Biography of Olga

Holy Equal -to -the -Apostles Princess Olga Russian - Princess Olga - wife of the Kyiv Prince Igor Rurikovich and mother of Prince Svyatoslav. One of the most remarkable women - ruler in Russian history. Olga ruled the ancient Russian state from up to a year as a regent under the young son of Svyatoslav. The first woman, reckoned by the Russian church to the face of saints.

The first mention of Pskov in the annals is connected with her name, she is considered the founder of the Trinity Cathedral in Pskov. Thanks to her efforts, the fortress of Pskov was strengthened. There is little known about Olga’s life before her meeting with Igor. From the ancient annals of the Russian state “The Tale of Bygone Years” and its “Life” we know that she called her the Varangian name Helg, and Olga in Russian.

The legend, stated in the "Life", calls the birthplace of Olga the village of Razbuta near Pskov, up the River of the Great. Here she was a meeting with her future spouse. The young prince hunted “in the Pskov” region and, wanting to move across the Great River, saw “a certain sailing in the boat” and called him to the shore. Saying away from the shore in a boat, the prince found that a girl of amazing beauty was lucky.

Igor became inflamed to her with lust and began to bow her to sin. The carrier was not only beautiful, but chaste and smart. She had Igor, reminding him of the princely dignity of the ruler and the Judge, which should be a “bright example of good deeds” for his filed. Igor broke up with her, keeping her words and a beautiful image in his memory. When the time came to choose the bride, the most beautiful girls of the principalities were collected in Kyiv.

But none of them came to his heart. And then he recalled Olga's "marvelous in the girls" and sent after her the relative of his prince Oleg. So Olga became the wife of Prince Igor, the great Russian princess. Igor, as befits the ruler of the warrior, was often absent, going on military campaigns and to collect tribute, Olga remained in Kyiv on the throne. In the year, she gave birth to a son - Svyatoslav, and in the year her husband, Prince of Kiev Igor, was killed.

After the death of her husband, and in infancy, his son Olga becomes a sovereign ruler of Kievan Rus. Igor was killed by the rebels Drevlyans and Olga, strengthening the state, managed to outwit them and subsequently completely defeat and subordinate them. The chronicle tells about brutal revenge, emphasizing that the princess was not yet Christian at that time.

Twice Olga traveled to the Pskov and Novgorod lands, appointing and ordering tribute, establishing places for trade and exchange. Such a reasonable distribution of “pole” - taxes in favor of Kyiv ensured the unification of Russian lands around it. Later, at these peculiar administrative centers, temples were built. The wise ruler was looking for connections with other countries and in many ways was the first statesman whose status was recognized by other states.

In the year, she visited Byzantium and accepted the Christian faith. Olga accepts Christianity with the name Elena. Following her, the Christian faith was accepted by her inner circle. Having become the first Christian in the Russian princely family, she asked to devote clergymen to the baptism of Rus' and the first began to introduce Christianity on Russian land, which her son opposed.

Svyatoslav was already years old and he had state influence. He not only did not want to accept baptism, but also defiantly supported paganism, ridiculing the faith of his mother. Olga’s hope did not come true to organize the marriage of Svyatoslav with the Byzantine princess. This step would help to remove the stigma of a barbaric country from Rus'.

Svyatoslav preferred to fight and rarely appeared in Kyiv. The conflict of mother and son led to the fact that the title of Prince of Kyiv Svyatoslav received only after her death, and did not live long. Old Russian scribes saw in this punishment in a vicious pagan. The last years of her life, the Grand Duchess devoted her grandchildren, which gave her fruits - one of them - Vladimir Svyatoslavich became the baptist of Rus'.

The period of its reign is characterized as a time of peace and progressive development and descendants keep a grateful memory of it. For his merits in the spread of Christianity, for the righteous life, the princess was reckoned with the saints, and is called the Orthodox Church as the Holy Equal -to -the -Apostles Princess Olga Russian. The Pskovites developed a special attitude towards Olga.

The name of the princess remained on the Pskov land in topographic and geographical names; In Pskov itself there is an Olginskaya embankment, the Olginsky bridge, the Olginsky chapel was again restored on the embankment of the Velikaya River. Her name was wore charity institutions and streets. City Day is celebrated on the day of memory of the Holy Blessed Princess. Her memory is always celebrated with special solemnity in the temples of the Pskov diocese.

In the Holy Trinity Cathedral there is a chapel consecrated in its honor. There is also an Olginsky chapel in the Church of the Assumption from Parenia. The memorable cross is installed next to the place where, according to legend, Olga was a vision of three heavenly rays. Read in the EB:.