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Vladimir Svyatoslavovich - the prince who changed the history of Ukraine-Rus
The Old Russian prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich (948-1015), baptized by Vasily, called the Red Sun in epics, entered Ukrainian history under the name Saint or Great. For his colossal services to the Orthodox Church, this extraordinary ruler, born a pagan, was canonized after his death. In the history of all East Slavic peoples it is difficult to find a more significant personality than Grand Duke
Vladimir, who with his iron will managed to transform a vast territory into a powerful country, and scattered semi-wild Slavic, Turkic and Finno-Ugric tribes into a single political community. 1. Prince Vladimir was indeed Ukrainian by origin. He was the first of the Rurikovichs, in whose veins flowed the blood of the Polyan tribe. His mother, housekeeper Malusha, came from the Kyiv nobility, and his uncle Dobrynya was a Kyiv boyar. All the previous princes had Scandinavian origin
(Askold, Oleg, Igor, Svyatoslav), and Vladimir’s brothers Yaropolk and Oleg on their mother’s side were Hungarians. So, it turns out that Prince Vladimir became the first Ukrainian on the ancient Russian throne.
2. Despite the fact that Vladimir came to conquer the throne from Veliky Novgorod, he made Kyiv his capital. And it was during his reign that Kyiv began to be considered a real capital city. Under Vladimir, the city became several times larger, the number of residents and visitors from other countries and lands increased many times over.
3. It was Prince Vladimir who annexed the modern Western Ukrainian lands - Volyn and Galicia - to Kievan Rus. The city of Vladimir-Volynsky, built by him, is one of the many monuments of the power of the ancient Russian prince.
5. Vladimir Svyatoslavovich created a real centralized feudal state in Rus', distributing lands to his warriors in different parts of the country. It was with them that the process of the emergence of the noble military class began, which became the mainstay of state power for many hundreds of years.
6. Prince Vladimir also carried out a monetary reform, starting to mint his own coins - zlatniks and silver coins. Thus, Rus' became increasingly independent, including in the financial sphere, from neighboring powerful states.
7. And finally, it was Vladimir who chose the well-known trident as his (as well as the state) coat of arms, which is depicted on his coins. The modern coat of arms of independent Ukraine is identical to Vladimirov's.
The main feat of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich.
Without a doubt, the main feat of Prince Vladimir was the adoption of Christianity with the subsequent baptism of all Rus'. This fateful event not only determined the further history of our country, but also meant a civilizational choice that was made in favor of the European, Western culture. Rus' before Vladimir and after him are, in fact, two different countries. Having taken under his hand a power that was considered barbaric both in the East and in the West, the Kiev prince handed over to his sons the largest Christian country in Europe. However, to achieve this, the ancient Russian monarch had to go through a long and difficult path.
Vladimir was considered the illegitimate son of Prince Svyatoslav; his mother was the housekeeper Malusha, who lived at the princely court. In 969, before leaving for the next Bulgarian campaign, the father divided the lands between his sons: the eldest, Yaropolk, left Kyiv, the youngest, Oleg, the Drevlyan capital Ovruch. The illegitimate Vladimir inherited distant Novgorod, where he went with his mother and uncle Dobrynya. Prince Svyatoslav never returned from his last campaign, and the country remained at the disposal of three brothers. For some time they lived peacefully, but in 975 Yaropolk of Kiev quarreled with his younger brother Oleg. Two years later it began between them real war
Five years later, Vladimir returned with a large Varangian army and, having entered Novgorod, said to the mayors of Yaropolk: “Go to my brother and tell him: “Vladimir is coming at you, get ready to fight him.” After this, Vladimir besieged Kyiv and, having lured Yaropolk into negotiations, vilely killed him. From then on, Vladimir began to reign alone over all of Rus'.
After the death of the Christian Yaropolk, his pagan brother ordered the installation of an idol of Perun with a silver head and a golden mustache, idols of Khors, Dazhdbog, Stribog, Simargl and Mokosha on a hill near the prince’s tower. Residents of the city went there to worship these gods and made sacrifices to them. Having conquered the Volyn and Galician lands from the Poles, the Kiev prince ordered the destruction of the buildings built there. Christian churches and create pagan temples in their place. Vladimir continued to live the life of a pagan: he had five official wives (among them the widow of Yaropolk) and 800 concubines (300 in Vyshgorod, 300 in Belgorod and 200 in the village of Berestovo).
In 986, the prince, unexpectedly for everyone, suddenly became interested in other religions: he invited preachers of Christianity, Islam and Judaism to his palace. After talking with the latter, he ordered them to be expelled, and the Greek Christian managed to truly interest him. He showed Vladimir a picture of the Last Judgment, where on the left were sinners weeping going straight to hell, and on the right were righteous people joyfully heading to heaven. “It’s good for those on the right, and bad for those on the left,” the Kiev prince said with sadness. “If you want to stand on the right side of the righteous, then be baptized,” answered the priest. But Vladimir was not yet ready to make a decision, saying only: “I’ll wait a little longer.”
On next year The prince sent his people to the Germans, Volga Bulgarians, Khazars and Greeks to look at their temples and religious ceremonies. Returning home, they told Vladimir about what they had seen, while criticizing all beliefs, but admiring only Byzantine Christianity: “We cannot forget that beauty, for every person, if he tastes the sweet, will not then take the bitter: so we can no longer stay here in paganism." And the boyars began to advise Vladimir to convert to a new faith: “If the Greek law had been bad, then your grandmother, Olga, would not have accepted it, but she was the wisest of all people.”
Vladimir was already seriously thinking about baptism, but because of the war with the Byzantines, he was forced to postpone this important matter.
While besieging the Greek colony in Crimea - the city of Korsun (Chersonese), the prince vowed that he would accept Christianity if he managed to take this fortress. When, with the help of a defector, he captured Korsun, he demanded that the Byzantine emperors Vasily and Constantine give him their sister Anna as his wife. And they answered him: “It is not proper for Christians to marry their wives to pagans: if you are baptized, then you will receive her, and you will receive the Kingdom of Heaven.” Vladimir said that he himself had been ready for baptism for a long time. Before the baptismal ceremony, the Russian prince suddenly began to rapidly go blind, and only in church during the ceremony did he get rid of this illness. The superstitious Vladimir perceived everything that happened as signs confirming the correctness of his choice.
Having been baptized in the temple of ancient Chersonese, the Kiev prince returned to his capital along with his young wife, priests and retinue (his soldiers, following their leader, also accepted the Christian faith). In Kyiv, Vladimir first ordered to overturn the idols, chop them up and burn them. The main one, Perun, was ordered to be tied to the tail of a horse and dragged to the Dnieper, and then thrown into the water. And the prince, in his usual style, addressed the astonished townspeople with an undisguised threat: “If someone doesn’t come to the river tomorrow, be it rich or poor, or beggar, or slave, then he will be my enemy!” The next morning, thousands of Kievites came to the Dnieper, and there Christian priests baptized them. This was the beginning of the long and bloody baptism of Rus', which was carried out with fire and sword over the next two hundred years. During the bloody introduction of Christianity, thousands of Russians died, who did not want to abandon the faith of their ancestors.
Tens of thousands were forced to flee their homes, going to the dense northern and northeastern forests - away from Vladimir’s missionaries. In Novgorod, a very large uprising was raised against Christians, which was brutally suppressed by the uncle of the Kyiv prince Dobrynya. Having been baptized, Prince Vladimir became a different person: now he began to worry more about creation than about destruction. He once said: “It’s not good that there are few cities near Kyiv!”, and cities began to be built and actively populated. By order of the prince, a church was erected in the capital using a tenth of his capital, called Tithe. With his generosity, Vladimir wanted to surpass the biblical King Solomon, throwing a “feast for the whole world” every Sunday. The tables were simply placed on the street, where everyone could taste the princely treats, and Vladimir’s warriors, as a sign of special respect for them, ate from silver dishes. Carts filled with meat, fish, bread, honey and all other food drove around Kyiv, and the drivers shouted: “Is there a sick and beggar somewhere who cannot go to the prince’s courtyard?” At one time, Vladimir even wanted to abandon the death penalty in the country, saying: “I’m afraid of sin!”
In 1115, when the prince's son Yaroslav, who ruled in Novgorod, refused to send his father the due tribute, Vladimir began to organize a campaign against him, but suddenly fell ill and soon died. His other son, Svyatopolk, tried to hide the fact of the prince’s death, but he could not keep the secret for long. Having learned about the death of their patron, the people of Kiev wept bitterly, and they placed a marble coffin with the body of the baptist of Rus' in the Tithe Church, where it remained until the Mongol invasion.
Biography of Prince Vladimir.
947 is the estimated date of birth of the future Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich.
969 - Svyatoslav sends the twenty-year-old prince to rule on his behalf in Novgorod. Novgorodians willingly accept the young heir to the throne; according to one version, they themselves invited him to rule their own city.
972-980 – Vladimir is waging an internecine struggle with his brother Yaropolk, in which he wins. However, before that he had to leave his homeland for several years, leaving for Scandinavia, where he recruited a large army.
981 – Vladimir conquers the Cherven cities (Galicia).
981-982 – Vladimir, as the Grand Duke of Kyiv, conquers the Vyatichi tribes.
983 - undertakes a campaign against the Lithuanian Yatvingian tribe.
984 - makes a campaign against the Radimichi.
987, 994, 997 - makes campaigns against the Volga Bulgars.
987 - helps the Byzantine Emperor Vasily II in his fight against the impostor Varda Phocas.
988 - goes on a campaign to the Crimea and captures Chersonesos (Korsun). He is baptized there.
992-1015 - constantly fights with the Pecheneg tribe, who make regular raids on Rus'.
1015 - dies in the city of Kyiv.
One night she approached the sleeping Vladimir and wanted to hit him with a sword. However, the prince woke up and grabbed her hand. Enraged, he ordered Rogneda to prepare for death. The next day, Vladimir came to his wife, but his path was blocked by Rogneda’s little son Izyaslav, armed with a sword. He told the prince: “Father, you are not alone here!” And Rogneda said: “Even though you kill me, there is someone to take revenge for me.” Vladimir retreated and then decided to release Rogneda to her parents’ estate, to Polotsk, where she for a long time reigned with her son.
Having killed Prince Yaropolk and taken possession of Kiev, Vladimir made his brother’s widow, a beautiful Greek woman, his wife. The son of the deceased, Svyatopolk (later known as the Accursed), was adopted by Vladimir;
During such celebrations, Vladimir showed the greatest honor to his soldiers. They sat near the prince, and the first toasts were always made to their health. One day the warriors began to grumble at their master, saying: “How bitter our life is, we eat from our prince with wooden spoons, not silver.” Then Vladimir ordered to immediately make silver spoons for the entire army, saying: “I will not find a squad with silver and gold, but with a squad I will find both silver and gold, as my grandfather and father found it”;
Vladimir listened to them and forbade taking viru throughout the country, that is, monetary compensation for murder. And after the number of robberies decreased, the cunning bishops again turned to the prince: “Our army is strong now, if the army returns, then let it go to arms and horses.” Vladimir told them: “Let it be so,” and traditional ancient Slavic laws returned to Rus' again, when murder was most often punished simply by a fine;
Historical memory of Prince Vladimir.
Vladimir the Great was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. Hundreds of temples and monasteries are named in his honor.
The cities of Vladimir-Volynsky and Vladimir (now regional center Russian Federation).
Monuments to Prince Vladimir were erected in Kyiv, Korosten, Vladimir-Volynsky, Ivano-Frankovsk, Sevastopol, Vladimir, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Tula, Belgorod, Astrakhan, London, Toronto, Brisbane, Gdansk, Buenos Aires.
Streets in Kyiv, Lvov, Rivne and Dnepropetrovsk are named after Vladimir. Google Map:
The image of Prince Vladimir is placed on Ukrainian money with a face value of one hryvnia.
In honor of Prince Vladimir, numerous stamps(in the UPR, USSR, Ukraine, Russian Federation).
In 1782 and 1957 Orders were established in honor of Prince Vladimir.
Prince Vladimir became the hero of numerous works of fiction, films and even cartoons.
Prince Vladimir on social networks.
12 thematic groups were found in Odnoklassniki.
2 groups found on VKontakte.
On YouTube, the search for “Prince Volodymyr” yields 5,290 results.
How often do Yandex users from Ukraine look for information about Vladimir Svyatoslavovich?
To analyze the popularity of the request “Prince Volodymyr”, the service is used search engine Yandex wordstat.yandex, from which we can conclude: as of April 25, 2016, the number of requests for the month was 2,432, as can be seen in the screenshot.
For the period since the end of 2014 greatest number queries for “Prince Volodymyr” were registered in November 2016 – 5,473 queries per month.
(c. 890 -11.07. 969), son of the great Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich(942–972). Vladimir's mother was the housekeeper of Princess Olga Malusha (c.940/944 - ?) - the daughter of Malk Lyubechanin (? - 946), whom many historians identify with the Drevlyansky prince Mal.
The year of birth of Vladimir Svyatoslavich is considered to be 960. As the Nikon and Ustyug Chronicles report, the future baptist of Rus' was born in the village of Budutin (Budyatyn).
Information about future fate Malusha, Vladimir's mother, is not available. In Kyiv, Vladimir was under the supervision of his paternal grandmother, Princess Olga. Probably, his maternal uncle Dobrynya was involved in his upbringing, since in Rus' it was customary to entrust the upbringing of the heir to senior warriors.
It is worth noting that Vladimir’s grandmother, Princess Olga, was a Christian - back in 955 she received holy baptism in Constantinople. Olga tried to introduce Svyatoslav to the faith, but he did not even think of listening to her.
In 970, shortly before his death, Grand Duke Svyatoslav divided Rus' between his three sons: Kyiv was given to Yaropolk (? - 06/11/978), Ovruch, the center of the Drevlyansky land, to Oleg (955–977) , and Novgorod - to Vladimir.
In 977, a fraternal war began between Yaropolk and his brothers Oleg and Vladimir. Prince Oleg died during this feud. At this news, Vladimir fled to Jarl of Norway Hakon the Mighty (c. 937–995). Yaropolk began to rule the entire Russian Land.
While in Scandinavia, Vladimir and Dobrynya gathered an army and in 980 returned to Novgorod, expelling the mayor Yaropolk from there. Vladimir managed to capture Polotsk, which had sided with Kyiv, killing the family of the city's ruler, Prince Rogvolod (c. 920 - 978), and taking his daughter, Princess Rogneda (c. 960 - c. 1000), as his wife. It is known that Vladimir previously wooed Rogneda, but she refused to become his wife, calling him “robichich”: the Polotsk princess considered it unacceptable to marry the son of the housekeeper Malusha.
Then Vladimir with a large Varangian army besieged Kyiv, Yaropolk was killed, and Vladimir took Yaropolk’s wife, a former Greek nun, as a concubine.
Vladimir reigned in Kyiv in 980. The chronicle reports that during this period Vladimir was distinguished by his cruel pagan character and depravity. Soon after ascending the Kiev throne, he erected statues of pagan gods on a hill near his palace. However, at the same time, Vladimir was a wise ruler. Let's say, he made several successful military campaigns to the west and east, subjugated the Radimichi and Vyatichi tribes, annexed the “Cherven cities” (Volyn, Kholm, Belz, Brody, Przemysl, Volodava, Cherven and others) to Rus'.
The pagan reform - an attempt to create one pantheon of gods common to all, carried out by Prince Vladimir, was defeated, since each tribe had its own gods. Probably this defeat, as well as the example of the Christians living next to him, increasingly forced the young prince to think about the need for changes in the life of the Russian state.
Baptism of Rus' by Prince Vladimir
The chronicle calls the Baptism of Rus' the result of a conscious “choice of faiths” by Prince Vladimir: preachers of Judaism, Islam, and Western “Latin” Christianity were invited to his court, until Vladimir, as reported in the chronicle, after communicating with the “Greek philosopher”, settled on Christianity of the Byzantine rite.
An important impetus for the Baptism of Rus' was Vladimir’s demand to give him Anna, the sister of the Byzantine emperors Vasily II and Constantine VIII, as his wife, in exchange for support in the fight against the invader Varda Phocas (? - 04/13/989). The Byzantine rulers agreed, but in turn demanded that the Kyiv prince be baptized. Not receiving a bride, the angry Vladimir attacked the Byzantine city of Korsun (Chersonese) in Crimea and only after that the marriage took place.
The Armenian historian Stefan Taronsky, a contemporary of Prince Vladimir, also reports on the size of Russian military power and baptism:
Then the entire people of Ruzov (Russians), who were there (in Armenia, around the year 1000) rose up to fight; there were 6,000 of them - foot soldiers, armed with spears and shields - whom Tsar Vasily asked from Tsar Ruzov at the time when he gave his sister in marriage to the latter. At the same time, the Ruz believed in Christ.
The date of the Baptism of Rus' is considered to be 988. At baptism, Vladimir took the name Vasily. It is known that shortly before his baptism, Vladimir was struck by blindness, and immediately after he was baptized, his sight returned. It is known that in Kyiv the baptism of the people took place relatively peacefully, in contrast to Novgorod, where Dobrynya led the baptism and it was accompanied by pagan uprisings and punitive methods on the part of the baptists. In the Rostov and Suzdal lands, where the local Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes were not completely subjugated politically, Christians remained a minority, apparently, even after Prince Vladimir (until the 13th century, paganism dominated the Vyatichi).
During the baptism of Rus', a church hierarchy was also established. Rus' became the Kyiv metropolis of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and a diocese was created in Novgorod. After the baptism of Rus', Prince Vladimir was in two successive Christian marriages: with the already mentioned Byzantine princess Anna and, after her death in 1011, from 1018 with his second wife, who is referred to as “Yaroslav’s stepmother.” Prince Vladimir had 13 sons and 10 daughters. The most famous among them were Svyatopolk, Yaroslav the Wise,.
Prince Vladimir - a wise ruler
Rus' after Epiphany continued its active foreign policy: the struggle with Poland, with the White Croats, the war with the Pechenegs, which lasted until the 990s. Subsequently, based on the memories of the Pecheneg War, legends were formed (the legend of Belgorod jelly, of Nikita Kozhemyak and others). To defend against the Pechenegs, several fortresses were built along the southern border of Kievan Rus, as well as a palisade on an earthen embankment.
Vladimir is credited with the authorship of the “Church Charter,” which determined the competence of church courts. In addition, Prince Vladimir began minting his own coins according to Byzantine models - gold (“zlatnikov”) and silver (“srebrenikov”). On most coins, the Kiev prince is depicted sitting on a throne, and next to it is the inscription: “Vladimr is on the table, and behold his gold (or: silver)”; There are also options with a chest design.
The reign of Prince Vladimir was marked by the beginning of book education in Rus', which was a consequence of the baptism of Rus'. Children began to be taken from their families and sent to study. Here is how The Tale of Bygone Years reports about it:
He sent to collect the best people children and send them to book education. The mothers of these children wept for them; for they were not yet established in the faith and wept over them as if they were dead.
The teachers were not only Byzantines, but more often even Bulgarians who had previously studied on Mount Athos. Soon, remarkable rhetoricians and literary connoisseurs arose in Rus', such as, for example, one of the first writers in Rus', the author of the famous “Sermon on Law and Grace,” Metropolitan Hilarion (990–1055)
Under the Kiev prince, active stone construction began in Rus', although the first buildings of this kind known to us date back to the reign of Vladimir’s son, Yaroslav the Wise. Cities such as Vladimir on Klyazma (990), Belgorod (991), and Pereyaslavl (992) were founded.
IN last years In his lifetime, Prince Vladimir probably decided to violate the principle of succession to the throne and transfer power to his beloved son Boris. Prince Vladimir of Kiev reposed on July 15, 1015 in Berestov.
Church veneration Prince Vladimir
There is no exact data about the beginning of church veneration of Prince Vladimir. It is possible that Vladimir was initially commemorated together with his sons, the holy princes Boris and Gleb.
The veneration of Prince Vladimir as a saint to this day causes controversy among historians. It is known that Byzantium refused to recognize him as a saint. Perhaps because his pagan behavior, described in detail in the chronicles, had not yet been forgotten. But for Rus', Vladimir’s services to the Fatherland were obvious: Vladimir is the baptizer of Rus', a wise ruler, commander, a generous and merciful person.
Another obstacle to the church veneration of Prince Vladimir was the lack of miracles associated with his name. The exact time of the canonization of the Kyiv prince is unknown. Vladimir died in 1015, and the earliest surviving written information about his official veneration dates back to the 14th century. Liturgical books are celebrated as the day of memory of Vladimir on July 15 (old style).
The relics of Prince Vladimir were not given the gift of miracles, so there were disputes in the Church about his holiness. However, the services of Prince Vladimir to the Russian state were significant and great for all Russian people, and therefore popular veneration Prince Vladimir arose already in the 11th century. After the death of Vladimir, a whole epic cycle developed around his image. People's memory has preserved the idea of Vladimir as a hospitable, merciful prince, the “Red Sun”. Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich is still revered as a man who lived for the benefit and glory of the Fatherland.
Troparion and Kontakion to Saint Prince Vladimir
Troparion, ch. 4.
Like a merchant, I am looking for good beads, glorious Vladimir, sitting at the height of the table, mother of the city of God-saved Kyiv. And testing sending to the Royal City, take away the Orthodox faith. And you will find the priceless pearl of Christ, who chose you as the second Paul, and shook off blindness in the holy font, both spiritual and physical. In the same way, we celebrate your dormition, your people, pray for the salvation of your Russian ruler, and the multitude of those who rule.
Kontakion, ch. 8.
Having become like the great Paul in the apostles, in the sovereign gray hairs of the all-glorious Vladimir, you left all the wisdom of a child, and care for idols. And like a perfect husband, he was adorned with purple at Divine Baptism. And stand before the Savior Christ in joy. Pray for the salvation of the Russian ruler, and the multitude of those who rule.
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Library of Russian Faith
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Holy Prince Vladimir. Icons
Reliable images of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich of the pre-Mongol period are unknown, which contrasts with the large number of surviving images of the passion-bearing princes Boris and Gleb, with whose images already in the early stages of development the iconography of Vladimir Svyatoslavich was almost always associated. In con. XIV - 1st half. In the 15th century, images of Vladimir Svyatoslavich became widespread. By this time, the main variants of the iconography of Vladimir Svyatoslavich and the most stable features recorded in later iconographic originals had been formed: gray hair, the type of hairstyle and curly forked beard, different from both the lifetime images on coins and from the miniatures of the Radziwill Chronicle:
The image and braid are like John the Theologian, and the hair on the head is curly, like Minin (Bolshakov. Iconographic original. P. 116; see also: Iconographic original of the Novgorod edition of the late 16th century. M., 1873. P. 120).
In a number of works of the 16th and especially the 17th centuries. Vladimir Svyatoslavich is depicted with a wider, only slightly forked beard. The permanent attributes of Vladimir Svyatoslavich are a sword in his left hand and a cross in his right. In some early monuments, Vladimir Svyatoslavich is presented in a basket-cloak, traditional for the most ancient princely images; in the air of 1389 he is shown in a fur coat draped over his shoulders.
Joint images of Vladimir Svyatoslavich, Boris and Gleb in the 15th–16th centuries. served as a model for the formation of the iconography of ancient Russian princes: Theodore, Davyd and Konstantin of Yaroslavl, Konstantin, Mikhail and Theodore of Murom. In most of these compositions, the prince-father stands in the center, with young sons on the sides; variants of this scheme are known on icons of the 16th century. Icons depicting Vladimir Svyatoslavich, Boris and Gleb became widespread in the 16th–17th centuries, often in combination with the hagiographic cycle of Boris and Gleb in the fields. Works of this type could be intended both for churches consecrated in the name of Saints Boris and Gleb, and for a few churches and chapels in the name of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir.
Saints Vladimir, Boris and Gleb with their lives Equal-to-the-Apostles Vladimir. Vologda, mid-3rd quarter of the 16th century. From the church of the book. Vladimir in Vologda (?). Later it was located in the Verkhnedolskaya Church of the Virgin Mary. Vologda, Vologda Museum
Temples in honor of Saint Prince Vladimir
In the name of Saint Prince Vladimir there is a church in Moscow in Starye Sadekh. It was built in 1514-16. presumably by the architect Aleviz Fryazin (Novy) on the site of the old temple of the same name. The chapel of Kirik and Iulita was added in 1677. In the 1670s. main temple rebuilt, basically the entire top was changed. The second northern chapel in honor of Saints Boris and Gleb was added in 1689. The temple was closed in 1933 and later beheaded. Services were resumed in 1991.
The church of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, which was built in 1554, was consecrated in the name of Saint Prince Vladimir.
Also in honor of St. Vladimir, the chapel (between 1113 and 1125) of the Transfiguration Church on Berestov in Kyiv and the chapel (1635) of the Church of the Resurrection of the Word in the village of Isaida, Ryazan region, were consecrated.
Monuments to the Baptist of Rus'
There are monuments to Prince Vladimir in Vladimir, Veliky Novgorod (the “Millennium of Russia” monument, where Vladimir is depicted to the left of Rurik), and Belgorod.
The princely statue is also located in St. Petersburg, in the Kazan Cathedral. There are also sculptures of Prince Vladimir in Kyiv, Sevastopol, Korosten.
Monuments to the Baptist of Rus' were erected in Toronto (Canada), London (Great Britain), Brisbane (Australia).
In 2015, the Moscow authorities decided to erect a monument to Prince Vladimir on the Sparrow Hills. However, this statement caused a storm public discussion. There were both supporters and opponents of this intention. Opponents of the installation of a monument to the Baptist of Rus' cited as reasons an “inconvenient” place for the sculpture, which spoils the view of the Sparrow Hills. Some members of the public said that due to too much weight, the monument would slide into the Moscow River. Purely philistine protests were also expressed: the sculpture would interfere with photographing the main building of Moscow State University, and the monument would also disturb the lighting of the surrounding area. However, as the deputy stated executive director Russian Military Historical Society (RVIO) Vladislav Kononov: “If we set out to collect signatures for the installation of a monument, I believe the count would be hundreds of thousands and millions.” As a result, on November 4, 2016, on the holiday, in the center of Moscow, on Borovitskaya Square, the opening ceremony of the monument to the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir took place.
There are many in the church calendar memorable dates, dedicated to Slavic saints, ascetics and martyrs, but one of the most significant dates is the Day of St. Prince Vladimir. Vladimir not only was baptized, but also established Christianity as the new religion of Kievan Rus.
Holy Blessed Prince Vladimir
Vladimir is the son of Prince Svyatoslav and grandson of Grand Duchess Olga. Before his death, Svyatoslav divided his lands between his sons - Oleg, Yaropolk and Vladimir. When the father died, strife began between the three brothers, after which Vladimir became the prince of all Rus'. In 987, Vladimir, having captured Chersonesos, which belonged to Byzantine Empire, and demanded the hand of Anna, the sister of Basil and Constantine - two Byzantine emperors. The emperors set a condition for Vladimir - acceptance of the faith of Christ. When Anna arrived in Chersonesos, Vladimir suddenly became blind. In the hope of being healed, the prince was baptized and immediately received his sight. In delight, he said: “At last I have seen the true God!” Amazed by this miracle, the prince’s warriors also were baptized. The couple got married in Chersonesos. For his beloved wife, Vladimir gave Chersonesos to Byzantium, building there the Church of the Baptist of the Lord. Returning to the capital, Vladimir baptized all his sons.
Baptism of Rus' by Holy Prince Vladimir
Soon the prince began to eradicate paganism in Rus' and destroy pagan idols. Baptized boyars and clergy walked through the streets and houses, talking about the Gospel and denouncing idolatry. Having adopted Christianity, Prince Vladimir began to erect Christian churches where idols had previously stood. happened in 988. This key event is directly connected with Prince Vladimir, whom the church calls an Equal-to-the-Apostles saint, historians call Vladimir the Great, and the people call Vladimir the “Red Sun.”
Relics of St. Vladimir
The relics of St. Vladimir, as well as the relics of the blessed Princess Olga, were originally located in the Kyiv Church of the Tithes, but in 1240 it was destroyed by the Tatars. So the remains of St. Vladimir rested under the ruins for many centuries. Only in 1635 Peter Mogila discovered a shrine with the relics of St. Vladimir. They managed to remove the right hand and head from the coffin. Subsequently, the brush was transported to the St. Sophia Cathedral, and the head -
Saint Vladimir, Equal to the Apostles, is a pagan who accepted Christ with all his heart and completely changed his life; the conquering prince who converted Rus' to the Orthodox faith; prototype of the epic character - Vladimir the Red Sun; a saint in whose honor many churches were built in our country. We will talk about the life of the Grand Duke and the Baptism of Rus'.
Prince Vladimir I Svyatoslavich- grandson of Grand Duchess Olga (glorified by the Church as an Equal-to-the-Apostles saint) and son of Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich.
Saint Vladimir lived and reigned at the turn of the 10th-11th centuries. First, from 970, he reigned in Novogorod; then, from 978 until his death in 1015, in Kyiv, the capital of Kievan Rus.
Exactly Equal to the Apostles Prince Vladimir, in holy baptism Vasily, is the initiator of the Baptism of Rus', a turning point in the history of our country. In 988, Christianity became the state religion in Kievan Rus. A former pagan himself, Prince Vladimir actively spread the new faith among the Slavs. For this he was nicknamed Vladimir the Baptist.
The Church glorified Prince Vladimir canonized as Equal-to-the-Apostles. Saints equal to the apostles are those who served their lives to preach the Gospel, spread Christian faith among people. Kings and princes who enlightened their people with the light of Christ are often glorified precisely as equal to the apostles. For example, Grand Duchess Olga, the grandmother of Prince Vladimir, who became the first ruler of Kievan Rus to accept the Christian faith.
When is the memory of Saint Vladimir Equal to the Apostles celebrated?
The memory of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir is celebrated on the day of his death - July 28 according to the new style (July 15 according to the old style, or according to the Julian calendar).
Years of the reign of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich
Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich ruled at the turn of the 10th-11th centuries. First, from 970, he reigned in Novgorod, then, from 978 to 1015 (year of death), in Kyiv, the capital of Kievan Rus.
Prince Vladimir - pagan
The future baptist of Rus' was born in the marriage of Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich with Malusha, who was from the Drevlyans. The Drevlyans are the same tribe against whom Grand Duchess Olga cruelly took revenge for the murder of her husband, Prince Igor. According to legend, Malusha was the housekeeper of Princess Olga.
In 972, Prince Vladimir ascended the Novgorod throne. He became famous among the people as a conqueror of lands. In 980, he recaptured Kyiv from his own brother, Yaropolk. In addition, Vladimir subjugated and imposed tribute on many neighboring tribes: the Vyatichi, Yatvingians, Radimichi; defended the borders of the state from Pecheneg raids. The prince expanded the borders of Rus' from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Bug River in the south.
Before accepting holy baptism, Prince Vladimir was a pagan. His grandmother, Princess Olga, did not pass on her new faith - Christianity - to her son and grandson. Therefore, Grand Duke Vladimir Svyatoslavich had to follow in her footsteps - to find Christ after for long years sinful life and spiritual quest.
During the pagan period, Vladimir had several wives and many concubines in different cities. He installed idols in the capital of Rus', in front of which sacrifices were made, including human ones. As the chronicle writes, “and they made sacrifices to them, calling them gods, and brought their sons and daughters to them, and these sacrifices went to demons... And the Russian land and that hill were defiled with blood.”
During his reign, the Varangians Theodore and his son John suffered martyrdom for Christ. According to many researchers, it was this event that prompted the Grand Duke to wonder whether the pagan faith was true. After the adoption of Christianity and the Baptism of Rus', the future Equal-to-the-Apostles saint erected the famous Tithe Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the site of the death of the martyrs.
Baptism of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich
Many historians believe that Grand Duke Vladimir chose Orthodox Christianity among several other religions. He convened representatives of different faiths to Kyiv, the mother of Russian cities. Muslim Bulgarians, Catholic Germans, Jews and Orthodox Greeks. Each of them described to Prince Vladimir the merits of their faith, and the Grand Duke made a choice in favor of Orthodoxy. But to make sure that he was not mistaken, he sent ten wise and respected men to the capital of Byzantium, Constantinople. Kievan Rus people - so that they can figure out whether the Orthodox faith is really the most worthy.
The sages were amazed by the Sophia of Constantinople - the magnificent architecture of the temple, the angelic singing of the choir, the beauty of the divine service. They returned to Vladimir with the words: “We did not know whether we were standing on earth or in heaven.”
Vladimir made the final decision to be baptized. In order not to fall into submission to the Greeks, Vladimir Svyatoslavich organized a military campaign and took the city of Chersonesos. And he asked the Byzantine emperors Vasily and Constantine for the hand of Princess Anna. Anna could only marry a Christian. In 988, Prince Vladimir received holy baptism with the name Vasily. According to legend, coming out of the baptismal font, he, who had previously been briefly blind, regained his sight and exclaimed: “Now I know the true God!”
Baptism of Rus'
The term “Baptism of Rus'” itself is found already in the Tale of Bygone Years, the oldest chronicle that has reached us. It was written at the beginning of the 12th century.
After baptism, Prince Vladimir returned to Kyiv and brought with him from overseas lands Orthodox priests. They were the first to baptize the sons of Vladimir Svyatoslavich into the new faith, then the boyars. The source where they were baptized began to be called Khreshchatyk.
The Grand Duke began to actively fight paganism. On his orders, they cut down the idols that he himself had recently installed in the capital of Rus'. The temple in the center of Kyiv was a composition of statues of the six main gods of the Slavic pagan pantheon: Perun, Khors, Dazhdbog, Stribog, Semargl and Mokosha. As legend says, the figure of Perun was tied to a horse's tail and thrown into the Dnieper River.
On the initiative of the Christian prince, the clergy told the people about Christ and the Gospel. The result of the sermon was Vladimir Svyatoslavich’s order to all citizens to appear in Kyiv, on the banks of the Dnieper, to receive holy baptism. This event was the first in a series of mass baptisms in Rus'.
Next Novgorod was baptized. Then followed Rostov, Suzdal, Murom, Polotsk, Vladimir Volynsky, Smolensk, Pskov, Lutsk and other cities. The adoption of a new, unified faith became a serious impetus for the unification of Russian lands.
In Soviet historiography there was always room for irony about the supposedly forced and formal mass baptism of Rus', but stubborn historical facts indicate the opposite. For such a massive event, it was incredibly peaceful and was almost immediately deeply accepted in popular life.
Coins of Prince Vladimir
During his reign, Prince Vladimir, following the example of Byzantium, began minting coins - for the first time in Rus'. They were made of gold and silver, and they were called, respectively, “zlatnik” and “srebrenik”. The coins depicted the prince sitting on a throne, and it was written: “Vladimir on the table,” which translated means “Vladimir on the throne.”
Foundation of the city of Vladimir
Historians disagree on who founded the city of Vladimir (Vladimir on Klyazma). According to one version, the city was founded in 990 by Grand Duke Vladimir Svyatoslavich himself. According to another, in 1108 - Prince Vladimir Monomakh.
The founding of the city by the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir is supported by references to him in several chronicles. These are the Suprasl, Gustyn, Ermolin and some other chronicles.
Church of the Tithes - Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kyiv
The Church of the Tithes in Kyiv was built by decree of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. “The Tale of Bygone Years” writes: “Summer 6497 (989) thoughts of creating the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, and sending and sending masters from the Greek. And I will begin to create, and as soon as I have finished, decorate it with icons.”
Immigrants from Byzantium took 7 years to build the church. In 996 it was consecrated in honor of the Mother of God. The Grand Duke allocated a tenth of his income for the maintenance of the temple, so the church was called Tithe.
The relics of Grand Duchess Olga, the grandmother of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, were transferred to the temple. Here Saint Vladimir later buried his wife Anna.
In 1240, the Mongols, led by Batu, destroyed Kyiv. What remains of the Tithe Church is the southern aisle and a piece of the wall. The ruins stood untouched for four centuries, and only in 1636, Metropolitan Peter Mogila decided to “Tithe Church” Holy Virgin located at the gates of Kyiv, dig it out of the darkness and open it to daylight.” Services have resumed in the temple.
It was Metropolitan Peter Mogila who discovered two sarcophagi among the ruins, and in them the remains of two people. For several centuries they were revered as belonging to Prince Vladimir and Princess Anna, but are now completely lost.
In 1828, on the site of the first Tithe Church, they began to build a new one, according to the design of the architect Vasily Stasov. The temple was built in 14 years, but it was not destined to stand for long. In 1936, the building was dismantled into bricks. In 1938-39, the scientific group of the Institute of History material culture The USSR Academy of Sciences conducted excavations and found fragments of fresco and mosaic decoration of the ancient temple, stone tombs and remains of the foundation.
Modern archaeologists continue excavations at the site of the Church of the Tithes.
Vladimir Red Sun
Vladimir Red Sun - that’s what people called it, according to legend Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. According to researchers, this epic image is rather a collective one, that is, it cannot be fully attributed to any one historical person.
In the epics, Vladimir the Red Sun is the head of all the heroes, but at the same time he is not a hero himself. Perhaps the Grand Duke, or even a mythical character - Dazhbog, the sun god of the pagan Slavs.
In addition to epics, we find mentions of Vladimir the Red Sun in the so-called Dove Book (East Slavic folk spiritual verse of the late 15th - early XVI century). There his names are Volodar, Volodimer, Volodimir Syslavich, Volodumor.
Death and relics of Saint Vladimir Equal to the Apostles
Grand Duke Vladimir died after an illness on July 15, 1015 (July 28, new style). He was buried in the Tithe Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kyiv, which he founded. The sarcophagi of Vladimir and his wife Anna were made of marble and stood in the center of the temple.
In 1240, the Tithe Church was destroyed by the Mongols. In 1632-36, the ruins of an ancient temple began to be dismantled in Kyiv and marble tombs were discovered. The relics of Saint Vladimir Equal to the Apostles and his wife were removed and buried again. Two centuries later, in 1826, researchers again opened the graves and distributed the relics to Kyiv and Moscow churches. Now the remains of the spouses have been lost, and modern researchers even doubt that in the 17th century the sarcophagi of Vladimir and Anna were found among the ruins.
Glorification of Prince Vladimir as a saint
The exact date of the canonization of Saint Vladimir, Equal to the Apostles, is not known to scientists. Some researchers suggest that they began to venerate Vladimir Svyatoslavich as a saint together with his sons - Saints Boris and Gleb. Other experts believe that hagiographic stories about Vladimir’s conversion to Christianity appeared immediately after his death. Be that as it may, to mid-XII century he has not yet been officially canonized.
But already in the 14th century, all Prologues and liturgical books mention the day of remembrance of St. Vladimir Equal to the Apostles - July 15 (July 28, new style). Most likely, the canonization took place in the second half of the 13th century.
The key event in the development of church veneration of St. Vladimir was the celebration of the 900th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' in 1888. At the same time, several Prince Vladimir churches were built, for example, the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv.
Icon of Saint Vladimir Equal to the Apostles
The iconography of Saint Vladimir, equal to the apostles, is traditional for all saints equal to the apostles. Equal to the Apostles are those saints who served the Lord, enlightening people with the light of Christ. For example (if we're talking about about holy princes and kings), converted to Christianity the citizens of the country in which they reigned. These saints are likened to the apostles - for spreading the Gospel. This is Saint Mary Magdalene; and Emperor Constantine and his mother Queen Helena; and Saint Nina, the enlightener of Georgia; and Grand Duchess Olga; and Prince Vladimir, who baptized Rus'.
Equal to the Apostles Prince Vladimir is traditionally depicted standing on icons. In his right hand is a cross, a symbol of the preaching of Christ, which was preached by all the saints equal to the apostles. In the left hand is a scroll or sword.
Another traditional image of Saint Vladimir - together with Saint Olga, Equal-to-the-Apostles, the first ruler in Rus' to convert to Christianity.
Troparion to Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir
You became like a merchant looking for good beads, glorious Vladimir, sitting at the height of the table with the mother of the cities, God-saved Kyiv: testing and sending to the Royal City to lead the Orthodox faith, you found a priceless bead - Christ, who chose you, like the second Paul, and shook off blindness in the holy font, both spiritual and physical. In the same way, we celebrate your dormition, your people, pray for the salvation of your Russian ruler and the multitude of those who rule.
Kontakion to Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir
Having resembled the great Apostle Paul, in his gray hairs, the all-glorious Vladimir, all the wisdom of a child, even the care of idols, left, like a perfect man, adorned with Divine Baptism with crimson, and now, standing before the Savior Christ in joy, pray to be saved by the ruler of the Russian power and the multitude of those who rule .
First prayer to the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir
O great servant of God, God-chosen and God-glorified, equal to the apostles Prince Vladimir! You have rejected pagan evil and wickedness, you have believed in the One True Trinitarian God and, having accepted Holy Baptism You enlightened the entire Russian country with the light of Divine faith and piety. Glorifying and giving thanks to our Most Merciful Creator and Savior, we glorify, thank you, our Enlightener and Father, for by you we have known the saving faith of Christ and have been baptized in the Name of the Most Holy and Divine Trinity: by that faith we have been delivered from the righteous condemnation of God, the eternal slavery of the devil and the torment of hell : by that faith I received the grace of sonship with God and the hope of inheriting Heavenly bliss. You are our first leader to the Author and Finisher of our eternal salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ; You are a warm prayer book and intercessor for the Russian country, for the army and for all people. Our language cannot depict the greatness and height of the blessings you poured out on our land, on our fathers and forefathers and on us, unworthy. O all-merciful father and our enlightener! Look at our weaknesses and beg the most merciful King of Heaven, may He not be very angry with us, as through our infirmities we sin all day long, may He not destroy us with our iniquities, but may He have mercy and save us, by His mercy, may He plant us in our hearts May His saving fear enlighten our minds with His grace, so that we understand the ways of the Lord, leave the paths of wickedness and error, and strive in the paths of salvation and truth, the unwavering fulfillment of the commandments of God and the statutes of the Holy Church. Pray, merciful Lord, to the Lover of Mankind, that He may add His great mercy to us, that He may deliver us from the invasion of foreigners, from internal disorder, rebellion and strife, from famine, deadly diseases and from all evil, that He may give us the prosperity of the air and the fruitfulness of the earth, that He may give us the shepherds are zealous for the salvation of their flock, but all people have the haste to diligently correct their services, have love among themselves and like-mindedness, and strive faithfully for the good of the Fatherland and the Holy Church, so that the light of saving faith may shine in our country at all ends of it, so that all heresies and schisms, so having lived in peace on earth, we will be worthy of eternal bliss with you, praising and exalting God forever and ever. Amen.
Second prayer to the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir
O great servant of God, Equal-to-the-Apostles to Prince Vladimir! Look at our weaknesses and beg the Most Merciful King of Heaven, may he not be very angry with us and may he not destroy us with our iniquities, but may he have mercy and save us by His mercy, may he implant repentance and the saving fear of God in our hearts, may he enlighten us with His grace Our mind is to leave us the paths of wickedness and turn to the path of salvation, and unswervingly keep the commandments of God and keep the statutes of the Holy Church. Pray, kind-hearted God, the Lover of Mankind, that He may show us His great mercy: may He deliver us from deadly diseases and from all evil, may He preserve and save the servants of God (names) from all the snares and slander of the enemy, and may we all be worthy of eternal bliss with you, praising and exalting God forever and ever.
Prince Vladimir Cathedral in St. Petersburg
The Cathedral of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir is located in St. Petersburg on Blokhina Street, 26.
In the very early XVIII century, immediately after the founding of the city, a wooden temple was built on this site, the predecessor of the Prince Vladimir Cathedral. It was a three-altar mud-brick church. The main altar was consecrated in honor of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary; services were performed in the presence of Emperor Peter I. By royal decree, the church received the status of a cathedral.
In 1740, they began to build a one-domed stone church next to the Assumption Cathedral, but two years later, when Elizabeth Petrovna ascended the throne, construction was frozen. The project was redone - in 1766, according to the drawings of the architect Rinaldi, they began to build a five-domed cathedral with a three-tier bell tower. By 1772, construction was interrupted by a fire - the fire destroyed the ancient wooden Assumption Cathedral and damaged the stone one under construction. Construction was completed only on October 1, 1789. The cathedral was consecrated in honor of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir.
In 1940-2001, the icon of the Kazan Mother of God was kept in the Prince Vladimir Cathedral. Now it has been returned to the Kazan Cathedral.
St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Kyiv
The Vladimir Cathedral was built in Kyiv at the request of Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia Philaret, with which he addressed Emperor Nicholas I in 1852. The temple was built with charitable donations and designed by the architect Ivan Shtrom.
The collection of donations proceeded very slowly, but when the new Emperor Alexander II became interested in the project in 1857, things got off the ground. The estimate was changed: they decided to build the temple on a smaller scale and according to a different design - by the architect Alexander Beretti. The first stone in the foundation of the cathedral was laid in 1862, on the day of the celebration of the memory of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir.
In 1866, when the building was almost ready - all that remained was to install the domes, the walls suddenly began to crack. The work was frozen and a special technical committee was created from leading Kyiv architects. Ivan Shtrom, the author of the original design of the cathedral, arrived from St. Petersburg. He found errors in the drawings.
As a result, the architect for the cathedral under construction was changed again. Vladimir Nikolaev completed twenty years of construction in 1882. Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov and other artists were invited to paint the St. Vladimir Cathedral. The temple was consecrated in 1896, in the presence of Emperor Nicholas II and his family.
During the years of Soviet power, the cathedral was not destroyed, but since 1929 it has housed the Museum of Anti-Religious Propaganda. During the German occupation in the Great Patriotic War St. Vladimir's Cathedral remained active. It now belongs to the non-canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate.
Moscow Diocesan House with the Church of St. Prince Vladimir
The Moscow Diocesan House is located practically on the Garden Ring at Likhov Lane, 6.
This building, built by the new martyr Saint Metropolitan Vladimir in 1901 for the purposes of public education, was used in 1917–1918 to hold meetings of the historical Local Council of the Russian Federation. Orthodox Church, it housed the Diocesan Library, a museum, and, since 1918, the Theological Institute.
In the 1920s, the Diocesan House was closed, looted, and transferred to the central studio documentaries and disfigured by perestroika. In 2003, the memorial building was illegally sold to private hands in a false bankruptcy.
The return of the building to the state became possible thanks to the combined truly heroic efforts of state administration employees, lawyers and members Board of Trustees Orthodox St. Tikhon's Humanitarian University (PSTGU). More than 30 arbitration trials were held and more than $2 million were paid out.
Currently, an order has been received from the Federal Property Management Agency and an agreement has been concluded on the right of PSTGU to free use building. On the 1000th anniversary of the death of St. Prince Vladimir, which will be celebrated in 2015, the building should be completely restored. This is the only large (there are only chapels and house churches) Vladimir Church in Moscow.
Many people in their school years didn't really like history. Therefore, they are happy to make up for lost time at a more mature age. After all, it is then that the understanding comes that our country has great history, which every resident should be proud of. And since you can’t be proud of what you don’t know, many people sit down to textbooks to enrich their intellectual knowledge. In this article we will help you learn a little better about the history of Vladimir the Red Sun. Why was he called that, and also Interesting Facts from the life of the prince read below.
Childhood
The exact date of birth of Vladimir is unknown. The official year of his birth is considered to be 960, but this may not be true. He could have been born in 945, it’s just that in 960 the future one was first mentioned in the chronicle. His father was Svyatoslav, and his mother was Olga’s housekeeper. Out of sight, the grandmother sent the unnecessary child to the village of Budutino. It was there that Vladimir the Red Sun was brought up. We will find out later why it was called that.
It is unknown how long the boy lived with his mother, but, according to the chronicle, he returned to Kyiv in 969. The fate of his mother is further unknown. According to some sources, she lived her life happily in the village; other sources say that the generous son, after ascending the throne, took his mother to his palace. One way or another, you can believe in any version, because there is simply no reliable information.
Youth
Vladimir's move to his grandmother is mentioned in the chronicle in connection with the siege of Kyiv. The defense of the city was successful, but the future ruler was not destined to remain in the southern capital of the principality. At the end of the year, Svyatoslav receives a notice from Novgorod that the ruler has died and they urgently need a new one. The prince's choice fell on Vladimir the Red Sun. We’ll find out why they called him that, but for now we’ll tell you about the young man’s first independent steps.
Moving to Novgorod was the first important event in a boy's life. Since he was too young to become a full-fledged ruler, they gave him the governor Dobrynya to help him. He was supposed to oversee the education of the young prince, and also help make important government decisions. In Novgorod, Vladimir makes friends, mostly Scandinavian neighbors. And also the young ruler will build Perun’s chapel. Thanks to this act, which was most likely prompted by Dobrynya, Vladimir was able to quickly win the favor of the residents of Novgorod.
Family and Children
Why was it called the Red Sun? Briefly about this we can say this: Vladimir became the first saint in Rus' and laid the foundation for the emergence of Christianity on Russian soil. What kind of personal life did the prince have? Vladimir was distinguished by his great love. The pagan faith encouraged this: “the more wives, concubines and children the ruler has, the stronger the state will be,” so the legend said. But whoever put forward this theory was very mistaken. Peace can only exist in monogamy. Towards the end of his life, Vladimir also came to this idea. But he could no longer change his actions. Officially he had 5 wives. He found the first - Olofi - in Scandinavia, the second - Rogneda - he took by force from Polotsk, the third - Adele - was from the Czech Republic, Manfreda - from Bulgaria. Julia, the wife of Vladimir's brother, was taken as a concubine while she was already pregnant.
Anna was the first wife of the Russian prince after baptism, and his second wife was the granddaughter of Otto I, the German ruler. In addition to official connections, Vladimir had many mistresses. The ruler had more than 20 recognized children, 11 of them were boys, and therefore heirs to the throne.
Baptism of Rus'
The year 988 is officially considered the year of the adoption of Christianity in Rus'. But, as with all distant events, it cannot be said for sure that this is reliable information. In 988, the wedding of Anna and Vladimir Krasnoye Solnyshko took place. Why was he called that? Precisely for the reason that the ruler introduced an official monotheistic religion. How was the baptism? Of course, it was impossible to baptize the entire state. People who believed in pagan gods all their lives could not change their beliefs overnight. Paganism lived in Rus' for at least another 50 years after its baptism. But still the adoption of Christianity was big step to unify the country and establish a new institution of power in it. Some historians believe that the Christian religion could have been imposed on Vladimir by his grandmother, Princess Olga. But this theory is unlikely, since the prince’s communication with this woman was too limited. Most likely, Vladimir the Great Red Sun took such a serious step due to foreign policy factors.
Nickname
Why was Prince Vladimir called the Red Sun? Of course, it was not the people who gave this nickname to the saint. After all, the figure of the prince did not inspire approval among his contemporaries. Many subjects did not support the transition to Christianity. And a dissolute lifestyle says little about a person’s holiness. But you still have to believe that people change. And one fateful event or, as in the case of Vladimir, a person can change them. After all, there is a version according to which the prince received baptism precisely thanks to one of his wives, namely Saint Anna. It's difficult to describe what huge contribution Vladimir contributed to the development of Rus'. Yes, because our homeland has never seen as much light and peace as our fatherland received a century later.
Changes in the country
What did Vladimir significantly change in the way of life of the state? Well, of course, this is the baptism of Rus' and the expulsion of paganism. The unification of our country in the hands of one ruler is also a great achievement. Of course, then the prince made a big mistake by dividing his possessions between his sons, but we must give him his due, he did not really want to do this. Vladimir intended to hand over the reins of power to his beloved son Boris, but one can imagine how other children reacted to such an idea.
last years of life
The reign of Vladimir Krasnoe Solnyshko lasted 46 years. At the end of his life, the prince ruled in Kyiv and was very afraid for his life. And this is not surprising. After all, he wanted to write a will, according to which only one of his sons would become the heir. Of course, the children did not like this situation, and in 1014 Svyatopolk went to war with his father. By that time he had married his daughter Polish prince, so his military detachment was assembled in quite fast deadlines. In addition, many of Vladimir’s subjects supported Svyatopolk. After all, he was not the prince’s own son, but an adopted one. His real father was Yaroslav, whom Vladimir, sitting on Kyiv throne, killed in cold blood. But the military campaign was not successful. The army was defeated, and Svyatopolk was imprisoned.
In 1015, the second son, Yaroslav, opposed his father. But he didn’t go to war, he just wanted independence and stopped paying tribute. Vladimir did not like this situation, and he sent an army to resolve this issue. But to live until the end of this war to the prince of Kyiv failed, on July 15 he dies. Vladimir was buried in Kyiv in the Tithe Church next to his Christian wife Anna.
Mark on history
Prince Vladimir lived a very rich life, and, of course, epics and legends could not ignore such a colorful figure. The Kiev ruler appears in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”; Feofan Prokopovich dedicated his works to him. It is no wonder that the image of Vladimir was reflected in epics, for example, he appears as main character tales of three heroes. Even today, filmmakers make their films about the Baptist of Rus'. One of the latest was released in 2016 and is called “Viking”.
But, of course, every schoolchild knows Vladimir the Red Sun precisely because the prince baptized Rus'. Our state was very backward compared even to its neighbors, not to mention European countries. That is why Christianity not only helped the people become more united, but also became an impetus for the development of literacy.
Vladimir the Red Sun, whose reign was 969-1015, was able to significantly influence the course of history. Here are the most interesting facts about the prince:
- Vladimir was canonized as a saint only in 1888. This event was timed to coincide with the 900th anniversary of Christianity in Russia.
- In 978, Vladimir killed his brother Yaropolk and thus seized the Kiev throne.
- The prince introduced. They were called gold coins and silver coins. Despite the fact that Byzantine gold was in use, coinage own money allowed to boost the state economy.
- Thanks to the adoption of Christianity, literacy began to spread in Rus'. It was precisely because it was necessary to read at least the Bible that enlightenment primarily affected the church and monks.
- Vladimir had 11 officially recognized sons.
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