Editing Olga of Kiev (section)

== Death ==
According to the ''Primary Chronicle'', Olga died from illness in 969, soon after the [[Pechenegs|Pechenegs']] siege of the city. When Sviatoslav announced plans to move his throne to the Danube region, the ailing Olga convinced him to stay with her during her final days. Only three days later, she died and her family and larger parts of Kievan Rus' mourned:<blockquote>Sviatoslav announced to his mother and his boyars, "I do not care to remain in Kiev, but should prefer to live in [[Pereyaslavets|Peryaslavets on the Danube]], since that is the centre of my realm, where all riches are concentrated; gold, silks, wine, and various fruits from Greece, silver and horses from Hungary and Bohemia, and from Rus' furs, wax, honey, and slaves." But Olga made reply, "You behold me in my weakness. Why do you desire to depart from me?" For she was already in precarious health. She thus remonstrated with him and begged him first to bury her and then to go wheresoever he would. Three days later Olga died. Her son wept for her with great mourning, as did likewise her grandsons and all the people. They thus carried her out, and buried her in her tomb. Olga had given command not to hold a funeral feast for her, for she had a priest who performed the last rites over the sainted Princess.{{sfn|Cross|Sherbowitz-Wetzor|1953|p=86}}</blockquote>Although he disapproved of his mother's Christian tradition, Sviatoslav heeded Olga's request that her priest, Gregory, conduct a Christian funeral without the ritual pagan burial feast.<ref name=":6">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Olga (c. 890–969) |encyclopedia=Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia|year= 2002|url= https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/olga-c-890-969}}</ref> Her tomb remained in Kiev for over two centuries, but was destroyed by the Mongolian-Tatar armies of [[Batu Khan]] in 1240.<ref name=":6" /> The [[Sarcophagus of Princess Olga|sarcophagus]] found in 1826 during excavations of [[Church of the Tithes]] conducted by architect Nikolai Efimov was attributed as being Olga's and moved first to the Historical Museum and then to St. Sophia Cathedral.