Sviatoslav I

Sviatoslav I

Sviatoslav I, also known as Svyatoslav I Igorevich, was Prince of Kiev from 945 until his death in 972. He was the son of Igor and had Olga as his mother, who ruled as regent until 962.

Sviatoslav is known for his many battles in the east and south. These battles helped end the rule of important powers like Khazaria and the First Bulgarian Empire.

During his time as ruler, Sviatoslav grew his lands quickly. He expanded into areas along the Volga River, the Pontic steppe, and the Balkans. This made his state the largest in Europe at the time. In 969, he moved his capital to Pereyaslavets on the Danube.

Unlike his mother, who became a Christian, Sviatoslav stayed a pagan his whole life. He died suddenly in an ambush. Because of this, many of his victories did not grow into a strong empire. After his death, a fight among his sons led to changes in leadership, with Vladimir becoming the sole ruler.

Name

The Primary Chronicle says Sviatoslav was the first ruler of the Kievan Rus' to have a name from the Slavic language. Before him, leaders had names from Old Norse culture. Some people think his name means “holy glory.” In Norse language, his name was written as Sveinald or Sveneld. The Greek writer Constantine VII called him Σφενδοσθλάβος in his book De Administrando Imperio.

Early life and personality

Almost nothing is known about Sviatoslav's childhood and youth, which he spent in Novgorod. His father, Igor, was killed by the Drevlians around 945, and his mother, Olga, ruled as regent in Kiev until Sviatoslav was old enough to take over around 963. Sviatoslav was taught by a Varangian named Asmud. He didn’t like managing things and spent most of his time with his warriors, fighting nearby lands.

According to the Primary Chronicle, Sviatoslav travelled simply. He didn’t carry wagons or cooking pots. Instead, he ate small pieces of meat cooked over hot coals. He also didn’t use a tent, sleeping on a horse blanket with his saddle as a pillow. His appearance was described by Leo the Deacon, who met him. Sviatoslav had bright eyes, was of average height but strong. He was mostly bald with a small beard and a bushy moustache, and wore a special tuft of hair called a sidelock to show he was noble. He liked to wear white clothes and had a large gold earring with a shiny gem and two pearls.

Religious beliefs

Sviatoslav's mother, Olga, became a Christian when she visited the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus in 957. But Sviatoslav stayed a pagan his whole life. In 971, Sviatoslav made peace with the Byzantine emperor John I Tzimiskes. They promised by their gods Perun and Veles. Sviatoslav thought that if he became a Christian, his soldiers would not respect him. He needed their support for his battles in many lands.

Family

Very little is known about Sviatoslav's family. Some records mention a woman named Predslava, who was one of the most noble women of the Rus' people. Historians are unsure if Sviatoslav was the oldest son of his parents.

Sviatoslav had several children. With his wives, he had Yaropolk and Oleg. With a woman named Malusha, he had Vladimir, who later helped the Rus' people change to follow Christianity. There is also mention of a person named Sfengus, but it is not certain if he was another son of Sviatoslav or related in some other way.

Children

Predslava

• Oleg of Drelinia (died 977?)
• Yaropolk I of Kiev (952–978)

Malusha

• Vladimir the Great (c. 958 – 1015)
• Sfengus?

Eastern campaigns

Sviatoslav began many battles after becoming the leader of Kiev. He wanted to make the land around the Volga River and the Pontic steppe part of his territory. His biggest success was defeating Khazaria, a strong state in Eastern Europe for many years.

Sviatoslav asked tribes near the Khazars to help him. He attacked tribes that did not join, like the Vyatichs, and made them pay taxes to Kievan Rus' instead of the Khazars. He traveled through the Oka and Volga rivers, fighting Volga Bulgaria with help from Oghuz and Pecheneg warriors. He destroyed the Khazar city of Sarkel and later their capital, Atil. These wins helped Kievan Rus' control important trade routes and change the land between forests and steppes.

Campaigns in the Balkans

Main article: Sviatoslav's invasion of Bulgaria

Prince Sviatoslav helped the Byzantine Empire fight against Bulgaria. He brought a large army and won against the Bulgarian ruler, taking control of northern Bulgaria.

Sviatoslav did not want to return the lands to the Byzantines. He moved his capital to a place called Pereyaslavets, which he thought was important for trade.

Later, Sviatoslav invaded Bulgaria again and captured some cities. The new Byzantine emperor asked him to leave, but he refused. After some battles, Sviatoslav had to leave Bulgaria and go home. His campaign did not help his people much, but it made the Bulgarian Empire weaker.

Death and aftermath

The Byzantine emperor wanted to stop peace with Sviatoslav, so he asked the Pecheneg leader Kurya to attack him. Even though Sveneld warned Sviatoslav about the dangerous Dnieper rapids, Sviatoslav was ambushed and killed near Khortytsia in 972.

After Sviatoslav’s death, his sons began fighting. Oleg and Yaropolk went to war, and Oleg was killed in 976. Later, Vladimir came back with an army of Varangians and took control, becoming the sole ruler of Kievan Rus'.

Art and literature

Sviatoslav is a popular hero in Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian culture because of his military success. Artists and writers began to focus on him during the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774).

Many works were created about Sviatoslav. Playwright Yakov Knyazhnin wrote a play called Olga in 1772, with Sviatoslav as the main character. Artist Ivan Akimov painted a scene of Sviatoslav returning from battle. In later years, more paintings, poems, and a statue were made to honor him. He also appears in books and films, such as the Soviet film The Legend of Princess Olga, which tells the story of his mother.

In 2011, a fisherman in Ukraine found an ancient sword in the Dnieper River. It might have belonged to Sviatoslav, or it might have belonged to another nobleman from that time.