Varangian Rus Russian Principalities, 988-1240






Christianization of the Rus, 988



ST. ADALBERT, the Bohemian monk who converted the Poles and was killed while preaching among the Prussians, early in his career has been sent to Kiev to attempt to convert the Rus to the Catholic belief. The attempt failed. Russian sources report that the Rus sent delegations to visit Latin christian countries in the west, Byzantium in the south and Muslim countries in the southeast. Awed by reports of the splendor of Byzantine churches, the Rus then, under Prince Vladimir the Great, in 988, opted for the Greek Orthodox rite.
The decision to convert to christianity was, in the case of Russia just as much as in the countries of northern and eastern central Europe, politically motivated. The Orthodox Church was to provide legitimation to the ruling dynasty - in 988, Vladimir took on the new title of GRAND DUKE. The Byzantine tradition of CAESAROPAPISM, the church being under control of the state, might have influenced Vladimir's decision. The Orthodox missionaries from Greece - contact to Byzantium was continuing for centuries - brought the CYRILLIC ALPHABET, which, slightly modified, is still used today. Orthodox services were held in OLD CHURCH SLAVIC language; the church thus contributing to the assimilation of the ruling (Scandinavian) Varangians into their Slavic subjects.
The Orthodox church organization was similar to that of the Latin church of the west, with a METROPOLIT corresponding to an archbishop. Russia's metropolit was to reside, of course, in Kiev; NOVGOROD in 1165 was elevated to the status of an AUTOKEPHALOUS EXARCHATE (an independent bishopric). The Russian church recognized the superiority of the PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE. Orthodox monasteries were established in the Russian lands.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		Chronology of Russian History, Kievan and Apanage Periods, from bucknell, linked detailed timetable
DOCUMENTS
REFERENCE Kievan Rus, in : John Channon and Robert Hudson, The Penguin Historical Atlas of Russia, London : Penguin 1995, pp.22-23


This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2000, last revised on November 8th 2004

Click here to go Home
Click here to go to Information about KMLA, WHKMLA, the author and webmaster
Click here to go to Statistics