The baptism of Rus is not without reason considered one of the greatest events in the history of our state. It was it that put an end to paganism and approved Christianity as a single religion in Russia. At the same time, baptism was of great importance for the unification and formation of Ancient Russia as a strong, cohesive state.
Instructions
Step 1
The path to this religion was paved by Princess Olga, who converted to Christianity in Constantinople in 955. She was the first to bring Greek priests to the Russian land. However, then this religion had not yet found a response in the hearts of people, and even her own son Svyatoslav continued to honor the old gods. But one of her grandchildren, Prince Vladimir, succeeded in spreading Christianity in Russia.
Step 2
The precondition for the adoption of a single religion was the desire of the prince to put an end to civil strife in his native land, as well as to create a strong state, whose interests would be taken into account by other countries. In the eyes of the latter, Ancient Russia at that time was a barbaric state.
Step 3
Choosing a religion, Prince Vladimir talked for a long time with Muslim, Jewish and Christian preachers. His decision was influenced not only by the beauty of Christian churches and rituals, but also by the beneficial alliance with Byzantium as a result of the adoption of Christianity. The latter raised the political status of the Kiev princes high and opened up great prospects for the military and economic development of Ancient Rus, because Byzantium at that time was a symbol of sovereign splendor, wealth and power.
Step 4
In 988, Prince Vladimir, along with his family and retinue, converted to Christianity. After that, he himself began to teach his sons the Christian word and left himself only one wife, giving the rest the right to choose a new husband. At the end of the summer, he gathered the people of Kiev on the banks of the Dnieper, where he was christened by the Byzantine priests.
Step 5
Of course, the baptism of Rus was not painless for the people - most people were driven to the river with sticks, their pagan idols were burned. Many did not want to join the new Orthodox culture and offered fierce resistance to the priests. In 1000 in Novgorod, pagans rebelled against the new faith, destroyed temples and killed many Christians. Nevertheless, the new single religion quickly spread throughout the principality, and already in the 10th century the Russian Orthodox Church formed the first dioceses-dioceses.
