Prophetic Oleg is one of the most mysterious figures in Russian history. Who was he to Rurik, did he go to Constantinople and, finally, what his death "overseas" the Russian chronicles mention - all these questions have yet to be answered.
Founder of the Old Russian state
Prince Oleg, who, being either a relative of Rurik (more precisely, the brother of his wife Efanda), or his voivode, during his reign, did much more to form the Old Russian state than its legendary founder. When Igor (the son of Rurik) was young, he seized Smolensk and Lyubech, tricked and killed the Kiev princes Askold and Dir, who usurped power there. Under him, Kiev became the new residence of the Old Russian state. Oleg's sovereignty was recognized by the glades, northerners, Drevlyans, Ilmen Slovens, Krivichi, Vyatichi, Radimichi, Ulici and Tivertsi. Through his governors and local princes, he managed to establish the state administration of the young country.
His successes in foreign policy were also considerable. Fighting with the Khazars, Oleg made the latter forget that for two centuries the Khazar Kaganate had been collecting tribute from the East Slavic lands. The great Constantinople bowed his head in front of his army, and Russian merchants received a unique for that time right of duty-free trade with Byzantium, and in case of need, full provision of food and ship craftsmen to repair their boats.
Considering all the above merits, some historians tend to see the founder of the Old Russian state in Oleg, and not in his predecessor and ancestor of the princely dynasty - Rurik. The conditional date of foundation, in this case, is considered to be 882, or rather the unification of "Slavia" (Novgorod) and "Kuyaba" (Kiev).
Promotional video:
A hike that never happened
Oleg's famous campaign against Constantinople deserves a separate mention, after which he received his historical nickname - "Prophetic". According to The Tale of Bygone Years, the prince equipped an army of 2,000 boats, 40 warriors each. The Byzantine emperor Leo VI the Philosopher, in fear of a numerous enemy, ordered to close the gates of the city, leaving the suburbs of Constantinople to be ruined.
However, Oleg used a trick: “he 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. After that, the Greeks, supposedly frightened to death, offered peace and tribute to the conquerors. According to the peace treaty of 907, Russian merchants received the right to duty-free trade and other privileges.
Despite the fact that a mention of this campaign can be found in any textbook on the history of medieval Russia, many historians consider it a legend. There is not a single mention of him among the Byzantine authors, who described in detail similar raids in the 860s and 941s. Doubts are also raised by the agreement of 907, which, according to researchers, is a compilation of similar agreements from 911, when Oleg sent an embassy to confirm peace.
Moreover, the description of the return of the Russians with rich booty: even the sails on their boats were made of golden silk, compared with the return of the governor Vladimir from Constantinople, and after the Norwegian king - Olaf Tryggvason, described in the Norwegian saga of the XII century: “They say, after one great victory he turned home to Gardy (Rus); then they sailed with such great pomp and splendor that they had sails on their ships of precious materials, and their tents were the same."
Was there a snake?
According to the legend described in the "Tale of Bygone Years", the prince was predicted death from his beloved horse. Oleg ordered to take him away and remembered about the ominous prophecy only a few years later, when he died long ago. Laughing at the wise men, he wanted to look at the horse's bones, and, standing with one foot on the skull, said: "Should I be afraid of him?" At the same moment, a snake crawled out of the skull, mortally stinging the prince.
Of course, this is just a legend written down several centuries after Oleg's death. To the legendary prince-governor - a legendary death. A similar technique, which was often used in other countries of medieval Europe, made the historical figure even more important in the eyes of posterity. Moreover, often different authors used the same story. So, in one Icelandic saga, it is told about the Viking Orvard Odda, who, in his youth, was predicted to die from his horse. To prevent fate from happening, Odd killed the animal, threw it into a pit, and heaped the corpse with stones. As a result, death in the face of a poisonous snake overtook him, like Oleg, on the grave of a killed horse: “And when they were walking quickly, Odd kicked and bent down. "What was it that I hit my foot on?" He touched the edge of the spear, and everyone saw that it was a horse's skull,and immediately a snake soared from him, rushed at Odda and stung him in the leg above the ankle. The poison worked immediately, the whole leg and thigh were swollen."
To date, it has not been established who borrowed the original idea from whom. The exact date of the history of Oleg's death in the "Tale of Bygone Years" is difficult to establish, since the annals were copied more than once. It is only known that Orvard Odd, unlike Oleg, is a fictional hero of an adventure saga created on the basis of oral legends later than the 13th century. Perhaps the sad death in the face of the snake is an originally Scandinavian plot that came to Russia along with the Vikings and was reincarnated in local legends about Oleg. Although, some researchers believe that the hero of the Scandinavian sagas, Orvard Odd and Oleg are one and the same person.
Persian epic
The Tale of Bygone Years is not the only source for his biography. The first Novgorod chronicle, which, according to some researchers, is even more ancient than the work of Nestor, calls Oleg a voivode under the young Prince Igor, who accompanied him on campaigns. At the same time, it was Prince Igor who dealt with Askold in Kiev, and then undertook a campaign against Constantinople. But the most interesting thing is the end of the story. In addition to the generally accepted version with a snakebite, the chronicle mentions another version of Oleg's death - “overseas”.
More detailed information about the unknown, "overseas" campaign of Oleg, where he may have met his death, should be looked for in the writings of the Arab author Al-Masudi, who reported on the Rus fleet of 500 ships that invaded the Kerch Strait after about 912. Al-Masudi mentions two great rulers of the Rus at the head - Al-Dir and a certain Olwang. It is customary to associate the latter with Askold, but this name may equally well bear similarities with Oleg, the winner of Askold and Dir.
The Khazar king, who was promised half of the booty for loyalty, allegedly allowed the Russians to pass through the Don to the Volga, and from there descend into the Caspian Sea. The ultimate goal of the Rus was Persia. The result of the campaign was the ruin of Persian Azerbaijan. Part of the booty, as it was supposed under the contract, was delivered to Khazaria. But the Khazar king's guard, which consisted mainly of Muslim mercenaries, rebelled and demanded revenge for the death of fellow believers. The ruler did not contradict them, nor did he warn the Russians about the danger. They entered into an unequal battle, as a result of which about 30 thousand Slavs perished, and the rest retreated up the Volga, where they were killed by the Bulgars.
Together with the army, their leader also died. Some historians believe that the “death overseas” mentioned in the Novgorod version is a vague, but true memory of Oleg’s death in the Caspian campaign, and not on the territory of the settlement of Ladoga from “his horse”.