Memory of Prophetic Oleg

In drama

In literature

Panus O. Yu. "Shields on the gates",

To the cinema

Monuments

26.05.0912

Oleg the Prophet
Oddom Orvar Rurik

Great Russian Prince, General

Grand Duke of Novgorod 879-912

Grand Duke of Kiev 882-912

News and Events

Peace treaty between Russia and Byzantium concluded

Prince Oleg, after a successful military campaign against Constantinople, signed a treaty with Byzantium on September 15, 911. The chronicle tells how “Oleg's ideology to the Greeks”, taking with him allies - “many Varangians, and Slovenes, and Chyud, and Krivichi, and Meru, and Derevlyani, and Radimichi, and Polyana, and Severo, and Vyatichi, and Croats, and Duleby, and Tivertsy "- and" come to Tsaryugrad ".

Prophetic Oleg was born in 850 in Western Norway. The boy grew up in a wealthy bond family, and was named Odd, then received the nickname Orvar: "Arrow". His sister Efanda subsequently married the ruler of the Varangians Rurik. Thanks to this, Oleg became his main commander. Arrived with Rurik in Ladoga and Priilmenye between 858 and 862.

After the death of Rurik in 879, Oleg became the sole prince of Novgorod Rus. Rurik was not mistaken in his choice when on his deathbed he bequeathed his son and the Novgorod table to Oleg. Oleg became a real father for the prince, raising Igor as a courageous, tempered, educated person at that time. Oleg reacted with full responsibility to the title of prince, granted to him by a friend. The main goal of the rulers of those times was to increase the wealth of the prince and expand the boundaries of the territory under their control by annexing new lands, subordinating other tribes and collecting tribute.

Having risen at the head of the Novgorod principality, Oleg boldly set about seizing all the Dnieper lands. Its main goal was to establish complete control over the water trade route to Eastern Byzantium and the conquest of the Kiev principality. Many princes then wanted to rule this great principality, which by the end of the 9th century became the center of Russian trade and the main stronghold of Russia in curbing the raids of the Pechenezh hordes. It became abundantly clear that whoever ruled Kiev was in control of all Russian trade.

Prince Oleg gathered a large army of Varangians and in 882 captured the cities of Smolensk and Lyubech. Further along the Dnieper in boats he descended to Kiev, where two boyars reigned, not the Rurik tribe, but the Vikings Askold and Dir. On the campaign he took with him the young prince Igor. Oleg seized power in Kiev by cunning. The prince asked for a meeting with the then rulers of Kiev, Askold and Dir, stopping at the walls of the city supposedly on the way to the south. When the princes, suspecting nothing, approached the Novgorod boats, Oleg, as the legend says, pointed to Igor and exclaimed: “You are not princes, not a princely family. Here is Rurik's son! " After these words, he killed Askold and Dir. None of the Kievites dared to oppose Oleg and his troops. Moreover, many tribes living along the banks of the Dnieper voluntarily submitted to the authority of the Kiev prince. The raids of the Pechenegs devastated the Slavs, and they sought protection from the rulers, agreeing to pay them tribute for this.

Very soon the Kiev land closed all the southern borders of the country. But Oleg did not calm down, continuing to subjugate other tribes more distant from the main river route. They had to act by force, since the Slavs, who did not participate in the trade turnover, did not see the point in joining the Kiev principality and, moreover, did not want to pay tribute. Many difficult campaigns had to be made by Prince Oleg with his retinue before he managed to complete the political unification of the Eastern Slavs. The location of Kiev seemed to Oleg very convenient, and soon he moved there with his squad.

When the two unions, Northern and Southern, with the large principalities in the center, Novgorod and Kiev, were united in Russia, a new political form, the Grand Duchy of Kiev, appeared, which in fact became the first Russian state.

For the next twenty-five years, Oleg was engaged in the expansion of his power. Subordinated to Kiev Drevlyans, northerners, Radimichs. If Rurik had already taken a step forward south along the eastern route, having crossed from Ladoga to Novgorod, then his successor Oleg moved much further and reached the end of the path. In the annals of that time, the names of tribes are already rarely found; they were replaced by the names of cities and regions. Prince Oleg gave the subordinate city regions to the administration of the posadniks, who had their own armed squads and were also called princes.

In 907, Prince Oleg made a military campaign against Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium. His army sailed on 2,000 boats, 40 soldiers in each, and cavalry was also walking along the coast. The Byzantine emperor ordered to close the gates of the city and block the harbor with chains, giving the Varangians the opportunity to plunder and ravage the suburbs of Constantinople.

But not content with petty robbery, Oleg went on an unusual assault on the city: “And Oleg ordered his soldiers to make wheels and put ships on wheels. And when a fair wind blew, we raised the sails in the field and went to the city. " The Greeks locked themselves in the city, behind high walls, begged for mercy and at the negotiations offered the prince to make peace and agreed to pay tribute at 12 hryvnias of silver per person. As a sign of victory, Oleg nailed his shield to the gates of Constantinople on September 2, 907.

As a result, the first peace treaty between Russians and Greeks on duty-free trade of Rus in Byzantium appeared, drawn up legally competently and reasonably, even judging by today's norms of international law. Under Oleg's agreement with the Greeks, Russian merchants did not pay any duty. During the exchange trade, furs, wax, servants were exchanged for wines, vegetables, silk fabrics, and gold. After the expiration of the trading period indicated by the agreement, Russia received food for the road at the expense of the Greek side, as well as ship's gear. In addition to trade, the Greeks hired Russian soldiers for their service. Christian priests and preachers came to Russia with merchants from Constantinople every time. More and more Slavs converted to the Orthodox faith, but the prince himself did not accept Christianity.

The last years of his life passed without military campaigns and battles. Oleg died at an advanced age in 912. There is a legend according to which the prince was predicted death from his beloved horse. Oleg was superstitious and no longer sat on his pet. After many years, remembering him, the prince came to the place where the bones of his faithful friend lay. The bite of a snake that crawled out of the skull was fatal. The plot of this legend formed the basis for the ballads of Alexander Pushkin and Nikolai Yazykov. Information about the place of his burial is contradictory. There is indirect evidence that the prince's grave is located near Kiev in one of the mounds.

Undoubtedly, the main historical merit of this ruler can rightfully be considered the unification of all Slavic tribes under a single rule, the foundation and strengthening of the first Russian state: the Grand Duchy of Kiev. It was from the reign of Prince Oleg that the history of Kievan Rus began, and with it the history of the Russian state.

Memory of Prophetic Oleg

In drama

Lvova A. D. Dramatic panorama in 5 acts and 14 scenes "Prince Oleg the Prophet" (premiered on September 16, 1904 on the stage of the People's House of Nicholas II), music by N. I. Privalov with the participation of the guslyar choir O. U. Smolensky.

In literature

Pushkin A. S. "The Song of the Prophetic Oleg" (1822)
Ryleev K. F. Dumas. Chapter I. Oleg the Prophet. (1825)
Vysotsky V.S. "The Song of Oleg the Thing" (1967)
Vasiliev B. L. "Prophetic Oleg" (1996)
Panus O. Yu. "Shields on the gates",

To the cinema

The Legend of Princess Olga (1983; USSR) directed by Yuri Ilyenko, in the role of Oleg Nikolai Olyalin.

Conquest (1996; Hungary), directed by Gabor Koltai, as Oleg Laszlo Helia.

The Viking Saga (2008; Denmark, USA) directed by Mikael Mouyal, as Oleg Simon Braeger (as a child), Ken Vedsegor (as a young man).

Prophetic Oleg. The Recovered Reality (2015; Russia) is a documentary film by Mikhail Zadornov about the Prophetic Oleg.

In the TV series "Vikings" (2013-2020), the role of Oleg is the Russian actor Danila Kozlovsky.

Monuments

In 2007, a monument to Oleg was unveiled in Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky, since the city was first mentioned in 907 in Oleg's treaty with Byzantium.

In September 2015, a monument to Rurik and Oleg was unveiled in Staraya Ladoga (Russia).

Oleg, he is the Prophetic Oleg (Old Russian. Olga, Ѡlg). Died approx. 912 year. Prince of Novgorod since 879 and Grand Duke of Kiev since 882.

The chronicles set out two versions of Oleg's biography: the traditional one in The Tale of Bygone Years (PVL), and according to the Novgorod First Chronicle. The Novgorod Chronicle has preserved fragments of an earlier collection of chronicles (on which the PVL is also based), however, it contains inaccuracies in the chronology of the events of the 10th century.

According to PVL, Oleg was a relative (tribesman) of Rurik. V.N. Tatishchev, referring to the Joachim Chronicle, considers him a brother-in-law - the brother of Rurik's wife, whom he calls Efanda. The exact origin of Oleg in the PVL is not indicated. There is a hypothesis that Oleg is Odd Orvar (Arrow), the hero of several Norwegian-Icelandic sagas.

After the death of the founder of the princely dynasty Rurik in 879, Oleg began to reign in Novgorod as the guardian of Rurik's young son Igor.

According to the PVL, in 882 Oleg, taking with him many soldiers: Varangians, Chud, Sloven, Mery, all, Krivichi, took the cities of Smolensk and Lyubech and put his husbands there. Further along the Dnieper he went down to Kiev, where Rurik's tribesmen, the Varangians Askold and Dir, reigned. Oleg sent an ambassador to them with the words: "We are merchants, we are going to the Greeks from Oleg and from Igor the prince, but come to your family and to us".

When Askold and Dir left the city, Oleg announced to them: "You are nєsta knѧzѧ́ nor kind of knѧ́zhѧ · but az єsm kind of knѧ́zhѧ" and presented the heir of Rurik, young Igor, after which Askold and Dir were killed.

The Nikon Chronicle, a compilation of various sources from the 16th century, gives a more detailed account of this capture. Oleg landed part of his squad ashore, having discussed a secret plan of action. He himself, saying that he was sick, remained in the boat and sent a notice to Askold and Dir that he was carrying a lot of beads and ornaments, and also had an important conversation with the princes. When they ascended the rook, Oleg told them: "Az єsm Olga knѧz · and sєst Rurikov Igor knѧzhich"- and immediately killed Askold and Dir.

The location of Kiev seemed very convenient to Oleg, and he moved there with his squad by declaring: "Let this be the mother of Russian cities"... Thus, he united the northern and southern centers of the Eastern Slavs. For this reason, it is Oleg, and not Rurik, who is sometimes considered the founder of the Old Russian state.

Having reigned in Kiev, Oleg established a tribute to the Varangians for Novgorod at 300 hryvnias: “And ѹVarigom a tribute to give

For the next 25 years, Oleg was busy expanding the territory under his control. He subdued Kiev Drevlyans (883), Northerners (884), Radimichs (885). The last two tribal alliances were tributaries of the Khazars. The Tale of Bygone Years left the text of Oleg's address to the northerners: "I am an enemy of the Khazars, so you have no need to pay them tribute." To the Radimichs: "Whom do you pay tribute to?" They answered: "Khazars". And Oleg says: "Don't give it to the Khazars, but give it to me." "And Oleg owned derevlyans, glades, radimichs, and with - streets and tivertsy imyashe army."

In 898, the Tale of Bygone Years dates the appearance of the Hungarians near Kiev during their migration to the west, which actually happened several years earlier.

In 907, having equipped 2,000 boats with 40 warriors in each (PVL), Oleg set out on a campaign against Constantinople. The Byzantine emperor Leo VI the Philosopher ordered to close the gates of the city and block the harbor with chains, thus giving the Varangians the opportunity to plunder and ravage the suburbs of Constantinople. However, Oleg went on an unusual assault: “And Oleg ordered his soldiers to make wheels and put ships on wheels. And when a fair wind blew, they raised sails in the field and went to the city ".

The frightened Greeks offered Oleg peace and tribute. According to the agreement, Oleg received 12 hryvnias for each oarlock, and Byzantium promised to pay tribute to Russian cities. As a sign of victory, Oleg nailed his shield to the gates of Constantinople. The main result of the campaign was a trade agreement on duty-free trade between Russia and Byzantium.

Many historians consider this campaign a legend. There is no mention of it by the Byzantine authors, who described in sufficient detail such campaigns in 860 and 941. There are doubts about the 907 treaty, the text of which is an almost literal compilation of the 911 and 944 treaties. Perhaps the campaign still took place, but without the siege of Constantinople. PVL in the description of the campaign of Igor Rurikovich in 944 transfers "the words of the Byzantine king" to Prince Igor: "Do not go, but take the tribute that Oleg took, and I will add to that tribute."

In 911, Oleg sent an embassy to Constantinople, which confirmed the "long-term" peace and concluded a new treaty. Compared to the 907 treaty, the mention of duty-free trade disappears from it. Oleg is referred to in the treaty as "the great Russian prince." There is no doubt about the authenticity of the 911 agreement: it is supported by both linguistic analysis and references in Byzantine sources.

In the fall of 912, according to the Tale of Bygone Years, Prince Oleg died from a snakebite.

The circumstances of the death of Prophetic Oleg are contradictory. "The Tale of Bygone Years" reports that the death of Oleg was preceded by a heavenly sign - the appearance of "a great star in the west in a spear fashion." According to the Kiev version, reflected in the "Tale of Bygone Years", his grave is located in Kiev on Mount Schekovice. The first Novgorod chronicle places his grave in Ladoga, but at the same time says that he went “overseas”.

In both versions, there is a legend about death from a snakebite. According to legend, the wise men predicted to the prince that he would die from his beloved horse. Oleg ordered the horse to be taken away and remembered the prediction only four years later, when the horse had long since died. Oleg laughed at the Magi and wanted to look at the horse's bones, put his foot on the skull and said: "Should I be afraid of him?" However, a poisonous snake lived in the horse's skull, mortally stinging the prince.

This legend finds parallels in the Icelandic saga about the Viking Orvar Odda, who was also mortally stung on the grave of his beloved horse. It is not known whether the saga became the reason for the creation of the Old Russian legend about Oleg or, on the contrary, the circumstances of Oleg's death served as material for the saga.

However, if Oleg is a historical person, then Orvar Odd is the hero of an adventure saga, created on the basis of oral legends not earlier than the 13th century. The witch predicted the death of 12-year-old Odda from his horse. To prevent the prediction from coming true, Odd and a friend killed the horse, threw it into the pit, and the corpse was covered with stones. This is how Orvar Odd died years later: And as they walked quickly, Odd kicked and bent down. "What was it that I hit my foot on?" He touched the point of the spear, and everyone saw that it was the skull of a horse, and immediately a snake rose from it, rushed to Odda and stung him in the leg above the ankle. The poison worked immediately, the whole leg and thigh were swollen. From this bite Odd weakened so much that they had to help him go to the shore, and when he got there, he said: “You should now go and cut down a stone coffin for me, and let someone stay here to sit next to me and write that story , which I will add about my deeds and my life. " After that, he began to compose the story, and they began to write it down on a small tablet, and as Odda went, so the story went [following the hang]. And then Odd dies.

For some time it was customary to identify Oleg with the epic hero Volga Svyatoslavich.

G. Lovmyansky argued that the opinion about the initial rule of Oleg in Novgorod, which was established in the scientific literature, is doubtful. According to G. Lovmyansky, Oleg was a prince of Smolensk, and his connection with Rurik is a late chronicle combination. A. Lebedev suggested that a representative of local nobles could be a relative of Rurik. The fact that Oleg imposed tribute on Novgorod to Kiev and the Varangians may testify against the version of Oleg's reign in Novgorod.

The date of Oleg's death, like all the chronicle dates of Russian history up to the end of the 10th century, is conditional. Historian A. A. Shakhmatov noted that 912 is also the year of death of the Byzantine emperor Leo VI - the antagonist of Oleg. Perhaps the chronicler, who knew that Oleg and Leo were contemporaries, timed the end of their reigns to the same date. A similar suspicious coincidence - 945 - and between the dates of Igor's death and the dethroning of his contemporary, the Byzantine emperor Roman I. Considering, moreover, that the Novgorod tradition dates Oleg's death to 922, the date of 912 becomes even more dubious. The duration of the reign of Oleg and Igor is 33 years each, which raises suspicion of the epic source of this information.

The Polish historian of the 18th century H.F. Frize put forward a version that Prophetic Oleg had a son, Oleg Moravsky, who, after the death of his father, was forced to leave Russia as a result of a struggle with Prince Igor. A relative of the Rurikovichs, Oleg Moravsky, became the last prince of Moravia in 940, according to the works of Polish and Czech writers of the 16th-17th centuries, but his kinship with Prophetic Oleg is only an assumption of Frize.

The Russian pronunciation of the name Oleg probably originated from the Scandinavian name Helge, which originally meant (in Proto-Swedish - Hailaga) "saint", "possessing the gift of healing." From the sagas, several carriers of the name Helgi are known, the life of which dates back to the 6th-9th centuries. The sagas also contain names similar in sound to Ole, Oleif, Ofeig. Saxon Grammaticus names the names Ole, Oleif, Ofeig, but their ethnicity remains unclear.

Among historians who do not support the Norman theory, attempts were made to challenge the Scandinavian etymology of the name of Oleg and to link it with the primordial Slavic, Turkic or Iranian forms. Some researchers also note that, given the fact that the "Tale of Bygone Years" was written by Christian monks in the 11th century, the nickname "Prophetic" cannot be considered authentic. Modern historians see in him Christian motives or even Christian propaganda. So, in particular, the Russian historian and archaeologist V. Ya. Petrukhin believes that the nickname "Prophetic" and the legend about the death of Prince Oleg were included in the chronicles by the monks in order to show the impossibility of pagan foresight of the future.

Prophetic Oleg (documentary)

The image of the Prophetic Oleg in art

In drama:

Lvov A. D. dramatic panorama in 5 acts and 14 scenes "Prince Oleg the Prophet" (premiered on September 16, 1904 on the stage of the People's House of Nicholas II), music by N. I. Privalov with the participation of the guslyar choir O. U. Smolensky.

In literature, the chronicle story of Oleg's death is the basis of literary works:

A. Pushkin "The Song of the Prophetic Oleg";
Vysotsky V.S. "Song of the Prophetic Oleg";
Ryleev K. F. Dumas. Chapter I. Oleg the Prophet. 1825;
B. L. Vasiliev "Prophetic Oleg";
Panus O. Yu. "Shields on the gates".

To the cinema:

The Legend of Princess Olga (1983; USSR) directed by Yuri Ilyenko, in the role of Oleg Nikolai Olyalin;
Conquest / Honfoglalás (1996; Hungary), directed by Gabor Koltai, as Oleg Laszlo Helia;
A Viking Saga (2008; Denmark, USA) directed by Mikael Mouyal, as Oleg Simon Braeger (in childhood), Ken Vedsegor (in his youth);
Prophetic Oleg. The Recovered Reality (2015; Russia) is a documentary film by Mikhail Zadornov about the Prophetic Oleg.

Prophetic Oleg. The newfound reality

The bird is red with plumage, and the man is skill.

Russian folk proverb

In 882, Prince Oleg the Prophetic captured Kiev, by cunning killing its princes Askold and Dir. Immediately after entering Kiev, he uttered his famous words that henceforth Kiev was destined to be the mother of Russian cities. Prince Oleg said these words for a reason. He was very pleased with how well the site had been chosen for the construction of the city. The gentle banks of the Dnieper were practically impregnable, which made it possible to hope that the city would be a reliable protection for its inhabitants.

The presence of an obstacle on the side of the water border of the city was very relevant, since it was along this part of the Dnieper that the famous trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks passed. This path also represented a journey through the large Russian rivers. It originated in the Gulf of Finland of the Baikal Sea, which at that time was called the Varangian Sea. Further, the path went across the Neva River to Lake Ladoga. The way from the Varangians to the Greeks continued with the mouth of the Volkhov River to Lake Il'nya. From there, he used shallow rivers to reach the sources of the Dnieper, and from there he passed to the Black Sea itself. In this way, starting in the Varangian Sea and ending in the Black Sea, the trade route known to this day passed.

Oleg's foreign policy

Prince Oleg the Prophet, after the seizure of Kiev, decided to continue expanding the territory of the state, by including new territories in it, which were inhabited by peoples who have paid tribute to the Khazars since ancient times. As a result, the following tribes became part of Kievan Rus:

• radimichi
• glade
• Slovenia
• northerners
• Krivichi
• Drevlyans.

In addition, Prince Oleg the Prophet imposed his influence on other neighboring tribes: Dregovichi, Ulitsy and Tivertsy. At the same time, the Ugric tribes, ousted from the territory of the Urals by the Polovtsy, approached Kiev. The annals did not preserve data on whether these tribes passed peacefully across Kievan Rus, or were knocked out of it. But we can say for certain that in Russia for a long time they put up with their stay near Kiev. This place near Kiev is called Ugorsky to this day. These tribes later crossed the Dnieper River, seized the nearby lands (Moldavia and Bessarabia) and went deep into Europe, where they founded the Hungarian state.

New campaign to Byzantium

The year 907 will be marked by a new turn in the foreign policy of Russia. Anticipating a big prey, the Rusichs set off to war against Byzantium. Thus, Prince Oleg the Prophetic becomes the second Russian prince to declare war on Byzantium, after Askold and Dir. The army of Oleg consisted of almost 2,000 ships of 40 soldiers each. The cavalry accompanied them along the shore. The Byzantine emperor allowed the Russian army to plunder the nearby environs of Constantinople without hindrance. The entrance to the bay of the city, which bears the name of the Golden Horn Bay, was blocked by chains. Chronicle Nestor describes the unprecedented cruelty of the Russian army, with which they ravaged the outskirts of the Byzantine capital. Even so, they could not threaten Constantinople. Oleg's cunning came to the rescue, who ordered equip all ships with wheels... Further along the land, with a favorable wind, set sail in full sail to the capital of Byzantium. And so they did. The threat of defeat hung over Byzantium, and the Greeks, realizing all the sorrow of the danger hanging over them, decided to make peace with the enemy. The Kiev prince demanded that the losers pay 12 (twelve) hryvnias for each soldier, to which the Greeks agreed. As a result, on September 2, 911 (according to the chronicles of Nestor), a written peace treaty was drawn up between Kievan Rus and the Byzantine Empire. Prince Oleg secured the payment of tribute to the Russian cities of Kiev and Chernigov, as well as the right to duty-free trade for Russian merchants.

Oleg the Prophet

The first Grand Duke of Kiev. Years of reign approximately: 869-912. The chronicle tradition connects the appearance of Oleg in Russia with the vocation of the Varyags, calls him Prince of Urmansky (i.e. Norman), brother-in-law of Prince Igor, and sometimes nephew of Rurik. The chronicle explains Oleg's "regency" (869) by his kinship with Rurik, who, dying, entrusted his principality to his son Igor Oleg when he was young. However, there are cases where Oleg is called Igor's voivode. Oleg began his reign in Novgorod and soon became famous for his "land organization", for his conquest and diplomatic activity: he built cities and established taxes, conquered neighboring peoples and taxed them with tribute, tried to establish diplomatic relations with Byzantium, fully realizing their importance for the people who lived in the great way "from the Varangians to the Greeks". The Novgorod chronicler calls this period of his reign "those times and years of Olga." Oleg reigned in Novgorod for three years (until 872), and then began his movement to the south, seeking to expand and consolidate his princely power there. First of all, he took possession of the city of the Dnieper Krivichi - Smolensk, then Lyubech in the land of the northerners. He secured both cities for himself, planting governors in them with a sufficient garrison. Moving south down the Dnieper, Oleg reached Kiev, where, according to the chronicle legend, his husbands, Askold and Dir, who had separated from Rurik's squad, reigned. Oleg lured them out of the city by cunning and, having killed, took possession of Kiev. The latter he made his capital city and called "the mother of Russian cities." With the annexation of the lands subject to the Kiev princes, Oleg took possession of the entire great waterway, and in order to protect it from the raids of nomads, he decided to assert his power in the steppes. For this purpose, he built a number of small towns and forts. Having strengthened his southeastern borders with them, Oleg spread his conquest movement to the east and west of the Dnieper. So, in 883, he put the Drevlyans to pay him tribute for the black marten from the smoke. In 885, Oleg went to the northerners who paid tribute to the khozars and, having conquered them, imposed a light tribute on them, meaning to show the advantages of the Russian power over the khozar yoke. Apparently, thanks to this way of Oleg's actions, the Radimichi in 885 agreed to give him a tribute, which they had previously paid to the khozars. After many years of struggle (20 years according to the chronicle), Oleg conquered the Dulebs, Croats and Tivertsy. He did not succeed at all in subjugating the streets to his power. Their stubborn resistance is explained by the fact that these tribes with a small and weak trading class did not see the point in uniting with Russia. In 907, Oleg, having gathered a large army of the Varangians, Novgorod Slavs, Glades, Chudi, Krivichi, Meri, Northerners, Drevlyans, Radimichi, Croats, Dulebs and Tivertsy, set out on a campaign against Constantinople by land and sea. Enterprises of this kind enjoyed the sympathy of the neighboring tribes, connected by trade interests with Russia and Byzantium. This campaign of Oleg, which was of great importance for the further development of the Kiev principality, engraved itself in the people's memory. Legends adorn him with fabulous details, indicating that the people considered him a major military enterprise, distinct from the occasional predatory raids. The chronicle story about the siege and capture of Constantinople is colored with fiction that elevates the courage, and most importantly, the cunning of the prince, who surpassed the Greeks by it. Frightened by Oleg, the Greek emperors, preventing the Russian prince from storming their capital, invited him to come to a peace agreement through negotiations. Oleg accepted this offer and his ambassadors concluded conditions with the Greeks, according to which the Greeks had to give 12 hryvnias each for a ship and orders for those Russian cities where Oleg's men were sitting. On the basis of these conditions, peace was concluded, confirmed by the oath of both sides. The Russians persuaded themselves the right to take food supplies from the Greeks (a month) for six months and wash themselves in the baths as much as they wanted. They were allowed to trade duty-free everywhere. When sending the Russians on their way back, the Greeks pledged to supply them with provisions and ship gear. The Byzantine emperors introduced into the treaty articles according to which the Russians could enter the city only accompanied by Greek officials, through a predetermined gate, without weapons, and no more than 50 people at once, and settle in a place indicated by the government. This first treaty of Oleg was not preserved in its entirety, but only in the chronicle retelling.

Oleg returned to his homeland with a rich booty and the fame of his successful campaign spread everywhere. The people named the prince who defeated the cunning Greeks - Prophetic. In 911, Oleg, on behalf of his own and "those of his ilk at hand," sent ambassadors "from the Russian clan" to Constantinople, who signed the famous treaty of Russians with the Greeks in 911. It was concluded in September 911 at emperors Leo, Alexandra and Constantine. It can be seen from the text that in Russia at that time there were many princes, some of the native, Slavic origin, some of the foreign aliens who ruled the whole "volost".

The content of the agreement determines the grounds for accusing a Russian or a Greek of a crime. Then, in the treaty, the Russians and the Greeks pledged to help the mutual merchant ships of both those and others who were in misfortune. The treaty also obliged the ransom of Russian and Greek slaves and prisoners of war of those countries where merchants of the contracting parties would travel. According to the treaty, the Russians were allowed, among other things, to serve with the Greek emperors. Upon the conclusion of the treaty, the emperors richly endowed the ambassadors and gave orders to lead them to churches and to acquaint them with the Christian faith. In 912 the ambassadors returned to Kiev. There is a legend that in the autumn of the same year Oleg went north to Novgorod and Ladoga, where he died. There is a poetic legend about his death, known in the poetic processing of Pushkin. The personality and activities of Oleg, in general, have repeatedly served as subjects of literary processing.

"Complete collection of Russian chronicles" (under 6367, 6387, 6390―92, 6411, 6412, 6420 Volumes I, II, IV, V, VII); Works: Solovyov, Bestuzhev-Ryumin, Ilovaisky. "Is Oleg's campaign under Constantinople a fairy tale" (Question to D. Ilovaisky N. Lambin "Journal of MN Enlightenment", 1873, No. 7). D. Meichik: "The system of crimes and punishments under the agreements of Oleg, Igor and Pravda Yaroslavova." ("Legal Bulletin", 1875, No. 1-3). Sergeevich: "Treaties of Russians with Greeks" (Journal of M. N. Enlightenment, 1882, January). M. Vladimirsky Budanov; "Reader on the history of Russian law", vol. I, edition 3, Kiev 1893; (Here is the critical text of the 981 treaty, in the footnotes the 907 treaty). Comparative table of articles of the agreement between Oleg and Igor and literature concerning Oleg's agreements. - A review of the legends about Oleg is made in the article: "On the history of poetic legends about Oleg the Mesh". ("Zhurn. M.N. Pr.", 1902, August; 1903 - November).

V. Fursenko.

(Polovtsov)

Oleg the Prophet

prince-ruler of Kiev since 882, guardian of V. K. Igor, relatives. Rurik; † 912.

(Polovtsov)

Big biographical encyclopedia. 2009 .

See what "Oleg the Prophet" is in other dictionaries:

Art. glory. Olga Vѣshchi ... Wikipedia

- (i.e. knowing the future) (died 912), an ancient Russian prince. According to chronicles, a relative of the legendary Rurik (see RYURIK (prince)), who after his death became a Novgorod prince (879). In 882 Oleg made a trip to the land of the Krivichi and captured ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- (i.e., one who knows the future) (died 912), an ancient Russian prince. According to chronicles, a relative of the semi-legendary Rurik (see Rurik Sineus Truvor), who after his death became the prince of Novgorod. In 882 O. made a trip to the land of the Krivichi and captured them ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

- (sk. 912 or 922), the great Russian prince. Most of the chronicles call him a relative of Rurik, Voskresenskaya and some other chronicles as Rurik's nephew, Joakimovskaya as Rurik's brother-in-law, “prince of Urman”, wise and brave, Novgorod ... ... Russian history

Oleg the Prophet- OLEG, nicknamed Vuschiy, led. Prince Kievsky. The story of the temporary years tells that Rurik, dying (879), transferred the princess in Novgorod to his kinship O., entrusting him with custody of his own little ones. son Igor. Warlike, ... ... Military encyclopedia

Oleg the Prophetic Oleg the Prophetic Farewell to the horse. V. Vasnetsov, 1899 ... Wikipedia

The reign of Prince Oleg (briefly)

The reign of Prince Oleg - a short description

Chronology of the reign of Prince Oleg 882-912

In 879, after the death of Rurik, his relative Oleg became the prince of Novgorod (this happened due to the early childhood of Igor, the son of Rurik). The new prince was very belligerent and adventurous. As soon as he ascended the princely throne, he set a goal to seize the waterway to Greece. However, for this it was necessary to conquer all the Slavic tribes living along the course of the Dnieper.

Since in order to achieve the set goals of one squad was not enough, Oleg gathers an army from the Finnish tribes, as well as the Krivichi and Ilmen Slavs, after which he moves to the south. On his way, he subdues Smolensk, Lyubech (there he leaves some of the soldiers), and then goes to Kiev.

At that time, Askold and Dir, who did not belong to the princely family, ruled in Kiev. Oleg lured them out of the city by cunning and gave the order to kill them. After that, the people of Kiev surrendered without a fight, Oleg took the place of the great Kiev prince, and the city itself proclaimed "the mother of Russian cities."

The new Kiev prince carried out large-scale work to strengthen the city's structures, which were responsible for its defense, and also conducted several successful military campaigns in 883-885, thereby expanding the lands subject to Kiev. In addition, Oleg subdued the Radimichs, the Northerners and the Drevlyans. In the conquered lands, he erected fortresses and cities.

Domestic policy during the reign of Prince Oleg

Domestic policy under Oleg was reduced to collecting tribute from the conquered tribes (in fact, it remained the same as under other rulers). The tribute was fixed throughout the state territory.

Foreign policy during the reign of Prince Oleg

The year 907 was marked for Prince Oleg and Rus by a very successful campaign against Byzantium. Frightened by a huge army and falling for Oleg's trick (the ships were put on wheels and walked on land), the Greeks offered the prince of Kiev a huge tribute, which he accepted on the condition that Byzantium would provide Russian merchants with benefits. Five years later, Oleg signed a peace treaty with the Greeks.

After this campaign, they began to make up legends about the prince, attributing to him supernatural abilities and possession of magic. From the same time, the people of Prince Oleg began to be called the Prophetic.

The prince died in 912... According to the legend, Oleg once asked the sorcerer the reason for his death, and he answered him that the prince would die from his faithful beloved horse. After that, Oleg gave the horse to the stable, where he was looked after to death. Having learned about the death of the horse, the prince came to his bones on the mountain to say goodbye to his faithful friend, where he was bitten in the leg by a snake that crawled out of the horse's skull.