OLGA ROMANOVNA (born before 1250 - died after 1289), the Princess Volyn, the wife of Vladimir Vasilkovich, the Prince of Volyn

Father

  • Roman Mikhailovich (Roman the Old), Prince of Chernigov and Bryansk

Mother

  • Agafia? Anna?

Biography

In 1263, the Bryansk prince Roman «нача отдавати милую свою дочерь именем Олгу» to Vladimir, the son of Vasilko, the prince of Vladimir-Volynsky, and the grandson of the famous prince Roman of Halych. During the wedding, Roman was attacked by Lithuanians. However, Roman not only managed to fight off the attackers, he even subjected them to a complete defeat and, although he was wounded, safely reached Bryansk.

After the wedding, Olga was taken to Volyn by his eldest son Mikhail and the boyars.

The following years Vladimir was seriously ill, and Olga helped him in negotiations. Thus, when Vladimir was informed that the ambassador from Lublin Yartak has been «пригна» to him, the prince did not order the ambassador to come to him, but asks his spouse to ask him what he came with. The wife sent for Yartak, asked and learnt that Leszek the Black, the Polish prince, had died, and the residents of Lublin wereinviting Konrad to rule. From the description given by the chronicler, it can be understood that the princess transmitted every word and the answer to it, apparently moving from room to room. With an illness of the mouth and larynx, Vladimir Vasilkovich found it difficult to speak, and the interlocutors, apparently, to understand him.

Olga Romanovna was loved and appreciated by her husband. Telling her about the will drawn up, he names her: «кнѧгини моа мила Ѡлго» [I, cl. 902].

It is also noteworthy that, according to Vladimir Vasilkovich's letter to his cousin Mstislav Danilovich, the latter should swear in the fact that he will not give the adopted daughter of Vladimir and Olga Izyaslava for anyone else, «но где бѫдет кнѧгини моеи любо, то тоуто ю дат(и)» ... Thus, the main word in choosing a groom for an adopted daughter is left to the wife.

Children

  • Izyaslava

Demesne

«По своемь животѣ» her husband, Vladimir Vasilkovich Volynsky, left to her «городъ свои Кобрынь . и с людми и з данью»[I, cl. 903]. In addition, the villages of Gorodlo, Sadovoe and Somino were bequeathed to her. The monastery of the Holy Apostles was added to it, together with the village of Berezovichi. At the same time the prince emphasizes that this monastery is ment for his widow to have an oppotunity to have a tonsure there, howevershe was not obliged to do it: «а кнѧгини моа . по моемь животѣ . ѡже восхочеть в черничѣ поити поидеть . аже не восхочеть ити . а како еи любо . мнѣ не воставши смотрить что кто иметь чинити . по моемь животѣ»[I, cl. 904]. Thus, considerable territories were bequeathed to the princess with the right to collect tribute and taxes. The childless prince could not transfer the inheritance to his sons, so he provided for his spouse and bequeathed the main land holdings to his cousin Mstislav Danilovich.

Information

There is a record in Kormchaia Book of 1287 that the Nomokanon was rewritten by Prince Vladimir Vasilkovich and his wife Olga, indicating that, when Vladimir went to Nogai, Olga was too sick to see him off (II, no. 121, p. 144-145).

Sources

I. Polnoe sobranie russkikh letopisei. T. 2. SPb., 1908. 

II. Stoliarova L.V. Svod zapisei pistsov, khudozhnikov i perepletchikov drevnerusskikh pergamennykh kodeksov XI–XIV vekov. M., 2000.

Bibliography

1. Dombrovskii D. Genealogiia Mstislavichei. Pervye pokoleniia (do nachala XIV v.). SPb., 2015. S. 407–409.

2. Koniavskaia E.L. Velikaia kniaginia Kseniia i ee rol' v politicheskoi zhizni Tverskogo kniazhestva // Drevniaia Rus'. Voprosy medievistiki. № 4 (78). 2019. S. 33–39.

3. Koniavskaia E.L. Drevnerusskie kniagini XI–XIII vv.: ikh vladeniia i rol' v politicheskoi i tserkovnoi zhizni // Drevniaia Rus'. Voprosy medievistiki. № 3 (85). 2021.

4. Poliakova S.G. Ol'ga – kniazhna Brianskaia, kniaginia Volynskaia i ee genealogiia // Desninskie drevnosti. Materialy mezhgosudarstvennoi nauchnoi konferentsii. Vyp. 3. Briansk, 2004. S. 319–322.

5. Pushkareva N.L. Zhenshchiny Drevnei Rusi. M., 1989