Which of the Kiev princes was a Christian. Who baptized Russia

Who baptized Russia?

The Baptism of Russia is one of the most significant facts in the history of the Russian state. Who baptized Russia? From the school course, probably, everyone remembers that the person who baptized Russia is Prince Vladimir. Let's turn to history.

Russia was baptized by Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. He became Prince of Novgorod in 970 and seized the throne of Kyiv in 978. In 988, Christianity was chosen by him as the religion of Kievan Rus. Much about the baptism of Russia is written in The Tale of Bygone Years. According to this source, Prince Vladimir accepted Christianity from the Church of Constantinople. Many historians say that Vladimir himself was baptized in 978. An interesting fact is that in Byzantine literature the event of the baptism of Russia remained practically unnoticed. In what year was Russia baptized? According to the Tale of Bygone Years, the baptism took place in 988, although the Greeks claim that it was a whole century earlier. The baptism of Russia took place at a time when the split between the two churches, namely between the Western and the Eastern, had not yet fully occurred. However, already by that time this separation from each other was discerned in the doctrines and relations of church and secular authorities.

The meaning of baptism for Russia

According to the literary source "The Tale of Bygone Years", Russia was baptized in 6496 from the "creation of the world." The adoption of Christianity in Russia could not but be reflected in the cultural life of the people of that time. This event changed the course of history radically. Painting and architecture received great development and a push forward. Ancient traditions from Byzantium were gradually introduced into the life of Russian people. One of the most important events of that time was the spread of Cyrillic writing and book traditions. Only after the baptism of Russia did the first monuments of ancient Russian literature appear.

Without a doubt, it can be argued that the baptism of Russia radically changed the whole world. The fact is that Christianity was developed in the vast territory of Eastern Europe. This could not but affect the fate of all mankind and the world as a whole.

THE BAPTISM OF RUSSIA, the introduction of Christianity in the Greek Orthodox form as the state religion (end of the 10th century) and its spread (11th-12th centuries) in Ancient Russia. The first Christian among the princes of Kiev was Princess Olga. The adoption of Christianity in Russia ... Russian history

Modern Encyclopedia

Baptism of Russia- BAPTISM OF RUSSIA, the introduction of Christianity in the Greek Orthodox form as the state religion. Started by Vladimir I Svyatoslavich (988 989), who was baptized together with his family and squad, and then began the baptism of Kievans, Novgorodians and others. ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Introduction to Ancient Russia at the end of the 10th century of Christianity in the Greek Orthodox form as the state religion. The decomposition of the primitive system and the formation of the Old Russian state became preparatory conditions for the change of pagan religion ... ... Political science. Dictionary.

The introduction of Christianity in Greek Orthodox form as the state religion. Started by Vladimir Svyatoslavich in 988 89. Contributed to the development of culture, the creation of monuments of writing, art, architecture. The 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia was celebrated ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Fresco "The Baptism of the Holy Prince Vladimir". V. M. Vasnetsov Vladimir Cathedral (Kyiv) (late 1880s) The Baptism of Russia, the introduction of Christianity as a state religion in Kievan Rus, carried out at the end of the 10th century by Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. ... ... Wikipedia

BAPTISM OF RUSSIA- The traditional name for the introduction in Russia * of Christianity in the Greek Orthodox (see Orthodoxy *) form as the official state religion. The first in Russia, in order to strengthen trade and political ties with Byzantium, adopted Christianity ... ... Linguistic Dictionary

Introduction to Ancient Russia at the end of the 10th century. Christianity as the state religion. Started by Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich (988 89). Contributed to the strengthening of the Old Russian state, contributed to the development of culture, the creation of monuments ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Acceptance Dr. Russia in con. 10th c. Christianity, as a state religion. Some researchers (V. A. Parkhomenko, B. A. Rybakov) associate the baptism of Russia with the Kievan Prince. Askold (ninth century). The decomposition of the primitive communal system, the emergence of a social ... ... Soviet historical encyclopedia

Baptism of Russia- events associated with the recognition of con. 10th c. Dr. Russian state. (Kievan Rus) Christ. religions as official. and dominant. Elements of Christianity penetrated into the East. Slavs. society since the 3rd and 4th centuries. All R. 9th c. Christianity was already... Ancient world. encyclopedic Dictionary

Books

• Baptism of Russia, Gleb Nosovsky. The new book by A. T. Fomenko and G. V. Nosovsky consists entirely of material published for the first time and is devoted to the reconstruction of the era of the second half of the 14th century. In Russian history, this era ... electronic book
• Baptism of Russia, Andrey Vorontsov. From what time should the history of the Baptism of Russia be counted? From the day when the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, according to legend, erected a cross on the Kiev mountains? Or from Askold's Baptism of Russia? ...

Nothing strikes like a miracle, except for the naivete with which it is taken for granted.

Mark Twain

The adoption of Christianity in Russia is the process during which Kievan Rus in 988 moved from paganism to the true Christian faith. So, at least, textbooks on the history of Russia say. But the opinions of historians differ on the issue of the Christianization of the country, since a significant part of scientists assure that the events described in the textbook did not actually happen in this way, or not in such a sequence. In the course of this article, we will try to understand this issue and understand how the baptism of Russia and the adoption of a new religion, Christianity, actually took place.

Reasons for the adoption of Christianity in Russia

The study of this important issue should begin with a consideration of what religious Russia was like before Vladimir. The answer is simple - the country was pagan. In addition, often such a faith is called Vedic. The essence of such a religion is determined by the understanding that, despite the vastness, there is a clear hierarchy of gods, each of which is responsible for certain phenomena in the life of people and nature.

An indisputable fact is that Prince Vladimir the Holy for a long time was an ardent pagan. He worshiped pagan gods, and for many years he tried to instill in the country a correct understanding of paganism from his point of view. This is also evidenced by official history textbooks, which present unambiguous facts, saying that Vladimir erected monuments to pagan gods in Kyiv and called on the people to worship them. A lot of films are being shot about this today, which talk about how significant this step was for Russia. However, in the same sources it is said that the “crazy” desire of the prince for paganism did not lead to the unification of the people, but, on the contrary, to its disunity. Why did this happen? To answer this question, it is necessary to understand the essence of paganism and the hierarchy of gods that existed. This hierarchy is shown below:

• Svarog
• Alive and Alive
• Perun (14th in the general list).

In other words, there were main gods who were revered as true creators (Rod, Lada, Svarog), and there were secondary gods who were revered only by a small part of people. Vladimir radically destroyed this hierarchy and appointed a new one, where Perun was appointed the main deity for the Slavs. This completely destroyed the postulates of paganism. As a result, a wave of popular anger arose, since people who had been praying to Rod for many years refused to accept the fact that the prince, by his own decision, approved Perun as the main deity. It is necessary to understand the whole absurdity of the situation created by St. Vladimir. In fact, by his decision, he undertook to control divine phenomena. We are not talking about how significant and objective these phenomena were, but simply stating the fact that the Kyiv prince did it! In order to make it clear how important this is, imagine that tomorrow the president announces that Jesus is not a god at all, but that, for example, the apostle Andrew is a god. Such a step will blow up the country, but it was precisely this step that Vladimir took. What he was guided by when taking this step is unknown, but the consequences of this phenomenon are obvious - chaos began in the country.

We delved so deeply into paganism and the initial steps of Vladimir in the role of a prince, because this is precisely the reason for the adoption of Christianity in Russia. The prince, honoring Perun, tried to impose these views on the whole country, but failed, because the bulk of the population of Russia understood that the true god, who had been praying for years, was Rod. So the first religious reform of Vladimir in 980 failed. They write about this in the official history textbook, forgetting, however, to tell that the prince completely turned paganism over, which led to unrest and the failure of the reform. After that, in 988, Vladimir accepts Christianity as the most suitable religion for himself and his people. Religion came from Byzantium, but for this the prince had to capture Chersonese and marry a Byzantine princess. Returning to Russia with his young wife, Vladimir converted the entire population to a new faith, and people accepted religion with pleasure, and only in some cities there were minor resistances that were quickly suppressed by the prince's squad. This process is described in The Tale of Bygone Years.

It was these events that preceded the baptism of Russia and the adoption of a new faith. Let's now understand why more than half of historians criticize such a description of events as not reliable.

"The Tale of Bygone Years" and the Church Catechism of 1627

Almost everything that we know about the baptism of Russia, we know on the basis of the work "The Tale of Bygone Years". Historians assure us of the authenticity of the work itself and the events that it describes. In 988 the Grand Duke was baptized, and in 989 the whole country was baptized. Of course, at that time there were no priests for the new faith in the country, so they came to Russia from Byzantium. These priests brought with them the rites of the Greek Church, as well as books and holy scriptures. All this was translated and formed the basis of the new faith of our ancient country. The Tale of Bygone Years tells us this, and this version is presented in official history textbooks.

However, if we look at the issue of accepting Christianity from the point of view of church literature, we will see serious differences with the version from traditional textbooks. To demonstrate, consider the Catechism of 1627.

Catechism is a book containing the basics of Christian teaching. The Catechism was first published in 1627 under Tsar Mikhail Romanov. This book outlines the foundations of Christianity, as well as the stages of the formation of religion in the country.

The following phrase is noteworthy in the Catechism: “So commanded that all the land of Ruste be baptized. In the summer, six thousand UCHZ (496 - the Slavs from ancient times denoted numbers with letters). from the saints, the patriarch, from NIKOLA HRUSOVERTA, or from SISINIUS. or from Sergius, Archbishop of Novgorod, under Mikhail, Metropolitan of Kiev. We have given an excerpt from page 27 of the Greater Catechism, deliberately preserving the style of that time. From this it follows that at the time of the adoption of Christianity in Russia there were already dioceses, at least in two cities: Novgorod and Kyiv. But we are told that there was no church under Vladimir and the priests came from another country, but church books assure the opposite - the Christian church, albeit in a state of inception, was already with our ancestors even before baptism.

Modern history interprets this document rather ambiguously, saying that it is nothing more than medieval fiction, and in this case the Great Catechism distorts the true state of affairs in 988. But this leads to the following conclusions:

• At the time of 1627, the Russian church was of the opinion that Christianity existed before Vladimir, at least in Novgorod and Kyiv.
• The Great Catechism is an official document of its time, according to which both theology and partly history were studied. If we assume that this book is indeed a lie, then it turns out that at the time of 1627 no one knew how the adoption of Christianity in Russia took place! After all, there are no other versions, and everyone was taught the “false version”.
• The "truth" about baptism only came much later and is presented by Bayer, Miller, and Schlozer. These are court historians who came from Prussia and described the history of Russia. As for the Christianization of Russia, these historians based their hypothesis precisely on the story of bygone years. It is noteworthy that before them this document had no historical value.

The role of the Germans in the history of Russia is very difficult to overestimate. Almost all famous scientists admit that our history was written by the Germans and in the interests of the Germans. It is noteworthy that, for example, Lomonosov sometimes got into fights with visiting "historians", because they brazenly rewrote the history of Russia and all Slavs.

Orthodox or orthodox?

Returning to the Tale of Bygone Years, it should be noted that many historians are skeptical about this source. The reason is as follows: throughout the story it is constantly emphasized that Prince Vladimir the Holy made Russia Christian and Orthodox. There is nothing unusual or suspicious in this for a modern person, but there is a very important historical inconsistency - Christians began to be called Orthodox only after 1656, and before that the name was different - orthodox ...

The name change occurred in the process of church reform, which was carried out by Patriarch Nikon in 1653-1656. There is no big difference between the concepts, but again there is one important nuance. If people who correctly believe in God were called orthodox, then those who correctly glorify God were called Orthodox. And in ancient Russia, glorification was actually equated with pagan deeds, and therefore, initially, the term orthodox Christians was used.

This, at first glance, insignificant point radically changes the idea of ​​​​the era of the adoption of the religion of Christianity among the ancient Slavs. After all, it turns out that if before 1656 Christians were considered orthodox, and the Tale of Bygone Years uses the term Orthodox, then this gives reason to suspect the Tale that it was not written during the life of Prince Vladimir. These suspicions are confirmed by the fact that for the first time this historical document appeared only at the beginning of the 18th century (more than 50 years after Nikon's reform), when new concepts were already firmly in use.

The adoption of Christianity by the ancient Slavs is a very important step that radically changed not only the internal way of the country, but also its external relations with other states. The new religion led to a change in the life and way of life of the Slavs. Literally everything has been changed, but this is a topic for another article. in general, we can say that the meaning of the adoption of Christianity was reduced to:

• Rallying people around a single religion
• Improving the international position of the country, due to the adoption of the religion that existed in neighboring countries.
• The development of Christian culture, which came to the country along with religion.
• Strengthening the power of the prince in the country

We will return to the consideration of the reasons for the adoption of Christianity and how this happened. We have already noted that in an amazing way, in 8 years, Prince Vladimir turned from a convinced pagan into a true Christian, and with him the whole country (official history speaks of this). In just 8 years, such changes, moreover, through two reforms. So why did the Russian prince change religion within the country? Let's figure it out...

Prerequisites for the adoption of Christianity

There are many assumptions about who Prince Vladimir was. The official history does not provide an answer to this question. We know for sure only one thing - Vladimir was the son of Prince Svyatoslav from a Khazar girl and from an early age he lived with a princely family. The brothers of the future Grand Duke were convinced pagans, like their father, Svyatoslav, who said that the Christian faith is a deformity. How did it happen that Vladimir, who lived in a pagan family, suddenly easily accepted the traditions of Christianity and changed himself in a few years? But for now it should be noted that the very adoption of a new faith by ordinary residents of the country in history is described extremely casually. We are told that without any unrest (there were minor rebellions only in Novgorod) the Russians accepted the new faith. Can you imagine a nation that in 1 minute abandoned the old faith, which they have been taught for centuries, and adopted a new religion? It is enough to transfer these events to our days to understand the absurdity of this assumption. Imagine that tomorrow Russia will declare Judaism or Buddhism as its religion. Terrible unrest will arise in the country, and we are told that in 988 the change of religion took place under a standing ovation ...

Prince Vladimir, whom later historians called the Saint, was the unloved son of Svyatoslav. He perfectly understood that the “half-breed” should not rule the country, and prepared the throne for his sons Yaropolk and Oleg. It is noteworthy that in some texts one can find a mention of why the Saint so easily accepted Christianity and began to impose it on Russia. It is known that, for example, in the Tale of Bygone Years, Vladimir is called nothing more than "robichich". So in those days they called the children of rabbis. Subsequently, historians began to translate this word as the son of a slave. But the fact remains - there is no clear understanding of where Vladimir himself came from, but there are some facts indicating that he belongs to the Jewish family.

As a result, we can say that, unfortunately, the issue of the adoption of the Christian faith in Kievan Rus has been studied by historians very poorly. We see a huge number of inconsistencies and objective deception. We are presented with the events that took place in 988 as something important, but at the same time, ordinary for the people. This topic is very broad to consider. Therefore, in the following materials, we will take a closer look at this era in order to thoroughly understand the events that took place and preceded the baptism of Russia.

The first Christians in Kyiv. V.G. Perov. 1880

In what year was the Baptism of Russia?

The answer to the question, in what year was the Baptism of Russia, every Christian should know. The Baptism of Russia was a grandiose event, as key changes took place in a short period of time that turned the course of history.

The Baptism of Russia was in 988 by order of Prince Vladimir.

The fate of the entire people may depend on the decision of one ruler. So it was during the reign of the holy Prince Vladimir. The fact that it is necessary for his subjects to accept precisely the Orthodox faith, he did not come to such a decision immediately. He had hesitation between religious teachings that are monotheistic, that is, they recognize the existence of one God, and not many deities. The fact that Prince Vladimir was already inclined to adopt a monotheistic religion testifies to his wisdom as a ruler and desire to unite his people.

Reasons for adopting Christianity

When choosing a faith, several factors played a role at once. One of them was that the grandmother of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, Saint Olga, was an Orthodox Christian. She built churches and wanted to spread Christianity in Russia.

The second reason had pragmatic goals - the prince felt that the pagan religion with its large number of gods, demons and other mythical creatures did not really correspond to his state plans. The prince sought to unite the lands around Kyiv, to centralize power. An important point in the process of centralization was a change in outlook. First, the prince decided to systematize the veneration of pagan gods, and later decided to choose one of the monotheistic religions for the state.

However, the main reason that Prince Vladimir chose the Orthodox faith is God's providence. It was by the will of the Lord Himself that many amazing events took place that led Prince Vladimir himself to sincere faith.

Deciding to accept Christianity, Vladimir, following a somewhat unusual logic, decided that he could not just become Orthodox, but must certainly win the right to this faith with weapons. Therefore, the prince went to Chersonese. Having conquered Korsun (as this city is otherwise called), the prince sent ambassadors to the Byzantine emperors Basil and Constantine. The envoys told the sovereigns that Prince Vladimir had taken Korsun and if the Byzantine emperors did not agree to marry their sister Anna to Vladimir, he would also take Constantinople.

One can imagine the horror of a girl who, in order to save her native city, had to marry a northern barbarian she did not know, and an unbaptized one at that! However, consent to the marriage was given, but on the condition that the prince was baptized. Vladimir was just waiting for this.

The Byzantine princess went to her fiancé in Korsun, and when she arrived there, the prince suddenly became blind. Vladimir began to doubt, and the wise girl explained that he was temporarily blind and solely so that the Lord would show him his indescribable glory.

The prince was baptized by the Bishop of Korsun. As soon as he laid his hand on the head of the prince and began to immerse him in the font, Vladimir received his sight. “Now I have come to know the true God,” the prince exclaimed with joy. It will forever remain a mystery what was revealed to Vladimir at the moment of baptism.

The prince's retinue and the boyars marveled at the miraculous healing of their master, and many of them, having believed, were baptized.

Shortly after his baptism, Vladimir married Anna, who was no longer afraid to become the wife of a Russian prince, seeing that God's grace was over him and over his land.

Before leaving Chersonese, the prince built a church in honor of St. Basil (he received this name at baptism)

After Vladimir regained his sight, he began to look at his past life with different eyes. A sincere desire appeared in his heart to please the Lord and spread the holy faith for the salvation of people's souls. Holy Prince Vladimir began to do many works of mercy: he helped the poor, released his concubines, spiritually instructed people.

Vladimir's choice of faith

Tribal cults could not create a unified state religious system, since the pagan pantheon could not unite the beliefs of all the tribes of Ancient Russia.

According to The Tale of Bygone Years, before the baptism of Prince Vladimir, a "test of faith" took place. In 986, ambassadors from the Volga Bulgars arrived to Prince Vladimir, offering him to convert to Islam. When they told the prince about the rituals that must be observed, including the ban on drinking wine, Vladimir replied with the famous phrase: “Rus is joy to drink,” after which he rejected the offer of the Bulgars.

After the Bulgarians came the Germans (foreigners) from Rome, sent by the Pope. They declared that they had a fast according to their strength: “if anyone drinks or eats, then everything is for the glory of God.” However, Vladimir sent them away, saying to them: “Go back from whence you came, for even our fathers did not accept this.”

The Khazar Jews were next, offering Vladimir to accept Judaism. In response to this, he, knowing that Khazaria was defeated by his father Svyatoslav, asked where their land was. The Jews were forced to admit that they did not have their own land - God scattered them to other countries. Vladimir renounced Judaism.

Then a Byzantine arrived in Russia, whom the Russian chronicler called Philosopher for his wisdom. He told the Russian prince about biblical history and the Christian faith. However, Vladimir has not yet made a final decision and consulted with his closest boyars.

It was decided to additionally test the faith by attending worship services of Muslims, Germans and Greeks. When, after visiting Constantinople, the envoys returned to Kyiv, they enthusiastically informed the prince: “We didn’t know where we are - in heaven or on earth.” As a result, Vladimir made a choice in favor of Christianity according to the Greek rite.

What was the faith before the adoption of Christianity?

Until 988, when Christianity was adopted, pagan beliefs dominated Russia. Not only the fruits of plants and animals were sacrificed to idols, but there were also human sacrifices. Many people sincerely believed that in this way they ask for mercy and deserve it.

Initially, the road to Christianity to the very heart of the Kievan principality of Russia was paved by Princess Olga, the widow of Prince Igor, who was killed by the Drevlyans. Around 955 she was baptized in Constantinople. From there she brought the Greek priests to Russia. However, Christianity was not widespread at that time. The son of Princess Olga Svyatoslav did not see the need for Christianity and continued to honor the old gods. The merit of establishing Orthodoxy in Russia belongs to one of his sons, Prince Vladimir.

However, despite the fact that Russia was baptized, ordinary people continued to honor Russian pagan traditions, gradually adapting them to Christian ones. Thus, Russian Orthodoxy arose - a bizarre combination of Slavic paganism and Christianity. Despite this, the Baptism of Russia continues to be one of the most significant events in the history of Russian culture.

St. Vladimir died on July 15 (28 N.S.) July 1015.

“This is the new Constantine of the great Rome; just as he was baptized himself and baptized his people, so this one did the same ... It is worthy of surprise how much good he did to the Russian land by baptizing it. But we Christians do not give him honors equal to his deeds. For if he had not baptized us, then even now we would still be in the delusion of the devil, in which our forefathers perished, ”- it is written about Vladimir in The Tale of Bygone Years.

When is the holiday celebrated

The Day of the Baptism of Russia is enshrined in the legislation of the Russian Federation "as a memorable date for an important historical event that had a significant impact on the social, spiritual and cultural development of the peoples of Russia, and on the strengthening of Russian statehood"

Celebrated annually on July 28, as "Memorial Day of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir" - the baptist of Russia (July 15 according to the Julian calendar). Like all memorable dates in Russia, the "Day of the Baptism of Russia" is not a day off.

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In the Orthodox church calendar, this date (according to the old style - July 15) is the day of memory of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir (960-1015). On June 1, 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the Federal Law "On Amendments to Article 11 of the Federal Law "On the Days of Military Glory and Commemorative Dates of Russia".
The Russian Orthodox Church came up with a proposal to give state status to the Day of the Baptism of Russia.

In June 2008, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church decided on July 28, on the day of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, to celebrate the service according to the charter of the great holiday, and also turned to the leadership of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus with a proposal to include the day of St. Prince Vladimir among the state memorable dates.
In Ukraine, a similar date is a public holiday called the Day of the Baptism of Kievan Rus - Ukraine, which is celebrated annually on July 28 - the day of memory of St. Prince Vladimir Equal to the Apostles. The holiday was established in July 2008 by decree of the President of Ukraine.

The first official celebration of the baptism of Russia took place in 1888 at the initiative of the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod Pobedonostsev. Anniversary events were held in Kyiv: on the eve of the anniversary, the Vladimir Cathedral was laid; A monument to Bohdan Khmelnitsky was unveiled, solemn services were performed.

Following Kiev, Christianity gradually came to other cities of Kievan Rus: Chernihiv, Volynsky, Polotsk, Turov, where dioceses were created. The baptism of Russia as a whole dragged on for several centuries - in 1024 Yaroslav the Wise suppressed the uprising of the Magi in the Vladimir-Suzdal land (a similar uprising was repeated in 1071; at the same time in Novgorod, the Magi opposed Prince Gleb), Rostov was baptized only at the end of the 11th century, and in Murom, pagan resistance to the new faith continued until the 12th century.
The Vyatichi tribe remained in paganism longer than all the Slavic tribes. Their educator in the twelfth century was the Monk Kuksha, the monk of the Caves, who was martyred by them.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources