Oleg Prince of Kyiv short biography for children. Prince Oleg - biography. Was there a snake?

Prophetic Oleg - the great Russian prince who finally united Slavic tribes.

Almost nothing is known about Oleg’s origins. There are only a few theories based on chronicle reports. It is generally accepted that he was not part of the Rurik dynasty. Nevertheless, he played an important role in politics and was close to Rurik. The latter trusted Oleg so much that he made him regent for his son Igor. After the death of the first prince in 879, Oleg received power, which he could control only until Igor grew up. After receiving the title of prince, he immediately set himself the goal of expanding the influence of Rus'.

He began by seizing territories adjacent to the Dnieper River. He gathered a huge squad, which consisted of a variety of peoples, and moved south. He met enormous resistance from local tribes. But the princely warriors were strong, so all opponents were defeated. Now they had to pay a fairly large tribute. He could capture the richest city of Kyiv with the help of cunning and dexterity. He didn't suddenly attack him. Instead, Oleg decided to pretend to be an overseas merchant. The prince sailed to the shore of Kyiv on one boat. The rulers of the city, princes Askold and Dir, came to him, who did not even suspect about the ambush. When they got close enough, Oleg's warriors suddenly jumped out of their ships, surrounding the gullible princes. They were killed, and Oleg became the Prince of Kyiv. But he did not stop there. Subsequently, he forced the Drevlyans and northerners to pay tribute. The prince's authority increased.

The turning point in his life was the campaign against Byzantium. At that time he had a large army. If Byzantium paid tribute, then Rus' would receive colossal income. Held Great March to Constantinople, which ended in success. His warriors were distinguished by increased cruelty and aggression. All those who opposed them died instantly from the blows of swords and spears. Russian troops plundered small towns and villages. In this regard, the Byzantine government had to make concessions. Oleg demanded 12 pounds of silver, valuable at that time. During the negotiations, the conditions became softer, but the scale of the Byzantine losses still remained enormous. In addition, now Russian merchants could trade freely here, and they were also given privileges and benefits.

The campaign brought incredible fame to the prince; legends began to circulate about him, praising his exploits during the siege of Constantinople. There were stories about shields nailed by Oleg to the wall of the capital of Byzantium. For his unique abilities, the ruler of Rus' was called “Prophetic”. Oleg died under mysterious circumstances in 912. There is a theory that he was poisoned by the poison of a snake that bit him while he was visiting the grave of his horse.

Biography 2

Prince Oleg went down in history as a rather enterprising and warlike ruler. The period of his reign was accompanied by the rapid growth of the military and political influence of Kievan Rus.

Origin of Prince Oleg

According to the Tale of Bygone Years, Oleg was a relative of Rurik. Some researchers believe that Oleg was the brother of Rurik's wife. It is undeniable that Oleg was a Scandinavian. In the epic of the peoples of Scandinavia, there are legends that describe a certain prince named Helge, who performed many feats and ruled the Slavic peoples. Most likely, this Helge is Prince Oleg.

The beginning of the reign

In 879, an event occurs that radically changes Oleg’s life. The dying Prince Rurik delegates to him the right to occupy the Novgorod throne.

As soon as power was in his hands, Oleg immediately began to crush the Dnieper along its entire course under his influence. Of course, such an event required a huge number of soldiers, thanks to political persuasion, and in some situations, by force, the prince recruited a large army. After which he began his journey to the south. During his first campaign, Prince Oleg captured: Smolensk, Lyubech and aimed at capturing Kyiv.

According to the Tale of Bygone Years, in 882 Oleg began military campaign for the capture of Kyiv. However, princes Askold and Dir were the legal rulers of the city, but Oleg quickly solved this problem. Princes Askold and Dir were killed.

In subsequent years, the prince quite thoroughly began to organize the captured lands, and a centralized vertical of power was created.

The reign of Prince Oleg after the capture of Kyiv

In 907, Oleg began a large military campaign against Byzantium. The Greeks were afraid of the military power of the Slavs and paid off Oleg. According to legend, Oleg nailed his shield to the city gates.

In 911, Oleg sent an embassy to Byzantium and concluded a strong trade agreement. Although the agreement of this year does not give the Slavs such significant privileges in trade, which partly indicates the increased military power of Byzantium.

According to the Tale of Bygone Years, the prince died from the bite of a snake that was hiding in the remains of a horse. The chronicle itself dates this event to 912.

Biography by dates and interesting facts. The most important.

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The founder of the great Kievan Rus, Prince Oleg the Prophet, went down in history as one of the most significant persons for the Russian people. Numerous campaigns, a trade route with Byzantium and the introduction of writing for the Russian people, all these are the merits of the prince, who, according to legend, could foresee his future, which was the success of his reign.

One of the most famous and to this day princes of ancient Rus' is Prince Oleg the Prophet. Who replaced the no less great Rurik and brought quite a few victories to his people. One of the most famous achievements of the hero Prophetic Oleg is the creation of Kievan Rus itself and the appointment of the great city of Kyiv as its center. Oleg began to be called the Prophetic, only because he could predict the future. He spoke very skillfully about future events and this was most likely not because he had supernatural powers, but because he thought logically and was good psychologist. The prince was not only the sovereign of his state, but also a kind of sorcerer and sorcerer for the people, because people believed that the power to rule the Russian people was given to him from above. There is a legend that a snake brought death to the Prophetic Oleg and he died from its bite. It was the death of the great king that became the reason for the composition of many songs and legends. Not only songs about his exploits, but also about his death, have become obligatory in history, because it is very disappointing that such a great Russian sovereign became a victim of a snake.

Legend has it that the reign of the prince passed when Rurik was dying. It was on his deathbed that he said that he would bequeath the rule to him, because his son was still small, and the Prophetic Oleg was his guardian and confidant of the family. Only to him could Rurik entrust his two most expensive treasures. This is his still very young son and the state for which he had big plans. And he did not let his comrade down, he became a great commander, he earned the love of his people and served Rus' for almost 33 years. If we take a superficial look at the achievements of the Russian commander, then his greatest victories in life were the rule in Novgorod, Lyubich and the creation of Kievan Rus. But no less important events in his life, there were campaigns against Byzantium, the imposition of tribute on the East Slavic tribes and the trade routes that the campaign against Byzantium opened. This very campaign opened up a lot of new and interesting things for the Russians, not only in terms of trade, but also in art.

His exploits began with the campaign against the Krivichi in 882, during which he captured Smolensk. Afterwards, his path was set down along the Dnieper. Which brought him the capture of Lubitsch. And subsequently, he deceived both the life and the throne of the Russian princes Askold and Dir, who ruled Russia before him. After which the Prophetic Oleg became not only the prince of Novgorod, but also the prince of Kyiv. It was from this moment that, according to historical facts, it is believed that the creation of the great Kievan Rus began.

Further, the year 907 became a significant date for the Prince of Novgorod and Kyiv Prophetic Oleg. When he led the army of Kyiv and the Varangians on a long campaign to Byzantium. The army completely devastated the city of Constantinople, and after that a treaty was drawn up and adopted, very beneficial for Rus', according to which the Russian people who went to Byzantium with trade affairs had privileges even greater than those of the citizens of the state.

No less famous was the agreement between the Prophetic Oleg and the Greek rulers, which was concluded in 912, after Constantinople was besieged, and the Byzantines had since capitulated. But even there there was still not a word about the real heir and actual ruler of Rus', Igor. Even during the reign of the Prophetic Prince, all the people understood that it was he who was the founder of their state. History also understands for certain that Oleg first created the state, then expanded its borders, showed everyone that the Ruriks were a completely legitimate government of the Russian people. And most importantly, he dared to challenge the Khazars. Before Igor's guardian began to rule, the Khazars collected huge tribute from the entire Slavic people. Not only did they steal from people, they also wanted Russians to practice their religion, Judaism.

“The Tale of Bygone Years” is the most reliable source of information about the Prophetic Sovereign of the Russian people, but only the most basic deeds of the hero are described there. A huge gap of a whole 21 years exists in the chronicle and for what reason the clerks bypassed this year of the prince’s reign is not known to this day. But even since that time, many things that were significant for history happened, because every decision of the prince changed the course of all history and the entire people. Very important factor, which was revealed many years later, was that from 885 to 907 in this period there was not only a campaign against the Khazars, but also the defeat of the Radimichi.

Video: Documentary about Prophetic Oleg

But the chronicle was written by purely Russian people and therefore they considered it necessary to record those events that only 100% concerned the Russian people and Oleg. Very important detail became the passage in 898 near Kiev of the emigrating people of the Hungarians (Uggro). No less important was the arrival of Igor's future wife, Princess Olga, in 903. By birth the bride's name was Beautiful, but by the will of the Prince of Novgorod they began to call her first Volga, and then Olga. Few people knew that the girl was actually the daughter of the Prophetic Oleg, and so that no one would know the truth, they began to call her by a different name. The girl was not only the daughter of Prophetic Oleg, but also the granddaughter of Gostomysl, it was he who invited Rurik many years ago to become the head of the government of Rus'.

Rurik handed over the rule of the state to his son on his deathbed, and thus Oleg continued the Gostomysl dynasty through his wife, and took Rurik’s place. It turned out that neither the line of rule of the Rurik dynasty nor Gostomysl was ever interrupted.

As a result, I always got up important question about who has more rights to rule the Russian state, Oleg or Gostomysl. No one knew for sure whether it was true or rumor that Olga is Oleg’s daughter and Gostomysl’s granddaughter, because if this is true, then it turns out that the husband of that same daughter is Oleg. And he can compare with anyone from the Rurik dynasty. And it turns out that he has completely legal rights to inherit the throne, and not just a verbal donation of Russian land by Rurik. But they always tried to avoid this fact in the chronicles, so that the Novgorod retinue would not lay claim to significant government positions in Kyiv.

And the most unexpected and pleasant event that the reign of the Prophetic Tsar brought was that, with his help, the Russian people learned what writing is. Cyril and Methodius, also in the Tale of Bygone Years, are recorded as the creators of writing among the Slavs. Such an act of the prince was truly great; only 90 years later could he surpass in importance the prince, Vladimir, who adopted Christianity for the Russian people. Oleg accepted written reforms, ABCs and the alphabet, which is still present in people's lives to this day.

During the period when Rurik appeared in Novgorod, the brothers Cyril and Methodius appeared on Ladoga. There is no difference in time, only a difference in territorial space. Cyril began his mission in the south, in 860-801 he reached Khazar Khaganate. There he tried to introduce writing, but not entirely successfully, and then he retired to a monastery for a while, where he began to create the alphabet and one of the brothers carried out these deeds in 862. This year was never even questioned, because then the campaign of both brothers took place already on hands with the alphabet to Moravia.

These events in the next few years would lead to the fact that both Bulgaria and Serbia began to use Slavic writing, but this happened 250 years later. But only the creation of writing could not lead to people becoming more literate; the sovereign’s decision was needed that this was a necessity and his authority was directly needed.

The hero sorcerer was very adamant, and although he accepted the alphabet from the missionaries, he categorically rejected their teachings. At that time there was only one faith, pagan, and the pagans treated Christians very poorly; the people even then were simply not ready for such a faith. Catholic missionaries suffered a lot from the Baltic Slavs. After all, they indiscriminately carried out reprisals against them. Then there was a big confrontation, and the guardian of young Igor played an important role in this struggle.

Even when the Grand Duke died, he became the one who launched the process of creating a great state and this process was no longer reversible, since the ground for him was already so solid that it could not be crushed. Even Karamzin once said that Russia had many worthy rulers and sovereigns in its history, but none of them achieved such services to the state as Prince Oleg did for Rus'.

The great ruler Prophetic Oleg deserves that to this day people bow their heads with gratitude before his person and deeds in the name of Kievan Rus. He became the one who created the state of Rus' from scratch. He paved the most profitable trade routes in the history of the Russian people, he was the prince of two states at the same time and married his daughter to the legitimate heir of Kievan Rus. Not to mention the introduction of writing, which became the beginning of literacy training for ordinary people.

Few Russian princes have received the honor of being sung in poetry. The times were cruel, bloody strife raged, one could only dream of political stability and confidence in the future. The descendants of Rurik inherited the whole power. It was necessary to preserve it and, if possible, increase it. We can say that they coped with this task. And in this glorious row, one of the first places belongs to Oleg.

Biography of Prince Oleg

Oleg, most likely, was not a relative of Rurik, although the Tale of Bygone Years states the opposite. Apparently, Rurik appointed him guardian of his young son Igor. The guardian turned out to be a smart and efficient man, experienced in government affairs. That is why, after the death of Rurik, Oleg began to reign in Novgorod. He managed to gather under his leadership representatives of many peoples who then inhabited Rus' and about which only names have been preserved today: Merya, Chud, Krivichi, Slovenes, etc. The center of his attention were two Russian cities - Smolensk and Kyiv. It was necessary to eliminate the power of local princes there in order to strengthen their own unity of command. Kyiv was ruled by two legendary brothers - Askold and Dir. Whether there was a need to kill them - the chronicle is silent; it only states the very fact of killing. Having become the ruler of Kyiv, Oleg proclaimed it the new capital of Rus' and figuratively called it “the mother of Russian cities.” He moved there himself, along with his entire squad. He left the payment of tribute to Novgorod. The prince's next act was the pacification and conquest of those tribes whose representatives did not want to become part of Rus'. These included the Drevlyans, Northerners and Radimichi. They were conquered by the Khazars - a steppe people who lived in robberies and raids. Oleg ordered that tribute be paid to him, and not to the Khazars, promising protection and patronage for this. Oleg’s campaign against the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople (later Constantinople, now Istanbul), became a legend. The Byzantine emperor expected a traditional assault and a long siege, but the prince acted in an unusual way. According to the chronicles, the Russian ships were put on wheels, which made them look even more terrifying. The Greeks surrendered without a fight and paid off Oleg with tribute. As a sign of the conquest of Constantinople, the prince nailed his shield to its central gate. The prince achieved his main goal - trade with Byzantium was no longer subject to duties. After his triumphant return to his native land, Oleg was named “Prophetic”, i.e. able to foresee the future. However, he did not believe in the prediction of his own future by the Novgorod Magi, for which he later paid. The prince couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of ​​how one could accept death from one’s horse. Just in case, he moved the horse away and visited him four years later. It turned out that the horse had died long ago. Not having time to laugh once again at the prediction of the Magi, Oleg was stung in the leg by a snake that was hiding in the horse’s skull. The total term of his reign is 33 years.

• The legend of the prince’s death served as a source of inspiration for two Russian poets at once - who wrote “The Song of the Prophetic Oleg”, and the Decembrist poet K.F. Ryleev, the author of the thought “Oleg the Prophetic”.
• Ryleev, however, made a deliberate distortion historical fact, writing that Oleg “nailed his shield with the coat of arms of Russia to the Constantinople Gate.” During the time of the pagan Oleg there could not have been a coat of arms of Russia, because it did not exist as such yet - Kievan Rus had just arisen. However, Ryleev can be understood - he pursued the goal that the younger generation would be educated and inspired by the exploits of their great ancestors. Pushkin's interpretation of events is closer to the chronicle.
• It is curious that Pushkin’s text in a truncated form was useful to the White Guards a century later: for the period civil war they adapted it as a marching song.

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Brief biography and characteristics of the reign of Prince Oleg

Prince Oleg is one of the most prominent rulers Ancient Rus', who united Kyiv and Novgorod under his rule, signed trade agreements with Byzantium and did many more things in the formation of Russian statehood. The FOX-calculator project is pleased to present to you short biography and a description of the main milestones in the activities of this outstanding historical figure!

Around 879, leaving his little son Igor reign over the Slavic lands, the first died. Since Igor was at a young age, Oleg, who later became the prince of Novgorod and the first great prince of Kyiv, took over the reign. Wanting to expand the Slavic territories, the prince assembled a fairly powerful squad, which included representatives of the Finnish tribes, Ilmen Slavs and Krivichi. After this, the prince moved his army to the south, annexing the cities of Lyubech and Smolensk. But the young ruler had a larger-scale action in his plans. Having given power to loyal people from the squad in the conquered cities, Oleg advanced to Kyiv. This military campaign was a success. So, already in 882, the militant prince managed to capture the city and kill its rulers Askold and Dir. So Oleg ascended the great throne of Kiev, and historians consider this same year to be the actual date of the formation of the state of Kievan Rus.

Prince Oleg's reign in the city began with the construction of many defensive structures and strengthening of the city walls. In addition, the prince strengthened the borders of the Slavic lands, erecting “outposts” on them, which were small fortresses with warriors living there. From 883 to 885, Prince Oleg managed to make a series of successful military campaigns, as a result of which he was able to subjugate the Slavic tribes that were settled along the banks of the Dnieper, Dniester, Sozh and Bug. After the victories, the Grand Duke gave orders for the construction of new cities in the occupied territories. The conquered tribes were obliged to pay him tribute. Actually, like all subsequent princes, Oleg has all domestic politics was reduced to collecting taxes and strengthening borders.

Was very successful and foreign policy Prince Oleg. His most important military campaign is considered to be the 907 campaign against Byzantium. For this military operation, the prince assembled a huge powerful army, which, according to some sources, numbered more than 80 thousand people. Despite the strategy and defense, Byzantium was captured, and its suburbs were burned and plundered. The result of the Byzantine campaign of Prince Oleg was a rich tribute and benefits for the trade of Russian merchants. Five years later, a peace treaty was signed between Kievan Rus and Byzantium. After this campaign, Prince Oleg received the name Prophetic, that is, a sorcerer, for his insight and strategy.

The first Kiev prince died in 912, and his death is shrouded in legends. According to the most famous of them, Oleg was bitten by a snake.

Interesting fact! A sharp mind and outstanding insight earned Prince Oleg the nickname “prophetic.”

The main chronological dates of the reign of Prince Oleg the Prophet:

Prince Oleg is the first ruler of the Old Russian state. After the death of Rurik, from 879 he ruled the territory of Northern Rus', captured Kyiv in 882 and united the lands of Northern and Southern Rus' into a single state - Kievan Rus.

Oleg - biography (biography)

Oleg's political activities turned out to be successful: he expanded the territory of the Principality of Kyiv, subjugating many peoples of Eastern Europe, and also made a successful campaign against Constantinople in 907, after which he concluded a profitable trade agreement with the Greeks.

The image of Prince Oleg, nicknamed by the Russian chronicler the Prophetic, has become extremely popular in Russian culture - poetry, literature and fine arts, but at the same time this historical figure is one of the most controversial and difficult for scientific research. Even the earliest Russian chronicles, which are considered the most reliable, compiled at the turn of the 11th - 12th centuries, report some basic facts of Oleg’s biography contradictory. Many chronicle stories associated with this prince reflect historical traditions of an oral, folklore and even mytho-epic nature, which have parallels in the culture of other peoples.

Prince or governor?

As V. Ya. Petrukhin noted, Oleg’s life is most fully illuminated in the chronicle The Tale of Bygone Years (beginning of the 12th century). In 879, in connection with his death, this prince was first reported in this chronicle. The reign passed to him as a “relative” of Rurik and guardian of the young son of the North Russian ruler. The degree of their relationship, apparently, can be judged to a greater extent by the Joachim Chronicle (XVII century), based on information from which Oleg was believed to be Rurik’s brother-in-law, the “Urman prince” from Sweden.

In the Novgorod First Chronicle, which is closest to the Initial Code of the 1090s, which underlies the most ancient Russian chronicles, Oleg is not a prince, but a governor under the already fully grown Prince Igor. Accordingly, the capture of Kyiv is a joint event between Igor and Oleg.

The chronology of events in which Oleg participates in the Novgorod chronicle “lags” in relation to the one reflected in the Tale of Bygone Years. So, famous hike Oleg to Constantinople 907 is dated here to 922. However, researchers have long recognized the conventions of early chronicle dating and their “dependence” on the dates of Greek chronographs, with which ancient Russian authors “consulted”.

Oleg's first "capital"?

This question is directly related to Oleg’s status and age. Thus, the largest researcher of Russian chronicles A. A. Shakhmatov believed that Oleg and Igor ruled independently of each other: one in Kyiv, the other in. The legends about both were combined by the author of the Initial Code, who “made” Oleg a governor under Igor. The compiler of the Tale of Bygone Years “returned” his princely title. In order to explain the simultaneity of the two princes, the chronicler showed Igor as a baby in Oleg’s arms.

But where did Oleg “sit” before the capture of Kyiv? The chronicles do not directly say this. It is implied that after the death of Rurik, in the same place where the latter was, that is, in Novgorod. But there are sources, for example, the Ipatiev Chronicle, which also point to it as the first residence. And “one of Oleg’s graves” is dated to Ladoga in the chronicle.

The famous Polish scientist H. Lovmiansky suggested that Oleg's first residence was Ladoga, and then he made it his place of residence, given its role as an important trading center. True, the historian himself pointed out weak point in his hypothesis: Smolensk was not mentioned in the chronicle in the list of the most important cities subject to Kyiv (907). Yes, and Oleg subjugated Smolensk shortly before the Kyiv events.

How Kyiv became “the mother of Russian cities”

According to the Tale of Bygone Years, Oleg in 882, having gathered warriors from many peoples living in the north of Rus', set out on a campaign to the south. “Having taken power” in and “putting his husband in it,” he further seized Lyubech. Now Oleg’s path lay to Kyiv. Kyiv was also ruled by Dir, former warriors of Rurik, who were sent by him in 866 to go on a campaign against Byzantium and settled here after returning from the campaign. Oleg hid his soldiers in the boats and on the shore, and he himself sent for the Varangians, telling them to tell them that they were merchants, coming to the Greeks from Oleg and Prince Igor, “come to us, to your relatives.” In the Nikon (Patriarchal) Chronicle (XVI century), for the sake of credibility, it is added that Oleg said he was sick and, apparently, that’s why he invited the rulers of Kyiv to him.

When Dir arrived at the meeting place, Oleg accused them of not having the right to reign in Kyiv, unlike him and Igor, the son of Rurik. At his sign, the warriors who ran out from the ambush killed Askold and Dir. Further, apparently, Oleg already bloodlessly asserted his power over Kyiv.

Oleg’s military cunning, namely the trap set by the “false merchants,” finds analogies in the epics of other peoples (Egyptian, Iranian, ancient, Western European parallels), which allowed some researchers to see not the historical authenticity, but the folklore nature of the corresponding legend about the capture of Kyiv by Oleg.

Assessing the advantageous strategic position of Kyiv both on the route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” and in the center of the new united state, Oleg made this city the capital. There were many capital cities in Rus', but it was Kyiv with light hand The prince became “the mother of Russian cities.” As the famous researcher A.V. Nazarenko showed, this chronicle expression was a tracing-paper from the Greek epithet of Constantinople and its use “indicated the significance of the Tsaregrad paradigm for the capital status of Kyiv.”

Oleg devoted the following years (883-885) to the conquest of those neighboring Kiev Slavic peoples on the right and left banks of the Dnieper - glades, Drevlyans, northerners, Radimichi, taking them away from the tribute of the “unreasonable Khazars” and including them in the Old Russian state. But for the ambitious Russian ruler, the main rival and most desired prey, of course, was Constantinople.

Shield on the gates of Constantinople

In 907, according to the Tale of Bygone Years, Oleg, having gathered a huge, 80,000-strong army of Varangians and warriors of Slavic and non-Slavic peoples subject to Rus', on ships, the number of which reached 2000, moved to Constantinople.

The Greeks blocked the access of enemy ships to the harbor of Constantinople with a chain. Then the inventive Oleg ordered the ships to be put on wheels. A fair wind drove the innumerable armada towards the walls Byzantine capital by land. The Greeks got scared and asked for peace. The insidious Romans brought Oleg a treat - wine and food, but the Russian prince refused them, suspecting that they were poisoned. He demanded a large tribute - 12 hryvnia for each warrior and, as a sign of victory, hung his shield on the gates of Constantinople. After this campaign, Oleg was nicknamed the Prophetic.

But did Oleg’s campaign take place?

In historiography, radically opposing opinions have long been established regarding whether Oleg’s campaign against Constantinople actually took place. Supporters of the idea that the campaign took place, as evidence, refer to the reliability of the Russian-Byzantine treaty concluded after it in 911. But there are serious arguments in favor of the opinion that the campaign is legendary:

• Only Russian sources speak about the campaign of 907, but Greek sources are silent. But Byzantine authors often and colorfully described the numerous enemy sieges and attacks that Constantinople was subjected to over the centuries, including attacks by Rus' in 860 and 941.
• But Russian sources describing Oleg’s campaign contain contradictions. These are different dates of the event, and a different composition of participants in Oleg’s army.
• The description of the campaign of 907 in many details and style resembles the description in the Russian chronicle of Prince Igor’s campaign against the Greeks in 941, and they both reveal a “dependence” on the text of the Greek chronicle of Amartol, which tells about the Russian attack of 941 on Byzantium.
• The Russian chronicler's account of Oleg's campaign in 907 contains elements that are recognized by a number of researchers as folklore-epic. For example, the winner’s shield on the gates of the Byzantine capital is an episode contained in the ancient epics of other peoples, but no longer found in Russian sources. The plot of ships on wheels raises great “suspicions” among scientists about the artificiality of the description of the campaign, and this needs special mention.

Ships on wheels: metaphor or means of transportation?

Already on the most ancient monuments of art - Egyptian, Babylonian, ancient, Far Eastern, one can find images of ships on chariots. They are also present in the epics of many nations. The closest analogy in time to the plot of Oleg’s ships on wheels is found in Saxo Grammar’s work “Gesta Danorum” (12th century), which tells about the legendary Danish king Ragnar Lodbrok. Many researchers bring these two legends together.

But instead of ships, Saxon mentions copper horses on wheels. Researchers say that the author metaphorically meant ships. In Saxo's account, the entire episode looks vague and foggy, in contrast to the clear and understandable story of the Russian chronicler.

Of course, E. A. Rydzevskaya is right in that the legend about Oleg’s campaign developed in Rus', and not in the Scandinavian world; it was used by the chronicler for a spectacular story about Oleg’s attack on Constantinople. Another thing is that the legend could have been brought by the Varangians to Scandinavia and reflected in the corresponding episode with Ragnar in Saxo Grammar. But this same researcher came up with the idea that the appearance of ships on wheels in the chronicle plot is not a tribute to an epic cult tradition, but a reflection of a very real practice in the era described. Both the Vikings and the Slavs may have seen ships on wheels as an improved way of dragging ships.

Prophetic, because Oleg?

Among the riddles posed by Russian chronicles regarding Oleg, one of the main ones is his nickname. Prophetic - foreseeing future events! But if the Tale of Bygone Years gives some reason to believe that Oleg was so named because he foresaw a mortal threat in the treat of the Greeks, then the Novgorod Chronicle does not even indicate this motive. The reader of the chronicle cannot help but wonder: How did it happen that Oleg, being the Prophet, did not prevent his death from his horse, which was also predicted by the Magi? What is behind the word Prophetic? Capabilities? So, it turns out, he didn’t show them. Or maybe a name?

The Old Scandinavian etymology of the name Oleg - Helgi, is beyond doubt among most modern researchers. It goes back to the word general meaning which is “sacred, sacred” and which reflected the sacredness of the supreme power in the pagan era. In the ancient Germanic name book it is found infrequently, because it was given only to representatives of noble families. Semantic core the root *hail were concepts of bodily integrity and personal luck. That is, those qualities that a king, a ruler, should have had.

Once in the Slavic linguistic environment, the Scandinavian name was inevitably rethought. In the conditions of the Slavic pagan worldview, for which ideas about personal luck and fate are not typical, the ruler’s witchcraft abilities, the ability to foresight and predict came to the fore. Thus, according to E. A. Melnikova, the Scandinavian name of Prince Helgi in the East Slavic world acquired a double reflection: both as a phonetic one - in the form of the name Olg/Oleg, and as a semantic one - in the form of the nickname “Prophetic”.

Interpretations of the nickname Prophetic inevitably led scientists to study the circumstances of the death of Prince Oleg.

Accident?

Perhaps the story about the death of Prophetic Oleg is the most intriguing part of the chronicle biography of the Russian prince and, in comparison with other information, is most mytho-epic in nature.

In the Tale of Bygone Years, under 912, there is a lengthy story that even before the Byzantine campaign, the Magi predicted the death of the prince from his own favorite horse. Oleg believed the wise men, ordered the horse to be fed, but did not let him near him. Returning from the campaign, the prince learns that his horse has died and orders him to be brought to the place of his burial. Oleg pushed the horse's skull with his foot, a snake crawled out of it and fatally stung the prince.

According to the First Novgorod Chronicle, Oleg also dies from a snake bite (without mentioning a horse), but this happens in 922 and not in Kyiv, but in. The same chronicle, according to the reconstruction of A. A. Shakhmatov, reports that Oleg “went overseas” and died there. Chroniclers confirm this news by mentioning Oleg’s burials - respectively, in Kyiv and Ladoga. A similar plot (death from a snake hiding among the remains of a beloved horse) also exists in the Scandinavian saga about the Norwegian Orvar-Odd. E. A. Rydzevskaya convincingly showed that the Russian chronicle narrative of Oleg’s death is primary in relation to the story of the saga.

A curious story, devoid of epic “layers,” is the story of the death of the Russian prince Oleg in the Bulgarian chronicle of Gazi-Baraj (1229-1246), placed in the collection of “Jagfar Tarikha” by Bakhshi Iman (XVII century). Salahbi (as the eastern source reports Oleg’s name) bought a war “Turkmen horse named Jilan.” While buying, he dropped a coin at the horse’s feet and thoughtlessly bent down to pick it up. The Akhal-Teke, trained to trample foot soldiers in battle conditions, immediately hit him with his hoof and killed him on the spot.

In researching the chronicle story about the death of Oleg in recent years a promising tendency has emerged to consider its mytho-epic origins through the prism of the distribution of power functions of the first Russian princes.

Revenge of Veles and the Magi

The appearance of the Varangians in Eastern Europe brought serious changes to the religious life of the local East Slavic population. Scandinavian society during this period professed the cult of military strength and strong secular power. The priesthood was weak, and the functions of priests, sorcerers and even healers were often taken over by military leaders who did not want to share their power with anyone. It is known that what more success military leader, the more he strives to usurp the functions of the “spiritual” class. Sagas often contain motifs of witchcraft and witchcraft of kings.

The Varangian princes in Rus' also began to take on the functions of the “witchcraft” class. Judging by the nickname, Oleg was the first to claim the role of prince-priest. It is possible that he, like Prince Vladimir seven decades later, supervised sacrifices to pagan idols. After all, the Tale of Bygone Years tells about Vladimir in 983 that he “went to Kyiv, making sacrifices to idols with his people.”

Having come to the Slavs, where the influence of the Magi was strong, the Varangian “sorcerer princes” had to inevitably come into conflict with the latter. But, needing to attract local Slovenians, Krivichi and Chuds as military force to solve the foreign policy problems of collecting new lands, Oleg, as D. A. Machinsky writes, “accepted, together with the “new Russia,” the local Slavic-Russian religion based on the cult of Perun and Veles.” And the oaths of Rus' in Russian-Byzantine treaties and other numerous sources indicate that the elite of ancient Russian society - the prince and his entourage, the squad, the boyars - gave preference to the “Thunderer” Perun, the patron of secular military power.

At the same time, the “rest of Rus'”, the Slavs, were more influenced by the “cattle god” Veles (Volos). The cult of Veles, the god of the underworld, the patron of sacred power, who had a snake-like appearance, was carried out in Rus' by the Magi.

The answer to the question why, in the epic legend about the death of Oleg, the latter dies from a snake bite, and the death itself is foreshadowed by the Magi to the Russian prince, is contained in the illustrated Radzivilov Chronicle. The miniatures of the latter were copied from the miniatures of the Vladimir Vault of 1212. The presence of a snake in the miniature, when it crawls out of the horse’s skull and stings the prince, can, if desired, be understood only in the literal sense. But the presence of a snake in the miniature, in which the oath of Oleg’s husbands is reproduced, suggests that the snake in both miniatures symbolizes the snake-like Veles (Volos).

“Undoubtedly, a chronicler and artist of the early 13th century. were confident in the anthropomorphic nature of the idol of Perun and the snake-like nature of Volos, writes D.A. Machinsky, “Probably, the miniaturist also believed that Volos the Snake, the patron saint of livestock and especially horses, and the snake that lived in the horse’s skull and stung Oleg, are identical or related creatures.” Apparently the genius was right