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Christianization of Kievan Rus'

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[[Image:Kersones_st_vladimir.jpg|thumb|200px|The ruins of Chersonesos: the place where the Russian and Ukrainian churches were born]]
The '''Christianization of Kievan Rus''''<ref>In Russian-language (as well as Ukrainian) literature, the term "baptism of Rus'" (Крещение Руси) is often used, primarily to designate the events of 988.</ref> took place in several stages. In early 867, Patriarch [[Photius the Great|Photius]] of Constantinople announced to other Orthodox patriarchs that the Rus, baptised by his bishop, took to Christianity with particular enthusiasm. Photius's attempts at Christianizing the country seem to have entailed no lasting consequences, since the [[Russian Primary Chronicle]] and other Slavonic sources describe the tenth-century Rus as firmly entrenched in paganism. The definitive Christianisation of Kiev dates from the late 980s (the year is disputed<ref>See Oleg M. Rapov, ''Russkaya tserkov v IX&ndash;pervoy treti XII veka'' (''The Russian Church from the 9th to the First 3rd of the 12th Century''). Moscow, 1988.</ref>), when [[Vladimir of Kiev]] was baptized at Chersonesos, proceeding to baptize his family and people in Kiev.
Whatever the scope of Photius's efforts to Christianize the Rus, their effect was not lasting. Although they fail to mention the mission of Photius, the authors of the Primary Chronicle were aware that a sizable portion of the Kievan population was Christian by 944. In the Russo-Byzantine Treaty, preserved in the text of the chronicle, the Christian part of the Rus swear according to their faith, while the ruling prince and other non-Christians invoke Perun and Veles after the pagan custom. The Kievan collegiate church of St. Elijah (whose cult in the Slavic countries was closely modeled on that of Perun) is mentioned in the text of the chronicle, leaving modern scholars to ponder how many churches existed in Kiev at the time.
Either in 945 or 957, the ruling regent, [[Olga of Kiev]], visited Constantinople with a certain [[priest]], Gregory. Her reception at the imperial court is described in ''De Ceremoniis''. Although it is usually presumed that she was baptized in Constantinople rather than Kiev, there is no explicit mention of the sacrament, so neither version is excluded. Olga is also known to have requested a bishop and [[priest]]s priests from Rome.<ref[Thietmar of Merseburg says that the first archbishop of Magdeburg, Adalbert of Prague, before being promoted to this high rank, was sent by Emperor Otto to the country of the Rus (''Rusciae'') as a simple bishop but was expelled by pagans. The same data is duplicated in the annals of Quedlinburg and Hildesheim, among others.</ref> Her son Sviatoslav (r. 963-972) continued to worship Perun and other gods of the Slavic pantheon. He remained a stubborn [[Paganism|pagan]] all of his life; according to the Primary Chronicle, he believed that his warriors would lose respect for him and mock him if he became a Christian.
Svyatoslav's successor, Yaropolk I (r. 972-980), seems to have had a more conciliatory attitude towards Christianity. Late medieval sources even claim that Yaropolk exchanged ambassadors with the Pope. The ''Chronicon'' of Adémar de Chabannes and the life of St. [[St Romuald of Ravenna|Romuald]] (by Pietro Damiani) actually document the mission of St. Bruno of Querfurt to the land of ''Russia'', where he succeeded in converting to Christianity a local king (one of three brothers who ruled the land). Alexander Nazarenko suggests that Yaropolk went through some preliminary rites of baptism, but was murdered at the behest of his pagan half-brother Vladimir (whose own rights to the throne were questionable) before his conversion was formalized. Following this theory, any information on Yaropolk's [[baptism]] according to the Latin rite would be suppressed by the later Orthodox chroniclers, zealous to keep Vladimir's image of the Russian Apostle untarnished for succeeding generations.<ref>Alexander Nazarenko. ''Древняя Русь на международных путях''. Moscow, 2001. ISBN 5-7859-0085-8.</ref>
== Vladimir's baptism of Kiev ==
==== Background ====
[[Image:PerovVG PervHristianKievGRM.jpg|275px|thumb|[[Vasily Perov]]'s painting illustrates clandestine meetings of Christians in pagan Kiev]]
[[Image:Eggink VelKnVladimir.jpg|thumb|275px|Ivan Eggink's painting represents Vladimir listening to the Orthodox priests, while the papal envoy stands aside in discontent]]
During the first decade of Vladimir's reign, pagan reaction set in. Perun was chosen as the supreme deity of the Slavic pantheon and his idol was placed on the hill by the royal palace. This revival of paganism was contemporaneous with similar attempts undertaken by Jarl Haakon in Norway and (possibly) Svein Forkbeard in Denmark. Although Vladimir seems to have gone further than both Scandinavian konungs (even human sacrifices were reported in Kiev), his religious reform failed. By the late 980s he had found it necessary to adopt monotheism from abroad.
==== Baptism of Vladimir ====
[[Image:Vasnetsov Bapt Vladimir.jpg|200px|left|thumb|''The Baptism of Vladimir'', a fresco by Viktor Vasnetsov]]
Foreign sources, very few in number, present the following story of Vladimir's conversion. Yahya of Antioch and his followers (al-Rudhrawari, al-Makin, al-Dimashki, and ibn al-Athir)<ref>Ibn al-Athir dates these events to 985 or 986.</ref> give essentially the same account. In 987, the generals Bardas Sclerus and Bardas Phocas revolted against the Byzantine emperor [[Basil II]]. Both rebels briefly joined forces and advanced on Constantinople. On [[September 14]], 987, Bardas Phocas proclaimed himself emperor. Anxious to avoid the siege of his capital, Basil II turned to the Rus for assistance, even though they were considered enemies at that time. Vladimir agreed, in exchange for a marital tie; he also agreed to accept Orthodox Christianity as his religion and bring his people to the new faith. When the wedding arrangements were settled, Vladimir dispatched 6,000 troops to the Byzantine Empire and they helped to put down the revolt.<ref>Golden, P.B. (2006) "Rus." Encyclopaedia of Islam (Brill Online). Eds.: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill.</ref>
==== Baptism of Kiev ====
[[Image:Lebedev baptism.jpg|275px|thumb|''The Baptism of Kievans'', a painting by Klavdiy Lebedev]]
Returning to Kiev in triumph, Vladimir exhorted the residents of his capital to the Dnieper river for baptism. This mass baptism became the [[icon]]ic inaugural event in the Christianization of the state of Kievan Rus'.
In 1988, the faithful of the Orthodox churches which have roots in the baptism of Kiev celebrated a millennium of Eastern Slavic Christianity. The great celebrations in Moscow changed the character of relationship between the Soviet state and the church. For the first time since 1917, numerous churches and monasteries were returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. In Ukrainian communities around the world, members of various Ukrainian churches also celebrated the Millennium of Christianity in Ukraine.
 
==References==
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[[Category:Church History]]
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