What is this event?

July 28 is marked in the Ukrainian calendar as an important annual event — On the day of the baptism of Russia – of Ukraine. The fact that the Ruthenians became Christians more than a thousand years ago cannot be perceived in a purely religious sense — it was an important step towards the civilized world, a factor in strengthening statehood, and an impetus for the development of science, culture and education. Prince Volodymyr the Great, who is considered equal to the apostles, is also honored on this day. It was he who played a decisive role in the introduction of Christianity on our land, having conducted the rite of baptism for all Kyivans back in 988. From Kyiv, faith in Christ spread to other cities of Russia, fundamentally changing the morals and outlook of our ancestors.

How did the idea of ​​celebrating the Baptism of Russia-Ukraine Day come about?

We are used to consider the beginning of Christianity in Russia as the time of Prince Volodymyr the Great, but in fact the Slavs got acquainted with this religion much earlier.

It is known that after the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Andrew the First-Called had to preach on the shores of the Black Sea, and the oldest Christian monuments on the territory of Russia originate precisely from the Black Sea. For example, near the ancient city of Korsun (later Chersonesus), several foundations of churches of the IV-IX centuries, mosaics, candlesticks and Byzantine coins with the image of a cross were found.

According to some historians, the Kiev princes Askold and Dir were Christians. This is confirmed by the fact that a Christian church was built on Askold’s grave in the 11th century – it is unlikely that the grave of a pagan would have been honored with this. Another proof of the existence of Christianity in the ancient Slavic state is the treaty of 944 between Prince Igor and Constantinople. In the text, there are words that God will punish the baptized Ruthenians for not keeping the agreement, and Perun will punish the unbaptized ones. So, it can be assumed that in Russia, at least during the reign of Igor, people enjoyed complete religious freedom.

After the death of Prince Igor, Princess Olga began to rule on behalf of his young son Svyatoslav, and it is known for certain that she was a Christian. According to one of the versions, Patriarch Konstantin baptized the princess in Tsargorod in 955, and at baptism she received the name Elena. On the other hand, Olga’s son Sviatoslav did not adopt the religion of love and obedience – after taking the princely throne, he showed himself to be an inveterate warrior. Despite all efforts, Olga failed to convert her son to Christianity.

Volodymyr, son of Svyatoslav and grandson of Olga, was born around 954 out of wedlock — his mother was Olga’s housekeeper Malusha. However, it so happened that already at the age of 13-14, the teenager ascended the Novgorod throne. Then the way to power lay through war – even between brothers, so soon the elder brother Yaropolk went with an army to Novgorod to expand his possessions. Not having the required number of soldiers, Volodymyr had to flee to Scandinavia, there he gathered his wife and returned two years later, recapturing Novgorod, Polotsk, and, eventually, Kyiv from his brother.

Baptism of Russia-Ukraine

In the first years of Volodymyr’s reign, paganism only intensified in Russia. The figures of Perun, Semargl, Khors, Mokoshi, Dazhbog and Stribog appeared in front of the princely hall. Sacrifices took place, sometimes even human sacrifices occurred. However, it can be assumed that Volodymyr himself, raised by Olga, could not be an ardent supporter of the pagan cult and supported it solely for political reasons.

But as a talented ruler, Volodymyr soon realized that paganism inhibited the moral and cultural development of the country, besides, among all the surrounding great powers, only Rus remained pagan. Therefore, the prince decided to be baptized himself and introduce the Christian faith as the state religion. Historians believe that the baptism of the prince took place in Chersonese. Regarding the time, opinions differ between 987 and 988.

After being baptized, the ruler of Kyiv ordered the destruction of pagan idols and invited Greek and Bulgarian priests to the city, who told people about the basics of faith. The day came when the messengers of the prince called the people to come to the Pochaina River for the rite of baptism. Considering the fact that Christianity was not something completely unknown, most people accepted it out of good will, but there were also those who submitted to coercion, because the prince declared those who disagreed to be his enemies.

Volodymyr’s calculation turned out to be correct – Christianity became a unifying factor for the multinational population of Russia and contributed to the centralization of power and the strengthening of the state’s ties with other countries, especially with Byzantium. In addition, the church became the main source of writing, education and various types of art.

Celebration of the baptism day of Russia-Ukraine

For the first time Baptism Day of Russia celebrated 900 years later – in 1888. The idea was proposed by Kyiv residents, and Metropolitan Platon of Kyiv brought it to the Holy Synod. The celebration then lasted a week, and began on Olga’s memorial day — July 24. The main date of the event was July 28, the day of commemoration of Volodymyr. Solemn services were held in churches not only in Kyiv, but also throughout the Russian Empire.

In the USSR, the holiday was forgotten until 1988, but it was revived thanks to the initiative of UNESCO. Before the thousand-year anniversary of Christianity on our land, the Soviet government returned to the ownership of the church many relics from state museums, as well as several monasteries.

In independent Ukraine Baptism Day of Russia — of Ukraine officially appeared in 2008, after the President signed the relevant decree. Since then, this holiday has been a reflection of our history, which dates back thousands of years, as well as unity and state unity around Kyiv, the spiritual capital of the Ukrainian nation.

Baptism day of Russia-Ukraine in history

• 988

  The right tributary of the Dnieper, the Pochayna River, became the place where the mass baptism of Kyiv residents took place.
• 1886

  The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church received a proposal from Metropolitan Platon of Kyiv and Galicia to commemorate the 900th anniversary of the baptism of Kyivan Rus. In turn, the metropolitan was offered this idea by the people of Kyiv.
• 1888

  The Holy Synod made a decision regarding the celebration and chose the date for it on July 28 — the day of commemoration of Prince Volodymyr, equated by the church with Christ’s apostles.
• 1987

  In its resolution, the UNESCO General Assembly called for celebrating the thousand-year anniversary of the baptism of Russia as a historical and cultural event significant for the whole world.
• 1988

  For the first time in Soviet times, a church holiday was openly celebrated – the Day of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus.
• 2008
  July 25

  The President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko signed the Decree “On the Day of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus – Ukraine”.

Frequent Questions and answers about the Day of Baptism of Russia-Ukraine

How to celebrate the Baptism of Russia-Ukraine Day?

In Kyiv, on this day, every year, a solemn all-night service is held in St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral, a divine liturgy in the Tabernacle Church of the Sophia Monastery, as well as a procession and a church service near the monument to Prince Volodymyr.

As for social events, most of them also take place in Kyiv. Kyivans and guests of the capital are offered numerous entertainments, such as theatrical performances, archery competitions, horse tricks, ancient games, fire shows, master classes of folk craftsmen – everything related to ancient Ukrainian traditions. Therefore, July 28 is an ideal occasion for an active, educational and fun vacation.

Libraries join the holiday, organizing book exhibitions that tell about the historical role of the year 988. Along with books of historical and journalistic direction, artistic works, as well as children’s editions, which cover the events of Prince Volodymyr’s era, are usually widely presented.

All Volodymyrs are traditionally greeted on July 28, because on this day they celebrate their name days. Therefore, you should not forget to prepare original greetings and small gifts for your loved ones and friends who bear this name.

Why is this event important?

We don’t often think about what Prince Volodymyr actually achieved by baptizing Russia, and what consequences we have from this event now. Each historical era has its own advanced phenomena and views that open the way to the future. In the time of Volodymyr the Great, such an advanced and progressive phenomenon was a new religion — Christianity. The main bearer of this religion — the Byzantine Empire — can be called a superpower by modern analogy. It was very important for Russia to become an equal partner of Byzantium, and the common religion helped a lot in this matter.

As for the internal meaning, Christianity made it possible to turn Russia into a country with a strong centralized power of the Prince of Kyiv and to create prerequisites for its further development. As a result, culture flourished in the state – which only architectural monuments are worth, and the level of education of the population increased, as people had the opportunity to learn from the best examples of ancient heritage.

But the main significance of the baptism of Russia was for the spirituality of our nation. The Christian principles of love and tolerance, intertwined with the natural desire of our ancestors for equality and justice, formed a special Ukrainian mentality, which is clearly manifested in important moments of history.

When will we celebrate the Day of Baptism of Russia-Ukraine?