OLGA of RUSSIA (Lat. Elena). – Born around 890, died in 970, wife of the Russian prince Igor I of Kiev (d. 945) and mother of his successor Svjatoslav, during whose minority she governed the Principality.
During a journey to Constantinople (around 957), after a long wait, she was not admitted to the presence of the emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus until after she had received Baptism. Upon returning to her homeland, she refused the tribute demanded by Byzantium and appealed to Otto I of Germany for a Catholic bishop. Consecrated and sent to O. by Otto, the monk Adalbert of Trier was able to remain there only a short time (961–62), because he was expelled by a pagan reaction. O. built a wooden church in Kiev dedicated to St. Sophia. She is venerated on 11 July in the Russian Church, whereas in the Latin Church her cult was not approved.