Princesses and princesses of Kievan Rus (X-XIV centuries). Russian history

The establishment of Christianity in Russia under the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir of Kiev was preceded by the reign of the Grand Duchess Olga, who in ancient times was called the root of orthodoxy. During her reign, the seeds of the faith of Christ were successfully planted in Russia. According to the chronicler, the saint Equal to the Apostles Olga"Throughout the Rustei land, the first destroyer of idols' demands and the foundation of orthodoxy."

Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga was born in Psovskaya land, her family tree goes back to Gostomysl. The Joachim Chronicle reports that Saint Olga belonged to the family of the ancient Russian princely dynasty of the Izborskys. She was born into a pagan family in the village of Vytuby, near Pskov, on the Velikaya River. She was already in her youth with a deep mind and exceptional moral purity in a pagan environment. The ancient authors call the holy princess the God-wise, the wisest of the family, and it was purity that was the good soil on which the seeds of the Christian faith bore such rich fruit.

Saint Olga was also distinguished by her external, bodily beauty. When the future Kiev prince Igor saw her while hunting in the northern forests, he inflamed with unclean lust for her and began to incline her to carnal sin. However, the wise and chaste girl began to admonish the prince not to be a slave to his passions. "Remember and think," she said, "that you are a prince, and for people a prince, like a ruler and judge, should be a bright example of good deeds." She talked so wisely with Igor that the prince was ashamed.

When Igor established himself in Kiev, he decided to choose his wife among the most beautiful girls principality. But none of them pleased him. Then he remembered Olga and sent for her his guardian and relative, Prince Oleg. In 903, Saint Olga became the wife of Prince Igor. Since 912, after the death of Prince Oleg, Igor began to rule in Kiev with absolute power. He successfully completed several military campaigns. During the reign of Igor, who was loyal to the Christian religion, the faith of Christ spread in Kiev so much that Christians made up a significant part of society. That is why the peace treaty with the Greeks, concluded shortly before the death of Prince Igor, was approved by two religious communities in Kiev: Christians and pagans. In 945, Prince Igor was killed by the Drevlyans. Afraid of revenge for the murder Of the Kiev prince and wishing to strengthen their position, the Drevlyans sent ambassadors to Princess Olga, inviting her to marry their ruler Mal. But Olga, then still a pagan, rejected the proposal of the Drevlyans. Cunningly luring the elders and all the noble men of the Drevlyans to Kiev, she avenged them with a painful death for the death of her husband. Olga repeatedly took revenge on the Drevlyans until they submitted to Kiev, and their capital, Korosten, was not burned to the ground. As a pagan, she could not then ascend to the commandment of forgiveness and love for enemies.

After the death of Prince Igor, she successfully ruled the state and strengthened the power of the Kiev Grand Duke. The Grand Duchess traveled around the Russian land in order to streamline the civil and economic life of the people. Under her, the Russian land was divided into regions, or volosts, in many places she set up graveyards, which became administrative and judicial centers. God-wise Olga went down in history as a great creator of the culture of Kievan Rus. She resolutely refused a second marriage, keeping the grand-princely throne for the growing son of Svyatoslav. The holy princess Olga put in a lot of work to strengthen the country's defense. Historians attribute the establishment of the first state borders of Russia to the time of Olga's reign - in the west, with Poland.

History has not preserved the names of the first Christian mentors of Saint Olga, probably because the conversion of the blessed princess to Christ was associated with Divine admonition. One of the ancient texts says about it this way: “O divinity! They themselves do not lead the Scriptures, nor the Christian law, and have not heard of the teacher about piety, but by the nature of piety you diligently study and love the Christian faith with all your soul. About the ineffable Providence of God! Not from a blessed person who learned the truth, but from above a teacher has God's Wisdom". Saint Olga went to Christ through her search for Truth, seeking satisfaction for her inquiring mind; the ancient author calls her "God's chosen steward of wisdom." The Monk Nestor the Chronicler narrates: "Blessed Olga from an early age sought wisdom, which is the best in this light, and found a precious pearl - Christ."

In 955, the princess went to Constantinople, where she was honorably received by Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (913-959) and Patriarch Theophylact (933-956). According to the chronicle, she soon received Holy Baptism with the name Helena, in honor of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Helena (1327; Comm. 21 May). The emperor Constantine himself became its receiver. Patriarch Theophylact instructed the Russian princess in the truths of the Orthodox faith and gave her commandments about preserving the Church Rite, about prayer, fasting, alms, and keeping cleanliness. “She, bowing her head, stood listening to the teaching like a sponge to drink,” writes the Monk Nestor. Saint Olga returned to Kiev, taking with her the holy cross, icons, and liturgical books. Here her apostolic ministry began. She led many Kievites to Christ and Holy Baptism, and made attempts to influence her son, a convinced pagan, faint-heartedly afraid of the condemnation of the squad. But Prince Svyatoslav remained deaf to the calls of his mother. Without forcing her son, Saint Olga prayed with humility: “The will of God be done. If God wants to have mercy on my family and the Russian land, let him put it on their hearts to turn to God, as God is a gift to me too. " Saint Olga built in Kiev, on the grave of Prince Askold, a church in the name of Saint Nicholas, laid a wooden church in the name of Saint Sophia the Wisdom of God.

Then, preaching the holy faith, the holy princess set off to the north. On the way, she smashed idols and installed stone crosses in the places of pagan temples, from which numerous miracles took place to reason with the pagans. When it flows into the river The great river In the Pskovs, Saint Olga saw the "ray of the Trisly Divine" - a sign of God's care for Russia. The blessed princess put a cross in that place and founded a temple in the Name of the Holy Life-giving Trinity... She prophetically announced that "a great city" would be erected here. It is historically reliable that St. Olga, Equal to the Apostles, was the founder of Pskov. Upon her return to Kiev, she sent a lot of gold and silver to the construction of the Pskov temple.

At the end of her life, blessed Olga endured many sorrows. Svyatoslav, who did not receive Holy Baptism, left his elderly mother and moved to the city of Pereyaslavets on the Danube. In addition, he interfered with her activities to establish Christianity in Russia. In 968 Kiev was besieged by the Pechenegs. The holy princess and her grandchildren, including Prince Vladimir, found themselves in mortal danger. When the news of the siege reached Svyatoslav, he hurried to help, and the Pechenegs were put to flight. The holy princess, already seriously ill, asked her son not to leave until her death. She did not lose hope to turn her son's heart to God and on her deathbed did not stop preaching. On July 11, 969, Saint Olga reposed in the Lord, bequeathed not to arrange funerals for herself, but to perform a Christian burial.

After 19 years, the grandson of the holy princess Olga, saint equal to the apostles Grand Duke Vladimir was baptized. He built a stone church in Kiev in honor of Holy Mother of God(Church of the Tithes), where the incorruptible relics of St. Olga equal to the apostles were transferred. A window was built over her tomb, which opened itself if one approached the relics with faith. By faith, Christians were vouchsafed to see the radiant relics of the holy princess and receive healing from them. The Russian people honor the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga as the founder of Christianity in Russia, addressing her with the words of the Monk Nestor: "Rejoice, Russian knowledge of God, the beginning of our reconciliation with Him."

2012 - YEAR OF RUSSIAN HISTORY

DEFENDERS OF FAITH

The daughters of Russian tsars, when they get married, remain loyal to their faith - this rule was well known in Europe. Therefore, their fates were not always quite happy.

ELENA MOSKOVSKAYA

Originated from the root

Let us recall the story of Princess Helena, the daughter of Tsar Ivan III. Mindful of her “noble deed”, the chronicler described this remarkable Christian woman as follows: “descended from the root,” “raised in unshakable piety,“ set up from pious parents ”.

Her mother Sophia was the niece of the latter Byzantine emperor Constantine XI Palaeologus and was brought up in Italy. The Vatican had high hopes for her. It was assumed that Sophia would help convert Russia to Catholicism, but as soon as the girl stepped on the Russian land, she rushed into the church and began to kiss the icons.

Twenty-three years have passed. It was decided to marry the Grand Duchess Helena to the Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander. At that time, Lithuania included Belarus, Smolensk and other Russian lands. Despite the fact that most of the inhabitants there professed Orthodoxy, the Lithuanian princes chose Catholicism. True, not all - some fought on the Kulikovo field next to the holy prince Demetrius. But gradually Rome became more and more established in Western Russia. So that there was someone to defend the paternal faith, and consent was given to Elena's marriage with Alexander.

The girl set off, backed up by her father's instructions: “Memory of the Grand Duchess. Not to go to the Latin shrine, but to go to the Greek church. Out of curiosity, you can see the first or the Latin monastery, but only once or twice. If your mother-in-law is in Vilna and orders you to go with you to the goddess, then escort her to the door and say politely that you are going to your church. "

True, Alexander, who managed to fall in love, swore to Ivan III that he would not interfere with his future wife “to maintain Greek law, to force her to Roman law” and would not even allow such a transition, if she herself wanted to. But the promise was given orally, contrary to Polish law, and, finally, you never know who swears what. Seriously, the parents hoped only for Elena herself, knowing her character. The Poles and the Lithuanians also had to recognize him.

The princess was nineteen when in 1495 the Russian embassy reached Vilna. The wedding took place in the local Cathedral of St. Stanislav in two rites at once - Catholic and Orthodox. The Vilna bishop Radziwill and the Moscow priest Macarius served. There, in Vilna, the young spouses settled, not yet knowing what tests they faced. In a sense, in Rome, they hoped to recoup the princess for failure with her parents. "Russia is too strong and that is why it is so stubborn," the Catholics believed, "and Elena is just a woman, and she is unlikely to put up serious resistance."

Queen

Alexander found himself in a very difficult position. He hoped it would be okay. But it didn't work out. From Rome, letters were sent to him, allowing him from the oaths given to his father-in-law, they were mercilessly crushed. The only thing that kept him from complete obedience was a tender feeling for his wife. However, he had to annoy his wife. She was denied the promised construction of a house church. But there were enough Orthodox churches in Vilna. In one of them - Pokrovsky - Elena and began to travel to services. Much worse was the other: all the Orthodox were removed from the princess's entourage.

“Here we have,” wrote the clerk Shestakov to the sovereign in Moscow, “there is a great turmoil between the Latins and our Christianity; the devil possessed our lord of Smolensk, and also Sapieha. We embraced the Orthodox faith. The Grand Duke does not allow our Empress, Grand Duchess Helena, to the cursed Latin faith. But God taught our empress, but she remembered the science of the sovereign-father, and she refused her husband like this: "Remember what you promised to my sovereign, my father, and without the will of my sovereign, my father, I cannot do this. I will do as he teaches me." ... Yes, and all our Orthodox Christianity wants to baptize; from this our Russia and Lithuania are in great enmity. "

Tsar Ivan the Third

Upon learning of this, Ivan the Third sent to Lithuania faithful person Ivan Mamonov, ordering his daughter to suffer to death rather than betray her faith. It is not known how he would behave, if you know that Elena will follow his orders. I can imagine the grins of some: what is all this for? And the bishop of Smolensk, Orthodox in appearance, who had betrayed Elena, was at a loss. The policy of many Orthodox hierarchs, not only in the Latin world, but also in the Ottoman Empire, was not to stick out. And here...

The angry Tsar Ivan started a war against his son-in-law, but Elena sent a letter to her father, in which she reproached him for violating the peace treaty and begged him to stop "pouring out Christian blood." She assured her that her husband was affectionate and caring to her, so that the Grand Duke even flared up, writing in response: “How ashamed you, daughter, to write me a lie! We know for certain that you are being oppressed in faith. " The princess stood her ground, wishing to reconcile two people close to her.

A year later, Grand Duke Alexander took over the Polish throne, and Elena actually became queen - but not legally, since she refused to be crowned. After all, this required the adoption of Catholicism. The husband reacted to her decision philosophically, resigned himself. Moreover, he took his beloved through new possessions, demonstrating to everyone: here is your sovereign. Consoling him, he gave Elena possessions, which she promptly transferred to Orthodox churches and monasteries. What is curious: the war with Moscow continued all this time. Only three years after it began, a peace was signed, which Tsar Ivan accompanied with a warning: "And if our brother begins to compel our daughter to Roman law, then let him know that we will not let him down - we will stand for it, how much God will help us" ...

Standing

Having decided that Elena of Moscow, as she was called in Poland and Lithuania, was just obedient to her parent, the Catholics calmed down somewhat and began to wait for the death of the Russian monarch. Pope Julius II in 1505 stated so bluntly, allowing Alexander to live with a heterodox wife "in anticipation of the death of her father, already very old, or some other circumstance." They did not have to wait long: a few months later, Ivan the Third died. What is Elena? But nothing. As she believed, she continued to remain Orthodox. The next year, she also lost her beloved spouse, who was her support in the camp of ill-wishers. But her brother Vasily, who ascended the Russian throne, continued to strengthen Elena's strength: “And you, sister, and now you remembered God and your soul, our father and mother's order, would not have fallen away from God in soul, from father and mother in disgrace would not bring reproach to our Orthodox law either. " The dowager queen had a hard time: in 1512 the treasury was taken from her and sent from Vilna to exile.

In response, a war broke out, which further worsened Elena's position, and then atrocity was committed. Voivode Nikolai Radziwill sent assassins to the queen (two Russians and one Lithuanian Zhmudin) so that they would present poison to her along with honey. On the same day in January, Elena was gone. She was only thirty-seven years old when she was martyred.

In memory of his sister, Tsar Vasily built a church in the Kremlin, which was revered by all subsequent Russian tsars. The main shrine of the temple was the icon of St. Nicholas from the Gostunsky castle, which is associated with the names of Elena and her husband Alexander. The legend has survived that before this image, two loving spouses of different faiths once prayed together.

Three centuries have passed since Elena's death. The world has changed, but history has repeated itself. Once again, the Russian princess found herself in a Catholic country - and went through many sufferings, defending her faith. Only this time she died at the age of seventeen. The heroine of our next story will be Alexandra - the palatina of Hungary, the daughter of Emperor Paul the First.

ALEXANDRA - HUNGARY PALANTINE

Early years

Empress Catherine the Great was not happy with the birth of her first granddaughter. “My health book,” she wrote, “has recently multiplied by a young lady, who was named Alexandra in honor of her elder brother. To tell the truth, I love boys incomparably more than girls ... ”This was fully reflected in the choice of the name.

It was decided that it was too risky to entrust the upbringing of the child to the mother - Grand Duchess Maria Fedorovna. Catherine herself chose her daughter-in-law from the German princesses, appreciating the wide hips and everything that is needed for the production of heirs. In this case, the presence of thinking abilities was not necessary, even harmful. Unhappy Maria Feodorovna was almost forced to hide that she is smart, delicate, not devoid of talents. Her husband - the future emperor Paul - loved her dearly. Together, the couple worried that the babies were taken away from them one by one, not allowing them to be brought up. Ekaterina, dreaming of raising a "new breed of people", decided to start with her grandchildren. True, no particular hopes were pinned on Alexandra.

A year passed, then another, everything remained as before: the little princess continued to cause irritation. “Neither fish nor flesh,” the sovereign said about her, specifying that this child is “a very ugly creature, especially in comparison with her brothers,” and that even her second granddaughter, two-month-old Elena, is smarter and more alive than two-year-old Alexandra. But the ugly duckling, as if trying to please the regal grandmother, began to change dramatically.

The Empress reported with surprise about her granddaughter that she “suddenly made amazing progress: she became prettier, grew up and took on such a posture that she seemed older than her years. She speaks four languages, writes and draws well, plays the harpsichord, sings, dances, understands everything very easily and reveals an extreme meekness in her character. I became the object of her passion, and in order to please me and attract my attention, she seems to be ready to throw herself into the fire. "

It’s amazing how such a gift of love developed in this despised girl, deprived of maternal affection. No one, either before or after her, loved Catherine the Great so much and unselfishly.

This was the main gift of Alexandra, not to mention the fact that she translated poetry, beautifully sculpted from wax; everything that this girl touched was transformed. Perhaps it affected good choice mentors. From infancy, the princess was entrusted with the widow of the general, Baroness Charlotte Karlovna Lieven, who was able to excellently raise six of her own children and reveal their talents. As other great princesses were born, and then princes, they all came at her disposal. General'sha Lieven - it was iron Man, Empress Catherine herself fell for debauchery from her. The influence of Charlotte Karlovna on the fate of the representatives of the dynasty can hardly be overestimated. Until the revolution, the upbringing of the grand dukes and princesses bore the imprint of her character.

Father Andrey Samborsky

The priest Andrei Samborsky had no less influence on Alexandra. He was one of the most educated people in St. Petersburg, who served for a long time at the Russian mission in London. From there he brought an English wife, converted to Orthodoxy by him, and a number of habits unusual for an Orthodox priest: he did not wear a beard, but preferred secular dress.

The spiritual authorities were dissatisfied with this, but it is necessary to make allowances for the biography of Andrei's father. Although he was the son of a priest, he was sent to Europe to study agronomy and did not immediately decide to continue the work of his father and ancestors. But the choice was deliberate and made in very unfavorable conditions.

“This enlightened country (England. - V.G.),” he wrote, defending himself from attacks, “may he testify with what zeal and purity I performed the divine service through many years, which affirms in men pure faith, which unanimously confirms the royal thrones , with the help of which the peoples abide in silence and unanimity. After completing the sacred office in the church, all the rest of the time I used to acquire not my own benefit, but the common good - the success of Russian artists, shipbuilders, sailors, farmers - using all possible occasions and methods. "

All the grand duchesses, then the princes, appreciated this man. Although his enemies claimed that Fr. Andrew had instilled little religiosity in his spiritual children, remaining more an agronomist than a confessor, this is not so. For example, they write about Emperor Alexander the Blessed: “The influence of Samborsky was negative. Alexander did not know God. " However, it is known that the sovereign used to spend whole hours on his knees in front of the icons. He just didn’t try to advertise it: Father Andrei didn’t teach him to be hypocritical.

The warmest and most trusting relationship developed between father Andrei and Alexandra. The priest was very fond of this girl, who blossomed before his eyes, she paid him the same. They did not know what trials they faced and that the princess would die in the arms of her spiritual father, breaking his heart.

Just one condition ...

According to the memoirs of contemporaries, she was not only pretty, but possessed that charm that is almost impossible to convey in a portrait. In any case, no one succeeded, although many wrote the girl: Levitsky, Vigee-Lebrun, Lampi, Zharkov, Miles, Borovikovsky, Ritt. They did not manage to completely please the relatives and friends of the princess. Mental beauty seemed to illuminate her face from the inside, but the personality of a person in that era was not yet able to appreciate in itself.

Catherine the Great very early began to think about the marriage of Alexandra (as, indeed, other great princesses). This was one of the main reasons that the queen was not happy about the birth of her granddaughters: she was afraid for them. “Everyone will be badly married off,” the empress predicted, “because nothing can be more miserable than the Russian Grand Duchess. They will not be able to apply to anything; everything will seem small to them ... Of course, they will have seekers, but this will lead to endless misunderstandings. "

Alas, Catherine was not mistaken, although she did everything to avoid it. When Alexandra was nine years old, the grandmother decided to make her the Swedish queen. The potential groom was fifteen. Of course, he was not yet quite suitable for marriage, and the empress decided to wait for his 18th birthday. Gustav IV Adolf - that was the name of the king. The proposal from St. Petersburg looked more like an order. Negotiations began between the empress and the regent under the minor monarch - the Duke of Südermanland. Their course was not smooth, so Catherine even wrote to her faithful correspondent Baron Grimm: “If the matter does not work out, then she (Alexandra - VG) can be comforted, because he will be at a loss who marries another. I can safely say that it is difficult to find an equal to her in beauty, talents and courtesy. Not to mention the dowry, which for a poor Sweden in itself is an important subject. In addition, this marriage could consolidate the world for years to come. "

The marriage of the eldest granddaughter with the Swedish king became a fix idea for the empress, she wanted him with all her soul. The Swedes opposed him with about the same passion. It seemed to them that they wanted to humiliate them. The regent - the uncle of the king - began to negotiate the marriage of his nephew with Princess Louise-Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. In November 1795, prayers for the health of this princess began to be served in Swedish churches, but Catherine was offended, asking: “Let the regent hate me, let him look for an opportunity and deceive - in a good hour! - but why does he marry his pet to an ugly ugly girl? How did the king deserve this cruel punishment, then how did he think of marrying the bride, whose beauty everyone speaks with one voice? "

Aesthetic considerations were backed up by decisive action. Count Suvorov was sent to the border - "to inspect the fortresses." It turned out they were all right. The Swedes knew who Suvorov was, so they did not want to make a closer acquaintance. For this or for some other reason, the king suddenly decisively didn't want to marry Louise-Charlotte, and negotiations with Petersburg resumed. For the longest time they argued about the religion of the bride, but in the end the Swedish side agreed that the princess would remain Orthodox.

And what about Alexandra? Having become acquainted with the portrait of the king, she decided that she could love him, and for four years she was preparing for the wedding, studying Swedish. The meeting took place in August 1796, when Gustav arrived in St. Petersburg, taking for a while a pseudonym - "Count Gaga". The festivities lasted a whole month, and the young people immediately found a common language. The Empress was delighted, reporting: “Everyone notices that His Majesty is dancing with Alexandra more and more often and that their conversation is not interrupted ... It seems that my girl does not feel disgust for the aforementioned young man: she no longer has the same embarrassed look and speaks very freely with her gentleman. "

Meanwhile, warning signs began to haunt the capital.

On the day of the ball given by the Prosecutor General Count Samoilov in honor of the arrival of the Swedes, at the moment when Empress Catherine II was getting out of the carriage, a meteor dashed the sky, illuminating the entire capital. "The star has fallen!" - said the empress. Almost simultaneously, in Tsarskoe Selo at night, such a strong smoke appeared under the window of the Empress's bedroom that everyone was alarmed and began to look for its source. Nothing was found either in the palace or in the vicinity. Some attributed the incident to the birth of Tsarevich Nikolai Pavlovich, but he had absolutely nothing to do with it. Obviously, what happened worried Catherine. Her favorite Countess Anna Alekseevna Matyushkina, trying to console the empress, reported: “The people, mother, interpret that the star has fallen to the good, and this means that it will fly away from us grand duchess Alexandra Pavlovna to Sweden ”. But the people interpreted in vain.

Catherine the Great had only a few weeks to live. The fatal blow was inflicted on her by none other than the Swedish groom, or rather, those who stood behind the young king. The betrothal was scheduled for September 11, and it was agreed that it would take place in the Greek-Russian church. Catherine was waiting for the Swedes in the hall of the palace, surrounded by the military, courtiers, clergy, Alexandra languished, dressed in a wedding dress. But the guests did not appear at the appointed time. Time passed, but they were not there - and so for more than four hours. All this time, negotiations were going on. Gustav locked himself in his bedroom, demanding to agree to a condition: the Grand Duchess must become a Protestant.

Just one condition ...

Alexandra was told that her fiance was ill. She began to cry.

To justify Gustav, one can say that he was under pressure. The young man was frightened by popular unrest, and he resisted before he allowed himself to be persuaded. He really liked the Russian princess: it was hard not to fall in love with her. Perhaps the king at first hoped that the Russians would easily surrender, but then he became bitter. If Charles XII wanted to bring the whole of Russia to its knees, converting it to his faith, the arrogant Gustav decided to be content with a victory over Alexandra ... It did not work out here either.

His fate was sad. Another unsuccessful war with Russia in 1808 led the king to the loss of Finland. Then he insulted 120 guardsmen from noble families, demoted them to army officers for cowardice on the battlefield. As a result of the conspiracy, he was overthrown, led a wandering lifestyle in Europe, calling himself Colonel Gustavsson, in addition, he divorced his wife Frederica Dorothea Wilhelmina, one of the German princesses, for whom he traded Alexandra. Frederica Dorothea was a Protestant, but did not like him.

The failed marriage of Empress Catherine was just as expensive. Upon learning of the condition of the Swedes, she suffered a slight apoplectic stroke - the first of the three that two months later would bring her to the grave.

And Princess Alexander was still married. How it happened and what happened after that, we will tell in the next issue of the newspaper.

(The ending follows)

Vladimir GRIGORYAN

Tradition calls the village of Vybuty, not far from Pskov, up the Velikaya River, Olga's homeland. The life of Saint Olga tells that here for the first time her meeting with her future husband took place. The young prince was hunting "in the Pskov region" and, wishing to cross the Velikaya River, he saw "a certain one floating in a boat" and called him to the shore. Having sailed from the coast in a boat, the prince discovered that a girl of amazing beauty was taking him. Igor was inflamed with lust for her. The carrier turned out to be not only beautiful, but chaste and intelligent. She put Igor ashamed by reminding him of the princely dignity of the ruler and judge, who should be a "bright example of good deeds" for his subjects. Igor parted with her, keeping in his memory her words and beautiful image... When the time came to choose a bride, the most beautiful girls of the principality were gathered in Kiev. But none of them pleased him. And then he remembered Olga, "marvelous in girls," and sent for her a relative of his prince Oleg. So Olga became the wife of Prince Igor, the great Russian princess.
After his marriage, Igor went on a campaign against the Greeks, and returned from him as a father: his son Svyatoslav was born. Soon Igor was killed by the Drevlyans. Fearing revenge for the murder of the Kiev prince, the Drevlyans sent ambassadors to Princess Olga, inviting her to marry their ruler Mal. Olga pretended to agree. By cunning she lured two Drevlyan embassies to Kiev, putting them to painful death: the first was buried alive "in the prince's courtyard," the second was burnt in a bathhouse. After that, five thousand Drevlyansky men were killed by Olga's soldiers at a funeral service for Igor near the walls of the Drevlyansky capital Iskorosten. The next year Olga again approached Iskorosten with an army. The city was burned with the help of birds, to whose feet a burning tow was tied. The surviving Drevlyans were captured and sold into slavery.

Along with this, the annals are full of evidence of her tireless "walks" across the Russian land in order to build the political and economic life of the country. She achieved the strengthening of the power of the Kiev Grand Duke, centralized public administration using the "graveyard" system.
Life tells the following about Olga's works: “And Princess Olga ruled the regions of the Russian land subject to her not as a woman, but as a strong and reasonable husband, firmly holding power in her hands and bravely defending herself from enemies. And she was terrible for the latter, loved by her own people, as a merciful and pious ruler, as a righteous judge and not offending anyone, imposing punishment with mercy, and rewarding the good; she instilled fear in all evil, rewarding each in proportion to the dignity of his actions, but in all matters of government she showed foresight and wisdom. At the same time Olga, merciful by heart, was generous to the poor, the poor and the poor; fair requests soon reached her heart, and she quickly fulfilled them ... With all this, Olga combined a temperate and chaste life, she did not want to remarry, but was in pure widowhood, observing her son's princely power until the days of his age. When the latter matured, she handed over to him all the affairs of the government, and she herself, having withdrawn from rumor and care, lived outside the worries of government, indulging in matters of goodness. "
As a wise ruler, Olga saw on the example of the Byzantine Empire that it was not enough to care only about state and economic life. It was necessary to start organizing the religious, spiritual life of the people.

The author of the Book of Degrees writes: “Her (Olga's) feat was that she recognized the true God. Not knowing the Christian law, she lived a pure and chaste life, and she wanted to be a Christian by free will, with her heart's eyes she found the way of knowing God and followed it without hesitation. " The Monk Nestor the chronicler narrates: "Blessed Olga from an early age sought wisdom, which is the best in this light, and found a precious pearl - Christ."

Having made her choice, the Grand Duchess Olga, entrusting Kiev to her grown-up son, sets off from large fleet to Constantinople. Old Russian chroniclers will call this act of Olga "walking", it combined in itself a religious pilgrimage, and a diplomatic mission, and a demonstration of the military might of Russia. “Olga wanted to go to the Greeks herself, in order to see with her own eyes the Christian service and be fully convinced of their teaching about the true God,” narrates the life of Saint Olga. According to the chronicle, Olga made the decision to become a Christian in Constantinople. The sacrament of Baptism was performed over her by the Patriarch of Constantinople Theophylact (933 - 956), and the emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus (912 - 959) was the recipient, who left in his work "On the ceremonies of the Byzantine court" detailed description ceremonies during Olga's stay in Constantinople.
The Patriarch blessed the newly baptized Russian princess with a cross carved from whole piece Of the Life-giving Tree of the Lord. On the cross was the inscription: "The Russian land was renewed with the Holy Cross, and Olga, the noble princess, received him."

Sergey Kirillov. Duchess Olga. Baptism. The first part of the triptych "Holy Russia"

Olga returned to Kiev with icons, liturgical books - her apostolic ministry began. She erected a church in the name of St. Nicholas over the grave of Askold - the first Christian prince of Kiev and converted many Kievites to Christ. With the preaching of faith, the princess set off to the north. In the Kiev and Pskov lands, in distant lands, at crossroads, she erected crosses, destroying pagan idols.

Saint Olga laid the foundation for a special veneration of the Most Holy Trinity in Russia. From century to century, the story of a vision that happened to her near the Velikaya River, not far from her native village, was passed on. She saw that "three bright rays" were descending from the sky from the east. Addressing her companions, who were witnesses of the vision, Olga said prophetically: "Let it be known to you that the will of God in this place will be a church in the name of the Most Holy and Life-giving Trinity and there will be a great and glorious city abounding in all." At this place Olga erected a cross and founded a church in the name of the Holy Trinity. It became the main cathedral of Pskov, a glorious Russian city that has since been called the House of the Holy Trinity. Through the mysterious paths of spiritual succession, four centuries later, this veneration was transmitted to the Monk Sergius of Radonezh.

On May 11, 960, the Church of St. Sophia, the Wisdom of God, was consecrated in Kiev. This day was celebrated in the Russian Church as a special holiday. The main shrine of the temple was the cross received by Olga during her baptism in Constantinople. The temple, built by Olga, burned down in 1017, and in its place Yaroslav the Wise erected the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Irina, and the relics of St. Sophia Olga's temple were transferred to the still standing stone church of St. Sophia of Kiev, founded in 1017 and consecrated around 1030. In the Prologue of the XIII century about Olga's cross it is said: "That one now stands in Kiev in St. Sophia in the altar on the right side." After the conquest of Kiev by the Lithuanians, the Holguin cross was stolen from the St. Sophia Cathedral and taken by the Catholics to Lublin. His further fate is unknown to us. The princess's apostolic labors met with secret and open resistance from the pagans. Among the boyars and warriors in Kiev, there were many people who, according to the chroniclers, “hated Wisdom,” like St. Olga, who built her temples. The zealots of pagan antiquity raised their heads more and more boldly, looking with hope at the growing Svyatoslav, who resolutely rejected his mother's persuasions to accept Christianity. The Tale of Bygone Years tells about it this way: “Olga lived with her son Svyatoslav, and her mother persuaded him to be baptized, but he neglected it and plugged his ears; however, if anyone wanted to be baptized, he did not forbid him, nor mocked him ... Olga often said: “My son, I have come to know God and I rejoice; here you too, if you learn, you will also begin to rejoice. " He, not listening to this, said: “How can I want to change my faith alone? My vigilantes will laugh at this! " She told him: "If you are baptized, everyone will do the same." He, not listening to his mother, lived according to pagan customs.
Saint Olga had to endure many sorrows at the end of her life. The son finally moved to Pereyaslavets on the Danube. While in Kiev, she taught her grandchildren, the children of Svyatoslav, the Christian faith, but did not dare to baptize them, fearing the anger of her son. In addition, he obstructed her attempts to establish Christianity in Russia. Last years In the midst of the triumph of paganism, she, once the revered mistress of the state, who was baptized by the Ecumenical Patriarch in the capital of Orthodoxy, had to secretly keep a priest with her so as not to cause a new outbreak of anti-Christian sentiments. In 968 Kiev was besieged by the Pechenegs. The holy princess and her grandchildren, among whom was Prince Vladimir, found themselves in mortal danger. When the news of the siege reached Svyatoslav, he hurried to help, and the Pechenegs were put to flight. Saint Olga, already seriously ill, asked her son not to leave until her death. She did not lose hope of turning her son's heart to God and on her deathbed did not stop preaching: “Why are you leaving me, my son, and where are you going? Looking for someone else's, whom do you entrust yours to? After all, Thy children are still small, and I am already old, and even sick, - I expect an imminent death - a departure to beloved Christ, in whom I believe; I now do not worry about anything, but only about you: I regret that although I taught a lot and persuaded to leave the idolatrous wickedness, to believe in the true God, known by me, and you neglect this, and I know what kind of disobedience you are a bad end awaits you on earth for me, and after death - eternal torment prepared for the pagans. Fulfill now at least this last request of mine: do not go anywhere until I am dead and buried; then go wherever you want. After my death, do not do anything that is required in such cases by pagan custom; but let my presbyter with the clergy bury my body according to the Christian custom; do not dare to pour a grave mound over me and do funeral feasts; but send gold to Constantinople to the most holy patriarch, so that he would make a prayer and an offering to God for my soul and give alms to the poor. "
“Hearing this, Svyatoslav wept bitterly and promised to fulfill everything she bequeathed, refusing only to accept the holy faith. On July 11, 969, Saint Olga died, "and her son and grandchildren and all people wept for her with great lamentation." Presbyter Gregory fulfilled her will exactly.

Saint Olga, Equal to the Apostles, was canonized at the Council of 1547, which confirmed the widespread veneration of her in Russia even in the pre-Mongol era.
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga became the spiritual mother of the Russian people, through her began their enlightenment with the light of Christ's faith.

Since ancient times, people have called St. Olga the Equal-to-the-Apostles "the head of the faith" and "the root of Orthodoxy" in the Russian land. (Only a few of the holy wives of Christian history were honored with the face of the Equal-to-the-Apostles: the holy myrrh-bearer Mary Magdalene, the holy first martyr Thekla, holy Apphia, the holy noble queen Elena, and Saint Nina, the enlightener of Georgia). Olga's baptism was marked by the prophetic words of the patriarch who baptized her: “Blessed are you in the wives of the Russians, for you left the darkness and loved the Light. Russian sons will glorify you to the last kind! " At baptism, the Russian princess was honored with the name of St. Helena, Equal to the Apostles, who labored a lot in spreading Christianity in the vast Roman Empire and acquired the Life-giving Cross, on which the Lord was crucified. Like her heavenly patroness, Olga became an Equal-to-the-Apostles preacher of Christianity in the vast expanses of the Russian land. There are many chronological inaccuracies and mysteries in the chronicles about her, but doubts can hardly arise about the reliability of most of the facts of her life, conveyed to our time by the grateful descendants of the holy princess - the organizer of the Russian land. Let's turn to the story of her life.

The name of the future enlightener of Russia and her homeland is the oldest of the chronicles - "The Tale of Bygone Years" in the description of the marriage of Prince Igor of Kiev:
"And they brought him a wife from Pskov named Olga." The Joachim Chronicle specifies that she belonged to the family of the Izborsk princes - one of the ancient Russian princely dynasties.

Igor's wife was called by the Varangian name Helga, in Russian pronunciation - Olga [Volga]. Tradition calls the village of Vybuty, not far from Pskov, up the Velikaya River, Olga's homeland. The life of Saint Olga tells that here for the first time her meeting with her future husband took place. The young prince was hunting "in the Pskov region" and, wishing to cross the Velikaya River, he saw "a certain one floating in a boat" and called him to the shore. Having sailed from the coast in a boat, the prince discovered that a girl of amazing beauty was taking him. Igor was inflamed with lust for her and began to persuade her to sin. The carrier turned out to be not only beautiful, but chaste and intelligent. She put Igor to shame, reminding him of the princely dignity of the ruler and judge, who should be a "bright example of good deeds" for his subjects. Igor parted with her, keeping in memory her words and a beautiful image. When the time came to choose a bride, the most beautiful girls of the principality were gathered in Kiev. But none of them pleased him. And then he remembered Olga, "marvelous in girls," and sent for her a relative of his prince Oleg. So Olga became the wife of Prince Igor, the great Russian princess.

After his marriage, Igor went on a campaign against the Greeks, and returned from him as a father: his son Svyatoslav was born. Soon Igor was killed by the Drevlyans. Fearing revenge for the murder of the Kiev prince, the Drevlyans sent ambassadors to Princess Olga, inviting her to marry their ruler Mal. Olga pretended to agree. By cunning she lured two Drevlyan embassies to Kiev, putting them to painful death: the first was buried alive "in the prince's courtyard," the second was burnt in a bathhouse. After that, five thousand Drevlyansky men were killed by Olga's soldiers at a funeral service for Igor near the walls of the Drevlyansky capital Iskorosten. The next year Olga again approached Iskorosten with an army. The city was burned with the help of birds, to whose feet a burning tow was tied. The surviving Drevlyans were captured and sold into slavery.

Along with this, the chronicles are full of evidence of her tireless "walks" across the Russian land with the aim of organizing the political and economic life of the country. She achieved the strengthening of the power of the Kiev Grand Duke, centralized state administration with the help of a system of "graveyards". The chronicle notes that she and her son and retinue walked through the Drevlyansky land, "establishing tributes and quitrent fees", marking villages and encampments and hunting places to be included in the Kiev grand ducal possessions. She went to Novgorod, arranging graveyards along the Mete and Luga rivers. “When I caught her [hunting places] were all over the land, signs were established, her places and graveyards,” writes the chronicler, “and her sleigh stands in Pskov to this day, there are places she indicated for catching birds along the Dnieper and along the Desna; and her village Olgichi still exists today. " Pogosts (from the word "guest" - merchant] became the mainstay of the grand ducal power, centers of ethnic and cultural unification of the Russian people.

Life tells the following about Olga's works: “And Princess Olga ruled the regions of the Russian land subject to her not as a woman, but as a strong and reasonable husband, firmly holding power in her hands and bravely defending herself from enemies. And she was terrible for the latter, loved by her own people, as a merciful and pious ruler, as a righteous judge and not offending anyone, imposing punishment with mercy, and rewarding the good; she instilled fear in all the evil, rewarding each in proportion to the dignity of his actions; in all matters of administration, she showed foresight and wisdom. At the same time Olga, merciful by heart, was generous to the poor, the poor and the poor; fair requests soon reached her heart, and she quickly fulfilled them ... With all this Olga combined a temperate and chaste life, she did not want to remarry, but was in pure widowhood, observing her son's princely power until the days of his age. When the latter matured, she handed over to him all the affairs of the government, and she herself, having withdrawn from rumor and care, lived outside the worries of government, indulging in matters of goodness. "

Russia grew and became stronger. Cities were built, surrounded by stone and oak walls. The princess herself lived behind the reliable walls of Vyshgorod, surrounded by a faithful squad. Two-thirds of the collected tribute, according to the chronicle, she gave at the disposal of the Kiev Veche, the third part went “to Olga, to Vyshgorod” - to the military building. The establishment of the first state borders of Kievan Rus dates back to the time of Olga. The heroic outposts, sung in epics, guarded the peaceful life of the Kievites from the nomads of the Great Steppe, from attacks from the West. Foreigners rushed to Gardarika ("land of cities"], as they called Russia, with goods. Scandinavians, Germans willingly joined the Russian army as mercenaries. Russia became a great power.

As a wise ruler, Olga saw on the example of the Byzantine Empire that it was not enough to care only about state and economic life. It was necessary to start organizing the religious, spiritual life of the people.

The author of the Book of Degrees writes: “Her / Olga's feat / was that she recognized the true God. Not knowing the Christian law, she lived a pure and chaste "life, and she wished to be a Christian of free will, with her heart's eyes she found the way of knowing God and followed it without hesitation." The Monk Nestor the chronicler narrates: "Blessed Olga from an early age sought wisdom, which is the best in this light, and found a precious pearl - Christ."

Having made her choice, the Grand Duchess Olga, entrusting Kiev to her grown-up son, sets off with a large fleet to Constantinople. Old Russian chroniclers will call this act of Olga "walking", it combined in itself a religious pilgrimage, and a diplomatic mission, and a demonstration of the military might of Russia. “Olga wanted to go to the Greeks herself in order to see with her own eyes the Christian service and be fully convinced of their teaching about the true God,” says the life of Saint Olga. According to the chronicle, Olga made the decision to become a Christian in Constantinople. The sacrament of Baptism was performed over her by the Patriarch Theophylact of Constantinople (933–956), and the emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus (912–959) was the successor, who left in his work "On the ceremonies of the Byzantine court" a detailed description of the ceremonies during Olga's stay in Constantinople. At one of the receptions, the Russian princess was presented with a gold, decorated precious stones dish. Olga donated it to the sacristy of the Cathedral of St. Sophia, where he was seen and described at the beginning of the 13th century by the Russian diplomat Dobrynya Yadreykovich, later Archbishop Anthony of Novgorod:
"The dish is great for Olga Russian's service, when she took a tribute when she went to Constantinople: in Olga's dish there is a precious stone, Christ is written on the same stones."

The Patriarch blessed the newly-baptized Russian princess with a cross carved from a single piece of the Life-giving Tree of the Lord. On the cross was the inscription: "The Russian land was renewed with the Holy Cross, and Olga, the noble princess, received him."

He, not listening to his mother, lived according to pagan customs, not knowing that if someone does not listen to his mother, he will get into trouble, as it is said: "If someone does not listen to his father or mother, then he will die." Besides, he was also angry with his mother ... But Olga loved her son Svyatoslav when she said: “Let the will of God be done. If God wants to have mercy on my descendants and the Russian land, may he command their hearts to turn to God, as it was granted to me. " And saying this, I prayed for my son and for his people all day and night, taking care of her son until he matured. "

Despite the success of her trip to Constantinople, Olga was unable to persuade the emperor to agree on two critical issues: on the dynastic marriage of Svyatoslav with the Byzantine princess and on the conditions for the restoration of the Metropolitanate that existed under Askold in Kiev. Therefore, Saint Olga turns her gaze to the West - the Church was at that time one. The Russian princess could hardly have known about the theological differences between the Greek and Latin doctrines.

In 959, a German chronicler writes: "The ambassadors of Helena, the queen of the Russians, who was baptized in Constantinople, came to the king and asked to consecrate a bishop and priests for this people." King Otto, the future founder of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, responded to Olga's request. A year later, Libucius was made bishop of Russia, from the brethren of the monastery of St. Alban in Mainz, but he soon died (March 15, 961). In his place, they dedicated Adalbert of Trier, whom Otgon, “having generously supplied everything necessary,” finally sent to Russia. When, in 962, Adalberg appeared in Kiev, he "did not have time in anything for which he was sent, and saw his efforts in vain." On the way back, "some of his companions were killed, and the bishop himself did not escape mortal danger," - this is how the chronicles of Adalbert's mission tell. (The failure of Adalbert's mission had a providential meaning for the Church of Russia, which escaped the Catholic conquest).

The pagan reaction manifested itself so strongly that not only German missionaries suffered, but also some of the Kiev Christians who were baptized with Olga. On the orders of Svyatoslav, Olga's nephew Gleb was killed and some of the temples she built were destroyed. Saint Olga had to come to terms with what had happened and go into matters of personal piety, leaving control to the pagan Svyatoslav. Of course, she was still reckoned with, her experience and wisdom were invariably referred to on all important occasions. When Svyatoslav was absent from Kiev, the administration of the state was entrusted to Saint Olga. The glorious military victories of the Russian army were consolation for her. Svyatoslav defeated the old enemy of the Russian state - Khazar Kaganate, forever crushing the power of the Jewish rulers of the Azov region and the lower Volga region. The next blow was dealt to the Volga Bulgaria, then the turn of the Danube Bulgaria came - eighty cities were taken by the Kiev warriors along the Danube. Svyatoslav and his soldiers personified the heroic spirit pagan Rus... The chronicles have preserved the words of Svyatoslav, surrounded with his retinue by a huge Greek army: “We will not disgrace the Russian land, but we will lay our bones here! The dead have no shame! " Svyatoslav dreamed of creating a huge Russian state from the Danube to the Volga, which would unite Russia and other Slavic peoples. Saint Olga understood that with all the courage and courage of the Russian squads, they could not cope with the ancient empire of the Romans, which would not allow the strengthening of pagan Rus. But the son did not listen to his mother's warnings.

Saint Olga had to endure many sorrows at the end of her life. The son finally moved to Pereyaslavets on the Danube. While in Kiev, she taught her grandchildren, the children of Svyatoslav, the Christian faith, but did not dare to baptize them, fearing the anger of her son. In addition, he obstructed her attempts to establish Christianity in Russia. In recent years, amid the triumph of paganism, she, once the revered mistress of the state, who was baptized by the Ecumenical Patriarch in the capital of Orthodoxy, had to secretly keep a priest with her so as not to cause a new outbreak of anti-Christian sentiments. In 968 Kiev was besieged by the Pechenegs. The holy princess and her grandchildren, among whom was Prince Vladimir, found themselves in mortal danger. When the news of the siege reached Svyatoslav, he hurried to help, and the Pechenegs were put to flight. Saint Olga, already seriously ill, asked her son not to leave until her death. She did not lose hope of turning her son's heart to God and on her deathbed did not stop preaching: “Why are you leaving me, my son, and where are you going? Looking for someone else's, whom do you entrust yours to? After all, your children are still small, and I am already old, and even sick, - I expect an imminent death - a departure to the beloved Christ, in Whom I believe; I now do not worry about anything, but only about you: I regret that although I taught a lot and persuaded to leave the idolatrous wickedness, to believe in the true God, known by me, and you neglect this, and I know what kind of disobedience you are a bad end awaits you on earth for me, and after death - eternal torment prepared for the pagans. Fulfill now at least this last request of mine: do not go anywhere until I am dead and buried; then go wherever you want. After my death, do not do anything that is required in such cases by pagan custom; but let my presbyter with the clergy bury my body according to the Christian custom; do not dare to pour a grave mound over me and do funeral feasts; but send gold to Constantinople to the Most Holy Patriarch, so that he would make a prayer and an offering to God for my soul and give alms to the poor. "

“Hearing this, Svyatoslav wept bitterly and promised to fulfill everything she bequeathed, refusing only to accept the holy faith. After three days, blessed Olga fell into extreme exhaustion; she partook of the Divine Mysteries of the Most Pure Body and the Life-giving Blood of Christ our Savior; all the time she was in fervent prayer to God and to the Most Pure Theotokos, whom, according to God, she always had as a helper; she called all the saints; Blessed Olga prayed with special zeal for the enlightenment of the Russian land after her death; despising the future, she repeatedly predicted that God would enlighten the people of the Russian land and many of them would be great saints; Blessed Olga prayed for the speedy fulfillment of this prophecy at her death. And another prayer was on her lips, when her honest soul was released from the body, and, as a righteous one, was accepted by the hands of God. " On July 11, 969, Saint Olga died, “and her son and grandchildren and all the people wept for her with great lamentation. Presbyter Gregory fulfilled her will exactly.

Saint Olga, Equal to the Apostles, was canonized at the Council of 1547, which confirmed the widespread veneration of her in Russia even in the pre-Mongol era.

God glorified the "leader" of faith in the Russian land with miracles and incorruptible relics. Under the holy prince Vladimir, the relics of Saint Olga were transferred to the Tithe Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos and placed in the sarcophagus, in which it was customary to place the relics of saints in the Orthodox East. There was a window in the church wall above the tomb of St. Olga; and if anyone came to the relics with faith, he saw through the window of the relics, and some saw the radiance emanating from them, and many who were possessed by diseases received healing. The window, who came with skepticism, did not open, and he could not see the relics, but only the coffin.

So after her death, Saint Olga preached eternal life and resurrection, filling the faithful with joy and admonishing the unbelievers.

Her prophecy about the evil death of her son came true. Svyatoslav, as the chronicler reports, was killed by the Pechenezh prince Kurei, who cut off Svyatoslav's head and made himself a cup from the skull, bound it with gold and drank from it during feasts.

The saint's prophecy about the Russian land was also fulfilled. The prayer works and deeds of Saint Olga confirmed the greatest deed of her grandson Saint Vladimir (Comm. 15/28) July) - the Baptism of Rus. The images of Saints Equal to the Apostles Olga and Vladimir, mutually complementing each other, embody the maternal and paternal principles of Russian spiritual history.

Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga became the spiritual mother of the Russian people, through her began their enlightenment with the light of Christ's faith.
Olga's pagan name corresponds to the male Oleg (Helgi), which means “saint.” Although the pagan understanding of holiness differs from the Christian, it presupposes in a person a special spiritual attitude, chastity and sobriety, intelligence and foresight. Prophetic, and Olga - Wise. Subsequently, Saint Olga will be called God-wise, emphasizing her main gift, which became the basis of the entire ladder of holiness of Russian wives - wisdom. The Most Holy Theotokos herself - the House of the Wisdom of God - blessed Saint Olga for her apostolic labors. Kiev - the mother of Russian cities - was a sign of participation Mother of God in the House-building of Holy Russia. Kiev, i.e. Christian Kievan Rus became the third Lot of the Mother of God in the Universe, and the approval of this Lot on earth began through the first of the holy wives of Rus - St. Olga, Equal to the Apostles.

The Christian name of Saint Olga - Elena (translated from the ancient Greek "torch"), became an expression of the burning of her spirit. Saint Olga (Elena) received the spiritual fire, which did not go out in all thousand-year history Christian Russia.

RURIK BEFORE DEATH TRANSFERS POWER TO OLEG AND APPOINTS HIS GUARDIAN OF SON IGOR. MINIATURE XV century.

HIKING OLEG TO TSARGRAD. MINIATURE OF THE RADZIWILL CHRONICLE

DEATH OF OLEG. ENGRAVING

She was the first woman to become the ruler of one of the largest states at that time - Kievan Rus. The woman's revenge was terrible, and the government was harsh. The princess was perceived ambiguously. Someone considered her wise, someone cruel and cunning, and someone a real saint. Princess Olga went down in history as the creator of the state culture of Kievan Rus, as the first ruler to be baptized, as the first Russian saint ..

Princess Olga became famous after tragic death her husband

While still a very young girl, Olga became the wife of the Grand Duke of Kiev, Igor. According to legend, their first meeting was rather unusual. One day, a young prince, who wished to cross the river, from the bank called a man sailing in a boat to him. He saw his escort only after they had sailed away. To the surprise of the prince, a girl was sitting in front of him, moreover, of incredible beauty. Yielding to feelings, Igor began to persuade her to vicious actions. Meanwhile, having understood his thoughts, the girl reminded the prince of the honor of the ruler, who should be a worthy example for his subjects. Ashamed by the words of the young maiden, Igor abandoned his intentions. Noting the mind and chastity of the girl, he parted with her, keeping in his memory her words and image. When the time came to choose a bride, none of the Kiev beauties suited him. Remembering the stranger with the boat, Igor sent his guardian, Oleg, for her. So Olga became the wife of Igor and the Russian princess.

However, the princess became known only after the tragic death of her husband. Soon after the birth of his son Svyatoslav, Prince Igor was executed. He became the first ruler in the history of Russia who died at the hands of the people, indignant at the repeated collection of tribute. The heir to the throne was at that time only three years old, so virtually all power passed into the hands of Olga. She ruled Kievan Rus until Svyatoslav came of age, but even after that, in reality, the princess remained the ruler, since her son was absent from military campaigns most of the time.

Having gained power, Olga ruthlessly took revenge on the Drevlyans

The first thing she did was to ruthlessly take revenge on the Drevlyans, who were guilty of the death of her husband. Pretending that she agreed to a new marriage with the prince of the Drevlyans, Olga dealt with their elders, and then subdued the whole people. In her revenge, the princess used any methods. Luring the Drevlyans to the right place for her, by her order, the Kievites buried them alive, burned them, and bloodthirsty won in battle. And only after Olga finished her massacre, she began to rule Kievan Rus.

Princess Olga is the first Russian woman to officially convert to Christianity

Princess Olga sent her main forces to domestic policy, which she tried to carry out by diplomatic methods. Traveling around the Russian lands, she suppressed the revolts of small local princes and carried out a number of important reforms. The most important of them was the administrative and tax reform. In other words, she established centers of trade and exchange, in which the collection of taxes took place in an orderly manner. Financial system became a strong support of the princely power in the lands far from Kiev. Thanks to the reign of Olga, the defense power of Russia has grown significantly. Strong walls arose around the cities, the first state borders of Russia were established - in the west, with Poland.

The princess strengthened international ties with Germany and Byzantium, and opened relations with Greece to Olga A New Look to the Christian faith. In 954, the princess, for the purpose of a religious pilgrimage and a diplomatic mission, went to Constantinople, where she was honorably received by the Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus.

Before deciding to be baptized, the princess spent two years familiarizing herself with the basics of the Christian faith. Attending divine services, she was amazed at the grandeur of the temples and the shrines collected in them. Princess Olga, who was christened Elena, became the first woman to officially adopt Christianity in pagan Rus. Upon her return, she ordered the construction of churches in the churchyards. During her reign, the Grand Duchess erected the churches of St. Nicholas and St. Sophia in Kiev, the Annunciation of the Virgin in Vitebsk. By her decree, the city of Pskov was built, where the temple of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity was erected. According to legend, the place of the future temple was indicated to her by rays descending from the sky.

The baptism of Princess Olga did not lead to the establishment of Christianity in Russia

The princess tried to introduce her son to Christianity. Despite the fact that many nobles had already adopted the new faith, Svyatoslav remained faithful to paganism. The baptism of Princess Olga did not lead to the establishment of Christianity in Russia. But her grandson, the future Prince Vladimir, continued the mission of his beloved grandmother. It was he who became the Baptist of Rus and founded the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in Kiev, where he transferred the relics of the saints and Olga. During his reign, the princess began to be revered as a saint. And already in 1547 she was officially canonized as a saint equal to the apostles. It is worth noting that only five women in Christian history have received such an honor - Mary Magdalene, the first martyr Thekla, the martyr Apphia, the Empress Helena Equal of the Apostles and the enlightener of Georgia Nina. Today, the Holy Princess Olga is revered as the patroness of widows and newly converted Christians.