St. Olga of Kyiv

St. Olga of Kyiv (also spelled Kiev) was the first woman to rule Kievan Rus', an empire in the land that is now part of Ukraine, Russia, and other eastern European countries, after her husband was assassinated by members of a nearby tribe who had once served as allies. Olga is especially famous for her brutal revenge against her husband's killers, including burning down their village by sending messenger pigeons carrying embers back to their homes, though her conversion to Christianity would occur later, when she was visiting Constantinople. Following her conversion, Olga tried to convert her son, now emperor of Kievan Rus' since he had come of age, but he had no respect for her faith. Still, her efforts convinced him to disallow persecution of Christian converts in the empire, which would pave the way for future conversion efforts.


Lifetime: ?? to 969
Region: Kievan Rus' (Modern Ukraine)
Patronages: Widows; Converts; Ukraine
Iconograpy: Empress attire; Cross; Pigeons with embers
Feast Day: July 11

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