Who is the Kyiv prince Svyatoslav. Grand Duke of Rus' Svyatoslav Igorevich: biography, history of famous campaigns

Prince Svyatoslav - the great Kiev prince from 945 to 972, was born in 942, the son of the Kyiv prince Igor and the famous princess Olga.
Prince Svyatoslav became famous as a great commander, to a lesser extent a politician. After the death of his father, he became a prince, but his mother, Princess Olga, ruled. When Svyatoslav was able to rule the country himself, he was engaged in military campaigns, and in his absence, his mother ruled.

early years
The young prince was the only son of Prince Igor and his wife Princess Olga and became the legal heir of his father, having no other competitors for the throne. There is an opinion that Svyatoslav was born in 942, but there is no exact confirmation of the birth of the prince in this year.
Svyatoslav is a Slavic name, and Prince Svyatoslav became the first prince with a Slavic name, before that his ancestors had Scandinavian names. The first mention of the future prince dates back to the Russian-Byzantine treaties of 944.
The following year, his father, Prince Igor, was killed by the Drevlyans. And already in 966, Princess Olga, together with her four-year-old son, went to war against them. As the chronicles say, before the battle with the Drevlyans, little Svyatoslav threw a spear at the enemy, but it did not reach the goal. Seeing this, the squad began to attack, saying "The prince has already begun, it would be time for the squad to join."
Having defeated the Drevlyans, the princess returned to the capital with her son. Russian chronicles say that Svyatoslav spent all his childhood next to his mother, but there are also refuting records from Byzantium.

Svyatoslav's reign
Having ascended the throne, Svyatoslav refused to accept paganism, as his mother did, believing that such a gesture would deprive him of the loyalty of his squad. The Tale of Bygone Years says that the prince himself began to rule only in 964. Prince Svyatoslav began his reign from a military campaign. The Vyatichi and the Khazar Khaganate became his target.
In 965, his army attacked the Khazar Khaganate, and before that they imposed a large tribute to the Vyatichi. Svyatoslav wanted to annex the territories of the kaganate to the territory of his state. On the site of the former capital of the kaganate, the Russian village of Belaya Vezha appeared. Returning to the capital, the prince once again defeated the Vyatichi and again imposed tribute on them.
In 967, Rus' declares war on the Bulgarian kingdom, as an ally of the Byzantine Empire. The very next year, Svyatoslav and his army attacked the territory of the Bulgarian kingdom. In 966, the Pechenegs attacked Kyiv, to which Svyatoslav reacted. Together with his retinue, he returned to defend the capital and successfully drove the Pechenegs back to the steppe. To prevent this from happening again, Svyatoslav immediately opposed the Pechenegs on a campaign, after which he completely defeated them and captured their capital, Itil.
During these years, Princess Olga dies, and now there is no one to rule the country in the absence of Prince Svyatoslav, he himself was not much involved in public affairs, but preferred to fight. His sons began to rule the country: Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir. And the prince himself went on a new campaign against the Bulgarians.
There is practically no information about this war, but it is known that Svyatoslav won a number of very important victories over the Bulgarians and even captured their capital. Due to catastrophic defeats, the Bulgarians were forced to conclude a peace that was humiliating for them, but beneficial for Svyatoslav.
At this moment, the allies of the Bulgarians, the Byzantines, intervened, they offered tribute to Prince Svyatoslav in exchange for the fact that he would leave the Bulgarian kingdom with an army. But Svyatoslav refused to comply with these demands. Svyatoslav wanted not only to plunder the Bulgarian kingdom, but also to make these lands his own.
In response to this, the Byzantines begin to accumulate their troops on the border with the Bulgarian kingdom. Not expecting an attack by the Byzantines, Svyatoslav himself went to war against them, attacking Thrace. In 970 there was a battle at Arcadiopolis. Sources differ on the outcome of the battle. The Byzantines say that they won the battle, and Svyatoslav was defeated. Russian chronicles say that he won and almost approached Constantinople, but then returned and imposed tribute on Byzantium.
Then Svyatoslav continued to attack the Bulgarian kingdom and won several big victories. The Byzantine king led a campaign against Svyatoslav personally. After several battles with the Russians, the Byzantines began to talk about peace. The battles were of mixed success and both sides lost many soldiers - peace here was the best option for both sides.
The peace was signed successfully and Svyatoslav left Bulgaria, trade was resumed with Byzantium, and she was obliged to provide for the Russian army during this retreat.

Death of Svyatoslav
Returning home, at the mouth of the Dnieper, Prince Svyatoslav was ambushed by the Pechenegs, as a result of which he died. Having only his squad at his disposal, he did not expect a siege, and was defeated by more numerous Pechenegs.
There are opinions that Byzantium had a hand in the murder of Svyatoslav, because they wanted to get rid of this threat once and for all, and took advantage of the Pechenegs for their own purposes.
After his death, he left three sons, which were mentioned above. The name of his wife is unknown to historians, as there are no documents left of her existence.
I remember Prince Svyatoslav as a great Russian commander and a brave warrior. He earned the greatest respect in the ranks of his squad and warriors. As a politician, he was not marked by special talent, he was little interested in state affairs. But as a result of successful campaigns, he managed to significantly expand the territory of Kievan Rus.

Prince Svyatoslav was declared the ruler of Kievan Rus after the death of his father, the Grand Duke of Kyiv Igor, who was brutally dealt with by the Drevlyans for arbitrariness in the collection of tribute. However, he had to govern the state only after the death of his mother, Princess Olga.

Rus' at that time was separate lands subject to Kyiv, inhabited by East Slavic, Finno-Ugric and other tribes who paid tribute to him. At the same time, the mechanism of interaction between the center and its subordinate territories has not yet fully developed. The state occupied a vast space, where many volosts were ruled by tribal leaders, although they recognized the supreme power of Kyiv, but continued to live according to their own laws.

Even during the life of his father, Svyatoslav, together with his uncle Asmud, was sent to reign in the Novgorod land. After the death of Prince Igor, Princess Olga became the ruler of Rus' with a minor heir. She was able to force the grand ducal squad, led by the powerful governor Sveneld, to serve herself. With her help, she brutally suppressed the rebellion of the Drevlyans, destroying virtually the entire tribal elite and the elders of this tribe. Although Svyatoslav was still a child, he, along with experienced warriors, endured all the hardships of a military campaign against the capital of the Drevlyane land - Iskorosten, which was captured and put on fire.

Having shown the strength of the grand-ducal power, Olga made a detour of the Russian lands and took up their dispensation. She organized graveyards to collect tribute and established lessons - a certain amount of payment from the population, which was the first manifestation of the state structure of Rus'.

Princess Olga adhered to a peaceful foreign policy, and this contributed to the economic strengthening of the country. Having received holy baptism in Constantinople, she wanted to spread Orthodoxy in her own country, but her attempts ran into resistance from the pagan party, headed by Prince Svyatoslav. In 962, he pushed Olga out of government. Svyatoslav took a course to expand the borders of the state and began to pursue an aggressive policy, hatching plans for the creation of a Russian state with a center in the Balkans.

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

964 The beginning of the state activity of Prince Svyatoslav.

964 Military campaign of Prince Svyatoslav against the Vyatichi.

965 The Volga Bulgaria gaining independence from the Khazars.

965 The defeat by Svyatoslav of the Khazar Khaganate, the Burtases and the Volga Bulgaria.

966 The subjugation of the Vyatichi authorities of Kyiv and the imposition of tribute on them.

967 Arrival in Kyiv of the ambassador of the Byzantine emperor Kalokir.

967 Svyatoslav's war with Bulgaria for the Danube. The capture of 80 cities, including Dorostol and Pereyaslavets. The reign of Svyatoslav in Pereyaslavets. The imposition of tribute on the Greeks.

968 The conquest of the Vyatichi by Svyatoslav Igorevich.

969 spring- The attack of the Pechenegs on the Russian land. Their siege of Kyiv. Return of Svyatoslav to Kyiv.

969- The beginning of the reign of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich in Novgorod.

December 11, 969- The assassination of the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Phocas. Accession to the imperial throne of John Tzimiskes.

970 Grand Duke Svyatoslav divided the Russian lands between his sons, transferring Kyiv to Yaropolk, the Drevlyansk land to Oleg, and Novgorod the Great to Vladimir.

970 January 30- The death of the Bulgarian Tsar Peter and the accession to the throne of Boris II.

970 Svyatoslav's war in Bulgaria in alliance with the Hungarians against the Byzantine Empire.

970 The re-capture of Pereyaslavets by Svyatoslav.

971 April 23 - July 22 The siege of the troops of Svyatoslav by the Byzantine army in the fortress of Dorostol. Defeat of Svyatoslav.

971 The conclusion by Svyatoslav of a humiliating peace with the Byzantine Empire.

971 Departure of Prince Svyatoslav to Pereyaslavets-on-the-Danube.

972 spring- The death of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Svyatoslav on the Dnieper rapids.

In 945, after the death of his father, Svyatoslav at an early age remained with his mother Olga and close tutors Asmud and Sveneld.

Svyatoslav grew up among combatants. Olga, deciding to avenge the death of her husband, took the child with her and, putting him on a horse, handed him a spear. He began the battle by symbolically throwing a spear that flew between the horse's ears and fell at his feet. “The prince has already begun the battle, let’s follow, squad, after him!” Svyatoslav's act inspired the warriors and the Rus won the battle.

Campaigns of Svyatoslav

Since 964, Svyatoslav ruled independently. In 965, leaving Princess Olga to manage Kiev, he went on a campaign. Svyatoslav spent the rest of his life in campaigns and battles, only occasionally visiting his native land and his mother, mostly in critical situations.

During 965-966. subjugated the Vyatichi, freed them from tribute to the Khazars, defeating the Khazar Khaganate and the Volga Bulgarians. This made it possible to take control of the Great Volga Route, which connects Rus', Central Asia and Scandinavia.

In his battles, Svyatoslav became famous for the fact that before attacking the enemy, he sent a messenger with the words: "I'm coming at you!" Seizing the initiative in conflicts, he led an armed offensive and achieved success. “The Tale of Bygone Years” describes Svyatoslav “he moved and walked like a pardus (that is, a cheetah), and fought a lot. On campaigns, he did not carry carts or cauldrons with him, he did not boil meat, but, thinly slicing horse meat, or animal meat, or beef and roasting it on coals, he ate it. He did not even have a tent, but he slept with a sweatshirt with a saddle in his head. So were all his other warriors."

The opinions of historians in the description of Svyatoslav coincide. Byzantine chronicler Leo the Deacon says about Svyatoslav: “medium height and very slender, had a broad chest, a flat nose, blue eyes and a long shaggy mustache. The hair on his head was cut off, with the exception of one lock - a sign of noble birth; in one ear hung a golden earring adorned with a ruby and two pearls. The whole appearance of the prince represented something gloomy and severe. His white clothes only differed in purity from other Russians. Such a description confirms the strong-willed character of Svyatoslav and his insane craving for the seizure of foreign lands.

Svyatoslav was considered a pagan. Princess Olga, having been baptized, tried to persuade her son to also accept Christianity. According to the chronicle, Svyatoslav refused and answered his mother: “How can I accept a different faith alone? My team will laugh."

In 967, Svyatoslav with his retinue defeated the army of the Bulgarian Tsar Peter. Having reached the mouth of the Danube, he “put” the city of Pereyaslavets (Small Pereslav). Svyatoslav liked the city so much that he decided to make it the capital of Rus'. According to the chronicle, he told his mother: “I don’t like to sit in Kyiv, I want to live in Pereyaslavets on the Danube - there is the middle of my land! Everything good converges there: from Greece, gold, draggings, wines and various fruits, from the Czech Republic and Hungary, silver and horses, from Rus', furs and wax, honey and fish. And there is even evidence that he reigned in Pereyaslavets and here he received the first tribute from the Greeks.

The Byzantine emperor John I Tzimiskes, being in collusion with the Pechenegs, was very concerned about the success military campaigns of Svyatoslav and tried to weaken the neighbors. In 968, having learned about the approval of Svyatoslav in Bulgaria, John forced the Pechenegs to attack Kyiv. The prince left Bulgaria and returned to Kyiv to defend his city, where his mother ruled. Svyatoslav defeated the Pechenegs, but did not forget the treachery of Byzantium.

Children of Svyatoslav

Svyatoslav had three sons: the first Yaropolk was born from his first wife, the daughter or sister of the Hungarian king. According to other data of the Kyiv boyar Predslava. Second Vladimir. Considered illegitimate. Nicknamed the Red Sun. Malusha's mother or Malfred, daughter of the Drevlyan prince Mal. The third son Oleg from his wife Esther.

After the death of his mother, in 968, Svyatoslav passes the internal affairs of his state to his grown sons. Yaropolk Kyiv. Vladimir Novgorod. Oleg received the Drevlyane lands (in this moment Chernobyl area).

Bulgarian campaign of Prince Svyatoslav

In 970, Svyatoslav decided to conclude an agreement with the Bulgarians and the Hungarians against Byzantium. Having gathered an army of about 60 thousand, he began a new military campaign in Bulgaria. According to the chroniclers, Svyatoslav horrified the Bulgarians by his actions and thereby obeyed them. He occupied Philippopolis, went through the Balkans, captured Macedonia, Thrace and reached Constantinople. According to legend, the prince turned to his retinue: “We will not disgrace the Russian land, but we will lie here with our bones, for the dead are not ashamed. If we run, we will be disgraced.”

After fierce fighting and a major loss in 971, Svyatoslav nevertheless took the fortification of the Byzantines and was forced to sign a peace treaty with Emperor John Tzimiskes. Returning to Kyiv, Svyatoslav was ambushed by the Pechenegs and killed at the Dnieper rapids. From his skull was made, bound with gold, a feasting bowl was made.

After military hikes Svyatoslav Igorevich(965-972) the territory of the Russian land increased from the Volga region to the Caspian Sea, from the North Caucasus to the Black Sea, from the Balkan Mountains to Byzantium. He defeated Khazaria and Volga Bulgaria, weakened and frightened the Byzantine Empire, opened the way for trade between Rus' and Eastern countries.

The time of birth of the son of Igor and Olga - Prince Svyatoslav raises questions. The Tale of Bygone Years does not date this event, noting only that in 945-946 Svyatoslav was still a child. When the troops of Olga and the Drevlyans stood opposite each other, ready for battle, the spear thrown by Svyatoslav towards the enemy served as a signal for battle. But since he was still small then, the spear fell in front of his horse. Some ancient Russian chronicles, including Ipatievskaya, note the birth of Svyatoslav under the year 942. This, however, contradicts other chronicle data: after all, Igor was born in the late 870s, Olga in the 880s - at the latest in the early 890s, and they got married in 903. It turns out that only after 40 years of marriage, a son was born to two elderly people, which looks unlikely. Therefore, scientists have tried to somehow explain these contradictions.

Unfortunately, nihilism has not been avoided here either. So, the archaeologist S.P. Tolstov even wrote that “the genealogy of the Rurikoviches before Svyatoslav was sewn with white threads”, and L.N. Gumilyov believed that Svyatoslav was not the son of Igor at all (or was the son of another Igor, not Rurikovich). But the sources make it impossible to doubt the direct relationship of Svyatoslav with Igor and Olga. Not only Russian chronicles, but also foreign authors, such as Leo the Deacon and Konstantin Porphyrogenitus, call Svyatoslav the son of Igor and Olga.

Additional information from some historical works can help find a way out of a difficult chronological situation. According to the Chronicler of Pereyaslavl-Suzdal, Vladimir, who died in 1015, lived for 73 years, that is, he was born in 941-942, and he was not the firstborn of Svyatoslav. The German chronicler Titmar of Merseburg also wrote about the advanced age of Vladimir, who died "burdened with years." And according to V.N. Tatishchev, who referred in this case to the Rostov and Novgorod chronicles, Svyatoslav was born in 920. And finally, the message of Constantine Porphyrogenitus in his treatise "On the Administration of the Empire" (compiled in 948 - 952) that Ingor's son Sfendoslav was sitting in Nemogard (most researchers see Novgorod in this name). Apparently, Svyatoslav reigned in Novgorod before he officially became the prince of Kyiv, that is, until the autumn of 944. In this case, it is completely incomprehensible how a two-year-old baby could reign in such a large center of Rus', and even send his representative to Russian-Byzantine negotiations (at the conclusion of the treaty of 944, Svyatoslav was represented by a separate ambassador). Of course, it can be assumed that Svyatoslav was ruled by his breadwinner Asmud, that is, both the reign and the embassy were mere formalities, but then what did they make sense? Princes in Rus' could take part in adult life from the age of seven or eight, but for a two-year-old baby to be specially represented at foreign policy negotiations and formally be a prince in the second most important Russian city (moreover, Konstantin writes that Svyatoslav just “sat”, reigned, and not just owned) - this has never happened before or after Svyatoslav!

All this allows us to conclude that Svyatoslav was born before 942, possibly in the early 920s, that is, 20 years earlier than the date of the Ipatiev Chronicle. The error can be explained by assuming that it was not Svyatoslav who was born around 942, but one of his sons. The great historian S. M. Solovyov drew attention to yet another aspect of this problem. According to the chronicles, the story is known that the mother of Svyatopolk the Accursed was brought to the son of Svyatoslav Yaropolk as a wife by his father, and initially she was a nun. If there is a historical fact behind this legend, then in 970 Yaropolk was already married, which does not agree well with the date of birth of Svyatoslav in 942. Solovyov explained this by the fact that the princes could marry their young children, even if the bride is much older: "The difference in years with polygamy meant nothing." However, the chronicle news itself once again testifies to the complexity of the problem under consideration.

When analyzing the dating of the birth of Svyatoslav, the analogy with the same late birth of Igor is striking. According to chronicles, Igor at the time of Rurik's death was still very small (according to the Resurrection Chronicle - two years old). Svyatoslav, as it were, repeats this situation: he is about three years old (if we admit that Igor died in the late autumn of 944, then Svyatoslav was also two years old). Under Igor, the teacher Oleg, who is actually an independent prince until his death. Under Svyatoslav - Olga, who also holds the reins of power in her hands for a very long time. Perhaps, with the help of an analogy with Igor, the chronicler tried to explain the actual usurpation of power by Olga, introducing Svyatoslav as a child?

If Svyatoslav was born earlier, then it turns out that Olga simply removed her son from supreme power. Perhaps this should be seen as one of the reasons for his unrestrained military activity?

It is interesting that, belonging to a dynasty of Varangian origin, Svyatoslav bore a purely Slavic name. In Constantine Porphyrogenitus and Leo the Deacon, the name of the prince is transferred as Sfendoslav, which proves the preservation of nasal vowels in the Slavic language at that time. The fact of the original reign of Svyatoslav in Novgorod can be considered, in fact, as the earliest manifestation of the dynastic tradition of the Rurikovichs to put the eldest son, heir or one of the sons of the Grand Duke on the Novgorod table. Thus, the unity of the two most important ancient Russian centers and the special position of Novgorod in the system of the Old Russian state were also emphasized. Svyatoslav began this tradition, which arose almost immediately after the registration of Kyiv as an ancient Russian capital (Igor was the first Kiev prince from the Rurik dynasty).

Svyatoslav became famous as a brave and valiant knight who shared all the difficulties and hardships with his combatants. He did not carry a tent, bed, dishes and boilers with him, did not like expensive clothes, and together with the soldiers slept in the open air, on the ground, putting a saddle under his head, ate half-baked meat baked on coals. To match the way of life was the appearance of the prince - a mighty hero, hardened in hardships and formidable in appearance. Svyatoslav was a brave and talented commander - his enemies were afraid of him. “I’m going to you!”, That is, I’m going to you, - this is how he usually warned the enemy before the start of the war.

Svyatoslav spent almost his entire life in wars with neighboring states. In 964, he moved into the lands of the Vyatichi, who paid tribute to the Khazars. This was the first blow to the power of the Khazar Khaganate. The Vyatichi lived in the interfluve of the Oka and the Volga, this wilderness was separated from the rest of Rus' by dense, impenetrable forests, and going there was the first feat of Svyatoslav (much later, Vladimir Monomakh proudly wrote that he had passed through the land of the Vyatichi). Then in 965 Svyatoslav defeated the Khazar Khaganate. He took an important fortress that defended Khazaria from the Don - Belaya Vezha (Sarkel). Sarkel was built for the Khazars by the Byzantines in the late 830s. Now the entire Volga was under the control of Rus', and this could not but worry the Byzantines. With rich gifts, an envoy of Constantinople, a dignitary Kalokir, appeared in Kyiv, who suggested that Svyatoslav direct his attack on Danube Bulgaria. At that time, she got out of control of Byzantium and ceased to comply with the terms of the peace treaty previously concluded between the two countries. Svyatoslav, pursuing his goals, agreed. It seemed tempting to the prince to take possession of the Lower Danube. After all, it was an economically and commercially rich region. If he became part of Rus', then its borders would expand and come close to the borders of the Byzantine Empire itself.

In 967 Svyatoslav started a war with the Bulgarians. Luck accompanied him. According to the chronicles, the Rus took 80 cities along the Danube, and Svyatoslav settled in the Danube city of Pereyaslavets. Here the Byzantines sent him all sorts of gifts, including gold and silver. In 968, Svyatoslav had to leave to save Kyiv from the invasion of the Pechenegs, but then he returned to the Danube. The chronicle preserved his words: “I don’t like to sit in Kiev, I want to live in Pereyaslavets on the Danube - for there is the middle of my land, all the blessings flow there: from the Greek land - gold, curtains, wines, various fruits, from the Czech Republic and from Hungary silver and horses, from Russia - furs and wax, honey and slaves. This position widened the gap between Svyatoslav and the Kyiv elite. The Kievans reproached their prince: “You, prince, are looking for someone else’s land and take care of it, but you left your own ...” This is probably why they did not send troops to help him when Svyatoslav returned to Kiev after the war with the Byzantines.

But still, Svyatoslav was drawn to the Danube. Soon he was there again, again took Pereyaslavets, who returned during his absence to the Bulgarians, and then the war broke out with Byzantium. The emperor then was John Tzimisces, an Armenian by origin (Tzimisces in Russian means “shoe”). He was known as an experienced commander, but Svyatoslav was not inferior to him in military skill. A clash between the two heroes was inevitable. The Byzantine historian Leo the Deacon brought to us the true words of the Russian prince: “Sfendoslav (Svyatoslav) was very proud of his victories over the Misyans (inhabitants of the Byzantine province of Misia); he had already firmly taken possession of their country and was completely imbued with barbaric arrogance and arrogance (here, of course, it must be taken into account that Svyatoslav was a mortal enemy for the Byzantines). Sfendoslav answered the Roman ambassadors arrogantly and boldly: “I will leave this rich country no sooner than I receive a large monetary tribute and ransom for all the cities I captured during the war and for all the prisoners. If the Romans do not want to pay what I demand, let them immediately leave Europe, to which they have no right, and go to Asia, otherwise let them not hope to conclude peace with the Tauro-Scythians. (this is how Leo the Deacon calls the inhabitants of Rus').

Emperor John, having received such an answer from the Scythian, again sent ambassadors to him, instructing them to convey the following: “We believe that Providence governs the universe, and we profess all Christian laws; therefore, we believe that we ourselves should not destroy the undefiled peace inherited from the fathers and thanks to God’s help, the unshakable world. That is why we urgently urge and advise you, as friends, to leave at once, without delay or reservation, a country which by no means belongs to you. Know that if you do not follow this good advice, then not we, but you, will turn out to be violators of the peace concluded in ancient times. (...) if you yourself do not leave the country, then we will expel you from it against your will. I believe that you have not forgotten about the defeat of your father Ingor (Igor), who, despising the oath agreement, sailed to our capital with a huge army on 10 thousand ships, and to the Cimmerian Bosporus (Kerch Strait) arrived with barely a dozen boats, becoming the herald of his own misfortune. I do not mention his further miserable fate, when, having gone on a campaign against the Germans (or rather, in the Drevlyans), he was taken prisoner by them, tied to tree trunks and torn in two. I think that you will not return to your fatherland if you force the Roman force to oppose you - you will find death here with your entire army, and not one torch-bearer will arrive in Scythia to announce the terrible fate that has befallen you. This message angered Sfendoslav, and he, seized with barbaric fury and madness, sent the following answer: “I see no need for the emperor of the Romans to rush to us; let him not exhaust his strength on a journey to this country - we ourselves will soon pitch our tents at the gates of Byzantium (Constantinople) and we will erect strong barriers around the city, and if he comes out to us, if he decides to resist such a disaster, we will bravely meet him and show him in practice that we are not some artisans who earn their livelihood by the labor of their hands. (the Byzantine army consisted largely of peasants, while there were professional soldiers in Svyatoslav's squad), but men of blood who defeat the enemy with weapons. In vain, due to his unreasonableness, he takes the Ross for pampered women and tries to intimidate us with such threats, like babies who are frightened with all sorts of scarecrows. Having received news of these crazy speeches, the emperor decided to immediately prepare for war with all diligence in order to prevent the invasion of Sfendoslav and block his access to the capital ... "

The news of the approach of Svyatoslav's squads confused the perfidious Greeks. The Rus were advancing towards Constantinople. But Tzimiskes managed to mobilize his forces, and Svyatoslav retreated. The fate of the Balkans was decided in bloody battles. Finally, Svyatoslav left the capital of Bulgaria - Preslav the Great and fortified himself in the fortress on the Danube Dorostol (now Silistra). Here, in 971, his army was surrounded by a hundred thousandth army of the emperor of the Byzantines. The governors of Svyatoslav considered further struggle pointless and offered the prince to surrender. But he resolutely refused and turned to his few soldiers with an appeal: “We will not disgrace the Russian land, but we will lay down our bones. The dead have no shame. Let's stand strong, I'll go ahead of you!

Leo the Deacon also tells about the same battle: “While the sovereign (Emperor John) slowly moving towards the army of the Ross, several brave men possessed by desperate insolence separated from their phalanx, who, having ambushed, made a surprise attack and killed some soldiers from the advance detachment of the Romans. Seeing their corpses scattered along the road, the emperor lowered the reins and stopped the horse. The death of his compatriots led him into indignation, and he ordered to track down those who committed this atrocity. John's bodyguards, having carefully searched the surrounding forests and bushes, seized these robbers and brought them bound to the emperor. He immediately ordered them to be killed, and the bodyguards, without delay drawing their swords, chopped them all to one to pieces. Then the troops approached the space lying in front of Dorostol ... the Taurus-Scythians tightly closed their shields and spears, giving their ranks the appearance of a wall, and awaited the enemy on the battlefield. The emperor lined up the Romans against them, placing horsemen dressed in armor on the sides, and archers and slingers behind, and, ordering them to shoot non-stop, led the phalanx into battle. The warriors met hand to hand, a fierce battle ensued, and in the first battles, both sides fought for a long time with equal success. The dews, who among the neighboring peoples gained the glory of victors in battles, believed that a terrible disaster would befall them if they suffered a shameful defeat from the Romans, and fought, straining all their strength. The Romans, on the other hand, were overcome with shame and anger at the thought that they, having defeated all opponents with weapons and courage, would retreat like newcomers inexperienced in battles and lose their great glory in a short time, having been defeated by a people fighting on foot and not at all able to ride. on horseback. Motivated by such thoughts, both armies fought with unsurpassed bravery; the dews, which were led by their innate brutality and fury, rushed in a furious impulse, roaring like possessed ones, at the Romans, and the Romans advanced, using their experience and military art. Many warriors fell on both sides, the battle went on with varying success, and until the very evening it was impossible to determine which side the victory was leaning on. But when the luminary began to lean towards the west, the emperor threw his entire cavalry at full speed on the Scythians; in a loud voice, he called on the soldiers to show in practice the natural Roman prowess and instilled in them good spirits. They rushed with extraordinary force, the trumpeters blew for battle, and a mighty cry rang out over the Roman ranks. The Scythians, unable to withstand such an onslaught, took to flight and were driven back behind the walls; they lost many of their warriors in this battle. And the Romans sang victorious hymns and glorified the emperor. He gave them rewards and arranged feasts, increasing their zeal in battle.

But, despite the "victorious hymns", John realized that Svyatoslav was worth his death. Seeing that he would not be able to break the resistance of the Russians, the Byzantine emperor went to peace. Leo the Deacon described the meeting of Svyatoslav with Tzimiskes as follows: “Sfendoslav also appeared, sailing along the river on a Scythian boat; he sat on the oars and rowed along with his entourage, no different from them. This was his appearance: of moderate height, neither too tall nor too short, with shaggy eyebrows and light blue eyes, snub-nosed, beardless, with thick, excessively long hair above his upper lip. His head was completely naked, but on one side a tuft of hair hung down - a sign of the nobility of the family; a strong nape, a broad chest and all other parts of the body are quite proportionate, but he looked sullen and wild. He had a gold earring in one ear; it was adorned with a carbuncle framed by two pearls. His attire was white and differed from the clothes of his associates only in cleanliness. Sitting in a boat on a bench for rowers, he talked a little with the sovereign about the conditions of peace and left. Thus ended the war between the Romans and the Scythians.

As a result, Rus' and Byzantium concluded a new peace treaty - not in the palace or in the office, but right on the battlefield. The Rus pledged to continue not to attack Bulgaria and the Byzantine lands, and the Greeks promised to let Svyatoslav's army go home without hindrance, supplying him with a small supply of food. Trade relations between the two powers were also restored. The text of the agreement, as usual, was drawn up in two copies and sealed. One should think that on the seal of the Russian prince there was an image of a bident - the tribal sign of the Rurikovich.

Returning to their homeland, the Russian army was divided. One part of it, led by the governor Sveneld, went by land, and Svyatoslav and his retinue sailed along the Danube to the Black Sea. Then they entered the Dnieper and moved north. But in the spring of 972, on the Dnieper rapids, where the ships had to be dragged, the Pechenegs attacked the Russian squad. Svyatoslav died in battle. And the Pecheneg Khan Kurya made a cup out of the skull of the prince, encasing him in gold. From this cup he drank wine, hoping that the mind and courage of the glorious commander would pass to him.

Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich forever remained in Russian history as a brave warrior and great commander, who covered Russian weapons with glory and strengthened the international prestige of Rus'.

Svyatoslav had three sons. Even during his lifetime, he made the eldest son Yaropolk his heir in Kiev, the second son Oleg - the prince of the Drevlyansk, and the younger Vladimir, born from the concubine Malusha, at the request of the Novgorodians themselves, the prince of Novgorod.

The origin of Malusha is unknown. In the annals, it is only dully reported that she was the daughter of a certain Malk Lubechanin. Malusha's sister was Dobrynya, a distant prototype of the epic hero Dobrynya Nikitich. Malusha herself was the slave of Princess Olga, and therefore Princess Rogneda called Vladimir "robichich", that is, the son of a slave (but more on that below). In historiography, an interesting hypothesis arose about the genealogy of Malusha. It was suggested that she was actually the daughter of the Drevlyansk prince Mal, who, after the death of her father, became the slave of the winner, Princess Olga. But this version runs into such irresolvable contradictions that it cannot be recognized as worthy of attention.

It is curious that the Scandinavian "Saga of Olaf Tryggvason" also speaks about Vladimir's mother, although without mentioning the name. King Gardariki Valdamar had an old, decrepit mother. She was considered a pagan prophetess, and many of her predictions came true. There was a custom in Gardariki: on the first day of Yule (a pagan winter holiday, later identified with Christmas), in the evening, Vladimir's mother was taken out in an armchair to the ward, placed opposite the place of the prince, and the old prophetess predicted the future. Vladimir treated his mother with great respect and reverence, asking her if any danger threatened Gardariki. One evening, the princess predicted the birth of Olav Tryggvason in Norway, who later visited Rus'.

The motif of prophecy is common in medieval literature. But for all the legendary nature of this story (researchers believe that the features of the wise Princess Olga could be reflected in the image of Vladimir's mother), it adds new colors to the initial Russian history.

After the death of Svyatoslav, Yaropolk became the full-fledged prince of Kyiv. But his reign was short-lived. Voivode under Yaropolk, as well as under his father and grandfather, remained Sveneld. "The Tale of Bygone Years" tells how once the son of Sveneld - Lut was hunting in the forests near Kyiv. At the same time, Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich also went hunting. “Who dared to hunt on princely lands?” - Oleg asked his governor, seeing several horsemen in the distance. “Lut Sveneldich,” they answered him. Then the prince decided to punish the disobedient. Having caught up with Luta, Oleg killed him in anger. Since then, Sveneld held a grudge against Oleg and began to persuade Yaropolk to go to war against his brother.

In 977, strife began between the Svyatoslavichs. Yaropolk set off on a campaign against the Drevlyan principality. In the first battle, Oleg was defeated and fled to the city of Ovruch. Like many Russian cities, Ovruch was surrounded by a moat, through which a bridge was thrown to the city gates. Oleg's warriors and the surrounding inhabitants from all sides flocked under the walls of the city, hoping to hide from the approaching squads of Yaropolk. On the bridge leading to the fortress, a lot of people crowded, they crowded and pushed each other. Oleg himself got into this crush. He hardly made his way among the people who were distraught with fear and, finally, was thrown from his horse right into the ditch. From above, the bodies of crushed soldiers and the corpses of horses fell on him ... When Yaropolk captured Ovruch, he found the lifeless body of his brother in the city moat. The prince lamented that he had started the war, but it was already impossible to stop it.

Vladimir, who reigned in Novgorod, found out about what had happened and fled to relatives in Scandinavia. In 980, he returned to Rus' with a large Varangian squad and moved south to Kyiv. Along the way, the young prince decided to capture the large and rich city of Polotsk, where Rogvolod reigned. Rogvolod had two sons and a beautiful daughter, whose name was Rogneda. Vladimir wooed Rogneda, but the proud princess refused him (“I don’t want to rozuti robichich,” she said, since, according to custom, the wife took off her husband’s shoes after the wedding), especially since Yaropolk was going to marry her. Then Vladimir suddenly attacked Polotsk, captured the city and burned it. Rogvolod and his sons perished, and Rogneda unwillingly had to become the wife of the winner. She bore Vladimir four sons, one of whom was Yaroslav the Wise.

Now it's Yaropolk's turn. On the advice of the governor Blud, whom Vladimir bribed, Yaropolk fled Kyiv, leaving the city to its fate. Deprived of a leader, the people of Kiev did not even resist the advancing army. The gates of Kyiv opened, and Vladimir solemnly sat on the princely throne of his father. Yaropolk, meanwhile, took refuge in the small town of Roden, but his strength was exhausted. When Vladimir approached the city, Yaropolk's close associates advised their prince to surrender without a fight. With a heavy heart, Yaropolk went to his brother's headquarters. And as soon as he entered the vestibule of Vladimir's house, two Varangians guarding the door raised him with swords in his bosoms. The prince's bloodied body hung lifelessly on sharp swords...

Thus began the reign of Vladimir in Kiev.

942 Annalistic news about the birth of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Igor Rurikovich and his wife, Grand Duchess Olga, the son of Svyatoslav.

Before 944 The beginning of the reign of Svyatoslav in the Novgorod land.

944 The campaign of Prince Igor in alliance with the Pechenegs against Byzantium. The conclusion of the Russian-Byzantine peace treaty. Mention in the text of the contract of the name of Princess Olga and Svyatoslav.

944 December 16- The overthrow of the Byzantine emperor Roman I Lecapenus by his own sons and co-rulers Stephen and Constantine.

945 January- The overthrow of the Byzantine co-rulers Stephen and Constantine. Proclamation of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus as a Byzantine basileus.

945 autumn- The death of Prince Igor in the Drevlyane land. Announcement of the infant Svyatoslav the Grand Duke of Kyiv. The beginning of the reign of the ruler Olga in Kievan Rus.

946 spring- The arrival of the Drevlyansk ambassadors to Kyiv with the intention of wooing Olga for Prince Mala. Olga's massacre with the Drevlyansk embassy.

946 summer- Arrival in Kyiv to Olga of the "best husbands" of the Drevlyane land. The burning of the Drevlyansk matchmakers by order of Princess Olga.

946 end of summer- Olga's third revenge on the Drevlyans. The murder of representatives of the Drevlyansk clans during the funeral feast for Igor.

946 The campaign of the Kyiv army, led by the governor Sveneld, together with Princess Olga and Prince Svyatoslav, to the Drevlyane land. Siege, capture and burning of Iskorosten. Murder of city elders. The end of the war with the Drevlyans and the imposition of tribute on them.

947 Detour by Princess Olga of the volosts of Kievan Rus. Establishment of churchyards and camps for collecting tribute in the Meta and Luga basins, as well as along the Dnieper and Desna. Determination of a fixed amount of tribute from subject tribes.

Middle of the 10th century Resettlement of the Polovtsy in the steppes of the Black Sea region and the Caucasus.

Middle of the 10th century Accession to the Kyiv Principality of the land of Tivertsy.

Middle of the 10th century Separation of the Principality of Polotsk.

Middle of the 10th century the first mention in the annals of Vyshgorod - a city north of Kyiv.

2nd floor 10th century Formation of the Vladimir-Volyn principality.

954 Participation of the Byzantines (together with the Russians) in the battle of Al-Hadas.

955 Annalistic reference to Olga's journey to Constantinople.

957 September 9- Reception of Princess Olga in Constantinople by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus.

959 autumn- The message of the German chronicle about the embassy of Princess Olga to the German king Otto I with a request to send a Catholic bishop to the Russian land.

959 November- Death of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. Accession to the Byzantine throne of Roman II.

Before 960 Birth of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich's son Yaropolk.

Before 960 Birth of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich's son Oleg.

Around 960 Birth of a son, Vladimir, by Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich and his concubine Malusha Lubechanka.

Before 962 Arrival in Kyiv of the German Bishop Adalbert with the aim of converting the Russians to the faith of Christ and bringing them into the bosom of the Roman Church. The expulsion of the bishop and his retinue from Kyiv.

Later 962 Dissatisfaction with the adherents of paganism, led by Prince Svyatoslav, with Olga's policy in Kyiv. Removal of Olga from direct control of the country.