Vladimir, Czar of Russia

Vladimir, Czar of Russia

Male 956 - 1015  (59 years)

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  • Name Vladimir  
    Suffix Czar of Russia 
    Birth 956  Kiev, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2
    • What is the meaning of the word, "Ukraine"?

      In most Slavic languages, "kraina" means "country" or "land". The word "krai" in Russian is used this way too (several regions within Russia are categorized as "krai"), but its second meaning "edge"/"boundary" is often pitched by Russia to interpret the word "Ukraine" as "borderlands" (of Russia, of course).

      Source: https://www.quora.com/What-does-Ukraine-for-Ukrainians-mean

      What is the meaning of the word, "Russia"?

      1530s, from Medieval Latin Russi "the people of Russia," from Rus, the native name of the people and the country (source of Arabic Rus, Medieval Greek Rhos), originally the name of a group of Swedish merchant/warriors who established themselves around Kiev 9c.

      Source: https://www.etymonline.com/word/russia
    Gender Male 
    Religion
    • converted to Christianity
    Death 15 Jul 1015  Kiev, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2
    Person ID I51034  The Hennessee Family
    Last Modified 15 Feb 2019 

    Father Sviatoslav, I, Grand Prince of Kiev,   b. ~941, Kiev, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 26 Mar 972, Khortytsia, Dnieper, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Mother Malusha,   b. (0944), (Kiev, Ukraine) Find all individuals with events at this locationd. (1002) 
    Marriage Y  [4, 5
    Family ID F19009  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Rogneda of Polotsk, Princess Consort of Rus,   b. 0Apr 962, Polotsk, Russia Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1002, Berestovo, Kiev, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 39 years) 
    Marriage Y  [1, 2, 6
    Divorce Y  [7
    Children 
     1. Yaroslav, I, Czar of Russia,   b. 976, Kiev, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 20 Feb 1054, Kiev, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 78 years)
    Family ID F18997  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 30 Apr 2023 

    Family 2 Anna Porphyrogenita, Princess of Byzantium,   b. 13 Mar 0963, Constantinople, Turkey Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Marriage 0989  Kherson, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location  [8, 9
    • Anna (March 13, 963 - 1011/12) was the daughter of Byzantine Emperor Romanos II and the Empress Theophano. She was also the sister of Emperors Basil II Bulgaroktonos (The Bulgar-Slayer) and Constantine VIII.

      Anna was a Porphyrogenita, a legitimate daughter born in the special purple chamber of the Byzantine Emperor's Palace.

      Anna's hand was considered such a prize that Vladimir became Christian just to marry her.
    Children 
     1. Arlogia of Orkney, Countess of Orkney,   b. 1015, Kiev, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 10 Dec 1046, Orkney Islands, Orkney, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 31 years)
    Family ID F19000  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 30 Apr 2023 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 956 - Kiev, Ukraine Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 0989 - Kherson, Ukraine Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 15 Jul 1015 - Kiev, Ukraine Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Photos
    Varangians Trade Routes
    Varangians Trade Routes
    Map showing the major Varangian trade routes: the Volga trade route (in red) and the Dnieper and Dniester routes (in purple). Other trade routes of the 8th-11th centuries shown in orange.
    Vladimir the Great
    Vladimir the Great

  • Notes 
    • Vladimir the Great (also (Saint) Vladimir of Kiev; Old East Slavic: ?????????? ????????????, Volodimer? Svetoslavic?,[3] Old Norse Valdamarr gamli;[4] c. 958 – 15 July 1015, Berestove) was a prince of Novgorod, grand prince of Kiev, and ruler of Kievan Rus' from 980 to 1015.[5][6]

      Vladimir's father was prince Sviatoslav of the Rurik dynasty.[7] 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 Hęakon Sigurdsson, ruler of Norway, he assembled a Varangian army and reconquered Novgorod from Yaropolk.[8] By 980, Vladimir had consolidated the Kievan realm from modern-day Belarus, Russia and Ukraine to the Baltic Sea and had solidified the frontiers against incursions of Bulgarian, Baltic tribes and Eastern nomads. Originally a follower of Slavic paganism, Vladimir converted to Christianity in 988[9][10][11] and Christianized the Kievan Rus'.[12]

      Rise to power

      Born in 958, Vladimir 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 of Kiev, who was Christian and governed the capital during Sviatoslav's frequent military campaigns. His place of birth is identified by different authors either as Budyatychi (modern Volyn Oblast, Ukraine)[13][14][15] or Budnik (ru:?????? (???????); modern Pskov Oblast, Russia).[16]

      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 at the hands of the Pechenegs in 972, a fratricidal war erupted in 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 Norse warriors as he could to assist him to recover Novgorod. On his return the next year, he 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, so Vladimir attacked Polotsk, slew Rogvolod, and took Ragnhild by force. Polotsk was a key fortress on the way to Kiev, and capturing Polotsk and Smolensk facilitated the taking of Kiev in 978, where he slew Yaropolk by treachery and was proclaimed knyaz of all Kievan Rus.[17]

      Years of pagan rule

      Vladimir continued to expand his territories beyond his father's extensive domain. In 981, he seized the Cherven towns from the Poles; in 981–982, he suppressed a Vyatichi rebellion; in 983, he subdued the Yatvingians; in 984, he conquered the Radimichs; and in 985, he conducted a military campaign against the Volga Bulgars,[18][19] planting numerous fortresses and colonies on his way.

      Although Christianity spread in the region under Oleg's rule, Vladimir had remained a thoroughgoing pagan, taking eight hundred concubines (along with numerous wives) and erecting pagan statues and shrines to gods.[20]

      He may have attempted to reform Slavic paganism in an attempt to identify himself with the various gods worshipped by his subjects. He built a pagan temple on the a hill in Kiev dedicated to six gods: Perun - the god of thunder and war "a Norse god favored by members of the prince’s druzhina (military retinue)". Slav gods Stribog and Dazhd'bog; Mokosh - a goddess representing Mother Nature "worshipped by Finnish tribes"; Khors and Simargl, "both of which had Iranian origins, were included, probably to appeal to the Poliane."[21]

      Open abuse of the deities that most people in Rus' revered triggered widespread indignation. A mob killed the Christian Fyodor and his son Ioann (later, after the overall christening of Kievan Rus', people came to regard these two as the first Christian martyrs in Rus', and the Orthodox Church[citation needed] set a day to commemorate them, 25 July). Immediately after the murder of Fyodor and Ioann, early medieval Rus' saw persecutions against Christians, many of whom escaped or concealed their belief.[22]

      However, Prince Vladimir mused over the incident long after, and not least for political considerations. According to the early Slavic chronicle called Tale of Bygone Years, which describes life in Kievan Rus' up to the year 1110, he sent his envoys throughout the civilized world to judge first hand the major religions of the time, Islam, Roman Catholicism, Judaism, and Byzantine Orthodoxy. They were most impressed with their visit to Constantinople, saying, "We knew not whether we were in Heaven or on Earth… We only know that God dwells there among the people, and their service is fairer than the ceremonies of other nations."[23]

      Christianization of the Kievan Rus'
      Main article: Christianization of Kievan Rus'

      The Baptism of Saint Prince Vladimir, by Viktor Vasnetsov (1890)

      The Primary Chronicle reports that in the year 987, after consultation with his boyars, Vladimir the Great 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 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 reported that Islam was undesirable due to its taboo against alcoholic beverages and pork.[24] Vladimir remarked on the occasion: "Drinking is the joy of all Rus'. We cannot exist without that pleasure."[25] Ukrainian and Russian sources also describe Vladimir consulting with Jewish envoys and questioning them about their religion, but ultimately rejecting it as well, saying that their loss of Jerusalem was evidence that they had been abandoned by God.

      His emissaries also visited pre-schism Latin Rite Christian and Eastern Rite Christian missionaries.[citation needed] Ultimately Vladimir settled on Eastern Orthodox 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 even more attracted by the political gains of the Byzantine alliance.


      Saint Vladimir Monument on Saint Vladimir Hill in Kiev, often depicted in paintings and photographs of the city

      In 988, having taken the town of Chersonesos in Crimea, he boldly negotiated for the hand of emperor Basil II's sister, Anna.[26] 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 to a pagan Slav seemed impossible. Vladimir was baptized at Chersonesos, however, taking the Christian name of Basil out of compliment to his imperial brother-in-law; the sacrament was followed by his wedding to Anna. Returning to Kiev in triumph, he destroyed pagan monuments and established many churches, starting with a church dedicated to St. Basil,[27] and the Church of the Tithes (989).

      Arab sources, both Muslim and Christian, present a different story of Vladimir's conversion. Yahya of Antioch, al-Rudhrawari, al-Makin, Al-Dimashqi, and ibn al-Athir all give essentially the same account.[28] 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 to Christianize his people. When the wedding arrangements were settled, Vladimir dispatched 6,000 troops to the Byzantine Empire, and they helped to put down the revolt.[29]

      In 988 and 991, he baptized Pecheneg princes Metiga and Kuchug, respectively.[30]

      Christian reign

      The Pontic steppes, c. 1015

      Vladimir then formed a great council out of his boyars and set his twelve sons over his subject principalities. According to the Primary Chronicle, he founded the city of Belgorod in 991. In 992, he went on a campaign against the Croats, most likely the White Croats 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, and 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 him. Vladimir fell ill, however, most likely of old age, and died at Berestove, near Kiev. The various parts of his dismembered body were distributed among his numerous sacred foundations and were venerated as relics.

      During his Christian reign, Vladimir lived the teachings of the Bible through acts of charity. He would hand out food and drink to the less fortunate, and made an effort to go out to the people who could not reach him. His work was based on the impulse to help one’s neighbors by sharing the burden of carrying their cross.[31]

      Family

      Main article: Family life and children of Vladimir I

      Vladimir and Rogneda (1770)

      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[citation needed]
      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), was perhaps the first husband of Estrid Svendsdatter
      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 Boleslaw 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 Boleslaw 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 Porphyrogenita
      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 Porphyrogenita
      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 [Regelindis])
      Maria Dobroniega of Kiev (~1012), the Duchess of Poland (1040–1087), married around 1040 to Casimir I the Restorer, Duke of Poland, her maternity as daughter of this wife is deduced from her apparent age
      other possible family
      Vladimirovna, an out-of-marriage daughter (d. 1044), married to Bernard, Margrave of the Nordmark.
      Pozvizd (prior to 988–?), a son of Vladimir according to Hustyn Chronicles. He, possibly, was the Prince Khrisokhir mentioned by Niketas Choniates.
      Significance and legacy

      Vladimir the Great portrait on obverse ?1 bill circa 2006

      The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the feast day of St. Vladimir on 15 July.[32]

      The town Volodymyr-Volynskyi in north-western Ukraine was founded by Vladimir and is named after him.[33] The foundation of another town, Vladimir in Russia, is usually attributed to Vladimir Monomakh. However some researchers argue that it was also founded by Vladimir the Great.[34]

      St Volodymyr's Cathedral, one of the largest cathedrals in Kiev, is dedicated to Vladimir the Great, as was originally the University of Kiev. The Imperial Russian Order of St. Vladimir and Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in the United States are also named after him.

      The memory of Vladimir was also kept alive by innumerable Russian folk ballads and legends, which refer to him as Krasno Solnyshko (the Fair (or Red) Sun). The Varangian period of Eastern Slavic history ceases with Vladimir, and the Christian period begins. The appropriation of Kievan Rus' as part of national history has also been a topic of contention in Ukrainophile vs. Russophile schools of historiography since the Soviet era.[35]

      During his leadership, all branches of the economy prospered under him.[36] He was able to mint coins and regulated foreign affairs with other countries such as trade. Through trade he brought in Greek wines, Baghdad spices, and Arab horses to trade at the markets of Kiev.


      Vladimir the Great on the Millennium of Russia monument in Novgorod



      Monument to Vladimir the Great and the monk Fyodor at Pushkin Park in Vladimir, Russia



      Vladimir as a symbol of Ukrainian nationalism: "St Volodymyr – Ruler of Ukraine, 980–1015, erected by Ukrainians in Great Britain in 1988 to celebrate the establishment of Christianity in Ukraine by St. Volodymir in 988"

      See also

      Saints portal
      List of Russian rulers
      List of Ukrainian rulers
      Family life and children of Vladimir I
      List of people known as The Great
      Saint Vladimir Monument
      Prince Vladimir, Russian animated feature film (2006)
      Viking (film)
      Vladimir Putin

      Notes

      Dyba, Yury (2012). Aleksandrovych V.; Voitovych, Leontii; et al., eds. ?????????-?????? ?????? ???????? ??????????? ???????????? ??? ?????????? ????? ?????????? ??????????????: ??????????? ?????????? ???? [Historical-geographic figurative context of the chronicled report about the birth of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich: localisation of a busy village] (PDF). ????? ????: ??????? ? ???????? [Era of the Princes: history and culture] (in Ukrainian). Lviv. 6. ISSN 2221-6294. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
      Harvard Ukrainian studies, Vol. 12–13, p. 190, Harvard Ukrainian studies, 1990
      Volodimer? is the East Slavic form of the given name; this form was influenced and partially replaced by the Old Bulgarian (Old Church Slavonic) form Vladimer? (by folk etymology later also Vladimir?; in modern East Slavic, the given name is rendered Ukrainian: ????????? Volodymyr, Russian: ?????´??? Vladimir, Belarusian: ?????i?i? Uladzimir. See Vladimir (name) for details.
      Fagrskinna ch. 21 (ed. Finnur Jâonsson 1902–8, p. 108).
      Companion to the Calendar: A Guide to the Saints and Mysteries of the Christian Calendar, p. 105, Mary Ellen Hynes, Ed. Peter Mazar, LiturgyTrainingPublications, 1993
      National geographic, Vol. 167, p. 290, National Geographic Society, 1985
      Vladimir I (Grand Prince of Kiev), Encyclopµdia Britannica
      Den hellige Vladimir av Kiev (~956–1015), Den katolske kirke website
      Vladimir the Great, Encyclopedia of Ukraine
      Saint Vladimir the Baptizer: Wetting cultural appetites for the Gospel, Dr. Alexander Roman, Ukrainian Orthodoxy website
      Ukrainian Catholic Church: part 1., The Free Library
      Vladimir I, Encyclopµdia Britannica
      ???? ?. ?????????-???????????? ???????? ??????????? ???????????? ??? ?????????? ????? ?????????? ??????????????: ??????????? ?????????? ???? // ????? ????. ??????? ? ????????. ?????: ???????? ??????????????? ??. ?. ????'??????? ??? ???????. — ???. VI. — ?. 37-70

      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). "Vladimir, St". Encyclopµdia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
      Some historical analysis and political insights on the state affairs of Vladimir the Great (in Russian)
      Moss, Walter G. (2002) "A History of Russia Volume I: To 1917" (London: Anthem Press).
      External links
      Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vladimir I of Kiev.
      Velychenko, Stephen, How Valdamarr Sveinaldsson got to Moscow (krytyka.com), 9 November 2015. [2]
    • Vladimir I Sviatoslavich
      SuffixSuggest a change for this event Czar of Russia
      BornSuggest a change for this event 960 , Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      Gender Male
      NameSuggest a change for this event Vladimir I "The Great" Sviatoslavich
      ReligionSuggest a change for this event Abt 989 , Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      Converted to Christianity
      DiedSuggest a change for this event 15 Jul 1015 , Berestovo, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      BuriedSuggest a change for this event Church of Tithes, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      Headstones Submit Headstone Photo Submit Headstone Photo
      Person ID I3910 Full Tree
      Last Modified 27 Sep 2013

      Father Sviatoslav I Igorovich, Czar of Russia
      b. 942, of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. 972, , Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      Mother Duchess Malusha von Lčubeck
      b. Abt 944, of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. 1002
      MarriedSuggest a change for this event Abt 959 , Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location [1, 2, 6]
      StatusSuggest a change for this event Concubinage
      Family ID F1903 Group Sheet | Family Chart

      Wife 1 Adlaga de Kiev, Grand Duchess of Kiev
      b. Abt 959, of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. Yes, date unknown
      MarriedSuggest a change for this event Abt 976 of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      Children
      1. Vysheslav Vladimirovich, Duke of Novgorod
      b. Abt 977, of, Novgorod, Novgorod Oblast, Russia Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. 1010
      Last Modified 17 Aug 2010
      Family ID F1818 Group Sheet | Family Chart

      Wife 2 Olava de Kiev, Grand Duchess of Kiev
      b. Abt 953, of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. Yes, date unknown
      MarriedSuggest a change for this event Abt 977 of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      Last Modified 17 Aug 2010
      Family ID F1819 Group Sheet | Family Chart

      Wife 3 Predislava de Kiev, Grand Duchess of Kiev
      b. Abt 960, of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. Yes, date unknown
      MarriedSuggest a change for this event 980 of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      Last Modified 17 Aug 2010
      Family ID F1820 Group Sheet | Family Chart

      Wife 4 Milolika Asen, Princess of Bulgaria
      b. Abt 963, of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. Yes, date unknown
      MarriedSuggest a change for this event Bef 982 of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      Children
      1. Boris David Vladimirovich, Duke of Rostov
      b. Abt 982, of, Rostov-Yaroslavski, Yaroslavski Oblast, Russia Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. 24 Jul 1015
      2. Gleb Roman Vladimirovich, Duke of Murom
      b. Abt 983, of, Murom, Vladimir Oblast, Russia Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. Abt 5 Aug 1015
      3. Stanslav Vladimirovich, Duke of Smolensk
      b. Abt 984, of, Smolensk, Smolensk Oblast, Russia Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. Aft 1015
      4. Pozvizd Vladimirovich, Duke of Vladimir-Volnysk
      b. Abt 985, of, Vladimir-Volynski, Volyn Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. Aft 1015
      5. Sudislav Vladimirovich, Duke of Pskov
      b. Abt 986, of, Pskov, Pskov Oblast, Russia Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. 1063-1065
      Last Modified 17 Aug 2010
      Family ID F1821 Group Sheet | Family Chart

      Wife 5 Malfriede Premysl, Princess of Bohemia
      b. Abt 960, of, Prague, Praha, Czechoslovakia Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      MarriedSuggest a change for this event Abt 987 of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      Children
      1. Svyatoslav Vladimirovich, Duke of Drevlians
      b. Abt 988, of, Ovruch, Zhitomir Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. Aft 15 Jul 1015
      Last Modified 17 Aug 2010
      Family ID F1823 Group Sheet | Family Chart

      Wife 6 Miss Oehringen
      b. Abt 991, of Oehringen, Jagstkreis, Baden-Wčurttemberg, Schwaben, Germany Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. Aft 14 Aug 1018
      MarriedSuggest a change for this event Abt 1013 of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      Last Modified 17 Aug 2010
      Family ID F1824 Group Sheet | Family Chart

      Wife 7 Princess Rogneda zu Polotsk
      b. Abt 962, of, Polotsk, Polotsk Oblast, Byelorussia Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. 1002
      MarriedSuggest a change for this event Abt 977 of, Polotsk, Polotsk Oblast, Byelorussia Find all individuals with events at this location
      Children
      + 1. Iszyaslav Vladimirovich, Duke of Polotsk
      b. Abt 978, of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. 1001
      2. Vsevolod Vladimirovich, Prince of Vladimir
      b. Abt 979, of, Vladimir-Volynski, Volyn Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. 1015
      + 3. Yaroslav I Vladimirovich, Czar of Russia
      b. 980, of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. 20 Feb 1054, , Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      4. Prâemieslawa Vladimirovna, Princess of Kiev
      b. Abt 984, of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. Aft 1018
      5. Mstislav Vladimirovich, Duke of Chernigov
      b. Abt 988, of, Chernigov, Chernigov Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. 1035-1036, , Chernigov, Chernigov Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      Last Modified 17 Aug 2010
      Family ID F1828 Group Sheet | Family Chart

      Wife 8 Anna Lekapene, Princess of the Byzantine Empire
      b. 13 Mar 963, of, Constantinople, Constantinople, Byzantium Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. 1011
      MarriedSuggest a change for this event 989 , Kherson, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      MARRIAGE: Married 7 Pagan wives (Rogneide was one) by whom he had 22 children (prior to Anna) [7]
      Children
      + 1. Arlogia Vladimirovna, Countess of Orkney
      b. Abt 1011, of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. Yes, date unknown
      + 2. Dobronegra Mariya Vladimirovna, Princess of Kiev
      b. Abt 1012, of, Kiev, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Find all individuals with events at this location
      d. 1087
      Last Modified 17 Aug 2010
      Family ID F1933 [3]
    • Volodymyr the Great (Valdamar, Volodimer, Vladimir), b ca 956, d 15 July 1015 in Vyshhorod, near Kyiv. Grand prince of Kyiv from 980; son of Sviatoslav I Ihorovych and Malusha; half-brother of Yaropolk I Sviatoslavych and Oleh Sviatoslavych; and father of 11 princes by five wives, including Sviatopolk I, Yaroslav the Wise, Mstyslav Volodymyrovych, and Saints Borys and Hlib. In 969 Grand Prince Sviatoslav I named his son Volodymyr the prince of Novgorod the Great, where the latter ruled under the guidance of his uncle, Dobrynia. In 977 a struggle for power broke out among Sviatoslav's sons. Yaropolk I, who was then the grand prince of Kyiv, seized the Derevlianian land and Novgorod, thereby forcing Volodymyr to flee to Scandinavia. In 980 Volodymyr returned to Rus’ with a Varangian force, expelled Yaropolk's governors from Novgorod, and took Polatsk after a battle in which Prince Rogvolod of Polatsk was slain. Volodymyr took Rogvolod's daughter, Rohnida, as his wife. Later that year he captured Kyiv and had Yaropolk murdered, thereby becoming the grand prince , and married Yaropolk's Greek widow.

      Over the next 35 years Volodymyr expanded the borders of Kyivan Rus’ and turned it into one of the most powerful states in Eastern Europe. After taking the Cherven towns and Peremyshl from Poland (981) and waging successful wars against the Viatichians (981–2) and Radimichians (984) he united the remaining East Slavic tribes, divided his realm into lands, and installed his sons or viceroys to govern them, dispense princely justice, and collect tribute. In 983 Volodymyr waged war against the Yatvingians and thereby gained access to the Baltic Sea. In 985 he defeated the Khazars and Volga Bulgars and secured his state's eastern frontier. Volodymyr devoted considerable attention to defending his southern borders against the nomadic Pechenegs and Chorni Klobuky. He had lines of fortifications built along the Irpin River, the Stuhna River, the Trubizh River, and the Sula River and founded fortified towns (eg, Vasylkiv, Voin, and Bilhorod) that were joined by earthen ramparts.

      Volodymyr attributed his victory over Yaropolk I Sviatoslavych to the support he received from pagan forces, and had idols of the deities Perun, Khors, Dazhboh, Stryboh, Symarhl, and Mokosh erected on a hill overlooking his palace in Kyiv. Later he became convinced that a monotheistic religion would consolidate his power, as Christianity and Islam had done for neighboring rulers. His choice was determined after the Byzantine emperor Basil II turned to him for help in defeating his rival, Bardas Phocas. Volodymyr offered military aid only if he was allowed to marry Basil's sister, Anna, and Basil agreed to the marriage only after Volodymyr promised to convert himself and his subjects to Christianity. Volodymyr, his family, and his closest associates were baptized in December 987, when he took the Christian name Vasylii (Basil). Soon afterward he ordered the destruction of all pagan idols. The mass baptism of the citizens of Kyiv took place on 1 August 988 (see Christianization of Ukraine), and the remaining population of Rus’ was slowly converted, sometimes by force. In 988 Volodymyr sent several thousand warriors to help Basil regain power and married Anna, and in 989 he besieged Chersonese Taurica, took it from Bardas Phocas, and returned it to Basil.

      The Christianization of Rus’ was essentially engineered by Byzantium. Byzantium supplied the first hierarchs and other missionary clergy in Rus’ and introduced Byzantine art, education, and literature there. During Volodymyr's reign the first schools and churches were built, notably the Church of the Tithes in Kyiv. The adoption of Christianity as the official religion facilitated the unification of the Rus’ tribes and the establishment of foreign dynastic, political, cultural, religious, and commercial relations, particularly with the Byzantine Empire, Bulgaria, and Germany. Relations with Poland improved after Volodymyr's son Sviatopolk I married the daughter of Prince Boleslaw I the Brave in 992. Volodymyr received papal emissaries in 986, 988, 991, 992, and 1000 and sent his own envoys to Rome in 993 and 1001.

      After Anna's death in 1011, Volodymyr married the daughter of Count Kuno von Enningen. Toward the end of his life his sons Sviatopolk of Turiv and Yaroslav the Wise of Novgorod challenged his rule. Having defeated Sviatopolk, Volodymyr died while preparing a campaign against Yaroslav and was buried in the Church of the Tithes. He was succeeded briefly by Sviatopolk.

      The Rus’ clergy venerated Volodymyr because of his support of the church, but he was canonized only after 1240. Thereafter he was referred to as ‘the holy, equal to the Apostles, grand prince of Kyiv.’ The oldest extant mention of him as Saint Volodymyr is found in the Hypatian Chronicle under the year 1254, and his feast day, 28 July (15 July OS), was first celebrated in 1263.

      BIBLIOGRAPHY

      Zavitnevich, V. Vladimir Sviatoi kak politicheskii deiatel’ (Kyiv 1888)
      Nazarko, I. Sviatyi Volodymyr Velykyi, Volodar i Khrystytel’ Rusy-Ukračiny (960–1015) (Rome 1954)
      Poppe, A. ‘The Political Background to the Baptism of Rus’: Byzantine-Russian Relations between 986 and 989,’ Dumbarton Oaks Papers, no. 30 (1976); repr in his Rise of Christian Russia (London 1982)
      Volkoff, V. Vladimir the Russian Viking ([London] 1984)
      Tolochko, Petro. Sviatyi Volodymyr; Iaroslav Mudryi (Kyiv 1996) [10]

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