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			'''Vladimir Sviatoslavich the Great''' ]: ''Володимѣръ Свѧтославичь'' ] as ''Valdamarr Sveinaldsson'',<ref>http://books.google.com/books?id=nKxeKt58mQIC&pg=PA740&dq=valdamar+kiev&hl=no&ei=ugkBTo3JFcSd-wax75zBDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CEoQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Valdemar%20became%20Vladimir&f=false</ref> (c. 958 near ] – 15 July 1015, ]) was a ] (]) ] of ].<ref>http://books.google.com/books?id=n0av-2QejZgC&pg=PA105&dq=vladimir+viking&hl=no&ei=6RoBTp34LMTSsgaB7fiPDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAzgK#v=snippet&q=%22Vladimir%20as%20a%20viking%22&f=false</ref><ref>http://books.google.com/books?id=1VkZAAAAMAAJ&q=%22In+the+tenth+century+Prince+Vladimir,+Viking-descended+ruler+of+Kievan+Rus%22&dq=%22In+the+tenth+century+Prince+Vladimir,+Viking-descended+ruler+of+Kievan+Rus%22&hl=no&ei=-BwBTvDtGsmOswb4saGyDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAA</ref>
	'''Vladimir Sviatoslavich the Great''' or '''Volodymyr Sviatoslavych the Great''', also sometimes spelled '''Volodymer''' ]: ''Володимѣръ Свѧтославичь'' (c. 958 near ] – 15 July 1015, ]) was a ] of ]. ] is spelt variously: in modern ], for example, as ''Volodymyr'' (''Володимир''); in ] and modern ], as ''Vladimir'' (''Владимир''); in ] as ''Valdamarr''; and, in modern ], "''Valdemar''".

	Vladimir's father was the ] prince ] of the ]. After the death of his father in 972, Vladimir, who was then prince of ], was forced to flee to ] in 976 after his brother ] had murdered his other brother ] and conquered ]. In ] with the help from his relative ] ], ruler of ], assembled a ] army and reconquered ] from ].<ref>http://www.katolsk.no/biografier/historisk/vladimi1</ref> By 980 Vladimir had consolidated the ] from modern day ] to the ] and had solidified the frontiers against incursions of Bulgarian, Baltic, and Eastern nomads. Originally a ], Vladimir converted to ] in 988,<ref>http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?AddButton=pages\V\O\VolodymyrtheGreat.htm</ref><ref>http://www.ukrainian-orthodoxy.org/saints/otherSaints/volodymyr.htm</ref><ref>http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Ukrainian+Catholic+Church:+part+1-a030020137</ref> and proceeded to ].<ref name="britannica.com">http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/631547/Vladimir-I</ref>		Vladimir's father was the ] prince ] of the ].<ref>http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/631547/Vladimir-I</ref> After the death of his father in 972, Vladimir, who was then prince of ], was forced to flee to ] in 976 after his brother ] had murdered his other brother ] and conquered ]. In ] with the help from his relative ] ], ruler of ], assembled a ] army and reconquered ] from ].<ref>http://www.katolsk.no/biografier/historisk/vladimi1</ref> By 980 Vladimir had consolidated the ] from modern day ] to the ] and had solidified the frontiers against incursions of Bulgarian, Baltic, and Eastern nomads. Originally a ], Vladimir converted to ] in 988,<ref>http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?AddButton=pages\V\O\VolodymyrtheGreat.htm</ref><ref>http://www.ukrainian-orthodoxy.org/saints/otherSaints/volodymyr.htm</ref><ref>http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Ukrainian+Catholic+Church:+part+1-a030020137</ref> and proceeded to ].<ref name="britannica.com">http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/631547/Vladimir-I</ref>

	==Way to the throne==		==Way to the throne==
	{{Unreferenced section\|date=March 2011}}
	]		]
	Vladimir, born in 958, was the ] and youngest son of ] by his housekeeper ]. Malusha is described in the ]s as a prophetess who lived to the age of 100 and was brought from her cave to the palace to predict the future. Malusha's brother ] was Vladimir's tutor and most trusted advisor. Hagiographic tradition of dubious authenticity also connects his childhood with the name of his grandmother, ], who was Christian and governed the capital during Sviatoslav's frequent military campaigns.		Vladimir, born in 958, was the ] and youngest son of ] by his housekeeper ]. Malusha is described in the ]s as a prophetess who lived to the age of 100 and was brought from her cave to the palace to predict the future. Malusha's brother ] was Vladimir's tutor and most trusted advisor. Hagiographic tradition of dubious authenticity also connects his childhood with the name of his grandmother, ], who was Christian and governed the capital during Sviatoslav's frequent military campaigns.

	Transferring his capital to ] in 969, Sviatoslav designated Vladimir ruler of ] but gave Kiev to his legitimate son ]. After Sviatoslav's death (972), a fratricidal war erupted (976) between Yaropolk and his younger brother ], ruler of the ]. In 977 Vladimir fled to his kinsman~~{{Citation needed\|date=March 2011}}~~ ], ruler of ], collecting as many of the ] ] as he could to assist him to recover Novgorod, and on his return the next year marched against Yaropolk.		Transferring his capital to ] in 969, Sviatoslav designated Vladimir ruler of ] but gave Kiev to his legitimate son ]. After Sviatoslav's death (972), a fratricidal war erupted (976) between Yaropolk and his younger brother ], ruler of the ]. In 977 Vladimir fled to his kinsman ], ruler of ], collecting as many of the ] ] as he could to assist him to recover Novgorod, and on his return the next year marched against Yaropolk.

	On his way to Kiev he sent ambassadors to ] (Norse: Ragnvald), prince of ], to sue for the hand of his daughter ] (Norse: Ragnhild). The high-born princess refused to affiance herself to the son of a bondswoman, but Vladimir attacked Polotsk, slew Rogvolod, and took Ragnhild by force. Polotsk was a key fortress on the way to Kiev, and the capture of Polotsk and ] facilitated the taking of Kiev (980), where he slew Yaropolk by treachery, and was proclaimed ], or ], of all ].		On his way to Kiev he sent ambassadors to ] (Norse: Ragnvald), prince of ], to sue for the hand of his daughter ] (Norse: Ragnhild). The high-born princess refused to affiance herself to the son of a bondswoman, but Vladimir attacked Polotsk, slew Rogvolod, and took Ragnhild by force. Polotsk was a key fortress on the way to Kiev, and the capture of Polotsk and ] facilitated the taking of Kiev (980), where he slew Yaropolk by treachery, and was proclaimed ], or ], of all ].<ref>http://www.katolsk.no/biografier/historisk/vladimi1</ref>

	==Years of pagan rule==		==Years of pagan rule==

Revision as of 23:44, 21 June 2011

For the 2006 Russian animated feature film, see Prince Vladimir (film). Grand Prince of Rus'

Vladimir the Great

Grand Prince of Rus'

A mid-19th century statue overlooking the Dnieper at Kiev, by Peter Klodt and Vasily Demut-Malinovsky

Reign

980–1015

Coronation

11 June 1015 (6524 from world creation)

Predecessor

Yaropolk I

Successor

Sviatopolk the Accursed

Born

958?
near Pskov

Died

15 July 1015
village of Berestove (today a part of Kiev)

Burial

Church of the Tithes, Kiev

Wives

Allogia (Varangian)
Rogneda of Polotsk
Adela (Bulgarian)
Malfrida (Czech)
Anna
a granddaughter of Otto the Great

Issue

see Family

Names
Vladimir Sviatoslavovich

Dynasty

Rurik Dynasty

Father

Sviatoslav I

Mother

Malusha/Malfrida (probably of Northern origin)

Vladimir Sviatoslavich the Great Old East Slavic: Володимѣръ Свѧтославичь Old Norse as Valdamarr Sveinaldsson, (c. 958 near Pskov – 15 July 1015, Berestovo) was a Varangian (Viking) grand prince of Kiev.

Vladimir's father was the Varangian prince Sviatoslav of the Rurik dynasty. After the death of his father in 972, Vladimir, who was then prince of Novgorod, was forced to flee to Scandinavia in 976 after his brother Yaropolk had murdered his other brother Oleg and conquered Rus. In Sweden with the help from his relative Ladejarl Håkon Sigurdsson, ruler of Norway, assembled a Varangian army and reconquered Novgorod from Yaropolk. By 980 Vladimir had consolidated the Kievan realm from modern day Ukraine to the Baltic Sea and had solidified the frontiers against incursions of Bulgarian, Baltic, and Eastern nomads. Originally a pagan, Vladimir converted to Christianity in 988, and proceeded to baptise all of Kievan Rus'.

Way to the throne

Vladimir, born in 958, was the natural son and youngest son of Sviatoslav I of Kiev by his housekeeper Malusha. Malusha is described in the Norse sagas as a prophetess who lived to the age of 100 and was brought from her cave to the palace to predict the future. Malusha's brother Dobrynya was Vladimir's tutor and most trusted advisor. Hagiographic tradition of dubious authenticity also connects his childhood with the name of his grandmother, Olga Prekrasa, who was Christian and governed the capital during Sviatoslav's frequent military campaigns.

Transferring his capital to Pereyaslavets in 969, Sviatoslav designated Vladimir ruler of Novgorod the Great but gave Kiev to his legitimate son Yaropolk. After Sviatoslav's death (972), a fratricidal war erupted (976) between Yaropolk and his younger brother Oleg, ruler of the Drevlians. In 977 Vladimir fled to his kinsman Haakon Sigurdsson, ruler of Norway, collecting as many of the Norse warriors as he could to assist him to recover Novgorod, and on his return the next year marched against Yaropolk.

On his way to Kiev he sent ambassadors to Rogvolod (Norse: Ragnvald), prince of Polotsk, to sue for the hand of his daughter Rogneda (Norse: Ragnhild). The high-born princess refused to affiance herself to the son of a bondswoman, but Vladimir attacked Polotsk, slew Rogvolod, and took Ragnhild by force. Polotsk was a key fortress on the way to Kiev, and the capture of Polotsk and Smolensk facilitated the taking of Kiev (980), where he slew Yaropolk by treachery, and was proclaimed konung, or khagan, of all Kievan Rus.

Years of pagan rule

Saint Vladimir of Kiev
Icon of Saint Vladimir, Novgorod, 16th century
Prince of Novgorod Grand Prince of Kiev
Born	c. 958
Died	1015
Venerated in	Roman Catholicism Eastern Orthodoxy Lutheranism Anglicanism
Feast	July 15
Attributes	crown, cross, throne

Vladimir continued to expand his territories beyond his father's extensive domain. In 981, he conquered the Cherven cities (known later as Galicia) shifting his borders toward Poland; in 983, he subdued the Yatvingians, whose territories lay between Lithuania and Poland; in 985, he led a fleet along the central rivers of Kievan Rus' to conquer the Bulgars of the Kama, planting numerous fortresses and colonies on his way.

Though Christianity had won many converts since Olga's rule, Vladimir had remained a thoroughgoing pagan, taking eight hundred concubines (besides numerous wives) and erecting pagan statues and shrines to gods. He may have attempted to reform Slavic paganism by establishing the thunder-god, Perun, as a supreme deity. "Although Christianity in Kiev existed before Vladimir’s time, he had remained a pagan, accumulated about seven wives, established temples, and, it is said, taken part in idolatrous rites involving human sacrifice."

“In 983, after another of his military successes, Prince Vladimir and his army thought it necessary to sacrifice human lives to the gods. A lot was cast and it fell on a youth, Ioann by name, the son of a Christian, Fyodor. His father stood firmly against his son being sacrificed to the idols. More than that, he tried to show the pagans the futility of their faith: ‘Your gods are just plain wood: it is here now but it may rot into oblivion tomorrow; your gods neither eat, nor drink, nor talk and are made by human hand from wood; whereas there is only one God — He is worshiped by Greeks and He created heaven and earth; and your gods? They have created nothing, for they have been created themselves; never will I give my son to the devils!’”

An open abuse of the deities, to which most people in Rus' bowed in reverence in those times, triggered widespread indignation. A mob killed the Christian Fyodor and his son Ioann (later, after the overall christening of Russia, people came to regard these two as the first Christian martyrs in Russia and the Orthodox Church set a day to commemorate them, July 25).

Immediately after the murder of Fyodor and Ioann, early medieval Russia saw persecutions against Christians, many of whom escaped or concealed their belief.

However, Prince Vladimir mused over the incident long after, and not in the last place, for political considerations too. The chronicles have it that different preachers came to the Prince, each offering a particular faith. Vladimir spoke to people of different faiths, but for different reasons rejected all the religions. Finally, a Greek philosopher told the prince of the Old and New Testaments and presented him with a canvas depicting Doomsday. When he learned of the fate the unrepentant were in for, Prince Vladimir was benumbed by terror and after a short pause said with a sigh: “Blessed are the doers of good and damned are the evil doers!”"

Baptism of the Russia'

Main article: Christianization of Kievan Rus'

The Primary Chronicle reports that in the year 987, as the result of a consultation with his boyars, Vladimir sent envoys to study the religions of the various neighboring nations whose representatives had been urging him to embrace their respective faiths. The result is amusingly described by the chronicler Nestor. Of the Muslim Bulgarians of the Volga the envoys reported there is no gladness among them; only sorrow and a great stench. He also said that the Bulgars' religion of Islam was undesirable due to its taboo against alcoholic beverages and pork; Vladimir said on that occasion: "Drinking is the joy of the Russes. We cannot exist without that pleasure." Russian sources also describe Vladimir consulting with Jewish envoys (who may or may not have been Khazars), and questioning them about their religion but ultimately rejecting it, saying that their loss of Jerusalem was evidence of their having been abandoned by God. Ultimately Vladimir settled on Christianity. In the churches of the Germans his emissaries saw no beauty; but at Constantinople, where the full festival ritual of the Byzantine Church was set in motion to impress them, they found their ideal: "We no longer knew whether we were in heaven or on earth," they reported, describing a majestic Divine Liturgy in Hagia Sophia, "nor such beauty, and we know not how to tell of it." If Vladimir was impressed by this account of his envoys, he was yet more so by political gains of the Byzantine alliance.

In 988, having taken the town of Chersonesos in Crimea, he boldly negotiated for the hand of the emperor Basil II's sister, Anna. Never before had a Byzantine imperial princess, and one "born-in-the-purple" at that, married a barbarian, as matrimonial offers of French kings and German emperors had been peremptorily rejected. In short, to marry the 27-year-old princess off to a pagan Slav seemed impossible. Vladimir, however, was baptized at Cherson, taking the Christian name of Basil out of compliment to his imperial brother-in-law; the sacrament was followed by his wedding with Anna. Returning to Kiev in triumph, he destroyed pagan monuments and established many churches, starting with the splendid Church of the Tithes (989) and monasteries on Mt. Athos.

Arab sources, both Muslim and Christian, present a different story of Vladimir's conversion. Yahya of Antioch, al-Rudhrawari, al-Makin, al-Dimashki, and ibn al-Athir all give essentially the same account. In 987, Bardas Sclerus and Bardas Phocas revolted against the Byzantine emperor Basil II. Both rebels briefly joined forces, but then Bardas Phocas proclaimed himself emperor on 14 September 987. Basil II turned to the Kievan Rus' for assistance, even though they were considered enemies at that time. Vladimir agreed, in exchange for a marital tie; he also agreed to accept Christianity as his religion and bring his people to the new faith. When the wedding arrangements were settled, Vladimir dispatched 6,000 troops to the Byzantine Empire and they helped to put down the revolt.

Christian reign

He then formed a great council out of his boyars, and set his twelve sons over his subject principalities.

It is mentioned in the Primary Chronicle that Vladimir founded the city of Belgorod in 991.

In 992 he went on a campaign against the Croats, most likely the White Croats (an East Slavic group unrelated to the Croats of Dalmatia) that lived on the border of modern Ukraine. This campaign was cut short by the attacks of the Pechenegs on and around Kiev.

In his later years he lived in a relative peace with his other neighbors: Boleslav I of Poland, Stephen I of Hungary, Andrikh the Czech (questionable character mentioned in A Tale of the Bygone Years).

After Anna's death, he married again, likely to a granddaughter of Otto the Great.

In 1014 his son Yaroslav the Wise stopped paying tribute. Vladimir decided to chastise the insolence of his son, and began gathering troops against Yaroslav. However, Vladimir fell ill, most likely of old age and died at Berestovo, near Kiev.

The various parts of his dismembered body were distributed among his numerous sacred foundations and were venerated as relics.

Family

File:Zlatnik HQ.jpg

Gold coin of Vladimir

Main article: Family life and children of Vladimir I

The fate of all Vladimir's daughters, whose number is around nine, is uncertain.

Olava or Allogia (Varangian or Czech), speculative she might have been mother of Vysheslav while others claim that it is a confusion with Helena Lekapena
- Vysheslav (~977-~1010), Prince of Novgorod (988 - 1010)
a widow of Yaropolk I, a Greek nun
- Sviatopolk the Accursed (~979), possibly the surviving son of Yaropolk
Rogneda (the daughter of Rogvolod), later upon divorce she entered a convent taking the Christian name of Anastasia
- Izyaslav of Polotsk(~979, Kiev), Prince of Polotsk (989-1001)
- Yaroslav the Wise (no earlier than 983), Prince of Rostov (987-1010), Prince of Novgorod (1010–1034), Grand Prince of Kiev (1016–1018, 1019–1054). Possibly he was a son of Anna rather than Rogneda. Another interesting fact that he was younger than Sviatopolk according to the words of Boris in the Tale of Bygone Years and not as it was officially known. Also the fact of him being the Prince of Rostov is highly doubtful although not discarded.
- Vsevolod (~984-1013), possibly the Swedish Prince Wissawald of Volyn (~1000)
- Mstislav, other Mstislav that possibly died as an infant if he was ever born
- Mstislav of Chernigov (~983), Prince of Tmutarakan (990-1036), Prince of Chernigov (1024–1036), other sources claim him to be son of other mothers (Adela, Malfrida, or some other Bulgarian wife)
- Predslava, a concubine of Bolesław I Chrobry according to Gesta principum Polonorum
- Premislava, (? - 1015), some source state that she was a wife of the Duke Laszlo (Vladislav) "the Bald" of Arpadians
- Mstislava, in 1018 was taken by Bolesław I Chrobry among the other daughters
Bulgarian Adela, some sources claim that Adela is not necessarily Bulgarian as Boris and Gleb were born from some other wife
- Boris (~986), Prince of Rostov (~1010-1015), remarkable is the fact that Rostov Principality as well as the Principality of Murom used to border the territory of Volga Bolgars
- Gleb (~987), Prince of Murom (1013–1015), as Boris, Gleb is being also claimed the son of Anna Porphyrogeneta
- Stanislav (~985-1015), Prince of Smolensk (988-1015), possible of another wife and a fate of whom is not certain
- Sudislav (?-1063), Prince of Pskov (1014–1036), possible of another wife, but he is mentioned in Nikon's Chronicles. He spent 35 years in prison and later before dying turned into a monk.
Malfrida
- Sviatoslav (~982-1015), Prince of Drevlians (990-1015)
Anna Porphyrogeneta
- Theofana, a wife of Novgorod posadnik Ostromir, a grandson of semi-legendary Dobrynya (highly doubtful is the fact of her being Anna's offspring)
a granddaughter of Otto the Great (possibly Rechlinda Otona )
- Maria Dobroniega of Kiev (~1012), the Duchess of Poland (1040–1087), married around 1040 to Casimir I the Restorer, Duke of Poland
- Agatha, a theoretical daughter according to Jette
other possible family
- an out-of-marriage daughter (?-1044), a wife of the Nordmark Margrave Bernard
- Pozvizd (prior to 988-?), a son of Vladimir according to Hustyn Chronicles. He, possibly, was the Prince Khrisokhir mentioned by Niketas Choniates.

Vladimir's significance and historical footprint

One of the largest Kievan cathedrals is dedicated to him. The University of Kiev was named after the man who Christianized Kievan Rus. There is the Russian Order of St. Vladimir and Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in the United States. The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the feast day of St. Vladimir on 15 July.

His memory was also kept alive by innumerable Russian folk ballads and legends, which refer to him as Krasno Solnyshko, that is, the Fair Sun. With him the Varangian period of Eastern Slavic history ceases and the Christian period begins.

Vladimir I of KievRurikovichBorn: 958 Died: 1015
Regnal titles
Preceded by?	Prince of Novgorod 969–977	Succeeded by?
Preceded byYaropolk I Sviatoslavich	Grand Prince of Kiev 980–1015	Succeeded bySviatopolk I
Titles in pretence
Preceded byOleg of Drelinia	Prince of Kiev 977–980	Succeeded bySviatopolk I
Preceded byOleg of Drelinia	2nd in line to Prince of Kiev 972–977	Succeeded byVysheslav Vladimirovich

Notes

References

Golden, P. B. (2006) "Rus." Encyclopaedia of Islam (Brill Online). Eds.: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
Some historical analysis and political insights on the state affairs of Vladimir the Great Template:Ru icon
Moss, Walter G. (2002) "A History of Russia Volume I: To 1917" (London: Anthem Press).