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 to this day princes of ancient Rus' is Prince Oleg the Prophet. 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 an agreement 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 everything 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 Khazar Khaganate. 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 next few years would lead to the fact that both Bulgaria and Serbia 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.
Oleg of Novgorod usually begins to be credited with the formation of the ancient Russian power. 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 personality. 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 the Kiev prince ordered wheels to be attached 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.
Prophetic Oleg is a legendary ancient Russian governor.
Prince of Novgorod (879-882)
Prince of Kyiv (882-912)
He received the nickname Prophetic (that is, one who knows the future) upon his return from the campaign against Byzantium in 907. He “refuses to accept poisoned food from the defeated Greeks (this is the gift of the seer, the “Prophetic One”) and nails a shield to the gates of Constantinople, “showing victory.”
The very name “Oleg” is of Scandinavian origin (“Angel”).
Prince Oleg the Prophet
There are two versions about the origin of Oleg: some fragments with 
confusion in the chronology according to the First Novgorod Chronicle and the traditional one, set out in the “Tale of Bygone Years”, according to which Oleg is a relative of Rurik (brother of his wife Efanda, guardian of a minor). After the death of Rurik in 879, Oleg received rule of the principality, since Igor was still small. For three years, Oleg remains in Novgorod and, after improving his situation, he and his squad go south along the Volkhov-Dnepr river line. Conquering cities along the way and capturing Kyiv by cunning, Oleg established himself here. Unites two main centers Eastern Slavs(northern and southern) to the center of the united state, declaring: “Let Kyiv be the mother of Russian cities.” According to the chronicle it was Kyiv Prince Prophetic Oleg became the creator of the Old Russian state (Kievan Rus) and is traditionally dated to 882.
Kyiv Prince Prophetic Oleg
Over the next 25 years, Oleg expands his power. He subjugated the Radimichi, the Drevlyans and the Northerners to Kyiv, and destroyed the dependence on the Khazars. According to legend, Oleg told them: “I am their enemy, but I have no enmity with you. Don’t give to the Khazars, but pay me.” Having strengthened his influence by imposing tribute and protecting the borders from attacks by his nomadic neighbors, in 907 Oleg went to Byzantium on a military campaign to Constantinople. There is not a single mention of the campaign by Byzantine authors, but some modern historians consider it legendary.
According to the Tale of Bygone Years, two thousand rooks, each with forty warriors, took part in the campaign. The Byzantine king blocked the road to the city - he closed the gates and blocked the harbor with chains, but Oleg launched an assault in a different way: “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.” Frightened, the Greeks offered Oleg peace and tribute, and as a sign of victory, Oleg nailed his shield to the gates of Constantinople. The main result of the campaign was the conclusion of an agreement that ensured duty-free trade for Russian merchants. According to the agreement Oleg 
for each rowlock he received 12 hryvnia and, in addition, Constantinople undertook to pay tribute to Russian cities. In 911-912, Oleg sent his ambassadors to Constantinople to approve the agreement between the Greeks and Russia, but the mention of duty-free trade disappeared from the agreement. In this agreement, Oleg is called the “Grand Duke of Russia.” The authenticity of the agreement is confirmed linguistic analysis and there is no doubt.
In the same year, 912, Oleg dies. There are several conflicting versions of the circumstances surrounding the death of Prophetic Oleg, but everywhere there is a legend about death from a snake bite. According to the legends of the Tale of Bygone Years, the Magi predicted Oleg’s death from his beloved horse. He ordered the horse to be taken away and after four years, remembering, he laughed about the prediction. Deciding to look at the bones of the horse, he stepped on the skull with his foot and said: “Should I be afraid of him?” But a poisonous snake lived in the skull, which bit Oleg.
In the Icelandic saga of Orvar Odd (13th century), the hero receives a prediction from the soothsayer he insulted and kills his horse. Already an old man, he stumbles over the skull of a horse, hits him with a spear, and a snake crawls out and stings Odd.
According to one chronicle version (which served as the plot for Pushkin’s poem “The Song of the Prophetic Oleg”), Oleg died in Kyiv, according to another - in the north and was buried in Ladoga, according to the third - overseas.
After Oleg's death, the process of the subsequent creation of the Rurikovich state became irreversible. It is difficult to overestimate his merits in this.
Great son of the Russian land - Prince Oleg the Prophet- a pagan and a great warrior-priest managed to rise above his own religious limitations in the name of the development of culture, enlightenment and the great future of the peoples of Russia, which became inevitable after they acquired one of their main treasures - Slavic writing and the Russian alphabet.
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 of Ancient Rus' was 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 booty.
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.
The exact date of birth of Prince Oleg is not known. Oleg began to reign in Novgorod in 879. After this, he was able to kill the rulers of Kyiv, Dir and Askold. And from 892 he already ruled Kiev with full rights. Since he reigned in Kyiv, he accordingly moved the capital there. Some chroniclers believe that it was from that time that the formation of the Old Russian state began.
Russian Prince Prophetic Oleg was the permanent leader of the campaigns. One of the most fateful was his campaign against Byzantium. Since then, he received his nickname “Prophetic”, which meant “seeing the future.”
Death of Prince Oleg from a horse (snake).
The prince died in 912. Legend has it that the Magi predicted that Prince Oleg would die from his own horse. The horse was taken away by order of the prince. Four years later, Oleg remembered the prediction, laughed at it and wanted to check the remains of the horse. Oleg stood with his foot on the horse’s skull and said the phrase “Should I be afraid of him?” However, there was a poisonous snake in the horse’s skull, which inflicted a fatal bite on the prince.
The reign of Prince Oleg.
Foreign policy of Prince Oleg. March on Byzantium.
Thanks to his strength, Prince Oleg was able to annex such tribes as the Northerners, Drevlyans, Krivichi, Polyans, and Radimichi to his lands (Kievan Rus). All these peoples, before joining Kievan Rus, paid tribute to the Khazars.
In 907, the legendary campaign against Byzantium took place, which acquired new turn in foreign policy Prince Oleg. Equipped with decent weapons for those times, Oleg set out to capture Byzantium. The Emperor of Byzantium could not resist the army prophetic Oleg and allowed him to sack Constantinople.
Oleg went on a campaign on ships, but being a seer, he ordered wheels to be screwed to the ships. Thanks to this, he was able to easily penetrate the capital of Byzantium by land and with flying sails. After the capture of Byzantium, Oleg ordered tribute to be paid for each of his warriors and for all Russian cities. The Greeks had to agree. He also demanded free trade for Russian merchants, that is, without duty obligations.
Domestic policy of Prince Oleg.
Since Prince Oleg was distinguished by his aggressive activities and during his reign many cities were conquered, his goal was to strengthen these new borders. Defensive fortresses were built.
The prince's internal policy was mainly aimed at collecting constant taxes from the tribes he captured. He regularly traveled around his estate and collected tribute.