Kievan Rus: the reign of Prince Svyatoslav. Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich: brief biography, history of government, interesting facts

Svyatoslav Igorevich (Svѧtoslav Igorevich, - March) - Prince of Novgorod in -969, Grand Duke of Kiev from to 972, became famous as a commander.

Formally, Svyatoslav became the Grand Duke at the age of 3 after the death of his father, Grand Duke Igor, in 945, but independent rule began around 964. Under Svyatoslav, the Kiev state was largely ruled by his mother, Princess Olga, first because of Svyatoslav's infancy, then because of his constant presence in military campaigns. When returning from a campaign against Bulgaria, Svyatoslav was killed by the Pechenegs in 972 on the Dnieper rapids.

Early biography

Childhood and reign in Novgorod

The first mention of Svyatoslav in a synchronous historical document is contained in the Russian-Byzantine treaty of Prince Igor of 944.

Prince Igor Rurikovich was killed in 945 by the Drevlyans for exacting exorbitant tribute from them. His widow Olga, who became regent with her three-year-old son, went the next year with an army to the land of the Drevlyans. The battle was opened by the four-year-old Svyatoslav, throwing

“with a spear at the Drevlyans, and the spear flew between the ears of the horse and hit the horse on the legs, for Svyatoslav was still a child. And Sveneld [voivode] and Asmud [breadwinner] said: The prince has already begun; follow, squad, for the prince„» .

Beginning of independent government

The Western European chronicle of the Continuer of Reginon reports under the year 959 about the ambassadors of Olga, the “Queen of the Rug”, to the King of Germany, Otto I the Great, on the issue of the baptism of Russia. However, in 962, the mission sent by Otto I to Kiev failed due to the resistance of Svyatoslav and the unwillingness of Princess Olga to change the Byzantine rite she had previously adopted.

The Tale of Bygone Years has been reporting on Svyatoslav's first independent steps since 964:

« When Svyatoslav grew up and matured, he began to gather many brave warriors, and he was fast, like a pardus, and fought a lot. On campaigns, he did not carry carts or cauldrons with him, he did not cook meat, but, thinly slicing horse meat, or animal meat, or beef and roasting it on coals, he ate it like that; he did not have a tent, but slept, spreading a sweatshirt with a saddle in his head - the same were all his other soldiers. And he sent to other lands [envoys, as a rule, before declaring war] with the words: “I’m going to you!”.

Khazar campaign

Ruins of Sarkel (Belaya Vezha). Aerial photograph from 1930

In The Tale of Bygone Years, it is noted that in 964 Svyatoslav "went to the Oka River and the Volga, and met the Vyatichi". It is possible that at this time, when Svyatoslav's main goal was to strike at the Khazars, he did not subjugate the Vyatichi, that is, he had not yet imposed tribute on them.

In 965 Svyatoslav attacked Khazaria:

Having defeated the armies of both states and devastated their cities, Svyatoslav defeated the yases and kasogs, took and destroyed Semender in Dagestan. According to one version, Svyatoslav first took Sarkel on the Don (in 965), then moved east, and in 968 or 969 conquered Itil and Semender. M. I. Artamonov, on the other hand, believed that the Russian army was moving down the Volga and the capture of Itil preceded the capture of Sarkel.

Svyatoslav not only crushed the Khazar Khaganate, but also tried to secure the conquered territories for himself. The Russian settlement Belaya Vezha appeared on the site of Sarkel, Tmutarakan came under the rule of Kiev (there is evidence that Russian detachments were in Itil and Semender until the 990s, although their status is not clear).

Bulgarian campaigns

The conquest of the Bulgarian kingdom (968-969)

Kalokir agreed with Svyatoslav on an anti-Bulgarian alliance, but at the same time asked for help to take the Byzantine throne from Nicephorus Foka. For this, according to the version of the Byzantine chroniclers John Skylitzes and Leo the Deacon, Kalokir promised " great, countless treasures from the treasury of the state and the right to all conquered Bulgarian lands.

In 968, Svyatoslav invaded Bulgaria and, after the war with the Bulgarians, settled at the mouth of the Danube, in Pereyaslavets, where "tribute from the Greeks" was sent to him. During this period, relations between Russia and Byzantium were most likely friendly, since the Italian ambassador Liutprand in July 968 saw Russian ships in the Byzantine fleet.

By 968-969, the Pechenegs attacked Kiev. Svyatoslav returned with his cavalry to defend the capital and drove the Pechenegs into the steppe. Historians A. P. Novoseltsev and T. M. Kalinina suggest that the Khazars contributed to the attack of the nomads, and Svyatoslav, in response, organized a second campaign against them, during which Itil was captured, and the kaganate was finally defeated.

During the stay of the prince in Kiev, his mother, Princess Olga, who actually ruled Russia in the absence of her son, died. Svyatoslav arranged the administration of the state in a new way: he put his son Yaropolk on the reign of Kiev, Oleg - on the Drevlyansk, Vladimir - on the Novgorod. After that, in the fall of 969, the Grand Duke again went to Bulgaria with an army. The Tale of Bygone Years conveys his words:

« I don’t like to sit in Kiev, I want to live in Pereyaslavets on the Danube - for there is the middle of my land, all good things flow there: from the Greek land, gold, curtains, wines, various fruits; from the Czech Republic and from Hungary silver and horses; from Russia, furs and wax, honey and slaves» .

The chronicle Pereyaslavets has not been accurately identified. Sometimes it is identified with Preslav or referred to the Danube port of Preslav Maly. According to unknown sources (according to Tatishchev), in the absence of Svyatoslav, his governor in Pereyaslavets, voivode Volk, was forced to endure a siege by the Bulgarians. Byzantine sources sparingly describe Svyatoslav's war with the Bulgarians. His army on boats approached the Bulgarian Dorostol on the Danube and, after a battle, captured him from the Bulgarians. Later, the capital of the Bulgarian kingdom, Preslav the Great, was also captured, after which the Bulgarian king entered into a forced alliance with Svyatoslav.

War with Byzantium (970-971)

Faced with an attack by Svyatoslav, the Bulgarians asked for help from Byzantium. Emperor Nicephorus Foka was very worried about the invasion of the Rus, he decided to consolidate the alliance with the Bulgarian kingdom with a dynastic marriage. Brides from the royal Bulgarian family had already arrived in Constantinople, when, as a result of a coup on December 11, 969, Nicephorus Foka was killed, and John Tzimisces was on the Byzantine throne (marriage plans never materialized).

In the same year 969, the Bulgarian Tsar Peter I abdicated the throne in favor of his son Boris, and the western committees came out of the power of Preslav. While Byzantium hesitated to provide direct armed assistance to the Bulgarians, their old enemies, they entered into an alliance with Svyatoslav and subsequently fought against Byzantium on the side of the Rus.

John tried to convince Svyatoslav to leave Bulgaria, promising tribute, but to no avail. Svyatoslav decided to firmly establish himself on the Danube, thus expanding the possessions of Russia. Byzantium hastily transferred troops from Asia Minor to the borders of Bulgaria, placing them in fortresses.

Persecution of the retreating Russian army by the Byzantines.
Miniature from the Madrid copy of the "History" of John Skylitzes

The death of Svyatoslav in battle with the Pechenegs is also confirmed by Leo the Deacon:

“Sfendoslav left Doristol, returned the prisoners according to the agreement and sailed with the remaining associates, directing his way to his homeland. On the way, they were ambushed by the Patsinaki, a large nomadic tribe that devours lice, carries dwellings with them, and spends most of its life in wagons. They killed almost all [the Ross], killed Sfendoslav along with others, so that only a few of the huge army of the Ross returned unharmed to their native places.

Some historians suggest that it was Byzantine diplomacy that convinced the Pechenegs to attack Svyatoslav. The book of Constantine Porphyrogenitus "On the management of the empire" refers to the need for an alliance [Byzantium] with the Pechenegs to protect against the dews and Hungarians ("Strive for peace with the Pechenegs"), and also that the Pechenegs pose a serious danger to the Rus, overcoming the rapids. Based on this, it is emphasized that the use of the Pechenegs to eliminate the hostile prince occurred in accordance with the Byzantine foreign policy guidelines of that time. Although The Tale of Bygone Years names not the Greeks, but the Pereyaslavtsy (Bulgarians) as the organizers of the ambush, and John Skylitsa reports that the Byzantine embassy, ​​on the contrary, asked the Pechenegs to let the Rus through.

About the appearance of Svyatoslav

Leo the Deacon left a colorful description of Svyatoslav's appearance during his meeting with Emperor Tzimisces after the conclusion of peace:

“Sfendoslav also appeared, sailing along the river on a Scythian boat; he sat at the oars and rowed along with his entourage, no different from them. This was his appearance: of moderate height, neither too tall nor too short, with thick eyebrows and light blue eyes, snub-nosed, beardless, with thick, excessively long hair above his upper lip. His head was completely naked, but on one side a tuft of hair hung down - a sign of the nobility of the family; a strong nape, a broad chest and all other parts of the body are quite proportionate, but he looked gloomy and stern. He had a thread in one ear gold earring; it was adorned with a carbuncle framed by two pearls. His attire was white and differed from the clothes of his associates only by noticeable cleanliness.

1045 years ago, in March 972, the great Russian prince, one of the founders of the Russian state (the First Russian Empire), Svyatoslav Igorevich, died. According to the official version, Svyatoslav was returning with a small detachment after the war with Byzantium, fell into a Pecheneg ambush and died.

The Russian chronicle “The Tale of Bygone Years” reports: “When spring came, Svyatoslav went to the thresholds. And Kurya, the prince of the Pechenegs, attacked him, and they killed Svyatoslav, and took his head, and made a cup from the skull, bound him, and drank from him. Sveneld came to Kiev to Yaropolk.

The Byzantine historian Leo the Deacon writes about this in his: “Sfendoslav left Doristol, returned the prisoners according to the agreement and sailed with the remaining associates, directing his way to his homeland. On the way, they were ambushed by the Patsinaki, a large nomadic tribe that devours lice, carries dwellings with them, and spends most of its life in wagons. They killed almost all [the Ross], killed Sfendoslav along with others, so that only a few of the huge army of the Ross returned unharmed to their native places.

Starting with N. M. Karamzin, it was generally accepted that it was Byzantine diplomacy that convinced the Pechenegs to attack Svyatoslav: “The then policy of the Emperors did not know generosity: foreseeing that Svyatoslav would not leave them alone for a long time, it was almost the Greeks themselves who instructed the Pechenegs to take advantage of the weakness of the Russian army "("History of the Russian State. Vol. 1).

Svyatoslav

Russian Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich is one of the most prominent rulers and commanders of Russia-Russia. It was not for nothing that he was seriously hurt by liberal (supporters of the pro-Western, “classical” version of history) and Marxist historians, who called him a warrior prince, an “adventurer” who put his personal glory, the search for booty for the squad above the state, national interests of Russia. Like, as a result, his adventurous campaigns led to a heavy defeat from the Roman (Byzantine) army and the death of the prince himself.

The general conclusion was made as follows: “Svyatoslav was a model of a warrior, but not an example of a sovereign. He left the Russian land for remote deeds, glorious for him, but not always useful for Russia. He was almost never a prince in his own land; his mother ruled for him. Svyatoslav broke away from Russia, acted with only one of his retinue, and did not rally the combined forces of all the tribes, which could have, with the great talent of Svyatoslav himself, of great importance for fate Kiev state, and possibly for the whole of Eastern Europe” (“Pages of the Government of the Russian State”, 1990).

Obviously, this is a superficial look at the military-political activities of Prince Svyatoslav. It fits into the Westerners' version of the history of Russia-Russia, according to which the history of Russia is secondary and peripheral in relation to the history of Western Europe. Like, Russia is "Asia", a "barbarian country", which was introduced to civilization by the "Viking-Swedes" (Scandinavians, Germans). Then the invasion of the "Mongol-Tatars" again threw Russia into the past, and only Peter I "cut a window to Europe." And only by following the Western path of development (Western matrix) will Russia ever reach the level of development and prosperity, for example, Poland or Portugal. Therefore, it is necessary to discard "Great Russian chauvinism", urgently repent of the sins of the "bloody" Alexander Nevsky, Ivan the Terrible, Joseph Stalin and other Russian rulers and statesmen. Forget about the great Russian history, which allegedly did not exist. Allegedly, the whole history of Russia is full of mistakes, blunders, adventurism, blood, dirt, ignorance and drunkenness. The story of the "prince-adventurer" Svyatoslav, who "left his homeland for the sake of glory and exploits," quite fits into this line.

However, there is another view of the state activities of Svyatoslav. As one of the leading Soviet and Russian historians, a specialist in the history of diplomacy, foreign policy and ideology of Ancient Russia, A.N. Sakharov noted: a continuous challenge to the Byzantine Empire, a fierce and uncompromising challenge that became its glory and its tragedy. All his campaigns, barely taking over and leading the Kiev squad, he eventually directed to fight against the empire. It would be naive to think that this struggle was explained only by the personal feelings of Svyatoslav. Behind the confrontation between the two countries were their common socio-economic and political interests, the laws of social development.

The military-strategic, socio-economic interests of Russia also stood behind the uncompromising struggle of Svyatoslav against the Khazars, which the Russian chronicle (written already in the Christian era and edited in the interests of the Christianized elite of Russia) characterizes very briefly and dispassionately: "Svyatoslav go to the goats." As A. N. Sakharov writes: behind the laconic and impassive phrase from the annals “there is a whole era of the liberation of the East Slavic lands from the yoke of the Khazars, the transformation of the confederation of East Slavic tribes into a single Old Russian state. It was a time of consolidation and self-affirmation, new foreign policy contacts and the search for new trade routes, and Khazaria has traditionally been an enemy in this formation of Russia, a constant, stubborn, cruel and insidious enemy. ... Everywhere, wherever possible, Khazaria resisted Russia, closed her way to the East, forming here a powerful anti-Russian bloc consisting of the Volga Bulgaria, the Burtases, other Pook and Volga tribes, and some peoples of the North Caucasus. As before, the East Slavic tribe of the Vyatichi was dependent on the kaganate ... The struggle of Russia against the eternal rival, behind which Byzantium stood for many decades, was difficult. We had to endure the Sarkel fortress near our borders, we had to endure insidious attacks on the return routes from the East. For more than a hundred years, step by step, the Khazar Khaganate pushed Russia aside from its destinies, but even until the middle of the 10th century, Khazaria, although weakening and isolated, was one of the main enemies of the rising Slavs.

“... The campaign was over: the main goal was achieved - Khazaria was crushed. The Russian army drew a huge triangle in these parts between the points Itil - Semender - Sarkel, between the mouth of the Volga, the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, and the lower reaches of the Don. In the north were the defeated Bulgars and Burtases. With its eastern corner, this triangle faced the Sea of ​​Azov, the Taman Peninsula, the Cimmerian Bosporus - the Kerch Strait, where Russian settlements have long been located. From here it was a stone's throw to the Crimean possessions of Byzantium. ... In essence, Svyatoslav spent three years on a campaign and during this time he subjugated a vast territory from the Oka forests to the grape Semender to his influence. ... The campaign of Svyatoslav finally put an end to the Khazar yoke over the Eastern Slavic lands, freed the Vyatichi tribe from the influence of the Khazars, removed a powerful military barrier that closed the way for Russian merchants to the East, eliminated the force that was always ready to strike Russia in the back during its military enterprises in the south and east. Now in the Northern Black Sea region, near the mouth of the Dnieper, on the Taman Peninsula, Russia could not be afraid of pressure from the Khazars. The Volga and North Caucasian allies of Khazaria also received a very clear military lesson. The whole situation in the region has changed dramatically. Russia came to the fore here, regaining the positions lost during the numerous steppe invasions ”(A.N. Sakharov. “We are from the Russian family ...”. L., 1986.).

And the activity of Prince Svyatoslav was very impressive: “the huge Khazar empire was defeated and disappeared forever from the political map of Europe. The paths to the East were cleared; Volga Bulgaria ceased to be a hostile barrier and, in addition, Sarkel and Tmutarakan, two most important cities in the southeast, became Russian centers. The balance of power in the semi-Byzantine, semi-Khazar Crimea has also changed, where Kerch (Korchev) also became a Russian city ”(B. A. Rybakov.“ The Birth of Rus ”. M., 2012.). A hundred years later, the Russian prince Gleb, Svyatoslav's great-great-grandson, measured the frozen Kerch Strait and left a famous inscription about how he "measured the sea on ice from Tmutarakan to Korchevo."

Then Svyatoslav continued the struggle, solving national tasks of strengthening in the Northern Black Sea region and the Balkans (in the distant future, the Russian tsars and Secretary General Stalin will solve the same tasks, showing that rulers can change, but the strategic tasks of Russian civilization and people remain the same). The assessment of the war between Russia and Byzantium (the Eastern Roman Empire) was already distorted at that time, which was due to the incompleteness of the information in the Russian chronicles and the extreme bias of the Greek (Byzantine) sources, which sought to portray the Russians as "wild barbarians", "Tauro-Scythians", enemies of the Bulgarians, who invaded Bulgaria, and the Byzantines (Romans) as friends and liberators of the Bulgarians. Greek sources are full of omissions, contradictions, obvious lies (for example, the loss of Russ and Romans in battles, when hundreds and thousands of killed Russ and other "barbarians" accounted for one defeated Roman) and a clear unwillingness to recognize the anti-Byzantine alliance of Russians with Bulgarians. Although this alliance was revealed already at the first appearance of Russian squads on the Danube, when 80 Bulgarian cities went over to the side of Svyatoslav. These principles of the policy of the rulers of the West have been unchanged for more than a thousand years. Westerners are rewriting history in their own interests, turning black into white and white into black.

Svyatoslav expanded the possessions of Russia to Pereyaslavets on the Danube, the "Island of the Rus", formed by the bend and delta of the great European river, the sea and the "Trajan's Wall", where the Rus-Ulichi (one of the predecessors of the late Cossacks) lived. Svyatoslav himself was very pleased with the new land, where he moved in 967-969. “Not everyone is living in Kiev,” Svyatoslav said to his mother Olga and the boyars. - I want to live Pereyaslavtsi in the Danube, as if that is the environment of my land ... ". Thus, Svyatoslav founded the new residence of the Grand Duke on the Danube, securing a new, very advantageous position at the crossroads of different paths.

Russian and Bulgarian troops, with the support of the allies (Pechenegs, Hungarians), drove the Roman Byzantines out of Bulgaria, and also defeated the treacherous pro-Byzantine Bulgarian party. Then the allies went on a broad offensive along the entire northern border of the Byzantine Empire. Svyatoslav's troops crossed the Balkans, crossed the Byzantine border and took Philippopolis (modern Plovdiv). One of the decisive battles in Thrace, when the soldiers of Svyatoslav met with superior enemy forces, was vividly described by a Russian chronicler: “Let us not shame the Russian land, but lie down with bones, dead for shame is not an imam. If we run away, shame on the imam. Do not run away to the imam, but we will stand strong, but I will go before you; if my head lies down, then think for yourself. And Russia was filled, leaned, and Svyatoslav overcame, and the Greeks fled.

True, another part of the army, dominated by Russian allies - Bulgarians, Pechenegs and Hungarians, was defeated near Arcadiopol. But it was not this battle that decided the outcome of the war in 970. All sources that tell about the Russian-Byzantine war: the Tale of Bygone Years, Leo the Deacon, and other Byzantine chronicles unanimously report that in the summer of 970 the Greeks asked for peace. It is obvious that the winners of the world do not ask. If the core of Svyatoslav's army had been defeated and fled near Arcadiopol, it is clear that the Greeks (Romans) would have no reason to seek a peace agreement with the Russian prince. Tzimisces was to organize the pursuit of the defeated enemy, to finish him off. In terms of finishing off an already defeated enemy, the Romans were great masters and did not know mercy for the defeated.

Thus, Svyatoslav won the decisive battle. And he moved “to the city, fighting and breaking the city ... And he called the king of the Bolaria to his floor, and said to them:“ What are we doing, as if we can’t stand against him? The Byzantines decided to ask for peace. And this meant that Svyatoslav defeated the main forces of the enemy, and moved to Tsargrad-Constantinople, "breaking" other "towns" along the way. At first the Romans failed. Svyatoslav promised to set up his tents "in front of the Byzantine gates." Then the Greeks offered the Russian prince gold and curtains, but Svyatoslav showed indifference to them. John Tzimisces again sends his people to the prince and prays for peace. This time the ambassadors, according to Russian sources, offered weapons as gifts. Svyatoslav was delighted with such gifts. This made it possible to stop the advance of Russian troops on Constantinople. The Russians were only 4 days away from Tsargrad. The Romans agreed with the consolidation of Svyatoslav on the Danube and with the need to pay tribute. Svyatoslav: “Take many gifts, and return to Pereyaslavets with great praise.”

The Romans deceived and did not keep the peace. Taking advantage of the respite, they mobilized new forces (Tzimiskes withdrew troops from the Middle East), prepared the fleet, and in 971 launched a counteroffensive. And Svyatoslav sent the allied troops, and was not ready for a new campaign. Obviously, Svyatoslav did not expect the enemy to recover from defeat so quickly and immediately violate the agreement. Passages in the mountains turned out to be open, they were not guarded. Whose miscalculation it was - the Bulgarians or the Russian garrison in the Bulgarian capital Preslav, is unknown. Perhaps the pro-Byzantine group worked in Bulgaria itself. Outcome is known. A huge and well-armed Byzantine army calmly surrounded Veliky Preslav, where the Bulgarian Tsar Boris and the Russian detachment led by Sveneld were located. After a desperate assault, the Romans broke the resistance of a small Russian-Bulgarian garrison and took the city. At the same time, part of the squad of Sveneld managed to break out of the encirclement.

The Byzantine army began the occupation of Bulgaria. Tzimisces gave the Bulgarian capital and many other cities and fortresses to be plundered by his army. Then the Greeks went to the Danube, where Svyatoslav stood in the fortress of Dorostol with a small army. This time the enemy had a complete advantage: the ground forces blocked the fortress from the land, the fleet from the side of the river. A number of major battles took place here, and in some cases literally a miracle (natural element) saved the Romans from defeat. For more than two months, the army of Tzimiskes unsuccessfully besieged Dorostol. Both armies were exhausted in fierce battles, and did not achieve victory. Then negotiations began. Tzimisces, fearing problems in the rear and new battles with the Russians, who fought on equal terms with the enemy even in small numbers, happily signed peace. The world was honorable. Svyatoslav pledged not to fight with Byzantium and left with a lot of booty. More in the articles:; ; .

With the departure of Svyatoslav from Bulgaria, the independence of the Eastern Bulgarian kingdom fell (Western Bulgaria retained its independence). The Romans occupied the main cities, renamed them, humiliated the Bulgarians and deprived them of their statehood. Tsar Boris was overthrown, together with his brother Roman, whom the Greeks castrated, he was taken to Constantinople and took part in the solemn triumph that Tzimiskes arranged for himself. The crown of the Bulgarian kings was given to the church of St. Sophia, then in the imperial palace, Boris laid down the royal insignia - precious clothes, royal shoes. Split, drenched in blood, robbed and humiliated, Bulgaria lost its independence for two centuries. All this was the result of the treacherous policy of the pro-Byzantine ruling circles.

Obviously, Svyatoslav was not an "adventurer" who "wandered" the steppes in search of glory. He solved the main national tasks of Russia. As B. A. Rybakov noted: “His Volga-Khazar campaign was vital for the young state of Russia, and his actions on the Danube and the Balkans were a manifestation of friendship and solidarity with the people of Bulgaria, whom Svyatoslav helped to defend both his capital and his king, and political independence from the encroachments of Byzantium. ... In relation to Russia, all the swift activity of Svyatoslav was not only not an inattention to its interests or an unconscious desire to “rude”, neglect it, but, on the contrary, everything was designed to solve major state tasks that required the exertion of all forces. The most important task, which was to ensure security on the part of the Khazar Khaganate, was solved quite successfully. The second task - the creation of a peaceful trading foothold on the western coast of the Russian Sea (as the Black Sea was then called. - A.S.), in commonwealth with Bulgaria - was not completed ... ”But this is not Svyatoslav’s fault. This task will be solved by the Russian tsars for more than one century and will never complete the great work (the capture of Constantinople). Svyatoslav could continue the fight, restoring strength in Russia, but he was eliminated.

To be continued…

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941 year. IGOR'S TRIP TO CONSTANTINOPOLE.

Constantinople did not comply with agreements with Russia, and most of the Byzantine troops were engaged in the war with the Arabs. Prince Igor led a huge squadron of 10 thousand ships south along the Dnieper and the Black Sea. The Russians devastated the entire southwestern coast of the Black Sea and the shores of the Bosporus. On June 11, Theophanes, who led the Byzantine troops, was able to burn a large number of Russian boats with "Greek fire" and drive them away from Constantinople. Part of Igor's squad landed on the Asia Minor coast of the Black Sea and began to plunder the provinces of Byzantium in small detachments, but by autumn they were driven out to the boats. In September, near the coast of Thrace, the patrician Theophanes again managed to burn and sink the boats of the Ross. Those who escaped on the way home were pursued by a "gastric epidemic." Igor himself returned to Kiev with a dozen rooks.

A year later, Igor's second campaign against Tsargrad was possible. But the emperor paid off, and the princely squad was glad to receive tribute without a fight. In the following year, 944, peace between the parties was formalized by an agreement, though less profitable than in 911 under Prince Oleg. Among those who concluded the agreement was the ambassador of Svyatoslav, the son of Prince Igor, who reigned in "Nemogard" - Novgorod.

942 year. THE BIRTH OF SVYATOSLAV.

This date appears in the Ipatiev and other chronicles. Prince Svyatoslav was the son of Prince Igor the Old and Princess Olga. The date of birth of Prince Svyatoslav is controversial. Due to the advanced age of his parents - Prince Igor was over 60 years old, and Princess Olga was about 50. It is believed that Svyatoslav was a young man over 20 by the mid-40s. But rather, Svyatoslav's parents were much younger than he was a mature husband in the 40s of the 9th century.

943-945. RUSSIAN GROUPS DESTROY THE CITY OF BERDAA IN THE CASPIAN SEA.

Detachments of the Rus appeared in the vicinity of Derbent on the shores of the Caspian Sea. They failed to capture a strong fortress and on ships from the harbor of Derbent, they moved by sea along the coast of the Caspian Sea to the south. Having reached the place where the Kura River flows into the Caspian Sea, the Rus climbed up the river to the largest shopping center Azerbaijani city of Berdaa and captured it. Azerbaijan has recently been occupied by tribes of daylemites (militant highlanders of the southern Caspian) headed by Marzban Ibn Mohammed. The troops gathered by Marzban incessantly besieged the city, but the Rus tirelessly repelled their attacks. After spending a year in the city, having completely devastated it, the Rus left Berdaa, having exterminated most of its population by that time. After the blow inflicted by the Russians, the city fell into decay. It is assumed that one of the leaders of this campaign was Sveneld.

945 year. DEATH OF PRINCE IGOR.

Igor, entrusted the collection of tribute from the Drevlyans to the governor Sveneld. The princely squad, dissatisfied with the rapidly growing wealthy Sveneld and his people, began to demand that Igor independently collect tribute from the Drevlyans. The Kiev prince took an increased tribute from the Drevlyans, returning back, he released most of the squad, and he himself decided to return and "finish" more. The indignant Drevlyans "having left the city of Iskorosten, they killed him and his squad." Igor was tied to tree trunks and torn in two.

946 year. OLGA'S REVENGE TO THE DREVLYANS.

A vivid chronicle story tells about the unsuccessful matchmaking of the Drevlyan prince Mala to Olga, about the revenge of the princess on the Drevlyans for the murder of Igor. Having dealt with the embassy of the Drevlyans and exterminated their “deliberate (i.e., senior, noble) husbands,” Olga and her retinue went to the Drevlyane land. The Drevlyans went to battle against her. “And when both troops converged, Svyatoslav threw a spear towards the Drevlyans, and the spear flew between the ears of the horse and struck in the leg, for Svyatoslav was just a child. And Sveneld and Asmund said: "The prince has already begun, let's follow, squad, for the prince." And they defeated the Drevlyans. Olga's squad besieged the city of Iskorosten, the capital of the Drevlyansk land, but could not take it. Then, having promised the Drevlyans peace, she asked them for tribute "from each yard for three doves and three sparrows." Delighted, the Drevlyans caught birds for Olga. In the evening, Olga's warriors released birds with smoldering tinder tied to them (smoldering tinder fungus). Birds flew into the city and Iskorosten blazed. Residents fled from the burning city, where the besieging warriors were waiting for them. Many people were killed, some were taken into slavery. Princess Olga forced the Drevlyans to pay a heavy tribute.

Around 945-969. OLGA'S PRINCIPLE.

Svyatoslav's mother reigned peacefully until he matured. Having traveled all over her possessions, Olga streamlined the collection of tribute. Creating on the ground "graveyards", which became small centers of princely power, where the tribute collected from the population flowed. She made a trip to Constantinople in 957, where she converted to Christianity, and Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus himself became her godfather. During the campaigns of Svyatoslav, Olga continued to manage the Russian lands.

964-972 BOARD OF SVYATOSLAV.

964 year. Svyatoslav's campaign against the Vyatichi.

Vyatichi is the only Slavic tribal union that lived in the interfluve of the Oka and the upper Volga, and was not included in the sphere of power of the Kiev princes. Prince Svyatoslav organized a campaign in the lands of the Vyatichi, in order to force them to pay tribute. Vyatichi did not dare to engage in open battle with Svyatoslav. But they refused to pay tribute, informing the prince of Kiev that they were tributaries of the Khazars.

965 year. Svyatoslav's campaign against the Khazars.

The Khazaria included the Lower Volga region with the capital Itil, the North Caucasus, the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov and Eastern Crimea. Khazaria fed and grew rich at the expense of other peoples, exhausting them with tributes and robber raids. Numerous trade routes passed through Khazaria.

Enlisting the support of the steppe Pechenegs, the Kiev prince led a strong, well-armed, large army trained in military affairs against the Khazars. The Russian army was moving - along the Seversky Donets or Don, they defeated the army of the Khazar Kagan under Belaya Vezha (Sarkel). Having laid siege to the Sarkel fortress, which was located on a cape washed by the waters of the Don, and on the eastern side a moat filled with water was dug. The Russian squad, in a well-prepared, sudden assault, took possession of the city.

966 year. CONQUERING VYATICHI.

The Kiev squad again invaded the lands of the Vyatichi. This time their fate was sealed. Svyatoslav defeated the Vyatichi on the battlefield and laid tribute on them.

966 year. THE VOLGA-CASPIAN CAMPAIGN OF SVYATOSLAV.

Svyatoslav moved to the Volga and defeated the Kama Bolgars. Along the Volga, he reached the Caspian Sea, where the Khazars decided to give Svyatoslav a fight under the walls of Itil, located at the mouth of the river. The Khazar army of Tsar Joseph was defeated, and the capital Khazar Khaganate Itil is ruined. The winners got rich booty, which was loaded onto camel caravans. The city was plundered by the Pechenegs, and then set on fire. A similar fate befell the ancient Khazar city of Semender on the Kum in the Caspian Sea (near modern Makhachkala).

966-967 year. SVYATOSLAV HAS GONE ON TAMAN.

The squad of Svyatoslav with battles moved along North Caucasus and Kuban, through the lands of the Yases and Kasogs (ancestors of the Ossetians and Adygs), an alliance was concluded with these tribes, which strengthened the military power of Svyatoslav.

The campaign ended with the conquest of Tmutarakan, then it was the possession of the Khazars Tamatarkh on the Taman Peninsula and Kerch. Subsequently, the Russian Tmutarakan principality arose there. The main power on the shores of the Caspian Sea and on the coast of Pontus (Black Sea) was the Old Russian state. Kievan Rus strengthened in the south and east. The Pechenegs kept the peace and did not disturb Russia. Svyatoslav tried to gain a foothold in the Volga region, but he failed.

967 year. SVYATOSLAV'S MEETING WITH THE BYZANTINE AMBASSADOR KALOKIR.

The Emperor of Constantinople, Nicephorus Foka, was busy with the war with the Arabs. Having decided to eliminate the threat to the Byzantine colonies in the Crimea, as well as to get rid of the Bulgarians, to whom the Empire had been paying tribute for 40 years, he decided to push them against the Russians. For this purpose, the ambassador of Emperor Nicephorus, the patrician (Byzantine title) Kalokir, went to the Kiev prince Svyatoslav. He promised Svyatoslav neutrality and even the support of Byzantium if the prince starts a war with Bulgaria. This proposal came from the emperor; Kalokir himself secretly hoped in the future, with the support of Svyatoslav, to overthrow the emperor and take his place.

August 967. Svyatoslav's ATTACK ON THE DANUBE BULGARIA.

Having gathered an army of 60,000 soldiers on his lands, from young "healthy men", Svyatoslav moved to the Danube along the route of Prince Igor. And this time he attacked the Bulgarians suddenly, without the famous "I'm coming to you." Having passed the Dnieper rapids, part of the Russian troops moved to the Danube Bulgaria, along the coast. And the boats of the Russians entered the Black Sea and along the coast reached the mouth of the Danube. Where did the decisive battle take place? During the landing, the Russians were met by a thirty-thousandth Bulgarian army. But unable to withstand the first onslaught, the Bulgarians fled. Having tried to hide in Dorostol, the Bulgarians were defeated there. According to The Tale of Bygone Years, Svyatoslav captured 80 cities in Dnieper Bulgaria and settled in Pereyaslavets. The Russian prince did not at first seek to go beyond Dobruja, apparently this was agreed with the ambassador of the Byzantine emperor.

968 year. NIKIFOR FOCA IS PREPARING FOR WAR WITH SVYATOSLAV.

The Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Foka, having learned about the captures of Svyatoslav and the plans of Klaokir, realized what a dangerous ally he called on and began preparations for war. He took measures to defend Constantinople, blocked the entrance to the Golden Horn with a chain, installed throwing weapons on the walls, reformed the cavalry - dressed the riders in iron armor, armed and trained the infantry. Diplomatically, he tried to attract the Bulgarians to his side by negotiating a marriage union of royal houses, and the Pechenegs, probably bribed by Nicephorus, attacked Kiev.

Spring 968. SIEGE OF KIEV BY THE PECHENEGS.

The Pechenegs surrounded Kiev and kept it under siege. Among the besieged were three sons of Svyatoslav, princes - Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir and their grandmother Princess Olga. For a long time they failed to send a messenger from Kiev. But thanks to the valor of one youth who was able to pass through the Pecheneg camp, posing as a Pecheneg looking for his horse, the people of Kiev managed to send a message to the governor Petrich, who was standing far beyond the Dnieper. The voivode depicted the arrival of the watchman, who was allegedly followed by a regiment with a prince "without number". The cunning of the governor Pretich saved the people of Kiev. The Pechenegs believed all this and retreated from the city. A messenger was sent to Svyatoslav, who told him: “You, prince, seek and watch a foreign land, and having swindled your own, we are not small for taking cookies, your mother and your children.” With a small retinue, the warrior prince mounted his horses and rushed to the capital. Here he gathered "wars", teamed up with Petrich's squad in hot battles, defeated the Pechenegs and drove them to the steppe and restored peace. Kiev was saved.

When they began to beg Svyatoslav to stay in Kiev, he answered: “I don’t like to live in Kiev, I want to live in Pereyaslavets on the Danube (probably the current Rushchuk). Princess Olga persuaded her son: “You see, I am sick; where do you want to go from me? (“For she has already fallen ill,” adds the chronicler.) When you bury me, go wherever you want.” Svyatoslav stayed in Kiev until the death of his mother. During this time, he divided the Russian land between his sons. Yaropolk was planted in Kiev, Oleg in the Drevlyane land. And the “robichich” Vladimir, the son of the housekeeper Malusha, was asked to be the Princes of Novgorod ambassadors. Having completed the partition and buried his mother, Svyatoslav, having replenished the squad, immediately set off on a campaign for the Danube.

969 year. BULGARIAN RESISTANCE IN THE ABSENCE OF SVYATOSLAV.

The Bulgarians did not feel much change with his departure to Russia. In the autumn of 969, they prayed to Nicephorus Fok for help against the Rus. The Bulgarian Tsar Peter tried to find support in Constantinople by entering into dynastic marriages between Bulgarian princesses and young Byzantine Caesars. But Nikifor Foka apparently continued to adhere to agreements with Svyatoslav and did not provide military assistance. Taking advantage of the absence of Svyatoslav, the Bulgarians rebelled and drove the Rus out of several fortresses.

In the "History of the Russian" V. N. Tatishchev tells about the exploits in Bulgaria during the absence of Svyatoslav there, a certain governor Volk (from other unknown sources). The Bulgarians, having learned about the departure of Svyatoslav, laid siege to Pereyaslavets. The wolf, experiencing a lack of food and knowing that many townspeople "had agreement" with the Bulgarians, ordered the boats to be secretly made. He himself announced publicly that he would defend the city to the last man, and pointedly ordered to cut all the horses and salt and dry the meat. At night, the Russians set fire to the city. The Bulgarians rushed to the assault, and the Russians, speaking on the boats, attacked the Bulgarian boats and captured them. The detachment of the Wolf left Pereyaslavets and freely descended down the Danube, and then by sea to the mouth of the Dniester. On the Dniester, Volk met Svyatoslav. Where this story came from and how reliable it is is unknown.

Autumn 969-970. SVYATOSLAV'S SECOND CAMPAIGN TO BULGARIA.

Upon returning to Danube Bulgaria, Svyatoslav again had to overcome the resistance of the Bulgarians, who took refuge, as the chronicle says, in Pereyaslavets. But it must be assumed that we are talking about Preslav, the capital of Danube Bulgaria, not yet controlled by the Russians, south of Pereyaslavets on the Danube. In December 969, the Bulgarians went to battle against Svyatoslav and "the battle was great." The Bulgarians began to prevail. And Svyatoslav said to his soldiers: “Here we fall! Let's stand up courageously, brothers and squad! And by evening, Svyatoslav's squad won, and the city was taken by storm. The sons of the Bulgarian Tsar Peter, Boris and Roman, were taken prisoner.

Having captured the capital of the Bulgarian kingdom, the Russian prince went beyond the borders of Dobrudja, and reached the Bulgarian-Byzantine border, ruining many cities and drowning the uprising of the Bulgarians in blood. The Russians had to take the city of Philippopolis (modern Plovdiv) with a fight. As a result, the ancient city, founded by King Philip of Macedon in the 4th century BC. e., was devastated, and 20 thousand surviving residents were impaled. The city was depopulated for a long time.

December 969. REVOLUTION OF JOHN TSIMISCES.

The conspiracy was led by his wife, Empress Theophano, and John Tzimiskes, a commander who came from a noble Armenian family and the nephew of Nicephorus (his mother was Phocas' sister). On the night of December 10-11, 969, the conspirators killed Emperor Nicephorus Phocas in their own bedchamber. Moreover, John personally split his skull in two with a sword. John, unlike his predecessor, did not marry Theophano, but exiled her away from Constantinople.

On December 25, the coronation of the new emperor took place. Formally, John Tzimiskes, like his predecessor, was proclaimed co-ruler of the young sons of Roman II: Basil and Constantine. The death of Nicephorus Foki finally changed the situation on the Danube, because. the new emperor considered it important to get rid of the Russian threat.

A new usurper ascended the Byzantine throne - John, nicknamed Tzimiskes (this is a nickname, meaning in translation from Armenian language"shoe", he received for his small stature).

Despite his small stature, John was distinguished by his extraordinary physical strength and dexterity. He was brave, resolute, cruel, treacherous and, like his predecessor, possessed the talents of a military leader. At the same time, he was more sophisticated and cunning than Nicephorus. Byzantine chroniclers noted his inherent vices - excessive craving for wine during feasts and greed for bodily pleasures (again, in contrast to the almost ascetic Nicephorus).

The old king of the Bulgarians could not stand the defeats inflicted by Svyatoslav - he fell ill and died. Soon the whole country, as well as Macedonia and Thrace up to Philippopolis, fell under the rule of Svyatoslav. Svyatoslav made an alliance with the new Bulgarian Tsar Boris II.

In essence, Bulgaria broke up into zones controlled by the Rus (northeast - Dobruja), Boris II (the rest of Eastern Bulgaria, subordinate to him only formally, in fact - to the Rus) and not controlled by anyone except the local elite (Western Bulgaria). It is possible that Western Bulgaria outwardly recognized the power of Boris, but the Bulgarian tsar, surrounded in his capital by a Russian garrison, lost all contact with the territories not affected by the war.

Over the course of six months, all three countries involved in the conflict changed their rulers. In Kiev, Olga, a supporter of an alliance with Byzantium, died; in Constantinople, Nicephorus Foka, who invited the Russians to the Balkans, was killed; in Bulgaria, Peter died, hoping for help from the Empire.

Byzantine emperors during the life of Svyatoslav

In Byzantium, the Macedonian dynasty ruled, which was never forcibly overthrown. And in Constantinople of the 10th century, a descendant of Basil the Macedonian was always emperor. But with the infancy and political weakness of the emperors of a great dynasty, an accompanist who possessed actual power sometimes became at the helm of the empire.

Roman I Lakopin (c. 870 - 948, imp. 920 - 945). The usurper-co-ruler of Constantine VII, who married him to his daughter, but tried to create his own dynasty. Under him, the Russian fleet of Prince Igor was burned under the walls of Constantinople (941).

Constantine VII Porphyrogenetus (Purple-born) (905 - 959, imp. 908 - 959, actual from 945). Emperor scientist, author of edifying works, such as the work "On the management of the empire." He baptized Princess Olga during her visit to Constantinople (967).

Roman II (939 - 963, imp. from 945, actual from 959). The son of Constantine VII, Theophano's husband died young, leaving two minor sons, Basil and Constantine.

Theophano (after 940 -?, empress regent in March - August 963). Rumor attributed to her the poisoning of her father-in-law Konstantin Porphyrogenitus and her husband Roman. She was a participant in the conspiracy and murder of her second husband, Emperor Nicephorus Focas.

Nikephoros II Phocas (912 - 969, imp. from 963). The famous commander who returned Crete under the rule of the empire, then the Byzantine emperor who married Theophano. He continued successful military operations by conquering Cilicia and Cyprus. Killed by John Tzimisces. He was numbered among the saints.

John I Tzimiskes (c. 925 - 976, imp. from 969) The main opponent of Svyatoslav. After the Russians left Bulgaria. He conducted two eastern campaigns, as a result of which Syria and Phoenicia again became provinces of the empire. Supposed to have been poisoned
Vasily Lekapin- the illegitimate son of Roman I, castrated as a child, but who was the first minister of the empire from 945-985.

Basil II Bulgarokton (Bulgarian Slayer) (958 - 1025, cont. from 960, imp. from 963, actual from 976). The greatest emperor of the Macedonian dynasty. He ruled jointly with his brother Constantine. He fought numerous wars, especially with the Bulgarians. Under him, Byzantium reached its highest power. But he could not leave a male heir and the Macedonian dynasty soon fell.

Winter 970. THE BEGINNING OF THE RUSSIAN-BYZANTIAN WAR.

Having learned about the murder of his ally, Svyatoslav, possibly incited by Klaokir, decided to start a fight against the Byzantine usurper. The Rus began to cross the border of Byzantium and devastate the Byzantine provinces of Thrace and Macedonia.

John Tzimiskes tried to persuade Svyatoslav to return the conquered regions through negotiations, otherwise he threatened war. To this, Svyatoslav replied: “Let the emperor not work to travel to our land: we will soon put up our tents in front of the Byzantine gates, we will surround the city with a strong rampart, and if he decides to set out on a feat, we will bravely meet him.” At the same time, Svyatoslav advised Tzimiskes to retire to Asia Minor.

Svyatoslav reinforced his army with the Bulgarians, who were dissatisfied with Byzantium, hired units of the Pechenegs and Hungarians. The number of this army was 30,000 soldiers. The commander of the Byzantine army was Master Varda Sklir, it consisted of 12,000 soldiers. Therefore, Skleros had to give most of Thrace to be torn to pieces by the enemy and preferred to sit out in Arcadiopolis. Soon the army of the Kiev prince approached this city.

970 year. BATTLE UNDER ARKADIOPOLE (ADRIANOPOLE).

In the battle of Arcadiopol (modern-day Luleburgaz in Turkey, about 140 kilometers west of Istanbul), the onslaught of the Rus was stopped. The seeming indecisiveness of Bardas Skleros caused self-confidence and disdain for the Byzantines shut up in the city in the barbarians. They wandered around, drinking, thinking they were safe. Seeing this, Varda set about implementing a plan of action that had long matured in him. The main role in the upcoming battle was assigned to the patrician John Alakas (by origin, by the way, a Pecheneg). Alakas attacked a detachment consisting of Pechenegs. They were carried away by the pursuit of the retreating Romans and soon stumbled upon the main forces commanded personally by Varda Sklir. The Pechenegs stopped, ready for battle, and this destroyed them completely. The fact is that the phalanx of the Romans, passing Alakas and the Pechenegs chasing him, parted to a considerable depth. The Pechenegs were in the "bag". Due to the fact that they did not retreat immediately, time was lost; the phalanxes closed and surrounded the nomads. All of them were killed by the Romans.

The death of the Pechenegs stunned the Hungarians, Russ and Bulgarians. However, they managed to prepare for battle and met the Romans fully armed. Skylitsa reports that the first blow to the advancing army of Varda Sklir was delivered by the cavalry of the "barbarians", probably consisting mainly of Hungarians. The onslaught was repelled, and the riders took refuge among the foot soldiers. When both armies converged, the outcome of the battle for a long time was undefined.

There is a story about how "a certain Scythian, proud of the size of the body and the fearlessness of the soul" attacked Varda Sklir himself, "who traveled around and inspired the line of warriors", and hit him with a sword on the helmet. “But the sword slipped, the blow was unsuccessful, and the master also hit the enemy on the helmet. The heaviness of the hand and the hardening of the iron gave such force to his blow that the entire Scythian was cut into two parts. Patricius Constantine, brother of the master, hurrying to his rescue, tried to strike another Scythian on the head, who wanted to come to the aid of the first and boldly rushed to Varda; the Scythian, however, dodged to the side, and Constantine, having missed, brought down the sword on the neck of the horse and separated his head from the body; the Scythian fell, and Constantine jumped off his horse and, grabbing the beard of the enemy with his hand, stabbed him to death. This feat aroused the courage of the Romans and increased their courage, while the Scythians were seized with fear and horror.

The battle approached its turning point, then Varda ordered to blow and knock on tambourines. The ambush army immediately, at this sign, ran out of the forest, surrounded the enemy from the rear, and thus instilled such horror in them that they began to retreat. It is possible that the ambush caused temporary confusion in the ranks of the Rus, but the battle order was quickly restored. “And Rus rallied, and the battle was great, and Svyatoslav prevailed, and the Greeks fled; and Svyatoslav went to the city, fighting and smashing the city, even they stand and are empty to this day. So the Russian chronicler speaks of the outcome of the battle. And the Byzantine historian Leo Deacon, writes about the victory of the Romans and reports implausible loss figures: the Rus allegedly lost over 20 thousand people, and the Byzantine army lost only 55 people killed and many wounded.

Apparently the defeat was heavy, and the losses of Svyatoslav's troops were significant. But still he had great strength to continue the war. And John Tzimiskes had to offer tribute and ask for peace. Since the Byzantine usurper was still puzzled by the suppression of the rebellion of Varda Foki. Therefore, trying to gain time and delay the war, he entered into negotiations with Svyatoslav.

970 year. THE REBELLION OF VARDA FOCA.

In the spring of 970, the nephew of the murdered emperor Nicephorus Vardas Fok fled from his place of exile in Amasia to Caesarea in Cappadocia. Having gathered around him a militia capable of resisting government troops, he solemnly and with a crowd of people put on red shoes - which was a sign of imperial dignity. The news of the rebellion greatly agitated Tzimisces. Varda Sklir was immediately called from Thrace, whom John appointed as a stratilate (leader) of the campaign against the rebels. Skleros managed to win over to his side some of the military leaders who were subordinate to his namesake. Foka, abandoned by them, did not dare to fight and preferred to take refuge in a fortress with the symbolic name of the fortress of Tyrants. However, besieged by a stratilate, he was forced to surrender. Emperor John ordered Varda Fok to be tonsured as a monk and sent him, along with his wife and children, to the island of Chios.

970 year. RUS ATTACKS ON MACEDONIA.

Having received tribute, Svyatoslav returned to Pereyaslavets, from where he sent his "best husbands" to the Byzantine emperor to conclude an agreement. The reason for this was the small size of the squad, which suffered heavy losses. Therefore, Svyatoslav said: “I’ll go to Russia and bring more squads (since the Byzantines could use the small number of Russians and surround Svyatoslav’s squad) in the city; and Ruska the land is far away, and the Pechenesi are with us in arms, ie, they turned from allies into enemies. A small replenishment arrived from Kiev to Svyatoslav.

During the whole year 970, detachments of the Russians periodically devastated the border Byzantine region of Macedonia. The Roman troops here were commanded by Master John Kurkuas (the Younger), a well-known lazy and drunkard who was inactive, making no attempt to protect the local population from the enemy. However, he had an excuse - the lack of troops. But Svyatoslav no longer undertook a large-scale offensive against Byzantium. Probably, the current situation suited him.

Winter 970. THE CLICKNESS OF TSIMISCES.

In order to take decisive action to curb the aggressive attacks of the Rus, significant preparations were required, which could not be completed before the spring of the next year; and besides, in the future winter time crossing the Gemsky ridge (Balkans) was considered impossible. In view of this, Tzimiskes again started negotiations with Svyatoslav, sent him expensive gifts, promising to send gifts in the spring, and, in all likelihood, the matter ended with the conclusion of a preliminary peace treaty. This explains that Svyatoslav did not occupy the mountain passes (klissura) through the Balkans.

Spring 971. INVASION OF JOHN TSIMISCES INTO THE DANUBE VALLEY.

Tzimiskes, taking advantage of the dispersion of Svyatoslav's troops throughout Bulgaria and his confidence in the world, unexpectedly sent a fleet of 300 ships from the Suda with orders to enter the Danube, and he himself moved with the troops to Adrianople. Here the emperor was delighted with the news that the mountain passes were not occupied by the Russians, as a result of which Tzimisces, with 2 thousand cavalry at the head, having behind 15 thousand infantry and 13 thousand cavalry, and only 30 thousand, freely passed the terrible klissura. The Byzantine army fortified itself on a hill near the Tichi River.

Quite unexpectedly for the Russians, Tzimiskes approached Preslav, occupied by the voivode Svyatoslav Sfenkel. The next day, Tzimiskes, having built dense phalanxes, moved towards the city, in front of which the Rus were waiting for him in an open area. A stubborn battle ensued. Tzimisces led the "immortals" into battle. The heavy cavalry, putting forward spears, rushed to the enemy and quickly overturned the Rus, who fought on foot. The Russian soldiers who came to the rescue could not change anything, and the Byzantine cavalry managed to approach the city and cut off those fleeing from the gate. Sfenkel had to close the gates of the city and the winners destroyed 8500 "Scythians" that day. At night, Kalokir fled from the city, whom the Greeks considered the main culprit of their troubles. He informed Svyatoslav about the emperor's attack.

The rest of the troops arrived at Tzimiskes with stone-throwing and wall-beating machines. It was necessary to hurry to take Preslav before arriving to the rescue of Svyatoslav. First, the besieged were offered to surrender voluntarily. Having received a refusal, the Romans began to shower Preslav with clouds of arrows and stones. Easily breaking the wooden walls of Preslav. After that, with the support of the shooting of the archers, they went to storm the wall. With the help of ladders, it was possible to climb the fortifications, overcoming the resistance of the city's defenders. The defenders began to leave the walls, hoping to take refuge in the citadel. The Byzantines managed to open the gate in the southeast corner of the fortress, letting the entire army into the city. Bulgarians and Russians who did not have time to hide were destroyed.

It was then that Boris II was brought to Tzimiskes, captured in the city with his family and identified by the signs of royal power on him. John did not punish him for collaborating with the Russians, but, declaring him "the legitimate ruler of the Bulgars", paid him due honors.

Sfenkel retreated behind the walls of the royal palace, from where he continued to defend himself until Tzimisces ordered the palace to be set on fire.

Driven out of the palace by flames, the Rus fought back desperately and almost all were exterminated, only Sfenkel himself with several soldiers managed to break through to Svyatoslav in Dorostol.

On April 16, John Tzimiskes celebrated Easter in Preslav and renamed the city in honor of the victory in his own name - Ioannopol. They also released the captive Bulgarians who fought on the side of Svyatoslav. The Russian prince did the opposite. Blaming the "Bulgarian" traitors for the fall of Preslav, Svyatoslav ordered to gather the most noble and influential representatives of the Bulgarian nobility (about three hundred people) and behead them all. Many Bulgarians were thrown into dungeons. The population of Bulgaria went over to the side of Tzimiskes.

The emperor moved to Dorostol. This well-fortified city, which the Slavs called Dristray (now Silistria), served as Svyatoslav's main military base in the Balkans. Along the way, a number of Bulgarian cities (including Diniya and Pliska - the first capital of Bulgaria) went over to the side of the Greeks. The conquered Bulgarian lands were included in Thrace - the Byzantine theme. In the twentieth of April, the army of Tzimisces approached Dorostol.

The defense of the city began in full encirclement. The numerical superiority in forces was on the side of the Byzantines - their army consisted of 25-30 thousand infantry and 15 thousand cavalry, while Svyatoslav had only 30 thousand soldiers. With available forces and no cavalry, he could easily be surrounded and cut off from Dorostol by the excellent numerous Greek cavalry. heavy, exhausting battles for the city, which lasted about three months.

The Russians stood in dense rows, closing their long shields and putting their spears forward. Pechenegs and Hungarians were no longer among them.

John Tzimiskes put up infantry against them, placing heavy cavalry (cataphracts) along its edges. Behind the foot soldiers were archers and slingers, whose task it was to shoot without stopping.

The first attack of the Byzantines slightly upset the Russians, but they held their ground and then launched a counterattack. The battle went on with varying success all day, the whole plain was strewn with the bodies of the fallen on both sides. Already closer to sunset, the soldiers of Tzimiskes managed to push the left wing of the enemy. Now the main thing for the Romans was not to let the Russians reorganize and come to the aid of their own. A new trumpet signal sounded, and the cavalry, the emperor's reserve, was brought into battle. Even the “immortals” were moved against the Rus, John Tzimiskes himself galloped after them with unfolded imperial banners, shaking his spear and prompting the soldiers with a battle cry. An answering cry of joy resounded among the hitherto restrained Romans. The Russians could not withstand the onslaught of the cavalry and fled. They were pursued, killed and taken prisoner. However, the Byzantine army was also tired of the battle and stopped the pursuit. Most of the soldiers of Svyatoslav, led by their leader, returned safely to Dorostol. The outcome of the war was a foregone conclusion.

Having outlined a suitable hill, the emperor ordered to dig a moat around it with a depth of more than two meters. The excavated earth was carried to the side adjacent to the camp, so that a high shaft was obtained as a result. At the top of the embankment, spears were strengthened and interconnected shields were hung on them. An imperial tent was set up in the center, military leaders were placed nearby, “immortals” were around, then ordinary warriors. On the edges of the camp stood the foot soldiers, behind them - the horsemen. In the event of an enemy attack, the infantry took the first blow, which gave the cavalry time to prepare for battle. The approaches to the camp were also protected by skillfully hidden pit traps with wooden stakes at the bottom, metal balls with four points, one of which stuck up, placed in the right places. Signal ropes with bells were pulled around the camp and pickets were set up (the first began at an arrow's flight distance from the hill where the Romans were located).

Tzimisces attempted, unsuccessfully, to take the city by storm. In the evening, the Russians again undertook a large-scale sortie, and, according to the annalistic sources of the Byzantines, for the first time they tried to act on horseback, but, having bad horses recruited in the fortress and not accustomed to battle, they were overturned by the Greek cavalry. In repelling this sortie, Varda Sklir commanded.

On the same day, a Greek fleet of 300 ships approached and settled on the Danube opposite the city, as a result of which the Rus were completely overlaid and did not dare to go out on their boats anymore, being afraid of Greek fire. Svyatoslav, who attached great importance to the preservation of his fleet, for safety ordered to pull the boats ashore and place them near the city wall of Dorostol. Meanwhile, all his boats were in Dorostol, and the Danube was his only way of retreat.

Realizing the doom of their position, the Russians again made a sortie, but with all their might. The valiant defender of Preslava Sfenkel led it, while Svyatoslav remained in the city. With long, human-sized shields, covered with chain mail and armor, the Rus, leaving the fortress at dusk and observing complete silence, approached the enemy camp and unexpectedly attacked the Greeks. The battle lasted with varying success until noon the next day, but after Sfenkel was killed, struck with a spear, and the Byzantine cavalry again threatened with destruction, the Rus retreated.

Svyatoslav, expecting an attack in his turn, ordered to dig a deep ditch around the city walls, and Dorostol now became almost impregnable. By this he showed that he decided to defend himself to the last. Almost daily there were sorties of the Rus, often ending successfully for the besieged.

Tzimiskes at first limited himself to a siege, hoping to force Svyatoslav to surrender by starvation, but soon the Russians, who made constant sorties, all the roads and paths were dug up with ditches and occupied, and on the Danube the fleet increased its vigilance. The entire Greek cavalry was sent to watch the roads leading from the west and from the east to the fortress.

There were many wounded in the city and a severe famine ensued. Meanwhile, the Greek wall-beating machines continued to destroy the walls of the city, and stone-throwing tools caused heavy casualties.

Choosing a dark night, when a terrible thunderstorm broke out with thunder, lightning and heavy hail, Svyatoslav personally led about two thousand people out of the city and put them on boats. They safely bypassed the fleet of the Romans (it was impossible to see or even hear them because of the thunderstorm, and the command of the Roman fleet, seeing that the "barbarians" fight only on land, as they say, "relaxed") and moved along the river for food . One can imagine the amazement of the Bulgarians, who lived along the Danube, when the Rus suddenly reappeared in their villages. It was necessary to act quickly, until the news of what had happened reached the Romans. A few days later, having collected grain bread, millet and some other supplies, the Rus embarked on ships and just as imperceptibly moved towards Dorostol. The Romans would not have noticed anything if Svyatoslav had not found out that horses from the Byzantine army were grazing not far from the coast, and nearby were convoy servants who guarded the horses, and at the same time stored firewood for their camp. Having landed on the shore, the Rus silently passed through the forest and attacked the convoys. Almost all the servants were killed, only a few managed to hide in the bushes. Militarily, this action did not give the Russians anything, but its audacity made it possible to remind Tzimiskes that much can still be expected from the "damned Scythians".

But this sortie enraged John Tzimiskes and soon the Romans dug up all the roads leading to Dorostol, posted guards everywhere, control over the river was established such that even a bird could not fly from the city to the other side without the permission of the besiegers. And soon, for the Russ, exhausted by the siege, and the Bulgarians still remaining in the city, truly “black days” came.

End of June 971. RUSSIANS KILL "EMPEROR".

During one of the sorties, the Russians managed to kill a relative of the emperor Tzimiskes, John Kurkuas, who was in charge of the battering rams. Because of the rich clothes, the Rus mistook him for the emperor himself. Boasting, they planted the severed head of the commander on a spear and put it over the city walls. For some time, the besieged believed that the death of the basileus would force the Greeks to leave.

At noon on July 19, when the Byzantine guards, exhausted by the heat, lost their vigilance, the Russians swiftly attacked and killed them. Then it was the turn of catapults and ballistas. They were cut with axes and burned.

The besieged decided to deliver a new blow to the Greeks, who, like Sfenkel, had his own squad. The Russians revered him as the second leader after Svyatoslav. He was respected for valor, and not for "noble relatives." And initially in battle, he greatly inspired the squad. But he died in a skirmish with Anemas. The death of the leader led to a panic flight of the besieged. The Romans again cut down the fleeing, and their horses trampled the "barbarians". The coming night stopped the slaughter and allowed the survivors to make their way to Dorostol. Howls were heard from the side of the city, there were funerals of the dead, whose comrades were able to carry the bodies from the battlefield. The Byzantine chronicler writes that many male and female captives were slaughtered. "Performing sacrifices for the dead, they drowned babies and roosters in the river Istra." The bodies left lying on the ground went to the winners. To the surprise of those who rushed to rip off armor from the dead "Scythians" and collect weapons, among the defenders of Dorostol killed that day were women dressed in men's clothes. It is difficult to say who they were - Bulgarians who joined the Rus, or desperate Russian maidens - epic "logs" who went on a campaign along with men - it's hard to say.

Military feat. The hero of Byzantium is the Arab Anemas.

One of the last sorties of the Rus against the Greeks was led by Ikmor, a man of great stature and strength. Dragging the Rus with him, Ikmor crushed everyone who got in his way. It seemed that there was no equal to him in the Byzantine army. The emboldened Russ did not lag behind their leader. This continued until one of the bodyguards of Tzimiskes, Anemas, rushed to Ikmor. He was an Arab, the son and co-ruler of the Emir of Crete, ten years earlier, together with his father, was captured by the Romans and transferred to the service of the victors. Jumping up to the mighty Rus, the Arab deftly dodged his blow and struck back - unfortunately for Ikmor, a successful one. An experienced grunt cut off the Russian leader's head, right shoulder and arm. Seeing the death of their leader, the Russians screamed loudly, their ranks trembled, while the Romans, on the contrary, were inspired and intensified the onslaught. Soon the Rus began to retreat, and then, throwing their shields behind their backs, they fled to Dorostol.

During the last battle near Dorostol, among the Romans who rushed to the Rus from the rear, there was Anemas, who had killed Ikmor the day before. He passionately wanted to add to this feat a new, even more striking one - to deal with Svyatoslav himself. When the Romans, who suddenly attacked the Rus, briefly disrupted their formation, a desperate Arab flew up on a horse to the prince and hit him on the head with a sword. Svyatoslav fell to the ground, he was stunned, but survived. The blow of the Arab, sliding on the helmet, only broke the prince's collarbone. The mail shirt protected him. The attacker, along with his horse, was pierced by many arrows, and then Anemas, who fell, was surrounded by a phalanx of enemies, but he still continued to fight, killed many Russians, but finally fell hacked to pieces. This was a man whom none of his contemporaries excelled in heroic deeds.

Svyatoslav gathered all his military leaders for advice. When some spoke of the need for a retreat, they advised to wait until the dark night, lower the boats that were on the shore into the Danube and, keeping as quiet as possible, sail unnoticed down the Danube. Others suggested asking the Greeks for peace. Svyatoslav said: “We have nothing to choose from. Willingly or not, we must fight. Let us not disgrace the Russian land, but lie down with bones - the dead have no shame. If we run away, we will be shamed. So we will not run, but we will become strong. I will go before you - if my head falls, then take care of yourself. And the soldiers answered Svyatoslav: “Where you are your head, there we will lay down our heads!” Electrified by this heroic speech, the leaders decided to win - or die with glory ...

The last bloody battle near Dorostol ended with the defeat of the Rus. The forces were too unequal.

July 22, 971 The last battle under the walls of Dorostol. The first and second stages of the battle

Svyatoslav personally led the thinned squad to the last battle. He ordered the city gates to be firmly locked so that none of the soldiers would think of seeking salvation outside the walls, but would think only of victory.

The battle began with an unprecedented onslaught of the Rus. It was a hot day, and the Byzantines in heavy armor began to succumb to the indomitable onslaught of the Rus. In order to save the situation, the emperor personally rushed to the rescue, accompanied by a detachment of "immortals". While he was distracting the blow of the enemy, they managed to deliver wineskins filled with wine and water to the battlefield. The emboldened Romans with renewed vigor began to attack the Rus, but to no avail. And it was strange, because the advantage was on their side. Finally Tzimisces understood the reason. Having pressed the Rus, his soldiers got into a cramped place (everything around was in the hills), which is why the "Scythians", inferior to them in numbers, withstood the attacks. The stratigi were ordered to start a feigned retreat in order to lure the "barbarians" onto the plain. Seeing the flight of the Romans, the Russians shouted with joy and rushed after them. Having reached the agreed place, the soldiers of Tzimisces stopped and met the Rus catching up with them. Faced with the unexpected stamina of the Greeks, the Rus not only were not embarrassed, but began to attack them with even greater frenzy. The illusion of success, which the Romans created by their retreat, only inflamed the exhausted Dorostol inmates.

Tzimisces was extremely annoyed by the heavy losses that his army was suffering, and by the fact that the outcome of the battle, despite all efforts, remained unclear. Skylitsa even says that the emperor “planned to solve the matter by combat. And so he sent an embassy to Svendoslav (Svyatoslav), offering him single combat and saying that it was necessary to solve the matter by the death of one husband, without killing or exhausting the strength of the peoples; whoever wins, he will be the ruler of everything. But he did not accept the challenge and added mocking words that he supposedly understands his own benefit better than the enemy, and if the emperor does not want to live anymore, then there are tens of thousands of other ways to death; let him choose what he wants. Having answered so arrogantly, he prepared for battle with increased zeal.

The mutual bitterness of the parties characterizes the next episode of the battle. Among the generals who commanded the retreat of the Byzantine cavalry was a certain Theodore of Misphia. The horse under him was killed, Theodore was surrounded by the Rus, who longed for his death. Trying to get up, the strategist, a man of a heroic physique, grabbed one of the Rus by the belt and, turning him in all directions, like a shield, managed to defend himself from the blows of swords and spears flying at him. Then the Roman warriors arrived, and for a few seconds, until Theodore was safe, the whole space around him turned into an arena of battle between those who wanted to kill him at all costs, and those who wanted to save him.

The emperor decided to send master Varda Sklir, the patricians Peter and Roman (the latter was the grandson of the emperor Roman Lekapin) to bypass the enemy. They were supposed to cut off the "Scythians" from Dorostol and hit them in the back. This maneuver was carried out successfully, but it did not lead to a turning point in the battle. During this attack, Svyatoslav was wounded by Anemas. Meanwhile, the Russians, who had beaten off the rear attack, again began to push the Romans. And again the emperor with a spear at the ready had to lead the guards into battle. Seeing Tzimiskes, his soldiers cheered up. The battle was at a decisive moment. And then a miracle happened. First, a strong wind blew from behind the advancing Byzantine army, a real hurricane began, bringing with it clouds of dust that clogged the eyes of the Russians. And then came a terrible downpour. The offensive of the Russians stopped, the soldiers hiding from the sand became easy prey for the enemy. Shocked by the intervention from above, the Romans later assured that they saw a rider galloping in front of them on a white horse. When he approached, the Rus allegedly fell like cut grass. Later, many "recognized" St. Theodore Stratilates in the miraculous helper of Tzimiskes.

From the rear, Varda Sklir pressed on the Rus. The bewildered Russians were surrounded and ran towards the city. They did not have to break through the ranks of the enemy. Apparently, the Byzantines used the idea of ​​the "golden bridge" widely known in their military theory. Its essence boiled down to the fact that for the defeated enemy there was an opportunity for salvation by flight. Understanding this weakened the resistance of the enemy and created the most favorable conditions for its complete defeat. As usual, the Romans drove the Rus to the very city walls, ruthlessly cutting. Among those who managed to escape was Svyatoslav. He was badly wounded - in addition to the blow that Anemas inflicted on him, several arrows hit the prince, he lost a lot of blood and almost got captured. Only the onset of night saved him from this.

The losses of the Russian troops in the last battle amounted to more than 15,000 people. According to The Tale of Bygone Years, after the conclusion of peace, when asked by the Greeks about the number of his troops, Svyatoslav answered: “We are twenty thousand,” but “he added ten thousand, for there were only ten thousand Russians.” And Svyatoslav brought to the banks of the Danube more than 60 thousand young and strong men. You can call this campaign a demographic catastrophe for Kievan Rus. Calling on the army to fight to the death and die with honor. Svyatoslav himself, although wounded, returned to Dorostol, although he promised to remain among the dead in case of defeat. By this act, he greatly lost authority in his army.

But the Greeks also won at a high price.

A significant numerical superiority of the enemy, lack of food and, probably not wanting to irritate his people, Svyatoslav decided to make peace with the Greeks.

At the dawn of the day following the battle, Svyatoslav sent envoys to Emperor John with a request for peace. The emperor received them very favorably. According to the story of the chronicle, Svyatoslav reasoned as follows: “If we do not make peace with the king, the king will know that we are few - and, having come, they will surround us in the city. But the Russian land is far away, and the Pechenegs are fighting us, and who will help us? And his speech was loved by the squad.

According to the truce, the Russians pledged to cede Dorostol to the Greeks, release the prisoners and leave Bulgaria. In turn, the Byzantines promised to let their recent enemies into their homeland and not attack their ships along the way. (The Russians were very much afraid of the "Greek fire" that destroyed the ships of Prince Igor at one time.) At the request of Svyatoslav, the Byzantines also promised to obtain from the Pechenegs guarantees of the inviolability of the Russian squad when they returned home. The booty captured in Bulgaria, apparently, remained with the defeated. In addition, the Greeks had to supply the Rus with food and indeed gave out 2 medimna bread (about 20 kilograms) for each warrior.

After the conclusion of the agreement, an embassy of John Tzimiskes was sent to the Pechenegs, with a request that they let the Rus, returning home, through their possessions. But it is assumed that Theophilus, Bishop of Evkhait, sent to the nomads, set the Pechenegs against the prince, fulfilling the secret task of his sovereign.

PEACE TREATY.

A peace treaty was concluded between the two states, the text of which is preserved in the Tale of Bygone Years. Due to the fact that this agreement determined the relationship between Russia and Byzantium for almost twenty years and subsequently formed the basis of the Byzantine policy of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, we will quote its entire text translated into modern Russian: “A list from the agreement concluded under Svyatoslav, the Grand Duke of Russia , and under Sveneld. Written under Theophilus Sinkel, and to Ivan, named Tzimiskes, King of Greece, in Derestra, the month of July, the indictment of the 14th, in the summer of 6479. I, Svyatoslav, Prince of Russia, as I swore, I confirm my oath with this agreement: I want to have peace and perfect love with every great king of Greece, with Basil, and Constantine, and with divinely inspired kings, and with all your people until the end of the age; and so are those who are under me, Russia, the boyars and others. I will never begin to plot against your country and gather warriors and I will not bring other people to your country, nor to those that are under Greek rule - nor to the Korsun volost and how many cities there are, nor to the Bulgarian country. And if someone else thinks against your country, then I will be his opponent and I will fight with him. As I swore to the kings of Greece, and the boyars and all Russia are with me, so we will keep the agreement inviolable; if we do not keep what was said before, let me, and those who are with me, and those who are under me, be cursed from the god in whom we believe - in Perun and in Volos, the cattle god - and let us be pierced like gold, and let us be cut with our weapons. It will be true what we promised you today, and wrote on this charter, and sealed it with our seals.

End of July 971. MEETING OF JOHN TSIMISCHIES WITH SVYATOSLAV.

Finally, the prince wanted to personally meet with the basil of the Romans. Leo the Deacon places a description of this meeting in his “History”: “The sovereign did not evade and, covered with gilded armor, rode on horseback to the banks of the Istra, leading a large detachment of armed horsemen sparkling with gold. Sfendoslav also appeared, sailing along the river on a Scythian boat; he sat at the oars and rowed along with his entourage, no different from them. This was his appearance: of moderate height, neither too tall nor too short, with shaggy eyebrows and light blue eyes, snub-nosed, beardless, with thick, excessively long hair above his upper lip. His head was completely naked, but on one side a tuft of hair hung down - a sign of the nobility of the family; a strong nape, a broad chest and all other parts of the body are quite proportionate, but he looked sullen and wild. He had a gold earring in one ear; it was adorned with a carbuncle framed by two pearls. His attire was white and differed from the clothes of his associates only in cleanliness. Sitting in a boat on a bench for rowers, he talked a little with the sovereign about the conditions of peace and left.

971-976. THE CONTINUATION OF THE REIGN OF TSIMISCES IN BYZANTIA.

After the departure of the Rus, Eastern Bulgaria became part of the Byzantine Empire. The city of Dorostol received a new name Theodoropolis (either in memory of St. Theodore Stratilates, who helped the Romans, or in honor of the wife of John Tzimiskes Theodora) and became the center of a new Byzantine theme. Vasilev of the Romans returned to Constantinople with huge trophies, and at the entrance to the city, the inhabitants arranged an enthusiastic welcome for their emperor. After the triumph, Tsar Boris II was brought to Tzimiskes, and he, obeying the will of the new ruler of the Bulgarians, publicly laid down the signs of royal power - a tiara trimmed with purple, embroidered with gold and pearls, purple and red half boots. In return, he received the rank of master and had to begin to get used to the position of the Byzantine nobleman. With regard to his younger brother Roman, the Byzantine emperor was not so merciful - the prince was castrated. Tzimisces never got to Western Bulgaria - it was necessary to resolve the protracted conflict with the Germans, to continue victorious wars against the Arabs, this time in Mesopotamia, Syria and Palestine. From the last campaign, Vasilevs returned quite sick. According to the symptoms, it was typhus, but, as always, the version that Tzimisces was poisoned became very popular among the people. After his death in 976, the son of Roman II, Vasily, finally came to power. Theophano returned from exile, but her eighteen-year-old son no longer needed guardians. There was only one thing left for her - to quietly live out her life.

Summer 971. SVYATOSLAV EXECUTES HIS CHRISTIAN Warriors.

In the later so-called Joachim Chronicle, some additional details are given about the last period of the Balkan war. Svyatoslav, according to this source, blamed all his failures on the Christians who were part of his army. Enraged, he executed, among others, his brother Prince Gleb (whose existence other sources do not know anything about). By order of Svyatoslav, Christian churches in Kiev were to be destroyed and burned; the prince himself, upon his return to Russia, intended to exterminate all Christians. However, this, in all likelihood, is nothing more than the speculation of the compiler of the chronicle - a later writer or historian.

Autumn 971. SVYATOSLAV IS LEAVING HOMELAND.

In the fall, Svyatoslav set off on his return journey. He moved on boats along the seashore and then up the Dnieper towards the Dnieper rapids. Otherwise, he would not have been able to bring the booty captured in the war to Kiev.

The closest and most experienced of the governor Svyatoslav Sveneld advised the prince: "Go around the rapids on horseback, for the Pechenegs are standing at the thresholds." But Svyatoslav did not listen to him. And Sveneld, of course, was right. The Pechenegs were really waiting for the Russians. According to the story “The Tale of Bygone Years”, “Pereyaslavtsy” (it must be understood, the Bulgarians) informed the Pechenegs about the approach of the Russians: “Here comes Svyatoslav to Russia, taking from the Greeks a lot of booty and captives without number. And he doesn't have a lot of friends."

Winter 971/72. WINTER IN BELOBEREZHIE.

Having reached the island of Khortitsa, which the Greeks called "the island of St. George", Svyatoslav was convinced of the impossibility of further advancement - the Pechenegs stood at the ford of Kraria, which was in front of the first threshold on his way. Winter was coming. The prince decided to retreat and spend the winter in Beloberezhye, where there was a Russian settlement. Perhaps he was hoping for help from Kiev. But if so, then his hopes were not destined to come true. The people of Kiev could not (or perhaps did not want to?) come to the rescue of their prince. The bread received from the Byzantines was soon eaten.

The local population did not have enough food supplies to feed the rest of Svyatoslav's army. Hunger has begun. “And they paid half a hryvnia for a horse’s head,” the chronicler testifies about the famine in Beloberezhye. This is very big money. But, obviously, the soldiers of Svyatoslav still had enough gold and silver. The Pechenegs did not leave.

End of winter - beginning of spring 972. DEATH OF THE RUSSIAN PRINCE SVYATOSLAV.

No longer able to remain at the mouth of the Dnieper, the Rus made a desperate attempt to break through the ambush of the Pechenegs. It seems that the exhausted people were put in a hopeless situation - in the spring, even if they wanted to bypass the dangerous place, leaving the boats, they could no longer do this due to the lack of horses (which were eaten). Perhaps the prince was waiting for spring, hoping that during the spring flood the rapids would become passable and he would be able to slip through the ambush, while retaining the prey. The result turned out to be sad - most of the Russian army was killed by nomads, and Svyatoslav himself fell in battle.

“And Kurya, the prince of the Pechenegs, attacked him; and they killed Svyatoslav, and cut off his head, and made a cup out of the skull, encasing the skull, and then they drank from it.

According to the later chroniclers, an inscription was made on the bowl: “Looking for strangers, destroy your own” (or: “Wishing for strangers, destroy your own”) - quite in the spirit of the ideas of the people of Kiev about their enterprising prince. “And there is this cup, and it is still kept in the treasuries of the Pecheneg princes; the princes drink from it with the princess in the chamber, when they are caught, saying this: “What was this man, his forehead is, such will be the one born of us.” Also, other warriors searched for his skulls with silver and kept them, drinking from them, ”says another legend.

Thus ended the life of Prince Svyatoslav; so ended the life of many Russian soldiers, that "young generation of Russ" that the prince took to war. Sveneld came to Kiev to Yaropolk. The sad news was brought by the governor with the "residual people" to Kiev. We do not know how he managed to avoid death - whether he escaped from the Pecheneg encirclement (“escaping from battle”, in the words of a later chronicler), or moved by another, overland route, leaving the prince even earlier.

According to the beliefs of the ancients, even the remains of a great warrior, and even more so of a ruler, a prince, concealed his supernatural power and strength. And now, after death, the strength and power of Svyatoslav were to serve not Russia, but its enemies, the Pechenegs.