Igor of Kiev

<h2 id="life">Life</h2>
Information about Igor comes mostly from the <a href="/facts/Primary_Chronicle/K0pegKbl">Primary Chronicle</a>, which states that Igor was the son of <a href="/facts/Rurik/sySpRkt7">Rurik</a>:

<blockquote>
6378–6387 (870–879). On his deathbed, <a href="/facts/Rurik/sySpRkt7">Rurik</a> bequeathed his realm to Oleg, who belonged to his kin, and entrusted to Oleg's hands his son Igor', for he was very young.
6388–6390 (880–882). Oleg set forth, taking with him many warriors from among the Varangians, the <a href="/facts/Chuds/7PGkm7yE">Chuds</a>, the Slavs, the <a href="/facts/Merians/uefHdcyp">Merians</a> and all the <a href="/facts/Krivichians/NfoEM1oP">Krivichians</a>. He thus arrived with his Krivichians before <a href="/facts/Smolensk/2Jr5vHgV">Smolensk</a>, captured the city, and set up a garrison there. Thence he went on and captured <a href="/facts/Lyubech/YFQCzw8a">Lyubech</a>, where he also set up a garrison. He then came to the hills of Kiev, and saw how <a href="/facts/Askold_and_Dir/pXrQX0ph">Askold and Dir</a> reigned there. He hid his warriors in the boats, left some others behind, and went forward himself bearing the child Igor'. He thus came to the foot of the Hungarian hill, and after concealing his troops, he sent messengers to Askold and Dir, representing himself as a stranger on his way to Greece on an errand for Oleg and for Igor', the prince's son, and requesting that they should come forth to greet them as members of their race. Askold and Dir straightway came forth. Then all the soldiery jumped out of the boats, and Oleg said to Askold and Dir, "You are not princes nor even of princely stock, but I am of princely birth." Igor' was then brought forward, and Oleg announced that he was the son of Rurik. They killed Askold and Dir, and after carrying them to the hill, they buried them there, on the hill now known as Hungarian, where the castle of Ol'ma now stands.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a>

</blockquote>
Little is known about him between the years 912 and 941 due to a gap in the chronicle record.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a>
Igor <a href="/facts/Rus%2527-Byzantine_War_(941)/7gkBnnJw">twice besieged</a> <a href="/facts/Constantinople/fLcY371n">Constantinople</a>, in 941 and 944, and although <a href="/facts/Greek_fire/7VshV9hr">Greek fire</a> destroyed part of his fleet, he concluded <a href="/facts/Rus%2527-Byzantine_Treaty_(945)/qazpyu5Q">a favourable treaty</a> with the <a href="/facts/Byzantine/njEELXWF">Byzantine</a> Emperor <a href="/facts/Constantine_VII/AXlDmaVh">Constantine VII</a> (945), the text of which the chronicle has preserved. In 913 and 944, the <a href="/facts/Rus%2527_people/bbFcBdav">Rus'</a> plundered the <a href="/facts/Arabs/E77duPsg">Arabs</a> in the <a href="/facts/Caspian_Sea/Ymc08gkR">Caspian Sea</a> during the <a href="/facts/Caspian_expeditions_of_the_Rus%2527/pG64W3IY">Caspian expeditions of the Rus'</a>, but it remains unclear whether Igor had anything to do with these campaigns.

Igor was killed while collecting <a href="/facts/Tribute/DPyaeMKW">tribute</a> from the <a href="/facts/Drevlians/JjXVShFt">Drevlians</a> in 945. The Byzantine historian and chronicler <a href="/facts/Leo_the_Deacon/fn1FduPS">Leo the Deacon</a> (born c. 950) describes <a href="/facts/Dismemberment/llBqh31A">how Igor met his death</a>: "They had bent down two <a href="/facts/Birch_tree/XG0bl0GF">birch trees</a> to the prince's feet and tied them to his legs; then they let the trees straighten again, thus tearing the prince's body apart."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a> Igor's widow <a href="/facts/Olga_of_Kiev/3Gk1F1CC">Olga</a> avenged his death by punishing the Drevlians. The Primary Chronicle blames his death on his own excessive greed, indicating that he tried to collect tribute for a second time in a month. As a result, Olga changed the system of tribute gathering (<a href="/facts/Poliudie/VvC3q61D">poliudie</a>) in what may be regarded as the first legal reform recorded in Eastern Europe.

<h2 id="historiography">Historiography</h2>
Drastically revising the chronology of the Primary Chronicle, <a href="/facts/Constantin_Zuckerman/psrvnTy4">Constantin Zuckerman</a> argues that Igor actually reigned for three years, between summer 941 and his death in early 945. Zuckerman argues that the 33-year reign attributed to Igor in the Chronicle is the result of its author's faulty interpretation of Byzantine sources.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13">13</a> Indeed, none of Igor's activities recorded in the Chronicle is dated before 941.
Referring to the <a href="/facts/Ioachim_Chronicle/S5DuzCCx">Ioachim Chronicle</a>, <a href="/facts/Vasily_Tatishchev/bdNCjxSy">Vasily Tatishchev</a> argues that the Swedish princess Efanda, whose existence has been questioned by many historians, was Igor's mother. According to Tatishchev, the name "Ingor" comes from the <a href="/facts/Finnish_language/lBuEIgs0">Finnish</a> (Izhora) name Inger.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14">14</a> Tatishchev also gives Igor's birth dates from various manuscripts: 875 in the Schismatic manuscript, 861 in the Nizhny Novgorod manuscript, 865 in the Orenburg manuscript.
According to <a href="/facts/Olof_von_Dalin/3fjLvc5V">Olof von Dalin</a>, Igor had land in Sweden and was a frequent guest in Russia. 
He was coregent with <a href="/facts/Eric_Anundsson/LMTIDstC">Eric Anundsson</a> and had land in <a href="/facts/V%25C3%25A4sterg%25C3%25B6tland/kfhSV7s8">Västergötland</a> which he had inherited from his father. After his reign, Eric Anundsson became the sole ruler of the Swedish mainland. Igor also aided Eric when Norwegians under <a href="/facts/Harald_Fairhair/KsdsH2cP">Harald Fairhair</a> raided the Baltic coast. Harald Fairhair lost his son Halfdan the White in a siege of a Swedish fortification in the Baltic. Thanks to Igor Olofsson's help the attack on the Baltic fortifications was thwarted. Igor also took part in a Viking raid on Brittany in 931 described in Frankish chronicles as Incon. Igor according to Dahlin was the son of <a href="/facts/Olof_(Swedish_king_852)/n7XMDUaK">Olof (Swedish king 852)</a> that according to him was <a href="/facts/Oleg_the_Wise/pHyeJJgM">Oleg the Wise</a>. Igor Olofsson led a Swedish expedition helping Igor Ruriksson in his war against the Byzantines. <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15">15</a>
<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16">16</a>
According to Swedish historian Olof von Dalin, Igor ruled over Sweden until his death when Erik Anundsson's son Björn came of age. Erik Anundsson wanted to die in battle, and Valhalla left power to Igor since they were friends. He died in battle when going on a Viking expedition into <a href="/facts/West_Francia/rCGugs8D">West Francia</a>. Igor ruled Sweden from Kyiv until he died in the 940s. His son <a href="/facts/Emund_Eriksson/CkybxGty">Emund Eriksson</a> got land in <a href="/facts/V%25C3%25A4sterg%25C3%25B6tland/kfhSV7s8">Västergötland</a> as a client king of <a href="/facts/Bj%25C3%25B6rn_Eriksson/EwbDPLSB">Björn Eriksson</a>. Igor would be the same person as <a href="/facts/Ring_of_Sweden/hvS6aeoa">Ring of Sweden</a> according to Olov von Dalin.
When the Mongols invaded, they renamed a lot of towns. The Mongols forbade diplomatic contacts with the Rurikids that had existed and forced the Swedish-Russian trade and cultural exchange to stop. All Swedish traders were banned from entering the trade network.
The Swedes did not have the military capacity to force the <a href="/facts/Mongol_Empire/cfddtfIK">Mongol Empire</a> to stop their economic sanctions and diplomatic exchange between Sweden and Russia. Since Sweden was embroiled in civil wars, it did not wanna go to war with the <a href="/facts/Mongols/fb4zx1s8">Mongols</a>. Holmgård <a href="/facts/Novgorod/uWDymtF7">Novgorod</a>), Chunugård (<a href="/facts/Kyiv/uVAMxK8R">Kyiv</a>), Alfhem (?), Aldejoborg <a href="/facts/Staraya_Ladoga/lexHn3cP">Staraya Ladoga</a> and Rotala (?) and all the old Swedish city names were forgotten and only lives on in the <a href="/facts/Icelandic_Sagas/HUfGIWa7">Icelandic Sagas</a>. Then, he curses the Mongols for only bringing destruction and terror to a flourishing trade network and cultural exchange. Calling them the "<a href="/facts/Tatar/hgokK6aw">Tatar</a>,<a href="/facts/Khazar/KwRflVop">Khazar</a>" deluge.
<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17">17</a>

<h2 id="notes">Notes</h2>

<h2 id="sources">Sources</h2>
<ul><li>Katchanovski, Ivan; <a href="/facts/Zenon_Kohut/noAlHwBH">Kohut, Zenon E.</a>; Nesebio, Bohdan Y.; Yurkevich, Myroslav (2013). <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=-h6r57lDC4QC">Historical Dictionary of Ukraine</a>. <a href="/facts/Lanham%2c_Maryland/wLGBEQdJ">Lanham, Maryland</a>; <a href="/facts/Toronto/cnXH7881">Toronto</a>; <a href="/facts/Plymouth/FhYcrnqf">Plymouth</a>: Scarecrow Press. p. 992. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 9780810878471. Retrieved 26 January 2023.</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">Клосс, Борис (15 May 2022). Полное собрание русских летописей. Том 1. Лаврентьевская летопись (in Russian). Litres. p. 42. ISBN 978-5-04-107383-1. <a href="978-5-04-107383-1" target="_blank">978-5-04-107383-1</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">Russian: Игорь Рюрикович; Ukrainian: Ігор Рюрикович, romanized: Ihor Riurykovych <a href="/wiki/Russian_language" target="_blank">/wiki/Russian_language</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">Winroth, Anders (1 March 2016). The Age of the Vikings. Princeton University Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-0-691-16929-3. <a href="978-0-691-16929-3" target="_blank">978-0-691-16929-3</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">Войтович, Леонтій Вікторович (1992). Генеалогія Рюриковичів і Гедиміновичів. p. 16. ISBN 5-7702-0506-7. <a href="5-7702-0506-7" target="_blank">5-7702-0506-7</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">Biographical Index of the Middle Ages. Walter de Gruyter. 1 March 2011. p. 571. ISBN 978-3-11-091416-0. <a href="978-3-11-091416-0" target="_blank">978-3-11-091416-0</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">Hanak, Walter K. (10 October 2013). The Nature and the Image of Princely Power in Kievan Rus', 980-1054: A Study of Sources. BRILL. p. 20. ISBN 978-90-04-26022-1. <a href="978-90-04-26022-1" target="_blank">978-90-04-26022-1</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">Rosser, John Hutchins (2012). Historical Dictionary of Byzantium. Scarecrow Press. p. 245. ISBN 978-0-8108-7567-8. <a href="978-0-8108-7567-8" target="_blank">978-0-8108-7567-8</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">Langer, Lawrence N. (15 September 2021). Historical Dictionary of Medieval Russia. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 75. ISBN 978-1-5381-1942-6. <a href="978-1-5381-1942-6" target="_blank">978-1-5381-1942-6</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">Franklin, Simon; Shepard, Jonathan (6 June 2014). The Emergence of Russia 750-1200. Routledge. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-317-87224-5. <a href="978-1-317-87224-5" target="_blank">978-1-317-87224-5</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">The Russian Primary Chronicle: Laurentian Text (PDF). Translated by Cross, S. H.; Sherbowitz-Wetzor, O. P. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Crimson Printing Company. 1953. pp. 60–61. Retrieved 16 February 2014. <a href="http://www.mgh-bibliothek.de/dokumente/a/a011458.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.mgh-bibliothek.de/dokumente/a/a011458.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">Langer, Lawrence N. (15 September 2021). Historical Dictionary of Medieval Russia. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 75. ISBN 978-1-5381-1942-6. <a href="978-1-5381-1942-6" target="_blank">978-1-5381-1942-6</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">Tarasenko, Leonid (27 February 2008). "Korosten (Iskorosten): A small town with a great history". geocities.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2014. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20091026051916/http://geocities.com/korostencity/iskorosten.htm" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20091026051916/http://geocities.com/korostencity/iskorosten.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:13">Zuckerman, Constantin (1995). "On the Date of the Khazars' Conversion to Judaism and the Chronology of the Kings of the Rus Oleg and Igor: A Study of the Anonymous Khazar Letter from the Genizah of Cairo" (PDF). Revue des études byzantines. 53 (1): 237–270. doi:10.3406/rebyz.1995.1906. ISSN 0766-5598. Retrieved 5 July 2016.[permanent dead link] <a href="/wiki/Constantin_Zuckerman" target="_blank">/wiki/Constantin_Zuckerman</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:14">Tatishchev. The History of Russia. Part 1, Chapter 4 <a href="http://www.magister.msk.ru/library/history/tatisch/tatis004.htm" target="_blank">http://www.magister.msk.ru/library/history/tatisch/tatis004.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:15">https://sv.wikisource.org/wiki/Svea_Rikes_historia/F%C3%B6rsta_delen/Kapitel_18
 <a href="https://sv.wikisource.org/wiki/Svea_Rikes_historia/F%C3%B6rsta_delen/Kapitel_18" target="_blank">https://sv.wikisource.org/wiki/Svea_Rikes_historia/F%C3%B6rsta_delen/Kapitel_18</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:16">https://sv.wikisource.org/wiki/Svea_Rikes_historia/F%C3%B6rsta_delen/Kapitel_18
 <a href="https://sv.wikisource.org/wiki/Svea_Rikes_historia/F%C3%B6rsta_delen/Kapitel_18" target="_blank">https://sv.wikisource.org/wiki/Svea_Rikes_historia/F%C3%B6rsta_delen/Kapitel_18</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:17">Dalin, Olof von, 1708-1763. - Svea Rikes Historia ifrån des begynnelse til wåra tider... Förste delen [+ tredje].... - 1747-1762 chapter 18
 <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Igor of Kiev open-in-new

Igor of Kiev