Equal to the Apostles Grand Duchess Olga. Orthodox icon of Saint Princess Olga

And also several interesting facts from the life of the founder of Christianity and the first female ruler in Russian history

July 24(July 11 - old style) Memorial Day is celebrated holy equal to the apostles Princess Olga, the first female ruler in Russian history, the founder of Christianity. The princess was canonized in 1547, and in Christian history only five women have received such an honor: Mary Magdalene, queen Elena Equal to the Apostles, martyr Apphia, first martyr Thekla and educator of Georgia Nina.

She was praised by the Russian sons as a pioneer, for even after death she prays to God for Rus',”– noted the famous chronicler Nestor. And indeed, the memory of Princess Olga has survived centuries.

Miracles of Saint Olga

The incorrupt remains of the saint, who are her grandson Prince Vladimir moved to the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Kyiv, for a long time were stored there. The relics rested in a stone coffin, and only those who sincerely prayed and truly believed in it “opened a window” through which they could see the body “glowing like the sun.” Whoever saw him is the one

And today a huge number of believers come to churches to ask the icon of St. Olga for heavenly protection.

It's interesting that in Tsarist Russia There was even a “St. Olga Insignia”, although it was awarded only once - in 1916. Got it Vera Panaeva, whose three officer sons died in the First World War.

Mysteries of the biography of Princess Olga

Tradition called Olga Cunning, the church – Saint, and history – Wise.”, - will write about the princess Nikolay Karamzin. And he will be absolutely right, because the personality of Princess Olga is quite ambiguous and the surviving chronicle information about her raises many questions.

So, for example, not a single chronicle provides exact date birth of the princess, the time when she married Prince Igor, gave birth to a son Svyatoslav and when she was baptized. Only the date of her death is known for certain - July 11 (new style - July 24) 969, and how old she was at that time is also a mystery.

But, perhaps, the chronicle legend about her revenge on the Drevlyans raises the most questions, so many argue whether, given this information, it is possible to call her a saint?

Beautiful revenge or justified cruelty?

According to the texts of the chronicles, after the Drevlyans killed her husband, Prince Igor, who went to them for another tribute, they, fearing revenge for the death Prince of Kyiv, sent matchmakers to his widow Olga, inviting her to become the wife of their ruler Mal.

The first matchmakers arrived in the boat, under the pretext of showing them a great honor, the princess ordered the matchmakers to be carried directly into the boat into the courtyard of her mansion, lowered into a deep hole and buried alive.

After which the princess informed the Drevlyans that she would agree to marry their ruler if they sent the most respected people of their land for her. And the Drevlyans sent best ambassadors, whom Olga ordered to be locked in a hot bathhouse and burned.

But the princess did not rest on this and, having asked permission from the Drevlyans to celebrate a funeral feast (funeral) at the site of her husband’s death, with a small detachment she came to the lands of the Drevlyans, gave them drink and ordered her warriors to chop them down on the spot.

However, this revenge was not the last: she approached the Drevlyan capital with her army and said that she forgives them, and would not even take a large tribute, she only asked to give only three doves and three sparrows from each courtyard. And when the Drevlyans, surprised by the stupidity of the princess, brought her birds, she ordered to tie tow with sulfur to each of them, set it on fire and release the birds into the wild. The birds returned to their native nests - and the city burned to the ground.

How can Olga’s cruelty be justified? Firstly, the time in which she lived, and secondly, the fact that the Drevlyans and her husband acted completely ignoble - they tore him into pieces, tying him to the tables of two trees.

And Christian believers also remind us that at that time Princess Olga was not yet baptized. The sacrament of baptism over her was later, according to chronicle legends, performed by the Patriarch of Constantinople himself. Theophylact, and at baptism she received the name Elena.

The first ruler of Rus' to be baptized

The Orthodox Church glorifies the saint as equal to the apostles - for preaching the Christian faith. Princess Olga built churches, converted people to Orthodoxy, and even though Rus' was baptized only by her grandson Prince Vladimir in 988, it was Olga who became the first ruler of Kievan Rus to be baptized.

On July 24, remembering the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, the priests say that she was and is to people, a symbol of wisdom, patience, inner purity and faith in God.

Who does the saint patronize?

It is believed that Saint Olga protects the entire Russian people, but most often people ask her for protection:

1. Mothers of sons, especially those who are in military service, pray to the saint to protect them from harm.

2. Newly converted Christians or asking to be strengthened in faith and help to live honestly and justly.

3. Widows and girls who have lost a loved one turn to the saint asking for strength to survive the loss and find the meaning of life again.

In addition, an icon of Saint Olga in the house will help protect yourself from intruders, offenders and envious people.

Perhaps today in many churches you can find an icon of St. Olga. For example, in Moscow, the throne icon and a particle of the saint’s relics are kept in the Church of St. Nicholas in Pyzhi.

And here Divine Liturgy in memory of Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga His Holiness Patriarch Moscow and All Rus' Kirill will serve today in the capital’s Church of the “Joy of All Who Sorrow” (Transfiguration of the Lord) on Bolshaya Ordynka.

Who does Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga help, and how to pray to her?

In many Orthodox churches and churches, among other images, the icon of St. Olga is necessarily presented. After all, she is the first of the rulers who, of her own free will, abandoned paganism and came to Christianity, and also helped many lost people find their way. In addition, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga became the first organizer of churches in Kievan Rus. And therefore it is not surprising that very often she is called the woman who saved the unity of the people (including spiritual).

What does the saint icon help with and what does it protect against?

When describing the most important Orthodox icons of saints for a person, experts often mention those that are dedicated to Princess Olga. And it’s not surprising, because the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga protects the entire Russian people. Moreover, first of all, it can be useful for women - especially for mothers who have sons.

When turning to the saint with prayers, you can ask her to protect you and your children from harm. To protect you from all troubles, strengthen you in faith, help you always live honestly and act fairly. And besides, remember that if you place such an icon in any room of your home, it will be reliably protected from intruders.

The icon of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga is of particular significance for widows.

After all, a woman who has lost a loved one is always very vulnerable, and a saint is able to help her cope with the pain of loss, find comfort in her grief, and also find a purpose in life.

And of course, every woman whose name is Olga should definitely purchase this image when visiting an online icon store. Indeed, for the owners of this name, images of saints will become a real salvation - you can turn to her for help in any situation, before any undertaking and in any condition. Moreover, if you don’t know a special prayer by heart, you can even say it just like that – from the heart.

Do you want to buy icons in Ukraine and have noticed the image of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga? Then hurry to our store. We offer a variety of icons of this saint. which can bring happiness to the life of any person. And besides, here you can find images worthy of decorating the walls of an Orthodox church.

The icon of St. Olga can be placed on your table, hung on the wall or placed on bookshelf or a shelf for icons. And besides, you can purchase a very small image that will fit in your wallet or handbag pocket. So decide in advance how you will use the icon and where you will place it, then browse our store to find the perfect option to suit your needs.

Many facts from the life of one of the greatest rulers of Rus' are unknown to this day. Princess Olga, whose short biography has many “blank spots”, is still one of the most odious people today.

Origin of Princess Olga

Historians and researchers of Olga’s life and work even today have not come to a consensus about her origin. Several sources of those years give different information about the origin of the future wife of Grand Duke Igor.

Thus, one of the recognized sources of those times - “The Tale of Bygone Years” - indicates that the future Princess Olga, whose short biography does not provide accurate information about her parents, was brought from Pskov.

Another source - “The Life of Princess Olga” - claims that she was born on Pskov land, in the village of Vybuty. a commoner, which is why the names of her parents remained unknown.

The Jokimov Chronicle mentions that the future wife of the Prince of Kyiv was from the noble Izborsky family, and her roots go back to the Varangians.

Another version: Olga is a daughter

Marriage

Igor's acquaintance with his future wife is also shrouded in a lot of inaccuracies and mysteries. The “Life” says that the future Princess Olga, whose brief biography is sometimes contradictory in different sources, met her future husband in Pskov, where the prince was hunting. He needed to get across the river, and when he saw the boat, Igor got into it. Afterwards the prince discovered that his ferryman was a beautiful girl. She refused all of her passenger's advances. And when the time came to choose a bride for the prince, he remembered the girl in the boat and sent messengers for her with a marriage proposal. This is how Olga became the wife of a Russian. The Princess of Kiev, whose brief biography has since been traced more clearly, was a good and wise wife. Soon she gave birth to Igor’s son, Svyatoslav.

Murder of Prince Igor

Prince Igor was a great conqueror; he constantly raided neighboring lands with his squad, collecting tribute from weak tribes. One of these campaigns became fatal for the Russian prince. In 945, Igor and his retinue went to the neighboring Drevlyans for the due tribute. Having taken a lot of wealth, destroyed villages and abused the local population, the Russians went home. However, on the way back, the prince with a small number of soldiers decided to return and rob again Drevlyan lands. But the local men, making sure that the prince was coming with a small army, attacked him and killed him.

Revenge on the Drevlyans

Having learned about the death of her husband at the hands of the Drevlyans, Olga grieved for a long time. The Princess of Kiev, whose brief biography is described in The Tale of Bygone Years, turned out to be a wise wife and ruler. According to the customs of that time, it was acceptable. Naturally, Olga could not get around this tradition. Having gathered a squad, She began to wait. Soon, ambassadors from the Drevlyans came with a wedding proposal for the sake of uniting the Russian and Drevlyan lands. The princess agreed - this was her revenge.

The gullible Drevlyans believed her, entered the capital, but were captured, thrown into a hole and covered with earth. Thus, some of the bravest and bravest Drevlyans were destroyed. The second batch of ambassadors was also killed by cunning - they were burned in a bathhouse. When Olga and her squad approached the gates of Iskorosten, the main city of the Drevlyans, under the pretext of holding a funeral feast (funeral) for the prince, she drugged her enemies, and the squad chopped them up. According to chroniclers, about five thousand Drevlyans died then.

In 946, the princess and her army went to the Drevlyan lands, destroyed them, collected taxes and established a mandatory, fixed tax, but she never managed to occupy Iskorosten. The city was impregnable. Then Olga burned the city to the ground with the help of pigeons and sparrows, tying burning cloth to their legs. Schoolchildren are told who Princess Olga is. short biography for younger children, omits the full story of revenge. Mainly attention is paid to the years of her reign and the adoption of the Christian faith.

Princess Olga: brief biography, years of reign

After Igor's death, their son Svyatoslav became the successor, but virtually all power was concentrated in the hands of his mother, both while he was young and after he came of age. Svyatoslav was a warrior, and spent most of his time on campaigns. Princess Olga was engaged in the improvement of lands and controlled territories. A short biography of the ruler indicates that this woman founded several cities, including Pskov. Everywhere she improved her lands, erected walls around large villages, and built churches in honor of Christian saints. During Olga's reign, excessive taxes were replaced by fixed fees.

The princess's foreign policy also deserves attention. Olga strengthened ties with Germany and Byzantium. This was facilitated, first of all, by her acceptance of the Christian faith.

Princess Olga's baptism

Princess Olga is called the first sign of Christianity on Russian soil. A short biography for grade 4 pays special attention to this event. In written sources of past years there is no single date for the princess’s adoption of Christianity. Some say 955, others say 957.

Having visited Constantinople, Olga was not only baptized in the Christian faith, but also renewed the trade agreements signed by her late husband. The princess was baptized by VII himself and the priest Theophylact. They named her Elena (according to Christian custom).

Returning home, Olga tried in every possible way to introduce her son Svyatoslav to the new faith, but the prince was not inspired by this idea and remained a pagan, fearing the condemnation of the squad. And yet, he did not forbid his mother to build cathedrals and churches. Olga remained in Kyiv and actively participated in raising her grandchildren. Perhaps it was this fact that led Svyatoslav’s son, Vladimir, to baptize Rus' in 988, thereby uniting it.

In 968, the Pechenegs attacked Russian land. Olga was in the besieged capital with her grandchildren. She sent a messenger for Svyatoslav, who at that time was on another campaign. The prince arrived home, defeated the Pechenegs, but Olga asked her son not to plan another campaign, since she was seriously ill and foresaw the end was near. In 969, Princess Olga died and was buried according to Christian rites. Legend says that the relics of the Grand Duchess were incorruptible.

In the 16th century, Olga was canonized.

Founder Old Russian state Rurik is considered to be the first Novgorod prince. It is the Varangian Rurik who is the founder of an entire dynasty ruling in Rus'. How did it happen that he became a prince, before...

Rurik is considered the founder of the Old Russian state; he was the first Novgorod prince. It is the Varangian Rurik who is the founder of an entire dynasty ruling in Rus'. How it happened that he became a prince will not be fully known. There are several versions, according to one of them, he was invited to rule in order to prevent endless civil strife in the land of the Slavs and Finns. The Slavs and Varangians were pagans, they believed in the gods of water and earth, in brownies and goblins, they worshiped Perun (the god of thunder and lightning), Svarog (the master of the universe) and other gods and goddesses. Rurik built the city of Novgorod and gradually began to rule individually, expanding his lands. When he died, his young son Igor remained.

Igor Rurikovich was only 4 years old, and needed a guardian and a new prince. Rurik entrusted this task to Oleg, whose origins are unclear; it is assumed that he was a distant relative of Rurik. Known to us as Prince Oleg the Prophet, he ruled Ancient Russia from 879 to 912. During this time, he captured Kyiv and increased the size of the Old Russian state. Therefore, he is sometimes considered its founder. Prince Oleg annexed many tribes to Rus' and went to fight Constantinople.

After his sudden death, all power passed into the hands of Prince Igor, the son of Rurik. In the chronicles he is called Igor the Old. He was a young man raised in a palace in Kyiv. He was a fierce warrior, a Varangian by upbringing. Almost continuously, he led military operations, raided neighbors, conquered various tribes and imposed tribute on them. Prince Oleg, Igor's regent, selected a bride for him, with whom Igor fell in love. According to some sources, she was 10 or 13 years old, and her name was beautiful - Beautiful. However, she was renamed Olga, presumably because she was a relative or even daughter Prophetic Oleg. According to another version, she was from the family of Gostomysl, who ruled before Rurik. There are other versions of its origin.

This woman went down in history under the name of Princess Olga. Ancient weddings were extremely colorful and original. Red was used for wedding dresses. The wedding took place according to a pagan rite. Prince Igor had other wives, because he was a pagan, but Olga was always his beloved wife. In the marriage of Olga and Igor, a son, Svyatoslav, was born, who would later rule the state. Olga loved her Varangian.

Prince Igor relied on force in everything and constantly fought for power. In 945, he traveled around the captured lands and collected tribute, having received tribute from the Drevlyans, he left. On the way, he decided that he had received too little, returned to the Drevlyans and demanded a new tribute. The Drevlyans were outraged by this demand, they rebelled, grabbed Prince Igor, tied him to bent trees and released them. Grand Duchess Olga was very upset by the death of her husband. But it was she who began to rule Ancient Russia after his death. Previously, when he was on campaigns, she also ruled the state in his absence. Judging by the chronicles, Olga is the first woman to rule the state of Ancient Rus'. She began a military campaign against the Drevlyans, destroying their settlements, and besieged the capital of the Drevlyans. Then she demanded a dove from each yard. And then they were eaten, and no one suspected anything wrong, considering it a tribute. They tied a set of tow to the leg of each pigeon and the pigeons flew to their homes, and the capital of the Drevlyans burned down.

Prince Svyatoslav

Olga's baptism

Princess Olga traveled to Constantinople twice. In 957, she was baptized and became a Christian; her godfather was Emperor Constantine himself. Olga ruled Ancient Russia from 945 to 962. At baptism she took the name Elena. She was the first to build Christian churches and spread Christianity in Rus'. Olga tried to introduce her son Svyatoslav to the Christian faith, but he remained a pagan and, after the death of his mother, oppressed Christians. Olga's son, grandson of the great Rurik, died tragically in a Pecheneg ambush.

Icon of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga

Princess Olga, baptized Helena, died on July 11, 969. She was buried according to Christian custom, and her son did not forbid it. She was the first of the Russian sovereigns to convert to Christianity even before baptism. Ancient Rus', this is the first Russian saint. The name of Princess Olga is associated with the Rurik dynasty, with the advent of Christianity in Rus'; this great woman stood at the origins of the state and culture of Ancient Rus'. The people revered her for her wisdom and holiness. The reign of Princess Olga is filled important events: restoration of state unity, tax reform, administrative reform, stone construction of cities, strengthening the international authority of Rus', strengthening ties with Byzantium and Germany, strengthening princely power. This extraordinary woman was buried in Kyiv.

Her grandson Grand Duke Vladimir ordered her relics to be transferred to New church. Most likely, it was during the reign of Vladimir (970-988) that Princess Olga began to be revered as a saint. In 1547, Princess Olga (Elena) was canonized as Equal-to-the-Apostles. There were only six such women in the entire history of Christianity. In addition to Olga, these are Mary Magdalene, the first martyr Thekla, the martyr Apphia, Queen Helen Equal to the Apostles and the enlightener of Georgia Nina. The memory of Grand Duchess Olga is celebrated with a holiday among both Catholics and Orthodox Christians.

Russian Orthodox believers call the “Source of Orthodoxy” the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess, whose holy face has been one of the most beloved images on the Russian Land since the sixteenth century. The princess, as well as her grandson, Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, who, by adopting the Christian faith and spreading it to the Dnieper banks, saved Rus' from the darkness of idolatry, and continuing each other’s work, the princess and Vladimir are the personification of the maternal and paternal divine source in the development of Kievan Rus.

Concern for the spiritual enlightenment of the people

Seeing how Byzantium, powerful at that time, became and developed, she clearly understood that in order for the state to prosper it is necessary not only to take care of the state economic development and military power. Olga understood that only unity in the spiritual aspect of life could unite all the people of the state and provide solid ground for the emergence of a nationality. The Almighty showed her the right decision, and, entrusting the care of Kievan Rus to her almost adult son, the princess, heading a large fleet, sailed to Constantinople, in order to see with her own eyes the worldly blessings that became the result of faith, and at the same time establish diplomatic relations and show military force.

Spiritual birth in the holy font

In Byzantium, the princess was amazed a huge number churches and the beauty of the services held in them. She listened with admiration to the choral singing and learned new terms for herself - repentance, worship, the cross and the holy face. The saint was baptized by Patriarch Theophylact of Constantinople, and at the moment of such a sacrament, the ruler of Byzantium, Constantine Porphyrogenitus himself, became Olga’s godfather. After the ceremony, the princess received the name Elena, which was the name of the righteous mother of Tsar Constantine the Great, who found the Life-giving Cross of the Most High and was engaged in promoting the Christian faith in the Roman Empire. And taking her example, the baptized Righteous Woman, after arriving in Kievan Rus, began to preach Christianity in her land.

Christian works in Kievan Rus

The Saint brought quite a lot of holy images and church books to her homeland. Also with her, Christian worshipers arrived in Kievan Rus, who were assigned the role of baptizing the inhabitants of Kyiv, who worshiped deities in those days. By order of the princess, in the capital of Rus', at the burial site of the first Orthodox believer of the princely family of Askold, the Cathedral of St. Nicholas was built, in which the holy face donated by Emperor Constantine was placed. The venerable woman did a lot for the Kievans to praise the Life-Giving Trinity. According to one legend, which says that near her home village on the banks of the Velikaya River, she saw three sun rays and immediately ordered the erection of a cathedral in this place in the name of the Holy Trinity and predicted that after a while there would be a great trading city here. Olga erected the Lord's cross and erected a cathedral, which marked the beginning of the construction of the city of Pskov. In the center of Kyiv, the Holy Princess erected the Cathedral of St. Sophia, which was dedicated in 960. His main relic began to be considered the cross that Olga brought from Byzantium after her baptism. This cross was created from the Life-Life Tree of the Lord, and it brought many miraculous deliverances.

The princess's spiritual sadness

But the Kyiv state was not yet destined to be freed from dark idolatry and enlightened by the ray of Christianity. According to the chronicles, there were many statesmen and governors in Rus' who did not recognize the true faith, and among them was Prince Svyatoslav, a youth who had grown up and matured in those years. No matter how the princess tried to persuade her to Christianity, no matter how she asked to undergo the sacrament of baptism, Svyatoslav still did not agree. But at the same time, he did not forbid his subjects to accept Christianity and did not allow others to disdain them. After a while, all control of the state passed to Svyatoslav, and the Venerable One completely devoted her life to the Almighty and to charitable causes. She devoted time to the state only when her son went on military campaigns.

Canonization and general church veneration

In the middle of the fifteenth century, “the head of the true faith on Russian soil” was canonized in the church. And in the same year, her nationwide praise was confirmed. From that time on, the creation of Saint icons began. It should be noted that during the entire development of Orthodoxy, the Most Holy Olga was included in the number of women who were canonized as saints. The holy image, the essence of which is contained in the image itself, represents the righteous woman of the Lord, who in right hand holds a cross, denotes faith, and on the left there is an image of the church, symbolizing its preaching activities and the conversion of its people to Orthodoxy, who worshiped pagan deities. The same attributes are depicted on the holy images of other righteous people, for example, the holy princess Tamara.

Icons, revered and loved

The Reverend Princess is revered as the spiritual mother of all Slavic people, because it was she who began the spread of Christianity on Russian soil. A large number of churches were built in memory of St. Olga. Believers have been visiting such churches for many years to pray before the holy face of the Most Holy Olga. And in our time, the flow of believers who want to bow to her image does not stop. The greatest reverence is enjoyed, for example, by the face of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess in the capital of Russia in the adjoining cathedral, located in the Tourist Center of the Capital Patriarchate, which is also the tallest cathedral in Moscow. This temple is located on the top floor of the fifteen-story Universitetsky Hotel, which is visited every day by thousands of Orthodox believers coming from all over Russia. The holy face of the princess in St. Petersburg, located in the temple erected in her name, located in the city of Strelna, is also famous for great veneration. This shrine, built in Mikhailovsky Square, which is located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, is constantly visited by a great many believers. And many are struck by the holy face, in which she is depicted holding a cross, given to her by a Constantinople monk. This image is the icon of the Venerable One.

What do they pray for in front of this image?

It is believed that prayer request before the holy image of Saint Olga can bestow wisdom on people life situations and sends them His God's mercy, in such quantity as is necessary for each of those who have converted in his life filled with anxieties and temptations. Prayers are also offered to the Holy Righteous One for the strengthening of Russia, for protection and softening of hearts. There is evidence of cases where, with the help of the holy face of the Venerable One, people were relieved of psychological ailments. In what cases can a Holy icon help? The correct answer is that such prayers can help in almost all cases, provided that your request comes from the heart and is pronounced sincerely.