The Grand Duke, who forever went down in the history of Russia as a warrior prince. There was no limit to the courage and dedication of the prince. Not much information has been preserved about Svyatoslav Igorevich, even the date of his birth is not exactly known. Chronicles brought to us some facts.
- Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich (brave). Born in 942, died in March 972.
- Son of Prince Igor and Princess Olga.
- Prince of Novgorod 945-969
- Grand Duke of Kyiv from 964 to 972
The first time the name of Svyatoslav is mentioned in the chronicle describing the events of 945, when Svyatoslav's mother, Princess Olga, went with an army to the Drevlyans to avenge the death of her husband, Prince Igor. Svyatoslav was just a child, but he took part in the battle. His participation was symbolic and consisted of the following. Svyatoslav, sitting on a horse, was in front of the Kiev squad. According to the military tradition of that time, it was the prince who had to start the battle. Svyatoslav started - threw a spear. And no matter that it did not fly far, the fact was that the prince gave rise to the battle.
Svyatoslav received precisely military education. Asmud is mentioned as his mentor. Svyatoslav was taught the military art of warfare by the chief Kyiv voivode Sveneld.
Since the mid 60s. X century, you can count the time of the beginning of the independent reign of Prince Svyatoslav. The Byzantine historian Leo Deacon left a description of him: medium height, with a broad chest, blue eyes, thick eyebrows, beardless, but with a long mustache, only one strand of hair on his shaved head, which testified to his noble origin. In one ear he wore an earring with two pearls.
Although the prince was from Kyiv, he did not like to sit in the capital. The internal affairs of the state did not fascinate him. But hiking was everything to him. They write that he shared life with simple warriors, ate with everyone, did not have any special amenities during the campaign.
The squad of Svyatoslav, unencumbered by convoys, moved very quickly and appeared in front of the enemy unexpectedly, instilling fear in them. And Svyatoslav himself was not afraid of his opponents, and moreover, before the campaign he sent a warning to the enemy.
End of the Khazar Khaganate
The first big campaign of Svyatoslav and perhaps his most famous victory came in 964-65. There was then a strong Jewish state of the Khazar Khaganate in the lower reaches of the Volga, which imposed tribute on the Slavic tribes. The squad of Svyatoslav left Kyiv and went to the lands of the Vyatichi, who at that time paid tribute to the Khazars. The Kyiv prince ordered the Vyatichi to pay tribute to Kiev, and not to the Khazars.
Svyatoslav sent his squads against the Volga Bulgars, Burtases, Khazars, and then the North Caucasian tribes of Yases and Kasogs. Volga Bulgaria - also a powerful state - was forced to pay off a tribute to the Kiev prince and agreed to allow Russian merchants through its territory.
Winning in all battles, the prince crushed, captured and destroyed the capital of the Jewish Khazaria, the city of Itil, took the well-fortified fortresses Sarkel on the Don, Semender in the North Caucasus. On the shores of the Kerch Strait, he founded an outpost of Russian influence in this region - the city of Tmutarakan, the center of the future Tmutarakan principality.
How Byzantium killed the prince of Kiev
Behind the Volga campaigns of 964-966. followed by two Danube campaigns of Svyatoslav. In the course of them, Svyatoslav made an attempt to create a huge Russian-Bulgarian kingdom with its center in Pereslavets on the Danube, which in geopolitical terms could become a serious counterbalance to the Byzantine Empire.
The first trip to Bulgaria happened in 968. At that time, he was led there by a debt of honor - an agreement with Byzantium, concluded in 944 by Prince Igor. Svyatoslav contacted Europe, and eventually died. But that was later.
The ambassador of the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Foki, named Kalokir, summoned Svyatoslav to Bulgaria, ostensibly to protect the interests of his emperor. In fact, the calculation was to push Russia and the Bulgarians against each other in order to weaken both powers.
Pereyaslavets
Svyatoslav, with a 10,000-strong army, defeated the army of the Bulgarians three times superior in number and captured the city of Malaya Preslava. Svyatoslav called this city Pereyaslavets. Svyatoslav even wanted to move the capital to Pereyaslavets from Kyiv, arguing that this city was located in the middle of his possessions. But Byzantium had other plans that Svyatoslav apparently did not know about.
Emperor Nicephorus Fokoi bribed the Pecheneg leaders, who agreed to attack Kyiv in the absence of the Grand Duke. From Kyiv, they managed to send news to the Grand Duke, who, leaving part of his squad in Pereyaslavets, hurried to Kyiv and defeated the Pechenegs. Three days later, Princess Olga died.
Svyatoslav divided the Russian land between his sons:
- Yaropolk planted to reign in Kyiv,
- Oleg was sent to the Drevlyane land,
- Vladimir - in Novgorod.
He himself returned to the Danube.
Byzantium tightens the noose
While the prince was in Kyiv, an uprising broke out in Pereyaslavets, and the Bulgarians drove the Russian warriors out of the city. The prince could not come to terms with this state of affairs, and again led the troops to the west. He defeated the army of Tsar Boris, captured him and took possession of the whole country from the Danube to the Balkan Mountains. In the spring of 970, Svyatoslav crossed the Balkans, took Philippol (Plovdiv) by storm and reached Arcadiopol.
His squads had only four days to travel across the plain to Tsargrad. Here the battle with the Byzantines took place. Svyatoslav won, but the losses were great and the prince decided not to go further, but, having taken "many gifts" from the Greeks, he returned back to Pereyaslavets.
In 971 the war continued. This time the Byzantines prepared well. The newly trained Byzantine armies moved to Bulgaria from all sides, many times outnumbering the Svyatoslav squads standing there. With heavy fighting, fighting off the pressing enemy, the Russians retreated to the Danube. The last stronghold was the city of Dorostol, where Svyatoslav's army was under siege. For more than two months, the Byzantines besieged Dorostol.
On July 22, 971, the last battle took place. The Russians no longer had much hope of surviving. The battle was very stubborn, and many Russian soldiers died. Prince Svyatoslav was forced to retreat back to Dorostol. And the Russian prince decided to make peace with the Byzantines, so he consulted with the squad: “If we don’t make peace and find out that we are few, then they will come and besiege us in the city. And the Russian land is far away, the Pechenegs are fighting with us, and who will help us then? Let's make peace, because they have already pledged to pay tribute to us - that's enough for us. If they stop paying tribute to us, then again, having gathered a lot of soldiers, we will go from Russia to Tsargrad. And the soldiers agreed that their prince was speaking correctly.
Svyatoslav began peace negotiations with John Tzimiskes. Their historical meeting took place on the banks of the Danube and was described in detail by a Byzantine chronicler who was in the emperor's retinue. Tzimiskes, surrounded by close associates, was waiting for Svyatoslav. The prince arrived on a boat, sitting in which he rowed along with ordinary soldiers. The Greeks could distinguish him only because the shirt he wore was cleaner than that of other warriors and by an earring with two pearls and a ruby worn in his ear.
Last trip
Despite the clear superiority of the Byzantines in strength, Svyatoslav managed to make peace with the Greeks. After that, together with his retinue, he went to Russia along the rivers in boats. One of the governor warned the prince: "Go around, prince, the Dnieper rapids on horseback, for the Pechenegs are standing at the thresholds." But the prince did not listen to him.
And the Byzantines of the Pechenegs then informed, hinting at the great wealth that Prince Svyatoslav was carrying with him. When Svyatoslav approached the rapids, it turned out that there was no passage. The prince did not enter the battle, but decided to wait it out and stayed for the winter. 
With the beginning of spring, Svyatoslav again moved to the rapids, but he was ambushed and died. The Pechenegs did not retreat anywhere, but waited stubbornly. The chronicle conveys the story of Svyatoslav's death in this way: "Svyatoslav came to the thresholds, and Kurya, the Pecheneg prince, attacked him, and killed Svyatoslav, and took his head, and made a cup from the skull, fettered him, and drank from it." So Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich perished. It happened in 972.
Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich
Introduction
Svyatoslav Igorevich(942 - March 972) - Prince of Novgorod, Grand Duke Kyiv from 945 to 972, became famous as a commander.
In Byzantine synchronous sources it was called Sfendoslav(gr. ?????????????).
The Russian historian N. M. Karamzin called him "Alexander (Macedonian) of our ancient history". According to Academician B. A. Rybakov: " The campaigns of Svyatoslav in 965-968 represent, as it were, a single saber strike, drawing a wide semicircle on the map of Europe from the Middle Volga region to the Caspian Sea and further along the North Caucasus and the Black Sea region to the Balkan lands of Byzantium".
Formally, Svyatoslav became the Grand Duke at the age of 3 after the death of his father, Grand Duke Igor, in 945, but he ruled independently from about 960. Under Svyatoslav, the Kiev state was largely ruled by his mother, Princess Olga, first because of Svyatoslav's infancy, then because of his constant presence in military campaigns. When returning from a campaign against Bulgaria, Svyatoslav was killed by the Pechenegs in 972 on the Dnieper rapids.
early years
In 964, Svyatoslav Igorevich occupied the Grand Duke's throne. It is not known exactly when he was born, just as we know almost nothing about his childhood and youth. According to The Tale of Bygone Years, the son of Igor and Olga was born in 942 to elderly parents, by that time Princess Olga was 42-44 years old. And, obviously, he was not the first child, there were still children in the princely family (perhaps girls or boys who died in childhood), but at the time of Igor's death there were no male heirs older than Svyatoslav. Talking about the campaign against the Drevlyans, in which Svyatoslav and his tutor Asmud took part, the chronicler emphasizes that in 946 the prince was still so small that he could not properly throw a spear.
There is also a version that Svyatoslav was born around 935, which means that he came of age in the mid-50s of the 10th century. This version can be confirmed by the fact that, setting off on the second Bulgarian campaign in 969, the prince entrusted Russia to his own sons, two of whom already ruled independently and were of age. It is also known from the chronicles that Svyatoslav personally brought his wife to his son Yaropolk, that is, in 969 the eldest son of the prince was already married.
The fate of the young Svyatoslav developed happily. He became the Grand Duke in early childhood, having received an appropriate upbringing. Excellent, owned various types weapons, was bold and resolute, loved to ride for a long time. Vigilantes, often from different lands, told the prince about wealthy distant countries. The patrons and protectors of these people were pagan gods, consecrating war and violence, the seizure of foreign possessions and human sacrifices; at the same time, Perun, the pagan god of thunder, was the embodiment of the ideals of a male warrior.
Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich was brought up as a warrior from childhood. Svyatoslav's teacher and mentor was the Varangian Asmud, who taught the young pupil to be the first in battle and hunting, to hold fast in the saddle, to control the boat, to swim, to hide from enemy eyes both in the forest and in the steppe. Svyatoslav was taught military art by another Varangian - the chief Kyiv governor Sveneld.
While Svyatoslav was growing up, Olga ruled the principality. Since the mid 60s. X century, you can count the time of the beginning of the independent reign of Prince Svyatoslav. The Byzantine historian Leo Deacon left a description of him: medium height, with a broad chest, blue eyes, thick eyebrows, beardless, but with a long mustache, only one strand of hair on his shaved head, which testified to his noble origin. In one ear he wore an earring with two pearls.
But Svyatoslav Igorevich was not like his mother. If Olga became Christian, then Svyatoslav remained a pagan - and in public life, and at home. So, most likely, all the sons of Svyatoslav were from different wives, because the pagan Slavs had polygamy. For example, Vladimir's mother was the housekeeper-slave Malusha. And although the housekeeper, who held the keys to all the princely premises, was considered an important person at court, her son-prince was contemptuously called "robichich" - the son of a slave.
Many times Princess Olga tried to teach her son the Christian faith, saying: "I have known God, my son, and I rejoice, if you know, you will rejoice." Svyatoslav did not obey his mother and excused himself: "How can I accept the new faith alone, if my squad starts laughing at me?" But Olga loved her son and said: "God's will be done. If God wants to have mercy on my family and the Russian people, then he will put in their hearts the same desire to turn to God that he gave me." And so saying, she prayed for her son and for all Russian people every night and every day.
In different ways, mother and son understood their duties as rulers of the state. If Princess Olga was preoccupied with saving her principality, then Prince Svyatoslav sought glory in distant military campaigns, not caring in the least about Kievan Rus.
Svyatoslav became famous as a brave, brave, experienced and talented commander, who shared with his warriors all the hardships of an exhausting camp life. In The Tale of Bygone Years, when it comes to the beginning of the prince’s military career in 964, we read: “I will grow up and mature to Prince Svyatoslav, starting to howl to buy a lot and be brave as he is brave. And walking easily, like a pardus, wars many people do it. Walking a cart on your own, you don’t carry a cauldron, you don’t cook meat, but you cut up horse meat, beast or beef on the coal, baked an uncle, not a name tent, but a lining and a saddle in your head. bang." A detailed description of Svyatoslav's appearance was left by the Byzantine writer Leo the Deacon: "... Medium height, not too tall and not very short, with furry eyebrows and light blue eyes, snub-nosed, beardless, with thick, excessive long hair above the upper lip. His head was completely naked, but on one side a tuft of hair hung down - a sign of the nobility of the family; a strong nape, a wide chest and all other parts of the body are quite proportionate ... In one ear he had a gold earring; it was adorned with a carbuncle framed by two pearls. His clothes were white and differed from the clothes of those around him only in cleanliness.
It is interesting that Svyatoslav warned his enemies about the beginning of the campaign: "And send the verb to the countries:" I want to go to you "".
The first to whom Svyatoslav "went" in 964 were the Vyatichi - a Slavic tribe that lived in the upper reaches of the Oka and Don and paid tribute to the Khazars. The Khazar Khaganate, once a powerful state, the main rival of Russia in Eastern Europe, in the era of Svyatoslav experienced far from better times, but still held significant Eastern European territories. The conquest of the Vyatichi inevitably led to a clash with Khazaria and became the beginning of the Eastern War of 965-966. Svyatoslav marched with fire and sword through the lands of the Volga Bulgars, Burtases, Yases and Kasogs - long-time allies of Khazaria. During this campaign, the well-fortified Sarkel fortress, which in Russia was called Belaya Vezha, was captured, the Khazar capital Itil on the Lower Volga, as well as a number of cities on the Caspian coast, were defeated. Having captured rich booty, Svyatoslav returned to Kyiv in triumph. And the Khazar Khaganate, having received such a crushing blow, ceased to exist after a few years.
Importance Svyatoslav attached to the problems of the Balkan region. He solved them traditionally - with the help of military force. The impetus for a new campaign was the arrival in Kyiv of the Byzantine ambassador with a request for help in the war with the Bulgarian kingdom. The Byzantine Empire, ruled by Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, was in a very difficult position, it had to fight simultaneously on three fronts, and Kyiv's help would be very appropriate. The emperor backed up his proposal "to go on a campaign against the Bulgarians" with rich gifts. According to Leo the Deacon, Svyatoslav was paid 1,500 centinaries (about 455 kg) of gold. Nevertheless, using Byzantine money, Svyatoslav preferred "to subjugate and keep the country for his own stay."
The first Bulgarian campaign of 967-968 was successful. Svyatoslav's fleet with 60,000 troops defeated the army of the Bulgarian Tsar Peter in the battle of Dorostol (modern Silistra) and, as the chronicle says, "captured 80 cities along the Danube." The prince liked the new lands so much that he even wanted to move his capital from Kyiv to the Danube, to the town of Pereyaslavets: - "... the prince is now in Pereyaslavtsi, paying tribute to Gretseh." Here he wanted to live, collecting "from Greek Gold, draggings (expensive fabrics. - Auth.), wine and various vegetables, from Czech, from Eel, silver and comoni." These plans never materialized.
The defeat of Khazaria, which for many years served as a rather strong shield against Asian nomads, had unexpected consequences: a horde of Pechenegs rushed to the west, quickly captured the steppe strip and settled in close proximity to Kyiv. Already in 968, taking advantage of the absence of Svyatoslav and succumbing to the persuasion of Byzantium, the Pechenegs unexpectedly attacked the city, where Olga with Svyatoslav's three sons "shut herself". A terrible threat hung over Kiev. There was no significant military contingent in the city, and Kyiv could not withstand a long siege. The chronicle preserved a story about a brave young man who, at great risk to his life, made his way through the enemy camp and warned Svyatoslav of the danger. Having received news of the siege of the capital, the prince was forced to urgently return from the campaign and help his family out of trouble. However, the Pechenegs did not go far until the end of the 10th century. stood on Stugna, 30 km from Kyiv, creating a constant military threat.
Having buried Princess Olga in 969, Svyatoslav becomes the sole ruler of Russia and finally gives free rein to his anti-Christian sentiments. A period of horrendous mass repressions begins, directed both against foreign Christians and Russian Christians. Among the dead was Prince Gleb, who was considered Svyatoslav's stepbrother. Perhaps it was he who accompanied Olga on her journey to Constantinople and was the mysterious nephew mentioned in the sources. For their faith, Svyatoslav persecuted both members of the elite, including his relatives, and ordinary Christians: the number of those killed reached several thousand. The prince's hatred also spread to Christian churches, in particular, the churches of St. Sophia and St. Nicholas on Askold's grave, built by Olga, were destroyed in Kyiv.
Having settled with the Christians and actually transferring control of Russia to his sons, Svyatoslav gathers a new army and in the fall of 969 sets off on the second Bulgarian campaign. At first, the campaign was quite successful: in 970, he managed to subjugate almost all of Bulgaria, capturing its capital and "almost reaching Tsaryugrad." With unprecedented cruelty, the prince cracks down on the local Christians. So, having captured Filiopol, he exterminated 20 thousand Christian Bulgarians, that is, almost the entire population of the city. It is not surprising that in the future, luck turned away from the prince. In the battle of Arcadiopol, for the first time in his life, he received a crushing defeat and was forced to retreat and gain a foothold in Dorostol. The military initiative passes to Byzantium, which decided to put an end to the presence of the Russians in the Balkans.
The spring of 971 was marked by the beginning of the offensive of the troops of the new Byzantine emperor John I Tzimisces against the Bulgarian capital Preslav. On April 14, it was captured, the Bulgarian Tsar Boris and his family were captured, and the remnants of the Russian garrison had to flee to Dorostol, where Svyatoslav's headquarters was located. It is here that they turned major events Bulgarian war. Having withstood an almost three-month siege, on July 21 Svyatoslav went to battle under the walls of the city. The exhausting battle, in which about 15,000 Rus died, was lost. The emperor's troops also suffered heavy losses. However, Svyatoslav was not going to surrender, although he understood the hopelessness of his position - hunger was added to the military failures. The prince could not even retreat to Russia - the Byzantine fleet blocked the mouth of the Danube. svyatoslav prince military russia
At the end of July, the emperor finally agreed to start the negotiations proposed by Svyatoslav, which ended with the signing of an extremely unfavorable peace treaty for Russia (the text of this agreement is given in The Tale of Bygone Years). The treaty deprived Russia of almost all the advantages obtained by previous princes, in particular, Kyiv renounced claims to Byzantine possessions in the Crimea. The Black Sea has ceased to be "Russian". At the same time, the emperor guaranteed Svyatoslav's squad an unimpeded passage home and promised to provide food for the return journey. Trade relations between states were also restored.
After the signing of the treaty, Svyatoslav stayed in the Balkans for quite a long time and only in the fall went home. On the way, the Russian army was divided: one part, led by the governor Svineld, moved by land, and the prince himself "with a small squad" and military booty sailed along the Danube and the Black Sea to the Dnieper. However, on the Dnieper rapids, the Pechenegs were waiting for him, warned by the envoy of Tzimisces, Theophilus of Evchait, about the return of a weakened enemy. Svyatoslav did not dare to fight and stayed for the winter in Beloberezhye, at the mouth of the Dnieper. Exhausted by a hungry and cold wintering, the Russian army in the spring of 972 nevertheless moved to Kiev, but could not break through the rapids. Svyatoslav died in battle from the Pecheneg saber, and from his skull, according to legend, Khan Kurya ordered to make a goblet decorated with gold and "drink in it", hoping to adopt best qualities defeated enemy.
This was the last path of Prince Svyatoslav, a courageous warrior and commander, more like epic hero than on the wise and far-sighted statesman.
The image of Svyatoslav in art
For the first time, the personality of Svyatoslav attracted the attention of Russian artists and poets during Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774, whose actions, like the events of Svyatoslav's campaigns, unfolded on the Danube. Among the works created at that time, it should be noted the tragedy "Olga" by Ya. B. Knyazhnin (1772), the plot of which is based on Olga's revenge for the murder of her husband Igor by the Drevlyans. Svyatoslav appears in it as the main character. Knyaznin's rival N.P. Nikolaev also creates a play dedicated to the life of Svyatoslav. The painting by I. A. Akimov "Grand Duke Svyatoslav kissing his mother and children upon his return from the Danube to Kyiv" shows the conflict between military prowess and loyalty to the family, reflected in Russian chronicles ( "You, prince, are looking for a foreign land and take care of it, but you left your own, and the Pechenegs almost took us, and your mother, and your children").
In the 19th century, interest in Svyatoslav somewhat decreased. At this time, K. V. Lebedev painted a picture illustrating the description of the meeting of Svyatoslav and Tzimiskes by Leo Deacon. At the beginning of the 20th century, E. E. Lansere creates the sculpture "Svyatoslav on the way to Tsar-grad" . A poem by Velimir Khlebnikov, the historical novel "Svyatoslav" (1958) by the Ukrainian writer Semyon Sklyarenko, and the story "The Black Arrows of Vyatich" by V. V. Kargalov are dedicated to Svyatoslav. Bright image Svyatoslav was created by Mikhail Kazovsky in his historical novel The Empress's Daughter (1999). In Alexander Mazin's novels "Place for Battle" (2001) (the end of the novel), "Prince" (2005) and "Hero" (2006) is described in detail life path Svyatoslav, starting from the battle with the Drevlyans (946), and ending with his death in 972 in the battle with the Pechenegs.
Svyatoslav Igorevich is dedicated to the musical album "Following the Sun" (2006) by the pagan metal band Butterfly Temple. Group "Ivan Tsarevich" - "I'm going to you!" The song is dedicated to the victory of Svyatoslav over the Khazar Khaganate. The image of Svyatoslav is used in the song "In the Early Morning" by the Kalinov Most group. Also, the group "Reanimation" dedicated a song to the death of the prince called "The Death of Svyatoslav".
In 2003, the publishing house "White Alvy" published a book by Lev Prozorov "Svyatoslav Khorobre. I'm going to you!". In subsequent years, the book was reprinted several times.
The portrait of Svyatoslav is used in the emblem of the ultras football club "Dynamo" (Kyiv) , the name "Svyatoslav" is also the printed edition of the fans of Kiev "Dynamo".
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on the Dnieper
Svyatoslav Igorevich (Svѧtoslav Igorevich, - March) - Prince of Novgorod in -969, Grand Duke of Kyiv from to 972, became famous as a commander.
Formally, Svyatoslav became the Grand Duke at the age of 3 after the death of his father, Grand Duke Igor, in 945, but independent rule began around 964. Under Svyatoslav, the Kievan state was largely ruled by his mother, Princess Olga, first because of Svyatoslav's infancy, then because of his constant presence in military campaigns. When returning from a campaign against Bulgaria, Svyatoslav was killed by the Pechenegs in 972 on the Dnieper rapids.
Early biography
Childhood and reign in Novgorod
The first mention of Svyatoslav in a synchronous historical document is contained in the Russian-Byzantine treaty of Prince Igor of 944.
Prince Igor Rurikovich was killed in 945 by the Drevlyans for exacting exorbitant tribute from them. His widow Olga, who became regent with her three-year-old son, went the next year with an army to the land of the Drevlyans. The battle was opened by the four-year-old Svyatoslav, throwing
“with a spear at the Drevlyans, and the spear flew between the ears of the horse and hit the horse on the legs, for Svyatoslav was still a child. And Sveneld [voivode] and Asmud [breadwinner] said: The prince has already begun; follow, squad, for the prince„» .
Beginning of independent government
The Western European chronicle of the Continuer of Reginon reports under the year 959 about the ambassadors of Olga, the “Queen of the Rug”, to the King of Germany, Otto I the Great, on the issue of the baptism of Russia. However, in 962, the mission sent by Otto I to Kyiv failed due to the resistance of Svyatoslav and the unwillingness of Princess Olga to change the Byzantine rite she had previously adopted.
The Tale of Bygone Years has been reporting on Svyatoslav's first independent steps since 964:
« When Svyatoslav grew up and matured, he began to gather many brave warriors, and he was fast, like a pardus, and fought a lot. On campaigns, he did not carry carts or cauldrons with him, he did not cook meat, but, thinly slicing horse meat, or animal meat, or beef and roasting it on coals, he ate it like that; he did not have a tent, but slept, spreading a sweatshirt with a saddle in his head - the same were all his other soldiers. And he sent to other lands [envoys, as a rule, before declaring war] with the words: “I’m going to you!”.
Khazar campaign
Ruins of Sarkel (Belaya Vezha). Aerial photograph from 1930
In The Tale of Bygone Years, it is noted that in 964 Svyatoslav "went to the Oka River and the Volga, and met the Vyatichi". It is possible that at this time, when Svyatoslav's main goal was to strike at the Khazars, he did not subjugate the Vyatichi, that is, he had not yet imposed tribute on them.
In 965 Svyatoslav attacked Khazaria:
Having defeated the armies of both states and devastated their cities, Svyatoslav defeated the yases and kasogs, took and destroyed Semender in Dagestan. According to one version, Svyatoslav first took Sarkel on the Don (in 965), then moved east, and in 968 or 969 conquered Itil and Semender. M. I. Artamonov, on the other hand, believed that the Russian army was moving down the Volga and the capture of Itil preceded the capture of Sarkel.
Svyatoslav not only crushed the Khazar Khaganate, but also tried to secure the conquered territories for himself. The Russian settlement Belaya Vezha appeared on the site of Sarkel, Tmutarakan came under the rule of Kyiv (there is evidence that Russian detachments were in Itil and Semender until the 990s, although their status is not clear).
Bulgarian campaigns
The conquest of the Bulgarian kingdom (968-969)
Kalokir agreed with Svyatoslav on an anti-Bulgarian alliance, but at the same time asked for help to take the Byzantine throne from Nicephorus Foka. For this, according to the version of the Byzantine chroniclers John Skylitzes and Leo the Deacon, Kalokir promised " great, countless treasures from the treasury of the state and the right to all conquered Bulgarian lands.
In 968, Svyatoslav invaded Bulgaria and, after the war with the Bulgarians, settled at the mouth of the Danube, in Pereyaslavets, where "tribute from the Greeks" was sent to him. During this period, relations between Russia and Byzantium were most likely friendly, since the Italian ambassador Liutprand in July 968 saw Russian ships in the Byzantine fleet.
By 968-969, the Pechenegs attacked Kyiv. Svyatoslav returned with his cavalry to defend the capital and drove the Pechenegs into the steppe. Historians A. P. Novoseltsev and T. M. Kalinina suggest that the Khazars contributed to the attack of the nomads, and Svyatoslav, in response, organized a second campaign against them, during which Itil was captured, and the kaganate was finally defeated.
During the stay of the prince in Kyiv, his mother, Princess Olga, who actually ruled Russia in the absence of her son, died. Svyatoslav arranged the administration of the state in a new way: he put his son Yaropolk on the reign of Kiev, Oleg - on the Drevlyansk, Vladimir - on the Novgorod. After that, in the fall of 969, the Grand Duke again went to Bulgaria with an army. The Tale of Bygone Years conveys his words:
« I don’t like to sit in Kyiv, I want to live in Pereyaslavets on the Danube - for there is the middle of my land, all good things flow there: from the Greek land, gold, curtains, wines, various fruits; from the Czech Republic and from Hungary silver and horses; from Russia, furs and wax, honey and slaves» .
The chronicle Pereyaslavets has not been accurately identified. Sometimes it is identified with Preslav or referred to the Danube port of Preslav Maly. According to unknown sources (according to Tatishchev), in the absence of Svyatoslav, his governor in Pereyaslavets, voivode Volk, was forced to endure a siege by the Bulgarians. Byzantine sources sparingly describe Svyatoslav's war with the Bulgarians. His army on boats approached the Bulgarian Dorostol on the Danube and, after a battle, captured him from the Bulgarians. Later, the capital of the Bulgarian kingdom, Preslav the Great, was also captured, after which the Bulgarian king entered into a forced alliance with Svyatoslav.
War with Byzantium (970-971)
Faced with an attack by Svyatoslav, the Bulgarians asked for help from Byzantium. Emperor Nicephorus Foka was very worried about the invasion of the Rus, he decided to consolidate the alliance with the Bulgarian kingdom with a dynastic marriage. Brides from the royal Bulgarian family had already arrived in Constantinople, when, as a result of a coup on December 11, 969, Nicephorus Foka was killed, and John Tzimisces was on the Byzantine throne (marriage plans never materialized).
In the same year 969, the Bulgarian Tsar Peter I abdicated the throne in favor of his son Boris, and the western committees came out of the power of Preslav. While Byzantium hesitated to provide direct armed assistance to the Bulgarians, their old enemies, they entered into an alliance with Svyatoslav and subsequently fought against Byzantium on the side of the Rus.
John tried to convince Svyatoslav to leave Bulgaria, promising tribute, but to no avail. Svyatoslav decided to firmly establish himself on the Danube, thus expanding the possessions of Russia. Byzantium hastily transferred troops from Asia Minor to the borders of Bulgaria, placing them in fortresses.
Persecution of the retreating Russian army by the Byzantines.
Miniature from the Madrid copy of the "History" of John Skylitzes
The death of Svyatoslav in battle with the Pechenegs is also confirmed by Leo the Deacon:
“Sfendoslav left Doristol, returned the prisoners according to the agreement and sailed with the remaining associates, directing his way to his homeland. On the way, they were ambushed by the Patsinaki, a large nomadic tribe that devours lice, carries dwellings with them, and spends most of its life in wagons. They killed almost all [the Ross], killed Sfendoslav along with others, so that only a few of the huge army of the Ross returned unharmed to their native places.
Some historians suggest that it was Byzantine diplomacy that convinced the Pechenegs to attack Svyatoslav. In the book of Constantine Porphyrogenitus "On the management of the empire", it is said about the need for an alliance [Byzantium] with the Pechenegs to protect against the dews and Hungarians ("Strive for peace with the Pechenegs"), and also that the Pechenegs pose a serious danger to the Rus, overcoming the rapids. Based on this, it is emphasized that the use of the Pechenegs to eliminate the hostile prince occurred in accordance with the Byzantine foreign policy guidelines of that time. Although The Tale of Bygone Years names not the Greeks, but the Pereyaslavtsy (Bulgarians) as the organizers of the ambush, and John Skylitsa reports that the Byzantine embassy, on the contrary, asked the Pechenegs to let the Rus through.
About the appearance of Svyatoslav
Leo the Deacon left a colorful description of Svyatoslav's appearance during his meeting with Emperor Tzimisces after the conclusion of peace:
“Sfendoslav also appeared, sailing along the river on a Scythian boat; he sat at the oars and rowed along with his entourage, no different from them. This was his appearance: of moderate height, neither too tall nor too short, with thick eyebrows and light blue eyes, snub-nosed, beardless, with thick, excessively long hair above his upper lip. His head was completely naked, but on one side a tuft of hair hung down - a sign of the nobility of the family; a strong nape, a broad chest and all other parts of the body are quite proportionate, but he looked gloomy and stern. He had a gold earring in one ear; it was adorned with a carbuncle framed by two pearls. His attire was white and differed from the clothes of his associates only by noticeable cleanliness.
Prince Svyatoslav - the great prince of Kyiv from 945 to 972, was born in 942, son Kiev prince Igor and the famous Princess Olga.
Prince Svyatoslav became famous as great commander, to a lesser extent a politician. After the death of his father, he became a prince, but his mother, Princess Olga, ruled. When Svyatoslav was able to rule the country himself, he was engaged in military campaigns, and in his absence, his mother ruled.
early years
The young prince was the only son of Prince Igor and his wife Princess Olga and became the legal heir of his father, having no other competitors for the throne. There is an opinion that Svyatoslav was born in 942, but there is no exact confirmation of the birth of the prince in this year.
Svyatoslav is a Slavic name, and Prince Svyatoslav became the first prince with Slavic name, before that his ancestors had Scandinavian names. The first mention of the future prince dates back to the Russian-Byzantine treaties of 944.
AT next year his father, Prince Igor, was killed by the Drevlyans. And already in 966, Princess Olga, together with her four-year-old son, went to war against them. As the chronicles say, before the battle with the Drevlyans, little Svyatoslav threw a spear at the enemy, but it did not reach the goal. Seeing this, the squad began to attack, saying "The prince has already begun, it would be time for the squad to join."
Having defeated the Drevlyans, the princess returned to the capital with her son. Russian chronicles say that Svyatoslav spent all his childhood next to his mother, but there are also refuting records from Byzantium.
Svyatoslav's reign
Having ascended the throne, Svyatoslav refused to accept paganism, as his mother did, believing that such a gesture would deprive him of the loyalty of his squad. The Tale of Bygone Years says that the prince himself began to rule only in 964. Prince Svyatoslav began his reign from a military campaign. The Vyatichi and the Khazar Khaganate became his target.
In 965, his army attacked the Khazar Khaganate, and before that they imposed a large tribute to the Vyatichi. Svyatoslav wanted to annex the territories of the kaganate to the territory of his state. On the site of the former capital of the kaganate, the Russian village of Belaya Vezha appeared. Returning to the capital, the prince once again defeated the Vyatichi and again imposed tribute on them.
In 967, Russia declares war on the Bulgarian kingdom, as an ally of the Byzantine Empire. The very next year, Svyatoslav and his army attacked the territory of the Bulgarian kingdom. In 966, the Pechenegs attacked Kyiv, to which Svyatoslav reacted. Together with his retinue, he returned to defend the capital and successfully drove the Pechenegs back to the steppe. To prevent this from happening again, Svyatoslav immediately opposed the Pechenegs on a campaign, after which he completely defeated them and captured their capital, Itil.
During these years, Princess Olga dies, and now there is no one to rule the country in the absence of Prince Svyatoslav, he himself was not much involved in public affairs, but preferred to fight. His sons began to rule the country: Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir. And the prince himself went on a new campaign against the Bulgarians.
There is practically no information about this war, but it is known that Svyatoslav won a number of very important victories over the Bulgarians and even captured their capital. Due to catastrophic defeats, the Bulgarians were forced to conclude a peace that was humiliating for them, but beneficial for Svyatoslav.
At this moment, the allies of the Bulgarians, the Byzantines, intervened, they offered tribute to Prince Svyatoslav in exchange for the fact that he would leave the Bulgarian kingdom with an army. But Svyatoslav refused to comply with these demands. Svyatoslav wanted not only to plunder the Bulgarian kingdom, but also to make these lands his own.
In response to this, the Byzantines begin to accumulate their troops on the border with the Bulgarian kingdom. Not expecting an attack by the Byzantines, Svyatoslav himself went to war against them, attacking Thrace. In 970 there was a battle at Arcadiopolis. Sources differ on the outcome of the battle. The Byzantines say that they won the battle, and Svyatoslav was defeated. Russian chronicles say that he won and almost approached Constantinople, but then returned and imposed tribute on Byzantium.
Then Svyatoslav continued to attack the Bulgarian kingdom and won several big victories. The Byzantine king led a campaign against Svyatoslav personally. After several battles with the Russians, the Byzantines began to talk about peace. The battles were of varying success and both sides lost many soldiers - the world was here the best option for both sides.
The peace was signed successfully and Svyatoslav left Bulgaria, trade was resumed with Byzantium, and she was obliged to provide for the Russian army during this retreat.
Death of Svyatoslav
Returning home, at the mouth of the Dnieper, Prince Svyatoslav was ambushed by the Pechenegs, as a result of which he died. Having only his squad at his disposal, he did not expect a siege, and was defeated by more numerous Pechenegs.
There are opinions that Byzantium had a hand in the murder of Svyatoslav, because they wanted to get rid of this threat once and for all, and took advantage of the Pechenegs for their own purposes.
After his death, he left three sons, which were mentioned above. The name of his wife is unknown to historians, as there are no documents left of her existence.
I remember Prince Svyatoslav as a great Russian commander and a brave warrior. He earned the greatest respect in the ranks of his squad and warriors. As a politician, he was not marked by special talent, he was little interested in state affairs. But as a result of successful campaigns, he managed to significantly expand the territory of Kievan Rus.
Prince Svyatoslav was declared the ruler of Kievan Rus after the death of his father, the Grand Duke of Kiev Igor, who was brutally dealt with by the Drevlyans for arbitrariness in the collection of tribute. However, he had to govern the state only after the death of his mother, Princess Olga.
Russia at that time was separate lands subject to Kiev, inhabited by East Slavic, Finno-Ugric and other tribes who paid tribute to him. At the same time, the mechanism of interaction between the center and its subordinate territories has not yet fully developed. The state occupied a vast space, where many volosts were ruled by tribal leaders, although they recognized the supreme power of Kyiv, but continued to live according to their own laws.
Even during the life of his father, Svyatoslav, together with his uncle Asmud, was sent to reign in the Novgorod land. After the death of Prince Igor, Princess Olga became the ruler of Russia with a minor heir. She was able to force the grand ducal squad, led by the powerful governor Sveneld, to serve herself. With her help, she brutally suppressed the rebellion of the Drevlyans, destroying virtually the entire tribal elite and the elders of this tribe. Although Svyatoslav was still a child, he, along with experienced warriors, endured all the hardships of a military campaign against the capital of the Drevlyane land - Iskorosten, which was captured and put on fire.
Having shown the strength of the grand-ducal power, Olga made a detour of the Russian lands and took up their dispensation. She organized graveyards to collect tribute and established lessons - a certain amount of payment from the population, which was the first manifestation state structure Russia.
Princess Olga adhered to peaceful foreign policy and this contributed to the economic strengthening of the country. Having accepted holy baptism in Constantinople, she wanted to spread Orthodoxy in her own country, but her attempts ran into resistance from the pagan party, headed by Prince Svyatoslav. In 962, he pushed Olga out of government. Svyatoslav took a course to expand the borders of the state and began to pursue an aggressive policy, hatching plans for the creation of a Russian state with a center in the Balkans.
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
964 The beginning of the state activity of Prince Svyatoslav.
964 Military campaign of Prince Svyatoslav against the Vyatichi.
965 The Volga Bulgaria gaining independence from the Khazars.
965 Defeat by Svyatoslav Khazar Khaganate, Burtases and Volga Bulgaria.
966 The subjugation of the Vyatichi authorities of Kyiv and the imposition of tribute on them.
967 Arrival in Kyiv of the ambassador of the Byzantine emperor Kalokir.
967 Svyatoslav's war with Bulgaria for the Danube. The capture of 80 cities, including Dorostol and Pereyaslavets. The reign of Svyatoslav in Pereyaslavets. The imposition of tribute on the Greeks.
968 The conquest of the Vyatichi by Svyatoslav Igorevich.
969 spring- The attack of the Pechenegs on the Russian land. Their siege of Kyiv. Return of Svyatoslav to Kyiv.
969- The beginning of the reign of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich in Novgorod.
December 11, 969- The assassination of the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Phocas. Accession to the imperial throne of John Tzimiskes.
970 Grand Duke Svyatoslav divided the Russian lands between his sons, transferring Kyiv to Yaropolk, the Drevlyansk land to Oleg, and Novgorod the Great to Vladimir.
970 January 30- The death of the Bulgarian Tsar Peter and the accession to the throne of Boris II.
970 Svyatoslav's war in Bulgaria in alliance with the Hungarians against the Byzantine Empire.
970 The re-capture of Pereyaslavets by Svyatoslav.
971 April 23 - July 22 The siege of the troops of Svyatoslav by the Byzantine army in the fortress of Dorostol. Defeat of Svyatoslav.
971 The conclusion by Svyatoslav of a humiliating peace with the Byzantine Empire.
971 Departure of Prince Svyatoslav to Pereyaslavets-on-the-Danube.
972 spring- The death of the Grand Duke of Kiev Svyatoslav on the Dnieper rapids.
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