The fact that the adoption of Christianity it became the cornerstone of the future political, administrative and even scientific development of the Russian state is no longer in doubt.Who baptized Rus and when it was aware, perhaps, any schoolboy.But the history of the penetration of the Christian religion to Russia fanned so many myths, mysteries and legends that sometimes to understand where truth and falsehood, is quite difficult.
First of all, introduces many into confusion the fact that Christians in Russia were many before the birth of Prince Vladimir.In light of this, a reasonable question - and we know exactly what the prince christened Russia?In fact, this Baptist Russian people was really Vladimir bright sun, but Christianity in Russia came from his grandmother, Princess Olga, the mother of his father, Prince Svyatoslav.That it took this religion even at a time when most of Rus was a dedicated fan of Veles, Perun and Dazhdbog.With his wise lady took a new faith and a portion close to her servants, which began to spread the faith in Jesus in the Slavic lands.But to say that to 988 in Russia there was a significant number of followers of this religion, it would be fundamentally wrong.
Darker Still, many historians, when asked who baptized Russia and, most importantly, what was the reason for the abrupt change of the theological beliefs of ancient Slavs, told the following story.Vladimir received the princely throne and became the sole ruler of Kievan Rus, for two reasons.First, he lied, and then killed his own brother Yaropolk, and secondly, shortly before another candidate to reign, the third son of Svyatoslav, Oleg, was killed in action at a sufficiently strange circumstances.Realizing that such a shaky authority needs to be strengthened in the eyes of the people, he ordered read god Perun, who was considered the patron of all Russian princes, as the supreme deity.In support of his faith, he sets up on the high bank of the Dnieper huge statue of Perun, coated with gold and silver head.
According to pagan rites to appease the god, he must offer sacrifice.And the prince, who a few years will be a staunch Christian, and those who baptized Russia, believes the victim to be human.According to an abandoned lot, sacrifice should have been a young man from a Christian family.His father refused to give his son to death, and God called the prince's a simple piece of wood.Enraged squad killed two - and the father and son, but Vladimir, confronted with such obvious disobedience, he began to doubt the loyalty of his chosen path.
It was the first step to ensure that thought Prince Vladimir.Baptism of Russia from that moment was just a matter of time.After studying the features of several popular religions of the world, he unhesitatingly decided in favor to adopt a religion from Byzantium.Baptized directly from the Fathers of the Church, the prince returned to Kiev and started merciless struggle with paganism.Statues and idols, standing on the banks of the Dnieper, were dumped into the river, and all the people of Kiev were told to gather on the banks to accept the new faith.
Vladimir himself, becoming those who baptized Russia, well aware that light the path will not be.Not all Slavs easily obedient to him and abandoned the faith of their fathers and grandfathers.A lot of blood was spilled before Kievan Rus became a country of Christian religion and morality, but purposeful, Vladimir brought his case to the end and managed to unite all Rus under the banner of the new faith.Begun they care treatment Slavs took a huge scale and helped to become united Kievan Rus power, which gained over time, the title of one of the main strongholds of Christianity.
