Building of the Church of the Tithes
The first stone church of Kyiv, dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos, was built by Greek masters in 989–996 next to the prince’s palace; Vladimir endowed it with a tenth of his revenues, hence its name.
- Date
- 989–996year known · duration: ≈ 7 years
- Place
- Church of the Tithes, Kyivtoday: Ruins in the Old Town, Kyiv, Ukraine · Eastern Europe
- Participants
- Vladimir the Great, Anna Porphyrogenita, Kievan Rus’, Byzantine Empire
- Threads
- Eastern Europe and Rus’ before the Baptism (1st–10th c.)
- Also known as
- Tithe Church; Desiatynna Church; Church of the Dormition; Церковь Богородицы Десятинная
According to the Primary Chronicle, Vladimir summoned masters from Greece in 989, and the church was consecrated in 996, when he granted it a tithe and placed Anastas of Cherson in charge of it. It stood where, by tradition, the Varangian Christians Theodore and his son John had been killed by pagans. Decorated with mosaics, frescoes and marble, it became the burial church of the dynasty: Vladimir moved Olga’s remains there, and he and Anna were buried in it.
The church collapsed in 1240, during the Mongol storm of Kyiv, when townspeople had taken refuge in it. Its foundations were excavated in the 19th and 20th centuries, notably by Mikhail Karger, and are preserved as an archaeological site.
Connections
Causes and preconditions
- Baptism of Rus’988 · Eastern Europe
Related events
- Siege of Kyiv5 September – between 19 November and 6 December 1240 · Eastern Europethe church collapsed during the Mongol storm of Kyiv
Same participants
- Vladimir’s siege of Chersonesus (Korsun)between 988 and 989 · Eastern Europevia Vladimir the Great
- The first Rus’ coinsbetween 988 and 1000 – 1015 · Eastern Europevia Vladimir the Great
- Sack of Constantinople12–13 April 1204 · Balkans and Anatoliavia Byzantine Empire
Same place
- Kyiv culturec. 200 – between 400 and 430 · Eastern Europe
- Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv: the legendary founding of Kyivbetween 500 and 700 · Eastern Europe
- First Christianization of the Rus’between 860 and 867 · Eastern Europe
- Askold and Dir rule in Kyiv862–882 · Eastern Europe
- Oleg takes Kyiv882 · Eastern Europe
- The Pechenegs first come to the Rus’ land915 · Eastern Europe
- Constantine VII describes the Rus’ route to Constantinoplebetween 948 and 952 · Eastern Europe
- Pecheneg siege of Kyiv968 · Eastern Europe
- Feud of the Sviatoslavichi977 – between 978 and 980 · Eastern Europe
- Vladimir’s pagan pantheonbetween 978 and 980 · Eastern Europe
- Vladimir’s choice of faith986–987 · Eastern Europe
Meanwhile in the world
Other regions, within 25 years of this event
Western and Central Europe
- Hugh Capet becomes King of the FranksMay 987 – 3 July 987
- Christianization of Icelandbetween 999 and 1000
- Coronation of Stephen I of Hungarybetween 25 December 1000 and 1 January 1001
- Baptism of Poland14 April 966
Balkans and Anatolia
- Battle of the Gates of Trajan17 August 986
- Siege of Dorostolon23 April 971 – July 971
- Sviatoslav’s invasion of Bulgariabetween 967 and 968 – July 971
North America
- Leif Erikson reaches Vinlandc. 1000
The same period
Sources
- Wikipedia (English): Church of the Tithes
- Wikipedia (Russian): Десятинная церковь
- Каргер М. К. Древний Киев. Т. 1. — М.; Л.: Изд-во АН СССР, 1958.
- Wikidata: Q618562