Reasons for Vladimir I's Conversion to Christianity and How It Changed the Culture of Eastern Slavs
What Motivated Vladimir I to convert to Christianity and how did the new religion change the culture of Eastern Slavs?
Paganism was a mental mindset of the Eastern Slavs living in a world where a majority of the European countries surrounding them had already converted to a monastic religion. Vladimir I, a great prince of Kiev, reigned from 980 till 1015 and succeeded in the mass conversion of the Eastern Slavs.1 Throughout his reign Vladimir’s agenda had always been to strengthen his empire, in order to be considered valuable among the dominate nations of the European family.2 The traditional view of Vladimir’s motivation for the conversion is that only after considering all monastic faiths, did he finally reach the decision of Eastern Christianity, based on the beauty and wonder of Constantinople.3 The conversion of Kievan Rus not only led to a change in religion but also a variety of other benefits, which suggests Vladimir was motivated not only by aesthetic reasons, but also political and economic reasons too. The choice of Eastern Christianity had a profound and lasting effect of the Eastern Slav’s all over Kievan Rus. The gateway opened by Vladimir and Eastern Christianity allowed the country and its people to expand in various areas of art, architecture and education. These areas of culture effected and shaped the events in the history of Russia that followed.
The Primary Chronicle tells the tale of how a representative of each faith, western Christianity, Judaism and Islam each gave a brief summary of their religion.4 Vladimir rebuffed each faith because of different factors that would not suit his people.5 Although the Primary Chronicle is semi-legendary with missing gaps some elements should be considered, this story illustrates that Vladimir’s did understand the value of religion as a force that could bind together the Eastern Slavs and was open to the possibility of different religions, and what they would offer Kievan Rus.6 This correlates with
Paganism was a mental mindset of the Eastern Slavs living in a world where a majority of the European countries surrounding them had already converted to a monastic religion. Vladimir I, a great prince of Kiev, reigned from 980 till 1015 and succeeded in the mass conversion of the Eastern Slavs.1 Throughout his reign Vladimir’s agenda had always been to strengthen his empire, in order to be considered valuable among the dominate nations of the European family.2 The traditional view of Vladimir’s motivation for the conversion is that only after considering all monastic faiths, did he finally reach the decision of Eastern Christianity, based on the beauty and wonder of Constantinople.3 The conversion of Kievan Rus not only led to a change in religion but also a variety of other benefits, which suggests Vladimir was motivated not only by aesthetic reasons, but also political and economic reasons too. The choice of Eastern Christianity had a profound and lasting effect of the Eastern Slav’s all over Kievan Rus. The gateway opened by Vladimir and Eastern Christianity allowed the country and its people to expand in various areas of art, architecture and education. These areas of culture effected and shaped the events in the history of Russia that followed.
The Primary Chronicle tells the tale of how a representative of each faith, western Christianity, Judaism and Islam each gave a brief summary of their religion.4 Vladimir rebuffed each faith because of different factors that would not suit his people.5 Although the Primary Chronicle is semi-legendary with missing gaps some elements should be considered, this story illustrates that Vladimir’s did understand the value of religion as a force that could bind together the Eastern Slavs and was open to the possibility of different religions, and what they would offer Kievan Rus.6 This correlates with
Bibliography: Auty, Robert, and Dimitri Obolensky. 1976. "An Introduction to Russian History (Companion to Russian Studies;1)." Brisol, Great Britain : Cambridge University Press Ltd. Billington, James H. 1966. "The Icon and the Axe." New York: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. Chadwick, N.K. 1946. "The Beginning of Russian History, An Enquiry into Sources." London, Great Britian: Cambridge University Press Ltd. Dmytryshyn, Basil. 1991. "Medieval Russia, A Source Book 850-1700." United States of America: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc. Riasanovsky, Nicholas V. 1993. "A History of Russia." New York, United States of America: Oxford University Press. n.d. "The Russian Primary Chronicle." Edited by Samuel Hazzard Cross and Olgerd P. Sherbowitz, translated by Samuel Hazzard Cross and Olgerd P. Sherbowitz. Cambridge; Massachusetts: The Medieval Academy of America.