In what year did Prince Olga reign? All the controversial facts of Olga's life

Name: Princess Olga (Elena)

Date of Birth: 920

Age: 49 years old

Activity: Princess of Kyiv

Family status: widow

Princess Olga: biography

Princess Olga - wife of the great Russian prince, mother, ruled Russia from 945 to 960. At birth the girl was given the name Helga, her husband called her own name, but a female version, and at baptism she began to be called Elena. Olga is known for being the first of the rulers of the Old Russian state to voluntarily convert to Christianity.

Dozens of films and TV series have been made about Princess Olga. Her portraits are in Russian art galleries; based on ancient chronicles and found relics, scientists have tried to recreate a photographic portrait of the woman. In his native Pskov there is a bridge, an embankment and a chapel named after Olga and two of her monuments.

Childhood and youth

The exact date of Olga’s birth has not been preserved, but the Degree Book of the 17th century says that the princess died at eighty years old, which means she was born at the end of the 9th century. If you believe the “Arkhangelsk Chronicler”, the girl got married when she was ten years old. Historians are still arguing about the year of birth of the princess - from 893 to 928. Official version recognized as 920, but this is the approximate year of birth.

The oldest chronicle “The Tale of Bygone Years,” describing the biography of Princess Olga, indicates that she was born in the village of Vybuty, Pskov. The names of the parents are not known, because... they were peasants, and not persons of noble blood.

The story of the late 15th century says that Olga was the daughter of the ruler of Russia until Igor, the son of Rurik, grew up. He, according to legend, married Igor and Olga. But this version of the princess’s origin has not been confirmed.

Governing body

At the moment when the Drevlyans killed Olga’s husband, Igor, their son Svyatoslav was only three years old. The woman was forced to take power into her own hands until her son grew up. The first thing the princess did was take revenge on the Drevlyans.

Immediately after the murder of Igor, they sent matchmakers to Olga, who persuaded her to marry their prince, Mal. So the Drevlyans wanted to unite the lands and become the largest and most powerful state of that time.

Olga buried the first matchmakers alive along with the boat, making sure that they understood that their death worse than death Igor. The princess sent a message to Mal that she was worthy of the best matchmakers from the strongest men in the country. The prince agreed, and the woman locked these matchmakers in the bathhouse and burned them alive while they washed themselves to meet her.

Later, the princess came with a small retinue to the Drevlyans to, according to tradition, celebrate a funeral feast at the grave of her husband. During the funeral feast, Olga drugged the Drevlyans and ordered the soldiers to cut them down. The chronicles indicate that the Drevlyans then lost five thousand soldiers.

In 946, Princess Olga went into open battle on the land of the Drevlyans. She captured their capital and, after a long siege, using cunning (with the help of birds with incendiary mixtures tied to their paws), she burned the entire city. Some of the Drevlyans died in the battle, the rest submitted and agreed to pay tribute to Rus'.

Since Olga’s grown son spent most of his time on military campaigns, power over the country was in the hands of the princess. She carried out many reforms, including the creation of centers of trade and exchange, which made it easier to collect taxes.

Thanks to the princess, stone construction was born in Rus'. Having seen how easily the wooden fortresses of the Drevlyans burned, she decided to build her houses from stone. The first stone buildings in the country were the city palace and the ruler's country house.

Olga established the exact amount of taxes from each principality, the date of their payment and frequency. They were then called “polyudya”. All lands subject to Kyiv were obliged to pay it, and a princely administrator, a tiun, was appointed in each administrative unit of the state.

In 955, the princess decided to convert to Christianity and was baptized. According to some sources, she was baptized in Constantinople, where she was personally baptized by Emperor Constantine VII. During baptism, the woman took the name Elena, but in history she is still better known as Princess Olga.

She returned to Kyiv with icons and church books. First of all, the mother wanted to baptize her only son Svyatoslav, but he only mocked those who accepted Christianity, but did not forbid anyone.

During her reign, Olga built dozens of churches, including a monastery in her native Pskov. The princess personally went to the north of the country to baptize everyone. There she destroyed all pagan symbols and installed Christian ones.

The vigilantes reacted to the new religion with fear and hostility. They emphasized their pagan faith in every possible way, tried to convince Prince Svyatoslav that Christianity would weaken the state and should be banned, but he did not want to contradict his mother.

Olga was never able to make Christianity the main religion. The warriors won, and the princess had to stop her campaigns, locking herself in Kyiv. She raised Svyatoslav's sons in the Christian faith, but did not dare to baptize, fearing the wrath of her son and the possible murder of her grandchildren. She secretly kept a priest with her so as not to give rise to new persecution of people of the Christian faith.

There is no exact date in history when the princess handed over the reins of government to her son Svyatoslav. He often went on military campaigns, therefore, despite the official title, Olga ruled the country. Later, the princess gave her son power in the north of the country. And, presumably, by 960 he became the ruling prince of all Rus'.

Olga's influence will be felt during the reign of her grandchildren and. They were both raised by their grandmother, from infancy they became accustomed to the Christian faith and continued the formation of Rus' on the path of Christianity.

Personal life

According to the Tale of Bygone Years, the Prophetic Oleg married Olga and Igor when they were still children. The story also says that the wedding took place in 903, but, according to other sources, Olga was not even born then, so there is no exact date of the wedding.

There is a legend that the couple met at a crossing near Pskov, when the girl was a boat carrier (she dressed in men's clothes - this was a job only for men). Igor noticed the young beauty and immediately began to pester her, to which he received a rebuff. When the time came to get married, he remembered that wayward girl and ordered to find her.

If you believe the chronicles describing the events of those times, then Prince Igor died in 945 at the hands of the Drevlyans. Olga came to power while her son grew up. She never married again, and there is no mention of relationships with other men in the chronicles.

Death

Olga died of illness and old age, and was not killed, like many rulers of that time. The chronicles indicate that the princess died in 969. In 968, the Pechenegs raided Russian lands for the first time, and Svyatoslav went to war. Princess Olga and her grandchildren locked themselves in Kyiv. When the son returned from the war, he lifted the siege and wanted to immediately leave the city.

His mother stopped him, warning him that she was very ill and could sense that own death. She turned out to be right; 3 days after these words, Princess Olga died. She was buried according to Christian customs, in the ground.

In 1007, the grandson of the princess, Vladimir I Svyatoslavich, transferred the relics of all the saints, including the remains of Olga, to the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Kyiv, which he founded. The official canonization of the princess took place in the middle of the 13th century, although miracles were attributed to her relics long before that, she was revered as a saint and called equal to the apostles.

Memory

Olginskaya street in Kyiv
St. Olginsky Cathedral in Kyiv

Movie

1981 – ballet “Olga”
1983 – film “The Legend of Princess Olga”
1994 – cartoon “Pages Russian history. Land of the ancestors"
2005 – film “The Saga of the Ancient Bulgars. The Legend of Olga the Saint"
2005 – film “The Saga of the Ancient Bulgars. Vladimir's ladder "Red Sun"
2006 – “Prince Vladimir”

Literature

2000 – “I know God!” Alekseev S. T.
2002 - “Olga, Queen of the Rus.”
2009 - “Princess Olga.” Alexey Karpov
2015 - “Olga, forest princess.” Elizaveta Dvoretskaya
2016 - “United by Power.” Oleg Panus

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 of Christianity in Rus' 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, ordinary people called her cunning, the church - holy, history - wise.

Grand Duchess Olga (c. 890 - July 11, 969) was the wife of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Igor.

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. Disputes about exact date Olga's birth is still ongoing - some historians insist on the date of about 890, others - on the date of 920 (although this date is absurd due to the fact that Olga married Igor under the Prophetic Oleg, who died in 912). Both dates can be questioned, so they are accepted conditionally. The names of Olga's parents have not been preserved.

When Olga 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 out to the river bank. Deciding 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, having understood the thoughts of Igor, 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 harass 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 it. 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 With great honor brought Olga to Kyiv, and Igor married her. Having married the young prince to Olga, the aging OlegHe began to diligently make 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. Not 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 so in 942 ,in the twenty-fourth year of their marriage, Prince Igor had 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 dies at the hands of the Drevlyans after repeatedly exacting 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 “unlock”. They bent over two young, flexible oak trees, tied them by the arms and legs, and let them go...

F.Bruni. Igor's execution

The heir to the throne, Svyatoslav, was only 3 years old at that 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 cruelly took 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 massacre of 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 most was away on military campaigns for a while.

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

In 954, Princess Olga went to Constantinople (Constantinople) for the purpose of a religious pilgrimage and a diplomatic mission., 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.

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 whole piece 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.”

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

Upon returning to Kyiv, Olga 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 returning from Byzantium Olga zealously brought the Christian gospel to the pagans, began to erect the first Christian churches: in the name of St. Nicholas over the grave of the first Kyiv Christian prince Askold and St. Sophia in Kyiv over the grave of Prince Dir, the Church of the Annunciation in Vitebsk, the church in the name of St. 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.

Sergey Efoshkin. Duchess Olga. Dormition

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 Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kyiv (Tithe Church). More 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).

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

Princess 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 for many years 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.

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.

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

for the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Sparrow Hills

Troparion of Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga, tone 8
In you, God-wise Elena, the image of salvation was known in the Russian country, / as if, having received the bath of holy Baptism, you followed Christ, / creating and teaching, to leave idolatry’s charms, / to take care of souls, things more immortal, / also With Angels, Equal-to-the-Apostles, your spirit rejoices.

Kontakion of Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga, tone 4
Today the grace of all God has appeared, / having glorified Olga the God-Wise in Rus', / through her prayers, Lord, / grant to people the abandonment of sin.

Holy prayer Equal to the Apostles Princess Olga
O holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olgo, the First Lady of Russia, warm intercessor and prayer book for us before God! We resort to you with faith and pray with love: be your helper and accomplice in everything for our good, and just as in temporal life you tried to enlighten our forefathers with the light of the holy faith and instruct me to do the will of the Lord, so now, in heavenly grace, you are favorable With your prayers to God, help us in enlightening our minds and hearts with the light of the Gospel of Christ, so that we may advance in faith, piety and love of Christ. In poverty and sorrow, give comfort to the needy, give a helping hand to those in need, stand up for those who are offended and mistreated, those who have lost their way from the right faith and blinded by heresies, bring them to their senses and ask us from the All-Bountiful God for all the good and useful life of temporal and eternal life, so that having lived here well, we will be worthy of the inheritance of eternal blessings in the endless Kingdom of Christ our God, to Him, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, belongs all glory, honor and worship always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. A min.

GRAND DUCHESS OLGA (890-969)

From the series “History of the Russian State.”

Regency of Igor's wife under the young Prince Svyatoslav.

DUCHESS OLGA

Olga - the great Russian saint. equal to princess. Wife led. book Igor Rurikovich. Regarding the origin of the book. There are several chronicle versions of Olga. Some authors call her a native of Pleskov (Pskov), others - Izborsk. Some claim that she came from the family of the legendary Gostomysl and originally bore the name of the Beautiful, but was renamed by Oleg the Prophet in his honor, others call her the daughter of Oleg the Prophet, others report that she was a simple peasant woman who pleased Igor and therefore became his wife. In a manuscript collection of the 15th century. there is news according to which Olga was a Bulgarian princess from the city of Pliski and was brought to Rus' by Oleg the Prophet as a bride for the prince. Igor.

In the Tale of Bygone Years, under 903, Igor’s marriage to Olga is reported. The Ustyug Chronicle says that she became Igor’s wife at the age of 10. The Joachim Chronicle notes that Igor subsequently had other wives, but Olga was honored more than others for her wisdom.

From Igor’s agreement with Byzantium it is clear that Olga occupied the third most important place in the hierarchical structure of the Kyiv state - after the Grand Duke. Igor and his son-heir Svyatoslav.

After the death of her husband, Olga becomes the supreme ruler of Rus'. She brutally suppresses the uprising of the Drevlyans, sets the amount of taxes from the population in a number of Russian regions, and creates graveyards where tribute collectors stay.

ORIGIN OF PRINCESS OLGA

Little is known about Olga before her marriage to Igor. The Tale of Bygone Years reports under the year 6411 (903) that “a wife from Pskov, named Olga,” was brought to Igor. “The Power Book of the Royal Genealogy” (created in the 60s of the 16th century) names the entire (village) of Vybutskaya near Pskov as Olga’s homeland. In the later Raskolnichy and Joakim chronicles, which were in the possession of V.N. Tatishchev, Olga’s homeland turns out to be Izborsk. Since at the time of Olga’s birth Pskov did not seem to exist yet, but in the middle of the 10th century Olga’s village Vybutino-Budutino existed, then she, therefore, was born there. Similarly, a legend arose about Olga’s Izborsk origin. For example, V.N. Tatishchev, who preserved this legend, obeying the logic of his chronicle sources, believed that the “Izborsk” version was more correct, since “there was no Pskov then.” Meanwhile, the “Pskov” version is supported by archaeological data, according to which Pskov, as a city proper, was formed by the 8th century, that is, earlier than Izborsk. However, both the version about Izborsk (located 30 km from Pskov) and the version about Vybutskaya Vesi, as the place where Olga was born, place Olga’s homeland in the Pskov region.

A curious message from a number of chronicles of the 17th-18th centuries is that Olga was the daughter of “Tmutarahan, Prince of Polovets.” Thus, there is a certain chronicle tradition behind this news, but it is hardly possible to consider the Russian princess of the 10th century Olga as the daughter of the Polovtsian khan.

So, we can only safely say that Olga’s homeland was the north of the territory of settlement of the Eastern Slavs, possibly Pskov or its environs. Apparently, Olga had close ties with Novgorod. It is to her that the chronicle attributes the establishment of tribute in the Novgorod land in 6455 (947). True, the chronicle story about the princess’s campaign to Novgorod and the establishment of tribute on Msta and Luga raises fair doubt among researchers that all this really took place. After all, near Novgorod in ancient times there was its own “Village Land”, “Derevsky Pogost”. At the beginning of the 11th century, the Novotorzhskaya region, near Torzhok, was called the Village Land, and the city of Torzhok itself was called Iskorosten in ancient times! This may indicate that it was founded by people from the Drevlyansky land, who probably fled there after the suppression of the Drevlyanian uprising. The 11th century chronicler, whose work was used in compiling the Tale of Bygone Years, could have misunderstood the story that Olga regulated the collection of tribute from the Derevskaya land, and expanded the scope of the princess’s organizational activities, including the reform of the Novgorod land. Here the chronicler's desire to simplify the history of the organization of churchyards in Rus' was manifested, attributing the entire reform to one person - Olga.

The Tale of Bygone Years does not report anything about the position that Olga occupied before her marriage to Igor. True, in the “State Book,” in which Igor’s marriage to Olga is described with extraordinary and romantic details, it is said that Olga was a simple villager from the village of Vybutskaya, whom Igor met at a ferry during a hunt. For three centuries now, historians have doubted that Olga was of low origin, and these doubts are well founded. It was already mentioned above that the “Degree Book” placed Olga’s homeland in the village of Vybutskaya, based on the conviction that Pskov did not yet exist. Stories about Olga’s “peasant” origins and how she worked as a carrier were also preserved in Pskov oral traditions. Here we are most likely dealing with the well-known desire of storytellers to bring the hero closer to the listeners, to make him a representative of their class. Most chronicles report on Olga’s noble origins or limit themselves to a simple mention of the marriage of Igor and Olga. The “Stage Book,” presenting Olga as a poor villager, turns out to be almost completely alone. The Ermolinsk Chronicle (second half of the 15th century) calls Olga “princess from Pleskov.” The typographical chronicle (first half of the 16th century) reports that “some” said that Olga was the daughter of the Prophetic Oleg. The news that Olga was Oleg’s daughter was preserved in the Piskarevsky chronicler and the Kholmogory chronicle.

Olga’s nobility is also evidenced by the news of Constantine Porphyrogenitus in his work “On the Ceremonies of the Byzantine Court” that during Olga’s visit to Constantinople she was accompanied by a large retinue: “anepsius”, 8 close people, 22 ambassadors, 44 shopping man, 2 translators, a priest, 16 close women and 18 slaves. What seems most interesting to us is the presence of 8 close people. These are not warriors or servants. This number of people is not enough for a squad, and all service personnel are transferred later. These are not allied princes. They sent 22 ambassadors with Olga. Perhaps these are Olga’s relatives; it is no coincidence that the same source says that along with Olga, “archontsses related to her” also arrived. In addition, Olga’s “anepsia” stands out among the Russian embassy. “Anepsius” is a term that in Byzantium of that time most often meant a nephew (the son of a sister or brother), as well as a cousin or, much less often, a relative in general. As you know, the treaty of 944 mentions Igor’s nephews (Igor and Akun). Since the husband's nephew could be considered the nephew of his wife, it is possible that one of these two persons is being discussed in this case. True, the term “anepsy” meant a blood relative, which in relation to Olga neither Igor nor Akun were. Perhaps we are talking here about a prince completely unknown to us, who belonged to Olga’s family. Thus, Olga was not a simple villager without a clan, without a tribe, but was the head of a clan that came to Kyiv with her and participated in the conduct of affairs.

However, one more circumstance strengthened Olga’s position. She was not just Igor’s wife, but also, as can be seen from the story about her distribution of tribute from the Drevlyans, an independent ruler of Vyshgorod. The significance of Vyshgorod was great. The city arose only 12-15 km from Kyiv and from the very beginning was a powerful fortress, which later served as a good shield for the defense of Kyiv from the north. This location of Vyshgorod in relation to Kyiv has allowed a number of historians to consider it as a kind of “appendage”, a suburb of the “mother of Russian cities”. This is hardly true, at least in relation to Vyshgorod of the 10th century. According to archeology, at this time its territory was equal to modern Kyiv. The city had a detinets (kremlin). Vyshgorod was a center of crafts and trade. The significance and power of this city is evidenced by the mention of “Vusegrad” in the work of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, along with others largest cities- Smolensk, Lyubech, Chernigov. Rather, those historians who tend to view Vyshgorod as a center independent of Kyiv and, moreover, a competing center with it, are right.

OLGA'S WHIRLING

Olga's name is associated with important reforms related to the establishment of administrative centers - churchyards and the streamlining of the public administration system. As proof, the following excerpt from the chronicle of the 12th century is cited: “In the summer of 6455 (947) Volga went to Novugorod, and established taxes and tributes for Msta and dues and tributes for Luza; and her traps are all over the earth, signs and places and guards, and her sleigh stands in Pleskov to this day.” To correctly interpret the above passage, it should be compared with the Notes of Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus, written during the time of Olga in the middle of the 10th century. With the approach of winter, the emperor wrote, the Russian “archons leave Kiev with all their dews and go to polyudia, which is called “circling,” namely to the lands of the Drevlyans, Dregovichs, northerners and other tributaries of the Slavs. Feeding there during the winter, they return to Kyiv in April, when the ice on the Dnieper melts.”

Constantine VII described Polyudye during Olga’s lifetime based on conversations with ambassadors. The Kiev chronicler gleaned information about Olga’s polyudye from legends a century later. He did not know the term “polyudye”, but he attributed to the wise princess an important reform - the establishment of “povosts” and “rents”. The word “rent” is of late origin, and the concept “pogost” (“povost”) had in the 10th century. a completely different meaning than in the 12th century. Under Olga, “pogost” meant a pagan sanctuary and a trading place for the Slavs (“pogost” from the word “guest” - merchant). With the adoption of Christianity, the authorities began to destroy the temples and build churches in their place. The largest churchyards became by the 12th century. to district control centers. But under Olga, churchyards remained primarily pagan sanctuaries.

Skrynnikov R.G. Old Russian state

FROM LIFE

And Princess Olga ruled the regions of the Russian land under her control not as a woman, but as a strong and reasonable husband, firmly holding power in her hands and courageously defending herself from enemies. And she was terrible for the latter, but loved by her own people, as a merciful and pious ruler, as a righteous judge who did not offend anyone, inflicting punishment with mercy and rewarding the good; She instilled fear in all evil, rewarding each in proportion to the merit of his actions, but in all matters of government she showed foresight and wisdom. At the same time, Olga, merciful at heart, was generous to the poor, the poor and the needy; fair requests soon reached her heart, and she quickly fulfilled them... With all this, Olga combined a temperate and chaste life; she did not want to remarry, but remained in pure widowhood, observing princely power for her son until the days of his age. When the latter matured, she handed over to him all the affairs of the government, and she herself, having withdrawn from rumors and care, lived outside the concerns of management, indulging in works of charity. Holy Princess Olga reposed in 969 on July 11 (old style), bequeathing her open Christian burial. Her incorruptible relics rested in the tithe church in Kyiv.
For her missionary work, Olga was one of the first to be canonized and awarded the high title of Equal-to-the-Apostles.
At the same time, several controversial issues are still associated with the name of this princess, such as:
- place of her origin (according to the Initial Chronicle, Olga came from Pskov
The life of the holy Grand Duchess Olga specifies that she was born in the village of Vybuty in the Pskov land, 12 km from Pskov up the Velikaya River. The names of Olga’s parents have not been preserved; according to the Life, they were not of noble family, “from the Varangian language.” The typographical chronicle (late 15th century) and the later Piskarevsky chronicler report that Olga was the daughter of the Prophetic Oleg. I.D. Ilovaisky believed that Olga came from the Slavs and derived her name from the Slavic form “Volga”; by the way, in the ancient Czech language there was also an analogue of Olga Olha. A number of Bulgarian researchers believe that Olga came from Bulgarians. To confirm this, they cite a message from the New Vladimir Chronicler (“Igor was married [Oleg] to Bolgareh, and Princess Olga was killed for him.”), where the author mistakenly translated the chronicle name Pleskov not as Pskov, but as Pliska - the Bulgarian capital of that time.
- the time of her birth (most chroniclers consider her the same age as Igor, others believe that she was 15-20 years younger than her husband),
- place and time of her baptism. (according to one version 954 - 955, another 957, some researchers believe that baptism took place in Constantinople, others in Kyiv).

July 24(July 11, Old Art.) The Church honors memory of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, named Helen in holy baptism. Holy Princess Olga ruled the Old Russian state from 945 to 960 as regent for her young son Svyatoslav, after the death of her husband, Prince of Kyiv Igor Rurikovich. Olga was the first of the rulers of Rus' to convert to Christianity. They pray to the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga for the strengthening of the Christian faith and for the deliverance of the state from enemies. Saint Olga is also revered as the patroness of widows.

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

The chronicles do not report Olga's year of birth, but the later Book of Degrees states 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 clarifies that Olga was 10 years old at the time of her marriage. Based on this, many scientists calculated the date of her birth - 893. The short life of the princess states that at the time of her death she was 75 years old. Thus, Olga was born in 894. But this date is called into question by the date of birth of Olga’s eldest son, Svyatoslav (c. 938-943), since Olga should have been 45-50 years old at the time of her son’s birth, which seems unlikely. Despite the fact that Svyatoslav Igorevich was Olga’s eldest son, a researcher of Slavic culture and history Ancient Rus' B.A. Rybakov, taking 942 as the prince’s date of birth, considered the year 927-928 to be the latest point of Olga’s birth. A. Karpov in his monograph “Princess Olga” claims that the princess was born around 920. Consequently, the date around 925 looks more correct than 890, since Olga herself in the chronicles for 946-955 appears young and energetic, and gives birth to her eldest son in 942. The name of the future enlightener of Rus' and her homeland is named in the “Tale of Bygone Years” in the description of the marriage of the Kyiv prince Igor:

And they brought him a wife from Pskov, named Olga.

The Joachim Chronicle specifies that she belonged to the family of the Izborsky princes - one of the ancient Russian princely dynasties.

Igor's wife was called by the Varangian name Helga, in Russian pronunciation Olga (Volga). Tradition calls the village of Vybuty, not far from Pskov, up the Velikaya River, Olga’s birthplace. The life of Saint Olga tells that here she first met her future husband. The young prince was hunting on the Pskov land and, wanting to cross the Velikaya River, he saw “someone floating in a boat” and called him to the shore. Sailing away from the shore in a boat, the prince discovered that he was being carried by a girl of amazing beauty. Igor was inflamed with lust for her and began to incline her to sin. Olga turned out to be not only beautiful, but chaste and smart. She shamed Igor by reminding him of the princely dignity of the ruler:

Why do you embarrass me, prince, with immodest words? I may be young and ignorant, and alone here, but know: it is better for me to throw myself into the river than to endure reproach.

Igor broke up with her, keeping her words and beautiful image in his memory. When the time came to choose a bride, the most beautiful girls principalities. But none of them pleased him. And then he remembered Olga and sent Prince Oleg for her. So Olga became the wife of Prince Igor, the Grand Duchess of Russia.

In 942, a son, Svyatoslav, was born into the family of Prince Igor. In 945, Igor was killed by the Drevlyans after repeatedly exacting tribute from them. Fearing revenge for the murder of the Kyiv prince, the Drevlyans sent ambassadors to Princess Olga, inviting her to marry their ruler Mal (d. 946). Olga pretended to agree. By cunning, she lured two Drevlyan embassies to Kyiv, putting them to a painful death: the first was buried alive “in the princely courtyard,” the second was burned in a bathhouse. After this, five thousand Drevlyan men were killed by Olga’s soldiers at a funeral feast for Igor at the walls of the Drevlyan capital Iskorosten. On next year Olga again approached Iskorosten with her army. The city was burned with the help of birds, to whose feet burning tow was tied. The surviving Drevlyans were captured and sold into slavery.

Along with this, the chronicles are full of evidence of her tireless “walks” across the Russian land with the aim of building political and economic life countries. She achieved the strengthening of the power of the Kyiv Grand Duke and centralized government administration through the system of “cemeteries.” The chronicle notes that she, her son and her retinue, walked through the Drevlyansky land, establishing tributes and dues, marking villages and camps and hunting grounds to be included in the Kyiv grand-ducal possessions. She went to Novgorod, setting up graveyards along the Msta and Luga rivers. The life tells about Olga’s works as follows:

And Princess Olga ruled the regions of the Russian land under her control not as a woman, but as a strong and reasonable husband, firmly holding power in her hands and courageously defending herself from enemies. And she was terrible for the latter, but loved by her own people, as a merciful and pious ruler, as a righteous judge who did not offend anyone, inflicting punishment with mercy and rewarding the good; She instilled fear in all the evil, rewarding everyone in proportion to the merit of his actions; in all matters of government she showed foresight and wisdom. At the same time, Olga, merciful at heart, was generous to the poor, the poor and the needy; fair requests soon reached her heart, and she quickly fulfilled them... With all this, Olga combined a temperate and chaste life, she did not want to remarry, but remained in pure widowhood, observing princely power for her son until the days of his age. When the latter matured, she handed over to him all the affairs of the government, and she herself, having withdrawn from rumors and care, lived outside the concerns of management, indulging in works of charity..

Rus' grew and strengthened. Cities were built surrounded by stone and oak walls. The princess herself lived behind the reliable walls of Vyshgorod, surrounded by a loyal squad. Two-thirds of the collected tribute, according to the chronicle, she gave to the Kyiv veche, the third part went “to Olga, to Vyshgorod” - to the military building. The establishment of the first state borders Kievan Rus. The heroic outposts, sung in epics, guarded the peaceful life of the people of Kiev from the nomads of the Great Steppe and from attacks from the West. Foreigners flocked to Gardarika, as they called Rus', with goods. The Scandinavians and Germans willingly joined the Russian army as mercenaries. Rus' became a great power. But Olga understood that it was not enough to worry only about state and economic life. It was necessary to start organizing the religious and spiritual life of the people. The Degree Book writes:

Her feat was that she recognized the true God. Not knowing the Christian law, she lived a pure and chaste life, and she wanted to be a Christian by free will, with the eyes of her heart she found the path of knowing God and followed it without hesitation.

Reverend Nestor the Chronicler(c. 1056-1114) narrates:

From an early age, Blessed Olga sought wisdom about what is best in this world, and found valuable pearls- Christ.

Grand Duchess Olga, entrusting Kyiv to her grown-up son, set off with large fleet to Constantinople. Old Russian chroniclers will call this act of Olga “walking”; it combined a religious pilgrimage, a diplomatic mission, and a demonstration of the military power of Rus'. " Olga wanted to go to the Greeks herself in order to see with her own eyes the Christian service and be fully convinced of their teaching about the true God", - narrates the life of Saint Olga. According to the chronicle, in Constantinople Olga decides to become a Christian. The sacrament of Baptism was performed over her by Patriarch Theophylact of Constantinople (917-956), and the recipient was Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus (905-959), who left in his work “On the Ceremonies of the Byzantine Court” detailed description ceremonies during Olga's stay in Constantinople. At one of the receptions, the Russian princess was presented with gold, decorated precious stones dish. Olga donated it to the sacristy of the Hagia Sophia, where it was seen and described at the beginning of the 13th century by the Russian diplomat Dobrynya Yadrejkovich, later Archbishop Anthony of Novgorod (d. 1232): “ The dish is large and gold, the service of Olga the Russian, when she took tribute while going to Constantinople: in Olga’s dish there is a precious stone, on the same stones Christ is written" The Patriarch blessed the newly baptized Russian princess with a cross carved from a single piece of the Life-Giving Tree of the Lord. On the cross there was an inscription:

The Russian land was renewed with the Holy Cross, and Olga, the blessed princess, accepted it.

Olga returned to Kyiv with icons and liturgical books. She erected a temple in the name of St. Nicholas over the grave of Askold, the first Christian prince of Kyiv, and converted many Kiev residents to Christ. The princess set off to the north to preach the faith. In the Kyiv and Pskov lands, in remote villages, at crossroads, she erected crosses, destroying pagan idols. Princess Olga marked the beginning of special veneration in Rus' Holy Trinity. From century to century, a story was passed down about a vision she had near the Velikaya River, not far from her native village. She saw “three bright rays” descending from the sky from the east. Addressing your companions, former witnesses vision, Olga said prophetically:

Let it be known to you that by the will of God in this place there will be a church in the name of the Most Holy and Life-Giving Trinity and there will be here a great and glorious city, abounding in everything.

At this place Olga erected a cross and founded a temple in the name of the Holy Trinity. It became the main cathedral of Pskov. On May 11, 960, the Church of St. Sophia of the Wisdom of God was consecrated in Kyiv. The main shrine of the temple was the cross that Olga received at Baptism in Constantinople. In the 13th century Prologue about Olga's cross it is said:

It now stands in Kyiv in St. Sophia in the altar on the right side.

After the conquest of Kyiv by the Lithuanians, Holga's cross was stolen from St. Sophia Cathedral and taken by Catholics to Lublin. His further fate is unknown. At that time, the pagans looked with hope at the growing Svyatoslav, who decisively rejected his mother’s entreaties to accept Christianity. " The Tale of Bygone Years" tells about it this way:

Olga lived with her son Svyatoslav, and persuaded his mother to be baptized, but he neglected this and covered his ears; however, if someone wanted to be baptized, he did not forbid him, nor mocked him... Olga often said: “My son, I have come to know God and I rejoice; so you, if you know it, you will also begin to rejoice.” He, not listening to this, said: “How can I want to change my faith alone? My warriors will laugh at this!” She told him: “If you are baptized, everyone will do the same.”.

He, not listening to his mother, lived according to pagan customs. In 959, a German chronicler wrote: “ The ambassadors of Elena, Queen of the Russians, who was baptized in Constantinople, came to the king and asked to consecrate a bishop and priests for this people" King Otto, the future founder of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, responded to Olga's request. A year later, Libutius, from the monastery of St. Alban in Mainz, was installed as Bishop of Russia, but he soon died. Adalbert of Trier was dedicated in his place, whom Otto finally sent to Russia. When Adalbert appeared in Kyiv in 962, he “ “I didn’t succeed in anything for which I was sent, and saw my efforts in vain.” On the way back " some of his companions were killed, and the bishop himself did not escape mortal danger“- this is how the chronicles tell about Adalbert’s mission. The pagan reaction manifested itself so strongly that not only the German missionaries suffered, but also some of the Kyiv Christians who were baptized along with Olga. By order of Svyatoslav, Olga's nephew Gleb was killed and some churches built by her were destroyed. Princess Olga had to come to terms with what had happened and go into matters of personal piety, leaving control to the pagan Svyatoslav. Of course, she was still taken into account, her experience and wisdom were invariably turned to on all important occasions. When Svyatoslav left Kyiv, the administration of the state was entrusted to Princess Olga.

Svyatoslav defeated the longtime enemy of the Russian state - the Khazar Khaganate. The next blow was dealt to Volga Bulgaria, then it was the turn of Danube Bulgaria - eighty cities were taken by Kyiv warriors along the Danube. Svyatoslav and his warriors personified the heroic spirit pagan Rus'. Chronicles have preserved the words Svyatoslav, surrounded with his squad by a huge Greek army:

We will not disgrace the Russian land, but we will lie here with our bones! The dead have no shame!

While in Kyiv, Princess Olga taught her grandchildren, the children of Svyatoslav, the Christian faith, but did not dare to baptize them, fearing the wrath of her son. In addition, he hindered her attempts to establish Christianity in Rus'. In 968, Kyiv was besieged by the Pechenegs. Princess Olga and her grandchildren, among whom was Prince Vladimir, found themselves in mortal danger. When news of the siege reached Svyatoslav, he rushed to the rescue, and the Pechenegs were put to flight. Princess Olga, already seriously ill, asked her son not to leave until her death. She did not lose hope of turning her son’s heart to God and on her deathbed did not stop preaching: “ Why are you leaving me, my son, and where are you going? When looking for someone else's, to whom do you entrust yours? After all, Your children are still small, and I am already old, and sick, - I expect an imminent death - departure to my beloved Christ, in whom I believe; Now I don’t worry about anything except about you: I regret that although I taught a lot and convinced you to leave the wickedness of idols, to believe in the true God, known to me, but you neglect this, and I know what for your disobedience A bad end awaits you on earth, and after death - eternal torment prepared for the pagans. Now fulfill at least this last request of mine: do not go anywhere until I am dead and buried; then go wherever you want. After my death, do not do anything that pagan custom requires in such cases; but let my presbyter and the clergy bury my body according to Christian custom; do not dare to pour a grave mound over me and hold funeral feasts; but went to Constantinople for gold His Holiness Patriarch so that he would make a prayer and offering to God for my soul and distribute alms to the poor». « Hearing this, Svyatoslav wept bitterly and promised to fulfill everything she had bequeathed, refusing only to accept the holy faith. After three days, blessed Olga fell into extreme exhaustion; she received communion of the Divine Mysteries of the Most Pure Body and the Life-Giving Blood of Christ our Savior; all the time she remained in fervent prayer to God and to the Most Pure Mother of God, whom she always had as her helper according to God; she called upon all the saints; Blessed Olga prayed with special zeal for the enlightenment of the Russian land after her death; seeing the future, she repeatedly predicted that God would enlighten the people of the Russian land and many of them would be great saints; Blessed Olga prayed for the speedy fulfillment of this prophecy at her death. And another prayer was on her lips when her honest soul was released from her body and, as a righteous one, was accepted by the hands of God" The date of repose of Princess Olga is July 11, 969. Princess Olga was buried according to Christian custom. In 1007, her grandson Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavichokolo (960-1015) transferred the relics of saints, including Olga, to the Church of the Virgin Mary, which he founded in Kyiv.

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

Probably, 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. From that time on, the day of remembrance of Saint Olga (Elena) began to be celebrated on July 11 (O.S.). Under Grand Duke Vladimir, the relics of Saint Olga were transferred to the Tithe Church of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary and placed in a sarcophagus. There was a window in the church wall above the tomb of St. Olga; and if anyone came to the relics with faith, he saw the relics through the window, and some saw the radiance emanating from them, and many sick people were healed. The prophecy of Saint Princess Olga about the death of her son Svyatoslav came true. He, as the chronicle reports, was killed by the Pecheneg prince Kurei (10th century), who cut off Svyatoslav’s head and made himself a cup from the skull, bound it with gold and drank from it during feasts. The prayerful works and deeds of Saint Olga confirmed the greatest deed of her grandson Saint Vladimir - the Baptism of Rus'. In 1547, Olga was canonized as Saint Equal to the Apostles.

Basic information about Olga’s life, recognized as reliable, is contained in the “Tale of Bygone Years”, the Life from the Book of Degrees, the hagiographic work of the monk Jacob “Memory and Praise to the Russian Prince Volodymer” and the work of Constantine Porphyrogenitus “On the Ceremonies of the Byzantine Court”. Other sources provide additional information about Olga, but their reliability cannot be determined with certainty. According to the Joachim Chronicle, Olga’s original name was Beautiful. The Joachim Chronicle reports the execution by Svyatoslav of his only brother Gleb for his Christian beliefs during the Russian-Byzantine war of 968-971. Gleb could be the son of Prince Igor both from Olga and from another wife, since the same chronicle reports that Igor had other wives. Gleb's Orthodox faith testifies to the fact that he was Olga's youngest son. The medieval Czech historian Tomas Pesina, in his work in Latin “Mars Moravicus” (1677), spoke about a certain Russian prince Oleg, who became (940) the last king of Moravia and was expelled from there by the Hungarians in 949. According to Tomas Pesina, this Oleg of Moravia was Olga’s brother. The existence of Olga’s blood relative, calling him anepsium (meaning nephew or cousin), was mentioned by Constantine Porphyrogenitus in his list of her retinue during his visit to Constantinople in 957.

Troparion and Kontakion to the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga

Troparion, tone 1

Having fixed your mind on the wing of God's understanding, you soared above visible creatures, seeking God and the Creator in every way. And having found Him, you again accepted the destruction through baptism. And having enjoyed the tree of the living cross of Christ, you remain incorruptible forever, ever glorious.

Kontakion, tone 4

Let us sing today, the Benefactor of all, God, who glorified the God-wise Olga in Rus'. And through her prayers, Christ, grant remission of sins to our souls.

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Library of Russian Faith
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Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga. Icons

On the icons, the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga is depicted full-length or waist-length. She is dressed in royal clothes, her head is decorated with a princely crown. IN right hand Holy Princess Olga Vladimir holds a cross - a symbol of faith, as the moral foundation of the state, or a scroll.

Temples in the name of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga

In the north-west of Rus' there was a churchyard called Olgin Krest. It was here, as chronicle sources say, that Princess Olga came to collect taxes in 947. In memory of her amazing rescue while crossing the rapids and ice-free Narova, Princess Olga erected a wooden and then a stone cross. In the Olgin Cross tract there were local revered shrines - a temple in the name of St. Nicholas, built in the 15th century, a stone cross, installed, according to legend, in the 10th century by Princess Olga. Later, the cross was embedded in the wall of the Church of St. Nicholas. In 1887, the temple was supplemented with a chapel in the name of St. Princess Olga. St. Nicholas Church was blown up in 1944 by retreating German troops.

In Kyiv on Trekhsvyatitelskaya Street (Victims of the Revolution Street) until the 30s. XX century there was a church in the name of three saints - Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. It was built in the early 80s. XII century by Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich at the princely court and consecrated in 1183. The church had a chapel in the name of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga.

In the Church of the Assumption from the ferry (from Paromenya) in Pskov, a chapel was consecrated in the name of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga. The church was erected on the site of an earlier one, built in 1444. Since 1938, the church has not operated; in 1994, services were resumed there.

In the name of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, the Edinoverie Church in Ulyanovsk was consecrated. The church was built in 1196.

In the city of Ulyanovsk there is a church of the same faith of the Russian Orthodox Church.

People's memory of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga

In Pskov there is the Olginskaya embankment, the Olginsky bridge, the Olginsky chapel, as well as two monuments to the princess. Monuments to the saint were erected in Kyiv and Korosten, and Olga’s figure is also present on the “Millennium of Russia” monument in Veliky Novgorod. Olga Bay in the Sea of Japan and an urban-type settlement in the Primorsky Territory are named in honor of Saint Princess Olga. Streets in Kyiv and Lviv are named after Saint Olga. Also in the name of Saint Olga, orders were established: Insignia of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga (established by Emperor Nicholas II in 1915); “Order of Princess Olga” (state award of Ukraine since 1997); Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga (ROC).

Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga. Paintings

Many painters turned to the image of Saint Princess Olga and her life in their works, among them V.K. Sazonov (1789–1870), B.A. Chorikov (1802–1866), V.I. Surikov (1848–1916), N.A. Bruni (1856–1935), N.K. Roerich (1874–1947), M.V. Nesterov (1862–1942) and others.

The image of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga in art

Many are dedicated to the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga literary works, this is “Princess Olga” (A.I. Antonov), “Olga, Queen of the Rus” (B. Vasiliev), “I know God!” (S.T. Alekseev), “The Great Princess Elena-Olga” (M. Apostolov) and others. Such works as “The Legend of Princess Olga” (directed by Yuri Ilyenko), “The Saga of the Ancient Bulgars” are known in cinema. The Legend of Olga the Saint" (director Bulat Mansurov) and others.

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 Kiev, 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, “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, among other things, 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 had taken 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 later saw this dish in the sacristy of St. Sophia in Tsargrad - “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 about two different dishes here (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 fall 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 - 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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