Voice your opinion!
Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich (Brave) - conqueror of the Vyatichi and conqueror of the Khazars
The Grand Duke of Kiev Svyatoslav Igorevich (born in 940 - died in 972) is, without exaggeration, the most desperate warrior in the history of medieval Rus'. He was the son of his cruel time, and it is certainly not worth judging the actions of this warlike monarch from a modern point of view. The prince fits little into the ethical canons of today, like all his contemporaries. At the same time, Svyatoslav would look ideal in the Ukrainian version of “Games of Thrones” as one of the most striking characters and colorful characters.
The Great Kiev Prince Svyatoslav (Brave) is the first great Kiev prince with a Slavic name, which even historians themselves cannot give an unambiguous assessment of. So,
What became famous for the great Kiev prince Svyatoslav Igorevich, whose monuments were installed in many cities of Ukraine?
1. Expansion of the territory of Kievan Rus due to the annexation of the lands of the Vyatichi to Kyiv (modern Smolensk, Moscow, Tula, Voronezh regions of the Russian Federation).
2. The defeat and robbery of numerous neighbors - Volga Bulgaria, the Khazar Khaganate and the invasion of the Balkans, where he was ultimately defeated by Byzantium. He was killed by the Pechenegs on the island of Khortitsa on the Dnieper, when he was returning with a small squad from his disastrous campaign in Bulgaria.
From these 2 points, Professor Solovyov’s sarcasm about the “great warrior” and “the uselessness of his deeds for his native land” becomes clear. Yes, in that era, all the great national heroes of other countries, at first glance, acted in exactly the same way, but they not only smashed, ruined and weakened their neighbors, but also held this territory, annexing it to their state. So,
The son of the wise Christian princess Olga and Prince Igor, Svyatoslav was raised by the Vikings Sveneld and Asmud, which, together with the veneration of pagan idols, instilled in him a belligerence unusual for a Slav. From the age of 10, the prince was taken to numerous battles, where the boy had to fully master all the military wisdom of that harsh time. With Svyatoslav, his father’s friend, governor Sveneld, was constantly present, who, to the best of his ability, introduced the young man to military affairs.
Each year of the young prince's reign was marked by a new war. Under him, the Russians turned into very dangerous neighbors for literally everyone. Svyatoslav never looked for serious reasons to start hostilities, he simply sent a messenger ahead of him with the laconic message “I’m coming to you.” It was in this way that he subjugated the Slavic tribe of the Vyatichi, defeated the Volga Bulgaria and inflicted a crushing defeat on the Khazar Kaganate. The ancient Russian troops not only put an end to their long-standing and powerful enemy (the Khazars took tribute from the Slavs even before Prince Oleg arrived in Kyiv), but also demonstrated their extraordinary strength to the whole world by capturing the impregnable fortresses of Itil and Sarkel. At the same time, Svyatoslav and his close warriors gained control of a busy trade route along the Volga with access to the Caspian Sea.
For all his adventurism, the prince, like his Varangian entourage, remained a calm pragmatist. Having imposed tribute on the peoples in the east, he turned his gaze to the southwest - to the Balkans. Svyatoslav’s dream was to take into his own hands the entire “Road from the Varangians to the Greeks,” which would promise him fabulous profits.
In light of such plans, the offer of the Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros Phocas to help suppress the uprising of the Danube Bulgarians, subject to Constantinople, came in very handy. The Emperor of Byzantium Nicephorus Phocas, wanting to take revenge on the Bulgarians for conniving with the Hungarians who attacked his country, promised great gifts if the prince opposed Bulgaria. In 967, Svyatoslav, having received several pounds of gold, captured the Danube cities with 60,000 soldiers. Together with his faithful companions Sveneld, Sfenkel, Ikmor and his retinue, the prince crossed the snowy passes, captured the Bulgarian capital Preslava and captured the local king Boris.
The extreme cruelty with which the victors treated the enslaved Slavic people, sparing neither mothers nor babies, became legendary. The Tsar of Bulgaria soon died of grief, and Svyatoslav sat down to reign in the Bulgarian city of Pereyaslavts. “I don’t like Kiev, I want to live on the Danube, in Pereyaslavets. That town is the middle of my land!” - he said to his mother and boyars.
Of course, Constantinople could not tolerate Kiev’s power strengthening in the Balkans. Ahead of Prince Svyatoslav was the most difficult war in his life - a war with the only superpower of that time, the great Byzantine Empire. It was then, in a battle with the strongest enemy, that all the heroic qualities of Prince Svyatoslav and his brave warriors appeared.
The main feat of Prince Svyatoslav was the war with Byzantium.
As one might expect, the Byzantines had a slightly different opinion regarding the limits of the domain of the unruly prince. In Constantinople, they had long been perplexed as to why he did not leave the borders of their empire. When the skilled military leader John Tzimiskes sat on the throne of Constantinople, the Byzantines decided to move from words to deeds.
First clash with the army of John Tzimisces near Adrianople ended in victory for the Russian prince. The chronicler Nestor cites a legend about the gifts presented to him after the battle: “Tzimiskes, in fear, in bewilderment, called the nobles for advice and decided to tempt the enemy with gifts, gold and precious silks; he sent them with a cunning man and ordered him to observe all the movements of Svyatoslav. But this prince did not want to look at the gold laid at his feet, and indifferently said to his youths: “Take it.” Then the emperor sent him a gift of weapons: the hero grabbed it with lively pleasure, expressing gratitude, and Tzimiskes, not daring to fight such an enemy, paid him tribute".
After concluding a peace treaty with the Greeks, the Kiev prince made a number of strategic mistakes: he did not occupy the mountain passes through the Balkans, did not block the mouth of the Danube, and divided his army into two parts, placing them in Preslav and Dorostol. The self-confident commander, apparently, relied heavily on his military luck, but this time he was opposed by a very competent and experienced enemy. John Tzimiskes in 971 sent a large fleet (300 ships) to the mouth of the Danube with the goal of cutting off the path of retreat for Svyatoslav’s troops. The emperor himself, under whose command 13 thousand horsemen, 15 thousand infantrymen, 2 thousand of his personal guard ("immortals"), as well as a huge convoy with battering and flame-throwing vehicles, moved, without any difficulties crossed the mountain passes and entered the operational space. The Bulgarians, who lived for several years under the rule of Svyatoslav, gladly supported the civilized Byzantines. With his first blow, Tzimiskes captured Preslava, while the remnants of the defeated Russians, led by governor Sfenkel, barely had time to retreat to Dorostol. The time has come for the decisive battle.
First battle near Dorostol took place on April 23, 971. The Greeks approached Svyatoslav's residence. Their troops outnumbered the Russians besieged in Dorostol several times, while the Byzantines had an obvious advantage in weapons, combat equipment and equipment. They were led by experienced commanders who had studied all the intricacies of military art from ancient Roman treatises. Despite this, Svyatoslav’s warriors boldly met the attackers in an open field, “closing their shields and spears like a wall.” So they withstood 12 attacks by the Byzantines (in the last one the emperor himself led the heavy cavalry into battle) and retreated under the protection of the city walls. It is believed that the first battle ended in a draw: the Greeks were unable to immediately defeat the Russian squad, but Svyatoslav also realized that this time he was faced with a serious opponent. This conviction was only strengthened the next day, when the prince saw the huge Byzantine battering machines installed opposite the fortress walls. And on April 25, the Byzantine fleet also approached the Danube, finally slamming the deadly trap. On this day, for the first time in his life, Svyatoslav did not answer the call; the troops of Tzimiskes waited in vain for the Russians in the field, returning to their camp with nothing.
Second battle near Dorostol took place on April 26. Voivode Sfenkel died in it. Fearing to be cut off from the city by the Byzantine cavalry, the Russians again retreated under the protection of the fortress walls. A grueling siege began, during which Svyatoslav’s warriors were able to undertake a number of daring forays, and the Byzantine guns nevertheless made a breach in the wall. Three months passed like this.
Third fight passed on July 20 and again without a definite result. Having lost one of the commanders, the Russians “threw their shields on their backs” and disappeared into the city gates. Among the dead enemies, the Greeks were surprised to find women dressed in chain mail, fighting on an equal basis with men. Everything spoke of a crisis in the besieged camp. The next day, a military council met in Dorostol, where it was decided what to do next: try to break through or fight to the death. Prince Svyatoslav said to his commanders: “Grandfathers and fathers bequeathed brave deeds to us! Let us stand strong. We have no custom of saving ourselves by shameful flight. Either we will remain alive and win, or we will die with glory! The dead have no shame, and having run away from battle, as we show ourselves in front of people? That's what everyone agreed on.
Fourth fight. On July 24, the Russians entered the fourth battle, which was to be their last. Svyatoslav ordered the city gates to be locked so that no one in the army would think about retreat. Tzimiskes came out with an army to meet them. During the battle, the Russians held firm; they had no reserves and were very tired. The Byzantines, on the contrary, could replace attacking units; soldiers emerging from battle were refreshed with wine by order of the emperor. Finally, as a result of simulating flight, the Greeks were able to withdraw the enemy away from the walls of Dorostol, after which the detachment of Varda Sklir was able to go to the rear of Svyatoslav’s army. At the cost of huge losses, the Russians still managed to retreat to the city. The next morning, the prince invited John Tzimiskes to begin peace negotiations. The Greeks, not wanting to lose any more of their people, agreed to Svyatoslav’s proposals and agreed to let his army go home with weapons, and even supply them with bread for the journey. The prince vowed not to fight with Constantinople anymore. After the peace was signed, a personal meeting of the commanders took place. The emperor was not immediately able to recognize the ruler of Rus', who sailed up to him on a boat, sitting at the oars along with ordinary warriors. Of the 60,000-strong army that Svyatoslav led to Bulgaria, approximately 22,000 people remained alive at that time.
On the way to Kyiv, Svyatoslav’s weakened army was ambushed by Pecheneg nomads on the island of Khortitsa. The Russians fought bravely, but, unfortunately, the forces were unequal. Svyatoslav, who died in battle, had his head cut off, and a bowl was made from his skull for his khans. This is how the glorious warrior ended his journey, about whom the chronicler said: “Having sought someone else’s, he lost his own.”
Biography of Prince Svyatoslav.
940 (approximately) - Prince of Kiev Svyatoslav Igorevich was born.
945 - after the death of his father, he became the nominal ruler of Kievan Rus.
961 - Princess Olga ceases to be regent, and Svyatoslav becomes the sovereign ruler of all ancient Russian lands.
964 - Svyatoslav undertook a campaign on the Oka River, where he subjugated the Slavic tribe of the Vyatichi to his power.
964-967 - the prince and his army won a number of victories over the Volga Bulgars, Burtases and Khazars, destroyed the powerful citadel of Sarkel, and advanced to the Cimmerian Bosporus. He also went on devastating campaigns to the North Caucasus, where he defeated the Yas and Kasog tribes. Returning, he destroyed the last Khazar fortress of Semender.
967 - Svyatoslav set out on his first campaign against Danube Bulgaria. Svyatoslav defeated the Bulgarians in battle and, having taken 80 of their cities along the Danube, sat down to reign in Pereyaslavets, taking tribute, including from the Greeks.
968 – taking advantage of Svyatoslav’s absence, the Pechenegs approached Kyiv. The prince and his retinue had to hastily return from the campaign to drive the nomads away from the capital.
969 - Svyatoslav put Yaropolk in Kyiv, Oleg with the Drevlyans, Vladimir sent to reign in Novgorod, and he himself sailed to Bulgaria to Pereyaslavets. Then he returned to Bulgaria, where he hardly suppressed the uprising of the local population.
970 - the war moved to Thrace, as Svyatoslav began to advance on Constantinople. The Russians captured Philippopolis and Tzimiskes, concerned about the rebellion of the commander Vardas Phokas that began in his rear, agreed to pay a large tribute to the northern “guests”.
971 - John Tzimiskes returned to Bulgaria with his army, renewing the war. The Byzantines captured Preslava, and many Bulgarian cities recognized their authority over them. Svyatoslav with the remnants of the army locked himself behind the walls of Dorostol. A months-long defense of the city began.
972 - returning from Bulgaria to Ukraine, Prince Svyatoslav was attacked by the Pechenegs and was killed. According to one version, the Byzantines sent a message to the Pechenegs: “Behold, Svyatoslav with a small squad is coming past you to Rus', having taken from the Greeks a lot of wealth and countless prisoners.”
Historical memory of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich.
Monuments to Prince Svyatoslav were erected in the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv, Zaporozhye and Mariupol, in the village. Starye Petrivtsi, as well as in the village. Kholki, Belgorod region of the Russian Federation.
A memorial sign is located at the probable place of the prince’s death on the island. Khortitsa.
There are streets named in honor of Svyatoslav the Brave in Dnepropetrovsk, Lvov, Stryi, Chernigov, Radekhov, Shepetovka.
In 2002 The National Bank of Ukraine issued a commemorative silver coin with a face value of 10 hryvnia, dedicated to Prince Svyatoslav.
Prince Svyatoslav on social networks.
129 videos found in Odnoklassniki.
On Youtube, the search for “Prince Svyatoslav” has 8,850 responses.
How often do Yandex users from Ukraine look for information about Svyatoslav the Brave?
To analyze the popularity of the query “Svyatoslav the Brave”, the Yandex search engine service wordstat.yandex is used, from which we can conclude: as of March 17, 2016, the number of queries for the month was 16,116, as can be seen in the screenshot.
Since the end of 2014, the largest number of requests for “Svyatoslav the Brave” was registered in September 2014 – 33,572 requests per month.
The Grand Duke, who forever entered the history of Rus' as a warrior prince. There was no limit to the prince’s courage and dedication. Not much information has been preserved about Svyatoslav Igorevich; even his date of birth is not precisely known. The chronicles have brought to us some facts.
- Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich (brave). Born in 942, died in March 972.
- Son of Prince Igor and Princess Olga.
- Prince of Novgorod 945-969
- Grand Duke of Kyiv from 964 to 972
The first time the name of Svyatoslav is mentioned is in a chronicle describing the events of 945, when Svyatoslav’s mother, Princess Olga, went with an army to the Drevlyans to avenge the death of her husband, Prince Igor. Svyatoslav was just a child, but took part in the battle. His participation was symbolic and consisted of the following. Svyatoslav, sitting on a horse, was in front of the Kyiv squad. According to the military tradition of that time, it was the prince who had to start the battle. Svyatoslav began - he threw the spear. And it didn’t matter that it didn’t fly far, the fact was that the prince had started the battle.
Svyatoslav received a military education. Asmud is mentioned as his mentor. Svyatoslav was taught the general art of war by the chief Kiev governor Sveneld.
Since the mid-60s. In the 10th century, we can count the beginning of the independent reign of Prince Svyatoslav. The Byzantine historian Leo the Deacon left a description of him: of medium height, with a broad chest, blue eyes, thick eyebrows, beardless, but with a long mustache, only one strand of hair on his shaved head, which indicated his noble origin. In one ear he wore an earring with two pearls.
Even though the prince was from Kiev, he did not like to sit in the capital. He was not interested in the internal affairs of the state. But hiking was everything to him. They write that he shared life with ordinary warriors, ate with everyone, and did not have any special amenities during the campaign.
Svyatoslav's squad, unencumbered by convoys, moved very quickly and appeared unexpectedly in front of the enemy, instilling fear in them. But Svyatoslav himself was not afraid of his opponents, and moreover, before the campaign he sent a warning to the enemy.
End of the Khazar Khaganate
Svyatoslav’s first big campaign and perhaps his most famous victory took place in 964-65. There was then a strong Jewish state, the Khazar Khaganate, in the lower reaches of the Volga, which imposed tribute on the Slavic tribes. Svyatoslav's squad left Kyiv and headed to the lands of the Vyatichi, who at that time were paying tribute to the Khazars. The Kiev prince ordered the Vyatichi to pay tribute to Kyiv, and not to the Khazars.
Svyatoslav sent his squads against the Volga Bulgarians, Burtases, Khazars, and then the North Caucasian tribes of the Yases and Kasogs. Volga Bulgaria, also a powerful state, was forced to pay off with tribute to the Kyiv prince and agreed to allow Russian merchants through its territory.
Victorious in all battles, the prince crushed, captured and destroyed the capital of the Jewish Khazaria, the city of Itil, and took the well-fortified fortresses of Sarkel on the Don and Semender in the North Caucasus. On the shores of the Kerch Strait he founded an outpost of Russian influence in this region - the city of Tmutarakan, the center of the future Tmutarakan principality.
How Byzantium destroyed the Prince of Kyiv
During the Volga campaigns 964-966. Two Danube campaigns of Svyatoslav followed. During their course, Svyatoslav attempted to create a huge Russian-Bulgarian kingdom centered in Pereslavets on the Danube, which in geopolitical terms could become a serious counterweight to the Byzantine Empire.
The first campaign in Bulgaria took place in 968. At that time, he was led there by a duty of honor - an agreement with Byzantium, concluded in 944 by Prince Igor. Svyatoslav contacted Europe and eventually died. But that was later.
An ambassador of the Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros Phocas named Kalokir called Svyatoslav to Bulgaria, ostensibly to protect the interests of his emperor. In fact, the calculation was to push Rus' and the Bulgarians against each other in order to weaken both powers.
Pereyaslavets
Svyatoslav with a 10,000-strong army defeated the Bulgarian army, which was three times larger in number, and captured the city of Malaya Preslava. Svyatoslav named this city Pereyaslavets. Svyatoslav even wanted to move the capital to Pereyaslavets from Kyiv, citing the fact that this city was located in the middle of his possessions. But Byzantium had other plans, which Svyatoslav apparently did not know about.
Emperor Nikifor Fokoi bribed the Pecheneg leaders, who agreed to attack Kyiv in the absence of the Grand Duke. From Kyiv they managed to send news to the Grand Duke, who, leaving part of his squad in Pereyaslavets, hurried to Kyiv and defeated the Pechenegs. Three days later, Princess Olga died.
Svyatoslav divided the Russian land between his sons:
- Yaropolk was appointed to reign in Kyiv,
- Oleg was sent to the Drevlyansky land,
- Vladimir - to Novgorod.
He himself returned to the Danube.
Byzantium tightens the noose
While the prince was in Kyiv, an uprising arose in Pereyaslavets, and the Bulgarians drove the Russian warriors out of the city. The prince could not come to terms with this state of affairs, and again led his troops to the west. He defeated the army of Tsar Boris, captured him and took possession of the entire country from the Danube to the Balkan Mountains. In the spring of 970, Svyatoslav crossed the Balkans, took Philippol (Plovdiv) by storm and reached Arkadiopol.
His squads had only four days left to travel across the plain to Constantinople. Here the battle with the Byzantines took place. Svyatoslav won, but the losses were great and the prince decided not to go further, but, having taken “many gifts” from the Greeks, returned back to Pereyaslavets.
In 971 the war continued. This time the Byzantines were well prepared. Newly prepared Byzantine armies moved towards Bulgaria from all sides, many times outnumbering the Svyatoslav squads stationed there. With heavy fighting, fighting off the advancing enemy, the Russians retreated to the Danube. The last stronghold was the city of Dorostol, where Svyatoslav’s army was under siege. For more than two months the Byzantines besieged Dorostol.
On July 22, 971, the last battle took place. The Russians no longer had much hope of surviving. The battle was very stubborn, and many Russian soldiers died. Prince Svyatoslav was forced to retreat back to Dorostol. And the Russian prince decided to make peace with the Byzantines, so he consulted with his squad: “If we don’t make peace and they find out that we are few, they will come and besiege us in the city. But the Russian land is far away, the Pechenegs are fighting with us, and who will help us then? Let's make peace, because they have already committed to pay us tribute - that's enough for us. If they stop paying us tribute, then again, having gathered many soldiers, we will go from Rus' to Constantinople.” And the soldiers agreed that their prince was speaking correctly.
Svyatoslav began negotiations for peace with John Tzimiskes. Their historical meeting took place on the banks of the Danube and was described in detail by a Byzantine chronicler who was in the emperor’s retinue. Tzimiskes, surrounded by his entourage, was waiting for Svyatoslav. The prince arrived on a boat, sitting in which he rowed along with ordinary soldiers. The Greeks could distinguish him only because the shirt he was wearing was cleaner than that of other warriors and because of the earring with two pearls and a ruby inserted into his ear.
Last trip
Despite the obvious superiority of the Byzantines in strength, Svyatoslav managed to make peace with the Greeks. After which he and his squad went to Rus' along the rivers in boats. One of the governors warned the prince: “Go around, prince, the Dnieper rapids on horseback, for the Pechenegs are standing at the rapids.” But the prince did not listen to him.
And the Byzantines informed the Pechenegs, hinting at the great wealth that Prince Svyatoslav was bringing with him. When Svyatoslav approached the rapids, it turned out that there was no passage. The prince did not enter the battle, but decided to wait it out and stayed for the winter. 
With the beginning of spring, Svyatoslav again moved to the rapids, but was still ambushed and died. The Pechenegs did not retreat anywhere, but waited stubbornly. The chronicle conveys the story of the death of Svyatoslav as follows: “Svyatoslav came to the rapids, and Kurya, the prince of Pecheneg, attacked him, and killed Svyatoslav, and took his head, and made a cup from the skull, bound it, and drank from it.” This is how Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich died. This happened in 972.
The future Prince Svyatoslav was born into the family of Prince Igor and Olga and received a Slavic name, but was distinguished by the Varangian spirit of a pagan. Having barely matured, he gathered around himself a fearless fighting squad and went out with it in search of booty and eternal glory.
Prince Svyatoslav made many successful glorious campaigns during the life of Princess Olga. He went to the Oka, subduing the Vyatichi, who at that time paid tribute to the Khazars, and then went against the Khazars themselves, defeating their kingdom and capturing the main settlements - the cities of Itil and Sarkel. At the same time, Svyatoslav managed to defeat the Circassian and Yas tribes in the Kuban, as well as seize territories on the Azov coast and at the mouths of the Kuban.
In addition, Prince Svyatoslav was able to penetrate the Volga, ravage the lands of the Kama Bulgarians and capture their main city of Bolgar. In a word, Svyatoslav managed to defeat and ruin all the eastern neighbors of Kievan Rus, who were part of the general system of the Khazar state. From now on, only Rus' was the main force in the Black Sea region! However, the fall of the Khazar kingdom was able to sufficiently strengthen the nomadic Pechenegs. Now they had at their disposal all the southern Russian steppes, which had previously been occupied by the Khazars.
Coming back to Kyiv after military campaigns in the East, Prince Svyatoslav receives an invitation from the Greeks to come and help them in the war with the Danube Bulgarians. The prince, having gathered many soldiers, was able to conquer Bulgaria, remaining in the city of Pereyaslavets, on the Danube, considering the captured lands the property of Kievan Rus.
During this period, the princess's envoys reach Svyatoslav and inform the prince that while he was away, Kyiv was besieged by the Pechenegs, and Olga herself and her grandchildren barely escaped from their enemies and sent them to her son with reproaches. Having returned, the princely squad drove the nomads into the steppe, but did not stay for long. However, the princess asked her son not to leave until she died.
Having buried his mother, the prince gathered an army and went to Bulgaria, leaving his sons to reign in Kyiv. But the Greeks did not want to let Svyatoslav into Bulgaria and began military operations in which Byzantium won.
Forced to sign a truce with the Greeks, Prince Svyatoslav went back home, but his army was captured in the Dnieper rapids and killed. The last pagan Russian prince was killed there.
After the death of the prince, a period of civil strife and struggle for power began in Kyiv.
Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich
Introduction
Svyatoslav Igorevich(942 - March 972) - Prince of Novgorod, Grand Duke of Kiev from 945 to 972, became famous as a commander.
In Byzantine synchronous sources it was called Sfendoslav(Greek ?????????????).
Russian historian N.M. Karamzin called him “Alexander (Macedonian) of our ancient history” . According to Academician B. A. Rybakov: " Svyatoslav's campaigns of 965-968 are like a single saber strike, drawing a wide semicircle on the map of Europe from the Middle Volga region to the Caspian Sea and further along the North Caucasus and the Black Sea region to the Balkan lands of Byzantium".
Formally, Svyatoslav became the Grand Duke at the age of 3 after the death of his father, Grand Duke Igor, in 945, but he ruled independently from about 960. Under Svyatoslav, the Kyiv state was largely ruled by his mother, Princess Olga, first because of Svyatoslav’s childhood, then because of his constant presence on military campaigns. When returning from a campaign against Bulgaria, Svyatoslav was killed by the Pechenegs in 972 on the Dnieper rapids.
early years
In 964, Svyatoslav Igorevich took the throne of the Grand Duke. It is not known exactly when he was born, just as we know almost nothing about his childhood and youth. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, the son of Igor and Olga was born in 942 to elderly parents - Princess Olga was 42-44 years old at that time. And, obviously, he was not the first child; there were more children in the princely family (possibly girls or boys who died in childhood), but at the time of Igor’s death there were no male heirs older than Svyatoslav. Talking about the campaign against the Drevlyans, in which Svyatoslav and his teacher Asmud took part, the chronicler emphasizes that in 946 the prince was still so small that he could not properly throw a spear.
There is also a version that Svyatoslav was born around 935, which means he reached adulthood in the mid-50s of the 10th century. This version can be confirmed by the fact that when setting off on the second Bulgarian campaign in 969, the prince entrusted Rus' to his own sons, two of whom were already ruling independently and were of age. It is also known from the chronicles that Svyatoslav personally brought a wife to his son Yaropolk, i.e. in 969 the prince’s eldest son was already married.
The fate of young Svyatoslav was happy. He became the Grand Duke in early childhood, having received an appropriate upbringing. Excellent, mastered various types of weapons, was brave and decisive, loved to ride for a long time. The warriors, often from different lands, told the prince about rich distant countries. The patrons and protectors of these people were the pagan gods, who sanctified war and violence, the seizure of foreign possessions and human sacrifices; at the same time, Perun, the pagan thunder god, was the embodiment of the ideals of a male warrior.
Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich was raised as a warrior from childhood. Svyatoslav’s teacher and mentor was the Varangian Asmud, who taught the young student to be the first in battle and hunting, to stay firmly in the saddle, control a boat, swim, and hide from enemy eyes both in the forest and in the steppe. The art of military leadership was taught to Svyatoslav by another Varangian - the main Kiev governor Sveneld.
While Svyatoslav was growing up, Olga ruled the principality. Since the mid-60s. In the 10th century, we can count the beginning of the independent reign of Prince Svyatoslav. The Byzantine historian Leo the Deacon left a description of him: of medium height, with a broad chest, blue eyes, thick eyebrows, beardless, but with a long mustache, only one strand of hair on his shaved head, which indicated his noble origin. In one ear he wore an earring with two pearls.
But Svyatoslav Igorevich was not like his mother. If Olga became a Christian, then Svyatoslav remained a pagan - both in public life and in everyday life. So, most likely, all of Svyatoslav’s sons were from different wives, because the pagan Slavs had polygamy. For example, Vladimir’s mother was the housekeeper-slave Malusha. And although the housekeeper, who held the keys to all the princely premises, was considered an important person at court, her son, the prince, was contemptuously called “robicic” - the son of a slave.
Many times Princess Olga tried to teach her son the Christian faith, saying: “I have come to know God, my son, and I rejoice, if you know it too, you will rejoice.” Svyatoslav did not listen to his mother and made an excuse: “How can I accept a new faith alone if my squad starts laughing at me?” But Olga loved her son and said: “God’s will be done. If God wants to have mercy on my family and the Russian people, he will put in their hearts the same desire to turn to God that he gave to me.” And so speaking, she prayed for her son and for all the Russian people every night and every day.
Mother and son understood their responsibilities as rulers of the state differently. If Princess Olga was concerned about preserving her principality, then Prince Svyatoslav sought glory in long military campaigns, not caring at all about Kievan Rus.
Military activities
Svyatoslav became famous as a brave, courageous, experienced and talented commander, who shared with his warriors all the hardships of a grueling campaign life. In the Tale of Bygone Years, when talking about the beginning of the prince’s military career in 964, we read: “Prince Svyatoslav, having grown up and matured, began to howl a lot and was brave as he was brave. And walking easily, like pardus, war he did many things. Walking the cart on his own, not carrying a cart, nor cooking a cauldron, nor cooking meat, but having cut up a thin horse meat, an animal or beef on coal, he baked a dish, no name for a tent, but a lining with a blanket and a saddle in the heads. Likewise, all his other howls bahu." A detailed description of Svyatoslav’s appearance was left by the Byzantine writer Leo the Deacon: “...Average height, not too tall and not very low, with shaggy eyebrows and light blue eyes, snub nose, beardless, with thick, excessively long hair above the upper lip. he was completely naked, but a tuft of hair hung from one side of it - a sign of the nobility of the family; a strong back of the head, a wide chest and all other parts of the body were quite proportionate... He had a gold earring in one ear; it was decorated with a carbuncle framed by two pearls. His clothes were white and differed from the clothes of those close to him only in their cleanliness."
It is interesting that Svyatoslav warned his enemies about the start of the campaign: “And he sent to the countries saying: “I want to go against you.”
The first whom Svyatoslav “went against” in 964 were the Vyatichi - a Slavic tribe that lived in the upper reaches of the Oka and Don and paid tribute to the Khazars. The Khazar Khaganate, once a powerful state and the main rival of Rus' in Eastern Europe, experienced far from the best times in the era of Svyatoslav, but still held significant Eastern European territories. The conquest of the Vyatichi inevitably led to a clash with Khazaria and became the beginning of the Eastern War of 965-966. Svyatoslav marched with fire and sword through the lands of the Volga Bulgars, Burtases, Yases and Kasogs - longtime allies of Khazaria. During this campaign, the well-fortified Sarkel fortress, which in Rus' was called the White Vezha, was captured, the Khazar capital Itil on the Lower Volga, as well as a number of cities on the Caspian coast were destroyed. Having captured rich booty, Svyatoslav returned to Kyiv in triumph. And the Khazar Kaganate, having received such a crushing blow, ceased to exist a few years later.
Svyatoslav attached great importance to the problems of the Balkan region. He solved them traditionally - with the help of military force. The impetus for the new campaign was the arrival of the Byzantine ambassador to Kyiv with a request for help in the war with the Bulgarian kingdom. The Byzantine Empire, ruled by Emperor Nikephoros Phocas, was in a very difficult situation; it had to simultaneously fight on three fronts; Kyiv’s help would be very appropriate. The emperor backed up his proposal to “go on a campaign against the Bulgarians” with rich gifts. According to Leo the Deacon, Svyatoslav was paid 1,500 centinarii (about 455 kg) of gold. Nevertheless, taking advantage of Byzantine money, Svyatoslav chose to “subjugate and hold the country for his own stay.”
The first Bulgarian campaign 967-968. was successful. Svyatoslav's fleet with a 60,000-strong army defeated the army of the Bulgarian Tsar Peter in the battle of Dorostol (modern Silistra) and, as the chronicle reports, “captured 80 cities along the Danube.” The prince liked the new lands so much that he even wanted to move his capital from Kyiv to the Danube, to the town of Pereyaslavets: - "... the prince sat in Pereyaslavtsi, paying tribute to Gretsekh." Here he wanted to live, collecting “from the Greek gold, textiles (expensive fabrics. - Author), wine and various vegetables, from Czech, from Eel, silver and komoni.” These plans never came to fruition.
The defeat of Khazaria, which for many years served as a fairly strong shield against Asian nomads, had unexpected consequences: a horde of Pechenegs rushed to the west, who quickly captured the steppe strip and settled in close proximity to Kyiv. Already in 968, taking advantage of Svyatoslav’s absence and succumbing to the persuasion of Byzantium, the Pechenegs unexpectedly attacked the city where Olga and Svyatoslav’s three sons “shut up.” A terrible threat looms over Kyiv. There was no significant military contingent in the city, and Kyiv could not withstand a long siege. The chronicle preserves a story about a brave young man who, at great risk to his life, made his way through the enemy camp and warned Svyatoslav about the danger. Having received news of the siege of the capital, the prince was forced to urgently return from the campaign and help his family out of trouble. However, the Pechenegs did not go far until the end of the 10th century. stood on Stugna, 30 km from Kyiv, creating a constant military threat.
Having buried Princess Olga in 969, Svyatoslav becomes the sole ruler of Rus' and finally gives vent to his anti-Christian sentiments. A period of horrific mass repression begins, directed both against foreign Christians and Russian Christians. Among the dead was Prince Gleb, who was considered Svyatoslav’s half-brother. Perhaps it was he who accompanied Olga on her journey to Constantinople and was the mysterious nephew mentioned in the sources. For their faith, Svyatoslav persecuted both members of the elite, including his relatives, and ordinary Christians: the number of those killed reached several thousand. The prince’s hatred also spread to Christian churches, in particular in Kyiv the churches of St. Sophia and St. Nicholas on Askold’s grave, built by Olga, were destroyed.
Having gotten even with the Christians and actually transferring control of Russia to his sons, Svyatoslav gathered a new army and in the fall of 969 set off on the second Bulgarian campaign. At first, the campaign was quite successful: in 970 he managed to subjugate almost all of Bulgaria, capturing its capital and “almost reaching Tsarjugrad.” With unprecedented cruelty, the prince deals with the local Christian residents. Thus, having captured Filiopolis, he exterminated 20 thousand Christian Bulgarians, that is, almost the entire population of the city. It is not surprising that later the prince’s luck turned away. At the Battle of Arkadiopol, for the first time in his life, he suffered a crushing defeat and was forced to retreat and gain a foothold in Dorostol. The military initiative passes to Byzantium, which decided to put an end to the presence of Russians in the Balkans.
The spring of 971 was marked by the beginning of the offensive of the troops of the new Byzantine emperor John I Tzimiskes on the Bulgarian capital Preslav. On April 14, it was captured, the Bulgarian Tsar Boris and his family were captured, and the remnants of the Russian garrison had to flee to Dorostol, where Svyatoslav’s headquarters were located. It was here that the most important events of the Bulgarian war unfolded. Having withstood an almost three-month siege, on July 21, Svyatoslav went to battle under the walls of the city. The grueling battle, in which about 15,000 Rus died, was lost. The emperor's troops also suffered heavy losses. However, Svyatoslav was not going to give up, although he understood the hopelessness of his situation - hunger was added to military failures. The prince could not retreat to Rus' - the Byzantine fleet blocked the mouth of the Danube. Svyatoslav military prince Rus'
At the end of July, the emperor finally agreed to begin the negotiations proposed by Svyatoslav, which ended with the signing of a peace treaty that was extremely unfavorable for Rus' (the text of this agreement is given in the Tale of Bygone Years). The treaty deprived Rus' of almost all the advantages obtained by the previous princes; in particular, Kyiv renounced its claims to Byzantine possessions in Crimea. The Black Sea has ceased to be “Russian”. At the same time, the emperor guaranteed Svyatoslav’s squad unhindered passage home and promised to provide food for the return trip. Trade relations between states were also restored.
After the signing of the treaty, Svyatoslav remained in the Balkans for quite a long time and only went home in the fall. Along the way, the Russian army split up: one part, led by the governor Swineld, moved overland, and the prince himself, “with a small squad” and military booty, sailed along the Danube and the Black Sea to the Dnieper. However, the Pechenegs were waiting for him on the Dnieper rapids, warned by the envoy of Tzimiskes, Theophilus of Euchaitis, about the return of the weakened enemy. Svyatoslav did not dare to fight and remained to winter in Beloberezhye, at the mouth of the Dnieper. Exhausted by a hungry and cold winter, the Russian army nevertheless moved towards Kyiv in the spring of 972, but was never able to break through the rapids. Svyatoslav died in battle from a Pecheneg saber, and from his skull, as legend says, Khan Kurya ordered a cup decorated with gold and “drinking in it” to be made, hoping to adopt the best qualities of the defeated enemy.
This was the last path of Prince Svyatoslav, a courageous warrior and commander, more like an epic hero than a wise and far-sighted statesman.
The image of Svyatoslav in art
For the first time, the personality of Svyatoslav attracted the attention of Russian artists and poets during the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, the actions of which, like the events of Svyatoslav’s campaigns, unfolded on the Danube. Among the works created at this time, noteworthy is the tragedy “Olga” by Ya. B. Knyazhnin (1772), the plot of which is based on Olga’s revenge for the murder of her husband Igor by the Drevlyans. Svyatoslav appears in it as the main character. Knyazhnin's rival N.P. Nikolaev also creates a play dedicated to the life of Svyatoslav. I. A. Akimov’s painting “Grand Duke Svyatoslav, kissing his mother and children upon returning from the Danube to Kyiv” shows the conflict between military valor and family loyalty, reflected in Russian chronicles ( “You, prince, are looking for someone else’s land and taking care of it, but you left your own, and we were almost taken by the Pechenegs, and your mother, and your children.”).
In the 19th century, interest in Svyatoslav decreased somewhat. At this time, K.V. Lebedev painted a picture illustrating Leo the Deacon’s description of Svyatoslav’s meeting with Tzimiskes. At the beginning of the 20th century, E. E. Lansere creates the sculpture “Svyatoslav on the way to Tsar-grad” . A poem by Velimir Khlebnikov, a historical novel “Svyatoslav” (1958) by the Ukrainian writer Semyon Sklyarenko and a story “Black Arrows of Vyatichi” by V. V. Kargalov are dedicated to Svyatoslav. The vivid image of Svyatoslav was created by Mikhail Kazovsky in his historical novel “The Empress’s Daughter” (1999). In the novels by Alexander Mazin “A Place for Battle” (2001) (the end of the novel), “Prince” (2005) and “Hero” (2006) the life path of Svyatoslav is described in detail, starting from the battle with the Drevlyans (946), and ending with death in 972 year in the battle with the Pechenegs.
The music album “Following the Sun” (2006) by the pagan metal band Butterfly Temple is dedicated to Svyatoslav Igorevich. Group "Ivan Tsarevich" - "I'm coming to you!" The song is about the victory of Svyatoslav over the Khazar Khaganate. The image of Svyatoslav is used in the song “Early in the Morning” by the group “Kalinov Most”. Also, the group "Reanimation" dedicated a song to the death of the prince called "The Death of Svyatoslav."
In 2003, the publishing house "White Alva" published Lev Prozorov's book "Svyatoslav Khorobre. I'm coming to you!" In subsequent years, the book was reprinted several times.
Svyatoslav's portrait is used in the emblem of the ultras football club "Dynamo" (Kyiv) , the name “Svyatoslav” is also used in the printed publication of Dynamo Kyiv fans.
Tutoring
Need help studying a topic?
Our specialists will advise or provide tutoring services on topics that interest you.
Submit your application indicating the topic right now to find out about the possibility of obtaining a consultation.
Predecessor: |
Igor (de facto Olga) |
Successor: |
Yaropolk Svyatoslavich |
Prince of Novgorod 940 - 969 |
|
Predecessor: |
Igor Rurikovich |
Successor: |
Vladimir I Svyatoslavich |
Birth: |
|
March 972 on the Dnieper |
|
Religion: |
Paganism |
Dynasty: |
Rurikovich |
Igor Rurikovich |
|
Yaropolk, Oleg, Vladimir |
|
Early biography
Name Svyatoslav
Khazar campaign of Svyatoslav
About Svyatoslav's appearance
The image of Svyatoslav in art
Svyatoslav Igorevich (942-March 972)- Grand Duke of Kiev from 945 to 972, famous as a commander.
In Byzantine synchronous sources he was called Sfendoslav, Svendoslev.
Russian historian N.M. Karamzin called him “Alexander (Macedonian) of our ancient history.” According to Academician B. A. Rybakov: “Svyatoslav’s campaigns of 965-968 are like a single saber strike, drawing a wide semicircle on the map of Europe from the Middle Volga region to the Caspian Sea and further along the North Caucasus and the Black Sea region to the Balkan lands of Byzantium.”
Formally, Svyatoslav became the Grand Duke at the age of 3 after the death of his father, Grand Duke Igor, in 945, but ruled independently from about 960. Under Svyatoslav, the Kyiv state was largely ruled by his mother, Princess Olga, first because of Svyatoslav’s early childhood, then because -for his constant presence on military campaigns. Upon returning from a campaign in Bulgaria, Svyatoslav was killed by the Pechenegs in 972 on the Dnieper rapids.
Early biography
According to ancient Russian chronicles, Svyatoslav was the only son of the great Kyiv prince Igor and the daughter of the Varangian Olga. The year of his birth is not known exactly. According to the Ipatievsky list of PVL, Svyatoslav was born in 942, but in other lists of PVL (for example, Lavrentievsky) such an entry does not appear. Researchers are alarmed by the fact that such important information was missed by census takers, although it does not contradict other messages.
The literature also mentions the year of birth 920, which was named by the historian V.N. Tatishchev with reference to the Rostov and Novgorod manuscripts. In the Novgorod First Chronicle, Olga's birth of Svyatoslav is mentioned in an undated part, after which the chronicle's messages begin to date from 920, under which Igor's first campaign against Byzantium, which occurred in 941, is mentioned. Perhaps this served as the basis for Tatishchev to indicate the year 920, which contradicts other known information about the reign of Svyatoslav.
Name Svyatoslav
Svyatoslav became the first reliably known Kyiv prince with a Slavic name, although his parents had names with recognized Scandinavian etymology.
In Byzantine sources of the 10th century, his name is written as (Sfendoslavos), from which historians, starting with V.N. Tatishchev, make the assumption of a combination of the Scandinavian name Sven (Danish Svend, Old Norse Sveinn, modern Swedish Sven) with Slavic princely ending - slav. However, in foreign language translations, other Slavic names begin with Svyatopolk, for example, the name of Svyatopolk (in the sources Zwentibald or Sventipluk), prince of Great Moravia in 870-894, or Svyatopolk Vladimirovich, prince of Kyiv in 1015-1019. (Suentepulcus in Thietmar of Merseburg). According to the etymological dictionary of M. Vasmer, the initial part of these names goes back to the Proto-Slavic root *svent-, which, after the loss of nasal vowels, gave rise to the modern East Slavic saint - “holy”. Nasal vowels have also been preserved to this day in the Polish language. Wed. Polish Swiety (Sventy) - saint.
It was noted that the first part of Svyatoslav’s name corresponds in meaning to the Scandinavian names of his mother Olga and Prince Oleg the Prophet (Old Norse Helgi, Helga “holy, holy”), and the second part corresponds to the name of Rurik (Old Norse Hrorekr “mighty glory” ") which corresponds to the early medieval tradition of taking into account the names of other members of the princely family when naming. However, some researchers question the possibility of such a “translation” of names from one language to another. The female equivalent of the name Svyatoslav (Svyatoslav) was borne by the sister of the Danish and English king Cnut the Great, whose mother was from the Polish Piast dynasty.
Childhood and reign in Novgorod
The very first mention of Svyatoslav in a synchronous historical document is contained in the Russian-Byzantine treaty of Prince Igor of 944.
In 945, Prince Igor was killed by the Drevlyans for exacting an exorbitant tribute from them. His widow Olga, who became regent for her 3-year-old son, went the next year with an army to the land of the Drevlyans. Svyatoslav opened the battle by throwing
Igor’s squad defeated the Drevlyans, Olga forced them to submit, and then traveled around Rus', building a system of government. According to the chronicle, Svyatoslav spent his entire childhood with his mother in Kyiv, which contradicts the remark of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus in one of his works, written around 949: “The monoxyls coming from external Russia to Constantinople are some of Nemogard, in which Sfendoslav, the son of Ingor, the archon, sat Russia." In Nemogarda, Constantine is usually seen as Novgorod, which the sons of the Kyiv princes traditionally owned subsequently. Constantine also mentions Svyatoslav's name without a title when describing Olga's visit to Constantinople in 957.
Beginning of independent rule
Olga converted to Christianity in 955-957 and tried to convert her son to her faith. Svyatoslav, however, remained a pagan until the end of his life, citing the fact that, having become a Christian, he would lose authority among the squad. Nevertheless, the chronicle notes Svyatoslav’s tolerance of the faith: he did not prevent anyone from being baptized, but only mocked them.
In 959, the Western European chronicle of the Continuer Reginon reports on Olga's ambassadors sent to the king of the East Frankish kingdom Otto on the issue of the baptism of Rus'. Such an important issue could only be resolved by the ruler of Rus', who was Olga in 959, the “Queen of Rugov” according to the chronicler. However, in 962, the mission sent by Otto to Kyiv failed due to Svyatoslav’s indifference to religious issues and Princess Olga’s active reluctance to change the Eastern Christianity she had previously accepted.
Svyatoslav began to rule independently in 964; The Tale of Bygone Years reports about his first steps in 964:
Khazar campaign of Svyatoslav
The Tale of Bygone Years reports that in 964 Svyatoslav “went to the Oka River and the Volga, and met the Vyatichi.” Traditionally, this message is seen as an indication of the conquest of the former Khazar tributaries of the Vyatichi. A. N. Sakharov, however, notes that there is no talk of conquest in the chronicle; it is quite possible that Svyatoslav did not waste his energy on the Vyatichi, since his main goal was Khazaria.
In 965, according to the Tale of Bygone Years, Svyatoslav attacked the Khazar Khaganate:
A contemporary of the events, Ibn-Haukal, dates the campaign to a later time and also reports about the war with Volga Bulgaria, news of which is not confirmed by other sources:
A.P. Novoseltsev suggests that since Volga Bulgaria was hostile to the Kaganate and no archaeological evidence of its destruction in the 960s was found, Svyatoslav did not have a war with it: Ibn-Haukal simply confused it with Bulgaria on the Danube. Ibn-Haukal mentions Svyatoslav’s war in Danube Bulgaria under the campaign to Rum (Byzantium).
Having defeated the armies of both states and ravaged their cities, Svyatoslav defeated the Yasses and Kasogs, took and destroyed Semender (in Dagestan). The exact chronology of the campaign (or campaigns) has not been established. According to one version, Svyatoslav first took Sarkel on the Don (in 965), then moved east, and in 968 or 969 he conquered Itil. M.I. Artamonov believed that the Russian army was moving down the Volga and the capture of Itil preceded the capture of Sarkel. M.V. Levchenko and V.T. Pashuto placed the war with the Yasses and Kasogs between the captures of Itil and Sarkel, A.N. Sakharov suggested that Svyatoslav could fight them only by taking both cities, completely defeating the Kaganate and protecting himself from a blow in rear. G.V. Vernadsky, T.M. Kalinina and A.P. Novoseltsev believed that there were two campaigns: in the Azov region to Sarkel and Tmutarakan (in 965), then to the Volga region (including Itil) and Dagestan in 968-969 .
Svyatoslav not only crushed the Khazar Kaganate, but also tried to secure the conquered territories for himself. In place of Sarkel, the Russian settlement of Belaya Vezha appears, Tmutarakan comes under the rule of Kyiv, there is information that Russian troops were in Itil and Semender until the 990s, although their status is not clear.
In 966, after the defeat of the Khazars, the Tale of Bygone Years reports the victory over the Vyatichi and the imposition of tribute on them.
Byzantine sources remain silent about events in Rus'. Byzantium was interested in the destruction of Khazaria, and its allied relations with the Kyiv prince are confirmed by the participation of Russian troops in the military expedition of Nikephoros Phocas to Crete.
Conquest of the Bulgarian Kingdom. 968-969
In 967, a conflict broke out between Byzantium and the Bulgarian kingdom, the cause of which is stated differently in sources. In 967/968, the Byzantine emperor Nicephorus Phocas sent an embassy to Svyatoslav. The head of the embassy, Kalokir, was given 15 centinarii of gold (approx. 455 kg) to direct the Rus to raid Bulgaria. According to the most common version, Byzantium wanted to crush the Bulgarian kingdom with the wrong hands, and at the same time weaken Kievan Rus, which, after the victory over Khazaria, could turn its gaze to the Crimean possessions of Byzantium.
Kalokir agreed with Svyatoslav on an anti-Bulgarian alliance, but at the same time asked to help him take the Byzantine throne from Nikephoros Phocas. For this, according to the Byzantine chroniclers John Skilitsa and Leo the Deacon, Kalokir promised “great, countless treasures from the state treasury” and the right to all conquered Bulgarian lands.
In 968, Svyatoslav invaded Bulgaria and, after the war with the Bulgarians, settled at the mouth of the Danube, in Pereyaslavets, where “tribute from the Greeks” was sent to him. During this period, relations between Rus' and Byzantium were most likely friendly, since the Italian ambassador Liutprand in July 968 saw Russian ships as part of the Byzantine fleet.
By 968-969. refers to the attack on Kyiv by the Pechenegs. Historians A.P. Novoseltsev and T.M. Kalinina suggest that the Pechenegs were set against Rus' by the Khazars, and in response, Svyatoslav organized a second campaign against them, during which Itil was captured and the Kaganate was finally defeated. Svyatoslav and his cavalry returned to defend the capital and drove the Pechenegs into the steppe.
During the prince's stay in Kyiv, his mother, Princess Olga, who actually ruled Russia in the absence of her son, died. Svyatoslav arranges the government of the state: he places his son Yaropolk in the Kiev reign, Oleg in the Drevlyansk reign, Vladimir in the Novgorod reign. After this, Svyatoslav again went to Bulgaria with his army in the fall of 969. The Tale of Bygone Years reports his words:
The chronicle of Pereyaslavets on the Danube is not precisely identified. Sometimes it is identified with Preslav, or referred to the river port on the Danube Preslav Maly. According to a version from unknown sources (as presented by V.N. Tatishchev), in the absence of Svyatoslav in Pereyaslavets, his governor, Voivode Volk, was forced to withstand a siege from the Bulgarians. Byzantine sources sparingly describe Svyatoslav's war with the Bulgarians. His army on boats approached the Bulgarian Dorostol on the Danube and after the battle captured it from the Bulgarians. Later, the capital of the Bulgarian kingdom, Preslav the Great, was captured, after which the Bulgarian king entered into a forced alliance with Svyatoslav. For more details, see the article “Russian-Byzantine War of 970-971.”
War with Byzantium. 970-971
Faced with Svyatoslav's attack, the Bulgarians asked Byzantium for help. Emperor Nikifor Phokas was greatly concerned about the Rus' invasion; he decided to consolidate the alliance with the Bulgarian kingdom through a dynastic marriage. Brides from the royal Bulgarian family had already arrived in Constantinople when, as a result of the coup on December 11, 969, Nicephorus Phocas was killed, and John Tzimiskes was on the Byzantine throne (the marriage plans never came to fruition).
In the same year 969, the Bulgarian Tsar Peter I abdicated the throne in favor of his son Boris, and the Western counties came out from under the authority of Preslav. While Byzantium hesitated to provide direct armed assistance to the Bulgarians, their longtime enemies, they entered into an alliance with Svyatoslav and subsequently fought against Byzantium on the side of the Rus.
John tried to convince Svyatoslav to leave Bulgaria, promising tribute, but to no avail. Svyatoslav decided to firmly establish himself on the Danube, thus expanding the possessions of Rus'. Byzantium hastily transferred troops from Asia Minor to the borders of Bulgaria, placing them in fortresses.
In the spring of 970, Svyatoslav, in alliance with the Bulgarians, Pechenegs and Hungarians, attacked the Byzantine possessions in Thrace. The Byzantine historian Leo the Deacon estimates the number of allies at more than 30 thousand soldiers, while the Greek commander Vardas Skleros had from 10 to 12 thousand soldiers at hand. Varda Sklir avoided battle in the open field, conserving his forces in fortresses. Svyatoslav's army reached Arcadiopolis (120 km from Constantinople), where a general battle took place. According to Byzantine sources, all the Pechenegs were surrounded and killed, and then the main forces of Svyatoslav were defeated. The Old Russian chronicle describes events differently; according to the chronicler, Svyatoslav came close to Constantinople, but retreated only after taking a large tribute, including for the dead soldiers.
One way or another, in the summer of 970, major military operations on the territory of Byzantium ceased, Bardas Sklerus and his army urgently recalled to Asia Minor to suppress the uprising of Bardas Phocas. The Rus' raids on Byzantium continued, so that after the successful suppression of the Vardas uprising, Sklir was again transferred to the borders of Bulgaria in November 970.
In April 971, Emperor John I Tzimiskes personally opposed Svyatoslav at the head of a land army, sending a fleet of 300 ships to the Danube to cut off the Russians' retreat. On April 13, 971, the Bulgarian capital Preslav was captured, where the Bulgarian Tsar Boris II was captured. Part of the Russian soldiers, led by governor Sfenkel, managed to break through to the north to Dorostol, where Svyatoslav was located with the main forces.
On April 23, 971, Tzimiskes approached Dorostol. In the battle, the Rus were driven back into the fortress, and a 3-month siege began. The parties suffered losses in continuous skirmishes, the Russian leaders Ikmor and Sfenkel were killed, and the Byzantines' military leader John Kurkuas fell. On July 21, another general battle took place, in which Svyatoslav, according to the Byzantines, was wounded. The battle ended without result for both sides, but after it Svyatoslav entered into peace negotiations.
John Tzimiskes unconditionally accepted the conditions of the Rus. Svyatoslav and his army had to leave Bulgaria; the Byzantines provided his soldiers (22 thousand) with a supply of bread for 2 months. Svyatoslav also entered into a military alliance with Byzantium, and trade relations were restored. Under these conditions, Svyatoslav left Bulgaria, which was greatly weakened by the wars on its territory.
The Bulgarian Tsar Boris II laid down the signs of royal power and was elevated to the rank of master by John Tzimiskes. All of eastern Bulgaria was annexed to Byzantium, only the western regions retained independence.
Death
After the conclusion of peace, Svyatoslav safely reached the mouth of the Dnieper and set off on boats to the rapids. Voivode Sveneld told him: “Go around, prince, the rapids on horseback, for the Pechenegs are standing at the rapids.” Svyatoslav's attempt in 971 to climb the Dnieper failed, he had to spend the winter at the mouth of the Dnieper, and try again in the spring of 972. However, the Pechenegs still guarded the Rus. Svyatoslav died in the battle:
The death of Svyatoslav in the battle with the Pechenegs is confirmed by Leo the Deacon:
Some historians suggest that it was Byzantine diplomacy that convinced the Pechenegs to attack Svyatoslav. The book “On the Administration of the Empire” by Constantine Porphyrogenitus reports on the need for an alliance with the Pechenegs for protection from the Russians and Hungarians, and also that the Pechenegs pose a serious danger to the Russians crossing the rapids. Based on this, it is emphasized that the use of the Pechenegs to eliminate the hostile prince occurred in accordance with the Byzantine foreign policy guidelines of that time. Although the Tale of Bygone Years names not the Greeks, but the Pereyaslavl people (Bulgarians) as the organizers of the ambush, and John Skylitsa reports that the Byzantine embassy, on the contrary, asked the Pechenegs to let the Russians through.
About Svyatoslav's appearance
The Byzantine historian Leo the Deacon left a colorful description of Svyatoslav’s appearance during his meeting with Emperor Tzimiskes after the conclusion of peace:
| Sfendoslav also appeared, sailing along the river on a Scythian boat; he sat on the oars and rowed along with his entourage, no different from them. This is what his appearance was: of moderate height, not too tall and not very short, with thick eyebrows and light blue eyes, snub nose, beardless, with thick, excessively long hair above his upper lip. His head was completely naked, but a tuft of hair hung from one side of it - a sign of the nobility of the family; the strong back of his head, broad chest and all other parts of his body were quite proportionate, but he looked gloomy and stern. He had a gold earring in one ear; it was decorated with a carbuncle framed by two pearls. His robe was white and differed from the clothing of his entourage only in its noticeable cleanliness. |
sons
- Yaropolk Svyatoslavich, Prince of Kyiv
- Oleg Svyatoslavich, Prince of Drevlyansky
- Vladimir Svyatoslavich, Prince of Novgorod, Prince of Kiev, Baptist of Rus'
History has not preserved the name of the mother (or mothers) of Yaropolk and Oleg, unlike the mother of Vladimir Malushi.
Skylitzes also mentions Vladimir's brother Sfeng, who helped the Byzantines suppress the revolt in Chersonesus in 1015-1016. The name Sfeng does not appear in ancient Russian chronicles and other sources.
The image of Svyatoslav in art
For the first time, the personality of Svyatoslav attracted the attention of Russian artists and poets during the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, the actions of which, like the events of Svyatoslav’s campaigns, unfolded on the Danube. Among the works created at this time, noteworthy is the tragedy “Olga” by Ya. B. Knyazhnin (1772), the plot of which is based on Olga’s revenge for the murder of her husband Igor by the Drevlyans. Svyatoslav appears in it as the main character, although in reality in 945 he was still a child. Knyazhnin's rival N.P. Nikolaev also creates a play dedicated to the life of Svyatoslav. I. A. Akimov’s painting “Grand Duke Svyatoslav, kissing his mother and children upon returning from the Danube to Kyiv” shows the conflict between military valor and family loyalty, reflected in Russian chronicles ( “You, prince, are looking for someone else’s land and taking care of it, but you left your own, and the Pechenegs, and your mother, and your children almost took us.”).
In the 19th century, interest in Svyatoslav decreased somewhat. At this time, K.V. Lebedev painted a picture illustrating Leo the Deacon’s description of Svyatoslav’s meeting with Tzimiskes. At the beginning of the 20th century, E. E. Lansere creates the sculpture “Svyatoslav on the way to Tsar-grad”. A poem by Velimir Khlebnikov, the historical novel “Svyatoslav” (1958) by the Ukrainian writer Semyon Sklyarenko and the story “Black Arrows of Vyatichi” by V. V. Kargalov are dedicated to Svyatoslav. The vivid image of Svyatoslav was created by Mikhail Kazovsky in his historical novel “The Empress’s Daughter” (1999). The music album “Following the Sun” (2006) by the pagan metal band Butterfly Temple is dedicated to Svyatoslav Igorevich. Svyatoslav's portrait is used in the emblem of the ultras football club "Dynamo" (Kyiv); the name "Svyatoslav" is also used in the printed publication of Dynamo Kyiv fans.