Oleg's death is shrouded in the same impenetrable mystery as his life. The legend of the “coffin snake”, which inspired Pushkin’s textbook ballad, is only part of this mystery. Doubts have long been expressed regarding a fatal snake bite - in the Dnieper region there are no snakes whose bite to the leg could lead to death. For a person to die, the viper must bite at least on the neck and directly on the carotid artery. Despite the seeming improbability of such a bite, in “viper places” precisely such deaths are constantly recorded among those who thoughtlessly lie down on freshly cut grass or in piles of collected hay. “Well, okay,” another reader with a rich imagination will say. “Those who planned the sophisticated murder of the prince could have specially purchased some overseas adder and hidden it in advance in the skull of Oleg’s beloved horse.”
This is what Nestor wrote in The Tale of Bygone Years:
“And Oleg, the prince, lived in Kiev, having peace with all countries. And autumn came, and Oleg remembered his horse, which he had previously set to feed, deciding never to mount it. For he asked the magicians and magicians: “Why will I die? “And one magician said to him: “Prince! From your beloved horse, on which you ride, you will die from it!” These words sank into Oleg’s soul, and he said: “I will never sit on him and see him again.” And he ordered to feed him and not to drive him to him, and lived for several years without seeing him, until he went against the Greeks. And when he returned to Kiev and four years had passed, in the fifth year he remembered his horse, from which the Magi had predicted his death. And he called the elder grooms and said: “Where is my horse, which I ordered to feed and take care of?” He answered: “He’s dead.” Oleg laughed and reproached that sorcerer, saying: “The sorcerers speak lies, but it’s all a lie: the horse died, but I’m alive.” ". And he ordered to saddle his horse: “Let me see his bones.” And he came to the place where his bare bones and bare skull lay, got off the horse, laughed and said: “Should I accept death from this skull?” And He stepped on the skull with his foot, and a snake crawled out of the skull and bit him on the leg. And from this he got sick and died. All the people mourned him with great lamentation, and they carried him and buried him on a mountain called Shchekovitsa; His grave exists to this day and is known as Oleg’s grave. And all the years of his reign were thirty and three." And his grave was visible during the time of the chronicler Nestor.
In the Novgorod First Chronicle of the younger edition, the story of the death of Prophetic Oleg is stated somewhat differently.
“And Oleg’s nickname was prophetic; and blah people are trash and ignorant. Oleg goes to Novugorod, and from there to Ladoga. Friends say that as I was going across the sea, I pecked (bited) a snake in the leg, and from that I died: there is his grave in Ladoz.”
It turns out that Prince Oleg died in Ladoga on the way to Novgorod. Let us remind you that Staraya Ladoga is the first capital of the Rurikovichs, and it was here that Oleg was buried. Here is also his grave, which, by the way, guides show to a few tourists to this day (although no archaeological excavations have been carried out at this site).
Further: the Novgorod chronicler does not deny Oleg’s death from a snake bite, but makes an important clarification that Nestor does not have: the snake “pecked” Oleg not on the Dnieper or Volkhov shores, but “beyond the sea”! Indeed, “beyond the sea,” but not the Baltic (Varangian) or White, there are many snakes (not like our vipers), from whose bite you can die on the spot. The Novgorod Chronicle, however, says that after the bite Oleg “fell ill.” If we combine Nestor’s chronicle with the Novgorod chronicle, we get the following: the prince was brought from overseas terminally ill, and he wished to die in his homeland.
In this case, the question arises: beyond what such a distant and warm sea was Prince Oleg and what was he doing there? In general, there is little need to guess on this score: the path “from the Varangians to the Greeks” was laid a long time ago, and it went through the Black Sea to Byzantium. Oleg besieged Constantinople more than once, over the gates of which the prince’s shield was nailed; here he signed (in the year of his death) the famous treaty with the Greeks. So, did the cunning descendants of Odysseus allow the asp along with the text of the treaty to the Russian prince? However, the Byzantines’ favorite and well-tested weapon for dealing with undesirables was ordinary poison, which was added to food or dropped into wine. Well, then everything could have been blamed on the asp.
But the mysteries of Oleg’s death do not end there, because its specific dates in the Novgorod and Nestor chronicles do not coincide at all. The difference is hard to believe! - in as many as ten years: according to Nestor, Oleg died in the summer of the 6420s (912), and according to the Novgorod chronicler - in the summer of the 6430s (922). How many amazing events this “lost decade” must have contained! So who do you want to believe? Personally, I believe the Novgorod Chronicle and now I will explain why. The original text of the Nestor Chronicle in the place concerning the death of Oleg is greatly damaged. It is corrupted in many other places, but it is here that one manages to grab the later “right-hander” by the hand. For it was not enough for him to completely cut out the story about the 21st year of Oleg’s reign and clean up the rest, but no - after the message about the death of the prince “from a snake,” he suddenly inserts an extensive text that has absolutely nothing to do with Russian history. Given the severe shortage of parchment on which the chroniclers wrote, an uninvited editor suddenly inserts an instructive story about Apollonius of Tyana, a Hellenic neo-Pythagorean philosopher who lived in the 1st century AD. e.
But why, pray tell, Russian reader, instead of learning additional details about the reign of one of the brilliant rulers Ancient Rus', should get acquainted with the moralizing maxim about the ancient magician and sorcerer from the time of the Roman emperor Domitian? From the point of view of the well-wisher to whom we owe this insertion, there was a reason to reproach Oleg with the story of Apollonius, and what a reason. The long-suffering reader should have learned an instructive lesson for himself. It doesn’t seem to matter to you and me. And from the point of view of the Christian orthodox, who supplemented the chronicle with a soul-saving story, he performed a godly deed, condemning Prince Oleg for paganism and witchcraft. What's the matter?
As philological experts have established, Oleg’s nickname - “prophetic” - in the time of Nestor did not at all mean “wise”, but referred exclusively to his penchant for sorcery. In other words, Prince Oleg, as the supreme ruler and leader of the squad, simultaneously also performed the functions of a priest, sorcerer, magician, and sorcerer. For this, from the point of view of Christian orthodoxy, God’s punishment befell him. Exactly the same sorcerer, from the point of view of the author of the insert, was Apollonius of Tyana, who “works demonic miracles,” artificially tied to the events of Russian history. Perhaps the entire maxim, which violated the logic of the chronicle and, most likely, written on top of the scraped-off chronicle text, was required by the book herostratus for the sake of the last phrase: “Do not seduce with miracles...”
It’s easy to “figure out” why “co-author” Nestor has such dislike for Oleg. Apparently, the lost articles spoke in sufficient detail not only about his military leadership or management, but also about his priestly activities. A stern and unyielding sorcerer, invested with power, he must have been very intolerant of Christian missionaries. Oleg took the alphabet from them, but did not accept the teaching. How the pagan Slavs generally treated Christian preachers in those days is well known from Western European chronicles. Before their conversion to Christianity, the Baltic Slavs dealt with Catholic missionaries in the most brutal way. There is no doubt that a life-and-death struggle also took place on the territory of Rus'. Perhaps the prince-priest Oleg played an important role in this. So they took it out on him a century and a half later...
However, what was erased from the chronicles could not be erased from the people's memory. The image of the Prophetic Prince was embodied in the mysterious epic hero Volga, whose names - (V)olga and Oleg - actually coincide. Based on the miraculous gift of werewolf that the epic Volga possessed, one can judge what abilities were attributed to the historical Oleg, especially since in some versions of the epic Volga is called Volkh(v), in full accordance with the exact meaning of the nickname of Prince Oleg the Prophet.
...And the princess suffered diarrhea,
But she suffered from diarrhea and gave birth to a child.
And the moon brightened in the sky,
And in Kyiv a mighty hero was born,
Like a young Volkh Vseslavyevich;
The damp earth trembled,
The kingdom of the Indians was shaken gloriously,
And the blue sea swayed
For the sake of the birth of the heroic
Volkh Vseslavyevich is young;
The fish went into the depths of the sea,
The bird flew high into the sky,
Tours and deer went beyond the mountains,
Hares, foxes in thickets,
And the wolves and bears in the spruce forests,
Sables, martens on the islands.
And Volkh will be there in an hour and a half,
Volkh speaks like thunder:
“And you are a goy, madam mother,
Young Marfa Vseslavyevna!
And don’t swaddle yourself in a worm-like shroud,
And don’t wear silk belts, -
Swaddle me, mother,
The damask armor is strong,
And put a golden shell on the riot's head,
By right the hand is the club,
And a heavy lead club,
And that club weighs three hundred pounds.”
And the Volkh will be seven years old,
His mother gave him to learn to read and write,
And Volkh’s diploma went to science;
I made him write with a pen,
The letter went to him in science.
And Volkh will be ten years old,
It was during this time that Volkh learned wisdom:
And I learned the first wisdom
Wrap yourself in a clear falcon;
And he, Volkh, learned another wisdom,
Wrap yourself in a gray wolf;
Wrapping yourself in a bay aurochs - golden horns...
Yes, there truly was reason for the Christian censors to dislike Prince Oleg. They could scrape off 21 years of records from the parchment, but were not able to destroy the image of the prince-magician in the oral epic chant. The actions of Oleg the Prophet, the supreme ruler of the power he created, are a continuous series heroic deeds, which culminated in unprecedented events in the history of Rus': the fact that the prophetic prince nailed the winner’s shield over the gates of the defeated Constantinople. After his death, the process of further formation of the Rurik power became irreversible. His merits in this matter are undeniable. I think Karamzin said it best about them: “Educated states flourish with the wisdom of the Ruler; but only the strong hand of the Hero establishes great Empires and serves them as a reliable support in their dangerous news. Ancient Russia is famous for more than one Hero: none of them could equal Oleg in the conquests that confirmed her powerful existence.” Strongly said! And most importantly - right! But where are these heroes these days? Where are the creators? Unfortunately, Lately Only destroyers flashed before our eyes...
In the famous treaty between Oleg and the Greeks in 912, concluded after the brilliant siege of Constantinople and the capitulation of the Byzantines, there is not a word about Prince Igor - the nominal ruler Kievan Rus, whose guardian was Oleg. Of the 33 years of his reign, later editors completely erased from the chronicles entries relating to 21 (!) years. It was as if nothing had happened during these years! It happened - and how! Only Oleg’s heirs to the throne didn’t like something about his actions or pedigree. The latter is more likely, because, if you follow the logic of the Joachim Chronicle, Oleg could belong to the Gostomyslov proper and the original Novgorod family. This is not at all contradicted by Nestor’s message that Oleg, to whom Rurik, before his death, handed over and entrusted the upbringing of the young heir Igor, was a relative (“from his birth”) of the founder of the dynasty. You can also be a relative through your wife. Thus, the line of the Novgorod elder Gostomysl - the main initiator of the invitation to the rulers of Rurik - was not interrupted. What happened to Rurik’s other children (if any were born at all)? The most incredible hypotheses are possible. For the imagination of fiction writers, there is generally a limitless field of activity here. In general, we have before us one of the exciting and unsolved mysteries of the distant past.
The fact that Oleg the Prophet is the first true builder of the Russian state was well understood at all times. He expanded its boundaries, established the power of the new dynasty in Kyiv, defended the legitimacy of Rurik's heir to the throne, and dealt the first tangible blow to the omnipotence of the Khazar Kaganate. Before Oleg and his squad appeared on the banks of the Dnieper, the “foolish Khazars” collected tribute from neighboring Slavic tribes with impunity. For several centuries they sucked Russian blood, and in the end they even tried to impose an ideology completely alien to the Russian people - Judaism professed by the Khazars.
Another mystery of the initial Russian chronicles coincides with the reign of Oleg the Prophet. One of the biggest gaps in The Tale of Bygone Years falls on the years of Oleg’s reign. From 885 (the conquest of the Radimichi and the beginning of the campaign against the Khazars, about which the original text has not survived) and 907 (the first campaign against Constantinople), only three events related to the history of Rus' were recorded in the chronicle. The rest is either “empty” years (what they mean is already clear to us), or two episodes borrowed from Byzantine chronicles and relating to the reign of the Constantinople emperors.
What purely Russian realities remain in the chronicles? The first is the passage of migrating Ugrians (Hungarians) past Kyiv in 898. The second is Igor’s acquaintance with his future wife, Olga, a Pskovite. According to Nestor, this happened in the summer of 6411, that is, in 903.
excerpt from the book by V.N. Demina "Rus Chronicles" ed. 2003
photos added by alexfl
“And Oleg, the prince, lived in Kyiv, having peace with all countries.” This Hero, humbled by years, already wanted silence and enjoyed universal peace. None of the neighbors dared to interrupt his peace. Surrounded by signs of victory and glory, the Sovereign of numerous nations, the commander of a brave army could seem formidable even in the very soporific of old age. Extraordinary success in campaigns, resourcefulness and ingenuity, daring and cunning gave rise to many legends about Oleg. They began to attribute special properties to him, the gift of foresight, as a result of which the nickname “prophetic” was established for him. Burdened with years, Oleg already wanted silence and enjoyed the peace. None of the neighbors dared to disturb his peace. Oleg died in 912. According to legend, an old sorcerer predicted his death: “You will receive death from your horse.”
Oleg grinned - however
And the gaze was darkened by thoughts.
In silence, leaning his hand on the saddle,
He gets off his horse gloomily;
AND true friend with a farewell hand
And he strokes and pats the neck...
Since then, Oleg has not mounted his horse. Many years later. Once remembering my favorite horse and learning that he had long since died,
Mighty Oleg bowed his head
And he thinks: “What is fortune telling?
Magician, you lying, crazy old man!
I would despise your prediction!
My horse would still carry me."
And he wants to see the horse's bones.
Grieving over the remains of his faithful friend, the prince, stepping on the horse’s skull, continued to sneer at the “false prediction”:
“So this is where my destruction was hidden!
The bone threatened me with death!"
From the dead head of the grave serpent,
Hissing, meanwhile she crawled out;
Like a black ribbon wrapped around your legs:
And the suddenly stung prince cried out.
A.S. Pushkin
The Russians ardently experienced Oleg's death. “The people groaned and shed tears,” the chronicle records. “All the people mourned him with great lamentation, and they carried him away and buried him on a mountain called Shchekovitsa. There is still his grave, which is known as Oleg’s grave. And all the years of his reign were thirty and three.”
CONCLUSION
As can be said more expressively in praise of the deceased sovereign. Prophetic Oleg entered the history of Russia as a true hero, whose deeds exalted it. Respect for the memory of great men and curiosity to know everything that concerns them favor such inventions and communicate them to distant descendants. We can believe or not believe that Oleg, in fact, was bitten by a snake on the grave of his beloved horse, but the imaginary prophecy of the Magi or Magicians is an obvious folk fable, worthy of note due to its antiquity. So, Oleg not only terrified his enemies, he was also loved by his subjects. Warriors could mourn in him a brave, skillful leader, and a protector for the people. Having annexed the best, richest countries of present-day Russia to his Power, this Prince was the true founder of its greatness. Will history recognize him as an illegitimate Ruler from the time the Rurik heir matured? Do great deeds and state benefits not excuse Olegov’s lust for power? And hereditary rights, not yet established by custom in Russia, could they seem sacred to him?.. But the blood of Askold and Dir remained a stain on his glory. But be that as it may, Oleg remained in Russian history as the unifier of northern and southern Rus' into one state, the fame of which resounded both in Byzantium and in the European North. From all this it follows that Oleg was the first true builder of the Russian state, which was well understood at all times. He expanded its boundaries, established the power of the new dynasty in Kyiv, and dealt the first tangible blow to the omnipotence of the Khazar Kaganate. Before Oleg and his squad appeared on the banks of the Dnieper, the “foolish Khazars” collected tribute from neighboring Slavic tribes with impunity. For several centuries they sucked Russian blood, and in the end they tried to impose an ideology completely alien to the Russian people - Judaism professed by the Khazars.
As I wrote earlier, from 882 to 907 there is no data in the chronicle. But if we proceed from the data of V.N. Demin’s “Rus' chronicles”, then we owe writing to Prince Oleg. Or rather, he relies on the chronicle of Nestor, where in 898 Nestor connected the appearance of writing in Rus' since the reign of Oleg. The names of Thessaloniki - the brothers Cyril and Methodius, the creators Slavic writing, appear in the Tale of Bygone Years also under the year 898.
From everything described above, we can conclude that the actions of Oleg the Prophetic, the supreme ruler of the state he created, were a continuous series of heroic deeds, which culminated in unprecedented events in the history of Rus': both in the fact that the prophetic prince nailed the winner’s shield over the gates of the defeated Constantinople, and in the fact that It was during his reign that the Russian alphabet came into use. He concluded agreements with Byzantium. After his death, the process of further formation of the Rurik power became irreversible. His merits in this matter are undeniable. I think Karamzin said it best about them: “Educated states bloom with the wisdom of the Ruler; but only the strong hand of the Hero establishes great Empires and serves them as a reliable support in their dangerous news. Ancient Russia is famous for more than one hero: none of them could equal Oleg in the conquests that confirmed its powerful existence.” Strongly said! And most importantly - right! But where are these heroes these days? Where are the creators?
Unfortunately, lately only destroyers have flashed before our eyes...
So let us bow our heads as a sign of unpaid gratitude to the great son of the Russian land - the Prophetic Oleg: eleven centuries ago, a pagan prince and warrior priest managed to rise above his own religious and ideological limitations in the name of culture, enlightenment and the great future of the peoples of Russia, which became inevitable after the acquisition of them their sacred treasure - Slavic writing and the Russian alphabet.
What was the genre of chronicle in ancient Russian literature? The chronicle genre is a type of narrative literature in Russia of the 11th-17th centuries. These were weather (by year) records or a collection of various works, both all-Russian and local. The word summer (year) determined the sequence of records. Having recorded the events of one year, the chronicler designated that year and moved on to the next. Thus, a consistent picture of life events ended up in the hands of descendants. “The Tale of Bygone Years” is an all-Russian chronicle. How was the chronicle created? The chronicler monk wrote down the most important events day by day, indicating when they happened. Thus, history with its troubles and joys left its mark in the monastery cells. Unnamed chroniclers help us imagine the past: the chronicles include the lives of saints, the texts of treaties, and teachings. The chronicle code turned into a kind of textbook of wisdom. Special place In Russian chronicles, the Tale of Bygone Years, created in the 10s of the 12th century by the monk of the Kiev Pechersk Monastery Nestor. What is The Tale of Bygone Years about? Nestor defined his tasks as follows: “...where did the Russian land come from, who became the first to reign in Kyiv and how did the Russian land come into being.” In “The Tale...” the main theme is the theme of the Motherland. It is she who dictates the chronicler’s assessment of events: the need for harmony between the princes is affirmed, the discord between them is condemned, and a call is made for unity in the fight against external enemies. The events of history follow each other. The history of the reign of all rulers contains both a description of events and an assessment of their actions. Retell an excerpt from the chronicle from the perspective of Prince Oleg. In the textbook there is a story about the death of Prince Oleg from his horse. It is impossible to retell it entirely from the prince’s perspective, but up to the point where he dies from a snake bite, it is possible. “For many years I lived in peace with my neighbors, and for many years my beloved horse carried me along the roads of my homeland. But one day the magicians predicted my death from this horse, and I decided to part with it. I regretted that I would never sit on it again or even see it again. When, after a long hike, I returned home and found out that my horse had died long ago, I laughed at the words of the magician. Then I decided to see the horse's bones." We can finish our story here, since it is impossible to continue it further on behalf of Oleg - we know that the prince died from the bite of a snake that crawled out of the skull of his horse. What can attract a modern reader in the chronicle narrative? The chronicle attracts readers with the perfection of its form, which conveys to us the manner of narration of a distant era, but even more so by the fact that it tells us about the events of a distant time, about people and their
Prophetic Oleg is one of the most mysterious figures in Russian history. Who was he related to Rurik, did he go to Constantinople and, finally, what kind of his death “overseas” do the Russian chronicles mention - all these questions have yet to be answered.
Founder of the Old Russian State
Prince Oleg, who, being either a relative of Rurik (more precisely, the brother of his wife Efanda), or his governor, during his reign did for education Old Russian state much more than its legendary founder. When Igor (Rurik’s son) was a young man, he captured Smolensk and Lyubech, lured him out by deception and killed Kyiv princes Askold and Dir, who usurped power there. Under him, Kyiv became the new residence of the Old Russian state. Oleg's sovereignty was recognized by the Polyans, Northerners, Drevlyans, Ilmen Slovenes, Krivichi, Vyatichi, Radimichi, Ulichs and Tivertsy. Through his governors and local princes, he managed to pawn public administration young country.
His successes were considerable in foreign policy. Fighting with the Khazars, Oleg made the latter forget that for two centuries the Khazar Khaganate had been collecting tribute from the East Slavic lands. The great Constantinople bowed its head before his army, and Russian merchants received the unique for that time right of duty-free trade with Byzantium, and, in case of need, full provision of food and shipwrights to repair their boats.
Considering all of the above merits, some historians are inclined to see the founder of the Old Russian state in Oleg, and not in his predecessor and the founder of the princely dynasty - Rurik. The conditional founding date, in this case, is considered to be 882, or rather the unification of “Slavia” (Novgorod) and “Cuiaba” (Kyiv).
The hike that never happened
Oleg’s famous campaign against Constantinople deserves special mention, after which he received his historical nickname - “Prophetic”. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, the prince equipped an army of 2000 rooks, 40 warriors each. The Byzantine Emperor Leo VI the Philosopher, in fear of the numerous enemy, ordered the gates of the city to be closed, leaving the suburbs of Constantinople to be destroyed.
However, Oleg resorted to a trick: “he ordered his soldiers to make wheels and put ships on wheels. And when a fair wind blew, they raised sails in the field and went to the city.” After this, the supposedly scared to death Greeks offered peace and tribute to the conquerors. According to the peace treaty of 907, Russian merchants received the right to duty-free trade and other privileges.
Despite the fact that mention of this campaign can be found in any textbook on the history of medieval Rus', many historians consider it a legend. There is not a single mention of it among Byzantine authors, who described in detail similar raids in 860 and 941. The agreement itself from 907, which, according to researchers, is a compilation of similar agreements from 911, when Oleg sent an embassy to confirm peace, also raises doubts.
Moreover, the description of the return of the Rus with rich booty: even the sails on their boats were made of golden silk, is compared with the return from Constantinople of the governor Vladimir, and after the Norwegian king Olaf Tryggvason, described in the Norwegian saga of the 12th century: “They say, after one great victory he turned home to Gardy (Rus); They sailed then with such great pomp and splendor that they had sails on their ships made of precious materials, and their tents were the same.”
Was there a snake?
According to the legend described in the Tale of Bygone Years, the prince was predicted to die from his beloved horse. Oleg ordered him to be taken away and remembered the ominous prophecy only a few years later, when he had long since died. Laughing at the Magi, he wanted to look at the bones of the horse, and, standing with one foot on the skull, he said: “Should I be afraid of him?” At the same moment, a snake crawled out of the skull and fatally stung the prince.
Of course, this is just a legend, written down several centuries after Oleg’s death. For the legendary prince-voivode - a legendary death. A similar technique, which was often used in other countries of medieval Europe, gave the historical figure even greater importance in the eyes of posterity. Moreover, often different authors used the same story. Thus, one Icelandic saga tells about the Viking Orvard Odd, who, in his youth, was predicted to die from his horse. To prevent fate from happening, Odd killed the animal, threw it into a pit, and covered the corpse with stones. As a result, death in the face poisonous snake overtook him, like Oleg, at the grave of a dead horse: “And when they were walking quickly, Odd hit his foot and bent over. “What was it that I hit my foot on?” He touched the tip of the spear, and everyone saw that it was the skull of a horse, and immediately a snake rose from it, rushed at Odd and stung him in the leg above the ankle. The poison took effect immediately, the whole leg and thigh were swollen.”
To date, it has not been established who borrowed from whom original idea. The exact date of the history of Oleg’s death in the Tale of Bygone Years is quite difficult to establish, since the chronicle was rewritten more than once. What is known is that Orvard Odd, unlike Oleg, is a fictional hero of an adventure saga created on the basis of oral traditions later than the 13th century. Perhaps the sad death in the face of a snake is originally a Scandinavian plot that came to Rus' along with the Varangians and received its new embodiment in local legends about Oleg. Although, some researchers believe that the hero of the Scandinavian sagas Orvard Odd and Oleg are one and the same person.
Persian epic
The Tale of Bygone Years is not the only source on his biography. The First Novgorod Chronicle, which, according to some researchers, is even more ancient than Nestor’s work, calls Oleg a governor under the young Prince Igor, who accompanied him on campaigns. At the same time, it was Prince Igor who dealt with Askold in Kyiv, and then launched a campaign against Constantinople. But the most interesting thing is the end of the story. In addition to the generally accepted version of a snake bite, the chronicle mentions another option for Oleg’s death - “overseas.”
More detailed information about Oleg’s unknown, “overseas” campaign, where he may have met his death, should be sought in the writings of the Arab author Al-Masudi, who reported on a Russian fleet of 500 ships that invaded the Kerch Strait approximately after 912. Al-Masudi mentions two great rulers of the Rus at their head - Al-Dir and a certain Olvang. The latter is usually associated with Askold, but this name can equally well be similar to Oleg, the winner of Askold and Dir.
The Khazar king, who was promised half the spoils for his loyalty, allegedly allowed the Russians to pass through the Don to the Volga, and from there down to the Caspian Sea. The ultimate goal Rus was Persia. The result of the campaign was the ruin of Persian Azerbaijan. Part of the spoils, as required by the agreement, was delivered to Khazaria. But the guard of the Khazar king, which consisted mainly of Muslim mercenaries, rebelled and demanded revenge for the death of their co-religionists. The ruler did not contradict them, nor did he warn the Rus about the danger. They entered into an unequal battle, as a result of which about 30 thousand Slavs died, and the rest retreated up the Volga, where they were killed by the Bulgars.
Their leader died along with the army. Some historians believe that the “death overseas” mentioned in the Novgorod version is a vague but true memory of Oleg’s death precisely in the Caspian campaign, and not on the territory of the Ladoga settlement from “from his horse.”
OLEG'S DEATH BY HIS HORSE
Per year 6420 (912). And Oleg, the prince, lived in Kiev, having peace with all countries, and autumn came, and Oleg remembered his horse, which he had once set to feed, deciding never to mount it. For once he asked the wise men (58) and magicians (59): “What will I die from?” And one magician said to him: “Prince! Your beloved horse, on which you ride, will make you die!” These words sank into Oleg’s soul, and he said: “I will never sit on him and never see him again!” And he ordered to feed him and not to take him to him, and he lived for several years without seeing him, until he went against the Greeks. And when he returned to Kyiv and four years had passed, in the fifth year he remembered his horse, from which the wise men had once predicted his death. And he called the elder of the grooms and said: “Where is my horse, which I ordered to feed and take care of?” He answered: “He died.” Oleg laughed and reproached that magician, saying: “What the wise men say is not right, but it’s all a lie: the horse is dead, but I am alive.” And he ordered him to saddle his horse: “Let me see his bones.” And he came to the place where his bare bones and bare skull lay, got off his horse, laughed and said: “Should I accept death from this skull?” And he stepped on the skull with his foot, and a snake crawled out of the skull and bit him on the leg. And that’s why he got sick and died. Everyone mourned him...
author4. The death of Prince Oleg is another reflection of the history of Christ on the pages of Russian chronicles 4.1. Romanov's version of the death of Prince Oleg Having told about Askold and Dir, Russian chronicles move on to the reign of Prince Oleg allegedly 879–912, vol. 2, p. 14–21. Let's say right away that
From the book The Beginning of Horde Rus'. After Christ. The Trojan War. Founding of Rome. author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich4.8. The execution of Christ on the Place of Execution and the death of Oleg, who stepped on his forehead. Christ was crucified on Mount Golgotha. In the Gospels and other church sources, Golgotha is also called the Place of Execution. “And they brought Him to the place of Golgotha, which means the Place of the Skull” (Mark 15:22). Antique
From the book The Beginning of Horde Rus'. After Christ. The Trojan War. Founding of Rome. author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich4. The death of Prince Oleg is another reflection of the history of Christ on the pages of Russian Chronicles 4.1. Romanov's version of the death of Prince Oleg Having told about Askold and Dir, Russian chronicles move on to the reign of Prince Oleg, allegedly 879–912, vol. 2, p. 14–21. Let's say right away that
From the book The Founding of Rome. The beginning of Horde Rus'. After Christ. Trojan War author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich4.8. The execution of Christ on the execution site and the death of Oleg, who stepped on his forehead Christ was crucified on Mount Golgotha. In the Gospels and other church sources, Golgotha is also called the Place of Execution. “And they brought Him to the place of Golgotha, which means the Place of the Skull” (Mark 15:22). Antique
From the book The Founding of Rome. The beginning of Horde Rus'. After Christ. Trojan War author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich4.10. The death of Cleopatra from a snake bite and the death of Oleg Death from a snake bite on the pages of chronicles is a rather rare event. Of the particularly famous heroes of history, only the Russian Prince Oleg and the “antique” died this way. Egyptian queen Cleopatra. We discussed Oleg’s story in detail
From the book Another History of Rus'. From Europe to Mongolia [= The Forgotten History of Rus'] authorWho suffered death from his horse? In our search for primary sources that provided the basis for writing the “Initial” Nestor-Sylvester Chronicle, we are first of all surprised to discover a Scandinavian saga. The saga of the Norwegian knight Oldur tells: “Having returned to Norway,
From the book The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Gibbon EdwardChapter XXV The Administration and Death of Jovian. - The election of Valentinian, who takes his brother Valens as co-ruler and finally separates the Eastern Empire from the Western. - The Revolt of Procopius. - Secular and church administration. - Germany. - Britain. - Africa.- East.-
From the book The Forgotten History of Rus' [= Another History of Rus'. From Europe to Mongolia] author Kalyuzhny Dmitry VitalievichWho suffered death from his horse? In our search for primary sources that provided the basis for writing the “Initial” Nestor-Sylvester Chronicle, we are first of all surprised to discover a Scandinavian saga. The saga of the Norwegian knight Oldur tells: “Having returned to Norway,
From the book The Beginning of Russian History. From ancient times to the reign of Oleg author Tsvetkov Sergey EduardovichDeath of Oleg The end of Oleg’s reign is described in the famous chronicle story dated 912: “And Oleg lived in peace with all countries, the prince in Kyiv. And autumn arrived, and Oleg remembered his horse, which he had once set out to feed, having decided never to mount it. After all
author907, 912 Oleg's campaigns against Constantinople. Conclusion of treaties with the Greeks. Death of Oleg According to the chronicles, Oleg approached the walls of the capital of Byzantium with a fleet of two thousand ships and besieged it. Oleg's warriors put their ships on wheels and, raising the sails, moved towards the fortifications
From the book Chronology Russian history. Russia and the world author Anisimov Evgeniy Viktorovich1115 Death of Oleg Gorislavich The famous Oleg Svyatoslavich was considered one of the constant contenders for the reign of Kiev. This son of Grand Duke Svyatoslav Yaroslavich played a sad role in the history of strife and strife in Rus'. He lived a life full of adventures and adventures,
From the book Great History of Ukraine author Golubets NikolayDeath of Oleg Oleg's long campaigns and battles gave him fame and the name of an extraordinary person, a fairy tale hero, a miracle worker. “And they nicknamed Oleg the Vishchim, - because of the filth and the innocence,” like a monk chronicler. And an extraordinary story was told about Oleg’s death.
From the book Analytical History of Ukraine author Borgardt AlexanderAddition 1 Death of Oleg The death of Olgov-Kogan is so legendary that it is his journey. It seems that if the prince, through the blood of cherry, has fed the old sorcerer - vadelot ("all-knowing") - what kind of death will he die? And that one, intermingled with a short: “In the sight of a beloved
From the book Cossacks [Traditions, customs, culture (a brief guide to a real Cossack)] author Kashkarov Andrey PetrovichGetting on a horse and getting off a horse How to get on a horse, take apart the reins and get off is a big science. Many Cossacks know how to do this, but few do it beautifully. Therefore, before you mount a horse (horse), you should put it down and stand next to it yourself. Getting on a horse
From the book Tsarist Rome between the Oka and Volga rivers. author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich17.5. The maddened horses that dragged the cart over the corpse of Servius Tullius, and the “mad” Comneni who killed Andronicus. As well as the death of the Russian prince Oleg “because of a horse,” Titus Livius reports another interesting detail of the death of King Servius Tullius. His cruel daughter Tullia DRIVED
