Olga of Kiev
Olga of Kiev
(
Olha,
Saint Olga,
Helga,
Helen) (
879 in
Pskov -
July 11,
969 in Kiev), belonged to the
Varangian (
Scandinavian) aristocracy in
Rus', and married the future
Igor, prince of
Kiev in
903. After his death, she ruled
Kievan Rus as regent (
945-c.
963) for their son,
Sviatoslav I. She spent great effort to avenge her husband's death at the hands of the Derevlians, and succeeded in slaughtering many of them. She was the first Rus ruler to convert to
Christianity, in
957 at
Constantinople, when she took the name Helen. After her baptism, she made many efforts to spread the Christian religion in Rus'. However, she failed to convert Sviatoslav, and it was left to his son and successor
Vladimir I to make
Christianity the lasting state religion.