Saint Olga
| Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga | |
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Saint Olga by Mikhail Nesterov
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| Born | c. 890 Pskov |
| Died | 11 July 969 (aged 79) Kiev |
| Venerated in |
Russian Eastern Orthodoxy Roman Catholicism Eastern Catholicism, especially in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church |
| Feast | July 11/24 |
Saint Olga (Old Church Slavonic: Ольга, born c. 890 died 11 July 969, Kiev) was a ruler of Kievan Rus' as regent (945–c. 963) for her son, Svyatoslav. She is known for her obliteration of the Drevlians, a tribe that had killed her husband Igor of Kiev, and for her efforts to spread Christianity through the Rus'; however, it would be Vladimir that would convert the entire nation to Christianity. Because of this, Olga is venerated as a saint. While her birthdate is unknown, it could be as early as AD 890 and as late as 5 June 925.
Olga, a woman from Pskov, married the future Igor of Kiev, arguably in 903 but perhaps as early as 901-902. The Primary Chronicle gives 879 as her date of birth, which is unlikely, given the birth of her only son probably some 65 years after that date. After Igor's death, Olga ruled Kievan Rus as regent (945-c. 963) on behalf of their son Svyatoslav. She was, hypothetically, of Varangian extraction Old Norse: Helga
The following account is taken from the Primary Chronicle. Princess Olga was the wife of Igor of Kiev, who was killed by the Drevlians. At the time of her husband's death, their son Svyatoslav was three years old, making Olga the official ruler of Kievan Rus until he reached adulthood. The Drevlians wanted Olga to marry their Prince Mal, making him the ruler of Kievan Rus, but Olga was determined to remain in power and preserve it for her son.
The Drevlians sent twenty of their best men to persuade Olga to marry their Prince Mal and give up her rule of Kievan Rus. She had them buried alive. Then she sent word to Prince Mal that she accepted the proposal, but required their most distinguished men to accompany her on the journey in order for her people to accept the offer of marriage. The Drevlians sent their best men who governed their land. Upon their arrival, she offered them a warm welcome and an invitation to clean up after their long journey in a bathhouse. After they entered, she locked the doors and set fire to the building, burning them alive.
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