Rurik………………………………………………………………………………………..…3

Prince Oleg………………………………………………………………………………………..……..5

Prince Igor………………………………………………………………………………………..……7

Princess Olga……………………………………………………………………………….9

Prince Svyatoslav………………………………………………………………………………………..……13

Prince Yaropolk………………………………………………………………………………16

Prince Vladimir………………………………………………………………………………………..…..17

Literature………………………………………………………………………………………..19

"History, in a sense, is holy book peoples:
main, necessary; a mirror of their existence and activity;
the tablet of revelations and rules; the covenant of ancestors to posterity;
a complement to the present and an example of the future.”

N. M. Karamzin

Rurik

The formation of the Russian state dates back to 862, and this event is associated with the names of Rurik and his brothers Sineus and Truvor. Perhaps these names appeared from legends, but they came to us from the words of Nestor (XI and early XII centuries), Sylvester (died in 1123) and other chroniclers. Among the “others” the legendary chronicler Joachim is most often named. The historian V.N. Tatishchev also refers to it when he writes: “The northern writers of the ancient Russian sovereigns remember several names on strangers’ occasions without all the circumstances, or maybe they have some circumstances, but new writers, choosing from them, neglected and left it locked.” However, N.M. Karamzin believes that Joachim’s name is fictitious. Among the “closed” princes, Tatishchev names Gostomysl, who allegedly had four sons and three daughters. The sons died without leaving children, and from the middle daughter, who was married to the Finnish king, a son, Rurik, was born. Gostomysl, according to Nestor, died in 860. In this case, Tatishchev used the so-called Joachim Chronicle, which he attributed to the Novgorod bishop Joachim. Most modern historians believe that this chronicle was compiled much later, in the 17th century. But the legend is persistent and cannot be ignored.

So, if you believe Nestor, three Varangian brothers appeared in Rus' in 862. They were invited to rule the Novgorodians (Ilmen Slovenes), as well as the Krivichi, all the Chud. But, as proven by the most prominent expert on Russian chronicles, Academician A.A. Shakhmatov, the legend about the calling of the Varangian princes is of Novgorod origin and was recorded in the chronicle only at the beginning of the 12th century. The princes are called brothers, which reflected the union of three tribes - Slovenian (Slavic), Finnish (Vesi) and Krivichi.

Surrounded by a large Scandinavian squad, these ambitious Varangians left their fatherland forever. Rurik arrived in Novgorod, Sineus - in Beloozero, not far from modern Beloozersk, in the region of the Finnish Vesi people, and Truvor - in Izborsk, the city of the Krivichi. Smolensk and Polotsk still remained independent and did not take part in the calling of the Varangians.

Consequently, as N.M. narrates. Karamzin, “the power of three rulers, united by ties of kinship and mutual benefit, extended only from Estonia and the Slavic Keys, where we see the remains of Izborsk. That is, we are talking about the former St. Petersburg, Estland, Novgorod and Pskov provinces.”

Two years later, after the death of Sineus and Truvor (according to some sources, the brothers were killed in 864), their elder brother Rurik, annexing the regions to his principality, founded the Russian monarchy. “Its borders have already reached in the east to the present Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod provinces, and in the south - to the Western Dvina; Already Merya, Murom and Polotsk depended on Rurik” N.M. Karamzin).

The chroniclers attribute the next important event to this time. Two of Rurik's close associates - Askold and Dir - perhaps dissatisfied with him, went with a small squad from Novgorod to Constantinople (Constantinople) to seek their fortune. On the way there, on the high bank of the Dnieper, they saw a small town and asked whose it was. They were told that its builders, three brothers, had died long ago and that the peace-loving inhabitants were paying tribute to the Khazars. It was Kyiv. Askold and Dir took possession of the town, invited many residents from Novgorod and began to rule in Kyiv.

Consequently, as N.M. writes. Karamzin, “...the Varangians founded two autocratic regions in Rus': Rurik in the north, Askold and Dir in the south.”

In 866, the Slavs, led by Askold and Dir, attacked the Byzantine Empire. Having armed 200 ships, these knights, experienced in voyages since ancient times, penetrated the navigable Dnieper and the Russian (Black) Sea into the territory of Byzantium. They devastated the outskirts of Constantinople with fire and sword, then besieged the capital from the sea. The Empire saw its formidable enemies for the first time, and for the first time the word “Rusich” (“Russian”) was pronounced with horror. Having learned about the attack on the country, its emperor Michael III hurried to the capital (at that time he was out of the country). But it was not so easy to defeat the attackers. However, a miracle helped. A storm began, and the light boats of the Russians were scattered across the sea. The Byzantines were saved. Few soldiers returned to Kyiv.

Rurik reigned as sole ruler in Novgorod for 15 years. He died in 879, entrusting the rule of the principality and his young son Igor to his relative Oleg.

The memory of Rurik as the first ruler of Rus' has remained immortal in our history. The main task of his reign was the unification of some Finnish tribes and the Slavic people into a single power, as a result, over time, the entire Muroma and Merya merged with the Slavs, adopting their customs, language and faith. Thus, Rurik is considered the ancestor of Russian princes.

Prince Oleg

The news of Rurik's success attracted many Varangians to Rus'. Probably among his entourage was Oleg, who began to rule Northern Russia after the death of Rurik. Oleg went to conquer the Dnieper lands in 882, captured Smolensk - the city of free Krivichi, and the ancient city of Lyubech (on the Dnieper). Oleg took possession of Kiev by cunning and killed Askold and Dir, and he showed little Igor to the glades, saying: “Here is the son of Rurik - your prince.”

The navigable Dnieper, the convenience of having relations with various rich countries - with the Greek Kherson (in the Crimea), Khazar Taurida, Bulgaria, Byzantium captivated Oleg, and he said: “Let Kiev be the mother of Russian cities” (chronicle).

The vast Russian possessions did not yet have stable internal connections. Between Novgorod and Kiev lived peoples independent of Rus'. The Ilmen Slavs bordered on the whole, the whole - on the Merya, the Merya - on Muroma and Krivichi. In 883, Oleg conquered the Drevlyans (Pripyat River), in 884 - the Dnieper northerners, in 885 - the Radimichi (Sozh River). Thus, having subjugated neighboring peoples and destroyed the rule of the Khazar Khagan, Oleg united the lands of Novgorod and Kyiv. Then he conquered the lands along the banks of the Sula River (neighboring Chernigov), part of the Polotsk and Volyn lands.

Kyiv was attacked by the Ugrians (Hungarians), who once lived near the Stone Belt (Ural), and in the 9th century. - east of Kyiv. They were looking for new places to live. Oleg let these people through without military clashes. The Hungarians crossed the Dnieper and took possession of the lands between the Dniester and the Danube.

By this time, Igor, the son of Rurik, had matured. Accustomed from childhood to obedience, he did not dare to demand his inheritance from the power-hungry Oleg, surrounded by the splendor of victories, the glory of conquests and brave comrades who considered his power legitimate, for he was able to exalt the state.

In 903, Oleg chose a wife for Igor, the legendary Olga, famous at that time for her feminine charms and good behavior alone. She was brought to Kyiv from Pleskov (now Pskov). This is what Nestor wrote. According to other sources, Olga was of a simple Varangian family and lived in the village, not far from Pskov. She adopted her name, according to N.M. Karamzin, on behalf of Oleg, as a sign of his friendship for her or as a sign of Igor’s love for him.

Oleg decided to attack Byzantium. In 907, he assembled two thousand ships with forty warriors on each ship. The cavalry walked along the shore. Oleg ravaged this country, brutally dealt with the inhabitants (“sea of ​​blood”), and besieged Constantinople (Constantinople). The Byzantines hastened to pay off. The winner demanded from them twelve hryvnias for each soldier of the fleet. The Byzantines granted Oleg's request, after which peace was concluded (911). Returning from this campaign, the Russians brought home a lot of gold, expensive fabrics, wine and all other wealth.

This peace, beneficial to the Russians, was approved by the sacred rites of faith: the emperor swore by the Gospel, Oleg and his warriors swore by weapons and the gods of the Slavic people - Perun and Volos. As a sign of victory, Oleg hung his shield on the gates of Constantinople and returned to Kyiv. The people warmly welcomed Oleg and unanimously called him prophetic, that is, wise.

Then Oleg sent his ambassadors to Byzantium (and as later retellings of the chronicles tell) with a letter, from which it is clear that the Russians were no longer presented as savage barbarians. They knew the sanctity of honor and had their own laws that approved personal security, property, the right of inheritance, the power of wills, and conducted internal and external trade.

Oleg, humbled by years, already wanted silence and pleasure universal peace. None of the neighbors dared to interrupt his calm. And in his old age he seemed formidable. The Magi predicted Oleg's death from his horse. From that time on, he stopped mounting his pet. Four years have passed. One autumn, the prince remembered the sage’s prediction and laughed at him, since the horse had been dead for a long time. Oleg wanted to look at the bones of the horse, stood with his foot on the skull, and said: “Should I be afraid of him?” But there was a snake in the skull. She stung the prince, and the hero died. You can believe or not believe that Oleg was actually bitten by a snake, but such a legend has come down to our time from the past. The people mourned Oleg. Having annexed the richest lands to his power, the prince was the true founder of its greatness.

If Rurik's possessions extended from Estonia and Volkhov to Beloozero, the mouth of the Oka and the city of Rostov, then Oleg conquered all the lands from Smolensk, the Sula and Dniester rivers to the Carpathians.

Oleg, having reigned for 33 years, died at a ripe old age. The prince's body was buried on Mount Shchekovitsa, and the Kyiv residents, Nestor's contemporaries, called this place Oleg's grave (Oleg's other supposed burial place is Staraya Ladoga).

Some modern domestic historians are trying to reinterpret Nestor’s famous chronicle “The Tale of Bygone Years”, speaking, in particular, about “attributing” to Oleg many victories over neighboring tribes and the merit of annexing vast lands to Rus'. They also do not agree with the fact that it was Oleg who made the campaign against Constantinople, giving the laurels of primacy to Askold and shifting the date of the event from 907 to 860.

You can, of course, sow doubts, but we must not forget that Nestor described what was happening nine centuries before us and looked at these events through the eyes of both a historian and a contemporary; he assumed power already in adulthood.

Prince Igor

Oleg's death encouraged the defeated Drevlyans, and in 913 they tried to free themselves from Kyiv. Igor pacified them and added tribute. But soon new enemies, strong in numbers, terrible in insolence and robbery, appeared in Rus'. These were the Pechenegs. They, like other peoples - the Huns, Ugrians, Bulgars, Avars - came from the east. All these peoples, except the Ugrians, no longer exist in Europe.

The Pechenegs led a nomadic lifestyle and engaged in robbery. They hoped to devastate Kyiv, but met with a strong army and were forced to retire to Bessarabia. These people terrified their neighbors. The Byzantines used the Pechenegs for gold and money against the Ugrians, Bulgars and especially the Slavs. For almost two centuries, the Pechenegs dominated the lands south of Rus'. Having made peace with Igor, they did not disturb the Russians for five years, but from 920, as Nestor writes, they began to invade the expanses of Rus'.

Igor's reign was not marked by any great events until 941, before the war between the Russians and the Byzantines. Igor, like Oleg, wanted to glorify his reign with military exploits. If you believe the chroniclers, then Igor entered the Russian (Black) Sea on ten thousand ships in 941. He devastated the outskirts of Constantinople, turning temples, villages, and monasteries to ashes. But soon Byzantine troops and fleet arrived. They caused significant damage to Igor and he left the empire with great losses.

Igor did not lose heart. He wanted to take revenge on the Byzantines. In 943 - 944 A new campaign against Byzantium took place, but it paid off with rich gifts. Igor returned to Kyiv. In 944, Rus' and Byzantium made peace.

By old age, Igor really wanted peace. But the greed of the squad did not allow him to enjoy peace. “We are barefoot and naked,” the soldiers said to Igor, “come pay tribute with us, and we, together with you, will be happy.” Going “to tribute” meant collecting taxes.

In the fall of 945, Igor and his retinue went to the Drevlyans. There they pretty much plundered the local population. Most of the army was sent to Kyiv, and Igor still wanted to “wander” through the Drevlyan land and rob the people. But the Drevlyans, driven to extremes, attacked Igor, tied him to two trees and tore him in two. The army was also destroyed. At the head of the rebellious Drevlyans was Prince Mal.

This is how Igor ended his life ingloriously. He did not have the successes that Oleg achieved in the war with the Byzantines. Igor did not have the properties of his predecessor, but he preserved the integrity of the power founded by Rurik and Oleg, defended honor and benefits in treaties with Byzantium.

However, the people reproached Igor for allowing the dangerous Pechenegs to establish themselves in the neighborhood of the Russians and for the fact that this prince loved to collect excessive tribute from his people.

By uniting East Slavic lands Having defended them from the onslaught of foreigners, Oleg gave the princely power unprecedented authority and international prestige. He now assumes the title of Prince of all Princes, or Grand Duke. The remaining rulers of individual Russian principalities become his tributaries, vassals, although they still retain the rights to govern in their principalities.

Rus' was born as a united East Slavic state. In its scale it was not inferior to the empire of Charlemagne or the territory of the Byzantine Empire. However, many of its areas were sparsely populated and poorly suitable for life. The difference in the level of development of different parts of the state was also too great. Having appeared immediately as a multi-ethnic entity, this state was therefore not distinguished by the strength that characterized states where the population was mainly single-ethnic.

Duchess Olga

Although historians do not particularly highlight Olga’s reign, she deserved great praise for her wise deeds, as she worthily represented Rus' in all external relations and skillfully ruled the country. Probably, with the help of the boyar Asmud, the teacher of Svyatoslav (son of Olga and Igor), and Sveneld, the governor, Olga was able to take possession of the helm of the state. First of all, she punished Igor’s killers. Perhaps the chronicler Nestor reports not entirely plausible facts about Olga’s revenge, cunning and wisdom, but they are included in our history.

The Drevlyans, proud of the murder of Igor as a victory, and despising the young Svyatoslav, planned to rule over Kiev and wanted their prince Mal to marry Olga. Twenty famous Drevlyan ambassadors sailed to Kyiv in a boat. Olga received them with affection. The next day, having ordered a deep grave to be dug, she buried all the Drevlyan ambassadors alive along with the boat.

Then Olga sent her messenger to Mal so that he would send more famous husbands to her. The Drevlyans did just that. According to the old custom, a bathhouse was heated for the guests, and then they were all locked up there and burned.

Olga announced her readiness to come to the Drevlyans to marry Mal. The ruler approached the city of Iskorosten, where Igor died, watered his grave with tears and performed a funeral feast. After this, the Drevlyans began a merry feast. Having left, Olga gave a sign to her soldiers, and five thousand Drevlyans died at Igor’s grave.

In 946, Olga, returning to Kyiv, gathered a large army and marched against her enemies, punished by cunning, but not yet by force. Little Svyatoslav began the battle. A spear thrown at the enemy by a weak child’s hand fell at the feet of his horse, but the commanders Asmud and Sveneld encouraged the warriors by the example of the young hero with the exclamation “Friends! Let’s stand for the prince!” And they rushed into battle.

The frightened residents wanted to flee, but they all fell into the hands of Olga’s soldiers. She condemned some elders to death, took others into slavery, and the rest had to pay tribute.

Olga and her son Svyatoslav traveled throughout the Drevlyansky land, imposing tribute on the people in favor of the treasury. But the residents of Iskorosten itself paid the third part of the tribute to Olga personally, in her own inheritance, in Vyshgorod, founded, perhaps, by Oleg and given to Olga as the bride or wife of a prince. This city was located seven miles from Kyiv, on the high bank of the Dnieper.

The next year, Olga went to Northern Rus', leaving Svyatoslav in Kyiv. The princess visited the Novgorod lands. She divided Rus' into several volosts, did, without a doubt, everything necessary for the state good and left signs of her protective wisdom. After 150 years, the people remembered with gratitude Olga’s beneficent journey, and during the time of Nestor, the townspeople of Pskov kept her sleigh as a precious thing. It is likely that the princess, born in Pskov, granted privileges to the residents of this city. But in the neighboring city, the more ancient one, Izborsk, which was taxed, life somehow faded away, and he lost past glory. Having established internal order, Olga returned to Kyiv, to her son Svyatoslav. There she lived for several years in peace and tranquility.

Olga was a pagan, but in 957 she decided to accept the Christian faith, for which she went to Constantinople. Olga herself headed a magnificent and crowded embassy, ​​consisting of more than a hundred people, not counting the servants and shipmen. Olga was accepted at the highest rank. She was invited to the imperial chambers for lunch, and she was received by the empress. During the conversations, Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus and Olga confirmed the validity of the previous treaty, as well as the military alliance of the two states, directed primarily against the Arabs and Khazaria.

Baptism of Princess Olga. An important issue in the negotiations was the baptism of the Russian princess.

By the middle of the 9th century. almost all major states Western Europe, as well as part of the peoples of the Balkan Peninsula and the Caucasus, adopted Christianity - some according to the Roman, others according to the Byzantine model. Christianity introduced states and peoples to a new civilization, enriched their spiritual culture, raised them to higher high level the prestige of baptized statesmen.

But for the pagan world this process was difficult and painful. That is why in most countries the adoption of Christianity took place in several stages, had various shapes. In the Frankish state, King Clovis adopted Christianity along with his retinue at the turn of the 5th - 6th centuries. The purpose of baptism was clear: to receive help from papal Rome in the fight against strong opponents in still pagan Europe. The bulk of Frankish society remained pagan for a long time and was only later Christianized. In England in the 7th century. kings accepted personal baptism, but then, under the influence of pagan opposition, they renounced it, and then were baptized again. In Bulgaria in the 9th century. The entire population converted to Christianity along with Boris I. There, the roots of Christianity under the influence of neighboring Byzantium were very deep.

Olga chose the baptism of English kings as her model. She, being a very perspicacious ruler, understood that further strengthening the state prestige of the country and the dynasty was unthinkable without the adoption of Christianity. But she also understood the difficulties of this process in Rus' with its powerful pagan tradition, with the great commitment of the people and part of the ruling circles to the old religion. In large cities, among the merchants, townspeople, and part of the boyars, there were already many Christians and they had equal rights with the pagans. But the further from the center of the state, the stronger the influence of pagan orders, and most importantly, the pagan magicians. Therefore, Olga decided to accept personal baptism, starting this process in the princely environment.

Moreover, morally, the princess was already prepared for this act. Having survived the tragic death of her husband, the bloody battles with the Drevlyans, the destruction of their capital in the fire, Olga could turn for an answer to the human questions that troubled her to the new religion, which was precisely attuned to the inner world of man and tried to answer his eternal questions about the meaning of life and her own life. place in the world. If paganism sought answers to all eternal questions outside of man, in the powerful actions of the forces of nature, Christianity turned to the world of human feelings and the human mind.

Olga arranged the baptism with the pomp appropriate for a great state. The baptism took place in the Church of St. Sophia. Her godfather It was the emperor himself, and the patriarch baptized her. Olga took the name Helen in baptism, in honor of the mother of Constantine the Great, the Byzantine emperor who made it in the 4th century. Christianity was the official religion of the empire. After baptism, Olga was received by the patriarch and had a conversation with him about faith.

Upon returning to Kyiv, Olga tried to persuade Svyatoslav to Christianity, saying that the prince’s squad would also accept baptism. But Svyatoslav, being an ardent pagan who worshiped the warrior god Perun, refused her.

A few years after her trip to Constantinople, Olga sent an embassy to the German Emperor Otgon I. The purpose of the embassy was twofold - to establish permanent political relations with Germany and strengthen religious ties. A zealous Christian, Otto I sent Christian missionaries to Kyiv. Olga continued her line. However, the Kyiv pagans drove the missionaries out of the city and almost killed them.

Dying, the princess bequeathed not to celebrate a pagan funeral feast at her grave, but to bury her according to Christian rites.

Olga died in 969. The people called her cunning, the church - a saint, history - wise. Before Olga's time, the Russian princes fought, but she ruled the state. Confident in his mother’s wisdom, Svyatoslav left internal rule to her even in adulthood, constantly engaging in wars. Under Olga, Rus' became famous in the most remote countries of Europe.

Prince Svyatoslav

Having matured, Svyatoslav began to think about exploits and conquests. He burned with jealousy to distinguish himself by deeds and to restore the glory of Russian weapons, so happy under Oleg. Svyatoslav gathered an army. Among his warriors, he lived, like them, in harsh conditions: he ate horse meat, fried it himself, neglected the cold and bad weather northern climate, did not know the tent, slept under open air. Proud Svyatoslav always followed the rules of true knightly honor - he never attacked by surprise. It was he who wrote the words: “I’m going against you” (against the enemy).

In 964, Svyatoslav conquered the Vyatichi, who paid tribute to the Khazar Khaganate. The Vyatichi tribe became part of the Slavic peoples of Ancient Rus', freed from the oppression of the Khazars. Having spent the winter on the Itil (Volga) River, in the spring of 965 Svyatoslav quickly attacked the capital of Khazaria, the city of Itil (Balangiar) and “overcame” it. The city residents fled. The Khazar capital was empty.

In 965, Svyatoslav's warriors entered the lands of the Yas (Ossetians) and Kasogs (Circassians). They conquered the Khazar fortress of Semikara by storm and reached the Sea of ​​Surozh (Azov). Despite the fact that powerful fortresses Tmutarakan and Korchev (Kerch) stood here, their defenders did not fight Svyatoslav. They, having driven out the Khazar governors, went over to the side of the Russians. Svyatoslav did not yet bother the Greek Taurida (Crimea), since he did not want to quarrel with Byzantium.

The prince sent his forces to the impregnable fortress of Sarkel (White Vezha). Having conquered the fortress by storm, Svyatoslav conquered this Khazar city, thereby significantly weakening his long-time enemies - the Khazars and Pechenegs. The trophies were great, the glory of the ancient Russian commander was great.

In 967, with 60 thousand soldiers, Svyatoslav went to war against Bulgaria. We crossed the Danube. The cities surrendered to the winner. The Bulgarian Tsar Peter died “of grief.” The Russian prince began to rule in ancient Mysia. He lived there, not thinking that his own capital was in danger. The Pechenegs attacked Rus' in 968. They approached Kiev, where Olga and children of Svyatoslav. There was not enough water in the besieged city. One warrior managed to make his way from Kiev to the Russian army and report the disaster. Svyatoslav took revenge on the Pechenegs.

Soon Svyatoslav again rushed to the banks of the Danube. Olga asked her son to wait a little, not to leave her, as she felt bad. But he didn't listen to the advice. Four days later Olga died. After the death of his mother, Svyatoslav could freely fulfill his reckless intention - to move the capital of the state to the banks of the Danube. He gave Kyiv to his son Yaropolk, and to his other son, Oleg, the Drevlyansky land. Svyatoslav also had a third son - Vladimir, born from Olga's housekeeper, Malusha's servant. The Novgorodians elected him as their prince.

Svyatoslav conquered Bulgaria for the second time, but the Byzantines, who were afraid of their formidable neighbor, intervened. The Byzantine Emperor John Tzimiskes, an experienced commander and diplomat, began negotiations with Svyatoslav. But the Russian knight rejected the peace terms and had no intention of leaving Bulgaria. Then Tzimiskes began to arm himself. The famous Byzantine commanders Varda Sklir and the patrician Peter came out to meet Svyatoslav. In the spring of 970, without waiting for the enemy to arrive, Svyatoslav himself entered Thrace - the indigenous Byzantine land. The Bulgarians and Pechenegs also fought on the side of the Russians. Svyatoslav's horsemen crushed Skler's cavalry.

The Russians and Bulgarian troops took Adrianople. Master Sklir lost the battle under the city walls completely. There was practically no one to defend the road to the capital of Byzantium, Constantinople. The combined forces of the “barbarians,” as the Byzantines called them, under the leadership of Svyatoslav crossed Macedonia, defeated the army of Master John Kurkouas and devastated the entire country.

Tzimiskes had one chance left - diplomacy. And he used it. The arriving Byzantine ambassadors “ransomed” the world with rich gifts and expenses for military needs. Svyatoslav gave his word not to interfere in Bulgarian affairs anymore.

But Tzimiskes was not like that. On April 12, 971, the imperial regiments unexpectedly surrounded the capital of Bulgaria - the city of Preslav, which was defended by a small garrison of Russians. They all died in fierce battles. On April 17, Tzimiskes quickly marched to Dorostol, where Prince Svyatoslav was located. His small army showed examples of courage and perseverance. Svyatoslav demonstrated the true military art of defense and attack. Continuous battles continued until July 22. Almost the entire army of the Rus was lost - 15 thousand killed, but military happiness was still on the side of Svyatoslav. Tzimiskes himself asked for peace (apparently, a conspiracy was brewing against him, and he was forced to save his throne).

According to legends, Svyatoslav was of average height, quite slender, but gloomy and wild in appearance, had a wide chest, a thick neck, Blue eyes, thick eyebrows, a flat nose, a long mustache, a sparse beard and one tuft of hair on his head; as a sign of his nobility, a gold earring decorated with two pearls and a ruby ​​hung in his ear.

Svyatoslav returned to Kyiv with a detachment of exhausted soldiers. According to Nestor, the residents of Pereyaslavets let the Pechenegs know that the Russian prince was returning to Kyiv with great wealth and a small retinue.

Despite the small number of exhausted warriors, proud Svyatoslav decided to fight the Pechenegs at the rapids of the Dnieper. In this battle he died (972). The Pecheneg prince Kurya, having cut off the head of Svyatoslav, made a cup from the skull. Only a few Russian soldiers, led by governor Sveneld, escaped and brought the sad news of the prince’s death to Kyiv.

Thus, the famous warrior died. But he, an example of great commanders, as N.M. writes. Karamzin is not a great sovereign, since he respected the glory of victories more than the state good, and his character, captivating the imagination of the poet, deserves the reproach of a historian.

Prince Yaropolk

After the death of Svyatoslav, Yaropolk reigned in Kyiv. Oleg is in the Drevlyansky land, Vladimir is in Novgorod. Yaropolk had no power over the destinies of his brothers. Soon the disastrous consequences of such a division were revealed, and brother went against brother. Yaropolk decided to go to the lands of the Drevlyans and annex them to Kyiv. Oleg gathered soldiers and set out to meet his brother (977), but his army was defeated, and he himself died. Yaropolk sincerely mourned the death of his brother.

Having assembled a squad, Vladimir returned to Novgorod two years later and replaced Yaropolk’s confidants, telling them with pride: “Go to my brother: let him know that I am arming myself against him, and let him prepare to repel me!” (chronicle).

Yaropolk had a lovely bride, Rogneda, in Polotsk. Vladimir, preparing to take away his brother’s power, wanted to deprive him of his bride, and through ambassadors demanded her hand. Rogneda, loyal to Yaropolk, replied that she could not marry the son of a slave. Irritated, Vladimir took Polotsk, killed Rogneda’s father, Rogvolod, and his two sons and married Rogneda. Then he went to Kyiv. Yaropolk closed himself in the city, and then left it, going to the city of Rodnya (where the Ros flows into the Dnieper).

After some time, Yaropolk, weak in spirit, with the assistance of his commander Blud, who had entered into an agreement with Vladimir, came to him. “The traitor led his gullible Sovereign into his brother’s home, as if into a den of robbers, and locked the door so that the princely squad could not enter after them: there two mercenaries of the Varangian tribe pierced Yaropolkov’s chest with swords...” N.M. Karamzin).

Thus, the eldest son of the famous Svyatoslav, having been the ruler of Kyiv for four years and the head of all Rus' for three years, “left for history one memory of a good-natured but weak man.”

Yaropolk was married under his father, but also wooed Rogneda: polygamy was not considered lawlessness in pagan Rus'.

Prince Vladimir

Vladimir soon proved that he was born to be a great sovereign. He showed excellent zeal for the pagan gods, building a new Perun with a silver head. On the banks of the Volkhov, the newly rebuilt rich city of Perunov was erected.

Vladimir was not afraid of wars. He took the cities of Cherven, Przemysl and others in 982 - 983. conquered Galicia. He pacified the rebellion of the Vyatichi, who did not want to pay tribute, and conquered the country of the Yatvingians - the courageous Latvian people. Further, the possessions of Rus' were expanded all the way to the Varangian (Baltic) Sea. In 984 the Radimichi rebelled and Vladimir conquered them. In 985, the Kama Bulgars were defeated, who promised to live with the Russians in peace and friendship.

Vladimir long ago rejected his first wife, Rogneda. She decided to take revenge - to kill her husband, but she failed to do this: Vladimir sent Rogneda and her son Izyaslav to a city built for them and called Izyaslavl.

Rus' became a prominent state in Europe. Mohammedans, Jews, Catholics, and Greeks offered their faith. Vladimir sent ten prudent men to different countries, so that they study different faiths and suggest the best one. In their opinion, the Orthodox faith turned out to be the best.

In 988, having gathered a large army, Vladimir went on ships to the Greek Kherson (on the site of Sevastopol) to accept the Christian faith, but in a unique way - using force of arms. They laid siege to the city; exhausted by thirst (after Vladimir damaged the water pipeline that began outside the city walls), the townspeople surrendered. Vladimir then announced to the Byzantine emperors Vasily and Constantine that he wished to be the husband of their sister, the young princess Anna. In case of refusal, he promised to take Constantinople. The marriage took place.

In the same year 988, Christianity was adopted in Rus' - an important milestone in the history of our state. The first church of St. Basil was erected in Kyiv. Schools were opened for children (church books were translated by Cyril and Methodius back in the 9th century), which were the first educational institutions in Rus'.

To protect the country in the south from the Pechenegs, Vladimir built cities along the Desna, Oster, Trubezh, Sula, and Stugna rivers and populated them with Novgorod Slavs, Krivichi, Chudya, and Vyatichi. He fortified Kyiv with a white wall, because he loved this city very much.

In 993, the Russians fought with the white Croats who lived on the borders of Galicia, as well as with the Pechenegs. The war with the Pechenegs ended in single combat between a Russian youth of small stature but great strength and a giant Pecheneg. “We chose a place: the combatants grappled. The Rusich crushed the Pecheneg with his strong muscles and hit the dead man on the ground...” (from the chronicle). Joyful Vladimir, in memory of this incident, founded a city on the banks of Trubezh and named it Pereyaslavl: for the young man “took over” the “glory” from his enemies (possibly a legend).

For three years (994 - 996) there was no war in Rus'. The first stone church dedicated to the Mother of God was built in Kyiv.

Fate did not spare Vladimir in his old age: before his death, he had to see with grief that the lust for power arms not only brother against brother, but also son against father. Yaroslav (who ruled Novgorod) rebelled in 1014. To pacify the rebellious Yaroslav, the Grand Duke placed his beloved son Boris, Prince of Rostov, at the head of the army.

During these events, Vladimir died in Berestov (near Kiev) in country palace, without electing an heir and leaving the helm of the state to the will of fate... Despite his naturally weak health, he lived to old age.

Prince Vladimir has earned the name of the Great, or Saint, in history. His reign was marked by the adoption Orthodox faith, expansion of the state. He introduced education, built cities, established schools, including art schools.

The glory of Vladimir remained in epics and fairy tales about Dobrynya of Novgorod, Alexander with a golden mane, Ilya Muromets, strong Rakhday.

Literature

1. Kostomarov N.I. “Russian history in the biographies of its main figures”

2..Soloviev S.M. “Essays. Book I"

3. Karamzin N.M. “Tales of the Ages: Tales, Legends, Stories from the “History of the Russian State”, M.: ed. "Pravda", 1989.

4. Klyuchevsky V.O. “A short guide to Russian history”, M.: ed. "Dawn", 1992.

As was written in the previous article about the formation of the first settlements on the territory of Kyiv, signs of urban planning began to appear approximately in the 5th-6th centuries. There is no exact information about who founded the city, but most theories say that the first rulers of Kyiv were immigrants from Scandinavia - the Varangians. The intensive growth of the city was facilitated by a very favorable geographical location (the famous trade route from the “Varangians to the Greeks” along the Dnieper), as well as the growing power of the squad (troops) of the Polyan tribe (the center of which was Kyiv). It was the military superiority of the Polyanian lands that helped unite around Kyiv the nearby East Slavic tribes, most of them located on the territory of modern Ukraine. All interesting information about the first Kyiv princes is available during our excursions around Kyiv.

The reign of Askold and Dir in Kyiv. Radziwill Chronicle

Askold and Dir. The first princes of Kyiv, whose names are mentioned in the chronicles, are the princes Askold and Dir, who ruled Kiev between 860 and 880. Reliably little is known about this period, as well as about how the princes “settled” in Kyiv, but theories of their origin also converge on Scandinavian roots, and some scientists claim that Askold and Dir were warriors of Rurik. There is an opinion that Askold could be a descendant of Kiy, and Dir is only his middle name or nickname. The first military campaign of the Kyiv army against Tsargorod (Constantinople) in Byzantium was carried out at the same time, which indicates the already certain power of the Kyiv lands.

Oleg in Kyiv. According to one of the main sources on the basis of which we can build a chronology of the development of Kiev - this is the Tale of Bygone Years, in 882, Prince Oleg entered Kiev and killed Askold (Askold and Dir) and began to rule Kiev and all the lands under his control. Oleg was most likely a relative of the legendary Rurik. According to the general theory, after the death of Rurik, taking with him his son, still a young Igor, Oleg recruited an army and began to descend in a southern direction. After the conquest of Smolensk and Lyubech, Oleg came to Kyiv, and after killing the local princes, he began to rule here. Oleg liked the new city and its location, and he decided to settle in it, thereby allegedly connecting his northern lands with the new ones, Kyiv, and making them the capital.

The image of Oleg in the painting by Viktor Vasnetsov

Oleg ruled Kiev for more than 30 years. During this time, he significantly increased the possessions of his new power - he annexed the Drevlyans, Radimichi and Northerners to Kyiv. During the victorious campaigns against Byzantium in 907 and further in 911, some of the first written agreements were signed between Constantinople and Kiev, and preferential rights were established for the trade of Russian merchants. Oleg received the title of Grand Duke and is considered the founder of the Rurik family of princes of Kyiv. The legend about Oleg's death from a snake bite also gained popular popularity.

Kyiv in the times of Igor, Olga and Svyatoslav

Formation and foundation of Kyiv

Rurik (d. 879). The beginning of the reign in Novgorod - 862. The founder of the dynasty that ruled in Kievan Rus and individual Russian principalities during the period of feudal fragmentation and in Russia until 1598. According to chronicle legend, Rurik with his brothers Sineus and Truvor was called to Rus' by representatives tribes: Novgorod Slavs, Polotsk Krivichi, Ves (Vepsians) and Chud (ancestors of the Estonians) and began to reign in Novgorod or Ladoga. The question of who Rurik and his fellow tribesmen were, where they came from to Rus', whether Rurik was called to reign or was invited as the leader of a military squad remains controversial to this day.

Oleg (reign period: 879 – 912). The eldest in the Rurik family, the Novgorod prince. In 882 he made a campaign to the south, annexed the Kyiv lands, and moved the capital of the state to Kyiv. On the path “from the Varangians to the Greeks” an early feudal monarchy arose - Kievan Rus, similar to the empire of Charlemagne in Western Europe. He made successful military campaigns against the capital of Byzantium - Constantinople (Constantinople). He laid the foundation for long-term military and peaceful relations between Byzantium and Kievan Rus. The circumstances of the death of Prophetic Oleg are contradictory. According to the Kyiv version, his grave is located in Kyiv on Mount Shchekovitsa. The Novgorod Chronicle places his grave in Ladoga, but also says that he went “over the sea.” In both versions there is a legend about death from a snake bite. According to legend, the Magi predicted to the prince that he would die from his beloved horse. Oleg ordered the horse to be taken away and remembered the prediction only four years later, when the horse had long since died. Oleg laughed at the Magi and wanted to look at the bones of the horse, stood with his foot on the skull and said: “Should I be afraid of him?” However, a poisonous snake lived in the horse’s skull, which fatally stung the prince.

Igor Rurikovich (reign period: 912 - 945). During the 33 years of his reign, he managed to strengthen Rus' and, after military campaigns against Constantinople, concluded profitable treaties with Byzantium. However, he gained fame not because of his politics, but because of his tragic death. He was torn by the legs by the Drevlyans after an unsuccessful attempt to collect tribute from them a second time.

Olga - Christian name Elena (c. 894 - 969). Beginning of reign - 945. Grand Duchess of Kiev, wife of Prince Igor. After the murder of her husband by the Drevlyans in 945, she brutally suppressed their uprising. Having conquered the Drevlyans, Olga in 947 went to the Novgorod and Pskov lands, assigning lessons there (a kind of tribute measure), after which she returned to her son Svyatoslav in Kyiv. The princess established the size of the “polyudya” - taxes in favor of Kyiv, the timing and frequency of their payment - “rents” and “charters”. The lands subject to Kyiv were divided into administrative units, in each of which a princely administrator was appointed - “tiun”. Olga established a system of “cemeteries” - centers of trade and exchange, in which taxes were collected in a more orderly manner; Then they began to build churches in graveyards. Princess Olga laid the foundation for stone urban planning in Rus' (the first stone buildings of Kiev - the city palace and Olga's country tower), paid attention to the improvement of lands subject to Kiev - Novgorod, Pskov, located along the Desna River, etc. On the Pskov River, where she was born, Olga, according to legend, founded the city of Pskov. In 955 (or 957) she visited Constantinople; accepted Christianity. In 968 she led the defense of Kyiv from the Pechenegs. Canonized by the Russian Church. When it comes to Princess Olga, the question of her origin always arises.

According to the earliest ancient Russian chronicle, The Tale of Bygone Years, Olga was from Pskov. The life of the holy Grand Duchess Olga specifies that she was born in the village of Vybuty in the 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 humble birth, “ from the Varangian language" According to Normanists, Varangian origin is confirmed by her name, which has a correspondence in Old Scandinavian as Helga. The presence of presumably Scandinavians in those places is noted by a number of archaeological finds, possibly dating back to the first half of the 10th century. On the other hand, in chronicles the name Olga is often rendered in the Slavic form “ Volga" The ancient Czech name is also known Olha. The so-called Joachim Chronicle, the authenticity of which is questioned by historians, reports Olga’s noble Slavic origins: “when Igor matured, Oleg married him, gave him a wife from Izborsk, the Gostomyslov family, who was called Beautiful, and Oleg renamed her and called her his name Olga." The typographical chronicle (late 15th century) and the later Piskarevsky chronicler convey hearing , as if Olga was the daughter of the Prophetic Oleg, who began to rule Kievan Rus as the guardian of the young Igor, the son of Rurik: “ The netsy say that Olga’s daughter was Olga" Oleg married Igor and Olga. 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 married [Oleg] to Bolgareh, and Princess Olga was killed for him”) and translating the chronicle name Pleskov not as Pskov, but like Pliska - the Bulgarian capital of that time. The names of both cities actually coincide in the Old Slavic transcription of some texts, which served as the basis for the author of the “New Vladimir Chronicler” to translate the message in 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.

Svyatoslav Igorevich (929 – 972). A brave warrior, according to the chronicler, who openly challenged his enemies “I’m going to attack you!”, Svyatoslav made a number of successful campaigns. He freed the Vyatichi tribe, who lived in the Oka basin, from paying tribute to the Khazars; defeated the Volga Bulgarians and the powerful Khazar Khaganate, making a victorious campaign against the Lower Volga, North Caucasus and the Azov region. But the disappearance of this powerful state led to irreversible and, from a historical perspective, catastrophic geopolitical changes in Eastern Europe. The Khazar power held back the migration waves rolling in from Asia. The defeat of the Kaganate made the Pechenegs masters of the situation in the southern Russian steppes, and this change was already felt by Svyatoslav himself, therefore the people of Kiev, besieged by the Pechenegs, had every reason to reproach their prince for looking for foreign lands and not protecting his own. But the Pechenegs were only the first wave of nomadic hordes; in a century they would be replaced by the Cumans, and after another two - by the Mongols.

Vladimir Svyatoslavovich (942 – 1015). Became Prince of Novgorod in 970, seized the Kiev throne in 978. Son of Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich from Malusha, housekeeper of Princess Olga. As a youth, Vladimir was sent to live as a prince in Novgorod, accompanied by his uncle, the governor of Dobrynya. Having cunningly dealt with his brother Yaropolk (who had previously killed Svyatoslav’s third son, Oleg), Vladimir becomes the sole ruler of Rus'. In 988, Vladimir was baptized, and then (in 988 or 990) proclaimed Christianity the state religion of Rus'. In Kyiv, the baptism of the people took place relatively peacefully, while in Novgorod, where Dobrynya led the baptism, it was accompanied by uprisings of the people and their suppression by force. In the Rostov-Suzdal land, where local Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes retained a certain autonomy due to their remoteness, Christians remained a minority even after Vladimir (until the 13th century, paganism dominated among the Vyatichi). At baptism he received the name Vasily. Also known as Vladimir the Holy, Vladimir the Baptist (in church history) and Vladimir the Red Sun (in epics). Glorified among the saints as Equal to the Apostles; Memorial Day in Russian Orthodoxy is July 15 according to the Julian calendar.

Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise (c. 978 - February 20, 1054). Beginning of reign 1016 Time of Yaroslav – a time of internal stabilization, which contributed to the growth of the international authority of Rus', as evidenced by the fact that Yaroslav’s daughters became queens: Anna - French, Elizabeth - Norwegian and then Danish, Anastasia - Hungarian. During his reign, the first Russian monasteries appeared and book-writing activities developed. This prince’s path to power was far from so righteous (internecine wars with his brothers), but having established himself on the throne, he made a lot of effort to earn the gratitude of his contemporaries and descendants, captured in the nickname Wise. Under Yaroslav the Wise, Kyiv was often compared in beauty to Constantinople. A Western chronicler of the same century, Adam of Bremen, calls Kyiv a rival of Constantinople. Under Yaroslav, the first Russian monasteries arose. In 1030, Yaroslav founded the monasteries of St. George: Yuriev Monastery in Novgorod and the Kiev Pechersky Monastery in Kyiv; ordered throughout Rus' to “create a holiday” of St. George on November 26 (“St. George’s Day”). He published the Church Charter and the “Russian Truth” - a set of laws of ancient Russian feudal law. In 1051, having gathered bishops, he himself appointed Hilarion as metropolitan, for the first time without the participation of the Patriarch of Constantinople. Hilarion became the first Russian metropolitan. Intensive work began to translate Byzantine and other books into Church Slavonic and Old Russian languages. Huge amounts of money were spent on copying books. In 1028, the first large school was founded in Novgorod, in which about 300 children of priests and elders were gathered. With him appeared coins with the inscription "Yaroslavl silver". On one side of it Jesus Christ was depicted, on the other - St. George the Victorious, the patron of Yaroslav. It is known that to maintain peace on the northern borders, Yaroslav annually sent the Varangians 300 hryvnia of silver. Moreover, this payment was too small, rather symbolic, but it ensured peace with the Varangians and protection of the northern lands.

Vladimir II Monomakh (1053 – 1125). The beginning of the reign of 1113. The true successor to the glory of Yaroslav, who managed to revive the former power of the Kyiv state. The last Kiev prince, who practically controlled all of Rus'. The result of Monomakh's peacemaking efforts was the so-called Lubech Conference (princely congress) of 1097, which reflected an important milestone in the political history of Kievan Rus. The congress was called upon to eliminate the cause of the strife, but the decision of the congress had a double meaning. On the one hand, it streamlined relations between the princes; on the other, it meant the legal consolidation of the beginning of the collapse of Kievan Rus. This is the prince-creator, - organizer, - calmer, - commander, - ideologist. He made 83 military campaigns, mostly successful, including against the dangerous neighbors of Rus' - the Polovtsians. In addition to his military and managerial talents, Vladimir Monomakh also had the gift of an extraordinary writer. He is the author of the famous “Teacher”, calling the princes to unity in the conditions of the beginning of feudal fragmentation.

According to one legend, he received the nickname Monomakh (combatant) for winning a duel with the Genoese prince during the capture of Kafa (Feodosia). According to another legend, the nickname is associated with maternal kinship with the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomakh.

Part 2

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Military affairs The first Kyiv princes

If the first Kyiv princes had been versed in our modern theory state building, they would undoubtedly be inspired by its lofty goals and ideals. But, unfortunately, they did not know this theory. And therefore they would be very surprised if they were told that they were driven by the idea of ​​​​creating a powerful state or a flourishing civilization. Apparently, they understood power and wealth more simply. And if they were driven by anything in their desire for both, knowing neither rest nor pity, it was precisely the search for immediate sources of enrichment. For example, when the “prophetic” Oleg conquered Kiev, uniting it with Novgorod, he was undoubtedly aware of all the advantages of owning both of the largest “warehouses” on the trade route “to the Greeks” (and most importantly, “from the Greeks”). In general, the activities of the princes were mostly limited to trade and collecting tribute. Every spring, as soon as the rivers were freed from ice, the tribute collected during the winter had to be floated to Kyiv. It was regularly paid by numerous East Slavic tribes. Meanwhile, in Kyiv, a whole armada of princely ships was already preparing for a long voyage. Loaded to the brim with furs and slaves, these ships, escorted by princely warriors, set off for Constantinople. The journey was difficult and dangerous. Below Kyiv they had to overcome the Dnieper rapids - or die in a raging whirlpool. The last threshold, bearing the ominous name of the Insatiable, was considered insurmountable. They had to go around it by land, dragging ships and exposing the entire expedition to another mortal danger - falling into the hands of nomads who constantly scoured those places. American historian Richard Pipes compared the trading expeditions and, in general, the trading “enterprise” of the Varangians in Kiev with the first commercial companies of the New Age, like the East India or Hudson Bay, which operated in a territory that was virtually ungovernable and, in order to extract maximum profit, were forced to engage in minimal administration . “So the great prince of Kiev,” says Pipes, “was first of all a merchant, and his state was a trading enterprise, consisting of loosely connected cities, whose garrisons collected tribute and in one way or another maintained public order.” Pursuing their commercial interests, robbing local residents little by little, the first rulers of Kyiv gradually turned it into the center of a huge and powerful political entity.

Oleg(reigned from 882 to approximately 912 ᴦ.). This is the first Kiev prince about whom there is more or less accurate historical evidence. At the same time, as already mentioned, this evidence is too small to get an idea of ​​the personality of Oleg himself. It remains unclear whether he actually belonged to the Rurik dynasty or was the first of the impostors who joined this dynasty (although his connection with Rurik was “legitimized” several centuries later by Nestor the Chronicler). One thing is certain: Oleg was a gifted and decisive ruler. Conquered in 882 ᴦ. Kyiv and having conquered the glades, he then asserted his power over the neighboring tribes by force, that is, the right to collect tribute from them. Among Oleg’s tributaries there was even such a large and strong tribe as the Drevlyans. The Khazars did not like Oleg’s conquests, and they started a war with him, which ended sadly for themselves: Oleg destroyed their ports on the Caspian Sea. Finally, at 911ᴦ. Oleg put the culmination of his victories when, at the head of a large army, he attacked Constantinople and plundered it. And yet the Tale of Bygone Years seems to exaggerate his fame, claiming that he nailed his shield on the main gate of the Byzantine capital. One way or another, Oleg’s military power exerted the necessary pressure on Byzantium, and the Greeks agreed to sign a trade agreement, which was very beneficial for the Kyiv prince.

Igor(913-945). Igor's rule was not nearly as successful as his predecessor. Actually, with him the rule began to operate, which later became mandatory for all Kyiv princes: ascended the throne - establish your power over the rebellious tribes. The Drevlyans were the first to rebel against Igor, followed by the Ulichi. He and his squad had to spend several years on grueling campaigns to force the rebels to pay tribute to Kyiv again. And only after solving all these internal problems, Igor was able to continue Oleg’s work - long-distance half-trade, half-pirate expeditions. Peace treaty concluded by Oleg with Byzantium, by 941 ᴦ. lost its power. Igor went on a sea voyage to Constantinople. But even here he was unlucky. The Byzantines used their new invention - a flammable mixture nicknamed "Greek fire". The Kiev fleet was burned to the ground, Igor fled shamefully. As a result, he had to sign a humiliating treaty with the Byzantine emperor in 944 ᴦ. However, that same year Igor decided to try his luck in the east and finally achieved success. With a large detachment of warriors, he went down the Volga, plundered rich Muslim cities on the Caspian coast and returned home with all his booty with impunity. And there we had to start all over again: the Drevlyans rebelled. Judging that Igor came to them too often for tribute, the Drevlyans, during the next campaign of the Kyiv prince to their lands, waylaid him and killed him. Along with Igor, his entire retinue died.

Olga(945-964) - Igor’s widow. She ruled until their son Svyatoslav came of age. The ancient chroniclers - the compilers of the "Tale of Bygone Years" - clearly sympathize with Olga (in Scandinavian - Helga), constantly talking about how beautiful, strong, cunning, and most importantly - wise she is. Even a compliment, unheard of at that time, to the “male mind” of the princess comes from the mouth of the male chronicler. In part, all this can be explained by the fact that in 955 ᴦ. Olga converted to Christianity: this was important for the chronicler monk. At the same time, and from the most objective point of view, Olga’s reign cannot but be considered outstanding in many respects. Revenge is the first commandment of pagan morality. Olga's reprisal against the Drevlyans was swift and cruel. This, however, did not prevent her from drawing appropriate state conclusions from Igor’s death and carrying out the first “reforms” in Rus'. Now the tribute had to be collected not where and when the Kyiv prince pleased. From now on, residents of each region knew exactly when and how much they had to pay. Olga also took care that the collection of tribute did not deprive her subjects of all means of subsistence: otherwise, who would pay tribute in the future? But under Olga, all tribute in furs began to flow directly into the princely treasury. This meant that the treasury would never be at a loss. During the years of her reign, Olga traveled around her vast possessions, visiting all lands and cities in order to get to know her country better. And in relations with her neighbors, the princess tried to manage through diplomacy rather than war. At 957 ᴦ. she went to Constantinople to negotiate with the Byzantine emperor. Kyiv sources are full of stories about how she outwitted the emperor. Foreign chronicles are more reserved in assessing her diplomatic successes. Be that as it may, the very fact of equal negotiations with the most powerful ruler in the entire Christian world testified to the growing importance of Kyiv.

Svyatoslav(964-972). “Ardent and bold, brave and active,” this is how the Byzantine chronicler Leo the Deacon attests the Kyiv prince Svyatoslav. And the Ukrainian historian Mikhail Grushevsky wittily calls him either “a Cossack on the Kiev throne” or “a knight errant”, explaining that “the role of the prince-ruler, the head of state in the activities of Svyatoslav completely recedes into the background compared to the role of the leader of the squad.” War was Svyatoslav’s only all-consuming passion. By name a Slav, by the code of honor a Varangian, by way of life a nomad, he was the son of all great Eurasia and breathed freely in its steppes and thickets. The era of Svyatoslav became the culmination of the early, heroic period of the history of Kievan Rus.

Kyiv princes

At 964 ᴦ. The 22-year-old prince, overwhelmed by ambitious plans, sets off on a great eastern campaign. First, he conquered the Vyatichi - an East Slavic tribe that inhabited the Oka Valley (from where, in fact, modern Russians originate). Then Svyatoslav descended in boats along the Volga and defeated the Volga Bulgars. This led to a sharp clash with the powerful Khazars. Rivers of blood were shed. In a decisive battle, Svyatoslav completely defeated the Khazar Khagan, and then wiped his capital Itil on the Volga from the face of the earth. Then he went to the North Caucasus, where he completed his conquests. This entire spectacular campaign had far-reaching consequences. Now, after the victory over the Vyatichi, all the Eastern Slavs were united under the rule of the Kyiv prince. The way to the northeast was open to the Slavs - to those endless expanses that are now called Russia. The defeat of the Khazars put an end to the long history of rivalry for hegemony in Eurasia. From now on, Rus' undividedly controlled another great trade route - the Volga. However, the fall of the Khazar Kaganate also had its downside, which was unexpected for Kyiv. The Khazars were the buffer that held back the nomadic hordes in the east. Now nothing prevented nomads like the Pechenegs from ruling the Ukrainian steppes. Svyatoslav devoted the second half of his reign to the Balkans. At 968 ᴦ. he entered into an alliance with the Byzantine emperor against the powerful Bulgarian kingdom. At the head of a huge army, he burst into Bulgaria, destroyed his opponents and captured the rich Danube cities. Of these, he especially liked Pereyaslavets, where he made his bet. Only the threat of a Pecheneg invasion of Kyiv forced the prince to return to his capital for a long time. But as soon as the thunderstorm had passed, Svyatoslav, who now owned all the lands from the Volga to the Danube, declared that he did not intend to stay in Kiev: “I want to live in Pereyaslavets on the Danube - there is the middle of my land, all the benefits flow there: from the Greek lands - gold, grass, wine, various fruits, silver and horses from the Czech Republic and Hungary, and furs and wax, honey and slaves from Rus'.” And leaving the eldest son Yaropolk to rule in Kyiv, the middle one, Oleg, sending him to the Drevlyans, and Volodymyr, the youngest, to Novgorod, Svyatoslav returned to Bulgaria. But now the Byzantine emperor was afraid of his new neighbor, opposed him and, after long and fierce battles, drove him out of Bulgaria. When Svyatoslav’s defeated troops were returning to Kyiv, they were attacked by the Pechenegs at the Dnieper rapids. In the “Tale of Bygone Years” it is said about this: “And Kurya, the prince of Pecheneg, attacked him, and killed Svyatoslav, and took his head and made a cup from the skull, bound it, and drank from it.” This is how this “knight errant” ended his days.

Princes Rurikovich ( short biographies) Tvorogov Oleg Viktorovich

RUSSIAN PRINCES IX-XI centuries.

RUSSIAN PRINCES IX-XI centuries.

The 9th and 10th centuries are the most difficult period to study in the history of Ancient Rus'. Chroniclers, working 100-150 years after the events they described, relied mainly on oral traditions and legends; the annual grid, which distinguishes the Russian chronicle from the Byzantine chronicles and gives it its name (chronicle - a description of events by year, “year”), as established by researchers, was “superimposed” on the narration of the most ancient events of the 10th-11th centuries. only when created at the beginning of the 12th century. chronicle collection, called “The Tale of Bygone Years.” Therefore, the dating of many ancient events, as well as the calculation of the years of life and reign of the first Rurikovichs, can be accepted with a certain degree of convention.

Rurik(d. 879). According to the chronicle legend, Rurik and his brothers Sineus and Truvor were called to Rus' by representatives of the tribes: the Novgorod Slavs, the Polotsk Krivichs, the Vepsians and the Chuds (the ancestors of the Estonians) and began to reign in Novgorod or Ladoga. The question of who Rurik and his fellow tribesmen were, where they came from to Rus', whether Rurik was called to reign or invited as the leader of a military squad remains controversial to this day.

Source: PVL.

Lit.: Lovmyansky X. Rus' and the Normans. Translation from Polish. M., 1985; Avdusin D. A. Modern anti-Normanism // VI. 1988. No. 7. pp. 23-34.

Oleg(d. 912). According to PVL, after Rurik’s death, Rurik’s relative, Oleg, became regent for the young Igor. However, in another chronicle (Initial Code) Oleg is referred to only as the governor of Rurik. Considering that at the beginning of his independent reign, Igor was at least 33 years old, Oleg’s regency seems to be an absolute historical myth: both Oleg and the actual founder of the Rurik dynasty, Igor, were probably independent princes.

In 882, Oleg and his retinue went south along the waterway “from the Varangians to the Greeks.” He captured Smolensk, and then Kiev, killing the local princes Askold and Dir. They were apparently Varangians; as the chronicle reports, having received permission from Rurik to go to Constantinople, Askold and Dir remained to reign in Kyiv. But there is indirect evidence against the fact that Askold and Dir were co-rulers. After Oleg reigned in Kyiv, which he declared “matter as a Russian city,” the entire territory of Rus', stretched out in a relatively narrow strip along the river routes leading from Ladoga to the Black Sea, came under his rule. Oleg expanded his possessions to the east, subjugating the northerners and Radimichi - tribes living in the Desna and Sozh basin. Oleg made two successful campaigns against the capital of Byzantium, Constantinople (in 907 and 911). According to the legend reflected in the PVL, he died from a snake bite and was buried in Kyiv.

Source: PVL.

Lit.: Sakharov. We are from the Russian family*. pp. 84-159.

Igor(d. 945). As stated above, Igor was hardly the son of Rurik. It is characteristic that the chronicler knows nothing about the details of Igor’s reign for a quarter of a century, mentioning only his campaigns against Constantinople in 941 and 944. The second campaign led to the conclusion of an agreement with Byzantium that was beneficial for Rus'. In 945, Igor was killed by the Drevlyans (a tribe living in the Pripyat basin) when he tried to collect tribute from them a second time.

Source: PVL.

Lit.: Sakharov. We are from the Russian family. pp. 179-225.

Olga(d. 969). Igor's wife. According to some legends, she is the daughter of a boatman from Pskov. It is difficult to separate reality from poetic fiction in PVL’s story about how Olga took revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband. Twice (in 946 and 955) Olga visited Constantinople, where she was received with honor by Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus. During the second trip, Olga was baptized and received the Christian name Elena.

Source: PVL.

Lit.: Litavrin G. G. On the question of the circumstances, place and time of the baptism of Princess Olga // The most ancient states on the territory of the USSR. 1985. M., 1986. S. 49-57; Sakharov. We are from the Russian family. pp. 226-250.

Svyatoslav Igorevich(d. 972). A brave warrior, according to the chronicler, who openly challenged his enemies: “I’m coming to you!”, Svyatoslav made a number of successful campaigns. He freed the Vyatichi tribe, who lived in the Oka basin, from paying tribute to the Khazars, defeated the Volga Bulgarians and the powerful Khazar Khaganate, making a victorious campaign in 965 on the Lower Volga, the Northern Caucasus and the Azov region.

IN last years reign, Svyatoslav actively intervened in the war of Byzantium with the Danube Bulgarians who rebelled against its rule and won a victory over them. The Byzantine Emperor John Tzimiskes, alarmed that Svyatoslav was seeking to gain a foothold in the Danube cities, attacked the Russian squads, besieged them in Dorostol and forced them to accept battle. The Greeks were defeated, and Svyatoslav moved towards Constantinople. The emperor had to pay off with generous gifts. Having made peace, the prince decided to return to Kyiv for new soldiers. But at the Dnieper rapids Svyatoslav was waylaid and killed by the Pechenegs. The Pecheneg prince ordered a cup to be made from his skull.

Source: PVL.

Lit.: Gadlo A.V. Eastern campaign of Svyatoslav (On the question of the beginning of the Tmutarakan principality) // Problems of the history of feudal Russia. L., 1971. S. 59-67; Sakharov A. N. Balkan campaigns of Svyatoslav and the diplomacy of Ancient Rus' // VI. 1982. No. 2. P. 81-107; Sakharov. We are from the Russian family. pp. 261-340.

Vladimir Svyatoslavich(d. 1015). The son of Svyatoslav from the housekeeper Olga - Malusha. As a youth, Vladimir was sent to reign in Novgorod, accompanied by his uncle, the governor of Dobrynya. In 976 (date tentative) Vladimir wooed the daughter of the Polotsk prince Rogneda. But she refuses him, derogatingly referring to the prince as a “robichich” (i.e., the son of a slave). Vladimir kills Rogneda's father and makes her his concubine. In 980, having cunningly dealt with his brother Yaropolk (who had previously killed Svyatoslav’s third son, Oleg), Vladimir became the sole ruler of Rus'. He made several successful campaigns against the Poles, the Vyatichi and Radimichi, the Volga Bulgarians, expanded the borders of Rus' in the southwest, built a number of fortified cities around Kyiv and on the borders with the hostile Pecheneg steppe. Having provided military assistance to the Byzantine Emperor Vasily II, Vladimir received his sister Anna as his wife. In 988, Vladimir was baptized, and then (in 988 or 990) proclaimed Christianity the state religion of Rus'. The process of complete Christianization of the country lasted almost two centuries, but the new faith quickly strengthened in largest cities. For the functioning of the church, liturgical books and competent clergy were required. Therefore, the adoption of Christianity contributed to the emergence and intensive development of literature (writing was known earlier). Stone architecture is becoming widespread. The international authority of Rus' has increased immeasurably. Vladimir becomes one of the most popular figures in Russian history. Many legends are associated with his name (some of them were reflected in PVL), he becomes a permanent character in epics. The church canonized Vladimir as a saint.

Source: PVL.

Lit.: Rapov. Princely possessions. pp. 32-35; Rybakov. World of history. pp. 131-147.

Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise(c. 978-1054). Son of Vladimir from Rogneda. After the death of Vladimir, power in Kyiv was seized by Yaropolk's son, Svyatopolk. He killed his half-brothers - Boris, Gleb and Svyatoslav, seeking autocratic rule. Yaroslav, who reigned in Novgorod, opposed Svyatopolk and expelled him from Kyiv. But Svyatopolk, relying on the support of his father-in-law, the Polish king Boleslav the Brave, inflicted defeat on Yaroslav in 1018 in the battle on the banks of the Bug. Yaroslav, having gathered a new squad, defeated Svyatopolk in a bloody battle on Alta in 1019. He fled and, according to legend, died somewhere in unknown places between the Czech Republic and Poland. Yaroslav became the prince of Kyiv and remained on the Kiev table until the end of his life. After the death of his brother Mstislav (in 1036), Yaroslav became the sole ruler in Rus', only his brother Izyaslav ruled in Polotsk. The time of Yaroslav is a time of internal stabilization, which contributed to the growth of the international authority of Rus', as evidenced by the fact that Yaroslav’s daughters became queens: Anna - French, Elizabeth - Norwegian, and then Danish, Anastasia - Hungarian. The chronicle states that it was during the reign of Yaroslav that translation and book-writing activities began to develop intensively. The first Russian monasteries appeared, including the famous Kiev-Pechersk, which played a large role in the development of Russian books and chronicles. In 1054, Yaroslav installed the first Russian metropolitan, Hilarion (before that, the metropolitans were Greeks), who created the church-political treatise “The Sermon on Law and Grace.”

Before his death, Yaroslav divided his state between his sons, thereby marking the beginning of feudal fragmentation. Yaroslav was married to Ingigerda, daughter of the Swedish king Olaf.

Source: PVL; The Legend of Boris and Gleb // PLDR: XI - early XII centuries. pp. 278-303.

Lit.: Rapov. Princely possessions. pp. 36-37.