A Cross For Sviatoslav
Olga of Kiev
Conversion of Rus part 1
Princess Olga was the first Rus' ruler to convert to Christianity, either in 945 or in 957. The ceremonies of her formal reception in Constantinople were minutely described by Emperor Constantine VII in his book De Ceremoniis. Following her baptism she took the Christian name Yelena, after the reigning Empress Helena Lekapena.
Olga was able to convince her son, Sviatoslav to convert to Christianity in 960, he was finally baptized in 960. Olga of Kiev looked for a marriage alliance after his conversion and a Bohemian alliance seemed good and she sent emmisaries to Boleslav I of Bohemia and once they arrived they told Boleslav of Bohemia that Olga of Kiev is interested in a marriage alliance between the Rus and Bohemia. Boleslav I of Bohemia agreed with the marriage alliance and said , "I am so honored to be allied with a pious Christian Queen" and sent his daughter Doubravka of Bohemia to Kiev in 964 and her retinue included Jordan, who was one of the first christian priests in Kievan Rus, once she arrived in Kiev in 965, Sviatoslav married Doubravka of Bohemia and she was amazed of her new Husband, Sviatoslav and she was very excited of what will happen in her marriage and at the same time Sviatoslav became the Prince of Kiev. Doubravka of Bohemia and Olga of Kiev were known to get along well and the two focused on Christianizing the Kievan Rus. Olga said to Doubravka of Bohemia, "You will be a great consort and co-ruler like me one day " and in return Doubravka said "of course". Kievan Rus started to Christianize due to the conversion of Olga to christianity and the marriage of Sviatoslav and Doubravka of Bohemia. Adalbert of Magdeburg and Jordan, both made an effort to promote christianity in Kievian Rus due to them being at the side of Doubravka and Olga, the Christianization of Kievian Rus happened. Doubravka of Bohemia gave birth to a twins one girl and a boy in 966, a year after their marriage that she named the boy Vyacheslav and the girl Anna. Boleslav I of Bohemia was happy about the birth of his grandson. Olga of Kiev and Doubravka of Bohemia established many churches in Kievan Rus. Boleslav I of Bohemia annexes Kalis and the surrounding areas in the year 967 from the control of Polans, Prince Boleslav of Bohemia marries a daughter of Otto I, Princess Matilda of Germany.
In 968, Boleslav I of Bohemia invites Olga for a meeting with Otto I, the Holy Roman Emperor, she told the Emperor that the Rus was easily christianized and Otto I had Pope Leo VIII give him a crown in order to be recognized as the King of Rus and thus Sviatoslav became known as King Sviatoslav I of Rus and Doubravka of Bohemia became Queen and the crown was made for Sviatoslav, the crown was shining and Sviatoslav really wants to wear it and the crown was made with gold and silver. Boleslav I of Bohemia and Otto I's problem is the christianization of the Wends in the North Bohemia, West of Rus and East of the Holy Roman Empire but that did not seem to be a problem and also Otto I had Pope Leo VIII recognize Boleslav I of Bohemia as the King of Bohemia and because of that Boleslav I of Bohemia became Boleslav I, the King of Bohemia.
In the meantime in the 960’s, Mesek of the tribe of Polans was trying to forge an alliance with the other Wendish tribes against Bohemia, Rus and the Holy Roman Empire and succesfully forges an alliance with the Sorbs but the days of the pagan slavic tribes are numbered, a man from Pomerania named Boguslav is fighting the other pagan slavic tribes in order to unite Pomerania, he was successful in doing so in 966 and he converted to Christianity and becomes Bogislav I of Pomerania, the first Christian duke of Pomerania.
In 968, Harald Bluetooth of Denmark converted to Christianity and sought the hand of the Grand daughter of Queen Mother Olga of Kiev for Prince Sweyn of Denmark and sent emmisaries to Olga of Kiev accepted the betrothal and had Anna of Kiev betrothed to Prince Sweyn of Denmark.
In 969, Queen Mother, Olga of Rus and Queen Doubravka sent emmisaries to the Ruler of the Khazars, Joseph of Khazaria, this was to improve the relations between Khazaria and Kievan Rus, in the mean time Sviatoslav was very much happy about his wife, Doubravka because she was very caring about their subjects and also she is very charismatic and beautiful that her subjects like her very much and that she taking care of their two children, Anna and Vyacheslav.
It has been decided that Anna of Kiev, the daughter of Doubravka will be married to Sweyn of Denmark because Harald Bluetooth asked Queen Mother Olga of Kiev to marry her to Sweyn of Denmark in order for Rus and Denmark to be allies but Doubravka really wanted to prevent a marriage between Sweyn of Denmark and Anna and Doubravka felt that Sviatoslav is very much dependent on his mother on his decisions but Sviatoslav insisted to Doubravka that the marriage should push through and it will be for the good of the Kingdom of Rus and Doubravka agreed, Sviatoslav become very pious after the marriage with Doubravka and also he became acquainted with the Christian monarchs of Germany and Bohemia.
The Rus Slavic Subjects of Sviatoslav and Doubravka loved Doubravka very much and Doubravka felt at home with her slavic subjects.
In the mean time in 969 in Bohemia, Boleslav I of Bohemia strengthened the control in Cracovia, Calisia, Sandomir and Silesia and Matilda of Germany, the wife of Prince Boleslav gave birth to a son named Vratislav in June 4, 969, Boleslav I was very happy at the birth of a heir of his own son, Doubravka told Boleslav athat she is doing fine as the Queen of Rus and that he should not be worried and everything will be fine as she and she will try her best to be a good queen of her kingdom.
Olga of Kiev
Conversion of Rus part 1
Princess Olga was the first Rus' ruler to convert to Christianity, either in 945 or in 957. The ceremonies of her formal reception in Constantinople were minutely described by Emperor Constantine VII in his book De Ceremoniis. Following her baptism she took the Christian name Yelena, after the reigning Empress Helena Lekapena.
Olga was able to convince her son, Sviatoslav to convert to Christianity in 960, he was finally baptized in 960. Olga of Kiev looked for a marriage alliance after his conversion and a Bohemian alliance seemed good and she sent emmisaries to Boleslav I of Bohemia and once they arrived they told Boleslav of Bohemia that Olga of Kiev is interested in a marriage alliance between the Rus and Bohemia. Boleslav I of Bohemia agreed with the marriage alliance and said , "I am so honored to be allied with a pious Christian Queen" and sent his daughter Doubravka of Bohemia to Kiev in 964 and her retinue included Jordan, who was one of the first christian priests in Kievan Rus, once she arrived in Kiev in 965, Sviatoslav married Doubravka of Bohemia and she was amazed of her new Husband, Sviatoslav and she was very excited of what will happen in her marriage and at the same time Sviatoslav became the Prince of Kiev. Doubravka of Bohemia and Olga of Kiev were known to get along well and the two focused on Christianizing the Kievan Rus. Olga said to Doubravka of Bohemia, "You will be a great consort and co-ruler like me one day " and in return Doubravka said "of course". Kievan Rus started to Christianize due to the conversion of Olga to christianity and the marriage of Sviatoslav and Doubravka of Bohemia. Adalbert of Magdeburg and Jordan, both made an effort to promote christianity in Kievian Rus due to them being at the side of Doubravka and Olga, the Christianization of Kievian Rus happened. Doubravka of Bohemia gave birth to a twins one girl and a boy in 966, a year after their marriage that she named the boy Vyacheslav and the girl Anna. Boleslav I of Bohemia was happy about the birth of his grandson. Olga of Kiev and Doubravka of Bohemia established many churches in Kievan Rus. Boleslav I of Bohemia annexes Kalis and the surrounding areas in the year 967 from the control of Polans, Prince Boleslav of Bohemia marries a daughter of Otto I, Princess Matilda of Germany.
In 968, Boleslav I of Bohemia invites Olga for a meeting with Otto I, the Holy Roman Emperor, she told the Emperor that the Rus was easily christianized and Otto I had Pope Leo VIII give him a crown in order to be recognized as the King of Rus and thus Sviatoslav became known as King Sviatoslav I of Rus and Doubravka of Bohemia became Queen and the crown was made for Sviatoslav, the crown was shining and Sviatoslav really wants to wear it and the crown was made with gold and silver. Boleslav I of Bohemia and Otto I's problem is the christianization of the Wends in the North Bohemia, West of Rus and East of the Holy Roman Empire but that did not seem to be a problem and also Otto I had Pope Leo VIII recognize Boleslav I of Bohemia as the King of Bohemia and because of that Boleslav I of Bohemia became Boleslav I, the King of Bohemia.
In the meantime in the 960’s, Mesek of the tribe of Polans was trying to forge an alliance with the other Wendish tribes against Bohemia, Rus and the Holy Roman Empire and succesfully forges an alliance with the Sorbs but the days of the pagan slavic tribes are numbered, a man from Pomerania named Boguslav is fighting the other pagan slavic tribes in order to unite Pomerania, he was successful in doing so in 966 and he converted to Christianity and becomes Bogislav I of Pomerania, the first Christian duke of Pomerania.
In 968, Harald Bluetooth of Denmark converted to Christianity and sought the hand of the Grand daughter of Queen Mother Olga of Kiev for Prince Sweyn of Denmark and sent emmisaries to Olga of Kiev accepted the betrothal and had Anna of Kiev betrothed to Prince Sweyn of Denmark.
In 969, Queen Mother, Olga of Rus and Queen Doubravka sent emmisaries to the Ruler of the Khazars, Joseph of Khazaria, this was to improve the relations between Khazaria and Kievan Rus, in the mean time Sviatoslav was very much happy about his wife, Doubravka because she was very caring about their subjects and also she is very charismatic and beautiful that her subjects like her very much and that she taking care of their two children, Anna and Vyacheslav.
It has been decided that Anna of Kiev, the daughter of Doubravka will be married to Sweyn of Denmark because Harald Bluetooth asked Queen Mother Olga of Kiev to marry her to Sweyn of Denmark in order for Rus and Denmark to be allies but Doubravka really wanted to prevent a marriage between Sweyn of Denmark and Anna and Doubravka felt that Sviatoslav is very much dependent on his mother on his decisions but Sviatoslav insisted to Doubravka that the marriage should push through and it will be for the good of the Kingdom of Rus and Doubravka agreed, Sviatoslav become very pious after the marriage with Doubravka and also he became acquainted with the Christian monarchs of Germany and Bohemia.
The Rus Slavic Subjects of Sviatoslav and Doubravka loved Doubravka very much and Doubravka felt at home with her slavic subjects.
In the mean time in 969 in Bohemia, Boleslav I of Bohemia strengthened the control in Cracovia, Calisia, Sandomir and Silesia and Matilda of Germany, the wife of Prince Boleslav gave birth to a son named Vratislav in June 4, 969, Boleslav I was very happy at the birth of a heir of his own son, Doubravka told Boleslav athat she is doing fine as the Queen of Rus and that he should not be worried and everything will be fine as she and she will try her best to be a good queen of her kingdom.
Last edited: