Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga in Solntsevo, Patriarchal Compound
Princess Olga (c. 893-920-969) was one of the key figures in the history of Ancient Russia, the wife of Prince Igor Rurikovich, the mother of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich and the first ruler who carried out significant reforms and initiated the Christianization of Russia. According to legend, she was born in the village of Vybuty in the Pskov region. In the “Tale of Bygone Years” it is mentioned that in 903 Prophetic Oleg arranged Igor`s marriage with Olga, and in 912 the prince began his independent rule. Their union was peaceful until 945, when Igor, having collected tribute from the Drevlyans, decided to return for additional loot, but was brutally murdered. At that moment, their son Svyatoslav was still young, and power passed into the hands of Princess Olga. Realizing the danger of the situation, she resolutely suppressed the rebellion of the Drevlyans. When the Drevlyans sent envoys to her with an offer of marriage to their prince, Olga lured them into a trap and ordered them to be buried alive. She burned the second delegation in a bathhouse, and then, arriving at the Drevlyans, organized a massacre of Igor, during which she got drunk and killed several thousand soldiers. In 946, having gathered an army, she finally conquered the Drevlyansk lands, destroying their capital and establishing strict control over them. Having become the sole ruler of Russia, Olga initiated important reforms. She organized an administrative management system, dividing the lands into administrative districts (pogosts) and establishing a clear tax collection procedure (lessons), which ensured the stability and predictability of the principality income. She also actively developed trade, creating exchange points for goods, and laid the foundations of stone construction, becoming the forerunner of the future fortification of cities. Olga became the first Russian ruler to convert to Christianity. In 955 she went to Constantinople, where she was baptized by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, receiving the name Elena. After returning to Russia, she began spreading Christian traditions, building temples, and fighting pagan beliefs. However, her son Svyatoslav remained faithful to the old customs and did not support her endeavors. Despite this, her contribution to the Christianization of Russia turned out to be significant: several decades later, in 988, her grandson Prince Vladimir completed the baptism of Russia, continuing the work of his grandmother. Princess Olga died in 969, having taken monastic vows before her death. In 1547 she was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as a saint equal to the Apostles, becoming one of the most revered figures in the history of Russia. A temple has been erected in honour of Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga in the Solntsevo district of Moscow.
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