The Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir is the man who brought the Orthodox faith to Russia. It took him a long time to reach this goal. In order to persuade people to a new religion, he conducted harsh campaigns, which in the end almost completely eradicated paganism in Russian lands.
Biography
Prince Vladimir was considered the illegitimate son of Svyatoslav, since his mother was the Drevlyanian princess Malusha, and not the legitimate wife of the Kyiv ruler. A boy was born in 963. His upbringing was done by Malusha's brother, Dobrynya. In 972, he was put on the throne of Novgorod, since he had no right to rule in Kyiv due to his origin.
But after some time, a war began between the sons of Svyatoslav for the right to sit in the capital. In 980, the future Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir defeated his brother Yaropolk and became the Prince of Kyiv. During his reign, he significantly expanded the borders of the state, pushing them to the B altic Sea and the Bug River. Alsohe pacified many tribes that did not want to submit to Kyiv.
Because Vladimir was a pagan, he set up idols everywhere. They were worshiped, sacrifices were made near them, sometimes human ones. The most luxurious and richest pantheon was in the Kyiv mountains.
The large territory that was under his rule required the strong hand of the ruler, otherwise it could easily split apart again. And as a bonding basis, Vladimir decided to change the main religion in the country, where there would be one God, and not dozens, as in paganism. It is faith in a single God and, by analogy, in a single ruler that could become what will unite all people in Russia.
The Path to Christianity
When the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir thought about changing religion in the country, he sent ambassadors to different countries so that preachers would come from there and tell him about their faiths. Vladimir the Great received Muslims, Latin Germans, Jews and Orthodox Greeks. With each of them he had long conversations to understand the peculiarities of religion. He weighed the pros and cons.
There is evidence that he was most impressed by the Greek preacher, who not only spoke about the One God, but at the end of the conversation showed a picture based on the biblical Last Judgment. To confirm the correctness of his choice, the prince sent ambassadors to Constantinople to assess the features of the new faith on the spot. They returned full of inspiration from what they saw: St. Sophia Cathedral, the richness of its decoration, the solemnity of worship, unusual chants in the temple.
Now finally a saintEqual-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir decided to give preference to Orthodoxy and be baptized, as his grandmother Olga once did. But there was one political moment. He did not want Russia to submit to the Greeks. For this reason, he quickly occupied their city of Chersonesos and sent ambassadors to Constantinople demanding that Princess Anna be given to him as a wife. The girl agreed on one condition: she would not become the wife of a pagan.
Soon the princess arrived in Chersonesus, where the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir was baptized. And it happened like this. Even before the arrival of his bride, he went blind. Therefore, Anna advised him not to delay the baptism. In 988, he performed this rite, and after leaving the font, he received his sight physically and spiritually. After that, he went to Kyiv with his wife.
New faith on the banks of the Dnieper
Upon returning home, the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir baptized all his sons and boyars in a spring known as Khreshchatyk. After that, he began the destruction of pagan idols. They were chopped, burned and drowned in rivers. In the most cruel way, he acted with the idol of Perun. The prince ordered to tie him to the tail of a horse, throw him off the mountain and drown him in the Dnieper. Not all residents of Kyiv liked this policy.
At the same time, on the banks of the Dnieper, Korsun and Greek priests conducted active sermons, talking about what Christianity is. They talked about the one God who will give eternal bliss to those who believe in him and lead a righteous life. So gradually people began to believe that thisan ideal option for them, because many of them lived in far from ideal conditions. And for their martyrdom, they could receive eternal bliss.
One day, Holy Prince Vladimir the Baptist announced that all the inhabitants of Kyiv, rich and poor, should come to the river in order to be baptized. Many Kievans, following the example of the boyars and the princely family, decided to fulfill his will. They gathered on the banks of the Dnieper, where Vladimir himself appeared, accompanied by priests. People went into the water, carrying children in their arms, helping the elderly and the crippled. At this time, the priests and the prince himself read prayers to God. Thus began the baptism of Russia by the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir.
Spreading Christianity in other cities
When the lands around Kyiv accepted the new faith, in 990 Vladimir sent the first Metropolitan Michael with six bishops to Novgorod. They were accompanied by their uncle and mentor, Prince Dobrynya. They repeated the Kyiv scenario in this city: first they overthrew all the idols, and Perun was dragged along the ground and drowned in the Volkhov River. After that, sermons and the baptism of the people began.
Then Mikhail and Dobrynya went to Rostov with four bishops. Here, too, many people were baptized, and the metropolitan built a temple and ordained presbyters. But in this city for a long time it was not possible to completely eradicate paganism, so the first bishops Fedor and Hilarion left their cathedra. But Leonty and Isaiah, the holy bishops, together with the Monk Archimandrite Ambrose managed to guide most of the Rostovites on the Christian path.
Saint Prince Vladimir,the baptist of Russia, in 992 visited Suzdal to convert its inhabitants to a new faith. Two bishops also came with him. Together they convinced the people, and they willingly accepted the baptism.
The activity of the sons of the prince, to whom he distributed inheritances, was of great importance in planting a new faith. They did everything to ensure that Christianity was the main, and sometimes the only, religion in the territories subject to them. So until the end of the tenth century, Orthodoxy was accepted by the inhabitants of Murom, Pskov, Vladimir Volynsky, Lutsk, Smolensk, Polotsk. Also, the Vyatichi adopted this faith.
But, despite the fact that the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir made considerable efforts to spread the new faith, Christianity was concentrated mainly in the vicinity of Kyiv and along the waterway from the capital to Novgorod. But it was this religion, as the prince assumed, that became what united the different tribes into a single state. Thus, the baptism of the Holy Prince Vladimir became not only an example for people devoted to him, but also an important political decision that strengthened Kievan Rus. In addition, following the Slavs, the neighboring tribes also adopted a new faith. Orthodoxy gradually spread throughout Eastern Europe.
33 years sat on the throne of Kiev Holy Prince Vladimir the Great, of which 28 years he lived with the faith of Christ. Died July 15, 1015. He was buried next to his wife Anna in the Church of the Tithes.
Celebration and veneration of the memory of St. Prince Vladimir Equal to the Apostles began after Alexander Nevsky defeated the Swedish crusaders on July 15, 1240. For thishe went to battle after praying to St. Vladimir (baptized by Basil). It was his intercession that helped win.
Honoring the memory of Saint Prince Vladimir
There is no exact data on when exactly the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir the Baptist was canonized. But almost after his death, they began to identify him with the Apostle Paul. According to some sources, he was not canonized until the twelfth century. Therefore, the middle of the thirteenth century is considered the official date of his veneration, which is often associated with the Battle of the Neva.
In 1635, the relics of the saint were recovered from the ruins of the Church of the Tithes. The tradition of worshiping them was founded by Metropolitan Peter Mohyla of Kyiv. Today they are stored in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
In 1853, the construction of a temple in the name of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir began, which was consecrated 46 years later. In honor of the celebration of the 900th anniversary of the baptism of Russia, the Holy Synod issued a decree on honoring his memory on July 15 (28). The same date became the reason for the construction of a number of Prince Vladimir churches in the Russian Empire.
Saint Prince Vladimir, the Baptist of Russia, is revered not only by the Orthodox Church, but also by Catholics. This is due to the fact that the years of his life fell on the time before the split of the church (1054).
Monuments to this historical figure and saint are erected in different cities of Russia and Ukraine, he is depicted on Ukrainian money, there are several stamps with his portrait. In different settlements there are streets named after him.
Iconography
As well as other saints in Orthodoxy, an icon is also dedicated to St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. The first of these began to appear around the fifteenth century. As a rule, the saint is depicted on them either in full growth or to the waist. He is always dressed in princely clothes and with a crown on his head. Vladimir has a cross in his right hand, but the left one may be different. On some images, he holds a scroll with a prayer, on others - a sword as a symbol of the protection of the state.
Slightly less common are icons depicting the prince and Equal-to-the-Apostles Holy Princess Olga, who was one of the first to be baptized. Today, almost every church has an image of St. Vladimir. There are also options not only drawn, but also embroidered, carved, burned on wood. And it does not matter how the icon was made, if the priest blessed the master for its creation, and then consecrated the finished result of the work.
In front of the icon of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, they ask for healing from diseases, especially those associated with the eyes, because the prince himself miraculously gained sight after baptism. The saint is also the protector of the state. Therefore, they pray to him to preserve peace in the country, to eliminate internal problems in it, to strengthen the faith of both an individual person and all compatriots. Here is a short prayer to the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, the Baptist of Russia:
Holy saint of God, wise Prince Vladimir! Do not ignore our prayers, implore the Lord for us, so that he will not be angry for our sins, freelyor unwittingly perfect, but will merit His mercy and forgiveness, so that we might be worthy of Salvation and the Kingdom of Heaven. To Thee, all-merciful one, we cry out: save us from visible and invisible enemies, from devilish and human slanders, from bodily and spiritual ailments. Do not leave your patronage in deeds for the benefit of human beings. Forever and ever, we send glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.
But all the ministers of the church claim that if necessary, it is not necessary to turn to the saint with a specific prayer. Desires and thoughts can be expressed in your own words. The main thing is that it should be sincere and wholeheartedly. Then such a prayer will definitely be heard.
St. Vladimir's Church in Kyiv
As mentioned earlier, on the anniversary of the baptism of Russia, the Holy Synod decided to build a church in the name of St. Prince Vladimir Equal to the Apostles. July 12, 1853 Nicholas I approved a report on the need for this event. It was decided that the temple would be erected solely on donations.
Architect Ivan Shtorm by 1859 completed the drawings of the future building in the neo-Byzantine style. But donations for the construction of the temple were collected slowly, and the site for its construction was small. Therefore, Pavel Sparro redesigned the project, removing the side aisles and leaving seven domes instead of thirteen.
In 1862, in the presence of the clergy, the first bricks of the temple were laid. In four years it was built to domes. But unexpectedly, the walls and beams of the floors cracked. It became obvious that there was no point in putting up domes, because together with themthe temple will collapse. As the urgently assembled construction commission with the participation of I. Shtorm found out, a number of errors in mathematical calculations were made during the alteration of the plan.
The construction was frozen for almost ten years. But Alexander II, during his visit to Kyiv in 1875, was extremely excited that the temple remained unfinished. He instructed to complete the work as soon as possible. For this, Rudolf Bernhard arrived from St. Petersburg, who made new calculations and decided to strengthen the cracked walls with the help of side aisles and buttresses.
It took another eight years to complete the construction. But along with its end, a new question arose - design. The majority of the members of the commission and the clergy decided to create an interior decoration corresponding to the reign of Prince Vladimir. The final design of the decoration was created by Adrian Prakhov. But he asserted "not without a fight." In the end, many well-known artists of that time were invited to implement it: V. Vasnetsov, M. Nesterov, V. Kotarbinsky and others. Everyone had hopes that by July 1888 the finishing work would be completed. But that did not happen. Therefore, the consecration of the temple took place only in September 1896 with the participation of the imperial family and Nicholas II himself.
Today it is the Cathedral of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, which is under the control of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate.
Astrakhan Cathedral
Kyiv was not the only citywhere, in honor of the 900th anniversary of the baptism of Russia, it was decided to build a temple of Vladimir the Great. On July 8, 1888, the City Duma of Astrakhan made the same decision. In September 1890, at a meeting of a special commission, the project of the future temple was approved, and five years later its actual construction began. An interesting fact is that a tablet was also laid in the foundation, which indicated the reasons for which it was decided to build this cathedral.
Construction work was carried out under the guidance of the Astrakhan architect Kozhinsky. In 1902, just in time for the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Astrakhan diocese, the temple was completely completed and consecrated.
During the revolution and the reign of communist power, the temple was seriously damaged. Due to its conversion into a bus station, interior paintings and frescoes were completely destroyed. Only in 1998 it was decided to completely restore it to its original form. In 2001, Bishop Jonoy consecrated the new bells. Today, the temple of St. Vladimir in the pseudo-Byzantine style is an integral part of the architectural image of Astrakhan.
Sevastopol churches
On the Crimean peninsula there are 2 churches dedicated to St. Vladimir. Their erection is connected with the previously mentioned anniversary of the baptism of Russia. For the first time, Vice Admiral A. Craig voiced the idea in this way to honor the memory of the prince. But it so happened that two such cathedrals appeared on the territory of Sevastopol.
In 1827, excavations began on the ruins of Chersonese to find the place where Vladimir was baptized. This expedition proved successful. Archaeologists managed to find the remainscruciform Basilica of Saint Basil. They decided to make it the basis for the construction of a new temple. So they wanted to restore the place from where Christianity came to Russian lands.
Architect D. Grimm created a project in neo-Byzantine style. The construction of the temple began in 1861 and lasted 30 years. The money for the project came only through donations. By 1888, it was not possible to complete the interior finishing work. Therefore, by the solemn date, it was decided to consecrate the lower church in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. And already in October 1891, the upper Prince Vladimir Church was also consecrated.
In 1859, a piece of the relics of St. Vladimir was transferred from the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Upon completion of construction, it was placed in the lower church, closer to the ruins of the Basilica of St. Basil.
During the Great Patriotic War, the cathedral was badly damaged. First, a large-caliber projectile hit him. But the temple survived. The German invaders used it as a warehouse for historical valuables that they wanted to take out of Chersonese. But their plans were not destined to come true. Sevastopol was liberated on May 9, 1944. During the retreat, the Germans blew up the temple. Only 2/3 of the structure survived the explosion.
Restoration of the cathedral began only at the end of the last century, but went rather sluggishly. Only in 2001 was a project prepared to recreate the interior painting. Within a year, artists from the Crimea, Kyiv and St. Petersburg completed the painting of the cathedral. In 2004, the main altar was consecratedtemple.
The second cathedral in Sevastopol also appeared at the suggestion of A. Craig. He wanted to build a temple in Chersonese, but in 1842 Admiral M. Lazarev expressed his concern about the small number of Orthodox churches in Sevastopol itself. Therefore, it was decided to build a new cathedral in the city center. Construction began only in 1854. By that time, the admiral had not lived. Therefore, it was decided to bury him in a crypt on the site of the future temple.
By the beginning of the siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War, only the foundation had been built. Admirals P. Nakhimov, V. Kornilov and V. Istomin died on the defensive bastions. They were also buried in a crypt under the future cathedral.
After the war, construction work resumed. But the project was redone from the Russian-Byzantine temple became neo-Byzantine. The consecration of the cathedral took place in 1888.
In 1931, the cathedral was closed, the crypt was opened and the remains were destroyed. During the Second World War, the temple was seriously damaged. Only in the year 91 of the last century, a special commission examined the crypt and found only bones in it, which were solemnly reburied a year later. In 2014, the Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir was consecrated again. In the people it is called the Tomb of Admirals. In total, 11 people are buried in it, as evidenced by memorial plaques on the walls of the cathedral.
The Lost Temple
In Voronezh in 1888, they also started talking about the construction of the church of St. Vladimir. But due to various circumstances, preparatory work began only two years later. The place was decided after four more. During preparationpits, two dilapidated wells were discovered. Therefore, the construction site was decided to be moved.
It was a massive project. Money for its implementation was collected from everywhere, the local newspaper gave a report on the progress of construction, printed the names of patrons. The temple was completed only in 1909. For another eight years, work on interior decoration was carried out. The cathedral was consecrated only in 1918. But he was not destined to last long. It was nationalized in the same year, the property was described, and the building itself began to be used as a granary.
In 1931, the executive committee of the Central Black Earth Region decided to demolish the cathedral due to alleged cracks on the walls. However, this fact has not been documented. Dynamite was placed under it and with the help of an explosion they destroyed it the first time. Komsomolsky Square was broken on the site of the temple.
But residents remember this majestic building, which is called the last large-scale project of the Russian Empire. It was a five-domed temple in the Byzantine style, popularly called a cathedral not in essence, but in appearance. Today it is very reminiscent of the Cathedral of the Annunciation. And next to the square, a church is being built in honor of the Nativity of Christ, which should become a memory of the destroyed church.
Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir in Novogireevo
The cathedrals and churches described earlier were built in the 19th and 20th centuries. But even today, believers revere St. Vladimir. For example, in Novogireevo a site has already been allocated for the construction of a new church. On it in 2014 builttemporary wooden church in honor of the holy righteous warrior Theodore Ushakov. Regular services are held there and the church community operates, implementing various spiritual projects.
The construction of the temple itself is now at the stage of site preparation with all exploration work. In parallel with this, a project of the future structure is being created. These works are progressing rather slowly, as they are financed exclusively by donations. Neither the state budget nor the local treasury allocated money for the construction and will not be allocated. Therefore, it is difficult to say exactly when the new church of St. Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles will appear in Novogireevo and how it will look like. But it can be argued that with God's help and the efforts of the laity, the project will still be implemented.
Decals
St. Vladimir was revered not only with churches and monuments. Two orders have been established in his honor. The first of them belongs to the initiative of Catherine II. In 1782, she established an award to recognize people for services to the Empire. He was four degrees. Cavalier could be not only a representative of senior military ranks, but also junior ranks and even civilians. The number of orders issued was not limited. In some historical periods, this order was valued a little less than the same degree of St. George. They were awarded for special military merits and feats.
The capitular temple of the order was the Prince Vladimir Cathedral in St. Petersburg. It was awarded until 1917. The most famous gentlemen were A. Suvorov, A. Golitsyn, G. Potemkin, N. Repin, Nicholas II.
The Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir is the second oldest and oldest order in the Russian Orthodox Church, which is awarded for loy alty and righteous service to the church. Was founded in 1958. Has 3 degrees. Until 1961, it was awarded only to foreigners for devoted service to the Christian faith. A distinctive feature of the order is that it can be awarded not only to clergy, but also to spiritual institutions, cathedrals, seminaries.
To become a gentleman, you really need to earn it, because only the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called with a diamond star, which is considered the highest merit, is older than him in the Russian Orthodox Church.
A competent politician turned saint
The life of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir tells us that he did not always lead a righteous life. But it is difficult to overestimate his sincere repentance and services to the Christian faith. Deciding the issue of a new religion for his country back in 988, Prince Vladimir did not even suspect how he would influence not only the lives of everyone who called and still calls Russia their homeland, but also the entire political map of the world. He brought Christianity to his country, thus uniting all the wild peoples who professed different versions of paganism.
Yes, the baptism of Russia itself did not go smoothly. A few decades after it, many opposed the new faith. Temples were burned and priests were killed. But along with Christianity, culture and education came to our lands. At temples and monasteries they corresponded, and later printedbooks, parochial schools appeared, which significantly increased the percentage of literate people. The special role of the new religion lies in the fact that art began to develop: the construction of temples, their external and internal design required the search for new forms and methods.
Today we honor him on the day of St. Prince Vladimir Equal to the Apostles - July 28, according to the new style. And although he was an ambiguous person, it is difficult to overestimate the role of this person in the development of all of Russia. After all, he continued the work of his father, expanded and strengthened the borders of the state, made it the most influential in Europe during the Early Middle Ages. Therefore, he is not forgotten today, dedicating new works of art, honoring his bright memory and contribution to what we have become today.
