In what city was Princess Olga baptized? Attempts to establish relations with the German Empire. Olga's adoption of Orthodoxy

Many facts from the life of one of the greatest rulers of Rus' are unknown to this day. Princess Olga, whose short biography has many “blank spots”, is still one of the most odious people today.

Origin of Princess Olga

Historians and researchers of Olga’s life and work even today have not come to a consensus about her origin. Several sources of those years give different information about the origin of the future wife of Grand Duke Igor.

Thus, one of the recognized sources of those times - “The Tale of Bygone Years” - indicates that the future Princess Olga, whose short biography does not provide accurate information about her parents, was brought from Pskov.

Another source - “The Life of Princess Olga” - claims that she was born on Pskov land, in the village of Vybuty. a commoner, which is why the names of her parents remained unknown.

The Jokimov Chronicle mentions that the future wife of the Prince of Kyiv was from the noble Izborsky family, and her roots go back to the Varangians.

Another version: Olga is a daughter

Marriage

Igor's acquaintance with future wife is also shrouded in a mass of inaccuracies and mysteries. The “Life” says that the future Princess Olga, whose brief biography is sometimes contradictory in different sources, met her future husband in Pskov, where the prince was hunting. He needed to get across the river, and when he saw the boat, Igor got into it. Afterwards the prince discovered that his ferryman was a beautiful girl. She refused all of her passenger's advances. And when the time came to choose a bride for the prince, he remembered the girl in the boat and sent messengers for her with a marriage proposal. This is how Olga became the wife of a Russian. The Princess of Kiev, whose brief biography has since been traced more clearly, was a good and wise wife. Soon she gave birth to Igor’s son, Svyatoslav.

Murder of Prince Igor

Prince Igor was a great conqueror; he constantly raided neighboring lands with his squad, collecting tribute from weak tribes. One of these campaigns became fatal for the Russian prince. In 945, Igor and his retinue went to the neighboring Drevlyans for the due tribute. Having taken a lot of wealth, destroyed villages and abused the local population, the Russians went home. However, on the way back, the prince with a small number of soldiers decided to return and again plunder the Drevlyan lands. But the local men, making sure that the prince was coming with a small army, attacked him and killed him.

Revenge on the Drevlyans

Having learned about the death of her husband at the hands of the Drevlyans, Olga grieved for a long time. The Princess of Kiev, whose brief biography is described in The Tale of Bygone Years, turned out to be a wise wife and ruler. According to the customs of that time, it was acceptable. Naturally, Olga could not get around this tradition. Having gathered a squad, She began to wait. Soon, ambassadors from the Drevlyans came with a wedding proposal for the sake of uniting the Russian and Drevlyan lands. The princess agreed - this was her revenge.

The gullible Drevlyans believed her, entered the capital, but were captured, thrown into a hole and covered with earth. Thus, some of the bravest and bravest Drevlyans were destroyed. The second batch of ambassadors was also killed by cunning - they were burned in a bathhouse. When Olga and her squad approached the gates of Iskorosten, the main city of the Drevlyans, under the pretext of holding a funeral feast for the prince, she drugged her enemies, and the squad chopped them up. According to chroniclers, about five thousand Drevlyans died then.

In 946, the princess and her army went to the Drevlyan lands, destroyed them, collected taxes and established a mandatory, fixed tax, but she never managed to occupy Iskorosten. The city was impregnable. Then Olga burned the city to the ground with the help of pigeons and sparrows, tying burning cloth to their legs. Schoolchildren are told who Princess Olga is. Brief biography for younger children, omits the full story of revenge. Mainly attention is paid to the years of her reign and the adoption of the Christian faith.

Princess Olga: brief biography, years of reign

After Igor's death, their son Svyatoslav became the successor, but virtually all power was concentrated in the hands of his mother, both while he was young and after he came of age. Svyatoslav was a warrior, and spent most of his time on campaigns. Princess Olga was responsible for the improvement of lands and controlled territories. A short biography of the ruler indicates that this woman founded several cities, including Pskov. Everywhere she improved her lands, erected walls around large villages, and built churches in honor of Christian saints. During Olga's reign, excessive taxes were replaced by fixed fees.

The princess's foreign policy also deserves attention. Olga strengthened ties with Germany and Byzantium. This was facilitated, first of all, by her acceptance of the Christian faith.

Princess Olga's baptism

Princess Olga is called the first sign of Christianity on Russian soil. A short biography for grade 4 pays special attention to this event. In written sources of past years there is no single date for the princess’s adoption of Christianity. Some say 955, others say 957.

Having visited Constantinople, Olga was not only baptized in the Christian faith, but also renewed the trade agreements signed by her late husband. The princess was baptized by VII himself and the priest Theophylact. They named her Elena (according to Christian custom).

Returning home, Olga tried in every possible way to introduce new faith his son Svyatoslav, but the prince was not inspired by this idea and remained a pagan, fearing the condemnation of the squad. And yet, he did not forbid his mother to build cathedrals and churches. Olga remained in Kyiv and actively participated in raising her grandchildren. Perhaps it was this fact that led to the fact that Svyatoslav’s son, Vladimir, baptized Rus' in 988, thereby uniting it.

In 968, the Pechenegs attacked Russian land. Olga was in the besieged capital with her grandchildren. She sent a messenger for Svyatoslav, who at that time was on another campaign. The prince arrived home, defeated the Pechenegs, but Olga asked her son not to plan another campaign, since she was seriously ill and foresaw the end was near. In 969, Princess Olga died and was buried according to Christian rites. Legend says that the relics of the Grand Duchess were incorruptible.

In the 16th century, Olga was canonized.

Princess Olga's baptism

Olga, the wife of Prince Igor, took the Kiev throne in 945 after the murder of Igor by the Drevlyans, for which she soon brutally avenged. At the same time, she understood that maintaining the old order in the state, the relationship between the prince and the squad, and the traditional collection of tribute (polyudye) was fraught with unpredictable consequences. This is what prompted Olga to start organizing land relations in the state. She toured the country. The chronicler wrote: “And Olga went with her son and her retinue through the Drevlyansky land, establishing a schedule for tributes and taxes; and the places where she camped and hunted have been preserved to this day. And she came to her city of Kyiv with her son Svyatoslav and stayed here for a year.” A year later, “Olga went to Novgorod and established graveyards and tributes in Meta and in Luga - dues and tributes, and her traps were preserved throughout the land, and there is evidence of her, and her places and graveyards, and the sleigh stands in Pskov to this day, and along the Dnieper there are places for catching birds and along the Desna, and her village Olzhichi has survived to this day. And so, having established everything, she returned to her son in Kyiv and lived there with him in love.” Historian N. M. Karamzin, giving overall rating Olga’s reign, notes: “Olga seems to have consoled the people with the benefits of her wise reign; at least all her monuments - overnight stays and places where she, following the custom of the heroes of that time, amused herself with catching animals - for a long time were for this people the subject of some special respect and curiosity. Let us note that these words of N. M. Karamzin were written a century later than the “History” of V. N. Tatishchev, who, in 948, made the following entry: “Olga sent to her fatherland, the Izborsk region, with the nobles a lot of gold and silver, and ordered in the place she showed, build a city on the banks of the Great River, and call it Pleskov (Pskov), populate it with people, calling from everywhere.”

During Olga's reign, land relations were brought into line with those trends in the strengthening of princely and boyar power, which corresponded to the processes of disintegration of the previous community and clan. Duties are defined, there is no previous arbitrariness, and the peasant peasants do not need to run around the forests, hiding their belongings, and perhaps avoiding something even worse - the rope on which they will be led to the same Constantinople for sale. At the same time, neither the boyar upper classes nor the rural lower classes of society suspect that in all their actions an objective historical pattern, the needs of that emerging social order, which will eventually be called feudalism.

Having established internal order in the state, Olga returned to her son Svyatoslav, in Kyiv, and lived there for several years, enjoying the love of her son and the gratitude of the people. During these years, there were no external campaigns that cost human losses, and the most violent element interested in such campaigns (primarily the mercenary Varangians) was sent by the princess as auxiliary troops to Byzantium, where they fought with the Arabs and other enemies of the empire.

Here, the chronicler ends the story of government affairs and moves on to cover church affairs.

After strengthening her position in Kyiv and calming the subject population, Olga had to begin solving foreign policy problems. During this period, Rus' did not wage war with the Steppe and was not subjected to retaliatory attacks. Olga decided to turn her attention to Byzantium, which at that time was a powerful, highly developed state. In addition, the agreement he concluded with Byzantium continued, although not fully, to operate, despite the death of Igor.

This agreement, on the one hand, expanded the rights of Russians, but on the other, it imposed certain obligations on them. The Great Russian Prince and his boyars received the right to send as many ships with ambassadors and merchants as they wanted to Byzantium. Now it was enough for them to show a letter from their prince, in which he had to indicate how many ships he had sent. This was enough for the Greeks to know that Rus' had come in peace. But if ships from Rus' arrived without a letter, then the Greeks received the right to detain them until they received confirmation from the prince. After repeating the terms of Oleg’s agreement with the Greeks on the place of residence and maintenance of Russian ambassadors and guests, the following was added to Igor’s agreement: a person from the Greek government will be assigned to the Russians, who should sort out controversial matters between the Russians and the Greeks.

Certain obligations were also assigned to the Grand Duke. He was forbidden to go on a military campaign to the Crimea (Korsun land) and its cities, since “this country does not submit to Rus'.” The Russians should not offend the Korsun people who fished at the mouth of the Dnieper, and also did not have the right to winter at the mouth of the Dnieper, in Beloberezhye and near St. Epheria, “but when autumn comes, we must return home to Rus'.” The Greeks demanded from the prince that he also not allow the black (Danube) Bulgarians to “fight the Korsun country.” There was a clause that said: “If a Greek offends a Russian, then the Russians should not arbitrarily execute the criminal; he is being punished by the Greek government." As a result, we note that although in general this agreement was less successful for Rus' than Oleg’s agreement, it preserved trade relations between the states, which allowed Rus' to develop its economy and economy.

However, more than ten years have passed since the conclusion of this agreement. The rulers on the Byzantine throne changed, new people stood at the head of the Old Russian state. The experience of past years and the relationship of the empire with the “barbarian” states suggested the need to either confirm or revise the agreement concluded by Prince Igor with Byzantium in 944.

So, the situation urgently demanded to “clarify” relations with Byzantium. And although the Russian chronicle does not explain to us the reasons for the princess’s trip to Byzantium, it is clear that she intended to do just that. Nestor simply wrote down: “Olga (955) went to the Greek land and came to Constantinople.” But V.N. Tatishchev explains Olga’s trip to Byzantium with her desire to be baptized.

The fact that Christians lived in Rus' at the time of Olga’s reign is beyond doubt. About the baptism of some part of the Russians in the 60s. The 9th century is evidenced by a number of Byzantine sources, including the “District Epistle” of the Patriarch Photius of Constantinople. The Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus reported in the biography of his grandfather, written in his own hand, about the conversion of the inhabitants of Rus' to Christianity during the reign of Emperor Basil I the Macedonian (867–886) and during the second patriarchate of Ignatius in Constantinople. This news is confirmed by both some Greek chroniclers and individual Russian chroniclers. By combining all the available information, we will receive a complete story about this event - the campaign of Askold (and Dir?). “During the reign of the Greek Emperor Michael III, at the time when the emperor set off with an army against the Hagarians, new enemies of the empire, the Scythian people of the Russians, appeared at the walls of Constantinople on two hundred boats. With extraordinary cruelty, they devastated the entire surrounding country, plundered the neighboring islands and monasteries, killed every single captive, and trembled the inhabitants of the capital. Having received such sad news from the Constantinople eparch, the emperor abandoned his army and hurried to the besieged. With difficulty he made his way through enemy ships to his capital and here he considered it his first duty to resort to God in prayer. Michael prayed all night together with Patriarch Photius and countless people in the famous Blachernae church, where the miraculous robe of the Mother of God was then kept. The next morning, while singing sacred hymns, this miraculous robe was carried to the seashore, and as soon as it touched the surface of the water, the sea, hitherto calm and calm, was covered in a great storm; the ships of the godless Russians were scattered by the wind, capsized or broken on the shore; a very small number escaped death.” The next author seems to continue: “Having thus experienced the wrath of God, through the prayers of Photius, who ruled the church at that time, the Russians returned to their fatherland and a little later sent ambassadors to Constantinople to ask for baptism. Their wish was fulfilled - a bishop was sent to them.” And the third author, as it were, completes this story: “When this bishop arrived in the capital of the Russians, the Tsar of the Russians hastened to gather a veche. There was a great crowd of common people present, and the king himself presided with his nobles and senators, who, due to a long habit of paganism, were more committed to it than others. They began to talk about their faith and the Christian faith; They invited the archpastor and asked him what he intended to teach them. The bishop opened the Gospel and began to preach to them about the Savior and His miracles, mentioning together the many different signs performed by God in the Old Testament. The Russians, listening to the evangelist, told him: “If we don’t see something like that, especially similar to that“What, according to you, happened to the three youths in the cave, we do not want to believe.” To this, the servant of God answered them: “Although you should not tempt the Lord, however, if you sincerely decide to turn to Him, ask what you want, and He will fulfill everything according to your faith, no matter how insignificant we are before His greatness.” They asked that the very book of the Gospel be thrown into the fire, deliberately set apart, vowing to certainly turn to the Christian God if it remained unharmed in the fire. Then the bishop, lifting up his eyes and hands to grief, cried out loudly: “Lord Jesus Christ our God! Glorify now holy name Yours in the sight of this people” - and threw the sacred book of the Testament into a blazing fire. Several hours passed, the fire consumed all the material, and on the ashes was the Gospel, completely intact and undamaged; Even the ribbons with which it was fastened have been preserved. Seeing this, the barbarians, struck by the greatness of the miracle, immediately began to be baptized.” Of course, this news is a fairy tale, but a pleasant fairy tale. Moreover, the Russian chronicle reports that a Christian church was built on Askold’s grave.

In fact, at that time Christianity in Rus' had not yet become widespread. Perhaps Askold did not have enough time. As we said above, in 882 the pagan Oleg appeared in Kyiv with his retinue. The Christians were unable to resist the armed pagans and were completely destroyed. At least when Oleg concluded the treaty between Rus' and the Greeks, Christian Rus were not mentioned at all.

However, with the accession of Igor to the great reign, the attitude towards Christians began to change. And this was largely facilitated by Oleg’s agreement with the Greeks. Caravans of merchant ships sailed from Rus' to Byzantium. The Russians lived in Constantinople for several months near the monastery of St. Moms. Hundreds of other Russians were hired into the service of the Greek emperor and spent almost their entire lives in Greece. The Greeks, without a doubt, did not miss the opportunity to introduce our ancestors to their faith. Constantine Porphyrogenitus, describing in his work “On the Ceremonies of the Byzantine Court” the reception of the Tarsian ambassadors in 946, mentioned the Christian Russians who were part of the imperial guard, that is, mercenaries who were in service in Constantinople. Many of them, returning baptized to their homeland, could have conversations with their fellow tribesmen about the Christian faith. Be that as it may, but already in the aforementioned agreement between Prince Igor and the Greeks, concluded in the 40s. X century, two strong groups clearly appear in Rus': pagan, led by the Grand Duke, and Christian, which includes representatives of the highest feudal nobility and merchants. The author of The Tale of Bygone Years, for example, directly states under 945: “Igor called the ambassadors and came to the hill where Perun stood; and they laid down their weapons, and shields, and gold, and Igor and his people swore allegiance - how many pagans there were among the Russians. And Russian Christians were sworn in in the Church of St. Elijah, which stands above the Brook at the end of the Pasyncha conversation, and the Khazars - it was a cathedral church, since there were many Varangian Christians.” But one should not think that Christians in Rus' at that time were exclusively foreigners. By the way, mention of the existence of a Russian Christian church organization dating back to 967 is in the bull of Pope John XIII.

Let us also note that Christians in Prince Igor’s treaty appear to be equal members of society. They take an active part in resolving critical issues related to foreign policy Kievan Rus. This fact clearly demonstrates that in the 40s. X st. Christians not only lived in Rus', but also played a significant role in the life of the country. According to the chronicle story, at this time in Kyiv there was a cathedral (i.e., the main church) church of St. Ilya. This means that in the 40s. X st. there were others in Kyiv Christian churches, subordinate to the cathedral Elias Church. Perhaps there was also a bishop in Kyiv at that time.

Numerous burials using the method of inhumation can also serve as confirmation of the presence of Christians in Rus' at that time. The bulk of such burials are pit burials with a “west-east” orientation, which are extremely characteristic of Christians. All this allows us to assume that Princess Olga, while living in Kyiv, communicated with Christian missionaries, had conversations with them and was probably inclined to accept this religion. True, in Igor’s circle the majority were pagans, which was the main obstacle to the baptism of the Grand Duke and Princess.

Regarding the time and place of Olga’s baptism, as well as her trip to Constantinople and her personal baptism there, there are different points vision. Supporters of one of them claim that Olga was baptized in Kyiv in the mid-40s and early 50s of the 10th century. The basis for them is the messages of Yahya of Antioch, an Arab historian, doctor, Byzantine chronicler, a contemporary of those distant events, who lived far from Constantinople. In his chronicle, he says that Olga at one time turned to the emperor with a request to send priests to Rus'. In response to her request, a bishop was allegedly sent from Constantinople, who baptized the princess herself and some other people in Kyiv. The chronicler gives a certificate: “I found this information in the books of the Russians.”

Supporters of another point of view are convinced that Olga was baptized in Byzantium. But here many scientists disagree on the dates of the trip, and some talk about two possible trips of the princess to Constantinople. In their opinion, Olga’s first trip to Constantinople took place in 946. But, as we remember, at this time, according to the Tale of Bygone Years, Olga made a campaign against the Drevlyans, stood all summer near Iskorosten, besieging the city, and to be in one time in two places, as we understand, is impossible.

Most researchers agree with those stories in the chronicles that speak of Olga’s trip to Constantinople in the mid-950s. However, there are discrepancies here too. Some chronicles call the year 954–955, others - 957. In this regard, some researchers say that Olga was baptized in Kyiv on the eve of her second trip to Constantinople. To support their version, they cite a story from the work of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, the Byzantine emperor, “On the Ceremonies of the Byzantine Court.” In this essay, the emperor described in detail the reception of Olga's embassy, but did not mention her baptism in Constantinople. A significant part of researchers adhere to the point of view that the baptism took place in Constantinople, as it is written in the chronicle. The authors of all these hypotheses carry out various calculations, trying to substantiate their conclusions. But let's leave these controversial issues aside. Let us take as a basis the testimony of the chronicler Nestor, which coincides with the presentation of events by the historian V.N. Tatishchev. He writes under 948 (the date is dubious): “Olga, being in paganism, shone with many virtues and, seeing many Christians in Kyiv living virtuously and teaching all abstinence and good morals, she praised them and, often reasoning with them for a long time time, the Christian law, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, was so ingrained in her heart that she wanted to be baptized in Kyiv, but it was impossible for her to do so without extreme fear from the people. For this reason, they advised her to go to Constantinople, supposedly for other needs, and to be baptized there, which she accepted as useful, and waited for an opportunity and time.”

Historian N.M. Karamzin puts forward his version. “Olga,” he says, “has already reached those years when a mortal, having satisfied the main impulses of earthly activity, sees the near end of it before him and feels the vanity of earthly greatness. Then true faith more than ever, it serves him as support or consolation in sad reflections on the corruption of man. Olga was a pagan, but the name of God Almighty was already famous in Kyiv. She could see the solemnity of the rituals of Christianity, could, out of curiosity, talk with church pastors and, being gifted with an extraordinary mind, be convinced of the holiness of their teaching. Captivated by the ray of this new light, Olga wanted to be a Christian and she herself went to the capital of the empire and the Greek faith to draw it from the very source.”

Be that as it may, at the beginning of the summer of 955, as the Russian chronicler notes, Olga goes to Constantinople. True, modern researchers, having compared the dates and day of the week of Emperor Olga’s reception - September 9 (Wednesday) and October 18 (Sunday), - came to the conclusion that these dates coincide with the year 957. Thus, Olga most likely went to Constantinople in 957.

The number of people accompanying Olga exceeded a hundred, not counting the guards, shipmen and numerous servants. (Igor’s embassy to Byzantium, which in terms of the number and pomp of representation had no equal in Rus' before, included only 51 people.) Olga’s retinue included: Olga’s nephew, 8 of her close associates (possibly noble boyars or relatives), 22 attorneys from Russian princes, 44 shopping man, Svyatoslav’s people, priest Gregory, 6 people from the retinue of attorneys from the Russian princes, 2 translators, as well as 18 women close to the princess. The composition of the embassy, as we see, resembles the Russian mission of 944.

When the princess went to Constantinople, she, of course, thought not only about accepting Christianity personally. As a wise politician, she understood that the Christian religion allowed Rus' to become an equal partner among European states. In addition, it was necessary to confirm the terms of the treaty of peace and friendship concluded by Igor.

Judging by the assessments given to Rus', Khazaria and the Pechenegs by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII in the treatise “On State Administration”, the Byzantine government was in the mid-50s. X century was very concerned about the state of its relations with Russia, feared new attacks from it and did not trust it, trying to send the Pechenegs against it. At the same time, Byzantium needed Rus' as a counterweight in the fight against the Khaz Ariya and the Muslim rulers of Transcaucasia, and also as a supplier allied forces in the confrontation between the empire and the Arabs. Thus, the interests of the states still coincided to some extent.

So, the chronicler in 955 (957) wrote: “Olga went to the Greek land and came to Constantinople.” The Russian flotilla arrived at Constantinople in mid-July or early August and stopped on the outskirts of the city, in Suda. The Russians let the emperor know about their appearance. The merchants were placed, as provided for by Igor’s treaty, in the monastery courtyard near the Church of St. Mother, and they went about their trading business. But here an incident occurred, which, probably for political reasons, was omitted by the author of The Tale of Bygone Years. The fact is that Olga sat on her ship, waiting to be received by the emperor, for more than a month, which she would later remind the emperor’s ambassadors in Kyiv: “If you [the emperor] stand with me in Pochayna the same way as I do in the Court, then then I will give you [the promised gifts].” But let's return to Olga's stay in Constantinople.

What made the emperor postpone the reception of the Russian Grand Duchess for so long? Some researchers believe that the Russian embassy left for Constantinople without notifying the emperor. Perhaps the Russians, when setting off on an embassy, were guided by the terms of Igor’s treaty, which stated: “let those ambassadors and guests (merchants) who will be sent (by the prince) bring a letter, writing it like this: “Sent so many ships.” And from these letters we learn that they came in peace.” But in this case, the Grand Duchess herself was riding. Olga appeared in Constantinople in all her splendor, with a significant fleet on which more than a hundred people from the embassy arrived. Such a mission had to pursue some exceptional goals. And, of course, she had no diplomas. And this put the Greeks in a difficult position.

The fact is that Byzantium sacredly protected its exceptional political and religious position in the world of that time. According to the Byzantine concept of power, the emperor was the vicegerent of God on earth and the head of the entire Christian Orthodox Church. In accordance with this idea, the ranks of foreign rulers were assessed. None of them could stand on a par with the Byzantine emperor. However, the extent of this inequality for rulers various states was, naturally, different and depended on many factors - the power of a given state, the degree of its influence on the politics of Byzantium, the nature of the existing relations between this state and the empire. All this found natural expression in titles, honorary epithets, insignia and other signs of dignity. Political symbolism permeated not only the entire Byzantine court ceremony, but also the order of communication with foreign countries, receiving foreign rulers and ambassadors.

The Byzantines knew how to lead anyone by the nose. The emperor was always busy with matters of extreme importance. They apologized to the princess, but the official reception was postponed from day to day. This practice - to withstand newcomers, partly for greater compliance, and more out of arrogance - has existed since very ancient times. It can also be assumed that Olga’s appearance at the head of the Russian embassy confronted the emperor and his court with the question: how to receive the Russian princess? It took the emperor and his entourage more than a month to resolve this issue. Olga understood this. It is important that the Greeks do not overstep their bounds when delays become diplomatic insults. Constantine VII did not cross these boundaries. In the meantime, Olga was occupied with what was appropriate. Most likely, she was exploring the city.

The city of Constantine, of course, amazed every visitor. It is unlikely that Olga remained indifferent to this truly great city. First of all, the stone masses of temples and palaces, defensive walls built for centuries, impregnable towers and stone, stone everywhere. It was not at all like the dense forest wilds and quiet rivers of the Russian plains, with rare settlements of plowmen and hunters, and even rarer small towns, surrounded by a log wall or just a palisade. The green expanses of Rus' - and the local crowded craft quarters: foundries and weavers, shoemakers and tanners, minters and butchers, jewelers and blacksmiths, painters, gunsmiths, shipbuilders, notaries, money changers. Strict hierarchy of occupations and crafts. Craftsmen discreetly praise their truly excellent and surprisingly cheap products. The price rises later, when things pass through dozens of hands and become subject to taxes and duties.

This has not yet happened in Rus'. And while in few places in Rus' the forges were smoking and the chiming of forges could be heard. More sounds of axes. They also tanned animal skins, soaked flax, and threshed bread. True, in Constantinople everything was sold and, therefore, everything was bought. And Rus' brought to its markets - to the world market - something absolutely priceless: furs, the furs of the northern forests.

And in Constantinople, and in the bazaars of fabulous Baghdad, and even further - everywhere it is an item of the most exquisite and wasteful luxury. And also wax, honey... For many centuries to come, Rus'-Russia will export to European markets goods that were called traditional in its exports. Canvas, linen and hemp fabrics, wood, lard, leather. Flax and hemp are sails and ropes, this is the fleet, this is supremacy at sea. Lard has been used for centuries, until recently, as practically the only lubricant without which there is no industry. Leather is used for harnesses and saddles, shoes and camping equipment. Honey was a necessary and irreplaceable product at that time. In many ways, very much, European industry grew and grew on Russian exports. And in the Byzantine Empire they well understood the importance of Kievan Rus both as a rich raw materials market and as an ally with significant armed forces. Therefore, Byzantium actively sought economic, economic, trade relations with Russia, the Russian market, Russian goods.

But let’s return to Princess Olga’s stay in Constantinople. Neither Russian nor Byzantine sources, even the detailed story of Emperor Constantine, tell us practically nothing about how the life of the Russian princess unfolded in Constantinople. They do not tell us where the princess lived, to whom she paid visits, what sights of the capital she visited, although it is known that for Byzantine politicians it was in the order of things to shock foreign rulers and ambassadors with the splendor of the palaces of Constantinople and the wealth of secular and church treasures collected there.

The Christian religion changed the purpose and structure of the temple. As mentioned, in the ancient Greek temple, a statue of the god was placed inside, and religious ceremonies were held outside in the square. Therefore, they tried to make the Greek temple especially elegant in appearance. Christians gathered for common prayer inside the church, and the architects took special care of the beauty of its interior. Of course, the most remarkable work of Byzantine architecture was the Church of St. Sophia, built under Justinian. The temple was called “a miracle of miracles” and was sung in verse. Olga became a participant in the service in this temple and was able to see its beauty with her own eyes. She was amazed by the internal size and beauty of the temple, in which the floor area alone is 7570 m2. A giant dome with a diameter of 31 m seems to grow from two semi-domes, each of them rests, in turn, on three small semi-domes. Along the base, the dome is surrounded by a wreath of 40 windows through which sheaves of light pour. It seems that the dome, like the vault of heaven, floats in the air; after all, the 4 pillars that support it are hidden from the viewer, and partly only the sails are visible - triangles between the large arches.

The interior decoration of the temple is also very rich. Above the throne rose a canopy in the form of a tower, the massive golden roof of which rested on gold and silver columns, decorated with inlays of pearls and diamonds and, in addition, lilies, between which were balls with crosses made of massive gold weighing 75 pounds, also sprinkled precious stones; from under the dome of the canopy a dove descended, representing the Holy Spirit; inside this dove the holy gifts were kept. According to Greek custom, the throne was separated from the people by an iconostasis decorated with relief images of saints; The iconostasis was supported by 12 golden columns. Three curtained gates led to the altar. In the middle of the church there was a special pulpit, which had a semicircular shape and was surrounded by a balustrade; above it there was also a canopy made of precious metals, resting on eight columns and crowned with a gold cross studded with precious stones and pearls weighing 100 pounds. Marble steps led to this pulpit; their railings, as well as the canopy, sparkled with marble and gold.

The church gates were made of ivory, amber and cedar wood, and their jambs were made of gilded silver. In the vestibule there was a jasper pool with lions spewing water, and above it stood a magnificent tabernacle. They could enter the house of God only after first washing their feet.

A strong impression was also made by the sixty-meter column of Constantine with the figure of the emperor - it will continue to impress Russian pilgrims centuries later, and the ancient monument in the middle of the hippodrome - thirty meters high, made of pinkish Egyptian granite - a trophy brought to the capital at the end of the 4th century, in 390...

Let's look at the then Constantinople through the eyes of the Grand Duchess, the ruler of a large state. Olga the woman could be captivated by the fabulous Constantinople. But Olga the Princess saw that not everything from this alien life could be borrowed by Russia. Yes, the Valens Aqueduct - a canal above the city - is a miracle construction equipment, but why is he in Kyiv? Not in Constantinople fresh water, and in Kyiv the mighty Dnieper flows, which is not inferior to the Bosphorus itself. The beauty of the city was captivating. But the main goal - negotiations with the emperor - was postponed. Finally, a reception with the emperor was scheduled for September 9.

Olga's reception by the emperor on this day took place in the same way as receptions of foreign rulers or ambassadors of large states usually took place. The emperor exchanged ceremonial greetings with the princess through the logothete in the luxurious hall - Magnavra. The entire court was present at the reception; the atmosphere was extremely solemn and pompous. On the same day, another traditional reception took place high ambassadors celebration - lunch, during which those present were delighted with the singing art of the best church choirs of Constantinople and various performances.

Russian chronicles do not describe the details of Olga’s reception in Constantinople. But Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus himself writes in relatively detail about Olga’s receptions (there were two of them - September 9 and October 10). The Emperor demonstrated his greatness to Olga, but made a number of deviations from traditional forms reception. After he sat on the “throne of Solomon,” the curtain separating the Russian princess from the hall was drawn, and Olga, at the head of her retinue, moved towards the emperor. Usually the foreign representative was brought to the throne by two eunuchs who supported him by the arms, and then he performed proskynesis - he fell prostrate at the imperial feet. Such a reception, for example, was described by Bishop Liutprand of Cremona: “I leaned on the shoulders of two eunuchs and was thus brought directly before His Imperial Majesty... After I, according to custom, bowed before the emperor for the third time, greeting him, I raised my head and saw the emperor in completely different clothes." Nothing like this happened to Olga. She approached the throne unaccompanied and did not prostrate herself before the emperor, as her retinue did, although she later talked with him while standing. The conversation between the Russian princess and the emperor was conducted through an interpreter.

Olga was also received by the Empress, whom she also greeted with only a slight bow. In honor of the Russian Grand Duchess, the Empress arranged a ceremonial appearance for the ladies of the court. After a short break, which Olga spent in one of the halls, the princess met with the imperial family, which had no analogues during the receptions of ordinary ambassadors. “When the emperor sat down with Augusta and his purple-born children,” says the “Book of Ceremonies,” “the princess was invited from the triclinium of Centurium and, sitting down at the invitation of the emperor, told him what she wanted.” Here, in a narrow circle, the conversation took place for which Olga came to Constantinople. But usually, in accordance with the palace ceremony, the ambassadors talked with the emperor while standing. The right to sit in his presence was considered an extreme privilege and was granted only to crowned heads, but even those were given low seats.

On the same day, as already mentioned, a ceremonial dinner took place, before which Olga again entered the hall where the Empress was sitting on the throne, and again greeted her with a slight bow. In honor of the dinner, music was played, the singers glorified the greatness of the royal house. At dinner, Olga sat at the “truncated table” with the sostas - court ladies of the highest rank who enjoyed the right to sit at the same table with members of the imperial family, i.e., such a right was also granted to the Russian princess. (Some researchers believe that it was the imperial family who sat at the “truncated table.”) Men from the Russian retinue dined with the emperor. At dessert, Olga again found herself at the same table with Emperor Constantine, his son Roman and other members of the imperial family. And during the ceremonial dinner on October 18, Olga sat at the same table with the empress and her children. Not a single ordinary embassy, not a single ordinary ambassador enjoyed such privileges in Constantinople. (It should be noted that during Olga’s receptions by the emperor there was not a single other foreign embassy.) Most likely, on this day the emperor’s conversation with Olga took place, which was described by the Russian chronicler: “And Olga came to him, and the king saw that she very beautiful in face and intelligent, the king marveled at her intelligence, talking with her, and said to her: “You are worthy to reign with us in our capital.” She, having understood the meaning of this appeal, answered the Caesar: “I am a pagan; I came here to hear and understand the Christian law and, having learned the truth, I wish to be a Christian, if you want to baptize me, then baptize me yourself - otherwise I will not be baptized.” The emperor sent orders to the patriarch to prepare everything necessary for the baptismal ceremony of the princess. The Russian chronicle emphasizes that the initiative for baptism came from Olga. The emperor accepted and approved this idea: “The king was immensely pleased with these words and said to her: I’ll tell the patriarch.”

Why did Olga turn to the emperor and not the patriarch with such a question? Main role in the Christianization of surrounding states and peoples in Byzantium, as is known, it was not the patriarch, not the church hierarchs who played the role, but the emperor, the apparatus political power. Although, of course, churchmen, including the patriarchs of Constantinople, in accordance with their rank, took part in the implementation of this policy, since the Greek church itself was part of the feudal state system.

One day between September 9 and October 10, a solemn ceremony of Olga’s baptism took place in the St. Sophia Cathedral. The emperor sat on the imperial throne in ceremonial robes. The Patriarch and the entire clergy performed the baptismal ceremony. All sacred utensils, bowls, vessels, arks were made of gold and blinded with the sparkle of precious stones; books of the New and Old Testament with gold bindings and clasps lay in a visible place. All seven crosses required in the court ceremonial during the coronation and baptism of high-ranking persons were made of gold. Six thousand candelabra and the same number of portable candlesticks, each weighing 111 pounds, were burning in the temple. The arches of the dome sparkled from the radiance of candelabra and silver lamps hanging on bronze chains.

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Chapter 3 THE END OF THE REIGN OF PRINCESS OLGA The defeat of Khazaria In 969, cries for mercy and curses against the ferocious “people grew up” were heard from the eastern tip of Europe. In historical literature, the relations between Rus' and Khazaria were quite often presented incorrectly - Khazaria supposedly

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22. ABOUT THE REIGN OF THE GREAT Princess Olga in Kyiv. GRAND DUCHESS Olga, after the death of her husband Igor Rurikovich, left a widow with her son Svetoslav Igorevich, all the Russian States were accepted into her power, and not like a woman’s weak vessel, but like the strongest Monarch or

After the murder of Prince Igor, the Drevlyans decided that from now on their tribe was free and they did not have to pay tribute to Kievan Rus. Moreover, their prince Mal made an attempt to marry Olga. Thus, he wanted to seize the Kiev throne and single-handedly rule Russia. For this purpose, an embassy was assembled and sent to the princess. The ambassadors brought rich gifts with them. Mal hoped for the cowardice of the “bride” and that she, having accepted expensive gifts, would agree to share the Kiev throne with him.

At this time, Grand Duchess Olga was raising her son Svyatoslav, who, after Igor’s death, could lay claim to the throne, but was still too young. Voivode Asmud took charge of young Svyatoslav. The princess herself took up state affairs. In the fight against the Drevlyans and other external enemies, she had to rely on her own cunning and prove to everyone that the country, which had previously been ruled only by the sword, could be ruled by a woman’s hand.

War of Princess Olga with the Drevlyans

When receiving the ambassadors, Grand Duchess Olga showed cunning. By her order, the boat on which the ambassadors sailed , They picked him up and carried him into the city along the abyss. At one point the boat was thrown into the abyss. The ambassadors were buried alive. Then the princess sent a message agreeing to the marriage. Prince Mal believed in the sincerity of the message, deciding that his ambassadors had achieved their goal. He gathered noble merchants and new ambassadors to Kyiv. According to ancient Russian custom, a bathhouse was prepared for the guests. When all the ambassadors were inside the bathhouse, all exits from it were closed, and the building itself was burned. After this, a new message was sent to Mal that the “bride” was going to him. The Drevlyans prepared a luxurious feast for the princess, which, at her request, was held not far from the grave of her husband, Igor. The princess demanded that as many people as possible be present at the feast. more Drevlyans The prince of the Drevlyans did not object, believing that this only increased the prestige of his fellow tribesmen. All guests were given plenty to drink. After this, Olga gave a signal to her wars and they killed everyone who was there. In total, about 5,000 Drevlyans were killed that day.

In 946 Grand Duchess Olga organizes a military campaign against the Drevlyans. The essence of this campaign was a demonstration of strength. If earlier they were punished by cunning, now the enemy had to feel the military power of Rus'. The young prince Svyatoslav was also taken on this campaign. After the first battles, the Drevlyans retreated to the cities, the siege of which lasted almost the entire summer. By the end of the summer, the defenders received a message from Olga that she had had enough of revenge and did not want it anymore. She asked only for three sparrows, as well as one dove for each resident of the city. The Drevlyans agreed. Having accepted the gift, the princess’s squad tied the already lit sulfur tinder to the birds’ paws. After this, all the birds were released. They returned to the city, and the city of Iskorosten was plunged into a huge fire. The townspeople were forced to flee the city and fell into the hands of the Russian warriors. Grand Duchess Olga condemned the elders to death, some to slavery. In general, Igor’s murderers were subject to an even heavier tribute.

Olga's adoption of Orthodoxy

Olga was a pagan, but often visited Christian cathedrals, noticing the solemnity of their rituals. This, as well as Olga’s extraordinary mind, which allowed her to believe in God Almighty, was the reason for baptism. In 955, Grand Duchess Olga went to the Byzantine Empire, in particular to the city of Constantinople, where the adoption of a new religion took place. The patriarch himself was her baptizer. But this did not serve as a reason for changing the faith in Kievan Rus. This event did not in any way alienate the Russians from paganism. Having accepted the Christian faith, the princess left government, devoting herself to serving God. She also began helping to build Christian churches. The baptism of the ruler did not yet mean the baptism of Rus', but it was the first step towards the adoption of a new faith.

The Grand Duchess died in 969 in Kyiv.

Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga, baptized Helena (c. 890 - July 11, 969), ruled Kievan Rus after the death of her husband, Prince Igor Rurikovich from 945 to 962. The first of the Russian rulers accepted Christianity even before the baptism of Rus', the first Russian saint. The name of Princess Olga is at the source of Russian history, and is associated with greatest events the foundation of the first dynasty, with the first establishment in Rus' of Christianity and the bright features of Western civilization. The Grand Duchess went down in history as the great creator of state life and culture of Kievan Rus. After her death, the common people called her cunning, the church - a saint, history - wise.

Olga came from the glorious family of Gostomysl (the ruler of Veliky Novgorod even before Prince Rurik). She was born in the Pskov land, in the village of Vybuty, 12 km from Pskov up the Velikaya River, into a pagan family from the dynasty of the Izborsky princes. The names of Olga's parents have not been preserved.

In 903, that is, when she was already 13 years old, she became the wife of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Igor. According to legend, Prince Igor was engaged in hunting. One day, when he was hunting in the Pskov forests, tracking down an animal, he went to the river bank. Having decided to cross the river, he asked Olga, who was passing by on a boat, to transport him, at first mistaking her for a young man. As they swam, Igor, carefully peering into the rower’s face, saw that it was not a young man, but a girl. The girl turned out to be very beautiful, smart and pure in intentions. Olga's beauty stung Igor's heart, and he began to seduce her with words, inclining her to unclean carnal mixing. However, the chaste girl, understanding Igor’s thoughts, fueled by lust, shamed him with a wise admonition. The prince was surprised at such an outstanding intelligence and chastity of the young girl, and did not bother her.

Igor was the only son of the Novgorod prince Rurik (+879). When his father died, the prince was still very young. Before his death, Rurik handed over the rule in Novgorod to his relative and governor Oleg and appointed him Igor’s guardian. Oleg was a successful warrior and wise ruler. People called him Prophetic. He conquered the city of Kyiv and united many Slavic tribes. Oleg loved Igor as his own son and raised him to be a real warrior. And when the time came to look for a bride for him, a show of beautiful girls was organized in Kyiv in order to find among them a girl worthy of a princely palace, but none of them

The prince did not like her. For in his heart the choice of a bride had long been made: he ordered to call that beautiful boatwoman who carried him across the river. Prince Oleg brought Olga to Kyiv with great honor, and Igor married her.

In 903, the aging Oleg, having married the young prince to Olga, began diligently making sacrifices to the gods so that they would give Igor an heir. Over the course of nine long years, Oleg made many bloody sacrifices to idols, burned so many people and bulls alive, and waited for the Slavic gods to give Igor a son. Didn't wait. He died in 912 from the bite of a snake that crawled out of the skull of his former horse.

Pagan idols began to disappoint the princess: many years of sacrifices to idols did not give her the desired heir. Well, what will Igor do according to human custom and take another wife, a third? He'll start a harem. Who will she be then? And then the princess decided to pray to the Christian God. And Olga began to fervently ask Him at night for a son-heir.

And then, in the twenty-fourth year of their marriage, Prince Igor gave birth to an heir - Svyatoslav! The prince overwhelmed Olga with gifts. She took the most expensive ones to the Church of Elijah - for the Christian God. Happy years have passed. Olga began to think about the Christian faith and about its benefits for the country. Only Igor did not share such thoughts: his gods never betrayed him in battle.

According to the chronicle, in 945, Prince Igor died at the hands of the Drevlyans after repeatedly collecting tribute from them (he became the first ruler in Russian history to die from popular indignation). Igor Rurikovich was executed in the tract, with the help of an honorary “spike”. They bent over two young, flexible oak trees, tied them by the arms and legs, and let them go...

The heir to the throne, Svyatoslav, was only 3 years old at the time, so Olga became the de facto ruler of Kievan Rus in 945. Igor's squad obeyed her, recognizing Olga as the representative of the legitimate heir to the throne.

After the murder of Igor, the Drevlyans sent matchmakers to his widow Olga to invite her to marry their prince Mal. The princess took cruel revenge on the Drevlyans, showing cunning and strong will. Olga's revenge on the Drevlyans is described in detail in The Tale of Bygone Years.

Princess Olga's Revenge

After the reprisal against the Drevlyans, Olga began to rule Kievan Rus until Svyatoslav came of age, but even after that she remained the de facto ruler, since her son was absent most of the time on military campaigns.

Princess Olga's foreign policy was carried out not through military methods, but through diplomacy. She strengthened international relations with Germany and Byzantium. Relations with Greece revealed to Olga how superior the Christian faith is to the pagan one.

In 954, Princess Olga, for the purpose of a religious pilgrimage and a diplomatic mission, went to Constantinople (Constantinople), where she was received with honor by Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. For two whole years she became acquainted with the fundamentals of the Christian faith, attending services in the St. Sophia Cathedral. She was struck by the grandeur of Christian churches and the shrines collected in them.

Olga's baptism

The sacrament of baptism was performed over her by the Patriarch of Constantinople Theophylact, and the emperor himself became the recipient. The name of the Russian princess was given in honor of the holy Queen Helena, who found the Cross of the Lord. The Patriarch blessed the newly baptized princess with a cross carved from a single piece of the Life-giving Tree of the Lord with the inscription:“The Russian land was renewed with the Holy Cross, and Olga, the blessed princess, accepted it.”

Upon returning to Kyiv, Olga, who took the name Elena in baptism, tried to introduce Svyatoslav to Christianity, but “he did not even think of listening to this; but if someone was going to be baptized, he did not forbid it, but only mocked him.” Moreover, Svyatoslav was angry with his mother for her persuasion, fearing to lose the respect of the squad. Svyatoslav Igorevich remained a convinced pagan.

Upon her return from Byzantium, Olga zealously carried the Christian gospel to the pagans and began to erect the first Christian churches: in the name of St. Nicholas over the grave of the first Prince of Kyiv-Christian Askold and St. Sophia in Kyiv over the grave of Prince Dir, the Church of the Annunciation in Vitebsk, the temple in the name of the Holy and Life-Giving Trinity in Pskov, the place for which, according to the chronicler, was indicated to her from above by the “Ray of the Tri-radiant Deity” - on the bank of the Velikaya River she saw “three bright rays” descending from the sky.

Holy Princess Olga died in 969, at the age of 80. and was buried in the ground according to Christian rites.

Her incorruptible relics rested in the Tithe Church in Kyiv. Her grandson Prince Vladimir I Svyatoslavich, Baptist of Rus', transferred (in 1007) the relics of saints, including Olga, to the church he founded Assumption Holy Mother of God in Kyiv (Tithe Church). Most likely, during the reign of Vladimir (970-988), 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.

In 1547, Olga was canonized as Saint Equal to the Apostles. Only 5 other holy women in Christian history have received such an honor (Mary Magdalene, First Martyr Thekla, Martyr Apphia, Queen Helen Equal to the Apostles and Nina, the enlightener of Georgia).

Icon of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga

The memory of Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga is celebrated by Orthodox, Catholic and other Western churches.

Princess Olga became the first ruler of Kievan Rus to be baptized, although both the squad and the ancient Russian people under her were pagan. Olga’s son, the Grand Duke of Kiev Svyatoslav Igorevich, also remained in paganism. Olga was the first of the Russian princes to officially convert to Christianity and was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church back in the pre-Mongol period. The baptism of Princess Olga did not lead to the establishment of Christianity in Rus', but she had a great influence on her grandson Vladimir, who continued her work. She did not wage wars of conquest, but directed all her energy to domestic politics, so she for a long time the people retained a good memory of her: the princess carried out an administrative and tax reform, which eased the situation ordinary people and streamlined life in the state.

Grand Duchess Olga

Holy Princess Olga is revered as the patroness of widows and Christian converts. Residents of Pskov consider Olga its founder. In Pskov there is Olginskaya embankment, Olginsky bridge, Olginsky chapel. The days of the liberation of the city from fascist invaders (July 23, 1944) and the memory of St. Olga are celebrated in Pskov as City Days.

GRAND DUCHESS OLGA (890-969)

From the series “History of the Russian State.”

History of the Russians. Power of Vladimir the Great Paramonov Sergey Yakovlevich

7. When and where was Princess Olga baptized?

To the question of where Princess Olga was baptized, we can give a completely definite answer - in Constantinople. All Russian chronicles, the Byzantine historian Scilitius, as well as Western European chronicles say that Princess Olga was baptized in Constantinople.

Thietmar of Merseburg says: "Helena Regina quae Constantinopoli baptizata erat" (Helena is Olga's Christian baptismal name). In addition to Thietmar, a number of chronicles speak about Olga’s embassy to Otto I and the arrival of Bishop Adalbert in Kyiv: the so-called “Continuator Reginonis”, “Annales Lamperti”, as well as the “Annals” of Hildesheim, Magdeburg and Quedlinburg. In Otto's charter (Monum. Germ. Dipl. I. 502) Princess Olga is called "Regina Rugorum", which gave reason to some, such as Karamzin, to doubt whether this refers to Olga, and not to the queen of the inhabitants of the island of Rügen. V. Vasilievsky in his article “Ancient trade of Kyiv with Regensburg” (Journal of the Ministry of Public Education. 1888. No. 258. P. 127) clarified this issue completely.

There is not a single historical source that would claim that Princess Olga was not baptized in Constantinople, or would to some extent question the above. Moreover, the Joachim Chronicle clearly indicates that Olga could not be baptized at home: “Olga lived with her son and was taught the faith of Christ by the elders in Kyiv, but she could not receive baptism for the sake of the people; For this reason, I went with the faithful nobles to Constantinople, and having received baptism, with many gifts and honor from the Tsar and Patriarch, returned to Kyiv, where Saint Andrew first preached the faith of Christ; Bring with you the priests wise and the wooden church of St. Sophia, and the patriarch sent her icons, and I will apply myself to teaching.”

Thus, Olga was converted to Christianity back in Kyiv by the Christian priests who were there, but did not receive formal baptism, fearing the discontent of the people (“for the sake of the people”). In her decision to be baptized in Constantinople, a certain role was probably played by the desire to see Constantinople and perform the ceremony in conditions appropriate to her high position (from what follows we will see that the ceremony was performed at the royal court). With her baptism, Olga confronted her people with a fait accompli; in essence, there was nothing to protest against. Olga’s adoption of a different faith was her personal matter, but in Kyiv this could cause resistance and unrest, while baptism in Constantinople took place, so to speak, “on the sly.”

Some researchers, having not received an exact solution to the question of when Olga was baptized, looked for it on the assumption that Olga appeared in Constantinople, already being a Christian, and formally. This assumption is completely inconsistent with all historical sources and must be completely rejected.

To the question of when Princess Olga was baptized, the Russian chronicles answer - in 955. As we will see, this figure is quite accurate, but it should be borne in mind that the chronicle's message about the circumstances of Olga's baptism and the date of her baptism come from different sources. The chronicle's story about the circumstances of the baptism is nothing more than a folk legend, entered by the chronicler into the chronicle because, apart from this legend, the chronicler knew nothing about the baptism.

We know further that the chronicle's protograph was without dates and only a subsequent chronicler added retroactive dates. This date, i.e. 955, turns out to be quite correct and, presumably, was derived from the indication of Yakov Mnich in “Memory and Praise to Prince Vladimir” that Olga died in 969, having lived 15 years as a Christian. From this we get a simple calculation that she was baptized in 954 or 955, if we take the calendar from the beginning of the year on September 1.

Since the story of Olga’s baptism is completely legendary and contains obvious errors, for example, in the Laurentian Chronicle it is said, “if then the king would be named Tsemiskiy” (John Tzimiskes ascended the throne only on December 11, 969, i.e., when Olga was already, apparently not alive). The date indicated by Russian chronicles is not entirely reliable and needs to be verified by foreign sources.

“The Continuator of Reginon” reports that in 958, ambassadors from the Russian Queen Helena, who had shortly before been baptized in Constantinople at the court of Emperor Romanus (son of Constantine Porphyrogenitus), came to Emperor Otto I. Thus, in 958 in the West, Olga was already known as a Christian and was called by her Christian name Elena. The indication that she was baptized at the court of Emperor Romanus, however, does not mean that this happened in 959, when Emperor Romanus came to the throne. The fact is that both the son-in-law of Constantine Porphyrogenitus (Roman Lekapen, died in 945) and his children had long been elevated to the imperial rank. Therefore, the indication of the chronicle speaks not so much about the time as about the place of baptism, that is, about the court of Emperor Roman, which is quite plausible if we take into account Olga’s nobility.

The next source is the work of Constantine Porphyrogenitus “On the Ceremonies of the Court,” in which he, by the way, describes two receptions of Olga by himself on Wednesday, September 9 and Sunday, November 18 (these days corresponded to 957). Porphyrogenitus does not call Olga Elena, but Helga, that is, he uses her pagan name. However, it cannot be seen in this that Olga in 957 was not yet a Christian - secular names dominated. Even Vladimir Monomakh, much later, in his will to his children says, “I, who received the name Vasily at baptism, and was known to everyone under the name of Vladimir, etc. It is not without significance that both Olga and Vladimir at the canonization of their Russian The church included in the list of saints not with their Christian, but with their pagan names. From here it is clear that Porphyrogenitus could call Olga, who was already a Christian, by her pagan name.

From the description of the ceremony it is impossible to conclude whether Porphyrogenitus was dealing with a Christian or a pagan. There are, however, indirect circumstances that suggest that in 957 Olga was already a Christian. If her baptism took place in 957, then Porphyrogenitus, firstly, could not remain silent about such a noticeable event, while mentioning the smallest details of Olga’s reception. Further, from the description of her retinue it is clear that it included the priest Gregory, which is quite understandable if Olga was already a Christian.

Finally, there is a very interesting detail - Olga received from the emperor during dinner a golden dish decorated with precious stones with 500 miliarisia on it.

Archbishop Anthony of Novgorod subsequently saw this dish in the sacristy of St. Sophia in Constantinople - “the dish was great with the gold of Olga the Russian, when she took tribute to Tsargrad.” It turns out that, proud and offended by the delay in her reception, Olga presented the imperial dish (to the temple) of Hagia Sophia, that is, she delicately returned the gift, but in a courteous manner. The fact that she gave the dish to the church suggests that she was a Christian.

Finally, the dish itself had an image of Jesus Christ in the middle - it is unlikely that Porphyrogenitus could present such a dish to a pagan, and he could not be sure how the pagan princess would react to this.

Even if we assume that we are talking here about two different dishes (and we have no reason not to believe Archbishop Anthony), the gift of a dish to the Church of Hagia Sophia shows that the giver was already a Christian.

There is one more circumstance showing that Olga was interested in Christianity at that time - in 958 she sent a special embassy to Otto I with a request to send a bishop to Rus' to spread the Christian faith. Since she returned to Kyiv at the earliest at the end of 957, this embassy immediately followed her visit to Constantinople. From her dissatisfaction, noted in the chronicle, it can be assumed that in Constantinople she did not achieve what she wanted in the affairs of the church, and therefore turned to Otto, that is, to Rome.

However, the most accurate is the indication of the Byzantine historian Scilitius that Olga was baptized under Patriarch Theophylact, who held this position from February 933 to February 27, 956. Since Olga’s travel during the winter months was excluded, her baptism could have taken place before 956, more likely in total, in 954 or 955, as given by Russian chronicles. In this case, the indication of the “Continuator of Reginon” that in 958 she was considered to have been baptized shortly before is quite suitable.

Thus, we must accept that Olga was baptized in Constantinople, most likely in the autumn of September 954–955. This forces us to accept Olga’s double trip to Constantinople: in 955 for the purpose of baptism and in 957 for some diplomatic purpose. To some, this double trip seems unlikely. We think that this is an error of perspective: we always strive to view our ancestors as some kind of primitives who stayed at home, were afraid of everything alien, etc.

Olga's trip to Constantinople is a historical fact, and it is completely clear that she, the ruler of a huge state, had every opportunity to fulfill her desire: to visit Constantinople again. If Porphyrogenitus had not written a book about the ceremonies of the Byzantine court, we would have known nothing about Olga’s second trip, for it was a relatively minor fact. Scilitius kept traces of her first trip, the most important thing being that she was baptized.

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