Prophetic Oleg is perhaps one of the most mysterious rulers of Rus'. Sage on the throne, prince-magician, priest of Perun. He successfully continued the work started by Rurik-Falcon. Oleg united the Slavic lands in the face of an external threat - the Khazar Khaganate, the growing power of the West and the machinations of the Byzantine Empire.
According to the story “The Tale of Bygone Years”, after the death of Prince Rurik in 879, Oleg took the throne, since Rurik’s son Igor was still small. Before his death, the Grand Duke chose Oleg as his successor (according to one version, his brother-in-law, according to another, a relative) and ordered him to rule the Russian lands until the legitimate ruler grew up. Having headed Northern Rus', Prince Oleg did not sit idly by and immediately continued the work of his predecessor - the unification of the Slavic Russian lands into a single power. Less than three years had passed since the death of Rurik, when he gathered a powerful army - according to the chronicle story, it included warriors from the Varangians, Slovenes, Krivichi, Chud, Meri, Vesi and, taking little Igor with him, he moved south. He subjugated Smolensk and Lyubech (Northern Key to Kyiv) to his power, placing his governors there. The cities were taken without a fight.
After this, his army on boats moved down the Dnieper to Kyiv. Askold and Dir ruled in Kyiv at this time. There is no exact information about their origin. The Tale of Bygone Years reports that these were two Varangian boyars, but not of the Rurik tribe and not of the princely family. At one time, they asked Rurik for leave to go to Constantinople (Constantinople), on the way they captured Kyiv and began to rule there. Some researchers have put forward a hypothesis that these were representatives of the local princely dynasty, descendants of the founder of Kyiv - the legendary Prince Kiya.
It was not for nothing that Oleg was called the Prophetic. He decided not to resort to unnecessary bloodshed, because Askold and Dir were not going to give up power in Kyiv just like that. Oleg resorted to military stratagem. Leaving behind most of his forces, the prince approached the city on several boats and sent a messenger to the Kiev rulers to report that visiting merchants had arrived, coming to the Greeks from Novgorod: “Come to us, to your relatives.” Askold and Dir, unaware of the trap, came to the banks of the Dnieper. But instead of the merchants, Prince Oleg came out to meet them with little prince Igor in his arms: “You are not princes and not of a princely family, but I am of a princely family,” he said and pointed at Igor. “And this is Rurik’s son!” Askold and Dir were not spared. But they buried him honorably on the mountain.
Thus, 1130 years ago, in 882, the north and south of Rus', the two main centers of the Russian land - Kyiv and Novgorod - were united into a single state. This sharply increased the power of the Russian state. Oleg decided that Kyiv would be more convenient for governing the Russian land and declared it the capital. “May this be the mother of Russian cities!” - chroniclers convey the words of the Grand Duke. This is how a state was formed, which was included in history textbooks as the Old Russian State, or Kievan Rus. The names are conditional, because the inhabitants of the state themselves called it the Russian land, Russia.
Oleg almost immediately began to prepare for further campaigns. The army was prepared for a new campaign. Already in the next 883, Oleg began an armed conflict with the Drevlyans (a union of tribes living in Ukrainian Polesie). The Drevlyans were conquered and subjected to tribute - they took a black marten from each house. In 884, Oleg began a war with the northerners and subjugated them to Kyiv. The northerners inhabited the territories of modern Chernigov, Sumy, Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod regions and paid tribute to Khazaria. In 885, Oleg sent envoys to the Radimichi, saying: “Who should we give tribute to?” They say: “Kozarom”. And Oleg said to them: “Don’t give it to the goat, but give it to me.” And Dasha Olgovi is a shloyag, just like a kozar is a dayahu.” The Union of Radimichi lived in the area between the upper Dnieper and Desna rivers along the Sozh River and its tributaries. Thus, two alliances of tribes - the northerners and the Radimichi - were freed from the power of the Khazars. The unions of the Streets and Tiverts, who lived from the lower reaches of the Dnieper, the Southern Bug and the Black Sea coast, in the area between the Dniester and Prut rivers, as well as near the Danube, offered more stubborn resistance to Oleg and were later included in the single state.
There is evidence, as reported by the Hungarian chronicle, that Oleg was forced to fight with the Hungarians during their resettlement to Europe. According to the Hungarian chronicle, the Hungarians defeated the Polovtsians and besieged Kyiv. Whether Oleg was there at that time is unknown. The townspeople had to give a ransom of 10 thousand marks in silver and 1 thousand horses. In addition, some of the Rus took part in the campaign to the west. Russian sources mention that the Hungarians simply passed by in 898. It should be noted that later the Hungarians were allies of the great princes of Kyiv, participating together in wars with Byzantium.
Grand Duke Oleg lived in the capital city of Kyiv for 25 years, expanding the borders of the Russian state, conquering and annexing neighboring tribes and nationalities to his state. During this time, Prince Igor matured and became co-ruler of the Grand Duke, studying the science of management, as reported in the chronicle, “accompanied Oleg and listened to him.” Oleg personally selected a bride for his nephew - Olga, originally from Pskov. By 907, Oleg conceived a grand campaign to attack the Byzantine Empire. A large fleet was assembled - 2 thousand boats, each could transport 40-50 warriors. Approximately 80-100 thousand troops, which included squads of the Varangians, Novgorod Slovenes, Krivichi, Drevlyans, Radimichi, Polyans, Northerners, Vyatichi, Croats, Dulebov, Chud, Meri, went on a campaign. The Byzantine Romans called the Rus - “Great Scythia”. The army marched by sea and land, on horseback. Kyiv was left to Igor.
The Byzantine Emperor Leo VI the Wise (or Philosopher), seeing the powerful army of the Rus, did not dare to give battle and locked himself in the city, giving the surroundings of Constantinople to be plundered. To prevent the Russian fleet from entering the harbor, it was closed with chains. Oleg's army destroyed the surrounding area, but did not stop there. Oleg wanted to conquer Constantinople. The Grand Duke was excellent at science - “surprised - won.” He amazed the townspeople by ordering the boats to be put on wheels, and, catching the wind, the ships moved to Constantinople. The onslaught of the Rus caused horror among the Romans. The Byzantine emperor-basileus sent envoys to Oleg. They told him: “Do not destroy the city, we will give you the tribute you want.” Numerous foods and wine were brought to the Russian soldiers. But the Prophetic Oleg, sensing something was wrong, forbade them to touch food and drink. And for good reason. Food and drinks were poisoned. The enemy, unable to win fairly, conceived a meanness. The Romans were frightened, saying: “This is not Oleg, but Saint Dmitry, sent to us by God.” And they offered peace on Russian terms.
Oleg, like a real leader, first of all took care of the soldiers and ordered the Romans to give each soldier 12 hryvnia of silver. Hryvnia is a monetary and weight unit of ancient Rus', equal to approximately 200 grams. The amount was huge, considering the size of Oleg’s army. The Byzantine Empire pledged to pay tribute to Rus'. Russian visiting merchants received the right to duty-free trade, the Byzantines were obliged to supply them with food and let them into the baths for free. In addition, the Byzantines had to supply the Russians returning home with food and naval equipment. As a sign of his patronage over Constantinople, the prince-magician nailed his shield to the gates of the city.
In 911, Grand Duke Oleg sent an embassy to the Byzantine capital, which confirmed the terms of peace and concluded a new treaty. Compared to the 907 agreement, the clause on duty-free trade disappears from it.
There is no exact information about Oleg’s death. According to the chronicle, in 912 Oleg died “from his horse” - he was bitten by a snake, he fell ill and died. He was buried on Mount Shchekovitsa. The Novgorod Chronicle also talks about a snake bite, but places his grave in Staraya Ladoga (mound of the Prophetic Oleg), and also reports that Oleg went “overseas.” Another difference between Novgorod sources is that they report Oleg’s death in 922. Oleg went to the north of Rus', giving the reins of power in Kyiv to Igor.
Therefore, a number of researchers believe that Oleg could have died in a battle with the Khazars. Sometime after 912, according to the Arabic author Al-Masudi, a Russian fleet of 500 boats entered the Kerch Strait. The Khazar Kagan gave permission to the Russian flotilla to pass through the Don to the Volga, where they were going to strike the lands subject to Persia. The Khazar ruler demanded half of the spoils for himself. The Rus' campaign was very successful; they returned with rich booty. The Khazar Khagan received his share, but the Khazars violated the agreement. While the Rus were devastating the coast of the Caspian Sea, a large army was assembled, and the route along the Volga was blocked. The bloody battle lasted for three days, most of the 20-30 thousand Russian troops died in an unequal battle. A small part was able to break through higher up the river, but was destroyed by the allies of the Khazars - the Burtases and the Volga Bulgars. The snake of the chronicle messages symbolizes betrayal, and Oleg could well have fallen in this battle.
The date of birth of Prince Oleg is unknown, he was probably a little younger than Rurik. According to legend, he was born in Western Norway, apparently into a wealthy Bond family, and was named Odd, then received the nickname Orvar - “Arrow”. His sister Efanda subsequently married the Varangian ruler Rurik (or he himself was married to Rurik’s daughter). Thanks to this, Oleg became his main commander. Arrived with Rurik in Ladoga and Ilmenye between 858 and 862.
After the death of Rurik in 879, Oleg became the sole prince of Novgorod Rus'. Rurik was not mistaken in his choice when, on his deathbed, he bequeathed his son and the Novgorod table to Oleg. Oleg became a real father for the prince, raising Igor to be a courageous, seasoned, educated man for those times.
Oleg also took the title of prince, bestowed upon him by his friend, with all responsibility. The main goal of the rulers of those times was to increase the wealth of the prince and expand the borders of the territory under their control by annexing new lands, subjugating other tribes and collecting tribute.
Having stood at the head of the Novgorod principality, Oleg boldly began to seize all the Dnieper lands. His main goal was to establish complete control over the water trade route to Eastern Byzantium and conquer the Principality of Kyiv.
Many princes then wanted to rule this large principality, which by the end of the 9th century had become the center of Russian trade and the main stronghold of Rus' in restraining the raids of the Pecheneg hordes. It was quite clear that whoever ruled Kiev controlled all Russian trade.
Prince Oleg gathered a large army of Varangians and in 882 he took the cities of Smolensk and Lyubech and imprisoned his husbands there. Further along the Dnieper in boats he went down to Kyiv, where two boyars reigned, not of the Rurik tribe, but of the Varangians Askold and Dir. He also took the young prince Igor with him on the campaign. Oleg seized power in Kyiv by cunning. According to the chronicler, Oleg asked for a meeting with the then rulers of Kyiv, Askold and Dir, stopping at the walls of the city, supposedly on his way to the south. When the princes, suspecting nothing, approached the Novgorod boats, Oleg, as the legend says, pointed to Igor and exclaimed: “You are not princes, not of the princely family. Here is the son of Rurik! After these words, he killed Askold and Dir, and Oleg’s warriors, who jumped out of the boats, dealt with the soldiers accompanying the Kyiv rulers. None of the Kiev residents dared to oppose Oleg and his troops. Moreover, many tribes living along the banks of the Dnieper voluntarily submitted to the authority of the Kyiv prince. The Pecheneg raids devastated the Slavs, and they sought protection from the rulers, agreeing to pay them tribute for this.
Very soon the Kiev land covered all the southern borders of the country. But Oleg did not calm down, continuing to subjugate other tribes more distant from the main river route. It was necessary to act by force, since the Slavs, who did not participate in trade turnover, did not see the point in joining the Principality of Kyiv and, moreover, did not want to pay tribute. Prince Oleg had to make many difficult campaigns with his squad before he managed to complete the political unification of the Eastern Slavs. The location of Kyiv seemed very convenient to Oleg, and he moved there with his squad, declaring: “Let this be the mother of Russian cities.”
With the combination of two unions - Northern and Southern - with large principalities in the center - Novgorod and Kyiv - a new political form appeared in Rus' - the Grand Duchy of Kiev, which essentially became the first Russian state.
For the next 25 years, Oleg was busy expanding his power. He subjugated the Drevlyans, northerners, Radimichi and other smaller ones to Kyiv. Many of whom were tributaries of the Khazars. The text of Oleg’s appeal to the northerners has reached us: “I am an enemy of the Khazars, therefore you have no need to pay them tribute.” To the Radimichi: “Who do you give tribute to?” They answered: “To the Kozars.” And Oleg says: “Don’t give it to Kozar, but give it to me.” “And Oleg ruled over the Derevlyans, glades, Radimichi, and with the streets and Tivertsy they commanded the army.” By the beginning of the 10th century, most of the tribes of the Eastern Slavs were under the command of the Kyiv prince.
If Rurik had already taken a step forward to the south along the eastern route, moving from Ladoga to Novgorod, then his successor Oleg moved much further and reached the end of the path. The names of tribes are rarely found in the chronicles of that time; they were replaced by the names of cities and regions. Prince Oleg gave subordinate city regions to the administration of mayors, who had their own armed squads and were also called princes.
As the chronicles testify, there were many legends about the wealth of Byzantium at that time. So, in 907, Prince Oleg made a military campaign against Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium. His army sailed on 2000 boats of 40 warriors each, and cavalry also walked along the shore. The Byzantine emperor ordered the gates of the city to be closed and the harbor blocked with chains, giving the Varangians the opportunity to plunder and plunder the suburbs of Constantinople. The chronicle tells of the extreme cruelty of Russian soldiers, with which they tortured civilians and drowned them in the sea while they were still alive. But not content with petty robbery, Oleg launched an unusual assault on the city: “And Oleg ordered his soldiers to make wheels and put ships on wheels. And when a fair wind blew, they raised sails in the field and went to the city.” The Greeks, locked in the city, behind high walls, begged for mercy and during negotiations offered Prince Oleg to make peace and agreed to pay a tribute of 12 hryvnia of silver per person. As a sign of victory, Oleg nailed his shield to the gates of Constantinople. As a result, the first peace treaty between the Russians and the Greeks on duty-free trade between Rus' and Byzantium appeared, drawn up in a legally competent and reasonable manner, even judging by today’s norms of international law. According to Oleg's agreement with the Greeks, Russian merchants did not pay any duties. During barter trade, they exchanged furs, wax, and servants for wines, vegetables, silk fabrics, and gold. After the expiration of the trade period specified by the agreement, Rus' received food for the road, as well as ship gear, at the expense of the Greek side. In addition to trade, the Greeks gladly hired Russian soldiers into their service. Quite a few Russian Varangians were in Constantinople in the imperial service. Together with merchants from Constantinople, Christian priests and preachers always came to Rus'. More and more Slavs converted to the Orthodox faith, but Prince Oleg himself never accepted Christianity.
The last years of his life passed without military campaigns or battles. Oleg died at an old age in 912. There is a legend according to which the prince was predicted to die from his beloved horse. Oleg was superstitious and never sat on his pet again. Many years later, remembering him, the prince came to where the bones of his faithful friend lay. The bite of a snake that crawled out of the skull was fatal. The plot of this legend formed the basis of the ballads of A. S. Pushkin and N. M. Yazykov. The chronicle records that “the people groaned and shed tears” when Prince Oleg died. Information about the place of his burial is contradictory. There is indirect evidence that the prince’s grave is located in Kyiv; according to other sources, he was buried outside the Principality of Kyiv, on Ladoga.
Prince Oleg reigned for 33 years. For his constant success in military campaigns, for his daring and ingenuity, the people nicknamed Prince Oleg the Prophetic. Traditions and legends were written about him, attributing to him extraordinary abilities and the gift of foresight.
There is no doubt that the main historical merit of this ruler can rightfully be considered the unification of all Slavic tribes under a single command, the founding and strengthening of the first Russian state - the Grand Duchy of Kyiv. It was with the reign of Prince Oleg that the history of Kievan Rus began, and with it the history of the Russian state.
Grand Duke of Novgorod 879 – 912
Predecessor - Rurik
Successor - Igor Rurikovich
Grand Duke of Kyiv 882 – 912
Predecessor – Askold and Dir
Successor – Igor Rurikovich
In 879, leaving behind a young son Igor, the Novgorod prince Rurik died. The board was taken into the hands of Oleg the Prophet, Prince of Novgorod from 879 and Grand Duke of Kiev from 882. In an effort to expand his possessions, the prince gathered a fairly strong army. It included Krivichi, Ilmen Slavs and representatives of Finnish tribes. Moving south, Oleg annexed the cities of Smolensk and Lyubech to his possessions. However, the young ruler's plans were more ambitious. Having given power in the conquered cities to people loyal to him, the warlike prince moved towards Kyiv. Oleg's campaign against Kyiv was a success. In 882 the city was captured, and its rulers Askold and Dir were killed. Oleg ascended the Kyiv throne. The same year is considered the date.
The reign of Prince Oleg in Kyiv began with the strengthening of city walls and defensive structures. The borders of Kievan Rus were also fortified with small fortresses (“outposts”), where warriors carried out constant service. In 883-885. the prince undertook several successful campaigns. The Slavic tribes who settled along the banks of the Dnieper, the Radimichi who lived on the banks of the Dniester, Bug, Sozh, the Drevlyans and the Northerners were subjugated. By order of Oleg, cities were built in the occupied lands. Conquered tribes were required to pay taxes. Actually, the entire internal policy of Oleg, like other princes of that time, boiled down to collecting taxes.
Oleg's foreign policy was successful. The most important event was the campaign against Byzantium in 907. The prince gathered for this campaign a huge army at that time (according to some sources, up to 80 thousand people). Byzantium, despite the defensive tricks of the Greeks, was captured, the suburbs were plundered. The result of the campaign was a rich tribute, as well as trade benefits for Russian merchants. Five years later, peace with Byzantium was confirmed by the conclusion of a written treaty. It was after this campaign that the great Kiev prince Oleg, the founder of the state of Kievan Rus, began to be called the Prophetic (i.e., a sorcerer).
Prince Oleg, one of the greatest rulers of Rus', died in 912. His death is shrouded in legends. According to one of them, the most famous, Oleg asked a sorcerer he met on the road about his death. He predicted the prince's death from his beloved war horse. The prince never mounted this horse again, but ordered those close to him to take care of it. Many years later, Oleg wished to see the bones of the horse, deciding that the sorcerer had made a mistake. He stepped on the skull, and a poisonous snake crawled out of it and bit the prince. After his death, Oleg was buried in Kyiv. There is another version of the prince’s death, according to which the warlike Oleg died in battle.
The biography of Oleg, who became the first prince, whose life and deeds are confirmed by chronicles, became the source of many legends and literary works. One of them - “Song of the Prophetic Oleg” - belongs to the pen of A.S. Pushkin.
The Novgorod prince Rurik died, leaving his son Igor, to whom he could transfer power over the Novgorod land, still very young. Therefore, before his death, he appointed himself a successor - his friend and ally Oleg. The date of the beginning of Oleg’s reign is hidden in the darkness of centuries, but it is known that he reigned for a long time - 33 years, and managed to do a lot during this time.
Prince Oleg considered the main task during his reign to be the expansion of the borders of the principality left to him. It was necessary to establish control over the water trade route that ran along the Dnieper region in order to freely conduct trade with Eastern Byzantium. He also planned the seizure of Kyiv lands, since Kyiv was a very “tidbit” - it became the main center of Russian trade and a kind of stronghold that protected the lands located further from the constant raids of nomads. The one who owned Kiev also owned all Russian trade.
So, Oleg gathered a large army and moved towards Kyiv. He took the young Igor with him so that from a very tender age he could practically master the difficult science of governing a principality and waging wars. Arriving at the gates of Kyiv, Oleg did not immediately waste his energy on battle. He captured the city in an insidious way: stopping the squad on the approaches to the city walls, he summoned the rulers of Kyiv, Askold and Dir, allegedly in order to conduct some negotiations with them. When the unsuspecting princes approached the boats, Oleg pointed them to young Igor with the words: “This is who the true ruler of Kyiv is, and you are not of the princely family!” After this, the vigilantes dealt with Askold and Dir.
Left without their princes, the people of Kiev did not resist. Oleg entered the city and proclaimed himself Prince of Kyiv. The surrounding villages also joined his territories - mostly voluntarily, as they needed protection from attacks by the Pechenegs.
Oleg continued to expand the borders of his possessions, adding more distant tribes that did not participate in trade, did not see the point in unification and therefore offered fierce resistance.
The result of the aggressive campaigns of the far-sighted Oleg was the formation of a single state that united the Northern and Southern Unions of the Slavs. This was already Kievan Rus with its center in the city of Kyiv. By the beginning of the 10th century, most tribes (now they were rarely called tribes, more often - cities, regions, since cities and entire principalities replaced tribes and clans) were united around Novgorod and Kyiv. The head of the new formation should be considered Kyiv, where trade was concentrated.
Relations between Rus' and Byzantium
The new state, which was gaining strength, forced all its neighbors to reckon with itself, among which Byzantium occupied a leading position. Oleg decided to undertake a campaign against Byzantium in order to facilitate trade for Russian merchants, which would contribute to the rapid development of the Principality of Kyiv. A countless number of Russian soldiers went on a campaign against Constantinople - 2 thousand rooks and cavalry moving along the coast. The Greeks took a state of siege, closing themselves in the city. The Russian troops destroyed the surrounding villages, showing no pity for either women or children. The Greeks were horrified and began to ask for peace. Then Oleg agreed to a cessation of hostilities and concluded a peace treaty with the enemy, the terms of which were very favorable for the Russians: merchants who arrived from the Principality of Kyiv did not pay any duty. When trading, they could exchange furs, servants and wax for gold, silk fabrics, and wine. In addition, after the expiration of the period allotted for the auction, the Greek side provided the Russian merchants with food for the return journey.
Gradually, relations between the states began to develop in a more peaceful direction: Russians served at the imperial palace in political or military service, and Greek craftsmen, artists, builders, and clergy went to Rus'. Christianity gradually began to spread in the Kiev state.
Oleg himself remained a pagan. He died in 912. According to legend, the cause of the prince’s death was a viper bite. Later, this legend formed the basis of many works of fiction. In the people's memory, the first prince of Kievan Rus lives as the Prophetic Oleg, since he was distinguished by a clear mind and outstanding abilities to govern the state - most of his campaigns ended in success, and in internal political life a coherent system of management emerged that made it possible to control very large and scattered territories.
Conclusion
The choice of Rurik, who left the principality in the hands of the Prophetic Oleg, turned out to be very successful. The mentor of the future Prince Igor managed to unite two Unions of Slavs - Northern and Southern - into one state, in which he established a clear principle of subordination: it was divided into cities and regions, governed by posadniks, accountable to the Kyiv prince. In addition, he drew up the first legally valid peace treaty with the Greeks, which gave great advantages to the Russians and opened up great prospects for the development of Kievan Rus. Now it was necessary to preserve these achievements, but this became a task for the next prince - Igor Rurikovich.
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Prophetic Oleg - the legendary governor who managed to unite the Slavic tribes into Kievan Rus
The legendary Prince Oleg can rightfully be considered the founder of the ancient Russian state - a huge medieval power centered in Kyiv, the historical cradle of the modern Ukrainian people. His services to his descendants are undeniable, since Prince Oleg became the first omnipotent ruler of the Dnieper lands, whose existence is documented. Unlike the semi-mythical Kyya, Shchek, Khoryv and their sister Lybid, as well as the mysterious Askold and Dir, a lot is known about Prince (King) Oleg (Helga): from the dating of his reign to the essence of the reforms he carried out and the results of military campaigns. Why is it worth remembering and honoring Prince Oleg?
1. He created a powerful ancient Russian state, stretching from the shores of the Baltic to the Dnieper rapids.
2. He managed to conquer the tribal unions of the Polyans, Drevlyans and Northerners who lived on the territory of modern Ukraine, which gave him a powerful resource for further conquests.
3. He was able to defeat the mighty Khozar Kaganate, wresting the East Slavic lands from its dependence, which very seriously undermined the strength of the steppe superpower. Kyiv, after Oleg, turned from a marginal town located on the westernmost outskirts of the Khozar Kaganate into the capital of a new Slavic power.
4. He managed to establish a certain order in all the lands under his control. Of course, it was based solely on the system of collecting tribute, but absolutely all state formations of the Middle Ages began with this.
5. He won the war with the most powerful enemy of that time - the Byzantine Empire. Oleg managed to make a successful campaign into her possessions, approached the gates of Constantinople, forced the Roman emperor to sign a trade agreement with him that was beneficial for Kyiv, and then return unharmed with his army.
The main merits of Prince Oleg.
Arrival in Kyiv. The Norman governor Oleg (Helg), like many of his fellow countrymen, arrived in the Slavic lands from distant Scandinavia in search of fame and wealth. He joined the squad of the mighty king Rurik (Rorkha), who ruled over vast domains in the north of Rus'. After the death of Rurik in 879, Oleg, as the teacher of his three-year-old son Igor (Ingvar), became the Prince of Novgorod. However, he soon became cramped within these limits, and, having gathered a large army of Normans, Slavs and Finns, Oleg went south. By 882, Smolensk and Lyubech submitted to him, and after them Kyiv. An alien from the north treacherously killed the local rulers Askold and Dir, pretending to be a merchant. The residents of Kyiv, “...frightened by his atrocity and strong army, recognized him as their legitimate sovereign.” So Oleg subjugated the entire trade route “from the Varangians to the Greeks,” and now not a single ship could sail along the Dnieper without paying tribute to the mighty Norman.
Establishment of a tribute system and victory over the Khazars. Oleg wished to stay in the south, proclaiming: “Let Kyiv be the matter of Russian cities!” It was from there that he now made his campaigns, and tribute from the conquered peoples flocked there. Novgorod paid Kyiv in silver (300 hryvnia annually), the Drevlyans - with black marten skins, the northerners and Radimichi gave one small coin from each plow. In addition to them, Oleg also subjugated to his power the populous Slavic tribes of the Dulebs, White Croats and Tiverts living in Western Russian lands. In his vigorous activity, the new Kiev ruler affected the interests of the formidable ruler of the eastern steppes - the Kagan of the Great Khazaria. Wars repeatedly broke out between them for the right to collect tribute from the northerners and Radimichi. Oleg said to the latter: “I am their enemy, but I have no enmity with you. Don’t give to the Khazars, but pay me,” and assigned them a completely symbolic amount of tax. After several military clashes with the Khazars, Oleg discouraged uninvited guests from appearing in the Dnieper region. Now most of the Eastern Slavs paid tribute to him and his Vikings. This was hardly a big relief for the local population.
Campaigns against Byzantium. In 907, the huge army of Prince Oleg set off on a campaign against the capital of the Byzantine Empire, the city of Constantinople. 2000 longships, each with 40 well-armed warriors, soon approached the Golden Horn Bay. The Greek emperor Leo the Philosopher was unable to organize any defense; he only ordered the harbor to be blocked off with a chain, leaving the Russians to plunder the city suburbs. The Kiev prince found an unusual way to get close to Constantinople: “And Oleg ordered his soldiers to make wheels and put ships on wheels. And when a fair wind blew, they raised sails in the field and went to the city.” The frightened Byzantines were ready to pay off Oleg at any cost, who, as a sign of contempt for them, nailed his shield on the gates of Constantinople. The prince demanded that the emperor give him 12 hryvnia in silver for each warrior, and also established a separate payment, which was supposed to go to all major cities of ancient Rus'. In addition, Oleg concluded a very profitable trade agreement with the Byzantine ruler, opening up wide commercial opportunities for Russian merchants in the numerous markets of Constantinople.
The prince's return to Kyiv was truly triumphant; his subjects were amazed at the size of the booty brought and in admiration they nicknamed Oleg the Prophetic, that is, a clairvoyant or a sorcerer.
The Grand Duke died in 912, as befits a hero, under mysterious circumstances. A legend has been preserved that Oleg allegedly accepted death from his horse, as the Magi prophesied to him. The attempt to deceive fate ended in complete failure: the prince got rid of his beloved horse and when, after waiting for his death, he came to look at the bones, he was bitten by a poisonous snake that had taken refuge in the horse’s skull. By the way, this plot is also found in later Scandinavian epics, for example in “The Saga of Odd the Arrow”.
Brief biography of Prince Oleg.
879 - after the death of Prince Rurik, he becomes regent under the still small prince Igor.
882 - sails from Novgorod to Kyiv and captures it.
883 - conquered the Drevlyans.
884 - brought the northerners under his rule.
885 - managed to take the Radimichi under his hand.
885 - imposed tribute on the Polyans, Northerners, Drevlyans and Radimichi.
907 - makes his first campaign against Byzantium.
911 – Prince Oleg’s second campaign against Byzantium.
912 - Prince Oleg dies.
“Having said this, Heid began to sing some mysterious song.”
“That’s what it means, Odd,” she explained. “You will live longer than others - three hundred years, and you will travel many lands and seas, and wherever you come, your fame will grow. Your path lies far from here, but you will die in Berurjod. There is a gray horse with a long mane standing here in the stable, named Faxie, and this horse will cause you death.
- Tell your tales to old women! - Odd shouted and, jumping up from his seat, ran up and hit the sorceress right in the face, so that blood poured onto the floor...
After some time, Odd called Asmund with him, and they went to where the horse stood. They threw a bridle on him and led the horse to the seashore, into the hills. There they dug a hole almost twice the height of a man and, having killed the horse, threw it there. Then the foster brothers filled this pit with such large stones as they could lift, and poured many small stones and sand on top, so that a high mound stood over the horse’s grave. And then Odd said:
“Now the sorceress’s prediction that this horse will cause me death cannot be fulfilled.”
Having completed all this, they returned home.
... they began to hastily go down the stones, and while they were walking along a narrow path, Odd hurt his leg on something and stopped.
- Why did I hurt my leg? - he said.
He began to dig up the ground with a spear, and everyone saw a horse’s skull in the ground. A snake crawled out from there, crawled up to Odd and bit him on the leg below the ankle. And from its poison Odd’s entire leg and thigh were swollen.
Odd saw what had happened, and he ordered his men to carry him down to the seashore, and when they arrived there, Odd said:
“Well, now go and carve a stone tomb for me, and let others sit here with me and carve runes, writing down a song that I will compose as a keepsake for my descendants.”
Historical memory of Prince Oleg.
The image of the prophetic Oleg has repeatedly attracted artists and poets. Among the works of art dedicated to this historical character are the following:
Prophetic Oleg on social networks.
How often do Yandex users from Ukraine look for information about Oleg the Prophet?
To analyze the popularity of the query “Prophetic Oleg”, the Yandex search engine service wordstat.yandex is used, from which we can conclude: as of July 4, 2016, the number of queries per month was 5, as can be seen in the screenshot:
Since the end of 2014, the largest number of requests for “Prophetic Oleg” was registered in November 2015 – 198,524 requests per month.
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