Prince Vladimir of Kyiv played a big role in the history of Russia. The biography and deeds of this ruler will be discussed in this article. Vladimir Svyatoslavich, named Vasily in baptism, is the Grand Prince of Kyiv, the son of Olga's housekeeper, the slave Malusha, and Svyatoslav Igorevich, the great-grandson of Rurik, the first Russian prince.
Svyatoslav divides 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 Kyiv to Yaropolk (senior), the Drevlyansk region to Oleg, and sent Vladimir to Novgorod, which he did not really value, because in it the power of the princes was already 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.
Accession of the Drevlyansk region to the Kyiv region
The commander of Svyatoslav, old Sveneld, became the chief among the nobles of Yaropolk. An accident happeneddisaster: Lyut, the son of Sveneld, having driven into the Drevlyane region to hunt, quarreled with Oleg, as a result of which he was killed. Sveneld, embittered, persuaded Yaropolk to take possession from Oleg. The war has begun. Oleg was defeated and forced to flee. He was pushed in flight into a deep ditch as his warriors descended from the bridge. Yaropolk annexed the Drevlyane region to the Kyiv region, and began to woo Rogneda, the daughter of Rogvold, the Polotsk prince.
Vladimir planned to kill Yaropolk
Hearing about these deeds of Yaropolk, Vladimir Svyatoslavich fled to the Varangians across the B altic Sea, noticing that the Novgorodians wanted to surrender to Yaropolk. Then the elder brother immediately sent his governors to Novgorod. Two years passed, and, having hired an army of daring Varangians, Vladimir returned to the city. The inhabitants of Novgorod reinforced him with their own squads, and Vladimir, strong now, decided to kill Yaropolk.
Vladimir captured Polotsk and Kyiv, killed Yaropolk
Yaropolk was alarmed. At this time, Sveneld died. While Yaropolk was preparing for the war, Vladimir Svyatoslavovich moved to Kyiv. He sent from the road to the prince of Polotsk in order to woo his brother's bride. However, the proud Rogneda rejected the hand of the "son of a slave". Vladimir, offended, rushed to Polotsk. He took this city by storm, killed Rogvold, as well as his two sons, and took Rogneda by force into his marriage. Vladimir from Polotsk turned to Kyiv, 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 that started herefrom crowding, terrified Yaropolk by the fact that it was impossible to defend for a long time. The gullible prince, following the convictions of Blud that one should submit, decided to go to his brother in Kyiv. As soon as he stepped on the threshold, Fornication locked the doors behind him, and the unfortunate prince was pierced with swords by two warriors.
Vladimir Svyatoslavovich after that announced that now he is the prince of all Russian lands, and even took Yaropolk's wife, a widow, who was then pregnant and then gave birth to the baby Svyatopolk, for himself. He was adopted by Vladimir and began to reign peacefully in Kyiv.
Prince in Kyiv of Vladimir
Everyone expected to see a fierce, brave and brave warrior in the new ruler. However, Vladimir Svyatoslavovich was not at all a warlike sovereign. He used weapons only to strengthen the union of the regions subject to Kyiv, where there was a lot of confusion during the reign of Yaropolk and after the death of Svyatoslav. Wolf Tail, his commander, again pacified the Vyatichi and Radimichi. Vladimir also subjugated the Lithuanian tribe of the Yotvingians and western Volyn with the cities of Cherven, Przemysl and Vladimir-Volynsky to his power. Thus, having secured Kyiv from the outside, he tried to strengthen his dominion by internal orders. Vladimir founded several new cities along the rivers Trubezha, Stugna, Sula, Ostra, Desna to protect the borders of his state from Pecheneg raids, and to prevent the disobedience of the inhabitants of the city, he inhabited the city with migrants from various places and thus deprived the opportunity to rebel. He left from among the Varangians who came with him from Novgorod onlyelected, and sent the recalcitrant and violent to Greece, asking to be accepted into the service of the emperor. Vladimir made up his squads mainly from Normans and Slavs.
Adoration of idols, sons of Vladimir
Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich in Kyiv erected on a hill an idol of Perun with a golden mustache and a silver head. He appointed others and made rich sacrifices to them to please the priests. The prince ordered, even after the victory over the Yotvingians, to kill two Christians in their honor. By these actions, Vladimir gained the love of his people, priests, troops, so he was forgiven for all his weaknesses: the desire to have fun and walk, voluptuousness, luxury.
He established a special council of elders and wise boyars, with whom he consulted about the establishment of order and laws. Vladimir had many sons from different wives, whom he made rulers in the principalities. He placed Yaroslav in Novgorod, Izyaslav, born of Rogneda, in Polotsk, Boris in Rostov, Gleb in Murom, Svyatoslav in the Drevlyansk region, Vsevolod in Volhynia, Mstislav in Tmutarakan, and Svyatopolk's adopted nephew in Turov. They all depended implicitly on Vladimir and did not dare to be self-willed against him, as before the Norman princes.
Vladimir chooses faith
However, God pleased Vladimir Svyatoslavovich to grant the glory of the Apostle of Russia. It was he who completed what was started by Askold and Dir. 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 noticed that Christianity had already been established everywhere: in Poland, in Sweden, in Bulgaria, however, he was still in no hurry to take a decisive step. They say that Vladimir tested 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 already professed and which could give, in addition to Orthodoxy and holiness, great benefits in dealings with the Byzantines.
The first embassy in Tsargrad
Prince Vladimir of Kyiv sent an embassy to Constantinople (Tsargrad), but with the proviso that, as a reward for baptism, Constantine and Basil, the Greek emperors, gave their sister, Princess Anna, for him. Otherwise, they were threatened with war. Anna was afraid to be the wife of a semi-barbarian, and the Greeks rejected the proposal of the ambassadors. Vladimir, the Grand Duke of Kyiv, became angry and gathered a large army, with whom he went to Taurida 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 Tsargrad, promising to return Kherson if they were accepted, and for refusal, threatening to invade Greece itself. The pride of the Greeks fell silent, and the princess agreed. She was sent with a retinue to Kherson. Vladimir, Grand Duke of Kyiv, was baptized, married Anna and returned to Kyiv.
Vladimir converts people to Christianity
Now the inhabitants of the city saw how, at the behest of its former gods, they broke, flogged, chopped, dragged with dishonor around the capital. On the appointed day, the prince ordered everyone to gather near the banks of the Dnieper to adopt 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 the altar of Perun used to stand, the church of St. Basil was built by Prince Vladimir. 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 from the pagans (especially Rostov and Vyatichi).
Further reign of Vladimir
The further reign of this ruler was marked by many good deeds. Prince Vladimir of Kyiv opened schools for children, issued the Pilot Book (charter on church courts), erected a cathedral church in Kyiv and ordered that a tenth of all his income be given to him for all eternity, so he was called Tithe.
Vladimir subsequently lived peacefully with neighboring nations. He concluded an alliance with Boleslav, the Polish king, married Svyatopolk, his nephew, to his daughter.
His peaceful reign lasted 27 years. The silence was broken only by the attacks of the Pechenegs. The children of Vladimir matured, but obeyed him. True, at the end of his life, Vladimir was offended by the self-will of Yaroslav, the Prince of Novgorod, who, in order to please the proud and restless Novgorodians, refused to pay tribute and, at the request offather did not appear in Kyiv. Then Prince Vladimir of Kyiv gathered troops and went on a campaign himself, but fell ill in Berestovo and died in 1015, on July 15. Vladimir Svyatoslavovich was canonized as a Saint.
The further reign of the Kyiv princes was marked by even greater spread of Christianity and the desire to unite the lands.
This ruler should not be confused with another, Vladimir Vsevolodovich.
Kyiv Prince Vladimir Monomakh ruled from 1113 to 1125. As for Vladimir Svyatoslavich (who was described in this article), he ruled Kyiv from 978 to 1015. He was nicknamed the Red Sun. This is Vladimir I, who baptized Russia (years of life - c. 960-1015). Prince Vladimir II of Kyiv lived from 1053 to 1125.
