July 28 is a memorable date for the Orthodox Church, as on this day Prince Vladimir made Christianity the main state religion of Russia. The holiday is officially called "the day of the celebration of the baptism of Rus" and is celebrated at the state level.
History of the Baptism of Russia
Historians believe that the first baptism of Kievan Rus passed in 988, and is associated with the personality of the Kiev prince, known among people under the name of Vladimir Krasnoe Solnyshko. The prince began to rule since 978 after the war with his brothers Oleg and Yaropolk. In his youth, the prince professed paganism, had many concubines and participated in campaigns. At some point in his life he doubted the pagan gods and decided to elect another religion for Russia.
To follow the "choice of faith" is possible in the "Tale of Bygone Years" by Nestor. According to the chronicle, Vladimir chose between Islam, Catholicism, Judaism and Protestantism. Representatives of different countries offered to accept their religion for him, but to the heart there were descriptions of Orthodoxy from the Greek philosopher. Vladimir decided to be baptized in Korsun from the Church of Constantinople, and the reason for this was the marriage in Byzantine princess Anna. Returning to the capital, the prince ordered to cut down and burn the idols, and baptize the inhabitants in the waters of Pochayny and the Dnieper. Everything went peacefully, since already at that time among the Christians there were many Christians. Only residents of some cities, such as Rostov and Novgorod, resisted, because most of the inhabitants there were pagans. But at some point they also abandoned pagan traditions.
Since the moment of baptism, the princely power has received the following benefits:
- had a reliable support in the new religion and the church that professed it;
- tribal differences were overcome;
- the common faith gave the subjects a new sense of community and unity;
- began to form an all-Russian self-consciousness;
- painting, icon painting, wooden architecture, and the system of education developed.
Orthodoxy remained the state religion of Russia until the October Revolution. Atheistic views spread in the Soviet Union, although many people continued to secretly convert to Christianity. At the moment, Russia is free from religious attitudes and its legislation is not regulated by church norms, but the predominant religious faith is just Orthodoxy.
Celebrating the anniversary of the baptism of Rus
Solemn events in honor of Epiphany are held in Belarus and Russia, but the most large-scale events are traditionally held in Kiev, as it was there that the legendary "conversion" to Christianity took place.
On July 28, 2013, the anniversary of the baptism of Rus was celebrated. The presidents of the Russian Federation and Ukraine came to celebrate the 1025th anniversary of baptism. Large-scale celebrations were organized on the Vladimir hill: the higher clergy held a conciliar service. Liturgy was held at the foot of the monument to Prince Vladimir, who, in fact, was the central figure of the holiday. Appointed to the saints, the prince is especially revered by the church.
In the evening, the Ukrainian and Russian hierarchs gathered for a common prayer, which took place in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra . There is also a specially brought rarity - the Cross of St. Andrew the First-Called. The cross was provided round the clock access, and the next day he was transported to Belarus , where thousands of believers rushed to him to bow. It is believed that touching the shrine with prayer and faith removes all diseases and promotes the fulfillment of desires.
In addition, exhibitions of paintings and icons took place in Kiev. Florists of the capital's landscape park with the help of fresh flowers recreated the events of a thousand years ago.