Key dates of life and work 1894 Born in London 1911 Entered Columbia University 1914 Graduated from university and went to work at the brokerage firm Newburger, Henderson & Loeb 1920 Became a partner and co-owner of Newburger, Henderson & Loeb 1925 Founded the Benjamin Foundation Graham

Main dates of life and activities 1897 Born in the Bavarian town of Fürth 1916 Drafted into the army 1918 Committed due to serious injury with the rank of non-commissioned officer 1919 Entered the Higher Trade School in Nuremberg 1923 Entered doctoral studies at the Goethe University

Main dates of life and work 1899 Born in Vienna 1917 Participation in the First World War 1918 Entered the University of Vienna 1923 Trained at Columbia University 1926 Married Helen Fritsch 1924 Organized with Ludwig von Mises the Institute for Business Studies

Main dates of life and work 1905 Born in Munich, three weeks later was baptized in St. Petersburg 1925 Graduated from Leningrad University 1927 Invited to the Institute of World Economy at the University of Kiel 1928 Defended his doctoral dissertation at the University of Berlin

Key dates of life and work 1912 Born in New York 1932 Received a bachelor's degree in economics and mathematics from Rutgers University 1937 Began many years of collaboration with the National Bureau of Economic Research 1950 Served as a consultant on

Main dates in Dante's life 1265, second half of May - Birth of Dante. 1277, February 9 - Betrothal of Dante to Gemma Donati. Approx. 1283 - Dante's father dies. 1285–1287 - Studies at the University of Bologna. 1289, June 11 - Participates in the battle of Campaldino, which ends in victory

Princess Olga, baptized Elena. Born approx. 920 - died July 11, 969. Princess who reigned Old Russian state from 945 to 960 after the death of her husband, Prince of Kyiv Igor Rurikovich. The first of the rulers of Rus' accepted Christianity even before the baptism of Rus'. Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Princess Olga was born ca. 920

The chronicles do not report Olga's year of birth, but the later Degree Book reports that she died at the age of about 80, which places her date of birth at the end of the 9th century. The approximate date of her birth is reported by the late “Arkhangelsk Chronicler”, who reports that Olga was 10 years old at the time of her marriage. Based on this, many scientists (M. Karamzin, L. Morozova, L. Voitovich) calculated her date of birth - 893.

The life of the princess states that her age at the time of death was 75 years. Thus Olga was born in 894. True, this date is called into question by the date of birth of Olga’s eldest son, Svyatoslav (around 938-943), since Olga should have been 45-50 years old at the time of her son’s birth, which seems incredible.

Considering the fact that Svyatoslav Igorevich was Olga’s eldest son, Boris Rybakov, taking 942 as the prince’s date of birth, considered the year 927-928 to be the latest point of Olga’s birth. A similar opinion (925-928) was shared by Andrei Bogdanov in his book “Princess Olga. Holy warrior."

Alexey Karpov in his monograph “Princess Olga” makes Olga older, claiming that the princess was born around 920. Consequently, the date around 925 seems more correct than 890, since Olga herself in the chronicles for 946-955 appears young and energetic, and gives birth to her eldest son around 940.

According to the earliest ancient Russian chronicle, “The Tale of Bygone Years,” Olga was from Pskov (Old Russian: Pleskov, Plskov). The life of the holy Grand Duchess Olga specifies that she was born in the village of Vybuty in the Pskov land, 12 km from Pskov up the Velikaya River. The names of Olga’s parents have not been preserved; according to the Life, they were of humble birth. According to scientists, Varangian origin is confirmed by her name, which has a correspondence in Old Norse as Helga. The presence of presumably Scandinavians in those places is noted by a number of archaeological finds, possibly dating back to the first half of the 10th century. The ancient Czech name is also known Olha.

The typographical chronicle (end of the 15th century) and the later Piskarevsky chronicler convey a rumor that Olga was the daughter of the Prophetic Oleg, who began to rule Russia as the guardian of the young Igor, the son of Rurik: “Nitsyi say, ‘Yolga’s daughter is Yolga’.” Oleg married Igor and Olga.

The so-called Joachim Chronicle, the reliability of which is questioned by historians, reports Olga’s noble Slavic origins: “When Igor matured, Oleg married him, gave him a wife from Izborsk, the Gostomyslov family, who was called Beautiful, and Oleg renamed her and named her Olga. Igor later had other wives, but because of her wisdom he honored Olga more than others.”.

If you believe this source, it turns out that the princess renamed herself from Prekrasa to Olga, taking a new name in honor of Prince Oleg (Olga is the female version of this name).

Bulgarian historians also put forward a version about the Bulgarian roots of Princess Olga, relying mainly on the message of the “New Vladimir Chronicler”: “Igor got married [Ѻlg] in Bulgaria, and princess Ylga sings for him”. And translating the chronicle name Pleskov not as Pskov, but as Pliska - the Bulgarian capital of that time. The names of both cities actually coincide in the Old Slavic transcription of some texts, which served as the basis for the author of the “New Vladimir Chronicler” to translate the message of the “Tale of Bygone Years” about Olga from Pskov as Olga from the Bulgarians, since the spelling Pleskov to designate Pskov has long gone out of use .

Statements about the origin of Olga from the annalistic Carpathian Plesnesk, a huge settlement (VII-VIII centuries - 10-12 hectares, before the 10th century - 160 hectares, before the 13th century - 300 hectares) with Scandinavian and West Slavic materials are based on local legends.

Marriage to Igor

According to the Tale of Bygone Years, the Prophetic Oleg married Igor Rurikovich, who began to rule independently in 912, to Olga in 903, that is, when she was already 12 years old. This date is questioned, since, according to the Ipatiev list of the same “Tale,” their son Svyatoslav was born only in 942.

Perhaps to resolve this contradiction, the later Ustyug Chronicle and the Novgorod Chronicle, according to the list of P. P. Dubrovsky, report Olga’s ten years of age at the time of the wedding. This message contradicts the legend set out in the Degree Book (second half of the 16th century), about a chance meeting with Igor at a crossing near Pskov. The prince hunted in those places. While crossing the river by boat, he noticed that the carrier was a young girl dressed in men's clothing. Igor immediately “flared with desire” and began to pester her, but received a worthy rebuke in response: “Why do you embarrass me, prince, with immodest words? I may be young and humble, and alone here, but know: it is better for me to throw myself into the river than to endure reproach.” Igor remembered about the chance acquaintance when the time came to look for a bride, and sent Oleg for the girl he loved, not wanting any other wife.

The Novgorod First Chronicle of the younger edition, which contains in the most unchanged form information from the Initial Code of the 11th century, leaves the message about Igor’s marriage to Olga undated, that is, the earliest Old Russian chroniclers had no information about the date of the wedding. It is likely that the year 903 in the PVL text arose at a later time, when the monk Nestor tried to give the initial ancient Russian history in chronological order. After the wedding, Olga’s name is mentioned again only 40 years later, in the Russian-Byzantine treaty of 944.

According to the chronicle, in 945, Prince Igor died at the hands of the Drevlyans after repeatedly collecting tribute from them. The heir to the throne, Svyatoslav, was only three years old at the time, so Olga became the de facto ruler of Rus' in 945. Igor's squad obeyed her, recognizing Olga as the representative of the legitimate heir to the throne. The decisive course of action of the princess in relation to the Drevlyans could also sway the warriors in her favor.

After the murder of Igor, the Drevlyans sent matchmakers to his widow Olga to invite her to marry their prince Mal. The princess successively dealt with the elders of the Drevlyans, and then brought their people into submission. The Old Russian chronicler describes in detail Olga’s revenge for the death of her husband:

First revenge:

The matchmakers, 20 Drevlyans, arrived in a boat, which the Kievans carried and threw into a deep hole in the courtyard of Olga's tower. The matchmaker-ambassadors were buried alive along with the boat.

“And, bending towards the pit, Olga asked them: “Is honor good for you?” They answered: “Igor’s death is worse for us.” And she ordered them to be buried alive; and they fell asleep,” says the chronicler.

Second revenge:

Olga asked, out of respect, to send her new ambassadors from best husbands, which the Drevlyans willingly did. An embassy of noble Drevlyans was burned in a bathhouse while they were washing themselves in preparation for a meeting with the princess.

Third revenge:

The princess and a small retinue came to the lands of the Drevlyans to celebrate a funeral feast at her husband’s grave, according to custom. Having drunk the Drevlyans during the funeral feast, Olga ordered them to be chopped down. The chronicle reports five thousand Drevlyans killed.

Fourth revenge:

In 946, Olga went with an army on a campaign against the Drevlyans. According to the First Novgorod Chronicle, the Kiev squad defeated the Drevlyans in battle. Olga walked through the Drevlyansky land, established tributes and taxes, and then returned to Kyiv. In the Tale of Bygone Years (PVL), the chronicler made an insert into the text of the Initial Code about the siege of the Drevlyan capital of Iskorosten. According to the PVL, after an unsuccessful siege during the summer, Olga burned the city with the help of birds, to whose feet she ordered lit tow with sulfur to be tied. Some of the defenders of Iskorosten were killed, the rest submitted. A similar legend about the burning of the city with the help of birds is also told by Saxo Grammaticus (12th century) in his compilation of oral Danish legends about the exploits of the Vikings and the skald Snorri Sturluson.

After the reprisal against the Drevlyans, Olga began to rule Russia until Svyatoslav came of age, but even after that she remained the de facto ruler, since her son spent most of his time on military campaigns and did not pay attention to governing the state.

Olga's reign

Having conquered the Drevlyans, Olga in 947 went to the Novgorod and Pskov lands, assigning lessons (tribute) there, after which she returned to her son Svyatoslav in Kyiv.

Olga established a system of “cemeteries” - centers of trade and exchange, in which taxes were collected in a more orderly manner; Then they began to build churches in graveyards. Olga’s journey to the Novgorod land was questioned by Archimandrite Leonid (Kavelin), A. Shakhmatov (in particular, he pointed out the confusion of the Drevlyansky land with the Derevskaya Pyatina), M. Grushevsky, D. Likhachev. The attempts of Novgorod chroniclers to attract unusual events to the Novgorod land were also noted by V. Tatishchev. The chronicle's evidence of Olga's sleigh, allegedly kept in Pleskov (Pskov) after Olga's trip to the Novgorod land, is also critically assessed.

Princess Olga laid the foundation for stone urban planning in Rus' (the first stone buildings of Kyiv - the city palace and Olga's country tower), and paid attention to the improvement of the lands subject to Kiev - Novgorod, Pskov, located along the Desna River, etc.

In 945, Olga established the size of the “polyudya” - taxes in favor of Kyiv, the timing and frequency of their payment - “rents” and “charters”. The lands subject to Kyiv were divided into administrative units, in each of which a princely administrator, a tiun, was appointed.

Konstantin Porphyrogenitus, in his essay “On the Administration of the Empire,” written in 949, mentions that “the monoxyls coming from external Russia to Constantinople are one of Nemogard, in which Sfendoslav, the son of Ingor, the archon of Russia, sat.” From this short message it follows that by 949 Igor held power in Kyiv, or, which seems unlikely, Olga left her son to represent power in the northern part of her state. It is also possible that Constantine had information from unreliable or outdated sources.

Olga’s next act, noted in the PVL, is her baptism in 955 in Constantinople. Upon returning to Kyiv, Olga, who took the name Elena in baptism, tried to introduce Svyatoslav to Christianity, but “he did not even think of listening to this. But if someone was going to be baptized, he did not forbid it, but only mocked him.” Moreover, Svyatoslav was angry with his mother for her persuasion, fearing to lose the respect of the squad.

In 957, Olga paid an official visit to Constantinople with a large embassy, ​​known from the description of court ceremonies by Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus in his essay “On Ceremonies.” The Emperor calls Olga the ruler (archontissa) of Rus', the name of Svyatoslav (in the list of retinue the “people of Svyatoslav” are indicated) is mentioned without a title. Apparently, the visit to Byzantium did not bring the desired results, since PVL reports Olga's cold attitude towards the Byzantine ambassadors in Kyiv shortly after the visit. On the other hand, Theophanes' Successor, in his story about the reconquest of Crete from the Arabs under Emperor Roman II (959-963), mentioned the Rus as part of the Byzantine army.

It is not known exactly when Svyatoslav began to rule independently. PVL reports his first military campaign in 964. The Western European chronicle of the Successor of Reginon reports under 959: “They came to the king (Otto I the Great), as it later turned out to be a lie, the ambassadors of Helena, Queen of Rugov, who was baptized in Constantinople under the Emperor of Constantinople Romanus, and asked to consecrate a bishop and priests for this people.”.

Thus, in 959 Olga, baptized Elena, was officially considered the ruler of Rus'. The remains of a 10th century rotunda, discovered by archaeologists within the so-called “city of Kiya,” are considered material evidence of the presence of Adalbert’s mission in Kyiv.

The convinced pagan Svyatoslav Igorevich turned 18 years old in 960, and the mission sent by Otto I to Kyiv failed, as the Continuer of Reginon reports: “962 year. This year Adalbert returned back, having been appointed bishop of Rugam, because 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, but he himself barely escaped with great difficulty.”.

The date of the beginning of Svyatoslav’s independent reign is quite arbitrary; Russian chronicles consider him to be the successor to the throne immediately after the murder of his father Igor by the Drevlyans. Svyatoslav was constantly on military campaigns against the neighbors of Rus', entrusting the management of the state to his mother. When the Pechenegs first raided the Russian lands in 968, Olga and Svyatoslav’s children locked themselves in Kyiv.

Having returned from a campaign against Bulgaria, Svyatoslav lifted the siege, but did not want to stay in Kyiv for long. When on next year he was about to go back to Pereyaslavets, Olga held him back: “You see, I’m sick; where do you want to go from me? - because she was already sick. And she said: “When you bury me, go wherever you want.”.

Three days later, Olga died, and her son, and her grandchildren, and all the people cried for her with great tears, and they carried her and buried her in the chosen place, Olga bequeathed not to perform funeral feasts for her, since she had a priest with her - he and buried blessed Olga.

The monk Jacob, in the 11th century work “Memory and Praise to the Russian Prince Volodymer,” reports the exact date of Olga’s death: July 11, 969.

Olga's baptism

Princess Olga became the first ruler of Rus' to be baptized, although both the squad and the Russian people under her were pagan. Olga’s son also remained in paganism, Grand Duke Kyiv Svyatoslav Igorevich.

The date and circumstances of the baptism remain unclear. According to the PVL, this happened in 955 in Constantinople, Olga was personally baptized by Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus with the Patriarch (Theophylact): “And she was given the name Elena in baptism, just like the ancient queen-mother of Emperor Constantine I.”.

PVL and the Life decorate the circumstances of the baptism with the story of how the wise Olga outwitted the Byzantine king. He, marveling at her intelligence and beauty, wanted to take Olga as his wife, but the princess rejected the claims, noting that it was not appropriate for Christians to marry pagans. It was then that the king and the patriarch baptized her. When the tsar again began to harass the princess, she pointed out that she was now the tsar’s goddaughter. Then he richly presented her and sent her home.

From Byzantine sources only one visit of Olga to Constantinople is known. Konstantin Porphyrogenitus described it in detail in his essay “On Ceremonies”, without indicating the year of the event. But he indicated the dates of official receptions: Wednesday, September 9 (on the occasion of Olga’s arrival) and Sunday, October 18. This combination corresponds to 957 and 946 years. Olga's long stay in Constantinople is noteworthy. When describing the technique, the name is basileus (Konstantin Porphyrogenitus himself) and Roman - basileus Porphyrogenitus. It is known that Roman II the Younger, the son of Constantine, became his father's formal co-ruler in 945. The mention at the reception of Roman's children testifies in favor of 957, which is considered the generally accepted date for Olga's visit and her baptism.

However, Konstantin never mentioned Olga’s baptism, nor did he mention the purpose of her visit. A certain priest Gregory was named in the princess’s retinue, on the basis of which some historians (in particular, Academician Boris Alexandrovich Rybakov) suggest that Olga visited Constantinople already baptized. In this case, the question arises why Constantine calls the princess by her pagan name, and not Helen, as the Successor of Reginon did. Another, later Byzantine source (11th century) reports baptism precisely in the 950s: “And the wife of the Russian archon, who once set sail against the Romans, named Elga, when her husband died, arrived in Constantinople. Baptized and having openly made a choice in favor of the true faith, she, having received great honor for this choice, returned home.”.

The successor of Reginon, quoted above, also speaks about baptism in Constantinople, and the mention of the name of Emperor Romanus testifies in favor of baptism in 957. The testimony of the Continuer of Reginon can be considered reliable, since, as historians believe, Bishop Adalbert of Magdeburg, who led the unsuccessful mission to Kyiv, wrote under this name (961) and had first-hand information.

According to most sources, Princess Olga was baptized in Constantinople in the fall of 957, and she was probably baptized by Romanos II, son and co-ruler of Emperor Constantine VII, and Patriarch Polyeuctus. Olga made the decision to accept the faith in advance, although the chronicle legend presents this decision as spontaneous. Nothing is known about those people who spread Christianity in Rus'. Perhaps these were Bulgarian Slavs (Bulgaria was baptized in 865), since the influence of Bulgarian vocabulary can be traced in the early ancient Russian chronicle texts. The penetration of Christianity into Kievan Rus is evidenced by the mention of the cathedral church of Elijah the Prophet in Kyiv in the Russian-Byzantine treaty (944).

Olga was buried in the ground (969) according to Christian rites. Her grandson, Prince Vladimir I Svyatoslavich, transferred (1007) the relics of saints, including Olga, to the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Kyiv, which he founded. According to the Life and the monk Jacob, the body of the blessed princess was preserved from decay. Her “shining like the sun” body could be observed through a window in the stone coffin, which was opened slightly for any true believer Christian, and many found healing there. All the others saw only the coffin.

Most likely, during the reign of Yaropolk (972-978), Princess Olga began to be revered as a saint. This is evidenced by the transfer of her relics to the church and the description of miracles given by the monk Jacob in the 11th century. Since that time, the day of remembrance of Saint Olga (Elena) began to be celebrated on July 11, at least in the Tithe Church itself. However, official canonization (churchwide glorification) apparently occurred later - until the middle of the 13th century. Her name early becomes baptismal, in particular among the Czechs.

In 1547, Olga was canonized as Saint Equal to the Apostles. Only five other holy women in the world have received such an honor. Christian history(Mary Magdalene, First Martyr Thekla, Martyr Apphia, Queen Helen Equal to the Apostles and Enlightener of Georgia Nina).

The memory of Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga is celebrated Orthodox churches Russian tradition on July 11 according to the Julian calendar; Catholic and other Western churches - July 24 Gregorian.

She is revered as the patroness of widows and new Christians.

Princess Olga (documentary film)

Memory of Olga

In Pskov there is the Olginskaya embankment, the Olginsky bridge, the Olginsky chapel, as well as two monuments to the princess.

From the time of Olga until 1944, there was a churchyard and the village of Olgin Krest on the Narva River.

Monuments to Princess Olga were erected in Kyiv, Pskov and the city of Korosten. The figure of Princess Olga is present on the monument “Millennium of Russia” in Veliky Novgorod.

Olga Bay in the Sea of ​​Japan is named in honor of Princess Olga.

The urban-type settlement Olga, Primorsky Territory, is named in honor of Princess Olga.

Olginskaya street in Kyiv.

Princess Olga Street in Lviv.

In Vitebsk in the city center at the Holy Spirit convent There is St. Olginskaya Church.

In St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, to the right of the altar in the northern (Russian) transept, there is a portrait image of Princess Olga.

St. Olginsky Cathedral in Kyiv.

Orders:

Insignia of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga - established by Emperor Nicholas II in 1915;
“Order of Princess Olga” - state award of Ukraine since 1997;
The Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga (ROC) is an award of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Olga's image in art

IN fiction:

Antonov A.I. Princess Olga;
Boris Vasiliev. "Olga, Queen of the Rus";
Victor Gretskov. "Princess Olga - Bulgarian princess";
Mikhail Kazovsky. "The Empress's Daughter";
Alexey Karpov. “Princess Olga” (ZhZL series);
Svetlana Kaydash-Lakshina (novel). "Duchess Olga";
Alekseev S. T. I know God!;
Nikolay Gumilyov. "Olga" (poem);
Simone Vilar. "Svetorada" (trilogy);
Simone Vilar. "The Witch" (4 books);
Elizaveta Dvoretskaya “Olga, the Forest Princess”;
Oleg Panus “Shields on the Gates”;
Oleg Panus “United by Power.”

In cinema:

“The Legend of Princess Olga” (1983; USSR) directed by Yuri Ilyenko, in the role of Olga Lyudmila Efimenko;
"The Saga of the Ancient Bulgars. The Legend of Olga the Saint" (2005; Russia) directed by Bulat Mansurov, in the role of Olga.;
"The Saga of the Ancient Bulgars. Vladimir's Ladder Red Sun", Russia, 2005. In the role of Olga, Elina Bystritskaya.

In cartoons:

Prince Vladimir (2006; Russia) directed by Yuri Kulakov, voiced by Olga.

Ballet:

“Olga”, music by Evgeny Stankovych, 1981. It was performed at the Kiev Opera and Ballet Theater from 1981 to 1988, and in 2010 it was staged at the Dnepropetrovsk Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.

If you look at Europe or Asia in the tenth or eleventh centuries, you will find that ruling by a woman’s hand was somehow not accepted. The world originally belonged to men, stronger, braver, more decisive and more accepting non-standard solutions. Grand Duchess Olga, the wife of Prince Igor Rurikovich, who has not been taken seriously to this day, became the first and practically the only one who led such a large state as Kievan Rus. She did not lead her squad on destructive campaigns, did not conquer new lands and did not destroy cities and countries, but directed all her strength and energy to improving life within her state, for which she is remembered with gratitude even now.

Princess Olga: biography of a strong woman

Story ancient Rus' often stingy and taciturn, especially when it comes to the origins of Russian princes and the events of their reign. By by and large the chronicles mention only those who received reigns in Kyiv or other large cities, as well as those who earned powerful fame among the people, both good and bad. About wives, daughters and sisters, in general, you can find only the mention of names, but Princess Olga became an exception to this rule. There is more information about this strong woman, but it is still scattered and often contradictory.

Not a single ancient chronicle contains confirmed information about when the future Princess Olga was born and to what family she belonged. In the seventeenth century, the Book of Degrees stated that she died at the age of eighty. This means that she could have been born at the end of the ninth century. However, at the time of recording, more than seven hundred years had already passed after these events, so the real source is here this book you can't name it.

Origin

Information about the exact date and place of birth of the girl, who would later become the wife of the heir of the first Rurik, his only son Igor, is so contradictory and fragmented that it is not possible to find out the truth. Some believe that she was born into a family of ordinary Pskov peasants, from where she was taken away at the age of nine or ten years, but there is no confirmation of this. Others say that the girl belonged to a noble family and came to Kyiv from Novgorod, and still others generally convince everyone of the Varangian origin of the princess. This is evidenced by the strange-sounding name Olga for the Slavs, which can be interpreted as Helga.

There is a version that Olga was actually Oleg’s own daughter, nicknamed the Prophetic. During his regency on the Kiev throne, while Igor was too young, he allegedly acquired a daughter, and then hid her for the time being in Novgorod or Pskov, and most likely in the village of Vybuty, 12 kilometers up the river from Pskov. Since he was most likely Igor’s uncle, because it is believed that he was the brother of Efanda, Rurik’s wife, then the future bride was his cousin. However, the truth will remain hidden from posterity, and we can only speculate.

Nestor’s writings indicate that she comes from the common people, and her homeland is a village near Pskov. According to other sources, she was Bulgarian, and her roots are hidden in the secret of Boris’s family. There is a legend that Igor met his future wife while going hunting. Wanting to cross to the other side, he asked a thin young man on a fragile boat to help him. This young man turned out to be Olga. After talking with her, the future prince discovered that her thoughts were pure and her soul was light.

Marriage

The Arkhangelsk chronicler says that at the time Olga was married to Igor, she was only ten years old. Regarding this wedding there are quite reliable information. It occurred in 903, according to the records of the Tale of Bygone Years. Therefore, the girl was born in 893. Karamzin and Voitovich were inclined to the same opinion. The Protracted Life speaks of death not at eighty years old, but at seventy-five, shifting the date of birth to 894. However, such a date contradicts the date of birth of her son Svyatoslav in 938-943. By that time, the mother would have been well over forty, which is unlikely.

The Soviet Russian archaeologist, researcher of Slavic history and culture Boris Rybakov believed that the princess could have been born no later than 927-928, based on the fact that her son was born in 942. Moreover, Svyatoslav Igorevich was without a doubt the eldest son of this couple, otherwise he would not have been considered the first contender for the paternal throne and reign. An extremely interesting study of this issue can be read in the book “Princess Olga. Holy Warrior" by Andrey Bogdanov.

There are several chronicles about the wedding, the most famous of which is The Tale of Bygone Years. According to records, the Russian princess Olga was married to Igor Rurikovich. It is from there that the passage is perfectly readable: “... from Izborsk, the family of Gostomyslov, who was called Beautiful, and Oleg renamed her and named her Olga. Igor later had other wives, but because of her wisdom he honored Olga more than others.” It is quite possible that the girl was the granddaughter of the legendary Gostomysl.

The Novgorod First Chronicle, which contains the most reliable facts and dates that we can glean, leaves the question of the date of marriage of the young Rurikovich and the very young beauty Beautiful open. Some historians believe that the year 903 in the “Tale...” is a later insertion made by Nestor, when he was trying to somehow classify the data and bring history to the present. chronological order. After this event, the chronicler next mentions Olga only in 944, when her husband concluded an agreement with Byzantium.

Death of Igor

Princess Olga's reign began with the death of her husband. Although we can assume that she took an active part before. According to legend, she showed herself with best side. After all, while Prince Igor was preparing and collecting an army to carry out great campaigns and seize new lands for his state, she took upon herself management of issues of foreign and domestic policy, economics and other things that life demanded of her. She managed everywhere, managed to meet with ambassadors and diplomats from other countries, receive complainants, resolve disputes between combatants and much more.

In 945, after another trip to Polyudye, Igor Rurikovich fell asleep and never returned home. There were strange rumors that he decided to take double tribute from the Drevlyans, for which he paid in full. The rebels waylaid him with a small part of his squad, grabbed him, tied him to two bent trees and released him, tearing him apart. The story was very dark and some even believed that Olga also had a hand in this dirty business. At that time, the princess’s eldest son was only three years old, and it was impossible to leave the state without a ruler for a long time; the mother decided to take on regency duties. The prince's squad bowed down before this woman without hindrance and even silently approved of her determination to avenge her husband.

Terrible revenge on the Drevlyans

After the murder of Igor Rurikovich, according to the same “Tale of Bygone Years,” the Drevlyans decided that all their troubles and sorrows ended there. They became so insolent that they sent matchmakers to the Grand Russian Princess Olga to invite her to marry their prince Mal. This was a fatal mistake; the enraged woman could not tolerate such an insult. The ancient Russian chronicler Nestor points out four revenges that she prepared for the rebellious Drevlyans.

• Twenty Drevlyan elders arrived in Kyiv as matchmakers. Olga ordered to dig a huge hole in the courtyard of her tower and throw a boat with messengers there. Moreover, she ordered the people to be left there. So they covered them with the earth of the living, amid groans, screams and crying.
• No one found out about the participation of the first delegation, so a messenger was sent to Kyiv to find out what happened. Olga told me to tell you that she didn’t see any matchmakers, because they could have been killed by dashing people or eaten by wolves along the way. After this, the stupid Drevlyans gathered another delegation of the best men to go to woo the princess. They were burned alive in the bathhouse where they washed upon arrival.
• Since Igor was buried in the same place where he was killed, Princess Olga had to go to the lands of the Drevlyans to celebrate a funeral feast for her beloved husband. She rolled out huge barrels of honey and organized a real celebration with competitions in honor of the deceased. The Drevlyans believed that it was just a funeral dinner and got drunk, and ended up sleeping where they were sitting. At that moment, the princess’s warriors killed every one of them. Nestor speaks of five thousand who died at this feast.
• A year after the death of her husband, the Russian princess decided to complete the work she had started; apparently, she always loved to see things through to the end. She gathered a squad and in 946 set out on a real campaign against the Drevlyans. However, the siege of Iskorosten (now Korosten, Ukraine) dragged on, and the enemy resisted like one possessed, realizing the prospect of surrender. The Tale of Bygone Years says that it was Olga who came up with the idea of ​​tying lighted tow soaked in sulfur to the birds’ legs. The city burned to the ground, and the survivors resigned to fate.

Interesting

The story of the burning of the city with the help of birds, just like Nestor's, is described by another person, the Danish historian and chronicler of the twelfth century Saxo Grammaticus, who actually lived at the same time. He writes that it was in this way that the Scandinavian folk hero Guthrum took the town of Cirencester in Wessex. Whether the Russian monk “borrowed” the interesting plot, or perhaps vice versa, the Danish writer, will remain a mystery for future generations.

After the reprisal against the rebels was completed, Olga began to rule the state, since the prince’s son Svyatoslav was still very young at that time. She ruled Kievan Rus until her son came of age, and after that too, since the guy preferred to spend his time on military campaigns, covering himself with glory, leaving his mother to do boring things.

The reign and politics of Princess Olga

After the conquest and partial extermination of the Drevlyans, who were responsible for the death of her husband, Olga established lessons for them, that is, a special tribute in the form of payment or work that must be completed before a certain time. She also traveled to Pskov and Novgorod, establishing tribute there too. In addition, she decided to automate the tax collection system, since Polyudye no longer seemed so correct and safe. It was decided that from now on people would pay taxes to the power in churchyards - a kind of regional or regional centers. Special people had to be involved in collecting, counting and storing, with subsequent transfer to Kyiv.

Worth knowing

It was Olga who became the founder of stone urban planning. Moreover, the first buildings made of stone were the city palace and the princess’s own country mansion. Moreover, she in every possible way welcomed and helped to build such houses not only in Kyiv, but also in Pskov and Novgorod, as well as in other settlements under her control.

Baptism of the Grand Duchess of Russia

Already in 945-946, Olga had already developed a new tax system in Rus'. She established the final size of polyudya, as well as the terms of their final payment, called lessons, quitrents and charters. All subject Kievan Rus the lands were thus divided into specific administrative units. Moreover, in each of them the princess placed her own tiun inspectors, who dealt exclusively with tax issues. But this was far from her last achievement, since soon she would make a turning point that would bring changes not only to her fate, but also to the fate of the state.

Time passed, and the international situation began to heat up. Although Igor Rurikovich concluded a non-aggression pact with Byzantium, the government there had already changed several times, and more than ten years had already passed. Something had to be urgently resolved with the relations between the two states, which could develop into a conflict. Russian chronicles write in passing about the princess's visits to Constantinople, and do not explain the reasons for this at all.

However, Vasily Tatishchev believed that she purposefully went there for one reason. In 955 or 957, according to different sources, the Russian princess Olga was baptized in Constantinople (Constantinople), according to the texts of the “Tale of Bygone Years” and took the name Elena. At this time, a lot of baptized people were already living in Rus', this does not raise any doubts. Moreover, the first such cases were recorded by chroniclers and date back to the fifties and sixties of the ninth century, that is, long before even before she was born. Seeing the righteousness and honesty, decorum and truth of this faith, she decided to accept it herself, and at the same time establish more friendly relations with the Byzantine ruler.

Foreign policy

There are other opinions about exactly how, when and why Olga was baptized. For example, the Arab researcher and historian Yahya of Antioch wrote quite differently. According to his letters and messages, having decided to take a desperate step, the princess wrote a letter to Constantinople, in response to which the bishop was immediately sent away, and he performed the ceremony directly in Kyiv. Tatishchev believed that this was unlikely, since the pagan population of Rus', which was still predominant, would hardly have appreciated and understood such a step by the ruler.

Another remarkable fact, reflected in the writings of the chronicler Nestor, is the colossal delay in Constantinople. If we consider that Olga went there to be baptized, taking with her an embassy of more than a hundred people, then it becomes completely unclear why the emperor did not receive her for more than a month. Many modern historians blame the political position of Byzantium at that time. It was considered almost the center of the whole world, and its ruler was the deputy of God on earth.

Olga, who arrived with the whole horde, naturally did not have any documentation, except for the trade and military treaty letters, and did not have any titles listed in that Byzantium. Therefore, according to the ceremony, it was tactfully pushed back, while not allowing it to be offended and go home, because Kievan Rus was important strategic partner. Returning to Kyiv, Olga began to convince Svyatoslav to also accept baptism, but she did not succeed, the son kept laughing at his mother and blaming him for the fact that the squad would not understand him. And in general, there was some kind of initial dislike for the Greeks in him.

The end of Olga's reign and the accession of Svyatoslav

When exactly Svyatoslav, Olga’s son, began to independently rule the state is not entirely clear. According to Nestor’s writings, the guy’s first military campaign took place in 964. However, in the handwritten texts of Adalbert of Magdeburg there is a reference to the fact that in 959 ambassadors came to the king and duke of Saxony, Otto I the Great, from the Queen of the Rugians, who was baptized under Emperor Romanus in Constantinople. Well, how can one not consider this a direct reference to the Russian Princess Olga?

It turns out that at that time she was still considered throughout the world to be the legitimate ruler of Kievan Rus. The following year, 960, Svyatoslav just turned eighteen. At the same time, a mission was sent to Kyiv from King Otto, from which even a tenth-century rotunda built in his honor remains. However, the convinced pagan did not listen to the tales of the visiting ambassadors, so the mission failed and went home. Consequently, the young prince already had great strength and power at that time. Moreover, on the way back, some of the missionaries were killed, and the chronicler and archbishop Adalbert himself miraculously escaped.

No one knows exactly what year Svyatoslav actually joined the board; the date seems very arbitrary. For example, one can judge by the raid of the Pechenegs, who, after forty years of calm after Oleg’s campaigns, began to raise their heads and look askance at Kyiv. In 968, they came under the walls of the Russian capital, but Svyatoslav, who had just returned from a campaign in Bulgaria, arrived in time, easily lifted the siege and drove out the enemies.

After this, the prince was about to set off again, but his mother held him back, foreseeing his imminent death. And so it happened, she died exactly three days later, surrounded by family and friends, those she loved. more life and with light sadness in the soul, without much torment. The chronicler says that everyone came to cry over her, from her son and grandchildren to ordinary people who came from the farthest ends of the country.

After this, her grandson Vladimir I Svyatoslavich in 1007 transferred the relics of his grandmother to the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Kyiv, but she began to be considered a saint much earlier, approximately in 972-978 during the reign of Yaropolk. On this historical portrait Princess Olga can be completed.

Imprint on history

Such a great person, a talented ruler, and also a spiritual mentor like Olga, could not help but leave a certain mark on history. The fact that she was canonized as a saint is a well-known fact, but descendants remember the first Russian Orthodox princess even without this. In the city of Pskov, which according to one version is considered her birthplace, there is Olginskaya Street, a bridge, a chapel and an embankment, as well as several wonderful monuments. In addition, from the time of Olga’s reign until 1944, there was an old churchyard above the Narva River, which was subsequently destroyed by bombing.

There are monuments to the Russian princess Olga in Kyiv, Pskov, Korosten and even Veliky Novgorod. In the Vatican, namely in St. Peter's Basilica, in the north transept there is a portrait of this strong and unshakable woman who shed light on everything she ever did. In addition, in 1915, Emperor Nicholas II established the Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, and since 1997 in Ukraine you can receive the “Order of Princess Olga” award. Gumilyov and Vasiliev, Simona Vilar and Oleg Panus wrote about her; there are several feature films about her reign. In 1981, the ballet “Olga” was even staged to the music of Yevgeny Stankovych, which was performed at the Kiev Opera and Ballet Theater.

Having completed the “organization” of the state and streamlined the collection of tribute, Princess Olga began to think about choosing a new faith. She was the first of the rulers of Rus' to convert to Christianity.

Remaining a pagan, Olga spent many years observing the life of Christians, of whom there were already many in Kyiv. At the end of 866, Patriarch Photius of Constantinople, in a “District Message” sent to the hierarchs of the Eastern Church, reported on the baptism of the Kievan Russes in Byzantium. In the Russian-Byzantine peace treaty of 944, in addition to pagans, Christians were also mentioned in the squad and retinue of Prince Igor. They swore an oath of allegiance to the points of the agreement in the Hagia Sophia. In Kyiv during Olga’s era, there were several Christian churches and the cathedral church of St. Elijah.

  Olga's interest in Christianity. Having become the ruler of the Kyiv state, Princess Olga began to take a closer look at the religious teachings that were followed by many European countries. Gradually, Olga came to the idea that the adoption of a new faith could further unite the country, putting it on a par with other Christian states of the world. She was overcome by the desire to visit Constantinople, see the splendor of its temples and meet the emperor, and then receive holy baptism.

  Chronicle of Olga's baptism. The chronicle story about Olga's trip to Constantinople dates back to 954-955 and reports that the princess went “to the Greeks” and reached Constantinople. The Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus received her and honored her with a conversation. He was struck by the beauty and intelligence of his guest, and he said, hinting at a possible marital union with her: " You are worthy to reign in the city with us!"Olga avoided a direct answer. She wished to accept the faith of Christ and asked the emperor to become her successor from the font. This was fulfilled. When the basileus again invited Olga to become his wife, she replied that Christians do not accept marriages between godfathers and goddaughters. The Emperor appreciated her cunning move and was not angry." And he gave her many gifts - gold, silver, fibers, and various vessels; and let her go..." - reports the Tale of Bygone Years. Named at baptism Elena, the princess returned to Kyiv.

  Contemporary testimony. The baptism of the Russian princess is mentioned in the German “Chronicle” and Byzantine sources, among which the treatise of Constantine Porphyrogenitus “On the ceremonies of the Byzantine court”, where he describes two receptions of Olga Rosskaya in Constantinople, is of particular interest to us. The basileus's essay allows us to reconstruct the true course of events that led to Olga's baptism.

  Embassy of the "Archontissa". Historians believe that in the summer of 957 the princess went to Constantinople by water. She brought with her rich gifts to the Byzantine emperor. On the road she was accompanied by a large retinue, totaling about a thousand people. Her journey to Constantinople took at least forty days. Finally, a caravan of Russian ships entered the Golden Horn Bay. There Olga had to endure an agonizing wait: the Byzantine authorities could not decide how they should receive the distinguished guest. Finally, on September 9, she was appointed to appear before the eyes of the emperor.

  A magnificent ceremony. Emperor Constantine received Princess Olga in the Golden Chamber Grand Palace. The ceremony was arranged with the usual pomp. The Emperor sat on a throne that was an amazing work of art. Olga entered the hall accompanied by close relatives. In addition to them, the retinue included 20 ambassadors and 43 merchants. Having bowed with dignity to the emperor, she presented him with her gifts. The Basileus of the Romans did not utter a word. A courtier, the Dromologothete, spoke on his behalf. This concluded the reception.

  Stay in Constantinople. On the same day, Princess Olga was received by the Emperor's wife Elena in her half of the palace. After the gifts were presented, Olga and her companions were escorted to the chambers to rest. Later, the princess was invited for a conversation with the emperor, where she was able to discuss state issues with him. Historians also suggest that Olga wanted to find out the possibility of a dynastic marriage between her son Svyatoslav and one of the Byzantine princesses. To this, Konstantin Bagryanorodny refused, which offended the princess. The peace treaty between the two countries was confirmed: Constantine needed military assistance from the Russians in the fight against the domestic Nikifor Foka. In honor of the princess's stay in Constantinople in August, Elena gave a dinner, after which the guests were presented with gifts from the emperor. The princess received " gold, covered precious stones cup", and it contains 500 silver coins. Soon a second reception took place with the Byzantine emperor. Konstantin Porphyrogenitus did not report any new details about it. It is important for us that Princess Olga appeared at this reception as a Christian. Version of the Russian chronicle about the involvement of the basileus in Olga's baptism has a clearly mythological character. In fact, the sacrament was performed by the Patriarch of Constantinople Polyeuctus in the St. Sophia Cathedral. Olga donated a golden liturgical dish to the temple.

Grand Duchess Olga became the first ruler of Kievan Rus to accept the Christian faith. However, after her baptism, the princely squad and all the people remained pagans. Even the son of the future saint, the Grand Duke of Kiev Svyatoslav Igorevich, was not a Christian.

According to the Tale of Bygone Years, Olga was baptized in 957 in the capital of Byzantium - Constantinople. She went there, entrusting Kyiv to her son Svyatoslav, who by that time had grown up and could rule the state. In Constantinople, Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus and Patriarch Theophylact of Constantinople baptized the Russian princess personally: “And she was given the name Elena in baptism, just like the ancient queen-mother of Emperor Constantine I.”

In the Christian East, it was customary to baptize in honor of some saint, and the name Olga was still pagan at that time, so she was baptized in honor of the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, Helen. True, now, having a saint named Olga, Christians can name their children after her.

The Patriarch admonished Olga with the words: “Blessed are you among the Russian women, for you left darkness and loved the Light. The Russian people will bless you in all future generations, from your grandchildren and great-grandchildren to your most distant descendants.”

As you know, Princess Olga was famous for her intelligence and beauty. At the time of her baptism she was a widow. According to the chronicle legend, the Byzantine Emperor Constantine liked the Russian princess so much that he wanted to take her as his wife. But Olga did not like this; she rejected the emperor’s claims, citing the fact that she was a pagan, and he was a Christian, and such a marriage was not appropriate. When Olga was baptized (Emperor Constantine became her godfather), he asked her: “Well, now you are a Christian, now will you marry me?” To which she replied: “No, now I’m yours God daughter, and you and I cannot get married.” Konstantin praised her for her intelligence, gave her rich gifts and sent her home.

Life of a princess

The future saint and grand duchess was born around 890. Her name - Olga - was the Russian version of the Scandinavian name Helga, which translates as “bright”, “sacred”. She was a simple, unfamous girl, although she came from a forgotten family of Izborsk princes.

Princess Olga's husband was Prince Igor of Kiev, whom she accidentally met on the banks of a river in the Pskov land. Princess Olga ascended the Kiev throne after Prince Igor was killed by the Drevlyans. She ruled for seventeen years - from 945 to 962. Olga had a son - Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich.

Material on the topic

Did Olga seek baptism in Constantinople? Hardly. In any case, it couldn't be main reason her visit. She could have become Christian without leaving the “capital city” - a priest would have been found.

At the beginning of her reign, Olga became famous as a tough, even cruel ruler. Her first act was revenge on the Drevlyans who killed her husband. Olga's troops mercilessly burned, chopped down the Drevlyans, and even buried them alive.

After this, no one dared to raise a hand against Olga, and due to the early age of her son Svyatoslav, she became the sole ruler of the Novgorod, Pskov and Kyiv lands. However, even when Svyatoslav grew up, power practically remained in her hands, since her son’s passion was war, and his mother ruled the state.

Olga carried out a powerful administrative reform, developed a taxation scheme, and began active stone construction, which was previously unheard of in Rus'. And yet, in people's memory, the princess remained not a tough ruler, but a Christian - the first among the Rurikovichs.

After baptism, Olga lived a little over ten years. She died in 969 and was buried according to Christian rites. The grandson of the Grand Duchess, Saint Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Baptist of Rus', transferred her relics to the famous Tithe Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the first stone church of the Old Russian state.

Then, during the reign of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, Olga began to be revered as a saint. The day of remembrance of Saint Olga (in the baptism of Helen) was celebrated on July 11 (July 24, new style). In 1547, the Grand Duchess was canonized as an Equal-to-the-Apostles saint.

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According to the Tale of Bygone Years, the wedding of Prince Igor and Olga took place in 903, when Olga was already 12 years old. However, this date has been repeatedly disputed by historians due to the fact that she gave birth to her son Svyatoslav only in 942, that is, at 51 years old, which obviously looks extremely strange. According to researchers, it is most likely that the date - 903 - arose later, when they tried to bring the original ancient Russian chronicles into a relatively coherent chronological order.

The first time when the Drevlyan ambassadors arrived to Olga to ask for mercy for the murder of her husband, she ordered to dig a deep hole and bury them there alive, along with the ship. When other Drevlyan ambassadors arrived, she ordered the bathhouse to be flooded for them, where they were burned alive.

Then the princess came to the lands of the Drevlyans to celebrate a funeral feast at her husband’s grave, during which the Drevlyans were given drink and, according to some chronicle information, five thousand people were killed. After this, the Drevlyans sent Olga birds as tribute, and she ordered burning rags to be tied to their paws and sent home. The birds returned to their homes and thereby burned the city of the Drevlyans.

There are two things to understand about this story. Firstly, when performing these actions, Olga was still a pagan, and not a Christian. That is, she has not yet changed internally. Secondly, the princess’s behavior, by pagan standards, was quite natural.

In 1007, after the construction of the Tithe Church in Kyiv, the body of Princess Olga was transferred to this temple. According to legend, a window was made in the stone crypt, and it was clear that the remains of this great woman were incorrupt.

Significance in Russian history

Grand Duchess Olga went down in history as one of the creators of Russian statehood. She traveled around the Russian lands, suppressed the revolts of small local princes, centralized public administration using the "graveyard" system.

Pogosts - financial, administrative and judicial centers - became strong support princely power in lands remote from Kyiv.

Thanks to the Grand Duchess, the defensive power of Rus' increased significantly. Under her rule, strong walls grew around cities. Historians attribute the establishment of the first state borders of Russia to the time of her reign - in the west, with Poland.

Kyiv during the time of the Grand Duchess was a center of attraction for foreign merchants; grew due to stone buildings, sometimes very skillful, such as Olga’s city palace. Archaeologists found its foundation and remains of the walls in the 70s of the 20th century.

Having converted to Christianity, Olga supported the few Christians in Kyiv by all means: she destroyed pagan idols, built temples, and encouraged the preaching of the Gospel.

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The iconography of Saint Princess Olga is traditional for all saints equal to the apostles. Equal to the Apostles are those saints who served the Lord, enlightening people with the light of Christ. Saint Olga is traditionally depicted standing on icons. IN right hand she has a cross, a symbol of the preaching of Christ, which was preached by all the saints equal to the apostles. In the left hand is a symbolic image of the temple. Another traditional image of the princess is together with Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir.

There are several monuments to Saint Princess Olga. One of the most famous is in Kyiv, on the ancient Mikhailovskaya Square. This is a whole sculptural composition. In the center is Princess Olga, to her right is Apostle Andrew the First-Called, to her left are Saints Cyril and Methodius. The monument was opened more than a hundred years ago - in 1911. The sculptural composition was an element big project“Historical path” - monuments were erected throughout Ukraine in honor of the first Russian princes. According to the authors' idea, the monuments were supposed to form a kind of alley from Sofiyskaya to Mikhailovskaya Square. Nicholas II gave the green light to the creation of this alley and allocated 10,000 rubles for construction.

IN Soviet years the monument to Saint Olga suffered a sad fate. In 1919, the statue was thrown off its pedestal and broken into two parts. The side sculptures were boarded up. Instead of Princess Olga, a bust of the writer Taras Shevchenko was installed. In the 1920s, the sculptural composition was completely dismantled, and a park was laid out in its place.

In 1996, excavations were carried out in the park - archaeologists found some parts of the broken figure of Grand Duchess Olga. Pieces of the old monument were fastened together and placed in the Ivan Kavaleridze sculpture park on Andreevsky Spusk. And the composition on Mikhailovskaya Square was carefully recreated. Students of the first author of the monument, Ivan Kavaleridze, worked on the reconstruction.

In the Russian Church there is a women's order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga. In 1988, it was established by Patriarch Pimen and the Holy Synod - in honor of the 1000th anniversary of the baptism of Rus'. According to the time of its establishment, this order is the third in the Russian Church. The Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga is awarded to abbesses of monasteries and secular women who, in one way or another, serve the Church and the cause of Christian enlightenment.

On the headband: N. A. Bruni. Holy Grand Duchess Olga. 1901. Fragment of the painting. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg