A Dictionary of Saintly Women/Olga
St. Olga, afterwards Helen, June 11, + 978, Böttiger says 969. Duchess of Kiew. First Christian sovereign of Russia. Patron of Russia. Wife of Igor, the son of Rurik from whom all princes in Russia trace their descent. In the oldest records it is said that Oleg, the regent, brought Olga from Pleskof or Pskov to Kiew and gave her to Igor for a wife. More modern histories say that she was of the same Varangian race as Igor, but of a low class, and that Igor first saw her at Vouiboutskoy near Pskov, where he was hunting; he was struck by her stately beauty and good sense. She was standing by the river when he expressed his admiration too warmly and she proudly declared she would drown herself there and then rather than submit to any indignity. He saw that she was born to be a queen. They were married in 908. Oleg continued to rule until 912, when Igor reigned alone until 945. He had perpetual wars, sometimes with the Greek empire, sometimes with the Petchénègues, the Drevlians and the various fierce nomad tribes who kept making raids into Europe from the lands which are now the eastern side of Russia. He tolerated the Christians. There was already, in 945, a cathedral of St. Elia, at Kiew. Igor enriched himself and his boiars with the spoils of his enemies, but at last they carried their love of plunder too far; the Drevlians, who had for some years paid him tribute, rose against him at Korosthene, under Mal, their chief. They bent down two trees, tied him by one arm and one leg to each, and then let the trees spring back to their natural height, thus tearing the wretched Igor in pieces. Sviatoslav, the son of Igor and Olga, was very young, but his mother took the helm of the State in her strong hands. Her first care was to avenge her husband. In a woman of her nation and religion, it was a duty and a point of honour so to do. The Drevlians, proud of what they had done, and fearing not at all the woman and boy, who were then at the head of their enemies, conceived the project of seizing Kiew and making Olga marry their prince. They sent twenty ambassadors to say to her, "We have killed your husband because of his rapacity, but the Drevlian princes are magnanimous, their country is good, come and be the wife of our Prince Mai." Olga dissembled her anger, and pretended to accept their offer. "To-morrow," said she, "you shall receive all the honours that are due to you; return for the present to your boats, and when my people come to you, make them carry you in their arms." As soon as they were gone, she had a great pit dug in her court-yard, and next day she sent her men to fetch the ambassadors. According to her instructions, they said, "We will neither go on foot nor on horseback, carry us in our boats." "What can we do?" said the men of Kiew as they carried the envoys, "We are slaves! Igor is dead, and our princess consents to marry your prince." Olga was watching from her balcony; she marked the proud looks of the unsuspecting deputies. As soon as they came to the pit, her people threw them and their boats into it. The vindictive princess asked them if they were content with this honour. The unfortunates shrieked out their repentance, but it was too late, the earth was thrown back upon their living grave. Olga made haste to send a messenger to the Drevlians to say that they must send a number of their greatest men, as the people of Kiew would not let her leave them without a numerous and distinguished escort. The credulous Drevlians at once sent off their illustrious chiefs and citizens. As soon as they arrived they were shown to a bath, according to the custom of the country, and there they were shut in and burnt alive. Olga now sent word to the Drevlians to make ready the hydromel at Korosthene, as she was coming there, for before her second marriage she must celebrate funeral games on the tomb of her first husband. She went there, and watered the ashes of Igor with her tears, raised a cairn over his grave, and celebrated games in his honour. A banquet was then held, of which tho young Russian warriors did the honours. The Drevlians soon asked these young men what their ambassadors were doing, and were told that they would arrive with Igor's guards. Before long the Drevlians began to be tipsy. Olga rose from the table; this was a signal for a massacre of the revellers. Five thousand of them were sacrificed round the tomb of Igor. Olga returned to Kiew and marched with an army against the Drevlins. Her son Sviatoslav began the fight. The Drevlians fled and shut themselves up within their walls. The inhabitants of Korosthene defended their town desperately all the summer. Olga had recourse to a new stratagem. She sent them a conciliatory message: "Why prolong the struggle? All your other towns are in my hands; already your compatriots are peacefully cultivating their fields, while you are determined to die of hunger. You have no need to fear my vengeance; it was satisfied at Kiew, on the grave of my husband." They offered her a tribute of honey and furs. She affected the greatest generosity, and said she would be content if they would bring her three sparrows and a pigeon for each house. The besieged eagerly agreed to her demand and hoped to see the hostile army withdraw, but as soon as it began to get dark Olga's men fastened tinder to the birds, set it on fire, and let them loose. They flew back to their nests and set the whole place on fire. The inhabitants who sought safety in flight, fell into the hands of the Russians. The grand-princess put the most influential of them to death, condemned some to slavery, and imposed on the others a crushing tax. She travelled with her son all over the conquered country, levying tribute for the Treasury of Kiew, but the inhabitants of Korosthene were ordered to send the third of the taxes to Olga herself, to her own estate of Vouichegorod, which it is supposed was settled on her by Oleg, as the wife of the grand-prince. The following year she travelled through Northern Russia, and everywhere made useful and benevolent regulations. She was universally remembered with affection; even the Drevlians found their country improved by her wise administration. Her sleigh was kept as a precious relic at Kiew, a hundred and fifty years after death. After these exertions she went and lived quietly with her son at Kiew. She saw the superiority of the Christian religion, and she listened to its doctrines and conversed with its priests, until she became convinced that this was the true faith, and resolved to accept it as hers. She went to Constantinople, the capital of the Greek Empire and religion. The Patriarch instructed and baptized her, giving her the name of Helen. The Emperor Constantino Porphyrogenitus was her godfather. He has left an account of her visit to his Court, and of the ceremonies of her reception. Many other particulars were added by story-tellers of later date.
Laden with presents and compliments, she returned to Kiew. She ardently wished for the conversion of her son, and pressed him much on the subject, but he remained an obstinate heathen and savage. In 967, while he was fighting in Bulgaria, the Petchénègues took advantage of his absence to besiege his mother and children in Kiew. The garrison were nearly starved into surrender, but they managed to make the enemy believe that the redoubtable Sviatoslaf was at hand, and the Petchénègues fled in haste. When Sviatoslaf came back he drew such a picture of Pereyaslavetz (the ancient Marcianopolis), now Preslawa, of its riches of nature and art, that he nearly persuaded his boyars to remove thither with him and make it their capital; but his mother, who was now old and infirm, said, "Just wait a very short time, and when you have buried me, yon can go where you like." Four days afterwards, Olga died. She had expressly forbidden that any "Corpse Feast" should be held on her tomb after the manner of the idolaters. She was buried by a Christian priest. She was deeply mourned by her son and grandchildren, and all the people watered her grave with tears of gratitude. The Church calls her "Saint;" history calls her "The Wise." Nestor says she was "the dawn and the star of salvation for Russia." Her example had great weight with her grandson Vladimir in deciding him to adopt the Christian religion. Karamsin, Hist. of Russia. Martinov, Annus Ecclesiasticus, Böttiger, Mittlere Geschicte, III.