Saint, Prince, Grand Duke Vladimir (The Great) Rurik of Kiev

• General Notes
  • Vladimir, Saint (circa 956-1015), grand prince of Kyiv, whose baptism made Orthodox Christianity the official religion of Russia. Born in Kyiv, Vladimir was a pagan at the beginning of his reign, which was at first devoted to consolidating his territories into a unified Russian state. In exchange for helping the Byzantine emperor Basil II suppress a rebellion, Vladimir was allowed to marry the emperor's sister, Anne, at which time (988) he accepted Christianity. Allied to Byzantium by religious and family ties, Vladimir introduced Byzantine civilization into Russia by building churches, suppressing paganism, and making social reforms. Nonetheless, he remained open to Western influences, which are reflected in his legislation.
    
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    Vladimir (in Ukrainian, Volodymyr) I, Prince of Kiev, in German Valdimar, in Russian known as Saint Vladimir or as Vladimis the Great, (c.958-1015), was the illegitimate son of Sviatoslav I and the grandson of Olga of Kiev. Varangian ruler of Kiev from 980, he converted to Christianity in 988, reversing Sviatoslav's adherence to the pagan tradition (which was probably a mix of Norse and Slavic elements).
    
    Transferring his capital to Pereyaslavets in 969, Sviatoslav designated Vladimir ruler of Novgorod but gave Kiev to his legitimate son Yaropolk. After Sviatoslav's death (972), civil war erupted (976) between Yaropolk and his younger brother Oleg, ruler of Dereva. As he belonged to the Norse elite, Vladimir fled (977) to Scandinavia, and Novgorod fell to Yaropolk.
    
    Returning in 978 with a large force of Varangian (Viking) warriors, Vladimir recaptured Novgorod the following year. He slew prince Ragnvald of Polotsk and married his daughter Ragnilda, who was engaged to Yaropolk. Yaropolk fled as Vladimir besieged Kiev, but was killed (980) after surrendering to Vladimir, who now ruled all his father's domains.
    
    Though Christianity had won many converts since Olga's rule, Vladimir had remained pagan, taking several wives and erecting pagan statues and shrines to gods, such as Thor and Odin. He continued his efforts to extend his territories, fighting in Galicia in 981, against the Yatvingians on the Baltic coast in 983, against the Bulgars in 985 and against the Byzantine Empire successfully in the Crimea in 987.
    
    In 988 he negotiated for the hand of the Byzantine emperor Basil II's sister, Anna. At Basil's insistence, Vladimir was baptized at Kherson, married Anna and gave up his other wives. Handing over Kherson to the Greeks, he destroyed pagan monuments and established many churches.
    
    Yaroslav, Vladimir's son by an earlier marriage, rebelled against him and refused to render him service or tribute for Novgorod. Vladimir prepared to take Novgorod by force, but died before the attack could begin.
    
    Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the feast day of the canonised Vladimir on 15 July.
    
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    Sources:
    Abbrev: Agamov, Alexander
    Title: Agamov, Alexander
    Note:
    Call number:
    
    excellent for Russian/Kievan/Tatars
    
    contributor to soc.genealogy.medieval, commeng@usa.net
    Text: Vladimir I Swatoslavich
    Abbrev: Aiken, Tom
    Title: Aiken, Tom
    Note:
    Call number:
    
    contributor to soc.genealogy.medieval
    Text: Wlodzimierz I wielki, w.ka. kijoski
    Abbrev: University of Hull Royal Database (England)
    Title: Brian Tompsett, Dept of Computer Science, University of Hull Royal Database (England) (copyright 1994, 1995, 1996)base (England)base (England). copyright 1994, 1995, 1996.
    Note:
    Call number:
    
    usually reliable but sometimes includes hypothetical lines, mythological figures, etc
    
    WWW, University of Hull, Hull, UK HU6 7RX bct@tardis.ed.ac.uk
    Abbrev: Ahnentafel for Margery Arundell
    Title: Marlyn Lewis, Ahnentafel for Margery Arundell (08 Oct 1997)
    Note:
    Call number:
    Text: Grand Prince of Kiev, no parents
    Abbrev: LDS Ancestral File
    Title: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, LDS Ancestral File
    Note:
    Call number:
    Page: 3.04
    Text: no parents
    Abbrev: Pullen010502.FTW
    Title: Pullen010502.FTW
    Note:
    Call number:
    Text: Date of Import: Jan 5, 2002
    Abbrev: Agamov, Alexander
    Title: Agamov, Alexander
    Note:
    Call number:
    
    excellent for Russian/Kievan/Tatars
    
    contributor to soc.genealogy.medieval, commeng@usa.net
    Text: d 1015, no place
    Abbrev: Aiken, Tom
    Title: Aiken, Tom
    Note:
    Call number:
    
    contributor to soc.genealogy.medieval
    Text: no place
    Abbrev: University of Hull Royal Database (England)
    Title: Brian Tompsett, Dept of Computer Science, University of Hull Royal Database (England) (copyright 1994, 1995, 1996)base (England)base (England). copyright 1994, 1995, 1996.
    Note:
    Call number:
    
    usually reliable but sometimes includes hypothetical lines, mythological figures, etc
    
    WWW, University of Hull, Hull, UK HU6 7RX bct@tardis.ed.ac.uk
    Text: m 980, no place
    Abbrev: Ahnentafel for Margery Arundell
    Title: Marlyn Lewis, Ahnentafel for Margery Arundell (08 Oct 1997)
    Note:
    Call number:
    Text: no date/place
    Abbrev: LDS Ancestral File
    Title: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, LDS Ancestral File
    Note:
    Call number:
    Page: 3.04
    Text: no date/place