The Morning Star of Russia. Presidential Library marks the day of the Holy Equal–to-the-Apostles Princess Olga

On July 24th, 2024, the memorial day of the Holy Equal-to-the Apostles Grand Duchess Olga is celebrated. She took the name Elena in Christianity. She was the first Russian ruler to convert to Christianity.

The rare edition of Enlightenment of Russia through Christianity published in 1864 helps in learning morre about this outstanding woman, which is available on the portal of the Presidential Library. The book's authors draw their information from the memoirs and quotes of the ancient chronicler St. Nestor, a monk at the Kiev-Pechersk monastery. According to legend, Olga was born in Vybutina village, near present-day Pskov, to pagan parents. She was raised with pagan beliefs and customs.

The book describes Olga as a woman who was blessed with physical beauty, a brilliant mind, and a kind and loving heart. She was also described as modest and chaste. It was said that providence brought her to the attention of Prince Igor, leading to her elevation to the position of a great Russian princess.

Referring to an ancient legend, the authors of the book tell the story of how a simple village girl, Olga, met her future husband, Prince Igor. While traveling through his land, Igor decided to entertain himself with hunting and arrived at the bank of the Velikaya River, near the village where Olga lived. On the other side of the river, Igor saw his prey, but could not cross over to hunt, as there was no bridge or boat available for crossing. Suddenly, a boat with a young man appeared in the distance, and Igor boarded it. To his surprise, he saw before him "a young girl of remarkable beauty", Olga.

Young Igor's heart "inflamed with passionate feelings", and he could not resist the "immodest words and explanations" of Olga. However, the prudent and virtuous Olga replied, "You are not thinking clearly, I beg of you, abandon your improper intentions. Remember that you are a prince."

And a prince, as the ruler of the people and the guardian of human laws, should lead by example. The young prince was impressed by the clever and wise words of his advisor. It is no coincidence that, when it came to choosing a bride, he selected Olga from among the many beautiful women who had been presented to him.

Igor was able to maintain the "integrity of the Russian state" during his reign, but his "irrepressible greed" aroused the strong hatred of his subjects and led to his premature and unhappy death.

Prince Igor, who was killed by the Drevlians, an East Slavic tribe that lived on the border between modern Ukraine and Belarus, came to their lands to collect tribute. His wife, Olga, was deeply in love with him and was devastated by the news of his death. She did not forget his loss and vowed to take revenge on the Drevlians for their brutal act. After Igor's passing, Olga became regent of the ancient Russian state for their young son, Svyatoslav. She set out to avenge her husband's murder, and her actions were considered brutal but justified in the eyes of those times, when pagan beliefs still dominated the minds of people. According to historians, Olga's actions were both cruel and just, as she sought revenge not only for her husband but also for the loss of a sovereign.

The Drevlyans dared to rebel against their ruler; the magnitude of their crime, regicide, was matched by the severity of the punishment meted out by Olga's hand.

Olga devoted her later years to "the fulfilment of the work assigned to her by God's guidance." After learning about Christianity, she realised its superiority over pagan beliefs and decided to convert to Christianity. In order to better understand Christian teachings and worship, Olga travelled to Constantinople, the capital of Orthodox Christianity, where she was baptised, taking the name Elena.

Upon her return to her home country, Olga began her mission to "disperse the darkness of paganism that had enveloped the Russian lands. It was heartbreaking for her, with her newly-enlightened mind, to see that not only her people, but even her own son, Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich, were still following pagan practices and praying to idols.

Olga traveled to various Russian cities to spread the message of Christianity. During her visit to her hometown, the village of Vybuty on the banks of the Velikaya River, she had a remarkable vision of three bright rays descending from the sky. She turned to those accompanying her and said that God had revealed to her that a church dedicated to the Most Holy Trinity would be built there, and that a great and prosperous city would arise from that spot.

Olga sent a significant amount of gold and silver back to her home to help build the temple at the location of her vision. She also encouraged people to move to the area. In a short period of time, the city of Pskov came into existence.

After her death, Saint Olga was given a Christian burial in accordance with her wishes. The authors of the book describe her as "a morning star for Russia, foreshadowing the sun", and this "sun" was her grandson, Grand Duke Vladimir, the son of Grand Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich. Vladimir then illuminated the Russian land with the light of the Holy Christian Faith.

On the portal of the Presidential Library, various publications dedicated to the life of St. Olga, the Equal-to-the-Apostles are available. These include: Vladimir Savva's The Time and Place of the Baptism of the Russian Princess Olga (1890), Archimandrite Leonid's A Few New Remarks to Our Article: Where St. Nicholas Was From. Grand Duchess Olga (1888), and Vladimir Parkhomenko's The Ancient Russian Princess St. Olga Equal to the Apostles: The Question of Her Baptism (1911), among others. Additionally, the portal features a project for a monument to St. Olga in Pskov from 1914.