Prince Vladimir of Kiev played a large role in the history of Russia. The biography and deeds of this ruler will be considered in this article. Vladimir Svyatoslavich, who was called Vasily in baptism, is the Grand Duke of Kiev, the son of Olga the keykeeper, the slave of Malusha, and Svyatoslav Igorevich, the great-grandson of Rurik, the first Russian prince.
Svyatoslav shares the possessions between his sons
Intending to finally conquer Bulgaria from the Greeks and settle on the Danube in it, Svyatoslav divided his possessions between his sons: he gave Kiev to Yaropolk (the elder), Drevlyansk region to Oleg, and sent Vladimir to Novgorod, which he did not really cherish, since the princes had power in him even then was very limited. The campaign of Svyatoslav ended unsuccessfully, and he died on the way back under the blows of the Pechenegs, near the threshold of the Dnieper. His young sons began to peacefully rule their principalities.
Joining the Drevlyansk region to Kiev
The commander of Svyatoslav, the old Sveneld, became the main among the nobles of Yaropolk. An accident happened: Lut, the son of Sveneld, having stopped in the Drevlyansk region to hunt, quarreled with Oleg, as a result of which he was killed. Sveneld, embittered, persuaded Yaropolk to take his property from Oleg. The war has begun. Oleg was defeated and was forced to flee. He was pushed into flight into a deep ditch when his soldiers descended from the bridge. Yaropolk annexed the Drevlyansk region to the Kiev region, and began to get married to Rogneda, the daughter of Rogvold, the Prince of Polotsk.
Vladimir conceived to kill Yaropolk
Having heard about these acts of Yaropolk, Vladimir Svyatoslavich fled to the Vikings over the Baltic Sea, noting that the Novgorodians wanted to be transferred to Yaropolk. Then the elder brother immediately sent his governor to Novgorod. Two years passed, and having hired the army of remote Varangians, Vladimir returned to the city. The inhabitants of Novgorod reinforced his own squads, and Vladimir, now strong, planned to kill Yaropolk.
Vladimir captured Polotsk and Kiev, killed Yaropolk
Yaropolk was alarmed. At this time, Sveneld died. While Yaropolk was preparing for war, Vladimir Svyatoslavovich moved to Kiev. He sent from the road to the Prince of Polotsk in order to marry his brother’s bride. However, the proud Rogneda hand of the "son of a slave" rejected. Vladimir, offended, rushed to Polotsk. He took this city by attack, killed Rogvold, as well as his two sons, and Rognedu took himself by force into marriage. Vladimir from Polotsk turned to Kiev, overlaid this city. Yaropolk, following the advice of Blud, his favorite, who betrayed him, as he was bribed by the Novgorod prince, decided to flee to Rodnya. The famine, which began here from crowding, terrified Yaropolk in that it was impossible to defend for a long time. The gullible prince, following the convictions of the Blud that he should submit, decided to go to his brother in Kiev. As soon as he ascended the threshold, Fornication locked the doors behind him, and two soldiers pierced the unfortunate prince with swords.
Vladimir Svyatoslavovich then announced that he is now the prince of all Russian lands, and even took for himself the wife of Yaropolk, the widow who was then pregnant and then gave birth to a baby Svyatopolk. He was adopted by Vladimir and began to reign peacefully in Kiev.
Prince Vladimir in Kiev
Everyone expected to see in the new ruler a fierce, courageous and courageous warrior. However, Vladimir Svyatoslavovich was not at all a warlike sovereign. He used weapons only to strengthen the union of areas subject to Kiev, where there were many confusions during the reign of Yaropolk and after the death of Svyatoslav. Wolf Tail, his commander, again pacified Vyatichi and Radimichi. Vladimir also subjugated the Lithuanian tribe of the Yatvyag and Western Volhynia with the cities of Cherven, Przemysl and Vladimir-Volynsky. Thus, having secured Kiev from the outside, he tried to strengthen his sovereignty with internal orders. Vladimir laid down several new cities along the rivers Trubezh, Stugne, Sula, Ostra, Desna to protect the borders of his state from Pecheneg raids, and to prevent rebellion, the inhabitants of the city inhabited immigrants from various places and thereby deprived them of the opportunity to rebel. He left only the chosen ones from among the Varangians who came with him from Novgorod, and sent the rebellious and violent to Greece, asking them to accept them into the service of the emperor. Vladimir composed his squads mainly from the Normans and Slavs.
Adoration of the idols, sons of Vladimir
Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich in Kiev erected a statue of Perun on the hill with a golden mustache and a silver head. He set others and offered rich sacrifices to the priests. The prince ordered even after the victory over the Yatvages to kill two Christians in their honor. Vladimir with these actions gained the love of his people, priests, troops, so he was forgiven for all weaknesses: the desire to have fun and walk, voluptuousness, luxury.
He established a special council of elders and wise boyars, with whom he consulted on the establishment of order and laws. Vladimir had many sons from different wives, whom he made rulers in the principalities. He installed Yaroslav in Novgorod, born of Rogneda Izyaslav - in Polotsk, in Rostov - Boris, in Murom - Gleb, in the Drevlyansk region - Svyatoslav, in Volyn - Vsevolod, in Tmutarakan - Mstislav, and the adopted nephew Svyatopolk - in Turov. They all depended unquestioningly on Vladimir and did not dare to arbitrarily oppose him, as did the Norman princes before.
Vladimir chooses faith
However, God was pleased to Vladimir Svyatoslavovich to give the glory of the Apostle of Russia. It was he who completed what was started by Askold and Deere. Vladimir saw that it was absurd to worship idols. He observed the deceptions of the priests and the gross superstition of the people. He also noted that Christianity had already been established everywhere: in Poland, Sweden, and Bulgaria, however, he was still in no hurry to take a decisive step. They say that Vladimir experienced various faiths for a long time, talked with Catholic priests, Muslims and Jews, sent ambassadors to Constantinople and Rome to consider worship, and finally decided to accept from the Greeks the faith that many of his subjects had already professed and which could give, apart from Orthodoxy and holiness , great benefits in relations with the Byzantines.
First Embassy in Constantinople
Prince Vladimir of Kiev sent an embassy to Constantinople (Constantinople), however, with the reservation that the Greek emperors would give their sister, Princess Anna, for him as a reward for baptism. Otherwise, they were threatened by war. Anna was afraid to be the wife of a half-barbarian, and the Greeks rejected the offer of ambassadors. Vladimir, the Grand Duke of Kiev, was angry and gathered a large army, with whom he went to Tauris along the Dnieper. Here was Kherson (Sevastopol), a rich Greek city. Khazars and Pechenegs joined with him. The city was forced to submit.
Second Embassy
The new embassy of the prince arrived with demands in Constantinople, promising to return Kherson if they were accepted, and threatening to invade Greece itself for refusal. The pride of the Greeks fell silent, and the princess agreed. She was sent with her retinue to Kherson. Vladimir, Grand Duke of Kiev, was baptized, married with Anna, and returned to Kiev.
Vladimir converts people to the Christian faith
Now the inhabitants of the city saw how, at the behest of its former gods, they were breaking, cutting, chopping, dragging the capital with dishonor. On the appointed day, the prince ordered everyone to gather on the banks of the Dnieper to accept a new faith. Vladimir, accompanied by Anna, the clergy and the boyars, solemnly appeared. The people entered the river, and the people of Kiev were thus baptized. In the place where stood before the altar of Perun, Prince Vladimir built the church of St. Basil. The adoption of Christianity took place in 988. Preachers were sent to all Russian regions. Such an order was given by Prince Vladimir, and Kievan Rus adopted the Christian faith after a short resistance of the pagans (especially Rostovites and Vyatichi).
Further reign of Vladimir
The further reign of this ruler was marked by many good deeds. Prince Vladimir of Kiev set up schools for children, published a helmsman book (charter on church courts), erected a cathedral church in Kiev and ordered that a tenth share of all his income be given to him forever, so he was called the Tithe.
Vladimir subsequently lived peacefully with neighboring peoples. He concluded an alliance with Boleslav, the Polish king, married Svyatopolk, his nephew, to his daughter.
Its peaceful reign lasted 27 years. Silence was broken only by the attacks of the Pechenegs. The children of Vladimir matured, but obeyed him. True, at the end of Vladimir’s life he was offended by the tyranny of Yaroslav, the Novgorod prince, who, to please the proud and restless Novgorodians, refused to pay tribute and did not appear at Kiev at the request of his father. Then Prince Vladimir of Kiev gathered his troops and went on a campaign himself, but fell ill in Berestov and died in 1015, July 15. Vladimir Svyatoslavovich was canonized.
Further rule of the Kiev princes was marked by an even greater spread of Christianity and the desire for the unification of lands.
This ruler should not be confused with another, Vladimir Vsevolodovich.
Prince of Kiev Vladimir Monomakh ruled from 1113 to 1125. As for Vladimir Svyatoslavich (which was described in this article), he ruled Kiev from 978 to 1015. He earned the nickname Red Sun. This is Vladimir I, who baptized Russia (years of life - c. 960-1015). Prince of Kiev Vladimir ll lived from 1053 to 1125.