Years of reign: 879 – 912

From the biography.

• Prince of Novgorod, from 882 Prince of Kyiv.
• Ruled for about 30 years, relative or warrior of Rurik (no consensus). He was called the Prophetic, that is, the one who knows the future, for his military success, intelligence and insight. He was enterprising, warlike, decisive, treacherous (he captured Kyiv by cunning, killing Askold and Dir).
• A tireless warrior, he spent a lot of time on campaigns. After the formation of a unified state, the nature of military campaigns also changed. Oleg also began to solve political problems: expanding and protecting the borders of the state, strengthening the foreign policy position of Rus'.
• Oleg deceived the rulers of Kyiv Askold and Dir into his boats and said: “You are not princes and not of a princely family, but I am of a princely family. And this is Rurik’s son.” After that, he killed Askold and Dir, and made Kyiv the capital of Rus', calling him “the mother of Russian cities.”
• In 907, Oleg made his first campaign against Byzantium. He used a psychological attack for the first time: he put the boats on wheels, when the wind blew, they drove towards the city. The Greeks were frightened by this and hastened to make peace. After a successful campaign in 911, a profitable trade agreement was signed with Byzantium, according to which Russian merchants could live in the capital suburb for six months, receive food and even repair their boats at the expense of the Byzantine side, and most importantly, trade duty-free.
• Before Oleg, for two centuries, Slavic tribes paid tribute to the Khazars. Oleg was the first to strike a blow at the Khazar Kaganate, liberating Kyiv and a number of other cities and tribes from tribute to the Khazars.

There is a legend that Oleg learned the prediction of the Magi that he would die by his horse. Then he ordered the horse to be taken away, but ordered him to continue to feed and groom him. A few years later, Oleg remembered the horse, but the horse had already died. Then Oleg wanted to say goodbye to him and look at the horse’s bones. But a snake crawled out of the horse’s skull, and Oleg died from its bite. This episode was described by A.S. Pushkin in famous work, which is called “Song about the prophetic Oleg.”

Paintings by V.M. Vasnetsova:

Historical portrait of Oleg the Prophet: areas of activity

1. Domestic policy of Oleg the Prophet

2. Foreign policy of Oleg the Prophet

Results of the activities of Oleg the Prophet:

1. formation of the state - in 882. The first ruler of Rus' who united the Slavic tribes along the route “from the Varangians to the Greeks.”

3. adoption of the title of Grand Duke, all other princes are his tributaries, vassals.

4. creating favorable conditions for the development of agriculture, crafts, foreign trade, formation social structure, development of ancient Russian culture.

5.strengthening the foreign policy position of Rus'.

The importance of Prince Oleg in the history of Rus' is enormous. He is remembered and honored as the founder of the state, who strengthened it, and also strengthened his power, raising the international authority of Rus'. However, unfortunately, there was no place for Prince Oleg the Prophet on the pedestal of Mikeshin’s monument “Millennium of Rus'” in 1862.

Chronology of the life and work of Oleg the Prophet

Oleg the Prophet in literature:

A.S. Pushkin. “Song of the Prophetic Oleg” .1822.

B. Vasiliev. " Prophetic Oleg» 1996

N.P. Pavlishcheva. “Prophetic Oleg.” 2008

Oleg of Novgorod usually begins to be credited with the formation of the ancient Russian state. His figure is truly iconic, since it determined the beginning new era, new era. His life, like his death, has many mysteries for historians. But still Prince Oleg the Prophet, short biography who will be discussed below is a rather interesting personality for researchers and ordinary lovers of antiquities.

Appearance in Rus'

Whose biography is known to us only briefly, he is considered the founder Old Russian state. He was a relative of the legendary Varangian Rurik, that is, he was the brother of Efanda, the commander’s wife. There is an opinion that he was an ordinary commander, whom the Viking trusted immensely. Otherwise, would you have instructed him to take away his young son? It is worth believing that Oleg acted in agreement with Rurik, and perhaps had a certain freedom. One way or another, he quickly took possession of Smolensk and Lyubech, and then Kiev. By the way, the golden-domed city was captured by him by cunning: the Varangians lured them out from behind the walls (who were also probably Vikings) and killed them, declaring himself a prince.

Achievements and successes

Prince Oleg, whose biography is discussed in this article, strengthened his power either by enlisting the support of the Slavic tribes neighboring Kiev, or by conquering them. He established a tribute for them, which did not burden the people too much. But his military successes were truly impressive. Campaigns against the Khazars freed the Russian lands from the need to pay Polyudye to the Khaganate. The great Constantinople fell, on the gates of which, according to the chronicle, the prince nailed his shield. As a result, Russian merchants could trade with Byzantium without duties and receive all kinds of support from it. Thus, Prince Oleg the Prophet, whose brief biography is discussed above, has more merit to Russia than Rurik. Moreover, practically nothing is known about the founder of the princely dynasty.

March to Constantinople

Prince Oleg, whose brief biography is covered in the Tale of Bygone Years, is an extraordinary person. He organized the famous campaign against Constantinople, after which he received his nickname - the Prophetic. The chronicle says that he sent a huge army to the city on two thousand boats. Each boat accommodated four dozen warriors. The emperor ordered the gates of the capital to be closed, leaving the suburbs and villages to be torn apart by the enemies. But Kyiv prince ordered to attach wheels to the ships, on which the army reached the gates of Constantinople. The Byzantines were at a loss, so they surrendered, offering Oleg a generous tribute and peace.

Was there a trip?

Prince Oleg, whose short biography can be found in almost every history textbook, is a controversial figure. Researchers have more questions than answers about his life. For example, the fact of a campaign against Byzantium seems unreliable. This is because the authors from Constantinople described in detail all the attacks on their country, but they do not mention Oleg’s campaign. In addition, the return from Constantinople of Oleg and Vladimir the Great is very similar. Perhaps this is a description of the same event. At the same time, after Oleg, Igor also went to the southern city, and also won. This is also stated by European authors who chronicled those years.

Was there a snake?

Oleg, whose biography is also known from literature lessons, died as mysteriously as he appeared in Rus'. The same one describes that a sorcerer once predicted his death from his beloved horse. The Varyag was superstitious, so he mounted another animal, and entrusted his favorite to the servants, ordering them to take care of him until his death. The ruler remembered him during the feast, but it turned out that the horse had died long ago. Sad about his favorite and angry that he believed the magicians, the prince went to the bones. But when he stepped on the skull, he saw a snake, which immediately bit him in the leg. Oleg died from poison.

Prince Oleg, whose biography has long been studied, could have died a different death. And the legend of the horse and the snake may have been borrowed from the saga of Orvard Odd. Although some scientists believe that the hero of Scandinavian legends and the Prophetic Oleg are one and the same person. But there are several facts that allow us to think about whether the story about the death of the prince could be true. Among them are the following:

Could a snake bite through a leather boot worn in Rus'? Most likely not, or did Oleg come to the mountain to the horse bones barefoot?

What if the snake jumped and bit the prince above the top of his boots? But on the territory of Ukraine there are no such vipers!

As a rule, before biting, a snake hisses and tries to crawl away. Could Oleg or his entourage have not noticed this?

Alternatively, the prince died from poison, but the snake was slipped to him on purpose or Oleg was poisoned in advance. Unfortunately, it is impossible to establish where the truth is.

Some more interesting facts

The Russian prince Oleg, whose biography is already known to the reader, is mentioned not only in the annals of Kyiv and Novgorod. Al-Masudi (Arabic author) talks about the unsuccessful campaign of the Rus (500 ships!) on the forehead with Olwang and Al-dir to Persia. They gave part of the booty to the Khazars, but the latter betrayed them and killed everyone. About thirty thousand warriors died there, and those who retreated beyond the Caspian Sea were killed by the Volga Bulgars. Thus, the legendary prince died on the campaign, as befits a brave Varangian.

This is how he is, the smart and warlike Prince Oleg. His biography is full of blank spots, because of which an aura of mystery and mystery remains around this figure. Perhaps time will find answers to all questions.

The founder of the great Kievan Rus, Prince Oleg the Prophet, went down in history as one of the most significant persons for the Russian people. Numerous campaigns, a trade route with Byzantium and the introduction of writing for the Russian people, all these are the merits of the prince, who, according to legend, could foresee his future, which was the success of his reign.

One of the most famous and sing this day princes ancient Rus' Prince Prophetic Oleg. Who replaced the no less great Rurik and brought quite a few victories to his people. One of the most famous achievements of the hero Prophetic Oleg is the creation of Kievan Rus itself and the appointment of the great city of Kyiv as its center. Oleg began to be called the Prophetic, only because he could predict the future. He spoke very skillfully about future events and this was most likely not because he had supernatural powers, but because he thought logically and was a good psychologist. The prince was not only the sovereign of his state, but also a kind of sorcerer and sorcerer for the people, because people believed that the power to rule the Russian people was given to him from above. There is a legend that a snake brought death to the Prophetic Oleg and he died from its bite. It was the death of the great king that became the reason for the composition of many songs and legends. Not only songs about his exploits, but also about his death, have become obligatory in history, because it is very disappointing that such a great Russian sovereign became a victim of a snake.

Legend has it that the reign of the prince passed when Rurik was dying. It was on his deathbed that he said that he would bequeath the rule to him, because his son was still small, and the Prophetic Oleg was his guardian and confidant of the family. Only to him could Rurik entrust his two most expensive treasures. This is his still very young son and the state for which he had big plans. And he did not let his comrade down, he became a great commander, he earned the love of his people and served Rus' for almost 33 years. If we take a superficial look at the achievements of the Russian commander, then his greatest victories in life were the rule in Novgorod, Lyubich and the creation of Kievan Rus. But not less important events in his life, there were campaigns against Byzantium, the imposition of tribute East Slavic tribes and trade routes that were opened by the campaign against Byzantium. This very campaign opened up a lot of new and interesting things for the Russians, not only in terms of trade, but also in art.

His exploits began with the campaign against the Krivichi in 882, during which he captured Smolensk. Afterwards, his path was set down along the Dnieper. Which brought him the capture of Lubitsch. And subsequently, he deceived both the life and the throne of the Russian princes Askold and Dir, who ruled Russia before him. After which the Prophetic Oleg became not only the prince of Novgorod, but also the prince of Kyiv. It is from this moment on historical facts and it is believed that this marked the beginning of the creation of the great Kievan Rus.

Further, the year 907 became a significant date for the Prince of Novgorod and Kyiv Prophetic Oleg. When he led the army of Kyiv and the Varangians on a long campaign to Byzantium. The army completely devastated the city of Constantinople, and after that a treaty was drawn up and adopted, very beneficial for Rus', according to which the Russian people who went to Byzantium with trade affairs had privileges even greater than those of the citizens of the state.

No less famous was the agreement between the Prophetic Oleg and the Greek rulers, which was concluded in 912, after Constantinople was besieged, and the Byzantines had since capitulated. But even there there was still not a word about the real heir and actual ruler of Rus', Igor. Even during the reign of the Prophetic Prince, all the people understood that it was he who was the founder of their state. History also understands for certain that Oleg first created the state, then expanded its borders, showed everyone that the Ruriks were a completely legitimate power of the Russian people. And most importantly, he dared to challenge the Khazars. Before Igor's guardian began to rule, the Khazars collected huge tribute from the entire Slavic people. Not only did they steal from people, they also wanted Russians to practice their religion, Judaism.

“The Tale of Bygone Years” is the most reliable source of information about the Prophetic Sovereign of the Russian people, but only the most basic deeds of the hero are described there. A huge gap of a whole 21 years exists in the chronicle and for what reason the clerks bypassed this year of the prince’s reign is not known to this day. But even since that time, many things that were significant for history happened, because every decision of the prince changed the course of all history and the entire people. Very important factor, which was revealed many years later, was that from 885 to 907 in this period there was not only a campaign against the Khazars, but also the defeat of the Radimichi.

Video: Documentary about Prophetic Oleg

But the chronicle was written by purely Russian people and therefore they considered it necessary to record those events that only 100% concerned the Russian people and Oleg. A very important detail was the passage of the emigrating people of Hungarians (Hungarians) near Kiev in 898. No less important was the arrival of Igor's future wife, Princess Olga, in 903. By birth the bride's name was Beautiful, but by the will of the Prince of Novgorod they began to call her first Volga, and then Olga. Few people knew that the girl was actually the daughter of the Prophetic Oleg, and so that no one would know the truth, they began to call her by a different name. The girl was not only the daughter of Prophetic Oleg, but also the granddaughter of Gostomysl, it was he who invited Rurik many years ago to become the head of the government of Rus'.

Rurik handed over the rule of the state to his son on his deathbed, and thus Oleg continued the Gostomysl dynasty through his wife, and took Rurik’s place. It turned out that neither the line of rule of the Rurik dynasty nor Gostomysl was ever interrupted.

As a result, I always got up important question about who has more rights to rule the Russian state, Oleg or Gostomysl. No one knew for sure whether it was true or rumor that Olga is Oleg’s daughter and Gostomysl’s granddaughter, because if this is true, then it turns out that the husband of that same daughter is Oleg. And he can compare with anyone from the Rurik dynasty. And it turns out that he has quite legal rights to inherit the throne, and not just a verbal donation of Russian land by Rurik. But they always tried to avoid this fact in the chronicles, so that the Novgorod retinue would not lay claim to significant government positions in Kyiv.

And the most unexpected and pleasant event that the reign of the Prophetic Tsar brought was that, with his help, the Russian people learned what writing is. Cyril and Methodius, also in the Tale of Bygone Years, are recorded as the creators of writing among the Slavs. Such an act of the prince was truly great; only 90 years later could he surpass in importance the prince, Vladimir, who adopted Christianity for the Russian people. Oleg accepted written reforms, ABCs and the alphabet, which is still present in people's lives to this day.

During the period when Rurik appeared in Novgorod, the brothers Cyril and Methodius appeared on Ladoga. There is no difference in time, only there was a difference in territorial space. Cyril began his mission in the south; in 860-801 he reached the Khazar Kaganate. There he tried to introduce writing, but not entirely successfully, and then he retired to a monastery for a while, where he began to create the alphabet and one of the brothers carried out these deeds in 862. This year was never even questioned, because then the campaign of both brothers took place already on hands with the alphabet to Moravia.

These events in the coming years will lead to the fact that in both Bulgaria and Serbia they began to use Slavic writing, but this happened 250 years later. But only the creation of writing could not lead to people becoming more literate; the sovereign’s decision was needed that this was a necessity and his authority was directly needed.

The hero sorcerer was very adamant, and although he accepted the alphabet from the missionaries, he categorically rejected their teachings. At that time there was only one faith, pagan, and the pagans treated Christians very poorly; the people even then were simply not ready for such a faith. Catholic missionaries suffered Baltic Slavs. After all, they indiscriminately carried out reprisals against them. Then there was a big confrontation, and the guardian of young Igor played an important role in this struggle.

Even when Grand Duke died, he became the one who launched the process of creating a great state and this process was no longer reversible, since the soil for him was already so solid that it could not be crushed. Even Karamzin once said that Russia had many worthy rulers and sovereigns in its history, but none of them achieved such services to the state as Prince Oleg did for Rus'.

The great ruler Prophetic Oleg deserves that to this day people bow their heads with gratitude before his person and deeds in the name of Kievan Rus. He became the one who created the state of Rus' from scratch. He paved the most profitable trade routes in the history of the Russian people, he was the prince of two states at the same time and married his daughter to the legitimate heir of Kievan Rus. Not to mention the introduction of writing, which became the beginning of literacy training for ordinary people.

Prince Oleg - biography

How do we know about Prince Oleg, nicknamed the Prophetic?

From two chronicles:

• The Tale of Bygone Years,
• Novgorod First Chronicle.

Having gained power over Novgorod lands after the death of Rurik, as regent for his young son Igor, Oleg captured Kyiv and moved the capital there, thereby uniting the two main centers Eastern Slavs. Died in 912.

The exact origin of Oleg is not indicated in The Tale of Bygone Years. It only says that he was a relative (tribesman) of Rurik.

What does the Novgorod First Chronicle say about Oleg?

In the Novgorod First Chronicle, Oleg is depicted not as a prince, but as a governor under Igor. It is Igor who kills Askold, captures Kyiv and goes to war against Byzantium. And Oleg returned back to the north, to Ladoga, where he died not in 912, but in 922. The Novgorod Chronicle reports another version of Oleg’s death: some say that Oleg went “overseas” and died there.

The two chronicles depict events in completely different ways.

Which chronicle should we believe?

Let's start with the fact that the Tale of Bygone Years is recognized by all as the main historical source for the reconstruction of the past of the Old Russian state. But this does not mean that all the information she presents is considered absolutely reliable. The confidence in the information about Oleg from this chronicle is evidenced by the Russian-Byzantine treaty of 911, where Oleg is named the Grand Duke of Russia, who concludes the treaty on his own behalf.

What about the Novgorod Chronicle? The Novgorod Chronicle preserved fragments of an earlier chronicle code, on which The Tale of Bygone Years is based, therefore also deserves a certain amount of trust. According to a number of researchers, this chronicle is even older than PVL. Her information is in better agreement with eastern news about Rus' of this period.

So what should historians do? So far, historians are usually in scientific, popular science and educational texts use information taken from the Tale of Bygone Years.

The reign of Prince Oleg

According to the Tale of Bygone Years, Prince Oleg appears to be a skilled commander and prudent politician. For the first time in this chronicle it is reported in 879 in connection with the death of Rurik. The reign passed to him as Rurik’s “relative” and guardian of Igor, his young son. Thus, Oleg reigned in 879-882. in the East Slavic North among the Ilmen Slovenes, Krivichi and surrounding Finno-Ugrians (tribes Vesi, Meri, Chud).

In 882, having gathered warriors from many peoples living in the north of Rus', Oleg set out on a campaign to the south. He captured Smolensk, Lyubech, and then the path lay to Kyiv. In Kyiv, former warriors of Rurik Askold and Dir ruled. In 866, they were released by Rurik on a campaign against Byzantium. After returning from the campaign, Askold and Dir settled in Kyiv.

Having reached Kyiv, Oleg sent an ambassador to them with the words: “We are merchants, we are going to the Greeks from Oleg and from Prince Igor, and come to your family and to us.” Askold and Dir came... Oleg hid some warriors in the boats, and left others behind him, and he himself went forward, and carried the young prince Igor in his arms, and announced to them: “You are not princes and not of the princely family, but I am of the princely family "

Presenting them with Rurik’s heir, young Igor, Oleg said: “And he is Rurik’s son.” And they killed Askold and Dir.

The location of Kyiv seemed very convenient to Prince Oleg. The city was located approximately in the middle of the most important trade route “from the Varangians to the Greeks.” He settled there with his squad, declaring: “Let this be the mother of Russian cities.”

Thus, in 882, the Kiev prince Oleg united under his rule the two main centers of statehood among the East Slavic tribes: the Kiev region (“Cuiaba” - in foreign sources) and “Novgorod” (“Slavia”). The lands of Northern and Southern Rus' became a single state - Kievan Rus. Many modern historians take the date 882 as the conditional date of birth of the Old Russian state, and Prince Oleg is considered its founder and first ruler.

The years of the reign of Prince Oleg in Kyiv are 882-912. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, after Oleg’s death from a snake bite, Rurik’s son Igor (912-945) becomes the Prince of Kyiv.

Having reigned in Kyiv, Oleg established a tribute to the Varangians for Novgorod at 300 hryvnia.

Prince Oleg devoted the following years to the conquest of Kiev's neighbors Slavic peoples on the left and right banks of the Dnieper - the Drevlyans, Northerners, Polyans, Radimichi, many peoples had previously been dependent on the Khazars and paid them tribute.

Prince Oleg's campaign against Byzantium

We learn about this campaign from the Tale of Bygone Years, which reports that in 907, Prince Oleg, having gathered a huge army, on ships, the number of which reached 2000, moved to Constantinople. According to estimates, the number of warriors reached 80 thousand, and the army consisted of Varangians and warriors of Slavic and non-Slavic peoples subject to Rus'.

The Greeks blocked the access of enemy ships to the harbor of Constantinople with a chain. However, Prince Oleg figured out how to get around this obstacle. He ordered the ships to be put on wheels. A fair wind drove the innumerable armada overland to the walls of the Byzantine capital. The Greeks got scared and asked for peace. Prince Oleg demanded a large tribute - 12 hryvnia for each warrior. He hung his shield as a sign of victory on the gates of Constantinople. After this campaign, Prince Oleg was nicknamed the Prophetic.

However, not all researchers are sure that such a campaign even took place.

Supporters of the idea that the campaign took place refer as evidence to the reliability of the Russian-Byzantine treaty concluded after it in 911. And the agreement was extremely successful. Russian merchants received the right to duty-free trade in Constantinople, could live for six months in the capital suburb in the monastery of St. Mammoth, receive food at the expense of the Byzantine side and repair their boats. Such an agreement could well have been preceded by the brilliant victory of Prince Oleg.

But there are serious arguments in favor of the opinion that the campaign is legendary, since only Russian sources speak about such a significant event, but Greek sources are silent. But the numerous enemy sieges and attacks that Constantinople was subjected to over the centuries were often and colorfully described by Byzantine authors. This is how the attacks of Rus' in 860 and 941 were described. And not a word about this campaign and the capture of Constantinople.

Death of Prince Oleg

The prince died in 912. The legend says that the Magi predicted that Prince Oleg would die from his own beloved horse. The prince ordered him to be taken away and remembered the ominous prophecy only a few years later, when the horse had long since died. Laughing at the Magi, he wanted to look at the bones of the horse, and said, standing with one foot on the skull: “Should I be afraid of him?” At that same moment a snake crawled out of the skull and inflicted a fatal bite on the prince.

Of course, this is just a legend, written down several centuries after Oleg’s death. For the legendary prince - a legendary death.

Results of the reign of Prince Oleg

Let us summarize the reign of the first leader of the Old Russian state.

Domestic policy of Prince Oleg

Scientists associate significant events with Oleg’s reign in Kyiv ancient Russian history. First of all, the territorial core of the Old Russian state was laid. Under him, Kyiv became the new residence of the Old Russian state. The tribes of the Ilmen Slovenes, Krivichi, Polyans, Severians, Drevlyans, Vyatichi, Radimichi, Ulichs and Tivertsi were recognized as the supreme ruler of Oleg. Through his governors and local princes, he managed to lay the foundations for government administration of the young country. Annual surveys of the population (Polyudye) laid the foundation for the judicial and tax systems.

Foreign policy of Prince Oleg

Led by Prince Oleg and active foreign policy. Before him for two centuries Khazar Khaganate collected tribute from a number of East Slavic lands. Oleg fought with the Khazars and freed the Slavs from tribute to the Kaganate. In 898, Hungarians appeared at the borders of Oleg’s power, moving to Europe from Asia. The prince managed to establish peaceful relations with this warlike people. Oleg's campaign in 907 against the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople (Constantinople), was crowned with a brilliant victory. In 909, Rus' and the Byzantine Empire entered into a military treaty of alliance. But the trade agreement of 911 was especially successful, according to which Russian merchants received the right of duty-free trade with Byzantium, unique for that time, and, in case of need, full provision of food and shipwrights to repair their boats.

Prince Oleg (879-912), according to legend, was a very enterprising and warlike ruler. As soon as power fell into his hands, he conceived a big deal - to master the entire course of the Dnieper, to take into his hands the entire waterway to rich Greece, and for this it was necessary to conquer all the Slavs who lived along the Dnieper. Here one princely squad was not enough. Prince Oleg recruited a large army from the Ilmen Slavs, from the Krivichs subordinate to him, and from the Finnish tribes and moved with them and their squad to the south.

Prince Oleg first of all took possession of Smolensk, the city of those Krivichi, which were not yet subject to anyone, then took Lyubech, the city northerners, left detachments of his squad in these cities under the command of reliable, experienced commanders, and he himself moved on. Finally Kyiv appeared. Oleg knew that it would not be easy to take this city by force: Askold and Dir, experienced leaders, reigned there, and their squad was brave and experienced. I had to resort to a trick: the army was left behind, and Oleg with several boats sailed to Kyiv, stopped not far from the city and sent to tell Askold and Dir that their fellow countrymen, Varangian merchants, were going to Greece, wanted to see them and asked them to come to boats.

Prince Oleg's fleet goes to Constantinople along the Dnieper River. Engraving by F. A. Bruni. Before 1839