Is the baptism of Russia a big Orthodox holiday. Day of the Baptism of Russia: the history of the holiday

The Day of the Baptism of Russia is a state memorial date of the Russian Federation.

The proclamation of Christianity had an impact on the entire history of our country. With the introduction of the Orthodox religion, temples and monasteries began to be actively built on its territory. They contributed to the spread of enlightenment, education and culture. Orthodoxy formed the basis for the strengthening of statehood, contributed to the formation of moral foundations in society.

Date of celebration

The day of the baptism of Russia is a state memorial date of the Russian Federation, legally established on May 31, 2010 in memory of the baptism of Russia, attributed to the year 988. It is celebrated annually on July 28 as the day of memory of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir - the Baptist of Russia (July 15 according to the Julian calendar). Like all memorable dates in Russia, the Day of the Baptism of Russia is not a day off.

On this day in Russia, festive events are held dedicated to the spiritual traditions of our country, its rich historical and cultural heritage.

Date setting history

On August 14, 2009, President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev and on August 27, 2009, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin prepared instructions to develop a bill to establish a memorable date - the Day of the Baptism of Russia.

On May 31, 2010, the President of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, signed Federal Law No. 105-FZ “On Amending Article 1.1 of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation of March 13, 1995 No. 32-FZ “On the Days of Military Glory and Commemorative Dates of Russia””, according to to which a new memorable date has been established in Russia - July 28 - "The Day of the Baptism of Russia."

Baptism of Russia

The Baptism of Russia is a term that in modern historical science means the introduction of Christianity as a state religion in Ancient Russia, carried out at the end of the 10th century by Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. A number of authors understand the term in the same way as the process of the spread of Christianity in Russia in the XI-XII centuries.

According to The Tale of Bygone Years, in 6496 from the creation of the world (that is, approximately in 988 AD), the Kyiv prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich decided to be baptized from the Church of Constantinople. After that, in the reign of Emperors Basil II and Constantine VIII Porphyrogenitus, the clergy sent by the Patriarch of Constantinople Nicholas II Chrysoverg baptized the people of Kyiv in the waters of the Dnieper and Pochaina.

According to the Russian chronicle The Tale of Bygone Years, the prince offered the following prayer during the baptism of his people: “Great God, who created heaven and earth! Take a look at this new people and give them, Lord, take you away, the true God, as if taking you away the Christian countries, and confirm in them the faith of the right and incorruptible, and help me, Lord, on the opposite enemy, but relying on You and Your power, I will overcome his wiles!”

Many historians attribute the baptism of Vladimir himself to 987. According to Byzantine and Arabic sources, in 987 Constantinople concludes an alliance with Russia to suppress the rebellion of Varda Foka. The condition of the prince was the hand of Princess Anna, the sister of the emperors Basil and Constantine, a requirement extremely humiliating for the Roman basileus. Then, at the height of the war with Varda Foka, Vladimir attacked Korsun and captured it, threatening Constantinople. The emperors agree to give Anna to the prince, subject to the preliminary baptism of Vladimir, who is called the name of Vasily - in honor of his successor, Emperor Vasily II; Vladimir, “far away for the vein of Korsun by the Greek queen dividing” (in the vein for his wife).

From the Byzantine chronicles about the "baptism of Russia" in 988, only "Anonymous Banduri" is reported, in which the story about the choice of faiths by Prince Vladimir is conveyed, and the "Vatican Chronicle":

"In the year 6496, Vladimir was baptized, who baptized Russia."

The last message is probably a reverse translation from The Tale of Bygone Years. In general, in Byzantine literature, the event of 988 remained practically unnoticed, since, according to the Greeks, the conversion of Russia took place a century earlier.

Baptism of Russian lands

It is known that the first episcopal sees, besides Kyiv, were Novgorod, and also, possibly, Chernigov and Vladimir-Volyn and Belgorod (now the village of Belogorodka near Kyiv), Polotsk diocese, Pereyaslav diocese.

In parts of the territories, Christianity was planted by force; at the same time, religious buildings of the pagans were destroyed, those who resisted were subjected to repression. However, it should be borne in mind that the resistance to baptism in the vast majority of cases, in essence, had a political, anti-Kyiv aspect rather than an anti-Christian one, although there were other aspects besides the political ones: social, cultural, everyday, etc.; Moreover, the religious aspect did not play a dominant role at all.

So, according to the report of the Jokimov Chronicle, confirmed by archaeological data of the 20th century, Novgorod actively resisted the introduction of Christianity: it was baptized in 990 by Bishop Joachim and the Novgorod posadnik Sparrow Stoyanovich with the military assistance of the Kyiv voivode Dobrynya (brother of the mother of Prince Vladimir - Malusha) and the thousand Putyata .

On the Finno-Ugric periphery of that time - in Rostov and Murom, resistance to the introduction of Christianity, according to traditional church history, continued until the 12th century: the first two bishops sent to Rostov were expelled, the third - St. Leonty did a lot to promote the Christian faith in Rostov. Resistance to baptism was also one of the factors that strengthened the Slavic colonization of North-Eastern Russia, into which staunch adherents of paganism moved. Rostovites were finally baptized only by Bishop Isaiah, who ascended the cathedra in 1078. By the 1070s, apparently, the events described in the "Life" of Avraamy of Rostov, in particular, the crushing of the idol of Veles, on the site of which the Epiphany Monastery was erected, also belong.

According to the Icelandic sagas, Polotsk was baptized around 1000 by the Icelandic Christian Viking Thorvald Kodransson, who received from the Emperor of Constantinople Basil II a letter of "plenipotentiary representative of Byzantium in the Russian cities of the Eastern Baltic."

Anniversary celebrations

The first official celebration of the baptism of Russia took place in 1888 at the initiative of the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, Konstantin Pobedonostsev. Anniversary events were held in Kyiv: on the eve of the anniversary, the Vladimir Cathedral was laid, a monument to Bogdan Khmelnitsky was unveiled, solemn divine services were performed.

The process of preparing the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia coincided with the "perestroika" and the policy of "glasnost" in the Soviet Union. The Soviet government showed interest in the celebrations: one of the landmark events was the transfer in 1983 to the possession of the Moscow Patriarchate of part of the buildings of the former St. Danilov Monastery, in which monastic life was revived and a spiritual and administrative center was created. The culmination of the celebrations on June 12, 1988 was the concelebration at the Danilov Monastery of numerous Orthodox hierarchs from all over the world. Then the celebrations moved to Kyiv, where on the last day of the celebrations, tens of thousands of participants witnessed a divine service in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, which took place for the first time in almost thirty years. In the future, throughout the year, events dedicated to the memorable date were held throughout the country. The main result of the celebrations was a powerful impetus to the revival of church life in the USSR.

In June 2008, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church decided on July 28, on the day of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, to celebrate the service according to the charter of the great holiday, and also turned to the leadership of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus with a proposal to include the day of St. Prince Vladimir among the state memorable dates.

The anniversary celebrations organized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2013 in honor of the 1025th anniversary of baptism were also timed to coincide with the memory of Prince Vladimir and took place in Moscow, Kyiv, and Minsk. In Kyiv, the celebrations were attended by the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and Viktor Yanukovych, as well as the leaders of Moldova and Serbia, Nikolai Timofti and Tomislav Nikolic.

Traditions, rituals, signs

The rite of baptism is a sacrament, so strangers are not allowed to it. The real parents of the baby cannot attend either; they either wait at the church or at home, laying the festive table. Unfortunately, today the practice is very common when the church appoints a certain day for christening and baptizes several babies and adults at once. But now only a priest can perform the sacrament of baptism, and earlier, if there was no church in the village (and there wasn’t, since the village with the church was already called a village), and the priest could not be reached due to, for example, impassability, then the child could to baptize any baptized person, however, observing all the prescribed canons. In rich houses, it was customary to call a priest to the house, especially if the house had a house chapel, and the poor carried their children to church. Surprisingly, no matter how cold the water in the font was, no matter how weak the child was, after baptism he never caught a cold.

What to do on the Day of the Baptism of Russia

The Church encourages all believers to attend the all-night service in the church, as well as the morning festive service and other festive events.

Happy holy name day to all Vladimirs.

All Orthodox Christians on this day are encouraged to remember their own baptism, to reflect on what it means for you to belong to the Church of Christ.

At home or in the temple, you can read any prayer or Creed:

I believe in one God, Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, of everything, both visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, from the Father begotten before all ages, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, through whom everything happened.

For the sake of us, people, and our sake, for the sake of salvation, he descended from heaven, and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and became human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried. And risen on the third day, according to the Scriptures.

And ascended into heaven, and sitting to the right of the Father. And he will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, and there will be no end to His Kingdom.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, with the Father and the Son equally worshiped and glorified, who spoke through the prophets. Into one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.

What not to do on the Day of the Baptism of Russia

The Day of the Baptism of Russia is a very big holiday, so the church does not recommend doing heavy physical labor and household chores. In particular, it is forbidden to arrange general cleaning, large-scale laundry and cooking, as well as work in the garden. You can only do household chores that you cannot do without, such as cooking and washing dishes.

It is highly undesirable on this day to quarrel, be offended and offend others, envy, get angry and experience other negative emotions. Try to spend this day in a festive mood.

The Church calls to refrain from noisy feasts, overeating and alcohol abuse.

Although the church does not have a strict rule regarding the ban on sex, it is still recommended for spouses to refrain from intimacy on this holiday.

Believing Russians annually celebrate one of the most important Orthodox holidays - the Day of the Baptism of Russia. The date of July 28 every year is the day of memory of Prince Vladimir the Baptist of Kievan Rus. From the name it becomes clear what this holiday is dedicated to. The formation of the Orthodox faith in Kievan Rus went through several difficult stages, each of which was of great importance. The day of the baptism of Russia has many customs and traditions, and this day is not complete without prohibitions, which should not be forgotten.

The day of the Baptism of Russia is considered a great holiday, so the church advises to refrain from physical work and household chores. It is forbidden to do general cleaning, washing, cooking and working in the garden or garden. You can work on this day only if absolutely necessary.

It is impossible on this day to quarrel with loved ones and swear. It is forbidden to get angry, envy and experience negative emotions. This day should be spent in a festive mood. The church does not encourage the use of alcoholic beverages and noisy feasts on this day.

On the day of the holiday, July 28, 2018, the church calls on all believers to attend an all-night service. If possible, you need to visit the Volodymyr's Hill in Kyiv. Or any other place associated with the name of this prince, for example, Vladimir Cathedral.

On this day, it is customary to congratulate all people who have the name Vladimir. All believers should remember the date of their baptism and think about their connection with the Lord and the church. At home or in the temple, you need to read any prayer - on this day it will have a special meaning.

The history of the baptism of Russia and the reign of Prince Vladimir

Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich of the Rurik dynasty was the grandson of Princess Olga. He had 2 older brothers - Yaropolk and Oleg. During military campaigns, Vladimir was expelled from Novgorod, Yaropolk, who ruled there, who came to power after the death of his father.

Then Vladimir Svyatoslavovich captured Polotsk, and in 978 he became the prince of Kyiv. At the time of the capture of Kyiv, he was a pagan and did not want to change his faith. Prince Vladimir persecuted and exterminated the few Christians on the territory of Kyiv.

In 987, he began to think about what kind of single faith to introduce in Kievan Rus. Prince Vladimir said that all people living in this territory would be baptized in the church of Constantinople.

Soon Vladimir himself was baptized, and later the Day of the Baptism of Russia took place. Interestingly, at the time of baptism, Prince Vladimir took the name Vasily, so the church always remembers him under this name.

During his reign, Vladimir adopted many church laws, introduced the spread of literacy, and arranged dinners for the poor every Sunday. He died in 1015 in Berestovo and was buried in the Church of the Tithes in Kyiv.

Baptism of Kievan Rus and the spread of Christianity

Christians lived in Kievan Rus even before it was baptized by Prince Vladimir. Apostle Andrew brought Christianity to these lands in the 1st century. According to legend, the hills on which Kyiv now rises were blessed by him. The Apostle Andrew also erected a cross here, on the site of which today there is St. Andrew's Church.

By the end of the 1st century, the apostle Clement, who was a disciple of Peter, preached on these lands. Later he became Pope Clement, whose relics are kept in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

Historians tell about another baptism of Russia, which took place 100 years before the baptism of Vladimir. It is called "Askold" because at that time the princes Askold and Dir were baptized. Princess Olga converted to Christianity in 957.

The baptism of Vladimir differs from all the others in that it was of a mass nature and had national significance. The date of the celebration of the Day of the Baptism of Russia coincides with the day of the death of Prince Vladimir - July 15, 1015 (July 28 according to the Julian calendar).

The Day of the Baptism of Russia is celebrated today by millions of people around the world. There is no exact date for the Baptism of Russia, but since 2010 this holiday has been celebrated at the state level in Russia on the day of memory of St. Prince Vladimir, who baptized Russia in 988.

This happened in Chersonese, in the Crimea.

Under the vaults of St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Chersonese, which have been prayed for centuries, there are the historical ruins of an ancient church, in which, according to legend, Prince Vladimir was baptized.

Baptism of Russia as a historical event

988 - everyone knows this date from school. It says a lot: in Russia, pagan polytheism, imbued with mystical rituals and sacrifices, has ended its existence, and a new era has begun in the history of the country's spiritual development.

The moment of acceptance by the Slavic people of baptism was recorded in the well-known chronicle, which has come down to our days: "The Tale of Bygone Years." According to an ancient historical source, the Sacrament took place in the waters of the Dnieper River.

Many are tormented by the question: why did Prince Vladimir choose precisely Orthodox Christianity?

Vladimir Yasnoe Solnyshko

The Prince of Kyiv, Equal-to-the-Apostles Saint Vladimir is, frankly, a colorful figure in history. Historians claim that the prince of Kyiv was distinguished by an indefatigable love for fornication. In addition, Vladimir worshiped pagan gods. By order of the prince, at the very beginning of his reign, a temple was built in Kyiv, in which there were statues of six main gods revered by future Christians, including Veles, Mokosh and Perun.

The prince was a conqueror by nature. The main management of his country was to strengthen and expand the borders. Vladimir could, for his unseemly deeds and addictions, earn the title of Bloodthirsty or Cruel-hearted, if Orthodoxy had not appeared so timely in the life of the Slavic people. The new religion radically changed the vicious soul, as if a person had been born again.

And today we know the prince as Vladimir the Great, Vladimir the Baptist. But the most beautiful title was given to the saint by folk epics: Vladimir the Clear Sun.

The grandson of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, in his youth, Prince Vladimir was a fierce pagan, a cruel warrior, a lover of women and wine. His miraculous transformation into the holy ruler of Russia is even more amazing from that.

The beginning of a miraculous change was the tragic episode of the death of the first Slavic martyrs for Christ. The pagan custom demanded from the ruler a bloody sacrifice to the Slavic deity Perun after a victorious campaign against the Yotvingians. Lots were cast for a boy named John. His father Theodore refused to extradite his son, declaring his Christianity. An angry mob brutally killed the father and son, who became the first martyrs of Russia.

Dying, the martyr Theodore said: “You don’t have gods, but trees, today you have them, and tomorrow they will rot ... God alone, who created the sky and the earth, the stars and the moon, and the sun, and man”

The bloody sacrifice made a deep impression on the prince, becoming one of the reasons for the search for a new faith.

As a wise politician, the prince understood that the savagery of paganism had outlived its age. Rampant behavior, the lack of unity of people, each tribe, each clan of which revered their deities, cannot bring the necessary power to the Slavs. The prince had already tried to rally the people by reforming paganism, urging them to believe in the idols erected on the Kiev hill. Nothing happened. Human blood did not give a solid foundation to the Kievan state. In the interests of the Fatherland and the state, it was necessary to adopt one faith, one that would unite disparate tribes into one people, and this would help to resist enemies together and earn the respect of allies. The clever prince understood this, but how, while still a pagan, was it possible to figure out which faith was true?

The rumor that the prince was dissatisfied with the pagan faith and was thinking about changing it quickly spread. Neighboring countries were interested in Russia accepting their faith. In 986, ambassadors began to come to the prince with a proposal to accept their religion.

The first came the Volga Bulgars, who professed Islam.

“Prince,” they said, “you seem to be wise and strong, but you do not know the true law; believe in Mohammed and worship him." Having asked about their law and heard about the circumcision of babies, the ban on eating pork and drinking wine, the prince renounced Islam.

Then the Catholic Germans came and said:

“We were sent to you from the pope, who ordered to tell you: “Our faith is the true light”…” But Vladimir replied: “Go back, because our fathers did not accept this.” Indeed, back in 962, the German emperor sent a bishop and priests to Kyiv, but they were not accepted in Russia and "barely escaped."

After that came the Khazar Jews.

They believed that since the two previous missions had failed, it meant that not only Islam, but also Christianity was rejected in Russia, therefore, Judaism remained. “Know that Christians believe in Him Whom our fathers once crucified, but we believe in the one God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” After listening to the Jews about their law and rules of life, Vladimir asked: “Tell me, where is your homeland?” To this, the Jews honestly answered: “Our homeland is in Jerusalem, but God, angry with our fathers, scattered us to different countries, and gave our land to the power of Christians.”

Vladimir drew the correct conclusion: “If so, how do you teach others when you yourself are rejected by God? If God had been pleased with your law, He would not have scattered you into foreign lands. Or do you want us to suffer the same fate? So the Jews left.

After that, a Greek philosopher appeared in Kyiv. History has not preserved his name, but it was he who, with his speech on Orthodoxy, was able to make the strongest impression on Prince Vladimir. The philosopher told the prince about the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, about heaven and hell, about the mistakes and errors of other faiths. In conclusion, he showed a picture of the Second Coming of Christ and the Last Judgment. Struck by this picture, the Grand Duke said: "Good for those who stand to the right, and woe to those who stand to the left." The philosopher answered this: "If you want to stand on the right side, then be baptized."

And although Prince Vladimir did not make a final decision, he seriously thought about it. He knew that there were more and more Christians both in the squad and in the city, he remembered the fearlessness of Saints Theodore and John, who went to their death with the confession of Jesus Christ, he also remembered his grandmother Olga, who accepted Christian Baptism in spite of everyone. Something in the prince's soul began to lean towards Orthodoxy, but Vladimir did not yet dare to do anything and gathered the boyars and city elders for advice. It was they who advised the prince to send "kind and sensible men" to different countries, so that they could actually compare how different nations worship God.

Having visited the religious services of Muslims and Latins, the ambassadors of Prince Vladimir arrived in Constantinople, where they attended the service in the Hagia Sophia. In a literal sense, they were fascinated by the otherworldly beauty of the worship there. Orthodox priesthood had an unforgettable effect on them.

Upon their return to Kyiv, the ambassadors told Prince Vladimir: “During the service, we did not understand where we were: whether there, in heaven, or here, on earth. We are not even able to tell about the holiness and solemnity of the rites of Greek worship; but we are quite sure that God Himself is present in Greek temples along with those who pray, and that Greek worship is better than all the rest. We will never forget this holy celebration, and we can no longer serve our gods.

The boyars remarked to this: “If the Greek law were not the best, then your grandmother Princess Olga, the wisest of all people, would not have accepted it.” "Where shall we be baptized?" the prince asked. “And this is where you wish, we will accept it there,” they answered him.

It was only necessary to wait for the right moment to accept Christianity. Such an opportunity soon presented itself.

The Byzantine Empire is a powerful ally, a state with great culture, advanced science and technology. In 987, a revolt arose in Byzantium against the legitimate emperors. In view of the mortal threat, Emperor Vasily II urgently turned to Prince Vladimir for help. The case for the unexpected rise of Russia in the international arena turned out to be the most appropriate!

Prince Vladimir provides military assistance to Byzantium in suppressing a military rebellion in exchange for a promise of baptism and marriage to the Emperor's daughter Anna. The cunning Greeks decided to deceive the prince and hesitated to marry. In response, he captures Chersonese - the ancient Black Sea port - the basis of Greek influence in the Black Sea region. Then Emperor Basil, wishing for a peaceful outcome of the conflict, sends Anna to Chersonese, reminding her that she should marry a Christian, not a pagan.

Princess Anna arrived in Korsun accompanied by priests. Everything went to the baptism of the Grand Duke. Of course, his mind and military strength decided quite a lot. However, for a visual, obvious conviction, God Himself intervened directly in the events: Prince Vladimir went blind.

Upon learning of this, Princess Anna sent a message to him: "If you want to get well, then be baptized as soon as possible." It was then that Vladimir ordered to prepare everything necessary for Holy Baptism.

The sacrament of Baptism was performed by the bishop of Korsun with the clergy, and as soon as Vladimir plunged into the font of Baptism, he miraculously received his sight. The chronicle preserved the words that the prince symbolically uttered after Baptism: “Now I have seen the true God.” It really was an insight, not only bodily, but also spiritual. A personal meeting with the Lord took place in the secret places of the heart of St. Vladimir. From that moment begins the path of Prince Vladimir as a holy man and wholly devoted to Christ.

Many of the prince's retinue, seeing the miracle of healing that took place over him, accepted holy Baptism here, in Chersonese. The marriage of Grand Duke Vladimir and Princess Anna was also performed.

The prince returned the city of Chersonesos to Byzantium as a gift for the royal bride, and at the same time he built a temple in the city in the name of St. John the Baptist in memory of his baptism. As for the rest of the wives acquired in paganism, the prince freed them from marital duties.

Thus, after Baptism, the prince began a new life in the truest sense of the word.

Upon arrival in Kyiv, Saint Vladimir immediately baptized his sons. He was baptized and his whole house, and many boyars.

Then the Equal-to-the-Apostles prince set about eradicating paganism, ordered the overthrow of the idols, the very ones that he had set up a few years before. There was a decisive change in the heart, mind, and the whole inner world of the prince. Idols that darkened the souls of people and accepted human sacrifices were ordered to be treated in the most severe way. Some were burned, others were chopped with a sword, and the main "god" Perun was tied to the tail of a horse, dragged from the mountain down the street, beaten with clubs, and then thrown into the waters of the Dnieper. Vigilantes stood along the river and pushed the idol away from the shore: there is no return to the old lie. So Russia said goodbye to the pagan gods.

In 988, the most massive baptism of the Slavs in the history of Russia took place on the banks of the Dnieper. The prince announced: "If someone does not come to the river tomorrow - whether it be rich, or poor, or a beggar, or a slave, he will be my enemy." This meant that those who disagreed with the prince's will could collect their belongings and look for a new home in another state. However, the chronicler notes that the common people gladly accept the prince's will: "Hearing this, the people went with joy, rejoicing and saying: If it were not good, our prince and boyars would not accept this."

After a short time, Kievan Rus was baptized.

These events - the Baptism of Russia and the overthrow of paganism became the beginning of the renewed Russian statehood. In the history of the state there will be many more dark pages, misfortunes, evil, but Russia will no longer be pagan.

Having become a Christian, Saint Prince Vladimir remained in the people's memory as Vladimir "Red Sun" - the best ruler of Russia. By his example, he showed the people how to live.

Mercy to his subjects, constant alms to the poor, rich contributions to the well-being of the Holy Church, the construction of temples, the reliable protection of the state, the expansion of its borders - all this attracted the people to him.

The prince became so merciful that he imposed a ban on the death penalty for criminals. The crime rate has risen. Then the church authorities began to ask the ruler to return capital punishment in order to stop evil.

At the age of about 60 years, which by the standards of those times was considered a deep old age, Saint Prince Vladimir peacefully passed away to the Lord.

His sacred remains were laid in the tomb of the Church of the Tithes, built in honor of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos on Kiev Hill - the site of the murder of the first martyrs Theodore and his son John.

In place of the font, there is a slab of dark gray marble with a white cross, and next to it is a lectern with the inscription: "Part of the relics of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Vladimir, transferred to the Chersonesos Monastery in the month of July, by order of the deceased Emperor Alexander II in Boza." This most valuable relic was transferred to the cathedral from the Small House Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg in 1859. The font and the lectern are protected by an openwork lattice of white marble.

Among the shrines of St. Vladimir's Cathedral are relics of 115 saints glorified in the Orthodox Church. In the altar of the Upper Church is the Korsun miraculous icon of the Mother of God.

According to legend, Prince Vladimir himself transferred this icon to Chersonesus.

On July 28, the Orthodox churches of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and other countries will be united by a wave of bell ringing, which at noon local time will begin in Kamchatka, reach Kyiv, Moscow and go further towards Europe………

Our ancestors adopted the Christian faith, and with it a system of values, the moral strength of which is such that no historical vicissitudes can destroy it. A powerful foundation was laid, on the basis of which the body of united Russia grew. And although today we live in different countries, that spiritual foundation remains common and it unites all the fraternal Slavic peoples.

The spiritual heritage is also common, in particular, the monasteries and temples that pilgrims visit, regardless of borders.

Orthodoxy is what most strongly unites White, Lesser and Great Russia.

The adoption of Christianity as the state religion changed the course of history in many ways. This is one of the main stages in the development of Kievan Rus as a state. Orthodoxy is a deep layer of the culture of the people as a whole, its spirituality. In Russia, there are several more religions, given the multinationality of the country, but Christianity is still considered the main one.

Story

Not many people know that before the baptism of Russia took place, several options for establishing the state religion were considered. Among others was also Islam. But the bright Prince Vladimir gave preference to Christianity as the most correct and true teaching of morality. The Baptism of Russia is a historical event that took place in 988. Ancient Slavic sources describe this action in detail. Baptism itself took place in the waters of the Dnieper, carried out by clergy from Byzantium. Prince Vladimir actively introduced Christianity to the masses - he built new cities and churches. But the true baptism of Russia continued for several centuries, until the souls and hearts of people completely replaced paganism and its traditions.

This day as a holiday began to be celebrated recently. In 2008, the Orthodox Church petitioned the presidents of the Russian Federation and Belarus to introduce a holiday to honor Prince Vladimir. From that moment, the development of a federal law on the approval of this Orthodox holiday began. In 2010, this law was signed by the President and entered into force.

Traditions

The celebration of the Day of the Baptism of Russia is becoming more and more popular every year. The center of the celebration is considered to be the city of Kyiv - the place where the rite of the baptism of Russia took place. This is a holiday of all believers, ministers of the church, the Supreme clergy.

On this day, mass cultural, religious, educational events, prayers are held in all cities of Russia. Believers come from all over the Orthodox world to the heart of Christianity - Kyiv, attend festive prayers. The clergy in their parishes tell the story of the holiday in sermons, glorify the bright Prince Vladimir, who was called the Baptist of Russia. People, tired of lack of spirituality and immorality, pray for the revival of peace and goodness throughout the earth. This is a bright beautiful holiday with an unusually pure aura and harmony.

July 28 (July 15, old style) The Day of the Baptism of Russia is an officially recognized and celebrated commemorative date since 2010. Its state and religious symbolism consists in the unification of the Slavic peoples by one great idea - the Christian faith.

The historical fact of the baptism of Russia

The main historical character of the event is Prince Vladimir the Red Sun, revered as a saint Equal to the Apostles, the Baptist of Russia. The grandson of Princess Olga, who was baptized back in 921 in Byzantium, and the son of the seer Maklusha, who was known among the people, ascended to reign after his father, Prince Svyatoslav. He definitely did not name his faith, but as the chronicle reports, he did not disdain “feasts with drink”. The question of choosing a single faith for a young power growing with tribes stood for a long time, the scattered tribes, convinced of the mercy of the prince, regularly bowed to submission, but could not agree on monotheism. In order to unite his subjects, who are ready to fight because of questions of faith, since 986 Vladimir sends ambassadors to study the intricacies of religious rites and invites embassies to him.

There are several versions of why Russia was baptized, and not converted to Judaism or Islam.

The Slavic peoples who inhabited the regions at that time worshiped pagan gods, the pantheon consisted of several hundred names. The transition to monotheism was initially a complex and sensitive issue. Not only a gracious, but also a prudent prince was looking for an option that would suit the ruling families as much as possible: would allow religion to be used as an instrument of coercion. Christianity, built on the fear of the Lord's punishment, suited him in every way. Other options were considered precisely as a search for a strong ally and were swept aside for political and economic reasons. The Volga Bulgarians, who advocated Islam, were blamed for the weak security of the borders, the Catholic Germans were turned away because of the prospect of a difficult translation of writing into Latin, the Khazars who preached Judaism because of the large number of non-working days.

The second version, which is presented by religious institutions, is the Miracle of the Lord, which descended on the Grand Duke, who oversaw the performance of the rite in Constantinople. Blinded during the service, Vladimir was allegedly healed with holy water and prayer, after which he was forced to acknowledge the power of the word of God.

There are a lot of versions for reflection, so the easiest way is to look at the facts:

Having captured the lands up to Korsun (Chersonese) by 988, the prince was forced to stop: it was both economically and practically unprofitable to fight with Byzantium. To prevent this fact from becoming obvious, he proposed a tribal union and peace, subject to marriage with the sister of the current co-ruler brothers. The response condition was the adoption of Christianity, so that the young would not go to a non-believer. In the same year, on Easter Day, the prince was baptized in the waters of the Dnieper and named after Vasily.

The baptism of Russia, as a mass phenomenon, continued for several more decades and did not go smoothly everywhere.

Any version of the prehistory of the baptism of Russia confirms that the celebration of the Day of the baptism of Russia is a tribute to the event that united the country and gave the meaning of global existence.

Traditions and myths about the baptism of Russia

Sending the ambassadors home, Vladimir could not openly talk about the motives for the refusal. In particular, in order not to offend Muslims who forbid the use of intoxicating drinks, Vladimir said: “Fun in Russia is to drink, and we cannot live without it.” It is this phrase that has been cited for more than 1000 years as evidence of Russian alcohol abuse. In fact, by the time of such a statement, Russia practically did not drink, unlike wine-making Europe.

Official approval of the memorable date

With a request to consider the possibility of making July 28 an official holiday to the President of the Russian Federation D.I. Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II turned to Medvedev. He noted the most important role of the event in the historical self-determination of peoples and in the formation of citizenship. Before the official transfer of the issue to the Duma, V.V. Putin turned to representatives of other leading confessions in terms of the number of flocks and asked their opinion. The approval was unanimous. After 2 years, on February 16, 2910, an amendment appeared in Article 1.1 of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On the days of military glory and memorable dates in Russia”, which determines the date of the Day of the Baptism of Russia.

Rules for celebrating a memorable date on July 28

The main part of the festivities takes place in Orthodox churches: during the solemn liturgy, chants are sung in praise of St. Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles. Educational events and historical excursions are held in secular institutions. Reconstructionist movements arrange reviews and imitations of the battles and campaigns of Prince Vladimir.

Similarly, festivities are held in the Republic of Belarus and Ukraine. In the latter, the holiday was renamed “The Day of the Baptism of Kievan Rus-Ukraine”, but is celebrated on the same day.