Speaking about the Baptism of Russia, the most important event in the ancient history of our Fatherland, it should first be noted that by this one should understand not exactly the Baptism or Enlightenment that takes place over an individual when he enters the Church. Such an identification of the Baptism of Russia leads to rather erroneous ideas about this historical event. Strictly speaking, the Baptism of Russia was, first of all, an act of establishing Christianity, its victory over paganism in the political sense (since we are talking about the state, and not an individual). Since that time, the Christian Church in the Kievan-Russian state has become not just a public, but also a state institution. In general terms, the Baptism of Russia was nothing more than an institution of the local Church, governed by the episcopate in local sees, which took place in 988. . (possibly 2–3 years later) on the initiative of Grand Duke Vladimir (+1015).
However, our story would be inconsistent if we did not first imagine the conditions in which Christianity penetrated and asserted itself among us and what kind of religious world, namely paganism, Christian preaching had to face in Russia.
So, the pagan cult of the ancient Slavs did not represent, in essence, anything strictly regulated. They worshiped the elements of visible nature, first of all: God bless(the deity of the sun, the giver of light, heat, fire and all kinds of blessings; the luminary itself was called Horse) and Veles (hair) - cattle god(patron of the flocks). Another important deity was Perun- the god of thunder, thunder and deadly lightning, borrowed from the Baltic cult (Lithuanian Perkunas). The wind personified stri-god. The sky in which Dazhd-god lived was called Svarog and was considered the father of the sun; why Dazhd-god and the patronymic was learned Svarozhich. The deity of the earth was also revered - Mother earth cheese some female deity - Mokosh, as well as givers of the family good - Genus and Childbirth.
Nevertheless, the images of the gods did not receive the same clarity and certainty from the Slavs as, for example, in Greek mythology. There were no temples, no special class of priests, no religious buildings. In some places, vulgar images of deities were placed in open places - wooden and stone idols. women. They were sacrificed, sometimes even human, and this was the cult side of idolatry.
The disorder of the pagan cult testified to its living practice among the pre-Christian Slavs. It was not even a cult, but a naturalistic way of worldview and worldview. It was in those areas of consciousness and worldview, in the area of which early Russian Christianity did not offer any alternative, that pagan ideas persisted until modern times. Only in the second half of the XIX century. with the development of the zemstvo education system, these stable worldview forms were offered a different, more Christianized (as if school) form of ethnic and naturalistic consciousness.
Already in the ancient period, these persistent worldview categories were adapted by Christianity, as if transformed into Christian symbols, sometimes acquiring quite Christian symbolic content. As a result, for example, the name Hor(o)sa, who symbolized the sun as a kind of fiery circle ( well, colo) in the sky they began to call a rounded chandelier that emits light in the church, located, among other things, under the dome, which also symbolizes the firmament in temple symbolism. Similar examples could be multiplied, which, however, is not the purpose of this essay, it is only important in the end to give an adequate explanation for this phenomenon.
It is understood that worldview syncretism was not a continuation of paganism in Russian Christianity, but only a kind of “toolkit”. In the process of perceiving Christian symbols, willy-nilly, categories more traditional for the Slavic worldview were used, as if some kind of receptors with which the Slav (be it a warrior, a plowman or a clergyman) perceived the abstractions of a new teaching for them.
However, the interweaving (syncretic) of symbols did not necessarily testify to the mass penetration of pagan ideology into Christian doctrine among the newly converted Slavs, which is clearly evidenced by the loss of the cult of one of the most popular Slavic deities, Dazhd-god, associated with an animistic (animal) understanding of the change of light and heat (summer and winters). Moreover, such a syncretism of worldview and ritual traditions was characteristic not only for the Slavs, but also for the Greco-Roman world, which accepted Christianity as if from first hand.
Even more than the cult of visible nature among the Eastern Slavs, the cult of ancestors was developed. The long-dead head of the clan was deified and considered the patron of his offspring. He was called by birth or squint (ancestor). Plant sacrifices were also made to him. Such a cult order originated and existed in the conditions of the tribal life of the ancient Slavs. When, in later times of pre-Christian history, tribal ties began to disintegrate, and families separated into separate courtyards, a privileged place kind the family ancestor stepped in - brownie, the patron of the court, invisibly managing his household. The ancient Slav believed that the souls of the dead continue to roam the earth, inhabiting fields, forests, waters ( goblin, water, mermaids) - all nature seemed to him endowed with a soul. He sought to communicate with her, participate in her changes, accompanying these changes with holidays and rituals. Thus was created the annual cycle of pagan holidays associated with the veneration of nature and the cult of ancestors. Observing the correct change of winter and summer, the Slavs celebrated the days of the autumn and spring equinoxes with holidays carols(or oatmeal), met spring ( Red hill), saw off the summer ( kupala) etc. In parallel, there were holidays about the dead - funeral feasts(feast commemoration).
However, the customs of the ancient Slavs did not differ in “special” piety, for example, blood feud was practiced . Until Yaroslav the Wise, princely power in Russia did not have judicial functions, and the punishment of the guilty was the work of the relatives of the victim. The state, of course, did not interfere in such lynching, considering it as an element common law(a relic of pre-state generic relations) . In addition, the slave trade spread. And, although this was not the main export industry, as, for example, among the Normans, the Slavs did not disdain this, albeit not on such a large scale.
The main conclusion that we must draw is that the Slavs did not even have a remote idea of a single Creator God, which Christianity has. The pagan religion of the Slavs was by no means God-seeking, as, for example, the paganism of the ancient Greeks, but natural history, satisfied with the observation and worship of unknown natural elements. This fact, perhaps, most eloquently testifies to the nature of the perception of Christianity, new for the Slavs, and its connection with traditional paganism. Thus, the fact that all Slavs, including ours, was destined to accept St. Baptism, there is a great participation of God's providence, who desires to be saved by all men and to come into the knowledge of the truth(1 Tim 2:4).
It would also be a mistake to imagine that the Baptism of Russia "brought" Christianity to Russia. Recall that this was only a political statement of the Christian faith and the Church on the lands along the famous caravan route "from the Varangians to the Greeks", where Christianity could not but be known already, if only because of the active socio-cultural exchange associated with international trade and the labor market (ch. arr., military). What was pre-Vladimir Christianity and what were the sources of its penetration.
First of all, it should be remembered that for many years a Christian princess, St. Olga (945–969); if you still doubt the Christianity of Prince Askold (...-882). Already in the text of the agreement with Byzantium under 944, it is mentioned cathedral church St. prophet Elijah, and also, according to the chronicler, multiple besha(were) Varangian Christians (Tale of Bygone Years; hereinafter - PVL). And if Blessed Olga did not manage to attract her only son Svyatoslav to orthodoxy, because. at the time of her adoption of Christianity (944) he was already quite an adult, moreover, absorbed by the passion for military exploits, then it is possible that she succeeded in relation to her grandchildren - Yaropolk and Vladimir, especially since the eldest of them is Yaropolk was in her care until the age of 13, and Vladimir was a few years younger.
In any case, we know that Yaropolk, being the ruler of a politically “unbaptized” state, was very protective of Christians: give free rein to the Christian, as we read in the Joachim Chronicle. Thus, there is every reason to believe that in the 80s. 10th century in Kyiv, not only many Varangians and boyars, but also partly ordinary citizens, not to mention merchants, were baptized and became Christians. But the majority of the inhabitants, both of the ancient capital and other large cities, were undoubtedly pagans, who coexisted quite peacefully with the Christian minority. The population of the villages was the most conservative; the cultivation of pagan beliefs remained here for many centuries.
Particular attention should be paid to the last two decades before Baptism. The famous conqueror Svyatoslav, son of Igor and St. Olga had three sons. The elder, Yaropolk, was planted by his father during his lifetime in Kyiv (preferring to spend his life in military campaigns far from the capital), Oleg - in Ovruch, and the youngest, Vladimir - in Novgorod. But due to his infancy, he appointed them as governors of his governors: Yaropolka - Sveneld, and Vladimir - his uncle, Dobrynya. It is not known exactly why a quarrel arose between the brothers, which resulted in the death of Oleg and the flight of Vladimir overseas to the Varangians, but it would be more plausible to attribute it, rather, to the intrigues of the governor-regents, rather than to the conscience of the young princes.
One way or another, Yaropolk at the same time reigned in Kyiv and briefly became an autocratic prince (972-978). By the way, his reign was marked by a number of important events. So, in 973, Russian ambassadors were sent with rich gifts to the residence of the German Emperor Otto I. The purpose of the embassy is not known to us, but most likely the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (as it was officially called) acted as a kind of mediator in the negotiations between Russia and Rome. Without the patronage of this most important person in Central Europe, direct contacts between the "barbarians" and the "Romans" even on missionary issues at that time were hardly feasible. As a result, in 979, an embassy from Pope Benedict VII arrived in Kyiv. This was the first direct relationship between Russia and Rome, although it did not bring any results, because. a year earlier, a coup took place in Kyiv, which for some time froze the Christian policy of the Kyiv princes. Namely, using the betrayal of the governor Blud, Vladimir, having killed Yaropolk, managed to reign in Kyiv.
Immediately after the coup, Vladimir declared himself a zealous pagan, which provided him with the support of the pagan part of the people of Kiev, probably dissatisfied with the pro-Christian policy of Yaropolk. The temporary triumph of paganism in Russia was hardly just a political game of Vladimir on religious antipathies in order to put pressure on the "Olginsko-Yaropolkova" Christian elite. The fact is that during the flight to Scandinavia, Vladimir managed not only to mature with age and marry the daughter of the Varangian king (prince), but also completely wean (although not forget) from the Christian principles acquired in the environment of his grandmother, Princess Olga, having learned from the Normans of their morality and customs, nurtured by the cult of war and pirate profit.
As a result, in Kyiv, along with the traditional Slavic idols, the "Varangian" prince began to introduce the cult of the god of war and the Thunderer Perun. This Baltic Mars, as it turned out, demanded human sacrifices in addition to the usual worship. In 983, after a successful campaign against the Yotvingians (a Lithuanian tribe that lived in the area of present-day Grodno), Vladimir decided to offer thanksgiving sacrifices to the gods, to which the elders and boyars decided to cast lots on the youth and the maiden, and on whom the lot would fall, that and sacrifice. The lot of the youth fell on the son of a Varangian, who was a Christian. Of course, he did not give up his son and locked himself at home. Then the crowd came and tore them both to pieces - and be defiled by the blood of the land of Rus, as the most ancient chronicle (PVL) conveys. The sources of that time did not preserve the names of our first martyrs and their burial place: and no one can tell you where to put them, but later saints call them - Theodore and John of the Varangians(the memory is honored on July 12).
However, this sacrifice should not be understood as the special pagan zeal of Prince. Vladimir. In principle, the idol of Perun stood in Kyiv long before him, and human sacrifices were quite common among the Normans, and not too outlandish for the Slavs either. In addition, as we can see, the idea of bloodshed did not belong to Vladimir at all, but to the priestly elite, the elders, who were embittered at Christians for the long-term rule of Christian princes, and the performing mission, as always, was entrusted to the crowd, traditionally distinguished by animal fanaticism. Paradoxically, it was to Vladimir that the Russian land subsequently owed its Christian Baptism.
It is difficult to say for sure what convinced Vladimir to give up his violent temper and accept the faith of Christ. During the first years of his reign, he did not differ in good manners, at least the chronicle described him as a rather depraved young man. However, it should be borne in mind that the chronicler deliberately described Vladimir before his conversion in especially gloomy tones in order to more vividly represent the greatness of his moral transformation after Baptism. Be that as it may, as it often happens, by the age of 30 a man, all the more who has gone through a difficult military school, sometimes, looking back at his life, sees in it not quite what it was to him before ... Perhaps something similar had to be experienced by our educator.
Historians often consider Vladimir's conversion in a formal historical context - as a progressive process of Christianization of other Central European rulers. Indeed, in 960, the Polish prince Mieszko I was baptized, in 974 - the Danish king Harold Blotand, in 976 - the Norwegian king (since 995 king) Olaf Trygvasson, in 985 - the Hungarian duke Gyoza. All these rulers were the immediate neighbors of Russia, at a certain time, both allies and enemies. However, this does not sufficiently reveal the reasons for the Baptism of our enlightener, since it does not take into account the factor of Vladimir's confessional alternative, because in addition to neighbors in the west, the Kyiv sovereign had the same neighbors and allies in the Black Sea south and the steppe east. The main direction of allied ties was addressed precisely to the steppe neighbors of Russia, the pagan Polovtsy, and the main trade competitor was the Volga Bulgars - from 922, the Mohammedans (not to mention the Jews-Khazars, defeated by Vladimir's father Svyatoslav). Thus, the sphere of cultural contacts of the Kyiv prince was much more diverse, which allows us to consider the version of his Baptism on the principle of "imitation" as unconvincing.
There were many legends about exactly how Vladimir was baptized and how he baptized his people, but it is most likely that Vladimir, in fact, was baptized, if not secretly, then without much fanfare, as our chronicles represented this a century later. At least, the chronicler himself at the beginning of the 12th century could not provide reliable information about exactly where this memorable event took place: they say that they were baptized in Kyiv, but they decide: in Vasilevo, friends will say otherwise(PVL). The most popular, although not so reliable tradition represents this place of baptism of Vladimir the city of St. Chersonese in the Crimea (in the vicinity of present-day Sevastopol). In addition, Vladimir could have been baptized at his princely residence in Vasilevo (now the city of Vasilkov, Kyiv region), according to, for example, the famous pre-revolutionary historian E.E. Golubinsky. This version is not without foundation, since this town owed its name precisely to the event of St. Baptism of Vladimir, in which he was named Vasily.
The fact is that we have to draw the lion's share of information about the Baptism of Russia in the oldest chronicle that has come down to us - Tales of Bygone Years, which, firstly, was compiled almost 120 years after the event in question, and secondly, contains a lot of conflicting data. However, still not so contradictory as not to try to restore the actual circumstances, at least in general terms.
So, the chronicle begins the description of the Baptism of Vladimir with the plot of the "test of faith" by the Grand Duke's ambassadors in different countries, namely, observations of where who serves God. For us today, this would seem very outlandish, because it is difficult to imagine knowing another faith, contemplating the external ceremonial of its worship, not to mention being convinced of its truth. In addition, was there any point in going for Orthodoxy “over the sea”, when in Kyiv itself there was a rather large local Christian community, which had its main temple (probably not the only one) the Cathedral Church of St. the prophet Elijah on Podil, known since the time of Prince. Igor. Nevertheless, the chronicle legend forces Vladimir, a man, it must be said, of a remarkable state mind, to be convinced by such a "test of faith" and, on this basis, accept Baptism. At the same time, Vladimir gets to be baptized only after making a victorious raid on Korsun (Chersonese) in Tauris.
Such a legend, diverging from other sources, has long aroused distrust among historians, although no one, of course, accused the chronicler of fiction, because the event and the story are separated by a huge time interval for that era. According to one of the most authoritative pre-revolutionary historians S.F. Platonov, in the annals of the beginning of the XII century. three different, but quite reliable legends turned out to be combined:
a) about the fact that Vladimir was offered to accept his faith by the ambassadors of the Volga Bulgars (Muslims), Khazars (Jews), Germans (Western Christians, probably from the same German Emperor Otto I) and Greeks (Eastern Christians, most likely Bulgarians);
b) that Vladimir was stricken with physical blindness, but after Baptism he miraculously regained his sight immediately with spiritual and bodily eyes;
in) about the siege by Vladimir of the most important Byzantine trading post in the Crimea, the city of Korsun. All these legends are based on indirect historical evidence.
Let's start in order. As already mentioned, in 979 to the book. Yaropolk was sent a response embassy from the Pope, of course, with a proposal for the Baptism of Russia, but it found on the throne not Yaropolk, but Vladimir. It is possible that it was then that Vladimir's answer to the Latin missionaries sounded, captured in the annals: go back, for our fathers did not accept this(PVL) . This rhetorical passage of the annals, oddly enough, but also has its own historical reason. As you know, in 962, the mission of the Latin Bishop Adalbert, sent to Russia, failed due to the refusal of Prince. Olga to accept the spiritual citizenship of the Pope. The words our fathers, abandoned by Vladimir, in this case do not contradict the fact that we are talking, most likely, about the grandmother of Prince. Vladimir Olga, for in the Old Russian language fathers parents were named in general (for example: Fathers of God Joachim and Anna).
As for other missionaries, earlier sources are silent about them, as well as about the corresponding embassies for a kind of "test of faith" by Vladimir, which definitely should not have escaped the attention of, at least, Byzantine diplomats, if they really such an embassy was sent. However, there is nothing surprising in the fact that Vladimir, the monarch of the largest European power, was tried to lure into their faith both the Mohammedans and the Khazars, who were completely defeated by his father, who were actually left without a state at that time, and, moreover, representatives of the Vatican. Several embassies of Vladimir to different countries are known, but for purely diplomatic purposes, and not for the sake of studying liturgical rites.
In connection with the legend of Vladimir's blindness, the news of a pirate attack by the Black Sea Vikings in the 830s deserves special attention. to the Crimean city of Surozh (modern Sudak). Then the main city temple was turned up for plunder, where the relics of the local saint, Bishop. Stefan Surozhsky. However, in the midst of the "triumph" of vandalism, as the Life of St. Stephen, the leader of the attackers was suddenly stricken with paralysis (he had a cramp in his neck, which had a very painful effect). The Varangians, in fear, had to not only return the loot and free the captives, but also give a rich ransom before their king was released from punishment. After what happened, the leader with all his retinue received in the same church St. Baptism. Could something similar have happened, albeit in a milder form, to our enlightener, so that he would consciously believe and lead his people to the right faith? Life calls Vladimir Russian Saul: the latter also, before becoming the apostle Paul, in bodily blindness knew Christ and received his sight in order to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles (cf. Acts, ch.9).
Finally, the last chronicle tradition is of the greatest interest and importance for us, since it contains, perhaps, the most difficult question - about the time of the Baptism of Russia and the book itself. Vladimir. Thus, The Tale of Bygone Years dates Vladimir's baptism under 988 year , however, mixing this event with the Korsun campaign and, as a result, forcing the book. Vladimir to be baptized in Korsun and for this very purpose to carry out the campaign itself. However, earlier sources, such as “Memory and Praise to Vladimir” by Jacob Mnich (end of the 11th century) and Byzantine chronicles say that Vladimir took Korsun for the third summer by your baptism. In fact, the baptized prince had no reason to go to the Crimea for baptism. Such nonsense in PVL occurs repeatedly. For example, the adoption of Christianity by Princess Olga, according to the chronicle, occurs in Constantinople from the patriarch and only with the emperor as a successor. Apparently, the court chroniclers of the XII century. it was hard to imagine the victorious Kievan princes of the 10th century receiving St. Baptism without unnecessary fanfare from a simple priest and, judging by the vagueness of the data, quite at home (if Prince Vladimir was not baptized at all in childhood during the time of his grandmother, Princess Olga-Elena). But what does the Korsun campaign have to do with it then?
Another important circumstance is woven into this. In the mid 980s. external threat and internal rebellion put the Byzantine Empire in an extremely difficult position. On top of that, in 987, an uprising broke out by the commander Varda Foki, who declared himself basil (king). In late 987 - early 988, co-ruler brothers Vasily II and Constantine VIII were forced to turn to the Kyiv prince for military support against the rebels. Vladimir agreed to send a fairly large army to Byzantium in exchange for the promise of the emperors to marry his sister, Princess Anna, to him. As a politician, Vladimir thought impeccably - to intermarry with the Byzantine dynasty would mean practically equalizing the Russian princes, if not with the Roman basileus, then at least with the great European monarchs of that time and significantly strengthening the world authority of the Kyiv state.
Already in the summer of 988, with the help of the Russian legions, the tsars managed to defeat the rebels, and in April of the following 989, they finally crushed the rebellion. However, having got rid of the mortal danger, the kings were in no hurry to fulfill their promises - Princess Anna did not seem to be going to distant "barbarian" Russia. After waiting the whole summer of 989, Vladimir realized that he would simply be deceived ... But in this case, it was no longer about strengthening the world authority of the Kyiv state, but about justifying the diplomatic slap inflicted on it in the literal sense. It was then that Vladimir was forced to send troops to the Byzantine colonies and force Constantinople to fulfill his obligation (remember how 12 years earlier Vladimir, being humiliated by the refusal of the Polotsk prince Rogvold to marry his daughter Rogneda to him, went on a campaign to Polotsk, the result of which was the capture of the city and the murder of Rogvold and his sons).
So, in the fall of 989, Vladimir, according to the chronicle, having collected How many of the Varangians, Slovenes, Chudi, Krivichi and Black Bulgarians, laid siege to the most important trading post of Byzantium in the Northern Black Sea region, the city of Chersonesos. Taking advantage of the Black Sea winter storms and, accordingly, the inability to receive reinforcements by sea from Byzantium, Vladimir took the city under a complete siege and by May 990 forced him to completely capitulate. Moreover, Vladimir promised to bring the army to the walls of Constantinople itself ... In the end, the Byzantine sovereigns could not withstand the forceful pressure taken against them, and soon Vladimir was married in the same Chersonese to Princess Anna, and as a "vein" (ransom) for the city returned the bride to the emperors, laying a beautiful temple in it (to this day its ruins testify to the beauty and magnificence of the shrine). However, he nevertheless took the Korsun clergy with him to Kyiv to help for further Christianization.
In addition, in the retinue of Tsarevna Anna, the bishops appointed in Constantinople to the Russian cathedra arrived. This is how the Kyiv Metropolis began, which in a formal sense was the beginning of the Russian Church. Prof. HER. Golubinsky is right in his own way, suggesting that the year 990 be considered the date of the Baptism of Russia. However, in reality, Vladimir undertook "baptism" as the approval of Christianity by the state faith in Russia, in fact, immediately after his personal appeal, that is, already in 988: Baptized Vladimir himself, and his child, and enlighten your whole house with holy baptism (« Memory and praise to Vladimir" Jacob Mnich), the courtiers, the squad, the townspeople were baptized (of course, those who still remained in paganism).
A well-founded question may arise, to whom the enlightenment of yesterday's pagans and the prince himself could be entrusted, because the Greek clergy did not know the Russian language, and were very few in number. This issue is resolved in the context of the cultural and political contacts of Russia throughout the 10th century. The most significant direction of these contacts was associated with the First Bulgarian Kingdom (680-1018), where the heirs of Tsar Boris-Simeon, the first Christian ruler of Bulgaria (†889), ruled. It was the Bulgarian missionaries who during all this time carried out an active catechetical program in Russia, thus weaving their powerful northeastern neighbor into the orbit of the cultural influence of the Ohrid archdiocese (patriarchy). At least, we do not know the Greek metropolitan earlier than Theopemt, who arrived in 1037 to the Kyiv cathedra really from the Patriarch of Constantinople.
We also recall that Bulgaria was baptized more than a century earlier (c. 865) and by the time of our enlightenment had a rich patristic library translated into Slavonic, as well as a developed tradition of Greek-Slavic cultural synthesis (let us recall, for example, the works of John the Exarch, Chernorizets the Brave , Konstantin Preslavsky and other prominent spiritual writers). The Bulgarian Church, it should be noted, generally played a huge role in the Baptism of Russia. This is the secret of the relative ease of the spread of Christianity in our country (compared to Western Europe), that the faith was assimilated by the people in their native Slavic language, as close as possible to the spoken language, in the spirit of the Cyril and Methodius Christian tradition. In addition, by the time of his Baptism, Prince. Vladimir acquired among the people the enormous prestige of a victorious ruler and a man of deep statesmanship. In this regard, the chronicle phrase put into the mouth of the people of Kiev looks quite reliable: if it wasn’t good, it wouldn’t be for this prince and boyars to accept(PVL). Although only those who did not strongly persist in paganism reasoned this way.
Before the Korsun campaign, catechesis was only of a private nature (as before Vladimir), probably, it did not particularly go beyond the walls of capital Kyiv. The Korsun victory brought the official approval of the Russian Church, and only then, on July 31, 990, the people of Kiev heard an almost ultimatum call from the prince: if someone does not turn up in the morning on the river, whether it is rich, poor, or poor ... let it be disgusting to me(PVL).
So, in the Baptism of Vladimir, the Russian Church was born, and not so much temples or a new political mentality, but the great beginning of everything that is now associated with ancient Russian culture and spirituality, and not only ancient - in the words of the historian L.N. Gumilyov: "the victory of Orthodoxy gave Russia its thousand-year history."
-Baltic and Sarmatian-Alanian deities. Vladimirov posadnik in Novgorod, Dobrynya, also" put Perun's idol over the Volkhov River", from which it is assumed that the transformation of the pagan pantheon perpetrated by Vladimir extended to other cities of Russia. The reason for this so-called "pagan" or "first religious reform" of Vladimir is usually called an attempt to unite the heterogeneous population of the Russian state by creating some generally accepted syncretic religious cult.
However, soon after this reform, Vladimir began to look for a different religion, and attracted his close husbands to the search. Historians often view this turn in the general context of the conversion to monotheism - especially to Christianity - that swept the neighboring Rus countries. According to this explanation, the old motive for uniting and rallying the people with the new faith remained, but now Vladimir decided to evaluate the merits of monotheistic teachings as well. According to one current legend, the immediate impetus for Vladimir's new searches was the martyrdom of the Christian boyars, father and son Theodore and John, torn to pieces by a pagan crowd for their refusal to participate in public human sacrifice after Vladimir's successful campaign against the Yotvingians in the year.
Using strong power and high authority both inside and outside his state, Vladimir had the opportunity to make a free choice among the various faiths represented in his environment. The Tale of Bygone Years also speaks of the reception by Vladimir of four embassies of representatives of different teachings: "Bulgarians of the Bokhmiche faith" (Volga Bulgars-Mohammedans), "Germans from Rome" (Germans-Latins, "Jewish Kozars" (Khazars-Jews) and "Greeks "(Orthodox Greeks) in the person of a" philosopher. "According to the same source, after conversations with the ambassadors, Vladimir, on the advice of the squad, sent his own embassies - so that" experience... their service"- to three of the four religious centers mentioned: "to the Bulgarians," "to the Germans" and "to the Greeks." In fact, the circle of Vladimir's possible choice was somewhat wider and included:
- Paganism - Despite being dissatisfied with his "first religious reform," Vladimir could take the path of further reforming paganism in his country. In the presence of many different cults and beliefs, the bulk of the tribes of Russia was pagan at the same time, and the path of internal syncretic reform promised the least resistance. Examples of dominant paganism for Vladimir could be the Varangians (Scandinavians) related to the Russian elite, among whom paganism retained a strong position despite the gradual spread of Christianity; Balts, among whom paganism turned out to be the most tenacious in Europe; as well as such steppe peoples as the Polovtsians.
- Judaism - Most of the Slavic tribes subordinate to the Russian state were previously tributaries of Khazaria, whose elite mainly belonged to Judaism. The Khazar cultural influence on Russia is evident from the fact that Vladimir himself was titled with the Khazar title "kagan." The defeat of Khazaria by Vladimir's father, Svyatoslav, did not put an end to the Khaganate neighboring Russia and, probably, spurred integration processes between the split Khazar and the growing Russian society.
- Islam - By the time of Vladimir, the Russians had not only a rich history of trade with Muslims, but also experience in managing the Muslim population - as, for example, during the capture of the capital of Caucasian Albania, the city of Berdaa (now Barda) in - year. The closest neighbor of Russia, who converted to Islam at the state level, became the Volga Bulgaria in the year, which is why the Volga "Bulgarians" were the most significant example of Muslims for the Russians of that time. At the same time, the Arab writer al-Marvazi (+ c. 1120) also testifies to the embassy of a Russian prince named "Vladmir" to Khorezm, also in the form of the adoption of Islam
- Christianity - After paganism, Christianity was probably the most widely represented and well-known faith in Russia during the time of Vladimir. Orthodoxy had unconditional primacy, but in Russia such heresies were also apparently known:
Progress of Baptism
Soon after the wedding, probably in the autumn or spring of the year, Vladimir Svyatoslavich, having erected the church of St. John the Baptist in Korsun, returned to Kyiv. Together with him came his new wife, the Greek princess Anna, as well as the clergy - sent as part of the princess's retinue and brought from the conquered Korsun. The Tale of Bygone Years among the Korsunians singles out Anastas, an associate of Vladimir in the upcoming Baptism of Russia. In addition, shrines from Korsun were transferred to Kyiv - the honest head of St. Clement of Rome and the relics of his disciple St. Thebes, as well as church vessels, icons, copper statues and figures of horses. It is widely believed that missionaries from Bulgaria also took part in the primary mass enlightenment of Russia, who, due to the proximity of the language, had the most direct access to the Russian Slavs.
It is possible that Vladimir took the first steps towards the general planting of Christianity in his area even earlier, during his own baptism - according to Jacob Mnich: " baptized Vladimir himself, and his children, and enlighten your whole house with holy baptism". However, according to the Tale of Bygone Years, decisive actions were taken upon returning from Korsun to Kyiv. At first, Vladimir ordered the pagan idols to be knocked down - some to chop, others to burn, and the idol of Perun to be tied to the tail of a horse, beaten with sticks, thrown into the Dnieper, and pushing away from the shore until the rapids were passed.Despite the sorrow of the pagans, this was done.
Then Vladimir sent messengers around the city, authoritatively calling on all the people to the Dnieper: " If you don’t find someone in the morning on the river, whether rich, wretched, or a beggar, or a worker, let me be an adversary"The chronicle explains the consent of the people by the authority of the victorious prince and his intimate husbands, putting the following words into the mouths of the people of Kiev:" if it wasn’t good, it wouldn’t be for this prince and the boyars to accept"The next Vladimir with the clergy went to the Dnieper, many people entered the river, and the clergy performed prayers and the sacrament of baptism over them, after which the people went home. The chronicle emphasizes the joy that accompanied Baptism - people " gladly going, rejoicing;" during the general baptism was " joy is great in heaven and on earth; "and after baptism" Volodymyr was glad to be, as if he knew God himself and his people."
After the baptism of the people of Kiev, the main measures of Vladimir to establish Christianity throughout his land were: the construction of wooden Orthodox churches on the ground where pagan idols used to stand (such was the Kyiv church of St. Basil); the construction of churches and the appointment of priests in all cities and villages of the state, to bring the people to baptism; removing children from the best families and placing them in book education. Soon, Vladimir began the construction of a new main temple of the Russian land - the Kyiv Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, for which Greek masters were called. The church was supplied with a tithe of princely possessions, clergy and church items from Korsun, and Anastas Korsunyanin was placed in charge of the temple - in fact, he may have played a central role in the management of the Church in Russia in the first years after Baptism. At the same time, a more extensive church organization was created for Russia - within the framework of the Kyiv Metropolis under Vladimir, several episcopal departments were established: Novgorod, and also, probably, Belgorod, Chernigov, Polotsk, Pereyaslav, Rostov and Turov. Traditions testify to the first saints of the Russian land - Michael of Kiev, Joachim the Korsunian of Novgorod, Theodore the Greek of Rostov.
The amount of evidence indicates that the course of the Baptism of Russia under Vladimir was peaceful in comparison with similar mass acts among the Saxons, Hungarians, Norwegians, Poles and a number of other peoples of Europe. According to academician D. S. Likhachev: " Christianity was conquered from Byzantium under the walls of Chersonesus, but it did not turn into an aggressive action against its people". Only one document is known - the late Joachim Chronicle, whose authenticity has been questioned by a number of researchers - which speaks of the use of armed force to achieve mass baptism: namely, in the case of the baptism of Novgorodians by the princely envoy Dobrynya. On the other hand, in favor of the version of forced Baptism the later indignation of the Novgorodians by the pagan sorcerers is put forward because of the famine in the year.Archaeology also confirms the particular tension of the adoption of Christianity in Nogorod - only there was found the ashes of the church, supposedly burned by the pagans at the end of the century.Among the reasons for the relative speed and peacefulness of the reform are: the previous decades of Christian preaching in cities of Russia; low level of development ("uncompetitiveness") of Slavic paganism, devoid of sacred books and a well-formed cult; intelligibility of the liturgical language (unlike Latin in the Western Church).
In a perspective that considers the Baptism of Russia not as " a single event for which a specific date can be named," but as " a complex and very diverse process, long and intermittent, stretching not even for decades, but for centuries", the consequences of the primary Baptism under Vladimir are intertwined with the continuation of the same process of the Baptism of Russia. Geographically, one can trace the gradual spread of Orthodoxy in Russia. In the beginning, Christianity spread mainly near Kyiv and along the great waterway from Kyiv to Novgorod and the Finnish tribes, Izhors and Korels. From Novgorod Christianity passed to Rostov and Suzdal, the new faith soon penetrated even into Murom, Polotsk, Vladimir-Volynsky, Lutsk, Smolensk, Pskov and other cities. In general, we can say that the farther from the central waterway " from Varangians to Greeks, "the Christianity was weaker and for its triumph it required a lot of effort and even martyrdom. The leading monastery of the country, the Kiev-Pechersk monastery, soon became the spiritual center and the main "forge of personnel" of the enlighteners of Russia. The division of Russia into destinies contributed to the success of the spread of the Faith: the princes new faith according to its destinies, and each capital city of the princes became the local center of the Church, sometimes the episcopal chair.Thus, in Rostov the struggle between paganism and Christianity continued until the ascetic service of St. Leonty in the century; , and it went more successfully only at the end-beginning of the 12th century thanks to the labors of the right-believing prince Konstantin-Yaroslav Svyatoslavich; paganism lasted the longest of the Russian Slavic tribes among the Vyatichi, whose enlightener was in the 12th century the Monk Hieromartyr Kuksha, who died during a sermon. The number of native Russian missionaries, whose labors turned out to be most fruitful in the northern regions of the country, was growing. Thus, in the XII century, thanks to the labors of the Monk Gerasim, many came to Christ in the Vologda region; in that era, Orthodoxy was spreading among the Zavolotsk Chud on the Northern Dvina; in Ustyug; on the Vyatka River (after the founding of Khlynov, now the city of Kirov); among Votyaks and Cheremis. In the XIII century, the entire course of the Volga to Nizhny Novgorod was occupied by Christians.
Effects
The main consequence of the adoption of Christianity by the people of Russia was revealed in himself by his baptist, Grand Duke Vladimir, becoming " from a voluptuous and unrestrained youth in his passions to a holy man"- the defender and benefactor of his country, a merciful judge, a generous feeder of the sick and the poor, a patron of the teachings. The main gift of the Christian faith - the possibility of acquiring salvation, deification, holiness - shone brightly in the Russian people, since the time of Vladimir, he has shown whole hosts of saints in every generation. By the beginning of the 21st century, more saints have been glorified by name in the host of saints of the Russian Orthodox Church than any other local Church in the world." All regions of Russia, from Carpathian Rus (St. Moses Ugrin and Efrem Novotorzhsky) to Alaska, which belonged to Russia for a short time (St. Herman), had their ascetics. Every country in Russia, almost every significant city had its own shrines. [...] Every place, every language was sanctified by the service of God"- thus spoke St. John of Shanghai, who, by his ministry in Asia, Europe, Africa and America, showed the enlightening role of the Russian Church on a global scale.
Prayer of St. Vladimir at the Baptism of his people - " Great God who created heaven and earth! Take a look at your new people, give them, Lord, to see You, the true God, as if you see the country of the peasants, and establish in them the right and incorruptible faith, help me, Lord, on the opposite enemy, yes, I hope for You and Your power I will overcome his wiles!" - expressed the three main aspirations of the baptist of Russia: knowledge of God, fidelity to Orthodoxy, the fight against evil. Thanks to the Baptism of Russia, these guiding directions became decisive for many spiritual children and heirs of St. Vladimir, constituting a new ideal that penetrated into various spheres of personal, social and state life of the Russian people. Views, way of life and way of life were formed under the influence of church rules. The Church strengthened the God-sanctified Christian family - the "small church," - breaking the tribal union, abolishing polygamy and the custom of kidnapping brides. State laws were consistent with the canons, and the church court received parallel action throughout the earth: the state was in charge of crimes, and the Church was in charge of other sins. Mental and spiritual life was distinguished by the desire to serve God. Almost all aspects of cultural life got their start from church life and developed under the influence of the Church. Even the foreign policy of Russia often expressed it spiritual appearance. vain attempts to seduce Russians into a different faith - primarily the Roman Catholic - failed over and over again. Accordingly, when Russia nevertheless massively retreated from the fundamental precepts of Vladimir in the century, unprecedented disasters befell it.
Baptism made a revolution in the life of Russia - it was a break, national self-denial, a turning point in the direction of good. At the same time, the nature of the conversion of Russia led to the fact that the former moral foundations of everyday and work ethics were preserved and gradually transformed in the light of Christianity. So, in the "Instruction" of the faithful Vladimir Monomakh " clearly shows the fusion of the pagan ideal of the behavior of the prince with Christian instructions"; a large layer of peasant culture up to the last centuries testifies to such a gradual internal Christianization of pagan customs. To comprehend the conjugation of Christian and pagan in Russia, many concepts were put forward - the gradual Christianization (along with the withering away) of pagan customs and rituals; two cultures: day and night , syncretics of worldview and ritual traditions , "dual faith" , etc.
Various researchers agree on the assessment of the Baptism of Russia as the starting point in the history of the Russian people. The teaching of Christianity opened the consciousness of the unity of mankind, the common history of the human race, and the participation in this history of all peoples - one of which from now on was the Russian. Through Baptism, the Russians left the category of "barbarians" and entered into an already established circle of connections and influences. The Russians entered the family of Christian nations on an equal footing, which can be judged, for example, by numerous dynastic marriages between Russian and European ruling houses; according to the many references to Russia in the literature of Christian countries since the era of Baptism. This entry into the world arena contributed to the fact that the disunited tribes that made up the power of Vladimir, with the adoption of Christianity, felt their unity. Subsequently, the consciousness of unity was strengthened by the fact that all of Russia, often politically fragmented, was united in church terms for centuries into one metropolis. The Church had the greatest influence on the unification of Russia into one state, because. not only Slavic, but also other tribes, with the spread of Orthodoxy among them, merged into one with the Russian people. Influencing pacifyingly during internecine strife, the Church inspired the consciousness that the Russian people, who had received Baptism from Vladimir, were one. The key role of state power in the Baptism of Russia, on the one hand, and the power of the Church's influence on the historical events of Russia, on the other hand, made it almost impossible to separate the history of Russian statehood from the history of Russian churchhood. Up to a century, the supreme rulers of Russia ruled not "according to the will of the people," but "God's Grace," holding an answer to the Creator.
After Baptism, Orthodoxy took such a decisive role in the culture of the people that, according to popular opinion, "the history of Russian culture begins with the Baptism of Russia." A number of researchers single out literature as the most important sphere of the cultural impact of Baptism - for example, academician Likhachev wrote that " that church writing, which was transferred to us by Bulgaria, is the most important thing that gave Russia baptism". Entering the world stage was combined with the appearance in Russia of a highly organized literary language, formed on Christian values, with an extensive volume of texts in a close Slavic idiom. The new language of high culture, gradually adopting East Slavic vocabulary and spelling, became the environment for the first flowering of Russian literature in the form chronicles and sermons, like the outstanding Tale of Bygone Years and the Word of Law and Grace. After Baptism, "book teaching" became the subject of state concern, and monasteries became the main centers of learning. As a result, Russia quickly became a highly literate country for its time. Russian book learning was so imbued with Christian spirit, that even those writers of later times who set themselves the task of combating church teaching could not completely free themselves from its influence.
The special significance of beauty as a manifestation of God, reflected in the annalistic legend about the choice of faith, contributed to the surge of arts after the adoption of Orthodoxy. Not only literature, but also fine arts, music, and to a large extent the architecture of Ancient Russia took shape under the decisive influence of Christianity. "The primacy of the artistic principle in church and state life" was expressed in the construction of grandiose cathedrals, which for centuries occupied a central place in the capital cities of Russia - Sofia in Kyiv, Sofia in Novgorod, Spas in Chernigov, the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, etc. Already in the century Russia surpassed all its neighbors, except for the Roman Empire, in the grandeur of its architecture and in the art of painting, mosaic, and applied art. The special place of icon painting in the emerging Russian Orthodox culture led to the appearance of such world-wide peaks of theology in colors as the images of St. Andrei Rublev.
Memory and celebration
Icon-painting images of the Baptism of Russia are known no later than the 16th century. In the cycle of the life of Equal-to-the-Apostles Vladimir, on an icon of the middle or 3rd quarter of that century from the Vologda Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God, there are hallmarks with scenes of sending ambassadors to choose a faith, a campaign against Korsun, Baptism and the epiphany of Vladimir himself, the transfer of the relics of St. Clement to Kyiv, the extermination of idols, Baptisms of Kyivans, setting up churches. Also, from the middle of the 16th century, short cycles of the life of Equal-to-the-Apostles Vladimir with images of the main events associated with the Baptism of Russia appeared in monumental painting. The earliest of them belong to the decorations of the Kremlin buildings of the era of Tsar John IV Vasilyevich: as part of the paintings of the Golden Chamber and in the loggia of the Archangel Cathedral.
With the introduction of Western-style painting, works about the Baptism of Russia in the "academic" style began to appear, such as the painting by S. Tonchi "The Baptism of Russia under St. Prince Vladimir" from the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral (- years). Since the 19th century, the images of St. Vladimir have become more and more common in the paintings of the largest cathedrals in Russia, and the scenes of the Baptism of Russia began to be painted more and more often.
In the symbolic capital of celebrations, Kyiv, one can talk about a whole week of festivities dedicated to the celebration of the anniversary. Many pilgrims flocked there, the Chief Prosecutor of the Synod, the bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, the chairman of the Slavic Charitable Society N. P. Ignatiev, and deputations of Russian cities (the most representative was the delegation from Nizhny Novgorod). The celebrations were attended by two primates of the local Orthodox Churches: Serbian and Montenegrin, as well as representatives of Bulgaria, Romania, Austria-Hungary (from the Czech Republic and Galicia), Abyssinia, Japanese and Kurdish Christians. Among the most important events at the celebrations in Kyiv was the unveiling on July 11 of a monument to Bogdan Khmelnitsky, designed by St. Petersburg sculptor Mikhail Mikeshin.
The anniversary of the 900th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia gave a powerful impetus to the exaltation of the veneration of the Baptist of Russia, Equal-to-the-Apostles Vladimir, made the main symbol of the All-Russian celebration. In honor of the baptist of Russia, new Vladimir cathedrals were built all over the country and old ones were restored, many icons were painted, thousands of lives of the holy prince were printed. So, in that year, cathedrals in the name of Equal-to-the-Apostles Vladimir were built in Voronezh, in Irkutsk and in other cities. Publications published in honor of the 900th anniversary of the baptism of Russia focused on the personality of St. Vladimir and the history of his adoption of the Orthodox faith. Especially in honor of the impressive anniversary, the popular life of the Baptist of Russia was written, printed in a significant edition and widely distributed. The personality of Vladimir was in the center of attention and a significant amount of church journalism (published church sermons, words and instructions of clergy).
The 900th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia evoked a great response outside the borders of the Russian Empire. It was celebrated in most of the Balkan countries, as well as in Orthodox missions around the world. At the same time, the only congratulations on the anniversary from representatives of Western Christian churches came from the English Anglican Archbishop Edward. The final boundary of the anniversary celebrations can be marked at the beginning of August, that is, the time after the end of the week of Kyiv celebrations: it was then that the last newspaper comments on this event came out.
With grandiose religious ceremonies that attracted the attention of huge masses of the people, the nine hundredth anniversary of the Baptism of Russia contributed to the strengthening of the Church's influence on society, as can be seen from the evidence of the public response to the celebrations. The jubilee interpretation of ancient stories convinced of the peace-loving nature of Baptism, presenting this as evidence of the special attachment of the Russian people to their rulers; the basis of relations between the Russian ruler and his people was the unified Christian faith adopted by Prince Vladimir. The symbolism of the historically formed and strengthened over the centuries union of the state and the Church was called upon to affirm in the thought that there was no need for any state changes. The anniversary celebrations became the largest public event of their time in the Russian Empire, the most significant act of self-expression of power during the reign of Emperor Alexander Alexandrovich.
One of the long-term consequences of the festivities can be considered a surge in academic research on a range of issues related to the Baptism of Russia. At the beginning of the century, several important works on this topic appeared at once, including the works of E. E. Golubinsky, A. A. Shakhmatov, M. D. Priselkov, V. A. Parkhomenko, V. I. Lamansky, N. K. Nikolsky, P. A. Lavrov, N. D. Polonskaya and many others. This topic turned out to be largely "forgotten" in Russia only with the onset of revolutionary upheavals and the collapse of the former empire.
Numerous Russian emigration, which rushed out of the country after the collapse of the Russian Empire and the seizure of power by the Bolsheviks, soon began to massively reassess their values and return to church life. In this regard, among the emigrants abroad, the celebration of the day of St. Vladimir and the remembrance of the Baptism of Russia associated with it began to acquire increasing importance.
Church celebrations were determined for the week from June 5 to June 12 - for the Week of all the saints in the Russian land who shone. A month before the start of the celebration, journalists from all over the world began to gather in the capital of the USSR, covering a previously unthinkable event - on April 29, for the first time in a year, the primate of the Russian Church had a meeting with the state ruler of the USSR, and General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU Mikhail Gorbachev assessed the Baptism of Russia as " significant milestone on the centuries-old path of development of national history, culture, Russian statehood"and promised the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Pimen to cancel acts and laws hostile to the Church. Delegations from more than a hundred states arrived at the festivities in the USSR.The main result of the celebrations was a powerful impetus to the revival of church life in the USSR. Celebrations are widely regarded as the starting point Second Baptism of Russia- the mass return of people to the Church throughout the USSR. This process highlighted the decay of the godless ideology, one of the main pillars of the Soviet state order. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the gradually resurgent Russian Orthodox Church became one of the main bonds of the post-Soviet space.
Modern stage
Since the 2000s, the celebration of the Baptism of Russia in the successor countries of the USSR - primarily in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus - gradually began to take on a regular character. At the end of the year, at the Kyiv Goloseevskaya Convent, the International Public Organization "Day of the Baptism of Russia" was created, in which it was supposed to unite scientists and cultural figures, representatives of business circles and the public, the clergy and intelligentsia with the stated goal of preparing and holding the annual holiday of the Day of the Baptism of Russia. The trial event of the organization was a concert at the Singing Field in Kyiv, which in August brought together more than one hundred and fifty thousand people, who were addressed from the festive stage by the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan).
Video
- Film Mr. Volokolamsky Hilarion (Alfeev) Second Baptism of Russia, 2013:
Prayers on the day of remembrance of the Baptism of Russia
Troparion, tone 8
Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, / enlightening the Russian land with Baptism, / sending down the Holy Spirit on its people, / leading them to salvation, / Lover of mankind, glory to Thee.
Kontakion, tone 3
Today, the Russian land stands before God / and brings the fruit of holy Baptism to Him, / Angels, rejoicing, glorify, / and all the saints with the Mother of God, jubilantly, sing: / Christ reign, Christ be glorified. / Great art thou, O Lord, and marvelous are thy works, // our God, glory to Thee.
Prayer at a prayer service in memory of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia
Trinitarian God, Father Almighty, Only Begotten Son, Savior of the world, and Holy Spirit, enlighten and sanctify the tribes and peoples! Even the lord of the Russian land, Prince Vladimir, instructed to the light of the true faith, and thus enlightened our whole country with Baptism, and with a host of saints, like bright stars, who adorned the sky of the Russian Church, shine the gift! And to us, their humble and unworthy children, now coming to Your glory and thanksgiving prayer singing to those who bring on this thousand-year day of the Baptism of Russia, bestowing great mercy, glorifying, praising and giving thanks to You for all the good deeds that have been in Russia from ancient times to the present. . Look at Your field, Holy Church, and at our fatherland, those who bring You, like the beautiful fruit of the saving sowing of Your Word, the faces of the saints. Tii, having served your people with faith, hope and love, in the image of the word and life, showing us the path to perfection according to the commandment of Christ: awake, therefore, perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect. Preserving this holy legacy of theirs, we pray to Thee, the Giver of Life: save and have mercy on us, grant peace to Your world and to all Your creation, which, because of our sin, the sons of this age will hold with the fear of death. Vemy Bo, as if you do not want the death of sinners, but hedgehog to turn and be alive; Look upon us, who remain in sins, turn away Your wrath, which is righteously moved against us, grant us repentance, and have mercy on us with Your inexpressible mercy. Accept our prayers and labors for the multiplication of love among all the people of this world. Fence the Russian land, make the authorities wise, all comfort and rejoice, increase Your Church, keep Your heritage, men and women, and babies with grace, enlighten, and all Your people in Orthodoxy and piety affirm with the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother, by the power of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross and All saints who shone in our land, but in the unity of faith and love we glorify Thee, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
1) so-called. the first (Photi or Askold) baptism in the 860s, which is usually associated with the names of the Kyiv princes Askold and Dir; it co-pro-in-f-yes-elk creates-yes-ni-em in Rus-si epi-sko-pii (or ar-hi-epi-sko-pii), in the next-st-vii- gib-necks;
2) the personal baptism of Princess Olga of Kyiv in Constantinople in 946 or 957;
3) the baptism of Russia by Vladimir;
4) active church construction and measures for the organization of the Church, the expansion of the eparchy -al-noy and pri-khod-sky structure-tour, pre-pri-ni-mav-shie-sya at the Kiev book. Yaro-glory-ve Vla-di-mi-ro-vi-che Mu-drome and with his pre-em-no-kah.
Background and reasons
According to the combination of data from historical sources, the baptism of Russia appears as a goal-le-on-right-len-ny choice of books. Vla-di-mira, conditioned by his personal religious quests and a complex of internal and external -chin (not-satisfactory-le-two-ryon-nost language-che-ski-mi cul-ta-mi in ka-che-st-ve on-tsio-nal-no-kon-so-li-di- ruyu-sche-th fact-ra, not-about-ho-di-bridge of the entry-p-le-tion of the Old Russian state into the number of world powers, etc.).
According to ancient Russian tradition, Vladimir and his squad in the late 980s. decided to change their faith after a long discussion and negotiations with countries belonging to different faiths. In le-to-pi-si, a legend about the “is-py-ta-nii of faith” of the book was preserved. Vla-di-mi-rum. It says-ve-st-vu-et about in-salt-st-wah in Ki-ev from from the Volga Bulgar-ria, from the Latin Za-pa-da, from iu-dai-zi-ro- van-nyh ha-zars and from By-zan-tia, who had killed the princes to accept their faith. Vla-di-world from-prav-vil own-st-ven-nye-salt-st-va “in bol-ga-ry”, “in it-tsy”, “in Greek”, whatever "experience their service." After the return of the embassies, he os-ta-no-vil his choice on christi-an-st-ve of the Byzantine ob-rya-yes, in-raziv- she-th in-words of the beauty-so-that god-of-service.
The decision to adopt Christianity in its eastern, Orthodox form from Constantinople was connected not only with this, but also with the desire to preserve the important ties established with Byzantium in previous years. No less important was the prestige of the Byzantine Empire, which at that time was at the zenith of power.
The baptism of Vladimir and the squad
In relation to the circumstances and the time of the baptism of the book. Vla-di-mi-ra in ancient Russian sources there is no single-st-va. According to the “Kor-sun-sky le-gen-de” - pre-da-nyu, someone from the turn of the XI-XII centuries. went into the old Russian summer-pi-sa-nie, and then into the Life of St. Vla-di-mira, the prince was baptized in the city of Kor-sun, the center of the Byzantine authorities in Crimea, in 988 g. (one-to-fak-ti-che-ski taking Kor-su-ni pro-isosh-lo, ve-ro-yat-her everything, in 989); in the same place there was a bra-ko-so-che-ta-nie Vla-di-mi-ra with se-st-swarm of the Byzantine im-pe-ra-to-ditch Va-si-liya II Bol -ga-ro-fighters and Kon-stan-ti-on VIII An-noy. Su-shche-st-vu-et and another tradition, for-fic-si-ro-van-naya also already in the 11th century, someone-paradise with-uro-chi-va- there is a christening of Vla-di-mir-ra to Kiev and by the time two years before the capture of Kor-su-ni.
Baptism of Russian cities and the establishment of a church organization in Russia
For the christening of the prince and his friends after-before-wa-lo or-ga-ni-zo-van-noe state power mass-so-voe -tion of the inhabitants of the largest cities, pre-zh-de of all Kiev and Nov-go-ro-yes. For the first years after baptism (not later than 997), there is an apprenticeship in the Old Russian state of mi-tro-po-lyi with a center in Kiev, under-chi-nyon-noy Kon-stan-ti-no-pol-sko-mu pat-ri-ar-ha-tu. One-but-time-men-but with mit-ro-po-li-her it was-lo uch-re-zh-de-but no less than three dioceses: in New-go-ro-de , in Bel-go-ro-de Ki-ev-sky, as well as, ve-ro-yat-but, in Po-lots-ke and / or Cher-no-go-ve. Per-you-mi epi-sko-pa-mi would be Greeks. In conjunction with the church tra-di-qi-she (for-kre-beer-she not earlier than the 16th century) the first mi-tro-po- Li-tom Ki-ev-skim pri-nya consider St. Mi-hai-la, one-on-ko, Byzantine sources give the basis of the pre-la-gat that the first mi-tro-po- whether it was Feo-fi-lact, re-re-ve-den-ny to Russia from Se-va-sty-sky mi-tro-po-lea (se-ve-ro-east-current of Asia Minor ).
Since the 990s in Rus-si, once-in-ra-chi-va-et-sya de-re-vyannoe temple-build-tel-st-vo. According to “In-praise-le-prince Vla-di-mi-ru” (1040s), on-pi-san-noy future metropolitan Ila-rio-nom, with Vla-di-mi-re arose-nick-whether and the first mo-on-sta-ri. In 995-996. in Kiev there would be-la os-vya-sche-on the first stone-man-naya De-sya-tin-naya church, ve-ro-yat-but serving the prince courtyard-tso-vym so-bo-rum. With the foundation of this church, the ancient Russian sources of connection-zy-va-yut measures of state power according to ma-te-ri-al-no-mu provide ne-che-ny church-kov-noy or-ga-ni-za-tion: on her well-zh-dy should-la from-number-lyat-sya de-sya-th part from co-in -kup-nyh prince-skih-do-ho-dov - de-sya-ti-na, someone-paradise co-bi-ra-lased at the De-sya-tin-nom temple. The next step of the baptism of Russia in the-to-but-da-tel-noy region-las-ti became-lo-de-le-nie according to the Byzantine model of the prince and the church (mi-tro-in-lich-her, episcop-sky) juris-diction, some old Russian. tra-di-tion is also from-but-sit to the time of rights-le-niya. Vla-di-mi-ra Holy-sla-vi-cha. In the sphere of the church-of-no-go-right-va-eye-for-marriage-but-se-me-nye from-no-she-niya, pre-stu-p-le-niya against morality st-ven-no-sti, the trial of kli-ri-ka-mi and members of their families, etc. princely moustaches of the X-XII centuries. The most important thing for-yes-whose became the provision of co-born and parish churches with Russian priests-shchen-but-serve-te-la-mi (for something children know on-strong-st-ven-but from-bi-ra-li “for book teaching”), as well as bo-go-service- us-mi books-ha-mi.
Christianity in the XI-XII centuries.
The basics of the rights of the christia-ni-za-tion of the go-su-dar-st-va and the general-st-va, denoting-chiv-shie-sya in ho -de the baptism of Russia, would it be continued in the XI-XII centuries. The eparchy-al-naya structure became more fractional, the number of dioceses grew to twelve. It is difficult for us to judge the development of this period in this period of the parish system because of the data; ve-ro-yat-but, it follows-to-va-lo for the time-vi-ti-em of the state-administrative. structures, because the parish temple is usually located in the administrative center (according to the state). So-ver-shen-st-in-va-moose church-kov-but-state vzai-mo-dey-st-vie in the region of su-da. Increasing-ra-tav-shie-need-to-sti in god-service-books provided-ne-chi-wa-li-creak-to-riya-mi, action-in- vav-shi-mi at large monasteries and, ve-ro-yat-no, at episcopal cathedrals. All this had a trace of st-vi-em and a more active christ-stia-ni-za-tion of the rural on-se-le-tion. The last information about the language-stu-p-le-ni-yah in large cities (Nov-go-rod, Ros-tov, Yaroslavl ) from-but-syat-Xia to the 1070s. From this time on, language-che-st-in as a social factor is no longer traced.
The meaning of the baptism of Russia
The adoption of Christianity had significant political consequences. It contributed to the strengthening of the international prestige of Russia, the further strengthening and expansion of the already traditional ties with Byzantium, the expansion of contacts with the South Slavic world and Western countries.
The baptism of Russia was also important for the social life of ancient Russian society. The most important postulate of Christianity proceeded from the principle of the divine nature of supreme power. The postulate of Orthodoxy about the “symphony of authorities” turned the church into a strong support of power, making it possible for the spiritual unification of the entire state and the consecration of the entire system of social relations. The adoption of Christianity contributed to the rapid strengthening of state institutions.
The baptism of Russia led to national consolidation and to the development of culture. It contributed to the development of architecture and painting in its medieval forms, the penetration of Byzantine culture as the heir to the ancient tradition. The spread of Cyrillic writing and the book tradition was especially important: it was after the baptism of Russia that the first monuments of ancient Russian written culture arose.
Literature
Priselkov M.D. Essays on the ecclesiastical and political history of Kievan Rus in the 10th-12th centuries. SPb., 1913.
Rapov O.M. Russian Church in the 9th - the first third of the 12th century. Acceptance of Christianity. M., 1988.
Froyanov I.Ya. Ancient Russia IX-XIII centuries. Popular movements. Princely and veche power. M., 2012.
Scha-pov Ya. N. Go-su-dar-st-vo and the church of Ancient Rus X-XIII centuries. M., 1989.
Nothing strikes like a miracle, except for the naivete with which it is taken for granted.
Mark Twain
The adoption of Christianity in Russia is the process during which Kievan Rus in 988 moved from paganism to the true Christian faith. So, at least, textbooks on the history of Russia say. But the opinions of historians differ on the issue of the Christianization of the country, since a significant part of scientists assure that the events described in the textbook did not actually happen in this way, or not in such a sequence. In the course of this article, we will try to understand this issue and understand how the baptism of Russia and the adoption of a new religion, Christianity, actually took place.
Reasons for the adoption of Christianity in Russia
The study of this important issue should begin with a consideration of what religious Russia was like before Vladimir. The answer is simple - the country was pagan. In addition, often such a faith is called Vedic. The essence of such a religion is determined by the understanding that, despite the vastness, there is a clear hierarchy of gods, each of which is responsible for certain phenomena in the life of people and nature.
An indisputable fact is that Prince Vladimir the Holy for a long time was an ardent pagan. He worshiped pagan gods, and for many years he tried to instill in the country a correct understanding of paganism from his point of view. This is also evidenced by official history textbooks, which present unambiguous facts, saying that Vladimir erected monuments to pagan gods in Kyiv and called on the people to worship them. A lot of films are being shot about this today, which talk about how significant this step was for Russia. However, in the same sources it is said that the “crazy” desire of the prince for paganism did not lead to the unification of the people, but, on the contrary, to its disunity. Why did this happen? To answer this question, it is necessary to understand the essence of paganism and the hierarchy of gods that existed. This hierarchy is shown below:
- Svarog
- Alive and Alive
- Perun (14th in the general list).
In other words, there were main gods who were revered as true creators (Rod, Lada, Svarog), and there were secondary gods who were revered only by a small part of people. Vladimir radically destroyed this hierarchy and appointed a new one, where Perun was appointed the main deity for the Slavs. This completely destroyed the postulates of paganism. As a result, a wave of popular anger arose, since people who had been praying to Rod for many years refused to accept the fact that the prince, by his own decision, approved Perun as the main deity. It is necessary to understand the whole absurdity of the situation created by St. Vladimir. In fact, by his decision, he undertook to control divine phenomena. We are not talking about how significant and objective these phenomena were, but simply stating the fact that the Kyiv prince did it! In order to make it clear how important this is, imagine that tomorrow the president announces that Jesus is not a god at all, but that, for example, the apostle Andrew is a god. Such a step will blow up the country, but it was precisely this step that Vladimir took. What he was guided by when taking this step is unknown, but the consequences of this phenomenon are obvious - chaos began in the country.
We delved so deeply into paganism and the initial steps of Vladimir in the role of a prince, because this is precisely the reason for the adoption of Christianity in Russia. The prince, honoring Perun, tried to impose these views on the whole country, but failed, because the bulk of the population of Russia understood that the true god, who had been praying for years, was Rod. So the first religious reform of Vladimir in 980 failed. They write about this in the official history textbook, forgetting, however, to tell that the prince completely turned paganism over, which led to unrest and the failure of the reform. After that, in 988, Vladimir accepts Christianity as the most suitable religion for himself and his people. Religion came from Byzantium, but for this the prince had to capture Chersonese and marry a Byzantine princess. Returning to Russia with his young wife, Vladimir converted the entire population to a new faith, and people accepted religion with pleasure, and only in some cities there were minor resistances that were quickly suppressed by the prince's squad. This process is described in The Tale of Bygone Years.
It was these events that preceded the baptism of Russia and the adoption of a new faith. Let's now understand why more than half of historians criticize such a description of events as not reliable.
"The Tale of Bygone Years" and the Church Catechism of 1627
Almost everything that we know about the baptism of Russia, we know on the basis of the work "The Tale of Bygone Years". Historians assure us of the authenticity of the work itself and the events that it describes. In 988 the Grand Duke was baptized, and in 989 the whole country was baptized. Of course, at that time there were no priests for the new faith in the country, so they came to Russia from Byzantium. These priests brought with them the rites of the Greek Church, as well as books and holy scriptures. All this was translated and formed the basis of the new faith of our ancient country. The Tale of Bygone Years tells us this, and this version is presented in official history textbooks.
However, if we look at the issue of accepting Christianity from the point of view of church literature, we will see serious differences with the version from traditional textbooks. To demonstrate, consider the Catechism of 1627.
Catechism is a book containing the basics of Christian teaching. The Catechism was first published in 1627 under Tsar Mikhail Romanov. This book outlines the foundations of Christianity, as well as the stages of the formation of religion in the country.
The following phrase is noteworthy in the Catechism: “So commanded that all the land of Ruste be baptized. In the summer, six thousand UCHZ (496 - the Slavs from ancient times denoted numbers with letters). from the saints, the patriarch, from NIKOLA HRUSOVERTA, or from SISINIUS. or from Sergius, Archbishop of Novgorod, under Mikhail, Metropolitan of Kiev. We have given an excerpt from page 27 of the Greater Catechism, deliberately preserving the style of that time. From this it follows that at the time of the adoption of Christianity in Russia there were already dioceses, at least in two cities: Novgorod and Kyiv. But we are told that there was no church under Vladimir and the priests came from another country, but church books assure the opposite - the Christian church, albeit in a state of inception, was already with our ancestors even before baptism.
Modern history interprets this document rather ambiguously, saying that it is nothing more than medieval fiction, and in this case the Great Catechism distorts the true state of affairs in 988. But this leads to the following conclusions:
- At the time of 1627, the Russian church was of the opinion that Christianity existed before Vladimir, at least in Novgorod and Kyiv.
- The Great Catechism is an official document of its time, according to which both theology and partly history were studied. If we assume that this book is indeed a lie, then it turns out that at the time of 1627 no one knew how the adoption of Christianity in Russia took place! After all, there are no other versions, and everyone was taught the “false version”.
- The "truth" about baptism only came much later and is presented by Bayer, Miller, and Schlozer. These are court historians who came from Prussia and described the history of Russia. As for the Christianization of Russia, these historians based their hypothesis precisely on the story of bygone years. It is noteworthy that before them this document had no historical value.
The role of the Germans in the history of Russia is very difficult to overestimate. Almost all famous scientists admit that our history was written by the Germans and in the interests of the Germans. It is noteworthy that, for example, Lomonosov sometimes got into fights with visiting "historians", because they brazenly rewrote the history of Russia and all Slavs.
Orthodox or orthodox?
Returning to the Tale of Bygone Years, it should be noted that many historians are skeptical about this source. The reason is as follows: throughout the story it is constantly emphasized that Prince Vladimir the Holy made Russia Christian and Orthodox. There is nothing unusual or suspicious in this for a modern person, but there is a very important historical inconsistency - Christians began to be called Orthodox only after 1656, and before that the name was different - orthodox ...
The name change occurred in the process of church reform, which was carried out by Patriarch Nikon in 1653-1656. There is no big difference between the concepts, but again there is one important nuance. If people who correctly believe in God were called orthodox, then those who correctly glorify God were called Orthodox. And in ancient Russia, glorification was actually equated with pagan deeds, and therefore, initially, the term orthodox Christians was used.
This, at first glance, insignificant point radically changes the idea of the era of the adoption of the religion of Christianity among the ancient Slavs. After all, it turns out that if until 1656 Christians were considered orthodox, and the Tale of Bygone Years uses the term Orthodox, then this gives reason to suspect the Tale that it was not written during the life of Prince Vladimir. These suspicions are confirmed by the fact that for the first time this historical document appeared only at the beginning of the 18th century (more than 50 years after Nikon's reform), when new concepts were already firmly in use.
The adoption of Christianity by the ancient Slavs is a very important step that radically changed not only the internal way of the country, but also its external relations with other states. The new religion led to a change in the life and way of life of the Slavs. Literally everything has been changed, but this is a topic for another article. in general, we can say that the meaning of the adoption of Christianity was reduced to:
- Rallying people around a single religion
- Improving the international position of the country, due to the adoption of the religion that existed in neighboring countries.
- The development of Christian culture, which came to the country along with religion.
- Strengthening the power of the prince in the country
We will return to the consideration of the reasons for the adoption of Christianity and how this happened. We have already noted that in an amazing way, in 8 years, Prince Vladimir turned from a convinced pagan into a true Christian, and with him the whole country (official history speaks of this). In just 8 years, such changes, moreover, through two reforms. So why did the Russian prince change religion within the country? Let's figure it out...
Prerequisites for the adoption of Christianity
There are many assumptions about who Prince Vladimir was. The official history does not provide an answer to this question. We know for sure only one thing - Vladimir was the son of Prince Svyatoslav from a Khazar girl and from an early age he lived with a princely family. The brothers of the future Grand Duke were convinced pagans, like their father, Svyatoslav, who said that the Christian faith is a deformity. How did it happen that Vladimir, who lived in a pagan family, suddenly easily accepted the traditions of Christianity and changed himself in a few years? But for now it should be noted that the very adoption of a new faith by ordinary residents of the country in history is described extremely casually. We are told that without any unrest (there were minor rebellions only in Novgorod) the Russians accepted the new faith. Can you imagine a nation that in 1 minute abandoned the old faith, which they have been taught for centuries, and adopted a new religion? It is enough to transfer these events to our days to understand the absurdity of this assumption. Imagine that tomorrow Russia will declare Judaism or Buddhism as its religion. Terrible unrest will arise in the country, and we are told that in 988 the change of religion took place under a standing ovation ...
Prince Vladimir, whom later historians called the Saint, was the unloved son of Svyatoslav. He perfectly understood that the “half-breed” should not rule the country, and prepared the throne for his sons Yaropolk and Oleg. It is noteworthy that in some texts one can find a mention of why the Saint so easily accepted Christianity and began to impose it on Russia. It is known that, for example, in the Tale of Bygone Years, Vladimir is called nothing more than "robichich". So in those days they called the children of rabbis. Subsequently, historians began to translate this word as the son of a slave. But the fact remains - there is no clear understanding of where Vladimir himself came from, but there are some facts indicating that he belongs to the Jewish family.
As a result, we can say that, unfortunately, the issue of the adoption of the Christian faith in Kievan Rus has been studied by historians very poorly. We see a huge number of inconsistencies and objective deception. We are presented with the events that took place in 988 as something important, but at the same time, ordinary for the people. This topic is very broad to consider. Therefore, in the following materials, we will take a closer look at this era in order to thoroughly understand the events that took place and preceded the baptism of Russia.
I have been interested in history since childhood. At the same time, and then, and now I am interested in the topic Baptism of Russia. Therefore, I can briefly tell how it was (according to the sources).
How did the baptism of Russia
The first thing I want to say right away is: exact date when Kievan Rus adopted a new religion, authentically unknown:
- in textbooks and some other literature, it is generally accepted that this happened in 988 year;
- other sources write about 990;
- third - about 991st.
The Baptist of Russia is considered Vladimir Svyatoslavich. The reason for the introduction of a new religion in Russia is considered political motives. Before baptism, the Slavs lived disunitedly and did not want to unite under the banner of one state. A single religion would help unite the people. Himself Vladimir was baptized in Constantinople. After that, when he returned to his people, he first of all converted Kyiv people. He ordered them enter the Dnieper and then said a prayer. At least that's what it says" Tale of Bygone Years".
The background to Baptism was also the fact that Byzantium tried with all her might to Christian faith as many pagan tribes as possible. The need for this was due to militancy the respective peoples.
Until the moment when the Christian religion appeared in the country, they worshiped pagan gods. And even for a long time after that, many still believed in the old idols. Though it's tough enough stopped.
Moreover, among the people so far (despite the past thousand years) there are echoes of paganism. For example, many use the word demon, although this creature is characteristic of paganism, while in Christianity it simply does not exist. Another example - Maslenitsa celebration. For reference: this phenomenon is called syncretism.
The consequences of the adoption of Christianity in Russia
The adoption of Christianity greatly influenced the state of the country. First, it helped unite many scattered tribes. Second, start develop culture. In particular, for example, Cyrillic writing appeared.
But the main thing: conversion to Christianity helped improve the economy. And, first of all, greatly strengthened trade relations with Byzantium.
