Barbara Komnena (Russian: Варвара Комнина, romanized: Varvara Komnina) is a mythical figure, claimed to be the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos (reigned 1081–1118), and the wife of the Grand Prince of Kiev Sviatopolk II Iziaslavich.
Although she is mentioned in the works of various modern historians such as G. V. Vernadsky,[1] most researchers regard her a fictional character.
The most important text about this era is the Alexiad, written by Alexios I's daughter Anna Komnene, who would have been Varvara's sister, and who does not mention her in the number of her father's children, or as a relative given in marriage to the Russian prince.
These relics, according to tradition, were laid by her in St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, and transferred, after its demolition, to St. Volodimir's Cathedral).
[5][6] Researchers point out that the story of Princess Barbara seems to have appeared in hagiographic literature, such as The Lives of Saints by Dimitry of Rostov, and also in The torment of St. the Great Martyr Barbara and the story of her glorious wonders by Theodosius Safonovich [Wikidata].