Vladimir the Great

Vladimir the Great, born about 956, died on July, 15, 1015, in Vyshhorod, near Kiev. Grand Prince of Kiev from 980; son of Sviatoslav I Ihorevych and Malusha and father of 11 princes by five wives, including Sviatopolk I, Yaroslav the Wise, Mstislav Vladimirovich, and Saints Boris and Hleb Vladimirovich. In 969 Grand Prince Sviatoslav I named his son Vladimir, the prince of Novgorod.

In 977, a struggle for power broke out among Sviatoslav's sons. Yaropolk I forced Vladimir to flee to Scandinavia. In 980, Vladimir returned to Rus, and expelled Yaropolk from Novgorod. Later that year he captured Kiev and had Yaropolk murdered, thereby becoming the grand prince, and married Yaropolks Greek widow.

Over the next 35 years Vladimir expanded the borders of Kiev Rus and turned it into one of the most powerful states in Eastern Europe. He united the East Slavic tribes, divided his realm into lands, and installed his sons or viceroys to govern them, and collect tribute.

In 983 Vladimir waged war against the Yatvingians and thereby gained access to the Baltic Sea. In 985 he defeated the Khazars and Volga Bulgars and secured his states eastern frontier. He had lines of fortifications built along the Ir-pen, the Stuhna, the Trubezh, and the Sula rivers and founded fortified towns (e. g., Vasilev, Voin, and Bielhorod) that were joined by eastern ramparts.

Vladimir attributed his victory over Yaropolk to the support he received from pagan forces, and had idols of the deities Perun, Khors, Dazhboh, Striboh, Simarhl, and Mokosh erected on a hill overlooking his palace in Kiev. Later he became convinced that a monotheistic religion would consolidate his power, as Christianity and Islam had done for neighbouring rulers.

His choice was determined after the Byzantine emperor Basil II turned to him for help in defeating his rival. Vladimir offered military aid only if he was allowed to marry Basils sister, Anna, and Basil agreed to the marriage only after Vladimir promised to convert himself and his subjects to Christianity.

Vladimir, his family, and his closest associates were baptized in December 987, when he took the Christian name Vasylii (Basil). Soon afterward he ordered the destruction of all pagan idols. The mass baptism of the citizens of Kiev took place on August 988 and the remaining population of Rus was slowly converted, sometimes by force. In 988 Vladimir sent several thousand warriors to help Basil regain power and married Anna.

The Christianization of Rus was essentially engineered by Byzantine. During Vladimir's reign the first schools and churches were built. The adoption of Christianity as the official religion facilitated the unification of the Rus tribes and establishment of foreign dynastic, political, cultural, religious, and commercial relations, particularly with the Byzantine Empire, Bulgaria, and Germany.

After Anna's death in 1011, Vladimir married the daughter of Count Kuno von Enningen. Toward the end of his life his sons Sviatopolk of Turov and Yaroslav of Novgorod challenged his rule. Having defeated Sviatopolk, Vladimir died while preparing a campaign against Yaroslav and was buried in the Church of the Tithes. He was succeeded briefly by Sviatopolk.

The Rus clergy venerated Vladimir because of his support of the church, but he was canonized only after 1240.