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This Viking Princess Burned a City and Killed Those Who Suggested Remarriage
Olga of Kiev single-handedly defended her kingdom
Once upon a time in the Middle Ages in Eastern Europe, there was a federation of Slavic and Finno-Ugric peoples called Kievan Rus’. It covered parts of today’s Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.
Igor of Kiev, or Prince Igor as they called him, ruled it in the 10th century.
The prince and his wife Princess Olga were considered the most beautiful couple at the time. He was a powerful monarch and a wise military leader. And his wife who got married at 15 was a symbol of beauty, so they called her Ольга Прекрасная or simply Beautiful Olga.
They lived in Kiev (today’s capital of Ukraine) and the whole country talked about their love.
But happily-ever-after exists only in fairy tales. The downward spiral started when a Slavic tribe called Drevlians stopped paying tribute to Kiev. This happened when Igor’s guardian, Prince Oleg, passed away.
And so Kiev’s former ally with whom they battled against the Byzantine Empire turned into an enemy.
In 945, Prince Igor went to the Drevlian capital Iskorosten to convince them to pay tribute to Kievan Rus’ again.
