July 28/15 - memory of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, in Holy Baptism Vasily, the Enlightener of the Russian people.translated

The name of Saint Prince Vladimir is associated with a key moment in Russian history - the Baptism of Rus'. The prince was the grandson of Grand Duchess Olga and the son of Svyatoslav. He began to rule independently at the age of 17 and spent the first six years of his reign on campaigns. Under him, the Russian lands were united, and the Slavic tribes living from the Carpathians and Neman to Beloozero, Oka and Volga began to be called Russians. Tradition portrays Prince Vladimir, before his baptism, as an ardent pagan, a favorite of the squad, a lover of sensual pleasures, military campaigns and noisy feasts. Militarily strong Rus' found itself surrounded by less powerful, but more enlightened states. More and more often the word of preaching the true faith was heard in it, the first Russian martyrs for Christ appeared, denouncing the service of idols, preachers of other religions also came to Rus'. Tradition says that the prince, wise from above, sent selected men to different countries to see and experience how different peoples serve God and how they “show faith by their deeds.” The Greek-Eastern faith struck the envoys more than anyone else, and they, returning to their homeland, said to the prince: “No one, having tasted the sweet, will crave the bitter, so we cannot stay here again...