St. Vladimir
Vladimir I, born in 956, was a grand prince of Kiev, and was to become Kievan Rus’ first Christian ruler (“Vladimir I”). Vladimir was great-grandson to St. Olga, a princess considered to be one of the first converts to Christianity in Russia. Before his conversion to Christianity, Vladimir was husband to several wives and engaged in human sacrifice. He was approached by the Byzantine Emperor, Basil II, for military support at a time when the Byzantine Empire was weakened by rebellion. This decision would come back to haunt Basil. Vladimir agreed to provide soldiers, on the condition that he would be awarded with marriage to Basil’s sister. Military service completed, Basil reneged on his agreement, but Vladimir would not accept the refusal. He attacked Kherson, a Byzantine stronghold in Crimea, and Basil sent his sister north (Sevcenko, 50). Vladimir was baptized prior to the wedding, and many of his nobles followed suit. He remains a popular figure in Russia today, and his feast day is July 15 (“Vladimir I”).
Nancy O'Neil
Britannica Online Encyclopedia. “Vladimir I (grand Prince of Kiev).” Encyclopaedia Britannica 2014. Web. 3 May 2014. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Academic Edition.
Sevcenko, Ihor. “The Christianization of Kievan Rus’.” The Polish Review 5.4 (1960): 29–35. Print.
Vasnetsov, Viktor M. Крещение Князя Владимира. Фрагмент Росписи Владимирского Собора В Киеве. N. p., 1885. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 4 May 2014.
958-1015
Dormition Cathedral
Construction on Moscow’s Cathedral of the Dormition began in 1326, the same year that the metropolitanate of Kiev and All Rus’ made its way to Moscow ("History of the Cathedral"). The relics of Metropolitan Peter, one of the metropolitans canonized preceding the establishment of the Patriarchate of Moscow, were housed within the cathedral. Ivan III, the first Muscovite prince to adopt the title of tsar, called for the structure to be rebuilt in 1475 (“Cathedral of the Dormition"). Beginning with the coronation of Ivan IV in 1547, the Cathedral of the Dormition was the site of all coronations of the Russian tsars. The metropolitans and patriarchs of Moscow were also installed and buried within the cathedral. After the Russian Revolution, services were stopped and the Cathedral of the Dormition served as a museum. Services were resumed in 1990, and the Russian Orthodox Church regained possession of the cathedral in 1991 ("History of the Cathedral"). Today, the Cathedral of the Dormition is a popular tourist attraction in Moscow.
Nancy O'Neil
Kruczynski, Daniel. Dormition Cathedral, Moscow. N. p., 2009. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 3 May 2014.
Moscow Kremlin State Historical and Cultural Museum and Heritage Site. “History of the Cathedral.” Moscow Kremlin Museum. N. p., 2014.
State Museums of the Moscow Kremlin. “Cathedral of the Dormition.” Moscow Kremlin. N. p., 2006. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.
1326
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Cathedral in Moscow
The Roman Catholic Cathedral in Moscow. The Catholic Church is not interested in "poaching" the Orthodox faithful in Russia from their Orthodox congregations, but rather in preaching the Gospel to unbelievers in Russia. Despite bouts of intense persecution, the Catholic Church in Russia is now growing rapidly. Unthinkable under the Soviet years, they now even use beautiful buildings like the pictured cathedral. The upgrading in the administrative structure of the Catholic Church in Russia helped to contribute to the construction of buildings like this, but it also caused intense controversy in the earlier part of the last decade. The fact that this controversy seems to be cooling down at least somewhat and the Catholics can use this building in peace is a positive indicator for the Catholic hopes of reconciliation. By their particular presence in Moscow, home of the Patriarchate of the largest Orthodox Church, they hope to work to narrow the Great Schism of 1054 that separates Western Christianity from Eastern Christianity.
Picture from Rzhevsky, Sergei. "Picturesque Catholic Cathedral of Moscow City." 11 January 2014. Accessed 4 May 2014 <http://russiatrek.org/blog/photos/picturesque-catholic-cathedral-of-moscow-city/>.
2014
Kiev Sophia
The St. Sophia’s Cathedral in Kiev is an important monument to the increasing influence of Orthodox Christianity, as well as the flourishing of Ukrainian artistic expression, under the reign of Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise of Kievan Rus. This cathedral is a physical representation of the power of Kievan Rus at its height, but the cathedral also embodies a negative view of Russia in global perspective. St. Sophia’s Cathedral, with its long history, demonstrates the darker aspect of Russianness that has a tendency to expand its influence ideologically, politically and geographically, often at the expense of local nationalities.
Alexandra Grimm
http://sophia.sophiakievska.org/node/57
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/612921/Ukraine (Encyclopedia Britannica)
http://www.ukraine.com/religious-sites/stsophias-cathedral/ (Ukraine.com: Ukraine Channel)http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CS%5C
%5CSaintSophiaCathedral.htm (Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine), http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent
russians/history-and-mythology/yaroslav-the-wise/ (Russiapedia)http://sophia.sophiakievska.org/node/62 (The St. Sophia Cathedral Museum)
January 1, 1037/December 31, 2014
Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise
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©2014 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
© National Conservation Area "St.Sophia of Kyiv", 2013
©2001 All Rights Reserved. Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies.
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Cathedral
Stone
Our Lady of Kazan
Our Lady of Kazan is a Russian icon that was found in the burnt ruins of the city of Kazan in 1579. Mary, the mother of God in Christian tradition, appeared three times to a small child, providing instructions on where to look for the icon. Over the next four hundred years, Our Lady of Kazan would be used by various military leaders to procure divine favor for the Russian army. In the early twentieth century, two copies of the icon were lost, and one was eventually returned by the Roman Catholic Church to the Russian Orthodox Church in 2004.
Nancy O'Neil
Kazan Mother of God Monastery
http://sobory.ru/article/?object=06242
1579-01-01/2014-12-31
Religious Icon
1863 Polish Uprising
Poland, Part 3
In 1863, many Poles rose up against the Russian government. One of the motivating factors was the religious difference: that Roman Catholic Poland was displeased with the control exerted by the Russian Orthodox Church. But when the uprising was crushed, Russian Orthodox suppression of the Roman Catholic church only increased.
Note that the borders portrayed are not Poland's modern borders, but the rough area of the uprising.
Group 2
Smitha, Frank. "Polish Resistance." Accessed 12 February 2014. 2003 http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h47-ru5.htm
Image from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rok_1863_Polonia.JPG
Borders from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Podzia%C5%82_terytorialny_Rzeczypospolitej_1863.png
1863-1865
Pope John Paul II's Visit to Poland
Poland, Part 5
In 1979, Pope John Paul II visited Poland and was greeted by massive crowds of Poles demanding to worship God. These crowds, in part for want of religious freedom, later contributed to the Solidarity movement that overturned the Communist government of Poland. This set the stage for the collapse of the Berlin Wall and then the fall of the Soviet Union.
Group 2
Bernstein, Richard. "Did John Paul Help Win the Cold War? Just Ask the Poles." Accessed 10 February 2014. 6 April 2005 http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/06/international/worldspecial2/06communism.html?_r=0
Noonan, Peggy. "'We Want God.'" Accessed 10 February 2014. 7 April 2005 http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB122479408458463941
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pastoral_visits_of_Pope_John_Paul_II_outside_Italy (for image)
June 1979