Vladimir, the Great

grand prince of Kievan Rus

The holy Vladimir the Great, grand prince of Kiev and equal of the apostles, in baptism named Basil.

Vladimir was the son of Svyatoslav, a Norman-Rus chieftain of the Rurik line, by one of his courtesans. He was born around 956 AD. Although Vladimir's grandmother, St. Olga, was already converted to the Orthodox faith, Svyatoslav rejected this faith and raised him as a pagan chieftain. Vladimir was given the ancient Russian capital of Novgorod as a fiefdom by his father. According to the customs of the day, his brothers were also given parcels of their father's empire to rule. War broke out between them, with one brother conquering the other. Vladimir fled Novgorod fearing the same fate. He later returned with an army, however, and recaptured Novgorod. He overcame his remaining brother and united Novgorod and Kiev. He took many wives, participated in the Slavic pagan rituals and festivals, and erected temples to Slavic gods.

The psychology of Vladimir's conversion is quite complex, but some general features can be noted. His grandmother's faith must have had a significant impact on Vladimir. In fact, some historians posit that Christianity, or at least Christian ideas and teachings, may have already been extant in Kiev at the time of Vladimir's reign, only not publicized for fear of persecution by the pagan populace. Additionally, the prospect of an alliance with the Byzantine empire by marriage must have been enticing.

It is also clear that Vladimir was dissatisfied with life as a barbarian and a pagan. The legends that he sent envoys to surrounding civilized regions to examine their religions probably have some firm kernel of truth at their core. They reported negatively of Islam and Judaism and Latin missionary efforts among the Germans. But after their experience of the divine liturgy in Constantinople's Great Church, Holy Wisdom, they said, "We did not know whether we were in heaven or on earth!" This tradition has become one of the most repeated in Orthodoxy, as it appropriately summarizes the first experience of the divine liturgy for many.

In any case, the conversion of Vladimir to the Orthodox faith must have been genuine, for the historical evidence relates a complete change of life and worldview — what the Orthodox would call metania or repentance. After recieving envoys from Emperor Basil II in Constantinople, Vladimir was baptized and given the name Basil. He took Anna, the sister of the Byzantine emperor, as his wife and returned to Kiev. One tradition reports that he had fallen prey to a blindness which was miraculously healed upon his baptism. This story, along with its obvious similarity to the conversion of the apostle Paul, is alluded to in the troparion for Vladimir.

Once home in Kiev, he destroyed the old pagan idols, burning some, dragging some through the streets, and throwing many in the river Dnieper. He oversaw mass baptisms in this same river. He founded monasteries, schools, and implemented social programs unheard of in other regions of the time. He put away his pagan wives, and he is reported to have died with a prayer on his lips.

He was initially revered as a saint around the 13th century, and the first church built in his honor was in Novgorod.

All of the information on this page has been pulled from the following sources. There is a life of Vladimir in the Catholic Encylopedia at NewAdvent.org. There is also a short life at the website for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. My personal saints dictionary of choice is the Penguin Dictionary of Saints, by Donald Attwater and Catherine Rachel John. Undoubtedly, the entry there had some impact on my knowledge of Vladimir, though I did not consult it directly in writing the content for this page. Additionally, see the article on his life on the Orthodox Church in America website. Some of the information here was also taken from the article at Britannica.com (formerly useful and free), and from an unpublished synaxarion by the Monks of New Skete, who also translated the following hymns:

Troparion, Tone IV: As the mighty ruler of the mother of all the cities of Rus, * you were like a merchant in search of a precious pearl. * You sent envoys to the city of Constantine to inquire about the orthodox faith, * and through them you discovered the priceless pearl that is Christ himself. * In turn, he chose you as a second Paul, O holy Vladimir, * removing through baptism your blindness both of body and soul. * Now, as we honor you today, * pray for salvation for your homeland and ours.
Kondakion, Tone VIII: Like Paul, you rejected the childish nonsense of your former idol worship, O glorious Vladimir, * embracing the orthodox faith late in life. * Through baptism you grew to maturity of spirit, * robed in the royal purple of holiness. * Now, as you delight in the presence of Christ, the saviour, * pray for salvation for your homeland and ours.