Even a person who is only superficially familiar with ancient Russian history knows the name of Princess Olga, the first ruler of Russia to adopt Christianity. Yes, the personality is memorable. How she took revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of Igor, her husband! She burned down the whole city, did not regret Iskorosten. And then she also dealt with the ambassadors of the Drevlyans. Yes, so cruel that doubts involuntarily creep in: could a future Christian really do this?
Contrary to tradition
For the first time, the chronicles tell us about Olga in 903 - as Igor's bride. At that time she was from 13 to 16 years old, which means that in 912, when she was reigned after the death of the Kiev prince Oleg, she turned 25 at the most. Having become a prince, Igor Rurikovich entered into an alliance with the Judaist Hungarian Khazaria and, when she opposed Byzantium, faithful to the allied duty, went to war against Constantinople. It was in 941. Alas, Igor lost. His fleet was burned by Greek fire, and the prince, most likely, was taken prisoner. Therefore, in the "Tale of Bygone Years" in 942 and 943 there is not a word about him. The prince returned home only in 944, and in 945 he was forced to sign an extremely unprofitable agreement with Constantinople, which implied infringement of Russians in their rights, restriction of their movement in Constantinople and, most importantly, a reduction in the scale of trade of Russian merchants. In addition, an indemnity was imposed on Igor. He had no money, and then he tripled the amount of tribute imposed on the Drevlyan neighbors, which caused their legitimate dissatisfaction.
Here, following the traditions of all our chronicles, we must say that the Drevlyans rebelled and killed Igor. But we will not say this, because there are too many oddities in the death of the prince.
Unexplained cases
First, the method of execution itself is surprising. The prince was tied to the tops of two bent criss-cross trees and released them: straightening up, they tore Igor in half. The execution is terrible. However, there is one thing: the Slavs never used it.
Secondly, the very revenge of Princess Olga for Igor is amazing: completely absurd from the point of view of physics and common sense. How did she burn Iskorosten? I took from the townspeople as a tribute to a pigeon from the yard. Then she tied a burning tow to the bird's legs and set the pigeons free. They flew home, and as a result, the city caught fire. The fact that a bird with a burning tow on its foot will not fly to its native nest was found out already in the Middle Ages, so this is a story.
Thirdly, the murder of the Drevlyan ambassadors, who offered Olga to marry her prince Mal, looks ridiculous. The princess ordered to bury them in the ground along with the boats. But this is not an execution at all, but a real Varangian funeral rite. The story of how Olga beat 5,000 (!) Drevlyans during the funeral feast for Igor is seen as the same massive funeral sacrifice, and not at all revenge.
What sin did the princess try to atone for, since her pagan gods demanded such a large-scale bloody sacrifice for forgiveness? Courage. Yes, it was Olga who killed Prince Igor in 945. And she blamed the murder on the Drevlyans. Fortunately, there was civil strife with them at that time: it was not for nothing that Iskorosten was burned!
But what made the princess deal with her husband? All the same notorious treaty with Byzantium. Not only did Igor shamefully lose the war, but he also jeopardized trade relations, and therefore the entire economy of Russia. For this it was quite possible to execute, which Olga did.
Where did the tale about the revenge of Princess Olga come from in the annals? The fact is that Olga was glorified as a saint in the 13th century, and in the 16th century she was declared equal to the apostles. And how, after that, the chroniclers could declare the princess a husband-killer and initiator of a mass pagan sacrifice? No way. I had to get out …
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Humiliation did not carry
Having finished with Igor, 60-year-old Olga rushed to Constantinople. She was ready for anything, if only the Byzantines revised the contract. But the emperor of Byzantium did not accept her: he did not want to deal with the husband-killer. According to the chronicles, Olga, offended by the shown neglect, threw her boats in Constantinople and rode home on horses: she was so eager to return to Kiev. But, most likely, the haste was caused by other circumstances: while waiting for the emperor's reception, Olga simply … died. Still, 60 years for the 10th century is more than decent. And then a long journey, stress, the experience of humiliation … So the ambassadors had to drive the horses: they were in a hurry to bury the corpse. The death of Olga was indirectly confirmed by the emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus himself, who in the essay "On the Administration of the Empire", written in 949, noted:"The monoxyls (boats) coming from Russia to Constantinople come from Nemograd (Kiev), where Sfendoslav (Svyatoslav), the son of the Archon of Russia, was sitting." There is not a word about Olga. Svyatoslav rules alone. Therefore, there are reasons to believe that Princess Olga died in 948.
Died and rose again
Olga did not appear on the pages of The Tale of Bygone Years until 953, and then suddenly the chronicler wrote about her as a young and very beautiful woman whom the Basileus of Byzantium personally invited to visit. Let's say more: the same basileus who refused to meet with Olga 5 years ago, now decided to … get married to her. And that one is a miracle! - first she wanted to be baptized and asked Konstantin Porphyrogenitus to become her godfather. He agreed. But after the baptism, the princess refused Basileus: the godfather cannot marry his goddaughter. A very clever move. It is obvious that we have a completely different Olga: not only young and beautiful, but also smart, diplomatic, far-sighted. Most likely, this is the new co-ruler of Kiev, ruling on a par with Svyatoslav Igorevich.
This Olga, adopting Christianity, directed all efforts to change the terms of the notorious treaty of 945. And she did it! She was elevated to the honorary rank of the "daughter" of the emperor, and Constantine received significant military assistance from her, hired Russian troops for the then impending war with the Arabs. The chronicle reported that the basileus gave the Russian ruler: "And give her gold and silver, different kinds of pavoloks and seuda …". In other words, the emperor made an advance payment for the mercenary army of the Rus.
The Rus fought in the Byzantine army with the Arabs at Hadat in 954 and on Crete in 960. Let us venture to suggest that they were commanded by Prince Svyatoslav. And there, in Crete, he met Nikifor Phoca - at that time the archon (high-ranking military leader), and later - the emperor of Byzantium.
Luck inspired Olga the Christian. And she decided to repeat the deal and sell her army to the emperor of Germany Otgon I - the enemy of Byzantium. The intermediaries in the deal, apparently, were the German priests, who were both the baptists of Russia (the Vatican insists on this version - author) and the spies of the German emperor.
Alas, this step did not go unnoticed in Constantinople. And the emperor Nicephorus Phocas sent his comrade-in-arms Svyatoslav against the traitor. He came to Kiev, apparently not earlier than 963, expelled the priests sent by Otto, put Olga in line. And, deciding that the deed was done, he went to war with the enemy of Byzantium - Khazaria.
But Olga was not going to give up just like that. She summoned the Pechenegs, who camped near Kiev. Upon learning of this, Svyatoslav returned, defeated the Pechenegs and made his son Yaropolk reign in Kiev.
Where did Olga go? She died. From which the chroniclers concluded that the "mother" of Svyatoslav had died. But in fact, the "old" bloodthirsty pagan Olga died back in 948. And the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles clever and beautiful Olga, most likely, in 969 was killed by the brutal pagan soldier Svyatoslav. And therefore, this princess can be fully considered a martyr.
Journal: Steps of the Oracle # 6. Author: Dmitry Levchik