Prophetic Oleg foreign and domestic policy briefly. Activities of the first Kyiv princes

INTERNAL POLITICS OF PROPHETIC OLEG

During the reign of Prince Oleg, the Novgorod and Kiev principalities united into a single state. The Old Russian state gradually gained power. Prince Oleg, in one way or another, managed to extend his power to the Krivichi, Drevlyans, Northerners, Radimichi, Tivertsi and others Slavic tribes. The entire route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” and its branches to the Desna and Western Dvina were under the protectorate of Kyiv. Prince Oleg was the first to strike a blow at the power of the Khazar Kaganate. He successfully fought with the Viwantine Empire. In 907, he concluded a peace and trade treaty with the Greeks that was beneficial for Rus', which was later confirmed in 912. In the text of the document, Oleg is called “Russian Grand Duke” for the first time.

FOREIGN POLICY OF THE PROPHETIC OLEG

The birth of the ancient Russian state was accompanied by the formation of its diplomatic system and the development of methods and techniques of foreign policy. In order to protect his northern borders, Oleg entered into an agreement with the Varangians, pledging to pay them an annual monetary tribute. He managed to achieve peace with the Ugrians who raided Kyiv. Friendly relations were established with Bulgaria, after him in 907 Oleg made a campaign against Constantinople. The treaty of “peace and love” concluded with Byzantium that same year stipulated the status of Russian embassy and trade missions in the empire. Four years later he was accepted new agreement with the Greeks, in which the concept of “Russian land” was introduced for the first time in diplomatic documentation.

The founder died in 879 Novgorod Principality, the founder of the great princely dynasty - Rurik. Rurik's son was unable to ascend the throne because at that time he was only 2 years old. Therefore, Rurik’s relative, Oleg, becomes the Prince of Novgorod.
Prince Oleg was a very courageous and brave warrior. Having achieved power, he immediately decided that he needed to act tough and decisively. The prince set himself the task of pursuing an aggressive foreign policy. The main goal was to conquer the waterways to Greece, but this was prevented by other Slavic principalities located near the Dnieper River. Prince Oleg strengthens the army, adding Finnish warriors and Krivichi to the squad. Having gathered his squad, Oleg makes a military campaign. On his way he conquers big cities and villages, the great Smolensk is subordinate to him. Then, the prince decides to take Kyiv. Askold and Dir, the rulers of Kyiv at that time, had no family ties with the Rurikovichs. In addition to courage and bravery, Oleg naturally had a good mind. By cunning, he lured Askold and Dir out of Kyiv, after which they were killed. Upon learning the news, the city residents did not resist and surrendered without permission. Having received the title of Prince of Kyiv, Oleg proclaimed the city the capital and called it “the mother of Russian cities.” Thus, northern and southern Rus' united into one whole. It was this unification that marked the beginning of the creation of a great Kievan Rus. A large state emerges. Competent management and domestic policy were required.
As mentioned earlier, Prince Oleg was a wise ruler; he clearly understood that in order to create a single powerful state, it was necessary to unite all Slavic tribes. This is precisely what the emphasis was placed on in the internal policy of Prince Oleg. Krivichi, northerners, Radimichi, Drevlyans - all joined Old Russian principality. The territory of the state was of impressive size; accordingly, this territory needed to be protected. Warriors, rulers and nobles Ancient Rus' lived at the expense of government funds. These funds were earned through military campaigns, foreign trade, as well as with the help of polyudya. The last method is, roughly speaking, ancient tax system. The prince, together with his assistants, collected tribute from all over the state. As a rule, the tribute was natural, furs, honey, grain, wax and other useful things. All these items were later sold to Byzantium. It is worth mentioning that during such a regime there were not without conflicts; strikes of the Drevlyans were often organized, the so-called modern language « Civil wars" These conflicts were suppressed in time, but during one of these battles, Rurik’s son, Oleg’s follower, Prince Igor, died. She was like that domestic politics Prince Oleg, his followers Igor and Olga, also followed this method of government.
In addition to the internal policy of the state, no less important foreign policy. Relations with other countries, trade, alliances and enmity. Prince Oleg devoted a lot of time to this issue, the issue of foreign policy. The year 907 became an important period for the Old Russian state. It was this year that Prince Oleg made a military campaign against Byzantium. Oleg led an army of two thousand with him, walking on water and land. Before the walls of Constantinople, the prince ordered that sea vessels be placed on special devices that allowed ships to travel on wheels. The Greeks, seeing such a terrifying sight, surrendered to Oleg without a fight and agreed to sign a peace treaty. On the same day, the Greeks presented the Russian squad with a lot of food and drinks, but Oleg ordered his soldiers not to eat anything, citing the fact that the food was poisoned. Since then, the prince has been called Oleg “Prophetic”. With this great campaign Oleg Once again proved his wisdom and courage. This was already the second legendary victory that took place without the blood of a Russian warrior. With the help of such a foreign policy, Prince Oleg managed to sign a peace treaty with Byzantium, which was very beneficial to the Old Russian state. One of the most important points of the prince’s foreign policy was the liberation of Russian lands from the Khazar Kaganate. Many military campaigns were carried out against the Khazars, and subsequently he freed the Slavic tribes from the need to pay polyudie to the Khaganate.
The domestic and foreign policies of Prince Oleg were built on his wisdom and courage. Thanks to his courage, he united all the Slavic tribes into one whole, gained respect from his allies and inspired fear in his opponents. Oleg was a cruel prince, but this only benefited the Russian people. After the death of the Grand Duke, his heirs did not change the external and internal political system, Igor also strengthened the borders of the state and centralized the city of Kyiv, while Olga maintained peaceful diplomatic relations with Byzantium.
Prince Oleg laid the foundation for Kievan Rus, he set a worthy example for his heirs and gained great authority for the Rurik dynasty; it was because of Oleg’s actions that this dynasty ruled in Rus' for more than 700 years.

The Old Russian state is the cradle European culture. It was thanks to him that the Eastern Slavs became famous throughout the world and wrote their names down through the centuries. This state was founded by immigrants from Scandinavia. They brought modern Ukrainians, northern culture, laws and example to the land government structure. Such assimilation was not in vain; already at the end of the 9th and beginning of the 10th centuries, the Old Russian state was comparable to the descendant of the great Roman Empire - Byzantium.

The Old Russian state and its princes

The process of evolution, unprecedented for those times, was caused by the activities ancient Russian princes who tried with all their might to raise their country to new level. Some things worked, some didn’t. Today we can say with confidence that, thanks to the activities of the very first princes from the Rurik family, the foundation was laid for the further “conquest” of a place in the sun. It should be noted that the domestic and foreign policies of the first princes were carried out in an atmosphere of constant civil strife with other Slavic tribes and raids by nomadic tribes. We can talk about the activities of the princes for a very long time, but from among them we should single out the wisest and most successful in terms of political confrontation.

Who is Prince Oleg?

The most interesting and no less mysterious person in all history is the first Grand Duke Oleg. Almost no reliable information about him has survived. The historical image of this prince is based on the "Tale of Bygone Years" and the "Novgorod Chronicle", as well as on stories about his legendary deeds, through which domestic and foreign policy was carried out. Oleg can be compared to the great leader of the Huns, Attila, since his whole life was also covered in secrets.

Origin of Oleg

Today, two main theories of Oleg’s origin are known. Each of them is presented in two famous chronicles: “Novgorod” and “The Tale of Bygone Years”. However, from the entire array of information that is given in these ancient writings, we can single out the most rational grain, which tells us at least a little about the appearance of Oleg on the stage of the historical theater of the Old Russian state.

Oleg's domestic and foreign policies were largely determined by his alleged origin. According to chronicles, Oleg came to the Old Russian land together with Rurik. After death last Oleg began reigning as regent for his underage son Rurik. Modern scientists still have not learned why the future prince, unknown to anyone, had such high position. There are also two legends here. The first says that Oleg was a relative of Rurik, and the second talks about his high position next to the Scandinavian leader as a military leader. One way or another, in 882 the reign of the Grand Duke begins.

Oleg's domestic and foreign policy

Having come to power, the prince begins to conquer all the tribes that showed resistance or disobedience. At that time, Oleg was the prince of Novgorod, and not of Kyiv, since Askold and Dir sat in the latter. After just a few years of continuous war, the prince was able to conquer many Slavic tribes, namely: Slovenes, Ves, Chud, Meryu and Krivichi. Together with the warriors of the conquered tribes and Varangians Grand Duke Oleg began moving down the Dnieper. In this campaign he was able to capture cities such as Smolensk and Lyubech.

After these events, nothing stopped him from going to Kyiv. However, the prince did not take the city by siege and did not use other military techniques. Oleg used a trick. He summoned Askold and Dir to a meeting outside the city walls. On it, the prince presented the true heir of Rurik - Igor, and then killed the Kyiv princes. This ended their reign in the city on the Dnieper. Why the Novgorod prince did exactly this, no one knows.

From that time on, Oleg united Northern and Eastern Rus', creating the Old Russian state, or Kievan Rus, as it is commonly called. The domestic and foreign policies of Prince Oleg were based on achieving the most positive result for Rus'. At the same time, he took the most “bold,” so to speak, steps from a political point of view.

Byzantine campaigns

The main directions of Prince Oleg's domestic and foreign policy were also determined by the prince's personal considerations regarding the progressive role of Kievan Rus. The biggest contribution to domestic politics was made at the end of the 9th century, when Oleg united Novgorod and Kyiv into one state. Subsequent events indicate the prince's intentions to equate the country with the progressive states of that time.

Rus''s maritime neighbor at that time was the rich and influential country of Byzantium. Understanding the danger and at the same time the attractiveness of such an enemy, Oleg decides to start a war with this state. The first campaign took place in 907. According to legends, he was one of the most popular and greatest. Then the myth of the invincibility and omnipotence of Byzantium was completely destroyed. When the Grand Duke of Novgorod and Kiev nailed his shield to the gates of Constantinople, it marked the beginning of a new era. As for politics, for Kievan Rus the victory over Byzantium was a real breakthrough. According to an agreement concluded by Oleg in 907, a wealthy neighbor Slavic state obliged to pay him tribute. Moreover, duty-free trade was established for both sides. From that moment on, Byzantium never ceased to fear and respect Kievan Rus.

In 911, the prince no longer sent an army, but ambassadors to extend the peace and conclude a new treaty. It had even more positive aspects for ancient Russian traders and the Russian state as a whole.

So, we saw that the domestic and foreign policies of Prince Oleg are inscribed in history with the help of legendary deeds. The Grand Duke laid the foundation new era by combining war and politics. It was thanks to the first ruler of Kyiv that the foundation was laid further actions ancient Russian princes. Thus, Oleg’s domestic and foreign policies helped him perpetuate his name, as well as build the great and glorious state of Kievan Rus.

TERMS

Anti-Norman theory(M. Lomonosov, B. A. Rybakov), according to which the state was formed in 882.

beekeeping- collecting wild honey.

Grand Duke- head of the Grand Duchy of Rus' in the 10th-15th centuries, the Russian state in the 15th - mid-16th centuries.

Veche- national assembly in Rus' in the 10th-14th centuries. It resolved issues of war and peace, summoned and expelled princes, adopted laws, and concluded treaties with other states.

Byzantium- a state that arose in the 4th century in the eastern part of the Eastern Empire as a result of its collapse. It existed until the 15th century. The capital was Constantinople, in Rus' it was called Constantinople. IN 1453 Byzantium captured Ottoman Empire, the capital was renamed Istanbul.

Military democracy- a social structure in which a military nobility (prince and squad) is distinguished, concentrating significant material values ​​and political power in their hands.

Ancient Rus'- the first name of the state in the 11th-13th centuries.

Druzhina-armed detachments under the prince, participating in wars, managing the principality and the prince’s personal household.

Smoke - yard taxation unit.

Purchases- peasants who took a loan (“kupa”) from landowners with livestock, grain, and tools and were forced to work off the debt.

Prince– at first it was the leader of the tribe, the head of the squad. With the development of feudal society - the head of the principality. The eldest was called great, the rest - appanage.

Chronicles- historical chronicles in the 11th-18th centuries. Recording events by year.

quitrent- annual collection of tribute - money, food, handicrafts - from peasants.

Verv-peace- community.

Shift farming- a method of cultivating land in which bushes were cut down and burned, and fertilizer was used for 5-7 years.

Slash-and-burn agriculture- forests were uprooted and burned. This fertilizer was enough for up to 15-3-20 years.

Polyudye- the prince and his retinue travel around all their lands to collect tribute.

The path “from the Varangians to the Greeks”- waterway, connecting Northern Rus' with the South. Walked from the Varangian (Baltic) Sea along the Neva, Lake Ladoga, the Volkhov River, Ilmen Lake, the Lovat River, then dragged to the Dnieper River, along it to the Black Sea, then along sea ​​coast to Byzantium.

Early feudal monarchy- a state of transition from a primitive communal system to a feudal one. In the 8th-11th centuries. the process of formation took place in Rus' feudal relations while preserving elements of the primitive communal system (veche, blood feud, paganism, tribal customs).

Ryadovichi- smerds (peasants) who entered into an agreement (series) with landowners on the conditions of working for him or using his land or tools.

Smerda- free community peasants who had their own farm and arable land.

Destiny- the share of a member of the princely family in the ancestral domain.

Feudalism- a stage of human development that replaced the primitive communal system. Under feudalism, the land belonged to feudal lords - large landowners (“feud” - land), who transferred rights by inheritance. The peasants had their own farm, family, fed themselves, and bore duties. The feudal lord appropriated the labor of the peasants in the form of feudal rent.

Feudal rent- payment for the use of the land of feudal lords in the form of labor (corvee labor), natural food dues or cash dues.

Khazars- nomads, Turkic-speaking people. State- Khazar Khaganate, capital is Itil. Svyatoslav finally defeated them in 965.

Serfs- feudal-dependent population, according to legal status close to slaves. The sources of the formation of this class: captivity, sale for debts, marriage with a serf or servant, etc.

Centrist theory- the state of Rus' was formed as a result of internal pan-Slavic development, but with the participation of the Varangians (A.L. Yurganov, L.A. Kovtsa and most modern historians).

Servants- in the 9th-12th centuries - slaves, later - wide circle feudal-dependent people.

The period of formation of the Old Russian state begins with the reign of the Norman prince Rurik. His descendants sought to annex new territories to their principalities and establish trade and allied relations with Byzantium and other countries.

Domestic and foreign policy of the ancient Kyiv Princes

Management system of ancient Russian lands

The territory of Kievan Rus has undergone repeated changes over the more than 3-century history of the existence of the state. According to Nestor, the Eastern Slavs numbered 10-15 tribes (Polyans, Drevlyans, Ilmen Slovenes, etc.), settled over a large area. However, it is unlikely that the land of the Vyatichi, with whom the Kyiv princes regularly fought until the end of the 11th century, can be attributed to Kievan Rus. And in XII-XIII centuries feudal fragmentation led to the fact that some of the Russian principalities were captured by the Lithuanians and Poles (Polotsk, Minsk, etc.).

Over the course of 3 centuries, not only the territory changed, but also regional governance, as they would say now. Initially, the tribes governed themselves. In the 9th century, Oleg, regent for the Novgorod prince, conquered Kyiv, thereby establishing centralized power. Subsequently, he and his followers on the Kiev princely throne imposed tribute on several neighboring tribes. Management of territories in the 9th-10th centuries consisted of collecting tribute and was carried out in the form of polyudya - the prince and his retinue traveled to cities and villages and collected tribute. In addition, the prince led the defense of the land from common external enemies, and could also organize a military campaign (most often in the direction of Byzantium).

Since there was enough land in Kievan Rus, and it would have been difficult for one prince to lead such a vast territory, the great princes practiced distributing inheritances to their warriors. First, with a return as payment for military affairs, and then into hereditary possession. In addition, the great princes had many children. As a result, in XI-XII centuries The Kiev dynasty ousted the tribal princes from their ancestral principalities.

At the same time, the land in the principalities began to belong to the prince himself, the boyars, and the monasteries. The exception was the Pskov-Novgorod land, which at that time still had a feudal republic.
To manage their plots, princes and boyars - large landowners - divided the territory into hundreds, fives, ryads, and districts. However, there was no clear definition of these territorial units.

Often there were no clearly defined boundaries of these units. The management of the city was carried out by mayors and thousanders, at a lower level these were centurions, tens, governors, elders, depending on the traditions of a particular land. At the same time, if candidates for higher positions were more often appointed, then for lower positions they were elected. Even to collect tribute, the peasants chose “good people.”

People's Assembly Eastern Slavs was called a veche.

1. Olesya

   A very detailed and historically accurate table. This period ancient Russian history Usually it is best remembered by both schoolchildren and students. The whole point is that the reign of ancient Russian princes is certainly associated with various myths, chronicle fables and unusual stories. My favorite stage of development ancient Russian state the period of reign of Yaroslav the Wise remains. If there were more such rulers in Russia, the country would not have to regularly experience dynastic crises and popular uprisings.

2. Irina

   Olesya, I completely agree with you about Yaroslav the Wise. By the way, it is interesting that initially he had no desire to become the head of state: circumstances pushed him to do so. However, the period of his reign became a time of stability and prosperity for Rus'. So after this you say that personality does not make history: it does, and how! If it were not for Yaroslav, Rus' would not have received rest from strife and would not have had in the 11th century. "Russian Truth". He managed to establish and international situation. A talented statesman! We wish there were more of these in our time.

3. Lana

   The table shows only individual Russian princes, therefore it cannot be considered complete; if we consider everything in detail, we can count more than 20 princes who were related and controlled their own destinies.

4. Irina

   The table is useful, but incomplete. In my opinion, it would be better to highlight the features of the foreign and domestic policies of the princes. Attention is paid more to changes and innovations, rather than character traits reign period.

5. Angelina

   There is very little information about the domestic and foreign policies of rulers! It would be much more informative to present the main achievements of the princes in the form of a single table - the information is a little scattered - you can get confused. I don’t see the point in the first table at all. There is little information at all about some rulers. For example, Vladimir the Great carried out a number of important reforms that are not mentioned in the tables at all.

6. Igor

   Vladimir Monomakh succeeded in a short time of his reign to unite more than half of the lands of Rus', which disintegrated after the Yaroslavich triumvirate. Vladimir Monomakh improved the legislative system. For a short time, his son Mstislav managed to maintain the unity of the country.

7. Olga

   Nothing is said about the important reforms of Vladimir the Great. In addition to the baptism of Rus', he carried out administrative and military reform– this helped strengthen the borders and strengthen the unity of the state’s territories.

8. Anna

   It is worth noting the features of the rulers of the period of formation and heyday of Rus'. If at the stage of formation these were strong warriors, an example of courage, then at the stage of prosperity they were politicians and diplomats who practically did not even participate in campaigns. This concerns, first of all, Yaroslav the Wise.

9. Vyacheslav

   In the comments, many approve and admire the personality of Yaroslav the Wise and claim that Yaroslav saved Rus' from strife and strife. I completely disagree with this position of commentators in relation to the personality of Yaroslav the Wise. There is a Scandinavian saga about Edmund. This saga tells that a squad of Scandinavians was hired by Yaroslav to fight his brother Boris. By order of Yaroslav, the Scandinavians send assassins to his brother Boris and kill him (Prince Boris, who was, was later recognized as a saint with his brother Gleb). Also, according to the Tale of Bygone Years, in 1014 Yaroslav rebelled against his father Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko (the baptist of Rus') and hired the Varangians to fight him, wanting to rule Veliky Novgorod on his own. The Varangians, while in Novgorod, robbed the population and committed violence against the inhabitants, which led to an uprising against Yaroslav. After the death of his brothers Boris, Gleb and Svyatopolk, Yaroslav took the Kiev throne and fought with his brother Mstislav of Tmutorokansky, nicknamed the Brave. Until 1036 (year of Mstislav's death) Russian state was divided between Yaroslav and Mstislav into two political associations independent of each other. Until Mstislav's death, Yaroslav preferred to live in Novgorod rather than in the capital Kyiv. Yaroslav also began paying tribute to the Varangians in the amount of 300 hryvnia. He introduced a rather heavy fine in favor of the bishop for non-compliance with Christian rules. This is despite the fact that 90% of the population were pagans or dual-religionists. He sent his son Vladimir along with the Varangian Harold on a predatory campaign against Orthodox Byzantium. The army was defeated and most of the soldiers died in battle from the use of Greek fire. During his reign, nomadic tribes cut off the Tmutarakan principality from Kyiv and as a result of this, it came under the influence of neighboring states. He transferred the original Russian lands around Ladoga to the relatives of the Swedish king Olaf Shetkonung for hereditary possession. Then these lands became known as Ingria. The Russian Pravda code of laws reflects the enslavement of the population, which actively occurred during the reign of Yaroslav, as well as uprisings and resistance to his power. In the course of recent studies of the Russian Chronicles, in the description of the reign of Yaroslav the Wise there is a large number of changes and insertions into the original text of the chronicle made, most likely at his direction. Yaroslav distorted the chronicles, killed his brothers, started civil strife with his brothers and declared war on his father, being essentially a separatist, but he is praised in the chronicles and the church recognized him as a believer. Maybe that's why Yaroslav was nicknamed the Wise?