Grand prince vladimir 1 biography
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| Saint Vladimir of Kiev | |
|---|---|
Vladimir I of Kiev | |
| Grand Prince of Kiev | |
| Born | c. 950 |
| Died | 1015 |
| Major shrine | St Volodymyr's Cathedral, Kiev |
| Feast | July 15 |
| Attributes | crown, cross, throne |
Vladimir Svyatoslavich the Great (c. 958 – July 15, 1015, Berestovo), also known as Saint Vladimir of Kiev, was the grand prince of Kiev who converted to Christianity in 987 and is generally credited as the person most responsible for the Christianization of Russia.
The illegitimate son of Prince Sviatoslav I of Kiev, Vladmir consolidated the Kievan Rus' from the Ukraine to the Baltic Sea through his military exploits. During his early reign, he remained a zealous pagan, devoting himself to the Slavic-Norse deities, establishing numerous temples, and practicing polygamy. In 987, however, he converted to Christianity as a condition of a marriage alliance with Anna, the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Basil II. He then ordered the conversion of Kiev and Novgorod to the Orthodox Church and began the destruction of other faiths.
After his conversion, and with the Byzantine Empire now his ally, Vladimir was able to live for the most part in peace with his neighbors and devote new resources to education, legal reform, and charitable wor
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Vladimir of Kiev
The holy and right-believing Vladimir (Svyatoslavich), Baptizer of Kievan Rus' (958-1015) was the Grand Prince of Kiev when Orthodoxy was introduced into present day Russia and Ukraine. He is also the grandson of St. Olga, and the father of Sts. Boris and Gleb the Passion-Bearers (and the first saints of the Russian lands). He is commemorated by the Church on July 15.
Life
St. Vladimir was a devout pagan in his early life. He was a great conqueror who had many wives and erected many pagan statues in the lands that he ruled over.
Upon finding out that other faiths existed beyond his own paganism, he decided to send his envoys out into the world to find out what was true faith on earth.
His envoys met with Muslims, but felt that there was no joy among them, and that their faith was very mechanical. The envoys also met with Jews and Catholics, but were still unimpressed.
Everything changed, however, when the envoys arrived in Constantinople. Upon attending Divine Liturgy in Hagia Sophia, the envoys said, "We no longer knew whether we were in heaven or on earth."
Taking the word of his envoys, St. Vladimir had himself and his nation baptized into the Orthodox Church.
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Vladimir the Great (958-15 July 1015) was Sovereign of City from 969 to 977 (succeeding Sviatoslav I tell preceding Yaropolk I) take up Grand Lord of Kievan Rus overexert 11 June 980 slam 15 July 1015 (succeeding Yaropolk I and earlier Sviatopolk I). In 988, he committed to OrthodoxChristianity, leading interrupt the Christianisation of Empire.
Biography[]
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