Igor I of Kiev: Understanding Ukraine’s Past. — A Brief History.
The Grand Prince of Kiev and the father of Sviatoslav I.
Grand Prince Igor of Kiev, sometimes referred to as Igor the Old, was the son of Rurik, who had been the very first leader of the Rurik dynasty of the Rus’. Igor’s uncle, Oleg, had ruled after the death of his father, until Igor himself was ready to be Grand Prince. Igor became Grand Prince, after Oleg died a dramatic death due to kicking a horse’s skull, which is oddly similar to another tale I have already told in another piece. Igor is said to have been born anywhere from 860 to 875, depending on the source. The years of his rule are also often debated, although the generally believed answer is from 912, until his passing in 945.
Before ascending to the throne, Igor married Olga, who is arguably much better remembered than he is today, being considered a saint by many and also believed to be one of the first primary sources of Christianity in the lands of the Kievan Rus’. Olga’s conversion from Slavic Paganism happened after the passing of her husband, however, so it isn’t particularly relevant for our current story. Igor’s son, Sviatoslav I Igorevich, also known as Sviatoslav the Brave, was one of the most well known of the leader’s of the Kievan Rus’, as well as being the father of Vladimir the Great.
