Princess Olga was born approximately between 889 and 891. Her origin remains debated: some theories suggest Bulgarian, Pskovian, or even a descent from Prince Askold, whose family may have been exiled to Pskov after his death. It is believed she married Prince Igor of Kyiv at the age of 12–14.

According to the Primary Chronicle, Igor’s death at the hands of the Drevlians during a tax-collecting expedition spurred Olga’s revenge. She dealt ruthlessly with the Drevlians: the first delegation was buried alive, the second burned in a bathhouse, and following a year-long siege, the Drevlians’ capital city was burned down.

By Byzantine accounts, during Olga’s visit to Constantinople, Emperor Constantine VII proposed marriage. She accepted baptism under the name Helen but declined the proposal, citing their spiritual kinship through baptism.

In 959, Olga sent an embassy to Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, requesting clergy to establish Christian missions in Kyiv. This diplomatic move may have aimed to exert political pressure on Byzantium. Her rule ended in 964 when her son, Sviatoslav, assumed power.

Chronicler Nestor describes Olga as the first Christian ruler of Rus’, though widespread Christianization occurred under her grandson, Volodymyr the Great. Olga was canonized as equal-to-the-apostles in 1547.

Iconography

In Ukrainian iconography, depictions of Saint Olga date back to the 17th century, gaining prominence in the 19th century. She is often portrayed alongside Saint Volodymyr. Dressed in princely robes, with a white veil and crown, she holds a cross and a church model, symbolizing her pivotal role in introducing Christianity to Rus’.

Mykhailo Skop