Prince Svyatoslav. Svyatoslav the Brave

"We have nowhere to go, we have to fight - willingly or not.

We will not shame the Russian land,

but let's lie down here with bones,

for the dead have no shame."

Svyatoslav Igorevich is the great prince of Kyiv, who forever entered our history as a warrior prince.

There was no limit to the courage and dedication of the prince. Svyatoslav was the son of Prince Igor and.

When he died under the knives of the Drevlyans, Svyatoslav was still a child. He was born in 942.

Olga took revenge on the Drevlyans for the death of her husband.

Olga's squad ended up in the possessions of the Drevlyans, and a battle was coming, little Svyatoslav was the first to throw a spear towards the enemy. The voivode of the squad, seeing this, said: "The prince has already begun, let's follow, the squad follows the prince."

Not much is known about Svyatoslav Igorevich, for example, historians argue about the date of his birth. However, despite some vagueness and uncertainty, the chronicle brought to us some facts by which we can characterize Svyatoslav.

He is probably the brightest old Russian prince, the prince is a warrior. This is not an epic hero, but a real historical character. He spent most of his life hiking. He was not particularly interested in the internal affairs of the state. Svyatoslav did not like to sit in Kyiv, he was tempted by new conquests, victories, and rich booty.

The prince always participated in the battle with his retinue. He wore simple military armor. On campaigns he did not have a tent, nor did he carry wagons, boilers and meat with him. He ate with everyone, frying some game on a fire.

In Byzantine sources, a description of the appearance of Svyatoslav has been preserved. He was small, slender, broad-shouldered, had blue eyes and thick eyebrows, as well as a long hanging mustache. Svyatoslav fought a lot, and before going on a new military campaign, he sent other words to the lands: "I want to go to you."

In 964 Svyatoslav. It was a strong Jewish state in the lower reaches of the Volga, which forced the Slavic tribes of Krivich to pay tribute, and also posed a great danger to the young ancient Russian state. Svyatoslav defeated the main troops of the Khazars, occupied the capital of the Khaganate Itil, then took the fortress of Sarkel. Then he walked through the North Caucasus, defeated the Yases (Ossetians) and Kasogs (Circassians). The prince ended the war only in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov. As a result of the conquests of Svyatoslav, the Russian principality of Tmutarakan was formed on the shores of the Kerch Strait.

Then he fought with Bulgaria. The Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus feared the latest successes of the Russian state. The Byzantines offered Svyatoslav to go on a campaign against Bulgaria, while they themselves promised neutrality. Even before this proposal, Svyatoslav was thinking about going west, so he accepted it with pleasure. In 966, Russian squads appeared on the Danube. Here the prince was expected to win: the enemy was defeated, and he himself, together with his retinue, settled in Pereyaslavets on the Danube.

Svyatoslav even wanted to move the capital from Kyiv to Pereyaslavets, arguing that this city is located in the middle of his possessions, and "all the blessings from the Greek Land flow here" (Pereyaslavets was located at the crossroads of trade routes to the Balkans and in Western Europe). Svyatoslav received disturbing news from Kyiv, the city was besieged by the Pechenegs. “You, prince, are looking for someone else's land and take care of it, but you left your own. And we were almost taken by the Pechenegs, and your mother, and your children. If you don’t come and protect us, then they will take us.”

After that, leaving part of the squad in Pereyaslavets, the prince hurried to Kyiv and defeated the Pechenegs. While the Pechenegs were being beaten, 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, again occupied Pereyaslavets. The Russian squad moved to the capital of Bulgaria, and part of the Bulgarian nobility went over to the side of Svyatoslav Igorevich.

Svyatoslav strengthened himself in Bulgaria, but he, as a prince - a warrior, was not satisfied with a quiet and measured life. began to make forays into the Byzantine territories, which led to a new war with Byzantium, and its emperor John Tzimisces. The prince's war with Byzantium went on with varying success. Either Russian Greeks were beaten, or vice versa. However, Svyatoslav manages to win big win, and now, it seems, the way to Constantinople is open.

The prince's retinue walked well through the surrounding towns and villages, collecting a lot of booty. Svyatoslav, approaching Constantinople, the Byzantines inflicted a significant defeat, and the prince did not dare to move on. After that, peace was concluded, and Svyatoslav Igorevich returned to Bulgaria with his army and great booty.

He had several options. further development events. The prince obviously did not intend to sit out in Bulgaria, so he probably intended the next campaign. Where? You could go to Europe, but you could again fight with Byzantium. But fate decreed otherwise. Despite the peace treaty, the Byzantine emperor Tzimisces sends troops to the Balkans, where he storms the capital of Bulgaria.

Further besieges the fortress Dorosol. Fierce battles unfold under the walls of this fortress. It seems that the Russians drove the Greeks, but the treacherous wind changes its direction and the dust begins to blind the soldiers of Prince Svyatoslav. The Byzantines return under the walls of the fortress. Svyatoslav offers a peaceful conversation. Emperor Tzimisces does not mind. They met on the banks of the Danube.

The Byzantine Emperor was with a large retinue, all in gold and at the parade, while Svyatoslav sailed with three soldiers, on a small boat, the prince was wearing a simple white shirt. Peace conditions were simple, Svyatoslav leaves for Kyiv, Byzantium recognizes the past peace treaties from the time of Igor the Old and pays tribute to Russia, returns Russia to the status of "friend and ally."

Svyatoslav died (972) at the hands of the Pechenegs, returning home to Kyiv. The Pecheneg prince Kurya ordered to make a bowl for feasts from his skull. This is how the life of the Grand Duke Warrior Svyatoslav Igorevich ended. In our memory will forever remain his courageous and immortal: "We have nowhere to go, we have to fight - willingly or not. We will not disgrace the Russian land, but we will lie down here as bones, for the dead have no shame."

Svyatoslav received the position and title of great commander at the age of about three years. His father, a direct descendant of the first Rurik Igor, was killed by the Drevlyans, but he himself was too small to lead the state. Therefore, until the very age of majority, his mother, Olga, ruled in Kyiv. But everyone has their own time, and Svyatoslav Igorevich also left his indelible mark on history, which we will talk about today.

Biography of Prince Svyatoslav: the story of a great warrior

If we rely on the information given to us by the ancient Russian chronicles, then Svyatoslav was the only son of Igor, the direct heir of the first Rurik, in fact being his grandson. The boy's mother was Princess Olga, who has a rather vague origin. Many believe that she is the daughter of Oleg, nicknamed the Prophet, others call the Varangian princess Helga, and still others shrug their shoulders, thinking that she was an ordinary Pskov peasant woman. It is not possible to find out exactly in what year she gave birth to Svyatoslav, there are only a few scattered indications from ancient scrolls.

According to the Ipatiev Chronicle, the birth of Svyatoslav is dated to 942, just at the time when Igor brought defeat after an unsuccessful campaign in Byzantium. However, neither in The Tale of Bygone Years, nor in the Laurentian list of such information. Historians are puzzled by the fact that such significant event was overlooked by the chroniclers as insignificant. IN literary works sometimes another date is also called - 920, but it is impossible to trust them as historical sources.

All the ancestors of the Grand Duke Svyatoslav bore Scandinavian (Varangian) names, he was the first to be named in Slavic. However, historians were looking for a catch here too. For example, Vasily Tatishchev found Byzantine scrolls in which this name was read as Sfendoslavos (), from which he concluded that this is a combination of the Greek version of Sven or Svent and the Russian ending -slav. Over time, the first part of the name was transformed into the variant Svyat (holy).

Personal qualities and childhood of the prince

You can find the first mention of the name of Svyatoslav in a documentary plan in the agreement that his father Igor made with Byzantium in 944. According to scattered information, Rurikovich was killed by the Drevlyans for exorbitant greed in 945 or even in 955, but the first date seems more likely. After that, Igor's wife and mother of the future prince Olga, waited another year and went on a military campaign to take revenge on her rebellious subjects.

According to the legends that have come down to us, the son was also with her at that time. The Tale of Bygone Years says that he swung and threw a heavy spear, which flew between the horse's ears and fell at his feet. And so began the extermination of the Drevlyans for the murder of the prince. The boy really grew up belligerent and courageous, while being constantly with his mother. He was brought up not by nannies and mothers, but by falconers and vigilantes.

It is worth saying a few words about the appearance of the young and brave prince, all of whose thoughts were directed exclusively to military achievements, campaigns, battles and great victories. The famous Byzantine historian and writer Leo the Deacon writes that he saw Svyatoslav on the boat, along with his subjects. He rowed like the rest, willing to do hard work if needed. The same source writes that he was of medium height, with light, blue eyes. His head was clean-shaven, only a tuft of blond hair stuck out on the top of his head, a sign of a princely family.

The deacon writes that he was a young man of strong build, stocky and handsome, despite a slightly gloomy expression on his face. In one ear, Svyatoslav wore a gold earring adorned with a carbuncle, his nose was snub-nosed, and an early mustache made his way above his upper lip. Russian professor Sergei Solovyov believes that he had a sparse beard and two braids, braided in the Scandinavian manner.

The reign of Prince Svyatoslav

It is believed that until the very beginning of his reign in Kyiv, Svyatoslav was constantly with his mother Olga, but this does not fit with some historical information. The Byzantine emperor of that time, Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, noted that in Novgorod in 949 "Sfendoslav, son of Ingor, archon of Russia" ruled. Therefore, many believe that the young prince was placed on the throne of this city long before the untimely death of his father. However, this is inconsistent with the timing. There is evidence from the same emperor that Svyatoslav was at Olga's embassy during her visit to Constantinople in 957.

The beginning of the reign

The mother of the young prince Svyatoslav Igorevich, Grand Duchess Olga, was early imbued with Byzantine culture. Approximately in 955-957, she was baptized, going to Constantinople for this, where for these purposes she was even assigned her own bishop. After that, she repeatedly asked her son to follow her example, but he was a convinced pagan and only chuckled at his mother, believing that he had simply found a whim on her. And besides, among the pagan army, it would hardly be possible for a Christian to earn authority.

As already mentioned, Leo the Deacon says that Svyatoslav's people also entered Olga's embassy in Constantinople, but they received very few gifts, even less than her slaves at the first reception. During the second visit, the name of the heir is not mentioned at all. Soviet historian and the philologist believes that everything is much more banal. He says that Svyatoslav came to woo the Greek princess, which he was politely, but quite accessible, refused. Therefore, after the first reception, he simply went home, and became a pagan until the end of his life.

The history of Prince Svyatoslav is rather confusing and vague, but his attitude towards Christianity as a whole can be traced perfectly. The first missionary and archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg writes that in 595 Queen Olga of the Rugs sent an embassy to Otto I the Great, the German king, where the questions of the wholesale baptism of Russia were discussed. He did not fail to immediately send a bishop with a retinue, but their mission in Kyiv in 961 ended in nothing, that is, a complete failure.

This may indicate that at that time it was not Olga, a staunch Christian, who was in power at that time, but her stubborn offspring. The following information already concerns the year 964. The famous Nestor in his "Tale ..." tells about how brave and strong warrior the prince of Russia Svyatoslav was, how respected he was among his squad and what glory he covered himself with before the people.

On the throne: achievements and military campaigns

Approximately in 960-961, the Khazar king Joseph complained in a letter to the dignitary of the Caliphate of Cordoba, Hasdai ibn Shafrut, that he was waging an endless and stubborn war with the Rus, which he could neither win nor complete. He believed that, not letting them go by sea to Derbent, he was protecting all Islamic lands, along with the Muslim faith, since this army could also conquer Baghdad. Indeed, over the previous years, the Russians had successfully repaired almost all the Khazar tributaries - the Eastern European Slavs. The Russians wanted to get the strategic Kerch Strait and the Don region, because the war was clearly inevitable, and no Joseph could stand in their way.

• Hike to Khazaria.

According to the "Tale ..." in 964 or 965, Grand Duke Svyatoslav set out towards the Oka and the Volga. On the way, he met the Vyatichi, but did not conquer them and impose tribute, since, apparently, he pursued other goals. The following year, he came close to Khazaria, namely to Belaya Vezha (Sarkel, today located under the water of the Tsimlyansk reservoir). The Khazars came out to meet the prince with their kagan and suffered a crushing defeat. The capital of Khazaria, the city of Itil, Semender and many others upstream the Volga were plundered by the Russians.

Svyatoslav also managed to subdue the Yases, that of their Ugric peoples, and the Kasogs. The Arab traveler and geographer of that time, Abul-Kasim Muhammad ibn Khaukal an-Nisibi, also names the Volga Bulgaria in 968 or 969 among the “trophies” of the prince. He managed to crush the hitherto strong Khazar Khaganate, at the same time the city of Tmutarakan joined Russia. According to some reports, the Russians were in Itil until 980. But even before that, in 966, the Vyatichi were still conquered, with the imposition of tribute on them, as the Tale of Bygone Years writes about.

• Misunderstandings with the Bulgarian kingdom.

Starting from 967, a conflict suddenly broke out between Byzantium and the Bulgarian kingdom, the causes of which historians interpret in different ways. In the same year or a year later, the emperor of the Greeks Nicephorus II Phocas decided to suck up to Svyatoslav and sent an embassy to him. It carried generous gifts, the historian says, about half a ton of gold (15 centinaries), not counting everything else. The main purpose of this was, apparently, the crushing of the Bulgarian kingdom, while by proxy, as if without taking any special part in this.

The head of the embassy in Kyiv, Klokir, with Svyatoslav, “resolved” the issues and agreed not only to conquer the Bulgarian kingdom, but also that he would help him take the Byzantine throne. In 968, Russian troops entered Bulgaria and won the decisive battle near Dorostol (Silistra), although the fortress itself could not be taken. But managed to capture more than eight dozen other fortified cities. He set up his settlement in Pereyaslavets, on the Danube River, where he was also brought gifts from the Greeks.

But then news came that the rebellious Pechenegs, knowing when the prince was not in the city, laid siege to Kyiv and Svyatoslav Igorevich had to hastily return home. Russian historian Anatoly Novoseltsev believes that the Khazars could incite the nomads to take such a step, but Byzantine intervention cannot be completely ruled out, because this country has always been distinguished by unscrupulous decisions for its own benefit. The prince with his horse squad easily drove the crowds of Pechenegs back to the steppe, but did not want to stay at home, even despite the death of his beloved, albeit often condemned, mother, Grand Duchess Olga, later recognized as a saint.

Geographically, Pereyaslovets, who fell in love with Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich, is very difficult to determine. Many believe that this is a port town on the Danube, called Pereslav or Pereslav Small. Tatishchev cites evidence that while Svyatoslav was frightening the Pechenegs around Kiev, his governor in Pereyaslovets Volk had to constantly defend himself from the raids of the Bulgarians, which again testifies to the proximity of the Bulgarian capital Preslav the Great. There is also evidence that during the last battle, the Kiev prince managed to capture the Bulgarian Tsar Boris himself.

• Byzantine war.

Svyatoslav did not manage to sit quietly in Pereyaslovets, although he was not the kind of person to just stay in place. He was drawn to the battle, to the battle, to win glory and wealth for himself and the people, which will not be forgotten forever and ever. Already in 970, he made a deal with the Bulgarians, Ugrians (Hungarians) and Pechenegs, who obeyed him, and attacked the historical region of Thrace, which belongs to Byzantium. Leo the Deacon says that on the side of the Kiev prince there were more than thirty thousand warriors, while the Greek commander Varda Sklir could have no more than twelve thousand soldiers.

The Russian army came very close to Tsargrad (Constantinople) and besieged Arcadiopol. There, at first, the Pechenegs were surrounded and killed, followed by the Bulgarians, and only then the squad of Svyatoslav was defeated. This is what the Deacon says, but The Tale of Bygone Years interprets events somewhat differently. It says that the Grand Duke approached the very walls of the capital, did not attack, but only took a rich tribute.

Contrary to earlier expectations, Byzantium remained very dissatisfied with the Russian occupation of Bulgarian possessions. Instead of a weak Christian neighbor, the Greeks received a strong, courageous and brave pagan who was not ready to stop there. Emperor John I Tzimisces, who came to power in 969, began to prepare for a war with the Rus, realizing that it would not be possible to resolve issues with them by agreement. In early spring In 971, the ruler personally, accompanied by five thousand soldiers, crossed the Balkan Mountains, and the main part of the army followed, under the command of the famous eunuch Vasily Lekapin.

In Pereyaslovets they learned about strike force John quite late, so I had to hide behind the walls of the city, although at that time there was a squad of their eight thousand warriors. This was a fatal mistake, as the help of the Byzantines arrived in time and they took the city by storm. Then many Russian soldiers died, and Volk and his associates managed to hide in the fortress of the palace of Tsar Simeon. Svyatoslav, who was just on the way, tried to recapture the city, but he failed. He was besieged in a symbolic place - the fortress of Dorostol, from where it all began, and after three months of exhausting skirmishes and hunger, he began to seek peace. He gave Bulgaria to Byzantium, and he himself was released on his own, with the condition of restoring his own father from 944 (military trade agreement).

Personal life and death of the great warrior Svyatoslav Igorevich

The reign of Prince Svyatoslav is filled with military exploits and victories. He himself, as if not of a noble family, took up arms and always fought in the forefront. However, it does not hurt to tell a little about how he was in everyday life, whether he had children and what kind of legacy this person left behind. He always stood his ground, defended the faith of his ancestors, guarded the borders of the state and tried to expand them as much as possible, therefore even such distant descendants as you and I can appreciate his contribution to the history of the great Kievan Rus.

Family life: residence, marriages and children

The chroniclers of that time have very little information about weddings-marriages of the Grand Duke of Kiev. Apparently, he did not pay much attention to this moment, but was more busy with military affairs. The policy of Prince Svyatoslav was more directed outward than inland, this also played a role. Kyiv is considered his main residence, but nevertheless the ruler appeared there quite rarely. He did not like his capital and felt better in the wild, for example, in the same Pereyaslovets, where he knew that everything was under control.

The Tale of Bygone Years cites his words, as if he were writing to his mother calling him home, that “I don’t like to sit in Kyiv, I want to live in Pereyaslavets”, “where all the blessings flow: 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. However, there is evidence of at least three sons.

• Yaropolk Svyatoslavovich (born 955), Prince of Kyiv (972-978), Prince of Novgorod (977-978).
• Oleg Svyatoslavich (born 955), prince of the Drevlyans (970-977).
• Vladimir Svyatoslavich, also known as Vladimir I, Vladimir the Great, Vladimir the Baptist, Vladimir the Holy (born around 960), Prince of Novgorod (970-988) and Kyiv (978-1015).

History does not indicate the names or indications of the relationship of the mothers of the first two offspring. But already something is known about Vladimir's mother. Her name was Malusha Lubechanka and she was not a noble family, but served as a housekeeper for Svyatoslav's mother Olga, when she was still just a child. After that, she was given as a concubine to the prince. According to legend, it was her brother who became the prototype for creating the image of the Russian hero Dobrynya Nikitich.

The Byzantine chronicler and official of the ninth century, John Skilitsa, speaks of another brother of Vladimir, named Sfeng, who in 1016 allegedly helped the Greeks suppress the rebellion of George Tsul in Chersonese. However, the Russian historian Alexander Solovyov believes that this is not about another son of Svyatoslav, but about his grandson, the son of Vladimir Mstislav the Brave, Prince of Tmutarakan and Chernigov.

Betrayal and death of a brave warrior

After the conclusion of a separate peace with Byzantium, Svyatoslav and his army were safely released home, where he went, embarking on boats. However, realizing that he would never leave the Greeks alone, the emperor ordered the Pechenegs roaming around Kyiv to be informed of his return, surrounded by a very small army. The Khazar Khaganate was utterly defeated, and the paths to the East were open, the cunning Byzantines could not miss such a chance.

In 971, the prince approached the Dnieper and wanted to climb it to Kyiv, but the voivode, whose name was preserved in the "Tale ...", like Sveneld, warned that the Pechenegs were standing a hundred higher above the thresholds, ready to destroy the remnants of Svyatoslav's squad. However, having approached the rapids by land, he did not escape the battle here either, since the Pecheneg prince Kurya attacked him, which killed Igor's son. The same information is confirmed by the Byzantine Leo the Deacon. He says that the Russian army was ambushed by the Patsenaks (Pechenegs).

The great Russian historian Nikolai Karamzin, however, like all his followers, believe that it was the Greeks who convinced the Pechenegs to attack the Russians and kill them. They feared the growing power and influence of Kievan Rus. If we analyze the treatise of Konstantin Porphyrogenitus "On the management of the empire", then you can find lines in which it is written in plain text that you should make friends with the patsenaks in order to jointly fight against the Ugrians (Hungarians) and Russians. Nestor the chronicler attributes the death of Svyatoslav to the fact that he disobeyed the will of his parents and did not accept baptism, as Olga ordered him to. However, such a development of events is extremely unlikely.

Perpetuating the memory of the people

The personality of the great warrior Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich did not immediately attract artists, although contemporaries remembered a lot of military songs about him. Russian poets and artists pulled out the image of a glorious warrior, brave and incorruptible, shaken off the dust of centuries and used in times Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774. After all, all this again happened on the Danube, it was easy to draw an analogy. For example, in the painting by Ivan Akimov " Grand Duke Svyatoslav kissing his mother and children upon his return from the Danube to Kyiv” shows all the throwing of the soul of a warrior, between family and duty to the state.

By the nineteenth century, interest in the figure of Svyatoslav had subsided somewhat. However, in 1843 Alexander Fomich Veltman published a story, Raina, the Bulgarian Princess, about the prince's Bulgarian wars. At the dawn of the twentieth century, the sculpture "Svyatoslav on the way to Tsar-grad" was erected, created by Evgeny Lansere, a Russian animal sculptor. The image of a stubborn prince was already used today by neo-pagans, as an example of the steadfastness of views and worldview. There are monuments to Svyatoslav Igorevich in Kyiv, Mariupol, Serpukhov, Zaporozhye.

Not a weak resonance was caused by one of the monuments to the 1040th anniversary of the defeat of the Khazar Khaganate, which was first planned to be erected in Belgorod, but in the end it was erected in the village of Kholki. The thing is that the sculptor Vyacheslav Klykov depicted the six-pointed star of David on the shield of the defeated Khazarin, which they saw as anti-Semitism. As a result, the shield was changed, and the sculpture itself was placed in the village so that it would not be an eyesore. Svyatoslav is also a symbol of the ultras of the Dynamo football club from Kyiv. They even publish a newspaper with the same name.

Predecessor: Igor Rurikovich Successor: Vladimir I Svyatoslavich Religion: paganism Birth: 942 ( 0942 ) Death: March
on the Dnieper Genus: Rurikovichi Father: Igor Rurikovich Mother: Olga Children: Yaropolk, Oleg, Vladimir

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 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 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 to 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, 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 broad chest and all other parts of the body are quite proportionate, but he looked gloomy and stern. He had a thread in one ear gold earring; 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.

Russian Prince Svyatoslav spent most of his life in military campaigns. His first campaign took place when the prince was only four years old. It was Olga's campaign against the Drevlyans, who brutally killed her husband -. By tradition, only the prince could lead it, and it was the hand of the young Svyatoslav who threw the spear, giving the first order to the squad.

Svyatoslav was practically not interested in state affairs and domestic politics, the prince completely left the decision of these issues to his wise mother. IN short biography Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich is worth mentioning that the passion and meaning of his life was war. The squad of Svyatoslav moved unusually quickly, since the prince, who did not recognize luxury in campaigns, did not take with him tents and convoys that would slow down the movement. He enjoyed considerable respect among the soldiers, as he shared their way of life. Svyatoslav never attacked unexpectedly. Warning the enemy about the attack, the prince won a fair battle.

In 964, Svyatoslav's campaign began in Khazaria. His path lay through the lands of the Khazar tributaries - Vyatichi. Svyatoslav forced them to pay tribute to himself, and only after that he moved on, to the Volga. The Bulgarians living on the banks of the river had a hard time. Svyatoslav's campaign against the Volga Bulgaria (Bulgaria) led to the plundering of many villages and towns. The complete defeat of the Khazars by Prince Svyatoslav took place in 965. The Russian prince ruined the Khazar lands and captured their main city - Belaya Vezha. The campaign ended with victories over the inhabitants of the Caucasus, the tribes of Kosogs and Yases.

However, the rest from military labors in Kyiv was not long. The embassy of Emperor Nicephorus 2nd Phocas, who soon arrived at the prince, asked for his support against the Bulgarians living on the Danube lands. This campaign also turned out to be victorious. The Kiev prince Svyatoslav liked the Bulgarian lands adjacent to Byzantium so much that he wanted to move his capital from Kyiv to Pereyaslavets.

The territories defeated by Svyatoslav, which had previously closed the way for nomads from Asia, were now flooded with the Pechenegs, bribed by the emperor of Byzantium. Nomads in 968 surrounded Kyiv in the absence of the prince. Olga called on the help of the voivode Petich. retreated, perhaps deciding that the warlike prince was returning. Svyatoslav, who appeared much later, drove them far from the borders of Kievan Rus.

In 969, Princess Olga died, and the Christians who lost her patronage were persecuted. In the same year, leaving his sons, Oleg and, to rule, Svyatoslav went on a second campaign against the Bulgarians. By that time, Nikephoros 2nd Phocas had been killed, and John Tzimiskes occupied the throne.

The victory won by Svyatoslav in Bulgaria was unprofitable for Byzantium. Tzimiskes, not wanting to strengthen Svyatoslav in the Bulgarian lands, sent ambassadors to the prince with rich gifts and a demand to leave the conquered territories. Svyatoslav's response was a proposal to redeem the captured Bulgarian cities. An exhausting war with the Greeks began. The soldiers of Tzimiskes, after a hard struggle, took possession of Pereyaslavets. The fighting moved to Dorostol, where the Greeks were able to surround the prince and the squad. The siege continued for three months. Svyatoslav and his warriors endured hunger and suffered from diseases. As a result, an agreement was concluded, according to which the prince undertook to leave Bulgaria, extradite all captured Greeks and prevent other tribes from attacking the territory of Byzantium.

While the prince was fighting the Greeks, the Pechenegs again came to the Kiev lands and almost captured the capital city. According to historians, the emperor of Byzantium informed the Pecheneg leader Kure that the Kyiv prince was returning with a small retinue. Svyatoslav and his soldiers died in a fight with the Pechenegs who attacked them. Thus ended the reign of Svyatoslav Igorevich, after which Yaropolk ascended the throne of Kyiv. The legend says that from the skull of Svyatoslav Kurya he made a bowl decorated with gold and stones.

FROM light hand Karamzin, Prince Svyatoslav is considered to be the ancient Russian Alexander of Macedon. Information about the battles he fought and won over the years is not rich in details, but one thing is clear: by his thirty years, Svyatoslav managed to organize a dozen military campaigns, and most of them won.

Battle with the Drevlyans

For the first time, Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich participated in the battle in May 946, however, he led the army only formally, since he was only four years old. When his soldiers lined up on the battlefield against the Drevlyans, the governors Sveneld and Asmud brought 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 generals shouted, and the inspired Kiev army went forward. The Drevlyans were defeated, locked themselves in the 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 year. The first independent campaign of Svyatoslav. Having passed the lands of the Vyatichi, the only one of the East Slavic tribes that had not yet paid tribute to Kiev, descending along the Volga to the lands Khazar Khaganate, Svyatoslav defeated the old enemy of Russia. One of the decisive battles took place near Sarkel, an outpost of Khazaria in the west.

Two armies converged on the banks of the Don, Svyatoslav defeated the Khazar army and pushed back 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

Pushed on by Byzantium, the Grand Duke invaded Bulgaria, took its capital Preslav and began to consider it the middle (capital) of his land. But the raid of the Pechenegs on Kyiv forced him to leave the conquered lands.
When Svyatoslav returned, he found that the pro-Byzantine opposition in the capital had prevailed, and the whole city had risen against the prince. He had to take Preslav a second time.
The 20,000-strong Russian army was opposed by superior enemy forces. And the battle under the walls of the city at first took shape in favor of the Bulgarians. But: “Brothers and squad! We will die, but we will die with firmness and courage!” - the prince turned to the soldiers, and the decisive attack was crowned with success: the course of the battle was turned, Svyatoslav occupied Preslav and brutally dealt with the traitors.

Siege of Philippopolis

The main rival of Russia was Byzantium, it was at Constantinople that Svyatoslav planned his main blow. To reach the borders of Byzantium, it was necessary to pass southern Bulgaria, where, fed by the Greeks, anti-Russian sentiments were strong. Few cities surrendered without a fight, and in many Svyatoslav was forced to arrange demonstration executions. Particularly stubbornly resisted one of the oldest cities in Europe, Philippopolis. 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 the army of Svyatoslav was already a coalition: the Bulgarians, Hungarians, Pechenegs acted in alliance with him. After bloody battles, the city fell. Its garrison, governors, captured Greeks and Bulgarians who were irreconcilable to the Russians were executed. 20 thousand people, by order of Svyatoslav, were impaled.

Two pitched battles in Byzantium

Svyatoslav led further advance deep into Byzantium with two armies: one, consisting of the best Russian warriors, battle-hardened combatants, he led himself, the other - Russians, Bulgarians, Hungarians and Pechenegs - was under the command of the Kiev governor Sfenkel.
The coalition army collided with the main Greek army near Arcadiopol, 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 blow of the troops to their flank. The Pechenegs trembled and ran. The outcome of the battle was a foregone conclusion. The Russians, Hungarians and Bulgarians fought stubbornly, but were surrounded and defeated.
The battle of Svyatoslav's troops turned out to be no less difficult. The 10,000th squad of the prince 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 like it or not, we must fight. Thus, let us not disgrace the Russian land, but let us lay our bones here, for the dead have no shame. If we run, we will be disgraced.” 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 for a siege.

Protection of Dorostol

Violating the peace treaty, the Greeks in 971 first attacked Preslav, then, devastating the cities, went to the Danube, to the city of Dorostol, in which Svyatoslav was located. His position was more than difficult. The bloody battle under the walls of the city lasted from morning until dusk and forced the Russians with the Bulgarians to retreat behind the fortress walls. A long siege began. From the land, the city was surrounded by an army under the command of the emperor, the Danube was blocked by the Greek fleet. The Russians, despite the danger, made daring sorties. In one of them, a high-ranking official, Master John, was beheaded. The combatants made another one at night in heavy rain: they bypassed the enemy fleet in boats, collected grain supplies 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 walls of the city, 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.