Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga
The Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga is located at 4 Novomoskovskaya Street. Its history began with the appeal of the district residents to the Moscow Government with a request to build another temple here. In February 2012, public hearings were held in the Ostankinsky District Administration of Moscow, attended by about 200 residents of the district. The residents of the district voted in favour of building a new temple. In early May 2014, the foundation of the temporary wooden chapel church was laid, and on 20 September 2014, it was consecrated in honour of the Holy Martyr John Vostorgov. At present, regular divine services are held in the temple. Princess Olga (about 893-920 – 969) was the wife of Grand Prince Igor Rurikovich, the mother of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich. Olga’s birthplace is considered to be the village of Vybuty, located in the Pskov lands. In “The Tale of Bygone Years” it is specified that in 903. Prophetic Oleg married Igor Rurikovich, who began to rule independently since 912, to Olga. At that moment the age of the future princess did not exceed 12 years. Igor and Olga lived in peace and harmony until in 945 Igor Rurikovich did not succumb to the entreaties of his friends to collect tribute from the Drevlyans. However, the amount of tribute collected did not satisfy the prince. Having released the most part of a retinue, it again has gone to the Drevlyan lands for a profit. Repeated collection of a tribute has angered Drevlyans who have killed Igor Rurikovich. At that moment Igor’s only son and heir, Svyatoslav, was only three years old, and board has passed into hands of Olga. The retinue of the killed Igor has recognised for his widow authority, having completely submitted to it. According to traditions of ancient Slavs, the winner had the full right to do with family and property of the defeated anything. The Drevlyans hurried to take advantage of this right and sent their ambassadors to Kiev, who had to induce Olga to marry the Drevlyan prince. The princess buried the ambassadors alive, the next matchmakers she burnt alive in a bath. Later she and her retinue came to the Drevlyans to celebrate a trizna on her husband’s grave. During the ceremony Olga drugged the Drevlyans and ordered her vigilantes to slaughter them. As a result, about five thousand Drevlyan warriors were killed. In 946 Olga gathered a large army and went to the Drevlyan lands in an open war. She managed to capture the capital and completely subdue the Drevlyans. When Svyatoslav grew up, he spent the most part of time in military campaigns, while his mother unhinderedly ruled the state. First of all, the princess has created centres of trade and exchange thanks to which the procedure of gathering of a tax has simplified. To each princedom she established the exact amount of taxes, periodicity and date of their payment. Thanks to Olga’s efforts, stone construction began to emerge in Russia. In 955 she voluntarily accepted Christianity and was baptised. The rite took place in Constantinople, where the princess was personally baptised by the Byzantine emperor Constantine II. During baptism she has received a name Elena. She began to spread Christianity in Russia to the best of her ability: she built temples, destroyed pagan symbols, and baptised all those who wished to be baptised. In 1547 Olga was ranked among the saints of the Equal-to-the-Apostles.
Address: Moscow, Novomoskovskaya str., 4
