Olga of Kyiv

Synopsis

Since childhood, the Bulgarian Tsarivna Olga has been prepared to become the wife of Emperor of the Romeia, her beloved Constantine; but he was deposed ones before of the wedding and forcibly married to another woman, and she was given in marriage to Konungr Ingvar, whose raids terrify his neighbors.

Olga moves from Constantinople, the capital of the world, to Kyiv, a nest of robbers, from where Ingvar's Varangian squad attacks the surrounding tribes and take prisoners to be sold as slaves. Olga knows nothing about Rus', don't speak the local languages, and is afraid of her future husband, a pagan, fierce, and savage warrior who is twice her age and already married.

No one takes Olga seriously. Neither her father, Tsar Simeon I the Great, for whom she is only a "treaty of alliance" with Ingvar. Nor her brother Peter, who mocks the failed "Empress of the Romeia". Nor Theodore, her confessor, who wants to convert pagan Rus' to Christianity through this marriage, which will strengthen the position of the Bulgarian Patriarchate in its rivalry with the Constantinople Patriarchate. Nor Ingvar himself, who wants to become the equal of "real kings" by marrying Olga. Nor even Ingvar's first wife, Prekrasa, who believes that she can easily eliminate "this Bulgarian girl."

But Olga quickly makes them respect her. She opposes the slave trade, establishes her own possession, Olzhychi, which brings in more income than Ingvar's campaigns, and attracts her husband's Varangian squad on her side. She proves that Christianity is better than paganism, not because of lofty and incomprehensible matters, but simply because people live better this way. She quickly learns to avoid assassination attempts, punish enemies and traitors, and lead people to follow.

Ingvar falls in love with this girl with the mind and character of a king. He fights bears for her, rescues her from the flames of a fire, and throws war booty at her feet. He even tries to accept her world, although this struggle tears him in half.

But Olga is loved by someone else as well. Sveneld, the warlord and invincible warrior, is hopelessly in love with Olga. He also protects her (even from Ingvar, if necessary) and dreams of only one thing: replacing Ingvar on the throne and in Olga's heart. One day, in a spur of the moment, he kills Ingvar and blames it on the Drevlians.

Olga bitterly mourns her husband's death and decides to take cruel revenge on the Drevlians. She burns their city of Iskorosten to the ground.

Suddenly Olga learns that Ingvar was killed by Sveneld. He claims that he did it out of love for her and demands her hand in marriage. But Olga prevails over Sveneld and forces him to obey. She leaves him alive: so that he can atone for his terrible crime by faithfully serving her plans; so that he can suffer in submission to the one who will never belong to him. Olga sends Sveneld as governor to the Drevlians. At this moment, ambassadors from Constantine arrive to visit Olga: he has regained his throne and asks for her hand in marriage. But she refuses. From now on, her destiny is to marry the state. She will build a great country in Rus' for the sake of Ingvar's memory and the future of their children.

Esther Springer

SCRIPT CONSULTANT, EAVE, UK

Esther is a highly experienced script doctor with over twenty years under her belt. She has developed and spearheaded many shows including BAFTA winning series THE FADES by Jack Thorne and MURDERED BY MY BOYFRIEND by Regina Moriarty.