According to chronicles, Igor’s family was not large. Prince Rurik died when his son was too young to rule, so he appointed one of his closest associates (according to some sources, his brother-in-law) Oleg the Prophet as regent and guardian.
Igor himself was not a father of many children, and after his death, he left behind his only underage son Svyatoslav, instead of whom his mother Olga ruled for the first years.
Parents
Father
In addition to Igor, Rurik may have had other children, as in the Russian-Byzantine treaty of 944, Igor’s nephews – Igor and Akun – are mentioned. There is a version that Igor Jr. was Rurik’s son, while Akun was his daughter’s child.
miniature from the “Royal titular” XVII century
Wives
Chronicles mention that besides Olga, Igor Rurikovich had other wives, but he “respected her more than others because of her wisdom.”[2]V. N. Tatishchev – “Russian History”, book 1, chapter 4, section “G”
Princess Olga of Kiev
art. from an old book
(near 893/920 — 969)
Either way, Olga was the first known ruler of Kievan Rus, serving as regent from 945 to 960 for her underage son, Svyatoslav, after her husband was killed by the uprising Drevlyans. Taking power into her own hands, Olga brutally avenged her spouse’s murderers and proved to all those who doubted a woman’s ability to rule a state. She was the first ruler of Rus to adopt Christianity and focused mostly on internal policy, even when Svyatoslav grew up and took power, as he was more interested in military campaigns.
Children
Svyatoslav Igorevich
portrait from the royal titular of the 17th century
920/942 — 972
During Svyatoslav’s reign, Kievan Rus was largely ruled by his mother, Princess Olga, first due to Svyatoslav’s minority, then due to his constant military campaigns. The campaigns he led against the Khazars, Bulgars, and Byzantines marked a wide arc around the strengthening Kievan Rus. Upon his return from a campaign against Bulgaria, Svyatoslav was killed by the Pechenegs in 972 on the rapids of the Dnieper River.
Gleb (Uleb) Igorievich
He is only known from the Ioakimovskaya Chronicle described by V.N. Tatishchev, the reliability of which is doubted by many historians. Very little is known about his life and activities. The Ioakimovskaya Chronicle calls Gleb the only brother of the Grand Prince of Kiev, Svyatoslav[3]V. N. Tatishchev – “Russian History”, book 1, chapter 4, section “G”. M.Yu. Braichevsky proposed two versions of kinship with the Kiev princes: either he was the youngest son of Igor and Olga, or Svyatoslav’s cousin.
Possibly, his uncle was Prince Oleg the Prophet
According to the Ioakimovskaya Chronicle cited by V.N. Tatishchev[4]V. N. Tatishchev, “Russian History” book 1, chapter 4, Oleg was the brother-in-law (i.e. the husband of Rurik’s sister) of Rurik and a Varangian. In 879, Prince Rurik appointed Oleg as regent for his young son Igor before his death. Obviously, he could entrust such a mission only to one of his closest confidants.
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