Introduction . More than once researchers will address this issue and related subjects. Where, how and why did Princess Olga receive holy baptism? When and in what capacity did she travel to Constantinople? What was the meaning of Olga’s baptism for Rus? Was the blessed princess the ruler of a pagan state? The author proposes to share his thoughts on this subject in this article. Methods. The method of considering this issue ultimately comes down to finding the best option for reconciling conflicting testimony of sources, taking into account extensive historiography, but also in the context of a particular historiographic and theoretical paradigm. Analysis. The opinion about the official nature of Olga’s trip to Constantinople as the full-fledged ruler of the Russian land can be successfully opposed by the opinion that the visit of the princess to the capital of the empire is a private event in the life of the widow of the Russian prince. Doubts were justified that she could be equal in status to her late hus