The baptism of Russia and its significance for the future fate of the state will be discussed and explored by modern historians for a long time to come. This is especially true today, at the time of new discoveries and various interpretations of those long-standing events.
Why was it necessary to destroy the holy idols and the faith that the ancestors worshiped for many centuries, to destroy the established order for centuries? There are many answers to these questions, but sometimes it seems that only a small part of the truth has been revealed to us, and the spread of Christianity in Russia is still not a completely unraveled mystery. The ancient Slavs sincerely believed in mystical natural forces and worshiped their stone and wooden idols. For them, they were powerful forces of nature that directly influenced their life, and life was completely subordinate to the interpretation of the will of the gods. The role of the first spiritual mentors in those days was performed by the wise men and magicians.
Before the adoption of the Christian faith, the Eastern Slavs lived in numerous tribes or clans that were scattered over a vast territory. The lifestyle was indicated primarily by the surrounding nature. Paganism, which was universally practiced, was not a religion, it was a chaotic observance of various religious rites.
The year 988, which was important and crucial for Russia, was difficult and very dramatic, since it was the year of the baptism of the Kiev prince Vladimir himself and his faithful comrades-in-arms. Prince Vladimir married the Byzantine princess Anna and received the expected help from Constantinople, the former center of Christianity. The prince was primarily led by state interests, since he saw in them the favorable consequences of the adoption of Christianity. This was an introduction to the highest at that time culture of Christian peoples, and, therefore, to the prospect of the successful development of their culture and statehood.
The baptism of Russia and its significance lies in the fact that it eliminated the contradiction of polytheism, approved a unified ideology and contributed to the strengthening of central authority and, as a result, helped to form a strong state. The power of the Kiev prince was transformed and acquired a new character.
According to historians, Vladimir was shocked by the Christian faith, its clarity and sequence of confession, magnificent decoration of churches, polyphonic chants and meaningful prayers. The advantage of the new faith was that it carried a different ritual and a more consistent and honed idea of the origin of the divinity of power, and also taught humility and meekness.
The positive consequences of the adoption of Christianity were obvious, since the Grand Duchy strengthened, the first attempt to protect human rights and private property was made, and the Orthodox Church and spirituality were confirmed in society. For example, with the help of Christian morality, family relations were strengthened, and in addition, litigation was considered in a new light. It was the church court that examined anti-religious crimes, as well as moral and family norms of society. Life has been streamlined and has become more cultural, civilized. This period is associated with the beginning of the development of Old Russian culture, urban planning, as well as the development of new crafts, for example, jewelry. The arrival of Christianity contributed to the construction of monumental stone temples, such as the Tithes Church in Kiev and many others.
The spread of Christianity in Russia contributed to the formation of self-awareness of ancient Russian society. The adoption of a written code of laws (Russian Truth) was an example of the first legal institution in a new society. In Russia, monasteries are organized, for example, Kiev-Pechersky, which has become a center of culture and education for many decades. It was here that the chronicles were written by which we can judge that distant time.
The baptism of Russia and its significance lies in the fact that the monasteries began to send their books to secular society, acting as the first printing houses. People began to study the Bible, thus, not only new spiritual values spread , but also the literacy of the population grew. The consequences of the adoption of Christianity are also the fact that Kievan Rus began to be treated differently in the world community. This has contributed to the strengthening of international relations. Modern historians interpret the baptism of Russia and its significance as an important step in removing Russia from Mohammedanism and paganism in Asia, and its rapprochement with advanced, Christian Europe.