When was the first baptism of Russia. Who baptized Rus? Why the Greeks were against the canonization of Prince Vladimir. The flourishing of culture and writing
The significance of the baptism of Rus for the history of the Slavic peoples cannot be overestimated. It was this that became the basis for the cultural development of the Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian peoples.
Baptism of Rus as an outstanding event for all Slavic peoples
The baptism of Rus is an outstanding event in world history. It influenced not only Russia, but also the surrounding states, and changed the course of many cultural processes.
The origin of Christianity in the East Slavic lands
According to numerous historical sources, the spread of Christianity in Russia began long before its baptism. The baptism of Russia, the date of which is recognized by all as the year 988, actually began at the very beginning of our era. This was predicted by the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, who traveled through the Russian lands in the first century of our era. The Tale of Bygone Years tells about it this way: Andrei and his students were sailing in a boat along the Dnieper and saw mountains and hills. And he told his disciples that in this place there would be a city, overshadowed by the Grace of God. And on these mountains he set up a cross.
The personality of Prince Vladimir - the Baptist of Russia
The great Vladimir, the prince who baptized Russia in 988, was an extraordinary personality. His grandmother, Princess Olga, was baptized and tried to persuade her son Svyatoslav to be baptized, but failed. Svyatoslav and his retinue remained pagans. But Olga's grandson Vladimir took a different path. This was largely due to the fact that Olga was engaged in his upbringing and was able to instill in him Christian concepts.
Even in his youth, the prince, who baptized Russia, did not really adhere to Christian moral standards. He had several wives, and all of these wives had children. Christian commandments about non-resistance to evil and the prohibition to kill one's neighbors were also a wonder for the pagan ruler, who was used to going on campaigns and mercilessly revenge on his enemies for any insults. He took part in internecine strife in Russia, and it was thanks to this that he sat on the Kiev throne.
The personality of the one who baptized Rus was influenced by different cultural traditions. But after his thirtieth birthday, he nevertheless decided to adopted Christianity. His own baptism took place either in the city of Chersonesos (not far from present-day Sevastopol), or at his residence in the city of Vasilev. Now on the site of this settlement is the city of Vasilkov in the Kiev region.
Considering that Prince Vladimir had great authority among the people, the people willingly followed the prince and changed their faith. The ease of spreading Christianity in our country was also facilitated by the fact that all services were conducted in the Slavic language.
Religious customs of the Slavs before the baptism of Rus
The baptism of Rus cannot be considered a completely new form of spiritual life. Before him, a harmonious system of pagan beliefs existed in Russia. And the one who baptized Russia understood that it would not be possible to instill a completely new and unusual religion here. After all, even before the appearance of Christianity in Russia, there was a cult of the god Rod, who was a heavenly god, ruled over the clouds, breathed life into all living things. In fact, the baptism of Russia only pushed the transition of the Slavic peoples from polytheism, that is, polytheism, to monotheism, that is, monotheism.
The choice of religion for the Slavs
The one who baptized Russia understood that the country needed a strong religion that would unite the people, and would not be opposed to him. But which religion should you choose? Prince Vladimir's choice of faith is described in detail in The Tale of Bygone Years.
Realizing that it was necessary to leave paganism and come to one of the monotheistic religions, Prince Vladimir pondered for a long time which of the religions he should take. First, he asked the Volga Bulgarians, who by that time professed Islam, about their faith. The Bulgarians told him that their faith forbids the use of alcoholic beverages. Vladimir thought and said that the fun in Russia consists in drinking wine, and therefore such a religion does not suit him. The fact is that all important matters were discussed by the Russian nobility during feasts at the prince, and the refusal to drink alcohol looked strange against this background.
After the Bulgarians, the Germans came to Vladimir. They were sent by the Pope and offered Catholicism to Vladimir. But Vladimir knew that the German Empire was trying with all its might to conquer the Slavic lands, so he rejected their proposals.
The Jews also came to Vladimir, telling about the righteousness of their ancient faith. These were the Khazars. But Khazaria by the time the state did not exist, and Vladimir did not want to accept the religion of the people who did not have their own state and territory.
The very last to come to Vladimir was a Greek, a teacher of philosophy. He told Vladimir about the foundations of the Orthodox teaching and almost convinced him that he was right. The prince decided to ask his boyars for advice.
The boyars wanted to learn more about worship in these faiths, and the Greek Orthodox worship they liked the most. The Russians then told Vladimir that they really liked the church in Constantinople. Therefore, it became a turning point for Russian history 988, the baptism of Rus took place exactly this year.
The reasons for the baptism of Russia
There are different opinions about the reasons for the baptism of Rus. The historian N.M. Karamzin believed that the prince, who baptized Russia, strove for its enlightenment. He sent priests to the cities and villages of Russia who preached the Word of God, and people gradually studied the Christian religion. Prince Vladimir ordered to take children from families of noble people in Kiev and send them to study literacy, and the mothers of these children cried and shouted for them. This act of Vladimir was dictated by the need for the development of the state. In order to properly keep records in agriculture and in trade, people were needed who could read and write.
The historian S.F. Platonov believes that the main reasons for the baptism of Rus were economic. Those who baptized Russia wanted the role of the state to strengthen, so that state traditions would prevail over communal traditions. In addition, pagan Russia risked remaining in isolation among the Christian peoples who did not want to communicate and trade with pagans.
The meaning of the baptism of Russia
The baptism of Rus had a huge impact on the country. Material culture began to develop. After the baptism in Russia, icon painting, mosaics developed, houses began to be built of brick - a more durable material than wood. Those who baptized Kievan Rus hoped that Christianity would change the harsh pagan customs. And he was right. Under Christianity, the slave trade and the sacrifice of people were banned.
The adoption of Christianity made Russia equal to other European states. The Europeans no longer looked at the Russians as barbarians, but began to engage in dialogue with them. But Russia still felt isolated, because Christianity in it was Orthodox and came from Byzantium, and in Western Europe at this time, Catholicism prevailed. And the one who baptized Kievan Rus did not know that Greek Byzantium would soon fall, and therefore Rus would remain the only Orthodox state.
Russia itself also received writing from Christianity. Schools began to open, handwritten books appeared, and the number of literate people increased.
How the Slavs perceived the baptism of Rus
The baptism of Rus was a drama for a part of the then Russian people. The Tale of Bygone Years indicates that Prince Vladimir baptized Rus by force. First, a decree was given to all Kievites to appear on the Dnieper River for baptism. Those who wanted to refuse baptism were declared enemies of the prince.
The baptism of various Russian lands was accompanied by various armed conflicts. The Joachim Chronicle reports that the inhabitants of the Sofia side of Novgorod with weapons in their hands resisted baptism. In 989, the parishioners of the Savior Church were massacred, and it was set on fire.
The part of the people that did not particularly support paganism took the spread of Christianity relatively calmly. Christianity in Russia was introduced with the help of the Bulgarian Church, and therefore all divine services were conducted in the Slavic language, understandable. Then Kiev was considered the main Russian city. The baptism of Rus began right here. Kiev maintained close ties with the First Bulgarian Kingdom, and from there missionaries arrived in Russia, who carried out the catechetical program. I must say that Bulgaria was baptized in 865, that is, a century earlier than Russia, and by the time of the baptism of Russia there were already developed Christian traditions and a rich library. Therefore, when the year 988 came, the baptism of Rus became a completely natural phenomenon.
Consequences of the baptism of Rus
After the baptism of Rus, not everyone agreed with the assertion of the power of the Kiev prince. Certain regions were against, in particular, Novgorod. The dissenters were headed by the Magi.
The baptism of Rus, the date of which falls on the year 988, gave rise to extensive cultural development. Many monasteries were built, in particular the Kiev-Pechersky Monastery. At the beginning of the 12th century, it became the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. In 1037, construction began on the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev. It is being built with the support of the prince.
Myths about the Baptism of Rus
The baptism of Rus, like any significant historical event, is surrounded by fictions and falsifications. The most famous myth claims that Christianity in Russia destroyed a highly developed pagan culture. But why then no traces of this high culture remained?
The second well-known myth claims that Christianity in Russia was inoculated by force, so to speak, with fire and sword. But at the same time, there is no information in any historical sources that there were mass killings of Russian pagans. Prince Vladimir did not force rebellious cities such as Rostov or Murom to be baptized. At the same time, most of the townspeople calmly perceived the baptism of Rus, the name of Prince Vladimir - the initiator of the baptism - was perceived by them with respect.
The third myth says that even after the baptism of Rus, paganism dominated the country. This statement is somewhat true. Even after baptism, the pagan wise men ruled over the masses, especially in the villages. For a hundred years after baptism, many still worshiped idols and engaged in sacrifices. The final establishment of Christianity took place in the 13th and 14th centuries, when Russian society was faced with the need to unite in the face of the advance of the Golden Horde.
A noticeable step forward in its development was made by the young Russian state during the reign Vladimir Svyatoslavovich (980 - 1015). His religious reform was especially important - adoption of Christianity in 988 The ancient Russians were pagans, they worshiped many gods (the sky god - Svarog, the sun god - Dazhbog, the god of thunder and lightning - Perun, etc.). Christianity was already known in Russia even before the baptism of Vladimir. As N. M. Karamzin writes in “History of the Russian State”, Princess Olga in 955 “captivated by the Christian teaching went to be baptized in Constantinople. The Patriarch was her mentor and baptist, and the Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus was the recipient of the font. "
“Returning to Kiev, she tried to enlighten the son of Prince Svyatoslav, but received an answer:“ Can I pass a new law alone so that the squad does not laugh at me? ”
The son of Svyatoslav, Grand Duke Vladimir, who took the Kiev throne in 980., already in the first years of his reign, he realized the need to adopt a single state religion. However, the future Baptist of Rus began his journey as a convinced pagan, and a lot of time passed before his views changed. “He began to seek the true faith, talked with the Greeks, Mohammedans and Catholics about their confessions, sent ten intelligent men to various countries to collect news of the divine services, and finally, following the example of his grandmother Olga and on the advice of the boyars and elders, he became a Christian” (N M. Karamzin).
The matter of the baptism of Rus was facilitated by external circumstances. The Byzantine Empire was shaken by the blows of the rebels - Barda Sklira and Barda Phocas. Under these conditions, the brothers-emperors Vasily the Bolgaro-fighter and Constantine turned to Vladimir for help. As a reward for military assistance, Vladimir asked for the hand of the sister of the emperors, Anna.
The emperors did not fulfill their obligation - to give up their sister Anna for Vladimir. Then Vladimir laid siege to Korsun and forced the Byzantine princess to marry in exchange for the baptism of the “barbarian,” who had long been attracted by the Greek faith. "Returning to the capital, Vladimir ordered the extermination of idols and idols, and the people were baptized in the Dnieper." (N.M. Karamzin).
The spread of Christianity often met with resistance from the population, who venerated their pagan gods. Christianity took root slowly. On the outskirts of Kievan Rus, it was established much later than in Kiev and Novgorod. As noted by the famous historian of feudalism S.V. Bakhrushin, Christianization lasted for several decades.
The adoption of Christianity in Russia in the Orthodox tradition is a natural and objective process associated with the development of feudal relations, introduction to European civilization, the formation and development through Byzantine and ancient culture.
At the head of the church was the Kiev Metropolitan, who was appointed from Constantinople or by the Kiev prince himself with the subsequent election of bishops by the council. In the large cities of Russia, bishops were in charge of all the practical affairs of the church. The metropolitan and bishops owned lands, villages, cities. The princes gave almost a tenth of the funds collected to the treasury for the maintenance of churches. In addition, the church had its own court and legislation, which gave the right to intervene in almost all aspects of the life of the parishioners.
Christianity contributed to the acceleration of the development of the feudal mode of production in Ancient Rus... Church institutions, along with the princes, had large land ownership. The progressive side of the activity of the Christian Church was its desire to eliminate elements of slave labor.
Christianity played an important role in the ideological justification and thereby in strengthening the power of the Kiev princes. The Church appropriates to the Kiev prince all the attributes of Christian emperors. Many coins minted after Greek models depict princes in Byzantine imperial attire.
The conversion to Christianity was objectively large and progressive. The unity of the Slavs was strengthened, the withering away of the remnants of marriage law accelerated.
Baptism also influenced the cultural life of Russia, the development of technology, crafts, etc. From Byzantium, Kievan Rus borrowed the first experiments in minting coins. The noticeable influence of baptism was reflected in the artistic field. Greek artists created masterpieces in the newly converted country that were comparable to the best examples of Byzantine art. For example, St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, built by Yaroslav in 1037.
Painting on boards penetrated from Byzantium to Kiev, and examples of Greek sculpture also appeared. Baptism also left noticeable in the field of education and publishing. The Slavic alphabet became widespread in Russia at the beginning of the 10th century. As it is written in the annals: “It’s wonderful, it’s a colossal kindness of Rus' of the earth, baptizing it.”
Kievan Rus under Yaroslav the Wise
She reached her highest power when Yaroslav the Wise (1036-1054)... Kiev became one of the largest cities in Europe, rivaling Constantinople. The city had about 400 churches and 8 markets. According to legend, in 1037, at the place where Yaroslav had defeated the Pechenegs a year earlier, the Sophia Cathedral was erected - a temple dedicated to wisdom, the divine mind that rules the world.
Drafting "Russian Truth" is also associated with the name of Yaroslav the Wise. This is a complex legal monument, based on the norms of customary law (unwritten rules that have developed as a result of their repeated, traditional application) and on previous legislation. For that time, the most important sign of the strength of a document was a legalized precedent and a reference to antiquity. The peculiarities of the socio-economic side of Russia were reflected in the Russian Truth. The document defined fines for various crimes against the person, covered every resident of the state, from a princely warrior to a stinker and a slave, clearly reflecting the degree of lack of freedom. determined by its economic situation. Although Russkaya Pravda is attributed to Yaroslav the Wise, many of its articles and sections were adopted later, after his death. Yaroslav owns only the first 17 articles of Russkaya Pravda ("The Most Ancient Truth" or "Yaroslav's Pravda").
“Russkaya Pravda” is a collection of ancient Russian feudal law. This document covered every resident of the state, from a princely warrior to a servant, clearly reflecting the degree of the peasant's lack of freedom, which was determined by his economic position.
Feudal fragmentation
After the death of Yaroslav the Wise, centrifugal tendencies intensified in the development of the state, one of the most difficult periods in the history of ancient Russia began - period of feudal fragmentation spanning several centuries. The characteristic of this period by historians is ambiguous: from an assessment of the period as a progressive phenomenon to a diametrically opposite assessment.
The process of feudal fragmentation in Russia was due to strengthening the power of the largest feudal lords in the field and the emergence of local administrative centers. Now the princes fought not for the seizure of power in the entire country, but for the expansion of the borders of their principality at the expense of their neighbors. They no longer aspired to change their reigns for richer ones, but, above all, took care of their strengthening, expanding the patrimonial economy by capturing the lands of smaller feudal lords and smerds.
In the patrimonial economy of the large feudal princes, everything they needed was produced. This, on the one hand, strengthened their sovereignty, and on the other, weakened the power of the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke no longer had either the strength or power sufficient to prevent, or at least stop the political disintegration of a single state. The weakening of the central government led to the fact that the once mighty Kievan Rus disintegrated into a number of sovereign principalities, which eventually became fully formed states. Their princes had all the rights of a sovereign sovereign: they resolved issues of internal structure with the boyars, declared wars, signed peace and entered into any alliances.
The period of feudal fragmentation covers the whole of the XII-XV centuries. The number of independent principalities was not stable due to family divisions and the unification of some of them. In the middle of the XII century. there were 15 large and small appanage principalities, on the eve of the Horde invasion of Russia (1237-1240) - about 50, and in the XIV century, when the process of feudal consolidation had already begun, their number was approaching 250.
At the end of the XII - beginning of the XIII century. three main political centers were defined in Russia, each of which had a decisive influence on political life in the neighboring lands and principalities: in the North-East - the Vladimir-Suzdal principality; in the South and South-West - the Galicia-Volyn principality; in the North-West - the Novgorod feudal republic.
Foreign policy (IX - XII centuries)
At the turn of the 9th - 10th centuries. a systematic offensive of Russian squads began on Khazaria. As a result of these wars, the Russian troops of Svyatoslav in the mid-60s. X century. the Khazars were defeated, after which the lower Don with the adjacent areas was colonized by Slavic settlers. The city of Tmutarakan on the Kerch Peninsula became an outpost of Russia on the Black Sea and a large seaport at that time.
At the end of the 9th and 10th centuries. Russian troops made a number of campaigns on the coast of the Caspian Sea and in the steppe of the Caucasus. During this period, the relationship of Russia with Byzantium, especially trade relations. Trade relations between them were disrupted by military clashes. Russian princes tried to gain a foothold in the Black Sea region and in the Crimea. By that time, several Russian cities had already been built there. Byzantium, on the other hand, sought to limit the sphere of influence of Rus in the Black Sea region. For these purposes, she used the militant nomads and the Christian church in the fight against Russia. This circumstance complicated the relationship between Russia and Byzantium, their frequent clashes brought alternate success to one or the other side.
In 906, Prince Oleg with a large army went to Byzantium, “the frightened Greeks asked for peace. In honor of the victory, Oleg nailed a shield to the gates of Constantinople. Upon returning to Kiev, the people, marveling at his courage, intelligence and wealth, called the Prophet ”(IM Karamzin).
A constant struggle during this period of the history of Ancient Russia had to be waged with the nomads. Vladimir managed to establish a defense against the Pechenegs, but, nevertheless, their raids continued. In 1036, the Pechenegs besieged Kiev, but ultimately suffered a defeat from which they could not recover, they were driven out of the Black Sea steppes by other nomads - the Polovtsians.
Under their rule was a huge territory, which was called the Polovtsian steppe. Second half of the 11th - 12th centuries - the time of the struggle of Russia with the Polovtsian danger.
By this time, the Old Russian state became one of the largest European powers that had close political, economic and cultural relations with many countries and peoples of Europe and Asia.
What was Russia before baptism? How did Prince Vladimir make his choice of faith? And what role did this choice play in the history of the state? This is our illustrated story.
In 988, the Grand Duke of Kiev Vladimir Svyatoslavich transformed the spiritual life of Rus under his control.
At that time Kiev maintained friendly relations with Constantinople, which in Russia was called Tsargrad. The Russian ruler negotiated military assistance with the emperors Constantine VIII and Basil II. In return, the prince was eager to marry a representative imperial house Anna, and this was promised to him. In turn, Vladimir, a pagan, announced his readiness to be baptized, for Anna could not become the wife of a non-Christian. A priest came to him, from whom the ruler of Russia was baptized in Kiev, and along with him - children, wives, servants, part of the boyars and warriors. The personal baptism of the prince was not an accident or the result of a momentary impulse: it was a deliberate step of an experienced politician and assumed that with time will happen Christianization of the whole country.
Only ... they were in no hurry to send the bride from Constantinople. With all the goodwill of Vladimir Svyatoslavich, he had only one option, how to get his own by agreement, paid for with military aid. He laid siege to the Byzantine city of Korsun (Chersonesos). It is sad that the peace between the Christian rulers was concluded only after one side went to the deception, and the other achieved its goal by force ...
Byzantium regained Korsun, and Vladimir received Anna as his wife. He did not immediately leave Korsun, but only after receiving first the lessons of the Christian "law". The "Tale of Bygone Years" includes a legend according to which it was here that the Grand Duke adopted a new faith; this legend was accepted as fact by many historians. It does not correspond to reality: the baptism took place earlier, in the "capital city" of the prince. But it was the Korsun clergy who trained Vladimir Svyatoslavich as a convert.
Returning to Kiev, the prince overthrew the pagan idols, and then baptized the Kievites in the Pochayna River, a tributary of the Dnieper. In Russia, established church hierarchy headed by a bishop in the rank of metropolitan. The archbishop went to Novgorod the Great, bishops to other large cities. The same thing happened there as in Kiev - the overthrow of the "idols" and the baptism of the townspeople.
A huge step in the fate of Russia was made with extraordinary speed. Many many times, especially in Soviet time, wrote that Russia was baptized with "fire and sword", overcoming fierce resistance, especially strong in Novgorod the Great. But historical reality is not like that. At first, the spread of Christianity met with no resistance. The Novgorodians showed some discontent, but even this, apparently, turned out to be insignificant. In Rostov, the bishop was not accepted, and there the new faith spread much more slowly than elsewhere, and with great difficulty. Perhaps the reason lies in the ethnic composition of the local population: a considerable part of the Rostov land was occupied by the Finno-Ugric tribes, who everywhere showed greater resilience in paganism than the Slavic ones.
In general, Christianity was accepted voluntarily throughout the country. It did not have to be imposed by "fire and sword" - this is a late myth that has no confirmation in ancient sources. The weakness and variegation of paganism, the confident support of the Church by the ruler, and the old acquaintance with Christianity in large urban centers did their job: the faith of Christ was established in Russia quickly and almost bloodlessly. Do not be surprised - by the time the official nationwide baptism took place, Christianity had been privately spreading for more than a century over vast areas from Kiev to Novgorod. There were small churches in Kiev long before Vladimir. In the Varangian squads who were in the service of the Russian princes, there were often simple soldiers and noble people who had accepted the Christian faith. Vladimir's grandmother, Princess Olga, had visited the capital of Byzantium three decades earlier and returned from there as a Christian. Where can there be anguish and bloodshed when Russia has long been accustomed to Christianity in Russia?
Another thing is that the adoption of Christianity did not mean the automatic death of paganism. For several centuries, sometimes secretly, sometimes openly, paganism continued to exist alongside faith in Christ, next to the Church. It left slowly, struggling and rebelling, but eventually disappeared - already in the time of Sergius of Radonezh and Kirill Belozersky.
1. In ancient times, our ancestors were pagans. In the capital of Ancient Rus, Kiev, there were large pagan sanctuaries. On the main one, the princely, stood idols decorated with gold and silver. From time to time people were sacrificed to idols of pagan "deities".
2. The Kiev prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich decided to change his faith. Near his possessions there were large cities with beautiful temples and wonderful singing, knowledge flourished there, new and new books were created. Paganism could not give anything of the kind. The prince began to talk with the squad and representatives of different religions: what kind of faith should he accept?
3. According to an ancient legend, the prince sent an embassy from Kiev to Constantinople - the capital of the powerful Byzantine Empire. Russian ambassadors visited the vaults of the huge Cathedral of St. Sophia. Priests everywhere lit candles and performed the services with such pomp and solemnity that they astonished the ambassadors. They returned to Vladimir and told about what they had seen with praise.
4. Vladimir decided to be baptized according to the rite of the Church of Constantinople. The two emperors who then ruled Byzantium fought a difficult war. Vladimir agreed that he would send an army to help them, and they would give him their sister Anna as his wife. The Russian army went on a campaign.
5. Vladimir was baptized in Kiev by a priest. Most likely, it happened on the banks of the river. After the ruler, the children and those close to the Grand Duke entered the water. Having ceased to be a pagan, the prince could become the husband of the Byzantine "princess".
6. Without waiting for the bride from Constantinople, Vladimir began negotiations on this topic with the ruler of Korsun-Chersonesos, a wealthy Byzantine city in the Crimea. Demonstratingly neglecting the "princess" Anna, he offered to give him the daughter of the Korsun "prince" as his wife. But the answer to the offer of the Kiev ruler was a mocking refusal.
7. Then the army of the Kiev prince came to the Crimea, under the walls of Chersonesos ... The townspeople locked the gates, preparing for a siege. The prince ordered to make embankments, in order to overcome the Korsun walls with their help. But the besieged slowly dug in the embankments and carried the land away. As a result, the embankments could not catch up with the city walls. However, Vladimir promised to stand for at least three years, but still overcome the stubbornness of the defenders.
8. The long blockade of the city did its job: among the townspeople there were those who considered surrender a more acceptable outcome of the war than the painful conditions of the siege. One of them was the priest Anastas. He shot an arrow with a note where he advised to "take over" the aqueduct - pipes leading to the city of drinking water. When Korsun was left without water, the city opened its gates.
9. In the end Vladimir Svyatoslavich entered the city ... Unable to contain his anger, he executed the local strategist and his wife, and gave his daughter to wife to one of his supporters. However, the city was not at all intended to be destroyed and plundered. Taking it, the prince forced Byzantium to fulfill all obligations under the contract.
10. It is unlikely that the prince of Kiev knew the Slavic letter. Among the Korsun priests there were those who could speak Slavic and Varangian, for it was a large trading city. They held conversations with the ruler of a large northern country, enlightening him with a living word. It was then that Vladimir mastered the beginnings of the Christian faith.
11. Princess Anne finally arrives on a Byzantine ship ... She married Vladimir Svyatoslavich according to the rite of the Eastern Christian Church. Before her, the prince, guided by pagan custom, had many wives. Now he parted with them, since a Christian cannot be married to several women at the same time. Some of Vladimir's former spouses remarried with his nobles. Others chose to abstain from a new wedding.
12. V Having returned from Korsun, Vladimir ordered to destroy the pagan sanctuaries in his capital. Wooden idols depicting "deities" flew to the Dnieper.
13. Kievans went into the water with all the people of the great city ... Many thousands of townspeople were baptized in one day. The ceremony was performed by priests from Anna's retinue, as well as Anastas Korsunianin and other representatives of the clergy from Korsun.
14. After the Epiphany, the construction of several small churches began in Kiev. Later, the majestic Church of the Tithes ... Our country did not know such significant stone buildings before.
15. Later, schools arose in the temples. Children were taught Slavic and Greek literacy, introduced them to books.
16. These books were first brought to Kiev and other cities of Rus from abroad. And then they began to be made in our country. On the Rus had its own book-writing workshops and excellent painters who skillfully adorned book wisdom with miniatures. Soon the first books about Russian history appeared in Kiev. They are called annals. It is in the annals that the story of how Russia was baptized was preserved.
Drawings by Ekaterina Gavrilova
On the splash screen: K.V. Lebedev. Baptism of the Kievites. Fragment of the picture
1) the so-called. the first (Photius or Askold) baptism in the 860s, which is usually associated with the names of the Kiev princes Askold and Dir; it co-pro-in-w-da-mo was created on Rus-si epi-scopia (or ar-hi-epi-scopia), after gib-shey;
2) personal baptism of the Kiev princess Olga in Constantinople in 946 or 957;
3) the baptism of Russia by Vladimir;
4) active church construction and measures for the organization of the Church, expansion of the eparch -al-noy and parish structure-round, pre-accepting-not-mav-shie-Xia under Ki-ev-skom prince. Yaro-sla-ve Vla-di-mi-ro-vi-che Mudrom and with his successors.
Prerequisites and Causes
According to the co-kup-no-sti of the given historical sources, the baptism of Russia appears as a goal-for-right choice of the book. Vla-di-mi-ra, conditioned by his personal religious searches and a complex of internal and external -chin (unsatisfactoryness of the lingual culture-mi in the quality of-st-ve na-tsio-nal-no-con-so-li-di- ruyu-shche-go factor-to-ra, not-about-ho-di-most of the entry of the Old Russian state into the number of world powers, etc.).
According to the testimony old Russian tradition, Vladimir and his squad at the end of the 980s. made the decision to change their faith after lengthy discussions and negotiations with countries belonging to different religions. In le-to-pi-si, the tale of the "experience-ta-nii ver" of the book was preserved. Vla-di-mi-rum. It in-ve-st-vu-et about salt-st-wah in Ki-ev from from the Volzh-Bul-ga-ria, from Latin Za-pa-da, from yu-dai-zi-ro- van-nyh ha-zar and from Wi-zan-tii, persuading the prince to accept their faith. Vla-di-mir from-pra-vil sob-st-ven-nye in-salt-st-va "in bol-g-ry", "in germ-tsy", "in greeks", so that "Try their service". After the ascension of the saltings, he left-ta-no-forged his choice on the christi-an-st-ve of the Vis-Zantian order, in-ziv- she-in-words beautiful-so-that god-service.
The decision to accept Christianity in its Eastern, Orthodox version from Constantinople was associated not only with this, but also with the desire to preserve the important ties that had been established with Byzantium in previous years. Of no less importance was the prestige of the Byzantine Empire, which at that time was at the zenith of power.
The baptism of Vladimir and the squad
In relation to the institutions and the time of the baptism of the prince. Vla-di-mi-ra in ancient Russian sources there is no single st-va. According to the "Kor-sung-le-gen-de" - pre-donation, which-swarm from the ru-bezha of the XI-XII centuries. went into the Old Russian le-to-pi-sa-nie, and then to the Life of St. Vla-di-mi-ra, the prince was baptized in the city of Kor-sun, the center of the Vi-Zantian government in Crimea, in 988 (one-to-the-fact-ti-che-ski the taking of Kor-su-ni pro-out-lo, ve-ro-yat-most of all, in 989); in the same place there was a bra-co-so-che-ta-nie Vla-di-mi-ra with a se-st-swarm of Vi-Zantian im-pe-ra-to-ditch Va-si-lia II Bol -ga-ro-fighters and Kon-stan-ti-na VIII An-noy. Su-shche-st-woo-et and another tradition, for-fik-si-ro-van-naya also already in the XI century, which-that-paradise pri-uro-chi-va- there is the baptism of Vla-di-mi-ra to Kiev and by the time of two years before the taking of Kor-su-no.
The Baptism of Russian Cities and the Establishment of a Church Organization in Russia
For the baptism of the prince and his friend, after-to-va-lo, or-ga-ni-zo-van-nye state power, the mass-so-woo cross -nie zh-te-lei of the largest go-ro-dov, pre-w-de of all Kiev and New-go-ro-da. In the first years after the baptism (not later than 997), the school comes to the Old Russian state of the world with a center in Kiev, under-chi-nen-noy Kon-stan-ti-no-pol-sko-mu pat-ri-ar-ha-tu. One-time-men-but with mit-ro-by-whether-she was-lo uch-re-f-de-but not less than three dioceses: in New-go-ro-de , in White-go-ro-de Ki-ev-skom, as well as, ve-ro-yat-no, in Po-pilot and / or Cher-no-go-ve. The first-you-mi-epi-sko-pa-mi were Greek-ki. In co-answer-to-vet-vii with the church-tradition-di-chi-she (for-kr-p-she-not earlier than the 16th century), the first mi-tro-po li-tom Ki-ev-skim accept to count St. Mi-hai-la, one-na-ko, the Wi-Zantian sources-to-ni-ki give os-no-va-nia pre-la-gat that the first mi-tro-po li-tom was Feo-phi-lact, transferred to Russia from Se-va-stiy-mi-tro-pol-lia (se-ve-ro-east-current of Minor Asia ).
Since the 990s. on Rus-si once-in-ra-chi-va-is-Xia de-vyannoe temple-mo-building-tel-in. According to the "In praise-le to prince Vla-di-mi-ru" (1040s) Vla-di-mi-re appeared-nick-li and the first mo-na-st-ri. In 995-996 in Kiev-ve was-la os-vya-shche-na first kamen-naya De-sy-tin-naya church, ve-ro-yat-but servant-prince yard-tso-vym co-bo-rum. With the os-vyasch-ni-ni of this church, the ancient Russian sources of the writing of the church-no-ha-no-zation: on her well-w-d, a tenth part of the co-in -warded princely do-ho-dov - de-sy-ti-na, who-that-paradise co-bi-ra-las at De-sya-tin temple. The trace of the baptism of Russia in the za-but-da-tel-noy region became-lo-de-les-nie according to the V-zantian model of the prince and tserkov-noy (mi-tro-in-lich-she, epi-skop-skoi) yuris-dik-tions, which is old Russian. tradition also refers to the time of righteousness. Vla-di-mi-ra Saint-to-sl-vi-cha. In the sphere of the church-no-go right-va, there were marriage-but-family-relations, pre-stu-n-le-nia against the moral st-ven-no-sti, the trial of cle-ri-ka-mi and members of their families, etc. prince's us-ta-vakh X-XII centuries. It’s important for me to supply the congregational and parish churches with Russian sacred servants (for four children, know on-strong-st-ven-but from-bi-ra-li "for book-teaching"), as well as god us-mi kni-mi.
Christianity in the XI-XII centuries
The main directions of christi-ni-zation of go-su-dar-st-va and society-st-va, denoted in ho -de of the baptism of Russia, were-whether-long-same-us in the XI-XII centuries. Epar-khi-al-naya structure-tu-ra made more fractional, the number of dioceses grew to twelve. It is difficult to judge about the development in this period of the parish system because of the data; ve-ro-yat-but, it follows-to-va-lo after the development of the state-administrative one. structure, since the parish church was usually found in the administrative center (in the state). Co-ver-shen-st-in-va-los tserkov-but-state interaction-mo-dey-st-vie in the region-las-ti su-da. The as-grown needs in the great-service-books provided-pe-chi-wa-were creak-to-ry-mi, dey-st-vo- vav-shi-mi with large mon-na-st-ryah and, ver-ro-yat-no, with epi-skop-ka-fed-rah. All this had a trace and a more active Christianity-ni-zation of the rural village. The latest information about the lingual high schools in large cities ) from-but-syat-Xia to the 1070s. From this time on, language-thing-st-in as a social factor has no longer been followed.
The meaning of the baptism of Russia
The adoption of Christianity had significant political implications. It contributed to the strengthening of the international prestige of Russia, the further strengthening and expansion of the already traditional ties with Byzantium, the expansion of contacts with the South Slavic world and the countries of the West.
The baptism of Rus was also important for the social life of ancient Russian society. The most important postulate of Christianity proceeded from the principle of the divine nature of supreme power. The postulate of Orthodoxy about the "symphony of powers" turned the church into a strong support for power, making it possible for the spiritual unification of the entire state and the consecration of the entire system of social relations. The adoption of Christianity contributed to the rapid strengthening of state institutions.
The baptism of Rus led to national consolidation and the development of culture. It promoted the development of architecture and painting in its medieval forms, the penetration of Byzantine culture as the heir to the ancient tradition. The spread of Cyrillic writing and book tradition was especially important: it was after the baptism of Rus that the first monuments of ancient Russian written culture arose.
Literature
Priselkov M.D. Essays on the church-political history of Kievan Rus X-XII centuries. SPb., 1913.
Rapov O.M. Russian Church in the 9th - first third of the 12th century. The adoption of Christianity. M., 1988.
Froyanov I. Ya. Ancient Russia IX-XIII centuries. Popular movements. Princely and vechevaya power. M., 2012.
Shcha-pov Ya. N. Go-su-dar-st-in and the church of Ancient Rus-si X-XIII centuries. M., 1989.
The official date of the baptism of Rus is 988. However, some researchers disagree with either the accepted dating or the traditional assessment of this fateful event for Russia.
Christianity before baptism
Today, in addition to the main version of the adoption of Christianity in Russia - from Vladimir - there are a number of others: from the Apostle Andrew the First-Called; from Cyril and Methodius; from Askold and Dir; from the Patriarch of Constantinople Photius; from Princess Olga. Some of the versions will remain hypotheses, but others have a right to life. In the past, Russian church-historical literature led the history of Christianity in Russia from the 1st century, linking it with the missionary activities of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called. This version was voiced by Ivan the Terrible in a conversation with the papal legate Antonio Possevino: “We received faith at the beginning of the Christian church, when Andrei, brother of the ap. Peter, came to these countries to go to Rome. " The event that took place in Kiev in 988 was called “the conversion of Prince Vladimir”, or “the final structure of the Orthodox Church in Russia under St. Vladimir”. We know from the Tale of Bygone Years about the journey of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called on the way "from the Varangians to the Greeks", during which the preacher visited the Dnieper region and Ladoga. However, already Nikolai Karmazin in his "History of the Russian State" noted: "however, people in the know doubt the truth of this Andreev's journey." The historian of the Russian Church Yevgeny Golubinsky noted the illogicality of such a trip: "To go from Korsun (Chersonesus of Tauride) to Rome through the Kiev and Novgorod lands is the same as getting from Moscow to St. Petersburg through Odessa." Based on the works of the Byzantine chroniclers and early Church Fathers, we can only say with certainty that Andrew the First-Called reached the lands of modern Crimea and Abkhazia. The missionary activity of the Apostle Andrew can hardly be called "Baptism of Rus", these are only the first attempts to introduce the peoples of the Northern Black Sea region to the emerging religion. The intention of researchers to attribute the date of the adoption of Christianity in Russia to the second half of the 9th century deserves more attention. There are reasons for this. Some historians are alarmed by the fact that the official baptism of Rus, which took place in 988, bypasses the Byzantine chronicles of that time. Church historian Vladislav Petrushko wrote: “It's amazing, but the Greek authors do not even mention such an epochal event as the baptism of Russia under St. Vladimir. However, the Greeks had their own reasons: the Rosia diocese was formally opened a century earlier. " In the year 867, the "district message" of the Patriarch of Constantinople Photius was recorded, which mentions "the Russians who enslaved the neighboring peoples" who "raised their hand against the Roman empire. But now they too have changed the Hellenic and godless faith, in which they had previously been kept, for a pure Christian teaching. " “And such a thirst for faith and zeal was kindled in them,” continues Photius, “that they accepted a shepherd and performed Christian rites with great care.” Historians tend to compare the message of Photius with the Rus campaign against Constantinople in 860 (according to the chronicle dating - in 866). The Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus, who lived after Photius, also reports on the baptism of the Rus, but not Photius in the patriarchate, but Ignatius, who headed the Byzantine church twice - in 847–858 and in 867–877. Perhaps this contradiction could have been ignored if not for one document. We are talking about the agreement of the Kiev prince Oleg with the Greeks concluded in 911 - a monument, the reliability of which today is beyond doubt. In this treaty, the words “Rusyns” and “Christians” are unequivocally opposed to each other. The chronicler's concluding words about Oleg's campaign against Constantinople are eloquent: “And Oleg came to Kiev, carrying gold, and pavoloks, and wine, and all kinds of patterns. And the one who called Oleg is prophetic, byahu people are trash and neveiglasi. " It is quite obvious that in the mouth of the chronicler "people of the trash and neveiglasi" are pagans. The authenticity of the evidence of the adoption of Christianity by the Russians in the 9th century is generally not disputed by historians. However, as one of the largest specialists in the history of Ancient Rus, Igor Froyanov, said, "the most that can be learned from this evidence is the assumption of isolated missionaries' trips to the borders of Scythia immersed in paganism."
Early Christians
After Oleg's political and trade agreements with Constantinople, Russian-Byzantine ties began to grow stronger. Byzantine merchants actively reached the Slavic lands, missionaries became frequent guests in the Black Sea region and on the banks of the Dnieper. Although the baptism of the Russians was not widespread, it is likely that a Christian community already existed in Kiev by the middle of the 10th century. The penetration of Christianity into Kievan Rus is evidenced by the mention of the cathedral church of Elijah the Prophet in Kiev in the Russian-Byzantine treaty of 944. Among those who were baptized was the Kiev princess Olga. This event became significant, since Olga became the first ruler in the history of the Old Russian state to break with paganism. “For the next generation, the example of an energetic, intelligent princess broke the ice of coldness and prejudice against Christianity, which no longer seemed so alien, unusual and unsuitable for Russia,” wrote the historian Vladimir Parkhomenko. The date and circumstances of Olga's baptism are not completely clear. The author of The Tale of Bygone Years connects this event with the trip of the princess to Constantinople. The chronicler's narration is in places full of fabulous details, but the very fact of baptism does not raise doubts among historians, as it is confirmed by many Byzantine sources. Based on these documents, Olga's baptism is dated 957. The adoption by Olga (in baptism Elena) of Christianity was rather private and did not affect either her confidants or her son Svyatoslav. “How do I want to accept the same law? And the moa squad will start laughing at this, ”Svyatoslav answered his mother to her calls to be baptized. In the 971 treaty between Prince Svyatoslav and the Byzantine emperor Tzimiskes, we still see Russia, which swears by Perun and Volos. The new faith first of all affected the merchant people who often visited Constantinople, since the adoption of Christianity provided him in Byzantium with much more profitable terms... In addition to the merchants, Russian warriors who were in the service of the Byzantine emperor willingly joined Christianity. It is about such "Rus-Christians" who, upon their return home, replenished the Christian community, that Konstantin Porphyrogenitus mentions.
Choice of faith
Meanwhile, Ancient Russia was getting closer and closer to the moment when a single faith was supposed to subordinate the scattered tribes to the princely power. The historian Boris Grekov noted the attempts of Vladimir Svyatoslavich, with the help of the pantheon of various pagan gods, to create a religion "which could unite his entire state more tightly." The obsolete paganism turned out to be a bad unifying principle and could not prevent the collapse of the huge tribal union headed by Kiev. Apparently then Vladimir turned his gaze to monotheistic religions. Vladimir's choice of religion is often associated with a legendary story called "the test of faith." The Kiev prince, having heard the sermons of the representatives of Roman Catholicism, Bulgar Mohammedanism, Khazar Judaism and Greek Orthodoxy, sent his ambassadors to these countries for a close acquaintance with the liturgical rites. The chronicler reports that the messengers who returned from Constantinople with the words "They did not know where we are - in heaven or on earth" made the strongest impression on Vladimir. This predetermined the choice of faith according to the Greek rite. Many historians, although they are skeptical about the story of the "test of faith", endowing it with a bookish, instructive character, nevertheless admit that it could be based on real events. A well-known expert on Ancient Russia, Vladimir Mavrodin, believes that in this story one can see "scraps of memories of real historical events that vividly reflect Russia at a crossroads." In particular, the authenticity of such events can be evidenced by the message of the Arab writer of the 13th century Muhammad al-Aufi "about the embassy of Bulamir (Vladimir) to Khorezm with the aim of" testing "Islam and about the embassy of a Muslim imam to Russia to convert Russians to the Mohammedan faith." One way or another, the decision to baptize Rus was not based solely on the opinion of the embassy. The adoption of a single religion for Vladimir was determined primarily by political motives, a difficult situation not only within the state, but also on its outskirts. At that time, the southern borders of Russia were incessantly attacked by nomads, who burned the fields, ravaged villages and laid siege to them for years. In these conditions, Vladimir counted on friendly and allied relations with Byzantium, which could take place only after the adoption of Christianity by the Old Russian state. Historian Mikhail Pokrovsky attributed an important role in the baptism of Rus to the upper layer of ancient Russian society - to the princes and boyars, who “abhorred the old, Slavic religious rituals and Slavic sorcerers,“ magi ”, and began to write for themselves, along with Greek silk fabrics and gold jewelry, and Greek rituals, and the Greek "Magi" - the priests. " The specialist in ancient Russian history Sergei Bakhrushin places somewhat different accents, noting that in the 10th century in Russia a layer of feudal nobility was formed, which "was in a hurry to consecrate its claims to a dominant position." To date, it is not known for certain where Vladimir was baptized. The traditional version, according to which the Kiev prince was baptized in Chersonesos, is rejected, in particular, by Academician Alexei Shakhmatov, who believes that the news about the Korsun campaign of Prince Vladimir is "a later insert that tore apart the original chronicle text." There is no exact data on the baptism of residents of Kiev: some researchers believe that the mass baptism took place in the Dnieper, others call Pochainu. According to modern historians, 988 can be considered only a conditional date for the baptism of the entire Old Russian state. Russian religious scholar Nikolai Gordienko connects this event exclusively with the “conversion to Christianity of the Kievites”, which was only one of the initial moments of the often painful process of bringing the inhabitants of the entire Old Russian state to the new faith, which lasted for many years.