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

During the reign of Prince Oleg, Novgorod and Kiev principalities united into a single state. The ancient Russian state gradually gained power. Prince Oleg, in one way or another, managed to extend his power to the Krivichi, Drevlyans, Northerners, Radimichi, Tivertsy and other Slavic tribes. Under the protectorate of Kyiv was all the way "from the Varangians to the Greeks" and its branches to the Desna and Zapadnaya Dvina. Prince Oleg was the first to strike at the might of the Khazar Khaganate. He successfully fought with the Viuantian Empire. In 907, he concluded with the Greeks an agreement on peace and trade that was beneficial for Rus', which was later confirmed in 912. In the text of the document, Oleg is first named "Grand Duke of Russia".

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

Prince Oleg - biography

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

From two chronicles:

• The Tale of Bygone Years
• Novgorod First Chronicle.

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

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

And 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 "beyond the sea" and died there.

The two chronicles depict events in completely different ways.

Which chronicle to believe?

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

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

And what are historians to 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

Prince Oleg is presented according to the Tale of Bygone Years as a skilled commander and prudent politician. For the first time in this chronicle, he was reported in 879 in connection with the death of Rurik. The reign passed to him as a "relative" of Rurik and guardian of Igor, his young son. Thus, Oleg ruled in 879-882. in the East Slavic North among the Ilmen Slovenes, Krivichi and the surrounding Finno-Ugric peoples (tribes Vesi, Meri, Chudi).

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, then the path lay on Kyiv. Rurik's former combatants Askold and Dir ruled in Kyiv. 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 Igor prince, come to your family and to us.” Askold and Dir came ... Oleg, hid some soldiers in the boats, and left the others behind him, and he went ahead, and carried the young prince Igor in his arms, and announced to them: “You are not princes and not a princely family, but I am a princely family ".

Showing them the heir of Rurik, the young Igor, Oleg said: "And he is the son of Rurik." And they killed Askold and Dir.

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

Thus, in 882, Prince Oleg of Kiev united under his rule the two main centers for the formation of statehood among the East Slavic tribes: the Kiev region (“Kuyaba” - 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 a 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 - 882-912. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, after the death of Oleg from a snakebite, Rurik's son Igor (912-945) becomes Prince of Kyiv.

Having reigned in Kyiv, Oleg set a tribute to the Varangians in 300 hryvnias for Novgorod.

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, glades, Radimichi, many peoples had previously been dependent on the Khazars and paid tribute to them.

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 the Varangians and warriors of Slavic and non-Slavic peoples subject to Rus'.

Access to enemy ships in the harbor of Constantinople, the Greeks blocked the 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 an innumerable armada overland to the walls of the Byzantine capital. The Greeks were frightened and asked for peace. Prince Oleg demanded a large tribute - 12 hryvnias for each warrior. As a sign of victory, he hung his shield on the gates of Constantinople. Prince Oleg after this campaign was nicknamed the Prophetic.

However, not all researchers are sure that there was such a campaign at all.

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

But there are serious arguments in favor of the opinion that the campaign was legendary, since only Russian sources speak of 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 described by Byzantine authors often and colorfully. This is how the attacks of Rus' in 860 and 941 were described. And about this campaign and the capture of Tsargrad - not a word.

Death of Prince Oleg

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

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

The results of the reign of Prince Oleg

Let us sum up the results of the reign of the first head of the Old Russian state.

Domestic policy of Prince Oleg

Scientists associate significant events of ancient Russian history with the reign of Oleg 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, Northerners, Drevlyans, Vyatichi, Radimichi, Ulichi and Tivertsy were recognized as the supreme ruler of Oleg. Through his governors and local princes, he managed to lay the foundations for the state administration of the young country. Annual detours of the population (Polyudye) laid the foundation for the judicial and tax systems.

The 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 Khaganate. At the borders of Oleg's state in 898, Hungarians appeared, 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 Tsargrad (Constantinople) was crowned with a brilliant victory. In 909, Rus' and the Byzantine Empire signed a military treaty of alliance. But the trade agreement of 911 was especially successful, according to which Russian merchants received the unique right for that time of duty-free trade with Byzantium, and, if necessary, full provision of food and ship craftsmen to repair their boats.

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

Russian folk proverb

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

The presence of a barrier from the side of 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 itself as a journey through the major Russian rivers. It originated in the Gulf of Finland of the Baikal Sea, which at that time was called Varangian. Further, the path went across the Neva River to Lake Ladoga. The path from the Varangians to the Greeks continued by the mouth of the Volkhov River to Lake Ilnya. From there, he traveled by small rivers to the sources of the Dnieper, and from there he already passed to the Black Sea itself. In this way, starting in the Varangian Sea and ending in the Black Sea, the trade route known so far passed.

The 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 in it, which 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, the Ulichi and the Tivertsy. At the same time, Ugric tribes, ousted from the territory of the Urals by the Polovtsy, approached Kyiv. The annals did not contain data on whether these tribes passed in peace through Kievan Rus, or were knocked out of it. But it can be said for certain that in Rus' they put up with their stay near Kyiv for a long time. To this day, this place near Kyiv is called Ugorsky. These tribes later crossed the Dnieper River, captured the nearby lands (Moldavia and Bessarabia) and went deep into Europe, where they established the Hungarian state.

New campaign against Byzantium

The year 907 will be marked by a new turn in the foreign policy of Rus'. Anticipating a big 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 2,000 ships of 40 soldiers each. They were accompanied by cavalry. The Byzantine emperor allowed the Russian army to freely plunder the nearby environs of Constantinople. The entrance to the bay of the city, called the Bay of the Golden Horn, was blocked by 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, who ordered equip all ships with wheels. Further along the land, with a fair wind, in full sail to go to the capital of Byzantium. So they did. The threat of defeat loomed over Byzantium, and the Greeks, realizing all the bitterness of the danger looming 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 of duty-free trade for Russian merchants.

Modern history is silent about the true year when the future ruler Oleg could be born, it is only known that after the death of Rurik, around 879, Oleg took over the reign and all responsibility from the previous ruler, his comrade and friend. Prince Oleg was a man of genius for that time, he wonderfully coped 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 cracked down on enemies, and also taught this to his follower Igor.
At the beginning of his reign, Oleg was the prince of the Novgorod lands, and later he conquered the Dnepropetrovsk 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 secure omnipotence and guarantee the centralization of Rus'. The goal was outlined, Oleg began to implement it in 882, when, having gathered an army, he captured Kyiv. With the support of his squad, Prince Oleg 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 completely began to forcefully subdue other peoples. Under him, there was a mass accession of the Eastern Slavs of all regions and parties.
Later, Grand Duke Oleg created a single 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 controlled by local posadniks with their retinue, 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 robbed himself of material values ​​​​on the outskirts of the city. The inhabitants of Constantinople simply shut themselves inside, afraid to confront Oleg's troops. According to the annals of Nestor, Oleg's troops were so cruel that the Greeks soon simply asked for a peace agreement. An agreement was concluded and the imposition of tribute in the form of 12 hryvnias in silver per person. In addition, trade relations appeared between the centralized state and Byzantium, merchants and clergymen regularly came to Kyiv. Christianity was propagated throughout Rus', but the prince himself did not accept this faith.
The Magi predicted Oleg's death from his beloved horse. In 912, the 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. Pushkin and N.M. Yazykov.
According to the old chronicle of Nestor, it is known that the people loved Prince Oleg so much that they could hardly endure his departure, everyone shed tears. According to historical reports, the location of the grave of the prince is inaccurate, according to some sources, it is located somewhere in Kyiv, and according to other sources, it is far away from Kyiv. Oleg's reign lasted thirty-three years. He was very smart and calculated his steps in advance, for which he received the nickname Oleg the Prophetic. Oleg was a very competent strategist, governor, he sought to strengthen external relations, and at the same time regulated internal ones by uniting 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 rightly 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 indisputable, since Prince Oleg became the first sovereign of the Dnieper lands, whose existence is documented. Unlike the semi-mythical Kyi, 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 his reforms 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 subdue the tribal unions of 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 Khazar Khaganate, wresting the East Slavic lands from his dependence, which seriously undermined the strength of the steppe superpower. Kyiv, after Oleg, turned from a suburban town located on the westernmost outskirts of the Khozar Khaganate into the capital of a new Slavic state.

4. He managed to establish a certain order in all the lands under his control. Of course, it was based solely on the tribute collection system, 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 in her possessions, approached the gates of Constantinople, forced the emperor of the Romans to sign a trade agreement beneficial for Kyiv and then return unharmed along with the army.

The main merits of Prince Oleg.

Arrival in Kyiv. The Norman governor Oleg (Helg), like many of his countrymen, arrived in the Slavic lands from distant Scandinavia in search of fame and fortune. He joined the retinue of the mighty king Rurik (Rorkha), who ruled in vast possessions in the north of Rus'. After the death of Rurik in 879, Oleg, as the tutor 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. The local rulers Askold and Dir were treacherously killed by an alien from the north, pretending to be a merchant. The inhabitants of Kyiv, "... frightened by his atrocity and strong army, recognized him as their rightful 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 collection system and victory over the Khazars. Oleg wished to stay in the south, declaring: "Let Kyiv be the fabric of Russian cities!" It was from there that he now made his campaigns, and tribute flowed there from the conquered peoples. Novgorod paid Kyiv in silver (300 hryvnia annually), the Drevlyans paid in 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 of Dulebs, White Croats and Tivertsy living in Western Russian lands to his power. In his vigorous activity, the new ruler of Kiev affected the interests of the formidable ruler of the eastern steppes - the kagan of the Great Khazaria. Wars broke out between them repeatedly for the right to collect tribute from the northerners and Radimichi. Oleg was the last to say: “I am an enemy to them, but I have no enmity with you. Do not give to the Khazars, but pay me” and assigned them a completely symbolic amount of tax. After several 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. It is unlikely that this was a big relief for the local population.

Campaigns to Byzantium. In 907, a huge army of Prince Oleg set off on a campaign against the capital of the Byzantine Empire, the city of Constantinople. 2000 boats, each of which had 40 well-armed warriors, soon approached the Golden Horn Bay. The Greek emperor Leo the Philosopher could not organize any defense, he only ordered to block the harbor with a chain, leaving the Russians to ravage the city suburbs. The Kiev prince found an unusual way to come close to Constantinople: “And Oleg ordered his soldiers to make wheels and put ships on wheels. And when a favorable 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 hryvnias of silver for each warrior, and also established a separate fee, which was supposed to go to all the 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 return of the prince to Kyiv was truly triumphant, the subjects were amazed at the amount of booty they brought and in admiration they called Oleg the Prophetic, that is, the clairvoyant or sorcerer.

The Grand Duke died in 912, as befits a hero, under mysterious circumstances. There is a legend that Oleg allegedly died from his horse, as the Magi prophesied for him. An 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 hiding in the horse's skull. By the way, this plot is also found in the later Scandinavian epic, 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 - subjugated the northerners to his power.

885 - managed to take the Radimichi under his hand.

885 - he imposed tribute on the glades, northerners, drevlyans and radimichi.

907 - makes his first campaign against Byzantium.

911 - the second campaign of Prince Oleg against Byzantium.

912 - Prince Oleg dies.

“Hayde sang some mysterious song after saying this.”

“That's what it means, Odd,” she explained. - You will live longer than others - as much as three hundred years, and travel around many lands and seas, and wherever you go, your glory will grow. Your path lies far from here, but you will die in Beruryod. Standing here in the stable is a long-maned gray horse named Faxi, and this horse will cause you death.

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

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

“Now the witch’s prediction that this horse will cause me death will not be fulfilled.

Having done all this, they returned home.

... they began to hurriedly descend down the stones, and while they were walking along a narrow path, Odd hit his leg on something and stopped.

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

He began to dig 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 stung him in the leg below the ankle. And Odd's whole leg and thigh swelled from her poison.

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

“Well, now go and cut down a stone tomb for me, and let the others sit here with me and carve the runes, writing down a song that I will compose for the memory of my offspring.”

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 in social networks.

How often do Yandex users from Ukraine search for information about Veshchy Oleg?

To analyze the popularity of the "Prophetic Oleg" query, the Yandex wordstat.yandex search engine service is used, from which we can conclude: as of July 4, 2016, the number of requests per month was 5, as can be seen on the screen:

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