Princess Olga: a brief biography and interesting facts from life

Many facts from the life of one of the greatest rulers of Russia and are still unknown. Princess Olga, whose brief biography has many "white spots", and today is one of the most odious persons of pre-Christian Russia.

The origin of Princess Olga

Historians and researchers of Olga's life and work still do not come to a common opinion about her origin today. Several sources of those years give different information about the origin of the future wife of Grand Duke Igor.

So, one of the recognized sources of those times - "The Tale of Bygone Years" - indicates that the future princess Olga, whose brief biography does not give exact information about her parents, was brought from Pskov.

Another source, The Life of Princess Olga, claims that she was born on the Pskov land, in the village of Vybuty. There was a girl simple-minded, that's why the names of her parents were unknown.

The Iokimov Chronicle mentions that the future wife of Prince Kiev was a noble family of Izborskys, and its roots go to the Varangians.

One more version: Olga is the daughter of the Prophetic Oleg.

Marriage

Igor's acquaintance with his future wife is also shrouded in a lot of inaccuracies and mysteries. In "Life" it is said that the future Princess Olga, whose brief biography is sometimes contradictory served in different sources, met her future husband in Pskov, where the prince was hunting. He needed to cross the river, and, seeing the boat, Igor sat in it. Afterwards, the prince discovered that his ferryman was a beautiful girl. She responded to all the courtship of her passenger with a refusal. And when it was time to choose the prince bride, he remembered the girl in the boat and sent messengers for her with a proposal of the hand and heart. So she became the wife of the Grand Duke of the Russian Olga. Princess of Kiev, whose brief biography has since been traced more clearly, was a good and wise wife. Already in a short time she gave birth to Igor's son - Svyatoslav.

Murder of Prince Igor

Prince Igor was a great conqueror, he constantly raided his squad to neighboring lands, collecting tribute from weak tribes. One of these campaigns was fatal for the Russian prince. In 945, Igor and his team went to the neighboring Drevlyans for their due tribute. Taking a lot of wealth, destroying villages and abusing the local population, Rusichi went home. However, on the way back, the prince with a small number of soldiers decided to return and again rob the drevlyane lands. But local men, making sure that the prince is coming with a small army, attacked him and killed him.

Revenge of the Drevlyanians

Upon learning of the death of her husband at the hands of the Drevlyans, Olga was long grieving. 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, blood feud was acceptable . Naturally, Olga could not get around this tradition. Gathering her squad, She began to wait. Soon came the ambassadors from Drevlyans with the proposal of a wedding for the sake of uniting Russian and Drevlyanskih lands. The princess agreed-this was her revenge.

Credulous Drevlyane believed her, went to the capital, but were seized, thrown into a hole and covered with earth. Thus, some of the bravest and brave Drevlyans were destroyed. The second party of ambassadors was also killed by cunning - they were burned in a bath. When Olga and her druzhina approached the gates of the Iskorostenya, the main city of the Drevlyans, under the pretext of celebrating the triune (wake) for the prince, she gave her enemies, and the squad killed them. According to the chroniclers, about five thousand Drevlyans fell out at that time.

In 946, the princess with the army went to the Drevlyansky land, destroyed them, collected taxes and established a mandatory, fixed amount of tax, but she did not manage to occupy the Iskorosten. The city was impregnable. Then Olga burned the city to the ground with the help of pigeons and sparrows, tying their burning cloth to their paws. Pupils are told who the Princess Olga is. A brief biography for young children omits the full history of revenge. Mostly attention is paid to the years of her rule and the adoption of the Christian faith.

Princess Olga: a short biography, years of government

After Igor's death, their son Svyatoslav became the successor, but in fact all power was concentrated in the hands of his mother, and while he was young, and after his majority. Svyatoslav was a warrior, and spent most of his time in campaigns. Princess Olha was engaged in landscaping and controlled territories. A brief biography of the ruler indicates that this woman founded several cities, including Pskov. Everywhere she ennobled her lands, built walls around large villages, built temples in honor of Christian saints. During the reign of Olga, 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 the adoption of the Christian faith by her.

Baptism of Princess Olga

The first swallow of Christianity on the Russian land was named Princess Olga. A short biography for the 4th grade pays special attention to this event. In written sources of past years there is no single date for the princesses to accept Christianity. Some call 955, others - 957.

Visiting Constantinople, Olga was not only baptized in the Christian faith, but also resumed trade agreements signed by her late husband. Baptized Princess Emperor Constantine VII himself and priest Theophylactus. They called her Elena (according to the Christian custom).

After returning home, Olga tried in every possible way to attach her son Svyatoslav to the new faith, but the prince did not get this idea and remained a pagan, afraid of condemning the squad. And yet, he did not forbid mothers to build cathedrals and churches. Olga stayed in Kiev, actively participated in the education of grandchildren. Perhaps this fact led to the fact that the son of Svyatoslav, Vladimir, in 988 baptized Rus, thereby combining it.

In 968, the Pechenegs attacked the Russian land. Olga was in the besieged capital together with her grandchildren. She sent a messenger for Svyatoslav, who at that time was in the next campaign. The prince came home, defeated the Pechenegs, but Olga asked her son not to plan another trip, as she was seriously ill and anticipated the near end. In 969, Princess Olga died and was buried according to the Christian rite. Legend has it that the relics of the Grand Duchess were imperishable.

In the XVI century Olga was ranked as a saint.