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

The reign of Prince Oleg in Kyiv began with the strengthening of the city walls and protective structures. The borders of Kievan Rus were also fortified with small fortresses (“outposts”), where combatants were constantly serving. In 883-885. the prince undertook several successful campaigns. The Slavic tribes who settled along the banks of the Dnieper, the Radimichi, who lived on the banks of the Dniester, the Bug, Sozh, the Drevlyans and northerners, were subordinated. By order of Oleg, cities were built in the occupied lands. The conquered tribes were obliged to pay taxes. Actually, the whole internal policy of Oleg, like other princes of that time, was reduced to the collection of taxes.

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

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

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

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 Russia 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 Russia. 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 Kyiv 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.

Prince of Novgorod
879 — 912

Oleg Veshchy - Varangian, Prince of Novgorod (since 879) and Kyiv (since 882). Often regarded as the founder of the Old Russian state.

The annals give his nickname Prophetic, that is, he who knows the future, sees the future. He was named so immediately upon his return from the 907 campaign against Byzantium.

Farewell of the Prophetic Oleg with the horse. V. Vasnetsov, 1899

In the chronicles there are two versions of Oleg's biography: the traditional one, set out in The Tale of Bygone Years, and according to the Novgorod First Chronicle, which has preserved fragments of an earlier chronicle that has not come down to us, with confusion in chronology.

According to The Tale of Bygone Years, Oleg was a relative (tribesman) of Rurik, possibly (according to the Joachim Chronicle) his brother-in-law. After the death of Rurik in 879, Oleg began to reign in Novgorod, since Igor Rurikovich was still a small child.

Capture of Kyiv

Oleg shows little Igor to Askold and Dira. Miniature from the Radziwill Chronicle (XV century).

In 882 Oleg undertook successful campaigns against Smolensk and Lyubech. After that, he went down the Dnieper to Kyiv, where the princes were the tribesmen of Rurik, the Varangians Askold and Dir. Oleg lured them to his boats and announced to them:

"You bear the princes of the princely family, but I am the princely family."

Presenting the heir of Rurik, the young Igor, Oleg killed Askold and Dir.

The Nikon Chronicle, a compilation of various sources from the 16th century, gives a more detailed account of this capture. Oleg landed part of his squad ashore, discussing a secret plan of action. He himself, having said he was sick, remained in the boat and sent a notice to Askold and Dir that he was carrying a lot of beads and jewelry, and also had an important conversation with the princes. When they climbed into the boat, it was as if the sick Oleg said: “I am Oleg the prince, and here is Ryurik Igor the prince” - and immediately killed Askold and Dir.

ILYA GLAZUNOV.Prince Oleg and Igor.

The location of Kyiv seemed to Oleg very convenient, and he moved there with a squad, announcing:

"Let Kyiv be the mother of Russian cities."

Thus, he united the northern and southern centers of the Eastern Slavs. For this reason, it is Oleg, and not Rurik, who is sometimes considered the founder of the Old Russian state.

For the next 25 years, Oleg was busy expanding his state. He subordinated to Kyiv the Drevlyans, northerners, Radimichi. The last two tribal unions were tributaries of the Khazars. According to legend, Oleg allegedly said: “I am an enemy to them, but I have no enmity with you. Don't give to the Khazars, but pay me." Then Oleg conquered the southernmost of the East Slavic tribes of the Ulich and Tivertsy.

The Tale of Bygone Years dates the appearance of the Ugrians near Kyiv in the course of their migration to the west to 898. According to the Hungarian chronicle, Prince Almos defeated an unnamed Russian prince (obviously Oleg), laid siege to him in Kyiv, and agreed to leave only after the Rus paid him a ransom of 10,000 marks in silver.

Campaign to Byzantium

Oleg's campaign in Tsargrad. Engraving by F. A. Bruni, 1839.

In 907, having equipped 2000 boats with 40 warriors each (The Tale of Bygone Years), Oleg set out on a campaign against Constantinople. The Byzantine emperor Leo VI the Philosopher ordered the gates of the city to be closed and the harbor to be fenced off with chains, thus giving the Vikings the opportunity to plunder and ravage the suburbs of Constantinople.

Tikhonovsky V.G. Prince Oleg's campaign against Constantinople in 907

However, Oleg went on an unusual assault: “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 Greeks offered Oleg peace and tribute. According to the agreement, Oleg received 12 hryvnias for each oarlock, and Byzantium promised to pay tribute to Russian cities. As a sign of victory, Oleg nailed his shield to the gates of Tsaregrad. The main result of the campaign was a trade agreement on duty-free trade of Russia in Byzantium.

Many historians consider this campaign a legend. There is not a single mention of it by Byzantine authors, who described such campaigns in 860 and 941 in sufficient detail. There are doubts about the treaty of 907, the text of which is an almost verbatim compilation of the treaties of 911 and 944. Perhaps there was still a campaign, but without the siege of Constantinople. The Tale of Bygone Years in the description of the campaign of Igor Rurikovich in 944 conveys "the words of the Byzantine king" to Prince Igor: "Do not go, but take the tribute that Oleg took, I will add more to that tribute."

In 911, Oleg sent an embassy to Constantinople, which confirmed the "long-term" peace and concluded a new treaty. Compared with the "treaty" of 907, the mention of duty-free trade disappears from it. Oleg is referred to in the contract as the "Grand Duke of Russia". There is no doubt about the authenticity of the agreement of 911: it is supported by both linguistic analysis and mention in Byzantine sources.

The Tale of Bygone Years reports that in 912 Prince Oleg died from a snake bite.

Oleg nails his shield to the gates of Constantinople. Engraving by F. A. Bruni, 1839.

Boris Olshansky. Shield on the gates of Constantinople

Novgorod version of the biography. Eastern campaigns of Oleg

In the Novgorod First Chronicle, Oleg is represented not as a prince, but as a governor under Igor. Igor also kills Askold, captures Kyiv and goes to war against Byzantium, and Oleg returns back to the north, to Ladoga, where he dies in 922.

“Olg go to Novgorod, and from there to Ladoga. Friends will say, as if I were going to him across the sea, and I would bite the serpent in the leg, and from that I would die; there is his grave in Ladoz.

This information contradicts the Russian-Byzantine treaty of 911, where Oleg is called the Grand Duke of Russia, but at the same time they are in better agreement with the eastern news about Russia of this period.

Sometime after 912, according to the Arab author Al-Masudi, a Rus fleet of 500 ships entered the Kerch Strait. The Khazar king allowed the Rus to pass through the Don to the Volga, and from there descend into the Caspian Sea. As a result, the Rus ravaged the coast of Azerbaijan. Under the terms of the agreement, they gave half of the booty to the Khazar king, but the royal guard, consisting of Muslims, demanded revenge for the death of fellow believers. The tsar could not (or did not want to) save the Rus, but sent them a warning about the danger. The battle lasted three days and ended with the victory of the Muslims. 30 thousand Russians died. The surviving 5 thousand fled up the Volga, where they were exterminated by the Burtases and Bulgars.

Viktor Vasnetsov. Oleg's meeting with the magician
The name of the Russian leader is not mentioned in the message, and the campaign is not mentioned in the Russian chronicles. Perhaps a vague allusion to him is the phrase of the Novgorod Chronicle about Oleg "others say that he went overseas ...".

Triumph of Prince Oleg

With the personality of Oleg, sometimes they try to connect a certain Russian leader H-l-g-w, who, according to the Khazar source (“Cambridge Document”), captured the Khazar city of Samkerts on the Taman Peninsula by agreement with Byzantium, but was defeated by the governor of Samkerts Pesach and sent last to Constantinople, the Byzantines burned with fire ships of the Rus, and then H-l-g-w went to Persia, where he himself died with the whole army. The name H-l-g-w is restored as Helg, Helgo. He is referred to in the document as the "ruler of Russia", which makes it very tempting to identify him with Oleg.
However, the events described refer to the reign of Igor (the campaign of the Russians against Byzantium coincides in description with the campaign of 941, and the campaign against Persia with the raid of the Rus in 944 on the Azerbaijani city of Berdaa). In historiography, there were attempts to interpret this message as evidence of the duumvirate of Igor and Oleg, in this case, Oleg's life is extended until the mid-40s of the 10th century, and the beginning of his reign is assumed to be later than indicated in the annals.

Oleg at the horse's bones. V. Vasnetsov, 1899

The circumstances of the death of Prophetic Oleg are contradictory. According to the Kyiv version, his grave is located in Kyiv on Mount Shchekovitsa. The Novgorod chronicle places his grave in Ladoga, but also says that he went "beyond the sea."

In both versions, there is a legend about death from a snakebite. According to legend, the wise men predicted to the prince that he would die from his beloved horse. Oleg ordered the horse to be taken away and remembered the prediction only four years later, when the horse had long since died. Oleg laughed at the Magi and wanted to look at the bones of the horse, stood with his foot on the skull and said: “Should I be afraid of him?” However, a poisonous snake lived in the horse's skull, which mortally stung the prince.

This legend finds parallels in the Icelandic saga of the Viking Orvar Odd, who was also mortally stung on the grave of his beloved horse. It is not known whether the saga became the reason for the invention of the Russian legend about Oleg, or, on the contrary, the circumstances of Oleg's death served as material for the saga. However, if Oleg is a historical character, then Orvar Odd is the hero of an adventure saga created on the basis of some kind of oral tradition no earlier than the 13th century. The sorceress predicted 12-year-old Odd death from his horse. In order to prevent the prediction from being fulfilled, Odd and a friend killed the horse, threw it into a pit, and covered the corpse with stones. This is how Orvar Odd died years later:

“And as they were walking fast, Odd hit his foot and stooped down. “What was it, what did I hit my foot on?” He touched the point of the spear, and everyone saw that it was the skull of a horse, and immediately a snake flew out of it, rushed at Odd and stung him in the leg above the ankle. The poison immediately worked, the whole leg and thigh swelled up. Odd was so weakened by this bite that they had to help him to go to the shore, and when he came there, he said; “Now you should go and cut down a stone coffin for me, and let someone stay here to sit next to me and write down the story that I will lay down about my deeds and life.” After that, he began to compose a story, and they began to write on a tablet, and as Odda's path went, so the story went [followed by visa]. And then Odd dies."

The death of Oleg. Engraving by F. A. Bruni, 1839.

The date of Oleg's death, like all annalistic dates of Russian history until the end of the 10th century, is conditional. The historian A. A. Shakhmatov noted that the year 912 is also the year of the death of the Byzantine emperor Leo VI, the antagonist of Oleg; perhaps the chronicler, who knew that Oleg and Leo were contemporaries, timed the end of their reigns to the same date (an analogous suspicious coincidence - 945 - is between the dates of Igor's death and the overthrow of his contemporary, the Byzantine emperor Roman I). Considering, moreover, that the Novgorod tradition dates Oleg's death to 922 (see above), the date of 912 becomes even more doubtful. The duration of the reign of Oleg and Igor is 33 years each, which raises suspicion in the epic source of this information.

The Polish historian of the 18th century, H. F. Friese, put forward a version that Prophetic Oleg had a son, Oleg Moravsky, who, after the death of his father, was forced to leave Russia as a result of a struggle with Prince Igor. A relative of the Rurikovichs, Oleg Moravsky, became the last prince of Moravia in 940, according to the writings of Polish and Czech writers of the 16th-17th centuries, but his family connection with Prophetic Oleg is only Frize's assumption.

Death of Oleg. Engraving

The Russian pronunciation of the name Oleg probably originated from the Scandinavian name Helge, which originally meant (in Proto-Swedish - Hailaga) "saint", "possessing the gift of healing." From the sagas, several bearers of the name Helgi are known, whose life dates back to the 6th-9th centuries. In the sagas, there are also similar-sounding names Ole, Oleif, Ofeig.

Among historians who do not support the Norman theory, attempts were made to challenge the Scandinavian etymology of the name Oleg and connect it with the original Slavic, Turkic or Iranian forms. According to L.P. Grot, it is difficult to connect the name of Oleg with the Swedish name "Helge" for semantic reasons, since the meaning of the latter - "holy" is opposite in meaning to the pagan nickname of the Russian prince.

Trizna according to Oleg. V.Vasnetsov

The chronicle story about the death of Oleg is the basis of literary works:

A.S. Pushkin

THE SONG ABOUT THE PROPHETIC OLEG

How the prophetic Oleg is now going
Take revenge on the unreasonable Khazars,
Their villages and fields for a violent raid
He doomed swords and fires;
With his retinue, in Constantinople armor,
The prince rides across the field on a faithful horse.

From the dark forest towards him
There is an inspired magician,
Submissive to Perun, the old man alone,
The promises of the future messenger,
In prayers and divination spent the whole century.
And Oleg drove up to the wise old man.

"Tell me, sorcerer, favorite of the gods,
What will happen in my life?
And soon, to the delight of neighbors-enemies,
Will I cover myself with grave earth?
Tell me the whole truth, don't be afraid of me:
You will take a horse as a reward for anyone.

"Magi are not afraid of mighty lords,
And they do not need a princely gift;
Truthful and free is their prophetic language
And friendly with the will of heaven.
The coming years lurk in the mist;
But I see your lot on a bright forehead.

Now remember my word:
Glory to the Warrior is a joy;
Your name is glorified by victory;
Your shield is on the gates of Tsaregrad;
And the waves and the land are submissive to you;
The enemy is jealous of such a wondrous fate.

And the blue sea is a deceptive shaft
In the hours of fatal bad weather,
And a sling, and an arrow, and a crafty dagger
Spare the winner years ...
Under formidable armor you know no wounds;
An invisible guardian is given to the mighty.

Your horse is not afraid of dangerous labors;
He, sensing the master's will,
That meek stands under the arrows of enemies,
That rushes along the swearing field.
And the cold and cutting him nothing ...
But you will accept death from your horse.

Oleg chuckled, but
And the eyes were clouded with thought.
In silence, hand leaning on the saddle,
He dismounts from his horse, sullen;
And a true friend with a farewell hand
And strokes and pats on the neck steep.

"Farewell, my comrade, my faithful servant,
The time has come for us to part;
Now rest! no more footsteps
In your gilded stirrup.
Farewell, be comforted - but remember me.
You, fellow youths, take a horse,

Cover with a blanket, shaggy carpet;
Take me to my meadow by the bridle;
Bathe; feed with selected grain;
Drink spring water."
And the youths immediately departed with the horse,
And the prince brought another horse.

The prophetic Oleg feasts with the retinue
At the ringing of a cheerful glass.
And their curls are white as morning snow
Above the glorious head of the barrow...
They remember days gone by
And the battles where they fought together...

“Where is my friend? - said Oleg, -
Tell me, where is my zealous horse?
Are you healthy? Is his run still easy?
Is he still the same stormy, playful?
And listens to the answer: on a steep hill
He had long since passed into a sleepless sleep.

Mighty Oleg bowed his head
And he thinks: “What is fortune-telling?
Magician, you deceitful, mad old man!
I would despise your prediction!
My horse would carry me to this day."
And he wants to see the bones of the horse.

Here comes the mighty Oleg from the yard,
Igor and old guests are with him,
And they see - on a hill, on the banks of the Dnieper,
Noble bones lie;
The rains wash them, their dust falls asleep,
And the wind excites the feather grass above them.

The prince quietly stepped on the horse's skull
And he said: “Sleep, lonely friend!
Your old master has outlived you:
At the funeral feast, already close,
It's not you who will stain the feather grass under the ax
And drink my ashes with hot blood!

So that's where my death lurked!
The bone threatened me with death!”
From the dead head a grave serpent,
Hissing, meanwhile crawled out;
Like a black ribbon wrapped around the legs,
And suddenly the stung prince cried out.

Ladles are circular, foaming, hissing
At the feast of the deplorable Oleg;
Prince Igor and Olga are sitting on a hill;
The squad is feasting at the shore;
Fighters commemorate past days
And the battles where they fought together.

Series "SLAVES"

The date of birth of Prince Oleg is unknown, he was probably a little younger than Rurik. According to legend, he was born in Western Norway, apparently in a wealthy family of bonds, and was named Odd, then received the nickname Orvar - "Arrow". His sister Efanda subsequently married the ruler of the Varangians Rurik (or he himself was married to Rurik's daughter). Thanks to this, Oleg became his main commander. Arrived with Rurik in Ladoga and Priilmenye between 858 and 862.

After the death of Rurik in 879, Oleg became the sole prince of Novgorod Russia. Rurik was not mistaken in his choice when, on his deathbed, he bequeathed his son and the Novgorod table to Oleg. Oleg became a real father for the prince, raising Igor to be a courageous, hardened, educated person at that time.

Oleg also took the title of prince bestowed on him by a friend with all responsibility. The main goal of the rulers of those times was to increase the wealth of the princely and expand the boundaries of the territory subject to them by annexing new lands, subjugating other tribes and collecting tribute.

Standing at the head of the Novgorod principality, Oleg boldly set about seizing all the Dnieper lands. His main goal was to establish complete control over the water trade route to Eastern Byzantium and the conquest of the Kyiv principality.
Many princes then wanted to govern this large principality, which by the end of the 9th century had become the center of Russian trade and the main stronghold of Russia in containing the raids of the Pecheneg hordes. It was quite clear that whoever ruled Kyiv controlled all Russian trade.

Prince Oleg gathered a large army of the Varangians and in 882 - took the city of Smolensk and Lyubech, planted his husbands there. Further along the Dnieper in the boats he went down to Kyiv, where two boyars reigned, not the tribe of Rurik, but the Varangians Askold and Dir. On the campaign, he took with him the young prince Igor. Oleg seized power in Kyiv by cunning. According to the chronicler, Oleg asked for a meeting with the then rulers of Kyiv, Askold and Dir, stopping at the walls of the city allegedly on his way to the south. When the princes, not suspecting anything, approached the Novgorod boats, Oleg, as the legend says, pointed to Igor and exclaimed: “You are not princes, not a princely family. Here is the son of Rurik! After these words, he killed Askold and Dir, and Oleg's warriors who jumped out of the boats dealt with the soldiers who accompanied the Kyiv rulers. None of the people of Kiev dared to oppose Oleg and his troops. Moreover, many tribes that lived along the banks of the Dnieper voluntarily submitted to the power of the Kyiv prince. The raids of the Pechenegs ravaged the Slavs, and they sought protection from the rulers, agreeing to pay tribute to them for this.

Very soon, Kyiv land closed all the southern borders of the country. But Oleg did not calm down, continuing to subjugate other tribes, more distant from the main river route. They had to act by force, since the Slavs, who did not participate in trade, did not see the point in joining the Kyiv principality, and even more so did not want to pay tribute. Many difficult campaigns had to be made by Prince Oleg with his retinue before he managed to complete the political unification of the Eastern Slavs. The location of Kyiv seemed to Oleg very convenient, and he moved there with a retinue, announcing: "Let this be the mother of Russian cities."

When the two unions - Northern and Southern - with large principalities in the center - Novgorod and Kyiv - were combined, a new political form appeared in Russia - the Kiev Grand Duchy, which in fact became the first Russian state.

For the next 25 years, Oleg was busy expanding his state. He subordinated to Kyiv the Drevlyans, Northerners, Radimichi and other smaller ones. Many of whom were tributaries of the Khazars. The text of Oleg's appeal to the northerners has come down to us: "I am an enemy of the Khazars, therefore you have no need to pay tribute to them." To the Radimichi: “To whom do you give tribute?” They answered: "Kozary". And Oleg says: “Don’t give Kozar, but give me.” “And Oleg owned the derevlyans, glades, radimichis, and with the streets and Tivertsy imyasher army.” By the beginning of the 10th century, most of the tribes of the Eastern Slavs were under the command of the Kyiv prince.

If Rurik had already taken a step forward south along the eastern path, crossing from Ladoga to Novgorod, then his successor Oleg moved much further and reached the end of the path. In the annals of that time, the names of tribes are rarely found, they were replaced by the names of cities and regions. Prince Oleg gave subordinate city regions to the administration of posadniks, who had their own armed squads and were also called princes.

According to chronicles, there were many legends about the wealth of Byzantium at that time. So, in 907, Prince Oleg made a military campaign against Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium. His army sailed on 2000 rooks, 40 warriors each, and cavalry also walked along the shore. The Byzantine emperor ordered the gates of the city to be closed and the harbor to be blocked with chains, giving the Vikings the opportunity to plunder and ravage the suburbs of Constantinople. The chronicle tells about the extreme cruelty of Russian soldiers, with which they tortured civilians and drowned them in the sea while still alive. But not satisfied with a petty robbery, Oleg went on an unusual assault on the city: “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 Greeks locked themselves in the city, behind high walls, begged for mercy and at the negotiations offered Prince Oleg to make peace and agreed to pay tribute of 12 hryvnias of silver per person. As a sign of victory, Oleg nailed his shield to the gates of Constantinople. As a result, the first peace treaty between the Russians and the Greeks on the duty-free trade of Russia in Byzantium appeared, drawn up legally competently and reasonably, even judging by today's norms of international law. According to Oleg's agreement with the Greeks, Russian merchants did not pay any duty. During the barter trade, they exchanged furs, wax, servants for wine, vegetables, silk fabrics, and gold. After the expiration of the trading period indicated by the agreement, Russia received at the expense of the Greek side food for the road, as well as ship gear. In addition to trade, the Greeks gladly hired Russian soldiers to serve them. Many Russian Varangians were in Constantinople in the imperial service. Every time Christian priests and preachers came to Russia together with merchants from Constantinople. More and more Slavs converted to the Orthodox faith, but Prince Oleg himself never converted to Christianity.

The last years of his life passed without military campaigns and battles. Oleg died at an advanced age in 912. There is a legend according to which the prince was predicted to die from his beloved horse. Oleg was superstitious and no longer sat on his pet. Many years later, remembering him, the prince came to where the bones of his faithful friend lay. The bite of a snake that crawled out of the skull turned out to be fatal. The plot of this legend formed the basis of the ballads of A. S. Pushkin and N. M. Yazykov. The chronicle records that “the people groaned and shed tears” when Prince Oleg died. Information about the place of his burial is contradictory. There is indirect evidence that the grave of the prince is located in Kyiv, according to other sources, he was buried outside the Kyiv principality, on Ladoga.

Prince Oleg ruled for 33 years. For the constant luck in military campaigns, for daring and ingenuity, the people called Prince Oleg the Prophetic. Traditions and legends were composed about him, attributing to him extraordinary abilities and the gift of foresight.

Undoubtedly, the main historical merit of this ruler can rightfully be considered the unification of all Slavic tribes under a single command, the foundation and strengthening of the first Russian state - the Grand Duchy of Kyiv. It was from the reign of Prince Oleg that the history of Kievan Rus began, and with it the history of the Russian state.

Grand Duke of Novgorod 879 - 912

Predecessor - Rurik

Successor - Igor Rurikovich

Grand Duke of Kyiv 882 - 912

Predecessor - Askold and Dir

Successor - Igor Rurikovich

Very little is known about Prince Oleg, who is called the Prophet. We can draw most of the information from the chronicles: a lot is written about Prophetic Oleg in the Tale of Bygone Years and the Novgorod Chronicles.

According to one version, Oleg was a relative of Rurik and regent for the son of the legendary Varangian, Igor. According to the second - the governor of Rurik. In 882 he captured the cities of Smolensk and Lyubech. And then Kyiv, which was ruled by Rurik's brothers Askold and Dir. By cunning, the Varangians were lured out of the city and then killed. Oleg made Kyiv the new capital of the Old Russian state.

And then he began to expand the borders of the state. The power of Oleg was recognized by the glades, northerners, Drevlyans, Ilmen Slovenes, Krivichi, Vyatichi, Radimichi, Ulichi and Tivertsy.

According to The Tale of Bygone Years, in 907 Oleg undertook a successful campaign against Constantinople. Byzantine capital - Constantinople. It was for this victory that Oleg received his nickname - Prophetic. According to the chronicle, he equipped 2000 rooks with 40 warriors each, which was an impressive army for those times. He approached the assault itself in a very non-standard way: he ordered to put the rooks on wheels. When a favorable wind blew, sails were raised on the boats, and the army moved straight to the walls of the city. The chronicle tells us that the Byzantines were so impressed and frightened that they surrendered the city without a fight. As a sign of victory, Oleg nailed his shield to the gates of Constantinople and ordered the Greeks to pay tribute. But the main achievement of this campaign was a trade agreement on duty-free trade between Russia and Byzantium.

However, many scientists question the reality of this campaign, considering it a legend. This is due to the fact that the Byzantine authors of this period do not have a single mention of these events, although similar raids in 860 and 941 are described in great detail.

Different chronicles report different causes of the death of Prophetic Oleg. The most famous is described in The Tale of Bygone Years. Oleg was predicted that he would accept his death from his beloved horse. The prince was superstitious, and therefore decided to change the horse, and entrusted the servants with the pet. They were supposed to take care of him until his death. Oleg remembered his favorite during one of the feasts and asked the servants a question about his fate. But it turned out that the horse had long since died. Saddened and angry at the Magi who made an incorrect prediction, Oleg went to the bones. There Prophetic Oleg was waiting for his death - the snake crawled out of the horse's skull and bit the prince. The legend of the horse and the snake may have earlier folklore roots. A similar death occurs in the Icelandic saga of Orvard Odd.

The Novgorod Chronicle mentions another cause of the death of the Prophetic Oleg - "beyond the sea." The Novgorod Chronicle is considered by scientists to be a list of an even earlier chronicle than the Tale of Bygone Years. And he may have more reliable data about Oleg's biography. Moreover, other historical documents also speak in her favor - in the writings of the Arab author Al-Masudi, who reported on a Rus fleet of 500 ships that invaded the Kerch Strait after about 912.