Oleg's activities (879 - 912)

The time of Prince Oleg in the history of the Russian state bears the stamp of semi-legendary. The reason here is seen not so much in his actions, but in the extreme paucity of written sources about him.

Only two chronicles have survived to this day, telling in sparse lines about Oleg’s activities - “The Tale of Bygone Years” and the Novgorod Chronicle of the younger edition, since the beginning of the chronicle of the older edition has not survived. There are also documents originating from Byzantium, Muslim countries, and Khazaria. But even in the latest sources, the information is small and fragmentary.

In 879, a significant event for history took place in Novgorod Rus'. In Novgorod, the Varangian prince Rurik, who ruled here, was dying. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, he transferred the reign to his relative Oleg due to the early childhood of his son Igor. According to some chronicle information, Oleg was Rurik’s nephew, and his heir-son was only two years old.

N. M. Karamzin will say about this in his “History of the Russian State,” in the first of its twelve volumes: “This guardian Igor soon became famous for his great courage, victories, prudence, and love of his subjects.” Such a flattering review of the first ruler Ancient Rus' inspired by the chronicle “praiseworthy” words “The Tale of Bygone Years.”, Reader on the history of Russia., M., 1989 p.25.

For three years, according to the chronicles, nothing was heard in Kyiv about the new Novgorod ruler. As shown further events, Prince Oleg most likely spent this time actively preparing a military campaign with the goal of capturing the city of Kyiv and taking control of the entire land part of the trade route “from the Varangians to the Greeks.” A large military-political enterprise at that time was being prepared.

In 882, Prince Oleg, having gathered a large army of Varangians, Novgorodians, Krivichi, Chud from Izborsk, Vesy from Beloozero and Meri from Rostov, marched along the Dnieper to Kyiv. The army sailed on boats; there were few mounted warriors in the northern lands. Slavic single-trees with sewn sides could be quickly disassembled and reassembled. Such vessels were easily transported overland from one river to another.

The basis of the princely squad were Vikings - Varangians, immigrants from Scandinavia. The warriors were in chain mail or iron scale shirts, in iron helmets, with axes, swords, spears and darts (short throwing spears). The squad consisted of professional warriors who lived off their share of the collected tribute and military spoils.

A distinctive feature of Russian warriors in ancient times was red - scarlet - the color of their shields. Large sizes, wooden, bound with iron, they were painted red. In battle, the warriors could line up in dense ranks, hiding from the enemy with high shields, which well protected the warriors from arrows and darts.

Simple military people, militias of the Slavic tribes - "howl" - dressed and armed themselves much more simply. They en masse went to battle in the same ports; they had almost no chain mail. They were armed with spears, axes, bows and arrows, swords and knives. There were almost no horsemen among the “warriors”.

Prince Oleg, with whom little Igor was also, led his army along the famous route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” for more than one century. Along it, the Scandinavian Vikings, who were also very enterprising merchants, “walked” to the southern European seas through the Varangian (Baltic) Sea, the Gulf of Finland, up the Neva, along Lake Ladoga, up the Volkhov, along Lake Ilmen, up the Lovat, then along the portage and along the Dnieper. Then the Varangians sailed along the Pontic Sea (Black) to Constantinople-Constantinople. And from there they went to the Mediterranean.

On the way to Kyiv, Prince Oleg occupied the city of Smolensk, the capital city of the Krivichi Slavic tribe. Then Oleg's army entered the lands of the Slavic tribe of northerners and occupied the fortified city of Lyubech. And there Oleg left his mayor - “husband”. Thus, he took possession of the Dnieper route all the way to Kyiv.

In order to take possession of Kiev, which was ruled by the Varangians Askold and Dir, his fellow tribesmen, Prince Oleg acted treacherously. Or, to put it differently, he showed military cunning, which the Scandinavian Vikings have always been distinguished by.

Approaching Kyiv, Oleg hid almost all the soldiers in ambushes and boats behind high sides. He sent a messenger to the people of Kiev to say that the Varangian merchants, together with the little Novgorod prince, were on their way to Greece and wanted to see their fellow Varangians. The Varangian leaders Askold and Dir, suspecting deception, went to the banks of the Dnieper without personal guards, although they had a considerable Varangian squad, with the help of which they ruled the Kyiv lands.

When Askold and Dir went to the river bank to the moored boats, Oleg’s warriors jumped out of their ambushes and surrounded them. Oleg said to the Kyiv rulers: “You own Kiev, but you are not princes or of a princely family; I am a princely family, and this is the son of Rurik.” With these words, Oleg lifted the little prince Igor from the boat. These words sounded like a death sentence for Askold and Dir. Under the blows of swords they fell dead at the feet of the Varangian Oleg. Having thus gotten rid of the Kyiv rulers, he took possession of the city without any difficulty. Neither the Kiev Varangian squad nor the townspeople offered any resistance. They recognized the new rulers.

The bodies of Askold and Dir were buried on a mountain near the city. Subsequently, the Church of St. Nicholas was erected on Askold’s grave. Near Dir's grave is the Church of St. Irene. Askold's grave has survived to this day.

Prince Oleg, like the rest of the first Russian princes, was not particularly interested in domestic politics. Oleg sought by hook or by crook to expand the land holdings of the young Russian state. Prince Oleg made a successful campaign against Constantinople, terrifying the Greeks and without shedding a drop of Russian blood, Oleg received rich gifts and favorable trading conditions for Russian merchants. For this success, Prince Oleg began to be called the Prophetic.

Oleg made two campaigns against Byzantium - in 907 and 911. When the Greeks blocked the way along the Bosphorus in 911, Oleg ordered the boats to be put on rollers and, raising the sails, with a fair wind, transport them to the Golden Horn, from where Constantinople was more vulnerable. Frightened by the appearance of troops near the capital, the Byzantines were forced to make peace. From the text of the agreement it is known that 2000 boats took part in the campaign, “and in the ship there were 40 men,” The Tale of Bygone Years.”, Reader on the history of Russia., M., 1989 p. 34".

Both campaigns ended successfully for the Russians, and treaties were concluded. The Treaty of 907 and 911 established friendly relations between Byzantium and Kievan Rus, determined the procedure for the ransom of prisoners, punishment for criminal offenses committed by Greek and Russian merchants in Byzantium, the rules of litigation and inheritance, created favorable trading conditions for Russians and Greeks, and changed coastal law. From now on, instead of seizing a beached ship and its property, the owners of the shore were obliged to assist in their rescue.

Also, under the terms of the agreement, Russian merchants received the right to live in Constantinople for six months, the empire was obliged to support them during this time at the expense of the treasury. They were granted the right to duty-free trade in Byzantium. And the possibility of hiring Russians for military service in Byzantium.

Thus, as a result of the activities of Prince Oleg, the state of Kievan Rus was formed, a single territory was formed, and the majority of East Slavic tribes were united.

Voice your opinion!

Prophetic Oleg - the legendary governor who managed to unite the Slavic tribes into Kievan Rus

The legendary Prince Oleg can rightfully be considered the founder of the ancient Russian state - a huge medieval power centered in Kyiv, the historical cradle of the modern Ukrainian people. His services to his descendants are undeniable, since Prince Oleg became the first sovereign of the Dnieper lands, whose existence is documented. Unlike the semi-mythical Kyya, Shchek, Khoryv and their sister Lybid, as well as the mysterious Askold and Dir, a lot is known about Prince (King) Oleg (Helga): from the dating of his reign to the essence of the reforms he carried out and the results of military campaigns. Why is it worth remembering and honoring Prince Oleg?

1. He created a powerful ancient Russian state, stretching from the shores of the Baltic to the Dnieper rapids.

2. He managed to conquer those living in the territory modern Ukraine tribal alliances of the Polyans, Drevlyans and Northerners, which gave him a powerful resource for further conquests.

3. He was able to defeat the mighty Khozar Kaganate, wresting the East Slavic lands from its dependence, which very seriously undermined the strength of the steppe superpower. Kyiv, after Oleg, turned from a marginal town located on the westernmost outskirts of the Khozar Kaganate into the capital of a new Slavic power.

4. He managed to establish a certain order in all the lands under his control. Of course, it was based solely on the system of collecting tribute, but absolutely all state formations of the Middle Ages began with this.

5. He won the war with the most powerful enemy of that time - the Byzantine Empire. Oleg managed to make a successful campaign into her possessions, approached the gates of Constantinople, forced the Roman emperor to sign a trade agreement with him that was beneficial for Kyiv, and then return unharmed with his army.

The main merits of Prince Oleg.

Arrival in Kyiv. The Norman governor Oleg (Helg), like many of his fellow countrymen, arrived in the Slavic lands from distant Scandinavia in search of fame and wealth. He joined the squad of the mighty king Rurik (Rorkha), who ruled over vast domains in the north of Rus'. After the death of Rurik in 879, Oleg, as the teacher of his three-year-old son Igor (Ingvar), became the Prince of Novgorod. However, he soon became cramped within these limits, and, having gathered a large army of Normans, Slavs and Finns, Oleg went south. By 882, Smolensk and Lyubech submitted to him, and after them Kyiv. An alien from the north treacherously killed the local rulers Askold and Dir, pretending to be a merchant. The residents of Kyiv, “...frightened by his atrocity and strong army, recognized him as their legitimate sovereign.” So Oleg subjugated the entire trade route “from the Varangians to the Greeks,” and now not a single ship could sail along the Dnieper without paying tribute to the mighty Norman.

Establishment of a tribute system and victory over the Khazars. Oleg wished to stay in the south, proclaiming: “Let Kyiv be the matter of Russian cities!” It was from there that he now made his campaigns, and tribute from the conquered peoples flocked there. Novgorod paid Kyiv in silver (300 hryvnia annually), the Drevlyans - with black marten skins, the northerners and Radimichi gave one small coin from each plow. In addition to them, Oleg also subjugated the populous Slavic tribes Dulebs, White Croats and Tiverts living in Western Russian lands. In his vigorous activity, the new Kiev ruler affected the interests of the formidable ruler of the eastern steppes - the Kagan of the Great Khazaria. Wars repeatedly broke out between them for the right to collect tribute from the northerners and Radimichi. Oleg said to the latter: “I am their enemy, but I have no enmity with you. Don’t give to the Khazars, but pay me,” and assigned them a completely symbolic amount of tax. After several military clashes with the Khazars, Oleg discouraged uninvited guests from appearing in the Dnieper region. Now most of the Eastern Slavs paid tribute to him and his Vikings. Hardly for local population this was a big relief.

Campaigns against Byzantium. In 907, the huge army of Prince Oleg set off on a campaign against the capital of the Byzantine Empire, the city of Constantinople. 2000 longships, each with 40 well-armed warriors, soon approached the Golden Horn Bay. The Greek emperor Leo the Philosopher was unable to organize any defense; he only ordered the harbor to be blocked off with a chain, leaving the Russians to plunder the city suburbs. The Kiev prince found an unusual way to get close to Constantinople: “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 Byzantines were ready to pay off Oleg at any cost, who, as a sign of contempt for them, nailed his shield on the gates of Constantinople. The prince demanded that the emperor give him 12 hryvnia in silver for each warrior, and also established a separate payment, which was supposed to go to all major cities of ancient Rus'. In addition, Oleg concluded a very profitable trade agreement with the Byzantine ruler, opening up wide commercial opportunities for Russian merchants in the numerous markets of Constantinople.

The prince's return to Kyiv was truly triumphant; his subjects were amazed at the size of the booty brought and in admiration they nicknamed Oleg the Prophetic, that is, a clairvoyant or a sorcerer.

The Grand Duke died in 912, as befits a hero, under mysterious circumstances. A legend has been preserved that Oleg allegedly accepted death from his horse, as the Magi prophesied to him. The attempt to deceive fate ended in complete failure: the prince got rid of his beloved horse and when, after waiting for his death, he came to look at the bones, he was bitten by a poisonous snake that had taken refuge in the horse’s skull. By the way, this plot is also found in later Scandinavian epics, for example in “The Saga of Odd the Arrow”.

Brief biography of Prince Oleg.

879 - after the death of Prince Rurik, he becomes regent under the still small prince Igor.

882 - sails from Novgorod to Kyiv and captures it.

883 - conquered the Drevlyans.

884 - brought the northerners under his rule.

885 - managed to take the Radimichi under his hand.

885 - imposed tribute on the Polyans, Northerners, Drevlyans and Radimichi.

907 - makes his first campaign against Byzantium.

911 – Prince Oleg’s second campaign against Byzantium.

912 - Prince Oleg dies.

“Having said this, Heid began to sing some mysterious song.”

“That’s what it means, Odd,” she explained. “You will live longer than others - three hundred years, and you will travel many lands and seas, and wherever you come, your fame will grow. Your path lies far from here, but you will die in Berurjod. There is a gray horse with a long mane standing here in the stable, named Faxie, and this horse will cause you death.

- Tell your tales to old women! - Odd shouted and, jumping up from his seat, ran up and hit the sorceress right in the face, so that blood poured onto the floor...

After some time, Odd called Asmund with him, and they went to where the horse stood. They threw a bridle on him and led the horse to the seashore, into the hills. There they dug a hole almost twice the height of a man and, having killed the horse, threw it there. Then the foster brothers filled this pit with such large stones as they could lift, and poured many small stones and sand on top, so that a high mound stood over the horse’s grave. And then Odd said:

“Now the sorceress’s prediction that this horse will cause me death cannot be fulfilled.”

Having completed all this, they returned home.

... they began to hastily go down the stones, and while they were walking along a narrow path, Odd hurt his leg on something and stopped.

- Why did I hurt my leg? - he said.

He began to dig up the ground with a spear, and everyone saw a horse’s skull in the ground. A snake crawled out from there, crawled up to Odd and bit him on the leg below the ankle. And from its poison Odd’s entire leg and thigh were swollen.

Odd saw what had happened, and he ordered his men to carry him down to the seashore, and when they arrived there, Odd said:

“Well, now go and carve a stone tomb for me, and let others sit here with me and carve runes, writing down a song that I will compose as a keepsake for my descendants.”

Historical memory of Prince Oleg.

The image of the prophetic Oleg has repeatedly attracted artists and poets. Among those dedicated to this historical character works of art can be distinguished as follows:

Prophetic Oleg on social networks.

How often do Yandex users from Ukraine look for information about Oleg the Prophet?

To analyze the popularity of the query “Prophetic Oleg”, the Yandex search engine service wordstat.yandex is used, from which we can conclude: as of July 4, 2016, the number of queries per month was 5, as can be seen in the screenshot:

For the period since the end of 2014 greatest number requests for “Prophetic Oleg” were registered in November 2015 – 198,524 requests per month.

In 879, leaving behind a young son Igor, the Novgorod prince Rurik died. The board was taken into the hands of Oleg the Prophet, Prince of Novgorod from 879 and Grand Duke of Kiev from 882. In an effort to expand his possessions, the prince gathered a fairly strong army. It included Krivichi, Ilmen Slavs and representatives of Finnish tribes. Moving south, Oleg annexed the cities of Smolensk and Lyubech to his possessions. However, the young ruler's plans were more ambitious. Having given power in the conquered cities to people loyal to him, the warlike prince moved towards Kyiv. Oleg's campaign against Kyiv was a success. In 882 the city was captured, and its rulers Askold and Dir were killed. Oleg ascended the Kyiv throne. The same year is considered the date.

The reign of Prince Oleg in Kyiv began with the strengthening of city walls and defensive structures. The borders of Kievan Rus were also fortified with small fortresses (“outposts”), where warriors carried out constant service. In 883-885. the prince undertook several successful campaigns. The Slavic tribes who settled along the banks of the Dnieper, the Radimichi who lived on the banks of the Dniester, Bug, Sozh, the Drevlyans and the Northerners were subjugated. By order of Oleg, cities were built in the occupied lands. Conquered tribes were required to pay taxes. Actually, the entire internal policy of Oleg, like other princes of that time, boiled down to collecting taxes.

Oleg's foreign policy was successful. The most important event began a campaign against Byzantium in 907. The prince gathered for this campaign a huge army for those times (according to some sources, up to 80 thousand people). Byzantium, despite the defensive tricks of the Greeks, was captured, the suburbs were plundered. The result of the campaign was a rich tribute, as well as trade benefits for Russian merchants. Five years later, peace with Byzantium was confirmed by the conclusion of a written treaty. It was after this campaign that the great Kiev prince Oleg, the founder of the state of Kievan Rus, began to be called the Prophetic (i.e., a sorcerer).

Prince Oleg, one of the greatest rulers of Rus', died in 912. His death is shrouded in legends. According to one of them, the most famous, Oleg asked a sorcerer he met on the road about his death. He predicted the prince's death from his beloved war horse. The prince never mounted this horse again, but ordered those close to him to take care of it. Many years later, Oleg wished to see the bones of the horse, deciding that the sorcerer had made a mistake. He stepped on the skull, and a poisonous snake crawled out of it and bit the prince. After his death, Oleg was buried in Kyiv. There is another version of the prince’s death, according to which the warlike Oleg died in battle.

The biography of Oleg, who became the first prince, whose life and deeds are confirmed by chronicles, became the source of many legends and literary works. One of them - “Song of the Prophetic Oleg” - belongs to the pen of A.S. Pushkin.

Prince Oleg - first ruler Old Russian state. After the death of Rurik, from 879 he ruled the territory of Northern Rus', captured Kyiv in 882 and united the lands of Northern and Southern Rus' into a single state - Kievan Rus.

Oleg - biography (biography)

Oleg's political activities turned out to be successful: he expanded the territory of the Principality of Kyiv, subjugating many peoples of Eastern Europe, and also made a successful campaign against Constantinople in 907, after which he concluded a profitable trade agreement with the Greeks.

The image of Prince Oleg, nicknamed the Prophetic by the Russian chronicler, has become extremely popular in Russian culture - poetry, literature and fine arts, but at the same time this historical figure is one of the most controversial and difficult for scientific research. Even the earliest Russian chronicles, which are considered the most reliable, compiled at the turn of the 11th - 12th centuries, report some basic facts of Oleg’s biography contradictory. Many chronicle stories associated with this prince reflect historical traditions of an oral, folklore and even mytho-epic nature, which have parallels in the culture of other peoples.

Prince or governor?

As V. Ya. Petrukhin noted, Oleg’s life is most fully illuminated in the chronicle The Tale of Bygone Years (beginning of the 12th century). In 879, in connection with his death, this prince was first reported in this chronicle. The reign passed to him as a “relative” of Rurik and guardian of the young son of the North Russian ruler. The degree of their relationship, apparently, can be judged to a greater extent by the Joachim Chronicle (17th century), based on the information of which he believed that Oleg was Rurik’s brother-in-law, the “Urman prince” from Sweden.

In the Novgorod First Chronicle, which is closest to the Initial Code of the 1090s, which underlies the most ancient Russian chronicles, Oleg is not a prince, but a governor under the already fully grown Prince Igor. Accordingly, the capture of Kyiv is a joint event between Igor and Oleg.

The chronology of events in which Oleg participates in the Novgorod chronicle “lags” in relation to the one reflected in the Tale of Bygone Years. Thus, Oleg’s famous campaign against Constantinople in 907 is dated here to 922. However, researchers have long recognized the conventions of early chronicle dating and their “dependence” on the dates of Greek chronographs, with which ancient Russian authors “consulted”.

Oleg's first "capital"?

This question is directly related to Oleg’s status and age. Thus, the largest researcher of Russian chronicles A. A. Shakhmatov believed that Oleg and Igor ruled independently of each other: one in Kyiv, the other in. The legends about both were combined by the author of the Initial Code, who “made” Oleg a governor under Igor. The compiler of the Tale of Bygone Years “returned” him princely title. In order to explain the simultaneity of the two princes, the chronicler showed Igor as a baby in Oleg’s arms.

But where did Oleg “sit” before the capture of Kyiv? The chronicles do not directly say this. It is implied that after the death of Rurik, in the same place where the latter was, that is, in Novgorod. But there are sources, for example, the Ipatiev Chronicle, which also point to it as the first residence. And “one of Oleg’s graves” is dated to Ladoga in the chronicle.

The famous Polish scientist H. Lovmiansky suggested that Oleg’s first residence was Ladoga, and then he made it his place of residence, given its role as an important shopping center. True, the historian himself pointed out weak point in his hypothesis: Smolensk was not mentioned in the chronicle in the list of the most important cities subject to Kyiv (907). Yes, and Oleg subjugated Smolensk shortly before the Kyiv events.

How Kyiv became “the mother of Russian cities”

According to the Tale of Bygone Years, Oleg in 882, having gathered warriors from many peoples living in the north of Rus', set out on a campaign to the south. “Having taken power” in and “putting his husband in it,” he further seized Lyubech. Now Oleg’s path lay to Kyiv. Kyiv was also ruled by Dir, former warriors of Rurik, who were sent by him in 866 to go on a campaign against Byzantium and settled here after returning from the campaign. Oleg hid his soldiers in the boats and on the shore, and he himself sent for the Varangians, telling them to tell them that they were merchants, coming to the Greeks from Oleg and Prince Igor, “come to us, to your relatives.” In the Nikon (Patriarchal) Chronicle (XVI century), for the sake of credibility, it is added that Oleg said he was sick and, apparently, that’s why he invited the rulers of Kyiv to him.

When Dir arrived at the meeting place, Oleg accused them of not having the right to reign in Kyiv, unlike him and Igor, the son of Rurik. At his sign, the warriors who ran out from the ambush killed Askold and Dir. Further, apparently, Oleg already bloodlessly asserted his power over Kiev.

Oleg’s military cunning, namely the trap set by the “false merchants,” finds analogies in the epics of other peoples (Egyptian, Iranian, ancient, Western European parallels), which allowed some researchers to see not the historical authenticity, but the folklore nature of the corresponding legend about the capture of Kyiv by Oleg.

Assessing the advantageous strategic position of Kyiv both on the route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” and in the center of the new united state, Oleg made this city the capital. There were many capital cities in Rus', but it was Kyiv with light hand The prince became “the mother of Russian cities.” As the famous researcher A.V. Nazarenko showed, this chronicle expression was a tracing-paper from the Greek epithet of Constantinople and its use “indicated the significance of the Tsaregrad paradigm for the capital status of Kyiv.”

Oleg devoted the following years (883-885) to the conquest of those neighboring Kiev Slavic peoples on the right and left banks of the Dnieper - glades, Drevlyans, northerners, Radimichi, taking them away from the tribute of the “unreasonable Khazars” and including them in the Old Russian state. But for the ambitious Russian ruler, the main rival and most desired prey, of course, was Constantinople.

Shield on the gates of Constantinople

In 907, according to the Tale of Bygone Years, Oleg, having gathered a huge, 80,000-strong army of Varangians and warriors of Slavic and non-Slavic peoples subject to Rus', on ships, the number of which reached 2000, moved to Constantinople.

The Greeks blocked the access of enemy ships to the harbor of Constantinople with a chain. Then the inventive Oleg ordered the ships to be put on wheels. A fair wind drove the innumerable armada to the walls of the Byzantine capital overland. The Greeks got scared and asked for peace. The insidious Romans brought Oleg a treat - wine and food, but the Russian prince refused them, suspecting that they were poisoned. He demanded a large tribute - 12 hryvnia for each warrior and, as a sign of victory, hung his shield on the gates of Constantinople. After this campaign, Oleg was nicknamed the Prophetic.

But did Oleg’s campaign take place?

In historiography, radically opposing opinions have long been established regarding whether Oleg’s campaign against Constantinople actually took place. Supporters of the idea that the campaign took place, as evidence, refer to the reliability of the Russian-Byzantine treaty concluded after it in 911. But there are serious arguments in favor of the opinion that the campaign is legendary:

• Only Russian sources speak about the campaign of 907, but Greek sources are silent. But Byzantine authors often and colorfully described the numerous enemy sieges and attacks that Constantinople was subjected to over the centuries, including attacks by Rus' in 860 and 941.
• But Russian sources describing Oleg’s campaign contain contradictions. This and different dates events, and the differing composition of participants in Oleg’s army.
• The description of the campaign of 907 in many details and style resembles the description in the Russian chronicle of Prince Igor’s campaign against the Greeks in 941, and they both reveal a “dependence” on the text of the Greek chronicle of Amartol, which tells about the Russian attack of 941 on Byzantium.
• The Russian chronicler's account of Oleg's campaign in 907 contains elements that are recognized by a number of researchers as folklore-epic. For example, the winner's shield on the gates of the Byzantine capital is an episode contained in ancient epic other peoples, but no longer found in Russian sources. The plot of ships on wheels raises great “suspicions” among scientists about the artificiality of the description of the campaign, and this needs special mention.

Ships on wheels: metaphor or means of transportation?

Already on the most ancient monuments of art - Egyptian, Babylonian, ancient, Far Eastern, one can find images of ships on chariots. They are also present in the epics of many nations. The closest analogy in time to the plot of Oleg’s ships on wheels is found in Saxo Grammar’s work “Gesta Danorum” (12th century), which tells about the legendary Danish king Ragnar Lothbrok. Many researchers bring these two legends together.

But instead of ships, Saxon mentions copper horses on wheels. Researchers say that the author metaphorically meant ships. In Saxo's account, the entire episode looks vague and foggy, in contrast to the clear and understandable story of the Russian chronicler.

Of course, E. A. Rydzevskaya is right that the legend about Oleg’s campaign developed in Rus', and not in the Scandinavian world; it was used by the chronicler for a spectacular story about Oleg’s attack on Constantinople. Another thing is that the legend could have been brought by the Varangians to Scandinavia and reflected in the corresponding episode with Ragnar in Saxo Grammar. But this same researcher came up with the idea that the appearance of ships on wheels in the chronicle plot is not a tribute to an epic cult tradition, but a reflection of a very real practice in the era described. Both the Vikings and the Slavs may have seen ships on wheels as an improved way of dragging ships.

Prophetic, because Oleg?

Among the riddles posed by Russian chronicles regarding Oleg, one of the main ones is his nickname. Prophetic - foreseeing future events! But if the Tale of Bygone Years gives some reason to believe that Oleg was so named because he foresaw a mortal threat in the treat of the Greeks, then the Novgorod Chronicle does not even indicate this motive. The reader of the chronicle cannot help but wonder: How did it happen that Oleg, being the Prophet, did not prevent his death from his horse, which was also predicted by the Magi? What is behind the word Prophetic? Capabilities? So, it turns out, he didn’t show them. Or maybe a name?

The Old Scandinavian etymology of the name Oleg - Helgi, is beyond doubt among most modern researchers. It goes back to the word general meaning which is “sacred, sacred” and which reflected the sacredness of the supreme power in the pagan era. In the ancient Germanic name book it is found infrequently, because it was given only to representatives of noble families. The semantic core of the root *hail was the concepts of bodily integrity and personal luck. That is, those qualities that a king, a ruler, should have had.

Once in the Slavic language environment, the Scandinavian name was inevitably rethought. In the conditions of the Slavic pagan worldview, for which ideas about personal luck and fate are not typical, the ruler’s witchcraft abilities, the ability to foresight and predict came to the fore. Thus, according to E. A. Melnikova, the Scandinavian name of Prince Helgi in the East Slavic world acquired a double reflection: both as a phonetic one - in the form of the name Olg/Oleg, and as a semantic one - in the form of the nickname “Prophetic”.

Interpretations of the nickname Prophetic inevitably led scientists to study the circumstances of the death of Prince Oleg.

Accident?

Perhaps a story about death Prophetic Oleg- this is the most intriguing part of the chronicle biography of the Russian prince and, in comparison with other information in to the greatest extent is mythological in nature.

In the Tale of Bygone Years, under 912, there is a lengthy story that even before the Byzantine campaign, the Magi predicted the death of the prince from his own favorite horse. Oleg believed the wise men, ordered the horse to be fed, but did not let him near him. Returning from the campaign, the prince learns that his horse has died and orders him to be brought to the place of his burial. Oleg pushed the horse's skull with his foot, a snake crawled out of it and fatally stung the prince.

According to the First Novgorod Chronicle, Oleg also dies from a snake bite (without mentioning a horse), but this happens in 922 and not in Kyiv, but in. The same chronicle, according to the reconstruction of A. A. Shakhmatov, reports that Oleg “went overseas” and died there. Chroniclers confirm this news by mentioning Oleg’s burials - in Kyiv and Ladoga, respectively. A similar plot (death from a snake hiding among the remains of a beloved horse) also exists in the Scandinavian saga about the Norwegian Orvar-Odd. E. A. Rydzevskaya convincingly showed that the Russian chronicle narrative of Oleg’s death is primary in relation to the story of the saga.

A curious story, devoid of epic “layers,” is the story of the death of the Russian prince Oleg in the Bulgarian chronicle of Gazi-Baraj (1229-1246), placed in the collection of “Jagfar Tarikha” by Bakhshi Iman (XVII century). Salahbi (as the eastern source reports Oleg’s name) bought a war “Turkmen horse named Jilan.” While buying, he dropped a coin at the horse’s feet and thoughtlessly bent down to pick it up. The Akhal-Teke, trained to trample foot soldiers in battle conditions, immediately hit him with his hoof and killed him on the spot.

In researching the chronicle story about the death of Oleg in recent years a promising tendency has emerged to consider its mytho-epic origins through the prism of the distribution of power functions of the first Russian princes.

Revenge of Veles and the Magi

The appearance of the Varangians in Eastern Europe made serious changes in the religious life of the local East Slavic population. Scandinavian society during this period professed a cult of military strength and strong secular power. The priesthood was weak, and the functions of priests, sorcerers and even healers were often taken over by military leaders who did not want to share their power with anyone. It is known that the greater the success of a military leader, the more he strives to usurp the functions of the “spiritual” class. Sagas often contain motifs of witchcraft and witchcraft by kings.

The Varangian princes in Rus' also began to take on the functions of the “witchcraft” class. Judging by the nickname, Oleg was the first to claim the role of prince-priest. It is possible that he, like Prince Vladimir seven decades later, supervised sacrifices to pagan idols. After all, the Tale of Bygone Years tells about Vladimir in 983 that he “went to Kyiv, making sacrifices to idols with his people.”

Having come to the Slavs, where the influence of the Magi was strong, the Varangian “sorcerer princes” had to inevitably come into conflict with the latter. But, needing to attract local Slovenes, Krivichi and Chud as a military force to solve the foreign policy problems of collecting new lands, Oleg, as D. A. Machinsky writes, “accepted, together with the “alien Russia”, the local Slavic-Russian religion based on the cult Perun and Veles." And the oaths of Rus' in Russian-Byzantine treaties and other numerous sources indicate that the elite of ancient Russian society - the prince and his entourage, the squad, the boyars - gave preference to the “Thunderer” Perun, the patron of secular military power.

At the same time, the “rest of Rus'”, the Slavs, were more influenced by the “cattle god” Veles (Volos). The cult of Veles, the god of the underworld, the patron of sacred power, who had a snake-like appearance, was carried out in Rus' by the Magi.

The answer to the question why, in the epic legend about the death of Oleg, the latter dies from a snake bite, and the death itself is foreshadowed by the Magi to the Russian prince, is contained in the illustrated Radzivilov Chronicle. The miniatures of the latter were copied from the miniatures of the Vladimir Vault of 1212. The presence of a snake in the miniature, when it crawls out of the horse’s skull and stings the prince, can, if desired, be understood only in the literal sense. But the presence of a snake in the miniature in which the oath of Oleg’s husbands is reproduced suggests that the snake in both miniatures symbolizes the snake-like Veles (Volos).

"Undoubtedly, the chronicler and artist beginning of XIII V. were confident in the anthropomorphic nature of the idol of Perun and the snake-like nature of Volos, writes D.A. Machinsky, “Probably, the miniaturist also believed that Volos the Serpent, the patron saint of livestock and especially horses, and the snake that lived in the horse’s skull and stung Oleg, are identical or related creatures.” Apparently the genius was right

Convenient navigation through the article:

Brief biography and characteristics of the reign of Prince Oleg

Prince Oleg is one of the most prominent rulers of Ancient Rus', who united Kyiv and Novgorod under his rule, signed trade agreements with Byzantium and did many more things in the formation Russian statehood. The FOX-calculator project is pleased to present to you short biography and a description of the main milestones in the activities of this outstanding historical figure!

Around 879, leaving his little son Igor reign over the Slavic lands, the first died. Since Igor was at a young age, Oleg, who later became the prince of Novgorod and the first great prince of Kyiv, took over the reign. Wanting to expand Slavic territories the prince assembled a fairly powerful squad which included representatives of Finnish tribes, Ilmen Slavs and Krivichi. After this, the prince moved his army to the south, annexing the cities of Lyubech and Smolensk. But the young ruler had a larger-scale action in his plans. Having given power to loyal people from the squad in the conquered cities, Oleg advanced to Kyiv. This military campaign was a success. So, already in 882, the militant prince managed to capture the city and kill its rulers Askold and Dir. So Oleg ascended the great throne of Kiev, and historians consider this same year to be the actual date of the formation of the state of Kievan Rus.

Prince Oleg's reign in the city began with the construction of many defensive structures and strengthening of the city walls. In addition, the prince strengthened the borders of the Slavic lands by erecting “outposts” on them, which were small fortresses with warriors living there. From 883 to 885, Prince Oleg managed to make a series of successful military campaigns, as a result of which he was able to subjugate the Slavic tribes that were settled along the banks of the Dnieper, Dniester, Sozh and Bug. After the victories, the Grand Duke gave orders for the construction of new cities in the occupied territories. The conquered tribes were obliged to pay him tribute. Actually, like all subsequent princes, Oleg’s entire internal policy boiled down to collecting taxes and strengthening borders.

Was very successful and foreign policy Prince Oleg. His most important military campaign is considered to be the 907 campaign against Byzantium. For this military operation, the prince assembled a huge powerful army, which, according to some sources, numbered more than 80 thousand people. Despite the strategy and defense, Byzantium was captured, and its suburbs were burned and plundered. The result of the Byzantine campaign of Prince Oleg was a rich tribute and benefits for the trade of Russian merchants. Five years later between Kievan Rus and Byzantium signed a peace treaty. After this campaign, Prince Oleg received the name Prophetic, that is, a sorcerer, for his insight and strategy.

The first Kiev prince died in 912, and his death is shrouded in legends. According to the most famous of them, Oleg was bitten by a snake.

Interesting fact! A sharp mind and outstanding insight earned Prince Oleg the nickname “prophetic.”

The main chronological dates of the reign of Prince Oleg the Prophet: