Dig Into History

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turning the Slavs, pagan tribes who had

frequently attacked them, into allies. How were

they able to do this? They did so by converting

them to Eastern Christianity. Moreover, at the

encouragement of Patriarch Photios, revered as

a great church leader and scholar, two brothers

Cyril and Methodios, developed a written

alphabet for the Slavs. The Slavs were then

permitted to use their own language in the

liturgy. Religious texts were translated into the

Slavic language. Artisans were sent to design

and build churches, and priests were sent to

conduct worship. Religious objects such as icon

were also sent. The Virgin of Vladimir, brought to

Kiev from Constantinople in the 12th century, i

still highly venerated in Russia today (see phot

of icon on page 23).

The Bulgarians were the first Slavs to be

Christianized. The year was 864. Just a century

later, in 988, the powerful Eastern Slavic prince

Vladimir, whose kingdom was centered in Kiev

(capital of present-day Ukraine), established

Byzantine Christianity as the state religion of

the lands he ruled (see illustration above).

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Wishing to share in the wealth, prestige, and might

of Byzantium, he married the sister of the Byzantine

emperor and adopted the customs of the Byzantine

court. He also ordered that churches and monasteries

be built with the help of Byzantine craftsmen.

He even minted gold coins in the Byzantine

manner, with his likeness on one side and Christ’s

on the other. His son, Prince Yaroslav the Wise,

commissioned a cathedral modeled on the Hagia

Sophia (see page 41) in Constantinople. Built by

Byzantine masters, its beautiful mosaics and frescos

have been preserved. You can see them today if

you visit Kiev.

No Power Is Forever

Thus, the cultural and religious influence of the

Byzantine Empire grew. Between the 9th and

11th centuries, the state expanded and again

consolidated its position as a world power.

Bulgaria, which controlled much of the Balkans,

was incorporated into its holdings. By the end

of the middle period, however, when the crusaders

captured Constantinople, much of the empire’s

power and authority had been lost.

What do you think of this
modern illustration showing
the Russian ruler Vladimir
introducing Christianity to
the people he ruled around
1000 Ƌƍ?