Vladimir the Great

Grand Prince of Kiev who Christianized the Kievan Rus' and established its enduring legacy.

Chronology: 956 – 1015-07-15

Origins & Early Life

Vladimir I Sviatoslavich or Volodymyr I Sviatoslavych (Old East Slavic: Володимѣръ Свѧтославичь, romanized: Volodiměr Svętoslavič; Christian name: Basil; c. 958 – 15 July 1015), given the epithet "the Great", was Prince of Novgorod from 970 and Grand Prince of Kiev from 978 until his death in 1015. The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church both canonised him as Saint Vladimir. Vladimir's father was Sviatoslav I of the Rurik dynasty.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

After the death of his father in 972, Vladimir, who was then the prince of Novgorod, was forced to flee abroad after his brother Yaropolk murdered his other brother Oleg in 977 to become the sole ruler of Rus'. Vladimir assembled a Varangian army and returned to depose Yaropolk in 978. By 980, Vladimir had consolidated his realm to the Baltic Sea and solidified the frontiers against incursions of Bulgarians, Baltic tribes and Eastern nomads. Originally a follower of Slavic paganism, Vladimir converted to Christianity in 988, and Christianized the Kievan Rus. == Name == Several scholars refer to Vladimir as Volodimer, also spelled Volodimir, and his descendants as Volodimerovichi (sometimes in lieu of "Rurikids").

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In the history of Scandinavia,...

Source: Wikipedia