In Russia there were always prominent and strong princes who were distinguished by their originality and uniqueness in the milestones of history. None of them looked like anyone else. If we are talking about Yaroslav the Wise, then he is a legislator. If about Princess Olga, then this is a successful diplomat of his time.
But what can we say about Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich?
Svyatoslav - who are you?
Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich became the Grand Duke of All Russia in three years. This happened after his father Igor was killed by the people of the Drevlyans in 945 AD. This happened due to the fact that the Grand Duke returned to collect polyuds (tribute) from the people with a small number of his troops. He was killed.
Svyatoslav could not rule at the age of three. Instead, his mother, Princess Olga, sat on the throne.
Independent reign of Svyatoslav Igorevich in Kiev will begin in 964. His mother made the state stronger and more powerful during her reign, transferring to her son the right to inherit the throne.
However, Svyatoslav’s foreign and domestic policies will radically differ from Olga’s policies.
Childhood Svyatoslav Igorevich
If you believe the chronicles of the late XII century, then Svyatoslav was the only child in the family of Prince Igor and Princess Olga. The exact date of his birth is unknown.
Svyatoslav spent all his childhood near his mother in Kiev. She raised him, instructed in life and cherished. It was from his mother that Svyatoslav received important skills with which he went through his whole life. She raised in him a true faithful warrior of her state. However, Svyatoslav’s foreign and domestic policy was not inherited from his mother and was not transmitted in the process of education. He will rule in his own way.
Foreign policy
Svyatoslav’s foreign and domestic policies are completely different. Svyatoslav Igorevich was active in the external arena. He gave more power to foreign policy than domestic. By nature, he was a conqueror and commander.
Unlike his mother Olga, he did not begin to change his faith to Christian in order to be closer to his army. The warriors respected him and took him for their own. It was this closeness with his own army that in many ways helped him achieve success in military clashes and conquests.
What was the foreign policy of Svyatoslav? The table below will answer this question. The prince conducted active operations both in the west and in the east.
West vector | Prince Svyatoslav conducted active military campaigns against the Bulgarian principality. Most military campaigns for Kievan Rus were successful. |
Oriental vector | In the eastern direction, the prince successfully fought against the Khazar Khaganate. Subsequently, he completely destroyed it. However, he could not save the Kiev lands from the Polovtsian raids. |
In the "Tale of Bygone Years" it is repeatedly mentioned that in 964 Svyatoslav Igorevich went to war against the formidable Khazar Khaganate.
The Khazar Khaganate was the main commercial and military opponent of Kievan Rus. Having defeated them, Svyatoslav wanted to nullify their influence in the region and wipe their cities from the face of the earth. He managed to do this, and he led a convincing victory, led by his army.
However, the victory over the Khazars brought more disappointments than triumph. The kaganate held back with a shield from the east the nomads' raids towards Kievan Rus. When he fell, the hordes of nomads could calmly move towards Kiev.
In the western direction Svyatoslav Igorevich waged a war against the Bulgarian principality. These trips were successful. Svyatoslav on his way swept the city out of town and stopped in the city of Pereyaslavets. He began to collect tribute and planned to move the capital from Kiev to Pereyaslavets. However, this was not destined to happen. The sad news that the nomads raided Kiev and did not give rest to the inhabitants forced him to return home and protect the city from raids. Only in 970, Prince Svyatoslav was able to return to the Balkans and continue the war.
In 972, Svyatoslav on the island of Khortitsa, along with the army, was defeated by the Pechenegs. The prince died in this battle. King of the Pechenegs Kurya made himself dishes from his skull, from which he later drank. It was believed according to the customs of the Pechenegs that the power of Svyatoslav was now transferred to the Kura.
Domestic policy
We have already said that the policy of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich was more aimed at external conquests than at internal transformations. He was more a commander than a diplomat or reformer.
However, the activities of Svyatoslav affected the internal life of the country.
The domestic policy of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich was aimed at designing a tax collection system. During his reign, his mother Olga approved the pogosts. This means that the prince does not have to go independently to each people to collect the land, and the people themselves or representatives of the people came to certain places and paid tribute to the treasury.
Svyatoslav once pacified the Vyatichi tribes, who refused to pay tribute in favor of the princes' treasury. After this trip to the treasury, tribute began to flow regularly.
Having become the Grand Duke, in the leading cities of Kievan Rus, he began to assert the rule of his sons so that they would keep everything under control when he was on campaigns. It was a true and wise decision on his part. He could fully rely on his sons in all matters of internal governance of Kievan Rus.
His sons were Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir (the baptist of Kievan Rus).
Svyatoslav in literature and art
Svyatoslav Igorevich’s policy was reflected not only in military affairs.
Many paintings, poems, tales, short stories and even modern songs are devoted to Svyatoslav. He was an extraordinary person, lived a short and bright life.
There is a painting by the artist Akimov “Grand Duke Svyatoslav”, which dates back to the end of the 18th century.
Velimir Khlebnikov dedicated his poem “Svyatoslav” to him, Sklyarenko - his novel “Svyatoslav”, Lev Prozorov - “Svyatoslav. I’m coming to you! ” By the way, “I'm going to you!” Svyatoslav Igorevich often pronounced when he went into battle.
The print edition of the Dynamo Kyiv football club fans is called Svyatoslav.
Who was the great prince in history?
For current generations, Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich remained a warlike ruler and conqueror, who placed the interests of Kievan Rus above his own and anyone else.
Svyatoslav's foreign and domestic policies helped make Kievan Rus an even more powerful state. Despite the defeat from the Pechenegs, he will remain in history as one of the greatest military leaders of his time, who resisted the raids of several peoples at once.