Holy Equal to the Apostles Grand Duchess Olga, baptized Elena (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 and bright features in Rus' Western civilization. The Grand Duchess went down in history as a great creator state life and culture 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.
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 report additional information about Olga, but their reliability cannot be accurately determined.
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 Olga's exact date of birth are still ongoing. - some historians insist on the date of c. 890, others - on the date of 920 (although this date is absurd due to the fact that Olga married Igor at 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 Prince of Novgorod 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 he 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 ,twenty-fourth year life together, an heir was born to Prince Igor - 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 took cruel revenge on the Drevlyans, showing cunning and strong will. Olga's revenge on the Drevlyans is described in detail in The Tale of Bygone Years.
Princess Olga's Revenge
After the 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 connections 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 a single piece of the Life-Giving Tree of the Lord with the inscription: “The Russian land was renewed with the Holy Cross, and Olga, the blessed princess, accepted it.”
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 Assumption Holy Mother of God 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 a 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).
Memory Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga celebrated by Orthodox and 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 she for a long time the people retained a good memory of her: the princess carried out administrative tax reform, which made things easier ordinary people and streamlined life in the state.
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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. Days of liberation of the city from fascist invaders(July 23, 1944) and the memory of Saint 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.
Prayer to Saint 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 gone astray 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. Ah min.
GRAND DUCHESS OLGA (890-969)
From the series “History of the Russian State.”
The love story of Prince Igor and Olga is unusual in that over the years it has turned into folk tale. Since it was about the rulers of the Rurik dynasty, this legend had a great political meaning for subsequent sovereigns. According to legend, Olga was a simple girl whom Prince Igor fell in love with. She conquered the prince with her intelligence and courage.
One day Prince Igor, then still a young man, was hunting in the Pskov land, when suddenly opposite bank rivers I saw, according to the chronicler, “desired fishing,” that is, rich hunting grounds. However, getting to the other side was not so easy, because the river was swift, and the prince did not have a “laditsa” - a boat.
“And he saw someone floating along the river in a boat, and called the swimmer to the shore, and ordered him to be transported across the river. And as they swam, Igor looked at the rower and realized that it was a girl. It was blessed Olga, still very young, pretty and courageous" (this is how the ancient adjectives "very young, kind-hearted and courageous" are translated into modern Russian).
"And was wounded by the vision... and burned with desire for nudes (To her. - Ed.) , and some verbs turn into mockery (began to speak shamelessly. - Ed.) to her,” reports Olga’s first meeting with her future husband, Prince Igor, in the Degree Book of the Royal Genealogy. This historical monument official Moscow ideology was compiled in the mid-16th century by an associate of Metropolitan Macarius, archpriest of the Moscow Kremlin Annunciation Cathedral, Andrei, who later became, under the name Afanasy, the Moscow Metropolitan.
True, the author directly Lives of Princess Olga as part of the Degree Book, historians consider another famous writer and a church leader - the Annunciation priest Sylvester, who was the spiritual mentor of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It was not the contemporaries of the prince and princess who told us about their acquaintance on the Velikaya River, but scribes who lived six centuries later.
But let's listen to what happened next. Olga answered the prince not like a young maiden, but like a wise one life experience woman - “not in a youthful way, but in an senile sense, reproaching him”: “Why are you embarrassing yourself in vain, O prince, inclining me to disgrace? Why, holding something disgraceful in your mind, do you utter shameless words? Do not flatter yourself when you see me young and alone. And Do not hope that you can overcome me: although I am uneducated, and very young, and simple in character, as you can see, I still understand that you want to offend me... It is better to think about yourself and leave your thoughts While you are young, be careful. yourself, so that foolishness does not overcome you and so that you do not suffer from some evil. Leave all lawlessness and untruth: if you yourself are wounded by all sorts of shameful acts, then how can you forbid others from untruth and righteously rule your power? be tempted by my defenselessness (literally: “about my orphanhood”), then it would be better for me to be swallowed up by the depths of this river: let me not be a temptation for you and I myself will avoid reproach and reproach...” We quoted this passage in the translation of the historian and writer Alexei Karpova.
The young people walked the rest of the way in complete silence. Prince Igor returned to Kyiv. After some time, the time came for him to get married: “and he commanded his ex to find him a bride for marriage.” The prince began to look everywhere for a bride. Igor remembered the “wonderful girl” Olga, her “cunning verbs” and “chaste disposition” and sent his “relative” Oleg for her, who “with appropriate honor” brought the young maiden to Kyiv, “and thus the law of marriage was destined for him.” .
A small digression. In The Tale of Bygone Years, Prince Oleg is called the ruler Kyiv State at the end of the 9th - beginning of the 10th century. Whether he was in fact the true ruler of Kievan Rus and whether he lived at the same time as Igor is a separate and difficult topic for historians, but not related to the love story of Igor and Olga.
This is the legend about Olga, who was one of the favorite characters of Russian folklore for centuries, passed on six centuries after her life and death. In the popular consciousness, Olga turned out to be wiser than both the Kyiv prince and, in other stories, the Byzantine emperor. And the role of a carrier assigned to her, as researchers of folk tales emphasize, is also far from accidental. Crossing a river is not just about moving in space. In Russian ritual songs, crossing the river symbolizes a change in the fate of a girl: her union with her betrothed, transformation into married woman. The crossing is usually carried out by a man, but there are also counter examples. Moreover, the first meeting Olga and Igor predetermined her future replacement of Igor as the ruler of his state.
The name Olga is a Russian feminine form male name Oleg, most likely, like the Scandinavian name Helga, represents female form male name Helgi. It acquires the meaning of “saint” only with the spread of Christianity (not earlier than the 11th century), and in pagan times it meant “lucky”, “possessing all the qualities necessary for a king.” This “princely” name was given to epic, legendary heroes.
And although Olga was not the only wife of Prince Igor, the names of other princely wives were not preserved in the chronicles. Just like the names of his other sons, except son Igor from Olga- famous. IN political life Other sons of the Kyiv state, except Svyatoslav Igorevich, did not take part. And you marriage of Igor and Olga, exact date which is also unknown to us, is considered by some historians as a combination of two initially unrelated dynasties of rulers of ancient Rus' - “Kyiv” and “Novgorod”.
Women in ancient Rus' were not powerless creatures. Legal (in Russian, “led”) spouse ruling prince and the mother of his sons had her own courtyard, retinue and even squad, different from her husband’s squad. It was with the hands of her warriors that Princess Olga carried out revenge on the Drevlyans who killed Prince Igor. This story is well remembered by many school textbooks stories.
Princess Olga's short biography for children and adults is presented in this article.
Princess Olga short biography
Princess Olga (902 - July 11, 969) can rightfully be considered the most odious person pre-Christian Rus', because there are a lot of “blank spots” in her biography. It is worth remembering only its origin.
According to one version, which is based on data from the Tale of Bygone Years, the future princess was from Pskov. Moreover, there is no information about her parents. According to another source - “The Life of Princess Olga”, the version about her birth on Pskov land is confirmed. The name of the village is even indicated - Vybuty. And the fact that there is no information about her parents is explained by the fact that Olga was a commoner by origin, so the names of her parents are unknown.
It is known that in 912 she married Prince Igor when she was 10 years old. Olga was wise wife. Being a brave warrior, one day Igor went to collect tribute to the Drevlyans with his own hands. Those, seeing that the prince came with a small army, surrounded him and killed him. Enraged Olga came up with a sophisticated revenge - in 946 she demanded that every Drevlyan family give her pigeons as tribute. The princess tied smoldering straws to their paws and sent them home. So the whole village was burned.
But Olga became famous not only for this. She was also a wise ruler, founded several cities, improved the landscaping of her land, built walls to fortify around the villages and introduced fixed taxes. She was the first female princess in Kievan Rus to convert to Christianity. Unfortunately, her son Svyatoslav was not yet ready for the new faith and remained a pagan. In 969, the princess was in Kyiv and was seriously ill. She died that same year. According to legend, her relics were incorruptible. In the 16th century, Olga was canonized.
History knows many cases when women became heads of states and made them strong and prosperous. One of these rulers was Olga, Princess of Kiev. Little is known about her life, however, from what we managed to learn about her, one can understand how wise and prudent this woman was. Historians say Olga’s main merit is that during her reign, Kievan Rus became one of the strongest states of its time.
Date and place of birth of Olga
It is not known exactly when the princess was born Kyiv Olga. Her biography has survived to this day only in fragments. Historians suggest that the future princess was born approximately in 890, since in the Degree Book there is a mention that she died at the age of 80, and the date of her death is known - it is 969. Ancient chronicles call different places her birth. According to one version, she was from near Pskov, according to another, from Izborsk.
Versions about the origin of the future princess
There is a legend according to which Olga was born into a simple family, and from an early age she worked as a carrier on the river. It was there that Prince Igor of Kiev met her when he was hunting in the Pskov lands. He needed to cross to the other side, and he asked a young man in a boat to transport him. Taking a closer look, Igor noticed that in front of him was not a young man, but a beautiful, fragile girl, dressed in men's clothing. That was Olga. The prince really liked her and began to pester her, but received a fitting rebuff. Time passed, the time came for Igor to get married, and he remembered the proud Pskov beauty and found her.
There is a legend that completely contradicts the previous one. It says that Grand Duchess Olga of Kiev came from a noble northern family, and her grandfather was the famous Slavic prince Gostomysl. Ancient sources mention that in early years the future ruler of Rus' bore the name Beautiful, and began to be called Olga only after her wedding with Igor. She received this name in honor of Prince Oleg, who raised her husband.
Olga's life after her wedding with Igor
Olga, Princess of Kiev, married Igor as a very young girl. short biography, which has survived to this day thanks to the Tale of Bygone Years, says that the date of her marriage is 903. At first, the couple lived separately: Olga ruled Vyshgorod, and her husband ruled Kiev. Besides her, Igor had several more wives. Common child the spouses appeared only in 942. This is Svyatoslav, the future prince of Kievan Rus, famous for his successful military campaigns.
The terrible revenge of the princess
In 945, Igor went to the Drevlyan lands located next to Kyiv for tribute and was killed there. His son Svyatoslav was only 3 years old at that time, and he could not rule the state, so Princess Olga took the throne. Kievan Rus came completely under her control. The Drevlyans, who killed Igor, decided that they were no longer obliged to pay tribute to the capital. Moreover, they wanted to marry their prince Mal to Olga and thus take possession of the Kyiv throne. But it was not there. The cunning Olga lured the ambassadors whom the Drevlyans sent to her as matchmakers into a pit and ordered them to be buried alive. The princess turned out to be merciless towards the following Drevlyan visitors. Olga invited them to the bathhouse, ordered the servants to set it on fire and burn the guests alive. So terrible was the princess’s revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband.
But Olga did not calm down on this. She went to the Drevlyan lands to celebrate a funeral ritual at Igor’s grave. The princess took a small squad with her. Having invited the Drevlyans to the funeral feast, she gave them drink and then ordered them to be chopped up with swords. Nestor the lithographer in The Tale of Bygone Years indicated that Olga’s warriors then destroyed about 5 thousand people.
However, even the murder of so many Drevlyans seemed Kyiv princess insufficient revenge, and she planned to destroy their capital - Iskorosten. In 946, Olga, together with her young son Svyatoslav and her squad, began a military campaign against enemy lands. Having surrounded the walls of Iskorosten, the princess ordered 3 sparrows and 3 doves to be brought to her from each yard. The residents followed her order, hoping that after this she and the army would leave their city. Olga ordered smoldering dry grass to be tied to the paws of the birds and released back to Iskorosten. Pigeons and sparrows flew to their nests, and the city burst into flames. Only after the capital of the Drevlyan principality was destroyed and its inhabitants were killed or enslaved did Princess Olga calm down. Her revenge turned out to be cruel, but in those days it was considered the norm.
Domestic and foreign policy
If we characterize Olga as the ruler of Rus', then, of course, she surpassed her husband in matters relating to domestic policy states. The princess managed to subjugate the rebellious East Slavic tribes to her power. All lands dependent on Kyiv were divided into administrative units, at the head of which tiuns (stewards) were appointed. She also carried out a tax reform, as a result of which the size of polyudya was established, and graveyards were organized to collect it. Olga began stone urban development on Russian lands. Under her rule, a city palace and a princely suburban tower were erected in Kyiv.
In foreign policy Olga set a course for rapprochement with Byzantium. But at the same time, the princess sought to ensure that her lands remained independent of this great empire. The rapprochement of the two states led to the fact that Russian troops repeatedly took part in the wars waged by Byzantium.
Olga's adoption of Christianity
Population Ancient Rus' professed a pagan faith, worshiping a large number deities The first ruler to promote the spread to East Slavic lands Christianity, there was Olga. The Princess of Kiev received him approximately in 955 during her diplomatic visit to Byzantium.
Nestor the lithographer describes Olga’s baptism in his “Tale of Bygone Years.” The Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus really liked the princess, and he wanted to marry her. However, Olga answered him that a Christian cannot become related to a pagan, and first he must convert her into a new faith, thus becoming her godfather. The Emperor did everything as she wanted. After the baptism ceremony, Olga received a new name - Elena. Having fulfilled the princess’s request, the emperor again asked her to become his wife. But this time the princess did not agree, citing the fact that after baptism, Konstantin became her father, and she became his daughter. I understood then Byzantine ruler that Olga had outwitted him, but he could not do anything.
Returning home, the princess began to make attempts to spread Christianity in the lands under her control. Olga’s contemporaries mentioned this in ancient chronicles. The Princess of Kiev even tried to convert her son Svyatoslav to Christianity, but he refused, believing that his warriors would laugh at him. Under Olga, Christianity did not gain much popularity in Rus', since the Slavic tribes, who professed the pagan faith, strongly opposed baptism.
The last years of the princess's life
The adoption of Christianity changed Olga in better side. She forgot about cruelty and became kinder and more merciful to others. The princess spent a lot of time in prayer for Svyatoslav and other people. She was the ruler of Rus' until approximately 959, since her grown son was constantly on military campaigns and had no time to study state affairs. Svyatoslav finally succeeded his mother on the throne in 964. The princess died on July 11, 969. Her remains rest in the Tithe Church. Olga was later canonized as an Orthodox saint.
Memory of Olga
It is unknown what Olga, Princess of Kyiv, looked like. Photos of portraits of this great woman and the legends composed about her testify to her extraordinary beauty, which captivated many of her contemporaries. During her years in power, Olga managed to strengthen and elevate Kievan Rus, and make sure that other states took it into account. The memory of Prince Igor’s faithful wife is forever immortalized in painting, literary works and movies. Olga entered world history as a wise and intelligent ruler who made a lot of efforts to achieve the greatness of her power.
Kyiv princess Olga ruled Russia for 15 years. Over the years, she carried out a number of reforms that strengthened the state. Olga converted to Christianity even before the Baptism of Rus' and became the first Russian saint and one of six women who were canonized as saints equal to the apostles. What qualities do you need to have to go down in history with a good name?
There are many chronological inaccuracies and mysteries in the chronicles about Princess Olga, but doubts can hardly arise about the reliability of most of the facts of her life. Olga was born near Pskov. The year of her birth is unknown. In the chronicles, Olga's name first appears in the story of her wedding with prince of Kyiv Igor.
After the wedding, the name of the future enlightener of Rus' is mentioned in Once again only after a few decades, in Russian-Byzantine treaty 944 years. A year later, Igor dies at the hands of the Drevlyans and Olga becomes the ruler of Rus'. Igor’s squad obeyed her, recognizing Olga as the representative of the legal heir to the throne, Svyatoslav, who at that time was only three years old.
After the murder of Igor, the Drevlyans sent matchmakers to his widow to invite her to marry their prince Mal. The princess did not make this deal with her conscience. Twenty matchmakers were buried alive in the boat on which they sailed. The next delegation, consisting of the Drevlyan nobility, was burned in a bathhouse. Then Olga went to her husband’s grave to celebrate a funeral feast. Having drunk the Drevlyans during the funeral feast, Olga ordered them to be chopped down. The chronicle reports five thousand killed. The apotheosis of Princess Olga's revenge for the murder of her husband was a military campaign against the Drevlyans and the burning of Iskorosten. 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.
The chronicles are full of evidence of her tireless “walks” across the Russian land with the aim of building political and economic life countries. Olga achieved strengthening of the power of the Kyiv Grand Duke, centralized public administration with the help of the "graveyard" system, she improved the taxation system. Pogosts (from the word "guest" - merchant) became the support of the grand ducal power, centers of ethnic and cultural unification of the Russian people.
The life tells the following about Olga’s works: “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, with her own people loved. In all matters of management, 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."
Rus' grew and strengthened. Cities were built surrounded by stone and oak walls. The establishment of the first state borders Kievan Rus. Bogatyrsky outposts sung in epics, guarded peaceful life Kyivans both from nomads from the east and from attacks from the west. Foreign merchants flocked to Rus' with goods. The Scandinavians willingly joined as mercenaries Russian army. Rus' became a great power.
As a wise ruler, Olga saw by example Byzantine Empire that it is not enough to worry only about state and economic life. She came to the same conclusion that Prince Vladimir would come to a few decades later: the state needs a religion that will unite the disparate parts into a single whole and keep this whole from falling apart.
Having made her choice, Grand Duchess Olga set off with a large fleet to Constantinople. The purposes of this journey were both religious pilgrimage and diplomatic mission, and a demonstration of the military power of Rus'. According to the chronicle, in Constantinople Olga decided to become a Christian. The Sacrament of Baptism was performed by Patriarch Theophylact of Constantinople, and the recipient was Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus.
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. Temples were built in cities.
Despite the success of her trip to Constantinople, Olga was unable to persuade the emperor to agree on two the most important issues: O dynastic marriage Svyatoslav with Byzantine princess and about the conditions for the restoration of the metropolis in Kyiv that existed under Askold.
The apostolic labors of the princess met secret and open resistance from the pagans. Among the boyars and warriors in Kyiv there were many people who hated Saint Olga. The zealots of pagan antiquity looked with hope at the growing Svyatoslav, who decisively rejected his mother’s entreaties to accept Christianity. Saint Olga had to come to terms with what was happening and go into matters of personal piety, leaving control to the pagan Svyatoslav.
Saint Olga had to endure many sorrows at the end of her life. Svyatoslav prevented her attempts to establish Christianity in Rus'. She taught her grandchildren, the children of Svyatoslav, the Christian faith, but did not dare to baptize them, fearing the wrath of her son. Last years, amid the triumph of paganism, she, once the universally revered mistress of the state, baptized by the Ecumenical Patriarch in the capital of Orthodoxy, had to secretly keep a priest with her so as not to cause a new outbreak of anti-Christian sentiment. In 969 St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga passed away into another world. 19 years later, the seeds she sowed sprouted: her grandson, Saint prince equal to the apostles Vladimir, baptized Rus'.