Person

Oleg of Novgorod

d. c. 912 · 10th century · Also known as Oleg the Wise, Oleg the Seer

Oleg of Novgorod was a Varangian prince who, according to the Primary Chronicle, succeeded Rurik at Novgorod and in 882 seized Kiev, killing its rulers Askold and Dir. By making Kiev his capital he joined the northern and southern ends of the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks, and he is regarded as the founder of Kievan Rus'. A campaign against Constantinople brought a trade treaty in 911.

Oleg of Novgorod
Image: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Kievan Rus'SummaryKievan Rus'Summary

Mentioned in 4 state histories

Polans (East Slavs)RadimichsKrivichsKievan Rus'

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Oleg of Novgorod. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/oleg-of-novgorod
MLA
“Oleg of Novgorod.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/oleg-of-novgorod. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Oleg of Novgorod.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/oleg-of-novgorod.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Oleg of Novgorod’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/oleg-of-novgorod (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻