Prophetic Oleg is one of the most mysterious figures in Russian history. Who was he related to Rurik, did he go to Constantinople and, finally, what kind of his death “overseas” do the Russian chronicles mention - all these questions have yet to be answered.

Founder of the Old Russian State

Prince Oleg, who, being either a relative of Rurik (more precisely, the brother of his wife Efanda), or his governor, during his reign did much more for the formation of the Old Russian state than its legendary founder. When Igor (Rurik’s son) was a young man, he captured Smolensk and Lyubech, deceived and killed the Kyiv princes Askold and Dir, who usurped power there. Under him, Kyiv became the new residence of the Old Russian state. Oleg's sovereignty was recognized by the Polyans, Northerners, Drevlyans, Ilmen Slovenes, Krivichi, Vyatichi, Radimichi, Ulichs and Tivertsy. Through his governors and local princes, he managed to establish government administration of the young country.

His successes in foreign policy were also significant. Fighting with the Khazars, Oleg made the latter forget that for two centuries the Khazar Khaganate had been collecting tribute from the East Slavic lands. The great Constantinople bowed its head before his army, and Russian merchants received the unique for that time right of duty-free trade with Byzantium, and, in case of need, full provision of food and shipwrights to repair their boats.

Considering all of the above merits, some historians are inclined to see the founder of the Old Russian state in Oleg, and not in his predecessor and founder of the princely dynasty - Rurik. The conditional founding date, in this case, is considered to be 882, or rather the unification of “Slavia” (Novgorod) and “Cuiaba” (Kyiv).

The hike that never happened

Oleg’s famous campaign against Constantinople deserves special mention, after which he received his historical nickname – “Prophetic”. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, the prince equipped an army of 2000 rooks, 40 warriors each. The Byzantine Emperor Leo VI the Philosopher, in fear of a numerous enemy, ordered the gates of the city to be closed, leaving the suburbs of Constantinople to be destroyed.

However, Oleg resorted to a trick: “he 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.” After this, the supposedly scared to death Greeks offered peace and tribute to the conquerors. According to the peace treaty of 907, Russian merchants received the right to duty-free trade and other privileges.

Despite the fact that mention of this campaign can be found in any textbook on the history of medieval Rus', many historians consider it a legend. There is not a single mention of it among Byzantine authors, who described in detail similar raids in 860 and 941. The agreement itself from 907, which, according to researchers, is a compilation of similar agreements from 911, when Oleg sent an embassy to confirm peace, also raises doubts.

Moreover, the description of the return of the Rus with rich booty: even the sails on their boats were made of golden silk, is compared with the return from Constantinople of the governor Vladimir, and after the Norwegian king Olaf Tryggvason, described in the Norwegian saga of the 12th century: “They say, after one great victory he turned home to Gardy (Rus); They sailed then with such great pomp and splendor that they had sails on their ships made of precious materials, and their tents were the same.”

Was there a snake?

According to the legend described in the Tale of Bygone Years, the prince was predicted to die from his beloved horse. Oleg ordered him to be taken away and remembered the ominous prophecy only a few years later, when he had long since died. Laughing at the Magi, he wanted to look at the bones of the horse, and, standing with one foot on the skull, he said: “Should I be afraid of him?” At the same moment, a snake crawled out of the skull and fatally stung the prince.

Of course, this is just a legend, written down several centuries after Oleg’s death. For the legendary prince-voivode - a legendary death. A similar technique, which was often used in other countries of medieval Europe, gave the historical figure even greater importance in the eyes of posterity. Moreover, often different authors used the same story. Thus, one Icelandic saga tells about the Viking Orvard Odd, who, in his youth, was predicted to die from his horse. To prevent fate from happening, Odd killed the animal, threw it into a pit, and covered the corpse with stones. As a result, death in the form of a poisonous snake overtook him, like Oleg, on the grave of a dead horse: “And when they walked quickly, Odd hit his foot and bent over. “What was it that I hit my foot on?” He touched the tip of the spear, and everyone saw that it was the skull of a horse, and immediately a snake rose from it, rushed at Odd and stung him in the leg above the ankle. The poison took effect immediately, the whole leg and thigh were swollen.”

To date, it has not been established who borrowed the original idea from whom. The exact date of the history of Oleg’s death in the Tale of Bygone Years is quite difficult to establish, since the chronicle was rewritten more than once. What is known is that Orvard Odd, unlike Oleg, is a fictional hero of an adventure saga created on the basis of oral traditions later than the 13th century. Perhaps the sad death in the face of a snake is originally a Scandinavian story that came to Rus' along with the Varangians and received its new embodiment in local legends about Oleg. Although, some researchers believe that the hero of the Scandinavian sagas Orvard Odd and Oleg are one and the same person.

Persian epic

"The Tale of Bygone Years" is not the only source on his biography. The First Novgorod Chronicle, which, according to some researchers, is even more ancient than Nestor’s work, calls Oleg a governor under the young Prince Igor, who accompanied him on campaigns. At the same time, it was Prince Igor who dealt with Askold in Kyiv, and then launched a campaign against Constantinople. But the most interesting thing is the end of the story. In addition to the generally accepted version of a snake bite, the chronicle mentions another option for Oleg’s death - “overseas”.

More detailed information about Oleg’s unknown, “overseas” campaign, where he may have met his death, should be sought in the writings of the Arab author Al-Masudi, who reported on a Russian fleet of 500 ships that invaded the Kerch Strait approximately after 912. Al-Masudi mentions two great rulers of the Rus at their head - Al-dir and a certain Olvang. The latter is usually associated with Askold, but this name can equally well be similar to Oleg, the winner of Askold and Dir.

The Khazar king, who was promised half the spoils for his loyalty, allegedly allowed the Russians to pass through the Don to the Volga, and from there down to the Caspian Sea. The final goal of the Rus was Persia. The result of the campaign was the ruin of Persian Azerbaijan. Part of the spoils, as required by the agreement, was delivered to Khazaria. But the guard of the Khazar king, which consisted mainly of Muslim mercenaries, rebelled and demanded revenge for the death of their co-religionists. The ruler did not contradict them, nor did he warn the Rus about the danger. They entered into an unequal battle, as a result of which about 30 thousand Slavs died, and the rest retreated up the Volga, where they were killed by the Bulgars.

Their leader died along with the army. Some historians believe that the “death overseas” mentioned in the Novgorod version is a vague but true memory of Oleg’s death precisely in the Caspian campaign, and not on the territory of the Ladoga settlement from “from his horse.”

Oleg (died, according to the Laurentian Chronicle, in 912, according to the First Novgorod Chronicle - in 922) - an Old Russian prince. Norman (Varangian) by origin. Information from sources about him is incomplete and full of legendary material. According to the chronicles, dying, Rurik in 879 handed over to Oleg the reign of Novgorod and care of his young son Igor. In 882, Oleg, having gathered an army from the Novgorod Slovenes, Varangians, Chud, Meri, Vesi and Krivichi, went by water to the South. Having occupied Smolensk and Lyubech, Oleg went down to Kyiv. Using cunning, he killed Askold and Dir, who ruled in Kyiv, and took possession of the city. Oleg established a permanent tribute to the Slovenes, Krivichi, Mary and Novgorod. In 883-885 he subjugated the Drevlyans, Northerners and Radimichi. Oleg repeatedly successfully fought with the Khazars. Over the next 20 years, he fought for the conquest of the Slavic tribes of the Dulebs, Croats, Tiverts and Ulichs who lived in the Dniester and Danube basins. In 911 (according to the Tale of Bygone Years, erroneously in 907), with an army from the Polans, Northerners, Slovenes, Krivichi, Drevlyans, Radimichi and other tribes, Oleg made a campaign to Byzantium, reaching Constantinople (Constantinople). The Byzantine emperor, who asked for peace, agreed to a large ransom (48 thousand hryvnias of gold) and concluded an agreement with Oleg that was beneficial for Rus' (see Treaties of Rus' with Byzantium).

G. S. Gorshkov. Moscow.

Soviet historical encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 10. NAHIMSON - PERGAMUS. 1967.

Children: ?

Life highlights

Prince of Novgorod (879-882);
Prince of Kyiv (882-912);

Three years after the death of Rurik, Oleg remained in Novgorod and, having strengthened his position here, headed at the head of a team of Varangians and northern tribes to the south, along the Volkhov-Dnieper river line. He conquers the cities he meets along the way and, having captured Kyiv by cunning, is founded here and transfers the center of the united state to Kyiv. This event, dated by the chronicle to 882, is traditionally considered the date of the formation of the Old Russian state.

Oleg conquered the Drevlyans, northerners and Radimichi, while eliminating dependence on Khazars , whose tributaries they were. Having strengthened his influence by imposing tribute and installing posadniks and protecting the borders from attacks by his nomadic neighbors by building outlying cities, Oleg headed further south - to Byzantium.

In 907, Oleg organized a large campaign against Byzantium and achieved success, and in 911 sent his ambassadors to Constantinople to approve the agreement between the Greeks and Russia, the essential points of which are as follows: 1) legal proceedings in civil and criminal cases; 2) crimes against life and bodily integrity; 3) property crimes: red-handed theft and robbery; 4) assistance in case of accident at sea, ransom of prisoners, hiring of soldiers; 5) finding slaves, protecting inheritance, returning escaped criminals.

Soon after the signing of the treaty, Oleg died, according to one chronicle version - in Kiev (and the legend is told that served Pushkin as the plot for the poem "Song of the Prophetic Oleg"), according to another - in the north (and was buried in Ladoga), according to the third - overseas, from a snake bite.

Addendum 1:

The image of Oleg, the first unifier of Rus', is adorned in the chronicles with legendary features that bring him closer to the heroes of the folk epic; The chronological dates are confused, and it is almost impossible to identify the actual Oleg. Many assumptions have been made about the origin and activities of Oleg. The first question is now resolved in favor of his Norman origin; the second finds the answer in the recognition of Oleg as an independent prince, Igor’s predecessor.

The researcher of early Rus' Parkhomenko, based on documents on Khazar-Russian-Byzantine relations, constructed an original hypothesis about Oleg’s activities. Scandinavian Viking Oleg with his squad, at the beginning 10th century , through Novgorod, well known to the Normans, makes his way to the south, finds the foreign Hungarian prince Dir in Kiev, takes the side of the Slav Igor, restores him to the reign of Kiev and, having secured his marriage with Olga, a relative of Oleg, a friendly alliance with the support of the Kievites, sets off on a Byzantine campaign . After a victorious campaign, Oleg captures Tmutarakan, wages a stubborn fight against the Khazars here and, in alliance with the latter, makes a second campaign to Byzantium, this time unsuccessful (a campaign attributed to Igor in the chronicle). Unable to stay in Tmutarakan with the remnants of his squad, Oleg embarks on a campaign to Persia, where he dies.

Addendum 2:

The legend about Oleg's death is widely known. Allegedly, he asked the magicians why he should die? And one magician said to him: “You will die, prince, from your beloved horse, on which you always ride.” Oleg thought and said: “So I will never sit on this horse and see him.” He ordered to feed him selected grain, but not to bring him near him. He did not touch the horse for several years, until the Greek campaign. Returning to Kyiv, Oleg remembered the horse, called the groom and asked: “Where is the horse that I set to feed and take care of?” The groom replied: “He’s dead.” Then Oleg began to laugh at the magician and scold him: “These magicians always lie, the horse died, but I’m alive, I’ll go and see his bones.” When the prince arrived at the place where the bare horse bones and skull lay, he got off his horse and stepped on the skull with his foot, saying with a laugh: “So I’ll have to die from this skull!” But then a snake crawled out of the skull and bit Oleg in the leg. He got sick and died...

Every Magi strives to punish, -
If not, listen, right?
Oleg would listen - one more shield
I would nail it to the gates of Constantinople.
V.Vysotsky

Material from the site

FROM ANCIENT Rus' TO THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE

OLEG VESCHY(sc. 912 or 922), Grand Russian Duke. Majority chronicles calls him a relative Rurik, The Resurrection and some other chronicles - by Rurik’s nephew, Joakimovskaya - by Rurik’s brother-in-law, “prince of Urmansk”, wise and brave, the Novgorod first chronicle of the younger edition - simply governor book Igor Rurikovich.

Under 907, “The Tale of Bygone Years” tells about Oleg’s campaign against Byzantium, in which all the peoples under his control took part. Russian cavalry and a fleet numbering 2 thousand ships approached Constantinople. The Russians burned many houses and churches and killed many people on the outskirts of Constantinople. The ships, placed on wheels, went under sail to storm the Byzantine capital. The Greeks got scared and asked for peace. They tried to kill Oleg by bringing him poisoned food and wine from the city. But the Russian prince did not accept their “gifts”. The Byzantines had to pay Oleg a huge indemnity. Rus' concluded a very profitable peace treaty with Byzantium, which provided great benefits to Russian merchants. At the conclusion of peace, Oleg and his husbands swore “according to Russian law” - with their weapons, as well as with the names of the Slavic (and not Scandinavian!) gods Perun And Hair.

Leaving Constantinople, Oleg hung his shield on the city gates as a sign of victory. From his campaign he brought gold, silks, “fruits of the earth,” wine and “all sorts of ornaments” to Kyiv. Then he received the nickname Prophetic.

In 911 (according to the chronicle - in 912) Oleg concluded a second agreement with Byzantium, also very beneficial for the Kyiv state.

Russian chronicles date Oleg’s death from a snake bite in different ways: “The Tale of Bygone Years” - 912, and the Novgorod First Chronicle of the younger edition - 922. Oleg was buried, according to some sources, in Kiev on Mount Shchekovitsa, according to others - in Ladoga, according to the third - somewhere overseas. These differences among the chroniclers gave grounds for scientists to assert that in Rus' in the 9th century - AD. X centuries there were two (and perhaps more) major commanders and statesmen who bore the name Oleg.

The legend of the death of the prince. Oleg used A. S. Pushkin in poem “Song of the Prophetic Oleg”.

O.M. Rapov

OLEG (d. 912) - the first historically reliable prince of Kievan Rus. According to chronicle legend, a relative or governor of Rurik. After the death of the latter, he became the Prince of Novgorod in 879 and had to take care of the young Prince Igor. In 882, he captured Kiev by cunning, killing Askold and Dir, who ruled there, making the city the capital (“matter a Russian city”). He subjugated many Slavic princes, establishing a constant tribute to them; successfully fought with the Khazars. In 907 he made a successful campaign against the capital of Byzantium, Constantinople. The Byzantine emperor paid O. a huge ransom and concluded an agreement beneficial for Rus'.

Mavrodin V., Ancient Rus', (M.), 1946;

Rybakov B. A., Ancient Rus'. Tales. Epics. Chronicles, (M.), 1963.

The Novgorod prince Rurik died, leaving his son Igor, to whom he could transfer power over the Novgorod land, still very young. Therefore, before his death, he appointed himself a successor - his friend and ally Oleg. The date of the beginning of Oleg’s reign is hidden in the darkness of centuries, but it is known that he reigned for a long time - 33 years, and managed to do a lot during this time.

Prince Oleg considered the main task during his reign to be the expansion of the borders of the principality left to him. It was necessary to establish control over the water trade route that ran along the Dnieper region in order to freely conduct trade with Eastern Byzantium. He also planned the seizure of Kyiv lands, since Kyiv was a very “tidbit” - it became the main center of Russian trade and a kind of stronghold that protected the lands located further from the constant raids of nomads. The one who owned Kiev also owned all Russian trade.

So, Oleg gathered a large army and moved towards Kyiv. He took the young Igor with him so that from a very tender age he could practically master the difficult science of governing a principality and waging wars. Arriving at the gates of Kyiv, Oleg did not immediately waste his energy on battle. He captured the city in an insidious way: stopping the squad on the approaches to the city walls, he summoned the rulers of Kyiv, Askold and Dir, allegedly in order to conduct some negotiations with them. When the unsuspecting princes approached the boats, Oleg pointed them to young Igor with the words: “This is who the true ruler of Kyiv is, and you are not of the princely family!” After this, the vigilantes dealt with Askold and Dir.

Left without their princes, the people of Kiev did not resist. Oleg entered the city and proclaimed himself Prince of Kyiv. The surrounding villages also joined his territories - mostly voluntarily, as they needed protection from attacks by the Pechenegs.

Oleg continued to expand the borders of his possessions, adding more distant tribes that did not participate in trade, did not see the point in unification and therefore offered fierce resistance.

The result of the aggressive campaigns of the far-sighted Oleg was the formation of a single state that united the Northern and Southern Unions of the Slavs. This was already Kievan Rus with its center in the city of Kyiv. By the beginning of the 10th century, most tribes (now they were rarely called tribes, more often - cities, regions, since cities and entire principalities replaced tribes and clans) were united around Novgorod and Kyiv. The head of the new formation should be considered Kyiv, where trade was concentrated.

Relations between Rus' and Byzantium

The new state, which was gaining strength, forced all its neighbors to reckon with itself, among which Byzantium occupied a leading position. Oleg decided to undertake a campaign against Byzantium in order to facilitate trade for Russian merchants, which would contribute to the rapid development of the Principality of Kyiv. A countless number of Russian soldiers went on a campaign against Constantinople - 2 thousand rooks and cavalry moving along the coast. The Greeks took a state of siege, closing themselves in the city. The Russian troops destroyed the surrounding villages, showing no pity for either women or children. The Greeks were horrified and began to ask for peace. Then Oleg agreed to a cessation of hostilities and concluded a peace treaty with the enemy, the terms of which were very favorable for the Russians: merchants who arrived from the Principality of Kyiv did not pay any duty. When trading, they could exchange furs, servants and wax for gold, silk fabrics, and wine. In addition, after the expiration of the period allotted for the auction, the Greek side provided the Russian merchants with food for the return trip.

Gradually, relations between the states began to develop in a more peaceful direction: Russians served at the imperial palace in political or military service, and Greek craftsmen, artists, builders, and clergy went to Rus'. Christianity gradually began to spread in the Kiev state.

Oleg himself remained a pagan. He died in 912. According to legend, the cause of the prince’s death was a viper bite. Later, this legend formed the basis of many works of fiction. In the people's memory, the first prince of Kievan Rus lives as the Prophetic Oleg, since he was distinguished by a clear mind and outstanding abilities to govern the state - most of his campaigns ended in success, and in internal political life a coherent system of management emerged that made it possible to control very large and scattered territories.

Conclusion

The choice of Rurik, who left the principality in the hands of the Prophetic Oleg, turned out to be very successful. The mentor of the future Prince Igor managed to unite two Unions of Slavs - Northern and Southern - into one state, in which he established a clear principle of subordination: it was divided into cities and regions, governed by posadniks, accountable to the Kyiv prince. In addition, he drew up the first legally valid peace treaty with the Greeks, which gave great advantages to the Russians and opened up great prospects for the development of Kievan Rus. Now it was necessary to preserve these achievements, but this became a task for the next prince - Igor Rurikovich.

Scythia against the West [The Rise and Fall of the Scythian Power] Eliseev Alexander Vladimirovich

Oleg the First "Bulgarian"

Oleg the First "Bulgarian"

Naturally, the question arises: where did Oleg come from? Was he really a governor and/or relative of Rurik? It is very possible that Oleg really was an ally or ally of the North Slavic prince. But this does not in any way clarify its origin. To answer the question posed, you need to turn to the name “Oleg”, which is often given in this form - “Olg”. And it is perfectly etymologized on the basis of the ancient Bulgarian language, where “olgu” meant “great.” Well, quite a suitable name and title for a representative of a powerful and glorious dynasty. Next, we need to remember that Oleg comes to Kyiv not from the north at all, but from the south - “near Ugorskoe”. And, of course, one cannot ignore the fact that his treaties with the Greeks are full of Bulgarianisms, which many researchers pay attention to. The information from the Nikon Chronicle is very valuable, which reports that Askold’s son died in the war with the Bulgarians. Usually they are seen as Volga Turks, but why couldn’t they be Danube Slavs? The conclusion suggests itself: Prince Oleg is a native of Bulgaria.

The “Bulgarian” version is indirectly confirmed by data from some sources concerning the biography of Princess Olga, Igor’s wife and Svyatoslav’s mother. The very similarity of the names – Oleg and Olga – attracts attention.

It is alleged that Oleg himself gave her this name; before that, Olga (the Pskov princess or even a simple village woman from the Vybutovskaya village) was called the Beautiful. Meanwhile, according to the Typographical and Kholmogorov chronicles, as well as the Piskarevsky Chronicler, Olga was Oleg’s daughter. And from the “Short Chronicler of Vladimir” it follows that Olga was a Bulgarian princess from the city of Pliska, the first capital of the Bulgarian kingdom. In the chronicles, apparently, there was a substitution of names, beneficial to supporters of the northern version. Pliska was replaced by Pleskov, identified with Pskov. This is where they “pulled” Olga.

Olga - Oleg's daughter and a Bulgarian princess? This version looks more logical than the Pskov version. Pskov, of course, already existed in the 9th century, but it was very, very far from Kyiv. The “Bulgarian version” also fits perfectly with the information from sources, according to which Olg-Olga arranged the marriage of Igor and Olga. Apparently, Olga needed to become related to a descendant of Rurik - a prince who was worthy to rule Northern Russia. As a result, a dynastic union of the Olgovichs and Rurikovichs arose. Olg was clearly connected to the Bulgarian elite. At the same time, it can be assumed that he ruled a certain region located inside the Bulgarian kingdom (east) or in close proximity to it. The local population, ethnically, was very close to the Eastern Slavs. It appeared in the Balkans as a result of the migration there of the Eastern Slavs. It is no coincidence that Prince Kiy founded the city of Kievets on the Danube - the Dnieper region was clearly connected with the Lower Danube. It is no coincidence that in the 10th century. Prince Svyatoslav will try to establish himself there and even want to move the capital there.

It is here that Academician B.A. Rybakov placed the “island of the Rus” (“Rus”), described by Arab authors as a kind of swampy and wooded area, located either in the sea or in a lake. Its population was 100,000 people, and it was three days' journey long. There were many cities on the island, and its inhabitants lived exclusively by war and trade. The academician believed that all conditions “exclusively satisfies the space between the lower reaches of the Danube and the Black Sea, where the Kiev prince Svyatoslav settled in 967, “taking 80 along the Dunaevi and the gray prince in Pereyaslavtsi.” We are talking not only about the islands formed by the Danube delta, but about a somewhat more extensive and very clearly defined territory of northern Dobrudzha... bounded from the west by the elbow of the Danube, flowing here in a northerly direction, from the north - by the arms of the Danube, from the east - by the Black Sea, and from the south - Chernovodsk lakes and the ancient Trajan Rampart. It is quite understandable to understand the confusion among Eastern authors regarding “sea” and “lake”. In the east, this area is actually washed by the Black Sea. But in all other directions there are many lakes, branches and oxbows of the Danube, desalinated estuaries, forming an almost continuous body of water... Dimensions of the lake-sea “island”: from south to north from Constanta to Tulcea - exactly 105 km, i.e. exactly three days' journey... The marshy nature of almost all the outskirts is beyond doubt. The branch of the Danube is continuous floodplains, lakes, swamps, the Eastern sea coast is cut by swampy vines, the Western edge (the elbow of the Danube) is a wide (up to 25 km) strip of floodplain lakes and swamps overgrown with forests... The total space of the Lower Danube island (about 10,000 square kilometers) gave full opportunity to live here for a large number of people... The number of cities taken by Svyatoslav on the Danube is surprising... - 80 cities. Perhaps... we are talking about the use by the Russians or Bulgarians of ancient ancient or Byzantine cities, both living a full life and destroyed..."(“Kievan Rus and Russian principalities of the 12th–13th centuries.”).

Various considerations were expressed against this version. So, E.S. Galkina noted: “...Svyatoslav tortured Xia to conquer Pereslavets in the second half of the 10th century, that is, at least a century later than the writing of the eastern geo graphs of the story about the island of the Rus. In the middle of the 9th century. these territories were occupied by the Balkan-Danube archaeological group, which was basically not Slavic, but Turkic-Bulgarian... The Slavs had already actively assimilated the Turks..."

(“Secrets of the Russian Kaganate”). Meanwhile, this observation does not contradict the conclusions of B.A. Rybakova. Ibn Rusta reports about the Rus: “And they have no real estate, no villages, no arable land. Their only occupation is trade...” At the same time, the Rus are also warriors, and desperate ones, that is, we are talking about trading in booty. It is hardly possible to imagine a country whose entire population of one hundred thousand is engaged only in war and trade - and even if there are many cities. It is clear that numerous farmers and artisans must have lived there. They, in fact, constituted the Bulgarian majority - at the same time subject to Slavic assimilation influence. Well, the Russes are the ruling minority of warriors and traders, a corporation, a “caste”. By the way, this status was enshrined in “Russkaya Pravda”, according to which a “Russian” can be both a “swordsman” and a “kupchina”. In general, the border between a warrior and a merchant was then very arbitrary. Warriors actively traded their booty, merchants undertook risky expeditions that required skill and even desire to fight. In Rus', military campaigns were called “goods” ( “put the goods in front of the cities”), whose participants called each other “comrades”. (In Muscovite Rus', members of merchant corporations were trade and financial agents of the government, purchased goods that were in a state monopoly, managed large customs houses, etc.)

Danube-Black Sea Rus' could be in very different relationships with Kievan Rus and Bulgaria. In any case, the powerful Bulgarian influence is obvious (in turn, the Slavic-Russians had the same powerful influence on the Bulgarians). Arab authors report that the island is subordinate to a certain “Russian Khakan” (Kagan), who could only be the prince of powerful Kyiv. In any case, the ruler of the island itself would not be able to become a kagan (a title equal to the imperial one) - after all, the scale is not the same. It is significant that in Al-Masudi he, under the name Al-Olvang (obviously - Oleg-Olg-Olgu), is presented as a completely independent ruler, a contemporary and neighbor of another East Slavic ruler - the Kyiv Dir. At this moment, Danube-Black Sea Rus' acts as a state-political entity, independent of Kyiv. But Ibn-Ruste, Gardizi, Marwazi, Hudud al-Alam and other Arab authors describe a situation when the island was already subordinate to the kagan. Obviously, this subordination was ensured by Prince Oleg, who sat down to reign in Kyiv. This happened after Prince Dir died and his co-ruler Askold, who had no rights to the throne, remained in power. It was then that the people of Kiev called upon Prince Oleg, who, on the contrary, had certain dynastic rights. And not only to Kyiv - the Nikon Chronicle reports that the Ilmen Slovenes, when deciding on the candidacy of the future prince, discussed the question of who to turn to - the Polans, the Khazars or the Danubians. The latter should be considered precisely Lower Danube Rus', where the Russian-Bulgarian prince Olg-Olgu the Prophet ruled. In general, this passage from the NL is very interesting in that it demonstrates the presence of a certain dynastic unity between very different regions. Neither the rulers of the Danubian Rus, nor the princes of the Polyan-Rus, nor the leaders of certain “Khazars” were alien to the Northern Slavs. By the latter we must, of course, understand the Slavs who lived on the territory of Khazaria - in huge numbers. Moreover, they enjoyed significant influence there: “In the Khazar capital, by law, there are five judges; two of them are for Muslims; two for the Khazars, who judge accordingly vii with the Torah; two – for Christians who judge according to in accordance with the Gospel, and one for the Slavs, Rus and other pagans who judge according to pagan custom, that is, according to the dictates of reason"(Al-Masudi).

The Danube origin of Prince Oleg points to the same Scythian-Thracian chain discussed above. One can even make the assumption that Oleg himself traced his origins to Slaven, which is why he was considered one of his own both in the Polyano-Skolot lands and in the lands of the Ilmer Slovenes. At the same time, in his figure the most ancient, Nordic-Hyperborean archetype of the king-priest (supercaste “Khamsa”, Apollonian Swan) was realized. The Slavic-Russian word “prince” itself comes from the more ancient, Proto-Slavic word *knezd, which, in turn, should be associated with the Polish “priest”, priest. And in this regard, it is significant that Oleg was called the Prophetic - this is a clear indication of the prophetic, spiritual and metaphysical dimension of his status. Apparently, the Prophetic Prince was in confrontation with the influential priesthood (magi), who claimed complete possession of the sacred. The chronicle tradition contains a quite characteristic indication of the struggle between two lines in Slavic-Russian paganism. The well-known prediction of the wizard priest about Oleg’s death from his own horse should be interpreted precisely in this regard. It appears that this part of the PVL contains a weakly camouflaged attack by the priesthood against Oleg. The patron of the Magi was the Slavic god Veles (cf. “ox” and “vel”), who, according to the reconstruction, had a serpentine shape. (The warriors considered Perun the Thunderer their god.) And this assumption is all the more likely since the thorough textual analysis carried out by B.A. Rybakov (“Paganism of Ancient Rus'”) allows us to consider this part of the PVL as a fragment of pagan chronicles preserved in Christian times.

From the book Comrade Stalin: an affair with the security agencies of His Imperial Majesty author Yakovlev Leo

Chapter VI. Episode one - the first escape and return to his native land It is not known for certain when Dzhugashvili left for the stage to the place of his first exile. There is information that he was previously returned to the Batumi prison in the second half of August 1903, but they are unlikely,

From the book Kievan Rus author

2. First success: Oleg Around 878, Oleg, initially the ruler of Novgorod, captured Kyiv and eventually established his power in Southern Russia17. Rather, he, rather than his Novgorod predecessor Rurik, can be considered the first Scandinavian prince to become the monarch of all Rus'.

From the book New Chronology and the Concept of the Ancient History of Rus', England and Rome author

Roman consul Brutus - the first Roman to conquer Britain and the first king of the Britons Above, we examined the duration and periods of reigns and formulated a hypothesis about the overlap of English history with Byzantine history. The question immediately arises: is this hypothesis confirmed?

From the book Rurikovich. Gatherers of the Russian Land author Burovsky Andrey Mikhailovich

Chapter 5 Oleg - Rurik's first successor What we don't know The chronicle reports that Rurik died in 879, leaving his state to his young son Igor, who was then only three years old. But we don’t even know how old Rurik was then. Identifying it with different

From the book Kievan Rus. A country that never existed? : legends and myths author Bychkov Alexey Alexandrovich

Prophetic Oleg and Odd-Oleg Since only what happened to this prince in Rus' is known about Prophetic Oleg from Russian sources, and we know nothing about his youth, in this place I decided to cite facts from his history that have survived not only in Russians, but also in Scandinavian

From the book Scandals of the Soviet era author Razzakov Fedor

How Oleg insulted Todor (Oleg Efremov) At the beginning of November 1973, the Moscow Art Theater toured in Bulgaria. The troupe brought two performances: the classic “Simplicity is enough for every wise man” and a production from modern life “Steelworkers”. Moreover, if the first one was met with a bang (in it

From the book 100 Great Awards author Ionina Nadezhda

Bulgarian Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius In 1908, taking advantage of the Young Turk revolution, Bulgaria, with the tacit consent of Russia, announced a complete severance of vassal relations with Turkey and proclaimed itself a kingdom. This event was marked with a special

From the book Rus'. China. England. Dating of the Nativity of Christ and the First Ecumenical Council author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich

From the book 100 Great Awards author Ionina Nadezhda

BULGARIAN ORDER OF SAINTS CYRILL AND METHODIA In 1908, taking advantage of the Young Turk revolution, Bulgaria, with the tacit consent of Russia, announced a complete severance of vassal relations with Turkey and proclaimed itself a kingdom. This event was marked with a special

From the book Fatal Self-Deception: Stalin and the German Attack on the Soviet Union author Gorodetsky Gabriel

Bulgarian corridor to the Turkish Straits Thus, the Soviet position at the Berlin conference was dictated not by excessive appetites, but rather by the awareness of the German threat in the Balkans and the Straits. Rosso, Italian ambassador in Moscow and confidant

From the book Legendary commanders of antiquity. Oleg, Dobrynya, Svyatoslav author Kopylov N. A.

Prince Oleg (Prophetic Oleg) A line from the encyclopedia... Prince Oleg, also nicknamed Oleg the Prophetic, is the legendary ruler of Rus' at the end of the 9th - beginning of the 10th centuries. Of course, the prototype of the chronicle Oleg was a historical figure, about whom, unfortunately, little is reliable

From the book Alexander III and his time author Tolmachev Evgeniy Petrovich

Bulgarian crisis 1885-1887 As noted above, in September 1883, Alexander Battenberg restored the Tarnovo Constitution, which temporarily stabilized the situation in Bulgaria. However, the internal struggle in the country did not stop. I was in an even more heated atmosphere

From the book Alphabetical reference list of Russian sovereigns and the most remarkable persons of their blood author Khmyrov Mikhail Dmitrievich

153. Oleg SVYATOSLAVICH, Prince of the Drevlyans (and the first appanage in Rus') son of Svyatoslav I Igorevich, Grand Duke of Kiev and all Rus', from the eldest of his two wives, according to some news, Preslava, Princess of Bulgaria. Born around 954; received as an inheritance from his father during his lifetime

From the book Secrets of Russian Diplomacy author Sopelnyak Boris Nikolaevich

THE BULGARIAN TRAIL IN RUSSIAN DIPLOMACY This all happened in the same savage year of 1937. Beaten half to death and sadistically mutilated, the man asked the investigator for a pencil and said in an unexpectedly firm voice: “Did you demand confessions?” Now they will be... I will write... - Long time ago

From the book Kievan Rus author Vernadsky Georgy Vladimirovich

2. First success: Oleg Around 878, Oleg, initially the ruler of Novgorod, captured Kyiv and eventually established his power in Southern Russia15. Rather, he, rather than his Novgorod predecessor Rurik, can be considered the first Scandinavian prince to become the monarch of all Rus'.

From the book Maritime Policy of Russia in the 80s of the 19th century author Kondratenko Robert Vladimirovich

Chapter 11 The Bulgarian crisis The beginning of the events behind which Admiral I.A. Shestakov closely followed for two months, marked by the deposition of the Bulgarian prince Alexander of Battenberg on the night of 8/20 to 9/21 August 1886 by a group of Russophile-minded officers in

Dear readers!

You are holding in your hands the first book in the “Great Commanders of Russia” series, prepared by the Russian Military Historical Society (RVIO) in collaboration with leading Russian historians.

According to scientists, during the period from the 9th to the beginning of the 21st century, our country took part in more than 70 major wars and armed conflicts. There are estimates of a different order: for example, the famous Russian general Kuropatkin, in a memorandum presented to the Tsar in 1900, indicated that in the 18th–19th centuries Russia spent 128 years in a state of war. If we take into account the duration of each war, then in general it turns out that Russia fought two thirds of its more than thousand-year history.

These were mainly wars in which our people had to defend their freedom and right to independent development. And often, as was the case in the Time of Troubles and in 1812, during the First World War and the Great Patriotic War, it was not just about preserving Russian sovereignty, but about the very existence of the state and the peoples inhabiting it.

In all historical eras, our country was famous for its outstanding commanders. Their personal exploits, devotion to the Fatherland and leadership talents allowed the Russian, and in the 20th century, the Soviet army, relying on the patriotism of the entire people, to win outstanding victories over the best armies of their time and preserve the most important thing for their descendants - the Motherland.

Let the glorious deeds of our great ancestors continue to serve as a moral guide for us today!

Vladimir MEDINSKY,

Doctor of Historical Sciences, Chairman of the Russian Historical Society,

Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation

Prince Oleg (Prophetic Oleg)

A line from the encyclopedia...

Prince Oleg, also nicknamed Oleg the Prophet, is the legendary ruler of Rus' at the end of the 9th - beginning of the 10th centuries. Of course, the prototype of the chronicle Oleg was a historical figure, about whom, unfortunately, little is reliably known. Therefore, historians usually use the chronicle legend about Oleg and his time, taken from the “Tale of Bygone Years” (PVL), in scientific, popular science and educational texts. This is a work of the late 11th - early 12th centuries. is recognized by all as the main historical source for reconstructing the past of the Old Russian state.

According to the PVL version, Oleg seems to be a skillful commander and prudent politician (it is no coincidence that he was nicknamed “Prophetic”, that is, one who predicts the future). In 879–882 after the death of Rurik, Oleg ruled in the East Slavic North among the Krivichi, Ilmen Slovenes and surrounding Finno-Ugric peoples (Meri, Vesi, Chud tribes). Having made a trip to the south along the trade route “From the Varangians to the Greeks,” Oleg captured Kiev in 882. Thus, the two main centers of statehood among the East Slavic tribes, “Novgorod” (“Slavia” - in foreign sources) and the Kiev region (“Cuiaba”), were united under the rule of one ruler. Many modern historians take the date of 882 as the conditional date of birth of the Old Russian state. Oleg reigned there from 882 to 912. According to Nestor, after Oleg’s death from a snake bite, Rurik’s son Igor (912–945) became the Prince of Kyiv.

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. Oleg was recognized as the supreme ruler by the tribes of the Polyans, Severians, Drevlyans, Ilmen Slovenes, Krivichi, Vyatichi, Radimichi, Ulichs and Tivertsi. Through the governors of Prince Oleg and the local princes of his vassals, public administration of the young power began to be built. Annual surveys of the population (Polyudye) laid the foundation for the tax and judicial systems.

Oleg also led an active foreign policy. The prince fought with the Khazars and made them completely forget that for two centuries the Khazar Khaganate had collected tribute from a number of East Slavic lands. In 898, Hungarians appeared at the borders of Oleg’s power, moving from Asia to Europe. Oleg managed to establish peaceful relations with these warlike people. Oleg's campaign in 907 against the capital of the Byzantine Empire - Constantinople (aka Constantinople) - brought Rus' in 911 an exceptionally successful trade agreement: 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 and repair their boats at the expense of the Byzantine side. Even earlier, in 909, Rus' and the Byzantine Empire concluded a military treaty of alliance.

Battles and victories

Prince of Novgorod (from 879) and Kiev (from 882), unifier of Ancient Rus'. He expanded its borders, dealt the first blow to the Khazar Kaganate, and concluded treaties with the Greeks that were beneficial for Rus'. The legendary commander about whom Pushkin wrote: “Your name is glorified by victory: Your shield is on the gates of Constantinople.”

A few comments on the traditional interpretation of the image of Prophetic Oleg

To the above brief information about Oleg, which has become a generally accepted tradition - especially in popular and educational literature, it is necessary to add several scientific comments.

Firstly, according to archaeological data, in the 9th century. Novgorod as such did not yet exist. On the site of Novgorod there were three separate villages. They were united into a single city by Detinets, a fortress built at the end of the 10th century. It was the fortress that was called the “city” in those days. So both Rurik and Oleg were not in Novgorod, but in a certain “Stargorod”. It could be either Ladoga or the Rurik settlement near Novgorod. Ladoga, a fortified city on the Volkhov, located near the confluence of the Volkhov into Lake Ladoga, was in the 7th - first half of the 9th centuries. the largest shopping center in the north-eastern Baltic. According to archaeological data, the city was founded by people from Scandinavia, but later there was a mixed population - the Normans lived side by side with the Slavs and Finno-Ugric peoples. By the middle of the 9th century. refers to the terrible pogrom and fire that destroyed Ladoga. This may well be consistent with the chronicle news of the great war of 862, when the Ilmen Slovenes, Krivichi, the entire Merya and Chud “drove the Varangians over the sea,” who collected tribute from them in 859–862, and then began to fight among themselves (“ and generation after generation rose..."). After the destruction of the mid-9th century. Ladoga was rebuilt, but never regained its former significance.

Under Nestor, there was no longer any memory of the former greatness of Ladoga or the significance of the Rurik settlement; he wrote two centuries after the time of the calling of the Varangians. But the glory of Novgorod as a major political center reached its peak, which made the chronicler believe in its antiquity and it was in Novgorod that the first rulers of Rus' were placed.

Our second reservation will concern chronology. The fact is that the chronology in the PVL, as in another ancient Russian chronicle - the Novgorod one, before the reign of Vladimir (980 - 1015) is conditional. Nestor had at hand separate records of facts from the 10th–11th centuries, even, perhaps, an entire initial chronicle, which historians highlight in the PVL, but there were no exact dates of early events there. Only oral legends were spoken about them, passed down from generation to generation among the inhabitants of Rus'. The lack of dates was a big problem for Nestor, but he, being a talented chronicler, made the first reconstruction of chronology in Russian historical science. Legends and fragmentary records named the names of the Byzantine kings (Caesars), contemporaries of the first Russian princes. Based on the years of reign indicated in the Byzantine chronicles translated into Slavic in Kyiv, the author of PVL compiled his own conventional system of time coordinates for the initial period of ancient Russian history. A. A. Shakhmatov noted that the date of Oleg’s death in PVL 912 coincides with the date of the death of his counterpart Emperor Leo VI, and Igor dies, like his contemporary Emperor Roman I, in 945. Both Igor and Oleg reign on 33 year, such a coincidence is suspicious and reeks of an epic sacred-legendary approach to chronology. The last remark is also appropriate in relation to the story of Oleg’s death. Both the PVL and the Novgorod Chronicle claim that Oleg died after being bitten by a snake that crawled out of the horse’s skull. It was Oleg’s own horse, but the prince set him aside, because the sorcerer once predicted his death from his own horse. According to the PVL version, this fatal meeting between Oleg and his dead horse took place near Kiev in 912.