Rusia Kieveană – sămânța aspirațiilor imperialiste ale Rusiei ultimului mileniu
Letopisețul Laurențian, una dintre cele mai cunoscute versiuni ale Cronicii vremurilor trecute, surprinde în detaliu momentul în care Oleg reușește să pună mâna pe Kiev, declarând acest oraș ca fiind mama tuturor orașelor rusești:
He then came to the hills of Kiev, and saw how Askold and Dir reigned there.(…)They killed Askold and Dir, and after carrying them to the hill, they buried them there, on the hill now known as Hungarian, where the castle of Ol’ma now stands. Over that tomb Ol’ma built a church dedicated to St. Nicholas, but Dir’s tomb is behind St. Irene’s. Oleg set himself up as prince in Kiev, and declared that it should be the mother of Russian cities. ”