Childhood and maturity of Svyatoslav

Probably Svyatoslav was born in 942. For the first time his name is mentioned in the agreement of Igor, his father, with the Greeks (944).

Why was the name of the two-year-old boy mentioned in the contract? The fact is that the agreement was concluded not only on behalf of the Kyiv prince Igor, but also on behalf of Princess Olga, his wife, as well as on behalf of other family members and governor-princes subordinate to Igor. Svyatoslav appears in the contract as a young prince and son of the prince of Kyiv.

Apparently, Svyatoslav already had his own reign. According to the testimony of the Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus, who talked with a native of Russia, little Svyatoslav was sitting in "Nemograd", that is, in Novgorod. Of course, it was not Svyatoslav himself who ruled in Novgorod, but one of Igor's boyars.

In November 945 Igor died. According to the PVL, at that moment Svyatoslav was in Kyiv with Olga and the tutor, the boyar Asmud. But something else is also possible: at the time of Igor's murder, Svyatoslav was, as expected, in Novgorod, and he was brought to Kyiv immediately after the murder of his father in order to rightfully take his place.

One way or another, but little Svyatoslav became a prince of Kyiv after the death of his father. Already in 946 (at the age of 4!) he was taken by Olga on a campaign against the Drevlyans. As we remember, it was Svyatoslav, as a prince, who began the battle with the Drevlyans, throwing a spear in their direction with a child's hand.

In subsequent years, Svyatoslav lived in Kyiv, but was brought up, probably not so much by his mother, but, as before, by a squad - he probably went to the field and military campaigns.

The squad for Svyatoslav became a true family, and Svyatoslav for the squad became a favorite brainchild, which, to the delight of the “parents”, showed extraordinary courage and endurance, and the rapid assimilation of military skills. Surely, the “training program” of the prince-warrior also included many days of hiking, horseback, boat trips, in which he had to endure cold and hunger, sleep in the open; and hunting for a wild beast; and mastering the skills of combat, reconnaissance, ambush; and the art of swordsmanship...

Perhaps the combatants associated with the growing Svyatoslav hopes for the return of the glorious times of the victorious Prince Oleg. In the future, Svyatoslav will live up to their expectations, but for now he was growing up, and gradually from the beloved child of the squad he turned into her leader.

It is known from the PVL that Olga, having been baptized, urged Svyatoslav to be baptized. But the words of the mother did not penetrate the soul of the young prince, who was 13-15 years old at the time of Olga's baptism, but only irritated him. Svyatoslav was part of his "second family" - a squad, whose opinion was really important to him (as psychologists would say, the squad was a "reference group" for him). For most combatants, Christianity was the religion of the Byzantines - tributaries and enemies of Russia. The religion of the glorious ancestors - Oleg and Igor - who fought with the Byzantines was paganism with the cult of the warlike Perun.

“How can I accept a different faith alone? And my squad will mock, ”said Svyatoslav. “If you are baptized, then everyone will do the same,” Olga answered. But these arguments did not convince Svyatoslav. And he, rather, was right: why did they have to accept the faith of those with whom Svyatoslav's ancestors fought and with whom, perhaps, he himself would fight? On what basis should they give up their god Perun, who patronized them and their ancestors - Oleg and Igor, who instilled fear in Byzantium?

Svyatoslav did not forbid anyone to be baptized, but he himself categorically refused, and also mocked those who did it. Olga had to humble herself and pray that her son would see the truth. But Svyatoslav never saw her.

In the early 960s, he became the sovereign ruler of Russia. His actual reign begins. Under the year 964, the chronicle says that Svyatoslav "grew up and matured" and began a series of his campaigns, in which he would end his life.

Campaigns of Svyatoslav

The chronicle gives a curious portrait of the prince: he was fast, like a leopard, and fought a lot. On campaigns, he did not carry carts or boilers with him, did not cook meat, but, thinly slicing horse meat, or beast 6 , or beef and roasted on coals, so ate; he did not have a tent, but slept, spreading a blanket with a saddle in his head - the same were all his other soldiers... ". Before us is a graduate - "gold medalist" of the retinue school!

The first big campaign of Svyatoslav.

In 964-965, Svyatoslav made a long campaign: his army crushed the Volga Bulgaria, the Khazar Khaganate, and then subjugated the Slavic tribe of the Vyatichi to Kyiv.

Leaving Kyiv, he went through the lands of the Vyatichi, who lived along the Oka. This Slavic tribal union was still under the yoke of the Khazars and paid tribute to them. "To whom do you give tribute?" - Svyatoslav asked the Vyatichi. They answered: "Khazars." Then Svyatoslav went further along the Oka, and then along the Volga. In 965, he fell upon the Volga Bulgarians and ravaged their city of Bulgar. Then, descending the Volga, he invaded Khazaria, capturing a number of cities (including the capital Itil) and defeating the army of the kagan.

From there, Svyatoslav went west, subjugated the tribes of Kosogs and Yases, capturing the Khazar fortress of Sarkel (since then it has become a fortress of the Rus and was called Belaya Vezha). With the victory Svyatoslav returned to Kyiv. In 966, he again came to the Vyatichi and this time they obeyed and agreed to pay tribute to Kyiv.

The most important result of this campaign was the disappearance of Khazaria from the political map of Europe as a large state. Perhaps a small Khazar state existed on the Lower Volga for about a century, but no longer posed any threat to its neighbors.

Walk on the Danube.

It was August 968. The ships of Svyatoslav entered the mouth of the Danube, where Bulgaria began. Svyatoslav, as the Byzantine historian Leo the Deacon wrote, had 60,000 soldiers. Although perhaps this is an exaggeration.

What prompted this hike?

At that moment, when the Empire was waging a difficult war with the Arabs, a war with the Bulgarians began to brew. Emperor Nikifor Foka, realizing that the war with the Bulgarians would be difficult, decided to resort to the help of Svyatoslav. He sent an embassy to him with gifts. Svyatoslav agreed.

The first battle with the Bulgarians took place right on the banks of the Danube. It was there that they were met by the army of the Bulgarian king. The wars of Svyatoslav jumped ashore and lined up in rows. It rained down on them with arrows and darts, but they knew what to do, hiding behind long shields. Then a hand-to-hand fight began - the Bulgarians could not stand it and ran.

After that, Svyatoslav easily captured the eastern part of Bulgaria, capturing numerous cities along the Danube. He himself settled in the city of Pereyaslavets (at the mouth of the Danube).

The Bulgarians were defeated, and this was to the advantage of Byzantium. But Svyatoslav remained in Bulgaria and was a dangerous neighbor, no less dangerous than the Bulgarians themselves.

The Byzantines found a way out. Their ambassadors went to the Pechenegs - the neighbors of Russia with a tempting offer and, for sure, with rich gifts.

Pechenegs near Kyiv. Break in the war on the Danube.

In the late spring of 969, the Pechenegs unexpectedly approached Kyiv and laid siege to the city. Svyatoslav's family was in the city: Olga and sons - Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir.

Was the threat to Kyiv great? In the IX - X centuries. Kyiv was a small town on a high hill. It was protected by a rampart and a moat (it is unlikely that there was a wall on top of the rampart). However, the Pechenegs did not have the skills to storm even such fortifications. They hoped to starve the city out, standing around Kyiv, so that the people of Kiev could not even go to the nearest river to get drunk. This tactic was effective, because no one expected a siege and did not prepare for it. There were no supplies of food or water. The people of Kiev began to think about surrendering the city; the Pechenegs had to put up with the fact that Svyatoslav's family would fall into the hands of the Pechenegs.

Meanwhile, the voivode Svyatoslav named Pretich (from Chernigov?) approached the opposite bank of the Dnieper. But his squad was very small to drive out the Pechenegs. And most importantly, the people of Kiev could not tell him that they were about to surrender.

The people of Kiev were saved by a certain “lad” (boy, youth), who managed to get to Pretich and told him about the plight of the people of Kiev.

The PVL says: “And one youth said: “I will make my way,” and they answered him: “Go.” He left the city, holding a bridle, and ran through the Pechenegs' camp, asking them: "Did anyone see a horse?" For he knew the Pecheneg language, and they took him for their own. And when he approached the river, then, throwing off his clothes, he rushed into the Dnieper and swam. Seeing this, the Pechenegs rushed after him, shot at him, but could not do anything to him. On the other side they noticed this, rode up to him in a boat, took him in a boat and brought him to the squad. And the youth said to them: “If you don’t come to the city tomorrow, then people will surrender to the Pechenegs.”

After listening to the boy, Pretich said to his warriors: “Let's go tomorrow in boats and, having captured the princess and princes, we will rush to this shore. If we do not do this, then Svyatoslav will destroy us. The next day, before dawn, Pretich's warriors unexpectedly approached Kyiv on boats, making a big noise. Residents of Kyiv also screamed. The Pechenegs, thinking that Svyatoslav himself had returned, rushed into the loose. Soon Svyatoslav also returned, driving the Pechenegs into the steppe.

Svyatoslav heard a lot from his Mother and the people of Kiev: “You, prince, are looking for a foreign land and take care of it, but you left your own, and the Pechenegs almost took us, and your mother, and your children.” However, Svyatoslav did not want to stay at home. After some time, he told his mother and the boyars: “I don’t like to sit in Kyiv, 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.

Soon Olga died, having bequeathed to bury herself according to the Christian rite, without a feast. Svyatoslav seated his three sons in the cities, giving Kyiv to the elder Yaropolk, and again went to the Balkans.

Danube campaign (continued).

In the autumn of 969, Svyatoslav was already in Bulgaria. During his absence, the Bulgarians made peace with the emperor and drove the Rus out of several fortresses, including Pereyaslavets. Svyatoslav again took possession of the cities and brutally cracked down on their inhabitants. The Bulgarians, as Leo the Deacon wrote, “begged the emperor to protect them,” but received no help.

Meanwhile, as a result of the conspiracy, Emperor Nicephorus was killed. He was succeeded by John Tzimisces. He was an Armenian by origin, and his nickname "Tzimisces" in Armenian meant "shoe", because he was very short. At the same time, he possessed extraordinary physical strength and dexterity, courage and talents as a commander and politician. John invited Svyatoslav to take tribute and leave Bulgaria. However, Svyatoslav proudly refused and promised to "pitch his tents" near Constantinople.

After that, Svyatoslav, united with the Pechenegs and Hungarians, began a war with the Empire. At first everything went well. Svyatoslav advanced towards Constantinople. But in the battle near Arcadiopol (140 km from the Byzantine capital), his army was defeated and retreated to Bulgaria. Svyatoslav with most of the troops sat in the city of Dorostol.

In the spring of 971, the troops of Tzimiskes secretly passed through the mountain gorges (Svyatoslav left them unprotected, which was a mistake) and unexpectedly invaded Bulgaria and blockaded Svyatoslav in Dorostol. Bloody battles took place near the walls of the fortress. The decisive battle began on July 21, 971 at sunset. Already at night, the soldiers of Svyatoslav, having suffered significant losses, retreated to the city. Svyatoslav himself was wounded by arrows and lost a lot of blood. The last desperate attempt to change the course of the war, Svyatoslav failed, and his army was exhausted and suffered huge losses.

In the morning, the ambassadors of Svyatoslav offered peace to Tzimisces. This pleased the emperor, because his troops also suffered significant losses. After three months of confrontation, the parties agreed to conclude peace. Svyatoslav's army was allowed to leave Dorostol with booty for Russia. On the road, the Byzantines gave provisions to the Rus - 20 kg of bread for each warrior. According to Leo the Deacon, Svyatoslav demanded bread for 22 thousand soldiers (perhaps he overestimated their number). Svyatoslav brought 60 thousand soldiers to Bulgaria. So the loss of Svyatoslav (according to the most approximate calculations) amounted to 38 thousand!

Peace treaty with Byzantium. The death of Svyatoslav.

A written peace treaty was concluded between the empire and Russia, preserved in the PVL. Russia swore by its gods (Perun and Volos) that it would not attack the Byzantine possessions, but, on the contrary, would provide military assistance to the empire.

After the conclusion of the treaty, Svyatoslav wished to meet with the emperor in person. The meeting took place on the Danube. Leo the Deacon described it this way 7: the emperor “ did not evade and, covered with gilded armor, rode on horseback to the banks of the Istra 8 , leading a large detachment of armed horsemen sparkling with gold. Sfendoslav also appeared 9 who sailed down the river on a Scythian boat; he sat at 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 those close to him 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 of the Romans 10 with the Scythians 11 ».

Was Svyatoslav satisfied with such an outcome of the war? Apparently not. According to the PVL, Svyatoslav was not going to comply with the agreement and reasoned as follows: "I will go to Russia, I will bring even more squads." Svyatoslav was such a person that he could stop, either by reaching the goal, having conquered Bulgaria, or by dying. The death of Svyatoslav prevented new disasters for Byzantium. Svyatoslav was not destined to return to Kyiv.

In 972, Svyatoslav and his retinue returned to Russia along the Dnieper. In the Dnieper region, the Pechenegs, warned by the Bulgarians, were waiting for them. The Russ failed to break through to Kyiv. Most of the squad died. Svyatoslav also died. He was 30 years old.

He was practically not interested. The prince completely entrusted the solution of such issues to his wise parent. Therefore, it is rather difficult to briefly describe Svyatoslav's campaigns, because every day of his is a battle. As the chroniclers testify, the war was his meaning of life, a passion without which he could not exist.

The life of a fighter

Svyatoslav's campaigns began when the boy was four years old. It was then that his mother Olga did everything to take revenge on the Drevlyans who brutally killed her husband Igor. According to tradition, only the prince could lead the battle. And then, by the hand of her young son, a spear was thrown, giving the first order to the squad.

Having matured, Svyatoslav took the reins of government into his hands. Nevertheless, he spent most of his time in battle. Many traits characteristic of European knights are attributed to him.

Svyatoslav's military campaigns never started unexpectedly. The prince won only in a fair battle, always warning the enemy about the attack. His squad moved extremely quickly, since the campaigns of Svyatoslav, a man who does not recognize luxury, passed without escort from convoys and tents, which could slow down the movement. The commander himself enjoyed considerable respect among the soldiers, he shared their meal and life.

Khazars

This Turkic-speaking tribe lived on the territory of modern Dagestan. It founded its own empire - the Kaganate. Like other tribes, the Khazars conquered foreign lands, regularly raiding the territories of their neighbors. The Kaganate was able to subjugate the Vyatichi and Radimichi, northerners and glades, who, after coming under his authority, were forced to pay a constant tribute. All this continued until the princes of Ancient Russia gradually began to free them.

Many of them waged a long struggle with this Turkic-speaking nomadic tribe, which took place with varying success. One of the most famous battles can be considered the campaign of Svyatoslav against the Khazars, which took place in 964.

The allies of the Russians in this campaign were the Pechenegs, with whom the Kyiv prince fought repeatedly. The Russian army, having reached the capital of the kaganate, crushed the local ruler and his large army, capturing several more large cities along the way.

The defeat of the Khazars

The idea of ​​the prince is striking in its breadth and maturity. I must say that all the campaigns of Svyatoslav were distinguished by strategic literacy. Briefly, according to the chroniclers, they can be described as an open challenge to enemies.

The Khazar campaign was no exception. Svyatoslav was interested in one thing: to find the weakest link among the hostile states that surrounded Ancient Russia. It had to be isolated by unfriendly neighbors and corroded by internal "rust".

The fact that it is time to knock down the Khazar castle from the direction of trade with the East has been said for a very long time. At that time, the defeat of the kaganate was simply an urgent need for Russia. The movement of the princes of Kyiv to the outskirts of the Slavic lands slowed down (they stumbled on the Vyatichi). The reason was that the latter continued to pay tribute to the Khazars. In order to spread Kyiv over them, it was first necessary to throw off the Khaganate yoke from the Vyatichi.

Svyatoslav's campaign against the Khazars was very different from the previous daring raids for booty or captives. This time, the prince approached the borders of the kaganate gradually, gathering allies at every step. This was done in order to be able to surround the enemy with troops of peoples and tribes unfriendly to them before the invasion.

Tactics

Svyatoslav's campaign against the Khazars was a grandiose detour. To begin with, the prince moved north, conquering the Slavic tribes of the Vyatichi, dependent on the kaganate, and freeing them from Khazar influence. Very quickly transferring the boats from the Desna to the banks of the Oka, the squad sailed along the Volga. Having defeated the Burtas and Volga Bulgar tribes dependent on the Khazars, Svyatoslav thereby ensured reliable security for his northern flank.

The Khazars did not expect a blow from the north at all. They were disorganized by such a maneuver, and therefore they could not adequately organize the defense. Meanwhile, Svyatoslav's campaign in Khazaria continued. Having reached the capital of the kaganate - Itil, the prince attacked the army that tried to defend the settlement and defeated it in a fierce battle.

Svyatoslav's campaigns continued in the North Caucasus region. Here the Kyiv prince defeated another stronghold of this Turkic-speaking nomadic tribe - the fortress of Semender. In addition, he managed to conquer the Kasogs and establish a new principality on the Taman Peninsula with the original name - Tmutarakan, with the capital - the city-fortress of Matarkha. It was founded in 965 on the site of an ancient settlement.

Army of Svyatoslav

There are very few chronicle works describing the biographical details of this. But the fact that the military campaigns of Svyatoslav significantly strengthened Kievan Rus is beyond doubt. During his reign, the unification of the Slavic lands continued.

The campaigns of Svyatoslav Igorevich were distinguished by their swiftness and characteristic combination. He tried to destroy the enemy forces piecemeal - in two or three battles, punctuating the battles with quick maneuvers of his forces. skillfully used the strife and disagreements between Byzantium and the nomadic tribes subject to it. He entered into temporary alliances with the latter in order to have time to defeat the troops of his main enemy.

Svyatoslav's campaigns were necessarily preceded by a study of the situation by a detachment of scouts. Their task included duties not only to conduct surveillance, but also to take prisoners or local residents, as well as to send scouts to the enemy detachment to obtain the most useful information. When the army stopped to rest, watchmen were posted around the camp.

The campaigns of Prince Svyatoslav, as a rule, began in early spring, when the rivers and lakes were already covered with ice. They continued until autumn. The infantry moved along the water in boats, while the cavalry moved along the coast, on land.

The squads of Svyatoslav were commanded by Igor Sveneld, invited by his father, under whose leadership there were also his own detachments from the Varangians. The prince himself, as the chroniclers testify, having taken command of the Kyiv army, never wanted to hire the Varangians, although he favored them. And this became a fateful factor for him: it was from their hands that he died.

Armament of the troops

Offensive tactics and strategy were developed by the prince himself. He skillfully combined the use of numerous troops with maneuverable and lightning-fast pinpoint actions of the cavalry squad. We can say that it was the campaigns of Svyatoslav that laid the foundation for the strategy to beat the enemy on his own land.

Kyiv warriors were armed with spears, double-edged swords and the First were of two types - fighting, with leaf-shaped metal heavy tips mounted on a long shaft; and throwing - sulits, which were noticeably lighter in weight. They were thrown by approaching enemy infantry or cavalry.

They were also armed with axes and sabers, maces, clubs bound with iron, and knives. So that warriors from afar could recognize each other, the shields of the warriors were painted red.

Danube campaign

The campaigns of Prince Svyatoslav destroyed and wiped out the huge Khazar empire from the map. The trade routes in the East were cleared, the unification of the East Slavic tribes into a common Old Russian state was completed.

Having strengthened and secured his borders in this direction, Svyatoslav shifted his attention to the West. Here was the so-called Rusev Island, formed by the Danube delta and a bend, a huge defensive Trojan rampart with a moat filled with water. According to historical data, it was formed by Danubian settlers. The trade of Kievan Rus with Bulgaria and Byzantium brought it closer to the coastal peoples. And these ties were especially strongly strengthened in the era of Svyatoslav.

During the three-year eastern campaign, the commander captured vast territories: from the Oka forests to the North Caucasus. The Byzantine Empire at that time kept silent, since the Russian-Byzantine military alliance was still in effect.
But now, when the pressure on the Crimean possessions began to be exerted by the northern giant, signs of unrest began to show in Constantinople. A messenger was urgently sent to Kyiv to settle relations.

Already at that time, Svyatoslav's campaign against Bulgaria was brewing in Kyiv. The prince's plan for the invasion of the Danube to annex the mouth of the Danube to Russia had been brewing for a long time. However, these lands belonged to Bulgaria, so he secured the promise of Byzantium to remain neutral. So that Constantinople would not interfere in Svyatoslav's campaigns on the Danube, he was promised a retreat from the Crimean possessions. It was subtle diplomacy that affected the interests of Russia both in the East and in the West.

Attack on Bulgaria

In the summer of 967, the Russian troops, led by Svyatoslav, moved south. The Russian army was supported by the Hungarian troops. Bulgaria, in turn, relied on Yases and Kasogs hostile to the Rus, as well as on a few Khazar tribes.

According to chroniclers, both sides fought to the death. Svyatoslav managed to defeat the Bulgarians and capture about eighty cities along the banks of the Danube.

Svyatoslav's campaign in the Balkans was completed very quickly. True to his habit of conducting lightning-fast combat operations, the prince, breaking through the Bulgarian outposts, defeated the army of Tsar Peter in an open field. The enemy had to conclude a forced peace, according to which the lower reaches of the Danube with a very strong fortress city of Pereyaslavets went to Russia.

The true intentions of the Russians

It was then that the real plans of Svyatoslav, which the prince cherished for a very long time, came to light. He moved his residence to Pereyaslavets, declaring, as the chroniclers write, that he did not like to sit in Kyiv. Tributes and blessings began to flow into the "middle" of the Kievan land. The Greeks brought gold and precious fabrics, wines and many fruits that were outlandish at that time, silver and excellent horses were delivered from the Czech Republic and Hungary, and honey, fur, wax and slaves were brought from Russia.

In August 968, his troops had already reached the borders of Bulgaria. According to the chroniclers, in particular, the Byzantine Leo the Deacon, Svyatoslav led an army of sixty thousand.

However, according to some reports, this was too great an exaggeration, since the Kyiv prince never accepted tribal militias under his banners. Only his squad, "hunters" volunteers and several detachments of Pechenegs and Hungarians fought for him.

Russian boats freely entered the mouth of the Danube and began to quickly rise upstream. The appearance of such a large army came as a surprise to the Bulgarians. The soldiers quickly jumped out of the boats and, covering themselves with shields, rushed to the attack. The Bulgarians, unable to stand it, fled from the battlefield and took refuge in the fortress of Dorostol.

Prerequisites for the Byzantine campaign

The hopes of the Romans that the Russians would get bogged down in this war did not justify themselves. After the first battles, the Bulgarian army was defeated. Russian troops, having destroyed its entire defensive system in the eastern direction, opened the way to the borders with Byzantium. In Constantinople, they saw a real threat to their empire also because such a victorious march of the Kyiv army through the occupied Bulgarian lands did not end with robberies and the destruction of cities and settlements, there was also no violence against the locals, which was characteristic of the previous wars of the Romans. The Russians saw them as blood brothers. In addition, although Christianity was established in Bulgaria, the common people did not forget their traditions.

That is why the sympathies of the ignoble Bulgarians and some of the local feudal lords immediately turned to the Russian prince. Russian troops began to be replenished with volunteers living on the banks of the Danube. In addition, some feudal lords wanted to swear allegiance to Svyatoslav, since the main part of the Bulgarian elite did not accept Tsar Peter with his pro-Byzantine policy.

All this could lead the Byzantine Empire to a political and military disaster. In addition, the Bulgarians, led by their overly determined leader Simeon, almost took Constantinople on their own.

Confrontation with Byzantium

Svyatoslav's attempt to turn Pereyaslavets into the capital of his new state, and perhaps the entire Old Russian state, was unsuccessful. This could not be allowed by Byzantium, which saw a mortal threat to itself in this neighborhood. Svyatoslav Igorevich, initially following the points of the treaty concluded with Constantinople, did not invade deep into the Bulgarian state. As soon as he occupied the lands along the Danube and the fortress city of Pereyaslavets, the prince suspended hostilities.

The appearance of Svyatoslav on the Danube and the defeat of the Bulgarians greatly alarmed Byzantium. After all, next to her, a merciless and more successful opponent was raising her head. The attempt made by Byzantine diplomacy to pit Bulgaria against Russia, thereby weakening both sides, was defeated. Therefore, Constantinople began to hastily transfer its troops from Asia Minor. In the spring of 970, Svyatoslav attacked the Thracian lands of Byzantium. His army reached Arcadiopol and stopped a hundred and twenty kilometers from Constantinople. Here the general battle took place.

From the works of the Byzantine chroniclers, one can learn that all the Pechenegs were killed in the encirclement, in addition, they defeated the main forces of Svyatoslav Igorevich. However, ancient Russian historians describe events differently. According to their reports, Svyatoslav, having come close to Constantinople, nevertheless retreated. However, in return, he took a rather large tribute, including on his dead combatants.

One way or another, Svyatoslav's largest campaign against Byzantium was completed in the summer of that year. In April of the following year, the Byzantine ruler John I Tzimiskes personally opposed the Rus, sending a fleet of three hundred ships to the Danube to cut off their retreat. In July, another big battle took place, in which Svyatoslav was wounded. The battle ended inconclusively, but after it the Russians entered into peace negotiations.

Death of Svyatoslav

After the conclusion of the truce, the prince safely reached the mouth of the Dnieper, heading on boats to the rapids. His faithful voivode Sveneld urged to go around them on horseback so as not to stumble upon the Pechenegs, but he did not listen. Svyatoslav's attempt in 971 to climb up the Dnieper was not successful, so he had to spend the winter at the mouth in order to repeat the campaign in the spring. But the Pechenegs were still waiting for the Rus. And in an unequal battle, Svyatoslav's life was cut short ...

S i t o s la v Ig o r e v i ch

Svyatoslav Igorevich (year of birth unknown - died in 972), Grand Duke of Kyiv (about 945 - 972).

He has spent most of his life hiking. Under him, Kievan Rus was significantly strengthened, the unification of the Slavic lands under the auspices of Kyiv began.

Svyatoslav's campaigns (964-972) were conducted with the aim of completing the unification of the East Slavic tribes into a single state - Kievan Rus, securing its borders, establishing close trade relations with Byzantium and forming a Russian-Bulgarian state on the Danube.

Campaigns included: Eastern (964-967) and Byzantine (968-972).

In the campaign of 964 on the Oka, Svyatoslav liberated the Slavic tribes of the Vyatichi from the power of the Khazars and subordinated them to Kyiv. In 965, he defeated the Khazar army and captured the capital of the kaganate - the fortress of Sarkel (Belaya Vezha) on the Don. In the campaign of 966-967, Svyatoslav subjugated the Volga-Kama Bulgarians and Mordovian tribes to Russia and, having captured the city of Itil in the lower reaches of the Volga, again defeated the Khazar army. With access to the northern Caucasus, Svyatoslav took the fortress of Semender, defeating the tribes of Alans, Yases (Ossetians) and

Kasogs (Circassians), who attacked the southeastern lands of Russia. Coming to the Sea of ​​Azov, he founded the city of Tmutarakan in the Kuban region, which later became the capital of the Russian Tmutarakan principality.

Khazar warriors

As a result of the eastern campaigns, the unification of the East Slavic tribes into a single ancient Russian state was completed.

Kievan Rus established control over trade routes along the Volga and Dnieper and secured its eastern and southeastern borders. This allowed Svyatoslav to undertake two campaigns against Byzantium.

The 1st campaign of 968 brought great success to Svyatoslav's army. In the battle on the Danube, it defeated the army of Byzantium. Svyatoslav occupied a number of Danube cities, and then almost all of Eastern Bulgaria. But his attempt to turn the city of Pereyaslavets on the Danube into the capital of a new Slavic state ended in failure.

In 969, Byzantium organized a Pecheneg raid on Kyiv. Having received news of the siege of Kyiv by the Pechenegs, Svyatoslav hurried there and repelled the attack.

Fight with the Pechenegs

The second - combined (by land and sea) - Svyatoslav undertook a campaign with 60,000 troops in 969.

Svyatoslav's boats

Having entered into an alliance with the Bulgarians and Hungarians, he initially achieved major successes: he overcame the Balkans, occupied the city of Philippopolis, approached the city of Arcadiopolis (Adrianople) and began to threaten the Byzantine capital of Constantinople. In the spring of 971, the emperor of Byzantium, Tzimisces, sent new large forces against Svyatoslav. Svyatoslav withdrew to the fortress of Dorostol (Silistria) on the Danube, where, having withstood a 3-month siege. On July 22, 971, the decisive battle took place. Svyatoslav withdrew his troops from the fortress, built them as a “wall”. The Greeks built a phalanx. The Russians first delivered a strong blow, but were then surrounded.

Despite the double numerical superiority of the enemy, Svyatoslav managed to defeat the Greeks and retreat to the fortress. After this battle, both sides agreed to a peace treaty. On July 23, peaceful conditions were worked out: Svyatoslav's army returned to their homeland, leaving Dorostol to the Byzantines, who pledged to ensure free trade with Byzantium for the Russians. The heroic defense of Dorostol is an example of the stamina and perseverance of the Russian army against an enemy that had a numerical superiority.

Svyatoslav's negotiations with Tzimiskes

On the way back to Kyiv, he and his squad (the main army went the other way) were ambushed by the Pechenegs at the Dnieper rapids (Khortitsa island), and was killed. The Pecheneg Khan Kurya ordered to make a wine cup out of his skull, decorating it with gold and precious stones.

The death of Svyatoslav

In the campaigns found a vivid expression of Svyatoslav's military art. They started in spring and continued until autumn. Campaigns over long distances were usually carried out in combination: the infantry moved along the river and the sea in boats, the cavalry - on land, along the coast. For reconnaissance of the enemy and guarding the troops, special detachments went ahead, when the army settled down to rest, a “watchman” was put up. Much attention was paid to studying the strategy and tactics of the enemy. Against nomadic tribes and peoples (Khazars, Yases, Kasogs), Svyatoslav spoke openly, with a warning "I'm coming for you" . He sought to defeat the combined forces of the enemy in one or two field battles and thus quickly achieve the goals of the war. Acting against the well-trained troops of the Byzantines, Svyatoslav applied the principle of surprise and defeat of the enemy in parts, made alliances with tribes subject to Byzantium, resorted to siege and defense of fortresses. In a field battle near Dorostol, he introduced the “wall” in battle order to the second line, which played the role of a reserve. Svyatoslav was distinguished by endurance and unpretentiousness in campaigns, he was a model of courage and courage for his soldiers.

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 collecting tribute. However, he had to govern the state only after the death of his mother, Princess Olga.

Russia 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 Russia 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 Russia.

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.

The reign of Svyatoslav (briefly)

The reign of Prince Svyatoslav - a brief description

The main part of his life, the Russian prince Svyatoslav spent in military campaigns. His first baptism of fire took place at the age of four. This campaign against the Drevlyans was organized by Svyatoslav's mother, Grand Duchess Olga, who decided in this way to avenge her husband, Prince Igor, whom the Drevlyans brutally killed. According to the Slavic tradition, only the prince could lead the army, and it was the four-year-old Svyatoslav who threw the first spear, thereby giving the order to the army.

Svyatoslav was not at all interested in internal state political affairs, and therefore he granted all the rights to resolve these issues to his mother. The prince was a real warrior, and his squad was mobile, since Svyatoslav did not take with him either tents or any amenities. In addition, the prince enjoyed authority even among enemies, since he never attacked stealthily, but warned the enemy about the attack.

In 964, Prince Svyatoslav sets out on a campaign in Khazaria. His route passes through the lands of the Vyatichi, who paid tribute to the Khazars. Svyatoslav makes them pay tribute to Russia and sets off again (to the Volga). After the defeat of the Volga Bulgaria, the great prince-warrior in 965 completely defeats the Khazars, capturing their main city of Belaya Vezha. This campaign ended with the capture of the Caucasus.

The rest in Kyiv from military labors was not long, since the embassy of Nikifor Foka, who arrived, asked for help against the Bulgarians who lived on the Danube lands. This trip was also a success. Moreover, Prince Svyatoslav even wanted to move his capital from Kyiv to Pereyaslavets.

In 968, during the absence of Svyatoslav in Kyiv, the Pechenegs surrounded the city. Only thanks to the voivode Petich called by Olga, the nomads retreated. After returning to the Kyiv lands, the prince was completely driven far beyond the borders of the state.

After the death of Princess Olga in 969, Svyatoslav leaves his sons (Yaropolk, Vladimir and Oleg) to rule, and he himself puts forward a squad in a new military campaign against the Bulgarians, which ended very badly for the Russian squad, where, during the war with the Greeks, Svyatoslav concluded a peace treaty on which he had to leave the lands, hand over the prisoners and prevent any attacks on Byzantium.

At the same time, Kyiv was again surrounded by the Pechenegs, who defeated the army of Svyatoslav, killing the prince. After him, his son Vladimir ascended the throne of Kyiv.