First Christianization of the Rus’
In his encyclical letter of 866–867 Patriarch Photius announced that the Rus’, who had lately attacked Constantinople, had accepted a bishop and become Christians — the first, short-lived conversion of the Rus’.
- Date
- between 860 and 867exact date unknown: an interval is given
- Place
- Kyiv (traditional location)approximate locationtoday: Kyiv, Ukraine · Eastern Europe
- Participants
- Varangians, Byzantine Empire
- Threads
- Eastern Europe and Rus’ before the Baptism (1st–10th c.)
- Also known as
- Photian baptism; Askold's baptism; Аскольдово крещение; Первое крещение Руси
Photius wrote that the Rus’ had exchanged their pagan faith for “the pure and genuine religion of the Christians” and received a bishop and pastor. Later Byzantine tradition, recorded in the Life of Basil I written for Constantine VII, credits Basil I and Patriarch Ignatius with sending the Rus’ an archbishop (after 867, perhaps around 870–874) and tells of a Gospel book thrown into a fire that did not burn. Whether these were two stages of one mission or one event told twice is debated.
Where these Rus’ lived is unknown. Church tradition and some historians connect the conversion with Askold and Dir of Kyiv (the chronicle says that a church of St Nicholas was later built over Askold’s grave), but the Primary Chronicle knows nothing of it, and its effects were not lasting. The interval runs from the attack of 860 to the encyclical of 866–867; the location is traditional.
Connections
Causes and preconditions
- Rus’ attack on Constantinople18 June – 4 August 860 · Balkans and Anatolia
Related events
- Christianization of Bulgaria864 · Balkans and AnatoliaPatriarch Photios’ missions of the 860s reached both the Bulgarians and the Rus’
- Mission of Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia863 – 6 April 885 · Western and Central Europethe missions of Photius’ patriarchate to the Slavs and the Rus’ in the 860s
- Baptism of Rus’988 · Eastern Europethe first and the definitive conversion of the Rus’
Same participants
- Calling of the Varangians862 · Eastern Europevia Varangians
- Oleg takes Kyiv882 · Eastern Europevia Varangians
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
- Askold and Dir rule in Kyiv862–882 · 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
- Building of the Church of the Tithes989–996 · Eastern Europe
- The first Rus’ coinsbetween 988 and 1000 – 1015 · Eastern Europe
- Siege of Kyiv5 September – between 19 November and 6 December 1240 · Eastern Europe
Meanwhile in the world
Other regions, within 25 years of this event
Western and Central Europe
- Great Heathen Army in England865–878
- Mission of Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia863 – 6 April 885
- Battle of EdingtonMay 878
- Treaty of VerdunAugust 843
- Viking siege of Parisbetween 24 November and 25 November 885 – October 886
+ 1 event
Balkans and Anatolia
- Christianization of Bulgaria864
- Rus’ attack on Constantinople18 June – 4 August 860
- Byzantine Iconoclasmbetween 726 and 730 – 11 March 843
The same period
Sources
- Wikipedia (English): First Christianization of the Rus' people
- Wikipedia (Russian): Фотиево крещение
- Кузенков П. В. Поход 860 г. на Константинополь и первое крещение Руси в средневековых письменных источниках // Древнейшие государства Восточной Европы. 2000 г. — М.: Восточная литература, 2003. — С. 3–172.
- Obolensky D. The Byzantine Commonwealth: Eastern Europe, 500–1453. — London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1971.
- Wikidata: Q1123310