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After her husband, Igor, was murdered in 945, Princess Olga became the regent for her son, Svyatoslav, which continued until he came of age in 964. She is remembered in the ''Primary Chronicles'' for her revenge against the Derevlyanins for the murder of her husband. In a tough world the Princess Olga could be tough. She was known as a strong and effective ruler. When she became interested in Christianity is uncertain, although her interest may have started before her visit to Constantinople.
In 957, she visited Emperor Constantine VII in Constantinople. He admired her looks and intelligence, noting to her that ‘You are fit to reign in this city with us.‘ She agreed to be baptized and thus became a Christian, with name Helen, after the Patriarch Polyeuctus had instructed her in the faith. After Before her [[baptism]], Constantine asked her hand in marriage, but Olga deferredclaiming that she wanted to be baptised an Orthodox Christian first. Again, after the baptism, Constantine requested her hand in marriage, but the quick-thinking Olga tricked him (since he was her godfather in baptism), noting that he had baptized her and called her his daughter in baptism which she noted was against Christian law. While Constantine commented to Olga about her trickery, he lavish gifts on her when she returned to Kiev. In Kiev she instructed her son, Svyatoslav, and entreated him to be baptized. While he could not bring himself to commit to baptism, he would not forbid others.
In 968, while Svyatoslav was occupied elsewhere, Pechenegs surrounded Kiev in a siege where Olga was living, caring for her grandsons Yaropolk, Oleg, and Vladimir. As the people became weaker with hunger and lack of water, Olga inspired a lad to escape the siege and bring relief. By this time sickness had come upon the aging Princess Olga. At the same time her son wanted to move his residence to Pereyaslavets on the Danube leaving her in Kiev. Olga restrained Svyatoslav from leaving until after she had died. She died on [[July 11]], 969 and was buried by a [[priest]], having ordered that there would not be a funeral feast.
