Great Kyiv prince equal to the apostles Vladimir the Red Sun, baptist of Rus' - commemorated on July 15 (28), 2019. Life, biography and prayer - in the article.

Prince Vladimir I Svyatoslavich

Vladimir I Svyatoslavich(Old Russian) Volodymer Svtoslavich, OK. 960 - July 15, 1015) - Grand Duke of Kiev, under whom the baptism of Rus' took place.

Vladimir the Holy became the Prince of Novgorod in 970, seized the Kyiv throne in 978. In 988 he chose Christianity as the state religion Kievan Rus. Received in baptism christian name Vasily. Also known as Vladimir Saint, Vladimir the Baptist(in church history) and Vladimir Red Sun(in epics). Glorified among the saints as Equal to the Apostles.

Memory of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir the Saint - July 28, 2019

And he went ashore, reborn in soul,
Vladimir for a new power,
And he introduced a law into the Rus' of mercy -
Affairs of ancient, distant times,
Legends of unfading glory!..
(A.K. Tolstoy)

Baptist of Rus' - Prince Vladimir the Holy

Karpov A. Yu. –historian, writer, member of the Writers' Union of Russia, author of books in the “ZhZL” series: “Vladimir the Saint”, “Yaroslav the Wise”, “Yuri Dolgoruky”

There is hardly a name more significant in Russian history than the name of the Kyiv prince Vladimir the Saint, the Baptist of Rus'. Already the ancient Russian scribes called him Equal to the Apostles, for the feat of Prince Vladimir is quite commensurate with the apostolic: a great country, Rus', through his efforts. Around 989, the Russian land adopted Christianity as the official, state religion, and this event determined the entire course of our history for a millennium.

Vladimir was born around 962. He was the son of the Kyiv prince Svyatoslav Igorevich and Malusha, the housekeeper of Svyatoslav's mother. The chronicles say that, angry with her slave, Olga exiled her to the remote village of Budutina. Here the future great saint was born. Soon Vladimir was taken away from his mother. He was brought up in Kyiv, at the court of his grandmother, Princess Olga. But for a long time the contemptuous nickname “robichich,” that is, “son of a slave,” will haunt him.

In the summer of 969, shortly before his final departure to the Danube, Prince Svyatoslav divided the Russian land between his sons. The eldest, Yaropolk, got Kyiv, Oleg - the Drevlyansky land. At this time, Novgorodians came to Kyiv, asking for a prince. “What if someone came to you?” - Svyatoslav asked them mockingly. The Novgorodians, on the advice of Vladimir’s maternal uncle, Dobrynya, asked Malushin’s son to reign. Svyatoslav agreed. So Vladimir, while still a child, became the prince of Novgorod.

Soon Svyatoslav died (this happened in the spring of 972), and his sons began to reign in their lands completely independently. Around 977, a war began between Yaropolk and Oleg, as a result of which Oleg died. Frightened by this news, Vladimir fled from Novgorod “over the sea,” presumably to the Varangians, to the Scandinavian lands or the Baltic states. After some time, at the head of a hired Varangian army, he reappeared in Novgorod (captured by that time by the governors of Yaropolk). Thus began the war between Vladimir and his brother. Success in the war accompanied Vladimir. In the summer of 978 he besieged Kyiv. Yaropolk fled to the city of Rodnya (at the mouth of the Ros River, a tributary of the Dnieper), which was also besieged by Vladimir’s troops. A traitor, a certain Blud, was found surrounded by Yaropolk; Vladimir entered into negotiations with him, and Blud persuaded Yaropolk to stop resisting and surrender to the mercy of his brother. “Your dream has come true. I’m bringing Yaropolk to you. Get ready to kill him,” these words were conveyed by Blud to Vladimir.

And Vladimir decided to commit fratricide. When Yaropolk entered Vladimir’s chambers, two Varangians standing in the doorway lifted him up with their swords “under their bosom.” Following Prince Blud, he quickly closed the doors, preventing his servants from rushing in to help Yaropolk. The reign of Vladimir in Kiev began with this villainous murder, which lasted for thirty-seven long years.

Chroniclers do not spare black colors when depicting Vladimir before his adoption of Christianity. He was cruel, vindictive and generally endowed with a variety of vices, among which, first of all, is exorbitant voluptuousness. Vladimir had five wives at that time. He forcibly made one of them, the Polotsk princess Rogneda, his wife, starting a war with her father, the Polotsk prince Rogneda, after Rogneda proudly rejected his offer of marriage. Having captured Polotsk, Vladimir dishonored Rogneda in front of her father and mother, and then killed both parents. Another wife of Vladimir was the widow of Yaropolk, whom he killed, a certain Greek woman who had previously been a nun and was brought to Kyiv by Prince Svyatoslav, struck by her beauty. In addition to his legal wives, the prince had hundreds of concubines: “300 in Vyshgorod, 300 in Belgorod, and 200 in Berestovoy, in the village.” But even the concubines could not satisfy him. “He was insatiable in fornication, bringing to himself married wives and corrupting girls,” this is how the chronicler wrote condemningly about Vladimir.

In addition, Vladimir was at first a convinced pagan and an ardent opponent of Christianity. Soon after entering Kyiv, he built a real pagan pantheon on a hill near his palace - he placed statues of pagan gods: Perun, Khors, Dazhbog, Stribog, Simragl and Mokosha. “And people worshiped them, calling them gods, and brought their sons and daughters, and made sacrifices to demons... And the Russian land and that hill were defiled with blood,” the chronicle says. Statues of Perun, who by the will of Vladimir became the main deity ancient Rus', were installed in other ancient Russian cities. In 983, after one of Vladimir’s campaigns, it was decided to organize human sacrifices on “Perunov Hill”. The lot fell on the court of a certain Christian Varangian, and the Kyiv pagans demanded that his son be sacrificed. The Varangian did not submit to them and did not give his son to be slaughtered to demons. In retaliation, the Kyivians swept away his entire yard and cut down the entryway where he stood with his son, and so killed them. These Christian Varangians (late church tradition calls their names: Theodore and his son John) became the first martyrs for the faith in the Russian land.

With all this, Vladimir during these years shows every concern for strengthening the state. He makes several successful campaigns to the west and east (against the Poles, Yatvingians, Volga Bulgarians, Khazars), subjugates a number of East Slavic tribes (Radimichi, Vyatichi) to the power of Kyiv, annexes the so-called. Cherven cities (Volyn). The various regions of the Russian state are held together by stronger bonds than before. The pagan reform of Vladimir (the establishment of a pagan pantheon) indicates that the prince seeks to introduce something new into previous beliefs. The representation in Vladimir's pantheon of deities of different ethnic groups of the Russian land (Slavic, Finno-Ugric, Baltic tribes, remnants of the former Iranian population), their subordination to the princely god Perun and the introduction of a single state cult of Perun for the entire country - all this was supposed to personify the unity of the Old Russian state, supremacy of Kyiv and the Kyiv prince.

However, this pagan reform, which changed only the external appearance of the old gods, could not satisfy Vladimir. Personal searches for faith, as they say, coincided with the demands of the time. Rus' was finally losing its former features military federation separate tribes, turned into a single state, playing an increasingly important role in European and world politics. All this required changes in the sphere of ideology.

The Chronicles and Lives of St. Vladimir contain a detailed and vivid story about baptism of the Kyiv prince. It was not long before Vladimir came to his faith. The chronicle says that at first the prince received ambassadors from the Volga Bulgarians (Muslims), Latins and Khazar Jews, who invited him to accept their law. Then a Greek philosopher came to Kyiv, convincing Vladimir of the advantages of the Orthodox faith. Vladimir chose “kind and sensible men” and sent them to different countries so that they can actually compare how they worship God different peoples. Returning to Kyiv, the “men” spoke about the beauty of Byzantine worship: “We didn’t know whether we were in heaven or on earth, for there is no such beauty on earth, and we don’t know how to tell about it. We only know that God is with the people there, and their service is better than in all countries.” After consulting with the boyars and “city elders” (representatives of city government), Vladimir agrees that the Byzantine faith is better than all others.

For a long time, the story about Vladimir’s “test of faith” was considered fiction, a kind of “fairy tale.” However, this is not true. Rus' was indeed surrounded by countries and peoples who adhered to different faiths, and adherents of these faiths tried to attract the prince of Kyiv to their faith. The chronicle legend is confirmed by evidence from foreign sources who know about similar embassies of Prince Vladimir. (Thus, it is known about the embassy of “Tsar Buladmir” (Vladimir) to Khorezm to discuss the possibility of the Russians adopting Islam.) Vladimir actually seriously thought about the advantages of different faiths. But the fact that he ultimately chose the Christian doctrine (and in its Eastern, Orthodox version) is, of course, not accidental.

By the time of the reign of Vladimir, Rus' had already known Christianity well and for a long time. Both our closest neighbors and relatives were Christians Eastern Slavs- Poles, Czechs, Bulgarians. The main thing was that the Russians, like others Slavic peoples, even a hundred years before Vladimir, they had the opportunity to get acquainted with the Word of God in their native language. Slavic worship, sacred and liturgical books translated into the Slavic language by Saints Cyril and Methodius, the first teachers of the Slavs, and their disciples - all this made it possible for Christianity to take root in Rus', to become over time truly native to the people.

Unfortunately, about the baptism of Prince Vladimir, undoubtedly, the main event of his life, we clearly do not know enough, because the testimony of sources on this matter is very contradictory. Chronicles tell about the baptism of Vladimir in 988 and connect it with the capture of Korsun (Chersonese), a Byzantine city in Crimea, by Russian troops. Vladimir besieged the city for a long time, the chronicler says, but could not take it until one of the city’s defenders, a certain Anastas (later an associate of Prince Vladimir and the rector of the Kyiv Tithe Church) came to his aid and gave advice to dig up the pipes, which supplied water to the besieged city. Having received this news, the prince makes a vow: to be baptized if the city is taken. Chersonesus has indeed fallen, but Vladimir is not yet in a hurry to be baptized.

The chronicle tells of Vladimir's overthrow of the pagan idols that he himself had set up several years earlier. “Having arrived in Kyiv, Vladimir ordered the idols to be overthrown: some to be chopped up, and others to be put on fire. Perun ordered to be tied to a horse’s tail and dragged from the Mountain... and ordered 12 men to beat him with a rod... When they dragged him to the Dnieper, unfaithful people mourned him, for they had not yet accepted holy baptism.”

The prince ordered the idol to be floated downstream of the Dnieper, and to ensure that it did not stick to the shore until it passed the Dnieper rapids. So Rus' said goodbye to its main pagan god. This was followed by the baptism of the Kievites. The chronicle cites the words with which Vladimir addressed his subjects: “If anyone does not come to the river tomorrow—whether rich, or poor, or beggar, or slave—let him be my opponent.” The baptism of the Kievites took place in the waters of the Pochayna River, a tributary of the Dnieper (this is according to the version of the Life of Prince Vladimir; the chronicle reports baptism in the Dnieper). The sacrament was performed by the priests “Tsarina” (that is, those who came to Rus' with Princess Anna) and “Korsun” (that is, those brought by the prince from Korsun). On the site of the former pagan sanctuary, the Church of St. Basil was erected - heavenly patron prince Later, Greek craftsmen built a church in Kyiv Holy Mother of God, called Desyatinnaya, is the main temple of Kievan Rus during Vladimir’s time (the temple was consecrated on May 12, 996). The most important church-administrative reform of Prince Vladimir is associated with this church - the establishment of church tithes.

The Christianization of Rus' spread over at least, for several decades. Initially, the new faith established itself in the Dnieper region and some (primarily princely) cities. This process did not take place peacefully everywhere. Thus, in Novgorod, judging by the evidence of later sources, bloody clashes took place between representatives of the princely administration and the local population. In North-Eastern Rus', preachers of the Word of God appeared, apparently, only in the 11th century.

The adoption of Christianity completely changed Prince Vladimir. There is no doubt that he sincerely and wholeheartedly accepted the new faith. The Chronicle and the Prince's Life most of all note his exceptional mercy and love of poverty. Hearing the words of Scripture: “Blessed are the merciful; for they will receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7), Vladimir began to do many good deeds. He ordered every beggar and wretched person to come to the prince’s court and take everything he needed - food, drink or money. Moreover, having learned that the sick and infirm could not get to his court, the prince ordered food to be delivered for them throughout the city. “And he ordered to equip carts and, putting bread, meat, fish, various vegetables on them, honey in barrels, and kvass in others, transport them around the city, asking: “Where is the sick person or the beggar who cannot walk?” And give them everything they need,” says the chronicler. “And not in Kyiv alone, but throughout the entire Russian land - both in cities and in villages - he gave alms everywhere, clothing the naked, satisfying the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, bestowing mercy on strangers, honoring churchmen, and loving, and having mercy, giving what was required, the poor, and the orphans, and the widows, and the blind, and the lame, and the sick - having mercy on everyone and clothing, and feeding, and giving drink. And so Prince Vladimir remained in good deeds…” And these are the words of the thinker Jacob, the author of “Memory and Praise to Prince Vladimir.”

IN historical memory people Kyiv prince entered not only as Vladimir the Saint, but also as Vladimir the Red Sun - the legendary prince of Russian epics, to whom all Russian epic heroes served. The love of the people was won not only by his Christian virtues, but also by his tireless concern for the defense of the Russian land. It was Prince Vladimir who had the most difficult task of fighting the Pechenegs - the main enemies of Rus' at the end of the 10th - beginning of the 11th century. Vladimir is building a kind of “notch line” along the southern borders of his state - he is placing fortified cities along the Desna, Ostra, Trubezh, Sula and Stugna rivers. The fortresses were connected by a powerful earthen rampart. The most famous of the fortresses erected by Vladimir was Belgorod on the Irpen River, in the depths of the Stugnino defense line. Vladimir populates fortresses on the southern border of the Russian land “ the best people” from other regions of the country - the lands of the Novgorod Slovenes, Krivichi, Chud, Vyatichi. The defense of Rus' becomes a truly state matter, common to all Slavic and non-Slavic tribes inhabiting Rus'. Among other things, this measure dealt a serious blow to the former tribal system of the Russian state.

In all the most important centers of Rus', the sons of Vladimir were installed as rulers. In Novgorod the eldest reigned, Vysheslav, in Polotsk - Izyaslav, in Turov on Pripyat - Svyatopolk (the son of Prince Yaropolk Svyatoslavich, adopted by Vladimir), in Rostov - Yaroslav. After the death of Vysheslav (presumably around 1010), Yaroslav received Novgorod, and Boris was transferred to his place, to Rostov. Gleb was planted in Murom, Vsevolod in Vladimir-on-Volyn, Svyatoslav in the Drevlyansky land, Mstislav in Tmutorokan, Stanislav in Smolensk, Sudislav in Pskov. (In total, Prince Vladimir had 12 sons.) Most of the named cities are old tribal centers, which, thanks to Vladimir’s innovations, were now ruled directly by the sons of the Kyiv prince.

Wars with the Pechenegs went on with varying success almost continuously throughout Vladimir's reign. More than once Vladimir suffered failures. One day, Vladimir only miraculously avoided being captured, hiding under a bridge near the city of Vasilyev. The Pechenegs then left without finding the prince and without causing significant damage to the Russian lands. This miraculous deliverance happened on the very feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, August 6, 996. Vladimir then made a vow to build the Transfiguration Church in Vasilevo. And soon the vow was fulfilled.

The Tale of Bygone Years, the oldest chronicle that has survived to our time, records several folk legends about the Pecheneg wars. One of them tells about a Kozhemyak youth who defeated the “very terrible” Pecheneg hero in the battle on the Trubezh River (in honor of this event, according to the chronicle, the city of Pereyaslavl-Yuzhny was built). Another folk legend is dedicated to the siege of the city of Belgorod by the Pechenegs (the legend of the “Belgorod jelly”). Only thanks to the resourcefulness of a certain Belgorod elder, the city residents outwitted their enemies and forced them to lift the siege. Around 1007/08, the German missionary Bruno of Querfurt visited Rus', trying (though without much success) to preach Christianity among the Pechenegs. Through his mediation, Vladimir managed to make peace with the nomads, sending one of his sons to them as a hostage. Later chronicles tell about the baptism by Vladimir himself of several Pecheneg princes who went into the service of the Russian prince.

Vladimir also strengthened the western borders of his state. In 992, he made a campaign into the lands of the East Slavic tribe of Croats and subjugated them to the power of the Kyiv prince. The chronicle tells about the peace treaties he concluded with the rulers of neighboring states - Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. However, the peace with Poland did not last long. In 1013, the Polish prince Boleslav attacked Rus' in alliance with the Pechenegs; this time Vladimir managed to cope with the enemies. It is believed that the result of the peace concluded then was the marriage of Vladimir Svyatopolk’s stepson to the daughter of Boleslav of Poland.

IN recent years Throughout his life, Vladimir experienced a lot of worries about his sons. So, soon after marrying Boleslavna, Svyatopolk plotted against his adoptive father. According to foreign sources, the organizer of the conspiracy was the Polish prince Boleslav, as well as Bishop Rainburn, the confessor of Svyatopolk’s wife. The plot was discovered; Svyatopolk, his wife and Rainburn were arrested. The Polish bishop died in captivity, and Svyatopolk and his wife remained in custody until Vladimir’s death. In 1014, another son of Vladimir, Yaroslav of Novgorod (the future Yaroslav the Wise), rebelled. He refused to pay the annual tribute of 2 thousand hryvnia to Kyiv. This aroused Vladimir's fierce anger, and he announced a campaign against Novgorod.

However, God did not allow war between father and son. At that time, Vladimir was already old, and illnesses came with old age. One of them did not allow Vladimir to go on a campaign against Yaroslav. Thinking about who to transfer the throne to, Vladimir called his beloved son, Boris, to Kyiv. At this time, the Pechenegs again attacked the Russian land. Vladimir was in great sadness because he could not go against them; he handed over his warriors to Boris. Boris went against the Pechenegs, but did not find them: the nomads, hearing about the approach of the army, went back to the steppes. But Vladimir was no longer destined to learn about the outcome of the last Pecheneg war in his life. On July 15, 1015, he died in the village of Berestovoy near Kyiv. In the absence of Boris, power in Kyiv was seized by Svyatopolk, who was released from custody. He tried to keep his father’s death a secret: “Vladimir died on Berestov, and they hid his death because Svyatopolk was then in Kyiv,” says the chronicler. However, the death of the Grand Duke, who had done so much for his
country and which made its city so famous, of course, could not pass unnoticed. Vladimir was buried in Kyiv, in the Church of the Tithes, built by him, in front of a huge crowd of people, mourned by all the people of Kiev - both the boyars and the poor, small and great. “And the boyars cried for him as the protector of the land, and the poor as for their protector and breadwinner...”

Russian people began to honor the memory of their Baptist already in the 11th century. However, for reasons that are not entirely clear, the official canonization of Prince Vladimir was delayed for two centuries. This was partly explained, probably, by the fact that the relics of the blessed prince were not given the gift of miracles. Here's what the author said about it the most ancient Life Prince Vladimir: “We will not be surprised, beloved, that he does not perform miracles after death - many righteous saints have not performed miracles, but they are saints. Saint John Chrysostom once said about this: “From what do we know and understand a holy man - from miracles or from works?” And he said: “We learn from works, and not from miracles.” And only in the 13th century did the church-wide canonization of Prince Vladimir take place. This was probably facilitated by the fact that it was on the day of memory of St. Vladimir (July 15) that one of the glorious victories of Russian weapons was won - the Battle of the Neva, in which the squad Prince of Novgorod, a descendant of Vladimir the Saint, Alexander Yaroslavich (Alexander Nevsky), defeated the Swedish army.

The relics of Saint Prince Vladimir, like the relics of the blessed Princess Olga, shared the tragic fate of the Kyiv Tithe Church, destroyed by the Tatars in 1240. For many centuries, the tomb of the holy prince was buried under the ruins of the temple. In 1635, the Kiev Metropolitan Peter Mogila seemingly discovered a precious shrine - two sarcophagi, one of which, according to his assumption, contained the relics of St. Vladimir. “In remembrance of future births” the saint removed the head and brush from the coffin right hand. Subsequently, the head was placed in the main temple of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra in the name of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, brush - to the Kyiv St. Sophia Cathedral. Some of the holy relics ended up in Moscow, in the Assumption Cathedral. However, modern researchers question the authenticity of this find.

Anna, wife of the Kyiv prince Vladimir the Saint

Karpov A. Yu.: historian, writer, member of the Writers' Union of Russia, author of books in the “ZhZL” series: “Vladimir the Saint”, “Yaroslav the Wise”, “Yuri Dolgoruky”
ANNA (b. March 13, 963; d. 1011/1012), Byzantine princess, porphyrogenite, daughter of Emperor Roman II, sister of Emperors Vasily II and Constantine VIII, wife of the Kyiv prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, Baptist of Rus'.

Anna was born two days before the death of her father, Emperor Roman (information from the Byzantine chronicler John Skylitzes); therefore, her birth occurred in the so-called. Porphyra - a special room in the Palace of Constantinople, where only the children of the ruling emperors were born. Apparently, it was her hand that Holy Roman Emperor Otto I sought for his son, the future Emperor Otto II, in 967 (information from Liutprand, Bishop of Cremona, who did not, however, name the intended bride).

Around 987, negotiations began on the marriage of Anna and the Russian prince Vladimir. This marriage played an exceptional role in the history of Rus' and had a significant impact on the history of Byzantium; It is not surprising that a number of sources report about him - both Russian (chronicles, various editions of the Life of Prince Vladimir) and foreign (Yahya of Antioch, Abu-Shoja al-Rudraweri, Ibn al-Asir; Skilitsa; Thietmar of Merseburg, etc.) .

The circumstances of the unprecedented matchmaking of the Russian prince to the porphyry princess are known. The Byzantine Emperor Basil II, who found himself in an extremely difficult situation after the defeat from the Bulgarians (August 986) and the beginning of the rebellion of Bardas Skleros (February 987), and then Bardas Phocas (August or September 987), turned to Russian Prince Vladimir. Vladimir promised to help, but demanded Vasily Anna’s hand in return. Despite the fact that the marriage of a porphyry-born princess with a “barbarian” was considered blasphemous and unacceptable (which was specifically written about in the middle of the 10th century by Vasily and Anna’s grandfather, Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus in his essay “On the Administration of the Empire”), Vasily agreed subject to baptism Vladimir (no later than October 987). Vladimir was probably baptized, but the marriage was delayed for almost two years. During this time, Vladimir managed to provide assistance to Vasily (which became life-saving for him), and then began military operations in Crimea against the Byzantine city of Chersonese (Korsun). Only after the fall of Chersonese (probably between April 7 and July 27, 989) were negotiations resumed between Vasily and Vladimir. Anna opposed the marriage in every possible way (as Russian and Eastern sources agree on), but she had to submit to her brother’s will. Together with priests and associates, she went to Chersonesus, where her marriage to Vladimir took place. In addition to the Tale of Bygone Years, Anna’s stay in Chersonesos is evidenced by microtoponymy data: in the second half of the 11th century. “The queen’s chambers” were known in Korsun (chronicle article 988). This is probably evidenced by the Life of St. Stephen of Sourozh (known in Russian translation, in lists no earlier than the 15th century), namely “The 4th Miracle” (the last of the saint’s posthumous miracles). It contains a story about an illness that happened to “Queen Anna” on the way from Chersonesos to Kerch: Anna fell ill while she was on the “Black Water” (Greek Mavropotamus; probably the current Biyuk-Karasu river), near Surozh (modern Sudak); She was healed by prayer to Saint Stephen.
Anna is the only Byzantine queen whose stay in Crimea (and, moreover, in Chersonesus) we know for sure. This makes the identification of Anna Life with Anna, the wife of Prince Vladimir, very likely. (Russian sources always call Anna a “queen,” but not a princess; in addition, we note that the authors of the Life do not make such an identification at all, therefore, her name could not appear in the text of the Life by guesswork.)

According to the Tale of Bygone Years, as well as the Life of Prince Vladimir, it was Anna who finally convinced Vladimir to accept Christianity: soon after her arrival in Korsun, the prince fell ill with his eyes and was baptized only after Anna promised him healing. However, this episode can also be regarded as a hagiographic cliche, since, as one can assume, Vladimir had already been baptized by the time of his marriage to Anna. Nevertheless, Anna's role in the Christianization of Rus' was very significant. According to an Arab chronicler of the 11th century. Yahya of Antioch, Anna built many churches in her new homeland. Anna's name is read in the text so-called. The Charter of Prince Vladimir on Church Courts (a monument of the 13th century, which is probably based on the original charter of Prince Vladimir).

Anna's daughters, apparently, were Maria Dobronega, who later became the wife of the Polish prince Casimir I the Restorer, and also, possibly, Feofana, the wife of the Novgorod mayor Ostromir (assumption by A. Poppe). The repeatedly expressed assumption that Anna was also the mother of princes Boris and Gleb does not seem substantiated and directly contradicts the sources.

“The Tale of Bygone Years” reports Anna’s death in 6519 (1011/1012). This news, most likely extracted from the memorial of the Kyiv Tithe Church (where the princess was buried), should certainly be preferred to the testimony of the Byzantine chronicler Skylitzes, according to which Anna she died after her husband, that is, after 1015. The German chronicler Thietmar of Merseburg (who mistakenly called the princess Helena) reports about Anna’s tomb, located next to her husband’s tomb.

Testament of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir

“God, who created heaven and earth! Look at this new people, and let them lead you, the true God, as you led the countries of the peasants, and establish in them a faith that is right and incorruptible, and help me, Lord, against the opposing enemy, so that, trusting in you and in your power, I will escape the machinations his".

Priests about Saint Prince Vladimir

Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Velimirović)

Someone, discussing the Providence of God, may ask in bewilderment: why did the Lord choose as the baptist, who spiritually reborn the Russian people, precisely such a person, who at the beginning of his life, it seems, surpassed in evil all his pagan ancestors and contemporaries? As if He who converted Saul into Paul, into an Apostle of the faith of Christ, chose such an inveterate pagan for critical mission, didn’t know what Vladimir was like. Indeed, it is not easy to consider all the threads in the finest fabric of Divine Providence, but this The thread is easy to follow.

It was necessary to show all subsequent Russian generations a repentant sinner, to put him at the origins new Russia an enlightened pagan, so that he would stand like a copper serpent and instruct, strengthen and heal those who had stumbled and had little faith, all Russian Christians in all future times. The best evidence of the effectiveness of any medicine is a healed patient. It was necessary to show the healed Prince of Kyiv to those who were still sick, so that they would happily accept the same medicine. Of all the miracles that the faith of Christ works, the most soul-helping is the conversion of a sinner into a righteous man. And as evidence of such a miracle - personal transformation - Saint Vladimir stands at the gates of Christian Rus' and seems to call out to every Russian: “I was night and turned into day! Who were you? What have you become?

“Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko” - this is what the Russian people call their spiritual ancestor. With these words, the grateful and wise people most accurately expressed their attitude towards the personality of the baptist prince. The dark flesh turned into Red Sun. This is what happened to Vladimir. And he remained the Red Sun throughout Russian history, throughout all these nine centuries. And these centuries abounded in saints, righteous people, miracle workers; among them are two sons of Prince Vladimir - holy passion-bearers - princes Boris and Gleb. Through prayers to them, the sick were healed, the demon-possessed were freed, and the dead were raised from the dead. But they are all indebted to Saint Vladimir. It was easier for them to acquire holiness than for Vladimir himself, the prince, the rich man, who passed through the eye of a needle into the Kingdom of Heaven, following an unknown, untrodden path.

Consequently, Vladimir is an extraordinary person both among other great people and among saints. He is the founder of sainthood and holiness among the Russian people, the discoverer of the greatness of these concepts, who created on their basis state program, the unusualness of which is that it cannot be put into practice until every citizen embodies it, following the example of St. Vladimir, in himself! With this saint-sovereign begins a new Rus', a new people, a new spirit, a new path, new culture. Having baptized the Russian people into the Christian faith, Saint Vladimir turned the long Russian night into a bright Russian day. If someone brought an underground river out of the ground, dug a new channel for it under the sun, made it transparent, clean, useful to everyone, he would do something similar to what Vladimir did with the Russian people. The dark pagan mass, having accepted Baptism, over time became a “red sun” among the nations. And we can exclaim: “The Russian people are a red sun!”

Who was Vladimir before receiving Baptism? A voluptuous cruel ruler. He was the cause of the death of many innocent people. The thirst for power, money and pleasure was the main goal of his life, as it was the goal of life for other rulers of that time. That is why wars were fought and lands were seized - so that there would be more power, so that there would be more opportunities to command others.

And what happened after Prince Vladimir plunged into the baptismal waters? His life changed. He did not become a tougher, evil, voluptuous ruler - he became a ruler whom the people, in tenderness and heartfelt joy, called the Red Sun.

What happened to this man? Why did he change those clear and understandable goals and values ​​that he professed as the ruler of the state for other goals and life values? Because with Baptism he accepted Christ into his mind and into his heart; together with Baptism, he accepted a new system of values, so radically different from what he lived, what he believed in, what he fought for before.

And what lies at the basis of this system of values, to which Saint Vladimir gave his mind, soul and life, for he wanted all the people to follow him into this system of values? This is the word of the Gospel, and at the center of this word is something that is still difficult for people to understand; something that never ceases to amaze each subsequent generation of people with its novelty and attractive power. At the center of the Gospel message is one and most important word: love. Love as the basis of being, love as the basis of personal and family life, love as the basis of social and even state life.

Today we remember Prince Vladimir: as a historical figure, Prince Vladimir was a complex person, and in him we see all the complexity of the human soul, human life, when it emerges from the complex, elemental depths of paganism to come face to face with the Gospel, with Christ Himself. A complex historical figure, full of impulses of evil and good; a person who, suddenly finding himself a Christian, managed in this twilight of experiences and life to appreciate the Gospel as most precious what can a person have, Christ - how the only one Whom you can obey to the end and serve, and who wanted to give this jewel and this Lord to all his people.

Every Orthodox people especially honors the first of its princes and kings, who gave Christ to his country. On the verge of paganism and Christianity, where passions rage, where the struggle is sometimes the most tragic and terrible, there is always a man who had the courage to devote his entire people to God and give the whole people a Savior. For this we thank Prince Vladimir, for this we remember him; and at the same time, what a consolation a person like him is for each of us - sinful, weak, sometimes impetuous in faith, fickle in goodness - when we see that a person just like us was able to discover God, and so profoundly, so amazingly to change in everything.

Prince Vladimir is a complex historical figure. In his face we can see today, as in a mirror, ourselves, with all the complexity of our characters, the variability of our behavior, with impulses and falls. The Lord was pleased to choose just such a person in order to fully reveal in him the miracle that holy faith works with people.

What did the Christian faith give to Prince Vladimir and our country? The sinful and violent pagan Vladimir became a God-fearing nature. His conversion to Christ was genuine, intimate, deep. The transformation of his character and break with sin were amazing. “Thou hast found the priceless beads of Christ, who chose thee as the second Paul, and shook off blindness in holy font spiritual and physical,” the Church sings about him.

From him, like from a flaming fire, the fires of faith were lit in the hearts of his people. Faith cleansed the people from the gross error of idolatry and changed human morals. The Christian faith is the origin of our national culture. Faith laid the foundation for our writing, painting, and architecture. Faith introduced humane principles into the life of our people, family and society. The faith that the Lord gave us through Prince Vladimir was a worthy sowing that brought worthy fruits of the spirit. She glorified the hosts of holy saints - our compatriots who intercede before God for our land, for our holy Church, for our people.

Prayers to Saint Prince Vladimir

Troparion to Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir the Holy, tone 4

You became like a merchant looking for good beads, glorious Vladimir, sitting at the height of the table, the mother of the cities, God-saved Kyiv, testing and sending to the royal city to lead away the Orthodox faith, and you found a priceless bead, Christ, who chose you, like the second Paul, and shook off blindness in the holy font, both spiritual and physical. In the same way, we celebrate your dormition, your people: pray for the salvation of your Russian power, the ruler, the Christ-loving Orthodox people.

Kontakion to Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir the Holy, tone 8

Having resembled the great Apostle Paul, in gray hairs, the all-glorious Vladimir, all, like a child, having abandoned all care for idols, like a perfect man, you were adorned with divine baptism with purple: and now I stand before the Savior Christ in joy, pray that the Russian power, the ruler and the multitude of those who rule, will be saved.

Greatness to Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir the Saint

We magnify you, holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, and honor your holy memory, who trampled down idols and enlightened the entire Russian land with holy baptism.

Prayers to the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir the Saint

First prayer to Vladimir the Saint

O great servant of God, God-chosen and God-glorified, equal to the apostles Prince Vladimir! You rejected pagan evil and wickedness, you believed in the One True Trinitarian God and, having received Holy Baptism, you enlightened the entire Russian country with the light of Divine faith and piety. Glorifying and giving thanks to our Most Merciful Creator and Savior, we glorify, thank you, our Enlightener and Father, for by you we have known the saving faith of Christ and have been baptized in the Name of the Most Holy and Divine Trinity: by that faith we have been delivered from the righteous condemnation of God, the eternal slavery of the devil and the torment of hell : by that faith I received the grace of sonship with God and the hope of inheriting Heavenly bliss. You are our first leader to the Author and Finisher of our eternal salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ; You are a warm prayer book and intercessor for the Russian country, for the army and for all people. Our language cannot depict the greatness and height of the blessings you poured out on our land, on our fathers and forefathers and on us, unworthy. O all-merciful father and our enlightener! Look at our weaknesses and beg the most merciful King of Heaven, may He not be very angry with us, as through our weaknesses we sin all day long, may He not destroy us with our iniquities, but may He have mercy and save us, by His mercy, may He plant us in our hearts May His saving fear enlighten our minds with His grace, so that we may understand the ways of the Lord, leave the paths of wickedness and error, and strive in the paths of salvation and truth, unwavering fulfillment of the commandments of God and the statutes of the Holy Church. Pray, merciful Lord, to the Lover of Mankind, that He may add His great mercy to us, that He may deliver us from the invasion of foreigners, from internal unrest, rebellion and strife, from famine, deadly diseases and from all evil, that He may give us the blessing of the air and the fruitfulness of the earth, that He may give us the shepherds are zeal for the salvation of their flock, but all people have the haste to diligently correct their services, have love among themselves and like-mindedness, and strive faithfully for the good of the Fatherland and the Holy Church, so that the light of saving faith may shine in our country at all ends of it, so that all heresies and schisms, so having lived in peace on earth, we will be worthy of eternal bliss with you, praising and exalting God forever and ever. Amen.

Second prayer to Vladimir the Saint

O great servant of God, Equal-to-the-Apostles to Prince Vladimir! Look at our weaknesses and beg the Most Merciful King of Heaven, may he not be very angry with us and may he not destroy us with our iniquities, but may he have mercy and save us by His mercy, may he implant repentance and the saving fear of God in our hearts, may he enlighten us with His grace Our mind is to leave us the paths of wickedness and turn to the path of salvation, and unswervingly keep the commandments of God and keep the statutes of the Holy Church. Pray, kindly God, the Lover of Mankind, that He may show us His great mercy: may He deliver us from deadly diseases and from all evil, may He preserve and save the servants of God (names) from all the snares and slander of the enemy, and may we all be worthy of eternal bliss with you, praising and exalting God forever and ever.

Icons of Saint Prince Vladimir the Saint

Vladimir Svyatoslavich Great Saint
Reign: 980-1015
Years of life: 947-1015

Grand Duke of Kyiv, political and religious figure, who went down in the history of Orthodoxy as an “equal to the apostles” prince; gave Christianity the status of a state religion in Rus'. Also known as the “Baptist of Rus'”.

Prince Vladimir the Great - biography

Son of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Svyatoslav I Igorevich, who, during the division of his principality, put Vladimir to reign in Novgorod at the request of the Novgorodians in 969. According to legend, Vladimir’s mother is the housekeeper of Princess Olga Malusha.

During the internecine war between the two older brothers Yaropolk and Oleg, which ended with the death of Oleg, Vladimir was afraid of his older brother’s lust for power and fled “overseas” to the Varangians. He returned in 980, at the head of the Varangian squad with the goal of returning what was lost. He completed his task: having taken Kyiv, lured him out of it with the help of the traitor Yaropolk for negotiations and killed him.

Kyiv Prince Vladimir the Great

Strengthening his power with the help of the Varangians, he subjugated the Vyatichi, Radimichi and Yatvingians (tribes living in the west of present-day Belarus) to Kyiv. To more successfully resist the nomads (Pechenegs, etc.), he built fortresses and earthen ramparts on the southern borders: along the Desna, Irpen, Osetra, Sula, Trubezh rivers. The chronicles emphasize the belligerence and cruelty of Vladimir the pagan, who was not averse to human sacrifice.

In 995, Vladimir and his army were forced to flee from the Pechenegs near Vasilyev; in 997, when Vladimir went to Novgorod to gather an army, the Pechenegs attacked Belgorod (the city was saved by a miracle). Fought with Volga Bulgaria. His wars with Byzantium and Poland (campaign of 992) are also known.

It was Vladimir who established the first schools in Rus' for teaching literacy, but this was done under the influence of Christianity and in order to be able to prepare his own Russian priests.

Vladimir the Great - years of reign

Most of all, Vladimir became famous for baptizing Rus', that is,
On his orders, many people accepted the Christian faith. He was a pagan by birth and upbringing. When he defeated his brother Yaropolk and began to reign in Kyiv, he first ordered the construction of a temple for the most important pagan gods, including the god Perun, in the city.

Gradually, it turned out that the interests of the state required the adoption of one faith by everyone, a faith that could unite disparate tribes into one people in order to together resist enemies and earn the respect of allies. But the peoples living around Rus' prayed to different gods: Muslims - Allah, Jews - Jehovah, Christians - the Christian God. And although they all recognized only one true god, their rituals and laws were different.

Therefore, choosing one of the faiths turned out to be very difficult. According to legend, in 986 he received ambassadors from Volga Bulgaria, Rome, from the Khazars and Greeks, who invited him to accept, respectively, the Muslim, “Latin” (Western Christian), Jewish or “Greek” (Eastern Christian) faith.

Having listened to everyone, including the Greek “philosopher,” the next year he sent his own envoys to test different religions and was captivated by the famous story of those who visited Byzantium, fascinated by the “heavenly” beauty of the local worship (along the way, the boyars and elders reminded the prince of the Christian choice of the “grandmother his Olga, the wisest of all people").

Christian Rus' under Vladimir the Great

Then he made the final decision, which, according to another, more political-pragmatic version, was due to the “Korsun issue”, i.e. campaign against Byzantium (conquering or allied, associated with the suppression of the local uprising of the commander Phocas), as a result of which Vladimir adopted Christianity, marrying the Byzantine princess Anna, the sister of Emperor Vasily II.

In 988, Vladimir took Kherson (Korsun). The baptism of the prince took place in 987/989 precisely in Kherson, while he took the new name of Vasily, in honor of the emperor as his absentee successor. (In church tradition, the year of baptism is accepted as 988.) Returning to Rus', the prince brought with him Greek priests, liturgical books and utensils.

Baptisms in Kyiv became widespread, pagan idols were destroyed, and the first Christian churches were erected ( wooden church St. Basil and stone - Tithe, in honor of the Virgin Mary; the latter was consecrated in 996). Finally, in these same years, a special Kiev Metropolis of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and a number of other bishoprics (Belgorod, Novgorod, Polotsk, etc.) were established.

According to the chronicles, upon accepting the new faith, Vladimir’s character changed: filled with the love of Philokalia, he became famous for his charity and now refused to execute even criminals, preferring to take a fine (viru) from them. This did not prevent him, a skilled warrior-strategist, from successfully defending against the Pechenegs (settling the southern borders for this purpose) and confronting Poland in Galicia.

At large quantities Vladimir had many wives and concubines and children. History mentions the following sons: Vysheslav, Izyaslav, Yaroslav, Vsevolod, Svyatoslav, Stanislav, Pozvizd, Boris, Gleb, Mstislav, Sudislav and Svyatopolk.

In 995, Vladimir divided Rus' into fiefs and put them under control sons. Historians believe that this was the biggest mistake of all, which subsequently led to the fragmentation of Rus' into separate principalities and civil strife.

Vladimir decided to go on a campaign against Novgorod in order to punish the rebellious son of Yaroslav, the local prince, but he died in his suburban village of Berestovo (near Kyiv) on July 15, 1015 and was buried in the tithe church in Kyiv.

Favorite hero of folk epics, “Vladimir the Red Sun” O" was canonized as Holy Grand Duke Vladimir. Church memory is celebrated on the day of his death, July 15 (28).

In 2017, the historical film Viking, a grandiose film, was released on Russian screens. It was dedicated to the Grand Duke.

On July 28, Orthodox Christians remember the great deeds of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir and honor his blessed memory. The name of Vladimir is associated with an epoch-making event that became the most significant in the formation of the Christian faith in Rus' - the Baptism of Rus'. It was he who became the progenitor of the Russian state as an Orthodox state, it was his life and worldview that transformed the spiritual history of Rus', its further development, as well as political and diplomatic relations with other countries and internal state self-determination.

Since 2010, this date has officially been given the status of the Day of the Baptism of Rus'. The Day of Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, whom the people called Vladimir the Red Sun, harmoniously combines a holiday of Orthodoxy, culture and state.

On Saint Vladimir's Day,
I want to congratulate you.
May the heavenly patron
He won't leave you for an hour.

Gives peace, health, joy,
Protects from troubles and insults.
And the flow of light energies,
Let it be open for you.

Happy great day of Vladimir,
We sincerely congratulate you,
And joy, prosperity,
We sincerely wish.

Let sorrows, bad weather, -
They go away
Success and only happiness,
Yours protects peace.

We wish you health,
Love and warmth,
And the most cherished ones -
Let your dreams come true!

Happy Vladimir Day. I wish that your guardian angel will be with you always and everywhere, that you, Volodya, will submit to any peak and any depth. I wish you health and love, brave Vladimir, as well as eternal courage of the heart, harmony of the soul and happiness in life.

I love you, Volodya, today
Congratulations from the bottom of my heart.
Celebrating name days
Let the days be good.

May your heavenly intercessor
It will help in difficult times.
May you be sad and sad
It never bites.

At St. Vladimir's
Ask for health.
Life is full, let there be peace,
Affection and love.

Happy Prince Vladimir Day! Let this date
Add fun to a good life.
And the soul will become rich in kindness.
To do this, just smile now!

May the angel protect you from misfortunes and grief,
The Lord helps, giving hope.
So that happiness is carefree and mischievous
Always shone like a star for you!

Happy Vladimir Day
All Slavic people
After all, once upon a time Prince Vladimir
Gave us Christianity.

Still standing with a cross
On the Dnieper it’s steeper,
Protects his people
Mighty faith.

I wish everyone on this day
I am kind and strong
So that faith in Christ
She saved our world.

Saint Vladimir is your protector
Let him show you the way.
To the world, casting aside all doubts,
Let's look at it with joy.

May this day give you hope,
Joy, dream come true.
Life will be better than before.
Let everything be as you want.

Pride in the name Vladimir,
Power over the world and fate.
You will be joyful, loved,
Angel next to you!

May he give you success
Quiet wisdom comfort!
And your health will be good,
Let all sorrows go away.

You own the world, Vladimir.
And so, the Day of the Angel has come.
Through life on your own
May you acquire all the blessings!

I wish you, Volodya,
Just as strong and cool
Let the money come to you
And your path will be golden.

I want to meet the princess
The one you deserve!
Let fate caress you,
And all dreams come true!

Although according to pagan customs social status was determined by his father, and dynastic rights were not infringed; the nickname “robicic” (son of a slave) haunted him for a long time.

In 970, Vladimir became the Prince of Novgorod, and his uncle, Voivode Dobrynya, was appointed his mentor during his childhood.

After the death of the great Kyiv prince Svyatoslav in 972, Yaropolk began to rule Kiev, and 3 years later an internecine war began between the brothers, during which first his brother Oleg, the Drevlyansky prince, died, and then Yaropolk.

Thus, the beginning of the reign of Vladimir Svyatoslavich was marked by fratricide. In 978 he became the prince of Kyiv.

Vladimir had to wage a lot of wars with his neighbors. He fought with the Poles and took several cities from them; twice he went against the Vyatichi (981-982), who tried to free themselves from tribute, and pacified them; in 983 he took possession of the land of the Balto-Lithuanian tribe of the Yatvags, thereby opening the way to the Baltic; in 984 he conquered the Radimichi; in 985 he defeated the Volga Bulgarians; in 992 he subjugated the Croats.

Before the adoption of Christianity, polygamy was common in Rus'. The Kyiv prince Vladimir had 5 legal wives (one of them, Rogneda, was Yaropolk’s bride) and several hundred concubines, among whom was Yaropolk’s pregnant widow. Chroniclers, describing Vladimir, endow him with a variety of vices, especially voluptuousness and gluttony for fornication, unrestrainedness in feasts and amusements.

Vladimir was at first a zealous pagan; he erected a pantheon in Kyiv with six main idols, in front of which human sacrifices were performed. But because Many Christians lived in Kyiv, and there were many of them in the squad. Vladimir began to waver in his faith. Neighboring countries also began to try to make the Kyiv prince their co-religionist.

The legend “On the Test of Faith” says that in 986 ambassadors of different faiths came to Vladimir. Muslim Bulgarians, Khazar Jews, and Germans - representatives of Western Christianity - came. Then a Greek philosopher came to Vladimir and told him about the creation of the world, about heaven and hell, about the mistakes and delusions of other faiths. Seeing the advantages of Eastern Christianity, Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich decided to accept this faith.

The implementation of this decision was facilitated by the events that took place in the Byzantine Empire in the late 80s. X century. Not only was Greece weakened by defeat in the war with the Bulgarians (986), but it was also hit by the rebellion of the commander Bardas Phocas, who declared himself emperor in 987. Co-rulers Vasily II and Constantine VIII turned to the Kyiv prince for help. Vladimir agreed to help, but demanded Princess Anna, their sister, as his wife. The Byzantine emperors were forced to agree, but on condition of the baptism of Prince Vladimir, because their sister cannot marry a pagan. At the end of 987 - beginning of 988, Vladimir was baptized, probably in Kyiv, and took the name Vasily.

Vladimir's army of six thousand defeated the army of Varda Phocas, but the emperors were in no hurry to marry Anna to Vladimir. Then the angry prince marched with an army against Korsun, a Greek city in the Crimea, and subjugated the Byzantines.

The wedding of Vladimir and Anna took place here, as well as the baptism of boyars and warriors. The Russian prince returned to Kyiv, taking with him many shrines, icons, and priests.

Upon returning to Kyiv, Vladimir ordered mass baptism to begin. The baptism of Kiev residents took place in the waters of the Dnieper by Korsun priests. Traditionally, the chronicle year 988 is considered the year of the baptism of Rus'.

Immediately after the baptism, the Grand Duke of Kyiv Vladimir ordered the construction of churches. On the site of a pagan sanctuary in Kyiv, the Church of St. Basil was built; later, the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared, which was called Tithes and became the main temple of Kievan Rus.

The process of Christianization in Rus' took place quite peacefully, with the exception of some regions. In Novgorod, Dobryn, who led the baptism here, had to suppress the uprising by force.

In 992, the Grand Duke fought with Poland for the Cherven lands. After the victory, he himself and the bishops went to baptize people and built a city here, named after him Vladimir.

In more remote places, paganism held strong, and a lot of effort had to be made to convey to the minds of the people the benefits of the faith of Christ. The problem was that there were very few preachers who could explain the holy scriptures. The Korsun priests were Greeks and did not know the Slavic language. Then Vladimir ordered to take children from the boyars and best husbands and send them to book learning.

After accepting Christianity, Vladimir's inclination towards war weakened. He no longer undertook large campaigns, only he had to wage a continuous struggle with the Pechenegs, which lasted the entire period of the reign of Vladimir Svyatoslavich. One day he miraculously escaped captivity by hiding under a bridge near the city of Vasilyev. The Pechenegs, not finding the prince, left and did not even destroy the land. This event occurred on the day of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, August 6, 996. In honor of this miracle, Vladimir built the Transfiguration Church in Vasilevo.

Even at the beginning of his reign, Prince Vladimir built several fortified cities, the most important of which was Belgorod. Strengthening the borders of Rus' was the main matter of the internal policy of Prince Vladimir.

Vladimir had 12 sons, he assigned all of them to reign in important cities of Rus'.

The Kiev prince made all laws and decisions in coordination with his council, consisting of a squad and elders from different cities. Prince Vladimir is credited with publishing the “Church Charter,” which defines the competence of church courts.

Vladimir Svyatoslavich was the first to begin minting gold and silver coins.

The result foreign policy Prince Vladimir was the conclusion of peace treaties with Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. But the peace with Poland was short-lived; in 1013, the Polish prince Boleslav, in alliance with the Pechenegs, attacked Rus'. The Russian army coped with the enemies.

The last years of Vladimir Svyatoslavich’s life were overshadowed by enmity with his eldest sons. In 1013, a conspiracy by Svyatopolk the Accursed against Vladimir, his adoptive father, was discovered. Svyatopolk and his wife and their accomplice, a Polish bishop, were arrested and taken into custody. In 1014, another son of Vladimir, Yaroslav of Novgorod, rebelled, refusing to pay tribute to Kyiv. Then Prince Vladimir announced a campaign against Novgorod, but he was old and sick and could not carry it out.

Shortly before his death, Vladimir called his beloved son Boris to him, handed over his squad and sent him to war with the Pechenegs, who again attacked Rus'. But the Grand Duke was not destined to find out the outcome of the war; on July 15, 1015, he died. Vladimir Svyatoslavich was buried in the Church of the Tithes in Kyiv.

Although the Russian people began to honor the memory of Vladimir in the 11th century, the first reliable information about the veneration of Vladimir as a holy equal-to-the-apostle dates back to the 14th century. Perhaps his canonization is connected with the victory of Alexander Nevsky, a descendant of Vladimir Svyatoslavich, in the Battle of the Neva. The Russians defeated the Swedish army precisely on the day of memory of Vladimir the Baptist, July 15, 1240.

The people loved their prince very much, sang him in songs and epics and called him Vladimir the Red Sun, “affectionate prince Vladimir.” He became the prototype of the Grand Duke in Russian epics, who was served by three valiant heroes - Ilya Muromets, Alyosha Popovich and Dobrynya Nikitich, known for their exploits. Vladimir is an ideal prince, a patron who unites all the best around himself.

July 28 (new style) is the day of remembrance of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, the baptist of Rus'.