Vladimir the Great
In 978, a Varangian army marched on Kiev to depose Yaropolk. Vladimir, the illegitimate youngest son of Sviatoslav I, had fled abroad after his brother Oleg was murdered in 977. He returned with foreign mercenaries to claim the throne he believed was his by right. The fratricidal war that followed ended when Vladimir slew Yaropolk by treachery. He was then proclaimed knyaz of all Kievan Rus'. Before securing Kiev, Vladimir attacked Polotsk to seize Rogneda, daughter of Prince Rogvolod. She refused to marry him because he was born of a bondswoman named Malusha. Vladimir took her by force and put her parents to the sword. This brutal act secured a key fortress on his path to power. By 980, he had consolidated territory stretching to the Baltic Sea. He solidified frontiers against incursions from Bulgarians, Baltic tribes, and Eastern nomads.
Vladimir remained a thoroughgoing pagan while expanding his territories beyond his father's domain. In 981, he seized Cherven towns from Poland. He suppressed a Vyatichi rebellion in 982 and subdued Yatvingians in 983. A military campaign against Volga Bulgars occurred in 985. During this period, he accumulated about seven wives and eight hundred concubines. He erected pagan statues and shrines to gods like Perun, Stribog, Dazhd'bog, Mokosh, Khors, and Simargl. A temple dedicated to six gods stood on a hill in Kiev. Open abuse of deities triggered widespread indignation among the populace. A mob killed Christian Fyodor and his son Ioann in 988. These two men became the first Christian martyrs in Rus'. Early medieval Rus' saw persecutions against Christians following their deaths. Many believers escaped or concealed their faith during these years of pagan rule.
In 986, missionaries representing Islam, Latin Christianity, Judaism, and Byzantine Christianity arrived in Kiev. Vladimir sent envoys to study these religions firsthand. They returned most impressed with Constantinople. One envoy stated they knew not whether they were in Heaven or on Earth. Their report claimed God dwelt there among the people. In 987, Bardas Phocas proclaimed himself emperor on September 14. Basil II turned to Kievan Rus' for assistance despite considering them enemies. Vladimir agreed to accept Christianity as his religion in exchange for a marital tie. He dispatched 6,000 troops to help put down the revolt. Returning to Kiev in triumph, he destroyed pagan monuments. He established many churches starting with one dedicated to St. Basil. The Church of the Tithes was founded in 989. Vladimir baptized Pecheneg princes Metiga and Kuchug in 988 and 991 respectively.
The fate of all Vladimir's daughters remains uncertain though their number is around nine. Vysheslav served as Prince of Novgorod from 988 until 1010. Sviatopolk the Accursed was born circa 979. Yaroslav the Wise ruled Rostov from 988 and later became Grand Prince of Kiev from 1016 to 1054. Mstislav of Chernigov held Tmutarakan from 990 until 1036. Boris was Prince of Rostov from 1010 until 1015. Gleb was Prince of Murom from 1013 until 1015. Sudislav spent 35 years in prison before becoming a monk. He died in 1063 after serving as Prince of Pskov from 1014 to 1036. Maria Dobroniega married Casimir I the Restorer, Duke of Poland around 1040. She was Duchess of Poland from 1040 until 1087. Vladimir also had a granddaughter named Vladimirovna who died in 1044.
In 1014, his son Yaroslav stopped paying tribute to Kiev. Vladimir decided to chastise this insolence and began gathering troops against him. He fell ill most likely due to old age during preparations for war. He died at Berestove near modern-day Kiev on the 15th of July 1015. The various parts of his dismembered body were distributed among numerous sacred foundations. These remains were venerated as relics by followers of the faith he adopted. His death marked the end of an era for Kievan Rus'. The Varangian period ceased with his passing while the Christian period began immediately after. Various chronicles record these final events surrounding his life's conclusion.
Despite being widely celebrated in Rus' chronicles, Vladimir's baptism is barely mentioned by contemporary Byzantine sources. Historians conclude that the canonical story emerged later, specifically in the 1040s. Authors elevated Vladimir as the first Baptist of his land. They compared him to Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. The Eastern Orthodox, Byzantine Rite Lutheran, and Roman Catholic churches celebrate his feast day on July 15 or 28. The town Volodymyr in northwestern Ukraine was founded by Vladimir and named after him. St Volodymyr's Cathedral stands as one of the largest cathedrals in Kyiv. Today he is regarded as a symbol in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. Memory of Vladimir was kept alive by innumerable Russian folk ballads referring to him as Krasno Solnyshko. Appropriation of Kievan Rus' has been a topic of contention since the Soviet era between Ukrainophile and Russophile schools of historiography.
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Common questions
When did Vladimir the Great become Grand Prince of Kiev?
Vladimir the Great became Grand Prince of Kiev in 978 after marching on the city with a Varangian army to depose Yaropolk. He was proclaimed knyaz of all Kievan Rus' following the fratricidal war that ended when he slew Yaropolk by treachery.
What religion did Vladimir the Great adopt and when did he convert?
Vladimir the Great adopted Byzantine Christianity in 987 after sending envoys to study Islam, Latin Christianity, Judaism, and Byzantine Christianity. He agreed to accept Christianity as his religion in exchange for a marital tie with Emperor Basil II and subsequently destroyed pagan monuments in Kiev.
Who were the parents of Vladimir the Great and how did he acquire Rogneda?
Vladimir the Great was the illegitimate youngest son of Sviatoslav I and born of a bondswoman named Malusha. He took Rogneda daughter of Prince Rogvolod by force after she refused to marry him because of her mother's status, and put her parents to the sword to secure a key fortress.
When did Vladimir the Great die and where is he buried?
Vladimir the Great died at Berestove near modern-day Kiev on the 15th of July 1015 while preparing to chastise his son Yaroslav for stopping tribute payments. His dismembered body parts were distributed among numerous sacred foundations and venerated as relics by followers of the faith he adopted.
How many wives and concubines did Vladimir the Great have during his rule?
Vladimir the Great accumulated about seven wives and eight hundred concubines during his period of pagan rule before converting to Christianity. He also had around nine daughters whose fates remain uncertain though some became princesses of Novgorod or married foreign rulers like Casimir I the Restorer.