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 Kiev, 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, was 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 graveyards (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 Kiev. 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 the 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 -

Having completed the "dispensation" of the state and streamlined the collection of tribute, Princess Olga thought about choosing a new faith. She was the first of the rulers of Russia to accept Christianity.

Remaining a pagan, Olga for many years observed the life of Christians, of whom there were already many in Kiev. As early as the end of 866, Patriarch Photius of Constantinople, in his "District Epistle" sent to the hierarchs of the Eastern Church, reported on the baptism of the Kievan Rus in Byzantium. In the Russian-Byzantine peace treaty of 944, in addition to pagans, Christians were mentioned in the squad and retinue of Prince Igor. They took an oath of allegiance to the clauses of the agreement in the Hagia Sophia. In Kiev in the era of Olga, there were several Christian churches and the cathedral church of St. Elijah.

  Olga's interest in Christianity. Having become the ruler of the Kiev state, Princess Olga began to look closely at the religious teaching, which was followed by many European countries. Gradually, Olga came to the conclusion that the adoption of a new faith could unite the country even more, put it on a par with other Christian states of the world. She was seized by the desire to visit Constantinople, to see the splendor of its temples and to meet the emperor, and then to receive holy baptism.

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

  Contemporary testimony. The German "Chronicle" and Byzantine sources mention the baptism of the Russian princess, among which the treatise of Konstantin Porphyrogenitus "On the ceremonies of the Byzantine court", where he describes two receptions of Olga Rosskaya in Constantinople, is of particular interest to us. Basileus' writing allows us to restore the true course of events that led to Olga's baptism.

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

  Magnificent ceremony. Emperor Constantine received Princess Olga in the Golden Chamber of the Grand Palace. The ceremony was staged with the usual pomp. The sovereign sat on a throne, which was an amazing work of art. Olga entered the hall accompanied by close relatives. In addition to them, there were 20 ambassadors and 43 merchants in the retinue. Bowing with dignity to the emperor, she presented him with her gifts. Basileus the Romans did not utter a word. A courtier, a dromologophet, spoke on his behalf. This ended the reception.

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

The mysterious personality of Princess Olga gave rise to many legends and conjectures. Some historians represent her as a cruel Valkyrie, famous for centuries for her terrible revenge for the murder of her husband. Others draw the image of a gatherer of lands, a true Orthodox and saint.

Most likely, the truth lies in the middle. However, something else is interesting: what character traits and life events led this woman to rule the state? After all, almost unlimited power over men - the army was subordinate to the princess, there was not a single rebellion against her rule - not every woman is given. And the glory of Olga is difficult to underestimate: the saint is equal to the apostles, the only one from the Russian lands, is revered by both Christians and Catholics.

Olga's origin: fiction and reality

There are many versions of the origin of Princess Olga. The exact date of her birth is unclear, let's focus on the official version - 920.

It is also unknown about her parents. The earliest historical sources "The Tale of Bygone Years" and "Book of Powers" (XVI century)- they say that Olga was from an humble family of Varangians who settled in the vicinity of Pskov (the village of Vybuty).

Later historical document "Typographic chronicle" (XV century) tells that the girl was the daughter of Prophetic Oleg, the tutor of her future husband, Prince Igor.

Some historians are sure of the noble Slavic origin of the future ruler, who originally bore the name of Beautiful. Others see her Bulgarian roots, allegedly Olga was the daughter of the pagan prince Vladimir Rasate.

Video: Princess Olga

The secret of Princess Olga's childhood is slightly revealed by her first appearance on the stage of historical events at the moment of her acquaintance with Prince Igor.

The most beautiful legend about this meeting is described in the Book of Powers:

Prince Igor, who was crossing the river, saw a beautiful girl in the boatman. However, his harassment was immediately suppressed.

According to the legends, Olga answered: “Let me be young and humble, and alone here, but know that it is better for me to throw myself into the river than to endure reproach.”

From this story, we can conclude that, firstly, the future princess was very beautiful. Some historians and painters captured her charms: a young beauty with a graceful figure, cornflower blue eyes, dimples on her cheeks and a thick braid of straw hair. A beautiful image was also obtained by scientists who recreated the portrait of the princess from her relics.

The second thing to note is the complete absence of frivolity and the bright mind of the girl, who at the time of the meeting with Igor was only 10-13 years old.

In addition, some sources indicate that the future princess was literate and knew several languages, which clearly does not correspond to her peasant roots.

Indirectly confirms the noble origin of Olga and the fact that the Rurikovichs wanted to strengthen their power, and they did not need a rootless marriage - and Igor had a wide choice. Prince Oleg had been looking for a bride for his mentor for a long time, but none of them forced the image of the obstinate Olga out of Igor's thoughts.

Olga: the image of the wife of Prince Igor

The union of Igor and Olga was quite prosperous: the prince made trips to neighboring lands, and his loving wife was expecting her husband and managed the affairs of the principality.

Full trust in the pair is also confirmed by historians.

"Joachim Chronicle" says that "then Igor had other wives, but Olga, because of her wisdom, honored her more than others."

The only thing that marred the marriage was the absence of children. The prophetic Oleg, who made numerous human sacrifices to the pagan gods in the name of the birth of an heir to Prince Igor, died without waiting for a happy moment. With the death of Oleg, Princess Olga also lost her newborn daughter.

In the future, the loss of babies became habitual, all children did not live up to a year. Only after 15 years of marriage, the princess gave birth to a healthy, strong son, Svyatoslav.

Death of Igor: the terrible revenge of Princess Olga

The first act of Princess Olga in the role of a ruler, immortalized in the annals, is terrifying. The Drevlyans, who did not want to pay tribute, captured - and literally tore Igor's flesh, tying him to two bent young oaks.

By the way, such an execution was considered “privileged” in those days.

At one point, Olga became a widow, the mother of a 3-year-old heir - and in fact the ruler of the state.

Princess Olga meets the body of Prince Igor. Sketch, Vasily Ivanovich Surikov

The extraordinary mind of the woman manifested itself here too, she immediately surrounded herself with confidants. Among them was the governor Sveneld, who enjoys authority in the princely squad. The army unquestioningly obeyed the princess, and this was necessary for her revenge for her dead husband.

20 ambassadors of the Drevlyans, who arrived to woo Olga for their lord, were first honorably carried in a boat in their arms, and then with her - and buried alive. The ardent hatred of the woman was evident.

Bending over the pit, Olga asked the unfortunates: “Is honor good for you?”

This did not end, and the princess demanded more noble matchmakers. Having heated a bathhouse for them, the princess ordered them to be burned. After such impudent deeds, Olga was not afraid of revenge against her, and went to the lands of the Drevlyans to perform a feast on the grave of her deceased husband. Having drunk 5 thousand enemy soldiers during a pagan ritual, the princess ordered them all to be killed.

Further - worse, and the vengeful widow besieged the Drevlyan capital Iskorosten. After waiting for the surrender of the city all summer, and losing patience, Olga once again resorted to tricks. Having asked for a "light" tribute - 3 sparrows from each house - the princess ordered burning branches to be tied to the paws of birds. The birds flew to their nests - and as a result, they burned the whole city.

At first, it would seem that such cruelty speaks of the inadequacy of a woman, even taking into account the loss of her beloved husband. However, it should be understood that in those days, the more violent the revenge, the more respected the new ruler.

With her cunning and cruel act, Olga established her power in the army and achieved the respect of the people, refusing to remarry.

Wise ruler of Kievan Rus

The threat of the Khazars from the south and the Varangians from the north required the strengthening of princely power. Olga, having traveled even to her distant destinies, divided the lands into plots, established a clear procedure for collecting tribute and put her people in charge, thereby preventing the indignation of the people.

This decision was prompted by the experience of Igor, whose squads robbed according to the principle "as much as they can carry."

It was for her ability to govern the state and prevent problems that Princess Olga was popularly called wise.

Although the son of Svyatoslav was considered the official ruler, Princess Olga herself was in charge of the actual administration of Russia. Svyatoslav followed in the footsteps of his father, and was engaged exclusively in military activities.

In foreign policy, Princess Olga faced a choice between the Khazars and the Varangians. However, the wise woman chose her own path, and turned towards Constantinople (Constantinople). The Greek direction of foreign policy aspirations was beneficial to Kievan Rus: trade developed, and people exchanged cultural values.

Having stayed in Constantinople for about 2 years, the Russian princess was most of all struck by the rich decoration of Byzantine churches and the luxury of stone buildings. Upon returning to her homeland, Olga will begin the widespread construction of stone palaces and churches, including in Novgorod and Pskov possessions.

She was the first to build a city palace in Kiev and her own country tower.

Baptism and Politics: All for the Good of the State

Olga was persuaded to Christianity by a family tragedy: the pagan gods for a long time did not want to give her a healthy baby.

One of the legends says that in painful dreams the princess saw all the Drevlyans killed by her.

Realizing her craving for Orthodoxy, and realizing that it is beneficial for Russia, Olga decided to be baptized.

V "Tales of Bygone Years" the story is described when Emperor Konstantin Porphyrogenitus, captivated by the beauty and mind of the Russian princess, offered her a hand and a heart. Again resorting to female cunning, Olga asked the Byzantine emperor to participate in the baptism, and after the ceremony (the princess was named Elena) she announced the impossibility of marriage between the godfather and goddaughter.

However, this story is more likely a folk fiction, according to some sources, at that time the woman was already over 60 years old.

Be that as it may, Princess Olga got herself a powerful ally without transgressing the limits of her own freedom.

Soon the emperor wanted to confirm the friendship between the states in the form of troops sent from Russia. The ruler refused - and sent ambassadors to the rival of Byzantium, the king of the German lands, Otto I. Such a political step showed the whole world the independence of the princess from any - even great - patrons. Friendship with the German king did not work out, Otto, who arrived in Kievan Rus, hastily fled, realizing the pretense of the Russian princess. And soon Russian squads went to Byzantium to the new emperor Roman II, but already as a sign of the goodwill of the ruler Olga.

Sergei Kirillov. Duchess Olga. Baptism of Olga

Returning to her homeland, Olga met fierce resistance to the change of her religion from her own son. Svyatoslav "ridiculed" Christian rituals. At that time, there was already an Orthodox church in Kiev, but almost the entire population was pagan.

Olga needed wisdom at that moment too. She managed to remain a believing Christian and a loving mother. Svyatoslav remained a pagan, although in the future he treated Christians quite tolerantly.

In addition, having avoided a split in the country by not imposing her faith on the population, the princess at the same time brought the moment of the baptism of Russia closer.

Princess Olga's legacy

Before her death, the princess, complaining about her illnesses, was able to draw her son's attention to the internal administration of the principality, besieged by the Pechenegs. Svyatoslav, who had just returned from the Bulgarian military campaign, postponed a new campaign to Pereyaslavets.

Princess Olga died at the age of 80, leaving her son a strong country and a powerful army. The woman took communion from her priest Gregory and forbade holding a pagan funeral feast. The funeral took place according to the Orthodox rite of burial in the ground.

Already the grandson of Olga, Prince Vladimir transferred her relics to the new Kiev church of the Holy Mother of God.

According to the words recorded by the eyewitness of those events, the monk Jacob, the body of the woman remained incorrupt.

History does not provide us with clear facts confirming the special holiness of a great woman, with the exception of her incredible devotion to her husband. However, Princess Olga was revered by the people, and various miracles were attributed to her relics.

In 1957, Olga was named Equal-to-the-Apostles, her holiness life was equated with the life of the apostles.

Now St. Olga is revered as the patroness of widows and the protector of newly converted Christians.

Road to glory: Olga's lessons to our contemporaries

Analyzing the scarce and diverging information of historical documents, one can draw certain conclusions. This woman was not a "vengeful monster". Her horrific deeds at the beginning of her reign were dictated solely by the traditions of that time and the strength of the widow's grief.

Although it cannot be written off that only a very strong-willed woman can do this.

Princess Olga was undoubtedly a great woman, and reached the heights of power, thanks to her analytical mindset and wisdom. Not afraid of change and having prepared a reliable rear of loyal comrades-in-arms, the princess was able to avoid a split in the state - and did a lot for its prosperity.

At the same time, a woman never betrayed her own principles and did not allow her own freedom to be infringed.

Princess Olga, in baptism - Elena. Born ca. 920 - died July 11, 969. The princess who ruled the Old Russian state from 945 to 960 after the death of her husband, the Kiev prince Igor Rurikovich. The first of the rulers of Russia adopted Christianity even before the baptism of Russia. Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Princess Olga was born c. 920 years.

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

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

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

Alexei Karpov, in his monograph "Princess Olga", makes Olga older, claiming that the princess was born around 920. Consequently, the date around 925 looks more accurate than 890, since Olga herself in the annals for 946-955 appears young and energetic, and she gives birth to her eldest son around 940.

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

A typographical chronicle (end of the 15th century) and a later Piskarevsky chronicler convey a rumor that Olga was the daughter of the Prophetic Oleg, who began to rule Russia as the guardian of the infant Igor, the son of Rurik: Oleg married Igor and Olga.

The so-called Joachim Chronicle, the authenticity of which is called into question by historians, reports on the noble Slavic origin of Olga: “When Igor matured, Oleg married him, gave him a wife from Izborsk, the Gostomyslov family, who was called Beautiful, and Oleg renamed her and named her Olga in his name. Igor later had other wives, but Olga, because of her wisdom, was honored more than others..

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

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

Statements about the origin of Olga from the annalistic Carpathian Plesnesk, a huge settlement (7th-8th centuries - 10-12 hectares, up to the 10th century - 160 hectares, up to the 13th century - 300 hectares) with Scandinavian and West Slavic materials are based on local legends.

Marriage with Igor

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

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

The Novgorod First Chronicle of the junior edition, which contains information from the Initial Code of the 11th century in the most unchanged form, leaves the message about Igor's marriage to Olga undated, that is, the earliest Old Russian chroniclers did not have information about the date of the wedding. It is likely that the year 903 in the text of the PVL arose at a later time, when the monk Nestor tried to bring the initial Old Russian history into chronological order. After the wedding, Olga's name is mentioned again only 40 years later, in the Russian-Byzantine treaty of 944.

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

After the murder of Igor, the Drevlyans sent matchmakers to his widow Olga to call her to marry their prince Mal. The princess successively dealt with the elders of the Drevlyans, and then brought their people into obedience. The Old Russian chronicler details Olga's revenge for her husband's death:

First revenge:

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

“And, leaning towards the pit, Olga asked them: “Is honor good for you?” They answered: "Worse for us than Igor's death." And ordered them to fall asleep alive; and covered them up,” says the chronicler.

Second revenge:

Olga asked, for respect, to send new ambassadors to her from the best husbands, which was readily done by the Drevlyans. An embassy of noble Drevlyans was burned in a bathhouse while they were washing, preparing for a meeting with the princess.

Third revenge:

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

Fourth revenge:

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

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

Olga's board

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

Olga established a system of "graveyards" - centers of trade and exchange, in which taxes were collected in a more orderly manner; then temples began to be built around the graveyards. Olga's journey to the Novgorod land was called into question by Archimandrite Leonid (Kavelin), A. Shakhmatov (in particular, he pointed out the confusion of the Drevlyansk land with the Derevskaya Pyatina), M. Grushevsky, D. Likhachev. V. Tatishchev also noted the attempts of the Novgorod chroniclers to attract unusual events to the Novgorod land. The evidence of the chronicle about Olga's sleigh, allegedly kept in Pleskov (Pskov) after Olga's trip to Novgorod land, is also critically evaluated.

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

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

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

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

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

It is not known exactly when exactly Svyatoslav began to rule on his own. PVL reports his first military campaign in 964. The Western European chronicle of the Continuer of Reginon reports under the year 959: “They came to the king (Otto I the Great), as it later turned out in a false way, the ambassadors of Helen, Queen of Rug, who was baptized in Constantinople under the Emperor Roman of Constantinople, and asked to consecrate a bishop and priests for this people”.

Thus, in 959 Olga, in baptism - Elena, was officially considered as the ruler of Russia. The remains of the rotunda of the 10th century, discovered by archaeologists within the so-called "city of Kiya", are considered material evidence of the stay of the Adalbert mission in Kiev.

The convinced pagan Svyatoslav Igorevich turned 18 years old in 960, and the mission sent by Otto I to Kiev failed, as the Successor of Reginon reports: “962 year. In this year, Adalbert returned back, appointed Bishop of Rugam, for he did not succeed in anything for which he was sent, and saw his efforts in vain; on the way back, some of his companions were killed, while he himself barely escaped with great difficulty..

The date of the beginning of Svyatoslav's independent reign is rather arbitrary; Russian chronicles consider him his successor on the throne immediately after the murder of his father Igor by the Drevlyans. Svyatoslav was all the time in military campaigns against the neighbors of Russia, entrusting his mother with the management of the state. When in 968 the Pechenegs first raided the Russian lands, Olga and Svyatoslav's children locked themselves in Kiev.

Returning from a campaign against Bulgaria, Svyatoslav lifted the siege, but did not want to stay in Kiev for a long time. When next year he was going to go back to Pereyaslavets, Olga kept him: “You see, I am sick; where do you want to go from me? Because she's already sick. And she said: "When you bury me, go wherever you want".

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

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

Baptism of Olga

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

The date and circumstances of the baptism remain unclear. According to the PVL, this happened in 955 in Constantinople, Olga was personally baptized by Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus with the patriarch (Theophylact): “And the name Helena was given to her in baptism, as well as the ancient queen mother of Emperor Constantine I”.

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

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

However, Konstantin nowhere mentioned Olga's baptism, as well as the purposes of her visit. In the retinue of the princess, a certain priest Gregory was named, on the basis of which some historians (in particular, Academician Rybakov Boris Alexandrovich) suggest that Olga visited Constantinople already baptized. In this case, the question arises why Konstantin calls the princess by her pagan name, and not by Elena, as the Successor of Reginon did. Another, later Byzantine source (XI century) reports the baptism in the 950s: “And the wife of a Russian archon who once set sail against the Romans, named Elga, when her husband died, arrived in Constantinople. Baptized and having openly made a choice in favor of the true faith, she, having received the great honor of this choice, returned home..

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

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

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

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

In 1547 Olga was canonized as a saint Equal-to-the-Apostles. Only five more holy women in Christian history have received such an honor (Mary Magdalene, First Martyr Thekla, Martyr Apphia, Empress Helena Equal-to-the-Apostles and Enlightener of Georgia Nina).

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

Revered as the patroness of widows and newly converted Christians.

Princess Olga (documentary)

Memory of Olga

Pskov has the Olginskaya embankment, the Olginskiy bridge, the Olginskaya chapel, and two monuments to the princess.

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

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

In honor of Princess Olga, the Gulf of Olga of the Sea of ​​Japan is named.

In honor of Princess Olga, the urban-type settlement Olga of the Primorsky Territory is named.

Olginskaya street in Kiev.

Street of Princess Olga in Lvov.

In Vitebsk, in the center of the city, at the Holy Spirit Convent, there is St. Olginskaya Church.

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

St. Olginsky Cathedral in Kiev.

Orders:

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

The image of Olga in art

In fiction:

Antonov A. I. Princess Olga;
Boris Vasiliev. "Olga, Queen of the Rus";
Viktor Gretkov. "Princess Olga - Bulgarian Princess";
Mikhail Kazovsky. "Daughter of the Empress";
Alexey Karpov. "Princess Olga" (ZHZL series);
Svetlana Kaidash-Lakshina (novel). "Duchess Olga";
Alekseev S. T. I know God!;
Nikolai Gumilyov. "Olga" (poem);
Simon Vilar. "Svetorada" (trilogy);
Simon Vilar. "Witch" (4 books);
Elizaveta Dvoretskaya "Olga, Forest Princess";
Oleg Panus "Shields on the gates";
Oleg Panus "Unified in Power".

In cinematography:

"The Legend of Princess Olga" (1983; USSR), director Yuri Ilyenko, in the role of Olga Lyudmila Efimenko;
The saga of the ancient Bulgars. The Tale of Olga the Holy ”(2005; Russia) director Bulat Mansurov, in the role of Olga .;
The saga of the ancient Bulgars. Ladder of Vladimir the Red Sun”, Russia, 2005. Elina Bystritskaya as Olga.

In cartoons:

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

Ballet:

"Olga", music by Evgeny Stankovich, 1981. It ran at the Kiev Opera and Ballet Theater from 1981 to 1988, and in 2010 it was staged at the Dnepropetrovsk Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.

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 Kiev 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. The absolute reference point of Olga's age - the date of her birth - is absent in the chronicle. 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 Kiev 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." In addition, in the 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 a "historical fact" for the old Moscow scribes. 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 bank of the river, called the Great, where another river from the east, called Pskov, flows in, but there was a great 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 until 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).

In the "Pskov legend" the influence of another legend, the "Varangian", with its concept of the origin of the ancient Russian state from the northern Russian lands, is clearly traced. 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). Consequently, the finalization of 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 Chronicles about the campaigns from north to south of Askold and Dir, and then Oleg, certainly belong to the realm of legends, being "echoes of the later events of the time of Vladimir and Yaroslav, who conquered Kiev 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 Kiev (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 annalistic 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 ).

For a long time, the correct solution of the question of Olga's birthplace 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 is also a lot of 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 Kiev 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 reasonably 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, a third of the tribute collected in the "Derevskoy zemli" 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 Kiev 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). Sixty kilometers from Tutrakan, up the Danube, there is still the city of Ruse / Rus, and closer to the 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 in the 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 Polovtsians can be considered a fairly characteristic 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", "Tauroscythians", 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 Kiev 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 Constantinople, 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 Kiev 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 descriptions of the holy princess, many details are still missing, which were later included in the Tale of Bygone Years and Olga's Life.