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The Day of the Baptism of Rus' is celebrated today by millions of people around the world. There is no exact date for the Baptism of Rus', but since 2010 this holiday has been celebrated at the state level in Russia on the day of remembrance of Saint Prince Vladimir, who baptized Rus' in 988.
This happened in Chersonesos, Crimea.
Under the centuries-old prayer vaults of St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Chersonesos are the historical ruins of an ancient church in which, according to legend, Prince Vladimir was baptized.
988 – everyone knows this date from school. It says a lot: in Rus', pagan polytheism, imbued with mystical rites and sacrifices, ended its existence, and a new era began in the history of the spiritual development of the country.
The moment the Slavic people accepted baptism was recorded in the famous chronicle that has survived to this day: “The Tale of Bygone Years.” According to an ancient historical source, the Sacrament took place in the waters of the Dnieper River.
Many are tormented by the question: why did Prince Vladimir choose Orthodox Christianity?
The Kiev prince, Equal-to-the-Apostles Saint Vladimir, is, frankly speaking, a colorful figure in history. Historians claim that the prince of Kiev was distinguished by his insatiable love for fornication. In addition, Vladimir worshiped pagan gods. By order of the prince, at the very beginning of his reign, a temple was built in Kyiv, in which there were statues of the six main gods revered by future Christians, including Veles, Mokosh and Perun.
The prince was a conqueror by nature. His main management of the country came down to strengthening and expanding the borders. For his unseemly actions and passions, Vladimir could have earned the title of Bloodthirsty or Cruel-Hearted, if Orthodoxy had not appeared so timely in the life of the Slavic people. The new religion radically changed the vicious soul, as if the person was born again.
And today we know the prince as Vladimir the Great, Vladimir the Baptist. But the most beautiful title was given to the saint by folk epics: Vladimir the Clear Sun.
The grandson of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, in his youth Prince Vladimir was a fierce pagan, a cruel warrior, a lover of women and wine. This makes his miraculous transformation into the holy ruler of Rus' even more amazing. The beginning of a wonderful change was the tragic episode of the death of the first Slavic martyrs for Christ. Pagan custom required the ruler to make a bloody sacrifice to the Slavic deity Perun after a victorious campaign against the Yatvingians. The lot was cast and it fell on a boy named John. His father Theodore refused to hand over his son, declaring his Christianity. An angry crowd brutally killed father and son, who became the first martyrs of Rus'.
Dying, the martyr Theodore said: “You have not gods, but trees, today you have them, but tomorrow they will rot... There is only one God, who created heaven and earth, the stars and the moon, the sun, and man.”
The bloody sacrifice made a deep impression on the prince, becoming one of the reasons for the search for a new faith. As a wise politician, the prince understood that the savagery of paganism had become obsolete. Rampant behavior, lack of unity of people, each tribe, each clan of which revered its own deities, could not bring the Slavs the necessary power. The prince had already tried to unite the people by carrying out a reform of paganism, calling for people to believe in the idols placed on the Kiev hill. It didn't work out. Human blood did not provide a solid foundation for the Kyiv state. In the interests of the Fatherland and the state, it was necessary to accept one faith, one that would unite disparate tribes into one people, and this would help together resist enemies and earn the respect of allies. The smart prince understood this, but how, while still a pagan, could he figure out which faith was true?
The rumor that the prince was dissatisfied with the pagan faith and was thinking about changing it quickly spread. Neighboring countries were interested in Rus' accepting their faith. In 986, ambassadors began to come to the prince with an offer to accept their religion.
The first to come were the Volga Bulgars, who professed Islam.
“Prince,” they said, “you seem to be wise and strong, but you do not know the true law; believe in Mohammed and bow to him.” Having asked about their law and heard about the circumcision of infants, the ban on eating pork and drinking wine, the prince renounced Islam.
Then the Catholic Germans came and said:
“We were sent to you from the pope, who ordered us to tell you: “Our faith is the true light” ...” But Vladimir replied: “Go back, for our fathers did not accept this.” Indeed, back in 962, the German emperor sent a bishop and priests to Kyiv, but they were not accepted in Rus' and “barely escaped.”
After this the Khazar Jews came.
They believed that since the two previous missions had failed, it meant that not only Islam, but also Christianity had been rejected in Rus', and therefore Judaism remained. “Know that Christians believe in Him whom our fathers once crucified, but we believe in the one God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” After listening to the Jews about their law and rules of life, Vladimir asked: “Tell me, where is your homeland?” To this the Jews honestly answered: “Our homeland is in Jerusalem, but God, angry with our fathers, scattered us across different countries, and gave our land to the power of Christians.”
Vladimir made the right conclusion: “If so, then how do you teach others when you yourself are rejected by God? If God had been pleased with your law, He would not have scattered you across foreign lands. Or do you want us to suffer the same fate?” So the Jews left.
After this, a Greek philosopher appeared in Kyiv. History has not preserved his name, but it was he who, with his speech about Orthodoxy, was able to make the strongest impression on Prince Vladimir. The philosopher told the prince about the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, about heaven and hell, about the mistakes and delusions of other faiths. In conclusion, he showed a picture of the Second Coming of Christ and the Last Judgment. Struck by this picture, the Grand Duke said: “It is good for those who stand on the right, and woe to those who stand on the left.” The philosopher responded to this: “If you want to stand on the right side, then be baptized.”
And although Prince Vladimir did not make a final decision, he thought seriously. He knew that there were more and more Christians both in the squad and in the city, he remembered the fearlessness of Saints Theodore and John, who went to their deaths with the confession of Jesus Christ, and he remembered his grandmother Olga, who, in spite of everyone, accepted Christian Baptism. Something in the prince’s soul began to lean towards Orthodoxy, but Vladimir still did not dare to do anything and gathered the boyars and city elders for a council. It was they who advised the prince to send “kind and sensible men” to different countries so that they could actually compare how different peoples worship God.
Having visited the religious services of Muslims and Latins, the ambassadors of Prince Vladimir arrived in Constantinople, where they attended the service in the Hagia Sophia Cathedral. Literally, they were fascinated by the otherworldly beauty of the worship there. The Orthodox ritual had an unforgettable effect on them.
Upon returning to Kyiv, the ambassadors told Prince Vladimir: “During the service, we did not understand where we were: whether there, in heaven, or here on earth. We cannot even tell you about the holiness and solemnity of the rites of Greek worship; but we are quite sure that in Greek temples God Himself is present along with the worshipers and that Greek worship is better than all others. We will never forget this holy celebration, and we can no longer serve our gods.”
To this, the boyars remarked: “If the Greek law had not been better than everyone else, then your grandmother Princess Olga, the wisest of all people, would not have accepted it.” “Where should we receive Baptism?” - asked the prince. “And we will accept you wherever you want,” they answered him.
It was only necessary to wait for the right moment to accept Christianity. Such an opportunity soon presented itself. The Byzantine Empire is a powerful ally, a state with a great culture, developed science and technology. In 987, a rebellion arose in Byzantium against the legitimate emperors. In view of the mortal threat, Emperor Vasily II urgently turned to Prince Vladimir for help. The opportunity for the unexpected rise of Rus' in the international arena turned out to be the most suitable!
Prince Vladimir provides military assistance to Byzantium in suppressing a military rebellion in exchange for the promise of baptism and marriage to the Emperor's daughter Anna. The cunning Greeks decided to deceive the prince and delayed getting married. In response, he captures Chersonesus, an ancient Black Sea port - the basis of Greek influence in the Black Sea region. Then Emperor Vasily, wishing for a peaceful outcome to the conflict, sends Anna to Chersonesus, reminding her that she should marry a Christian, not a pagan.
Princess Anna arrived in Korsun accompanied by priests. Everything was heading towards the baptism of the Grand Duke. Of course, his intelligence and military strength decided quite a lot. However, for visual, obvious conviction, God Himself intervened directly in the events: Prince Vladimir became blind.
Having learned about this, Princess Anna sent him to tell him: “If you want to get well, then get baptized as soon as possible.” It was then that Vladimir ordered to prepare everything necessary for holy Baptism.
The Sacrament of Baptism was performed by the Bishop of Korsun with the clergy, and as soon as Vladimir plunged into the baptismal font, he miraculously regained his sight. The chronicle has preserved the words that the prince symbolically uttered after Baptism: “Now I have seen the true God.” This truly was an epiphany, not only physical, but also spiritual. A personal meeting with the Lord took place in the recesses of the heart of Saint Vladimir. From this moment begins the path of Prince Vladimir as a holy man and completely devoted to Christ.
Many of the prince’s squad, having seen the miracle of healing performed on him, received holy Baptism here in Chersonesos. The marriage of Grand Duke Vladimir to Princess Anna also took place.
The prince returned the city of Chersonesus to Byzantium as a gift for the royal bride, and at the same time built a temple in the city in the name of St. John the Baptist in memory of his baptism. As for the remaining wives acquired in paganism, the prince freed them from marital duties.
Thus, after Baptism, the prince began a new life in the literal sense of the word.
Upon arrival in Kyiv, Saint Vladimir immediately baptized his sons. His whole house and many of the boyars were baptized.
Then the Equal-to-the-Apostles prince began to eradicate paganism and ordered the overthrow of the idols, the very ones that he himself had erected several years before. There was a decisive change in the prince’s heart, mind, and entire inner world. Idols that darkened the souls of people and accepted human sacrifices were ordered to be treated in the most severe manner. Some were burned, others were hacked to pieces with a sword, and the main “god” Perun was tied to the tail of a horse, dragged down the mountain along the street, beaten with clubs, and then thrown into the waters of the Dnieper. Vigilantes stood along the river and pushed the idol away from the bank: there is no return to the old lie. So Rus' said goodbye to the pagan gods. In 988, the largest mass baptism of Slavs in the history of Rus' took place on the banks of the Dnieper. The prince announced: “If someone does not come to the river tomorrow - be it rich, or poor, or beggar, or slave - he will be my enemy.” This meant that those who disagreed with the princely will could pack up their belongings and look for a new home in another state. However, the chronicler notes that the common people joyfully accept the prince’s will: “Having heard this, people went joyfully, rejoicing and saying: If it were not for this good, our prince and the boyars would not have accepted this.”
A short time later, Kievan Rus was baptized.
These events - the Baptism of Rus' and the overthrow of paganism - became the beginning of a renewed Russian statehood. There will still be many dark pages, misfortunes, and evil in the history of the state, but Rus' will no longer be pagan.
Having become a Christian, Saint Prince Vladimir remained in the people's memory as Vladimir "The Red Sun" - the best ruler of Rus'. By his example, he showed the people how to live. Mercy towards his subjects, constant alms to the poor, rich contributions to the welfare of the Holy Church, the construction of churches, reliable defense of the state, expansion of its borders - all this attracted the people to him. The prince became so merciful that he banned the death penalty for criminals. The crime rate has increased. Then the church authorities began to ask the ruler to return capital punishment in order to stop evil. At the age of about 60 years, which by the standards of those times was considered a very old age, Saint Prince Vladimir peacefully departed to the Lord. His sacred remains were laid in the tomb of the Church of the Tithes, built in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos on Kiev Hill - the site of the murder of the first martyrs Theodore and his son John.
In place of the font there is a slab of dark gray marble with a white cross, and next to it there is a lectern with the inscription: “Part of the relics of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Vladimir, transferred to the Chersonesos monastery in July, by order of the late Emperor Alexander II in Bose.” This most valuable relic was transferred to the cathedral from the Small House Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg in 1859. The font and lectern are enclosed by an openwork lattice made of white marble.
Among the shrines of St. Vladimir's Cathedral are particles of the relics of 115 saints glorified in the Orthodox Church. In the altar of the Upper Church there is the Korsun miraculous icon of the Mother of God.
According to legend, Prince Vladimir himself brought this icon to Chersonesos.
On July 28, Orthodox churches in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and other countries will be united by a wave of bell ringing, which at noon local time will begin in Kamchatka, reach Kyiv, Moscow and go further towards Europe………
“Our ancestors accepted the Christian faith, and with it a system of values, the moral strength of which is such that no historical vicissitudes can destroy it. A powerful foundation was laid, on the basis of which the body of a united Rus' grew. And although today we live in different countries, that spiritual foundation remains common and it unites all fraternal Slavic peoples.”
The spiritual heritage is also common, in particular, monasteries and temples that pilgrims visit, regardless of borders.
Orthodoxy is what most strongly unites White, Little and Great Rus'
Today is the day of the Baptism of Rus'... The Day of Orthodoxy, the day of God's grace. Raising his hands to the sky: “Lord, save me!” Through doubts in our souls... we walk like a blanket... Once upon a time... Prince Vladimir wrapped his people in faith brought from Byzantium... Under the scarlet mantle, warming the Slavic race, He laid the greatness of Russia in their minds. During times of unrest or difficult times, the sounds of church bells are dearer to everyone... You are a commoner by blood, or a nobleman, The pectoral cross helped to ease the torment. To the defenders of Rus': to the soldier, to the officer, Only the sounds of music can barely be heard... Text - “... for the Tsar, for the Motherland, for the Faith...” Not just loud, but sacred words. Preserving the history of that... Kievan Rus, We collect the true faith... fragments... It’s already the eleventh century... May God grant us help to bear the cross... Orthodox descendants... Vladimir Kukhar
Series of messages “Church Holidays”:
Part 1 - Day of the Baptism of Russia July 28 - the history of the great holiday Part 2 - August 2 Elijah's Day: traditions, signs and rituals Part 3 - Honey Savior - rituals and conspiracies ... Part 20 - Nativity of Christ - detailed history holiday Part 21 - May 27 Day of the Martyr Isidore of Chios, Isidore Tverdislov and Sidor Borechnik Part 22 - Happy Ascension of the Lord - do's and don'ts, history of the holiday
When is it celebrated?
The spiritual holiday Day of the Baptism of Rus' is celebrated annually on July 28. In the Russian Federation, it was established on May 31, 2010 by Federal Law No. 105-FZ “On amendments to Article 1.1 of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation of March 13, 1995 No. 32-FZ “On days of military glory and memorable dates of Russia.” In Ukraine, the event was established by Decree of the President of the country No. 668/2008 “On the Day of the Baptism of Kievan Rus - Ukraine” dated July 25, 2008. Thus, in 2021, Russians celebrate the date for the 12th time, and Ukrainians for the 14th.
Methods of converting the Slavs
It is difficult to imagine that immediately after leaving the waters of the Dnieper, citizens accepted the Christian faith. After the ceremony, a difficult period of daring from pagan rituals and habits began. To implement this task, the country actively held conversations, built churches, and read sermons. The missionaries made a lot of efforts to convert people into a new faith and eradicate pagan views. To this day, there is an opinion that the Orthodox religion is a synthesis of Christianity and paganism.
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At the same time, pagan foundations were rooted quite firmly. The further from Kyiv, the more difficult it was to get rid of them. Tough measures had to be taken in those areas. The priests who were sent to perform the ritual in Novgorod encountered strong resistance from the local population. They even had to suffer from armed attacks. The princely army managed to suppress the resistance. As a result, Novgorod was baptized with “fire and sword.”
However, the forced execution of the sacrament of baptism did not immediately help to implant new ideas into the consciousness of the population. This took several decades. For centuries, the Magi have urged people to resist the new religion. They constantly rebelled against the princes and found support from the people.
Consequences
After baptism, not all people agreed with the strengthening of the power of Prince Vladimir. Some regions resisted this - primarily Novgorod. The opponents of the new religion were led by the Magi.
The Baptism of Rus', carried out in 988, launched large-scale development in the cultural sphere. It became the impetus for the construction of many monasteries - first of all, Kiev-Pechersk. In the first half of the twelfth century it was called the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Then St. Sophia Cathedral was built. This happened in 1037. The construction was supported by the prince. The rite of baptism was of great importance for the country. As a result, feudal relations began to appear, which replaced the tribal way of life. Prince Vladimir managed to create a strong and strong state, which acquired international authority.
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List of films dedicated to the baptism of Rus'
The topic often becomes a source of inspiration for directors and screenwriters. There are many feature films and documentaries dedicated to the baptism of Rus'. The most popular of them:
- documentary film “The Tale of the Baptism of Rus'”, directed by Valery Babich;
- series “Baptism of Rus'”, directed by Maxim Bespaly;
- documentary film “Traces of the Empire: The Baptism of Rus'. The choice that determined the course of Russian history", producer;
- film “The Baptist”, director Vladimir Bortko;
- documentary film “Prince Vladimir. Baptist of Rus'", a film by Doctor of Historical Sciences - Alexander Nazarenko.
Video: Series “Baptism of Rus'”
Who should be congratulated
The Baptism of Rus' is a significant event for the entire Orthodox world. The decision of Prince Vladimir influenced the course of historical events, the culture and morality of the Slavic tribes.
The renunciation of paganism and the acceptance of Christ had a beneficial effect on the development of the Russian people. Thanks to the new faith, writing came to Rus'. For a long time, churches served as educational institutions.
It is customary to congratulate all Orthodox Christians in Russia and other Slavic states on the holiday.
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