The Grand Duke Svyatoslav went down in history as the greatest statesman of the era, the greatest commander of the Middle Ages, comparable in scope to Alexander the Great, Hannibal and Caesar. Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich expanded the borders of Rus to the borders of the Caucasus and the Balkan Peninsula. According to the most minimal calculations of researchers, Svyatoslav's squads covered 8000-8500 km in campaigns for several years.
Some historians considered Svyatoslav's campaigns to be adventures that weakened the forces of Russia. But such researchers as B. A. Rybakov, A. N. Sakharov noted the fact that the military activities of Svyatoslav fully corresponded to the military-strategic and economic interests of Russia. The Grand Duke destroyed the parasitic state of the Khazars, which lived by controlling the trade routes that went from Europe to the East, to Khorezm, the lands of the Caliphate, and by collecting tribute from Slavic and other tribal unions. Moreover, people often took tribute, for sale into slavery to the East. Khazars regularly undertook campaigns for "live goods" within the boundaries of the Slavic tribes. Khazaria itself in Russian epics was a cruel and bloody "miracle Yud". The destruction of Khazaria liberated part of the Slavic unions of tribes, which became part of a single Russian state and cleared the Volga-Caspian route. Volga Bulgaria, a vassal of Khazaria, ceased to be a hostile barrier. The capital of the Khazar Kaganate, Itil, was wiped off the face of the earth. Sarkel (Belaya Vezha) and Tmutarakan became strongholds of Russia on the Don and Taman (Caucasus). The balance of forces in the Crimea also changed in the Russian favor, where Kerch (Korchev) became a Russian city.
The Byzantine Empire expanded on the Balkan Peninsula, establishing its control over the Balkan trade route. Svyatoslav established his control over the mouth of the Danube and Bulgaria. The Russian army, which included the allied Bulgarian, Pechenezh and Hungarian troops, shocked the entire Byzantine Empire. The Romans (Greeks) had to go to peace, which turned out to be a military trick. Svyatoslav disbanded most of the troops, and the invasion of the Byzantine army came as a surprise to him (the Romans violated this word, which the "barbarians" sacredly observed). After heavy battles, a new peace treaty was concluded. Svyatoslav left Bulgaria, but it was obvious that he would return.
Svyatoslav went down in Russian history as a true warrior: “And he easily walked on campaigns, like Pardus, and fought a lot. In the campaigns, he did not carry either carts or cauldrons with him, did not cook meat, but, having thinly sliced horse meat, or animals, or beef and roasted on coals, he ate. He did not have a tent, but he slept with his saddle cloth on, with a saddle in his head. So were all his other soldiers. And he sent them to other countries with the words: "I'm going to you." Before us is a real Spartan, accustomed to the harsh life of campaigns and battles, neglecting the comforts of life for the sake of speed of movement. At the same time, Svyatoslav is noble: he keeps his word and warns the enemy about his campaign.
His victories have glorified the Russian name and Russian weapons for centuries. Svyatoslav and his soldiers went down in history as an example of courage. Even the enemies noted the bravery of the Russians. The Greek chronicler Leo the Deacon conveyed for us one of Svyatoslav's speeches: “… Let us feel the courage that our ancestors bequeathed to us, remember that the power of the Ross has been invincible until now, and we will bravely fight for our lives! It is not proper for us to return to our homeland, fleeing. We must either win and stay alive, or die in glory, having accomplished feats worthy of valiant men. " And the Pechenegs, who destroyed the small squad of Svyatoslav in a fierce battle, made a precious cup from his skull and said: "Let our children be like him!" (Scythian tradition).
Raising a hero
According to the Russian chronicle, in 946, the squad of the young Svyatoslav left the field, where the army of the Drevlyans was waiting for him. According to custom, the young prince began the battle. He threw a spear. And the governor Sveneld said: “The prince has already begun; let us strike, squad, after the prince. " The Drevlyans were defeated. This episode quite rightly characterizes the Russian military upbringing, which was widespread among all Rus and Slavs. This is about those times, the Eastern explorer-encyclopedist Ibn Rust wrote: "And when one of the Rus has a son, he puts a sword on his stomach and says:" I do not leave you any property, except what you conquer with this sword. " All male children were future warriors. And many Slavs possessed a military skill. So, the Greek chroniclers noted the presence of women in the army of Svyatoslav, who fight with no less fury than men.
Asmund was the prince's tutor. There is an assumption that he was the son of Prince Oleg the Prophetic. What he taught Svyatoslav can only be guessed from his deeds. The laws of the military world everywhere - from the samurai of Japan and the Spartans of Greece to the Russian Cossacks, are very similar. This is indifference, often contempt for wealth, material wealth. Respect for weapons, coming from the Scythians, who worshiped the sword (a material image of the god of war). Risk your life, but not for prey, but for the sake of glory, honor, Fatherland. Svyatoslav, according to the Russian chronicler and direct enemies of the Byzantines, indifferently refused rich gifts, but gladly accepted weapons.
Svyatoslav, like all "barbarians", was honest, one might say noble. In the eyes of the Rus, the oath was one of the most important parts of the world order. No wonder he swore "as long as the world stands, as long as the sun shines." The word, the oath were as unbreakable as the world and the sun. The one who broke the oath was encroaching on the foundations of the world. And the duty of the warrior, the prince was to maintain order with an armed hand. There was no forgiveness for the perjurers.
In addition to selflessness, fidelity to the word, the ancient custom, which we see both among the Spartans and in the Indian "Laws of Manu", ordered a man of a military clan ("kshatriya") to devote himself entirely to war and power, in peacetime, hunting, refraining from other activities … Svyatoslav will say to the Roman ambassador: "We are men of blood, defeating enemies with weapons, and not artisans, earning bread in the sweat of their brow." There was no contempt for artisans in these words. It's just that among the Indo-Europeans (Aryans), the traditional society was folk-aristocratic, where everyone clearly knew their place. The Magi (Brahmans) served the gods, kept the moral foundations of society, without which it would have fallen into bestiality. For example, modern Western society, spreading its poison all over the world, fell into bestiality, rejecting the foundations laid down in the tribal community (like a family). Warriors defended the clan, dedicated their lives to war, power and hunting. Vesyane (all - Old Russian village), in ancient Indian society - Vaisyas, these are farmers, artisans and merchants. Moreover, in Russia there were no clear boundaries between the "castes", unlike India, where the varnas became closed social groups: the "country bumpkin" Ilya Muromets, thanks to his qualities, became a knight, a hero, and at the end of his life he became a monk-monk, devoting the rest of his life to serving To God. Prince Oleg, thanks to his personal qualities, became the "Prophetic", since the prince-sorcerer, the sorcerer. Any peasant could rise to a higher social level if he had certain qualities for this. The young kozhemyaka (Nikita Kozhemyaka, Yan Usmoshvets) defeated the Pechenezh hero and was granted a boyar status by the prince.
It is clear that moral education was supplemented by the techniques of troop leadership and weaponry. For centuries, all children's games of the Rus will be aimed at educating a warrior. Their echoes will reach 20-21 centuries. And for centuries, holidays for adults will include elements of military training: weight-lifting competitions, climbing on a log dug into the ground at an angle, fist fights, wrestling, wall-to-wall fights, etc. Svyatoslav, of course, also played with wooden swords and bows, in "knives", "horses", "king of the hill", he attacked snow towns. And having matured, he converged in fist and wrestling matches, learned to fight in the "wall". He learned to shoot a complex bow, wield a sword and an ax, run long distances, ride and fight on horseback. He hunted, comprehending the secrets of the forest and disguise, reading the footprints, became hardy and patient, hunting the beast. The fight with the beast brought up courage, the ability to kill. The young prince comprehended the science of being a prince and a warrior.
The first victory of the warrior prince
In 959, the ambassadors of Princess Olga (baptized Elena) arrived at the courtyard of the head of the Holy Roman Empire - Otto I. The ambassadors of "Elena, the queens of the rugs" in true faith. In those days, such a request meant recognizing oneself as a vassal. Let me remind you that at this moment in the center of Europe a fierce battle was raging between the pagan West Slavic civilization (part of it were the Varangians-Rus) and Christian Rome, which was supported by usurers, Jewish merchants who controlled the lucrative slave trade. It was then that the "onslaught on the East" began, which continues to this day. The Roman throne and slave traders by the hands of German knights attacked the Slavic, pagan world.
In 961, Adalbert's mission arrived in Kiev. The monk arrived not alone, but with soldiers, clergy and servants. Adalbert launched a stormy activity in the Russian capital, which would not have been possible if he did not have the consent of Princess Olga (at that time the former ruler of Russia). Adalbert practically did not visit his German courtyard, but he often visited the estates of prominent boyars, merchants, in the grand ducal court of the Christian princess. He persuaded the Kiev elite to accept Christianity from the hands of “the most Christian ruler” in Europe - the German king Otto. In his opinion, only the Holy Roman Empire, in contrast to the Greek power mired in vices, can claim the great heritage of Rome, become the first power in the world, since the faith of Christ is alive only in it.
Adalbert also tried to preach sermons to ordinary residents of the city. But I did not see a response, they listened gloomily, and then went to praise their gods. It must be said that a Christian community did not exist for a long time in Kiev, but it did not matter much, since the overwhelming part of the population was faithful to their native gods. At the same time, the Germans became more confident and impudent every day. Bishop Adalbert already behaved as the head of the local Christian community, although this community was more connected with Constantinople than with Rome. Adalbert was already called "Bishop of Rus". The German missionaries behaved as full-fledged spiritual masters and mentors of Russia. There was a murmur among ordinary townspeople against the insolent "crusaders".
Prince Svyatoslav advised his mother to expel the German mission. As a result, he put an end to a series of mother's mistakes: a dark story with the Drevlyans, an attempt at matchmaking to the Byzantine Basileus Constantine, persuasion of his son to accept Christianity, an adventure with the mission of Adalbert. The Grand Duke was no longer a teenager, soon Europe will feel the heavy tread of this mighty warrior. Christianity was rejected by Svyatoslav, since he and his fellow boyars understood perfectly well that baptism would be followed by vassalage against Byzantium or Rome, and the next Basileus or Kaiser would willingly call him “son” in the feudal sense. Christianity then acted as an information weapon that enslaved adjacent regions.
Svyatoslav had a powerful support - a pagan party, the swords of the pagan Varangians loyal to Perun and fervently hating Christians who drowned their lands in blood, a powerful folk tradition. Obviously, the coup was not bloodless. Adalbert's supporters were killed, apparently, including representatives of the Christian party in Kiev. Adalbert barely carried his feet. For a long time he complained about the insidiousness of the Russians. The Chronicle of the Continuer of Reginon says: In 962, Adalbert returned, made bishop of the Rugam, for he did not have time in anything for which he was sent, and saw his efforts in vain. On the way back, many of his companions were killed, but he himself, with great difficulty, barely escaped. " Svyatoslav defended the conceptual and ideological independence of Russia. From the unreliable hands of Olga, the prince "fed from the sword" took the reins of power.
For this feat, a huge monument should be erected to Svyatoslav. Unfortunately, the history and struggle of the Western Slavs with Rome in Russia is little known. And she could become an instructive example for those who admire the West. In the vast territories of Central Europe, the Slavs were "cleaned out" almost to the root. From them only the names of rivers, lakes, forests, mountains, cities, villages have remained. These are Elbe-Laba, Oder-Odra, Lubech-Lubeck, Brandenburg - Branibor, Rügen - Ruyan, Jaromarsburg - Arkona, Stettin - Schetin, Stargrad - Oldenburg, Berlin - Bera city, Rostock (retained the name), Dresden - Drozdyany, Austria - Ostria, Vienna - from one of the names of the Slavs "veins, venets, wends", Leipzig - Lipitsa, Ratziburg - Ratibor …
