Kyiv princes Askold and Dir: years of life, reign, history. Were the princes Askold and Dir Jews

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The Kyiv princes Askold and Dir came to Rus' together with Rurik in 862. For two years they were side by side with the Novgorod prince? however, in 864 they leave Novgorod and go to Constantinople to serve the Byzantine king. Going down the river, Askold and Dir on this journey discovered a small city on the banks of the Dnieper River, which, according to the legend of the chroniclers, did not belong to anyone. The founders of the city died long ago, and the inhabitants of the city, having no ruler, paid tribute to the Khazars. Askold and Dir captured this city, as well as the lands adjacent to it. This town was called - Kyiv. Thus, by 864, a situation arose when the Varangians formed two control centers in Rus': in the north in Novgorod, under the control of Rurik, in the south in Kiev, which was ruled by Askold and Dir.

Campaigns to Byzantium

Ancient Byzantium, where they went Kyiv princes Askold and Dir from Novgorod was a large state, the service of which was considered an honor by many. For this purpose, Rurik's comrades-in-arms left Novgorod, and only the city of Kyiv met on their way changed their plans. It is worth noting that ancient Byzantium highly appreciated the capabilities of the Varangians. Northern warriors were gladly accepted into the service of the Byzantine army, as they appreciated their discipline and military qualities.

Having captured Kyiv, the princes Askold and Dir grew bolder and declared that Byzantium was henceforth an enemy for Kyiv. The Varangians, being experienced sailors, under the command of Askold and Dir, set off along the Dnieper on a campaign against Byzantium. In total, the military escort consisted of 200 ships. It is from this campaign that all subsequent campaigns against Byzantium originate.

March on Constantinople

Askold and Dir with their troops descended the Dnieper into the Black Sea and there laid siege to the city of Constantinople. Campaigns against Byzantium had just begun, the Greeks for the first time encountered a new enemy near the walls of their city, which they dubbed the Scythians. The prince of Byzantium, Michael 3, being on a military campaign at that time, hastily returned to his capital as soon as he heard rumors about the danger looming over the city. In Constantinople itself, they did not hope for a victory over the Scythians. Here she relied on a miracle, since the forces were unequal. It happened. In the temple of the city there was a shrine - the icon of the "Robe of the Mother of God", which was considered the protector of the city and saved it more than once in difficult situations. Byzantine Patriarch Photius, in front of everyone, lowered the icon into the sea, which was quiet. But just then, a terrible storm arose. The enemy fleet was almost completely destroyed, only a few ships managed to reach Kyiv. Thus, ancient Byzantium was saved from the invasion of Askold and Dir, but the campaigns did not stop there.

Confrontation with Novgorod

In 879, Prince Rurik dies, leaving behind a minor heir - Prince Igor, who was taken under guardianship by his relative Oleg. Having become the ruler, Oleg decided to annex the southern lands to his possessions and went on a campaign against Kyiv in 882. On the way to Kyiv, Oleg captured the cities of Smolensk and Lyubech. Anticipating that the princes Askold and Dir, who have a large army and are not inferior to him in military craft, will not give Kyiv without a fight, Prince Oleg, acting on behalf of Igor, went to deception. Having sailed to Kyiv, he left almost all his army on ships, and he introduced himself as a merchant who arrived from distant countries. He invited the princes of Kyiv to him. Askold and Dir went out to meet the eminent guest, but were captured by Oleg's soldiers and killed.

So Oleg, on behalf of Igor, began to rule Kiev, saying that from now on Kyiv was destined to be the mother of Russian cities. So, for the first time, the northern and southern Russian lands were united within the framework of one state, the name of which was Kievan Rus.

Those who did not receive cities in control, asked him to go with their relatives to Constantinople to seek their fortune. Askold and Dir set off in the usual way of the Varangians - they sailed along the Dnieper past Smolensk, the city Krivichi, past Lubech, the city northerners, and reached a town unknown to them in a very beautiful area, on the steep bank of the Dnieper. They learned that this city is called Kiev, after Kiya, who once founded the first settlements here with the brothers Shchek and Khoriv and sister Lybid. We also learned that the people of Kiev pay tribute Khazars.

Askold and Dir fell in love with this place: they helped the people of Kiev to free themselves from the power of the Khazars and began to rule here themselves; they recruited a strong squad from their fellow countrymen and established themselves in this country of the Polyan tribe.

So there was a new Russian state on the middle reaches of the Dnieper.

The militant Askold and Dir did not sit in one place for long: they were accustomed to combat anxieties, and peaceful life was boring for them, and now and then they had to hear from experienced people fabulous stories about the wondrous riches of the capital of Byzantium, Constantinople, about its extraordinary luxury . They often heard that the Greeks are a weak, pampered people, that they are afraid of war, that they are ready to pay off their enemies with gold rather than meet them in the field or the sea with weapons in their hands.

The temptation was very great. Getting to Constantinople was not particularly difficult. Preparations for the march began. And now the restless, enterprising daring men gathered with different sides to Askold and Dir, hunters for military comforts and rich booty, and set off on a journey in two hundred boats. It was easy to swim along the Dnieper to its very rapids, here it was necessary with considerable difficulty to guide the boats between the stones, and in other places it was necessary to drag them along the ground, and in some places carry them on the shoulders. Then again, the course of the wide Dnieper carried the boats of the squad of Askold and Dir to the Black Sea. In a calm, one had to sail the sea on oars, and with a fair wind, sails were raised, and light boats quickly glided over the surface of the sea - they rushed like sea gulls over its wide expanse.

Campaign of Askold and Dir to Constantinople. Drawing from the Radziwill Chronicle, XV century

The Russians attacked Constantinople by surprise. Emperor Michael III was at that time with an army in Asia, at the eastern borders of the empire. Horror seized the entire population of the luxurious capital, when fugitives from neighboring coastal villages brought terrible news that many Russian boats were sailing towards the capital. They locked the city gates, placed in different places guards along the city wall and towers and sent news of trouble to the emperor.

The stern northern warriors of Askold and Dir were terrible for the pampered Byzantines. They were tall, zealous and strong people with light blond hair, shaved chins; heavy helmets covered their heads; the chest was protected by chain mail; over it they threw cloaks, the corners of which were connected at the right shoulder with a cufflink. Tight bows, sharp feathered arrows, darts, spears, heavy axes (axes) and double-edged swords were the offensive weapons of these warriors. Large, semicircular top and pointed bottom shields well protected them from enemy attacks.

The army of Askold and Dir approached Constantinople from the sea, landed on the shore, dispersed in detachments to the surrounding villages and defenseless suburbs of the capital and, according to the testimony of the Byzantines, began to rage terribly, ruin them, destroy everything with sword and fire. There was no mercy for the old or the young; neither the cries of children, nor the pleas of mothers - nothing touched the fierce warriors! Despair seized the inhabitants of the capital. The clergy continually performed prayers in churches; they were full of prayers. Patriarch Photius spoke sermons. He called the invasion of the squad of Askold and Dir a punishment sent by God for the vices and grave sins in which the population of the capital was mired.

“The people are cruel and impudent,” he said, “ruining and destroying everything: fields, dwellings, herds, women, children, elders, they slay everyone with a sword, sparing no one, sparing no one. He, like locusts in a field, like a burning heat, like a flood, appeared in our country and destroyed its inhabitants ... "

The patriarch also pointed to the cowardice of the inhabitants, who were mad with fear.

“Do not scream, do not make noise, stop crying, pray calmly, be courageous!” he admonished them.

But all in vain: fear was stronger than his eloquence! The Russians poured a huge rampart near the walls of the city, reached the top of the wall, and the inhabitants trembled with horror that the enemies were about to break into the city ... But this did not happen - Askold and Dir, quite unexpectedly for the besieged, hastily left from under the walls of Constantinople. Whether a storm that rose on the sea, or the news of the approach of the emperor with a large army, prompted them to do so, is unknown. Long after that, the Greeks preserved the tradition of this first attack on their capital by the Russians. There is news that about this time some of them accepted Christianity from the Greeks.

Russian chronicles date this campaign of Askold and Dir to 866. But Byzantine sources more reliably refer the time of the first Russian siege of Constantinople to June 860.

Oleg shows baby Igor to Askold and Dira. Drawing from the Radziwill Chronicle, XV century

According to Russian chronicles, Askold and Dir continued to reign in Kyiv after that. But when Rurik, who ruled Novgorod, died in 879, his successor Oleg (the guardian of Rurik's young son, Igor) moved with a large squad to make conquests in the south. Taking Smolensk and Lyubech, Oleg approached Kyiv (882). But he was afraid of an open battle with Askold and Dir, who had many warriors. Oleg left his squad behind and approached Kyiv with several boats, posing as merchants who were going to trade in Constantinople. Unaware of malicious intent, Askold and Dir went ashore without a strong guard. Here by conventional sign fighters hidden in Oleg's boats rushed at them.

“You are not princes and not a princely family,” Oleg told them and added, pointing to little Igor sitting next to him, “but here is the son of Rurik.

Death of Askold and Dir. Engraving by F. A. Bruni. Before 1839

Oleg's warriors killed Askold and Dir. They were buried near the banks of the Dnieper on a mountain (until now, one coastal mountain near Kyiv is called Askold's grave). And the people of Kiev submitted to the authority of Oleg, who united all of Rus' into one state, except for the land of the tribe subordinate to the Khazars Vyatichi.

It is generally accepted that Christianity in Rus' originated under the holy noble prince Vladimir, who received the nickname Red Sun among the people. However, it is not. He just popularized this religion, led the masses to it. Shortly before him, his grandmother, Princess Olga, converted to Christianity. She not only became a righteous follower of Christ, but also began to build churches in Rus' and translate liturgical books. But Olga was not the first! Almost 100 years before the Great Baptism of Rus', the famous Kyiv princes Askold and Dir adopted Christianity.

Stages of the formation of Christianity

Metropolitan Macarius (Bulgakov), in his work on the history of the Russian Church, divided the process of the formation of religion in Rus' into five stages:

1. The arrival of the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called in the Kyiv and Novgorod lands;
2. Baptism of the Kyiv princes Askold and Dir;
3. Baptism of Princess Olga;
4. Prince Vladimir's unification reforms pagan gods, which ended in failure. After that, the ruler set out to find the right faith for his people;
5. Baptism of Rus'

That is, the prehistory of 988 is quite large and has its roots long before the date known to everyone.

The Apostle Andrew, conducting missionary work among the Scythians, visited the Russian lands. He predicted the construction of Kyiv and, almost certainly, preached Christianity among the local Slavic tribes. It is impossible to say exactly what the results were, because today we know about the Rus as pagans.

The first Slavs who adopted the Christian faith were the princes Askold and Dir.

Semi-legendary brothers

Despite the fact that these personalities are still semi-legendary to this day, they left a deep mark on the history of both the Russian state and the Russian Church.

There are two main versions of who the brothers Askold and Dir were and how they occupied the Kiev table. According to one, they were warriors from the army of Rurik, who captured Kyiv that already existed at that time and became its rulers. Another version of the story says that they were the descendants of the princely dynasty, which went back to the time of Kyi, Shchek and Khoriv. Also, historians are concerned about one question. Are Askold and Dir the same person? Indeed, in all chronicles they are mentioned together, practically inseparable from each other. Maybe Dir is a nickname or a title? Most modern scientists are still of the opinion that they were two people, brothers.

One way or another, but under Askold and Dir, the Kiev principality experienced a significant rise, entered the world stage.

Military successes

Of course, the main achievements of the Kyiv princes were military campaigns. If it is not known exactly when the brothers came to power, then we can say with certainty that in 852-853. their squads fought in Transcaucasia until in 864 they reached the Caspian Sea.

Askold and Dir were equally active with the steppes. In 864, the Kyiv troops pushed back the "black" Turks in the south. At the same time, the son of Askold died in battle. In 866, the brothers defeat the Krivichi tribes, and in 867, the Pechenegs near the Lower Dnieper.

A separate milestone are the campaigns of the princes against Byzantium.

The first invasion of Russian troops dates back to 860. Then Askold and Dir chose a very good moment to attack Constantinople, since Emperor Michael left only a small garrison in the city. The main part of his troops fought with the Arabs, and the fleet, catching pirates, plowed the coast of Crete. The inhabitants of Tsargrad could not repulse the Russian squads, therefore they agreed to peace under certain conditions. The Greeks were required to pay Kievan state indemnity and tribute for the maintenance of Russian merchants in Byzantium.

In 863, the troops of Askold and Dir find themselves in the Sea of ​​Marmara. After that, the role of Russian merchants and diplomats becomes significant in international relations, and all Mediterranean countries were forced to reckon with the new state.

The third campaign against Byzantium in 866 was unsuccessful for Kyiv. They associate it with the providence of God. When the Russian boats appeared on the horizon, Patriarch Photius, being in the church of the Holy Mother of God in Blachernae, prayed earnestly. And he had a vision, which the patriarch hastened to fulfill. With prayers, a valuable relic was taken out of the temple - the robe of the Most Holy Mother of God. In procession, the inhabitants reached the seashore. Patriarch Photius with prayers lowered the skirts of the chasuble into the water. As the chronicler reported, the calm sea suddenly became turbulent, blew strong wind the waves rose. Russian ships were overturned, stranded, broken. For the princes of Kyiv, this was a huge loss.

In 874, Askold and Dir, with a new fleet and army, again set off for Constantinople. The battle again did not take place, as the peace-loving Greeks agreed to a new treaty that satisfies both sides.

Baptism of Askold and Dir

According to the legend, after the shipwreck of 866 off the coast of Byzantium, Askold believed in the omnipotent Greek god. Patriarch Photius took advantage of this. According to the documents, the head of the Byzantine church sent one of his bishops to Kyiv to bring Christianity to the land of the Rus. Askold and Dir found faith with all their heart and soul. They gladly accepted the Sacrament of Baptism. Together with them, some people from among the boyars, combatants and ordinary people. Askold was given a new name - Nikolai.

However, even here historians face questions. Why don't we know Dir's new name? Perhaps he remained a pagan? Yes, this is possible. But in Russian church tradition It is customary to call the first Christians two princes, and not one.

The second riddle concerns another name of Askold. It is known that at that moment there was a tradition when the baptized received the name of his godfather. But the only one of all Nikolaev of that time was only Pope Nicholas I. Therefore, historians do not exclude that the first baptism of Rus' took place not according to the Greek, but according to the Roman rite. On the other hand, the split of the Church into Orthodox and Catholic will happen only a century and a half after Askold. So the princes were baptized according to the rites of the "common" Church of Christ.

There is also such a version that Askold and Dir were baptized from the Bulgarians, who at that time were already Christians. It is quite possible that some Bulgarian governor named Nikolai became Askold's godfather.

In any case, Askold and Dir became the first princes of Kyiv who converted to Christianity. The first temple was built on the banks of the Dnieper, consecrated in the name of St. Nicholas (later Olga built it in stone). A noble grain was thrown onto the Russian land, which gave the first crops.

The death of princes

Princes Askold and Dir died in 882 as a result of a conspiracy. Prophetic Oleg, who at that time was the ruler of Northern Rus', did not want to be content with only the Ladoga-Novgorod lands. So he came up with a cunning plan. He gathered a large army, which included squads of Chud, Meri, Vesi, Varangians, Krivichi, and moved to Kyiv. On the way, Oleg's troops captured Smolensk and Lyubech; there the prince appointed his Novgorod governors. Upon arrival in Kyiv, Oleg landed part of the squad ashore. He himself, pretending to be sick, remained in the boat and sent messengers to Askold and Dir, as if he was carrying a lot of beads and jewelry, and also had an important conversation with the princes. When they entered the boat, "sick" Oleg said: "I am Prince Oleg, and here is Ryurik Igor prince." Showing the brothers little Igor, he ordered the Kyiv princes to be killed.

Prince Askold was buried at the place of his martyrdom - in the area of ​​​​the tract Vengerskoe, which has since been called Askold's grave.

Questions about canonization

December 2010 - January 2011 scientific readings were initiated at the Uzhgorod Ukrainian Theological Academy. According to their results, the relevant ranks decided to create a Commission for the preparation of materials for the canonization of Prince Askold, as a martyr for faith in Christ. The papers were to be submitted for consideration by the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) and the Commission for the Canonization of Saints of the UOC. In January 2013, a number of Kyiv scientists accepted documents supporting the canonization..

However, the UOC (MP) decision on the enlightenment of Prince Askold-Nikolai as a saint has not yet been made.

At the same time, the UOC (KP) at the Local Council on June 27, 2013 canonized Prince Askold as a saint.

The history of ancient Rus' keeps many mysteries and secrets. One of these mysteries is the first princes of Kyiv, whom we know as Askold and Dir. Who were they by origin, where did they come from, who were they related to each other? Or maybe it was just one person? Let's try to figure it out by setting out the generally accepted version, as well as several options for events that historians allow, based on very specific facts.

Official version

It is generally accepted that Askold and Dir were Varangians by origin - Russ, as they were then called. They had no kinship with the ruling prince, but were simply his "boyars". When Rurik settled in Novgorod, he began to distribute Russian cities to his closest people. So he let Dir and Askold go south in search of suitable place for the board. Those, descending down the Dnieper, saw the glorious city of Kyiv, in which the glade lived. Askold and Dir decided to stay there and declared themselves rulers.

Sources

Information we draw from history Ancient Rus', collected for the most part in the Tale of Bygone Years, as well as in later chronicles, which largely rely on the first. The reliability of such documents by modern historians is being questioned: and it is not only a matter of chronological inaccuracies or mixing of facts.

Chronicles were repeatedly rewritten, and, accordingly, errors gradually crept into them, or even worse, deliberate distortions of events in favor of one or another political idea.

L. N. Gumilyov believed, for example, that the chronicler Nestor considered history as a policy turned to the past, and therefore remade it in his own way. Nevertheless, if you have independent sources of information - not only ancient Russian chronicles, but Byzantine, European or Arabic documents, then you can in general terms restore a picture of the events of a bygone era.

From Varangians to Khazars

The Tale of Bygone Years reports that Askold and Dir were Varangian warriors of the Novgorod prince Rurik, who begged him to go on a campaign against Tsargrad (Constantinople). But in the Nikon chronicle, they act as enemies of Rurik: dissatisfied with the division of volosts, combatants participate in an uprising organized against him. One way or another, going down the Dnieper, the Varangians saw on the hill a glorious city founded by Kiy.

Having learned that there is no ruler in the city, and that its population pays tribute to the Khazars, they decided to settle there and reign. The Ustyug chronicle says that Askold and Dir were "neither the tribe of the prince, nor the boyars, and Rurik will not give them either a city or a village." Apparently, the trip to Constantinople was only a pretext, and the ultimate goal was to get land and a princely title.

Historian Yu. K. Begunov claims that Askold and Dir, having betrayed Rurik, turned into Khazar vassals. There is no information about the defeat of the Novgorod retinue of the Khazars (and it was not easy to do this), which means that this version has the right to life - otherwise the Khazars (and their mercenaries) would not have allowed the Varangians to dispose of their patrimony so easily. But, perhaps, there was also an agreement between both sides - in the face of the disgraced Varangians, the kaganate saw a serious help in the confrontation with the powerful Rurik.

Hike to Tsargrad

In addition to the Tale of Bygone Years, we learn about the raids of the Rus (as the Greeks called the peoples living north of the Black Sea) on Constantinople from the Byzantine and Italian chronicles, which makes the information more reliable.

True, the sources differ in determining the dates: the Tale indicates the year 866, and according to Byzantine data it is 860-861, however, making an adjustment for the inaccurate chronology of the Tale, we can assume that we are talking about the same events. The Byzantines, exhausted by the war with the Arabs, did not expect an attack from the sea by the Rus. According to various sources, from 200 to 360 ships approached the shores of Constantinople.

This is how the campaign of Askold and Dir to Constantinople was depicted

The Byzantines had little idea where this army came from, but the chronicler Nestor speaks of the troops of Askold and Dir, who plundered the surroundings of the Byzantine capital and threatened to take Constantinople itself. Only thanks to the fervent prayer of Tsar Michael and Patriarch Photius, as well as the robe of the Most Holy Theotokos, which was soaked in the sea, a miracle happened: a storm suddenly broke out, and huge waves and a strong wind scattered the ships.

Some sources report that after the defeat of the Rus, Byzantium establishes relations with the young Old Russian state and begins to carry out his missionary work there. Filaret Gumilevsky writes that "according to the undoubted voice of history, Kievan Rus listened to the gospel preaching under the Kyiv princes Askold and Dir. However, Academician A. A. Shakhmatov claims that in the older chronicles telling about the campaign against Constantinople there is no mention of Askold and Dir - their names were inserted later, nothing is said about them either in Byzantine or Arabic sources. Moreover, given the possible connections of the Kyiv princes with the Jewish Khaganate, it is premature to talk about their Christianity: they had much more chances to convert to Judaism.

The murder of Askold and Dir

After the death of Rurik, Oleg, the one who took revenge on the "unreasonable Khazars", became the guardian under his young son Igor and, in fact, the head of Novgorod. He remembered the disgraced Varangians, and therefore the campaign against Kyiv organized by him in 882 was aimed at displacing the illegal power of impostors. Kyiv at that time turned into a hotbed of unrest - dissatisfied residents of the Novgorod lands constantly flocked there, and therefore immediate measures were required.

Oleg - the killer of Askold and Dir

However, according to the Polish historian of the 15th century, Janusz Dlugosh, who largely retells the ancient Russian chronicles, Askold and Dir were the hereditary rulers of Kiev, descendants of Kiy, and moreover, brothers, and therefore the overthrow of the Kiev princes looks not only treacherous, but also illegal. But here one can see the desire of Dlugosh to show the validity of the Polish claims to Kyiv, since, in his opinion, Kyi, one of the heirs of the Polish dynasty.

Was there Deer?

According to the chronicle, Askold was buried at the place of his death - on the high right bank of the Dnieper, but Dir's grave was behind the Irininsky Monastery - not far from the current Golden Gate. They are separated by three kilometers: a strange fact, co-rulers (or even brothers) who died on the same day are buried in different places!

Askold's grave in Kyiv now

It should be noted that some researchers suggest that Askold and Dir ruled in Kyiv at different times, but there are those who believe that Askold and Dir are the same person. In the Old Norse version of the name "Haskuldr", the last two letters could be separated into a separate word, and eventually into an independent person.

Also, Byzantine sources, describing the siege of Constantinople by the Rus, speak of one military leader, though without naming him. The historian B. A. Rybakov gives us an explanation: “The personality of Prince Dir is not clear to us. It is felt that his name is artificially attached to Askold, because when describing their joint actions, grammatical form gives us a single, not double number, as it should be when describing the joint actions of two persons.

The story of the Kyiv princes Askold and Dir leaves more questions than it answers. Chronicles, as the main source of information, unfortunately, suffer from inaccuracies or direct distortion of facts, and archeology is not able to show us a complete and reliable picture of the life of Ancient Rus' in the 9th century. Of course, we still have to learn something, but much will remain hidden by the veil of the past millennium.

Among the many secrets that the past of our Motherland is so rich in, the story of Askold and Dir is especially intriguing - legendary princes, who ruled on Kievan land in the second half of the 9th century, shortly after the appearance in Novgorod of Rurik and his Varangian squad. To this day, scientific disputes around the personalities of these heroes do not subside, since there is no exact data regarding the circumstances of their lives. Some researchers are even inclined to believe that in the annals under these names one person is hiding.

How did you know about these princes?

All information relating to Askold and Dir is drawn mainly from The Tale of Bygone Years, a chronicle of the 12th century, the authorship of which is traditionally attributed to the monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Nestor, and also taken from later sources. However, their reliability is questionable, since the texts were repeatedly copied by hand and may contain both accidental scribal errors and deliberately introduced distortions made to suit certain political trends of that era. To restore a more or less objective picture of past times can only be done by comparing the information contained in a number of independent sources, which are European, Byzantine and Arabic documents.

Disagreements Contained in Literary Monuments

The years of life of Askold and Dir have not been precisely established, since the chroniclers do not express a unanimous opinion on this matter. Even their very arrival in Kyiv is described in different ways. In The Tale of Bygone Years, the author claims that, having appeared together with Rurik in 862 on Novgorod land and being his warriors, they voluntarily expressed a desire to go on a campaign to Constantinople (Tsargrad) and for this purpose undertook a journey down the Dnieper.

However, on the basis of a later, Nikon chronicle, dating back to the 16th century, a hypothesis was born that Askold and Dir, deprived of Rurik during the distribution of land, raised a rebellion, after which they went down the Dnieper, fleeing persecution. One way or another, but, having caught up with the glorious city, founded, according to its inhabitants, by a certain Kiy, they learned that there was no ruler in it, and, having an armed squad, they immediately filled this gap.

Reasons for the obedience of the people of Kiev

The chroniclers mention only in passing about why the people of Kiev allowed foreigners who arrived from nowhere to be in charge. But on the basis of the materials cited by them, it can be concluded that the Varangians were quite loyal to the local residents and, subject to the timely payment of tribute, did not intend to violate their usual way of life. They shared a pagan religion. In addition, a powerful detachment standing behind the contenders for power was a very significant argument.

Campaign of Askold and Dir to Byzantium

All the peoples living north of the Black Sea, the Greeks called the Rus, and they told the world about their predatory raids in their historical chronicles. The same events are reported by the chronicler Nestor, as well as the compilers of the Italian chronicles of that era. Despite some minor discrepancies, there are no significant contradictions in their accounts, and they are trustworthy.

This event - a predatory raid on Byzantium - dates back to about 860. Then up to 300 ships filled with armed Russians, led by the Kyiv princes Askold and Dir, approached Tsargrad from the sea. Exhausted by a long war with the Arabs, the Byzantines could not offer them proper resistance and were on the verge of death. The hopelessness of the situation was aggravated by rumors of the most severe looting, which the suburbs of the capital had already undergone.

A holiday that has survived the ages

The residents of Constantinople managed to escape from the bloody atrocities of foreigners only thanks to the miraculous intercession of the Queen of Heaven, who, through prayers in the Blachernae Church of Patriarch Photius and Tsar Michael himself, spread Her robe over the city. The oncoming storm immediately scattered the ships of the Russians and thereby forced the conquerors to retreat. The shores of the Bosphorus and their princes left, having previously concluded a trade agreement with Tsar Michael. The holiday established in honor of this event of the Russian Orthodox Church, is celebrated annually on October 14 and is called the Intercession Holy Mother of God, but not everyone knows that it is associated with the names of the Kyiv princes Askold and Dir.

Mistakes established in history

Further, the annals say that, having miraculously got rid of cruel conquerors, Byzantium began to establish diplomatic and trade relations with the Old Russian state, as well as to develop missionary activities on its territory. On this basis, an opinion appeared that during the reign of Askold and Dir, our ancestors for the first time marked their turn to Christianity, and their newly-made princes became the initiators of this. Wide use it received thanks to the publication in 1847-1848. major work "History of the Russian Church", the author of which was a prominent theologian and major religious figure, Archbishop Filaret (Gumilevsky).

However, this point of view, which is very popular among the people, does not have any serious scientific justification. For example, the well-known Russian historian academician A. A. Shakhmatov (1864-1920) pointed out that the Kyiv princes, who, due to their territorial proximity, had the closest relations with Khazar Khaganate, were hardly influenced by Byzantine missionaries and were much more likely to change paganism to Judaism than to Christianity.

In addition, he draws attention to the fact that none of the early chronicles mentions the personal participation of Askold and Dir in the Constantinople campaign of 866. On this basis, the scientist concludes that their names were inserted into the text much later, in order to give both greater historical significance.

The murder of the Kyiv rulers

In 879, after the death of Rurik, his young son Igor became the heir to the princely power, whose relative Oleg, who entered the Russian history with the nickname Prophetic. Taking advantage of the power that was in his hands, he wished to extend his influence not only to the northern lands, but also to vast areas extending south of Novgorod. Having gathered a large army from the Varangians and Slavs, he conquered Smolensk and Lyubech, and soon ended up at the walls of Kyiv.

According to the testimony of the author of The Tale of Bygone Years, he captured the city on the Dnieper with the help of the most sophisticated deceit. Realizing that Askold and Dir had done everything necessary to strengthen their capital, and it would not be easy to take it by attack, he resorted to cunning. Leaving the main part of his army in ambush, the temporary worker pretended to be a peaceful merchant and invited the rulers of the city to come out to him for trade negotiations.

Unaware of the danger looming over them, they appeared on the banks of the Dnieper without proper protection and were immediately captured by the attacking soldiers. Accusing the princes of illegally seizing power, which should rightfully belong to the young son of Rurik, and before he came of age personally to him, Oleg ordered them to be killed immediately. The tomb of Prince Askold was the mound, still towering on the Dnieper bank, and the relics of his co-ruler Dir for a long time rested in Kyiv, next to the church of the Holy Great Martyr Irina.

sole ruler

Having committed this double murder, Prophetic Oleg seized power over Kiev, making it the center of a vast principality and for the first time declaring it the "Mother of Russian cities." This event, which, according to the chroniclers, dates back to 882, marked the beginning of the unification of all the southern and northern lands under the rule of one ruler. He died, according to legend, from the bite of a snake hiding in the remains of his horse.

Hypotheses and conjectures of scientists

At the end of the article, it would be appropriate to cite several hypotheses regarding the origin of the princes treacherously killed by Oleg. According to one of them, only Dir was a participant in all the events described above, while Askold was his descendant. Moreover, both of them were by origin not Varangians, but Slavs. According to another version, Askold single-handedly reigned in Kyiv, came from the Varangians, while Dir did not exist at all, and his image is a figment of the imagination of later chroniclers.

At the same time, researchers who admit the historicity of both of these characters quite logically conclude that they reigned in different historical periods, and the chronicler Nestor united them as illegal co-rulers and usurpers of power. Proponents of which of the hypotheses are closer to the truth - time will tell, since research in this area does not stop to this day.