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

The main dates of life and activity 1897 Born in the Bavarian town of Fürth 1916 Drafted into the army 1918 Discharged due to a serious wound in the rank of non-commissioned officer 1919 Entered the Higher Trade School in Nuremberg 1923 Entered the doctoral program at the Goethe University

Key dates of life and activity 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 the Study of Business

Key dates of life and activity 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

Main dates of life and activity 1912 Born in New York 1932 Received a bachelor's degree in economics and mathematics from Rutgers University 1937 Started a long association with the National Bureau of Economic Research 1950 Served as a consultant on

Key dates in Dante's life 1265, second half of May - Dante's birth. 1277, February 9 - Dante's betrothal to Gemma Donati. Ok. 1283 Father Dante dies

There have been many cases in history when a woman ruled a state so successfully that it became much stronger and more majestic than it was before. One of them was Olga, Princess of Kyiv. Historians around the world know quite a bit about the life and work of this amazingly strong woman, but what they managed to find out showed that she was a very wise and strong ruler. The main thing she did for Kievan Rus, - made it the strongest state in the world.

History and origins

The exact date of birth of the Grand Duchess is unknown. Only fragments of her biography can be found in history. Many scientists are inclined to believe that she was born around 890. This conclusion was made on the basis of the records of the Steppe Book, which says that she lived to be 80 years old, and this date is known quite accurately - 969. The place of her birth also remains unknown. Some historians are inclined to believe that woman born:

• in Pskov;
• in Izborsk.

How Princess Olga appeared, whose biography today can only be read thanks to the annals of the monk Nestor, there are many legends. One of them is about how Olga first met Igor, the prince who ruled Kyiv. She came from a simple family and earned money by transporting people across the river. Prince Igor was hunting in those places, and he urgently needed to cross to the other side. He turned to the young carrier. But already in the boat, he took a closer look and realized that it was not a young man standing in front of him, but a beautiful and fragile woman.

He decided to try to seduce the beauty, but received a fitting rebuff. This was the end of the meeting. But when the time came for the Grand Duke to marry, he remembered the proud beauty from Pskov, who sunk into his soul. He found her and got married.

But there is another legend, according to which the future Princess Olga bore the name Prekrasa. She came from a rich and noble family of Prince Gostomysl, who lived in Vitebsk. And her name, under which the world knows her, she received only after her wedding with Igor. They named her in honor of Prince Oleg, who was Igor's tutor.

For a long time, the couple lived separately from each other. She ruled Vyshgorod, and he ruled Kyiv. Igor had several more wives. And the couple had a common child only 40 years after the wedding. It was Svyatoslav, who in the future will continue the work of his mother and father.

Revenge for the death of her husband

In 945 Prince Igor went to collect tribute from the Drevlyansk lands, where he was treacherously killed. Svyatoslav at that time was only three years old, and he could not govern the state. Therefore, his mother Olga sat on the throne. All Great Russia came under her control. But the Drevlyans did not want to put up with the fact that they would pay tribute to a woman.

They decided to marry their Prince Mala to Olga and thus gain power over the Russian lands. But they did not take into account the fact that a woman was not only beautiful but also very smart. She lured the Drevlyan embassy into a large pit and ordered to fill it up. So they were buried alive. The ruler turned out to be no less cruel to the following ambassadors. A bathhouse was heated for them, and when they entered it, the doors were locked and the walls set on fire. All the visitors were burned alive. It was cruel revenge for the death of her beloved.

But that was only the beginning of the cruel punishment. She went to the Drevlyane lands in order to celebrate funeral rite on her husband's grave. She is with her took a few warriors. The noblest Drevlyans were also invited to the ceremony. During dinner, the princess gave them a sleeping potion to drink, and then ordered the guards to chop up everyone who came. The Tale of Bygone Years tells that more than 5 thousand Drevlyans were killed at that dinner.

Soon Olga, together with her son, went on a military campaign against the Drevlyans. Her army surrounded the walls of their capital - Iskorosten. The princess ordered that three doves and three sparrows be brought to her from each yard. The inhabitants performed this in the hope that it would bring liberation and save them from bloodshed.

But the ruler ordered to tie a bunch of burning dry grass to the paws of the birds and let them go. Doves and sparrows flew into their nests and the city was burned. Not only the capital of the Drevlyans burned down, but also many of its inhabitants. Only this could calm the bleeding heart of the princess.

Politics of the Grand Duchess

As a ruler, Olga in many ways surpassed her great husband. She introduced many reforms in domestic politics. But also foreign policy did not stay away. She was able to conquer many eastern tribes. All Kyiv lands were divided into regions, at the head of which the princess appointed tiuns - managers. She also carried out a tax reform, which led to a strict amount of polyudya, which had to be brought to churchyards. It was she who became the first of the Russian rulers who organized stone construction. During the reign, a stone palace and a country princely house were erected.

The main course of foreign policy was rapprochement with Byzantium. But at the same time, the princess sought to ensure that her possessions remained completely free from the power of Constantinople. Such a rapprochement led to the fact that the Russian troops successfully helped Byzantium in the fight against its enemies. The reforms of Princess Olga had great value for the further development of Russia.

Baptism and adoption of Christianity

At all times, the population of Russia worshiped many gods. They professed paganism. And the first ruler who brought Christianity to the Russian lands was just Olga. The princess was baptized approximately in 957, according to chronicles and sources that have survived to this day. It happened during her diplomatic trip to Constantinople - Constantinople.

According to the chronicler Nestor, when Olga visited Byzantium, her emperor liked the Russian princess very much and he decided to marry her. But the woman decided to do everything in her own way. She said that it was wrong for a Christian ruler to marry a pagan. Therefore, he needs to introduce her to his faith, thereby becoming her godfather.

After the ceremony, she received the name Elena. The emperor again proposed to her, but the woman replied that he could not be her husband, because he became her father, and she was his daughter by baptism. Then Konstantin realized that he had been deceived, but he could not do anything.

Upon returning to her homeland, the princess decided to start spreading Christianity in Russia. But the Slavs opposed this. Even her son Svyatoslav refused to accept Christianity, deciding that the combatants would laugh at him. Faith was further spread under Vladimir, Prince of Kiev.

The last years of life and memory

The very fact that a woman ruled the country in those cruel times when the fairer sex did not even have the right to sit at the same table with men is interesting. But during the years of Olga's reign, so much was done that was necessary for Russia that to this day she is honored as the most powerful and wise princess. She was able to become famous over the centuries not only for her political deeds, but also for her cruelty to enemies.

Only after being baptized did the princess become a little softer. She ruled the country almost until her death, because, according to the reports of the chroniclers, her son was constantly on campaigns and he had no time to maintain order in his principality.

The Grand Duchess died in 969 at the age of 80. Today she is canonized by the church and is considered the patroness of all those who want to be independent and free. Prayers are offered to her at those moments of life when help is needed in wars or the fight against the enemy.

In history, she remained a proud ruler, faithful to her husband alone. It is not without reason that even today essays are written about her at school, and they worship her in temples.

There is no exact description of the Grand Duchess. But the pictures that have been preserved since those times convey the beauty of this amazing woman. Also, a brief portrait of her can be compiled according to the description in The Tale of Bygone Years, which conveys the life of Prince Igor and Princess Olga, albeit briefly, but accessible in order to understand what contribution they made to the development of the Russian land and why Olga was awarded the title Equal-to-the-Apostles .

Today is the memory of the Grand Duchess of Kyiv immortalized:

• in painting;
• in cinema;
• in literature.

About when the Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna was born and what origin was, scientists still argue. Some trace her family from Prince Boris, who ruled Bulgaria, while others consider her daughter. And the monk Nestor, the author, claims that the Kievan princess Olga was of a simple family, and speaks of a village near Pskov as the place of her birth. Reliably confirmed facts constitute only a very brief biography of Princess Olga.

According to the most famous legend, Igor Rurikovich met Olga while hunting at a river crossing. The prince took her for a young man and asked to be transported to the other side. Olga was distinguished not only by her beauty and pure thoughts, but also by her mind. She subdued the prince so much that he returned after a while and married her.

When Prince Igor left Kyiv, taking the squad on another campaign, it was Olga who was engaged in all political affairs, received ambassadors, spoke with the governors. Based on this, we can say that the reign of Olga, who under Igor dealt with the problems of the internal life of the country, actually began even before the death of her husband.

After the assassination of Prince Igor in 945, the Drevlyans sent an embassy to the princess with an offer to become the wife of their prince Mal. The embassy was greeted by Olga's order with honor, but later the guests were thrown into a specially dug hole and buried alive. Then Olga sent Mal a demand to send the most worthy ambassadors to come with great honor to the lands of the Drevlyans. This time, a hot bath was heated for the guests, where they were burned. But this was not the end of Olga's revenge. The ambassadors of the princess told the Drevlyans that the princess wanted to celebrate a funeral feast on Igor's grave and asked for honey to be prepared, and after that she would marry Mal. The Drevlyans agreed. Olga arrived in their lands with a small retinue. During the feast, the Drevlyans became drunk on their own honey and were killed by the princess's combatants.

A year later, the Drevlyans were defeated, and Korosten, their main city, - burned. The capture of the well-fortified Korosten was not without cunning. Olga demanded tribute from each court - three doves and three sparrows. The inhabitants fulfilled this desire of the princess, and she ordered the warriors to tie flammable tinder to the paws of the birds and release them into the wild. People who managed to escape from the burning city were killed. A heavy tribute was imposed on the survivors.

The next important decision after the pacification of the Drevlyans was the replacement of polyudya with churchyards (regions). For each churchyard, the princess set a lesson, the size of which was fixed. Olga's tax reform helped to streamline the system of tax collection and strengthen the authority of Kyiv. While the son of Princess Olga and Igor, Svyatoslav, was a child, she enjoyed full power. But Olga's reign in Russia did not end when Svyatoslav grew up, since the prince spent most of his time on military campaigns.

The foreign policy of Princess Olga, which was carried out through diplomacy, also deserves attention. The princess was able to strengthen ties with byzantine empire and Germany. In 957 she went to Constantinople. According to one version, Olga's trip to Tsargrad was aimed at the marriage of Svyatoslav. Thanks to close contacts with the Greeks, the princess was imbued with the Christian faith and was baptized by Emperor Constantine the 7th and Patriarch Theophylact. At baptism, she was given the name Elena. The Byzantine emperor did not remain indifferent to the beauty and mind of the Russian princess and offered her a hand and a heart. Olga was able to reject his proposal without hurting her. Unlike his mother, Svyatoslav remained a pagan, although he did not prevent others from converting to the Christian faith. Olga had a strong influence on her son Svyatoslav -

Gaps in biography

Princess Olga (baptized Elena) is certainly a historical person. Her high status in the power hierarchy of the Rus as the wife of Igor and the extraordinary position in Russian history as the first independent female ruler, “the foremother of all Russian princes”, are confirmed by three modern sources: 1) an agreement with the Greeks of 944, in which the ambassador from "Olga princesses"; 2) the work of Constantine Porphyrogenitus "On the ceremonies of the Byzantine court", which contains the famous description of two palace receptions "Elga Rosena" (literally: Olga the Russian) in Constantinople; 3) the message of the Continuer of the chronicle, Reginon of Prüm, about the mission of the German Bishop Adalbert to "Helen, Queen of the Rug".

Despite this, the most important milestones of her biography still remain the subject of unceasing disputes and cardinal reassessments. First of all, the annalistic and hagiographic versions of Olga's life are subjected to revision, since from a historical point of view, both of them are nothing more than a mixture of half-forgotten and peculiarly interpreted legends strung on two ideological rods of ancient Russian annals and hagiography, which are the "Varangian" origin of the Kyiv dynasty and Russian land and the fundamental, original "purity" of Russian Christianity, that is, its acceptance directly from the Greeks.

The first thing that catches the eye in the traditional biography of the Kievan princess is her complete “dependence”, in the sense that the most important age parameters of Olga’s life (except for the exact date of death - July 11, 969) are determined in the annals exclusively through the biography of Igor. The latter, as we have had the opportunity to see, is a poor guide for a biographer due to its undeniable artificiality and implausibility. Absolute point counting Olga's age - the date of her birth - is missing in the annals. The first indirect information about the age of the princess is given under 903, when, according to chronicle calculations, she was married to Igor. Based on this date, some editions of Olga's Life report that by that time she was about twenty years old, which is unlikely, since this age, according to the then prevailing concepts, automatically transferred her to the category of "overripe" girls who could not count on a prestigious princely marriage. The prologue Life of Olga measures her 75 years of life, and the Book of Degrees indicates that, having lived in marriage for 42 years, the blessed princess died "about 100 years old." The Mazurin chronicler reports that some learned scribes considered her to be 88 years old.

Thus, the chronicle-hagiographic chronology pushes the date of Olga's birth to the 9th century, timing it to the interval between 881 and 894. There is no faith in her, or, more precisely, she requires such blind faith, which allowed the chronicler, without any hesitation, to place under the year 955 the tradition of the courtship of the Byzantine emperor to Olga, seduced by the beauty of the Kievan princess. Meanwhile, the beauty was supposed to go either in her seventh or in her eighth decade! 1 This tradition, of course, has independent, non-annalistic roots, and its very existence perfectly exposes the rather late origin and clumsy methods of the chronicle-hagiographic reconstruction of Olga's biography 2 .

1 N.M. Karamzin, calling the story of matchmaking a fable, nonetheless assured the readers of his History that the emperor was truly fascinated by Olga's wisdom.
2
(if you return to the note, then all notes can be inserted at the end of the article, see below)

The wedding of Igor and Olga, allegedly played in 903, is also incredible because it is almost four decades away from the birth of their first child. In this state of affairs, it is the time of Svyatoslav's birth that acquires a decisive role in the question of Olga's age ( Cm.: Nikitin A. Foundations of Russian history. M., 2000. S. 202; Rybakov B.A. The world of history. The initial centuries of Russian history. M., 1987. S. 113 ). We have no other, more reliable measure. True, The Tale of Bygone Years, even here, cannot boast of the impeccable accuracy of its information. The phrase “in this same summer Svyatoslav was born to Igor” is placed under 942. Then, in the treaty of 944, he is presented by his own ambassador as a full-fledged prince. This means that by this time the rite of tonsure (cutting of hair) had already been performed on him, accompanied by a public action - girdling with a sword and “mounting on a horse”, which symbolized the acquisition by the young prince of the rights of inheritance of “here and grandfather's” property. Usually tonsures were arranged when the heir reached three years. In this case, the birth of Svyatoslav is postponed from 942 to 940 - the beginning of 941, and Igor's marriage to Olga should be attributed, respectively, to 938 - the first half of the 940s. Archangel Chronicle 3 reports that Olga became Igor's wife at the age of ten. There is nothing impossible in this, since for women the usual age of marriage (12-14 years) could be significantly reduced. For example, from the "Tale of Bygone Years" it is known about the wedding of the fifteen-year-old prince Rostislav Rurikovich with the eight-year-old Verkhuslav Vsevolodovna (1187). So, taking into account the testimony of the Arkhangelsk chronicler, the probable time of Olga's birth dates back to the second half of the 20s. 10th century If we accept the assumption that by the time of her marriage, Olga nevertheless crossed the then threshold of majority for women, then her birth took place, most likely, between 924 and 928. 4

3 A.A. Shakhmatov believed that this chronicle contains "an older, complete and more corrected edition of the Initial Code" ( Shakhmatov A.A. About the initial Kiev annalistic code. M., 1897. S. 56).
4 For the 920s. also points out B.A. Rybakov (see: Rybakov B.A. The world of history. The initial centuries of Russian history. M., 1987. S. 113).

Olga's homeland - Pskov or Bulgaria?

The Tale of Bygone Years describes the appearance of Olga in Kyiv as follows: the matured Igor still dutifully obeyed the prophetic Oleg, who “brought him a wife from Pleskov, named Olga.”

According to another legend, Olga's real name was Prekrasa, "and Oleg named [renamed] her name and named her Olga" (Ioakimov Chronicle, as presented by Tatishchev). However, the sources do not know of any such case of changing a pagan name to another, pagan one. But we know that, in fact, the prophetic Oleg and Igor never met, so we have the right to assume that Oleg took the place of another, genuine matchmaker here, which will be discussed ahead. In the meantime, let's ask ourselves the question: where did Igor "bring" his famous wife from?

In the question of Olga's origin, the "Pskov legend" still dominates, identifying the chronicle "Pleskov" with the ancient Russian Pskov, which is declared the birthplace of the princess. "People's Local History" gave Olga an even more accurate registration, making her a native of the "visi of Vybutskaya" (the village of Vybutino / Vybuty, or Labutino, twelve miles from Pskov up the Velikaya River). This eliminates the contradiction with the testimony of the Life, that at the time of Olga's youth there was no mention of Pskov: "I still bring the city of Pskov." Besides, in folk tradition Vybutino was also known as the birthplace of Prince Vladimir I Svyatoslavich, which "provided, as it were, a direct connection between the first two Russian saints - equal to the apostles, grandmother and grandson, Olga and Vladimir" ( Pchelov E.V. Genealogy of ancient Russian princes of the 9th - early 11th century. M., 2001. S. 129 ).

The version about Olga's Pskov roots should be questioned primarily in view of her rather late origin. Although both forms of this toponym - "Pleskov" and "Pskov" - are present in the Novgorod I Chronicle of the senior and junior versions, however, in the Novgorod I Chronicle of the senior version, the lexeme "Pskov" appears and displaces the previous one - "Pleskov" - only from 1352, which makes it possible to date the emergence of the "Pskov legend" to a time not earlier than the end of the 14th - beginning of the 15th centuries. However, for the first time in its finished form, it is read only in the Book of Powers (1560s), where the very foundation of Pskov is already attributed to Olga. This legend also quickly became for the old Moscow scribes. historical fact». Olgino's Life in the edition of Dimitry of Rostov (1651-1709) reports that Olga "went from Novagrad to her fatherland, where she was born, into the whole of Vybutskaya and taught her relatives the knowledge of God. When in that country I came to the banks of the river, called the Great, where another river from the east, called Pskov, flows in, but there was a large forest in that place, and he prophesied that in that place there would be a great and glorious city. inhabit" [cit. on: Tatishchev V.N. Collected Works in 8 vols.: Russian History. - Reprint from ed. 1963, 1964 - M., 1994. T. IV. S. 404).

Undergo changes and views on the socio-ethnic origin of Olga. From a Slavic commoner, a carrier across the Velikaya River (“the family is not princely or noble, but from ordinary people” 5), she turned under the pen of chroniclers and historians into the “daughter” of Oleg the Prophet, into the “grandson” or “great-grandson” of Gostomysl, the princess from the family of Izborsk princes, or into the noble Scandinavian Helga 6 .

5 However, this simplicity is imaginary, because it hides in itself the guarantee of future greatness. Making Olga a translator, the Life actually likens her to the mother of Constantine the Great, Empress Elena (according to the old Russian tradition, the heavenly patroness of Olga / Elena), who, before her august marriage, was the daughter of a postal station superintendent ( Kartashev A.V. History of the Russian Church. T. 1. M., 2000. S. 120).
6 However, for some reason, the sagas call this "their" Olga/Helga the distorted name of Alogia, without saying a word about her "Variagism". It is also unclear how the Scandinavian Helga found herself in the Pskov land, which, even by Norman standards, "was not the center where the positions of the Scandinavians were strong" ( Pchelov E.V. Genealogy of ancient Russian princes of the 9th - early 11th century. S. 128).

The "Pskov legend" clearly shows the influence of another legend - the "Varangian", with its concept of origin ancient Russian state from northern Russian lands. Both of them received nationwide recognition almost simultaneously, and precisely when in the XV - XVI centuries. Kalita's heirs adopted the family nickname Rurikovich, which allowed them to look at the surrounding Russian principalities, including the Novgorod-Pskov lands, as their "fatherland and grandfather". Just at this time, Olga was canonized (1547). Hence, finalization The "Pskov" version of her origin and other "facts" of her hagiographic biography took place in the second half of the 15th - the first third of the 16th century. But in fact, the historian does not have at his disposal a single fact confirming the existence of strong ties between Northern Russia and Southern Russia in the early Middle Ages, which would not be of a legendary character 7 . Therefore, the search for a wife for Igor on the banks of the Velikaya River, and even “from ordinary people” 8, is nothing more than a pastoral fantasy of the Moscow-Novgorod scribes of the 15th-16th centuries. Young Igor, the legend says, once hunted "in the Pskov region" and, wanting to cross to the other side of the Velikaya River, called out to a boatman who was passing by. Sitting in the boat, the prince found that a girl of extraordinary beauty rules it. Igor immediately tried to seduce her, but was stopped by the pious and reasonable speeches of his carrier. Ashamed, he left his unclean thoughts, but later, when it was time for him to get married, he remembered Olga, “wonderful in girls,” and sent his relative, the prophetic Oleg, after her. It is easy to see that the pagan Slav here copies the ideal behavior of a pious girl from the Russian tower of the 15th-16th centuries, brought up in the traditions of Domostroy. But in a pagan society, premarital sexual relations were not regarded as a “desecration” of a girl’s honor (cf., for example, with the message of the 11th-century writer al-Bekri about the Slavic customs of that time: “And when a girl falls in love with someone, she goes to him and he satisfies his passion." In Russian folklore, a meeting at the crossing means a foreshadowing of a wedding (see: Afanasiev A.N. Myths, beliefs and superstitions of the Slavs. In 3 vols. M., 2002. T. I. S. 89).

7 The chronicle reports about the campaigns from north to south of Askold and Dir, and then Oleg, certainly belong to the field of legends, being "echoes of the later events of the time of Vladimir and Yaroslav, who conquered Kyiv from Novgorod" ( Lovmyansky X. Russia and the Normans. M., 1985. S. 137). According to A.A. Shakhmatova, the oldest annalistic news about Oleg did not name his capital at all, from where he made the conquest of Kyiv (see: Shakhmatov A.A. Research on the most ancient Russian chronicle vaults. SPb., 1908. S. 543-544, 612).
8 The idea of ​​marriage with a commoner was swept aside by members of the princely families from the threshold. Rogneda, refusing her hand to Vladimir, reproached the groom for his origin from the housekeeper mother: "I don't want to undress the robichich [the son of a slave]..." Undressing the groom is an element of the old Russian wedding ceremony.

The Tale of Bygone Years, in fact, does not give any reason to consider Olga a Pskovite. All Olga's connections with Pskov (not with "Pleskov"!) Are limited in the annals by indicating that in the time of Nestor the Pskovites kept a relic that allegedly belonged to her - a sleigh, which, as the chronicle text allows one to guess, got them during a detour by Olga Novgorodsko-Pskovskaya earth. From the standpoint of modern historical knowledge, the inclusion of Olga's name in the history of Pskov - it doesn't matter whether it is its founder or a native - does not stand up to criticism, because archaeologists do not dare to date the formation of this city even to the beginning of the 11th century. Researchers are increasingly inclined to believe that in the IX - X centuries. the tribal center of the Pskov Krivichi was not Pskov, but Izborsk ( Cm.: Sedov V.V. The beginning of cities in Russia // Proceedings of the V International Congress of Slavic Archeology. 1-1. M., 1987 ). D. I. Ilovaisky unmistakably pointed out this weakest point of the “Pskov legend” in his time. Reflecting on the chronicle "Pleskov", he reasonably noted that "it is difficult to understand here our Pskov, then not only did not play any political role, but hardly even existed" ( Ilovaisky D.I. The likely origin of St. Princess Olga and the New Source about Prince Oleg // Ilovaisky D.I. Historical writings. Ch. 3rd. M., 1914. S. 441-448 ).

Long time correct solution the question of Olga's place of birth was hampered by the complete absence of any sources that refuted the "Pskov legend". But in 1888, Archimandrite Leonid (Kavelin) introduced into scientific use a previously unknown manuscript from the collection of A. S. Uvarov - the so-called Short Vladimir Chronicler (end of the 15th century). Then it became clear that in Kievan Rus there was a different, “pre-Pskov” version of the origin of the “foremother of the Russian princes” from Danube Bulgaria. This text read: “Igor, Oleg, marry in Bolgarech, they sing for him a princess named Olga, and be wise velmi” ( Leonid (Kavelin), archimandrite. Where was St. Russian Grand Duchess Olga // Russian antiquity. 1888. No. 7. S. 217 ).

Indeed, in the first half of the tenth century. there was a single city whose name could give the Russified form "Pleskov" - the Bulgarian Pliska or Pliskova (in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bmodern Shumen). Linguistic correspondence in this case is complete and undeniable. In favor of the identity of Pliska with the chronicle Pleskov, there are also many historical evidence. This ancient capital of the First Bulgarian Kingdom is repeatedly mentioned in the sources of the first half of the 9th-12th centuries. (the inscription of Khan Omortag, the writings of the Byzantine writers Leo the Deacon, Anna Komnenos, Kedrin, Zonara). Pliska was a large and densely populated city, with a huge pagan temple with an area of ​​more than 2000 m2, in the second half of the 9th century. rebuilt into a majestic Christian church. Burned down in 893 by the Hungarians, Pliska was abandoned for a while, and therefore the residence of the Bulgarian kings and archbishops was moved to Veliki Preslav. But the ruined city in the first quarter of the tenth century. revived, hosting prominent figures of the church and many representatives of the Bulgarian nobility, and then for a long time retained the importance of an outstanding cultural and spiritual center. Of course, this "Pleskov" was an incomparably more attractive fair for brides than the God-forsaken settlement of the Krivichi on the deserted banks of the Velikaya River.

It is worth noting that different lists of The Tale of Bygone Years contain the phrase about the arrival of Olga from Pleskov to Kyiv immediately after the message about the unsuccessful war of the Bulgarian Tsar Simeon with the Greeks and Hungarians. Both news, therefore, refer to the same region - the Balkans.

Olga's Bulgarian origin, however, does not yet mean that she was an ethnic Bulgarian 9 . The fact is that there is a message from the chronicler of 1606 from the Pogodinsky collection: “... marry Prince Igor Rurikovich in Pleskov, singing for himself Princess Olga, daughter of Tmutarkan, Prince of Polovtsy.” In view of the obvious anachronism of the mention here of the Polovtsy, who appeared in the southern Russian steppes only in the middle of the 11th century, this spoiled place can be restored as follows: “... marry Prince Igor Rurikovich in Pleskov, singing for yourself Princess Olga, daughter of the Prince of Tmutarkan”.

9 Bulgarian historians, relying on the established identity of Pliska and Pleskov, proclaim Olga a native Bulgarian, the niece of Tsar Simeon (888-927) (see: Nestor, archimandrite. Did Prince Svetoslav Igorevich, Prince Svetoslav Igorevich, exist in the dwelling of the Sea of ​​Bulgaria? // Spiritual culture. 1964. No. 12. S. 12-16; He is. Bulgarian tsar Simeon and Kievan Rus // Spiritual culture. 1965. No. 7-8. pp. 45-53; Chilingirov S. Kakvo e gave bulgarint to other people. Sofia, 1941). A.L. Nikitin, one of the Russian supporters of the Bulgarian version, is not satisfied here only with the personality of Olga's uncle. "The revision of the traditional chronology of the Tale of Bygone Years in relation to Oleg, Igor and Olga," he writes, "makes the possibility of such a close relationship between the latter and Simeon doubtful..." ( Nikitin A.L. Foundations of Russian history. M., 2000. S. 210). But the very fact of Olga's origin from the Bulgarian Pliska seems to him undeniable, which, in turn, is declared "an unambiguous evidence of her relationship with the reigning house of the First Bulgarian Kingdom and directly with Tsar Peter Simeonovich, who was alive at that time (the son and heir of Tsar Simeon. - S. C.)..." (There. S. 218). In support of this, the scientist refers to the honors that accompanied Olga’s two receptions in the palace of Constantine Porphyrogenitus: “The triple pricinesis (a bow, in which they prostrate on the floor), which is obligatory in such cases, was replaced for her only by a slight tilt of the head, and then, sitting in the presence of the empress and the emperor, she talked with the latter "as much as she wished" ( There. S. 217). The following chain of evidence is built. Peter Simeonovich was married to Maria-Irina, granddaughter of Emperor Roman I Lekapin (920-944); "in this case, Olga / Elga fell to the emperor (Konstantin Porphyrogenitus. - S. C.) a relative, which is why she was adopted in the inner chambers of the palace, where foreign ambassadors and foreigners in general were not allowed "( There. S. 218). Here it is appropriate to note that Olga was still neither an ambassador nor a "foreigner in general", but came to Constantinople as the head of a sovereign state, in connection with which she could rightfully count on special attention to herself. This means that the honors rendered to Olga were not due either to her property with the emperor, or family ties with the Bulgarian royal house, but are explained by her status as the Grand Russian Princess, "Archontissa of Russia." So, the description of Olga's receptions by Konstantin does not at all indicate that she was a native Bulgarian from the family of the rulers of the First Bulgarian Kingdom. By the way, if she were a Bulgarian princess, then, of course, she would have been baptized in infancy and would hardly have become the wife of a Russian pagan prince.

Olga really belonged to the highest nobility, the princely family. In Igor's treaty with the Greeks, she bears the title of princess and her ambassador is named immediately after the ambassadors of Igor and Svyatoslav - a significant argument in favor of Olga's clan nobility, especially if you remember that the treaties of Oleg and Svyatoslav do not mention their wives at all. “Princess from Pleskov” Olga is referred to in the Ermolin Chronicle (second half of the 15th century). From The Tale of Bygone Years, it is known that after her marriage with Igor, she received her own inheritance - the city of Vyshgorod; in addition, she owned the village of Olzhichi. Subsequently, the third part of the tribute collected in the "Derevskaya Land" went to the needs of her court. Even during the life of her husband, Olga had "her own squad" at her disposal. Finally, Olga ruled Kyiv during the minority of Svyatoslav and then - in those years when the matured prince was looking for "honor" in foreign lands. All this quite definitely indicates her belonging to some kind of sovereign family.
But who is this "Tmutarkan prince"?

Assessing the testimony of the Pogodinsky collection, it should be borne in mind that the ancient Russian Tmutorokan (on the Taman Peninsula) has a Danubian counterpart - the city of Tutrakan, which still exists (in the lower reaches of the Danube, not far from Silistra). The old Russian form "Tmutarkan" (from the Pogodin collection) is clearly closer to the Bulgarian version - Tutrakan, than to Tmutorokani from The Tale of Bygone Years. It is also extremely important that the appearance of “Prince Tmutarkan” in the text did not prevent the chronicler from the Pogodinsky collection from mentioning “Pleskov” again - we will not find a city with that name on the Taman Peninsula, and in Danube Bulgaria Tutrakan and Pliska are neighbors. It is worth noting that in the XII-XIV centuries, a part of the Polovtsian horde really roamed in the "Tutrakan" region of the Northern Danube. But under the pen of the chronicler of the early XVII century. Polovtsy, no doubt, took the place of some other people, which in the first half of the tenth century. inhabited Tutrakan and its environs.

We have no direct evidence of the ethnicity of the Tutrakan princes. But here's what's interesting: Tutrakan lies in the area that medieval sources allow us to conditionally call the Danube Rus. Here, on the Bulgarian Danube, there was a whole scattering of “Russian cities”, mentioned in the “List of Russian cities far and near” (XIV century): Vidychev grad (modern Vidin), Ternov (present-day Veliko Tarnovo, next to which the Rositsa River flows ), Kiliya (on the Kiliya branch of the Danube), Kavarna (50 km north of Varna), as well as "at the mouth of the Dniester above the Belgorod Sea" (modern Belgorod-Dniester). About sixty kilometers from Tutrakan, up the Danube, there is still the city of Ruse / Rus, and closer to Black Sea coast- the city of Rositsa. Perhaps Cardinal Caesar Baronius had in mind one of these “Russian” settlements when he mentioned a certain “Russian city”, in which the messengers of the Byzantine emperor Constantine Monomakh caught up with the papal ambassadors returning to Rome in the summer of 1054 (the message between Constantinople and Rome was carried out by Danube) ( Cm.: Ramm B.Ya. Papacy and Russia X-XV centuries. M., 1959. S. 58 ).

Finally, there is direct evidence of Olga’s ambassador named Iskusevi, who, of course, belonged to the closest circle of the princess, who in the treaty of 944 announced his (and, therefore, Olga’s) belonging to the “Russian family”. In one of the lists of the Pskov Chronicle (XVI century), it is reported that Olga's father was Russian, and her mother "from the Varangian language" ( Macarius, Metropolitan. History of Christianity in Russia. SPb., 1897. T. I. S. 228 ), which seems to also indicate Olga's ethnic ties with Slavic Pomorye; perhaps Olga's mother was a Wendish princess.

Hence it is very likely that the princes of Tutrakan were "from the Russian family."

Returning to the name of Olga's father "Polovtsian prince" ("daughter of Tmutarkan, the Polovtsian prince"), I note that the mixing of Russ with Polovtsy can be considered a fairly typical phenomenon for late medieval sources. For example, in the Serbian translation of the XIV century. additions to the Byzantine chronograph of Zonara we read: "The clans called Rus, Kuman [one of the names of the Polovtsians] exist, live in Evksin ..." In the Mazurin Chronicle there is a legend about five brothers - the ancestors of the peoples of Great Scythia: two of them were called Rus and Kuman . Thus, we have before us a stable tradition of "overlaying" the ethnonyms "Rus" and "Polovtsy" on each other, or their root connection. Its origin, apparently, is explained by the very widespread custom of medieval historiography to assign to the "new" peoples who have recently settled in the "ancient" land, the name of this land, which was attached to it much earlier. So, the Slavs, having penetrated into the "Great Scythia", became "Scythians", the Rus settled in the Crimea - "Tauris", "Tauro-Scythians", etc. As we have seen, Tutrakan was in an area that even in the 17th century, according to persuasion of ancient Russian scribes, "bysh Rus" (postscript to "The Tale of the Russian Literacy"). Therefore, the ethnonyms "Russian" and "Polovtsian" in this region could subsequently be synonyms.

The Tutrakan Ruses, of course, experienced a strong Bulgarian influence - political and cultural. The latter can be seen, for example, from the fact that Konstantin Porphyrogenitus reproduces the name of Olga from its Bulgarian version - Elga (Bulgarian Elga). It can be assumed that Olga in her adolescence was given to the court of the Bulgarian archbishop in Pliska / Pleskov, from where she was then "brought" to Kyiv as Igor's bride.

In conclusion, let us pay attention to the fact that Olgin's son, Svyatoslav, in full consciousness of his right, continued to consider the Bulgarian Danube "his" land: my…” (about this phrase sounds especially absurd in the "Norman" interpretation of the origin of the ancient Russian state). Obviously, for Svyatoslav, the lower reaches of the Danube could be "the middle of his land" only by virtue of hereditary rights to this territory, which had passed to him from Olga. In the story of Konstantin Porphyrogenitus about the annual voyage of the Kievan Rus to Tsargrad, it is said, among other things, that, having passed the Danube Delta, they are no longer “afraid of anyone” - that is, as follows from the meaning of the phrase, not only the Pechenegs, but also the Bulgarians. Sources did not retain indications of a conclusion in the first half of the 10th century. union Russian-Bulgarian treaty, by the presence of which they tried to explain this place in the work of Constantine ( Cm.: Litavrin G.G. Ancient Russia, Bulgaria and Byzantium in the 9th-10th centuries. // IX International Congress of Slavists. History, culture, ethnography and folklore of the Slavic peoples. M., 1983. S. 73-74 ). On the other hand, Igor’s marriage to the Tutrakan princess, directly or indirectly confirmed by several testimonies at once, perfectly clarifies the matter, exhaustively answering the question of why the ambassadors and combatants of the Kyiv prince felt at home in “Russian” (Danube) Bulgaria.

The most far-sighted historians have previously noted that “from the point of view of historical probability, the bringing of his wife to Igor from the Bulgarian city of Pliskov is more understandable than the appearance of Olga from Pskov, about which nothing else is known in the 10th century.”110. Indeed, the “Bulgarian-Russian” origin of Olga becomes quite clear in the light of the main direction of Russian expansion in the late 30s and early 40s. 10th century Strengthening the positions of the Kievan Rus in the Northern Black Sea region and the search for a wife for Igor in Pskov is a political absurdity. But taking possession of the mouth of the Dnieper and marrying a Bulgarian “Rusinka” are links in the same chain.

2 The first mentions of Olga in ancient Russian sources are found in Jacob Mnich and Metropolitan Hilarion, the authors of the second third of the 11th century. In their very brief characteristics The holy princess still lacks many details that were later included in the Tale of Bygone Years and Olga's life.

In a more detailed literary presentation, her biography looks like this. Back in 945, there lived Prince Igor. And he had a wife. The prince was hefty greedy and somehow decided to collect taxes twice from one legal entity. The face took offense and treacherously killed the tax collector. Olga found out about this, and the story of her revenge was recorded in The Tale of Bygone Years by a talented chronicler.

Since the bad Drevlyans wished to marry the widow to their own prince, they sent a delegation to her with a marriage proposal. Olga buried the first delegation alive, burned the second in a similar way, treacherously gave the third to drink and ordered the soldiers to kill. Just a chill on the skin from a simple statement of facts ... And if we also recall the final act of the drama, when the princess burned the capital of the Drevlyans to the ground, then not at all the most pleasant person rises before our eyes.

And, nevertheless, Olga was canonized by the holy church. Of course, not for her zealous observance of pagan rites of revenge, but for the fact that she became the first ruler of the country to adopt Christianity. The official version says that the revenge described above was beyond the woman’s strength, that the murdered appeared to her in nightmares, until one wise priest advised her to convert to Christianity, describing all the advantages of the rite of repentance. Olga obeyed, went to the center of Christianity at that time - Constantinople, in Byzantium (now Istanbul), found a godfather in the person of Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus, imbued with the ideas of faith and became its obvious champion, which successfully brought the general Christianization of Russia closer in 1000. A very “combed” character turned out ... What is really known about this amazing woman?

First of all - who is she by origin? History contradicts itself different versions, the most common of which is that Olga was a Norman princess named Helga and that she was a pupil of Oleg (“Prophetic Oleg”, the one who died from a snake bite). The Chronicles say that it was Oleg who “brought” Olga as a wife to Igor, his pupil, in 903. The proof of this theory can be considered the fact that Olga was highly respected by the Varangian squads, because there was not a single conspiracy against her within the state.

Perhaps she was a Slav from Pskov named Prekrasa. Renamed thanks to Oleg, who (in echoing the previous version) brought her to Igor. In favor of Pskov (as well as Izborsk) is the fact that of all Russian cities, it was they who were gifted by Olga with means more than all others.

Karamzin considers her a woman from a simple (ignorant) Russian family. She served as a carrier on the river, and one day Prince Igor himself became her passenger. He liked the girl, but he could not persuade her to a date in the bushes, for which he greatly respected and decided to marry immediately. A beautiful story, but very dubious. The first Ruriks were so full of desire to create a noble family of Ruriks that an unequal marriage was not in their interests.

However, all the legends agree on one thing: Olga was a "newcomer", not from Kiev. Perhaps that is why she managed to seize power so famously - in our country, there has long been much greater respect for "newcomers" than for "our own". Recall at least Catherine II.

We do not know anything about Olga's age either. When could she have been born? At what age could she have been married off to Igor? At what age did she give birth to her only (?) son Svyatoslav? Some historians consider the date of her birth to be 925. It is pleasant, of course, to consider her a young and beautiful widow of 20 years old, when in 945 she so cruelly avenged her dead husband. The date of birth of Svyatoslav, 942, also speaks in favor of this version. True, then the difference in the age of the spouses turns out to be around 40 years (the date of birth of Prince Igor is also unknown, but we know that he took the throne from Prince Oleg in 882, and was clearly already able to govern the state).

However, The Tale of Bygone Years says that Prince Oleg brought his pupil Igor a wife in 903, which automatically increases Olga's age by 25 years, at least. Could a woman who is under fifty give birth to a child? In principle, everything is possible ... Then the age difference between the spouses is not so great, although in this case the epithet "old husband" does not seem out of place. And spiritual impulses towards Christianity have a more stable foundation. In addition, nothing is known about the personal life of Princess Olga after the death of her husband. Leave the young widow alone? But at the age of 40, a woman was considered an old woman already in circulation - is she up to new marriages? Although the story of an innocent flirtation with Emperor Constantine is set forth in The Tale of Bygone Years, for some reason the emperor himself does not remember him in any way in his memoirs, although according to the chronicler he was so in love that he offered Olga marriage, although he had a completely legal spouse at the time.

I would like to believe in the love that connected Olga and Igor. I don’t want to think that she began to take revenge so terribly, guided only by political considerations. It is much more romantic to see in front of you a woman blinded by grief, who, for the sake of love, descends to revenge. In addition (!) Igor lived at a time when polygamy was a normal phenomenon - and, nevertheless, nothing is known about his "harem". Again, I hope that solely for romantic reasons, he did not take additional wives.

It turns out that we only know about the first famous Russian woman what the nameless chronicler told us, who created The Tale of Bygone Years much later than the events he describes. Is this why the image of Princess Olga is so attractive?