Saint Olga by Mikhail Nesterov

Saint Olga (Russian and Ukrainian: Ольга, also called Olga Prekrasa (Ольга Прекраса), or Olga the Beauty, Old Norse: Helga; born c. Mikhail Vasilyevich Nesterov ( Ufa - October 18, 1942, Moscow) was a leading representative of religious Symbolism in Russian Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Ukrainian (in Ukrainian украї́нська мо́ва ukrayins'ka mova,) is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age 890 died July 11, 969, Kiev) was a Pskov woman of Varangian extraction who married the future Igor of Kiev, arguably in 903. Events By Place Europe The sovereignty of Great Moravian king Svatopluk I in Bohemia is confirmed Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. 969 was a year in the 10th century. Events By Place Byzantine Empire December 11 — John I becomes Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the Pskov (Псков ancient Russian spelling Пльсковъ Pleskov) in Latvian Pleskava, in Estonian Pihkva, is an ancient city located in The Varangians or Varyags ( Old Norse: Væringjar Greek: Βάραγγοι Βαριάγοι Váraggoi / Varyágoi, Ukrainian Events By Place Europe The Vikings invade England. Asia Abaoji is named commander The Primary Chronicle gives 879 as her date of birth, which is rather unlikely, given the fact that her only son was probably born some 65 years after that date. The Primary Chronicle (ѣѣтъ Пóвесть временны́х лет Povest' vremennykh let; Пóвість врéм'яних літ Povist' vremjanykh After Igor's death, she ruled Kievan Rus as regent (945-c. Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Русь romanised: Kievskaya Rus', rusʲ also written as Kyivan Rus′ (Ки́ївська Русь or Kievan Events By Place Asia The Buwayhid Dynasty takes control of Baghdad (it does not supplant the local caliphate) 963) for their son, Svyatoslav. Events By Place Asia Turkish Khan Sebük Tigin establishes his empire in modern day Afghanistan. Sviatoslav I of Kiev ( Old East Slavic: С~тославъ (Свąтославъ Игорєвичь ( Sventoslavŭ Igorevichǐ) Russian: ru Святослав

At the start of her reign, Olga spent great effort to avenge her husband's death at the hands of the Drevlians, and succeeded in slaughtering many of them and interring some in a ship burial, while still alive. The Drevlians ( Деревляни, Derevliany in Ukrainian; Древляне, Drevlyane in Russian) were a Tribe A ship burial or boat grave is a Burial in which a Ship or Boat is used either as a container for the dead and the grave goods or as a part She is reputed to have scalded captives to death and another, probably apocryphal, story tells of how she destroyed a town hostile to her. She asked that each household present her with a dove as a gift, then tied burning papers to the legs of each dove which she then released to fly back to their homes. Each avian incendiary set fire to the thatched roof of their respective home and the town was destroyed. More importantly in the long term, Olga changed the system of tribute gathering (poliudie) in what may be regarded as the first legal reform recorded in Eastern Europe. The poliudie (полюдье was the process of gathering Tribute by the rulers of Kievan Rus' from Vassal East Slavic tribes

She was the first Rus ruler to convert to Christianity, either in 945 or in 957. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Events By Place Asia The Buwayhid Dynasty takes control of Baghdad (it does not supplant the local caliphate) Events By Place Asia The Chandra Hindu Dynasty ends thus beginning a time of chaos in areas belonging to modern-day Mongolia. The ceremonies of her formal reception in Constantinople were minutely described by Emperor Constantine VII in his book De Ceremoniis. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos or Porphyrogenitus, "the Purple-born" ( Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Ζ΄ Πορφυρογέννητος De Ceremoniis (full title De caerimoniis aulae Byzantinae, also spelled caeremoniis, cerimoniis) is the Following her baptism she took the Christian name Yelena, after the reigning Empress Helena Lekapena. The Slavonic chronicles add apocryphal details to the account of her baptism, such as the story how she charmed and "outwitted" Constantine and how she spurned his matrimonial proposals. In truth, at the time of her baptism, Olga was an old woman, while Constantine had a wife.

Olga along with her escort in Constantinople, a miniature from the Chronicle of John Skylitzes. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS John Scylitzes or Ioannes Skylitzes ( Greek Ἰωάννης Σκυλίτζης, occasionally Σκυλίτσης, fl

Seven Latin sources document Olga's embassy to Emperor Otto I in 959. Otto I the Great ( 23 November 912 &ndash 7 May 973) son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke This article is about the year 959 For the automobile see Porsche 959. The continuation of Regino of Prüm mentions that the envoys requested the Emperor to appoint a bishop and priests for their nation. Reginon or Regino of Prüm (died 915 was a Benedictine abbot and medieval chronicler. The chronicler accuses the envoys of lies, commenting that their trick was not exposed until later. Thietmar of Merseburg says that the first archbishop of Magdeburg, before being promoted to this high rank, was sent by Emperor Otto to the country of the Rus (Rusciae) as a simple bishop but was expelled by pagans. Thietmar ( Dietmar or Dithmar) of Merseburg ( July 25, 975 - December 1, 1018) was Bishop of Merseburg The Archbishopric of Magdeburg was a Roman Catholic Archdiocese within the Holy Roman Empire. The same data is duplicated in the annals of Quedlinburg and Hildesheim, among others. Quedlinburg (ˈkveːdlɪnbʊʁk is a Town located north of the Harz mountains in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste

Olga was one of the first people of Rus to be proclaimed saint, for her efforts to spread the Christian religion in the country. However, she failed to convert Svyatoslav, and it was left to her grandson and pupil Vladimir I to make Christianity the lasting state religion. Sviatoslav I of Kiev ( Old East Slavic: С~тославъ (Свąтославъ Игорєвичь ( Sventoslavŭ Igorevichǐ) Russian: ru Святослав Saint Vladimir Svyatoslavich the Great ( Old Russian: Володимеръ Святославичь, c Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially During her son's prolonged military campaigns, she remained in charge of Kiev, residing in the castle of Vyshgorod together with her grandsons. Vyshhorod (Вишгород is a city in the Kiev Oblast ( province) in central Ukraine. She died soon after the city's siege by the Pechenegs in 968. Siege of Kiev redirects here For other sieges see Battle of Kiev. The Pechenegs or Patzinaks ( Turkish: Peçenekler, Hungarian: Besenyő, Greek: Patzinaki/Petsenegi or Πατζινάκοι/Πετσενέγοι/Πατζινακίται 968 was a year in the 10th century. Events By Place Asia The Pechenegs begin the Siege of Kiev

External links

• Olga of Kiev - OrthodoxWiki