Vladimir Svyatoslavich went down in history as the initiator of the baptism of Rus'. This event largely predetermined the fate of the country and had a fundamental impact on its culture. This article is devoted to the biographies of the prince, his sins, mistakes, as well as political, diplomatic and military achievements.
Family
The father of Prince Vladimir was the famous commander and at that time the ruler of Kyiv Svyatoslav Igorevich. The latter was the only son of Igor Rurikovich and Princess Olga, who was the first Russian ruler to accept Christianity.
Vladimir's mother, Malusha, was the housekeeper and alms giver to Princess Olga. She yielded to the claims of Svyatoslav, who was married to the Ugric princess Predslava and had two sons from her - Yaropolk and Oleg.
Olga, angry at Malusha, who had conceived a son in sin, sent her to the village of Budyatino. When the boy was 3-4 years old, he was returned to Kyiv without his mother. There he was under the care of his grandmother Olga, since pagan laws accepted him as a princely heir. In addition, Vladimir was taken care of by his maternal uncle Dobrynya, who was the Kyiv governor.
strife between brothers
When the sons grew up, Svyatoslav, who had previously been more interested in military campaigns than in affairs in the lands subject to him, distributed them to his sons. As a result, Yaropolk received Kyiv, Oleg got the land of the Drevlyans, and Vladimir Svyatoslavich was sent as governor to Novgorod.
After the death of his father in 972 in a battle with the Pechenegs, his heirs became full rulers in their principalities. However, peaceful life soon came to an end.
For a minor reason, Oleg killed Yaropolk's comrade-in-arms. He was furious and, at the instigation of the Varangian governor Sveneld - the father of the slain warrior - decided to take away the Drevlyansky lands from his brother. A battle took place in which Oleg was crushed to death by his own retreating warriors. Having become the ruler not only of Kyiv, but also of the Drevlyane lands, Yaropolk decided to remove Vladimir from the road, especially since he always considered him the son of a slave and put him below himself.
Flight and return
Realizing the danger threatening him, Vladimir Svyatoslavich went "over the sea", to the Varangians in Scandinavia. So Yaropolk began to single-handedly rule Russia.
Meanwhile, Vladimir was preparing to return to his fiefdom. In 978, together with the army, in which the majority were Varangian warriors, he was able to recapture Novgorod and set off to conquer the lands of the Drevlyans. The local population, grieving for the murdered Oleg, greeted the new prince with delight.
Matchmaking
Heading to Kyiv, Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich wooed the Polotsk princess Rogneda. The girl said that she did not want to be the wife of the son of a slave, and ridiculed him in front of all the people. Then the offended Vladimir laid siege to Polotsk. Having destroyed the city, the prince raped the failed bride in front of her parents, and then ordered them to be killed. He made Rogneda himself his wife against her will.
Seizure of power
For the final victory over his brother, Vladimir Svyatoslavich went to bribery. He managed to attract to his side the voivode Blud Ivechey, who persuaded Prince Yaropolk to leave Kyiv and fortify himself in the fortress of Roden. Soon the army of Vladimir arrived there and began the siege. The defenders of the fortress had a hard time. Yaropolk was forced to agree to negotiations. However, his brother set a trap for him and killed him from an ambush. In Rodin, Vladimir liked the pregnant wife of his brother - a former Greek nun. Shortly thereafter, the woman gave birth to a son, Svyatopolk, whom the prince raised as his own.
Ascension to the throne of Kyiv
The warriors of Yaropolk came under the command of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. Thus, he formed a fairly large army. Vladimir understood that it was time for him to part with the Varangian mercenaries, since he did not want the sack of Kyiv. Before heading there, the prince sent the rest to Constantinople, to serve the Byzantine emperor, promising "mountains of gold." The deal was successful for both sides, since Constantinople needed soldiers to protect themselves from external and internal enemies.
Consolidation of power
In order to give legitimacy to his rule, Vladimir Svyatoslavovich decided to enlist the support of the priests. Paganism was to his liking, as it justified polygamy and did not blame for the presence of a huge number of concubines.
To appease the idols, the prince built a temple in his capital. Rites and sacrifices were regularly held there. Vladimir Svyatoslavich ordered the main idol Perun to give the features of himself.
The people were impressed by the worship of the prince to the traditional gods, so they treated the new ruler well. In addition, the first 10 years of the reign of Vladimir Svyatoslavich were marked by numerous victories over warlike neighbors, especially in the west, which helped to strengthen the borders and allowed the population not to be afraid of raids.
In search of a new unifying ideology
The pantheon of gods among the various tribes that inhabited the possessions of Vladimir was quite diverse, so paganism prevented the formation of a powerful unitary state. Being a far-sighted politician, the prince understood that the country needed a more advanced religion. Then his attention was attracted by Christianity, especially since its adherents were becoming more and more every day, including among the nobles. Suffice it to say that Vladimir Svyatoslavich's grandmother professed this religion. During his childhood, spent at the court of Princess Olga, he probably had the opportunity to observe how the Kyiv Christians performed their rites. In addition, the prince, most likely, could have some idea about the salvation of the soul and the resurrection after the Day of Judgment.
Important for Vladimir was the political aspect of choosing Christianity as the state religion, which promised the strengthening of allied relations with Byzantium.
Historical evidence of how and when Vladimir Svyatoslavich was baptized
Oddly enough, no reliable records of contemporaries dedicated to this important event have been found. In this regard, the testimony of the Armenian chronicler Stepanos (Stephan) of Taron is especially valuable. He lived at the same time as the prince and was engaged in the creation of the “Universal History” precisely at the time when Vladimir was choosing a new religion for his state.
In his work, Stepanos described the events that took place from 885 to 1004. Recalling the events that took place in the year 1000, he writes about 6,000 foot troops of the Ruzes, who were in Armenia. According to him, these were warriors who arrived at the request of Emperor Basil. According to Stepanos, this happened when the latter gave his sister in marriage to Vladimir. In the same place we read that this event coincided with how the Ruzes believed in Christ.
As for other sources, they confirm the testimony of Stepanos, but provide more detailed information.
In particular, many chroniclers indicate that Vladimir decided to marry Anna, the sister of the Byzantine emperors. They agreed, demanding military assistance in the fight against the rebel Varda Foka. The princess herself opposed the decision of the brothers, but later agreed to become the wife of the Russian prince if he converted to Christianity. The most reliable information about this event is reported by the Syrian historian of the 11th century, Yahya of Antioch.
Capture of Korsun and baptism
The version that Vladimir captured Korsun and threatened to do the same with Constantinople if Anna was not given to him cannot be considered valid. It is proved that at that time Russian soldiers already helped Vasily II in the fight against internal enemies. Most likely, military support was provided to the Byzantines in exchange for consent to the marriage between Vladimir and Anna.
According to legend, the wedding flotilla with the princess arrived in Korsun. However, the prince refused to be baptized. The Lord punished him for breaking this word, and Vladimir became blind. Anna persuaded him not to resist, and during the ceremony, the sight returned to the prince. On Vladimir, who took the Christian name Vasily, God's grace descended. He ordered the boyars and squad to follow his example, and then married Princess Anna.
Baptism of Rus'
Returning to Kyiv, Vladimir Svyatoslavich (date of birth - about 960, date of death - July 15, 1015) first ordered his sons to be baptized. Then the prince gathered the inhabitants of the city on the banks of the Dnieper. By his order, a mass baptism took place, which no one dared to resist.
To strengthen the new faith, Vladimir ordered the erection of a temple of the Most Holy Theotokos and giving a tenth of all state income to the church.
To convert the inhabitants of other cities to Christianity, the prince called priests and educators from Greece. Special educational institutions were created to train local clergy. In addition, a church charter was published, called the Pilot's Book, and on Mount Athos, Vladimir purchased a skete for Russian monks. Mass construction of churches began in all corners of the state.
Memory
For the greatest merits Vladimir Svyatoslavich (reigned: 978-1015) in the creation of the Russian state was canonized by the Orthodox Church as a saint. In addition, he is revered by Catholics, as he lived before the Ecumenical schism.
Every year on July 15 in Russia and in many other countries the day of his memory is celebrated. In Moscow, Kyiv, Sevastopol, Belgorod and other St. Monuments were erected to Vladimir, and a temple was built in his honor on the territory of Chersonese.
Now you know the biography of Vladimir Svyatoslavich. It is difficult for a modern person to understand many of his actions. However, it cannot be denied that it was he who laid the foundations of Russian statehood and united the nation.
