Prophetic Oleg - the legendary ancient Russian governor.
Prince of Novgorod (879-882)
Prince of Kiev (882-912)

The nickname Prophetic (that is, knowing the future), he received upon his return from a campaign against Byzantium in 907. He “refuses to accept poisoned food from the defeated Greeks (this is the gift of the seer, “Prophetic”) and nails the shield to the gates of Tsar-grad, “showing victory.”
The very name "Oleg" is of Scandinavian origin ("Angel").

Prince Oleg Prophetic

There are two versions about the origin of Oleg: some fragments from confusion in chronology according to the First Novgorod Chronicle and the traditional one set out in The Tale of Bygone Years, according to which Oleg is a relative of Rurik (brother of his wife Efanda, guardian of a minor). After the death of Rurik in 879, Oleg received the rule of the principality, since Igor was still small. For three years, Oleg remained in Novgorod and, after improving his situation, he and his squad set off south, along the Volkhov-Dnepr river line. Conquering cities along the way and capturing Kiev by cunning, Oleg is based here. Unites the two main centers of the Eastern Slavs (northern and southern) into the center of a united state, declaring: "Let Kiev be the mother of Russian cities." According to the chronicle, it was the Kievan Prince Prophetic Oleg who became the creator of the Old Russian state (Kiev Rus) and is traditionally dated to 882.

Kiev prince Prophetic Oleg

In the next 25 years, Oleg expands his power. He subordinated the Radimichi, Drevlyans and Northerners to Kiev, destroyed dependence on the Khazars. According to legend, Oleg told them: “I am an enemy to them, and I have no enmity with you. Don't give to the Khazars, but pay me." Having strengthened his influence by imposing tribute and protecting the borders from attacks by nomadic neighbors, in 907 Oleg went to Byzantium, on a military campaign to Constantinople. From the side of Byzantine authors there is not a single mention of the campaign, but some modern historians consider it legendary.

According to The Tale of Bygone Years, two thousand boats took part in the campaign, each with forty warriors. The Byzantine king blocked the road to the city - closed the gates and blocked the harbor with chains, but Oleg went on the assault in a different way: “And Oleg ordered his soldiers to make wheels and put ships on wheels. And when a favorable wind blew, they raised sails in the field and went to the city. Frightened, the Greeks offered Oleg peace and tribute, and as a sign of victory, Oleg nailed his shield to the gates of Constantinople. The main result of the campaign was the conclusion of an agreement that provided duty-free trade to Russian merchants. Under the contract Oleg for each oarlock he received 12 hryvnias, and in addition, Tsargrad undertook to pay tribute to Russian cities. In 911-912, Oleg sent his ambassadors to Constantinople to approve an agreement between the Greeks and Russia, but the mention of duty-free trade has already disappeared from the agreement. In this agreement, Oleg is called the "Grand Duke of Russia." The authenticity of the agreement is confirmed by linguistic analysis and is beyond doubt.

In the same year, 912, Oleg dies. There are several conflicting versions of the circumstances of the death of Prophetic Oleg, but everywhere there is a legend about death from a snake bite. According to the legends of The Tale of Bygone Years, the Magi predicted Oleg's death from his beloved horse. He ordered the horse to be taken away, and after four years, remembering the prediction, he laughed. Deciding to look at the bones of the horse, he stepped on the skull with his foot and said: “Should I be afraid of him?” But a poisonous snake lived in the skull, which stung Oleg.

In the Icelandic saga about Orvar Odd (XIII century), the hero receives a prediction from the offended prophetess and kills his horse. Already an old man, he stumbles over the skull of a horse, hits him with a spear, and a crawling snake stings Odd.

According to one chronicle version (which served Pushkin as the plot for the poem “The Song of the Prophetic Oleg”), Oleg died in Kiev, according to another - in the north and was buried in Ladoga, according to the third - across the sea.

After the death of Oleg, the process of the subsequent creation of the Rurikovich power became irreversible. It is difficult to overestimate his merits in this.

Great son of the Russian land - Prince Oleg Prophetic- the pagan and the great warrior-priest managed to rise above his own religious limitations in the name of the development of culture, enlightenment and the great future of the peoples of Russia, which became inevitable after they acquired one of their main treasures - Slavic writing and the Russian alphabet.

Contacts between the Khazars and the Slavs took place constantly and from ancient times, because they were neighboring peoples. Under the protection of the powerful Khazar Khaganate, the Slavs of the Dnieper region could engage in agriculture and trade. Slavic merchants descended along the Don and Volga to the Khazar capital, went out into the Caspian Sea, penetrated its southeastern shores and brought their goods on camels to the city of Baghdad.

The Russian historian V. Klyuchevsky wrote: “The Khazar yoke was not particularly hard and fearless for the Dnieper Slavs. On the contrary, by depriving the Eastern Slavs of external independence, it brought them great economic benefits. Since then, for the Dnieper, obedient tributaries of the Khazars, the steppe river roads were opened, which led to the Black Sea and Caspian markets. Under the auspices of the Khazars, a brisk trade from the Dnieper region began. In the eighth century, the Khazars began to take tribute from the Eastern Slavs.

It is said about this in the Russian chronicle: “The Khazars took tribute from the glades and from the northerners, and from the Vyatichi, they took a silver coin and a squirrel from smoke.” That is, from each residential building - a skin of a squirrel and a silver coin. The glades subsequently, obviously, were freed from this tax, as it is said in the annals: “The glades were oppressed by the Drevlyans and other surrounding people. And the Khazars found them... and said: "Pay tribute to us." The meadows, having consulted, gave a sword from the smoke. And the Khazars took them to their prince. And the Khazar elders said: “This is not a good tribute‚ to the prince: we searched for her weapons, sharp only on one side, that is, sabers, and these weapons are double-edged, that is, swords: they will someday collect tribute from us and from others The Khazars, obviously, retreated from the meadows and in return imposed tribute on the Radimichi, another Slavic tribe. In the Russian chronicle there is a mention that in 885 “Oleg sent to the Radimichi,” asking: “To whom do you give tribute?” They answered: "To the Khazars." And Oleg told them: "Don't give to the Khazars, but pay me." And they gave Oleg a crack, as they used to give to the Khazars.”

In the Cairo synagogue, in its geniz, a letter was found on parchment, which was written by Kiev Jews. Modern scientists have determined that the letter was written no later than 930, and if their conclusions are correct, this means that the earliest discovered reliable document relating to the history of Kiev was written in Hebrew and comes from the Jewish community of the city.

In their letter, the Jews of Kiev informed all the communities of the diaspora that a certain Yaakov bar Hanukkah - “the son of good people, the one who gives, and not the one who takes” - “became a victim of a cruel fate: his brother went and took a loan from the Gentiles, but Jacob became his guarantor. The brother went on the road, but the robbers came and killed him (brother) and took his money. Then the creditors came and seized Yaakov; they put iron shackles around his neck and bound his feet. And there (with them) he stayed for a whole year. And then we bailed him and paid sixty coins, and there was still a debt - forty coins ... ”With this cover letter, Yaakov bar Hanukkah went to the Jewish communities of the world to collect the missing money‚ and‚ perhaps even reached Cairo. “Our gentlemen…” was written in the letter. “Follow a good custom… And the Almighty will bless you and restore Jerusalem in your days‚ and bring deliverance to you‚ and to us together with you.”

In the lower corner of the letter there is a note in Turkic runes, which was apparently made by a Khazar official: “Hokurum” - “I have read”. Based on this letter, it can be assumed that in the first half of the tenth century a community of Jews already existed in Kiev, and their names are indicated in the cover letter - both traditionally Jewish: the head of the community Avraham ha-parnassus, Yitzhak, Reuven, Yehuda, and Khazar names: Kyabar, Savart, Manas, Manar and Kofin.

After the defeat of the Khazar Khaganate, the Jews, who inhabited it, dispersed to different countries. They had one way - to the Crimea. There was another way - to the Caucasus. The third way is probably to Central Asia‚ to Khorezm. Some fugitives even ended up in Spain; Abraham ibn Daud, a Jewish historian from Toledo, mentioned their descendants at the beginning of the twelfth century: “We saw some sons of their sons in Toledo - scientists ...” And there was also, of course, the path from Khazaria to Kiev, where the Jews lived then. The Russian historian of the eighteenth century V. Tatishchev, who happened to read the Russian chronicles that disappeared later, reported that the winner of the Khazar Khaganate, Svyatoslav, took a large number of Khazars to Kiev and settled them in different places - among them, probably, there were Jews.
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Jews came to Kiev not only from the east or from the Crimea, but also from European countries. It is known that from the ninth century, Jewish merchants passed through the Slavic lands, whom Arab historians called Radanites; they conducted the main trade of Europe with Asia. It is said about them in the “Book of Ways and States” by the Arab geographer Ibn-Khordadbha: “The path of the Jewish merchants Radanites, who speak Persian, Roman, Arabic, Frankish, Andalusian, Slavonic: they travel from west to east and from east to west by sea and land.

They carry eunuchs, maids, boys, silk, furs and swords... On the way back they take musk, aloe, camphor, cinnamon and other products of eastern countries...” Itil, and from there across the Caspian to India and China. Kiev was a junction station on the trade route, and in Jewish sources these merchants were called “Golchei Rusia” - going to Russia. This is how Jews from Europe and Khazaria met on the territory of Kievan Rus. There were two quarters in Kiev, one of which was called Kozary, and the other - Zhydov. Near the second quarter there was one of the gates of the city, the Zhidovskiye gates, which are mentioned in the Russian chronicle for 1151: defending Kiev from the Polovtsians, “Izyaslav Davydovich stood between the Golden Gates and the Zhidovskiye,” and Rostislav stood in front of the Zhidovskiye Gates.” Jews in Kievan Rus constituted a group of free people who were engaged in transit trade, which was extremely beneficial to the Kievan princes. They enjoyed freedom of movement‚ but lived mainly in cities‚ in special quarters. V. Tatishchev noted that in Kiev there was a synagogue in which the Jews locked themselves up during the turmoil of 1113 and withstood the siege until the arrival of Vladimir Monomakh.

The Russian chronicle says that in 986 Jews from Khazaria - "Jewish Kozars" - came to Grand Duke Vladimir to persuade him to accept Judaism. “Where is your land?” the prince asked them. “In Jerusalem,” the Jews replied. “Do you live there?” - “No,” they said, “for God was angry with our ancestors and scattered us across countries for our sins…” Then Vladimir said: “How do you teach others when you yourself are rejected by God and scattered? If God loved you, then you would not be scattered over foreign lands. Do you think to do such harm to us too?” And Vladimir, as you know, chose Christianity.

The Church struggled with Jewish influence, and in 1050 Metropolitan Hilarion wrote a polemical essay against the Jewish religion, “A Sermon on the Law of Moses and the Grace of Jesus Christ.” Hegumen of the Pechersk Monastery Theodosius taught Christians to live in peace with friends and enemies‚ “but with their enemies‚ and not with God’s… God’s enemies are: Jews‚ heretics‚ holding a crooked faith…” This same Theodosius “had the following habit: he got up many times at night and secretly from everyone went to the Jews and argued with them about Christ; reproached and vexed them, calling them apostates and transgressors; wished to be killed by them for confessing Christ.” The Jews did not kill him, but obviously argued with him and defended their faith. Metropolitan of Kiev John II forbade the sale of Christian slaves to Jews - out of fear that they would be converted to Judaism: Jews are lawless.” The connection with Byzantium led to the fact that the decrees of the councils directed against the Gentiles began to penetrate into Russia, and in the charter of Prince Yaroslav there is a law on excommunication for the cohabitation of a Christian with a “Busurman woman or a Jew.” And, nevertheless, the position of the Jews in Kiev was strong enough. Prince Izyaslav moved the market along with the shops from Podil, the lower part of the city, to its upper part, where the Jews lived, for which they paid him a lot of money.

At the end of the eleventh century, the number of Jews in Kiev increased, despite the sea, famine, raids of the Polovtsians: obviously, Jews from Central Europe moved there, fleeing the persecution of the crusaders. Grand Duke Svyatopolk II treated the Jews well, but after his death, the crowd rebelled against his wife and followers; not only the boyars were smashed, but the Jewish quarter was also destroyed - in 1113: “The Kiyans plundered the yard of Putyatin of the thousand, went to the Zhids and plundered.”

And in 1124 there was a big fire in Kiev, and the chronicle notes that almost the entire city burned out “and Zhidov was burned.” V. Tatishchev has a mention that Vladimir Monomakh allegedly ordered in 1126 “out of all Russian land all Jews send them out with all their possessions, and continue not to let them go, but will they secretly enter, rob and kill them freely ... From now on, there are no Jews in Russia ... ”But other historians dispute this fact.
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The Jews of Kievan Rus were not cut off from their compatriots in the West and in the East. They corresponded with each other, Jewish merchants traveled from country to country, they even sent their children to study from Kiev to Europe, to the best yeshivas of that time. The name of Rabbi Yitzhak from Russia, who studied in the city of Worms, in Germany, has been preserved. A certain Asher ben Sinai from Russia studied in the Spanish city of Toledo, and Rabbi Moshe from Kiev was either a student in the yeshiva of the famous Rabbi Yaakov Tam, the greatest authority of French and German Jewry, or met him during his trips around Europe. This same Rabbi Moshe from Kiev corresponded with the head of the yeshiva in Baghdad. It is also known that a certain Jew from Russia, whose native language was Slavic, met his relative in Thessaloniki. He enthusiastically described to him his journey to Eretz Israel, and under the impression of this story, the Jew from Russia also decided to go there.

Jews lived not only in Kiev, but also in Volyn, in the Galician lands, they also appeared in northeastern Russia. At the court of Grand Duke Andrei Bogolyubsky in Vladimir at the end of the twelfth century, there lived two Jews - Ephraim Moizich and Anbal Yasin from the Caucasus, the Grand Duke's housekeeper: they were participants in a conspiracy that ended in the murder of Andrei Bogolyubsky.

And then the Mongols attacked Kievan Rus. In 1240 they destroyed Kiev‚ and many Jews died there along with other inhabitants‚ and the rest fled. In Podolia, a grave monument to a certain Shmuel, apparently the head of the community, has been preserved since 1240, and the following inscription is engraved on it: “Death follows death. Great is our grief. This monument was erected over the grave of our teacher; we are left like a flock without a shepherd; God's wrath overtook us…”In the middle of the thirteenth century, Kiev was empty and devastated, there were two hundred houses in it, and the great princes again invited the Jews to settle in Kiev.

There is evidence of their presence in Russia in the annals for 1288. Talking about the death of Prince Vladimir Vasilkovich, who ruled in Volodymyr Volynsky, the chronicler noted: “And so the multitude of Volodimerians wept over him, men and wives and children, Germans, and Surozhets, and Novgorodtsy, and Zhidov ...

This material is useful for history teachers, as well as class teachers working in grade 6. In connection with the age characteristics and different degrees of preparedness of students, multi-level tasks are used in the quiz. Questions on the culture and life of Ancient Russia were prepared for the quiz, students work with historical portraits of the first Russian princes, documents, dates and terms.

Goals:

Actualization and systematization of the studied material on the history of Russia.

Tasks:

To expand the worldview of students, to activate the desire to work independently with various sources of information;

Increasing the motivation of students to study history;

Cohesion of the student team, the formation of the ability to work in a team;

Development of literate oral speech skills.

Explanation for organizers

Venue and equipment:

It is recommended to hold the game in the assembly hall of the school, where it is convenient to place players and spectators on the stage in the hall. The game can be played by 2-4 teams. The number of players in the team is 5-6 people. Teams pre-select captains. High school students are invited to the jury. The game requires posters with the names of the tours, an hourglass, music (V. Dobrynin's song "I want to know everything"). Each team member must have clean sheets and pens with them. The duration of the quiz is 60 minutes.

Rules of the game.

The host explains the rules of the game to the players and spectators:

Our game consists of eight rounds. In each round you will be given a variety of tasks and questions. Your task is to discuss the question in the team and then give an answer. If you know the answer beforehand, you can give an early answer. For each correct answer, the team receives 2 points. For an incomplete answer or addition, the team receives 1 point. 1 point is deducted for a hint. All your answers and points will be recorded by the jury. At the end of the game, the jury will sum up the results: they will determine the winning team, i.e. the one with the most points. If the teams get the same number of points, a blitz tournament is held.

Summarizing.

The winners receive memorable gifts and certificates. The rest of the players receive promotional prizes. All participants receive fives in the magazine and a great mood.

I Tour. Warm up. (time 30 seconds)

Moderator: Team captains take part in this competition.

1. How did the Varangians differ from the Normans and Vikings. (Nothing. In Russia, the northern Germans were called Varangians, and in Western Europe they were called Normans and Vikings.)

2. In what language did Genghis Khan read and write? (Genghis Khan could not read and write).

3. Why, according to Russian custom, were guests greeted with bread and salt? (This drives away evil spirits.)

4. To whom could the boyars “show the way” from Novgorod? (To the prince of Novgorod, if his reign did not suit the boyars).

5. What rulers of the Middle Ages lived in the "barn"? (Khans of the Golden Horde. Barn - palace).

6. When were the Russian soldiers forced to meet the "Pig"? (During the Battle of the Ice in 1242).

7. Who was called a lapotnik in Russia? (Peasant).

II Tour. Where did it come from...(time 30 seconds)

Host: We often hear and use catchphrases. You have to explain the origin of these expressions.

1. What is the history of the expression "mind me"? (The ancient Slavs revered the deceased ancestor, who was called "chur" or "shchur." The expression "chur, me!" At that time meant "keep me, ancestor."

2. Why do they say: “write from the red line”? (Capital letters in ancient times were written in red ink - cinnabar, hence the "red line").

3. Explain the expression "rolling up your sleeves" and "sleeve down"? (In Ancient Russia, clothes were sewn with long sleeves that replaced gloves. If a person had to do something in clothes with such sleeves, he did it badly (“sleeve down”). for a working person: “rolls up his sleeves”, and about a lazy person: “works through his sleeves”.)

5. What is the origin of the expression "darkness-darkness"? (Darkness is part of the Mongol army (10,000 soldiers) of Genghis Khan. Hence the "darkness-darkness" - countless).

III Round.Three offers. (time 2 minutes)

The facilitator reads the document. Students need to listen carefully and convey the content of the document in three simple sentences. The winner is the one whose story is shorter and at the same time accurately conveys the content.

“... Having gone to war, do not be lazy, do not rely on the governor; indulge neither in drink nor in food, nor in sleep; dress up the watchmen yourself, and at night, placing guards on all sides, lie down near the soldiers, and get up early; and do not take off your weapons in a hurry, without looking around, out of laziness, suddenly a person dies. Beware of lies, and drunkenness, and fornication, because the soul perishes and the body from that. Wherever you go on your way through your lands, do not let the youths harm either your own, or strangers, or villages, or crops, so that they do not curse you ... ”(“ Teachings ”by Vladimir Monomakh).

IV Tour. Word vertical.(time 4 minutes)

Host: Unusual words are written on the left. These are the names of the cities of Ancient Russia, which were attacked by the Mongol-Tatars. The order of the letters is broken in the words (as in an anagram). In addition, each word has an extra letter. It is required to restore the order of letters in accordance with the names of ancient cities, and place the extra letter in the column on the right.

RVETA - (Tver)

SKZEOLKA - (Kozelsk)

RIMDILAVO - (Vladimir)

NZARYAV - (Ryazan)

V round. Spiritual wealth of Russia.(time 30 seconds)

1. Why is the alphabet of the Russian language called Cyrillic? (In honor of one of the brothers - the Bulgarian enlighteners Cyril and Methodius. More than a thousand years ago they invented Slavic writing).

2. What was the name of the main temple of Baptized Russia? (Tithing Church or Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos).

3. What was the main gate of Kiev called? (Golden).

4. What is the same name for the main temples of the XI century in Kiev, Novgorod and Polotsk? (Sofia).

5. What city does the chronicle call "the mother of Russian cities"? (Kiev).

6. What is the origin of the word "chronicle"? (The story about the events of each year in the chronicle begins with the words: “in the summer ...”. Hence the “chronicle”).

7. Name one of the most ancient cities of Russia, which was called "Lord Great" and "Sovereign"? (Novgorod).

8. The first Russian saints, patrons of the Russian Land and the princely family. (Boris and Gleb).

VI Tour. Who said?(time 30 seconds)

Leading: Determine which of the ancient Russian princes the following statements belong to:

"Go home with tribute, and I'll come back and look like more." (Igor).

"Do not give to the Khazars, but give me tribute." (Svyatoslav).

"Go back: our fathers did not accept your faith and I do not want to." (Vladimir).

“I can no longer resurrect my prince. But I want to honor you tomorrow in front of my people.” (Olga).

VII Round. Chronograph.(time 30 seconds)

Host: Listen to the poems. What historical events are we talking about?

1. For you - centuries, for us - a single hour.

We, like obedient serfs,

Held a shield between two hostile races

Mongols and Europe.

(We are talking about the fact that after the conquest of Russia, the Mongols did not have the strength left for a successful campaign in Central Europe).

2. They flew over the ice with a clang, with thunder,

Leaning towards shaggy manes;

And the first on a huge horse

The prince got into the German system.

(This is the victory of Prince Alexander Nevsky on Lake Peipsi. The battle went down in history as the Battle of the Ice).

3. But in awe of proud Byzantium

And in memory of all ages

Nailed his shield with the coat of arms of Russia

To the Tsargrad Gates.

(About the campaign of Prince Oleg to Tsargrad-Constantinople in 907).

4. Let the Russians have less strength

But Kolovrat does not know fear

He has already blunted his sword,

He raises the Mongolian sword.

(The Tatar-Mongols besieged the fortress city of Ryazan. The Ryazans sent the boyar Yevpaty Kolovrat for help to Tver. But Tver refused. Kolovrat returned to Ryazan, but found the city destroyed. a small squad of Russians who attacked now in one place, then in another. The Russians fought with extraordinary fury, not giving mercy to anyone and not taking prisoners).

VIII Tour. Confusion. (time 20 minutes).

Moderator: The teams are offered a scene with the participation of 6th grade students, in which historical mistakes were made. The task of the teams is to detect inaccuracies in the staging.

Author. It was 980 years from the birth of Christ. Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich of Kiev was having a hard time recovering from his disturbing sleep, sitting on the couch. In the prince's chambers, an old clock was quietly ticking. Anxiety overcame the prince. Polovtsian raids threatened Russia. Fight them now.

Vladimir. The squad is unhappy: we often go hiking. Ilya Muromets is tired: either he will drag the Nightingale the Robber, or the Serpent-Gorynych. Everyone is asking for a squad. Alyosha Popovich will constantly fight with someone at a feast. Oh, these feasts are princely, one expense with them! Even though you treat only combatants, it’s all expensive: everyone eats and drinks for three, if only they fought like that.

Dobrynya. Bad news, prince. The messenger has arrived. Polovtsy go to Russia.

Vladimir. Oh, goodness! You bring bad news. Go get your squad.

Mistakes.

1. The name of the prince of Kiev was Vladimir Svyatoslavich.

2. There were no sofas at the time of Vladimir. The prince slept on the bed.

3. At that time there were no wall clocks.

4. In 980, the Polovtsy did not attack Russia. The danger came from the Vyatichi, against whom Prince Vladimir twice went on campaigns and imposed tribute on them.

5. The Nightingale the Robber and the Serpent Gorynych are literary characters.

6. Ilya Muromets and Alyosha Popovich could not meet together at feasts, because they lived at different times.

7. At princely feasts, not only combatants were treated, but also ordinary people.

Blitz tournament questions. (time 30 seconds)

1. Who was called a hero in Russia? (Brave warrior, defender of the Russian land).

2. What main heroes do you know? (Svyatogor, Ilya Muromets, Alyosha Popovich, Dobrynya Nikitich).

Staraya Ladoga in the Leningrad region, especially in early spring, evokes memories of "giving antiquity deep." The history of the Slavic principalities flowed here. I remember the legendary prince - Prophetic Oleg, who, according to the prediction, "accepted death from his horse." Oleg united the lands of the Slavic peoples from Veliky Novgorod to Kiev, nailed a shield to the walls of the surrendered Tsargrad (Constantinople) as a sign of victory. He ruled as a regent under the young prince Igor, the son of his relative Rurik. Having won victories and establishing their laws, "Oleg lived, the prince in Kiev, having peace with all countries."

Stone fortress (9th century) in Staraya Ladoga, built by Prophetic Oleg. The original building erected by his predecessor, Prince Rurik, was wooden. Over the centuries, the fortress was rebuilt, destroyed and rebuilt.

According to legend, Prophetic Oleg himself was a sorcerer, as evidenced by his nickname. Among the ancient Slavs, the rulers were usually sorcerer priests. The prince, possessing the secret knowledge of the Magi, conquered the peoples, and even the mighty Tsargrad submitted to him. Only before his fate, the prince was not powerful. A local magician predicted his death.
We know about Prophetic Oleg only from ancient chronicles, as it was in reality, it is difficult to judge now.

Oleg's victories are written in The Tale of Bygone Years.
"In the year 6390 (882). Oleg went on a campaign, taking with him many warriors: Varangians, Chud, Slovenian, measure, all, Krivichi, and came to Smolensk with Krivichi, and took power in the city, and planted his husband in it From there he went down, and took Lyubech, and also planted his husband. And they came to the mountains of Kiev, and Oleg found out that Askold and Dir reigned here. He hid some soldiers in the boats, and left the others behind, and he himself proceeded, carrying the baby Igor. And he swam to the Ugorskaya mountain, hiding his soldiers, and sent to Askold and Dir, telling them that "we are merchants, we are going to the Greeks from Oleg and Prince Igor. Come to us, to your relatives."

When Askold and Dir arrived, everyone else jumped out of the boats, and Oleg Askold and Dir said: "You are not princes and not a princely family, but I am a princely family," and showed Igor: "And this is the son of Rurik." And they killed Askold and Dir, carried them to the mountain and buried Askold on the mountain, which is now called Ugorskaya, where Olmin's court is now; on that grave Olma built the church of St. Nicholas; and Dir's grave is behind the church of St. Irina. And Oleg, the prince, sat down in Kiev, and Oleg said: "May this be the mother of Russian cities." And he had Varangians, and Slavs, and others, nicknamed Rus. That Oleg began to establish cities and established tributes to Slovenes, and Krivichi, and Mary, and established the Varangians to pay tribute from Novgorod at 300 hryvnias annually in order to preserve peace, which was given to the Varangians until the death of Yaroslav.

In the year 6391 (883). Oleg began to fight against the Drevlyans and, having conquered them, took tribute from them for the black marten.

In the year 6392 (884). Oleg attacked the northerners, and defeated the northerners, and laid a light tribute on them, and did not order them to pay tribute to the Khazars, saying: "I am their enemy" and you (they) have no need to pay.

In the year 6393 (885). "Khazars". And Oleg told them: "Don't give to the Khazars, but pay me." And they gave Oleg a crack, just like they gave the Khazars. And Oleg ruled over the meadows, and the Drevlyans, and the northerners, and the Radimichi, and fought with the streets and Tivertsy.

Hike to Tsargrad

About Oleg's campaign against Tsargrad, the chronicler writes:
"In the year 6415 (907). Oleg went to the Greeks, leaving Igor in Kiev; he took with him a lot of Varangians, and Slavs, and Chuds, and Krivichs, and Measures, and Drevlyans, and Radimichis, and Polyans, and northerners, and Vyatichi, and Croats, and Dulebs, and Tivertsy, known as interpreters: these were all called by the Greeks "Great Scythia". And with these all Oleg went on horseback and in ships; and there were 2000 ships. And he came to Constantinople: the Greeks closed The court, and the city was closed. And Oleg went ashore, and began to fight, and did many murders in the vicinity of the city to the Greeks, and they broke many chambers, and burned the churches. And those who were captured, some were cut off, others were tortured, others they shot, and some were thrown into the sea, and many other evils were done by the Russians to the Greeks, as enemies usually do.

And Oleg ordered his soldiers to make wheels and put ships on wheels. And when a favorable wind blew, they raised sails in the field and went to the city. The Greeks, seeing this, were frightened and said, sending to Oleg: "Do not destroy the city, we will give you whatever tribute you want." And Oleg stopped the soldiers, and brought him food and wine, but did not accept it, since it was poisoned. And the Greeks were frightened, and said: "This is not Oleg, but Saint Dmitry, sent to us by God." And Oleg ordered to give tribute to 2000 ships: 12 hryvnia per person, and there were 40 husbands in each ship.

And the Greeks agreed to this, and the Greeks began to ask for peace, so that the Greek land would not fight. Oleg, having moved a little away from the capital, began negotiations for peace with the Greek kings Leon and Alexander and sent Karl, Farlaf, Vermud, Rulav and Stemid to them in the capital with the words: "Pay tribute to me." And the Greeks said: "Whatever you want, we'll give you." And Oleg ordered to give his soldiers 12 hryvnias per oarlock for 2000 ships, and then pay tribute to Russian cities: first of all for Kiev, then for Chernigov, for Pereyaslavl, for Polotsk, for Rostov, for Lyubech and for other cities: for according to to these cities sit the great princes, subject to Oleg.

Oleg nails the shield to the gates of Tsargrad

"When the Russians come, let them take the content for the ambassadors as much as they want; and if the merchants come, let them take the monthly allowance for 6 months: bread, wine, meat, fish and fruits. And let them arrange a bath for them - as much as they want. When the Russians go home let them take food from the king for the road, anchors, ropes, sails, and whatever they need."

And the Greeks undertook, and the tsars and all the boyars said: “If the Russians do not come for trade, then let them not take a monthly allowance; let the Russian prince by decree forbid the Russians coming here to commit excesses in the villages and in our country. Let the Russians coming here live near the church holy Mammoth, and they will send to them from our kingdom, and rewrite their names, then they will take the month that is due to them - first those who came from Kiev, then from Chernigov, and from Pereyaslavl, and from other cities. And let them enter the city only through one gate, accompanied by a royal husband, without weapons, 50 people each, and trade as much as they need, without paying any fees.

Archaeological excavations are underway here, the green veranda is archaeologists

Having concluded a favorable peace with Byzantium, the prince issued a code of laws punishing criminals on both sides.
“About this: if someone kills, a Russian Christian or a Russian Christian, let him die at the scene of the murder. Let the murderer keep what is due to her by law, but if the fugitive murderer turns out to be indigent, then let him remain under the court until he is found, and then let him die.

If someone strikes with a sword or beats with some other weapon, then for that blow or beating let him give 5 liters of silver according to Russian law; if the one who committed this offense is poor, then let him give as much as he can, so that he will take off the very clothes in which he walks, and on the remaining unpaid amount, let him swear by his faith that no one can help him, and let him not this balance is collected from him.

Inside the fortress

About this: if a Russian steals from a Christian or, on the contrary, a Christian from a Russian, and the thief is caught by the victim at the very time when he commits the theft, or if the thief prepares to steal and is killed, then his death will not be exacted either from Christians or from Russians; but let the afflicted take what is his that he has lost. But if the thief voluntarily surrenders himself, then let him be taken by the one from whom he stole, and let him be bound, and give back what he stole in threefold.

The legend of the death of Prophetic Oleg was told in verse by A.S. Pushkin. The poet was inspired by the story of the historian Nikolai Karamzin, which was included in the book "History of the Russian State":
“The Magi,” the Chronicler says, “foretold the Prince that he was destined to die from his beloved horse. From that time on, he did not want to ride it. Four years passed: in the autumn of the fifth, Oleg remembered the prediction, and hearing that the horse had died long ago , laughed at the Magi; wanted to see his bones; stood with his foot on the skull and said: should I be afraid of him? But a snake lurked in the skull: it stung the Prince, and the Hero died "... Respect for the memory of great men and curiosity to know everything that touches them, favors such inventions and communicates them to distant descendants. We can believe and not believe that Oleg was actually stung by a snake on the grave of his beloved horse, but the imaginary prophecy of the Magi or magicians is an obvious folk fable, worthy of remark in its antiquity "

Dachas of Staraya Ladoga

Viktor Vasnetsov's illustrations for Pushkin's poem, which were included in the anniversary edition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the poet

The young 23-year-old Pushkin, having become interested in the legend, wrote the poem "The Song of the Prophetic Oleg".

From the dark forest towards him
There is an inspired magician,
Submissive to Perun, the old man alone,
The promises of the future messenger,
In prayers and divination spent the whole century.
And Oleg drove up to the wise old man.

"Tell me, sorcerer, favorite of the gods,
What will happen in my life?
And soon, to the delight of neighbors-enemies,
Will I cover myself with grave earth?
Tell me the whole truth, don't be afraid of me:
You will take a horse as a reward for anyone.

"Magi are not afraid of mighty lords,
And they do not need a princely gift;
Truthful and free is their prophetic language
And friendly with the will of heaven.
The coming years lurk in the mist;
But I see your lot on a bright forehead,

Now remember my word:
Glory to the Warrior is a joy;
Your name is glorified by victory;
Your shield is on the gates of Tsaregrad;
And the waves and the land are submissive to you;
The enemy is jealous of such a wondrous fate.

And the blue sea is a deceptive shaft
In the hours of fatal bad weather,
And a sling, and an arrow, and a crafty dagger
Spare the winner years ...
Under formidable armor you know no wounds;
An invisible guardian is given to the mighty.

Your horse is not afraid of dangerous labors:
He, sensing the master's will,
That meek stands under the arrows of enemies,
It rushes across the battlefield,
And the cold and cutting him nothing.
But you will accept death from your horse.

Time passed ... But death from the horse did not come, the prince began to laugh at the soothsayer.

Mighty Oleg bowed his head
And he thinks: “What is fortune-telling?
Magician, you deceitful, mad old man!
I would despise your prediction!
My horse would carry me to this day."
And he wants to see the bones of the horse.

Here comes the mighty Oleg from the yard,
Igor and old guests are with him,
And they see: on a hill, near the banks of the Dnieper,
Noble bones lie;
The rains wash them, their dust falls asleep,
And the wind excites the feather grass above them.

The prince quietly stepped on the horse's skull
And he said: “Sleep, lonely friend!
Your old master has outlived you:
At the funeral feast, already close,
It's not you who will stain the feather grass under the ax
And drink my ashes with hot blood!

So that's where my death lurked!
The bone threatened me with death!”
From the dead head the coffin serpent
Meanwhile, hersing crawled out;
Like a black ribbon wrapped around the legs:
And suddenly the stung prince cried out.

The grave-mound of Prophetic Oleg near Staraya Ladoga, according to the Novgorod Chronicle, according to the Tale of Bygone Years, Oleg was buried on Mount Shchekovitsa in the Kiev region.

The death of Oleg from a snakebite is mentioned in the First Novgorod Chronicle.
“And nicknamed and Oleg prophetic; and byahu people of trash and ignorance. Oleg went to Novgorod, and from there to Ladoga. Friends say, as if I was going to him across the sea, and I will peck (bit) a snake in the leg, and from that I will die: there is his grave in Ladoza ".

View from the prince's mound

The legend of Oleg's death is described by Mikhail Lomonosov in his historical works Ancient Russian History.
“A marvelous story remained about his death, which has a probability as far as antiquity. Before the war, Oleg Magi asked the Greeks what the end of his life would happen to him. The answer was that he would die from his beloved horse. bring to oneself, but put and feed in a special place.Returning from Greece at the age of four, during the autumn he remembered it.

He called the elder of the grooms and asked if the horse was alive. Hearing that he had died, the sorcerer laughed. “False,” he said, “all your fortune-telling: the horse is dead, but I am alive; I want to see his bones and show you in reproof.” So, he rode to the place where the bare bones lay, and, seeing a bare forehead, he got off his horse, stepped on it and said: “Is it possible for me to die?”. Suddenly, a snake, coming out of his forehead, stung him in the leg, from which he fell ill and died, reigning for thirty-three years. All the people cried a lot about him. He was buried on Mount Shchekovice, and his grave was visible during the time of the chronicler Nestor.

Neighboring barrows

Ladles are circular, foaming, hissing
At the feast of the deplorable Oleg;
Prince Igor and Olga are sitting on a hill;
The squad is feasting at the shore;
Fighters commemorate past days
And the battles where they fought together.

The 19th century historian Nikolai Karamzin writes that the subjects mourned the death of the prince.
“Much more important and more reliable is that the Chronicler tells about the consequences of Oleg’s death: the people groaned and shed tears. What can be said stronger and more striking in praise of the Sovereign of the deceased? in him is a brave, skillful leader, and a defender of the people. - Having attached to his Power the best, richest countries of present-day Russia, this Prince was the true founder of its greatness.

Prince's barrow at sunset

I remembered the lines from the songs of "Aria". So buried the rulers of antiquity, who ruled "by fire and sword."

At dawn, the jackal forgot about hunger
Follows from the hill for the gloomy cavalry in the distance
Today on a rainy day - the Lord of the world is dead
Both old and young cannot hold back their tears.
He is a good ruler, he was the sun and was the moon.
The empire remained his widow...

He will be buried in a jade coffin
In the empty steppe, where the jackal dreams of carrion
And thousands of horses will trample his way
So that the crying of the human dream of a dead man does not defile ...