The Skaggs-Files

Narrative

Vladimir, Saint (circa 956-1015), grand prince of Kyiv, whose baptism made Orthodox Christianity the official religion of Russia. Born in Kyiv, Vladimir was a pagan at the beginning of his reign, which was at first devoted to consolidating his territories into a unified Russian state. In exchange for helping the Byzantine emperor Basil II suppress a rebellion, Vladimir was allowed to marry the emperor's sister, Anne, at which time (988) he accepted Christianity. Allied to Byzantium by religious and family ties, Vladimir introduced Byzantine civilization into Russia by building churches, suppressing paganism, and making social reforms. Nonetheless, he remained open to Western influences, which are reflected in his legislation.

Vladimir (in Ukrainian, Volodymyr) I, Prince of Kiev, in German Valdimar, in Russian known as Saint Vladimir or as Vladimis the Great, (c.958-1015), was the illegitimate son of Sviatoslav I and the grandson of Olga of Kiev. Varangian ruler of Kiev from 980, he converted to Christianity in 988, reversing Sviatoslav's adherence to the pagan tradition (which was probably a mix of Norse and Slavic elements).

Transferring his capital to Pereyaslavets in 969, Sviatoslav designated Vladimir ruler of Novgorod but gave Kiev to his legitimate son Yaropolk. After Sviatoslav's death (972), civil war erupted (976) between Yaropolk and his younger brother Oleg, ruler of Dereva. As he belonged to the Norse elite, Vladimir fled (977) to Scandinavia, and Novgorod fell to Yaropolk.

Returning in 978 with a large force of Varangian (Viking) warriors, Vladimir recaptured Novgorod the following year. He slew prince Ragnvald of Polotsk and married his daughter Ragnilda, who was engaged to Yaropolk. Yaropolk fled as Vladimir besieged Kiev, but was killed (980) after surrendering to Vladimir, who now ruled all his father's domains.

Though Christianity had won many converts since Olga's rule, Vladimir had remained pagan, taking several wives and erecting pagan statues and shrines to gods, such as Thor and Odin. He continued his efforts to extend his territories, fighting in Galicia in 981, against the Yatvingians on the Baltic coast in 983, against the Bulgars in 985 and against the Byzantine Empire successfully in the Crimea in 987.

In 988 he negotiated for the hand of the Byzantine emperor Basil II's sister, Anna. At Basil's insistence, Vladimir was baptized at Kherson, married Anna and gave up his other wives. Handing over Kherson to the Greeks, he destroyed pagan monuments and established many churches.

Yaroslav, Vladimir's son by an earlier marriage, rebelled against him and refused to render him service or tribute for Novgorod. Vladimir prepared to take Novgorod by force, but died before the attack could begin.

Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the feast day of the canonised Vladimir on 15 July.

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Sources:
Abbrev: Agamov, Alexander
Title: Agamov, Alexander
Note:
Call number:

excellent for Russian/Kievan/Tatars

contributor to soc.genealogy.medieval, commeng@usa.net
Text: Vladimir I Swatoslavich
Abbrev: Aiken, Tom
Title: Aiken, Tom
Note:
Call number:

contributor to soc.genealogy.medieval
Text: Wlodzimierz I wielki, w.ka. kijoski
Abbrev: University of Hull Royal Database (England)
Title: Brian Tompsett, Dept of Computer Science, University of Hull Royal Database (England) (copyright 1994, 1995, 1996)base (England)base (England). copyright 1994, 1995, 1996.
Note:
Call number:

usually reliable but sometimes includes hypothetical lines, mythological figures, etc

WWW, University of Hull, Hull, UK HU6 7RX bct@tardis.ed.ac.uk
Abbrev: Ahnentafel for Margery Arundell
Title: Marlyn Lewis, Ahnentafel for Margery Arundell (08 Oct 1997)
Note:
Call number:
Text: Grand Prince of Kiev, no parents
Abbrev: LDS Ancestral File
Title: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, LDS Ancestral File
Note:
Call number:
Page: 3.04
Text: no parents
Abbrev: Pullen010502.FTW
Title: Pullen010502.FTW
Note:
Call number:
Text: Date of Import: Jan 5, 2002
Abbrev: Agamov, Alexander
Title: Agamov, Alexander
Note:
Call number:

excellent for Russian/Kievan/Tatars

contributor to soc.genealogy.medieval, commeng@usa.net
Text: d 1015, no place
Abbrev: Aiken, Tom
Title: Aiken, Tom
Note:
Call number:

contributor to soc.genealogy.medieval
Text: no place
Abbrev: University of Hull Royal Database (England)
Title: Brian Tompsett, Dept of Computer Science, University of Hull Royal Database (England) (copyright 1994, 1995, 1996)base (England)base (England). copyright 1994, 1995, 1996.
Note:
Call number:

usually reliable but sometimes includes hypothetical lines, mythological figures, etc

WWW, University of Hull, Hull, UK HU6 7RX bct@tardis.ed.ac.uk
Text: m 980, no place
Abbrev: Ahnentafel for Margery Arundell
Title: Marlyn Lewis, Ahnentafel for Margery Arundell (08 Oct 1997)
Note:
Call number:
Text: no date/place
Abbrev: LDS Ancestral File
Title: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, LDS Ancestral File
Note:
Call number:
Page: 3.04
Text: no date/place

Events

Event	Date	Place	Sources
Birth	960	Kiev, Ukraine	5
			5
Death	1015-07-15	Kiev, Ukraine	5
	Age: 55y		5
Burial		Church of the Tithes, Kiev, Ukraine	6a
			6a

Parents

Relation to main person	Name	Birth date	Death date
Father	Igorevich, Svyatoslav I	942-07-00	972
Mother	of Lubech, Malusha	944
	Rurik of Kiev, Vladimir	960	1015-07-15

Families

Family of Rurik of Kiev, Vladimir and Of Polotsk, Rogneda

Married

Wife

Of Polotsk, Rogneda ( * 962 + 1002 )

Event	Date	Place	Description	Sources
Marriage	977	Polotsk, Byelorussia		5
				5

Children

Name	Birth Date	Death Date
of Kiev, Vissavald
Vladimirovich, Iszyaslav	978	1001
Rurik of Kiev, Jaroslav I	979	1053-02-20
Vladimirovna, Predislava	982
Vladimirovich, Mstislav	988

Family of Rurik of Kiev, Vladimir and of Byzantium, Anna Porphyrogenita

Unknown

Partner

of Byzantium, Anna Porphyrogenita ( * 963-03-13 + 1011 )

Children

Name	Birth Date	Death Date
of Kiev, Dobronegra Mariya Vladimirovna	1011	1087
of Orkney, Arlogia	1015

Pedigree

Igorevich, Svyatoslav I
1. of Lubech, Malusha
  1. Rurik of Kiev, Vladimir
    1. Of Polotsk, Rogneda
    2. of Byzantium, Anna Porphyrogenita
      1. of Kiev, Dobronegra Mariya Vladimirovna
      2. of Orkney, Arlogia

Ancestors

Rurik of Kiev, Vladimir
*960
+1015-07-15

Igorevich, Svyatoslav I
*942-07-00
+972

Rurikivich, Igor
*877
+945

of Novgorod, Rurik
*815
+879

*
+...

of Kiev, Olga
*920
+969-07-11

of Lubech, Malusha
*944
+...

of Lubech, Malk
*918
+...

Kiev, Dir
*883
+883

*890
+...