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The reign of Olga, the wife of Prince Igor, dates back to 945-964. She became the first woman on the Kiev throne during the reign of the Rurik dynasty and a rare female ruler of a large state for her era. She came to the throne due to the sudden death of her elderly husband, and then ruled until her son Svyatoslav grew up.
Features of the biography
The history of Russia in the first half of the 10th century is poorly documented. Information about Princess Olga is brief and contradictory. None of the chronicles gives her date of birth.
Rice. 1. Princess Olga.
The Degree Book of the 16th century contains a statement that Olga died at the age of 80, therefore, the date of her birth dates back to the last decade of the 9th century. A number of historians believe that she was born in 893 or 894, and in 903 she was already married. These dates contradict the fact that her son Svyatoslav was born around 940, that is, when the princess reached 50 years of age. Historians of the 20th century, for example, academician Boris Rybakov, suggested that the princess was born around 920.
The earliest ancient Russian chronicle, that is, “The Tale of Bygone Years,” reports that Olga was born not far from Pskov, in the village of Vybuty. Some historians, for example, D. Ilovaisky, suggested that she was born in Bulgaria, in the city of Pliska.
Rice. 2. Princess Olga 945.
The pacification of the rebellious Drevlyans
Where is she from, Princess Olga, what kind of family? Was she of noble birth or born into a simple family? The chronicles do not give an exact answer to this question. According to some sources, Prince Igor accidentally met Olga while hunting in his domain and fell in love with the humble girl so much that he made her a princess.
There is no information about her youth either. Her story begins after the death of her husband, when she, with the support of the governor, took the princely throne before her son Svyatoslav came of age.
The first thing Olga did was to restore order in the lands under her control with a firm hand. Traditions have preserved information about this as revenge against the Drevlyans. Their head Mal, allegedly wanting to marry Olga in order to annex Kyiv to his possessions, sent messengers to Olga. The princess ordered them to be buried in the ground, and she asked to tell Mal that she was not against getting married, but she needed more noble Drevlyans to come to Kyiv, otherwise the residents of Kyiv would not give consent to the marriage. Mal fulfilled the condition. The second batch of messengers awaited death in a burning hut, set on fire on Olga's orders.
Next, the stern princess went to the Drevlyans and besieged their city of Korosten. Having waited until the besieged began to beg for mercy, she said that she would leave the city if its inhabitants sent several pigeons from each yard to her. The Drevlyans, who believed her, hastened to fulfill the demand, but did it on their own: Olga tied smoldering coals to the paws of the birds, and, returning home, they set the city on fire.
This was the end of Olga's revenge. Through the prism of centuries, it is no longer clear whether all her actions related to the Drevlyans and whether it was revenge for the death of her husband, or whether she similarly pacified everyone who tried to rebel, but only after some time peace and quiet were established in the state.
Foreign and domestic policy
In 945, during the collection of tribute, Olga's husband was killed by representatives of the Drevlyan tribe, so one of the main events of her reign was revenge for him. She besieged and burned the capital of the Drevlyans - the city of Iskorosten in 946. The consequence of the conflict with the Drevlyans was a change in the procedure for collecting tribute in favor of the Kyiv prince:
- Its dimensions have been established - quitrents.
- Charters have been introduced, that is, the frequency of payments.
- In the subject lands, the position of tiun, a representative of the princely administration, was introduced.
- Cemeteries appeared, that is, places for collecting tribute.
During the reign of the princess, stone construction began in Rus', and a stone palace was built in Kyiv.
There were few foreign policy events under Olga. In 957, she was baptized in Constantinople, and in 961, the first Christian bishop, Adalbert, arrived in Kyiv from Germany.
Rice. 3. Rus' in the 10th century.
Siege of Kyiv by the Pechenegs
Nikolai first. years of government, domestic and foreign policy, reforms
Taking advantage of the fact that Svyatoslav fought with the Bulgarians and Byzantium on the Danube, the Pechenegs besieged Kyiv. Before this, they had repeatedly attacked Russian merchants on the Dnieper, but they had never come so close to the capital of the Old Russian state. Deprived of military protection in the person of the princely squad, the city was almost taken. The hastily assembled militia and the squad of the petty governor Pretich could not provide adequate resistance to the huge army of the Pechenegs. The only thing that was possible was to use cunning to get the princess and Svyatoslav’s sons out of the city. The defense of Kyiv from the Pechenegs was extremely weak.
The Pechenegs were in no hurry to lift the siege of Kyiv; famine began in the city, people were suffering from thirst. A messenger was sent to Svyatoslav asking for his return. The troops sent defeated the Pechenegs near Kiev and drove them outside the state. Svyatoslav defeated the Pechenegs under the walls of Kyiv, but could not completely destroy them; the defeat of the Pechenegs near Kiev was finally carried out by his descendants.
Olga successfully survived the Pecheneg attack on Kyiv, but died just a year after this event, around 969. According to historians, she lived for at least 75-80 years.
Pecheneg
The siege of Kyiv by the Pechenegs, which they successfully carried out in 968, showed that the Russian state was not yet strong enough and needed constant protection and skillful leadership. Svyatoslav was an excellent warrior and a good politician, he knew how to timely calculate all important political steps for the country, therefore, when the next Danube campaign began in 970, the prince’s army included not only Russian warriors, but also Pechenegs and Hungarians. At the decisive moment, they nevertheless betrayed the prince and fled, but with their presence they emphasized Svyatoslav’s ability to quickly find allies and conduct battles solely for the benefit of the Russian state.
Horseman and foot soldiers defend themselves from enemies
Reign of Princess Olga (briefly)
After taking revenge on the Drevlyans for the murder of her husband, Prince Igor of Kyiv, his wife Princess Olga took over the rule of Kievan Rus, since Svyatoslav her son was still small. However, most historians believe that even after Svyatoslav actually ascended the throne, the wise princess remained the ruler of the Slavic land. This is due to the fact that her son devoted most of his time to military campaigns, leaving the rule of the state to his mother.
Duchess Olga
Transformations of Princess Olga
Ancient chronicles tell us about Olga’s tireless walks across Russian lands to build the economic and political life of Kievan Rus. In the Pskov and Novgorod lands, the princess established the so-called system of “pogosts” - centers of exchange and trade, in which the process of collecting taxes regularly took place. Later, temples began to be built in graveyards.
During Olga's reign, Rus' strengthened and grew. New cities were built, surrounded by high stone and oak defensive walls. The residence of the princess herself was in Vyshgorod, which was the first stone buildings in Kyiv (country tower and Olga's palace), surrounded by a loyal squad. The princess carefully watched how the lands that were collected in Rus' by Oleg and Igor were being developed.
Reform activities of Princess Olga
In addition, Olga became famous for her significant reform activities. Historians consider its main unspoken reform to be a soft attitude and the spread of the Christian faith. On Slavic soil, it was under Olga that the churches of St. Sophia and St. Nicholas appeared, as well as the church in Vitebsk (Annunciation of the Virgin Mary). According to legend, on the Pskov River, Olga’s birthplace, the princess built the city of Pskov. The Church of the Life-Giving Holy Trinity was also erected in the same land.
Princess Olga tried to introduce her son Svyatoslav to the Christian faith. However, he was only angry with his mother, remaining a pagan until the end of his life. At the same time, Svyatoslav did not prohibit Christianity in Rus' and allowed those who wanted to be baptized.
According to the chronicles, it was Svyatoslav who, after the death of Igor, began to rule the state of Kievan Rus. But the date of his sole rule is rather arbitrary precisely because most of the rule was carried out by his mother.
In 968, Kievan Rus was first attacked by the Pechenegs when Svyatoslav was on campaign. Together with her grandchildren, Grand Duchess Olga locked herself in Kyiv and held a siege. Svyatoslav, who soon returned from Bulgaria, lifted the siege and tried to set off again, but was stopped by his sick mother, who persuaded him to wait until her death. Three days later, on July 11, 969, Olga died.
Olga (945-962)
Suppression of the Drevlyan uprising
Introduction of lessons and graveyards
Development of the diplomatic service
Adoption of Christianity in Byzantium
Video lecture: a brief history of the reign of Princess Olga
Check yourself! Test on the topic: the reign of Princess Olga
Prince Igor: the beginning of everything
To understand what a lesson was in Ancient Rus', you need to know where it all began. We will begin to look at history from the reign of Prince Igor Rurikovich, who did not become a strong figure in the management of the Russian state, but went down in history as a prince who could not cope with his people because of his stupidity and greed.
Prince Igor began to rule after the death of Prophetic Oleg. Throughout his reign, the prince did not show himself as a worthy ruler. At the same time, he did not show himself as a bad prince. The only thing that Prince Igor became famous for was his unsuccessful attempts to attack Byzantium. It is also worth noting that thanks to Igor, the trade agreement with the Greeks, which was concluded by Prince Oleg the Prophet, was continued. This condition was convenient for Rus' at that time.
Conclusion
Economic development and the development of commodity-money relations were determined by the creation of lessons. So what is a lesson in Ancient Rus'? The lesson is a fixed tax amount. It was from the moment of the reign of Princess Olga in Rus' that a constant and fixed income appeared in the state treasury, which could already correct some of the economic problems of Rus'. In addition, the princess created independent administrative units, which have survived to this day in our large state. Olga not only managed foreign policy affairs, but also actively dealt with problems that existed within the state itself.
In addition, the reforms that Olga carried out strengthened power in Rus' and led to the distribution of control throughout the territory of the state.
Among other things, it is important to say that it was thanks to the princess that Rus' began to acquire its cultural and spiritual values. It was from the moment Olga came to power that the state began to develop in a religious and spiritual sense, because Olga actively participated in the spread of Christianity in Rus'. People began to gain self-awareness and a sense of duty to their state. This was greatly facilitated by the creation of a unified taxation system - the introduction of mandatory payment of lessons.
The beginning of the tenth century in the Russian state
Before Princess Olga took the throne, Rus' remained under the strong influence of the Varangians. The Rurikovichs went to distant lands, where they built new cities and fortresses, thereby expanding the borders of the Kyiv state. Today, chronicles tell us that due to their geographical remoteness, the Varangians could not pass on much of their culture to Rus'. But this did not stop the Varangians from developing the surrounding lands and waterways and the peoples living nearby.
The more rivers were developed, the more trade routes opened up. It was from this moment that the expansion of cities began. This became a very strong impetus for the economic development of Rus'. And power itself already meant the creation of an economic and political infrastructure. Water trade routes begin to be controlled by different princes. The emergence of such a state as Kievan Rus dates back to this moment.
Attempts at centralization: the introduction of graveyards and lessons
The treasury of Rus' constantly received funds that could ensure victory in the conquest of Byzantium. These funds came in the form of graveyards and tribute, which were paid by the conquered tribes and peoples to the state. Today, even the amounts of these taxes can be found in ancient documents. The Russian Pravda, which is considered the first legislative document in Rus', states that the tribute was 300 hryvnia per year. This amount was paid to maintain peace between the captured tribe and Russia.
It was Princess Olga who was able to divide the entire Novgorod land into several parts, which were called “pogosts”. Each territorial unit had its own obligations to Kievan Rus. Each churchyard was obliged to pay an annual lesson - a tribute, the amount of which was precise and fixed at the legislative level.
Olga and Svyatoslav
Unlike his mother, Svyatoslav did not share enthusiasm for Christianity. Olga repeatedly persuaded him to be baptized, but Svyatoslav invariably replied that the squad would laugh at him. However, Svyatoslav himself was indifferent to Christians: if one of his close associates decided to change their faith, he did not forbid it.
So, Svyatoslav continued to live according to pagan customs, and when Olga invited the German Christian mission to Kyiv, he did not interfere with the pogrom that happened. Incited by the squad, Svyatoslav ordered the destruction of some Christian churches built by his mother. On his orders, Olga’s nephew Gleb was killed.
Olga had to come to terms with what happened. She was still considered, she was still respected, but she was no longer a princess, but only the mother of a prince. However, Svyatoslav himself preferred to spend his time on military campaigns, and his mother was left to manage the state.
Svyatoslav defeated the Khazar Kaganate, a serious blow was dealt to Volga Bulgaria, and then the prince passed through eighty Danube cities, taking each one.
While her son was engaged in military affairs, Olga raised his sons. Svyatoslav’s son, Vladimir, the future baptist of Rus', received special love from the housekeeper Malusha.
Taxation system in Rus'
Every year, from November to April, the prince's squad received a large income. There were only two ways to obtain it: cart and polyudye. The cart represented the obligatory provision of money and food to the prince directly to the court. Polyudye was collected by the warriors themselves during their tours of state territories.
The detour, as a rule, was carried out by junior warriors.
Before Olga came to power, taxes were irregular and had no order or norm. Only in the 10th century in Kievan Rus was a taxation system created that had a clear order. It is from this moment that lessons are introduced in Rus'.
The princess's rise to power
After the death of Prince Igor, his wife, Princess Olga, comes to power in Rus'. Russia has always been ruled by strong warriors, so Olga had a difficult task: she needed to prove her strength and show the whole state that she, too, was a strong person who was capable of ruling the country. In ancient chronicles you can find four actions of Princess Olga, which are of great importance for the development of Russian history.
The reign of the princess begins with revenge for the death of Prince Igor. This was the first act mentioned in the chronicles. As revenge, Princess Olga, together with her son Svyatoslav, burned the capital of the Drevlyans to the ground. During the fire, many Drevlyan ambassadors died. This act proved the strength of a woman, despite the fact that throughout the Russian state, a woman was considered a weak-willed creature who had to run a household and raise children.
But let's not go off topic. What is a lesson in Ancient Rus'? After completing her revenge, the princess decided to take up state affairs in order to eliminate economic and political problems in the country.
The meaning of churchyards
Princess Olga's reforms did not end there. An important innovation was the establishment of graveyards. They were small centers of princely power. From now on, each administrative district acquired its own graveyard and camp where tribute was collected. Churchyards were also used for trade. Thus, the administrative reforms of Princess Olga contributed to the creation of territorial divisions that were under the authority of the prince’s governor and capable of repelling anyone dissatisfied with the policies and decrees of the princess. Later, by the 12th century, churchyards turned into district control centers.
Before Olga's reign, tribute collection was carried out in the form of polyudya - an annual winter tour of the estates of government officials, during which tax could be collected twice from one household. Of course, this fact caused dissatisfaction and indignation among payers. However, with the introduction of graveyards, people who brought tribute received a special princely seal, which protected them from collecting the tax again. Olga carefully put this reform into action, gradually honing its mechanism. During the implementation of the new system, most local princes lost their power, and the independence of autonomous tribes was sharply curtailed. The work carried out by Olga did not receive publicity or enthusiastic reviews, but it was of great importance in the development of statehood.
