Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich brief biography of appearance. Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich

   Prince Svyatoslav was declared ruler Kievan Rus after the death of his father, the Grand Duke of Kyiv Igor, who was brutally dealt with by the Drevlyans for his arbitrariness in collecting tribute. However, he had to rule the state only after the death of his mother, Princess Olga.

Rus' at that time represented separate lands subject to Kyiv, where East Slavic, Finno-Ugric and other tribes lived, who paid tribute to him. At the same time, the mechanism of interaction between the center and the territories subordinate to it has not yet fully developed. The state occupied a huge space, where many volosts were ruled by tribal leaders, who, although they recognized the supreme power of Kyiv, continued to live according to their own laws.

While his father was still alive, Svyatoslav, together with his breadwinner uncle Asmud, was sent to reign in the Novgorod land. After the death of Prince Igor, Princess Olga became the ruler of Rus' with a young heir. She was able to force the grand ducal squad, led by the powerful governor Sveneld, to serve her. With her help, she brutally suppressed the rebellion of the Drevlyans, destroying virtually the entire tribal elite and 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 Drevlyan land - Iskorosten, which was captured and set on fire.

Showing the strength of the grand ducal power, Olga toured the Russian lands and began to organize them. She organized graveyards to collect tribute and established lessons - a certain amount of payment from the population, which was the first manifestation government structure Rus'.

Princess Olga adhered to a 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 encountered resistance from the pagan party, headed by Prince Svyatoslav. In 962, he pushed Olga away from governing the country. Svyatoslav set a course for expanding the borders of the state and began to pursue a policy of conquest, hatching plans to create a Russian state centered on the Balkans.

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

  964 Start government activities Prince Svyatoslav.

  964 Military campaign of Prince Svyatoslav against the Vyatichi.

  965 Volga Bulgaria gained independence from the Khazars.

  965 Svyatoslav's defeat of the Khazar Kaganate, Burtases and Volga Bulgaria.

  966 Submission of the Vyatichi to the power 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 region. He captured 80 cities, including Dorostol and Pereyaslavets. The reign of Svyatoslav in Pereyaslavets. Imposing tribute on the Greeks.

  968 Conquest of Vyatichi by Svyatoslav Igorevich.

  969 spring- Attack of the Pechenegs on Russian land. Their siege of Kyiv. Return of Svyatoslav to Kyiv.

  969— The beginning of the reign of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich in Novgorod.

  969 December 11- Assassination of the Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros Phocas. Introduction to imperial throne John Tzimiskes.

  970 Grand Duke Svyatoslav divided the Russian lands between his sons, transferring Kyiv to Yaropolk, the Drevlyansky land to Oleg, and Novgorod the Great to Vladimir.

  970 January 30— Death of the Bulgarian Tsar Peter and accession to the throne of Boris II.

  970 Svyatoslav's war in Bulgaria in alliance with the Hungarians against the Byzantine Empire.

  970 Recapture of Pereyaslavets by Svyatoslav.

  971 April 23 - July 22 The siege of Svyatoslav's army by the Byzantine army in the Dorostol fortress. Defeat of Svyatoslav.

  971 Svyatoslav's conclusion of a humiliating peace with the Byzantine Empire.

  971 Departure of Prince Svyatoslav to Pereyaslavets-on-Danube.

  972 spring— Death of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Svyatoslav on the Dnieper rapids.

Svyatoslav the Brave is known from chronicles as the ruler of Rus' in the years 945-972. He distinguished himself as a brave commander. Svyatoslav's biography is complete interesting facts which we will consider.

Origin

Old Russian chronicles tell that Svyatoslav the Brave is the son of Princess Olga and Prince Igor. There is no exact information about his date of birth. Some sources indicate the year 942, others - 920.

In history Ancient Rus' Svyatoslav the Brave is considered the first leader to have Slavic name. His grandparents are of Scandinavian origin.

In some sources the name of the prince is mentioned as Sfendoslavos. Experts suggest that the Scandinavian name Sven merged with the Slavic ending -slav. But not all scientists agree with this interpretation, because many Slavic names have the prefix Svent-, which, after the loss of sounds, gives the Slavic syllable “svyat”, which means “holy”.

Childhood

In historical chronicles, the first mention of Svyatoslav is in 944. This is an agreement between Prince Igor and Byzantium. According to chronicle documents, Prince Igor was killed in 945 for collecting a huge tribute. Olga, who had a young child, opposed the Drevlyans.

The campaign was successful, and Olga, having won, conquered the Drevlyans and began to rule them.

Chronicles inform that Svyatoslav spent his entire childhood with his mother in Kyiv. Olga became a Christian in 955-957 and tried to baptize her son. His mother told him about the happiness of being a Christian. Svyatoslav did not prevent others from converting, but he himself treated Christianity with disrespect and believed that the squad would not understand him.

Having matured, the prince was inflamed with the desire to distinguish himself as a commander. He was truly noble and always first declared war on nations, then attacked.

Some experts believe that Olga's delegation to Constantinople was undertaken with the aim of negotiating the marriage of Svyatoslav and the princess from Greece. Having been refused, the man was offended and firmly decided to remain a pagan.

Adulthood

ABOUT adult life Svyatoslav's chronicle dates back to 964. At this time the young man matured. The reign of Svyatoslav Igorevich began with the fact that he expelled all the Christian priests who came at the insistence of Olga’s mother. For Svyatoslav, who did not want to accept Christianity, this was a fundamental step.

The Kiev prince gathered a squad of warriors and actively participated in campaigns. The Tale of Bygone Years says that he did not take cauldrons and carts with him, but cut pieces of meat and cooked on coals, and slept under open air, putting the saddle under your head.

Svyatoslav the Brave began his campaigns in 964, first he went against the Vyatichi living on the Oka and Volga, then against Khazaria. He managed to defeat the Khazars.

Historical sources provide various information about the capture of Khazaria. Some say that first Svyatoslav managed to take the city of Sarkel, then Itil. Others believe that during a large military campaign, Svyatoslav managed to conquer Itil, and then Sarkel.

Prince Svyatoslav was able to destroy the Khazar Khaganate, and later he secured the conquered lands for himself. Instead of Sarkel, the White Vezha was formed.

After the capture of Khazaria in 966, Svyatoslav gained the upper hand over the Vyatichi for the second time and imposed tribute on them.

Anti-Bulgarian Union

In 967, Byzantium and Bulgaria came into conflict. The Byzantine ruler sent delegates to Svyatoslav with a request to go to Bulgaria. This is exactly how Byzantium wanted to take Bulgaria and weaken Rus'. Kalokir, the head of the delegation, signed an anti-Bulgarian alliance with Svyatoslav and expressed a desire to take the throne in Byzantium. In return, he promised the Russian prince untold riches.

In 968, Svyatoslav entered Bulgaria, and after military operations he remained at the mouth of the Danube, where Greek tribute was sent to him.

In 968-696, Kyiv was attacked by the Pechenegs, and Svyatoslav returned there. At the same time, Olga died, Svyatoslav distributed the reins of power between his sons. Then he went on a campaign against Bulgaria and crushed it. The Bulgarians had to ask for protection from Byzantium, which was slow to provide assistance. As a result, the Bulgarian king signed an alliance with Svyatoslav, and later Bulgaria already fought together with the Rus against Byzantium.

Attack on Byzantium

After establishing a partnership with the Bulgarians, Svyatoslav remained on the Danube. So he expanded his own lands.

In 970, Svyatoslav attacked Byzantine territories in Thrace. He and his army reached the outskirts of Constantinople, where the final battle took place. Historians interpret its results differently. Some documents say that Svyatoslav’s allied troops were crushed, and then his forces. Others report that Svyatoslav managed to win, but he retreated after collecting tribute.

In any case, the fighting in Byzantium ended by the summer of 970, although the Rus' raids did not end.

Crush of Bulgaria

In 971, Emperor John I Tzimiskes opposed Svyatoslav and sent a fleet to the Danube to cut off the Rus.

Soon the Bulgarian capital Preslav was taken and the king was taken prisoner. Russian soldiers break through to Dorostol, where Svyatoslav is also located. Svyatoslav's courage grows along with dangers. According to the testimony of Byzantine historians, the Rus behaved bravely. When they could not escape, they stabbed themselves in the heart. Their wives behaved like real Amazons when participating in battles. When captured, the Russians maintained their composure, burned their dead brothers at night and tempered the captives over them, and let the babies into the waters of the Danube.

John approaches Dorostol, the Russians leave the fortress, besieged for three months. Luck leaves the Russians. Their fatherland is very far away, the neighboring peoples are on the side of the Greeks. Svyatoslav's army weakened from wounds and hunger, while the Greeks had no need for anything.

Svyatoslav gathers a squad. Some want to escape at night, others offer peace. But the prince decides to try his luck so as not to fall into contempt among neighboring peoples. The army enters the battle. The prince encourages the soldiers and gives the order to lock the city gates so that no one escapes.

The battle begins in the morning, by noon the Greeks are exhausted and begin to retreat. Soon the battle resumed. Tzimiskes was amazed at the courage of the enemy and decided to end the war. After this, the battle continues. The Greeks really wanted the death of Svyatoslav. Knight Anemas crushed the prince and threw him off his horse, but the helmet did not allow Svyatoslav to die.

Svyatoslav, having lost much of his strength and being seriously wounded in the final battle, decides to demand peace. John Tzimiskes is delighted and accepts the terms of the Rus, in turn Svyatoslav leaves Bulgaria and enters into an alliance with Byzantium. After peace is approved, the emperor provides the Russians with food supplies and sees them off. After the battles, Svyatoslav's military resources were sharply reduced, and the army weakened.

Historians of those times analyze the war as successful for the Greeks, but Svyatoslav did not demand anything for Russia. Eastern Bulgaria joins Byzantium, only the western territories manage to maintain independence.

The friendship of Svyatoslav and Tzimiskes can be assessed in different ways. Svyatoslav with a small army retreated to his fatherland. And Tzimiskes sent envoys to the Pechenegs, who were dissatisfied with the reconciliation of the Russians and Greeks. Perhaps the Greeks themselves notified the Pechenegs about the return of the weakened Russian army. The Pechenegs were waiting for the Russians at the rapids of the Dnieper.

Death

After the declaration of peace, Svyatoslav approached the Dnieper. The governor warned him that the Pechenegs were nearby. But Svyatoslav was not afraid and decided to spend the winter on the Dnieper. Exhausting hunger and need accompany the Rus at this time.

In the spring, Svyatoslav the Brave sets off on a dangerous journey home. In the next battle he was mortally wounded. The Pecheneg prince Kurya attacked him, cut off his head and drank from Svyatoslav’s skull. Only a few Russians managed to escape. This is how the courageous commander, who possessed amazing generosity, died. At the site of his death in Zaporozhye (Ukraine), a monument to Svyatoslav Igorevich was erected. The monument depicts a warrior with a sword.

Historians believe that the Pecheneg soldiers stormed Svyatoslav at the insistence of the Byzantines. Byzantium sought friendship with the Pecheneg peoples for protection from the Rus and Hungarians. The Greeks needed the destruction of Svyatoslav. Although the chronicle names the Bulgarians, not the Greeks, as the initiators of the ambush.

“The Tale of Bygone Years” indicates the reasons for Svyatoslav’s death in that he did not obey his mother, who dreamed of making her son a Christian. In any case, the example of Sfendoslav is the image of a brilliant commander and an example of the great sovereign of the Russian land, who captivated many of his contemporaries with the strength of his character. Svyatoslav Igorevich, whose biography we have reviewed, and after his death in his own way for a long time terrorized neighboring peoples.

About appearance

The Greek writer of that time, Leo the Deacon, vividly depicts the Kyiv prince. Sfendoslav was of moderate stature, had thick eyebrows and blue eyes, a mustache, and a tuft of hair curled on his bald head, which indicated a noble origin. The prince's expression was stern. There was a gold earring with stones in her ear. The clothes were white and clean.

Some sources call the prince beardless, others - with a sparse beard. Sometimes he is described with one tuft of hair, and also with two braids. According to descriptions of that time, the prince’s nose was either snub-nosed or flat.

Descendants

History knows the children of Svyatoslav Igorevich, these are:

• Yaropolk, who ruled Kyiv;
• Oleg, prince of the Drevlyans;
• Vladimir, who baptized Rus'.

Sometimes Sfeng is mentioned, whom A.V. Solovyov considers not the son, but the grandson of Sfendoslav.

So, the policy of Svyatoslav Igorevich differed sharply from the reign of his mother Olga. The ruler paid more attention external wars. He defeated the Khazar Khaganate and launched several successful campaigns against the Bulgarians.

Name: Svyatoslav Igorevich (Svyatoslav Rurikovich)

Date of Birth: 942

Age: 30 years

Date of death: 972

Activity: commander, statesman

Family status: was married

Svyatoslav Igorevich: biography

Prince of Novgorod and Kiev Svyatoslav Igorevich ruled the Russian state from 944 to 972. The ruler is known for his military campaigns and conquests, battles against the Bulgarian state and Byzantium.

The only son of Prince Igor and Princess Olga was Svyatoslav. The exact date of birth of the future ruler is still not known. According to the Ipatiev list, Svyatoslav Igorevich was born in 942 (some sources indicate the year 940). There is no record of the event in the Laurentian list. This raises a lot of questions among researchers, since the information is contradictory. The year 920 is stated in literary sources, but historians consider this to be fiction, not truth.

The upbringing of the prince's son was entrusted to the shoulders of the Varangian Asmud, who emphasized basic skills. Young Svyatoslav received knowledge that was useful in military campaigns: the art of combat, control of horses, boats, swimming, camouflage skills. Another mentor, Voivode Sveneld, was responsible for the art of military leadership. The first information about Svyatoslav, which can be seen in the Russian-Byzantine treaty of Prince Igor, began to appear in 944. A year later, the prince dies.

The death of the ruler was led to the dissatisfaction of the Drevlyans over the collection of too much tribute. Since Svyatoslav Igorevich is still a child, the reins of power pass to his mother, Princess Olga. A year after the murder of her husband, Olga goes to the lands of the Drevlyans. As befits a head of state, 4-year-old Svyatoslav begins the battle with his father’s squad. The young ruler won the battle. The princess forced the Drevlyans to submit. To prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future, the regent is introducing new system board.

The chronicles say that in childhood Svyatoslav Igorevich did not part with his mother and lived constantly in Kyiv. Scientists have found evidence that this judgment is incorrect. The Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus said the following:

“The monoxyls coming from outer Russia to Constantinople are some from Nemogard, in which Sfendoslav, the son of Ingor, the archon of Russia, sat.”

Researchers believe that Svyatoslav moved to Novgorod at the request of his father. There was a mention in the chronicles of Olga's visit to Constantinople. At the same time, they talk about the future prince without naming the title of Svyatoslav Igorevich.

Beginning of reign

The Tale of Bygone Years says that Svyatoslav Igorevich’s first campaign took place in 964. The main goal of the ruler was to strike at the Khazar Kaganate. The prince did not become distracted by the Vyatichi people he met along the way. The attack on the Khazars occurred a year later - in 965. The chronicle says the following about this:

“In the summer of 6473 (965) Svyatoslav went against the Khazars. Having heard it, the Khazars came out to meet him with their prince Kagan and agreed to fight, and in the battle Svyatoslav defeated the Khazars, and took their city and the White Vezha. And he defeated the Yasov Ikasogs.”

It is interesting that Svyatoslav’s contemporary presents events in a different way. Ibn-Haukal claimed that the prince dealt with the Khazars later than the time indicated in the chronicle.

A contemporary recalled other military actions against Volga Bulgaria, but such information is not available in official sources. This is what Ibn Haukal said:

“Bulgar is a small city, it does not have numerous districts, and was known for being a port for the states mentioned above, and the Rus devastated it and came to Khazaran, Samandar and Itil in the year 358 (968/969) and set off immediately after to the country of Rum and Andalus... And al-Khazar is a side, and there is a city in it called Samandar, and it is in the space between it and Bab al-Abwab, and there were numerous gardens in it... but then the Rus came there, and not There are neither grapes nor raisins left in that city.”

In 965, Svyatoslav Igorevich arrives in Sarkel on the Don. Several battles were required to conquer this city. But the ruler did not celebrate the victory for long, as Itil, the main city of the Khazar Kaganate, appeared on the way. The conqueror got one more locality- Semender. This glorious city is located on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

The Khazar Khaganate fell to the onslaught of Svyatoslav, but this was not enough for the ruler. The prince tried to conquer and secure these lands for himself. Soon Sarkel was renamed Belaya Vezha. According to some reports, in the same years Kyiv received Tmutarakan. It is believed that they managed to retain power until the early 980s.

Domestic policy

Svyatoslav Igorevich's domestic policy was active. The ruler set himself the goal of strengthening power by attracting military squads. Politics did not attract the young prince, so there were no significant changes in the internal activities of the state during the years of Svyatoslav’s reign.

Despite the dislike for internal affairs Rus', Svyatoslav Igorevich made some adjustments. In particular, he formed a new system for collecting taxes and duties. IN different parts Old Russian state They organized special places - graveyards. Here they collected money from residents. Svyatoslav Igorevich was able to overcome the Vyatichi, who continually rebelled against the ruler. During the campaign, the prince pacified the violent people. Thanks to this, the treasury began to replenish again. Despite the work in this direction, Princess Olga took upon herself most of the worries.

The wisdom of the Grand Duke's reign manifests itself after the birth of his sons. Svyatoslav Igorevich needed to place faithful and devoted people on the thrones in different cities. Yaropolk ruled in Kyiv, and in Novgorod, Oleg became Prince Drevlyansky.

Foreign policy

Foreign policy became the passion of the young prince. He has several major wars on his account - with the Bulgarian kingdom and Byzantium. There are many versions in history of these important events for Rus'. Historians have settled on two variations of the fight against the Bulgarian kingdom. The first opinion was that it all started with a conflict between Byzantium and the Bulgarian kingdom. In this regard, the Byzantine emperor turned to Svyatoslav Igorevich for help. It was his soldiers who were supposed to attack Bulgaria.

The second opinion lies in the fact that Byzantium tried to weaken the Kyiv prince, since the ruler was able to conquer their lands. And there was no peace in the Byzantine state: the ambassador who arrived to Svyatoslav decided to plot against his emperor. He persuaded the Russian prince, promised him Bulgarian lands and treasures from the treasury of Byzantium.

The invasion of Bulgaria took place in 968. Svyatoslav Igorevich managed to overcome his opponents and conquer Pereyaslavets, located at the mouth of the Danube. Relations with the Byzantine state gradually began to deteriorate. In the same year, the Pechenegs raided Kyiv, so the prince had to urgently return to the capital of Rus'. In 969, Princess Olga, who was engaged in internal politics states. This prompted Svyatoslav Igorevich to involve children in his rule. The prince did not want to stay in the capital:

“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 the blessings flock there: gold, pavoloks, wines, various fruits from the Greek land; from the Czech Republic and from Hungary silver and horses; From Rus' are furs and wax, honey and slaves.”

Despite the fact that it was the Byzantine government that organized the raid on the Bulgarians, the latter turned to them for help in the fight against Svyatoslav. The emperor thought for a long time about what to do, but then decided to strengthen his state with a dynastic marriage. At the end of 969, the sovereign died, and John Tzimiskes ascended the throne. He did not allow the Bulgarian son and the Byzantine maiden to get engaged.

Realizing that Byzantium is no longer a helper, the authorities of the Bulgarian state decide to conclude an agreement with Svyatoslav Igorevich. Together the rulers go against Byzantium. Military tensions between the empire and the Russian state increased. Gradually, troops were drawn up to the fortresses. In 970 there was an attack on Byzantium. On Svyatoslav’s side were the Bulgarians, Hungarians and Pechenegs. Despite serious advantages in the number of military personnel, Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich was defeated in a general battle.

A year later, the troops regained their strength and again began to raid Byzantine state. Now the rulers clashed in battle. Again the Byzantine fighters were more successful. They captured the Bulgarian king and approached Svyatoslav. In one of the battles the prince was wounded. After this, the Byzantine emperor and the Russian ruler sat down at the negotiating table. Svyatoslav Igorevich leaves Bulgaria, but restores trade relations with Byzantium. Now East End The Bulgarian state is subordinate to the emperor. Western regions gained independence.

Personal life

Military campaigns became the main goal of Svyatoslav Igorevich’s life. The prince's personal life was going well. The ruler became the father of three sons - Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir. The care of the young sons fell on the shoulders of domestic policy state while my father conquered new territories.

In official documents of that time there is no information about the wife who gave birth to two older sons. It is known about Vladimir's mother. The woman was not married to the prince, but was a concubine.

Death and memory

The biography of Svyatoslav Igorevich ends in March 972. The prince could not remain at the mouth of the Dnieper. Together with the army, the ruler tried to get through the Pecheneg ambush. This was a disastrous mistake, as the weakened fighters fell at the hands of the nomads. The Pechenegs brutally dealt with Svyatoslav:

“And Kurya, the prince of Pecheneg, attacked him; and they killed Svyatoslav, and cut off his head, and made a cup out of the skull, bound the skull, and then drank from it.”

During his reign, the prince expanded the territory of the state and received the nickname Brave. Svyatoslav is called that way in historical information. The memory of Svyatoslav Igorevich still lives on. The image of the warrior prince was used in fiction and art. At the beginning of the 20th century, the first monument “Svyatoslav on the way to Tsargrad” appeared. The sculptures are located in Kyiv and Ukrainian regions.

A unique photo is available on the Internet. The masters, based on the descriptions of the prince’s contemporaries, created a portrait: a man of average height, snub nose, with thick eyebrows, blue eyes, long mustache, strong nape and broad chest.

Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich is the youngest prince in the entire history of Rus'. Not only did he officially ascend to the throne at the age of 3, but he also lived only 30 years. However, these were very important 30 years for our state. Let's look at this in more detail.

Reign of Prince Svyatoslav

Officially, his reign took place in the 4th year of his life, when his father Igor died. But since the new prince was still too young, his mother, Princess Olga, ascended the throne. Later, when Prince Svyatoslav matured and was able to rule Russia himself, all power was also distributed between him and his mother in the following form:

• Svyatoslav went on campaigns and conquered new lands, and also concluded treaties beneficial for Rus'. We'll talk about this a little later.
• Olga was involved in the internal politics of the state at a time when Svyatoslav was on campaign.

If we talk about Prince Svyatoslav as a person, then he will be remembered throughout his reign as a warrior prince. After all, from the age of 22 he himself took part and led troops on campaigns.

That is why I propose to continue the conversation about Svyatoslav with stories about his most memorable campaigns.

Hiking

Khazar campaign

There are many versions of who helped the Pechenegs organize such a successful ambush. According to some sources, these could be the Bulgarians, whose desire to take revenge for so many losses of soldiers was still great. According to others, Byzantium, for which this battle would be very useful for its foreign policy reasons.

Still other sources even claim that Byzantium, on the contrary, asked the Pechenegs to clear the way for Prince Svyatoslav and his army and not kill him.

Years of the reign of Prince Svyatoslav

Different chronicles give different names for the prince's birth date. But now this is the generally accepted one: 942. If you believe her, then Svyatoslav lived only 30 years, since he died in a battle with the Pechenegs in March 972.

But we remember that his reign officially began at the age of 3. Thus, The years of the reign of Prince Svyatoslav are as follows: 945 - March 972.

Conclusion

It is not possible for us to know 100% everything that happened in those days. Therefore, we can only blindly believe sources like the “Tale of Bygone Years” and other chronicles of those times.

Considering that we no longer have any other options, I suggest that each of us choose those options for the development of events that he sees as the most possible and truthful.

P.S. I tried to tell interesting biography Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich in simple words with your retelling. I hope I succeeded.

If so, then I look forward to your questions and suggestions regarding the next heroes of the “Great Commanders of Russia” column in the comments to the article.

Monument to Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich in Zaporozhye

While his mother was still alive, leaving the Principality of Kiev in Olga’s care, Svyatoslav made his first brilliant campaigns. He went to the Oka and subjugated the Vyatichi, who then paid tribute to the Khazars; then he turned to the Khazars and defeated the Khazar kingdom, taking the main cities of the Khazars (Sarkel and Itil). At the same time, Svyatoslav defeated the Yasov and Kasog (Circassian) tribes on the river. Kuban and captured the area at the mouths of the Kuban and on the Azov coast called Tamatarkha (later Tmutarakan). Finally, Svyatoslav penetrated the Volga, ravaged the land of the Kama Bulgarians and took their city of Bolgar. In a word, Svyatoslav won and ruined everyone eastern neighbors Rus', which were part of the Khazar state system. Rus' was now becoming the main force in the Black Sea region. But the fall of the Khazar state strengthened the nomadic Pechenegs. All the southern Russian steppes, previously occupied by the Khazars, now fell at their disposal; and Rus' itself soon had to experience great troubles from these nomads.

Returning to Kyiv after his conquests in the East, Svyatoslav Igorevich received an invitation from the Greeks to help Byzantium in its fight against the Danube Bulgarians. Gathering a large army, he conquered Bulgaria and remained there to live in the city of Pereyaslavets on the Danube, since he considered Bulgaria his property. “I want to live in Pereyaslavets Danube,” he said: “there is the middle (center) of my land, all sorts of benefits are collected there: from the Greeks gold, fabrics, wines and fruits, from the Czechs and Ugrians - silver and horses, from Rus' furs, wax and honey and slaves." But he had to return from Bulgaria to Kyiv for a while, because in his absence the Pechenegs attacked Rus' and besieged Kyiv. The people of Kiev with Princess Olga and Svyatoslav’s children barely managed to escape the formidable enemy and sent to Svyatoslav with reproaches and a request for help. Svyatoslav came and drove the Pechenegs into the steppe, but did not stay in Kyiv. The dying Olga asked him to wait in Rus' until her death. He fulfilled her wish, but, having buried his mother, he immediately left for Bulgaria, leaving his sons as princes in Rus'. However, the Greeks did not want to allow Russian domination over the Bulgarians and demanded the removal of Svyatoslav back to Rus'. Svyatoslav refused to leave the banks of the Danube. The war began, and the Byzantine emperor John Tzimiskes defeated Svyatoslav. After a series of difficult efforts, he locked the Russians in the fortress of Dorostol (now Silistria) and forced Svyatoslav to make peace and cleanse Bulgaria.

Meeting of Prince Svyatoslav with Emperor John Tzimiskes on the banks of the Danube. Painting by K. Lebedev, ca. 1880

Svyatoslav's army, exhausted by the war, on the way home was captured in the Dnieper rapids by the Pechenegs and scattered, and Svyatoslav himself was killed (972). Thus the Pechenegs completed the defeat of the Russian prince, begun by the Greeks.

After the death of Svyatoslav Igorevich in Rus', civil strife occurred between his sons (Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir), in which Yaropolk and Oleg died, and Vladimir remained sovereign. The state, shaken by strife, showed signs of internal decay, and Vladimir had to spend a lot of effort to discipline the Varangians who served him and pacify the renegade tribes (Vyatichi, Radimichi). After Svyatoslav’s failure, the external power of Rus' also began to shake. Vladimir waged many wars with various neighbors over the border volosts, and also fought with the Kama Bulgarians. He also became involved in a war with the Greeks, as a result of which he converted to Christianity according to the Greek rite. This the most important event The first period of power of the Varangian dynasty in Rus' ended.

This is how it formed and grew stronger Principality of Kiev, which politically united most of the tribes of the Russian Slavs.