiev princely throne, like his predecessor, is depicted in ancient Russian chronicles in many ways as a legendary figure. Prophetic Oleg was a relative and guardian of the young prince.
A 16th-century legend tells how Prince Igor of Kiev once hunted in the forests near Pskov. Here he met a river on his way and saw a canoe standing near the shore. The carrier turned out to be a girl, Olga. Igor asked to be transported, he was amazed by her intelligence. When he, “turning certain verbs towards her,” received a rebuff for his “shameful words,” the girl refused Igor so skillfully, appealing to his princely honor, that Igor not only was not offended, but, according to legend, immediately wooed her .
Olga's biography is mostly mysterious. Even her very appearance on the historical stage is dated differently by different chronicles. In the Tale of Bygone Years, under the year 903, we read: “Igor grew up and collected tribute after Oleg, and they obeyed him, and brought him a wife from Pskov named Olga.” And in the Novgorod first chronicle of the younger edition, in the undated part, but immediately before the article of 920, it is said that Igor “brought himself a wife from Pleskov, named Olga, she was wise and intelligent, from her a son Svyatoslav was born.”
The Russian Orthodox Church canonized Olga, and theologians created her Short and Long Life. Life considers Olga to be a native of the Pskov village of Vybuto, the daughter of humble parents. On the contrary, the late Joakim Chronicle, known in the retelling of V.N. Tatishchev, takes Olga from the Novgorod prince, or mayor - the legendary Gostomysl. There can be little doubt that she was from a noble family and not a peasant girl.
The girl captivated Igor with her beauty, good behavior and modesty. Love for young Olga blinded Igor, who, without hesitation, wanted to take her as his wife, preferring her to other, more well-born brides.
We know nothing with certainty about the time, place of birth and origin of Igor himself. His birth in Novgorod on the Volkhov around 879 is questionable, since at the time of Igor’s campaign against Constantinople, in 941, he should have been between 20 and 25 years old.
Igor's campaign against Constantinople in 941 is noted in the Tale of Bygone Years and is mentioned in Byzantine historiographical works. But Olga’s forty-year (!) infertility raises doubts. It is highly doubtful that Igor married Olga in 903 and had no children for 39 years, as well as the fact that he took her in her old age not in his first marriage. Most likely, by the time Svyatoslav was born, both of them, Olga and Igor, were young and full of strength.
Oleg's death prompted the Drevlyan tribes to revolt. Nestor describes Igor’s accession to the Kiev princely throne in the following way: “After Oleg’s death, Igor began to reign... And the Drevlyans closed themselves off from Igor after Oleg’s death.” The next year, according to Nestor, “Igor went against the Drevlyans and, having defeated them, imposed on them a tribute greater than before.”
The Drevlyans, eager to seize power in Kyiv, planned to kill Igor and were waiting for an opportunity to deal with him.
But before facing the leaders of the Drevlyan tribal union in mortal combat, Prince Igor undertook a campaign against Constantinople in 941.
Olga had the gift of foresight - she sensed the danger that threatened her husband and tried her best to protect him from harm. Prophetic dream she dreamed about it when Prince Igor was preparing to march on Constantinople. Olga saw burnt boats, dead warriors, black crows circling over the battlefield... The defeat of Igor’s squad seemed inevitable.
Alarmed Olga tried to stop her husband by talking about bad signs, which he saw in a dream, but he had no doubt about the imminent victory.
The princess's prophecy came true, and the army was defeated. Subsequently, Prince Igor always listened to the words of Olga, who more than once predicted victory or defeat in military affairs, and followed her wise advice.
The couple lived happily. Returning from the campaign against Constantinople, Prince Igor became a father: his son Svyatoslav was born.
In 944, the prince organized a new campaign against Byzantium. This time it ended with the signing of a peace treaty.
The chronicle of Nestor in 945 tells: “And autumn came, and he (Igor) began to plot a campaign against the Drevlyans, wanting to take even more tribute from them. That year the squad said to Igor: “The youths of Sveneld are dressed in weapons and clothes, but we are naked. Come, prince, with us for tribute, and you will get it, and so will we." And Igor listened to them - he went to the Drevlyans for tribute, and added a new one to the previous tribute, and his men committed violence against them. Having taken the tribute, he went to his city. When he walked back, [then] after thinking, he said to his squad: “Go home with the tribute, and I will return and collect more.” And he sent his squad home, and he himself returned with a small part of the squad, wanting more wealth. The Drevlyans, having heard that [Igor] was coming again, held a council with their prince Mal: “If a wolf gets into the habit of the sheep, he carries out the entire flock until they kill him. So this one, if we don’t kill him, he will destroy us all.” And they sent to him, saying: “Why are you going again? He’s already taken all the tribute.” And Igor did not listen to them. And the Drevlyans, leaving the city of Iskorosten against Igor, killed Igor and his squad, since they were few. And Igor was buried, and there is his grave at Iskorosten, in Derevskaya land, to this day.”
The actual burial of the brutally murdered Igor, according to his great-grandfather’s customs of the pagan faith, did not take place. Meanwhile, in accordance with popular beliefs, the deceased, who was not buried according to custom, wandered among people and disturbed them.
Following pagan traditions, Princess Olga hoped that merciless revenge for the death of her husband would heal her soul from suffering. She worshiped her deceased husband, who, according to ancient Slavic beliefs, continued to monitor and protect his family in the afterlife.
During the years of her marriage, Olga acquired the very “wisdom” that allowed her to become the ruler of the Russian state after the death of Prince Igor.
Six months had passed after Igor’s death, when suddenly in the spring of the next year, 945, the top of the Drevlyan tribal union decided to restore friendly relations with Kyiv and sent ambassadors to Olga with an offer to marry the Drevlyan prince Mal.
Olga answered the ambassadors that they could bring the matchmakers in boats to her mansion (moving overland in boats had Eastern Slavs double meaning: both an honor and a funeral ceremony). The next morning, the gullible Drevlyans followed her advice, and Olga ordered them to be thrown into a hole and buried alive. Remembering the painful death of her husband executed by the Drevlyans, the princess insidiously asked the doomed: “Is honor good for you?” The ambassadors allegedly answered her: “Worse than Igor’s death” (the Greek historian Leo the Deacon reported that “Igor was tied to two trees and torn into two parts”).
The second embassy of “deliberate men” was burned, and the widow went to the land of the Drevlyans, supposedly in order to “inflict punishment on her husband.” When the troops met, young Svyatoslav, the son of Olga and Igor, began the battle by throwing a spear at the enemy. Launched by a child's hand, it did not reach the enemy ranks. However, experienced commanders encouraged their warriors by the example of the young prince. Here her “youths” attacked the Drevlyans who were “drunk” after the funeral feast and killed many of them - “cutting off 5,000 of them,” as the chronicle claims.
Having taken possession of Iskorosten, Olga “burnt it, took the city elders captive, and killed other people, forced them to pay tribute... And Olga went with her son and her retinue across the Drevlyansky land, establishing a schedule for tributes and taxes. And her camping and hunting places still exist.”
But the princess did not calm down on this. A year later, Nestor continues his story, “Olga went to Novgorod and established graveyards and tributes in Msta and quitrents and tributes in Luga. Her traps have been preserved all over the earth, and evidence of her, and her places, and graveyards...”
The tale of Olga's revenge is probably partly a legend. Deception, cruelty, deceit and other actions of the princess, avenging the murder of her husband, are glorified by the chronicler as the highest, fair court.
Revenge for the death of her husband did not save Olga from mental anguish, but rather added new torments. She found peace and healing in Christianity, accepting her fate and abandoning the desire to destroy all enemies.
Olga also refused a marriage alliance with the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus, remaining faithful to the memory of her husband.
In 964, Olga ceded the throne to her adult son. But “grown up and matured” Svyatoslav spent a long time on campaigns, and his mother still remained at the head of the state. Thus, during the Pecheneg invasion of Kyiv in 968, Olga led the defense of the city. Tradition called the princess cunning, the church - saint, and history - wise.
Judging by the chronicle, Svyatoslav had respectful respect for his mother until her death. When she became completely ill, at her request, he returned from the hike and was with his mother until her last hour.
On the eve of her death - all chronicles date her to 969 - “Olga bequeathed not to perform a funeral feast for her (an integral part of the pagan funeral rite), since she had a priest with her in secret.”
Much of what Olga planned, but could not implement, was continued by her grandson, Vladimir Svyatoslavich.
Apparently, the pagan Svyatoslav banned the public performance of Christian worship (prayer services, blessing of water, religious processions), brought to the first place “pogansky tempers,” that is, pagan ones.
Rurik is considered the founder of the Old Russian state; he was the first Novgorod prince. It is the Varangian Rurik who is the founder of an entire dynasty ruling in Rus'. How did it happen that he became a prince, before...
Rurik is considered the founder of the Old Russian state; he was the first Novgorod prince. It is the Varangian Rurik who is the founder of an entire dynasty ruling in Rus'. How it happened that he became a prince will not be fully known. There are several versions, according to one of them, he was invited to rule in order to prevent endless civil strife in the land of the Slavs and Finns. The Slavs and Varangians were pagans, they believed in the gods of water and earth, in brownies and goblins, they worshiped Perun (the god of thunder and lightning), Svarog (the master of the universe) and other gods and goddesses. Rurik built the city of Novgorod and gradually began to rule individually, expanding his lands. When he died, his young son Igor remained.
Igor Rurikovich was only 4 years old, and needed a guardian and a new prince. Rurik entrusted this task to Oleg, whose origins are unclear; it is assumed that he was a distant relative of Rurik. Known to us as Prince Oleg the Prophet, he ruled Ancient Russia from 879 to 912. During this time, he captured Kyiv and increased the size of the Old Russian state. Therefore, he is sometimes considered its founder. Prince Oleg annexed many tribes to Rus' and went to fight Constantinople.
After his sudden death, all power passed into the hands of Prince Igor, the son of Rurik. In the chronicles he is called Igor the Old. He was a young man raised in a palace in Kyiv. He was a fierce warrior, a Varangian by upbringing. Almost continuously, he led military operations, raided neighbors, conquered various tribes and imposed tribute on them. Prince Oleg, Igor's regent, selected a bride for him, with whom Igor fell in love. According to some sources, she was 10 or 13 years old, and her name was beautiful - Beautiful. However, she was renamed Olga, presumably because she was a relative or even the daughter of Prophetic Oleg. According to another version, she was from the family of Gostomysl, who ruled before Rurik. There are other versions of its origin.
This woman went down in history under the name of Princess Olga. Ancient weddings were extremely colorful and original. Red was used for wedding dresses. The wedding took place according to a pagan rite. Prince Igor had other wives, because he was a pagan, but Olga was always his beloved wife. In the marriage of Olga and Igor, a son, Svyatoslav, was born, who would later rule the state. Olga loved her Varangian.
Prince Igor relied on force in everything and constantly fought for power. In 945, he traveled around the captured lands and collected tribute, having received tribute from the Drevlyans, he left. On the way, he decided that he had received too little, returned to the Drevlyans and demanded a new tribute. The Drevlyans were outraged by this demand, they rebelled, grabbed Prince Igor, tied him to bent trees and released them. Grand Duchess Olga was very upset by the death of her husband. But it was she who began to rule Ancient Russia after his death. Previously, when he was on campaigns, she also ruled the state in his absence. Judging by the chronicles, Olga is the first woman to rule the state of Ancient Rus'. She began a military campaign against the Drevlyans, destroying their settlements, and besieged the capital of the Drevlyans. Then she demanded a dove from each yard. And then they were eaten, and no one suspected anything wrong, considering it a tribute. They tied a set of tow to the leg of each pigeon and the pigeons flew to their homes, and the capital of the Drevlyans burned down.
Prince Svyatoslav
Olga's baptism
Princess Olga traveled to Constantinople twice. In 957, she was baptized and became a Christian; her godfather was Emperor Constantine himself. Olga ruled Ancient Russia from 945 to 962. At baptism she took the name Elena. She was the first to build Christian churches and spread Christianity in Rus'. Olga tried to introduce her son Svyatoslav to the Christian faith, but he remained a pagan and, after the death of his mother, oppressed Christians. Olga's son, grandson of the great Rurik, died tragically in a Pecheneg ambush.
Icon of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga
Princess Olga, baptized Helena, died on July 11, 969. She was buried according to Christian custom, and her son did not forbid it. She was the first of the Russian sovereigns to accept Christianity even before the baptism of Ancient Rus'; she is the first Russian saint. The name of Princess Olga is associated with the Rurik dynasty, with the advent of Christianity in Rus'; this great woman stood at the origins of the state and culture of Ancient Rus'. The people revered her for her wisdom and holiness. The reign of Princess Olga is filled with important events: the restoration of the unity of the state, tax reform, administrative reform, stone construction of cities, strengthening the international authority of Rus', strengthening ties with Byzantium and Germany, strengthening princely power. This extraordinary woman was buried in Kyiv.
Her grandson Grand Duke Vladimir ordered her relics to be transferred to the New Church. Most likely, it was during the reign of Vladimir (970-988) that Princess Olga began to be revered as a saint. In 1547, Princess Olga (Elena) was canonized as Equal-to-the-Apostles. There were only six such women in the entire history of Christianity. In addition to Olga, these are Mary Magdalene, First Martyr Thekla, Martyr Apphia, Queen Helen Equal to the Apostles and Nina, the enlightener of Georgia. The memory of Grand Duchess Olga is celebrated with a holiday among both Catholics and Orthodox Christians.
Princess Olga's baptism
Olga, the wife of Prince Igor, took the Kiev throne in 945 after the murder of Igor by the Drevlyans, for which she soon brutally avenged. At the same time, she understood that maintaining the old order in the state, the relationship between the prince and the squad, and the traditional collection of tribute (polyudye) was fraught with unpredictable consequences. This is what prompted Olga to start organizing land relations in the state. She toured the country. The chronicler wrote: “And Olga went with her son and her retinue through the Drevlyansky land, establishing a schedule for tributes and taxes; and the places where she camped and hunted have been preserved to this day. And she came to her city of Kyiv with her son Svyatoslav and stayed here for a year.” A year later, “Olga went to Novgorod and established graveyards and tributes in Meta and in Luga - dues and tributes, and her traps were preserved throughout the land, and there is evidence of her, and her places and graveyards, and the sleigh stands in Pskov to this day, and along the Dnieper there are places for catching birds and along the Desna, and her village Olzhichi has survived to this day. And so, having established everything, she returned to her son in Kyiv and lived there with him in love.” Historian N. M. Karamzin, giving a general assessment of Olga’s reign, notes: “Olga, it seems, consoled the people with the benefits of her wise rule; at least all her monuments - overnight stays and places where she, following the custom of the heroes of that time, amused herself with catching animals - for a long time were for this people the subject of some special respect and curiosity. Let us note that these words of N. M. Karamzin were written a century later than the “History” of V. N. Tatishchev, who in 948 made the following entry: “Olga sent to her fatherland, the Izborsk region, with the nobles a lot of gold and silver, and ordered in the place she showed, build a city on the banks of the Great River, and call it Pleskov (Pskov), populate it with people, calling from everywhere.”
During Olga's reign, land relations were brought into line with those trends in the strengthening of princely and boyar power, which corresponded to the processes of disintegration of the previous community and clan. Duties are defined, there is no previous arbitrariness, and the Smerd peasants do not need to scatter through the forests, hiding their belongings, and perhaps avoiding something even worse - the rope on which they will be led to the same Constantinople for sale. At the same time, neither the boyar upper classes nor the rural lower classes suspect that in all their actions an objective historical pattern, the needs of that emerging social order, which will eventually be called feudalism, makes its way.
Having established internal order in the state, Olga returned to her son Svyatoslav, in Kyiv, and lived there for several years, enjoying the love of her son and the gratitude of the people. During these years, there were no external campaigns that cost human losses, and the most violent element interested in such campaigns (primarily the mercenary Varangians) was sent by the princess as auxiliary troops to Byzantium, where they fought with the Arabs and other enemies of the empire.
Here, the chronicler ends the story of government affairs and proceeds to cover church affairs.
After strengthening her position in Kyiv and calming the subject population, Olga had to begin solving foreign policy problems. During this period, Rus' did not wage war with the Steppe and was not subjected to retaliatory attacks. Olga decided to turn her attention to Byzantium, which at that time was a powerful, highly developed state. In addition, the agreement he concluded with Byzantium continued, although not fully, to operate, despite the death of Igor.
This agreement, on the one hand, expanded the rights of Russians, but on the other, it imposed certain obligations on them. The Great Russian Prince and his boyars received the right to send as many ships with ambassadors and merchants as they wanted to Byzantium. Now it was enough for them to show a letter from their prince, in which he had to indicate how many ships he had sent. This was enough for the Greeks to know that Rus' had come in peace. But if ships from Rus' arrived without a letter, then the Greeks received the right to detain them until they received confirmation from the prince. After repeating the terms of Oleg’s agreement with the Greeks on the place of residence and maintenance of Russian ambassadors and guests, the following was added to Igor’s agreement: a person from the Greek government will be assigned to the Russians, who should sort out controversial matters between the Russians and the Greeks.
Certain obligations were also assigned to the Grand Duke. He was forbidden to go on a military campaign to the Crimea (Korsun land) and its cities, since “this country does not submit to Rus'.” The Russians should not offend the Korsun people who fished at the mouth of the Dnieper, and also did not have the right to winter at the mouth of the Dnieper, in Beloberezhye and near St. Epheria, “but when autumn comes, we must return home to Rus'.” The Greeks demanded from the prince that he also not allow the black (Danube) Bulgarians to “fight the Korsun country.” There was a clause that said: “If a Greek offends a Russian, then the Russians should not arbitrarily execute the criminal; he is being punished by the Greek government." As a result, we note that although in general this agreement was less successful for Rus' than Oleg’s agreement, it preserved trade relations between the states, which allowed Rus' to develop its economy and economy.
However, more than ten years have passed since the conclusion of this agreement. The rulers on the Byzantine throne changed, new people stood at the head of the Old Russian state. The experience of past years and the relationship of the empire with the “barbarian” states suggested the need to either confirm or revise the agreement concluded by Prince Igor with Byzantium in 944.
So, the situation urgently demanded to “clarify” relations with Byzantium. And although the Russian chronicle does not explain to us the reasons for the princess’s trip to Byzantium, it is clear that she intended to do just that. Nestor simply wrote down: “Olga (955) went to Greek land and came to Constantinople.” But V.N. Tatishchev explains Olga’s trip to Byzantium with her desire to be baptized.
The fact that Christians lived in Rus' at the time of Olga’s reign is beyond doubt. About the baptism of some part of the Russians in the 60s. The 9th century is evidenced by a number of Byzantine sources, including the “District Epistle” of the Patriarch Photius of Constantinople. The Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus reported in the biography of his grandfather, written in his own hand, about the conversion of the inhabitants of Rus' to Christianity during the reign of Emperor Basil I the Macedonian (867–886) and during the second patriarchate of Ignatius in Constantinople. This news is confirmed by both some Greek chroniclers and individual Russian chroniclers. By combining all the available information, we will receive a complete story about this event - the campaign of Askold (and Dir?). "During the reign of the Greek emperor Michael III , at the time when the emperor set off with an army against the Hagarians, new enemies of the empire, the Scythian people of the Russians, appeared at the walls of Constantinople on two hundred boats. With extraordinary cruelty, they devastated the entire surrounding country, plundered the neighboring islands and monasteries, killed every single captive, and trembled the inhabitants of the capital. Having received such sad news from the Constantinople eparch, the emperor abandoned his army and hurried to the besieged. With difficulty he made his way through enemy ships to his capital, and here he considered it his first duty to resort to prayer to God. Michael prayed all night together with Patriarch Photius and countless people in the famous Blachernae Church, where the miraculous robe of the Mother of God was then kept. The next morning, while singing sacred hymns, this miraculous robe was carried to the seashore, and as soon as it touched the surface of the water, the sea, hitherto calm and calm, was covered in a great storm; the ships of the godless Russians were scattered by the wind, capsized or broken on the shore; a very small number escaped death.” The next author seems to continue: “Having thus experienced the wrath of God, through the prayers of Photius, who ruled the church at that time, the Russians returned to their fatherland and a little later sent ambassadors to Constantinople to ask for baptism. Their wish was fulfilled - a bishop was sent to them.” And the third author, as it were, completes this story: “When this bishop arrived in the capital of the Russians, the Tsar of the Russians hastened to gather a veche. There was a great crowd of common people present, and the king himself presided with his nobles and senators, who, due to a long habit of paganism, were more committed to it than others. They began to talk about their faith and the Christian faith; They invited the archpastor and asked him what he intended to teach them. The bishop opened the Gospel and began to preach to them about the Savior and His miracles, mentioning together the many different signs performed by God in the Old Testament. The Russians, listening to the evangelist, told him: “If we don’t see something like that, especially like what, according to you, happened to the three youths in the cave, we don’t want to believe.” To this, the servant of God answered them: “Although you should not tempt the Lord, however, if you sincerely decide to turn to Him, ask what you want, and He will fulfill everything according to your faith, no matter how insignificant we are before His greatness.” They asked that the very book of the Gospel be thrown into the fire, deliberately set apart, vowing to certainly turn to the Christian God if it remained unharmed in the fire. Then the bishop, lifting up his eyes and hands to grief, cried out loudly: “Lord Jesus Christ our God! Glorify the now holy Your name before the eyes of this people” - and threw the sacred book of the Testament into a blazing fire. Several hours passed, the fire consumed all the material, and on the ashes was the Gospel, completely intact and undamaged; Even the ribbons with which it was fastened have been preserved. Seeing this, the barbarians, struck by the greatness of the miracle, immediately began to be baptized.” Of course, this news is a fairy tale, but a pleasant fairy tale. Moreover, the Russian chronicle reports that a Christian church was built on Askold’s grave.
In fact, at that time Christianity in Rus' had not yet become widespread. Perhaps Askold did not have enough time. As we said above, in 882 the pagan Oleg appeared in Kyiv with his retinue. The Christians were unable to resist the armed pagans and were completely destroyed. At least when Oleg concluded the treaty between Rus' and the Greeks, Christian Rus were not mentioned at all.
However, with the accession of Igor to the great reign, the attitude towards Christians began to change. And this was largely facilitated by Oleg’s agreement with the Greeks. Caravans of merchant ships sailed from Rus' to Byzantium. The Russians lived in Constantinople for several months near the monastery of St. Moms. Hundreds of other Russians were hired into the service of the Greek emperor and spent almost their entire lives in Greece. The Greeks, without a doubt, did not miss the opportunity to introduce our ancestors to their faith. Constantine Porphyrogenitus, describing in his work “On the Ceremonies of the Byzantine Court” the reception of the Tarsian ambassadors in 946, mentioned the Christian Russians who were part of the imperial guard, that is, mercenaries who were in service in Constantinople. Many of them, returning baptized to their homeland, could have conversations with their fellow tribesmen about the Christian faith. Be that as it may, but already in the aforementioned agreement between Prince Igor and the Greeks, concluded in the 40s. X century, two strong groups clearly appear in Rus': pagan, led by the Grand Duke, and Christian, which includes representatives of the highest feudal nobility and merchants. The author of The Tale of Bygone Years, for example, directly states under 945: “Igor called the ambassadors and came to the hill where Perun stood; and they laid down their weapons, and shields, and gold, and Igor and his people swore allegiance - how many pagans there were among the Russians. And Russian Christians were sworn in in the Church of St. Elijah, which stands above the Brook at the end of the Pasyncha conversation, and the Khazars - it was a cathedral church, since there were many Varangian Christians.” But one should not think that Christians in Rus' at that time were exclusively foreigners. By the way, mention of the existence of a Russian Christian church organization dating back to 967 is in the bull of Pope John XIII.
Let us also note that Christians in Prince Igor’s treaty appear to be equal members of society. They take an active part in solving the most important issues related to foreign policy Kievan Rus. This fact clearly demonstrates that in the 40s. X st. Christians not only lived in Rus', but also played a significant role in the life of the country. According to the chronicle story, at that time there was a cathedral church in Kyiv (i.e. main church) Church of St. Ilya. This means that in the 40s. X st. in Kyiv there were other Christian churches that were subordinate to the cathedral Church of Elias. Perhaps there was also a bishop in Kyiv at that time.
Numerous burials using the method of inhumation can also serve as confirmation of the presence of Christians in Rus' at that time. The bulk of such burials are pit burials with a “west-east” orientation, which are extremely characteristic of Christians. All this allows us to assume that Princess Olga, while living in Kyiv, communicated with Christian missionaries, had conversations with them and was probably inclined to accept this religion. True, in Igor’s circle the majority were pagans, which was the main obstacle to the baptism of the Grand Duke and Princess.
Regarding the time and place of Olga’s baptism, as well as her trip to Constantinople and her personal baptism there, there are different points vision. Supporters of one of them claim that Olga was baptized in Kyiv in the mid-40s and early 50s of the 10th century. The basis for them is the messages of Yahya of Antioch, an Arab historian, physician, Byzantine chronicler, a contemporary of those distant events, who lived far from Constantinople. In his chronicle, he says that Olga at one time turned to the emperor with a request to send priests to Rus'. In response to her request, a bishop was allegedly sent from Constantinople, who baptized the princess herself and some other people in Kyiv. The chronicler gives a certificate: “I found this information in the books of the Russians.”
Supporters of another point of view are convinced that Olga was baptized in Byzantium. But here many scientists disagree on the dates of the trip, and some talk about two possible trips of the princess to Constantinople. In their opinion, Olga’s first trip to Constantinople took place in 946. But, as we remember, at this time, according to the Tale of Bygone Years, Olga made a campaign against the Drevlyans, stood all summer near Iskorosten, besieging the city, and to be in one time in two places, as we understand, is impossible.
Most researchers agree with those stories in the chronicles that speak of Olga’s trip to Constantinople in the mid-950s. However, there are discrepancies here too. Some chronicles call the year 954–955, others - 957. In this regard, some researchers say that Olga was baptized in Kyiv on the eve of her second trip to Constantinople. To support their version, they cite a story from the work of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, the Byzantine emperor, “On the Ceremonies of the Byzantine Court.” In this essay, the emperor described in detail the reception of Olga's embassy, but did not mention her baptism in Constantinople. A significant part of researchers adhere to the point of view that the baptism took place in Constantinople, as it is written in the chronicle. The authors of all these hypotheses carry out various calculations, trying to justify their conclusions. But let's leave these controversial issues aside. Let us take as a basis the testimony of the chronicler Nestor, which coincides with the presentation of events by the historian V.N. Tatishchev. He writes under 948 (the date is dubious): “Olga, being in paganism, shone with many virtues and, seeing many Christians in Kyiv living virtuously and teaching all abstinence and good morals, she praised them and, often reasoning with them for a long time time, the Christian law, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, was so ingrained in her heart that she wanted to be baptized in Kyiv, but it was impossible for her to do this without extreme fear from the people. For this reason, they advised her to go to Constantinople, supposedly for other needs, and to be baptized there, which she accepted as useful, and waited for an opportunity and time.”
Historian N.M. Karamzin puts forward his version. “Olga,” he says, “has already reached those years when a mortal, having satisfied the main impulses of earthly activity, sees the near end of it before him and feels the vanity of earthly greatness. Then true faith, more than ever, serves him as support or consolation in sad reflections on the corruption of man. Olga was a pagan, but the name of God Almighty was already famous in Kyiv. She could see the solemnity of the rites of Christianity, could, out of curiosity, talk with church pastors and, being gifted with an extraordinary mind, be convinced of the holiness of their teaching. Captivated by the ray of this new light, Olga wanted to be a Christian and she herself went to the capital of the empire and the Greek faith to draw it from the very source.”
Be that as it may, at the beginning of the summer of 955, as the Russian chronicler notes, Olga goes to Constantinople. True, modern researchers, having compared the dates and day of the week of Emperor Olga’s reception - September 9 (Wednesday) and October 18 (Sunday), - came to the conclusion that these dates coincide with the year 957. Thus, Olga most likely went to Constantinople in 957.
The number of people accompanying Olga exceeded a hundred, not counting the guards, shipmen and numerous servants. (Igor’s embassy to Byzantium, which in terms of the number and splendor of representation had no equal in Rus' before, included only 51 people.) Olga’s retinue included: Olga’s nephew, 8 of her close associates (possibly noble boyars or relatives), 22 attorneys from the Russian princes, 44 merchants, Svyatoslav’s people, priest Gregory, 6 people from the retinue of attorneys from the Russian princes, 2 translators, as well as 18 women close to the princess. The composition of the embassy, as we see, resembles the Russian mission of 944.
When the princess went to Constantinople, she, of course, thought not only about accepting Christianity personally. As a wise politician, she understood that the Christian religion allowed Rus' to become an equal partner in the environment European countries. In addition, it was necessary to confirm the terms of the treaty of peace and friendship concluded by Igor.
Judging by the assessments given to Rus', Khazaria and the Pechenegs by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII in the treatise “On State Administration”, the Byzantine government was in the mid-50s. X century was very concerned about the state of its relations with Russia, feared new attacks from it and did not trust it, trying to send the Pechenegs against it. At the same time, Byzantium needed Rus' as a counterweight in the fight against the Khaz Ariya and the Muslim rulers of Transcaucasia, as well as as a supplier of allied troops in the empire’s confrontation with the Arabs. Thus, the interests of the states still coincided to some extent.
So, the chronicler in 955 (957) wrote: “Olga went to the Greek land and came to Constantinople.” The Russian flotilla arrived at Constantinople in mid-July or early August and stopped on the outskirts of the city, in Suda. The Russians let the emperor know about their appearance. The merchants were placed, as provided for in Igor’s treaty, in the monastery courtyard near the Church of St. Mother, and they went about their trading business. But here an incident occurred, which, probably for political reasons, was omitted by the author of The Tale of Bygone Years. The fact is that Olga sat on her ship, waiting to be received by the emperor, for more than a month, which she would later remind the emperor’s ambassadors in Kyiv: “If you [the emperor] stand with me in Pochayna the same way as I do in the Court, then then I will give you [the promised gifts].” But let's return to Olga's stay in Constantinople.
What made the emperor postpone the reception of the Russian Grand Duchess for so long? Some researchers believe that the Russian embassy left for Constantinople without notifying the emperor. Perhaps the Russians, when setting off on an embassy, were guided by the terms of Igor’s treaty, which stated: “let those ambassadors and guests (merchants) who will be sent (by the prince) bring a letter, writing it like this: “Sent so many ships.” And from these letters we learn that they came in peace.” But in this case, the Grand Duchess herself was riding. Olga appeared in Constantinople in all her splendor, with a significant fleet on which more than a hundred people from the embassy arrived. Such a mission had to pursue some exceptional goals. And, of course, she had no diplomas. And this put the Greeks in a difficult position.
The fact is that Byzantium sacredly protected its exceptional political and religious position in the world of that time. According to the Byzantine concept of power, the emperor was the vicegerent of God on earth and the head of the entire Christian Orthodox Church. In accordance with this idea, the ranks of foreign rulers were assessed. None of them could stand on a par with the Byzantine emperor. However, the degree of this inequality for the rulers of different states was naturally different and depended on many factors - the power of a given state, the degree of its influence on the politics of Byzantium, the nature of the existing relations between this state and the empire. All this found natural expression in titles, honorary epithets, insignia and other signs of dignity. Political symbolism permeated not only the entire Byzantine court ceremony, but also the procedure for communicating with foreign states, receiving foreign rulers and ambassadors.
The Byzantines knew how to lead anyone by the nose. The emperor was always busy with matters of extreme importance. They apologized to the princess, but the official reception was postponed from day to day. This practice - to withstand newcomers, partly for greater compliance, and more out of arrogance - has existed since very ancient times. It can also be assumed that Olga’s appearance at the head of the Russian embassy confronted the emperor and his court with the question: how to receive the Russian princess? It took the emperor and his entourage more than a month to resolve this issue. Olga understood this. It is important that the Greeks do not overstep their bounds when delays become diplomatic insults. Constantine VII did not cross these boundaries. In the meantime, Olga was occupied with what was appropriate. Most likely, she was exploring the city.
The city of Constantine, of course, amazed every visitor. It is unlikely that Olga remained indifferent to this truly great city. First of all, the stone masses of temples and palaces, defensive walls built for centuries, impregnable towers and stone, stone everywhere. It was not at all like the dense forest wilds and quiet rivers of the Russian plains, with rare settlements of plowmen and hunters, and even rarer small towns, surrounded by a log wall or just a palisade. The green expanses of Rus' - and the local crowded craft quarters: foundries and weavers, shoemakers and tanners, minters and butchers, jewelers and blacksmiths, painters, gunsmiths, shipbuilders, notaries, money changers. Strict hierarchy of occupations and crafts. Craftsmen discreetly praise their truly excellent and surprisingly cheap products. The price rises later, when things pass through dozens of hands and become subject to taxes and duties.
This has not yet happened in Rus'. And while in few places in Rus' the forges were smoking and the chiming of forges could be heard. More sounds of axes. They also tanned animal skins, soaked flax, and threshed bread. True, in Constantinople everything was sold and, therefore, everything was bought. And Rus' brought to its markets - to the world market - something absolutely priceless: furs, the furs of the northern forests.
And in Constantinople, and in the bazaars of fabulous Baghdad, and even further - everywhere it is an item of the most exquisite and wasteful luxury. And also wax, honey... For many centuries, Rus'-Russia will export to European markets goods that were called traditional in its exports. Canvas, linen and hemp fabrics, wood, lard, leather. Flax and hemp are sails and ropes, this is the fleet, this is supremacy at sea. Lard has been used for centuries, until recently, as practically the only lubricant without which there is no industry. Leather is used for harnesses and saddles, shoes and camping equipment. Honey was a necessary and irreplaceable product at that time. In many ways, very much, European industry grew and grew on Russian exports. And in the Byzantine Empire they well understood the importance of Kievan Rus both as a rich raw materials market and as an ally with significant armed forces. Therefore, Byzantium actively sought economic, economic, trade relations with Russia, the Russian market, Russian goods.
But let's return to Princess Olga's stay in Constantinople. Neither Russian nor Byzantine sources, even the detailed story of Emperor Constantine, tell us practically nothing about how the life of the Russian princess unfolded in Constantinople. They do not tell us where the princess lived, to whom she paid visits, what sights of the capital she visited, although it is known that for Byzantine politicians it was in the order of things to shock foreign rulers and ambassadors with the splendor of the palaces of Constantinople and the wealth of secular and church treasures collected there.
The Christian religion changed the purpose and structure of the temple. As mentioned, in the ancient Greek temple, a statue of the god was placed inside, and religious ceremonies were held outside in the square. Therefore, they tried to make the Greek temple especially elegant in appearance. Christians gathered for common prayer inside the church, and the architects took special care of the beauty of its interior. Of course, the most remarkable work of Byzantine architecture was the Church of St. Sophia, built under Justinian. The temple was called “a miracle of miracles” and was sung in verse. Olga became a participant in the service in this temple and was able to see its beauty with her own eyes. She was struck internal dimensions and the beauty of the temple, in which the floor area alone is 7570 m 2. A giant dome with a diameter of 31 m seems to grow from two semi-domes, each of them rests, in turn, on three small semi-domes. Along the base, the dome is surrounded by a wreath of 40 windows through which sheaves of light pour. It seems that the dome, like the vault of heaven, floats in the air; after all, the 4 pillars that support it are hidden from the viewer, and partly only the sails are visible - triangles between the large arches.
Very rich and interior decoration temple. Above the throne rose a canopy in the form of a tower, the massive golden roof of which rested on gold and silver columns, decorated with inlays of pearls and diamonds and, in addition, lilies, between which were balls with crosses made of massive gold weighing 75 pounds, also strewn with precious stones ; from under the dome of the canopy a dove descended, representing the Holy Spirit; inside this dove the holy gifts were kept. According to Greek custom, the throne was separated from the people by an iconostasis decorated with relief images of saints; The iconostasis was supported by 12 golden columns. Three curtained gates led to the altar. In the middle of the church there was a special pulpit, which had a semicircular shape and was surrounded by a balustrade; above it there was also a canopy made of precious metals, resting on eight columns and crowned with a gold cross studded with precious stones and pearls weighing 100 pounds. Marble steps led to this pulpit; their railings, as well as the canopy, sparkled with marble and gold.
The church gates were made of ivory, amber and cedar wood, and their jambs were made of gilded silver. In the vestibule there was a jasper pool with lions spewing water, and above it stood a magnificent tabernacle. They could enter the house of God only after first washing their feet.
A strong impression was also made by the sixty-meter column of Constantine with the figure of the emperor - it will continue to impress Russian pilgrims centuries later, and the ancient monument in the middle of the hippodrome - thirty meters high, made of pinkish Egyptian granite - a trophy brought to the capital at the end of the 4th century, in 390...
Let's look at the then Constantinople through the eyes of the Grand Duchess, the ruler of a large state. Olga the woman could be captivated by the fabulous Constantinople. But Olga the Princess saw that not everything from this alien life could be borrowed by Russia. Yes, the Valens Aqueduct - a canal above the city - is a miracle of construction technology, but what is it for in Kyiv? There is no fresh water in Constantinople, but in Kyiv the mighty Dnieper flows, which is not inferior to the Bosphorus itself. The beauty of the city was captivating. But the main goal - negotiations with the emperor - was postponed. Finally, a reception with the emperor was scheduled for September 9.
Olga's reception by the emperor on this day took place in the same way as receptions of foreign rulers or ambassadors of large states usually took place. The emperor exchanged ceremonial greetings with the princess through the logothete in the luxurious hall - Magnavra. The entire court was present at the reception; the atmosphere was extremely solemn and pompous. On the same day, another traditional reception took place high ambassadors celebration - lunch, during which those present were delighted with the singing art of the best church choirs of Constantinople and various performances.
Russian chronicles do not describe the details of Olga’s reception in Constantinople. But Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus himself writes in relatively detail about Olga’s receptions (there were two of them - September 9 and October 10). The Emperor demonstrated his greatness to Olga, but made a number of deviations from traditional forms of reception. After he sat on the “throne of Solomon,” the curtain separating the Russian princess from the hall was drawn, and Olga, at the head of her retinue, moved towards the emperor. Usually the foreign representative was brought to the throne by two eunuchs who supported him by the arms, and then he performed proskynesis - he fell prostrate at the imperial feet. Such a reception, for example, was described by Bishop Liutprand of Cremona: “I leaned on the shoulders of two eunuchs and was thus brought directly before His Imperial Majesty... After I, according to custom, bowed before the emperor for the third time, greeting him, I raised my head and saw the emperor in completely different clothes." Nothing like this happened to Olga. She approached the throne unaccompanied and did not prostrate herself before the emperor, as her retinue did, although she later talked with him while standing. The conversation between the Russian princess and the emperor was conducted through an interpreter.
Olga was also received by the Empress, whom she also greeted with only a slight bow. In honor of the Russian Grand Duchess, the Empress arranged a ceremonial appearance for the ladies of the court. After a short break, which Olga spent in one of the halls, the princess met with the imperial family, which had no analogues during the receptions of ordinary ambassadors. “When the emperor sat down with Augusta and his purple-born children,” says the “Book of Ceremonies,” “the princess was invited from the triclinium of Centurium and, sitting down at the invitation of the emperor, told him what she wanted.” Here, in a narrow circle, the conversation took place for which Olga came to Constantinople. But usually, in accordance with the palace ceremony, the ambassadors talked with the emperor while standing. The right to sit in his presence was considered an extreme privilege and was granted only to crowned heads, but even those were given low seats.
On the same day, as already mentioned, a ceremonial dinner took place, before which Olga again entered the hall where the Empress was sitting on the throne, and again greeted her with a slight bow. In honor of the dinner, music was played, the singers glorified the greatness of the royal house. At dinner, Olga sat at the “truncated table” with the sostas - court ladies of the highest rank who enjoyed the right to sit at the same table with members of the imperial family, i.e., such a right was also granted to the Russian princess. (Some researchers believe that it was the imperial family who sat at the “truncated table.”) Men from the Russian retinue dined with the emperor. At dessert, Olga again found herself at the same table with Emperor Constantine, his son Roman and other members of the imperial family. And during the ceremonial dinner on October 18, Olga sat at the same table with the empress and her children. Not a single ordinary embassy, not a single ordinary ambassador enjoyed such privileges in Constantinople. (It should be noted that during Olga’s receptions by the emperor there was not a single other foreign embassy.) Most likely, on this day the emperor’s conversation with Olga took place, which was described by the Russian chronicler: “And Olga came to him, and the king saw that she very beautiful in face and intelligent, the king marveled at her intelligence, talking with her, and said to her: “You are worthy to reign with us in our capital.” She, having understood the meaning of this appeal, answered the Caesar: “I am a pagan; I came here to hear and understand the Christian law and, having learned the truth, I wish to be a Christian, if you want to baptize me, then baptize me yourself - otherwise I will not be baptized.” The emperor sent orders to the patriarch to prepare everything necessary for the baptismal ceremony of the princess. The Russian chronicle emphasizes that the initiative for baptism came from Olga. The emperor accepted and approved this idea: “The king was immensely pleased with these words and said to her: I’ll tell the patriarch.”
Why did Olga turn to the emperor and not the patriarch with such a question? The main role in the Christianization of surrounding states and peoples in Byzantium, as is known, was played not by the patriarch, not by the hierarchy of the church, but by the emperor, the apparatus of political power. Although, of course, churchmen, including the patriarchs of Constantinople, in accordance with their rank, took part in the implementation of this policy, since the Greek church itself was part of the feudal state system.
On one of the days between September 9 and October 10, the solemn ceremony of Olga’s baptism took place in the St. Sophia Cathedral. The emperor sat on the imperial throne in ceremonial robes. The Patriarch and the entire clergy performed the baptismal ceremony. All sacred utensils, bowls, vessels, arks were made of gold and blinded with the sparkle of precious stones; The books of the New and Old Testaments, with gold bindings and clasps, lay in plain sight. All seven crosses required in the court ceremonial during the coronation and baptism of high-ranking persons were made of gold. Six thousand candelabra and the same number of portable candlesticks, each weighing 111 pounds, were burning in the temple. The arches of the dome sparkled from the radiance of candelabra and silver lamps hanging on bronze chains.
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