WITH light hand Karamzin, Prince Svyatoslav is considered the ancient Russian Alexander the Great. Information about the battles he fought and won over the years is not rich in details, but one thing is clear: by the age of thirty, Svyatoslav managed to organize a dozen military campaigns, and won most of them.
Battle with the Drevlyans
For the first time, Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich took part in the battle in May 946, however, he led the army only formally, since he was only four years old. When his warriors lined up on the battlefield against the Drevlyans, the governors Sveneld and Asmud took out the horse on which the young Svyatoslav was sitting, gave the boy a spear, and he threw it towards the enemies. “The prince has already begun, let’s pull, squad, after the prince!” - the commanders shouted, and the inspired Kiev army went forward. The Drevlyans were defeated and locked themselves in cities. Three months later, thanks to the cunning of Princess Olga, Iskorosten was taken, and the first of Svyatoslav’s military campaigns ended in victory.
Battle of Sarkel
965 Svyatoslav's first independent campaign. Having passed the lands of the Vyatichi, the only East Slavic tribe that had not yet paid tribute to Kyiv, descending along the Volga to the lands of the Khazar Kaganate, Svyatoslav defeated the longtime enemy of Rus'. One of the decisive battles took place near Sarkel, an outpost of Khazaria in the west.
Two armies met on the banks of the Don, Svyatoslav defeated the Khazar army and pushed it into the city. The siege did not last long. When Sarkel fell, its defenders were mercilessly beaten, the inhabitants fled, and the city itself was burned to the ground. In its place, Svyatoslav founded the Russian outpost Belaya Vezha.
Second capture of Preslav
Encouraged by Byzantium, the Grand Duke invaded Bulgaria, took its capital Preslav and began to consider it the middle (capital) of his land. But the Pechenegs’ raid on Kyiv forced him to leave the conquered lands.
When Svyatoslav returned, he discovered that the pro-Byzantine opposition in the capital had gained the upper hand, and the entire city had rebelled against the prince. He had to take Preslav a second time.
The 20,000-strong Russian army was confronted by superior enemy forces. And the battle under the city walls initially went in favor of the Bulgarians. But: “Brothers and squad! We will die, but we will die with firmness and courage!” - the prince addressed the soldiers, and the decisive attack was crowned with success: the tide of the battle was turned, Svyatoslav occupied Preslav and brutally dealt with the traitors.
Siege of Philippopolis
The main rival of Rus' was Byzantium, and it was against Constantinople that Svyatoslav planned his main blow. To reach the borders of Byzantium, it was necessary to pass through southern Bulgaria, where, fueled by the Greeks, anti-Russian sentiments were strong. Few cities surrendered without a fight, and in many Svyatoslav was forced to carry out show executions. One of the oldest cities in Europe, Philippopolis, resisted especially stubbornly. Here, on the side of the Bulgarians who rebelled against the Russian prince, the Byzantines also fought, whose main army was located several tens of kilometers to the south. But Svyatoslav’s army was already a coalition: the Bulgarians, Hungarians, and Pechenegs were in alliance with him. After bloody battles the city fell. Its garrison, governors, captured Greeks and Bulgarians irreconcilable with the Russians were executed. By order of Svyatoslav, 20 thousand people were impaled.
Two general battles in Byzantium
Svyatoslav led his further advance into Byzantium with two armies: one, consisting of the best Russian warriors, battle-hardened warriors, he led himself, the other - the Russians, Bulgarians, Hungarians and Pechenegs - was under the command of the Kyiv governor Sfenkel.
The coalition army clashed with the main Greek army near Arcadiopolis, where a general battle took place. Calculating that the Pechenegs were the weak link in the Allied army, the Byzantine commander Varda Sklir directed the main attack of the army on their flank. The Pechenegs trembled and ran. The outcome of the battle was a foregone conclusion. The Russians, Hungarians and Bulgarians fought hard, but found themselves surrounded and defeated.
The battle of Svyatoslav’s army turned out to be no less difficult. The prince's 10,000-strong squad was opposed by a detachment under the command of Patrician Peter. As before, Svyatoslav managed to turn the tide of the battle at a critical moment for himself: “We have nowhere to go, whether we want it or not, we must fight. So we will not disgrace the Russian land, but we will lie here as bones, for the dead have no shame. If we run, it will be a shame for us.” He rushed forward and the army followed him. The Greeks fled from the battlefield, and Svyatoslav continued his victorious march to Constantinople. But, having learned about the defeat of the second army, he was forced to agree to a truce with the Byzantine emperor: the allies did not have the strength to siege.
Defense of Dorostol
Having violated the peace treaty, the Greeks in 971 first attacked Preslav, then, ravaging the cities, headed to the Danube, to the city of Dorostol, where Svyatoslav was located. His situation turned out to be more than difficult. The bloody battle under the city walls lasted from morning until darkness and forced the Russians and Bulgarians to retreat behind the fortress walls. A long siege began. From land, the city was surrounded by an army under the command of the emperor, and the Danube was blocked by the Greek fleet. The Russians, despite the danger, made daring forays. In one of them, a high-ranking official, Master John, was beheaded. Another thing the warriors did at night in heavy rain: they bypassed the enemy fleet in boats, collected grain reserves in the villages and beat many sleeping Greeks.
When the position of his army became critical, Svyatoslav considered it a shame to surrender or run away and led the army outside the city walls, ordering the gates to be locked. For two days, with a break for the night, his soldiers fought with the Byzantines. Having lost 15 thousand people, the Grand Duke returned to Dorostol and agreed to the peace proposed by Emperor Tzimiskes.
Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich is the youngest prince in the entire history of Rus'. Not only did he officially ascend to the throne at the age of 3, but he also lived only 30 years. However, these were very important 30 years for our state. Let's look at this in more detail.
Reign of Prince Svyatoslav
Officially, his reign took place in the 4th year of his life, when his father Igor died. But since the new prince was still too young, his mother, Princess Olga, ascended the throne. Later, when Prince Svyatoslav matured and was able to rule Russia himself, all power was also distributed between him and his mother in the following form:
- Svyatoslav went on campaigns and conquered new lands, and also concluded treaties beneficial for Rus'. We'll talk about this a little later.
- Olga was studying domestic politics state at the time when Svyatoslav was on campaigns.
If we talk about Prince Svyatoslav as a person, then he will be remembered throughout his reign as a warrior prince. After all, from the age of 22 he himself took part and led troops on campaigns.
That is why I propose to continue the conversation about Svyatoslav with stories about his most memorable campaigns.
Hiking
Khazar campaign
There are many versions of who helped the Pechenegs organize such a successful ambush. According to some sources, these could be the Bulgarians, whose desire to take revenge for so many losses of soldiers was still great. According to others, Byzantium, for which this battle would be very useful for its foreign policy reasons.
Still other sources even claim that Byzantium, on the contrary, asked the Pechenegs to clear the way for Prince Svyatoslav and his army and not kill him.
Years of the reign of Prince Svyatoslav
Different chronicles give different names for the prince's birth date. But now this is the generally accepted one: 942. If you believe her, then Svyatoslav lived only 30 years, since he died in a battle with the Pechenegs in March 972.
But we remember that his reign officially began at the age of 3. Thus, The years of the reign of Prince Svyatoslav are as follows: 945 - March 972.
Conclusion
It is not possible for us to know 100% everything that happened in those days. Therefore, we can only blindly believe sources like the “Tale of Bygone Years” and other chronicles of those times.
Considering that we no longer have any other options, I suggest that each of us choose those options for the development of events that he sees as the most possible and truthful.
P.S. I tried to tell interesting biography Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich in simple words with your retelling. I hope I succeeded.
If so, then I look forward to your questions and suggestions regarding the next heroes of the “Great Commanders of Russia” column in the comments to the article.
Voice your opinion!
Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich (Brave) - conqueror of the Vyatichi and conqueror of the Khazars
Great Kyiv prince Svyatoslav Igorevich (born in 940 - died in 972) - without exaggeration, the most desperate warrior in the history of medieval Rus'. He was the son of his cruel time, and it is certainly not worth judging the actions of this warlike monarch from a modern point of view. The prince fits little into the ethical canons of today, like all his contemporaries. At the same time, Svyatoslav would look ideal in the Ukrainian version of “Games of Thrones” as one of the most striking characters and colorful characters.
The Great Kiev Prince Svyatoslav (Brave) is the first great Kiev prince with a Slavic name, which even historians themselves cannot give an unambiguous assessment of. So,
What became famous for the great Kiev prince Svyatoslav Igorevich, whose monuments were installed in many cities of Ukraine?
1. Expansion of the territory of Kievan Rus due to the annexation of the lands of the Vyatichi to Kyiv (modern Smolensk, Moscow, Tula, Voronezh regions of the Russian Federation).
2. The defeat and robbery of numerous neighbors - Volga Bulgaria, the Khazar Khaganate and the invasion of the Balkans, where he was ultimately defeated by Byzantium. He was killed by the Pechenegs on the island of Khortitsa on the Dnieper, when he was returning with a small squad from his disastrous campaign in Bulgaria.
From these 2 points, Professor Solovyov’s sarcasm about the “great warrior” and “the uselessness of his deeds for his native land” becomes clear. Yes, in that era, all the great national heroes of other countries, at first glance, acted in exactly the same way, but they not only smashed, ruined and weakened their neighbors, but also held this territory, annexing it to their state. So,
The son of the wise Christian princess Olga and Prince Igor, Svyatoslav was raised by the Vikings Sveneld and Asmud, which, together with the veneration of pagan idols, instilled in him a belligerence unusual for a Slav. From the age of 10, the prince was taken to numerous battles, where the boy had to fully master all the military wisdom of that harsh time. With Svyatoslav, his father’s friend, governor Sveneld, was constantly present, who, to the best of his ability, introduced the young man to military affairs.
Each year of the young prince's reign was marked by a new war. Under him, the Russians turned into very dangerous neighbors for literally everyone. Svyatoslav never looked for serious reasons to start hostilities, he simply sent a messenger ahead of him with the laconic message “I’m coming to you.” It was in this way that he subjugated Slavic tribe Vyatichi, defeated Volga Bulgaria and inflicted a crushing defeat on the Khazar Kaganate. The ancient Russian troops not only put an end to their long-standing and powerful enemy (the Khazars took tribute from the Slavs even before Prince Oleg arrived in Kyiv), but also demonstrated their extraordinary strength to the whole world by capturing the impregnable fortresses of Itil and Sarkel. At the same time, Svyatoslav and his close warriors gained control of a busy trade route along the Volga with access to the Caspian Sea.
For all his adventurism, the prince, like his Varangian entourage, remained a calm pragmatist. Having imposed tribute on the peoples in the east, he turned his gaze to the southwest - to the Balkans. Svyatoslav’s dream was to take into his own hands the entire “Road from the Varangians to the Greeks,” which would promise him fabulous profits.
In light of such plans, the offer of the Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros Phocas to help suppress the uprising of the Danube Bulgarians, subject to Constantinople, came in very handy. The Emperor of Byzantium Nicephorus Phocas, wanting to take revenge on the Bulgarians for conniving with the Hungarians who attacked his country, promised great gifts if the prince spoke out against Bulgaria. In 967, Svyatoslav, having received several pounds of gold, captured the Danube cities with 60,000 soldiers. Together with his faithful companions Sveneld, Sfenkel, Ikmor and his retinue, the prince crossed the snowy passes, captured the Bulgarian capital Preslava and captured the local king Boris.
The extreme cruelty with which the victors treated the enslaved became legendary. Slavic people, sparing neither mothers nor babies. The Tsar of Bulgaria soon died of grief, and Svyatoslav sat down to reign in the Bulgarian city of Pereyaslavts. “I don’t like Kyiv, I want to live on the Danube, in Pereyaslavets. That town is the middle of my land!” - he said to his mother and boyars.
Of course, Constantinople could not tolerate Kiev’s power strengthening in the Balkans. Ahead of Prince Svyatoslav was the most difficult war in his life - a war with the only superpower of that time, the great Byzantine Empire. It was then, in a battle with the strongest enemy, that all the heroic qualities of Prince Svyatoslav and his brave warriors appeared.
The main feat of Prince Svyatoslav was the war with Byzantium.
As one might expect, the Byzantines had a slightly different opinion regarding the limits of the domain of the unruly prince. In Constantinople, they had long been perplexed as to why he did not leave the borders of their empire. When the skilled military leader John Tzimiskes sat on the throne of Constantinople, the Byzantines decided to move from words to deeds.
First clash with the army of John Tzimiskes near Adrianople ended in victory for the Russian prince. The chronicler Nestor cites a legend about the gifts presented to him after the battle: “Tzimiskes, in fear, in bewilderment, called the nobles for advice and decided to tempt the enemy with gifts, gold and precious silks; he sent them with a cunning man and ordered him to observe all the movements of Svyatoslav. But this prince did not want to look at the gold laid at his feet, and indifferently said to his youths: take it. Then the emperor sent him a gift of weapons: the hero grabbed it with lively pleasure, expressing gratitude, and Tzimiskes, not daring to fight such an enemy, paid him. tribute".
After concluding a peace treaty with the Greeks, the Kiev prince made a number of strategic mistakes: he did not occupy the mountain passes through the Balkans, did not block the mouth of the Danube and divided his army into two parts, placing them in Preslav and Dorostol. The self-confident commander, apparently, relied heavily on his military luck, but this time he was opposed by a very competent and experienced enemy. John Tzimiskes in 971 sent a large fleet (300 ships) to the mouth of the Danube with the goal of cutting off the path of retreat for Svyatoslav’s troops. The emperor himself, under whose command were 13 thousand horsemen, 15 thousand infantrymen, 2 thousand of his personal guard ("immortals"), as well as a huge convoy with battering and flame-throwing vehicles, crossed the mountain passes without any difficulties and entered the operational space. The Bulgarians, who lived for several years under the rule of Svyatoslav, gladly supported the civilized Byzantines. With his first blow, Tzimiskes captured Preslava, while the remnants of the defeated Russians, led by governor Sfenkel, barely had time to retreat to Dorostol. The time has come for the decisive battle.
First battle near Dorostol took place on April 23, 971. The Greeks approached Svyatoslav's residence. Their troops outnumbered the Russians besieged in Dorostol several times, while the Byzantines had an obvious advantage in weapons, combat equipment and equipment. They were led by experienced commanders who had studied all the intricacies of military art from ancient Roman treatises. Despite this, Svyatoslav’s warriors bravely met the attackers open field, "closing shields and spears like a wall." So they withstood 12 attacks by the Byzantines (in the last one the emperor himself led the heavy cavalry into battle) and retreated under the protection of the city walls. It is believed that the first battle ended in a draw: the Greeks were unable to immediately defeat the Russian squad, but Svyatoslav also realized that this time he was faced with a serious opponent. This conviction was only strengthened the next day, when the prince saw the huge Byzantine battering machines installed opposite the fortress walls. And on April 25, the Byzantine fleet also approached the Danube, finally slamming the deadly trap. On this day, for the first time in his life, Svyatoslav did not answer the call; the troops of Tzimiskes waited in vain for the Russians in the field, returning to their camp with nothing.
Second battle near Dorostol took place on April 26. Voivode Sfenkel died in it. Fearing to be cut off from the city by the Byzantine cavalry, the Russians again retreated under the protection of the fortress walls. A grueling siege began, during which Svyatoslav’s warriors were able to undertake a number of daring forays, and the Byzantine guns nevertheless made a breach in the wall. Three months passed like this.
Third fight passed on July 20 and again without a definite result. Having lost one of the commanders, the Russians “threw their shields on their backs” and disappeared into the city gates. Among the dead enemies, the Greeks were surprised to find women dressed in chain mail, fighting on an equal basis with men. Everything spoke of a crisis in the besieged camp. The next day, a military council met in Dorostol, where it was decided what to do next: try to break through or fight to the death. Prince Svyatoslav said to his commanders: “Grandfathers and fathers bequeathed brave deeds to us! Let us stand strong. We have no custom of saving ourselves by shameful flight. Either we will remain alive and win, or we will die with glory! The dead have no shame, and having run away from battle, as we show ourselves in front of people? That's what everyone agreed on.
Fourth fight. On July 24, the Russians entered the fourth battle, which was to be their last. Svyatoslav ordered the city gates to be locked so that no one in the army would think about retreat. Tzimiskes came out with an army to meet them. During the battle, the Russians held firm; they had no reserves and were very tired. The Byzantines, on the contrary, could replace the attacking units; soldiers emerging from the battle, on the orders of the emperor, were refreshed with wine. Finally, as a result of simulating flight, the Greeks were able to withdraw the enemy away from the walls of Dorostol, after which the detachment of Varda Sklir was able to go to the rear of Svyatoslav’s army. At the cost of huge losses, the Russians still managed to retreat to the city. The next morning, the prince invited John Tzimiskes to begin peace negotiations. The Greeks, not wanting to lose any more of their people, agreed to Svyatoslav’s proposals and agreed to let his army go home with weapons, and even supply them with bread for the journey. The prince vowed not to fight with Constantinople anymore. After the peace was signed, a personal meeting of the commanders took place. The emperor was not immediately able to recognize the ruler of Rus', who sailed up to him on a boat, sitting at the oars along with ordinary warriors. Of the 60,000-strong army that Svyatoslav led to Bulgaria, approximately 22,000 people remained alive at that time.
On the way to Kyiv, Svyatoslav’s weakened army was ambushed by Pecheneg nomads on the island of Khortitsa. The Russians fought bravely, but, unfortunately, the forces were unequal. Svyatoslav, who died in battle, had his head cut off, and a bowl was made from his skull for his khans. This is how the glorious warrior ended his journey, about whom the chronicler said: “Having sought someone else’s, he lost his own.”
Biography of Prince Svyatoslav.
940 (approximately) - Prince of Kyiv Svyatoslav Igorevich was born.
945 - after the death of his father, he became the nominal ruler of Kievan Rus.
961 - Princess Olga ceases to be regent, and Svyatoslav becomes the sovereign ruler of all ancient Russian lands.
964 - Svyatoslav undertook a campaign on the Oka River, where he subjugated the Slavic tribe of the Vyatichi to his power.
964-967 - the prince and his army won a number of victories over the Volga Bulgars, Burtases and Khazars, destroyed the powerful citadel of Sarkel, and advanced to the Cimmerian Bosporus. He also went on devastating campaigns to North Caucasus, where he defeated the Yas and Kasog tribes. Returning, he destroyed the last Khazar fortress of Semender.
967 - Svyatoslav set out on his first campaign against Danube Bulgaria. Svyatoslav defeated the Bulgarians in battle and, having taken 80 of their cities along the Danube, sat down to reign in Pereyaslavets, taking tribute, including from the Greeks.
968 – taking advantage of Svyatoslav’s absence, the Pechenegs approached Kyiv. The prince and his retinue had to hastily return from the campaign to drive the nomads away from the capital.
969 - Svyatoslav put Yaropolk in Kyiv, Oleg with the Drevlyans, Vladimir sent to reign in Novgorod, and he himself sailed to Bulgaria to Pereyaslavets. Then he returned to Bulgaria, where he hardly suppressed the uprising of the local population.
970 - the war moved to Thrace, as Svyatoslav began to advance on Constantinople. The Russians captured Philippopolis and Tzimiskes, concerned about the rebellion of the commander Vardas Phokas that began in his rear, agreed to pay a large tribute to the northern “guests”.
971 - John Tzimiskes returned to Bulgaria with his army, renewing the war. The Byzantines captured Preslava, and many Bulgarian cities recognized their authority over them. Svyatoslav with the remnants of the army locked himself behind the walls of Dorostol. A months-long defense of the city began.
972 - returning from Bulgaria to Ukraine, Prince Svyatoslav was attacked by the Pechenegs and was killed. According to one version, the Byzantines sent a message to the Pechenegs: “Behold, Svyatoslav with a small squad is coming past you to Rus', having taken from the Greeks a lot of wealth and countless prisoners.”
Historical memory of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich.
Monuments to Prince Svyatoslav were erected in Ukrainian cities Kyiv, Zaporozhye and Mariupol, in the village. Starye Petrivtsi, as well as in the village. Kholki, Belgorod region of the Russian Federation.
A memorial sign is located at the probable place of the prince’s death on the island. Khortitsa.
There are streets named in honor of Svyatoslav the Brave in Dnepropetrovsk, Lvov, Stryi, Chernigov, Radekhov, Shepetovka.
In 2002 The National Bank of Ukraine issued commemorative coin made of silver with a denomination of 10 hryvnia, dedicated to Prince Svyatoslav.
Prince Svyatoslav on social networks.
129 videos found in Odnoklassniki.
On Youtube, for the query “Prince Svyatoslav” there are 8,850 responses.
How often do Yandex users from Ukraine look for information about Svyatoslav the Brave?
To analyze the popularity of the query “Svyatoslav the Brave”, the Yandex search engine service wordstat.yandex is used, from which we can conclude: as of March 17, 2016, the number of queries for the month was 16,116, as can be seen in the screenshot.
Since the end of 2014, the largest number of requests for “Svyatoslav the Brave” was registered in September 2014 – 33,572 requests per month.
Prince Svyatoslav short biography for children
Back in 942, he was born into a princely family, in the future great commander, and Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich. At the age of three he was left without a father, and formally began to be considered a prince. Princess Olga, who wants to take revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband, takes her four-year-old son on a hike. Being just a boy at that time, Svyatoslav, for the first time in his life, began a battle by throwing a spear... And so began his glorious history as a commander and prince.
Prince Svyatoslav, to put it briefly, was a very skillful and agile warrior, one chronicler compared him to a cheetah for his speed and agility in battle, and the chronicler also emphasized the prince’s ability to select the best warriors for his squad. He described him not as a pompous and whimsical prince, but as a real warrior who knew how to endure all the hardships of military campaigns, he slept in the open air, and did not indulge himself in princely dishes. He did not accept Christianity as his mother insisted, but remained a pagan like his entire squad, he was afraid that the soldiers would not understand such an act...
In 964 he began his first major campaign against the Khazars. He chose the path not directly across the steppes, but 
along the rivers, along the Oka and Volga. His allies on the campaign were the Pechenegs and Guzes. Having taken Itil, Semender, Sarkel, he completely knocked out the Khazars from the Volga, which greatly surprised Byzantium. And after that, he returned victoriously to Kyiv.
After Grand Duke defeated the Khazar, in 968 an embassy from Byzantium arrived to him with a huge amount of gold and many different gifts, they proposed a campaign against Bulgaria. Very soon Svyatoslav was already sitting in Pereyaslavets at the mouth of the Danube. But soon he was forced to return to Kyiv, as the Pechenegs attacked him. Having fought them off from the Capital, he organized a campaign, as a result of which the Kaganate would be completely defeated. After the death of his mother, he reorganized the administration of the state by placing Yaropolk in the reign of Kiev, Vladimir in Novgorod, and placing Oleg over the Drevlyans. After which he moved with his squad to Bulgaria again.
After the coup in Byzantium, the political situation changed a little, the Bulgarians rushed to her for 
help. But while Byzantium was thinking, the Bulgarians entered into an alliance with the Rusichs. And in 970, together with them, as well as with the rest of the allies, the Pechenegs and Hungarians, they attacked Byzantium. The Greeks first surrounded the Pechenegs and defeated them, then took on the main forces of the Russians. Svyatoslav was not with them, he was in Dorostol, where the battle subsequently smoothly shifted. The city was taken under a three-month siege. The army on both sides was exhausted, Svyatoslav was wounded in one of the battles. Ultimately, Byzantium and Rus' entered into an agreement, after which the prince handed over all the captured Greeks and left Bulgaria, he also pledged not to attack Byzantium and protect it from attacks by tribes. Meanwhile, Rus' was devastated by the Pechenegs, and when the prince was returning, the Pechenegs waylaid him and in this mortal battle the prince was killed. The life of the Grand Duke and commander ended in the spring of 972 at the mouth of the Dnieper River.
Among the charismatic personalities with which the history of human civilization is so rich, there were those who combined the features of a ruler and a commander. It is about these people that the Russian proverb is written: “Who cares about war, who cares about mother.” It is difficult to imagine them living to a ripe old age, turning gray. They, as a rule, die in a heroic unequal battle and remain forever young, full of strength. Such is the Russian prince Svyatoslav Igorevich.
Biography of Prince Svyatoslav
Already the first years of Svyatoslav’s life were overshadowed by a terrible tragedy: his father was killed by the Drevlyans while collecting tribute. According to legend, he was tied to two trees, the trunks of which were first bent and then released. Igor's widow, Princess Olga, became, in essence, regent for her young son. She cruelly took revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband. Four-year-old Svyatoslav, according to legend, opened the battle by throwing a spear in the direction of the Drevlyans. Until Svyatoslav came of age, Olga ruled Russia single-handedly. Most of Svyatoslav's adult life was spent in military campaigns. His phrase “I’m coming at you!” became winged. He was an unassuming and ascetic man. He could sleep on animal skins and eat meat straight from a knife, and easily endured the difficulties and hardships of the march. Unlike his mother, he did not want to convert to the Christian faith, remaining a pagan. He was married twice and had three sons. The latter, nicknamed Red Sun, will become the baptist of Rus'.
Domestic and foreign policy of Prince Svyatoslav
The Khazars became the first external enemy of Svyatoslav. These people led a nomadic lifestyle and made a living by robberies in neighboring territories. Khazar Khaganate was conquered by Svyatoslav and imposed tribute. After the Khazars were dealt with, Svyatoslav turned his gaze to the Vyatichi tribes and, without making any effort special effort, also forced them to become tributaries of the Russian prince. Svyatoslav’s next target was Bulgaria, which was in conflict with Byzantium, which had already been pacified by the Russians. Taking advantage of Svyatoslav’s absence, the Pechenegs, another steppe people, launched a raid on Kyiv. Svyatoslav was forced to return and lift the siege from the “mother of Russian cities.”
After the death of his mother, Princess Olga, there was a redistribution of power between Svyatoslav and his sons, who had grown up by that time: Yaropolk got Kyiv, Oleg became the master of the Drevlyan lands, Vladimir sat down to reign in Novgorod. The prince himself could not stay in one place for long. The warrior spirit was in his blood. He went to Bulgaria again. His plans included the expansion of Russian possessions up to the Danube. Having concluded an alliance with the Bulgarians, Pechenegs and Hungarians, Svyatoslav attacked the Thracian possessions of Byzantium. However, in a general battle his troops were defeated. A peace treaty was later concluded. Bulgaria was drained of blood.
Relations between Byzantium and Russia have undergone significant changes: trade relations were restored, the countries entered into a military alliance. Upon returning from the campaign, Svyatoslav died in a skirmish with the Pechenegs. This happened at the mouth of the Dnieper. Tradition says that for the Pecheneg prince Kuri they made a cup for feasts from the skull of Svyatoslav, shackling it precious stones or gold.
- In the Khazaria conquered by Svyatoslav there was a place known as Tmutarakan. This name has become a common noun, serving to designate a place that is very distant and difficult to access, as well as unsafe for a stranger. Historians, not without reason, consider the name Svyatoslav to be one of the first proper Slavic names. In addition, it became a princely name.
- The famous domestic historian N.M. Karamzin rightfully compared Svyatoslav with - not so much in terms of the scale of his conquests, but because of his occupation.
