What is Prince Oleg famous for? The story of the prophetic Oleg, prince of Kievan Rus

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 other Slavic tribes. The whole route was under the protectorate of Kyiv "from the Varangians to the Greeks" and its branches to the Desna and Western Dvina. 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 named for the first time "Grand Duke of Russia".

Preparing for the hike. Prince Oleg wanted to establish his control along the entire trade route "from the Varangians to the Greeks" and sought to establish himself in the south. In the second half of the 9th century, a Scandinavian village arose on the Middle Dnieper, now known as Gnezdovo. It became a support base for newcomers from the north on their way to Kyiv. Prince Oleg remained in Novgorod for three years, preparing a campaign of conquest. In 882, having gathered a huge army, he went to the “Dnieper countries.”

Prince Oleg - biography

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

From two chronicles:

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

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

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

What does the Novgorod First Chronicle say about Oleg?

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

The two chronicles depict events in completely different ways.

Which chronicle should we believe?

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

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

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

The reign of Prince Oleg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prince Oleg's campaign against Byzantium

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

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

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

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

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

Death of Prince Oleg

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

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

Results of the reign of Prince Oleg

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

Domestic policy of Prince Oleg

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

Foreign policy of Prince Oleg

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

The bird is red in plumage, but the man is in skill.

Russian folk proverb

In 882, Prince Oleg the Prophet captured Kyiv, killing its princes Askold and Dir by cunning. Immediately after entering Kyiv, he uttered his famous words that from now on Kyiv was destined to be the mother of Russian cities. Prince Oleg did not say these words by chance. He was very pleased with how well the place was chosen for the construction of the city. The gentle banks of the Dnieper were practically impregnable, which allowed us to hope that the city would be reliable protection for its inhabitants.

The presence of a barrier from the water border of the city was very relevant, since it was along this part of the Dnieper that the famous trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks passed. This path also represented a journey through large Russian rivers. It originated in the Gulf of Finland of the Baikal Sea, which at that time was called Varyazhsky. Then the path went across the Neva River to Lake Ladoga. The path from the Varangians to the Greeks continued at the mouth of the Volkhov River to Lake Ilni. From there he traveled through small rivers to the sources of the Dnieper, and from there he passed all the way to the Black Sea. In this way, starting in the Varangian Sea and ending in the Black Sea, the trade route known to this day passed.

Foreign policy of the prophetic Oleg

Prince Oleg the Prophet, after the capture of Kyiv, decided to continue expanding the territory of the state by including new territories that were inhabited by peoples who had paid tribute to the Khazars since ancient times. As a result, the following tribes became part of Kievan Rus:

• Radimichi
• clearing
• Slovenia
• northerners
• Krivichi
• Drevlyans.

In addition, Prince Oleg the Prophet imposed his influence on other neighboring tribes: the Dregovichi, Ulichs and Tiverts. At the same time, Ugric tribes, displaced from the territory of the Urals by the Polovtsians, approached Kyiv. The chronicles do not contain information about whether these tribes passed through Kievan Rus in peace or were knocked out of it. But what can be said for certain is that Rus' put up with their presence near Kyiv for a long time. This place near Kyiv is still called Ugorsky. These tribes later crossed the Dnieper River, captured nearby lands (Moldova and Bessarabia) and went deep into Europe, where they founded the Hungarian state.

New campaign against Byzantium

The year 907 will be marked by a new turn in Russian foreign policy. Anticipating great booty, the Russians go to war against Byzantium. Thus, Prince Oleg the prophetic becomes the second Russian prince to declare war on Byzantium, after Askold and Dir. Oleg's army included almost 2000 ships with 40 soldiers on each. They were accompanied by cavalry along the shore. The Byzantine emperor allowed the Russian army to freely plunder the nearby environs of Constantinople. The entrance to the city’s bay, called Golden Horn Bay, was blocked with chains. Chronicles Nestor describes the unprecedented cruelty of the Russian army, with which they ravaged the environs of the Byzantine capital. But even with this they could not threaten Constantinople. Oleg’s cunning came to the rescue, and he ordered equip all ships with wheels. Further along the land, with a fair wind, set sail in full sail to the capital of Byzantium. And so they did. The threat of defeat loomed over Byzantium, and the Greeks, realizing the grief of the danger hanging over them, decided to make peace with the enemy. The Kiev prince demanded that the losers pay 12 (twelve) hryvnias for each warrior, to which the Greeks agreed. As a result, on September 2, 911 (according to the chronicles of Nestor), a written peace treaty was drawn up between Kievan Rus and the Byzantine Empire. Prince Oleg achieved the payment of tribute to the Russian cities of Kyiv and Chernigov, as well as the right to duty-free trade for Russian merchants.

Modern history is silent about the true year when the future ruler Oleg could have been born; all that is known is that after the death of Rurik, around 879, Oleg took over the rule and all responsibility from the previous ruler, his comrade and friend. Prince Oleg was a brilliant man for that time, he coped wonderfully with military duties, was a good father, led a strategic policy, had great ingenuity and was a talented diplomat. During his reign, he multiplied the number of land holdings, established many contacts with other states, subjugated other peoples and nations, proudly dealt with enemies, and also taught his follower Igor all this.
At the beginning of his reign, Oleg was the prince of the Novgorod lands, and later conquered the Dniepropetrovsk lands. He captured Smolensk with lightning speed, and later the city of Lyubech. He also set himself the goal of conquering the Principality of Kyiv, like many rulers at that time, and trade routes to Eastern Byzantium, in order to ensure for himself absolute power and a guarantee of the centralization of Rus'. The goal was outlined, Oleg began to implement it in 882, when he gathered an army and captured Kyiv. Prince Oleg, with the support of his squad, easily dealt with the previous rulers of Kyiv - Askold and Dir, subjugating all the people in Kyiv, and the Pechenegs to boot. And later Oleg began to forcibly subjugate other peoples. Under him, there was a massive annexation of Eastern Slavs from all regions and parties.
Subsequently, Grand Duke Oleg created a unified state, which he called the Grand Duchy of Kiev. It included the north and south of Rus', the Novgorod lands and the Kyiv lands. New cities and regions began to appear. It is known that they were governed by local mayors with their squads, and they independently controlled the collection of tribute in the territories and were responsible for the city according to certain criteria.
In 907, Oleg made a massive campaign to Constantinople, where he massively plundered material assets on the outskirts of the city. Residents of Constantinople simply locked themselves inside, afraid to confront Oleg’s troops. According to Nestor's chronicles, Oleg's troops were so brutal that the Greeks soon simply asked for a peace agreement. An agreement was concluded and a tribute was imposed in the form of 12 hryvnia in silver per person. In addition, trade relations emerged between the centralized state and Byzantium; merchants and clergy regularly came to Kyiv. There was propaganda of Christianity throughout Rus', but the prince himself did not accept this faith.
The Magi predicted Oleg's death from his beloved horse. In 912, ruler Oleg died, according to legend, from the poison of a snake that was in the skull of his horse, when the prince came to look at him. But this is a legend; there is no true information today. Based on this legend, wonderful ballads by A.S. were written. Pushkin and N.M. Yazykova.
According to the old chronicle of Nestor, it is known that the people loved Prince Oleg so much that they could hardly bear his departure, everyone shed tears. According to historical reports, the location of the prince’s grave is inaccurate; according to some sources, it is located somewhere in Kyiv, and according to other sources, it is completely far away from Kyiv. Oleg's reign lasted thirty-three years. He was very smart and planned his steps in advance, for which he received the nickname Oleg the Prophetic. Oleg was a very competent strategist and governor; he sought to strengthen external relations, and at the same time regulated internal ones through the unification of different people. The main merit of this prince is considered to be the mass unification of the Slavic people and the centralization of the state.

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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 omnipotent ruler 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 the tribal unions of the Polyans, Drevlyans and Northerners who lived on the territory of modern Ukraine, 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 to his power the populous Slavic tribes of the 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. This was hardly a big relief for the local population.

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 the works of art dedicated to this historical character are the following:

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:

Since the end of 2014, the largest number of requests for “Prophetic Oleg” was registered in November 2015 – 198,524 requests per month.