The foreign policy of Prince Olga. Grand Duchess Olga
According to the surviving data, each time leaving Kyiv, Grand Duke Igor left the management of the new Slavic state to his wife Olga. It was she who in this period negotiated with the governors, received ambassadors and was engaged in other political affairs. Based on these facts, we can safely say that even then Olga was able to learn the basics of governing the country, even before the death of her husband.
It so happened that domestic politics Princess Olga after the murder of Prince Igor by the Drevlyans, for the most part, concerned precisely revenge and pacification of this tribe. In 945, the Drevlyans sent ambassadors to Olga for the first time with a proposal from their prince Mala to become his wife. However, the cunning princess orders to meet the guests with honor, bringing them to her tower in boats, after which the embassy was thrown into a pit and buried alive.
After that, Olga sends ambassadors to Mal with a request to send her the best husbands to accompany her. This time the soldiers were burned in the bathhouse. However, revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband had just begun. Further, Olga informed the Drevlyans that she wanted to celebrate a feast at the place of her husband's death by preparing intoxicated honey. During the feast, the Drevlyans became drunk and were easily killed by Olga's small squad.
A year later, the Drevlyans were finally defeated, and their capital was burned. The successful capture of the powerful Korosten was also not without the fine strategy of the princess. As a tribute, she demanded three sparrows and a dove from each dwelling. After fulfilling the order, the princess ordered to tie a piece of tinder to the paws of the birds to the combatants, set fire to and release the birds. People running out of the fortified city were immediately killed, and a considerable tribute was laid on the survivors.
This was not the end of Olga's internal policy and she ordered to replace polyudya with graveyards. For each graveyard, a certain lesson with a fixed amount was established. The tax reforms of the princess were able to streamline the former tax collection system, as well as strengthen Kiev's authority.
Of course, special attention deserves and foreign policy Olga, carried out with the help of diplomacy. It was the princess who managed to strengthen the connection without military conflicts. Kievan Rus and Byzantium (and also with Germany). So in 957 Olga went to Constantinople, where she later adopted Christianity with the name Elena. This significantly accelerated the Christianization of Rus' and its subsequent unification with other Christian powers.
Ancient chronicles give conflicting information about the place and date of Olga's birth, whether she comes from a princely family or she is of an humble family, and disputes about this are still going on. Someone calls her the daughter of Prince Oleg the Prophetic, other sources believe that her family comes from Bulgaria from Prince Boris. The famous Nestor in The Tale of Bygone Years indicates Olga's homeland in a village near Pskov, and that she is from the common people.
Also, in the biography of Princess Olga, only brief information has been preserved.
According to one of the legends, Prince Igor Rurikovich met Olga in the forest when he was having fun hunting. Deciding to cross the river, he asked Olga, who was passing by on a boat, to transport him, mistaking her for a young man. The girl turned out to be very beautiful, smart and pure thoughts. Later, Prince Igor married Olga.
Princess Olga of Kiev proved to be a very wise ruler in Rus'. During the military campaigns of Prince Igor, she dealt with political issues, received ambassadors, dealt with complainants, governors, combatants. Prince Igor and Princess Olga were not only a happy married couple, but also ruled the country together, sharing managerial responsibilities.
Igor led the war and resolved tribal issues, while Olga was engaged in the internal life of the country.
In 945, Prince Igor was killed by the Drevlyans for the repeated collection of tribute. Princess Olga cruelly took revenge on the rebels, showing cunning and strong will.
To settle the matter with Olga, the Drevlyans sent 20 husbands to her with an offer to marry their prince Mal. By Olga's order, they were met and carried with honor right in the boats, and at the place of arrival they were thrown into a pit prepared in advance and buried alive.
Then Princess Olga sent her ambassadors to the Drevlyane land with a demand to send the best husbands for her in order to come to them with great honor. The bathhouse was flooded for the new ambassadors, where they were locked up and then burned.
And again Olga sent ambassadors and demanded that honey be prepared in order to celebrate a feast at her husband's grave. The princess arrived with a small retinue. During the feast, the Drevlyans became drunk, and Olga's squad cut them down with swords.
But the revenge of Princess Olga on the Drevlyans did not end there. She gathered an army and the next year went to the Drevlyansk land. The Drevlyans were defeated, but their main city, Korosten, was not taken.
Then Olga demanded tribute from them in the amount of three doves and three sparrows from each yard. The besieged inhabitants of the city were delighted with such a small payment and fulfilled her desire. Olga ordered the soldiers to tie pieces of tinder (tinder is a flammable material such as grass, sawdust, bark, paper) to the legs of the birds and release them into the wild. The birds flew to their nests, and soon Korosten was on fire. People who fled the city were killed or enslaved, and heavy tribute was imposed on the rest.
Having pacified the Drevlyans, Grand Duchess Olga actively engaged in tax reform. She abolished polyudia, divided the lands into "graveyards" (regions) and established "lessons" (a fixed amount of tax) for each graveyard. The meaning of the reforms of Princess Olga was to create an orderly system of tribute collection, weakening tribal power and strengthening the authority of the Kyiv prince.
Princess Olga's son Svyatoslav was still small after the death of Prince Igor, so power was concentrated in Olga's hands. And then Olga's reign in Rus' continued, because. Svyatoslav very often went on military campaigns.
Under Princess Olga, the first stone structures began to be built in Kyiv, new cities appeared, surrounded by strong stone walls.
The foreign policy of Princess Olga was carried out not by military methods, but by diplomacy. She strengthened international ties with Germany and Byzantium.
Relations with Greece revealed to Olga how much the Christian faith is higher than the pagan one. In 957, she undertook a trip to Constantinople to be baptized by Emperor Constantine VII himself (although some sources speak of his co-ruler Roman II) and Patriarch Theophylact. At baptism Kyiv princess named Elena.
The Byzantine emperor, fascinated by the beauty and intelligence of the Russian princess, decided to marry her. Olga, true to her memory of her husband, managed to reject the proposal without offending the emperor.
Olga's attempts to convert her son Svyatoslav to Orthodoxy were unsuccessful, apparently because Svyatoslav was afraid of losing the authority and respect of his squad, although he did not prevent others from converting to Christianity.
The baptism of Princess Olga did not lead to the establishment of Christianity in Rus', but she had a great influence on her grandson Vladimir, who continued her work.
Princess Olga died in 969 in Kyiv. And only in 1547 she was recognized as a saint.
Princess Olga was the very first ruler who converted to Christianity. Moreover, this happened even before the baptism of Rus'.
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 Rus'. 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 Kiev 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 Kiev 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 Rus'. 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 Rus'. 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 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 helped with the construction Christian churches. The baptism of the ruler did not yet mean the baptism of Rus', 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 Prophetic Oleg, 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 Rus'. 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 external public policy carried out not by military means, but by 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 Rus', Vladimir continued her work.
Olga died in 969 in Kyiv, and in 1547 she was canonized as a saint.
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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 famous historical figure practically 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 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.
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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. Near big cities graveyards were introduced. 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 big amount already mentioned positive qualities, she was still attentive and generous to the 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 graveyards. 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 her godfather became a Byzantine emperor.
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
With 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 succeed in expanding 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.
It is believed that a woman is less endowed with the ability to manage the state, to solve domestic and foreign policy problems than a man. However, in Russian history there are many examples that refute this traditional opinion. And one of them is the reign of Olga.
Where is she from, Princess Olga, what kind? Was she of noble birth or was she born into a simple family? The chronicles do not give an exact answer to this question. According to some sources, Prince Igor accidentally met Olga while hunting in his possessions, and fell in love with a humble girl so much that he made her a princess.
There is no record of her youth either. Her story begins after the death of her husband, when she, with the support of the governor, took the princely throne before her son Svyatoslav came of age.
The first thing Olga did was to restore order in the lands subject to her with a firm hand. Traditions have preserved information about this as revenge on the Drevlyans. Their head Mal, allegedly desiring to marry Olga in order to annex Kyiv to his possessions, sent messengers to Olga. The princess ordered them to be buried in the ground, and she herself asked to tell Mal that she did not mind getting married, but she needed more noble Drevlyans to come to Kiev, otherwise the inhabitants of Kiev would not give consent to the marriage. Mal fulfilled the condition. The second batch of messengers was expected to die in a burning hut, set on fire by order of Olga.
Further, the stern princess went to the Drevlyans and laid siege to their city of Korosten. Waiting until the besieged began to beg for mercy, she said that she would leave the city if its inhabitants sent several pigeons from each courtyard to her. The Drevlyans, who believed her, hurried to fulfill the demand, but did it to themselves on the mountain: Olga tied smoldering coals to the paws of the birds, and, returning home, they set fire to the city.
This was the end of Olga's revenge. Through the prism of centuries, it is no longer clear whether all her actions were related to the Drevlyans and whether it was revenge for the death of her husband, or whether she pacified all those who tried to rebel in a similar way, but only after some time peace and tranquility were established in the state.
Governance reforms
Olga established and streamlined the collection of tribute. She divided her lands into administrative units, each of which was ruled by a tiun - a tribute collector and a princely protege. He solved all issues, was the representative of the supreme power.
In 946, Olga made a personal inspection of the territories of the principality, traveling around Northern Rus'. Until the time of Nestor in Pskov, they took care of the sleigh on which the princess made her journey. The princess introduced new system- a system of churchyards, that is, places where they traded and where taxes were collected. It was on the graveyards that later they began to build temples. Many of these places have turned into cities.
The princess laid the foundation for stone construction: the first stone buildings in Kyiv were her palace and country tower.
Having traveled around Northern Rus', Olga returned to Kyiv. She had to educate and instruct her heir Svyatoslav.
Adoption of Christianity
Princess Olga was a far-sighted politician. In her travels, she got acquainted with the life of other states and tried to adopt what seemed to her to be conducive to the development of Rus'. So, in 955, she went to Constantinople to learn more about the Christian religion. Olga understood that Christianity was exactly the faith that could play big role in the further rallying of Kievan Rus, will help to strengthen the princely power.
The Greeks received the Russian princess with honor. The idea that Christianity could spread in Rus', and Byzantium would gain unlimited influence on the young state, appealed to them. The patriarch himself talked with Olga, spoke about the life and death of Christ, about his teachings, performed the rite of baptism.
The emperor Konstantin Porphyrogenitus became the godfather of the Russian princess, who arranged a rich feast in her honor, gave her a lot of golden chervonets. Legend has it that he was struck by Olga's beauty and intelligence, even proposed marriage to her. However, the princess, giving away expensive furs, politely declined the offer. It is not known how true the legend is: after all, Olga by the time of her trip to Constantinople was already far from young. However, its very appearance speaks of how honored and respected the princess Rusichi.
Olga also tried to persuade Svyatoslav to adopt a new religion, but he did not heed her advice. However, the fact that Olga became a Christian still played a role: in the future, when Prince Vladimir decides to baptize Rus', he will remember the example of his grandmother Olga.
Olga died in 969, having retired from business 3 years before her death and handing over the reins of government to her son Svyatoslav.
Board results
It would seem that Olga's reign began with rather cruel actions on her part. However, the people did not have hatred for her, on the contrary, she was long remembered as Olga the Wise. The condition in which she inherited the principality required the adoption of immediate and decisive measures. Having established peace in her principality, Olga took up its improvement. Under her there were no bloody wars, trade flourished, cities grew. The people bitterly mourned the strict but fair ruler, under whom Rus' lived a peaceful life for 20 years.
Princess Olga (945-957?). Ruled for the son of Igor Svyatopolk, since he was a minor. As soon as she began to rule, she went to the Drevlyans to avenge her husband (946). In the annals, this event is described as follows: the first ambassadors of the Drevlyans were buried alive in a boat, throwing it into a pre-dug hole. The second - burned in the bath. Then Olga went to the Drevlyans, said that she had forgiven them, ordered to prepare a feast for the murdered Igor, and when they got drunk, she ordered to kill them. The following year, she went on a campaign with the young Svyatoslav, besieged Korsun (the main city of the Drevlyans) for a year, but they did not give up. Then she asked for pigeons as a ransom, they happily agreed, but Olga, tying papers with sulfur on them, which they set on fire, released them into the wild - the whole city burned down. In 946-947. Olga carried out reforms. The princess understood that there was only one way to prevent a new uprising of the conquered tribes - to streamline the amount of tribute collected from the dependent population. To do this, according to the reform, the polyudya system is replaced by a new procedure for collecting tribute. Special fortified points were created - graveyards, to which representatives of the princely administration were sent, who accepted the tribute brought here from the population. Its size was precisely established in advance by charters (certain rules for determining the amount of tribute) and lessons. These reforms were very great value to strengthen the state of Kievan Rus. By establishing charters and lessons, Olga subjugated the Drevlyans to Kyiv and strengthened power, establishing tribute and churchyards in Novgorod land and other lands.
In 955 - Olga's trip to Tsargrad, her baptism and adoption of the name Elena. Referred to the saints.
Domestic and foreign policy of Svyatoslav
Svyatoslav was born in 940. In 945 he became a prince, but Olga ruled instead of him. He spent his entire life traveling. In 964, the Chronicle tells how he grew up, how he went on a campaign to the Desna River, met the Vyatichi and said “Give tribute”, and they replied that they were paying it to the Khazars.
In 965, Svyatoslav goes to the Khazars and captures their city - Belaya Vezha. In 966, he goes to the Vyatichi and subordinates them to Kyiv. Later Svyatoslav participates in the Bulgarian wars. Ambassadors are sent to Kyiv, who ask Svyatoslav to attack the Bulgarians. This was beneficial to Byzantium, as it would weaken Rus' and destroy the Bulgarians, their enemies, at the same time. In 968, Svyatoslav goes to the Bulgarians and is based in the city of Pereyaslavets. At the same time, the Pechenegs attack Kyiv, so Svyatoslav leaves the Bulgarians and goes to defend the capital. At the same time, Olga dies, so Svyatoslav sits Yaropolk on the Kiev throne, Vladimir on the throne of Novgorod, and he goes to Pereyaslavets and fights against Byzantium (970-971). The wars ended with a peace treaty.
In 972, Svyatoslav died in battle against the Pechenegs.
Religious pagan reform Kyiv prince Vladimir
Under 980 The history records the following events: “Prince Volodimer has begun in Kiev alone. And put idols on a mound outside the yard of the tower: Perun is wooden, and his head is silver, and his mustache is golden, And Kharsa, And Dazhbog, And Stribog, And Semargl, And Makosh ... " The installation of idols in Kyiv, described by the chronicler, was not a common thing or only the renewal of old sanctuaries. According to the agreements with the Greeks, there were two official cults: the cult of Perun and the cult of Volos. Perun became the head of a whole pantheon of six gods, and Dazhdbog, whose veneration was widespread, got into the pantheon only as a minor god. The new idols were placed not in the distance “on a hill”, as Perun stood in the time of Igor, but directly with the princely palace complex, but not inside it, which would close the service in a narrow court circle, but “outside the tower courtyard”, in the very center of Kiev fortresses. The pagan reform, undertaken immediately after the seizure of power in Kyiv, pursued three goals: first, it emphasized the sovereignty of the young Russian state in relation to Christian Byzantium; secondly, it strengthened the position of the Grand Duke, the main military leader of the country, since the god of thunder and military success, patronizing the soldiers, became the head of the pantheon.
Adoption of Christianity
In 988 in Rus', Prince Vladimir adopted Christianity according to the Eastern model. The chronicle describes the moment of the adoption of Christianity in this way: ambassadors of different faiths came to him, but Vladimir chose Christianity. In general, Rus' was already familiar with Christianity before this - these are legends about the Apostle Andrew, wars with Byzantium, the adoption of Christianity in higher circles (for example, Olga was baptized in 955). Since 988, Christianity began to officially spread throughout Rus'. Baptism is not peaceful everywhere: in Novgorod, the confrontation between the population, faithful to the traditional religion, and the Christian squad resulted in a bloody confrontation. At the end of the IX-XI centuries. bishoprics were founded in the most important cities: Novgorod, Polotsk, Rostov, Belgorod, Chernigov, Pereyaslavl. A cathedral Church of the Tithes is being built in Kyiv, for the maintenance of which the prince allocated a tenth of his income. In the reign of Prince Yaroslav, monasticism appears. The Greek clergy brought along with the new religion new concepts of the rights and duties of the ruler and subjects, the idea of the ruler as a shepherd responsible before God for the well-being of the people subject to him. Representatives church hierarchy were at first natural allies of the princes. The personal power of the princes after the baptism of Rus' was significantly strengthened. The introduction of Christianity was not only a huge cultural and historical event, but also a major political act that strengthened the cultural and ideological unity of the young state. With the adoption of Christianity in Rus', literacy, bookishness, and written laws spread, the idea of the world changed, and the morals of people softened. Christianity in Rus' was combined with paganism, that is, there was dual faith.
17. Stages of Christianization of Old Russian lands. The influence of the "baptism" of Rus' on the historical fate of the Eastern Slavs
X-XI centuries - Baptism of princes and their entourage. The capture of cities by Christians - the main sacred centers. The defeat of open and organized opposition to the planting of Christianity, the removal of the Magi from the political arena.
XI-XIII centuries - Baptism of urban communities. Cessation of competition between Magi and princes and the latter's loss of interest in planting Christianity. Transition religious war in the "cold" phase. Teachings against paganism. Parallel existence of two cults in the urban environment (with the dominance of paganism in the rural district).
XIII-XIV centuries. - Elimination by the church (with the support of the Tatars) of urban paganism. The cessation of pagan rites in cities, the cessation of the functioning of large sanctuaries. The beginning of the penetration of Christianity into the rural district. The death of the rite of cremation.
XIV-XVI centuries - Christianization of villagers. The emergence of syncretic "folk Orthodoxy". The extinction of paganism as an independent cult.
XVII–XVIII centuries - The last mention of Russian pagans.
XVIII–XIX centuries - Evangelization of the Russian village, the eradication of "ritualism" and "remnants of paganism" in the Orthodox peasantry.
20th century - A fall Russian Empire and the Orthodox Church.
