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The task of converting Russians to
Christianity fell upon Vladimir I
Svyatoslavich (978-1015), second son of Svyatopolk, who became grand Duke of
Kiev after a blood struggle in which his brother Yaropolk lost his life.
Vladimir was a very determined person and a remarkable statesman. He clearly
understood the importance of unified religion in state affairs. His first
attempt to assemble all the pagan gods under one temple failed, but he quickly
grasped the notion that if his state became Christian it would not only
facilitate the approach to the Byzantine Empire and the European West, but it
would also receive some political, economic and cultural benefits. On his way
to Constantinople, Vladimir was baptized at Khersonesus in the Crimea in 988.
Both Vladimir and his emissaries who visited Constantinople before him, were
delighted with the magnitude of the city, particularly with the splendors of
Saint Sophia Cathedral, and the spectacular beauty of the religious service of
the Orthodox Church. The Chronicle recorded that the Slavs, while attending the
ceremony, "Did not know whether they were on earth or in heaven. . .such
was the view (spectacle) and its magnificence. "In the same year Vladimir
married Princess Ann, the sister of Emperor Basil, and upon the return to Kiev
organized a mass baptismal of his people. By hundreds they were brought to the
brook that runs through the Kreshchatiskaya (Baptismal) Valley and ordered to
undress submerge themselves completely naked in its waters to be baptized by
Greek priests. Today Kreshchatik is the most beautiful avenue in Kiev,
preserved from Vladimir's time. This was probably one of those events which do
not often happen in the history of mankind, that the beauty of Saint Sophia,
the richness of its mosaics and decorations, and the beautiful chanting and
splendors of the ceremony were factors that convinced a barbaric ruler and his
people to turn to a new religion.
Anybody who today attends Christmas services in Moscow's Cathedral can
understand why this had happened. Vladimir obviously fully realized the
aesthetic appeal, power and the penetrating effect that similar churches
(architectural monuments) could have on the mind and creative and imitative
instincts of his people and their future cultural development. In the 10
century Byzantine art and culture in general were considered the most beautiful
and most advanced in Europe. Especially impressive were the mosaics: Those of
St. Sophia deeply fascinated illiterate Russians, and Vladimir hurried to
invite to Kiev not only Greek missionaries but also Byzantine builders, artists
and teachers. He wanted them to build and decorate new churches for his people
and to pass on their knowledge to the young Russians. With Princess Ann there
came to Kiev the first large group of Greeks. They brought with them their
icons, church books, ornaments, vestments, sacred vessels etc. , and even more
important, they brought their knowledge. With Christianity came to Russian
Byzantine art and literacy, two major factors that determined the future
development of Russian culture.
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