Igor Rurikovich. Events during the reign of Igor the Old

Any educated person in our country knows who Igor Stary is. That's what the prince was called Ancient Rus', son of Rurik and relative of Oleg the Great, nicknamed the Prophetic.

Let's take a closer look at the life and activities of this ruler. ancient Russian state.

Brief biographical information about birth and childhood

According to chronicle sources, Igor the Old lived a relatively long life for those times. He was born approximately in 878, and died (also approximately) in 945.

The reign of Igor the Old covers the period from 912 to 945.

The hero of our story was the son of Rurik, who, according to legend, came to Rus' with his brothers and began to reign in Novgorod, and later became the sole ruler of the entire then Russian state. After the death of Rurik, Igor was young for years, so the functions of the prince were performed by his relative Oleg (according to one version, he was Rurik’s nephew, and according to another, his wife’s brother).

Most likely, young Igor accompanied Oleg on his military campaigns, where he acquired the skills of a military leader and politician. It is known that he took the throne of his father not upon reaching adulthood and marriage, but after the death of the Prophetic Oleg (according to legend, he died from the bite of a poisonous snake).

Brief biographical information about the prince's family

According to official version, the year in which Oleg, nicknamed the Prophet, died, is the beginning of the reign of Igor the Old. This, as already mentioned, is 912. By that time, the young prince already had a family.

According to chronicle sources, when Igor turned 25, he was married to a girl named Olga (she was only 13). However, their son Svyatoslav was born only in 942 (it turns out that at that time Olga should have been 52 years old, which is impossible). Many historians point to this circumstance, therefore it is believed that the age of Olga - the future Grand Duchess and the founder of Christianity in Rus' - was younger. There is also an assumption that Olga and Igor had other children, in particular, some historians mention two sons - Vladislav and Gleb, who probably died in their young years.

Byzantine sources also indicate that the prince had other relatives (cousins, nephews, etc.). However, there are no mentions of these people in Russian chronicles. Most likely, they did not own any lands or powers, but were part of Prince Igor’s squad. Modern historians consider this version to be the most reasonable, because, most likely, in Ancient Rus' there was a tradition characteristic of European states, according to which only the ruler himself, his wife (wives) and children were mentioned in official documents, while other relatives (and therefore , and contenders for the throne) not a word was said.

Military campaigns against Constantinople

Igor Stary glorified himself as an experienced military leader. It is known that he made more than one military campaign against Byzantium. Orthodox peoples who inhabited Byzantine Empire, then suffered greatly from the raids of the barbarians, whom they called the Dews.

Historians note the following military campaigns of Igor the Old:

1. According to legend, Igor sailed to Byzantium in 941, accompanied by a thousand ships called “ships”. However, the Greeks used the most advanced weapon of that time - the so-called “Greek fire” (a mixture of oil and other flammable substances), which burned most of the warships. Having been defeated, Igor the Old returned home to Rus' to gather a new army for a new military campaign. And he succeeded.

2. His military assembly included representatives of all tribes of the then ancient Russian state, both Slavs and Rus, Pechenegs, Drevlyans, etc. This campaign turned out to be more successful for the prince, as a result he concluded a peace treaty with the Byzantines, providing for the payment of certain material resources. In this agreement, the text of which the Greeks preserved, both Igor himself and his wife Olga and their common son Svyatoslav are mentioned.

Igor Stary

The prince became famous throughout the centuries as a strict and demanding person. A successful conqueror, he annexed new lands to his state, and then imposed tribute on the tribes he conquered. The reign of Igor the Old was remembered for the pacification of the streets and Tivertsy, Drevlyans and many other nationalities.

The strongest resistance to the prince was provided by the Drevlyans (their conquest took place at the dawn of Igor’s reign, in 912). They refused to pay tribute, but Igor and his retinue ravaged the Drevlyan settlements and, as punishment, forced the local residents to pay even more than before. The Drevlyans reluctantly agreed, but harbored a strong grudge against the prince in their hearts.

Igor the Old was also distinguished by new ways of collecting tribute, which he himself called polyudye. This procedure consisted of the following: the prince annually, together with his retinue, traveled around the territories under his control and collected a “tax” from the tribes that lived there. He took tribute in a natural way: grain, flour and other food products, as well as the skins of wild animals, honey from wild bees, and so on. Often the prince’s warriors behaved like daring conquerors, which caused a lot of offense to ordinary people.

Igor's foreign policy successes

What else did Igor Stary remember from his contemporaries? The prince's domestic and foreign policy was of an aggressive nature, which is not surprising, especially if we remember what Igor himself was like (historians note that the prince was distinguished by a tough and hot-tempered disposition).

His successes in military terms also cannot be called modest. He behaved like a real barbarian, cutting through a “window” into Europe of that time - the Byzantine Empire - with fire and sword.

In addition to the two military campaigns against Byzantium that we have already mentioned above, Igor made the same campaign against the Caspian Sea. Arab sources talk about it, but in Russian chronicles it is not even mentioned. Little is known about the results of this campaign, but Khazar authors believe that it had some consequences: Igor’s army received rich trophies and returned home with the loot.

Also, some historians, relying on Hungarian sources, believe that Igor the Old also entered into an alliance with the Hungarians. The prince's foreign policy towards these tribes was of an allied nature; perhaps there were certain connections between the Russians and the Hungarians, allowing them to organize joint military campaigns against Byzantium.

Personality mysteries

The reign of Igor the Old, although it lasted many years, has not been fully studied due to the lack of information about the prince’s immediate circle and his actions.

The scarcity of information about this historical figure, as well as some discrepancies (for example, regarding the dates of his life, years of reign, family and death), which are found in various sources, lead to the fact that there are many blank spots in the biography of this person.

So, there are different assumptions as to who Igor’s mother was. For example, V. Tatishchev, a historian of the Peter the Great era, assumed that she was the Norman princess Efanda. The same Tatishchev believed that the real name of the hero of our story was Inger, and only later his name was transformed into Igor. The Old Prince received the nickname not during his reign, but much later, thanks to Russian chronicles, which called him “ancient” or “old”. And all because Igor was one of the first Rurikovichs.

The main idea of ​​Igor's reign

Prince Igor Stary entered Russian history very firmly. The results of the reign of this Russian ruler are associated with the strengthening of the young ancient Russian state. In fact, Igor continued the policies of his father and relative Oleg: he expanded the state, made military campaigns that brought a lot of wealth, concluded a peace treaty with the Byzantines, and introduced a system of taxation of his subjects.

Igor was also able to leave behind a powerful heir, Svyatoslav, who continued his work. Thus, the Old One not only strengthened his dynasty, but also strengthened his state.

Death of the Prince

One of the most famous episodes in Igor’s life was his tragic violent death.

Russian chronicles describe this event as follows: Prince Igor the Old, having conquered the Drevlyans, came to them annually to collect tribute. He did the same in 945. His squad treated the Drevlyans with disdain, did a lot of harshness, which caused their obvious discontent. In addition, the Drevlyans had their own ruler named Mal, who perceived Igor as a victorious opponent.

Having collected enough tribute from the Drevlyans, the prince set off with his retinue further, but way back I thought about the fact that I didn’t take as much as I wanted. It was at this moment that Igor Stary made a fatal mistake. The events of the next day proved this.

The prince released his large squad and returned to the Drevlyans for a new tribute with a small army. Those, seeing that Igor had little strength, brutally dealt with him and his people. According to legend, the prince was tied to the tops of mighty trees and released. This is the cruel death Igor suffered from the supposedly conquered Drevlyans.

Olga's Revenge

Russian chronicles tell us not only about the death of Prince Igor, but also about the exquisite and terrible revenge used by his wife - the widowed Pskovskaya, who was left with Igor's three-year-old son Svyatoslav without the care of her husband.

So, Olga betrayed the envoys from the Drevlyans to cruel execution (burned alive), and then made a military campaign against Iskorosten and, taking it by storm, mercilessly dealt with the inhabitants. According to legend, she demanded 3 doves and 3 sparrows from each yard. Having received this kind of “tribute,” Olga ordered tinder and sulfur to be tied to each bird, lit at night and released. The cunning princess’s calculation turned out to be correct: the birds returned to their nests, under the roofs of houses... Later, Igor’s son Svyatoslav installed his son Oleg as ruler over the Drevlyans.

The significance of Igor's reign

Historians agree that the policies of Igor the Old as a whole were positive character and benefited Rus'. He laid the foundations of statehood, which relied on the personality of the prince, the power of his military squad and diplomatic skills. Sometimes cruelly and unceremoniously subjugating neighboring tribes, Igor, nevertheless, built new system relations, which made it possible to move to a new stage of development - from the tribal community to the state structure.

Oleg's successor was Igor (Ingvar), nicknamed the Old One. From an early age he lived in Kyiv, which became his home. We know little about Igor's personality. He was, like Oleg_Helg, a warrior, a stern Varangian. He almost never got off his horse, conquering the Slavic tribes and imposing tribute on them. Like Oleg, Igor raided Byzantium. His first campaign together with Oleg in 941 failed. The Greeks burned Russian ships with the so-called “Greek fire” - shells with burning oil. The second campaign in 944 turned out to be more successful. This time the Greeks decided to pay off the Scandinavians with expensive fabrics and gold. This is exactly what Igor wanted - he immediately turned home. Under Igor, new opponents came from the steppe to replace the Khazars - the Pechenegs. Their first appearance was noted in 915. Since then, the danger of raids by nomads from the south and east has constantly increased.

Rus' was not yet an established state. It stretched from south to north along the only communications - waterways, and they were precisely controlled by the Varangian princes. In general, the chronicles impose on us the idea of ​​Rurik, Oleg, Igor as sovereign rulers from the princely dynasty of the Rurikovichs. In fact, the Varangian princes were not such rulers. The kings were only the leaders of the Varangian squads and often, when going on campaigns, they acted in alliance with other kings, and then broke away from them: they either left for Scandinavia, or settled down - “sat down” on the lands they conquered, as happened with Oleg in Kyiv. The entire strength of the Varangian kings consisted of their powerful squads, constantly replenished with new fighters from Scandinavia. Only this force united the distant lands of the Russian state from Ladoga to Kyiv.

At the same time, the king-prince in Kyiv divided possessions between relatives and allied kings for their “feeding”. So, Igor_Ingvar gave Novgorod to his son Svyatoslav, Vyshgorod to his wife Olga, and the Drevlyan lands to King Sveneld. Every winter, as soon as the rivers and swamps froze, the kings went to the “polyudye” - they traveled around their lands (made a “circle”), judged, settled disputes, collected a “lesson”. This is what the kings did in Scandinavia during similar detours. As the chronicler reports, back in the 12th century. the sleigh on which Princess Olga rode to Polyudye was kept in Pskov; but, apparently, spring found her in Pskov and the sleigh had to be abandoned there. They also punished the tribes that had “sat aside” over the summer: relations with the local Slavic tribal elite among the Varangians were difficult for a long time, until its elite began to merge with the Scandinavian warriors. It is generally accepted that the process of merging the Slavic and Varangian elites occurred no earlier than the beginning of the 11th century, when five generations of rulers, already born in Rus', changed. Exactly the same process of assimilation took place in other lands conquered by the Vikings - in France (Normandy), Ireland.

Igor died during the usual polyud in those days in 945, when, having collected tribute in the land of the Drevlyans, he was not satisfied with it and returned for more. According to another version, the Drevlyansky land was in the power of King Sveneld. When he and his men appeared in Kyiv in rich outfits taken from the Drevlyans, Igor’s squad was overcome with envy. Igor went to the capital of the Drevlyans - the city of Iskorosten - to take tribute for himself. The inhabitants of Iskorosten were outraged by this lawlessness, grabbed the prince, tied him by the legs to two bent mighty trees and released them. This is how Igor died ingloriously.

After the death of Grand Duke Oleg, the Drevlyans tried to separate themselves from Kyiv. Prince Igor Rurikovich pacified them and imposed an even greater tribute than under Oleg. Voivode Sveneld received Drevlyan taxes as a reward from Igor for the conquest of the Uglich people and the capture of their city Peresechen.

Prince Igor's internal policy was mainly aimed at pacifying the disturbances of various Slavic tribes.

In 913, Igor planned to raid the Caspian inhabitants. The path lay through the Khazar possessions along the Volga. For a promise to give half of the spoils, the Khazar Kagan let the Russians through. But on the way back of the victors, the Khazars decided to take possession of all the spoils, and most of the Russian army was exterminated, and almost all of those who survived died in the fight against the Bulgarians.

At the end of the 9th century, hordes of nomadic Pechenegs appeared in the neighborhood of the Slavic tribes, and Prince Igor was the first to defend his regions from them. In 915, Prince Igor concluded a peace treaty with them, which lasted 5 years, and later (in 944) entered into an alliance with them against the Greeks. But basically in Russian-Greek relations the Pechenegs sided with the Greeks.

In 941, Prince Igor decided, following the example of Oleg, to make a big campaign against Byzantium, this time to the Asian shores of the empire. But the Danube Bulgarians, seeing Russian ships in the Black Sea, reported this to the emperor. The Greeks gathered forces, equipped ships and set out against the enemy. In a cruel naval battle The Russians could not withstand the “Greek fire” and were defeated.

Igor wanted to atone for the shame of his defeat and in 944, having hired the Pechenegs, he again moved to Greece. This time the Byzantine emperor did not engage the Russians in battle, but paid off with rich gifts. The following year, Prince Igor concluded a peace treaty with the Greeks.

In foreign policy, Prince Igor pursued trade benefits and various benefits for Russian merchants in Byzantium.

In his old age, Igor Rurikovich did not go to polyudye (tribute collection) himself, but entrusted this task to Sveneld, to which his warriors were indignant. Having listened to them, Prince Igor went to the land of the Drevlyans to collect tribute, and he and his squad resorted to violence. On the way back to Kyiv, deciding that they had not collected enough tribute, they decided to return for repeated exactions.

Such a campaign by Prince Igor against the Drevlyans led to his death. The Drevlyans killed his detachment and killed the prince himself. There is news that the Drevlyans, having bent the trunks of two trees, tied the prince to them, released them, and he was torn into two parts.

After the death of Prince Igor in 945, his wife Princess Olga took control, because their son Svyatoslav was still small. She was very smart, determined, and of a strong character. Olga, resorting to cunning, brutally took revenge on the Drevlyans for the murder of Prince Igor.

Igor Rurikovich

The Tale of Bygone Years is silent about the year of Igor’s birth. In other chronicle sources there are serious discrepancies when “Rurik’s son was born.” The most probable year of birth of Igor, according to the Raskolnichy Chronicle, which V.N. refers to. Tatishchev, is considered to be 875. Then it turns out that Igor, at the very least, only waited until he was 37 years old until his guardian died and handed over the reins of government that were due to him as the son of Rurik. However, not all historians unconditionally believe that Igor? son of Rurik, suggesting that the chronicler missed one generation when reporting events, but in fact Rurik was Igor’s grandfather.

Oleg left him a huge rich country, showing by his own example how to manage it.

A number of historians associate the name of Oleg's successor with the Scandinavian Ingvarr. For example, L.N. wrote about this as a matter of course. Gumilev. However, it is difficult to agree with this.

The recording of the name of the Kyiv ruler in Byzantine sources of the 10th century does not provide grounds for such assumptions: ????? or, in Latin transcription, Iggor. Liutprand of Cremona, the Italian ambassador in Constantinople and a contemporary of the Russian prince, calls him “King of the Rus Inger.” Konstantin Porphyrogenitus, who ruled at the same time as Prince Igor, renders his name as Ingor. This is where parallels arose, first noted by V.N. Tatishchev, with the self-name of the West Finnish people Izhora? "ingry".

Other options for the self-name of this people? inkeroin, izhoralain, karyaline, izhora, inkeroin, iћora, iћoralain, ingrian, ingerisoomlased. The language of the Izhoras, who lived south of the Karelian Isthmus, is related to Karelian and Finnish, and culturally and ethnically this people is close to the Karelians. Once upon a time they were a numerous people, mention of which is even present in the papal bull Alexandra III to the Swedish first Bishop of Uppsala, Stephen, written between 1164 and 1189. Now there are less than 400 Izhorians in Russia, and the Izhorian language was included by UNESCO in 2009 in the Atlas of Endangered Languages ​​of the World.

Representatives of the Izhora (Ingri) people, as one can assume, were among those who participated in the calling of Rurik to reign. It is possible that Igor is considered the son of Rurik according to the chronicle tradition, but in fact he was from this tribe of Finno-Ugric origin, which participated in the creation of the Russian state. Indirect confirmation that Igor might not have been the son of Rurik is the enumeration of the rulers by the Kiev Metropolitan Hilarion: “... The great kagan of our land Volodimer, the grandson of the old Igor, the son of the glorious Svyatoslav, who is also ruling in his own right, with courage and Having served with bravery in many countries, and victories and bravery are remembered today? and say. Not bad? bo and nev?dom? the land of your dominion, in Rus?, even at home and heard by all four ends of the earth" ( “...The Grand Duke of our land Vladimir, the grandson of ancient Igor, the son of the glorious Svyatoslav, who, in their days of power, were known for their courage and bravery in many countries, their victories and power are remembered and glorified to this day. After all, they ruled not in an unknown and bad land, but in<земле>Russian, which is known in all the four corners of the earth that have been heard about her.”).

Both Rurik and Oleg are absent from this listing, and “old Igor” is considered the founder of the dynasty of Russian princes. By the time the Metropolitan wrote his “Sermon on Law and Grace,” a fragment of which has just been reproduced, only about a hundred years had passed since Igor’s death. Of course, Metropolitan Hilarion had certain information about his life.

If we accept the assumption that Igor was from the Izhora tribe, then this will mean the Finno-Ugric origin of the dynasty of Russian princes, who are called the descendants of Rurik, only paying tribute to tradition and existing stereotypes. Well, then it turns out that the ruling dynasty was formed by one of the peoples who stood at the origins of Russian statehood and inhabited the territory that from the very beginning became integral part the emerging country. In other words, the rulers of that period were autochthonous towards their people.

However, such a conclusion about the autochthony of the princely family would also be fair if we consider Rurik, who came to the Ilmen region from the southern Baltic, to be the progenitor of the Russian princes, since among those who invited him were the same Slavic tribes who had migrated earlier, from where Rurik himself was supposedly from.

During Igor's time there are no mentions of conflicts with a neighboring state? Volga Bulgaria.

The Volga Bulgars created their state on the Kama (at the confluence with the Volga was their capital Bulgar) at about the same time. Around the 7th century, the Bulgarian tribes wandering in the Azov region were divided under the pressure of the Khazar Kaganate. Some of them continued to wander, others headed to the Danube, where they subjugated the local Slavic tribes and gave them their name. Another part rose to the Volga region, where they created their own state. The main occupations of the Volga Bulgars were agriculture, cattle breeding, and trade. On high level craft was developed. At the beginning of the 10th century (from 920), Islam became the state religion.

It is believed that for some time Volga Bulgaria was in vassal relations with the Khazar Kaganate.

The following episode speaks eloquently about the standard of living of the population of Bulgaria. After Vladimir's campaign in 985 (he was Igor's grandson) against the Volga Bulgars, his governor Dobrynya told his prince that he needed to look for another place to search for tributaries. The captured Bulgars were wearing boots, but it would be better, in Dobrynya’s opinion, to fight with the Lapotniks, that is, with the Slavic or Meryan peoples. Apparently, the campaign against the Bulgars was not very successful.

This episode is not limited to the chronicle information about military actions between the Slavs and Bulgars. Local military conflicts gave way to mutually beneficial trade relations. Both peoples suffered a crushing defeat as a result of the invasion of Batu's troops. Then the descendants of the Volga Bulgars will be called Kazan Tatars, and for some time they will restore their statehood. The Kazan Khanate will be included in Russia by Ivan the Terrible. The Chuvash also consider the Bulgars their ancestors.

It is curious that in April 2010, an appeal appeared to the President of Tatarstan and the republican parliament with a request to add the word “Bulgaria” to the name of the Republic of Tatarstan.

It was not the urban artisans and merchants who lived in Bulgaria who could pose a danger to Igor. The situation could have become more complicated in 915, when the Pechenegs appeared, posing a serious threat to Kyiv. N.M. Karamzin wrote about them: “strong in numbers, terrible in insolence and robbery.”

We must pay tribute to Igor, he was able to resolve this issue through diplomatic means: “... Pechenzi... made peace with Igor and came to the Danube.” However, 5 years after the first meeting, in 920, as the chronicler reported, Igor finally came to the point of military action against the Pechenegs.

At the same time, Igor inherited unresolved issues. The main problem, apparently, remained dependence on the Khazars.

Arab historian Al Masudi, referred to by E.V. Pchelov writes that the Rus and Slavs served the Khazar king and were even in his army.

B.D. Grekov cites reports about the campaigns of Igor’s troops on the coast of the Caspian Sea in 913 and 943.

Having gone down the Dnieper into the Black Sea, the ships entered the Sea of ​​Azov and went up the Don. In the area somewhat south of modern Volgograd, the ships were dragged to the Volga (now the Volga-Don Canal has been dug around this place) and descended along the Volga to the Caspian Sea. The easiest and most comfortable roads of all times? on water. On the Caspian coast there were rich cities of the Shirvan kingdom, whose names sounded like fairy tale: Gilyam, Deylem, Tabaristan, Abeskun. Al Masudi writes about the heroic achievements of Russian soldiers: “they shed blood, captured women and children, robbed property, destroyed and burned houses.”

Chronicle news is interpreted differently by historians.

B.D. Grekov views the 913 campaign to the Caspian simply as an unsuccessful military enterprise. The Khazars allowed Russian squads through their territory, entering into an agreement with them on the division of future military spoils. They got their half, but the fact that the Russians failed not only to bring their trophies home, but even almost all of them were killed on their way? the fault lies in the fickle fortunes of war.

There is another point of view, L.N. Gumilyov. He believed that the campaign itself was initiated by the Khazars. They also organized the extermination of the surviving Russian warriors who were no longer needed by them, seizing for themselves all the spoils of war.

Al Masudi writes that the Russians were exterminated by Muslims who served in the Khazar army, in retaliation for the atrocities among the Muslim population on the Caspian coast.

If this is so, then the guiding hand of the Khazar rulers is still visible to the naked eye. When the Khazars allowed Russian troops into the Caspian Sea, no one could have any doubt about what would happen in the Caspian cities and villages. Next, it was necessary to find a pretext and executors to eliminate the Slavic warriors who had already done their job.

Arabic sources cited by G.V. Vernadsky, what is the number of dead Russians? 30 thousand people.

Let’s try to understand what interests the Slavic state could have, which arose “on the way from the Varangians to the Greeks” and included the Baltic coast, Novgorod lands and territories along the Dnieper. The southern directions to Byzantium and the northern ones to the Baltic and White Seas could be attractive. To expand the volume of trade, expansion into the northeastern and Volga lands was possible, which could provide traditional goods for Russian export: furs, wax, honey. This is approximately how the Russian state subsequently developed. It turns out that none of this happened on the shores of the distant Caspian Sea. But it was beneficial for the Khazars to weaken their neighbors and competitors in trade matters. If we analyze the previous and subsequent history of the relationship between the Kyiv state and Khazaria, we immediately remember the desire of Oleg, Igor’s predecessor, to “take revenge on the foolish Khazars,” and the subsequent defeat of the Khazar Kaganate by Svyatoslav, Igor’s son.

It is unlikely that the Slavs under Igor would have entered into agreements with the Khazars on their own initiative, and even in order to make a long, dangerous and risky campaign, reaching, as B.D. wrote. Grekov, to Baku. So the Caspian campaigns could well have been a consequence of the political dependence of the emerging Russian state on the rulers of Khazaria, who forced the Slavs to fight and die for their interests.

Historians have conflicting information about the second campaign to the Caspian Sea. According to research by G.V. Vernadsky and L.N. Gumilev, the Russians managed to capture the Berdaa fortress in the lower reaches of the Kura, but no one returned to Rus'. From the point of view of B.D. Grekov, after capturing the fortress they managed to bring the loot home. It is also said that it took place not in 943, but in 945, after the death of Igor. E.V. Pchelov draws attention to the fact that the purpose of the campaign may have been not only to obtain trophies, but also to annex new territories to the Russian state.

Igor's campaigns against Constantinople date back to 941 and 943. Constantinople? This is the traditional direction of interests of the Russian state.

However, the attempt to act by force against Byzantium ended in failure.

The campaign of 941 ended in complete defeat, despite the fact that “scarty 10 thousand” (“10 thousand ships”) were equipped? 5 times more than Oleg had.

How the Russians conducted military operations, the Tale of Bygone Years reports: “... Some were crucified, while others, setting them as a target, were shot with arrows, wringing their hands back, tied them up and drove iron nails into their heads. They set fire to many holy churches and seized a lot of wealth on both banks of the Court.”

After the land battles, as the chronicles write, only one naval battle took place, in which the Greek admiral “set me on fire and began to shoot fire with pipes at the Russian boats. And it looks like a scary miracle. Rus', seeing the flames, plunged into the sea water, wanting to be removed, and so the others returned to their own. Those who came to their land again told each of them about the past and the fires of the Ice. “Like mologna?” speech, ? like in heaven, to have grace in yourself and, forgiving this, we are alive, and for this reason we will not overpower them" ( “I met them in boats with fire and began to shoot fire at the Russian boats with pipes. And a terrible miracle was seen. The Russians, seeing the flames, threw themselves into the sea water, trying to escape, and so those who remained returned home. And when they came to their land, they told? each to his own? about what happened and about the rook fire. “Like lightning from heaven?” they said, ? The Greeks have them and, letting her in, they burned us; That’s why they didn’t overcome them.”).

After the sadistic reprisals against the population of the coast, Igor’s soldiers actually thought Greek fire was a “terrible miracle.” What did this weapon actually look like? unknown. Various assumptions are now being made, various design schemes are proposed, but so far there is no clarity on this issue.

Almost all Russian boats “were burned in the middle of the waves of the sea.” The surviving Russian soldiers were captured and executed.

Foreign sources also described this campaign. They are referred to by E.V. Bees. A description of the naval battle is in the work of the Cremonese bishop Liudprand “Retribution”. He writes that “Russian prisoners... Romanus [basileus, that is, the emperor of Byzantium] ordered to be beheaded.” The entry in the Byzantine Chronography also speaks of the battle on June 11, 941. The same number of Russian ships is indicated (one thousand units). Almost in the same terms as in the Russian chronicle, Russian cruelties among the Byzantine population and their destruction in a naval battle are described. This suggests that the chronicler may have used Byzantine sources when compiling the Tale of Bygone Years.

L.N. Gumilev suggests that the campaign itself was caused by the demand of the Khazars, from whom Igor was in vassal dependence.

The basis for such assumptions is a document whose authenticity is not disputed in the scientific world. It is a private letter from a certain Khazar Jew, a subject of the Khazar king Joseph. Counts authentic document X century and is kept at the University of Cambridge. In this regard, this letter is called the Cambridge Document.

This letter describes the following sequence of events, which is outlined, for example, by E.V. Bees.

The Byzantine Emperor Roman, in response to the persecution of Christians in Khazaria, gave rich gifts to the Russian ruler Khalgu and encouraged him to attack the Khazar city of Samkerts (as Tmutarakan was then called). The Khazar governor of Kerch (his name was Pesakh) in response began to ravage the Byzantine possessions in the Crimea, then defeated Khalga and forced him to attack Constantinople. The result of the use of “Greek fire” is described in Russian chronicles, Byzantine chronicles and in the work of the Cremona bishop with the eloquent title “Retribution”. After this, Khalgu went to Paras (Persia), where his entire army died. Then Rus' submitted to the Khazars.

An expedition to Persia means a trip to Berdaa.

There are questions about Halgu. This may be the name of a Russian commander who commanded military operations. Could this be the middle name (or rather, title) of Prince Igor? Light, Holy, Prophetic or Wise. Based on the fact that Oleg (“Prophetic Oleg”) who ruled before him and Olga (“wise Princess Olga”) and Yaroslav (“wise Prince Yaroslav”) who ruled after him were also characterized in the same way, we can assume that this was a unique tradition.

It is known about the second campaign against Constantinople that it did not come to the use of weapons. And did Igor have any intention of fighting just three years after the terrible defeat by the Byzantines and a year after the second Caspian campaign?

Ordinary common sense dictates the impossibility of seizing by force the capital of the empire, located on the opposite shore of the Black Sea. A military expedition over such distances leads to stretched communications, deterioration of supplies, and irreparable losses of personnel.

If there is no point in fighting, then it is necessary to maintain peaceful relations and trade, which is beneficial to both peoples. It is natural to assume that both Igor and the Byzantine emperor understood this simple truth.

Igor’s squad spoke in the same spirit: “What else do we need? without fighting, take gold, and silver, and pavoloks? Does anyone know? who to overcome: us or them? Or who is in alliance with the sea? We are not walking on land, but in the depths of the sea: death is common to all.” It should be taken into account that the memory of the “Greek fire” was still fresh.

In Igor’s second campaign, Rus', Varangians, Polyans, Slavs (Slovenians), and Pechenegs took part. Several circumstances are noteworthy in this listing. It is immediately noticeable that the Russians not only fought with the steppe inhabitants, but were able to negotiate and act as allies. IN in this case The Pechenegs act together with the Russians. Later, their place will be taken by the Polovtsians. The second thing that catches your eye is ? this is that Rus' and the Varangians are named separately. Rus? this, apparently, was a princely squad, an elite army, which included both Scandinavians and Slavs, and the Varangians? These are hired additional forces. Thirdly, the Slavic tribes (Dnieper glades and Ilmen Slavs) and Rus' are also separately named. In the first case, the militia is probably meant, in the second? professional "guard".

Diplomats and merchants took part in the negotiations. For the sake of streamlining trade and obtaining financial benefits, all these campaigns were started. The way the negotiators presented themselves is worth mentioning: “We? from the Russian family, ambassadors and merchants, Ivor, ambassador of Igor, the Grand Duke of Russia, and general ambassadors: Vuefast from Svyatoslav, son of Igor, Iskusevi from Princess Olga, Sludy from Igor, nephew Igor Uleb from Volodislav, Kanitsar from Predslava, Shikhbern Sfandr from his wife Uleba, Prasten Turodov, Libiar Fastov, Grim Sfirkov, Prasten Akun, nephew Igorev, Kary Tudkov, Karshev Turodov, Egri Evliskov, Voist Voikov, Istr Amindov, Yatvyag Gunarev, Shibrid Aldan, Kol Klekov, Steggy Etonov, Sfirka... Alvad Gudov , Fudri Tulbov; Mutor Utin, merchants Adun, Adolb, Angivlad, Uleb, Frutan, Gomol, Kutsi, Emig, Turbrid, Fursten, Bruny, Roald, Gunastre, Frasten, Ingeld, Turbern and other Turbern, Uleb, Turben, Mony, Ruald, Sven, Stir , Aldan, Tiliy, Apubkar, Sven, Vuzelev, Sinko birich, sent from Igor, the Grand Duke of Russia, and from all the princes, and from all the people of the Russian land.”

The names of the ambassadors “from the whole Russian land” also contain clearly Slavic names: Uleb from Volodislav (maybe Gleb, a warrior who adopted a Christian name?), Kanitsar from Predslava. Many names are presented in the Slavic manner, as if by first name and patronymic: Prasten Turodov, Libiar Fastov, Grim Sfirkov, Karshev Turodov, Voist Voykov...

Igor's treaty with Byzantium was concluded on April 20, 944. Igor's ambassadors to Byzantium drew up an agreement with the emperor. The imperial ambassadors also arrived in Kyiv with them. On Perunov Hill, mutual oaths were taken to comply with the concluded agreement.

There is evidence that a fairly large number of Russians were baptized. At the conclusion of the agreement, “in the cathedral church they swore by the Church of St. Elijah,” while those who retained the pagan faith swore by their weapons. The contract specifies higher power as guarantors of its observance: “If any of the princes or Russian people, Christians or non-Christians, violates what is written in this charter,? may he be worthy to die from his weapon and may he be cursed by God and by Perun for breaking his oath.”

The Greeks paid the Slavs a certain amount (perhaps in compensation for the damage caused). The agreement concluded by the parties in 944 concerns the streamlining of trade relations and military obligations of the Slavs in relation to Byzantium.

Igor's treaty with Constantinople in 944 was much less beneficial for Rus' than the previous one. Perhaps, if we accept the version of L.N. Gumilyov, Igor’s adherence to Khazar politics and military weakness affected.

The show of force worsened the situation of the Russian merchants. If, according to the agreement with Oleg, the Byzantines did not collect trade duties from them, now customs duties have been resumed. But the reason could also be purely economic: the market was saturated, and benefits for Russian goods lost their meaning.

Russian troops were obliged to defend Byzantine possessions in Crimea from the Bulgarians. Perhaps the sum of money that the Greeks paid to Igor represented payment for military-allied assistance.

While the Russian prince was raiding the Caspian Sea and Constantinople in search of military booty, the process of enslaving the peasants was taking shape in Europe. King of England Athelstan, by his decree in 930, obliged every free person to find a master? lord. In France, a similar edict on attaching peasants to a lord was issued even earlier, under King Charles the Bald, who reigned in 875–877. The enslavement of the peasants meant the economic necessity of peasant labor to create the basis public life. A productive economy was beginning to emerge in Western Europe.

The chronicle legend about the death of Igor in the Drevlyan land in the winter of 945 is widely known. Having collected tribute, he returned to the Drevlyans with a small personal retinue and demanded more tribute. The Drevlyans tried to explain to Igor that he was wrong: “Why are you going again? You took all the tribute.” The prince continued to insist. A possible argument could be that the Drevlyans did not participate in the campaign against Byzantium; they are not listed in the list of militia participants. Igor could not convince his tributaries. The indignant Drevlyans said that if a wolf gets into the habit of walking into the herd, he will not rest until he drags everyone out. These words became a sentence for the prince. They executed him according to the Slavic custom of that time: they bent two trees, tied them to his feet and released him. A message about the method of execution was left by the Byzantine historian Leo the Deacon: “... Having gone on a campaign against the Germans, he was captured by them, tied to tree trunks and torn into pieces.” For the Byzantine historian, the distant Drevlyans were not much different from the almost equally distant Germans, so he, having in mind one, writes about the other.

There are many assumptions about the real reason Igor's death. There is an opinion that the Khazars demanded an increased tribute from Igor, and he simply had nowhere to go. This version is somewhat complemented by the assumption of L.N. Gumilyov that Igor was killed not by the Drevlyans themselves, but by his own governor Sveneld together with his son Mstislav Lyuty (by the way, what is the nickname of the governor’s son! Back then they didn’t give names so easily). The Drevlyans were in the possession of Sveneld, and Igor violated the rights (legal, and most importantly? property) of his associate, which led him to such a sad end.

G.V. Vernadsky suggests that Sveneld was the commander of a Varangian detachment hired for the second campaign against Byzantium. Tribute from the Drevlyans went to pay for his services. The second tribute was intended for their own needs.

In this episode, can you pay attention to the father’s name (possibly Varangian or Scandinavian) and Slavic? son. This reflects the process of assimilation and Slavification of the Varangians who served under the Russian princes.

B.D. also mentions the plausibility of the version that Igor was killed by Sveneld’s son, Mstislav Lyuty. Grekov. Judging by the chronicle presentation of the reproaches of the prince’s warriors: “the youth of Svenelzhi were armed with weapons and ports, and we are Nazis” ( “Sveneld’s warriors have rich clothes and weapons, but we are naked”), the governor was indeed rich, powerful, and therefore capable of resolving his contradictions with the prince by force. The chronicle cites these words of the warriors to explain the repeated campaign against the Drevlyans for tribute.

Assumptions about Sveneld's involvement in the murder of Prince Igor leave aside the fact that Olga took revenge for the death of her husband on the Drevlyans and only the Drevlyans. Apparently, the reasons for Igor’s death were his greed and neglect of “safety precautions” when collecting tribute.

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From the book History of Rus' author author unknown

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From the book Satirical History from Rurik to the Revolution author Orsher Joseph Lvovich

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From the book Rus' and its Autocrats author Anishkin Valery Georgievich

IGOR RURIKOVICH (b. unknown - d. 945) Prince of Kiev (912–945). The ancestor of the Russian princes, the so-called Rurikovichs. In politics he continued the work of Oleg, but, apparently, had neither military talent nor the talent of a ruler. Contributed to the strengthening of statehood

Before 912 Kievan Rus Prince Oleg ruled on behalf of Igor, since the latter was still very young. Being modest by nature and upbringing, Igor respected his elders and did not dare to lay claim to the throne during the life of Oleg, who surrounded his name with a halo of glory for his deeds. Prince Oleg approved the choice of wife for the future ruler. Prince of Kyiv Igor married in 903 a simple girl, Olga, who lived near Pskov.

Beginning of reign

After Oleg died, Igor became the full-fledged prince of Rus'. His reign began with war. At this time, the Drevlyan tribe decided to leave the power of Kyiv and the uprising began. The new ruler brutally punished the rebels, inflicting a crushing defeat on them. This battle began numerous campaigns of Prince Igor. The result of the campaign against the Drevlyans was the unconditional victory of Rus', which, as a winner, demanded additional tribute from the rebels. The following campaigns were aimed at confronting the Pechenegs, who, having expelled the Ugor tribes from the Urals, continued their advance to the West. The Pechenegs, in the fight against Kievan Rus, occupied the lower reaches of the Dnieper River, thereby blocking the trade opportunities of Rus', since it was through the Dnieper that the route from the Varangians to the Greeks passed. The campaigns carried out by Prince Igor against the Polovtsians met with varying success.

Campaigns against Byzantium

Despite the ongoing confrontation with the Cumans, new wars continue. In 941, Igor declares war on Byzantium, thereby continuing foreign policy predecessors. The reason for the new war was that after the death of Oleg, Byzantium considered itself free from previous obligations and ceased to fulfill the terms of the peace treaty. The campaign against Byzantium was truly outstanding. For the first time, such a large army was advancing on the Greeks. The Kiev ruler took with him about 10,000 ships, according to the chroniclers, which was 5 times more than the army with which Oleg won. But this time the Russians failed to take the Greeks by surprise; they managed to gather a large army and won the first battle on land. As a result, the Russians decided to win the war naval battles. But this did not work out either. Byzantine ships, using a special incendiary mixture, began to burn Russian ships with oil. Russian warriors were simply amazed by these weapons and perceived them as heavenly. The army had to return to Kyiv.

Two years later, in 943, Prince Igor organized a new campaign against Byzantium. This time the army was even larger. In addition to the Russian army, mercenary detachments were invited, which consisted of Pechenegs and Varangians. The army moved towards Byzantium by sea and land. The new campaigns promised to be successful. But the surprise attack failed. Representatives of the city of Chersonesus managed to report to the Byzantine emperor that a new large Russian army was approaching Constantinople. This time the Greeks decided to avoid battle and proposed a new peace treaty. The Kiev prince Igor, after consulting with his squad, accepted the terms of the peace treaty, which were identical to the terms of the agreement signed by the Byzantines with Oleg. This completed the Byzantine campaigns.

End of the reign of Prince Igor

According to records in the chronicles, in November 945, Igor gathered a squad and moved to the Drevlyans to collect tribute. Having collected tribute, he released most of the army and with a small squad went to the city Iskorosten. The purpose of this visit was to demand tribute for himself personally. The Drevlyans were outraged and planned murder. Having armed the army, they set off to meet the prince and his retinue. This is how the murder of the Kyiv ruler took place. His body was buried not far from Iskorosten. According to legend, the murder was characterized by extreme cruelty. He was tied hand and foot to bent trees. Then the trees were released... Thus ended the reign of Prince Igor...