Kyiv princes in order. Old Russian princes
The first prince of Kievan Rus - who is he?
Ancient tribes that settled throughout the great waterway, which connected the entire East European Plain, were united into one ethnic group called the Slavs. Tribes such as the Polyans, Drevlyans, Krivichi, Ilmen Slovenes, Northerners, Polochans, Vyatichi, Radimichi and Dregovichi were considered Slavs. Our ancestors built two greatest cities– Dnieper and Novgorod – which at the time of the establishment of the state already existed, but did not have any ruler. The ancestors of the tribes constantly quarreled and fought with each other, having no way to find " mutual language" and come to a common decision. It was decided to call upon the Baltic princes, brothers named Rurik, Sineus and Truvor, to reign over their lands and people. These were the first names of the princes who were included in the chronicle. In 862, the prince brothers settled in three big cities- in Beloozero, Novgorod and Izborsk. The people from the Slavs turned into Russians, since the name of the tribe Varangian princes(and the brothers were Varangians) was called Rus'.
The story of Prince Rurik - another version of events
Few people know, but there is another old legend about the origin Kievan Rus and about the appearance of its first princes. Some historians suggest that the chronicle was incorrectly translated in some places, and if you look at a different translation, it turns out that only Prince Rurik sailed to the Slavs. “Sine-hus” in Old Norse means “clan”, “house”, and “tru-thief” means “squad”. The chronicle says that the brothers Sineus and Truvor allegedly died due to unclear circumstances, since mention of them in the chronicles disappears. Perhaps it’s just that now “tru-vor” was indicated as a “squad”, and “sine-hus” was already mentioned as a “clan”. This is how the non-existent brothers died in the chronicle and a squad with the family of Rurik appeared.
By the way, some scientists claim that Prince Rurik was none other than the Danish king Rurik of Friesland himself, who committed great amount successful raids on their warlike neighbors. Exactly because of this reason Slavic tribes and they called on him to rule their people, because Rorik was brave, strong, fearless and smart.
The reign of Prince Rurik in Rus' (862 – 879)
The first prince of Kievan Rus, Rurik, was not just an intelligent ruler for 17 years, but the founder of the princely dynasty (which became the royal dynasty years later) and the founder political system, thanks to which Kievan Rus became a great and powerful state despite the fact that it was founded quite recently. Since the newly formed state was not yet fully formed, Rurik most dedicated his reign to the seizure of lands by uniting all Slavic tribes: the Northerners, the Drevlyans, the Smolensk Krivichi, the Chud and Ves tribe, the Psovsky Krivichi, the Merya tribe and the Radimichi. One of his greatest achievements, thanks to which Rurik strengthened his authority in Rus', was the suppression of the uprising of Vadim the Brave, which took place in Novgorod.
In addition to Prince Rurik, there were two more brothers, relatives of the prince, who ruled in Kyiv. The brothers' names were Askold and Dir, but if you believe the legends, Kyiv existed long before their reign and was founded by three brothers Kiy Shchek and Khoriv, as well as their sister Lybid. At that time, Kyiv did not yet have a dominant significance in Rus', and Novgorod was the residence of the prince.
Princes of Kyiv – Askold and Dir (864 – 882)
The first Kyiv princes entered history only partially, since very little was written about them in the Tale of Past Years. It is known that they were warriors of Prince Rurik, but then they left him down the Dnieper to Constantinople, but, having captured Kiev along the way, they decided to stay here to reign. Details of their reign are not known, but there are records of their deaths. Prince Rurik left the reign to his young son Igor, and until he grew up, Oleg was the prince. Having received power into their own hands, Oleg and Igor went to Kyiv and in a conspiracy killed the Kyiv princes, justifying themselves by saying that they did not belong to princely family and did not have the right to reign. They ruled from 866 to 882. Such were the first Kyiv princes - Askold and Dir.
Prince of Ancient Rus' – reign of Prince Oleg the Prophet (879 – 912)
After the death of Rurik, power passed to his warrior Oleg, who was soon nicknamed the Prophetic. Oleg the Prophet ruled Russia until Rurik's son, Igor, came of age and could become a prince. It was during the reign of Prince Oleg that Rus' gained such power that such great states as Byzantium and even Constantinople could envy it. The regent of Prince Igor multiplied all the achievements that Prince Rurik achieved and enriched Rus' even more. Gathering a huge army under his command, he went down the Dnieper River and conquered Smolensk, Lyubech and Kyiv.
After the murder of Askold and Dir, the Drevlyans who inhabited Kyiv recognized Igor as their legitimate ruler, and Kyiv became the capital of Kievan Rus. Oleg recognized himself as a Russian, and not a foreign ruler, thus becoming the first truly Russian prince. Prophetic Oleg's campaign against Byzantium ended in his victory, thanks to which the Rus received favorable benefits for trade with Constantinople.
During his campaign against Constantinople, Oleg showed unprecedented “Russian ingenuity” by ordering the warriors to nail wheels to the ships, due to which they were able to “ride” across the plain with the help of the wind right to the gate. The formidable and powerful ruler of Byzantium, named Leo VI, surrendered, and Oleg, as a sign of his impeccable victory, nailed his shield to the very gates of Constantinople. This was a very inspiring symbol of victory for the entire squad, after which his army followed their leader with even greater devotion.
Prophecy of the death of Oleg the Prophet
Oleg the Prophet died in 912, having ruled the country for 30 years. There are very interesting legends about his death, and even ballads were written. Before his campaign with his squad against the Khazars, Oleg met a magician on the road who prophesied the prince’s death from his own horse. The Magi were held in high esteem in Rus', and their words were considered the true truth. Prince Oleg the Prophet was no exception, and after such a prophecy he ordered a new horse to be brought to him. But he loved his old “comrade in arms”, who had gone through more than one battle with him, and could not easily forget about him.
Many years later, Oleg learns that his horse has long gone into oblivion, and the prince decides to go to his bones to make sure that the prophecy did not come true. Stepping on the bones, Prince Oleg says goodbye to his “lonely friend,” and almost convinced that death has passed, he does not notice how a poisonous snake crawls out of his skull and bites him. This is how Oleg the Prophet met his death.
Reign of Prince Igor (912 – 945)
After the death of Prince Oleg, Igor Rurikovich took over the rule of Russia, although in fact he was considered the ruler since 879. Remembering the enormous achievements of the first princes, Prince Igor did not want to lag behind them, and therefore also often went on campaigns. During his reign, Rus' was subjected to many attacks by the Pechenegs, so the prince decided to conquer neighboring tribes and force them to pay tribute. He dealt with this problem quite well, but he was never able to fulfill his old dream and complete the conquest of Constantinople, since everything inside the state gradually plunged into chaos. The powerful princely hand weakened in comparison with Oleg and Rurik, and many obstinate tribes noticed this. For example, the Drevlyans refused to pay tribute to the prince, after which a riot arose, which had to be pacified with blood and sword. It would seem that everything had already been decided, but the Drevlyans spent a long time building a plan for revenge on Prince Igor, and a few years later it overtook him. We'll talk about this a little later.
Prince Igor was unable to keep his neighbors under control, with whom he signed peaceful agreement. Having agreed with the Khazars that on the way to the Caspian Sea they would allow his army to go to the sea, and in return he would give up half of the booty received, the prince and his squad were practically destroyed on the way home. The Khazars realized that they outnumbered the army of the Russian prince, and staged a brutal massacre, after which only Igor and several dozen of his warriors managed to escape.
Victory over Constantinople
This was not his last shameful defeat. He felt another thing in the battle with Constantinople, which also destroyed almost the entire princely squad in battle. Prince Igor was so angry that in order to wash away the shame of his name, he gathered his entire squad, the Khazars and even the Pechenegs, under his command. In this formation they moved to Constantinople. Byzantine Emperor learned from the Bulgarians about the approaching disaster, and upon the arrival of the prince, he began to ask for mercy, offering very favorable conditions for cooperation.
Prince Igor did not enjoy his brilliant victory for long. The revenge of the Drevlyans overtook him. A year after the campaign against Constantinople, as part of a small detachment of tribute collectors, Igor went to the Drevlyans to collect tribute. But they again refused to pay and destroyed all the tax collectors, and with them the prince himself. Thus ended the reign of Prince Igor Rurikovich.
Reign of Princess Olga (945 – 957)
Princess Olga was the wife of Prince Igor, and for the betrayal and murder of the prince she cruelly took revenge on the Drevlyans. The Drevlyans were almost completely destroyed, without any damage to the Russians. Olga's ruthless strategy exceeded all expectations. Having gone on a campaign to Iskorosten (Korosten), the princess and her friend spent almost a year under siege near the city. Then the great ruler ordered a tribute to be collected from each household: three doves or sparrows. The Drevlyans were very happy with such a low tribute, and therefore almost immediately hastened to carry out the order, wanting to appease the princess. But the woman was very different sharp mind, and therefore she ordered to tie a smoldering tow to the paw of the birds, and release them to freedom. The birds, carrying fire with them, returned to their nests, and since houses had previously been built from straw and wood, the city quickly began to burn and was completely burned to the ground.
After my great victory, the princess went to Constantinople and received there holy baptism. Being pagans, the Rus could not accept such an outburst from their princess. But the fact remains a fact, and Princess Olga is considered the first who brought Christianity to Rus' and remained faithful to her faith until the end of her days. At baptism, the princess took the name Elena, and for such courage she was elevated to the rank of saints.
Such were the princes of ancient Rus'. Strong, brave, merciless and smart. They managed to unite eternally warring tribes into one people, form a powerful and rich state and glorify their names for centuries.
First of all, it should be noted that during the reign of the first Kyiv princes. Rus' developed, gained strength, fought for the unification of the Slavic tribes and their lands. It should be noted that the strengthening of ancient Russian statehood was inextricably linked with the struggle that Kyiv waged with the Khazars and others
nomadic tribes. Kievan Rus was active foreign policy. Its rulers established diplomatic relations with neighboring countries. This was the time when the foundations of ancient Russian statehood were laid, cities and the culture of ancient Rus' developed. It is no coincidence that even in ancient times Kyiv was called “the mother of Russian cities.” The first ancient Russian ruler was Oleg (882-912?). With him
The custom of regular collection of tribute - polyudya - was established. Then it was clearly created organized training the entire infrastructure for the collection, storage and transportation of collected goods, for sending them
to the markets of Byzantium. Oleg, defending the interests of Russian merchants, made trips to Constantinople and concluded a peace treaty with Byzantium. In people's memory he remained under the name " prophetic Oleg" Prince Igor (912-945), is considered the son of Rurik, it is from him (according to tradition) that the Rurik family descends. He made several trips to the Slavic lands, launched military raids on Byzantium and Asia Minor. This Kiev prince ended his days very tragically. An attempt by Igor and his squad to collect tribute from the Drevlyan tribe a second time ended in an uprising, during which Igor was caught and executed. After Igor's death, his widow, Princess Olga (945-964), ascended the Kiev throne. She introduced customary norms for collecting tribute, lessons and regulations, and under her the system of graveyards was restored, i.e. places for collecting and storing goods.
Olga was one of the first in Rus' to convert to Christianity. She was subsequently canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. Her son Svyatoslav (964-972) is known primarily as a warrior prince. Most of my short life he spent in campaigns and battles. He defeated the Khazar Khaganate and destroyed Khazar cities. Svyatoslav sought to gain a foothold on the Danube and move his capital there. However, in the spring of 972, returning from Bulgaria after a difficult war with Byzantium, he was killed by the Pechenegs on the Dnieper rapids.
After a long internecine war in 980, Svyatoslav’s son Vladimir (980-1015) ascended the Kiev throne. Under him, Kievan Rus expanded its borders even more. Vladimir undertook a series of campaigns between the Oka and Volga rivers. During this period, an attempt was made to gain a foothold on the shores of the Baltic. Vladimir
sought to strengthen his state. Under him, instead of tribal princes, his proteges were appointed as local managers. He stubbornly fought the Pechenegs and continued to strengthen the southern borders
states. In order to culturally integrate the lands, Vladimir first attempted to create a single pantheon of pagan gods in Kyiv. However, this attempt was unsuccessful. After that at 988
Vladimir converted to Christianity. The history of the adoption of Christianity shows that this process was lengthy and bears little resemblance to the “triumphant march” of the new faith across Rus'. It was difficult and
According to the preamble to the chronicle, he reigned for 37 years (PSRL, vol. I, stb. 18). According to all chronicles, he entered Kyiv in 6488 (980) (PSRL, vol. I, stb. 77), according to the “Memory and Praise of the Russian Prince Vladimir” - June 11 6486 (978 ) year (Literature Library Ancient Rus'. T.1. P.326). The dating of 978 was especially actively defended by A. A. Shakhmatov, but there is still no consensus in science. Died on July 15, 6523 (1015) (PSRL, vol. I, stb. 130).
We know who the first princes in Rus' were from the works of chroniclers - Nestor, who lived at the turn of the 11th-12th centuries, his contemporary Sylvester and the semi-legendary Joachim, about the reality of whose existence historians cannot say with complete certainty. It is from their pages that “deeds of bygone years” come to life before us, the memory of which is kept only in the depths of silent steppe mounds and in folk legends.
The first prince of Ancient Rus'
The chronicler Nestor was canonized, therefore, during his lifetime he did not lie, and therefore we will believe everything that he wrote, especially since we, admittedly, have no choice. So, in the middle of the 9th century, the Novgorodians, together with the Krivichi, Chud and the whole, invited three Varangian brothers to rule - Rurik, Sineus and Truvor. The chronicler explains such a strange desire - to voluntarily surrender oneself to the power of foreigners - by the fact that our ancestors lost hope of independently establishing order in their vast lands, and therefore decided to turn to the Varangians for help.
By the way, at all times there have been skeptics among historians. In their opinion, the warlike Scandinavians simply seized the Russian lands and began to rule them, and the legend of voluntary calling was composed only for the sake of trampled national pride. However, this version has also not been proven and is based only on idle reasoning and speculation, and therefore, it is not worth talking about. In the generally accepted view, the first prince of Kievan Rus was an invited guest here.
Reign on the banks of the Volkhov
The first Varangian prince in Rus' was Rurik. He settled in Novgorod in 862. At the same time, his younger brothers began to rule in the estates allotted to them - Sineus in Beloozero, and Truvor in Izborsk. It is curious that Smolensk and Polotsk did not allow foreigners in - either without them the order in the cities was exemplary, or the Varangians simply did not have enough strength to break their resistance. Two years later, Sineus and Truvor simultaneously die, as they say now, “under unclear circumstances,” and their lands are annexed to the possessions of their elder brother Rurik. This became the basis for the subsequent creation of the Russian monarchy.
The chroniclers mentioned above attribute another an important event. Two Varangian princes, Askold and Dir, accompanied by a squad, set off on a campaign against Constantinople, but before reaching the Byzantine capital, they captured the small Dnieper city of Kiev, which later became the capital of Ancient Rus'. The campaign they planned to Byzantium did not bring glory, but like the first Kyiv princes Askold and Dir forever entered our history. And although the first Varangian prince in Rus' was Rurik, they also played important role in the formation of the state.
The treacherous capture of Kyiv
When in 879, after fifteen years of sole reign, Rurik died, he left his young son Igor as heir to the princely throne, and until he came of age appointed his relative Oleg as ruler, the same one whom descendants would call the Prophetic. New ruler From the first days he showed himself to be a powerful, warlike person and devoid of excessive morality. Oleg conquers Smolensk and Lyubech, everywhere covering his actions with the name of the young prince Igor, in whose interests he allegedly acts. Having begun the conquest of the Dnieper lands, he captured Kyiv by cunning and, having killed Askold and Dir, became its ruler. It is to him that the chroniclers attribute the words that Kyiv is the mother of Russian cities.
Conqueror and conqueror of lands
At the end of the 9th century Russian lands were still very scattered, and between Novgorod and Kiev extended significant territories inhabited by foreigners. Oleg and his large retinue conquered many peoples who had until then maintained their independence. These were the Ilmen Slavs, the Chud, Vesi, Drevlyan tribes and many other inhabitants of forests and steppes. Having united them under his rule, he gathered the lands of Novgorod and Kyiv into a single powerful state.
His campaigns put an end to the dominance Khazar Khaganate, who controlled for many years southern territories. Oleg also became famous for his successful campaign against Byzantium, during which, as a sign of victory, he nailed his famous shield, praised by both Pushkin and Vysotsky, to the gates of Constantinople. He returned home with rich booty. The prince died at a ripe old age, satiated with life and glory. Whether the cause of death was the snake that bit him and crawled out of the horse’s skull, or whether it was just a work of fiction is unknown, but the prince’s life itself was brighter and more amazing than any legend.
Massive influx of Scandinavians to Rus'
As can be seen from the above, the first princes in Rus', immigrants from the Scandinavian peoples, saw their main task in conquering new lands and creating single state, capable of withstanding those numerous enemies who continuously encroached on its integrity.
During these years, seeing the success of their fellow tribesmen in Rus', in Novgorod and Kyiv lands Scandinavians rushed in in large numbers, wanting to grab their piece, but, finding themselves among a large and resilient people, they inevitably assimilated into it and soon became part of it. The activities of the first princes of Rus', of course, relied on their support, but over time the foreigners gave way to the indigenous inhabitants.
Period of Igor's reign
With the death of Oleg on historical scene his successor appeared, the son of Rurik, who had matured by that time, the young Prince Igor. All his life he tried to achieve the same fame that Oleg got, but fate was not kind to him. Having undertaken two campaigns against Byzantium, Igor became famous not so much for his military success as for his incredible cruelty towards civilians in the countries through which his army moved.
However, he did not return home empty-handed, bringing back abundant booty from his campaigns. His actions against the steppe Pecheneg robbers, whom he managed to drive away to Bessarabia, were also successful. Naturally ambitious and ambitious, the prince ended his life very ingloriously. Once again collecting tribute from the Drevlyans under his control, with his irrepressible greed he drove them to the extreme, and they, revolting and killing their squad, betrayed him to a brutal death. His actions expressed the entire policy of the first princes of Rus' - the search for fame and wealth at any cost. Unencumbered by any moral standards, they considered all paths leading to achieving the goal acceptable.
Princess, canonized
After Igor's death, power passed to his widow, Princess Olga, whom the prince married in 903. Beginning her reign, she brutally dealt with the Drevlyans, her husband’s killers, sparing neither the elderly nor children. The princess set out on the campaign with her young son Svyatoslav, wanting to accustom him to fighting from an early age.
According to most historians, Olga, as a ruler, deserves praise, and this is due primarily to her wise decisions and good deeds. This woman managed to adequately represent Rus' in the world. Her special merit is that she was the first to bring the light of Orthodoxy to Russian soil. For this, the church canonized her as a saint. While still a pagan, in 957 she headed an embassy heading to Byzantium. Olga understood that without Christianity it was impossible to strengthen the prestige of the state and the ruling dynasty.
Newly baptized servant of God Elena
The sacrament of Baptism was performed on her in the Church of St. Sophia personally by the patriarch, and the emperor himself acted as godfather. The princess emerged from the holy font with the new name Elena. Unfortunately, having returned to Kyiv, she was unable to persuade her son Svyatoslav, like all the first princes in Rus', who worshiped Perun, to accept the faith of Christ. All of boundless Rus' remained in the darkness of paganism, which was to be illuminated by her grandson, the future Prince of Kyiv Vladimir, with the rays of true faith.
Prince-conqueror Svyatoslav
Princess Olga died in 969 and was buried according to Christian custom. Characteristic feature her rule was that she limited her activities only to worries government, leaving the male princes to wage war and assert her power with the sword. Even Svyatoslav, having matured and received all the princely powers, was busy with campaigns, boldly left the state in the care of his mother.
Having inherited power from his mother, Prince Svyatoslav devoted himself entirely to military campaigns, wanting to revive the glory of Rus', which shone so brightly during the time of Prince Oleg. By the way, he was perhaps the first to begin to follow the laws of knightly honor. The prince, for example, considered it unworthy to attack the enemy by surprise, and it belongs to him famous phrase“I’m coming at you!”
Possessing an iron will, a clear mind and military leadership talent, Svyatoslav managed to annex many lands to Rus' over the years of his reign, significantly expanding its territory. Like all the first princes in Rus', he was a conqueror, one of those who, with his sword, conquered a sixth of the land for the future Russian state.
The struggle for power and the victory of Prince Vladimir
The death of Svyatoslav became the beginning of a struggle for power between his three sons - Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir, each of whom, having his own legal inheritance, sought to seize the territories of his brothers by treachery and force. After several years of mutual hostility and intrigue, Vladimir won, becoming the sole and rightful ruler.
He, like his father, showed extraordinary military leadership abilities, pacifying the revolts of the peoples under his control and conquering new ones. However, the main merit that truly immortalized his name was the Baptism of Rus', which took place in 988 and put the young state on a par with European countries who had long before received the light of Christ's faith.
The end of the life of the holy prince
But at the end of his life, the Baptist of Rus' was destined to experience many bitter moments. The passion for power consumed the soul of his son Yaroslav, who ruled in Novgorod, and he rebelled against his own father. To pacify him, Vladimir was forced to send a squad under the command of his other son Boris to the rebellious city. This caused the prince serious psychological trauma, from which he could not recover and died on July 15, 1015.
For his services to the state and the Russian Orthodox Church Prince Vladimir entered the history of our homeland with the addition of the epithet Great or Holy to his name. A special proof of the nation's love for this to an outstanding person is the trace that he left in the folk epic, which mentioned him in the epics about Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya of Novgorod and many other Russian heroes.
Ancient Rus': the first princes
This is how the formation of Russia took place, rising from the darkness of paganism and becoming over time a powerful power, one of the legislators of European politics. But since Rus', during the reign of the first princes, stood out from among other peoples, establishing its superiority over them, it had a long and difficult path ahead of it, which included the process of evolution state power. It continued throughout the entire period of Russian autocracy.
The concept of “the first Russian prince in Rus'” can be considered very conditional. The entire family of princes Rurikovich, which originated from legendary Varangian, which came to the banks of the Volkhov in 862, and ended with the death of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, carries Scandinavian blood, and it is hardly fair to call its members purely Russian. Numerous appanage princes who were not directly related to this dynasty also mostly had either Tatar or Western European roots.
But who the first prince of all Rus' is can be said with some accuracy. It is known from the chronicles that for the first time the title, which emphasized that its owner was not just the Grand Duke, but the ruler of “all Rus',” was awarded to Mikhail Yaroslavovich Tverskoy, who ruled at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. The first Moscow prince of all Rus' is also reliably known. It was Ivan Kalita. His followers also bore the same title, right up to the first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible. The main line of their foreign policy was the expansion of borders Russian state and the annexation of new lands to it. Domestic policy boiled down to the comprehensive strengthening of centralized princely power.
Who were the princes of Ancient Rus'?
In the ninth century in the territory of Eastern Europe the powerful state of Kievan Rus was created - a significant political and military force up to Mongol invasion in the thirteenth century. The rulers of Ancient Rus' were princes, and they soon began to call themselves grand princes.
Grand Duke is a title worn by monarchs, rulers Old Russian state, and then Kievan Rus.
The prince united in himself as head of state following functions:
– judicial (he held court over the population, over his subordinates);
– military (the prince had to vigilantly defend the borders of his state, organize defense, gather troops and, of course, prepare for an attack when necessary; the Russian people especially appreciated the military courage of the princes);
– religious (in the pagan era of Rus', the Grand Duke was the organizer of sacrifices in favor of the pagan gods);
At first, the princely power was elective, but gradually began to gain hereditary status.
The Grand Duke was the main figure in the state; the appanage Russian princes were subordinate to him. The Grand Duke had the right to collect tribute from the princes subordinate to him.
The first prince of Ancient Rus'
Rurik is considered to be the first prince of Ancient Rus', who laid the foundation for the Rurik dynasty. By origin, Rurik was a Varangian, therefore, he could be a Norman or a Swede.
There is no information about the exact origin of the first Russian prince, just as there is little information about his activities. As the chronicles say, he became the sole ruler of Novgorod and Kyiv, then created a united Rus'.
Chronicles say that he had only one son, who was named Igor, who later became the Grand Duke. Rurik had several wives, but Igor himself was born to the Norwegian princess Efanda.
Russian princes of Ancient Rus'
Oleg
After the death of the first Russian prince Rurik, his close relative Oleg, called the Prophet, began to rule. Rurik's son Igor was not old enough to rule the state at the time of his father's death. Therefore, Oleg was the ruler and guardian of Igor until he came of age.Chronicles say that Oleg was brave warrior and took part in many campaigns. After the death of Rurik, he went to Kyiv, where the brothers Askold and Dir had already established their power. Oleg managed to kill both brothers and take the Kiev throne. At the same time, Oleg called Kyiv “the mother of Russian cities.” It was he who made Kyiv the capital of Ancient Rus'.
Oleg became famous for his successful campaigns against Byzantium, where he won rich booty. He plundered Byzantine cities, and also concluded a trade agreement with Byzantium that was beneficial for Kievan Rus.
Oleg's death is still a mystery to historians. Chronicles claim that the prince was bitten by a snake that crawled out of the skull of his horse. Although most likely this may be nothing more than a legend.
Igor
After Oleg’s sudden death, Rurik’s son, Igor, began to rule the country. Igor took as his wife the legendary Princess Olga, whom he brought from Pskov. She was twelve years younger than Igor when they got engaged. Igor was 25 years old and she was only 13.
Like Oleg, Igor pursued an active foreign policy; it was aimed at conquering nearby lands. Already in 914, after two years of his establishment on the throne, Igor subjugated the Drevlyans and imposed tribute on them. In 920, he first attacked the Pecheneg tribes. The next thing mentioned in the chronicles was his campaign against Constantinople in 941-944, which was crowned with success.
After the campaign against Byzantium, in 945, Prince Igor was killed by the Drevlyans while collecting tribute.
After his death, his wife Princess Olga began to rule. Igor left behind his young son Svyatoslav.
Svyatoslav
Until Igor’s son Svyatoslav came of age, Kievan Rus was ruled by his mother, Princess Olga, who was the regent. Svyatoslav began to rule independently only in 964.
Svyatoslav, unlike his mother, remained a pagan and was against conversion to Christianity.
Svyatoslav became famous primarily as a successful commander. Having ascended the throne, the prince immediately set off on a campaign against the Khazar Khaganate in 965. In the same year, he managed to completely conquer it and annex it to the territory of Ancient Rus'. He then defeated the Vyatichi and imposed tribute on them in 966.
The prince also waged an active struggle against the Bulgarian kingdom and Byzantium, where he was successful. After returning from the Byzantine campaign in 972, Prince Svyatoslav was ambushed by the Pechenegs on the rapids of the Dnieper. In this unequal battle he met his death.
Yaropolk
After the murder of Svyatoslav, his son Yaropolk began to rule. It should be said that Yaropolk ruled only in Kyiv, his brothers ruled Novgorod and the Drevlyans. Yaropolk began a war for power and defeated his brother Oleg in 977. The very next year he was killed by his brother Vladimir.
Yaropolk was not remembered as great commander, but had some success in politics. Thus, under him, negotiations were conducted with Emperor Otto II. Chronicles indicate that ambassadors from the Pope came to his court. Yaropolk was an obvious admirer christian church, however, he did not manage to make this religion state.
Ancient Rus': Prince Vladimir
Vladimir was the son of Svyatoslav and seized power in Rus' by killing his brother Yaropolk in 978, becoming the sole prince of Ancient Rus'.
Vladimir became famous primarily for making Rus' a Christian state in 988. However, Vladimir is also known as an excellent commander.
Already in 981-982. Vladimir went on a campaign against the Vyatichi, already subject to tribute, and seized their land, making it Russian. In 983, he opened the way to the Baltic for Rus', conquering the Yatvingian tribe. Later he managed to conquer the Radimichi and, for the first time, the White Croats, and he annexed their lands to Rus'.
In addition to military successes, Vladimir managed to conclude profitable agreements with many European states(Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Byzantium and Papal States).
Under him, coinage began to be minted, which strengthened the Russian economy. These were the first coins issued on the territory of Kievan Rus. The reason for minting the coin was the desire to prove the sovereignty of the young Christian state. Economic reasons it wasn’t, Rus' got by just fine with Byzantine coins.
Prince Vladimir the Great died in 1015. After his death, the throne was seized by his son Svyatopolk, but he was soon overthrown by Yaroslav the Wise.
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