Olga of Kiev

A model I made in March last year, together with a few of my students.

This sculpture depicts Saint Olga of Kiev — wife of Prince Igor and mother of Prince Sviatoslav — once a ruler, later a saint, and in between… a formidable Nordic woman who became a legend. Before her canonization, she was known for her infamous revenge — so calculated and brutal that her name was carved into the very bones of history… and into a few thousand bones of her enemies.

When the Drevlians killed her husband, Prince Igor, Olga did not weep — she coldly planned her vengeance. What followed entered the chronicles as one of the most terrifying massacres of the early Middle Ages. Olga had her enemies’ envoys buried alive, burned entire halls filled with Drevlians, and finally turned their city to ash — setting it ablaze with fire carried by doves and sparrows. (Highly recommend looking up and reading the full story.)

The sculpture captures the moment after the rage, when anger and the desire for hell-worthy revenge have emptied her of all emotion. Her face is not cold — it is hollow, carved by grief and fury that transcend human measure. Her expression, stripped of warmth, reflects the paradox of her being: a woman who carried both fury and humility within herself.

Later in life, Olga converted to Orthodox Christianity... and repented... truly... much, much later.