Princess Olga the baptism of Russia. Olga's diplomacy: playing on contradictions. The last years of the life of the princess

Princess Olga, in baptism - Elena. Born ca. 920 - died July 11, 969. The princess who ruled the Old Russian state from 945 to 960 after the death of her husband, the Kyiv prince Igor Rurikovich. The first of the rulers of Russia adopted Christianity even before the baptism of Russia. Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Princess Olga was born c. 920 years.

Chronicles do not report the year of Olga's birth, however, the late Book of Degrees reports that she died at the age of about 80, which places her date of birth at the end of the 9th century. The approximate date of her birth is reported by the late Arkhangelsk Chronicler, who reports that Olga was 10 years old at the time of marriage. Based on this, many scientists (M. Karamzin, L. Morozova, L. Voitovich) calculated the date of her birth - 893.

The prologue life of the princess claims her age at the time of death - 75 years. Thus Olga was born in 894. True, this date is called into question by the date of birth of Olga's eldest son, Svyatoslav (about 938-943), since Olga at the time of her son's birth should have been 45-50 years old, which seems incredible.

Looking at the fact that Svyatoslav Igorevich was Olga's eldest son, Boris Rybakov, taking 942 as the date of birth of the prince, considered the year 927-928 to be the last point of Olga's birth. A similar opinion (925-928) was shared by Andrei Bogdanov in his book “Princess Olga. Holy warrior."

Alexei Karpov, in his monograph "Princess Olga", makes Olga older, claiming that the princess was born around 920. Consequently, the date around 925 looks more accurate than 890, since Olga herself in the annals for 946-955 appears young and energetic, and she gives birth to her eldest son around 940.

According to the earliest ancient Russian chronicle, The Tale of Bygone Years, Olga was from Pskov (Old Russian Pleskov, Plskov). The Life of the Holy Grand Duchess Olga specifies that she was born in the village of Vybuty, Pskov land, 12 km from Pskov up the Velikaya River. The names of Olga's parents have not been preserved; according to the Life, they were of an humble family. According to scientists, the Varangian origin is confirmed by her name, which corresponds in Old Norse as Helga. The presence of presumably Scandinavians in those places is noted by a number of archaeological finds, possibly dating from the first half of the 10th century. The ancient Czech name is also known Olha.

A typographical chronicle (end of the 15th century) and a later Piskarevsky chronicler convey a rumor that Olga was the daughter of the Prophetic Oleg, who began to rule Russia as the guardian of the infant Igor, the son of Rurik: Oleg married Igor and Olga.

The so-called Joachim Chronicle, the authenticity of which is called into question by historians, reports on the noble Slavic origin of Olga: “When Igor matured, Oleg married him, gave him a wife from Izborsk, the Gostomyslov family, who was called Beautiful, and Oleg renamed her and named her Olga in his name. Igor later had other wives, but Olga, because of her wisdom, was honored more than others..

If you believe this source, it turns out that the princess was renamed from Prekrasa to Olga, taking a new name in honor of Prince Oleg (Olga is the female version of this name).

Bulgarian historians also put forward a version about the Bulgarian roots of Princess Olga, relying mainly on the message of the New Vladimir Chronicler: “Igor is alive [Ѻlg] in Bulgaria, sing for him princely Ѻlga”. And translating the chronicle name Pleskov not as Pskov, but as Pliska - the Bulgarian capital of that time. The names of both cities really coincide in the Old Slavonic transcription of some texts, which served as the basis for the author of the New Vladimir Chronicler to translate the message of The Tale of Bygone Years about Olga from Pskov as Olga from the Bulgarians, since the spelling Pleskov to designate Pskov has long fallen out of use .

Statements about the origin of Olga from the annalistic Carpathian Plesnesk, a huge settlement (7th-8th centuries - 10-12 hectares, up to the 10th century - 160 hectares, up to the 13th century - 300 hectares) with Scandinavian and West Slavic materials are based on local legends.

Marriage with Igor

According to The Tale of Bygone Years, Prophetic Oleg married Igor Rurikovich, who began to rule independently from 912, to Olga in 903, that is, when she was already 12 years old. This date is questioned, since, according to the Ipatiev list of the same Tale, their son Svyatoslav was born only in 942.

Perhaps, in order to resolve this contradiction, the later Ustyug Chronicle and the Novgorod Chronicle, according to the list of P. P. Dubrovsky, report Olga's ten years of age at the time of the wedding. This message contradicts the legend set forth in the Book of Powers (second half of the 16th century) about a chance meeting with Igor at the crossing near Pskov. The prince hunted in those places. While crossing the river in a boat, he noticed that the ferryman was a young girl dressed in men's clothes. Igor immediately “flared up with desire” and began to pester her, but received a worthy rebuke in response: “Why are you embarrassing me, prince, with immodest words? Let me be young and humble, and alone here, but know that it is better for me to throw myself into the river than to endure reproach. Igor remembered a chance acquaintance when it was time to look for a bride for himself, and sent Oleg for the girl he fell in love with, not wanting any other wife.

The Novgorod First Chronicle of the junior edition, which contains information from the Initial Code of the 11th century in the most unchanged form, leaves the message about Igor's marriage to Olga undated, that is, the earliest Old Russian chroniclers did not have information about the date of the wedding. It is likely that the year 903 in the text of the PVL arose at a later time, when the monk Nestor tried to bring the initial Old Russian history into chronological order. After the wedding, Olga's name is mentioned again only 40 years later, in the Russian-Byzantine treaty of 944.

According to the chronicle, in 945, Prince Igor died at the hands of the Drevlyans after repeatedly collecting tribute from them. The heir to the throne, Svyatoslav, was then only three years old, so Olga became the actual ruler of Russia in 945. Igor's squad obeyed her, recognizing Olga as the representative of the legitimate heir to the throne. The decisive course of action of the princess in relation to the Drevlyans could also persuade the combatants in her favor.

After the murder of Igor, the Drevlyans sent matchmakers to his widow Olga to call her to marry their prince Mal. The princess successively dealt with the elders of the Drevlyans, and then brought their people into obedience. The Old Russian chronicler details Olga's revenge for her husband's death:

First revenge:

The matchmakers, 20 Drevlyans, arrived in a boat, which the Kievans carried and threw into a deep pit in the yard of Olga's tower. The matchmakers-ambassadors were buried alive along with the boat.

“And, leaning towards the pit, Olga asked them: “Is honor good for you?” They answered: "Worse for us than Igor's death." And ordered them to fall asleep alive; and covered them up,” says the chronicler.

Second revenge:

Olga asked, for respect, to send new ambassadors to her from the best husbands, which was readily done by the Drevlyans. An embassy of noble Drevlyans was burned in a bathhouse while they were washing, preparing for a meeting with the princess.

Third revenge:

The princess, with a small retinue, came to the lands of the Drevlyans to, according to custom, celebrate a feast at the grave of her husband. Having drunk the Drevlyans during the feast, Olga ordered them to be cut down. The chronicle reports five thousand killed Drevlyans.

Fourth revenge:

In 946, Olga went on a campaign against the Drevlyans with an army. According to the Novgorod First Chronicle, the Kyiv squad defeated the Drevlyans in battle. Olga walked through the Drevlyane land, established tributes and taxes, and then returned to Kyiv. In the Tale of Bygone Years (PVL), the chronicler made an insert into the text of the Initial Code about the siege of the Drevlyan capital Iskorosten. According to the PVL, after an unsuccessful siege during the summer, Olga burned the city with the help of birds, to whose feet she ordered to tie a lit tow with sulfur. Part of the defenders of Iskorosten were killed, the rest submitted. A similar legend about the burning of the city with the help of birds is also expounded by Saxo the Grammatik (XII century) in his compilation of Danish oral traditions about the exploits of the Vikings and by the skald Snorri Sturluson.

After the massacre of the Drevlyans, Olga began to rule Russia until Svyatoslav came of age, but even after that she remained the de facto ruler, since her son spent most of his time on military campaigns and did not pay attention to governing the state.

Olga's board

Having conquered the Drevlyans, Olga in 947 went to the Novgorod and Pskov lands, appointing lessons (tribute) there, after which she returned to her son Svyatoslav in Kyiv.

Olga established a system of "graveyards" - centers of trade and exchange, in which taxes were collected in a more orderly manner; then temples began to be built around the graveyards. Olga's journey to the Novgorod land was called into question by Archimandrite Leonid (Kavelin), A. Shakhmatov (in particular, he pointed out the confusion of the Drevlyansk land with the Derevskaya Pyatina), M. Grushevsky, D. Likhachev. V. Tatishchev also noted the attempts of the Novgorod chroniclers to attract unusual events to the Novgorod land. The evidence of the chronicle about Olga's sleigh, allegedly kept in Pleskov (Pskov) after Olga's trip to Novgorod land, is also critically evaluated.

Princess Olga laid the foundation for stone urban planning in Russia (the first stone buildings of Kyiv - the city palace and Olga's country house), with attention to the improvement of the lands subject to Kyiv - Novgorod, Pskov, located along the Desna River, etc.

In 945, Olga established the size of the "polyudya" - taxes in favor of Kyiv, the timing and frequency of their payment - "dues" and "charters". The lands subject to Kyiv were divided into administrative units, in each of which a princely administrator, a tiun, was appointed.

Constantine Porphyrogenitus, in his essay “On the Administration of the Empire,” written in 949, mentions that “monoxyls coming from outer Russia to Constantinople are one of Nemogard, in which Sfendoslav, son of Ingor, archon of Russia, sat.” From this short report it follows that by 949 Igor held power in Kyiv, or, which looks unlikely, Olga left her son to represent power in the northern part of her state. It is also possible that Constantine had information from unreliable or outdated sources.

The next act of Olga, noted in the PVL, is her baptism in 955 in Constantinople. Upon returning to Kyiv, Olga, who took the name Elena in baptism, 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, but only mocked him. Moreover, Svyatoslav was angry with his mother for her persuasion, fearing to lose the respect of the squad.

In 957, Olga, with a large embassy, ​​paid an official visit to Constantinople, known from the description of court ceremonies by Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus in his essay On Ceremonies. The emperor calls Olga the ruler (archontissa) of Russia, the name of Svyatoslav (in the enumeration of the retinue are "the people of Svyatoslav") is mentioned without a title. Apparently, the visit to Byzantium did not bring the desired results, since the PVL reports Olga's cold attitude towards the Byzantine ambassadors in Kyiv shortly after the visit. On the other hand, Theophan's successor, in the story about the reconquest of Crete from the Arabs under Emperor Roman II (959-963), mentioned the Rus as part of the Byzantine army.

It is not known exactly when exactly Svyatoslav began to rule on his own. PVL reports his first military campaign in 964. The Western European chronicle of the Continuer of Reginon reports under the year 959: “They came to the king (Otto I the Great), as it later turned out in a false way, the ambassadors of Helen, Queen of Rug, who was baptized in Constantinople under the Emperor Roman of Constantinople, and asked to consecrate a bishop and priests for this people”.

Thus, in 959 Olga, in baptism - Elena, was officially considered as the ruler of Russia. The remains of the rotunda of the 10th century, discovered by archaeologists within the so-called "city of Kiya", are considered material evidence of the stay of the Adalbert mission in Kyiv.

The convinced pagan Svyatoslav Igorevich turned 18 years old in 960, and the mission sent by Otto I to Kyiv failed, as the Successor of Reginon reports: “962 year. In this year, Adalbert returned back, appointed Bishop of Rugam, for he did not succeed in anything for which he was sent, and saw his efforts in vain; on the way back, some of his companions were killed, while he himself barely escaped with great difficulty..

The date of the beginning of Svyatoslav's independent reign is rather arbitrary; Russian chronicles consider him his successor on the throne immediately after the murder of his father Igor by the Drevlyans. Svyatoslav was all the time in military campaigns against the neighbors of Russia, entrusting his mother with the management of the state. When in 968 the Pechenegs first raided the Russian lands, Olga and Svyatoslav's children locked themselves in Kyiv.

Returning from a campaign against Bulgaria, Svyatoslav lifted the siege, but did not want to stay in Kyiv for a long time. When next year he was going to go back to Pereyaslavets, Olga kept him: “You see, I am sick; where do you want to go from me? Because she's already sick. And she said: "When you bury me, go wherever you want".

Three days later, Olga died, and her son, and her grandchildren, and all the people, wept for her with a great cry, and carried her and buried her in the chosen place, Olga bequeathed not to perform funeral feasts for her, since she had a priest with her - that and buried blessed Olga.

The monk Jacob in the 11th century essay “Memory and Praise to the Russian Prince Volodimer” reports the exact date of Olga’s death: July 11, 969.

Baptism of Olga

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

The date and circumstances of the baptism remain unclear. According to the PVL, this happened in 955 in Constantinople, Olga was personally baptized by Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus with the patriarch (Theophylact): “And the name Helena was given to her in baptism, as well as the ancient queen mother of Emperor Constantine I”.

PVL and Life decorate the circumstances of the baptism with a story about how the wise Olga outwitted the Byzantine king. He, marveling at her intelligence and beauty, wanted to take Olga as his wife, but the princess rejected the claims, noting that it was not appropriate for Christians to marry pagans. It was then that the king and the patriarch baptized her. When the tsar again began to harass the princess, she pointed out that she was now the goddaughter of the tsar. Then he richly endowed her and sent her home.

From Byzantine sources, only one visit by Olga to Constantinople is known. Konstantin Porphyrogenitus described it in detail in the essay “On Ceremonies”, without indicating the year of the event. But he indicated the dates of official receptions: Wednesday, September 9 (on the occasion of Olga's arrival) and Sunday, October 18. This combination corresponds to 957 and 946. Noteworthy is the long stay of Olga in Constantinople. When describing the reception, they are called basileus (Konstantin Porphyrogenitus himself) and Roman - purple-born basileus. It is known that Roman II the Younger, the son of Constantine, became the formal co-ruler of his father in 945. The mention of Roman's children at the reception testifies in favor of 957, which is considered the generally accepted date of Olga's visit and her baptism.

However, Konstantin nowhere mentioned Olga's baptism, as well as the purposes of her visit. In the retinue of the princess, a certain priest Gregory was named, on the basis of which some historians (in particular, Academician Rybakov Boris Alexandrovich) suggest that Olga visited Constantinople already baptized. In this case, the question arises why Konstantin calls the princess by her pagan name, and not by Elena, as the Successor of Reginon did. Another, later Byzantine source (XI century) reports the baptism in the 950s: “And the wife of a Russian archon who once set sail against the Romans, named Elga, when her husband died, arrived in Constantinople. Baptized and having openly made a choice in favor of the true faith, she, having received the great honor of this choice, returned home..

The successor of Reginon cited above also speaks of baptism in Constantinople, and the mention of the name of the emperor Roman testifies in favor of baptism precisely in 957. The testimony of the Continuer of Reginon can be considered reliable, since Bishop Adalbert of Magdeburg, who led an unsuccessful mission to Kyiv, wrote under this name, as historians believe (961) and who had first-hand information.

According to most sources, Princess Olga was baptized in Constantinople in the autumn of 957, and she was baptized, probably, by Roman II, son and co-ruler of Emperor Constantine VII, and Patriarch Polievkt. Olga made the decision to accept the faith in advance, although the chronicle legend presents this decision as spontaneous. Nothing is known about those people who spread Christianity in Russia. Perhaps they were Bulgarian Slavs (Bulgaria was baptized in 865), since the influence of Bulgarian vocabulary can be traced in the early Old Russian chronicle texts. The penetration of Christianity into Kievan Rus is evidenced by the mention of the cathedral church of Elijah the Prophet in Kyiv in the Russian-Byzantine treaty (944).

Olga was buried in the ground (969) according to the Christian rite. Her grandson Prince Vladimir I Svyatoslavich transferred (1007) the relics of the saints, including Olga, to the Church of the Holy Mother of God founded by him in Kyiv. According to the Life and the monk Jacob, the body of the blessed princess was preserved from decay. Her "shining like the sun" body could be observed through the window in the stone coffin, which was opened for any true Christian, and many found healing there. All the others saw only the coffin.

Most likely, during the reign of Yaropolk (972-978), Princess Olga began to be revered as a saint. This is evidenced by the transfer of her relics to the church and the description of miracles given by the monk Jacob in the 11th century. Since that time, the day of memory of St. Olga (Helena) began to be celebrated on July 11, at least in the Church of the Tithes itself. However, official canonization (general church glorification) apparently took place later - until the middle of the 13th century. Her name becomes christening early, in particular among the Czechs.

In 1547 Olga was canonized as a saint Equal-to-the-Apostles. Only five more holy women in Christian history have received such an honor (Mary Magdalene, First Martyr Thekla, Martyr Apphia, Empress Helena Equal-to-the-Apostles and Enlightener of Georgia Nina).

The memory of Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga is celebrated by the Orthodox churches of the Russian tradition on July 11 according to the Julian calendar; Catholic and other Western churches - July 24 Gregorian.

Revered as the patroness of widows and newly converted Christians.

Princess Olga (documentary)

Memory of Olga

Pskov has the Olginskaya embankment, the Olginskiy bridge, the Olginskaya chapel, and two monuments to the princess.

From the time of Olga and until 1944, there was a graveyard and the village of Olgin Krest on the Narva River.

Monuments to Princess Olga were erected in Kyiv, Pskov and in the city of Korosten. The figure of Princess Olga is present on the monument "Millennium of Russia" in Veliky Novgorod.

In honor of Princess Olga, the Gulf of Olga of the Sea of ​​Japan is named.

In honor of Princess Olga, the urban-type settlement Olga of the Primorsky Territory is named.

Olginskaya street in Kyiv.

Street of Princess Olga in Lvov.

In Vitebsk, in the center of the city, at the Holy Spirit Convent, there is St. Olginskaya Church.

In St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, to the right of the altar in the north (Russian) transept, there is a portrait of Princess Olga.

St. Olginsky Cathedral in Kyiv.

Orders:

The insignia of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga - instituted by Emperor Nicholas II in 1915;
"Order of Princess Olga" - the state award of Ukraine since 1997;
The Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga (ROC) is an award of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The image of Olga in art

In fiction:

Antonov A. I. Princess Olga;
Boris Vasiliev. "Olga, Queen of the Rus";
Viktor Gretkov. "Princess Olga - Bulgarian Princess";
Mikhail Kazovsky. "Daughter of the Empress";
Alexey Karpov. "Princess Olga" (ZHZL series);
Svetlana Kaidash-Lakshina (novel). "Duchess Olga";
Alekseev S. T. I know God!;
Nikolai Gumilyov. "Olga" (poem);
Simon Vilar. "Svetorada" (trilogy);
Simon Vilar. "Witch" (4 books);
Elizaveta Dvoretskaya "Olga, Forest Princess";
Oleg Panus "Shields on the gates";
Oleg Panus "Unified in Power".

In cinematography:

"The Legend of Princess Olga" (1983; USSR), director Yuri Ilyenko, in the role of Olga Lyudmila Efimenko;
The saga of the ancient Bulgars. The Tale of Olga the Holy ”(2005; Russia) director Bulat Mansurov, in the role of Olga .;
The saga of the ancient Bulgars. Ladder of Vladimir the Red Sun”, Russia, 2005. Elina Bystritskaya as Olga.

In cartoons:

Prince Vladimir (2006; Russia) directed by Yuri Kulakov, voiced by Olga.

Ballet:

"Olga", music by Evgeny Stankovich, 1981. It ran at the Kiev Opera and Ballet Theater from 1981 to 1988, and in 2010 it was staged at the Dnepropetrovsk Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.

“On-the-head-of-no-tsei-ve-ry” and “the root of it is right-of-glory” in the Russian land from the ancient-le-na-zy-va-li holy equal-noap -o-so-ol-gu lu-di. The christening of Ol-gi would have known-me-no-va-but pro-ro-che-ski-mi words-va-mi pat-ri-ar-ha, christened her : “Bless-the-word-of-veins-on you in the Russian wives, for you left the darkness and the light. Pra-glory-lyat you will be Russian sons until the next-not-n-th ro-yes! At Baptism, the Russian princess-gi-nya was given the name of the holy equal-noap-o-stol-noy Helena, a lot of labor diva -sya in the race of the pro-country of christianity in the huge Roman empire and found the Life-in-creating Cross, on which -then the Lord was crucified. In-do-but-her-heavenly in-a-kro-vi-tel-ni-tse, Ol-ga became equal-noap-o-so-so-pro-by-ved-nice christi -en-stva on the vast expanses of the Russian land. There are a lot of chro-but-lo-gi-ches-sky inaccuracies and for-ha-docks in the let-the-written testimonies about her, but it’s unlikely that they can -nick-know with-me-in-the-hundred-ver-no-sti of the pain of the facts of her life, before-not-sen-ny until our time bla-go-dar-us-mi-by-that-ka-mi of the holy prince-gi-ni - arrange-and-tel-ni-tsy of the Russian land. About-ra-tim-sya to in-west-in-va-niyu about her life.

The name of the bu-du-schey pro-sve-tel-ni-tsy Ru-si and ro-di-nu of her ancient-shay from let-to-pi-this - “According to the news of the times years "na-zy-va-et in the description of the same-thread-would Ki-ev-sky-prince Igo-rya:" And bring him the same-well from Pskov-va, in the name of Ol-ga. Ioaki-mov-sky let-the-piss-nya-et clarifies that she comes-above-le-zha-la to the family of the princes of Iz-bor-sky - one of the ancient-non-Russian princely princely di-na-stii.

Su-pru-gu Igo-rya was called by the Va-ryazh name Hel-ga, in Russian pro-from-no-she-nii - Ol-ga (Vol-ga). Pre-da-tion on-zy-va-et ro-di-noy Ol-gi se-lo You-bu-you don’t-da-le-ku from Pskov-va, up the Ve-li-koy river . The life of St. Ol-ga says that here for the first time I met her with her future husband. The young prince hunted “in the region of Pskov” and, wanting to re-take across the Ve-li-kuyu river, he saw “some e-go swimming in the boat ”and called him to the be-re-gu. From-floating from the be-re-ha in a boat, the prince about-on-ru-lived that he was being taken de-vush-ka udi-vi-tel-noy kra-so-you. Igor blazed at her at will and began to incline her to sin. Pe-re-voz-chi-tsa eye-losed not only beauty-si-va, but whole-wise-ren-on and smart-on. She mouthed-di-la Igo-rya, reminding him of the princely dignity of the great-vi-te-la and judge, someone should be “a bright example of good deeds” for their data. Igor broke up with her, keeping in her memory her words and a beautiful image. When the time came to choose a bride, in Ki-ev we gathered the most beautiful de-wo-shek of the princes. But not one of them came to his heart. And then he remembered Ol-ga, the “divine in girls”, and sent his relatives, Prince Ole-ha, after her. So Olga became the wife of Prince Igo-rya, the great Russian prince-gi-her.

Afterwards, Igor would have gone on a trip to the Greeks, and returned from him as a father: the son of Svyato-glory was born. Soon, Igor was killed by the ancients-la-na-mi. Fearing revenge for the murder of the Ki-ev-sky-prince, the ancient-lyans from-great-wee-whether words to Princess Olga, before-la-gai to her drink in marriage with his great-vi-te-lem Ma-lom. Ol-ga made-la-la look like she agreed. Hit-ro-stu for-ma-ni-la she in Ki-ev two-salts of the ancient-lyans, betraying them to mu-chi-tel-noy death: the first was for- living in gre-be-but “in the yard of the prince-same”, the second - with-burning-but in the bath. After this, five thousand thousand men of the ancient lyan-sky would have been killed in-and-on-mi by Olga at the funeral feast along Igor-ryu near the walls of the ancient lyan-sto-whether -tsy Is-ko-ro-ste-nya. The next year, Olga again went with the army to Is-ko-ro-wall. They burned the city with the help of birds, to the feet of someone they tied a burning pack. The remaining ancient people were captured and sold into slavery.

Along with this let-the-pi-si there are a lot of testimonies about her relentless "walk-de-no-yah" on the Russian land with the goal of building -e-niya in-li-ti-che-sky and economic life of the country. She was trying to strengthen the power of Ki-ev-th-ve-li-ko-go-prince, center-tra-li-zo-va-la go-sovereign-noe management with the help of the “on-go-stov” system. Let-the-piss from-me-cha-et that she and her son and friends walked along the Drevlyan land, about-ro-ki ", from me-tea se-la and hundred-no-vi-scha and places of hunting, under-le-zha-shchie-ing in ki-ev-sky ve-li -ko-knya-same-sky vla-de-niya. Ho-di-la she is in Nov-go-rod, arranging-and-vaya in-go-st along the rivers Msta and Lu-ge. “Her lo-vi-shcha (hundred hunting places) would be all over the earth, established new-len-signs, her place and go-sta, - write le-to-pi-sets, - and sa-ni stands in Pskov to this day, there are places indicated by her for catching birds along the Dnieper and along the Desna; and se-lo her Ol-gi-chi su-sche-stu-et and now. In-go-sty (from the word "guest" - ku-pets) became the support of the ve-li-ko-prince-same power, ocha-ga-mi et-no-che- sko-go and cul-tour-no-go unification of Russian-go-on-ro-yes.

Life tells about Olga’s work in this way: “And the manager-la-la of the prince-gi-nya Ol-ga is under the control of her about-la-stya-mi Rus -sky earth, not as a woman, but as a strong and reasonable husband, firmly holding power in his hands and courageously ro-nya-es from enemies. And she would be scary for the next ones. your-and-mi people-mi lu-bi-ma, like pra-vi-tel-ni-tsa mi-lo-sti-vaya and bla-go-che-sti-vaya, like su-diya pra-veda -ny and not offending anyone, na-la-ga-yu-schi on-ka-for-nie with mi-lo-ser-di-em and on-civil-da-yu- shchy good-ryh; she instilled fear in all the evil, giving each-to-mu in-size-measure-but to the hundred-in-stvo of his steps, but all the de-lah govern-le- niya she is about-on-ru-zhi-va-la distant-visibility and wisdom. At the same time, Olga, sweet-hearted in her soul, would be generous-ro-da-tel-for the poor, the poor-gim and the little-im-schim; to her heart soon do-ho-di-whether the right requests, and she quickly fulfilled them-half-nya-la ... With all this, Ol-ga co- edi-nya-la voz-zhan-nuyu and whole-wise-wise life, she doesn’t want-te-la you-go-dit second-rich-but-for-husband, but pre-be- va-la in a pure widowhood, observing the son-well of his own until the days of the rise of his princely power. When, after the last, he wished, she gave him all the de la rights, and she herself, getting rid of the rumors and -pe-che-nii, lived outside the care of management, pre-yes-va-ya de-lam blah-go-your-re-niya.

Russia grew-la and strengthened-la-las. Build-and-fosses of the city-ro-yes, surrounded by ka-men-us-mi and du-bo-you-mi walls-on-mi. The sa-ma prince-gi-nya lived behind the na-dezh-ny-mi walls-on-mi you-sh-go-ro-yes, surrounded by a faithful friend. Two-thirds of the so-brand-noy yes, according to the evidence of the le-to-pi-si, she is from-yes-va-la in the races-of-the-same-ki-ev -th ve-cha, the third part went "to Ol-ga, to you-sh-go-rod" - to the military structure. By the time of Ol-ga, from-no-sit-sit-xia-new-le-tion of the first state borders of Kievan Rus. Bo-ga-tyr-sky for-hundred-you, re-e-th in would-li-nah, hundred-ro-zhi-li peaceful life of ki-ev-lyan from ko-chev-ni-kov Ve -li-coy Step-pi, from on-pa-de-ny with Za-pa-da. Chu-zem-tsy rushed to Gar-da-ri-ku (“country-well-of-cities”), how are they called Rus, from that-va-ra mi. Scan-di-na-you, the Germans willingly join the Russian army. Russia became-but-vi-las a ve-li-koy der-zha-howl.

Like the wise-paradise of the great-vi-tel-ni-tsa, Ol-ga vie-de-la on the pri-me-re of the Vi-zantii-sky im-pe-rii, which is not-a-hundred-accurate for -bot only about state and economic life. It was necessary to-ho-di-mo-lo-to-do-arrange-e-no-em re-li-gi-oz-noy, spiritual life-no on-ro-yes.

The author of the “Ste-pen-noy book” writes: “Her / Ol-gi / was inspired by the fact that she recognized the true God. Not knowing for-ko-on christ-an-sko-go, she lived a clean and whole-wise-wise life, and wish-la-la she be christ-sti- en-koy in free will, ser-dech-us-mi-eyes, the path of knowing God about-re-la and walked along it without co-le-ba- niya". Pre-beautiful in-west-woo-et: “Blessed Olga from an early age is-ka-la wisdom-ro-sti, which is my best-neck in all - those of this, and found a lot of valuable pearls - Christ.

Having made your choice, ve-princess-gi-nya Ol-ha, in-ru-chiv Ki-ev under-growing si-well, from-right-la-et-sya with a large fleet in Kon-stan-ti-no-pol. The ancient non-Russian le-to-pi-tsy na-zo-vut is de-i-nie Ol-gi “ho-de-no-eat”, it is co-one-nya-lo in se-be and re-li-gi-oz-noe pa-lom-no-che-stvo, and di-plo-ma-ti-che-mission, and de-mon-stra-tion in-en-no- th mo-gu-shche-stva Ru-si. “Ol-ga for-ho-te-la sa-ma go to the Greeks, so that with your own eyes, look at the service of Christ-sti-an-sky and to be completely convinced of their teaching about the true God, ”the life of St. Olga is in the West. According to the testimony of le-to-pi-si, in Kon-stan-ti-no-po-le Ol-ga p-ni-ma-et decides to become hri-sti-an- coy. The Ta-in-stvo of Baptism co-performed over her pat-ri-arch Kon-stan-ti-no-pol-sky Fe-o-fi-lact (933-956), and resurrection -em-no-one was im-pe-ra-tor Kon-stan-tin Bag-rya-but-native (912-959), leaving-vi-shi in his co-chi-non-nii “About the tse-re-mo-ni-yah of the vi-zant-tiy-sko-go-court” a detailed description of the tse-re-mo-ny during the pre-by-va -niya Ol-gi in Kon-stan-ti-no-po-le. On one of the receptions of the Russian princess, it was under-not-se-but gold, decorated with dra-go-principal-us-mi-stones- mi blue-do. Ol-ga in-sacrifice-in-va-la him in the riza-ni-tsu of the co-bo-ra of the Holy Sophia, where he was seen and described in the na-cha-le of the XIII century Russian di-plo-mat Dob-ry-nya Yad-rei-ko-vich, later ar-chi-bishop Nov-go-rod-sky An-to-niy: “Blu-do Is it really evil that the servant of Olga the Russian, when she took a tribute, went to Tsar-grad: in the same way, Ol-gin, ka- less others, on the same stone, no na-pi-san Christos.

Pat-ri-arch b-go-slo-vil but-in-cre-sche-nu Russian prince-gi-nu with the cross, you-re-zan-nym from the goal-no-go-kus-ka Zhi -in-your-rya-shche-go Dre-va of the Lord-under-nya. There was an inscription on the cross: “Ob-no-ve-sya Russian land with the Holy Cross, his own pri-nya-la Ol-ga, b-go-ver-naya prince-gi-nya.

In Ki-ev, Ol-ga came back with iko-na-mi, bo-go-serve-zheb-na-mi books-ga-mi - for-cha-moose her apostolic service -tion. She erected a temple in the name of St. te-la Ni-ko-lai over the mo-gi-loy As-kol-da - the first ki-ev-sky prince-zya-hri -sti-a-ni-na and many ki-ev-lyang ob-ra-ti-la to Christ. With pro-po-ve-due ve-ry from-great-vi-li-prince-gi-nya to the north. In the Kiev and Pskov lands, in from-da-len-nyh villages, on the crossroads of the roads, the air-dvi-ha-la crosses, uni- what-zhaya tongue-che-sky idols.

Holy Olga in lo-zhi-la na-cha-lo especially-ben-no-go in-chi-ta-niya in Rus-si Pre-Holy Tro-and-tsy. From century to century, pe-re-yes-wa-moose in-west-in-va-nie about ve-de-nii, who was her eye-lo river Ve-li-koy, not-yes -le-ku from the genus-but-th se-la. She saw de la that “three bright rays” descended from the sky from the sky. Turning to your companions, former sw-de-la-mi vi-de-nia, Ol-ga said-for-la pro-ro-che-ski : “Yes, it will be to you, ve-do-mo, that because of-le-ni-em God-zhi-im on this place there will be a church in the name of Pre-holy and Life -creative Troy and there will be a great and glorious city here, abounding in everything. At this place, Ol-ha erected a cross and os-no-va-la temple in the name of the Holy Trinity. He became the main co-bo-rum of Pskov-va - the glorious city of the Russian-go, having-no-vav-she-go-sya since then "To my Holy Tro -and-tsy. Ta-in-stven-us-mi po-ta-mi spirit-hov-no-go pre-em-stva in four-you-re hundred-years-tia is like-chi-ta-nie re-re-yes -but it would be pre-be-good-no-mu Ser-giu Ra-to-nezh-sko-mu.

On May 11, 960, in Ki-e-ve, they consecrated the church of St. Sophia Pre-wisdom of God. This day is celebrated in the Russian Church as a special holiday. The main sacred thing of the temple was the cross, after the lu-chen-ny Ol-goy at Baptism in Kon-stan-ti-no-po-le. The temple, built by Ol-goy, burned down in 1017, and in its place Yaroslav the Wise erected a church of the holy ve-li-ko-mu -che-no-tsy Irina-na, and saint-you-no So-fiy-go Ol-gi-on the temple re-carried into the still standing stone the church of St. Sophia of Ki-evskaya, for-lo-female in 1017 and consecrated in about 1030. In the Pro-log of the 13th century, it is said about Ol-gi-nom-ste-ste-for-but: “Already now stands in Ki-e-ve in St. on the right side". After-after-in-e-va-niya Ki-e-wa li-tov-tsa-mi Ol-gin, the cross was in-hi-schen from So-fiy-so-bo-ra and you- ve-zen ka-li-ka-mi in Lub-lin. Further, his fate is unknown to us. The apostolic works of the prince-gi-no met secret and open co-op-tiv-le-ing of the tongues. Among the bo-yar and the dru-zhin-nik-kov in Ki-e-ve there were a lot of people, some, according to the words of the le-to-scribes, “the - don’t-see-de-whether Pre-wisdom, ”as well as St. Olga, who built temples for Her. The roar-no-those of the language of the old-ri-na are all bolder under-no-ma-whether go-lo-woo, with the hope of heaven looking at the sub-race-ta- u-sche-go Holy-glory-va, re-shi-tel-but from-klo-niv-she-go-o-o-ry ma-te-ri to accept Christ-sti-an-stvo. “According to the temporal years” this is how it is told about this: “Live-la Ol-ga with his son, Holy Glory, and go-va-ri -wa-la his mother to be baptized, but he pre-didn't-spend it and his ears were covered; one-on-one, if anyone wanted to be baptized, didn’t forbid that, not from de-val-sya over him ... Ol-ha often a hundred -ri-la: “My son, I knew God and rejoice; here you are, if you know, then you will start to work. He, not listening to this, said: “How can I for-gu-want one ve-ru re-re-me-thread? My friends-zhin-ni-ki will laugh at this!" She said to him: “If you are baptized, they will do the same.”

He, not listening to the ma-te-ri, lived according to the pagan customs, not knowing that if anyone does not listen to the ma-te-ri, in-pa- children are in trouble, as they say: “If anyone is a father or mother, does not listen, then death will accept.” Besides, he was also angry with his mother ... But Ol-ha loved her son ri-la: “Let it be in-la-God. If God for-wants-to-mother-to-mine-them and the Russian land, let them command their hearts to turn to God, how would it be for me yes-ro-va-no. And speaking like this, she prayed for her son and for his people all the days and nights, taking care of her son until his rise. ” .

Despite the success of her trip to Kon-stan-ti-no-pol, Olga could not incline them-pe-ra-to-ra to co-gla-she- on two important questions: about the di-na-sti-che-marriage of Holy-glory-va with the V-Zan-Tia Tsa-rev-noy and about the condition -vi-yah re-sto-nov-le-niya su-stvo-vav-shey at As-kol-de mit-ro-po-lii in Ki-e-ve. In this way, holy Olga looks to the West - the Church would have been one at that time. It is unlikely that he could have known the Russian princess-gi-nya about the divine-word-times-whether-chi-yah of the Greek and Latin-go-ve-ro-scholar niya.

In 959, a German chronicler for-pi-sy-va-et: “They came to ko-ro-lu in the name of Elena, you-role-you are Russian-owls, someone -paradise baptized in Kon-stan-ti-no-po-le, and pro-si-whether to consecrate for this on-ro-yes epi-sko-pa and priest- no-kov." King role -bu Ol-gi. A year later, the Bishop of the Russians was appointed Li-bu-tsy, from the brethren of the monastery of St. Al-ba-na in Mainz, but he soon died (March 15, 961). In its place, holy Adal-ber-ta of Trier, someone-ro-go Ot-ton, “generously supplying divas with everything you need”, from-prav-vil , finally, to Russia. When, in 962, Adal-bert appeared in Ki-e-ve, he “did not succeed in anything for which he was sent, and saw his efforts on -great-we-mi. On the way back, "some of his companions would have killed you, and the bishop himself did not escape mortal danger", - so in the West-woo-yut le-to-pee-si about the mission Adal-ber-ta.

The language-che-re-ac-tion manifested itself so strongly that it was not only German mis-si-o-no-ry, but also some -rye from Kiev christian-sti-an, baptized together with Ol-goy. By order of the Holy Glory, Olga's nephew Gleb was killed and some temples built by her were destroyed. Saint Olga had to come to terms with the pro-is-walked-shim and go to de-la personal bless-go-honesty, giving management le-ing tongue-no-ku Holy-glory-woo. Of course, they still counted with her, to her experience and wisdom they were unchanged in all important cases -cha-yah. Once upon a time, the Holy Glory was from Ki-e-va, managing the state-su-dar-stvo in the ru-cha-moose of St. Olga. Consolation-she-ni-em for her would be glorious military-en-nye in-be-dy of the Russian-th-in-stva. Holy-glory once-gro-nice once-not-th enemy-ha Russian-go-su-dar-stva - Khazar-sky ka-ha-nat, forever co-kru -shiv mo-gu-shche-stvo of the Jewish pra-vi-te-lei of the Azov-Vya and the Lower Volga. The next blow was on-not-sen of the Volga Bol-g-riya, then the turn of the Dan-Nai Bol-g-riya came - at seven-de-syat cities took the ki-ev-skie dru-zhin-ni-ki along the Danube. Holy-glory and its in-and-we oli-tse-tvo-rya-whether the god-ga-tyr-sky spirit of the pagan Rus-si. Le-to-pi-si so-stor-no-whether words Holy-glory-va, surrounded-women-no-go with her friend's huge Greek howl -com: “It’s not shameful for the Russian earth, but let’s lie down here! The dead have no shame!” The Holy Glory dreamed of the creation of a huge Russian state from the Danube to the Volga, someone would unite Russia and others -gie slav-vyan-skie on-ro-dy. Holy Olga, no-ma-la, that with all the courage and from-va-ge of the Russian squads, they cannot cope with the ancient im-pe-ri -hey ro-me-ev, someone-paradise is not up-to-pu-stit the efforts of the language of the language of Rus. But the son did not listen to the warning of the ma-te-ri.

Many sorrows had to be re-lived by Saint Olga at the end of her life. The son of windows-cha-tel-but re-re-se-lil-sya in Pe-re-i-s-la-vets on the Danube. Pre-wai in Ki-e-ve, she taught her grandchildren, de-tey Holy-glory-va, hri-sti-an-sky ve-re, but not re-sha -las to baptize them, fearing the wrath of the son. In addition to that, he thwarted her on the torture of asserting christianity in Rus-si. In the last years, among the torment of languages, she, once upon a time, all-mi-chi-ta-e-my vlad-dy-chi-tse hold -you, baptized from the All-len-sky-pat-ri-ar-ha in the hundred of right-in-glory-via, come-ho-di-moose tai-no der -to reap a priest-no-no-ka in front of you, so as not to call a new flash of an-ti-hri-sti-an-sky on-stro-e-ny. In 968 Ki-ev osa-di-li pe-che-no-gi. The holy prince-gi-nya with her grandchildren, among whom was Prince Vla-di-mir, were in mortal danger. When the news of the wasp reached the Holy Glory, he hurried to help, and there were no more on the run. Holy Olga, being already seriously ill, pro-si-la son, don’t leave until her death. She doesn’t hope to turn her son’s heart to God and on her deathbed doesn’t stop : “Why do you leave me, my son, and where are you going? Looking for someone else, to whom do you eat your own? After all, Your children are still small, and I’m already old, and sick, - I’m expecting a speedy end-of-we-from-the-movement to love-len-but th Christ, in someone else I believe; now I’m not crazy about anything, as soon as about you: I regret that even though I taught a lot and convinced-yes- la leave the idol wickedness, believe in the true God, as I know it, and you don’t-brea-ga-eat it, and I know that for your disobedience to me, a bad end awaits you on earth, and after death - eternal torment, hoo-van- naya tongue-no-kam. Now, at least this last request of mine: don’t go anywhere, until I stop and I won’t be in Greek be-on; then go wherever you want. According to my death, do not do anything that is required in such cases by a linguistic custom; but let my pre-sweater with kli-ri-ka-mi in-gre-but according to the custom of hri-sti-an-sko-mu my body; don’t you dare to na-sy-pat on-to me the grave-no-th hill and do triz-na; but let's go to Tsa-r-grad zo-lo-to to the holy-she-mu pat-ri-ar-hu, so that he would make a mo-lit-vu and p-no-she- to God for my soul and distributed to the poor my-lo-stay-nyu.

“Hearing this, the Holy Glory wept bitterly and promised to use a full thread of everything for-a-thing-noe by her, from-ka-zy-va-ess only from at -nya-tia of the holy faith. After three days, blessed Ol-ha fell into the extreme out of her-not-can-be; she partook of the Divine Mysteries of the Pre-chi-hundred-th Body and Life-in-your-blood of Christ-hundred Spa-sa-on-she-go ; all the time she would-wa-la in a zealous prayer to God and to Pre-chi-stay Bo-go-ro-di-tse, whom I always according to God, I had a self-be-powerful; she pri-zy-va-la of all the saints; with a special user-di-em, blessed Olga prayed for enlightenment after her death of the Russian land; pro-zi-paradise of the future, she repeatedly fore-said-zy-va-la that God will enlighten the people of the Russian earth and many of they will be great saints; about the speedy use of this pro-ro-che-stva and the blessed Ol-ga prayed at her death. And another prayer was on her lips, when her honest soul was razed from the body and how the right-wit-naya would have been received ru-ka-mi Bo-zhi-i-mi. On July 11, 969, Saint Olga died, “and weep for her, what her son and grandchildren and all the people are crying for.” Pre-swee-ter Gregory, exactly, you-full-nil for her-ve-shcha-nie.

Holy Equal-noap-o-so-Ol-ga was-la ka-but-ni-zi-ro-va-na on co-bo-re 1547, someone confirmed -dil in an all-local way in-chi-ta-ing her in Rus-si back in the pre-Mon-Gol-sky era-hu.

God glorified the faith “in the beginning” in the Russian land with chu-de-sa-mi and imperishable relics. Under the holy prince Vla-di-mi-re, the might of St. Olga-gi would be re-re-not-se-na in the De-sya-tin-ny church of the Assumption of the Pre-holy -that Bo-go-ro-di-tsy and, in a similar way, in sar-ko-fa-ge, in some places it was possible to place the relics of the saints tykh on the right-in-glorious Vo-sto-ke. Above the coffin of St. Olga in the church wall there was a window; and if anyone with faith came to the relics, saw through the windows, the re-mo-schi, moreover, some-rye-de-whether is-ho-dying from them si-i-nie, and many od-zh-my bo-les-ny-mi-lu-cha-whether is-tse-le-nie. When-ho-div-she-mu with a little-ve-ri-em window-tse but open-roof-elk, and he could not see the relics, but only the coffin.

So after the death of the holy Olga pro-po-ve-do-va-la eternal life and resurrection, full of ra-to-stu ve-ru- yu-shchih and vra-zoom-lyaya neve-ru-yu-shchih.

Her prophecy about the evil death of her son came true. Holy-glory, as the le-to-pi-sets reports, was killed by the pe-nezh-prince of Ku-rei, someone from the sek go-lo- vu Holy-glory-va and from che-re-pa he made himself a cup, an eye-shaft of gold and during feasts he drank from it.

The use of half-moose and the pro-ro-che-stvo of the saint about the Russian land. Mo-lit-ven-nye-works and de-la of St. Ol-gi confirm-tver-di-whether we-we-tea-neck de-I-nie her grandson of St. Vla- di-mi-ra (pa-myat 15 (28) July) - Kre-shche-nie Rus-si. Ob-ra-zy of the holy equals-noap-o-stol-ny Ol-gi and Vla-di-mi-ra, mutually complementing each other, in-flat- yut ma-te-rin-skoe and paternal-che-for-cha-lo Russian spiritual history.

The holy equal-noap-o-so-o-ol-ga became the spiritual mother of the Russian-on-ro-yes, through her, his light -shche-tion with the light of Christ-howl of the faith.

The language name Ol-gi corresponds to the male Oleg (Hel-gi), which means “holy”. Ho-tya language-che-no-no-ma-nie of holiness from-li-cha-et-sya from hri-sti-an-sko-go, but it is pre-la-ga- there is a special spiritual attitude in a person, whole-wisdom and soberness, intelligence and insight. The spreading spiritual meaning of this name, the people called Ole-ga the Great, and Ol-gu - Wise-swarm. Subsequently, holy Olga will become called Bo-go-wise-swarm, underlining her main gift, which has become the basis-no-va-ni we eat the whole lo-stvi-tsy of the holiness of Russian wives - pre-wisdom. Sa-Ma -so many works. The construction of her So-fiy-so-bo-ra in Ki-e-ve - ma-te-ri of the Russian cities - was a sign of participation God-she-her Ma-te-ri in the Do-mo-stro-and-tel-stvo of Holy Rus-si. Kiev, i.e. hri-sti-an-sky Ki-ev-sky Rus, became the third zhre-bi-em of God-she-she Ma-te-ri according to the All-len-noy, and the statement is - the first of the holy wives of Rus-si - the holy Equal-noap-o-so-Olga.

The Christ-an-name of St. Ol-ga - Elena-na (in re-vo-de from the ancient Greek-che-th-ko-go "fa-kel") - became you -ra-same-ni-em go-re-niya of her spirit-ha. Holy Ol-ha (Elena) took-nya-la spiritual fire, someone who did not die out in all of you-th-th-years-her is-th-riya christ-sti- An-sky Russia.

Full Life of Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga, Grand Duchess of Russia

Holy Equal-Noap-o-so-Ol-ga would-la-la-su-pru-goy-whether-to-prince of Ki-ev-sky Igo-rya. The struggle of Christianity with paganism under Igo-re and Olga, prince-living after Oleg († 912), enters a new period. The Church of Christ in the last years of Prince Igor († 945) becomes significant spiritual and -sovereign power in the Russian state-su-dar-stve. This is evidenced by the preserved text of before-go-in-ra Igor with the Greeks of 944, who is included let-the-writer in "The Tale of the Times", in an article describing the events of 6453 (945) years.

Peaceful do-go-thief with Kon-stan-ti-no-po-lem must-wife was approved by both-and-mi-re-li-gi-oz-ny-mi ob-schi-na -mi Ki-e-va: "Rus kre-shche-naya", that is, christi-sti-ane, came to the pri-sya-ge in the holy church th pro-ro-ka of God Elijah; "Rus nekre-shche-naya", tongues-no-ki, swore on weapons in the sanctity of Pe-ru-na Gro-mo-verzh-tsa. The fact that christi-ane-stav-le-na in do-ku-men-te in the first place speaks of their pre-im-important spirit- hov-nom sign in the life of Ki-ev-sky Rus-si.

Obviously, at the moment when, before the thief of 944, he was in Tsa-r-gra-de, the authorities in Ki-e-ve had a hundred - am I people, co-feeling-vav-shie christ-sti-an-stvo, co-knowing-the-thing-ri-che-necessary-ho-di-bridge- the community of Rus-si to the living-in-creative christian-sti-an-sky cul-tu-re. To this right-le-tion, it was possible that Prince Igor himself, the official, similarly, someone-ro- don’t let him personally transfer to a new faith, without resolving the issue of Baptism of the whole country and establishing new le-nii in it is the right-in-glorious church hierarchy. In this way, the thief was made up in careful you-ra-same-no-yah, someone wouldn’t have -to give it both in the form of a lingual oath, and in the form of pri-sya-gi christian-an-sky.

But in the meantime, the Vizantine words would have come to Ki-ev, about-sta-new-ka on the Day-pre-existent-but from-me-ni-las. Che-de-de-li-las the language-che-op-po-zi-tion, led by someone-swarm hundred-I-whether va-ryazh-sky in-e-water-dy Sve -Neld and his son Msti-Slav (Msti-sha), Igor gave something to the holding of the Drevlyan land.

It was strong in Ki-e-ve and the influence of the Khazar Jews, someone could not like the thought of the torment right-of-glory-via in the Russian land.

Not being able to overcome the obscurity of customs, Igor remained tongue-tied and drank to-go-thief according to the language-th-s-th-sample - oath-howl on swords. He rejected the blessing of giving Baptism and was punished for unbelief. A year later, in 945, the risen tongues killed him in the Drevlyan land, tearing between two trees. But the days of the language and the foundation of the life of the Slavic tribes on it would already be with-we. Bre-mya of the state-sovereign-no-th-go-zhe-zhe-zhe-of-lo-zhi-la on myself with a three-year-old son Holy-glory-ve widow Igo-rya - ve -li-kaya prince-gi-nya Ki-ev-sky Ol-ga.

The name of the bu-du-schey pro-sve-ti-tel-ni-tsy of the Russian region and ro-di-nu of her "Tale of the Times" for the first time on-zy-va- there is in the article about the same thread-be Igo-rya: "and bring him a wife from Pskov, named Ol-gu." She came-above-le-zha-la, clarifies Joaki-mov-sky let-the-writing, to the family of the princes of Iz-bor-sky, one of the for-by-ty trees -non-Russian princely di-na-sties, someone was-lo in Russia in the X-XI centuries. not less than two-twenty, but some-rye all would-whether you-tes-not-us with time Ryu-ri-ko-vi-cha-mi or merged with neither -mi by means of marriages. Some of them would have been locally, gloriously pro-is-hozh-de-niya, others - newcomers, Varyazhs. It is known that the Scandi-Nav-sky ko-nun-gi, invited to the princes in Russian cities, are invariably no-ma-whether the Russian language, often - Russian names and quickly became-but-vi-lis-to-sto-I-schi-mi Russian-ski-mi as in a fashion -for life, and in terms of the world-view, and even in terms of physical ob-li-ku.

So su-pru-gu Igo-rya was called by the Varyazh name Hel-ga, in the Russian "oka-yu-schem" about-from-no-she-nii - Ol-ga, Wol-ga. The female name Ol-ga corresponds to the male Oleg (Hel-gi), which means "holy". Ho-tya yazy-che-che-no-ma-nie of holiness with-ver-shen-but from-personal-but from christ-an-sko-go, but it is also pre- la-ga-et in the person-lo-ve-ke is a special spiritual attitude, whole-wisdom and soberness, intelligence and insight. The spreading spiritual meaning of the name, the people of Ole-ha called the Great, Ol-gu - Wise-swarm.

The later pre-da-niya on-zy-wa-whether her ro-do-y name-ni-em se-lo you-bu-you a few kilo-meters from Psko- wa up the river Ve-li-koy. More recently, in a ka-zy-va-li on the Ol-gin river, there is a bridge - at the ancient re-re-right-you, where Ol-ga met Igor-rem. Pskov-sky then-po-no-mi-ka so-storage-ni-la there are no-name-names associated with pa-my-tyu ve-li-koy psko-vi-tyan- ki: de-rev-no Ol-same-nets and Ol-gi-no Po-le, Ol-gi-ny Vo-ro-ta - one of the ru-ka-vov river Ve-li-koy, Ol -gi-on Go-ra and Ol-gin Krest - near the Pskov lake-ra, Ol-gin Ka-men - at the village of You-bu-you.

Na-cha-lo sa-mo-hundred-I-tel-no-go-right-le-niya of the prince-gi-ni Ol-gi connected-for-but in le-to-pi-syah with a story about the terrible air of the ancients-la-to us, the killers of Igo-rya. Swearing-shi-e-sya on swords and ve-ro-vav-shie "only in your sword", tongues-no-ki about-re-che-we would be God-zhi-im su- house from the sword and die (). By klo-nyav-shi-e-sya, among the pro-deities of the flax elements, fire-nu - they found their vengeance in the fire. Is-half-no-tel-ni-tsey fire-nen-noy ka-ry The Lord took Ol-ga.

The struggle for the unity of Rus-si, for the sub-chi-non-nie of the Ki-ev-sko-mu center of times-di-ra-e-myh mutual enmity of the tribes and the princes of the pro-klad-dy-va-la way to the window-cha-tel-noy in-be-de christ-sti-an-stva in the Russian land. Behind Ol-goy, still a tongue-tied, one hundred-I-la Ki-ev-skaya Christ-sti-an-skaya Church and its heavenly protector, holy pro- the rock of God Elijah, the fiery faith and the mo-lit-howl of his own fire from heaven, and beat her over the ancient-la-na-mi, despite the su -ro-vost in-be-di-tel-ni-tsy, would-la-be-doy hri-sti-an-sky, co-zi-da-tel-ny forces in the Russian go-su- a gift over si-la-mi languages ​​\u200b\u200b-che-ski-mi, those-us-mi and raz-ru-shi-tel-ny-mi.

Ol-ga Bo-go-wise-paradise entered history as a great co-zi-da-tel-ni-tsa of state-state life and culture -ry of Kievan Rus-si. Le-that-pi-si is full of testimonies about her tireless "walk-de-ni-yah" on the Russian land with the aim of b-go-arranging and upo-rya-to-che-niya civil-dan-sko-th and household-stven-but-th-that-sub-data. Having achieved the internal strengthening of the power of Ki-ev-th-ve-li-ko-go-prince, weakening the influence of me-shav- shih so-bi-ra-niyu Ru-si small local princes, Ol-ga center-tra-li-zo-va-la all state administration from to -power of the si-ste-we "on-go-stov". In 946, with her son and friends, she walked along the Drevlyan land, me-tea-se-la, sta-no-vi-shcha and places of hunting, under-le-zha-shchie-ing in ki-ev-sky ve-li-ko-prince-same-sky vla -de-nia. The next year, go-di-la to Nov-go-rod, arrange-and-vay in-go-st along the Msta and Lu-ge rivers, leaving visible traces of your -her de-I-tel-no-sti. "Lo-vi-scha her (place of a hundred hunts) would be all over the earth, established new-len-signs, places of her and in-a-sta, - pi-sal le-to-pi-sets, - and sa-ni stands in Pskov to this day, there are places indicated by her for catching birds along the Dnieper and along the Desna; and se-lo her Ol-zhi-chi su-sche-stu-et and now.

Arranged by Ol-goy in-go-sty, being a financial-co-admi-ni-strativ-ny-mi and su-deb-ny-mi center-tra-mi, representing-la-whether a solid support for the ve-li-ko-prince-same-authority in the field.

Bu-duchi before everything, according to the very meaning of the word, center-tra-mi of trade-whether and exchange ("guest" - ku-pets), with -bi-paradise and or-ga-ni-zuya around se-bya on-se-le-nie (instead of a hundred former "on-people-dya" collection yes-no and on-lo- gov-implemented-lyal-sya now equally-but-measure-but and up-rya-to-chen-but according to the go-stam), Ol-gi-ny have become important -she-she-cell-coy of et-no-thing-th-and cultural-tour-no-go-unity of Russian-on-ro-yes.

Later, when Ol-ga became christ-sti-an-koy, according to the way, the first temples began to be erected; since the time of the Baptism of Rus-si with St. Vla-di-mi-re, the guest and the temple (arrival) have become inseparable -i-mi. (Only in the aftermath of the existing cemeteries near the temples of the cemeteries, did the word-in-use-requirement "in-gost" in the sense le "treasure-bi-sche".)

A lot of work was attached to the lo-zhi-la of the prince-gi-nya Ol-ga to strengthen the defense power of the country. Go-ro-yes for-stra-and-va-lis and strengthened-la-ly, you-sh-go-ro-dy (or de-tin-tsy, cro-we) about-ras-ta-li ka -men-ny-mi and du-bo-you-mi ste-on-mi (for-bra-la-mi), still-ty-no-wa-wa-la-mi, cha-hundred-ko- la-mi. Sam-ma prince-gi-nya, knowing how hostile-deb-but from-but-si-lied many to the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bstrengthening princely power and uniting Rus-si, lived in a hundred-yang-but "on the mountain", over the Dnieper-prom, for na-dezh-na-mi for-bra-la-mi ki-ev-so-go you- sh-go-ro-da (Upper-not-go-ro-da), surrounded by a faithful friend. Two-thirds of the so-brand-noy yes, according to the evidence of the le-to-pi-si, she is from-yes-va-la in the races-of-the-same-ki-ev -th ve-cha, the third part went "to Ol-ze, to you-sh-go-rod" - for the needs of the rat-no-go building. By the time of Ol-gi, is-to-ri-ki from-no-syat establish-new-le-tion of the first state-state borders of Russia - for-pa- de, with Poland. Bo-ga-tyr-sky for-sta-you in the south are hundred-ro-zhi-whether peace-nye ni-you ki-ev-liang from the peoples of Di-ko-go Po-la. Chu-zem-tsy hasten-shi-whether in Gar-da-ri-ku ("country-well-go-ro-dov"), how are they called Rus, with that-va-ra -mi and ru-co-de-lya-mi. The Swedes, the Danes, the Germans willingly join the Russian army. Shi-ryat-sya for-ru-beige connections Ki-e-va. This contributes to the development of the ka-men-no-th construction in the city-ro-de, for-cha-lo-something-ro-mu-lo- lived-la prince-gi-nya Ol-ha. The first stone buildings of Ki-e-va - the city-royal palace and the out-of-town house of Ol-gi - only in our century would- whether search-ka-ny ar-heo-lo-ha-mi. (The palace, more precisely, its foundation and the remains of the walls, were there nai-de-na and race-to-pa-na in 1971-1972.)

But not only the strengthening of statehood and the development of economic forms of the people's life ma-nie wise-swarm prince-gi-ni. Even more on-the-essential representation of her-becoming-la-moose to her-ren-noe pre-ob-ra-zo-va-nie re-li-gi-oz-noy life-ni Ru-si, du -hov-noe pre-ob-ra-same-tion of Russian-on-ro-yes. Russia became-but-vi-las a ve-li-koy der-zha-howl. Only two European states-su-dar-stva could in those years compete with her in meaning and power: in the hundred Ev-ro-py - the ancient Vy-Zan-Ti-sky im-pe-riya, on the za-pa-de - the kingdom of the Saks-owls.

The experience of both-their im-periy, obligated to their voz-you-she-ni-em doo-hu christian-an-th-teaching, re-li-gi-oz -nym os-but-to-your life, it’s clear that the path to the future great Rus-si lies not only through en-nye, but first of all and pre-imu-stven-but through the spiritual for-in-e-va-niya and to-sti-zhe-niya. In-ru-chiv Ki-ev under-grow-she-mu sy-well Holy-glory-woo, ve-li-kai prince-gi-nya Ol-ga, year 954, exact-kav bla-go-yes-ti and is-ti-na, from-right-la-et-sya with a large fleet to Tsar-grad. It would be a peaceful "walk-de-nie", with-che-tav-neck for-da-chi re-li-gi-oz-no-go pa-lom-no-thing and di- plo-ma-ti-che-miss-this, but-do-ti-che-sky co-ob-ra-zhe-niya tre-bo-va-li, so that it becomes one-modern-men -but pro-yav-le-ni-em in-en-no-go mo-gu-stu-stva Ru-si on the Black Sea, on-reminder-ni-lo mountain-smoke "ro-me -yam "about the be-to-nos-nyh-ho-dahs As-kol-da and Ole-ga, having beaten-she-th in 907 his shield" on the gates of Tsa-re -city-yes.

Re-zul-tat was do-stig-nut. The appearance of the Russian fleet on the Bos-for-re co-building-wa-lo necessary pre-sent-for-development of others the same Russian-vi-zan-tiy-sko-go-dia-lo-ga. In turn, the southern hundred-li-tsa in-ra-zi-la su-ro-daughter Se-ve-ra is different-but-ob-ra-zi-em red-juice, ve-li -ko-le-pi-em ar-khi-tek-tu-ry, mix-she-ni-eat languages ​​​​and na-ro-dov of the world. But especially ben-noe im-chat-le-tion pro-from-in-di-lo-wealth of Christ-sti-an-sky temples and the sacred ones gathered in them. Tsar-city, "king-stu-yu-city" of the Greek im-pe-rii, even with the very foundation-no-va-nii (more precisely, re-new- le-nii) in the year 330, consecrated to the saints equal to-noap-o-so-ny Kon-stan-ti-nome We-li-kim (pa-mement May 21) Pre-holy -that Bo-go-ro-di-tse (this event was celebrated in the Greek Church on May 11 and re-went from-to-yes in Russian- me-s-tse-words), strove to be worthy of his Heavenly Blessing in everything. The Russian princess-gi-nya is present-day-va-la for god-serving in the best temples Kon-stan-ti-no-po-la - Holy that Sophia, Blachernae Bo-go-ma-te-ri and others.

The heart of the wise Ol-gi opened to the holy right-to-glory, she makes the decision to become christ-en-koy. The Ta-in-stvo of Baptism co-performed over her pat-ri-arch Kon-stan-ti-no-pol-sky Fe-o-fi-lact (933-956), and resurrection -em-no-one was himself im-pe-ra-tor Kon-stan-tin Bag-rya-no-native (912-959). She would-lo-on-re-che-but in Kre-shche-nii the name of Elena in honor of the holy equal-noap-o-so-so Elena (pa-myat May 21), ma-te- ri of the holy Kon-stan-ti-na, about-ret-shey the Honest Tree of the Cross of the Lord-under-nya. In the na-zi-da-tel-nom word, said-zan-nom according to the co-op-tion of the ob-rya-yes, the pat-ri-arkh said-hall: "Bla-go-slo-ven -on you in the Russian wives, for you left the darkness and re-lo-bi-la the Light. who-to-le-ni-yah, from grandchildren and great-grandchildren to from-yes-len-her-their descendants of yours. He set her in the is-ti-nah of the faith, the church charter and the mo-lit-ven-nom pra-vi-le, ex-yas-nil for-by-ve- di about post, whole-lo-wise-rii and mi-lo-stay. "She, - go-vo-rit pre-po-dob-ny, - slope-no-la go-lo-woo and hundred-I-la, words-but gu-ba na-pa-i-e- May, paying attention to the teachings, and, bowing down to Pat-ri-ar-hu, pro-say-vi-la: “Mo-lit-va-mi your-and-mi, Vla- so-so, yes, save-not-to-be from the networks of the enemy.

That's right, with a slightly clo-n-n-no-no-go-lo-howl, depict-bra-same-on-st. Olga on one of the fre-juices of Ki-ev-sko-go So-fi-sko-go so-bo-ra, as well as on the modern-men-noy to her vi-zan-ti-sky mi-ni-a-tyu-re, in the face-howl ru-ko -pi-si Chro-ni-ki John-na Ski-li-tsy from the Madrid-sky on-tsio-nal-noy bib-lio-te-ki. Greek inscription, co-leader-yes-u-scha mi-ni-a-tyu-ru, on-zy-va-et Ol-gu "ar-hon-tes-soy (that there is vlad-dy-chi-tsey) rus-owls", "well-noah, El-goy by name, someone-paradise came to tsar Kon-stan-ti-well and would-la kre-shche-na". The prince-gi-nya is depicted in a special head-dress, "like a new-in-baptized christ-sti-an-ka and an even dia -ko-nis-sa of the Russian Church-vi". Next to her, in the same dress, but-in-cre-she-noy - Ma-lusha († 1001), later the mother of the holy equal-noap-o-so- no-go Vla-di-mi-ra (pa-min July 15).

So-ho hate-no-Russians, what-kim was he-pe-ra-tor Kon-stan-tin Bag-rya-but-native, it would not be easy for- to become the godfather of "ar-hon-tes-sy Ru-si". In Russian let-to-pi-si co-stored-li-li-story about how re-shi-tel-but and on equal times-go-va-ri-va-la Ol-ha with im-pe-ra-to-rum, surprising the Greeks with spiritual maturity and state-state wisdom, ka-zy- wai that the Russian-mu-on-ro-du is just under the power to apprehend and multiply the highest accomplishments of the Greek re-li-gi-oz -no-th genius, the best fruits of the Vi-Zan-Ti-sky spirit-hov-no-sti and culture. So St. Olga managed to “take Tsar-grad” in a peaceful way, which not a single half-man could do before her. According to the evidence of le-to-pi-si, he himself-pe-ra-tor you-needed to admit that "pe-re-klu-ka-la" (pe-re -hit-ri-la) his Ol-ga, and the people-native pa-meat, unite the pre-da-tion about the thing Ole-ge and the wise Ol-ge, for-pe -chat-le-la this spirit-hov-nuyu in-be-du in the by-lin-n sk-za-nii "About the capture of Tsar-rya-gra-yes-prince-gi-nei Ol-goi."

Kon-stan-tin Bag-rya-but-native in his co-chi-non-nii "About the tse-re-mo-ni-yah of the vi-zan-tiy-go-court", who came to us in a single list, left a fractional description of the ceremonies, co-leaders -va-nie of St. Olga in Kon-stan-ti-no-po-le. He describes a solemn reception in the familiar pa-la-te Magnavre, under the singing of bronze birds and the roar of honey lions, where Olga appeared with a huge retinue of 108 people (not counting people from the friend of the Holy Glory), and pe-re-go-in-ry in a more narrow circle in ko-y im-pe-ra-three-tsy, and a para-happy dinner in the Yus-ti hall -no-a-na, where, according to the stature of the circumstances of pro-thinking-if-tel-but met at the same table, th-you-re "go- sovereign-yes-we": ba-bush-ka and mother of saint-equal-noap-o-so-so Vla-di-mi-ra (saint Olga and her companion -ni-tsa Ma-lusha) with ba-bush-koy and ma-te-ryu of his bu-du-schey su-pr-gi An-na (im-pe-ra-tri-tsa Elena and her brides -ka Fe-o-fa-no). It will pass a little more in a lu-ve-ka, and in the De-sya-tin-n temple of the Holy Bo-go-ro-di-tsy in Ki-e-ve they will next to the house there are marble coffins of St. Olga, St. Vla-di-mir and Blessed "Tsar-ri-tsy An-na ".

During the time of one of the pri-e-movs, ras-sa-zy-va-et Kon-stan-tin Bag-rya-no-native, the Russian princess-guine was under -not-se-but golden, decorated with stone-nya-mi blue-do. Holy Olga in the sacrifice-in-va-la him in the riza-ni-tsu So-fiy-so-bo-ra, where he saw and described him in na-cha-le XIII century Russian diplomat Dob-ry-nya Yad-rey-ko-vich, later archbishop of Nov-go-rod-sky An-to-niy: "Blu-to ve-li-ko evil is the servant of Ol-gi of the Russian, when you took a tribute, go-div-shi to Tsar-grad; in the blu-de Ol -zhine ka-men dra-gy, on the same ka-me-ni na-pi-san Christ.

However, lu-ka-vy im-pe-ra-tor, co-general so-so-fractional-stays, as if in a place-ku for the fact that "pe-re- key-ka-la his Ol-ga", gave a difficult-ku-ku-gad-ku is-to-ri-kam of the Russian Church. The point is that the venerable Nestor Le-to-pi-sets tells-say-zy-va-et in "In-ve-st of temporary years" about Kre-shche- Olga’s research institutes under 6463 (955 or 954) year, and this corresponds to the s-de-tel-stvo of the vi-zan-ti-sky chrono-ni-ki Ked-ri-na . Another Russian church writer of the 11th century, Jacob Mnikh, in the word "Pa-myat and in-praise Vla-di-mi-ru ... and how the grandmother Vla-di-mi-ra Ol-ga was christened", talking about the death of the holy prince-gi-ni († 969), from me-cha- it is true that she lived for five-twenty years, and from the same time of Baptism to the year 954, something but owl-pa-yes-et with accuracy up to a few months with the order of Nesto-ra. Meanwhile, Kon-stan-tin Bag-rya-but-native, describe-sy-vaya pre-be-va-ing Ol-gi in Kon-stan-ti-no-po-le and na-zy -vaya exact yes-you arranged reception-e-mov in her honor, with no doubt-no-stu let me understand that all this is about-is-ho-di-lo in 957. For the reception of the data of the le-to-pi-si, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the Russian chur-kov-nym is-to-ri-kam had to pre-la-gat one of two things: either St. Ol-ga for the continuation of the re-go-vo-ditch with im-pe-ra-to-rum in 957 at-e-ha-la in Kon-stan-ti-no-pol for the second time, or she baptized in general not in Tsa-r-gra-de, but in Ki-e-ve in 954 and its only pa-lo-no-thing in Vi -Zan-tiyu so-ver-shi-la, already bu-duchi hri-sti-an-koy. The first pre-po-lo-same-nie is more ve-ro-yat-but.

What is ka-sa-et-sya directly-medium-but di-plo-ma-ti-che-so-go is-ho-da re-go-vo-ditch, at St. Olga would os-no-va-nia remain unwillingly with them. Achieving success in questions about Russian trading in the pre-de-lach of the empire and confirming the world-but-to-go -in-ra with Vi-zan-ti-her, for-key-chen-no-go Igo-rem in 944, she couldn’t-la, one-on-ko, twisted them-pe- ra-to-ra to two important for Rus-si co-gla-she-ni-yam: about di-na-sti-che-marriage -sky tsa-rev-noy and about the conditions-vi-yah of the re-stand-nov-le-niya su-sche-stvo-vav-shey at As-kol-de pra-in-glorious-noy mit-ro-po -lee in Ki-e-ve. Her dissatisfaction with the is-ho-house of the mission is obvious, but it sounds in the re-ve-those, whom she gave-la already upon returning to the ro- di-well sent-nym from them-pe-ra-to-ra in slam. At the request of them-pe-ra-to-ra from-no-si-tel-but promise-schan-noy in-en-noy help St. Olga through the words of res-ko from-ve-ti-la: "If you stay the same with me in Po-chain, as I do in Su-du, then I will give you power".

At the same time, despite the failure of the old about the establishment of a church hierarchy in Russia, St. Olga, having become Christ-sti-an -koy, roar-nost-but pre-yes-va-las in the motion of hri-sti-en-ho-go-go-ve-stia among gentiles and churches th construction: "tre-be-scha be-sov-sky so-kru-shi and na-cha live about Christ Jesus." She raises temples: holy-te-la Ni-ko-lai and Holy Sophia in Ki-e-ve, Bla-go-ve-shche-nia Pre-holy -that Bo-go-ro-di-tsy - in Vi-teb-sk, St. Zhi-vo-on-the-initial Tro-i-tsy - in Psko-ve. Pskov from that time-me-no on-zy-va-et-sya in le-that-pi-syah Do-mom of the Holy Trinity. The temple, built by Ol-goy over the river Ve-li-koy, in the place indicated to her, according to the testimony of the clerk, over "Lu-chom Tri-si-i-tel-no-God-of-the-same", just-sto-yal more in-lu-that-ra of centuries. In 1137, the holy prince All-vo-lod-Gav-ri-il († 1138, pa-myat 11 Feb-ra-la) for-me-nil de-re-vyan-ny temple ka-men -ny, someone was re-built, in turn, in 1363 and replaced, finally, until now, there is shchim Tro-its-kim so-bo-rum.

And another important pa-myat-nick of the Russian-go "mo-nu-men-tal-no-go-go-word-viya", as they call-zy-va-yut often- to the church architecture, connected with the name of the holy equal-noap-o-stol-noy Olga - the temple of So-phia Pre-wisdom-ro-sti of God her in Ki-e-ve, for-lo-wife-ny soon after her return from Tsar-gra-da and consecrated on May 11, 960. This day was celebrated later in the Russian Church as a special church holiday.

In the month-sya-tse-word-ve per-ha-men-no-go Apo-hundred-la 1307 under May 11 for-pi-sa-no: "On the same day, the consecration of the Holy -toy So-phia in Ki-e-ve in the year 6460". Yes-ta pa-me-ti, according to me-of church-is-to-ri-kov, uka-for-na according to so-called-zy-va-e-mo-mu "an-tio-hiy -sko-mu", and not according to the general-at-nya-that-mu con-stan-ti-no-pol-mu-le-that-is-number-le-tion and co-ot-vet -stu-et 960 from the Nativity of Christ-sto-va.

Saint Ol-ha is not without reason in-lu-chi-la in Kre-shche-nii the name of the holy equal-noap-o-stol-noy Helena, about-ret-shey the Honest Tree Kre-hundred Hristo-va in Jeru-sa-li-me. The Holy Cross became the main saint of the newly-created So-fiy-th-temple, with-not-sen-ny new Elena from Tsa -r-gra-yes and received by it in the b-go-word-ve-tion from Kon-stan-ti-no-pol-go-pat-ri-ar-ha. The cross, according to pre-yes, was cut out of the whole-but-th piece of the Life-in-your-dre-of-the-God-under-nya. On the cross there would be an inscription: "Ob-no-ve-sya Russian land with the Holy Cross, his own pri-i-la Ol-ga, b-go-ver-naya prince-gi-nya".

Saint Ol-ga did a lot for uwe-ko-ve-che-niya pa-my-first Russian arts-by-ved-ni-kov named after Christ -va: over the mo-gi-loy As-kol-da erected-la Ni-kol-sky temple, where, according to some sve-de-ni-pits, sa-ma would-la a consequence in-ho-ro-not-on, over the mo-gi-loy Di-ra - you-she-on-the-named So-fi-sky so-boron, someone-ry, simply -yav half a century, burned down in 1017. Yaroslav the Wise built on this site later, in 1050, the church of St. Irina, and St. So-fiy Ol -gi-on the temple-ma, re-carried to the stone temple of the same name - still standing So-fia of Kiev, for-lo-women- new in 1017 and consecrated around 1030. In the Pro-log of the 13th century, about Ol-gi-nom cross, it is said-for-but: "who now stands in Ki-e-ve in St. Sophia in al-ta-re on the right side". Raz-grab-le-ni-ki-ev-skih-s-tyn, pro-long-wife-after-mon-go-lov li-tov-tsa-mi, someone-eye city has become -Xia in 1341, not for-scha-di-lo and him. Under Jagai-le in the pe-ri-od of the Union of Lub-lin, uniting in 1384 Poland-shu and Lithuania into one state-su-dar-stvo, Ol- gin cross was in-hee-schen from So-fi-sko-go so-bo-ra and you-ve-zen ka-that-li-ka-mi in Lub-lin. His further fate is unknown.

But among the bo-yar and the dru-zhin-nik-kov in Ki-e-ve there were a lot of people, some, according to the word So-lo-mo-na, " rise-not-on-vi-de-whether Pre-wisdom, "as well as the holy prince-gi-nu Ol-gu, who built temples for Her. The roar-no-those of the language of the old-ri-na are all bolder under-no-ma-whether go-lo-woo, with the hope of heaven, look at the sub-ra-tav- she-go Holy-glory-va, re-shi-tel-but from-klo-niv-she-go-o-o-ry ma-te-ri to accept christ-sti-an-stvo and yes- anger-vav-she-go-xia on her for this. It would be necessary to hurry up with the du-man-y de-scrap of the Creation of Ru-si. The co-var-stvo of Byzantium, not in the same way to give Ru-si hri-sti-an-stvo, it was on the ru-ku tongue-no-kam. In the way of the resolution, the holy Ol-ga looks to the west. There is no pro-te-vo-re-chia here. Saint Olga († 969) was still attached to the undifferentiated Church and hardly had the opportunity to delve into God word-ton-ko-sti of Greek and Latin-th-ve-ro-teachings. Pro-ti-in-a-hundred-i-ing Za-pa-yes and Vo-hundred-ka before-becoming-la-moose to her before everything in-li-ti-che-sky co-per-no -a-quality, second-degree-pen-nym in comparison with the-existing task-yes-whose - with the building of the Russian Church, christ-sti- an-skim pro-sve-shche-ni-em Ru-si.

Under the year 959, a German chronicler, named-well-e-my "pro-long-a-tel Re-gi-no-na", for-pi-sy-va-et: "came to ko-ro-lu in the words of Elena-na, ko-role-you are Russian-owls, someone-paradise was baptized in Kon-stan-ti-no-po-le, and pro-si- whether to consecrate for this on-ro-yes epi-sko-pa and priests. King-role Ot-ton, fu-du-os-no-va-tel of the German Empire, willingly from-click-null-sya to Olga’s request, but at - led de lo slowly, with a hundred German os-no-va-tel-no-stu. Only on the Nativity of the next, 960, the Russian bishop was appointed Li-bu-tsy, from the brethren of the mo-on- the guard of the holy Al-ba-na in Mainz. But he soon died (March 15, 961). In his place, Adal-bert of Trier was consecrated, someone-ro-go Ot-ton, "generously supplying divas with everything you need", from-right-fork, to-to- net, to Russia. It’s hard to say what would have happened if the co-role hadn’t been so long, but when in 962 Adal-bert appeared in Ki-e -ve, he "didn't have time in anything for which he was sent, and saw his old things in vain." Well, then, on the way back, "some of his companions would have killed you, and the bishop himself did not escape death danger-no-sti".

An eye-for-elk, that over the past two years, as well as pre-vi-de-la Olga, in Ki-e-ve there was a window-cha-tel- ny re-in-mouth in favor of the side-ron-ni-kov of the language and, without becoming either right-in-glorious, or somehow-li-che-sky, Russia in -generally times-du-ma-la pri-ni-mother christ-sti-an-stvo. The language-che-re-ac-tion appeared so strongly that it was not only German mis-si-o-no-ry, but and some of the Kievan Christians, baptized with Olga in Tsa-r-gra-de. On the order of the Holy Glory, the nephew of St. Olga Gleb was killed and some of the temples built by her were destroyed we. Ra-zu-me-et-sya, here it was not without the Byzantine secret diplomacy: on-strong against Olga and met in-female-opportunity-to-stuy-le-niya Ru-si due to co-u-for with Ot-to-n, the Greeks before-by-chli support the tongue -kov.

The failure of the mission of Adal-ber-ta had a pro-cape-li-tel-noe sign for the future Russian Right-of-the-glorious Church, because be-zhav-shey pa-th captivity. Saint Ol-ge remained to reconcile with the pro-is-walked-shim and completely go away in the de-la personal bliss-go-honesty, giving the reins of the rights of the tongue of the tongue of the Holy Glory. They still reckoned with her, to her state wisdom they were unchanged in all difficult cases I. Once upon a time, the Holy Glory from-beamed from Ki-e-va, and he spent most of his time in trips and wars, management -le-niye by the state-su-dar-stvo again handed-cha-moose to the princess-guine-ma-te-ri. But the question of the Baptism of Rus-si was temporarily removed from the agenda of the day, and this, of course, afflicted holy Olga, consider -tav-shui Christ-to-go-ve-st is the main de-scrap of your life.

She is meek-to-re-but-si-la sorrow-by and grief-che-niya, tried to help her son-well in state-state and military for-bo-tah, ru-ko-vo-dit them in ge-ro-and-che-for-thoughts. In the bea-dy of the Russian-go-how-ska, would it be comfort-she-no-eat for her, especially-ben-but-thunder-of-the-thunder-of-the-th enemy-ha of the Russian-go-go-su -gifts - Kha-zar-sko-go-ka-ga-na-ta. Twice, in 965 and in 969, the howl of the Holy Glory passed through the lands of the "non-zoom ha-za-ditch", forever co- crushing the mo-gu-shche-stvo of the Jewish authorities of the Azov-Pri-Azov and the Lower Vol-zhya. The next powerful blow was on-not-sen on the Mu-sul-man Volga Bol-garia, then the turn of the Bol-gar-ria of Du came nai-sky. In-seven-de-syat cities along the Dan-nai would have taken something ki-ev-ski-mi friend-on-mi. One-but the devil-to-and-lo Ol-gu: as if, carried away by the war in Bal-ka-nah, Holy Glory did not forget about Ki-e-ve.

In the spring of 969, Ki-ev osa-di-li ne-che-no-gi: "and you couldn't-you-ve-sti-ko-nya on-po-it, sto-i-whether pe-che-no-gi on Ly-be-di". The Russian howl would be yes-le-ko, on the Danube. After glorifying to the sy-well messengers, holy Ol-ga sa-ma voz-gla-vi-la ob-ro-well hundred-li-tsy. Holy glory, after receiving from the news, soon came to Ki-ev, "welcome to your mother and children and so-cru-shal -Xia, what happened to them from pe-che-no-gov. But, having raz-gro-miv ko-chev-ni-kov, the prince again began to say ma-te-ri: “I don’t like to sit in Ki- e-ve, I want to live in Pe-re-I-with-lav-tse on the Danube - there se-re-di-on my land. The Holy Glory dreamed of the creation of a huge Russian state from the Danube to the Volga, someone would unite Russia, Bol -ga-riyu, Ser-biyu, Pri-cher-no-sea and Pri-Azov-vie and passed their pre-de-la to sa-mo-go Tsa-r-gra-yes. Wise-paradise Ol-ga in no-ma-la, that with all the courage and from-va-ge of the Russian squads, they cannot cope with the ancient im-pe-ri -hey ro-me-ev, Holy-glory-wa was waiting for failure-cha. But the son did not listen to the warning of the ma-te-ri. Then the holy Olga said: “You see, I’m sick. Where do you want to get away from me? -nya, from-right-lay-sya-yes for-ho-chesh.

Her days would be with-whether, labor and sorrow would-be-to-rva-whether her strength. On July 11, 969, Saint Olga died, "and weep for her, what her son, and grandchildren, and all the people weep for." In the last years, among the torment of languages, she, once upon a time, proud vlad-dy-chi-tse, baptized from pat -ri-ar-ha in the hundred of right-of-glory, come-ho-di-moose tai-but keep-reap-be-be-priest-no-ka, so as not to call you new flash of an-ti-hri-sti-an-sko-go fa-na-tiz-ma. But before death, re-establishing the former firmness and re-shi-bridge, she for-pre-ti-la performed pagan triz-nas over her and for-ve-scha-la from-open-the-ho-ro-thread of it according to the right-to-glorious-no-mu about-rya-du. Pre-swee-ter Gri-go-ry, someone was with her in 957 in Kon-stan-ti-no-po-le, exactly you-half-nil her for -broadcasting.

Saint Olga lived-la, died-la, and in-gre-be-na would-la like hri-sti-an-ka. "And so, in a lively and kind way, the glory of God in the Tro-and-tse, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, in b-zii ve-re, end your life with the world in Christ Jesus, Lord, according to us. Like her pro-ro-che-sky covenant after-du-u-shchim in-ko-le-ni-pits, she is with a deep-bo-kim hri-sti-an-sky smi-re-ni - we use-ve-da-la our faith about our own on-ro-de: "For God's sake, let it be! va-ti ro-du mo-e-go Earth-whether Rus-kiya, yes-lo-lives on their hearts about-ra-ti-ti-sya to God, as if this is God for me yes-ro-wa".

God glorified the holy work of the right-to-glory, "to-begin-to-no-tsu of the faith" in the Russian land, chu-de-sa- we and incorruptible-ni-eat mo-schey. Jacob Mnich († 1072), a hundred years after her death, wrote in his "Pa-my-ti and in-praise Vla-di-mi-ru": "God pro- glorify the body of the servant of Your Olena, and there is in the grave the body of her honest, and inexplicably-ru-shi-mine remains to this day. Blessed-wife-prince-gi-nya Ol-ga pro-sla-vi-la God with all de-la-mi of her-and-mi good-ry-mi, and God glorified her ". Under the holy prince Vla-di-mi-re, according to some data, in 1007, the relics of St. Ol-gi would be re-re-not-se -we to the De-sya-tin-ny temple of the Assumption of the Pre-holy Bo-go-ro-di-tsy and in the same way in the special-tsi-al-nom sar-ko-fa- ge, in some pri-nya it would be to put the relics of the saints on the right-in-glorious Vo-sto-ke. "And sometimes you hear about her: the coffin of the stone is small in the church of the Holy God-ro-di-tsy, that church was created by the blessed prince Vla -di-peace, and there is the coffin of blessed Olga. Ol-gi le-zha-sche whole. " But not everyone would be yav-le-but mi-to incorruptibility of the relics of equal-noap-o-so-prince-gi-ni: -sya windows-tse, and sees an honest body-lo-zh-sche whole-lo and di-wit-sya chu-du-so-in-mu - something-or-what years in a gro- be-le-zha-sche te-lu unraz-ru-shiv-she-mu-sya. as if sleeping, chi-va-et. la that, honestly, but only a coffin.

So after the death of the holy Olga pro-po-ve-do-va-la eternal life and resurrection, full of ra-to-stu ve-ru- yu-shchih and vra-zoom-lyaya neve-ru-yu-shchih. She was, according to the words of the pre-good Nesto-ra Le-to-pis-tsa, "before-te-ku-shchaya hri-sti-an-sky earth, like den - not-tsa before the sun and like dawn before the light.

The holy equal-noap-o-so-great-prince Vla-di-mir, offering his blessings to God on the day of Baptism Ru -si, witness-de-tel-stvo-val on behalf of their modern-men-ni-kov about the holy equal-noap-o-so-Ol-ge-know-me-on-tel- we-mi words-va-mi: "Bla-go-slo-vi-ti-ty ho-tyat sy-no-ve-ru-stii, and in the next generation your grandson is theirs."

See also: "" in from-lo-same-nii svt. Di-mit-ria Rostov-sko-go.

Prayers

Troparion to Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, in Holy Baptism Elena

The god -blessings who had shown your mind,/ enthusiastically, the vice -to -see,/ recovering the whole,/ and, and that obtuity, the casualties of the perishable,/ I was alive.

Translation: Inspiring your mind with the wings of the knowledge of God, you soared above the visible creation, seeking God and the Creator of everything and, having found Him, received a new birth in Baptism, enjoying the Tree of Life, you remain incorruptible forever, Olga is always glorified.

Leaving the flattery of idols, / you followed Christ, the Immortal Bridegroom, Olga the God-wise, / rejoicing in His devil, / praying unceasingly / / for those who honor your holy memory with faith and love.

Translation: Leaving deceit, you followed Christ, the Immortal Bridegroom, Olga the God-wise, rejoicing in His chamber, without ceasing to pray for those who honor your holy memory with faith and love.

John Troparion Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, in Holy Baptism Elena

In you, God-wise Elena, the image of salvation is known to be in the Russian country, / as if, having received the bath of Holy Baptism, you followed Christ, / do and teach, even leave the idol charm, / take care of the soul, venej / deathless and from the Angels rejoices, equal to the apostles, your spirit.

Translation: In you, God-wise Elena, the exact image of salvation was for the Russian country, since you, having accepted the font of Holy Baptism, followed Christ, teaching by deed to leave the idol seduction and take care of the soul, an immortal creation, therefore your spirit rejoices with the angels, equal to the apostles .

John Troparion Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, in Holy Baptism Elena, Hellenic

Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles to the chosen one of Christ, Princess Olga, / having given your people the verbal and pure milk of Christ to drink, / praying to the Merciful God, / yes sins forgiven / / give to our souls.

Translation: The Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Chosen One of Christ, Princess Olga, who gave your people the verbal and pure milk of Christ to drink (), pray to the Merciful God, that forgiveness of sins will give our souls.

Kontakion to Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, in Holy Baptism Elena

Let us sing today the Benefactor of all God, / who glorified in Russia Olga the Wise: / let her prayers / give our souls / / forgiveness of sins.

Translation: Let us sing today the Benefactor of all God, who glorified Olga the God-wise in Russia, and through her prayers grant forgiveness of sins to our souls.

In kontakion to Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, in Holy Baptism Elena

Appear today the grace of God of all, / glorifying Olga the Wise in Russia, / through her prayers, Lord, / grant people / / forgiveness of sins.

Translation: The grace of the God of all has appeared today, glorifying Olga the God-wise in Russia, through her prayers, Lord, give people the forgiveness of sins.

Magnification Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, in Holy Baptism Elena

We magnify you, / the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, / like the dawn of the morning in our lands / and the light of the Orthodox faith / / foretelling your people.

First Prayer to Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, in Holy Baptism Elena

Oh, holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga, first-timer of Russia, warm intercessor and prayer woman for us before God! We resort to you with the faith and pray with the love: we will help us in all to Blag, and, as well as more likely, more carefully, the great -grandfathers of the sake of holy belie help us with your prayers to God in enlightening our minds and hearts with the light of the Gospel of Christ, may we prosper in faith, piety and love of Christ. The misery and grief suschiya comforted, distressed podazhd helping hand obidimyya and napastvuemyya atonement, erring on of true faith and eresmi osleplennyya instruct and asked us to have Vseschedrago God all the good and useful life of temporal and eternal, but tacos are pleasing in zde pozhivshe, be worthy heritage wealth eternal in the infinite Kingdom of Christ our God, to Him with the Father and the Holy Spirit is due all glory, honor and worship always, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Second Prayer to Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, in Holy Baptism Elena

Oh, great saint of God, chosen by God and glorified by God, Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga! You rejected evil faith and pagan wickedness, you believed in the One True Triune God, and you received holy Baptism, and you laid the foundation for the enlightenment of the Russian land with the light of faith and piety. You are our spiritual ancestor, you, according to Christ our Savior, are the first culprit of the enlightenment and salvation of our kind. You are a warm prayer book and intercessor for the All-Russian fatherland, the army and all people. For this sake, we humbly pray to you: look at our infirmities and implore the Most Merciful King of Heaven, may he not be angry with us, as if we sin all the days because of our infirmities, may he not destroy us with our iniquities, but may he have mercy and save us according to mercy May His saving fear be planted in our hearts, may our minds be enlightened with His grace, understand the ways of the Lord for us, leave the paths of wickedness and error, pursue in the paths of salvation and truth, the unswerving fulfillment of the commandments of the Holy Fathers and the ordinances Pray, Blessed Olga, the Man-soul of God, may He grant us His great mercy, may He deliver us from the invasion of foreigners, from internal discords, rebellions and strife, from famine, deadly diseases and from all evil, may He give us the goodness of the air and the dissolution of the earth may he save our country from all the snares and slander of the enemy, may he observe justice and mercy in judges and rulers, may he give the shepherd zeal for the salvation of the flock, hasten to all people, oh diligently correct their services, love and unite between let us strive for the good of the fatherland and the Holy Church, may the light of the saving faith shine in our country in all its ends, may the unbelievers be converted to the faith, may all heresies and schisms be abolished. Yes, having lived in peace on earth like this, let us be granted with you eternal bliss in Heaven, praising and exalting God forever and ever. Amen.

Canons and Akathists

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

Canto 1

Irmos: The majestic Pharaoh drowned in the sea with weapons and horsemen, Israel was gloriously saved and led on dry land, we sing of Christ, as if glorified.

Thou art our greatness and praise, Olgo the God-wise: through you we are freed from idol flattery. Now pray for generations and generations, whom you brought to God, singing Christ, as if you were glorified.

You drove the majestic devil out of Russia, crushing the ungodly idols by no means, you freed all people from iniquity, with wisdom teaching Christ to sing, as if glorified.

The blackness of the sinful bath of Baptism was by no means washed away, thou didst love Christ, He who is standing, pray for thy servants, faithfully glorifying thee.

Bogorodichen: Isaiah calls the rod, Most Pure One, David calls Thee - the throne of the Lord, Habakkuk - the autumn mountain, the bush of Thee - Moses, we call Thee the Mother of God.

Canto 3

Irmos: With a sovereign hand and a powerful word, you created Heaven and earth, you redeemed you with your blood, your Church, even it is affirmed about you, calling: as if there is nothing holy, unless you, Lord.

With a sovereign hand, and with wise words, and with a strong word, you taught your son the law of Christ, and you forbade people to eat an idol, Olgo, glorious, having now descended in your memory, we glorify you.

You, like a bee, sought out the good mind far from the flowering faith of Christ, and, like native honey, having found Baptism in the reigning city, you bestowed it on your city and people, and all the satiation of the sorrows of sin run away.

We bring all the voice of praise and prayer, Olgo, you know God, now you stand before Him, ask for peace for the fatherland, and for vile victories, and for our souls the forgiveness of sins, singing thee, blessed.

Bogorodichen: Friend appeared to you, Virgin, the Unapproachable God, so the angels sing unceasingly to you, obeying the Master, You gave birth to the Word of the Father, the Beginning, without a father: oh, a miracle! Holy spirit of autumn Ty.

Sedalen, voice 3

We honor your feat, blessed, marvelous for the strength of your spirit, in the weakness of the body; despising pagan flattery, boldly preached the faith of Christ, giving us an image of zeal for the Lord.

Canto 4

Irmos: By the Spirit of God, the prophet was cleansed, breathing in him, Divine Habakkuk, fearing, saying: when the summer approaches, you will be known, O God, for the salvation of people.

The Spirit of God rests on you, as if on Devvor the prophetess of old, Having enlightened herself, strengthening Vladimir the reasonable, Sisera of the devil cast down the devil in his nets with Baptism, as if Barak in the sweat of Kiss before.

Becoming swift, Olga the God-wise, with a contrite heart, praying to God, you delivered your people from the insult of the idol and from the captivity of the enemy you freed you, calling on Christ for our help.

On the deliberate day of your holy repose, we joyfully celebrate, the song of prayer is sent to Christ who crowned you with an incorruptible crown, Olgo the God-wise: ask us for forgiveness of sins, glorifying you faithfully.

Bogorodichen: Thee, from the root of Jesse prospered, Isaiah, as if prophesying, Christ - the Color of the vegetative, and the Primordial flesh bearing, and the Rod of the Spirit of God, we praise Thee, as the Mother of God and the Pure Virgin.

Canto 5

Irmos: The Word of God Almighty, send peace to the whole world and illuminate and enlighten everything with true light, glorifying You from the night.

Like a chaste dove, thou hast ascended on the date of virtues, thou art sacredly silvered, having imitated her image, thou glorious Olgo has nested in the paradise of food.

Before you belt Solomon: outside the grapes, the royal olive tree prospered; you have planted the holy dream with baptism in Russia, creating the fruit of repentance, about which Christ Himself rejoices.

Have mercy, Vladyka, on Your newly enlightened people, do not betray us into the hands of the filthy for our many iniquities, but by the prayers of our mentor Olga, deliver us from all misfortunes.

Bogorodichen: Sprinkle all, as it is written, clouds of joy, on the earth: God's child, Christ, cleanse the world of sins, become incarnate from the Virgin and be given to us.

Canto 6

Irmos: May my prayer come to Your Heavenly Holy Church, I cry out to You, like Jonah, from the depths of the sea heart: raise me up from my sins, I pray to You, Lord.

Having received the zeal of the Holy Spirit in your hearts, you have hated the fatherly wickedness, and having sought Christ the true God, you have appeared a child of light, and rejoice with the first-born of the saints in Heaven.

The new disciple of Christ in Russia appeared to you, bypassing cities and villages, crushing idols and teaching people to bow to the one God, pray for Him who sings to you.

O God-blessed Olga, pray for your child to God: immovable peace to our fatherland, ask for remission of sins for us, always glorifying you.

Bogorodichen: Knowing by You the indescribable Word of God, the Son of the Only Begotten Almighty, crying out to Thee, earthly: Rejoice, blessed Mother of God, the hope of our souls.

Kontakion, tone 4

Let us sing today the Benefactor of all God, who glorified Olga the God-wise in Russia, and with her prayers give forgiveness to our souls of sins.

Ikos

Seeing the life of Christians and comprehending pagan lewdness, Thou didst speak in thyself, Olga the God-wise: oh, the abyss of the wisdom and goodness of all the Creator! How have you been hiding from me until now? How can I honor idols from now on? No one, having tasted the sweet, will desire the bitter, for this sake, even in old age, call me, Holy Trinity, and give me forgiveness of sins.

Canto 7

Irmos: The flame of the cave enslaves the pious youths, the more I sprinkle, I am ready to burn by nature, but more than nature, I sing courageously: blessed be Thou, Lord, on the Throne of Glory of Your Kingdom.

Like Judith, thou didst create, having entered among the idol bodies, thou crushed those chiefs and confounded the demon-readers, thou taught all the people to cry out to Christ in purity: blessed be thou, O Lord, on the Throne of Glory of Thy Kingdom.

Praiseworthy flowers, like a royal crown, we bring God to your head in memory of yours, even Christ is an incorruptible crown, Olga the venerable, praying for your flock, get rid of all evil crying: blessed be Thou, Lord, on the Throne of Glory of Your Kingdom.

Shall we call the Lebanese mountain thee? Heavenly dew is on you. Or the river Pison, the kindest sapphire, an honest stone, possessing Vladimir, whom the Russian land will enlighten? But pray for us, crying out: blessed art thou, O Lord, on the Throne of Glory of Thy Kingdom.

Bogorodichen: The kivot is gilded with the Spirit, we call you, who saved the world from the flood of the reasonable, Virgin, save us, we hope for you and resort to you, desperate in the abyss from sin and misfortune, crying out: blessed be Thou, Lord, on the Throne of Glory of Your Kingdom.

Canto 8

Irmos: The strong youths are three in existence, cloaked in the power of the Holy Trinity, catching and defeating the Chaldeans, and the nature changed marvelously: what fire turned into dew? Without tightness, I save, like swaddling clothes, O shedding wisdom on all Your deeds, God, We exalt Thee forever.

She is strong, like a lioness, she is clothed by the power of the Holy Spirit, she strives everywhere to torment idols, and it’s wonderful in Heaven and on earth: how does a woman know God before she, from the very beginning, was the fall of the whole family? Save the same now, we sing: O God, shedding wisdom in all your deeds, we exalt you forever.

The wisdom of God wrote about you before: behold, you are my good and beautiful, and there is no vice in you. The brilliance of your face, like a world of smell, marked your baptism, Olgo, even in the midst of the idol flattery on you, the smell of Christ and all of us from the stench of demons to repentance by His mercy, led us to eat.

Remember me, Mrs. Olgo, your wretched servant, who was stolen from the enemy and who sinned more than a man, and prayed to Christ to grant me forgiveness for all sins, even insensibly committed, accursed, and with repentance I cry out: O shedding wisdom on all your deeds, God, we exalt you in eyelids.

Bogorodichen: Do not despise, Virgo, Your servant of prayer, we boast about You, We are Your little flock, rush to our intercession and change from our enemies, have mercy on the Mother of God who knows You and Your Son crying out: O God, shedding wisdom on all Your deeds, We exalt you forever.

Canto 9

Irmos: Our great-grandmothers came out of Eden for the sake of Eve; Great-grandfather Adam jumped up, as if having repented of the first oath, we are boasting in You, as if for the sake of God we know You, and magnify You.

Rejoice, O ancestor Evo, who, having deceived you, bring you out of Eden, now you are trampled by your offspring. Behold, Olga is an animal tree, the Cross of Christ, in Russia, hoist it, and it opened paradise to all the faithful, but we boast, as if for the sake of God we know it, we magnify this with Vladimir.

By nature, we call you a wife, but more than a woman’s strength, you moved. You exhausted the darkness of your gold, but you acquired Christ's law and teachers, and enlightened the Russian land, we boast of you, as we know you for God's sake, we magnify you with martyrs.

As a teacher of the pure law and a teacher of the faith of Christ, accept praise from the unworthy servants and make a prayer for us to God, honestly creating your memory, but from misfortunes, and troubles, and sorrows, and fierce sins, we will be freed, and also the torment that awaits us, deliver , we pray to you, unceasingly magnifying you.

Bogorodichen: This is the Church, this is the door, this is the holy mountain of God, this is the rod and the vessel of gold, this is the source of printing, this is the holy paradise of the new Adam, this is the terrible throne, this is the Most Pure Mother of God, the Intercessor of all of us who sing Yu.

Svetilen

Enlightened by the light of the grace of God, the lamp of the true faith in your homeland was kindled by you, Olgo the God-wise, and you gave the image to our father Vladimir, and we will be led from the darkness of ignorance to the Light of Christ.

Akathist to the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga of Russia

Kondak 1

The first-chosen of the entire Russian family, more glorious and equal to the apostles, God-pleaser Olga, let us praise, like the dawn, in the darkness of idolatry with the light of faith that shone forth and showed the way to Christ to all Russians. But you, as if having boldness towards the Lord who glorified you, protect us from all troubles with your prayers, let us call you:

Ikos 1

The Creator of angels and people, setting times and years in His power and ruling the fate of kingdoms and peoples at His will, whenever you want to enlighten the Russian race with Holy Baptism, then, seeing the good will of your heart, calling first to the knowledge of Himself, may you be an image of all Russians and teacher in the Christian faith. For this sake we praise thee:

Rejoice, morning star of the Russian heaven, foreshadowed by the First-Called Apostle on the mountains of Kyiv; Rejoice, dawn, shining brightly in the darkness of ignorance.

Rejoice, good vine of the vine of Christ, from the divi * of the pagan root; Rejoice, marvelous summer-growth, from the greatness of orthodoxy a tree on the earth of our age.

Rejoice, our first teacher and enlightener; Rejoice, as if by knowing you to worship the Creator in the Trinity.

Rejoice, for for your sake the Most Holy Name of the Lord is glorified by all Russians; Rejoice, for your glorious name, together with Equal-to-the-Apostles Vladimir, is praised throughout the world.

Rejoice, our Russian countries are a spiritual treasure; Rejoice, glorious adornment of all Christ's Church.

Rejoice, city of Kyiv and Pskov a fair amount of kindness; Rejoice, good helper of our enemies against our enemies.

Rejoice, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, God-wise.

Kondak 2

Seeing you, Saint Olgo, like a creep in thorns: you are more and more born in paganism, both the law of God in your heart has always been written and your chastity, like the apple of your eye, has blessed you; thankfully we sing to His marvelous God in His saints: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

With your mind, you are all good, you know, God-wise Olga, like idols, the hands of human creation, are not bosi; the same, rejecting you, you strove to know the true God. For this sake, praising your prudence, we cry out to you:

Rejoice, good woman, who first of all knew the error of the Russians and understood the vanity of idolatry; Rejoice, diligently seeking the true knowledge of God and the right faith.

Rejoice, you who do not yet lead the true God, like Cornelius the centurion, pleasing Him with good deeds; Rejoice, before understanding the law of God, according to the law of conscience, you lived righteously.

Rejoice, before accepting the Christian faith of the deed, befitting a Christian, creating; Rejoice, gifted with wisdom from God.

Rejoice, adversary courageously defended your state from invasion; Rejoice, thou who didst execute righteous judgments in thy subordinates.

Rejoice, revered with royal glory on earth and in Heaven; Rejoice, for you are glorified by God, equal to the apostles.

Rejoice, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, God-wise.

Kondak 3

Moved by the power of the grace of God, you were tormented, God-wise Olga, reach Constantinople, where you see the beauty of the church splendor and listen to the teachings of the words of the Divine, you burst into flames with all your heart in the love of Christ, crying out to Him with gratitude: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

Possessing a heart like good land, take it easy, Olgo, the seed of holy faith, knowing Christ the true God. By the same token, you received holy baptism from the hand of the Patriarch of Constantinople, even predicting you, as from now on, the Russian sons will bless you. If you want to fulfill this prophecy, we cry out to you:

Rejoice, thou who didst leave the darkness of idolatry; Rejoice, thou who didst seek the light of the knowledge of God.

Rejoice, having escaped endless destruction by faith; Rejoice, having acquired eternal life in Christ.

Rejoice, in the font of holy baptism from the filth of sin, washed; Rejoice, spiritually born by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Rejoice, reasonable turtledove, from the claws of a soul-destroying lie that flew out; Rejoice, under the wings of the Heavenly Eagle you have arrived.

Rejoice, having brought many souls with you to Christ by baptism; Rejoice, for this sake you have received a special reward from God.

Rejoice, shining with unwavering faith from your honest relics; Rejoice, souls and bodies of those, even for the good, giving.

Rejoice, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, God-wise.

Kondak 4

How we do not marvel at your prudence, O blessed Olga, for you reasonably rejected the proposal of the king of the Hellenes for marriage with him, saying that: not for the sake of marriage, I came for this and not for the sake of co-reigning with you, but let me be baptized by Baptism to the Immortal Bridegroom Christ God: Love him more than anything my soul and to Him from now on forever I will not stop singing: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Hearing from the patriarch who baptized you a parting word about purity, fasting, prayer and about all the virtues that befit a Christian, you composed this in your heart, promising to fulfill all that deeds. The same way, we sing of duty to ti sitse:

Rejoice, zealous hearer of the words of the Divine; Rejoice, zealous fulfiller of the Christian law.

Rejoice, having cleansed the field of your heart from the thorns of soul-damaging passions; Rejoice, having watered you with tears of repentance.

Rejoice, as the seed of the word of God is in your heart, as if it were kinder on earth, take root; Rejoice, for you bring this seed to the vegetative and the hundredfold fruit of good deeds.

Rejoice, having kept your widow's purity undefiled; Rejoice, having pleased God with abstinence and prayer.

Rejoice, thou who didst propitiate the Creator with mercy; Rejoice, thou who didst supply the needy and needy.

Rejoice, foreseeing the enlightenment of the Russian land with the light of Christ's teachings.

Rejoice, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, God-wise.

Kondak 5

Having clothed yourself with the richly woven clothes of holy baptism and spiritually strengthened with the imperishable food of the Most Pure Body and Blood of Christ, blessed Olga, you were not afraid of pottering to your unfaithful compatriots, our ancestor, to preach to them the One True God, to Him now all of Russia, as if with one mouth, sings: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

Seeing, Saint Olgo, all the people of the Russian land immersed in the darkness of idolatry, thou zealously sought to enlighten thee with the light of Christ's faith and create I the sons of the day and the heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven. Remembering your care for them, we gratefully call you:

Rejoice, wise ruler of the Russian people; Rejoice, good teacher of the herd entrusted to you.

Rejoice, thou who was the first of Christians to Empress Helena in divine zeal imitated; Rejoice, thou who didst receive that name in holy baptism.

Rejoice, you brought the honest cross of Christ and the holy icons from Constantinople to the city of Kyiv; Rejoice, having brought priests and clerics with you to Russia.

Rejoice, having taught people with your wise words to leave the darkness of pagan wickedness and perceive the light of Christian piety; Rejoice, having enlightened many Russians with the light of the faith of Christ.

Rejoice, thou who laid the beginning of the enlightenment of all the Russian land; Rejoice, thou who didst proclaim the teachings of Christ to the cities of Russia.

Rejoice, first from the land of Russia to the face of the saints.

Rejoice, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, God-wise.

Kondak 6

A spirit-bearing preacher, an Apostle, imitating Olga, the God-wise, went around the cities and villages of your power, leading, with great power, people to the faith of Christ and teaching them to sing to the One in the Trinity, the glorious God: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

Establishing in your state the beginning of the Christian faith, you created the temples of God in the city of Kyiv and in the country of your birth, at the River Velitsa near the city of Pskov. And so the Russians began to glorify Christ our God everywhere, but to you, your enlightener, laudable sing:

Rejoice, for from the pure source of the Holy Cathedral and Apostolic Church, thou hast received pure teaching; rejoice, for thou hast taught us to know the One true God.

Rejoice, destroyer of idols and idols; Rejoice, creator of the holy temples of God.

Rejoice, like the First-Called Apostle, who bypassed the Russian land with the preaching of the Gospel; Rejoice, thou who proclaimed the coming of the Gospel to the world of Great Novugrad and other Russian cities of Christ.

Rejoice, at the places of your preaching, you erected honest crosses, from them many signs and wonders, assurances for the sake of the unbelievers, by the power of God, I have been removed.

Rejoice, for by you the All-good Lord has revealed His knowledge to the sons of Russia; Rejoice, for through them you have enlightened many other peoples with the light of faith.

Rejoice, for from the root of your honest Lord, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir showed us to eat; rejoice, for in the way of your life, the holy prince Vladimir moved to accept the Christian faith.

Rejoice, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, God-wise.

Kondak 7

Wanting to save your son Svyatoslav from eternal destruction, diligently exhorted him to leave the veneration of idols and believe in the true God. But she does not heed your motherly punishment and does not want to change her wickedness for piety. The same, as an unfaithful one, alienate yourself from eternal life and not be able to sing with you in the Kingdom of Heaven: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

The Lord will show you a new sign of His good will, when, in the image of the Most Holy Trinity, three bright beams from heaven obshis in the place of the oak forest, and you have not only matured them, but you have seen all the people there, and together with you glorify the Triune God. We, leading the fulfillment of your prophecy about the creation on the site of it of the temple of the Life-Giving Trinity and the city, appease thee:

Rejoice, great servant of God, worthy of the gift of prophecy.

Rejoice, spectator of the Trissian Light of Heaven; Rejoice, the all-good will of God for the enlightenment of the Russian people according to the Apostle Andrew, the first performer.

Rejoice, initial founder of the city of Pskov; Rejoice, intercessor and patroness of all the Russian powers.

Rejoice, as by the will of God the Russian power has now spread from sea to sea; Rejoice, as the whole city and its weight has been adorned with many temples of God.

Rejoice, for in these churches the hierarchs and priests offer the Bloodless Sacrifice for the people to God; Rejoice, as the hosts of monastics all over the face of the Russian land unanimously sing the praise of the Holy Trinity.

Rejoice, as the inhabitants of the city of Kyiv and Pskov are especially exalting and indulging you; Rejoice, as all Orthodox Russians have honored and glorified thee since ancient times.

Rejoice, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, God-wise.

Kondak 8

Ending the wanderings of the earthly course, you prayed warmly to the Lord, O blessed Olga, that He would not leave the Russian land after your repose in the darkness of ignorance, but that he would enlighten me with the light of the holy faith and all the sons of Russia would teach to sing: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

All embraced by the former grace of God, the most praiseworthy Olga, with mental eyes, you have matured the enlightenment of all your people and prophetically predicted you, as if many great things please God, like bright stars, they will shine into the lands of Russia, hedgehog and come true by the will and grace of the almighty God. For this sake, we sing to you in debt:

Rejoice, our spiritual mother, who asked God for enlightenment by our forefather; Rejoice, as the All-good Lord, in vain the kindness of your soul, for you, love all the Russian people.

Rejoice, for Christ has found you worthy of a vessel, through which he began to pour out the grace of His Russian land; Rejoice, for you have prepared your people for the acceptance of the faith and grace of Christ.

Rejoice, for thou hast presciently foreseen the greatness and glory of thy power; Rejoice, for thou hast rejoiced at the piety of the sons of Russia foreseen by thee.

Rejoice, as according to your prophecy, many saints from our kind have risen; Rejoice, house of the Life-Giving Trinity, organizer.

Rejoice, with your prayers in sorrow and misfortune, you intercede for us; Rejoice, in evil circumstances preserving our Fatherland and delivering from enemies.

Rejoice, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, God-wise.

Kondak 9

Formerly filled with all virtues, Olga, blessed, with prayer in her mouth betrayed thy spirit in the hands of God, Who instilled thee in heavenly cloisters and the first of the Russians to be considered equal to the face of His equal to the apostles. Also, ask the Lord for a peaceful Christian death for us, and let us betray our souls in the hands of Christ our God, singing a song of praise to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 9

The Vitii of the multicast can not adequately praise you, Olgo the God-wise: how are you, taught and exhorted by no one from man, you knew the vanity of idolatry, but you sought the right faith and, like the Equal-to-the-Apostles Elena, you found priceless beads, Christ, enjoying His contemplation in Heaven now, do not forget us, darkened by the charms of this world and forgetting about the blessings of the eternal, yes, we guide you on the right path, we cry joyfully:

Rejoice, having prepared for yourself in the habitation of Divine grace with your good deeds and the right mind and heart; Rejoice, for the Holy Spirit Himself is your teacher to the knowledge of Christ the Son of God.

Rejoice, you who saw none of the signs and wonders and believed in Christ; Rejoice, with such faith of yours many persecutors and tormentors, who saw signs and wonders and did not believe, shamed.

Rejoice, having betrayed yourself to the guidance of the Holy Spirit; Rejoice, having shown perfect obedience to the will of God.

Rejoice, for you who appeared obedient to the voice of grace that called you; Rejoice, since the eleventh hour in the garden of the Lord you have labored and received bribes with the first.

Rejoice, for the Lord has made you wise to combine royal honor, wealth and glory with Christian humility; Rejoice, as in this way you have shown us that the blessings of the earth are not an obstacle for the God-loving soul to achieve the blessings of Heaven.

Rejoice, glorified by the kindness of chastity and the lordship of understanding; Rejoice, having received the gift from God with the strength of faith and the chaste purity of the life of your prophecy.

Rejoice, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, God-wise.

Kondak 10

By arranging the path of salvation for your Russian sons and fulfilling your dying petition, the All-good Lord, grow in your grandchild Vladimir the seed of faith you have sown and through it enlighten the whole Russian land with Holy Baptism. Therefore, we glorify thee, blessed Olga, as the first culprit of our enlightenment with the light of the holy faith, and we tenderly sing to Christ our Savior: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

Having received Holy Baptism, your grandson Vladimir, trying to take your imperishable relics from the earth, filled with a wonderful fragrance, and with St. Leonty and all the multitude of the people, I put in the church of the Most Pure Mother of God, and from there I began to exude from them healing with every ailment flowing with faith. For this sake we praise thee:

Rejoice, as the grace of the Holy Spirit, dwelling in you, give incorruption with your might and create in your relics a source of healing for all ailments; Rejoice, with little faith I did not allow those who came to see them.

Rejoice, having rejoiced the infant Russian Church with the manifestation of your relics; Rejoice, glorifying your grandson Vladimir with great joy.

Rejoice, for until now the pious people of the Russian land delight in your glorious memory; rejoice, as by your intercession to God, the faithful of the Russians are worthy of many blessings from the Lord.

Rejoice, having prayed to God with your prayers for the enlightenment of the land of Russia; Rejoice, soon you will appear to many great saints on the lands of Russia, prophesying.

Rejoice, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, God-wise.

Kondak 11

We bring tender singing to you, the servant of God, and we humbly pray to you: pray for us the One Lover of Man God, may He not turn His face away from us, unworthy, sinful and grieving His goodness, but may He punish us here, as the Father is loving, she can, in in the future, may He save and have mercy, as a righteous Judge and Recipient, so that, having escaped eternal torment, we will be able to sing to Him in heavenly abodes: Alleluia.

Ikos 11

She is illumined with a tri-radiant light, with all the saints now stand in Heaven at the Throne of the King of Kings, Olga the all-blessed, and from there, like a radiant luminary, enlighten the whole Russian country, dispelling the darkness of delusions and showing the way to true enlightenment to Heavenly bliss. For this sake, glorifying you, we say:

Rejoice, moon enlightened by the never-setting Sun of Truth; Rejoice, guide, showing us the right path to eternal salvation.

Rejoice, powerful helper and strengthener of the preachers of the Orthodox faith; Rejoice, everlasting patroness of the good mentors of youth and all who work hard for the common good.

Rejoice, patroness and mentor of the legislators of the Russian country; Rejoice, rulers of the people and leaders of the country, sowing a wise and kind adviser.

Rejoice, sedition and contention to the consumer; Rejoice, intercessor of all the offended and unjustly persecuted.

Rejoice, quick comforter of the grieving; Rejoice, merciful healer of the sick.

Rejoice, giving help to our people with your prayers from God; Rejoice, representative of all the Russian country and intercessor.

Rejoice, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, God-wise.

Kondak 12

Ask the Grace of the Most Holy Spirit to us, our mentor, from the All-Generous God and our Savior, admonishing and strengthening us in the matter of salvation, so that the seed of holy faith planted in us will not be fruitless, but let it vegetate and create the fruit, if only we were able to nourish our souls in the future eternal life, where all the saints sing to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

Singing your many and glorious good deeds, manifested to the country of Russia in enlightening that light of the faith of Christ, we bring you thanks, calling with love:

Rejoice, God-chosen and God-glorified autocrat of the Russian land, its indestructible fence, cover and protection.

Rejoice, Russian virgin image of a chaste life; Rejoice, mother, mentor of lawful marriage and good upbringing.

Rejoice, for widows are the rule of a godly life; Rejoice, teacher of all Russians and the image of all virtues.

Rejoice, co-partner in Heaven of the lot of the preachers of the faith of Christ; Rejoice, partaker of the eternal blessedness of the righteous.

Rejoice, warm prayer book for us before God; Rejoice, diligent intercessor for our salvation.

Rejoice, intercessor for us at the hour of our death to God; Rejoice, after our departure from this mortal body, giving help and consolation.

Rejoice, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, God-wise.

Kondak 13

O Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga, graciously accept this laudatory thanksgiving from us for all, even with you the Lord will reward us, our father and forefather and the entire power of Russia, and pray to the All-good God to multiply His mercy on us and on the families of our families, confirm us in orthodoxy and piety, keep from all misfortunes, troubles and evils, may we be honored with you, like a child with matter, forever sing to God: Alleluia.

This kontakion is read three times, then the 1st ikos "The Creator of Angels and Humans..." and the 1st kontakion "The First Chosen of all...".

Prayer one

Oh, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga, first-year-old Russian, warm intercessor and prayer book for us before God. We resort to you with faith and pray with love: be our helper and helper in everything for the good, and, as if in temporal life, you tried to enlighten our forefathers with the light of holy faith and instruct me to do the will of the Lord, so now, in heavenly being grace, favorable help us with your prayers to God in enlightening our minds and hearts with the light of the Gospel of Christ, may we prosper in faith, piety and love of Christ. In poverty and sorrow of the present comfort, give a hand of help to the needy, intercede for the offended and the afflicted, those who have gone astray from the right faith and heresy blinded by heresy, enlighten us, and ask us from the All-Generous God all that is good and useful in life temporal and eternal, yes, it’s pleasing to live here, we will be honored with the heritage eternal blessings in the infinite Kingdom of Christ our God, to Him with the Father and the Holy Spirit all glory, honor and worship is due, always, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer two

O great saint of God, God-chosen and God-glorified, Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga! You rejected evil faith and pagan wickedness, you believed in the One True Trinitarian God, and you received holy Baptism, and you laid the foundation for the enlightenment of the Russian land with the light of faith and piety. You are our spiritual ancestor, you, according to Christ our Savior, are the first culprit of the enlightenment and salvation of our kind. You are a warm prayer book and intercessor for the All-Russian fatherland, the army and all people. For this sake, we humbly pray to you: look at our infirmities and implore the most merciful King of heaven, may he not be angry with us, for we sin all the days due to our infirmities, may he not destroy us with our iniquities, but may he have mercy and save us by His mercy, may our saving fear plant in our hearts, may our minds enlighten with His grace, vuo understand the ways of the Lord for us, leave the paths of wickedness and error, and lurk in the paths of salvation and truth, the unswerving fulfillment of the commandments of God and the moustaches of the holy Church. Moth, blessed Olga, the Lover of mankind, may He grant us His great mercy, may He save us from the invasion of foreigners, from internal discords, rebellions and strife, from hunger, deadly diseases and from all evil, may He give us the goodness of the air and the fruitfulness of the earth, yes save our country from all the machinations and slander of the enemy, may he observe truth and mercy in judges and rulers, may he give pastors zeal for the salvation of the flock, all the people haste, about diligently fulfilling their services, have love among themselves and have one mind, for the good of the fatherland and the Holy Church may strive faithfully, may the light of the saving faith shine in our country in all its ends, may the unbelievers turn to the faith, may all heresies and schisms be abolished. Yes, having lived like this in peace on earth, let us be vouchsafed with you eternal bliss in Heaven, praising and exalting God forever and ever. Amen.

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Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga - how does she patronize Orthodox Christians? You can read the life of this great Russian saint in the article.

The Kyiv scribes did not make any special effort to glorify the morning star of Russian Christianity, the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga. A confused and extremely tendentious story * The Tale of Bygone Years, a small fragment in “Memory and Praise to Vladimir” by Jacob Mnikh, a somewhat late origin of legends scattered across various chronicles and editions of a prologue life - that, in fact, is all that she brought to us Old Russian writing from legends about the Grand Duchess. Therefore, the work of a modern historian becomes somewhat similar to the restoration of a mosaic icon. From the multitude of smalt cubes of various shades and sizes scattered in disorder, it is necessary to recreate a face that is unique in its majesty and beauty. Erudition and logic are powerless here. Of the many combinations, the closest to the truth is the one that is prompted by an aesthetic instinct and a living sense of faith, and not by a thorough knowledge of social relations and the political situation. The story is much more solid and elegant in its composition than it seems to those who see it as nothing more than a collection of obscure phrases and unintelligible sounds. The specificity of history is that it is always Sacred History. Therefore, the only thing left for us is to look intently and reverently at the faces of the saints, such as they were glorified by God, and not try to reshape them according to our own, even very pious, taste. Only then will prayerful contemplation be able to turn into conversation and communication with eternally living people, for, according to the words of the chronicler, “the souls of the righteous do not die, and the memory of the righteous is immortal.”

We do not know exactly when and where Olga was born. The only thing that can be asserted more or less reliably is that the Pskov land was the birthplace of the princess. The chronicle says that Oleg brought Igor a wife from Pskov itself, and the compiler of one of Olga’s lives, a Pskovite himself, notes that “Olga was born in the Pleskov country, her name was Vybuto, her father had an unfaithful existence, so her mother was not baptized from the Varangian language and from sort of not a prince, not a noble<…>About the name of the father and mother, scripture does not express anywhere ... ". Most likely he is right. In order to attribute the birth of the Grand Duchess instead of a rich and famous city to a modest village on the banks of the Velikaya River, 12 miles south of Pskov, good reasons were needed. Yes, and fellow countrymen know better. At least Olga, already at the height of her power, did not completely forget Vybutskaya. She was part of the personal possessions of the princess, and she ordered to erect a temple of the Most Holy Theotokos nearby. The only point in which we allow ourselves to disagree with the hagiographer is the statement about the saint's humble origins. It is unlikely that at the beginning of the IX century. a Varangian in those places could be an ordinary peasant. And there was no need for the Varangian king Igor to take a wife from ordinary villagers.

In the ninth century the small trade and craft settlement of Pskov, of course, was not yet the great city that later became famous in Russian history. Not far away, along the Volkhov River, the main highway of the path from the Varangians to the Greeks passed, Lord Veliky Novgorod was gaining strength, becoming the center of the ancient Russian economy, and turbulent political events were unfolding. It was much calmer on the Velikaya River, but even here, along a branch of the Great Way, Greek, Arab and Norman merchants sailed from Scandinavia to Constantinople and back, and sometimes detachments of brave Vikings appeared on their formidable boats, looking for profitable use of their military skills. The all-Russian government of Prince Oleg, which had recently established itself in Kyiv, had to put under its control the entire route from the Varangians to the Greeks. To do this, at all strategically important points, customs officials, soldiers of guard detachments and heads of crossings, recruited mainly from the Varangians, were required. One of the representatives of this military-commercial aristocracy was Olga's father, who was in charge of the crossing in Vybutskaya village. It was there, among merchants and warriors, that the first Russian saint saw the light.

The Creator richly endowed the girl. She was extremely beautiful, smart, brave and chaste. Her powers of observation and a broad outlook were to develop unusually in the company of overseas guests, from whom one could hear breathtaking stories about Persia and India, Rome and Constantinople, Scandinavia and Germany, different peoples, customs and faiths. Even then, young Olga should have heard the name of the God of Christians, so unlike the usual Scandinavian and Slavic gods. And in order to preserve her dignity and chastity among the insidious and lustful warriors, the beautiful Olga herself had to be dexterous, resourceful and sometimes cruel. The legendary legend of the “Book of Powers” ​​depicts this side of the life of the future saint. The young Prince Igor, who wandered into the Pskov forests while hunting, wanted to cross to the other side of the Velikaya River and, already sitting in a boat, discovered that the carrier was an unusually beautiful girl. The prince began to flirt with her and was clearly discouraged when he received a bold, wise and very sharp rebuff, reinforced by the threat to go to the bottom with Igor if he tried to use force. Ashamed, Igor silently left, and soon sent matchmakers to the chaste virgin.

Duchess Olga. Beloved wife

According to the Tale of Bygone Years, Oleg drew attention to Olga's beauty and mind during one of his trips to Pskov. In 903, he arranged the marriage of the prince with a captivating Pskov woman. Olga most likely was neither the first nor the only wife of Igor, but almost immediately became the most beloved. So “Igor then had other wives, but Olga, for her wisdom’s sake, more than other chtyashe.” The beautiful princess achieved more: she managed to take second place in the political hierarchy of the ancient Russian state and firmly hold it throughout the reign of Igor, directing her husband's policy in the right direction. Igor, of course, listened to her advice.

Kievan Rus was a rather ephemeral political entity. The multi-lingual tribes of the East European Plain did not bind together anything but military strength and common trade interests. The Kyiv princes controlled the Dnieper-Baltic military-trade route, receiving significant profits from its maintenance and from the trade of the tribute collected for the polyuds. The authority of the Rurikovich power rested on dominance over trade routes. However, there was no unity in Kyiv policy regarding the future fate of these trade routes. The trading party, which consisted of Varangian and Slavic merchants, among whom were many Christians, advocated the further strengthening of mutually beneficial relations with Khazaria, Scandinavia, and especially with Byzantium. The idea of ​​joining the Byzantine community was very attractive to them, which could increase both the prestige and trade opportunities of the Russian state, and which was unthinkable without Christianization. A retinue party, mostly pagan, was pulling in the other direction. Its goal was by no means the continuation of predatory raids, as historians often represent, but the establishment of complete dominance over all Eastern European, Black Sea and Baltic trade. Such powerful economic centers as Khazaria and Volga Bulgaria were to be destroyed as dangerous competitors. But the main object of hatred was Byzantium, for the destruction of which the retinue party was ready to devote all its forces and means. It was his military entourage that pushed Igor to try to realize this suicidal dream. Suicidal - because the bustling trade route, which fell into the hands of an uncontrolled monopolist, withers away in fifty to a hundred years. Olga always understood this, and her policy was aimed at strengthening peaceful relations with her neighbors. And Byzantium seemed to her to be the model to which the Russian state should be equal in everything. In those years, so far only on the basis of a coincidence of interests, Olga's contacts were established with Kyiv Christians.

The princess managed to neutralize the retinue influence on Igor for quite a long time, but the moment came when her position was shaken. The son Svyatoslav grew up, who, according to Tatishchev, was born in 920 and was the center of all the hopes of the Kyiv military. The energetic heir, apparently, quite easily managed to persuade the aged Igor to adventure. In 941, when the Russian-Byzantine treaty of 911 expired, Igor gathered a powerful army and moved to Constantinople. Ruining everything in its path, the Rus reached almost the Byzantine capital. The Byzantines, bewildered by surprise, managed to stop the atrocities of the pagans only by mobilizing all the forces of the empire, recalling three large armies and the best commanders from other fronts. Only near the town of Hieron on the Bosphorus, using the terrifying "Greek fire", the Byzantines defeated Igor's fleet. But even after that, part of the Rus fought for a long time on the coast of Asia Minor.

Having rested for a year, in 943, Igor, instigated by his son, decided to try his luck again. This time the campaign was organized with the scope and ingenuity inherent in Svyatoslav. A coalition was created of the worst enemies of Byzantium: the Hungarians, the Pechenegs, and the Khazars, who tacitly supported the campaign, were irritated by the persecution of Jews begun in the empire. “Igor gathered many warriors: the Varangians, Rus, and glades, and Slavs, and Krivichi, and Tivertsy - and hired the Pechenegs, and took hostages from them, - and went to the Greeks in boats and on horses, trying to avenge himself.” The only allies of Byzantium were the Bulgarians, and the empire was threatened, if not with destruction, then with a terrible shock. And suddenly something extraordinary happened. Having reached the Danube, Igor stopped and obviously listened favorably to the proposal of the Greek ambassadors for peace. They promised large cash gifts and renewed tribute payments. For the king, who decided to crush the empire - not so much. The chronicler's reference to the fact that the Rus did not want to take risks in the fight against an unclear outcome is unconvincing: brave warriors are also used to not such hopeless enterprises.

Undoubtedly, in the hidden struggle for influence over Igor, the party of peace, led by Olga, eventually won. The princess managed to neutralize the influence of her son and induce her husband to a truce with the Greeks. The rest of the summer and autumn of 943 were occupied with negotiations on a long-term peace treaty, which was eventually concluded, marking the establishment between Russia and the power of the Romans of peace and a close military alliance.

The treaty and the procedure for its ratification are interesting material both for establishing the then position of Olga in the Russian state, and for a correct understanding of the role of Kievan Christians in the politics of Russia. The text of the agreement begins with the words: “We are ambassadors and merchants from the Russian family, Ivor, the ambassador of Igor, the Grand Duke of Russia, Vuefast, from Svyatoslav, the son of Igor, Iskusevi from Princess Olga; Sludy from Igor, nephew Igorev; Uleb from Volodyslav; Ianitsar from Predslava; Shihbern Sfandr from Uleb's wife…” Svyatoslav, as the direct heir, is mentioned immediately after Igor. He has his own ambassador, who defends his personal interests. If at that time, as the chronicle claims, Svyatoslav was three years old, it is unlikely that the baby would need a personal ambassador. Our doubts about Svyatoslav's infancy are also confirmed by Konstantin Porphyrogenitus, who reports that in the early 40s "the monoxyls coming from outer Russia to Constantinople are from Nemogard, in which Sfendoslav, the son of Ingor, the archon of Russia, was sitting." Nemogard-Novgorod was a traditional springboard for moving to the Kyiv table. In third place is Olga, who had an exceptional influence on Kyiv politics. Iskusevi defended in Constantinople not only the political prestige of the archontissa, but also her commercial interests, which the princess never forgot. Olga was one of the largest landowners in Russia. The chronicler reports that “Vyshgorod was the city of Olgin<…>and her places and graveyards, and her sleigh stand in Pskov to this day, and along the Dnieper there are places for catching birds, and along the Desna, and her village Olzhichi has survived to this day. Further in the contract are the names of the ambassadors of the rulers of the 22 largest political and commercial centers of Russia. A few years later, a delegation of the same representatives will go with Olga to Constantinople.

Christianity

Traces of the victory of the Christian party in the struggle for influence on Igor are undoubtedly those places in the agreement in which the superiority of Christians and the neglect of Perun's admirers are clearly felt. And the ceremony of swearing in Igor's army gave Kyiv Christians a reason to demonstrate their strength: while the prince with the pagan part of the army swore the inviolability of the contract before the idol of Perun, the Christian soldiers swore before the Greek ambassadors in the church of St. Ilya. “It was a cathedral church, as there were many Varangian Christians.

Almost immediately after the conclusion of the contract, the greedy combatants dragged Igor into a new adventure, this time not even having the romantic luster of a campaign against Constantinople. Envying the youths of the voivode Sveneld, who “made up the essence of weapons and ports”, and, undoubtedly, regretting that they did not get into the composition of the expedition to the Caspian Sea, which smashed the rich Arab cities in the interests of Byzantium, the soldiers prompted the prince to peel off the tribe of the Drevlyans like sticky. Whether by his own folly or by someone's evil instigation, Igor decided that this was not enough. He, on reflection, said to his squad: “Go home with tribute, and I will return and look like more.” The Drevlyans, led by their prince Mal, quite rightly reasoned that with such a practice of collecting tribute, they would soon die of starvation, and decided to take a chance. The reckless prince found his terrible end somewhere in the forests near Iskorosten. He was torn in two by birches, not even worthy of a decent funeral. Olga and Svyatoslav were in Kyiv at that time.

We are opening perhaps the most mysterious page in the life of St. Olga. Who does not remember from childhood the chilling, but in their own way unusually poetic tales of cruel revenge on the Drevlyans! The logic of the myth is bizarre, and sometimes a work of folk fantasy lies behind a completely plausible story, and, on the contrary, the unthinkable phantasmagoric nature of the plot serves as perhaps the main proof of its authenticity - the impossible is not invented. It is hard to believe that the story of Olga's revenge is just a fiction. It is too non-standard for a rather stereotyped form of a folk legend, and at the same time quite realistic and concrete. If this is a myth, then a myth in the sense that A.F. Losev gave to this word - “in words this wonderful personal story” of the pagan Olga, a story that makes almost physically palpable the dark and terrible features of that very Slavic religion that is now being tried imagine almost a triumph of spiritual freedom and humanism.

Historians perceive Olga's revenge as a fiction primarily because she logically and consistently reproduces the main features of the pagan funeral rite. From this, for some reason, it follows that the story of revenge is nothing more than a fabulous interpretation of it. It is often forgotten that the man of archaic times took his religious duties extremely seriously, perhaps even more seriously than he should have. Igor died a miserable prisoner and was simply buried in the ground without any funeral ceremony. According to Slavic beliefs, the afterlife of a person depended on his status at the time of death and on the splendor of the funeral. Who, if not beloved by Igor Olga, was to honor the memory of her late husband! And Olga, with all the earnestness of a faithful pagan, did everything in her power to pay her last debt to her husband. In her revenge, she not only punished the rebels, but also consistently reproduced all parts of the funeral ritual.

According to the rules of a primitive military duel, the winner is the heir to the vanquished. And it was possible to ascend the princely throne only by marrying the widow of the ruler. According to this archaic custom, Mal acted when he sent 20 of the best Drevlyansk husbands to woo Olga. The Drevlyans were well aware of the proud disposition of the Varangian princes and counted on nothing more than a truce and a postponement of the punitive expedition. However, Olga's reception exceeded all expectations. The princess not only calmly listened to the news of her husband's death, but also favorably accepted the presentation of the matrimonial project: “Your speech is kind to me - I can’t resurrect my husband; but I want to honor you tomorrow before my people. This is where the ambassadors should think. In her own words, Olga began the ritual of the wedding game, well known from archaic rites and fairy tales: the groom receives the bride only by guessing her riddle, otherwise he loses his head. And the riddle has already been uttered: “to honor” someone in Slavonic meant both “honour” and “revenge”, “kill”. The Drevlyans did not guess any of Olga's riddles.

And the riddles continued: “Now go into your boat and lie down in your boat with pride, and in the morning I will send for you, you say: we don’t ride horses, we don’t go on foot, but carry us in the boat; and they will lift you up in a boat.” The ambassadors perceived this as a usual part of the matchmaking ceremony, when the matchmakers, in order to deceive evil spirits, came “neither on foot nor on a horse”, “day or night”, entering the bride’s hut, first talking about extraneous things, etc. But the meaning of the riddle was menacing. Neither on foot nor on horseback, but in a boat, in the hands of fellow tribesmen, a noble Russian followed to his last refuge. The boat was a traditional burial accessory for both Slavs and Scandinavians. And so it happened the next morning: having brought the ambassadors to Holguin's yard, the people of Kiev threw them into a deep grave. “And, leaning towards the pit, Olga asked them: “Is honor good for you?” They answered: "Worse for us than Igor's death." And ordered them to fall asleep alive; and covered them up." Some chronicles add that the ambassadors were burned in the pit.

Revenge has just begun. Soon Olga sent the Drevlyans a demand to send even better husbands to Kyiv as matchmakers, saying that the people of Kiev would not let her go without an honorary escort. When the next group of Drevlyansk aristocrats arrived for slaughter, the princess invited them to go to the bathhouse. It looked like an ordinary manifestation of concern for the guests. But the Drevlyans forgot that the Slavs had a custom to heat a bath for the dead and put water for ablution. Long after the baptism of Russia, the questionnaires and confessions retained the item: “On Great Saturday, and on the Pentecost, when we create memory for the dead, didn’t you order the baths to be heated?” and relied on penance. When the Drevlyans entered the bathhouse, they treated them like the dead: they locked them up and burned them.

Olga's third riddle was formulated more transparently than the first two: "I'm already coming to you, prepare many honeys in the city where my husband was killed, but I will cry on his grave and create a feast for my husband." It was not difficult to guess who would become a victim in the ritual sacrifice at Igor's grave. The Drevlyans were not even alarmed by the fact that the princess directly called them murderers. When asked where the men sent for her to Kyiv, Olga excused herself: “They are following.” After the grave weeping, a mound was poured and a feast began, at which the Drevlyans got drunk. It's time for the funerary war game. And then Olga's squad brought down on the careless Drevlyans instead of ritual blows with swords - the real ones. “And cut them down five thousand. And Olga returned to Kyiv and gathered an army for the rest.

Cunning riddles and bizarre pagan rites have been replaced by brute but honest military force. The punitive troops led by Svyatoslav attacked the Drevlyansk land. In the first battle, the rebels were crushed by the onslaught of the Kyiv squad. A heavy tribute was laid on the defeated Drevlyans. Returning to Kyiv, the princess suddenly found out that she had forgotten about one more funeral rite.

Returning with a sense of duty done, Olga must have felt like the sole ruler of Russia. However, pagan warriors from Svyatoslav's entourage, eager for power, fiercely hated the influential princess, an ardent supporter of peace with Byzantium. She, of course. did not forget the unexpected finale of the campaign against Tsargrad. And now the proud daughter of the Varangians, who so cunningly performed the Slavic funeral ritual, was directly, like a soldier, reminded that the wife, as a faithful slave, should follow her husband to the afterlife, and the sooner the better. It was simply indecent for Igor's beloved wife to remain alive. Not yet old, full of ambitious plans, the princess had to hang herself or cut her throat.

Olga found herself, as a modern philosopher would say, in an existential situation where, on the verge of despair and death, the last questions of being are exposed. Mind, heart, will to live - the whole being of the princess protested against the meaningless end. What seemed necessary and natural when viewed from the outside turned out to be a cruel absurdity in relation to herself. Why do Igor and the gods need this senseless sacrifice? Is it really true that behind the coffin Olga is waiting for the sad life of the princess - or, perhaps, retribution for the massacre of the Drevlyans? Prior to this, Olga did not have to seriously think about the validity of traditional views on death and the afterlife. And they were already somewhat shaken in the motley and multinational Kyiv. Olga must have repeatedly heard the speeches of both Khazar Jews and Mohammedan Arabs. The princess constantly communicated with the Kyiv Christians, among whom were many of her fellow tribesmen who turned their backs on Odin and Thor. They all said that in the afterlife the position of a person is determined not by wealth and nobility, not by the splendor of the funeral and the number of victims, but by good deeds. Killers, liars and traitors, if they do not repent, await terrible torment in the next world. And the conscience, not completely twisted by pagan fanaticism, undoubtedly reminded Olga more than once that there was no justification for her atrocities against the Drevlyans. In the face of unexpected “voluntary” death, especially when there is something to blame yourself for, the world seems gloomy and meaningless. A terrible picture of the burial of a noble Rus, as described by the Arab traveler Ibn Fadlan, should have risen before Olga's eyes. After the death of her husband, while preparations are underway for the funeral, a woman doomed to death must have fun, feast, move from tent to tent, surrendering to her fellow tribesmen, after which each of them utters a sacramental phrase that he did it solely out of love and respect for the deceased ... Here in on the day of the funeral, they bring a rus resting in the boat ... The boat is filled with gold, jewelry, silks and covered with the blood of sacrificial animals ... Slaves are being killed ... A staggering, heavily drunk woman is brought to the boat. There is senseless horror in her eyes ... A tall, broad-shouldered old woman in a black robe awaits her - the “angel of death” ... The relatives of the deceased raise the woman above the crowd, and she, as if half asleep, utters the words suggested in advance: “Here I see my father and mother ...” In the second times: “Here are all my dead relatives ...” In the third: “Here I see my master sitting in the garden, and the garden is beautiful and green, and men and youths are with him, so he calls me - so take me to him ...” Her they put her on a boat and give her a farewell cup of wine, over which she sings a funeral song... She tries to sing as long as possible, but the old woman hurries her menacingly... They put her under the arms into the hut of the deceased, she tries to escape, but in vain... The six relatives of the deceased exercise their right to love next to the corpse of the deceased ... There is a roar of tambourines, designed to drown out the screams of the murdered ... The men strangle her with a thick rope, and the old woman methodically plunges a knife under each rib ... It's all over. Fire in a few minutes turns their bodies and unnecessary wealth into dust. And those standing around rejoice at the strong wind, which will quickly carry the souls of the dead to the underworld.

…And what if the Truth belongs to Christians? Their God does not require bloody sacrifices - on the contrary, He Himself became a victim, descended to earth and accepted a shameful death in order to save people from evil and the power of Satan. Christ promises those who believe in Him not just consolation beyond the grave, but the Resurrection and real life. Such a God, of course, will not leave in difficult times.

There is something else in Christianity that finally pushed Olga to the decision to be baptized: Christian law forbids suicide, the thought of which her soul resolutely opposed. However, will she be able to stay alive while Svyatoslav's people are in power? Will not a son prone to adventures destroy a still quite fragile state? It was necessary to go to Constantinople in order to be baptized there, to receive support not only from Kyiv Christians, but also from Byzantium. Only in this way could Olga save her soul, save her life and regain power.

The chronicle calls the emperor who baptized Olga Konstantin, the son of Leonov (Konstantin VII Porphyrogenet, - Porphyrogenitus), and the date of baptism is 955. Historians usually called 957, since, in their opinion, it was to him that the story of Constantine in his treatise "De ceremoniis Aulae" about two receptions of Olga in the palace. However, it was surprising that the porphyry-born author did not say a word about the baptism of the pagan princess. At the same time, as G. Ostrogorsky convincingly showed, after carefully analyzing the rank of reception, Olga was received at court as a Christian. To explain these contradictions, many elegant scientific theories were invented: the emperor described the reception as a model for the future, and it was inappropriate to talk about baptism, Olga was baptized in Kyiv secretly, on the eve of the trip; there were two trips, in 955 and in 957, and not one; Olga was baptized in 959 in Kyiv, etc. Source analysis provides very little support for these concepts.

G. G. Litavrin completely confused everything, in the early 80s. proving, on the basis of a thorough analysis of Constantine's story, that Olga went to Constantinople not in 957, but in 946. There were no serious attempts to challenge this dating, they preferred to simply ignore it. But in the place of the previous constructions there was a gaping void. G. G. Litavrin himself tried to fill it in, challenging Ostrogorsky's opinion about Olga's Christianity at the time of his meeting with Constantine VII. He suggested a second trip to Constantinople in 955, when Olga was baptized by the Patriarch. This concept appears neither well-founded nor convincing.

A witty and unexpectedly solving all contradictions hypothesis was proposed by O. M. Rapov: Olga was baptized in 944 by Emperor Roman I Lakapin. We will try to substantiate this opinion.

It is generally accepted that the name of the emperor "Konstantin son of Leonov", contained in the Laurentian list of PVL, is the original reading. Meanwhile, PVL researchers have long proved that in the ancient text there was no emperor's name at all, and in some sources the emperor is called Roman.

The chronicle date is generally accepted as credible; At the same time, special significance is attached to the coincidence of the date with the indication of “Memory and Praise” by Jacob Mnich that Olga died in 969, having lived as a Christian for 15 years. However, historians are well aware that annalistic dates cannot always be taken as absolute chronology. As for the coincidence of PVL and “Memory and Praise”, it can be noted that in Praise to Olga, which constitutes an independent section of this work, literary historians found undoubted interpolations. The whole story about the “miracle with a window” with a subsequent chronological indication is also a later revision. The date of 15 years was calculated by the interpolator based on the same PVL.

Finally, the story of the courtship of the emperor in the text of the chronicle is sometimes perceived as a mischievous invention introduced by the chronicler. However, let us ask ourselves a question: which of the Byzantine emperors could plan a marriage with Olga? Both Konstantin and Roman II were married. But Roman I Lecapenus was widowed back in 937! The political benefits from the personal union of Russia and Byzantium were colossal for the empire.

The German chronicler, the successor of the Reginon of Pryum, directly says that Olga “was baptized in Constantinople under the Emperor Roman of Constantinople.” With the generally accepted attribution of this chronology to Adalbert, the unfortunate bishop of Russia, who spent a year in Kyiv, it can hardly be assumed that the chronicler confused Constantine VII with his son Roman II, who recently ascended the throne. Adalbert was well aware of this.

If we accept the version that Olga was met in Constantinople in 946 as a Christian, then the silence of Constantine VII about baptism becomes simply inexplicable. He reigned in 945, and already in 946 Olga was baptized. We cannot assume another visit to Constantinople in the summer of 945, but regarding the baptism in Kyiv, G. G. Litavrin rightly noted: “No matter how witty this or that hypothesis may be, it should not contradict the testimony of all sources without exception.” This is exactly the case with the Kievan theory. Everything falls into place if we assume that Olga was baptized in 944 by Roman I. There was no need for Constantine to mention in the treatise an event two years ago, and even with the participation of a hated usurper father-in-law.

The indication of the Byzantine chronicler Skilitsa is of fundamental importance: “And the wife of a Russian archon who once set sail against the Romans, named Elga, when her husband died, sailed to Constantinople. Baptized and having shown preference to the true faith, after the preference (this) she was honored with a high honor, and returned home. This message is placed at the beginning of the reign of Constantine VII. It may mean that the baptized Olga arrived in Constantinople in 946 and was awarded a high honor. It is interesting for us that the princess was baptized shortly after the death of her husband.

It may be objected to us that it was purely physically impossible for Olga to be in Constantinople in 944: the PVL dates the death of Igor to 945, and the end of the fight against the Drevlyans in 946. It is mentioned that all summer after the death of Igor Olga stood near Iskorosten. However, after the scientifically substantiated re-dating of the campaign against the Greeks (943), all chronicle dates are shifted. If we take into account that the Old Russian year began on September 1, then there is nothing impossible in the fact that in the fall of 943 (944 according to the old style) an agreement was concluded with the Greeks, Igor was killed in winter, and spring went to reprisal against the Drevlyans. The mention of the siege of Iskorosten, which lasted all summer, does not matter to us here, since this is one of the latest inserts in the text of the chronicle. Thus. in the summer and autumn of 944, it was quite possible for Olga and, most importantly, urgently needed to be in Constantinople.

In summer or autumn, St. Olga arrived in Constantinople at the court of Emperor Romanus Lecapenus. Despite her desperate situation, the basileus received her favorably. The request for baptism and the offer of an alliance greatly pleased the emperor. He exclaimed: “Will I proclaim this word to the Patriarch!” . The elevation of a Christian princess to the Kyiv throne by the Byzantine troops would immediately provide the empire with a powerful and loyal ally. But even more attractive seemed to the widowed emperor the prospect of marrying the archontissa of the Rus, unusually smart and still beautiful. A personal union with the power of the Romans would immediately include Russia in the economic and political system of the empire. Christianization carried out by Princess Vasilisa would have been accomplished quickly and painlessly. Instead of strong and dangerous rivals of Byzantium, the Russians would have turned into peaceful citizens of the imperial outskirts.

Princess Olga - “I am a pagan, baptize me yourself”

Olga was well aware of the threat to Russia posed by the unexpected sympathy of the emperor. However, her position was not such that one could refuse directly. The princess, as always, found an unexpected and witty way out. “She, on reflection, answered the king: “I am a pagan; if you want to baptize me, then baptize me yourself, otherwise I will not be baptized.” An ordinary sailor who reached the royal purple, “Mr. Roman Vasilevs was a simple and illiterate man who did not belong<…>to those who followed Roman customs from the very beginning…” The Emperor, most likely, did not know about the church ban on marriage between a godfather and a goddaughter. Therefore, he did not notice the catch in Olga's words.

Soon, in Hagia Sophia of Constantinople, Emperor Roman and his son, Patriarch Theophylact, did what Olga sailed to Constantinople for. The first of the Russian princely house, St. Olga was baptized with the name Elena, in honor of the mother of Constantine the Great. This name contained a whole program of actions to convert Russia to Christianity. Understanding perfectly well the full importance of what had happened, the Patriarch turned to the holy princess with words that can be called the Annunciation to the Russian people: “Blessed are you in the Russian wives, for you loved the light, but left the darkness. The sons of Russia will bless you until the last generations of your grandchildren. St. Olga stood “like a soldered lip”, delving into the commandments of the Christian faith and into the principles of moral teaching. Listening to the instructions of the Patriarch on prayer, fasting, abstinence and observance of the church charter, she took the demand for generous alms especially close to her heart. It is with Olga that the tradition, so characteristic of Russian Christianity, of combining prudent state administration with widespread charity begins. And in this area, the work begun by St. Olga, was picked up and brought to an unprecedented scale by St. Vladimir.

However, political interests were not forgotten either. For Russia, which, according to the hope of St. Olga, was soon to become a Christian, it was necessary to secure a worthy place in the Christian world. The emperor was greatly disappointed when he learned that the princess managed to hold him and marriage between them was impossible, but his desire to establish a close alliance with Russia did not diminish. Roman "gave her numerous gifts - gold, and silver, and curtains, and various vessels." These funds were enough to recruit in Constantinople a solid military detachment from the Varangians who served there. With such forces, the return of the throne became quite real. But alliances have gone further. The emperor called Olga his "daughter". It was more than an honorary title. The fact that Roman became the princess's successor was an exceptional success. Prior to this, the emperor was considered a godfather only among the Bulgarian basileus. Now the rivalry with Bulgaria for supremacy in the Byzantine community has gone further. The Russian rulers moved from the last place in the system of international relations of the empire, determined by the title ocpxoov, to the first - υιοζ βασιλεωζ . Roman Lakapin, who consistently oppressed and humiliated the weakening Bulgarian kingdom, clearly wanted to convey its role in the commonwealth of a powerful and, moreover, separated from the empire by a great distance of Russia.

Pleased with such an extraordinary success, which greatly increased her chances in the struggle for the throne of Kyiv, St. Olga went for a farewell conversation with the Patriarch. She brought a precious dish to Hagia Sophia, possibly taken from imperial gifts. In 1252, it was still carefully kept in Constantinople, where it was seen by the Russian pilgrim Dobrynya Yadreykovich, the future Archbishop Anthony of Novgorod. In his notes, he noted: “A dish of great gold was served by Olga the Russian, when she took tribute, going to the Tsar-city. In the dish of Olzhin, there is a precious stone, Christ is written on the same stone; and from that Christ people receive seals on all good things; in the same dish, everything is topped with pearls.” In a conversation, St. Olga anxiously said: “My people and my son are pagans - may God save me from all evil.” She was clearly worried about the fate of the upcoming expedition to Kyiv. But the Patriarch reassured her: “Faithful child! You were baptized into Christ and put on Christ, and Christ will keep you as He has kept you.<…>Moses from Pharaoh, David from Saul, the three youths from the furnace, Daniel from the beasts - so He will deliver you from the wiles of the devil and from his nets. Encouraged by the Patriarch, St. the princess returned to Kyiv, where she faced a difficult struggle with the pagans for power and for the fate of Christianity in Russia.

We do not know how the political coup in Kyiv took place. It did not result in a serious armed civil strife - otherwise its traces would not have disappeared from the sources at all, and the relationship between mother and son would have been hopelessly damaged. Apparently, the diplomatic Olga managed to convince her son that it was not safe to make enemies in the person of the emperor and all Kyiv Christians. In the face of an army that far outnumbered the forces of his squad, Svyatoslav chose to yield. Undoubtedly, he hoped for a quick death of his already elderly mother. But St. Olga God let go another quarter of a century, of which 15 years she was the sole ruler of Kyiv.

The princess immediately fell upon state concerns, which she skillfully combined with the service of the Good News. The incident with Igor showed that the disorder of the tax system promotes robbery and rebellion, and the very possibility of killing the prince testified to the weak centralization of the state. And St. Olga travels all over Russia, establishing "lessons and graveyards" - the size and places of tribute collection, simultaneously strengthening her power in remote areas. Only in a sufficiently strong state could baptism be carried out quickly and without internal upheavals. The authors of the hagiographies single out another aspect of her reforming activity: fixing the amount of tribute was accompanied by its significant relief and more equitable redistribution. Christian mercy immediately left a seal on all the activities of St. Olga. Later, Jacob Mnich, in his praise, will describe with admiration how she lived, “decorating herself with alms, dressing the naked, giving drink to the thirsty, looking after strangers and showing mercy to every widow and orphan and beggar, and giving everyone what they need with peace and love of heart” .

According to the “Book of Powers”, Olga “going around the cities and villages throughout the Russtey of the earth, preaching piety to all people and teaching them the faith of Christ<…>tributes and dues are easy to set, and idols are crushing, and on the idol places the crosses of Christ are delivered. We do not know how wide was the scope of the missionary activity of St. Olga. Her sermon was, no doubt, ubiquitous. However, the destruction of pagan temples, most likely, did not go beyond the boundaries of her personal possessions (however, very extensive). St. Olga did not try to use force for the baptism of Russia, knowing how fierce the resistance of the pagans would be, and not considering the whip the best preacher of the Gospel. She was soon to realize that without a church organization independent of the Greeks, it would be unthinkable for Russia to accept Christianity as its own, popular religion. The baptism of the Bulgarians by St. Boris realized relatively quickly and painlessly, not least because he managed to get the Byzantines to grant autocephaly to the Bulgarian archdiocese. A close alliance with Roman I, it would seem, promised such an opportunity. But in Constantinople there was another unforeseen change.

Turn

Olga spent the whole summer of 945 near Iskorosten, fighting against the newly rebellious Drevlyans. It must have been there that ambassadors from Byzantium arrived with the message that on December 16, 944, Roman was overthrown and sent into exile by his own sons. Constantine Porphyrogenitus, who had been pushed into the background back in the 1920s, soon returned to power. In the event of a change of power in one of the allied countries, the Byzantine diplomatic order required the renegotiation of treaties. Olga decided to take advantage of this opportunity to go back to Constantinople and resolve the issues that worried her personally with the emperor.

This time, in addition to creating an independent church organization in Russia, Olga dreamed of strengthening her international authority. Apparently, she was guided by the idea of ​​“taking a detour” of Svyatoslav, who had a strong antipathy to Christianity. Her plans included marrying her son to a Byzantine princess. A marriage with a porphyry-bearing princess would immediately raise the prestige of the Russian sovereign, and the obstinate prince would be forced to be baptized. Together with him, the squad would be baptized, and then the whole country. Olga repeatedly told Svyatoslav, who feared ridicule from the soldiers if he adopted Christianity: “If you are baptized, then everyone will do the same.” Clearing the way to this marriage, Olga separated her son from his beloved Malusha, who had given birth to Vladimir just shortly before (according to the chronicle report, according to which Vladimir was a little over 70 in 1015). And although, according to pagan customs, there was nothing illegal in their marriage, the princess exiled her slave to Vybutovo.

Olga prepared thoroughly for the trip to Constantinople. The princess wanted this time to appear before the emperor in all the splendor of her power. The caravan that set off from Kyiv at the beginning of the summer consisted of dozens of ships, which accommodated 1,500 people. The retinue included the wives of the rulers of all the major centers of Russia, including at least 6 princesses. Olga was accompanied by several dozen ambassadors and merchants, representatives of the Kyiv boyars. The expedition was commanded by her somewhat mysterious relative, whom Konstantin calls anepsia - a nephew. We cannot assume that Svyatoslav himself is hiding under this name. Not to name the heir to Konstantin did not make any sense. Maybe it was the mysterious brother of Svyatoslav - Uleb, who is mentioned in general by the little reliable Joachim Chronicle? Its traces are also preserved in Igor's treaty with the Greeks. There, in one of the first places, Ulebov's wife, a very influential person, is mentioned. There is no Uleb himself, although the ambassador “Uleb from Volodislav” is mentioned. It is possible that this place should be read “Volodislav from Uleb”, since the chronicler could distort the text of the agreement in order to hide the unpleasant story that happened in the princely house: Uleb was killed by his brother because he professed Christianity.

The first disappointments awaited Olga immediately upon arrival in Constantinople. The ally of the overthrown Roman, and even arrived with a huge fleet, was greeted with incredulity. Then Olga recalled with bitter resentment how she was kept in the harbor for more than one week before being allowed into Constantinople. However, things gradually improved. Kyiv diplomats managed to achieve exclusive privileges for the princess. When on September 9, 946, a solemn reception took place in the magnificent hall - Magnavra, Olga approached the emperor, not supported, as usual, by two eun-ears. Instead of relying on proskinesis, the princess greeted the emperor with a slight bow and talked to him while standing. Among the frescoes in the tower of St. Sophia of Kyiv, which, as S. A. Vysotsky managed to prove relatively recently, depict Olga's visit to Constantinople, a scene of a reception at the emperor has been preserved. The princess in a stemma and a white maforia stands before the emperor alone, without the accompaniment of eunuchs. The artist recorded one more detail: instead of crossing his arms over his chest as a sign of humility, St. Olga holds them with raised palms towards the viewer. On the one hand, this gesture should fix her independence, on the other hand, this is the application of Prince Yaroslav, the customer for the paintings, to canonize her great-grandmother. The blessed ones are usually depicted on icons with their palms facing the viewer.

In the evening, a feast was given in honor of the princess. Olga received the right to sit at the same table with the zosts - the highest ladies of the court, who had the privilege of dining with the emperor. Thus, St. Olga received the same privilege. The atmosphere in the presence of the princess was already so family-like that the empress seated her seven-year-old daughter-in-law Berta, who was uncomfortable eating sitting on her children's throne, with her on the throne of Theophilus. When dessert was served, Olga found herself at the same table with the imperial family and again talked with the basil. After the feast, the retinue of Olga, divided according to the model of the Byzantine court into seven categories, were presented with the imperial “gifts of generosity”. Among the modestly gifted was a certain presbyter Gregory, apparently, who spiritually nourished the Christians from Olga's retinue. The people of Svyatoslav, whether through the disdain of the princess or the hostility of the Byzantines, ended up in the penultimate place, having received 5 miliaris each. The princess herself was presented with 500 miliaris in a golden bowl with jewels, a modest amount, but still a considerable one.

Duchess Olga. disappointment

But ahead of St. Olga was mostly disappointed. She was taken around Constantinople, the emperor invited her to the hippodrome, which is also depicted on the frescoes of Hagia Sophia. However, all this was done only in order to sweeten the bitter pill of the collapse of all her hopes to the proud princess. Allied agreements were renegotiated, trade negotiations were successful. Olga promised the emperor “howl to help” for the upcoming expedition to recapture Crete from the Arabs (which ended in failure in 949). However, she was denied ecclesiastical autocephaly. The unity of the Eastern Churches under the despotic rule of the Patriarch of Constantinople was the idee fixe of the Byzantines. The marriage project also failed. The fanatical hater of the “barbarians” and the zealot of the purity of the porphyry blood Constantine VII refused to marry his daughter, referring to the mythical prohibition of Constantine the Great to extradite the princesses abroad. Later, apparently referring to Olga's matchmaking, Constantine instructed his son: either to get his daughter as a wife, or to give your daughter to Vasileus as a wife or son of Vasileus, you must also reject this unreasonable request of theirs<…>Let the basil of the Romans never be related through marriage with a people committed to special and alien customs ... ". Even the title of "daughter of basileus" was not reserved for Olga. In his work “On Ceremonies”, Porphyrogenet stubbornly calls her archontissa.

The farewell reception on October 18 was already cold and tense. This time the retinue of the princess was divided into only four categories, and Olga herself was awarded the amount of only 200 miliaris. Representatives of the unfortunate fiance Svyatoslav were simply not invited. However, these small injections were for St. Olga is nothing compared to the main blow: the short-sightedness of the imperial court threatened the baptism of Russia.

Returning to Kyiv, St. Olga still did not lose hope and continued to prepare the ground for the adoption of Christianity. She starts building churches. Olga was the first to start the competition between Kyiv and Constantinople. The Saints of the “Apostle” of 1307, under May 11, contain the entry: “On the same day, the consecration of St. Sophia Kyiv in the summer of 6460” (925). This news is confirmed by the Joachim Chronicle and the German chronicler Titmar of Merseburg. Sophia Cathedral appeared in Kyiv, while the St. Sophia Monastery, founded by the princess, was to become a Christian cultural center and a supplier of personnel for the future Russian Church. Olga bequeathed the whole of her native Vybutskaya to the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos, built nearby, and in Pskov, after a vision she had had, she ordered the erection of a church in honor of the Holy Trinity.

The missionary preaching of St. Olga sowed the seeds of Christianity in the most remote regions of Russia. Small Christian communities sprang up everywhere. Even in the citadel of paganism - the squad of Svyatoslav, many were baptized. Svyatoslav, "if someone was going to be baptized, he did not forbid, but only laughed at him," however, he himself was adamant, and to all his mother's persuasions he only answered that for unbelievers "Christian foolishness is faith." The prince was not going to change the free life of a pagan Viking for the embarrassing joy of life in Christ. He was waiting for the moment when the seventy-year-old Olga would cede power to him. The princess understood this and strove to carry out the baptism of Russia as soon as possible: only in this case it was possible not to fear for the fate of the sprouts of Christian life planted by her.

But in Constantinople they remained just as deaf to the hopes of the mission among the Rus. This caused somewhere in the mid-50s. gap between St. Olga and the emperor. When Constantine, who needed urgent military assistance against the Arabs, sent a reminder of allied obligations to Kyiv, Olga escorted the ambassadors out, recalling the humiliations that she had endured in the harbor of Constantinople. Convinced of the futility of hoping for the Greeks, the princess decided to try her luck in the West, among the Latins.

Under 959, in the chronicle of the successor of Reginon of Pryumsky, there is an entry: “They came to the king, - as it turned out later, in a false way, - the ambassadors of Helen the Queen of Rugs, who was baptized in Constantinople under the Constantinopolitan emperor Roman, and asked to consecrate a bishop and priests for this people” . This message is so unusual that many, for example, A. V. Kartashev, out of misunderstood Orthodox patriotism, refused to believe in the possibility of such a step on the part of St. Olga. However, the fact remains: the princess sent ambassadors to the Saxon king Otto I, who was preparing to become the German emperor, with a request to establish a bishopric; this implied her autocephalous status. Olga hoped that Otto, who was a zealous missionary among the Slavs, would agree to such conditions. However, in the West, autonomies were never even heard of, and therefore, without thinking twice, they simply appointed the monk Libutius as a Russian bishop. However, his departure to Kyiv was delayed. The Byzantines reacted very nervously to the German interference in Russian affairs and immediately broke off relations with Saxony. Otto decided to use the question of the Russian episcopacy, blackmailing the Greeks with it in the struggle for recognition of his imperial title. Libutius died before reaching his diocese, and in 961 he was replaced by the notary of the royal office, brother Adalbert. He immediately left for the place, but the next year he returned back, “because he did not succeed in anything for which he was sent, and saw his efforts in vain; on the way back, some of his companions were killed, while he himself barely escaped with great difficulty.

From the message of the unlucky “Russian” bishop, it is not clear what happened in Kyiv and ruined all his plans. It is possible that St. Olga, making sure that Adalbert did not bring the desired autocephaly, again placed her hopes on Byzantium. This seems to be evidenced by the fact that in 961 the Rus took part in the expedition of the commander Nikephoros Foki to Crete. But something else is not excluded. The decisive and intolerant methods of planting Christianity, inherent in the German missionaries, caused an outburst of indignation among the pagan party in Kyiv. Olga had to cede power to her son. Around the beginning of the 60s. Svyatoslav regains his leading role in the Russian political arena. St. Olga goes into private life, devoting herself to the upbringing of her grandchildren so that they can continue the Christianization of Russia. She pinned special hopes on the eldest, Yaropolk. Worst of all, by the irony of history, the situation was with the youngest, Vladimir: in his family for a long time they could not forgive the grandmother of Malusha's exile.

Duchess Olga. The role of the ruler of the State

Svyatoslav embarked on long-planned military adventures, crushing one after another the commercial competitors of Russia. He completely forgot about Kyiv, and Olga had to take on the usual role of the ruler of the state during his field trips. The land, abandoned by the prince to the mercy of fate, became an easy prey for predatory nomads who flooded the Eastern European steppes after the “brilliant” defeat by Svyatoslav of Khazaria, which had hitherto held them back. “In the year 968. The Pechenegs came to Russian land for the first time, and Svyatoslav was then in Pereyaslavets ...”. St. Olga had to lead the defense of Kyiv. The city was saved by a miracle, only thanks to a trick that we can confidently attribute to the princess. Voevoda Pretich, having crossed to the city from the other side of the Dnieper, told the khan that he was leading the rearguard of the returning Svyatoslav. The name of the invincible warrior had an effect, and the Pechenegs retreated. And the people of Kiev sent a bitter reproach to the prince: “You, prince, are looking for someone else’s land and take care of it, but you left your own, and the Pechenegs almost took us, and your mother, and your children. If you do not come and protect us, then they will take us. Don’t you feel sorry for your fatherland, your old mother, your children?”

The shamed Svyatoslav quickly returned and defeated the Pechenegs. However, he soon got bored again in Kyiv. Confident in a close victory over the hated Byzantium and the creation of a great Eastern European empire, he decided to leave the inhospitable Dnieper expanses and move the capital to Pereyaslavets on the Danube. St. Olga no longer had the strength or desire to argue with her son, whose near and inglorious end she foresaw. The only thing she asked Svyatoslav was to wait for her approaching death: “When you bury me, go wherever you want.” “Three days later Olga died, and her son and her grandchildren and all the people wept for her with a great cry…”. She passed away to the Lord on July 11. With her death, not only the Kyiv Christians, who lost their powerful patroness, felt orphaned, but also the pagans, to whom the saint generously, without counting, gave alms. During her peaceful and wise reign, a whole generation of Kyivans has grown up.

They buried her, unusually for the princes of Kyiv, modestly and quietly. There were no fabulous riches placed in the coffin, no ritual funeral laments. The princess categorically forbade funeral feasts, face-dressing, and the laying of a mound over her grave; she ordered only the sending of gold to Constantinople to the Patriarch for the remembrance of the soul. Christian priests buried her with prayers and hymns, still unusual for Kyivans, about the resting place “where there is no sickness, no sorrow, no sighing.”

After the demise

A quarter of a century after the blessed death of St. Olga, when her prediction about the imminent baptism of Russia came true, St. Vladimir extracted the relics of his grandmother from the earth, which turned out to be incorrupt, and solemnly transferred them to the Church of the Tithes. They were laid in an open tomb and soon became one of the most important Kyiv shrines, from which many suffering people received healing. During the years of the Mongol invasion, the relics were hidden underground and were rediscovered only in the 17th century. Metropolitan Peter Mohyla. However, in the 18th century, at the time of the hidden persecution of the shrines, the Synod again seized them under pressure from the government, without vouching for their authenticity. Canonization of St. Olga was committed somewhere at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, quietly and inconspicuously, without any formal act - they never doubted her holiness.

The feat of St. Olga, perhaps, is not as noticeable and loud as the real revolution carried out in Russia by St. Vladimir. She was not destined to see Christian Russia. But, probably, it was not in vain that the compilers of the “Book of Powers” ​​placed the extensive life of the princess in the first place - outside the degrees. And it is no coincidence that a modest but emphasized veneration of the saint was always preserved in Russia. Without her labor in cultivating the seeds of faith on Russian soil, such a quick and stunning victory of Christianity under St. Vladimir. Her efforts to implement the full entry of Russia into the Byzantine community laid the foundation for the most powerful influence of Byzantine culture, which shaped Russian culture. Such features of the spiritual appearance of the first Russian saint as wisdom, calmness alien to exaltation, the ability to both prayerful deeds and state and cultural creativity forever determined the archetype of Russian holiness. And therefore, “sons of Russia, until the last descendants of grandchildren” will cherish in their hearts the eternal memory and gratitude to the great prayer book for the Russian land.

Accepted abbreviations:

PVL - The Tale of Bygone Years;

PSRL - Complete collection of Russian chronicles;

VV - Byzantine temporary;

VI - Questions of history;

VDI - Bulletin of Ancient History.

Princess Olga was the very first ruler who converted to Christianity. Moreover, this happened even before the baptism of Russia.

She ruled the state from hopelessness, since her husband, Prince Igor, was killed, and his heir, their son Svyatoslav, was still too small to rule. She ruled from 945 to 962.

After the murder of Prince Oleg, the Drevlyansky Prince Mal really wanted to take his place. His plans were to marry Princess Olga and capture Kievan Rus. He sent her a lot of gifts and jewelry through his ambassadors.

Olga was very smart and cunning. The first ambassadors of Mala, who sailed on a boat, she ordered to be carried along with the boat over the abyss, the ambassadors were thrown into the abyss and they were buried alive.

Olga burned the second batch of ambassadors in the bathhouse. Then she herself went to the prince of the Drevlyans, allegedly to get married, on that day more than 5,000 Drevlyans were drunk and killed.

The reign of Princess Olga.

Activities of Princess Olga.

Olga was inspired by the thought that she needed to take revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband.

She was going on a military campaign. It was 946. The siege of the Drevlyans continued almost all summer. In this case, Olga showed the strength of mighty Russia. After the siege, she sent a message that they were retreating, but asking the inhabitants to give them a dove and three sparrows from each Drevlyan. Then the birds were tied with lit tinder and released. So the city of Iskorosten was completely burned.

Domestic policy and reforms of Princess Olga.

Olga systematized the collection of taxes from the population. She organized special places for collecting tribute, which were called churchyards. The princess was actively engaged in urban planning and beautification of the territory.

All the lands that were in the power of the princess were divided by her into administrative units. Each unit was assigned its manager - tiun.

The foreign policy of Princess Olga.

Since Olga was still a woman, she rarely went on hikes. She developed the trade with her mind and quick wits. Olga was a supporter of a peaceful solution to the conflicts that arose. Scandinavians and Germans went to work as hired workers in the Russian troops.

Grand Duchess Olga

After the murder of Prince Igor, the Drevlyans decided that from now on their tribe was free and they could not pay tribute to Kievan Rus. Moreover, their prince Mal made an attempt to marry Olga. Thus, he wanted to seize the throne of Kyiv and single-handedly rule Russia. For this purpose, an embassy was assembled, which was sent to the princess.

The ambassadors brought with them rich gifts.

Mal hoped for the cowardice of the "bride" and that she, having accepted expensive gifts, would agree to share the throne of Kyiv with him.

At this time, Grand Duchess Olga was raising her son Svyatoslav, who, after the death of Igor, could claim the throne, but was still too small.

Governor Asmud took over the guardianship of the young Svyatoslav. The princess herself took up state affairs. In the fight against the Drevlyans and other external enemies, she had to rely on her own cunning and prove to everyone that a country that had previously been ruled only by the sword could be ruled by a woman's hand.

The war of Princess Olga with the Drevlyans

Accepting the ambassadors, Grand Duchess Olga showed cunning. By her order, the boat on which the ambassadors sailed , lifted up and carried into the city along the abyss.

At one point, the boat was thrown into the abyss. The ambassadors were buried alive. Then the princess sent a message with her consent to the marriage. Prince Mal believed in the sincerity of the message, deciding that his ambassadors had achieved their goal.

He gathered noble merchants and new ambassadors to Kyiv. According to the ancient Russian custom, a bath was prepared for the guests. When all the ambassadors were inside the bath, all exits from it were closed, and the building itself was burned. After that, a new message was sent to Mal, that the "bride" was going to him. The Drevlyans prepared a luxurious feast for the princess, which, at her request, took place not far from the grave of her husband, Igor.

The princess demanded that as many Drevlyans as possible be present at the feast. The prince of the Drevlyans did not mind, believing that this only increased the prestige of his fellow tribesmen.

All guests were drunk to satiety. After that, Olga gave a signal to her warriors and they killed everyone who was there. In total, about 5,000 Drevlyans were killed that day.

In 946 Grand Duchess Olga organizes a military campaign against the Drevlyans.

The essence of this campaign was a show of force. If earlier they were punished by cunning, now the enemy had to feel the military power of Russia. The young Prince Svyatoslav was also taken on this campaign. After the first battles, the Drevlyans retreated to the cities, the siege of which lasted almost the entire summer. By the end of the summer, the defenders received a message from Olga that she was fed up with revenge and no longer wants it.

She only asked for three sparrows, and also one dove from every inhabitant of the city. The Drevlyans agreed. Having accepted the gift, the princess's team tied an already lit sulfur tinder to the paws of the birds. After that, all the birds were released. They returned to the city, and the city of Iskorosten plunged into a huge fire. The townspeople were forced to flee the city, and fell into the hands of the warriors of Russia. Grand Duchess Olga condemned the elders to death, some to slavery. On the whole, the murderers of Igor were subjected to an even heavier tribute.

Acceptance of Orthodoxy by Olga

Olga was a pagan, but often visited Christian cathedrals, noticing the solemnity of their rites.

This, as well as Olga's extraordinary mind, which allowed her to believe in God Almighty, was the reason for baptism. In 955, Grand Duchess Olga went to the Byzantine Empire, in particular to the city of Constantinople, where the adoption of a new religion took place.

The patriarch himself was her baptist. But this was not the reason for the change of faith in Kievan Rus. This event did not alienate the Russians from paganism. Having adopted the Christian faith, the princess left the administration of the state, devoting herself to serving God.

She also took up helping in the construction of Christian churches. The baptism of the ruler did not yet mean the baptism of Russia, but it was the first step towards the adoption of a new faith.

The Grand Duchess died in 969 in Kyiv.

History of Russia / Princess Olga /

The reign of Princess Olga (briefly)

The reign of Princess Olga - a brief description

The opinions of researchers differ when it comes to the date and place of birth of Princess Olga.

The ancient chronicles do not give us accurate information whether she was from a noble family or from a simple family. Some are inclined to believe that Olga was the daughter of the Grand Duke Oleg the Prophet, while others argue that her family comes from the Bulgarian prince Boris. The author of the chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years" directly says that Olga's homeland is a small village near Pskov and that she is "from a simple family."

According to one version, Prince Igor Rurikovich saw Olga in the forest, where he was hunting game.

Deciding to cross a small river, the prince asked for help from a girl passing by on a boat, whom he at first mistook for a young man. The girl turned out to be pure in thought, beautiful and smart.

Later, the prince decided to take her as his wife.

Princess Olga, after the death of her husband (and also during the reign of Igor in Kyiv) from the Drevlyans, proved to be a firm and wise ruler of Russia. She dealt with political issues, managed with combatants, governors, complainants, and also received ambassadors. Very often, when Prince Igor went on military campaigns, his duties fell entirely on the shoulders of the princess.

After Igor was killed in 945 for the repeated collection of tribute, Olga cruelly repaid them for the death of her husband, showing unprecedented cunning and will.

Three times she killed the Drevlyan ambassadors, after which she gathered an army and went to war against the Drevlyans. After Olga was unable to take the main city of Korosten (while the rest of the settlements were completely destroyed), she demanded three sparrows and three doves from each house, and then ordered her soldiers to attach tinder to the paws of birds, set it on fire and let the birds go.

Burning birds flew to their nests. So Korosten was taken.

After the pacification of the Drevlyans, the princess took up tax reform. She abolished polyudia and divided it into areas of land, for each "lessons" (a fixed tax) were established. The main goal of the reforms was to streamline the tribute system, as well as to strengthen state authority.

Also during the reign of Olga, the first stone cities appeared, and her foreign state policy was carried out not with the help of military methods, but with diplomacy.

Thus, ties with Byzantium and Germany were strengthened.

The princess herself decided to accept Christianity, and although her baptism did not affect Svyatoslav's decision to leave pagan Russia, Vladimir continued her work.

Olga died in 969 in Kyiv, and in 1547 she was canonized as a saint.

Interesting materials:

Education

Politics of Princess Olga. Olga's foreign and domestic policy

Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna ruled in Kievan Rus after the death of her husband Igor Rurikovich and until the coming of age of her son Svyatoslav. She converted to Christianity with the name Elena.

History has not preserved information about the princess's date of birth, but the Book of Degrees says that she died presumably at the age of eighty. The impeccable and wise policy of Princess Olga made her a well-known historical figure almost all over the world.

life path

There is no reliable information about the place of her birth.

Chroniclers and modern historians put forward a variety of assumptions in this regard. As close as possible to the truth is the statement of Nestor the Chronicler in The Tale of Bygone Years that she comes from a simple family that lived in the small village of Vybuty, located on Pskov land. But no matter where Olga was born and no matter what tribe she belongs to, the wisdom of her policies and deeds are an integral part of Slavic history.

Before the death of Igor, there is practically no information about the princess.

The death of her husband put her in first place in the life of Kievan Rus, because Svyatoslav was three years old, and, of course, he was not fit to be a prince. She took over the management of the state, which was at that time in an extremely difficult situation, and for 19 years completely coped with all the problems. Olga's foreign and domestic policy created a single power with international authority.

Revenge on the Drevlyans

The first revenge of the princess was the burial of the Drevlyansk ambassadors alive. The reason for this was their proposal to marry her to their prince Mal. After that, she burned alive in the bathhouse the noble Drevlyans, who arrived after the first.

For the third time, Olga drugged 5,000 of their fellow tribesmen at her husband's feast, after which her small squad killed everyone. The final stage of revenge was the burning of the city of Iskorosten.

In these acts, in addition to cruel revenge, there is also a deep meaning. Olga had to show both well-wishers and enemies that she was not a weak woman, but a strong ruler. “The hair is long, and the mind is short,” they said about women in those days.

Therefore, she was forced to clearly demonstrate her wisdom and knowledge of military affairs in order to prevent the emergence of any conspiracies behind her back. For the second time, the princess did not want to get married, she preferred to remain a widow.

Thus, it became clear that Olga's foreign and domestic policy would be wise and fair. In fact, this bloody revenge was aimed at abolishing the power of the Mala dynasty, subordinating the Drevlyans to Kyiv and suppressing the nobility from neighboring principalities.

Related videos

Reforms and introduction of Christianity

After taking revenge on the Drevlyans, the princess established clear rules for collecting tribute.

This helped prevent outbreaks of discontent, one of which resulted in the murder of her husband. Graveyards were introduced near large cities. It was in these administrative and economic cells that the authorities collected tribute.

Olga's foreign and domestic policy has always been aimed at the centralization of state administration, as well as the unification and strengthening of Russian lands.

The construction of not only the Church of St. Nicholas, but also the St. Sophia Church in Kyiv is associated with the name of Olga.

Olga's foreign and domestic policy characterizes her not as a defenseless woman, but as a strong and reasonable ruler who firmly and confidently holds power over the whole country in her hands. She wisely defended her people from ill-wishers, for which people loved and respected her.

In addition to the fact that the ruler had a large number of positive qualities already mentioned, she was also attentive and generous to poor people.

Domestic politics

While the empress was in power, peace and order reigned in Kievan Rus.

The internal policy of Princess Olga was closely intertwined with the dispensation of the spiritual and religious life of the Russian people.

One of her most important achievements was the introduction of organized tribute collection points, on which later, after the ruler adopted Christianity, the first churches and temples began to be erected on the sites of churchyards. Since that time, the development of stone construction began. The first such buildings were the country tower and the city palace, which belonged to the empress.

The remains of their walls and foundations were excavated by archaeologists only in the early 70s of the XX century.

The domestic policy of Princess Olga is inextricably linked with the strengthening of the country's defense. Cities then literally overgrown with oak and stone walls.

Relations with neighboring principalities

Olga's foreign policy deserves special attention.

The table below contains the main deeds of the princess.

When the ruler established the state of affairs within Kievan Rus, she set about strengthening the international prestige of her country. The foreign policy of Princess Olga was diplomatic, in contrast to her husband.

At the beginning of her reign, she converted to Christianity, and the Byzantine emperor became her godfather.

Basically, the foreign policy of Princess Olga was aimed at improving relations with Byzantium.

And she did it well. For the sake of which part of the Russian squad participated together with the Byzantine army in hostilities, while maintaining the independence of their state.

In 968 Kyiv was attacked by the Pechenegs. The defense of the city was led by the princess herself, thanks to which he was spared from the siege.

During the reign of Olga, conditions were formed that created the advantage of conducting a peaceful foreign policy over a military one, if such was necessary.

Attempts to establish relations with the German Empire

Over time, friendly relations with Byzantium began to weaken, and Olga decided to find a strong ally.

She stopped her choice in Germany.

In 959, the princess sent a Russian embassy to Otto I with a request to provide priests for the introduction of Christianity in the Kyiv lands, as well as with an offer of friendship and peace.

He responded to Olga's calls, and in 961 several clergy led by Adalbert arrived to her.

True, they did not manage to deploy their activities on Kyiv territory, since at the end of her life Olga no longer had such influence as before.

In 964, power passed to Svyatoslav, who radically changed the tactics of state policy.

And, I must say, not for the better.

Princess Olga is one of the few female rulers in the history of Russia. Its role in strengthening the power of the ancient Russian state cannot be underestimated. This is the image of a wise, intelligent and at the same time cunning woman who, like a real warrior, was able to avenge the death of her husband Igor Stary.

There are few facts about her, as well as about other rulers, in the history of her personality there are controversial points, about which historians are debating to this day.

Origin of Princess Olga

There are many disputes about her origin, some believe that Olga was a peasant woman from Pskov, others consider the princess to be from a noble Novgorod family, and still others generally believe that she is from the Varangians.

Princess Olga wife of Igor

The princess was a worthy wife of the prince of Kyiv, she had in her possession Vyshgorod, near Kyiv, the villages of Bududino, Olzhichi and other Russian lands. While her husband was on campaigns, she was engaged in the internal politics of the Russian state.

She even had her own squad, and her own ambassador, who was third on the list of people who participated in negotiations with Byzantium, after Igor's successful campaign.

Revenge of Princess Olga Drevlyane

In 945, Igor Stary died at the hands of the Drevlyans. Their son was still small, and therefore the whole burden of governing the state falls on the shoulders of the princess. First of all, she took revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband.

Revenge - this one is almost mythical, but the story of it is truly impressive. It was this time that the wisdom of the princess, and her cunning, manifested itself most clearly.

The Drevlyans wanted Olga to marry their prince Mal, and sent their embassy in a boat. They said: “We neither ride horses nor walk, but carry us in a boat.” She agreed and ordered to dig a large hole, send people for the Drevlyans. The people of Kiev carried them in a boat, and I will throw them into a large pit, and buried them alive.

Then she sent a messenger to the Drevlyans with a message - “If you really ask me, then send the best husbands to go for your prince with great honor, otherwise the people of Kiev will not let me in.” The Drevlyans, having heard this, sent their best husbands. The princess ordered that a bathhouse be heated for them, and while they were washing, the doors were locked for them and the bathhouse was set on fire.

After that, Olga again sends a messenger to the Drevlyans - “I’m already going to you, prepare many honeys near the city where my husband was killed, but I’ll cry on his grave and arrange a feast for him.” She took with her a small squad and moved lightly to the Drevlyansk lands.

Having mourned her husband at his grave, she ordered to pour a great grave and start a feast. Then the feast began. The Drevlyans got drunk. The princess stepped aside and ordered to cut down the Drevlyans, and five thousand of them died.

Then she returned to Kyiv and began to prepare for the capture of the Drevlyane capital - Iskorosten. The siege of Iskorosten lasted a long time. Here she again showed her cunning. Realizing that the city could defend itself for a long time, she sent ambassadors to the city, and they made peace, obliged the Drevlyans to pay tribute in the amount of ... three doves and a sparrow from the yard. The Drevlyans were delighted, collected tribute and gave it to Olga. She promised to leave the very next day.

When it got dark, she ordered her warriors to tie tinder (smoldering material) to each dove and sparrow and let the birds go. The birds flew to their nests, which were in the barns, and in the hayloft.

The city of Iskorosten was on fire. People ran out of the city. The squad grabbed defenders and ordinary civilians. People were enslaved, killed, and someone was left alive, and forced to pay a large tribute. This is how gracefully and treacherously she avenged the death of her husband Igor Stary.

Years of government

Princess Olga ruled from 945-964.

Domestic policy of Princess Olga

After the massacre of the Drevlyans, Olga begins to actively engage in. Instead of polyudya, she established clear amounts of tribute for the lands that were under the rule of Kyiv. Established "statutes and lessons", "camps and traps", "graveyards". Graveyards - a place of tribute collection, as if becoming small centers of princely power.

The meaning of the princess's reforms was the rationing of duties, the centralization of power, and the weakening of tribal power. For a long time, she set this reform in motion, honing its mechanisms. This work did not bring her fame, did not overgrown with legends, but was of great importance in the formation of the Russian state. Now the Russian economy had an administrative-economic system.

Foreign policy of Princess Olga

During her reign, there was a lull. There were no major campaigns, Russian blood was not shed anywhere. Having completed domestic affairs, she decided to take care of the prestige of Russia on the world stage. And, if the predecessors Rurik, Oleg, and Igor gained authority for Russia with the help of force, military campaigns, then Olga preferred to use diplomacy. And here her baptism into Orthodoxy acquired special significance.

Princess Olga and Orthodoxy

“Olga from an early age searched for wisdom, what is the best thing in this world, and found a valuable pearl - Christ.” The princess converted to Orthodoxy and became the first Christian ruler in Russia.

Historians argue, where did she accept the Orthodox faith, in Kyiv or in Constantinople? Most likely, in Kyiv, she only got acquainted with Christianity, and received direct baptism already in Byzantium, where she was accompanied by the Kyiv priest Gregory.

The Byzantine Emperor himself became the godfather of the Russian princess. This state of affairs dramatically increased the prestige of Kyiv and elevated the princess among other representatives of other states. Getting the godchildren of the Byzantine Emperor is worth a lot. Her baptism did not entail the introduction of Christianity in Russia, but her grandson will continue the work begun.

Olga is the first Russian saint. It was from her that Orthodoxy began. Her name will forever go down in the history of our country as the name of a heroine woman who sincerely loved her husband, her Motherland and her people.

Olga and her son Svyatoslav

Olga was the mother of the famous Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich, who will continue her work in the formation and strengthening of the Russian state. There were many contradictions in the relationship between mother and son. Olga was Orthodox. Svyatoslav did not want to be baptized, he was afraid that the squad would not approve of his act, he was an ardent defender of paganism. The son went down in history as a talented commander and a good warrior.

Princess Olga and her life in tables

The main directions of domestic and foreign policy of Princess Olga in the table

Icon of Princess Olga

Princess Olga video