Now is the time to examine the history of the Russian Orthodox Church.

In 988, there was an event that changed the history of ancient Russia forever: Prince Vladimir adopted Christianity and baptised his subjects in the river Dnieper. This act was the beginning of the formation of a unified religious and cultural identity for all the Slavic tribes that inhabited Russia.

Christianity appeared much earlier in Russia. The first Christian communities appeared in the 9th century. Princess Olga was the first ruler of Russia to embrace Christianity. She was baptised in Constantinople in 957 and insisted that her son Svyatoslav also be baptised. But Svyatoslav was sceptical and did not attach much importance to Christianity.

After Sviatoslav's death, Vladimir the Saint ascended the throne, who realised the importance of a unified religion for a united nation. He decided to adopt Christianity and baptise his subjects. From then on, Christianity became the main religion in Russia and significantly influenced the culture, way of life, and politics of the Russian people.

Back in 957, Russia was still a pagan country and baptism was alien to its inhabitants. However, this time has changed many aspects of Russian history. This year, presumably Grand Duchess Olga was baptised in Constantinople, and she became the first ruler of Russia to recognise Christianity.

Following her convictions, Olga persuades her son Svyatoslav to be baptised. However, Svyatoslav was sceptical and did not think that conversion to Christianity was beneficial to him. After becoming a prince, he did not address this topic.

However, the Christianization of Russia began. After Sviatoslav, his grandson, Vladimir, ascended the princely throne. He understood that to unite the state, it was necessary to have a common faith. He was then faced with the choice of which religion to choose. According to the legend, Mohammedans, Jews, and representatives of Christianity from the western and eastern branches came to him to tell him about their faith.

Vladimir faced a difficult choice because he believed that no single religion met the needs of the Russian people. He rejected the possibility of converting to Muslim faith after Mohammedan said that religion forbade the consumption of alcoholic beverages. "The fun of Russia is pity" -- Vladimir replied. His advisers were also confused: "No one blasphemes his own, but praises it" They said, meaning that speeches of representatives of each religion are equally praiseworthy.

In parallel, Vladimir sent embassies to the Bulgars, Germans, Greeks, and Khazars. Most princely ambassadors were shaken by the Christian temple of Sacred Sofia in Constantinople. In the end, Vladimir, after much deliberation and comparison of different religions, chose Christianity of the Eastern rite, which he considered the most suitable for the Russian people. He accepted baptism and many other princes and inhabitants of Russia.

Thus, the beginning of Christianization in Russia was associated with Prince Vladimir’s decision to convert to Christianity in 988. This event became one of the key moments in the history of Russia, and had a great influence on the culture, way of life, and worldview of the Russian people. Christianity became not only a religion but also a factor in the political and cultural integration of Russia into the European community.

However, the adoption of Christianity did not occur immediately and is not controversial. Some princes and citizens of Russia continued to follow old pagan customs and beliefs, and the process of Christianization took many years. Despite this, the adoption of Christianity was one of the most important stages in the history of Russia and it played an important role in shaping its culture and civilisation.

??Undoubtedly, the speeches of these men made a strong impression on Vladimir, the great prince of Kiev. Especially important was the fact that his grandmother, Olga, was also a parishioner of Christ. Therefore, Christianity, founded by the Byzantine Empire, was the only faith in Russia. Before he baptised his people, Vladimir decided to baptise himself.

According to the records in The Tale of Bygone Years, Vladimir successfully besieged and captured the Byzantine city of Chersonese (Korsun), which was in Crimea. Subsequently, the emperors of the Byzantium hand of their sister Anna as a sign of friendly relations between Russia and Byzantium. However, they agreed to marry her only under the condition that Vladimir would accept a christening. Vladimir agreed, and Anna became the grand duke's lawful wife.

After Vladimir became a Christian, he baptised his sons. There were as many as 12 of these. Only after that did baptism begin to spread to the other lands of Rus. First Kiev, then Novgorod, and eventually, all other territories of ancient Russia. According to some researchers, the process of mass Christianization took place quite peacefully without any particular problems. However, in Novgorod and other cities, there were cases of resistance to Christianization.

Despite this, Vladimir was not a cruel ruler as some European rulers were contemporary to him. Russia began to develop a vibrant church life: temples were built, services were held, and a clergy appeared.

That is why, in some houses of Kievan Rus, icons could stand together with pagan figures, and drunkenness and debauchery were considered a lesser sin than not keeping a fast. People continued to believe in omens and superstitions, contradicting Christian tenets. Later scholars would call this phenomenon dualism.

The most significant contribution to the spread of the Christian faith was made by Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise. Under him, Russia began to appear as a majestic temple. St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod and Kiev, Transfiguration Cathedral in Chernigov, and Kiev-Pechersk Monastery-all these wonders of architecture are the result of Yaroslav's rule.

He also established the first centres for keeping and writing books in Russia, where chronicles were created and foreign literature translated into Russian. This was a new spin in Christianity. Moreover, during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, a kind of "revolutionary" sentiment arose in the Old Russian Church. The Church made its first attempt to assert its independence and autonomy from the Byzantine Church. The Russian Church claimed the right to choose its own metropolitan area. The Bishop Hilarion of Kiev proclaimed a new metropolitan area.

Relations with Byzantium were damaged, but not hopelessly. With the death of Yaroslav the Wise, the Russian Church also ended a short period of autonomy, and the next metropolitan area was again appointed by Constantinople. Soon, the Mongol-Tatar yoke came upon Russian land, exhausted by incessant internecine strife.??

However, even during these difficult times, religion did not lose its importance. Although the Mongol-Tatar invasion was accompanied by the destruction of many churches and monasteries, many Russian rulers continued to build new churches and monasteries and support the church.

After the Mongols established their domination of Russia, they began to impose new rules and laws that imposed restrictions on freedom of religious practice. However, even under these conditions, the Christian religion continued to grow in Russia.

By the end of the 14th century, Russia had begun to go through a period of crisis and decline, which led to a weakening of the church. Even at this time, however, Christian religion did not disappear completely and continued to play an important role in the lives of the people.

During the reign of Ivan IV, the Terrible, the Church of Russia faced new challenges including a church split and the introduction of new religious reforms. Despite this, the Christian religion remained a major element of Russian culture and identity and continued to play an important role in Russia and other countries that inherited the culture and traditions of Russia.

In the sixteenth century, Moscow began to strive for supremacy among Orthodox nations and proclaimed the third Rome in accordance with the idea formulated by Hegumen Philotheus. Previously, there had been only two Christian centres, Ancient Rome and Byzantium, which had departed from true Christian values. Moscow was chosen by God and was obliged to maintain the purity of Orthodoxy since there would be no fourth Rome. This idea resonated in Old Russian society and was probably one of the reasons for intense spiritual development during this period. The response was especially strong after the Ivan the Terrible assumed a tsarist title.

It seemed self-evident that a patriarch should stand beside the great tsar, as in Byzantium. True royal power combined earthly and heavenly power, and was the guarantor of salvation after death. The desire to raise the status of the metropolis of Moscow and to establish a patriarchal status in Russia was a consequence of this. This goal was achieved in 1589.

The first patriarch of Moscow, Job, implemented several significant reforms and established new church holidays. Hermogenes' efforts were directed toward the development of bookprinting, while Philaret was mainly concerned with the development of school education. However, the most important figure among all the Moscow patriarchs was Nikon.

By the time of his appointment with the throne, dissatisfied murmurs were periodically heard in the church milieu. Some clergy lamented that the Christian tradition established in Russia lacked veracity. Nikon decided to carry out church reform and unify all church rites according to the Greek model, since he himself had thought about this. This caused a wide resonance in Russian society, and not everyone would be willing to

In addition, Nikon's reform caused a major split in the Russian Orthodox Church. Followers of the old ritual faith, who came to be called "Old Believers”, could not accept the changes and refused to use new church rites.

Disputes between the parties lasted for decades, and schism became a serious problem for Russia. Many Old Believers were persecuted and forced into isolation. In addition, the schism lowered Russia's credibility in the eyes of Western Europe, which considered its church "backward" and outdated.

Thus, the idea of Moscow as the third Rome and the primacy among Orthodox nations led to the intensive spiritual development of Russia in the 16th century and the establishment of the Patriarchate in Russia. However, the Nikon reform and schism in the Orthodox Church became a serious problem for Russia as a whole, and its consequences are still felt.

A few years later, the patriarch tried to strengthen the role of the church and place it above the tsar's authority but failed and was deprived of the patriarchal ministry. For nearly 100 years, the church had a significant influence on the development of the Russian state. Monarchs were pious and feared the wrath of God, so they relied on the Church to make important decisions. However, everything changed with the power of the Peter the Great.

Under his leadership, the church's role began to fade into the background but not because he did not believe in God. He was against old church traditions, such as long prayers, lighting candles before icons, and ringing bells, but he did not deny the existence of God. He looked upon the church as an institution that could help develop the state. He conceived of ecclesiastical reform, but its adoption was delayed for 20 years.

After Patriarch Adrian’s death in 1700, Peter received an offer from his advisers to delay the election of a new patriarch, which coincided with his intentions. At that time, he appointed an interim head of the church, and the institution of patriarchy was already abolished at that time. The next patriarch was not elected after 200 years.

It took Peter several years to find someone on whom he could rely his intentions to reform the church. He encountered a tepid attitude toward reforming the king in church society and the open discontent of priests. However, he managed to find a loyal associate in Bishop Theophan Prokopovich, who shared his views.

After Prokopovich was appointed bishop, Peter gave him the task of developing a project for state administration of the church. Prokopovich proposed Synod.?

Agreement with Peter I. In 1721, the Synodal Charter was adopted, which became the basis of the new system of governance of the Russian Orthodox Church.

It established Holy Synod as the highest governing body of the church, composed of members appointed by the emperor himself. This body replaced the patriarch and other church offices, and established regular inspections and management of the church's finances.

As a result of the reform, the Church became part of the state apparatus, and its role as an independent force in society declined. However, the reform strengthened the unity of the Russian Church and ensured its stability and development.

In general, reform of the Church of Peter I was of great importance for the development of Russia. It helped reduce the influence of the church on state power and made the church a part of the state machine. It accelerated the development of the state and provided great opportunities for progress in various fields, such as culture, enlightenment, science, and the economy.

Nevertheless, under pressure from the authorities, church leadership signed the "Spiritual Regulations. To amplify the effect, officials sent messengers to the remote corners of Russia to collect signatures from the local clergy. Intimidated people put their signatures even if they did not agree to the new order. From this point on, the church became part of the state machine, the work of which required constant supervision and control. The old church system is completely broken.

The dark period in the history of the Russian Church lasted for 200 years. During this time, the zealots of Orthodoxy and the guardians of old traditions experienced occasional outbreaks of discontent, but as a rule, they were local in nature and quickly faded away. By the early twentieth century, a new turn took place in the history of the Russian Church.

Existing church orders began to bore people, so the beginning of the twentieth century, which was an era of change for Russia, gave mainly to the clergy the hope of reviving the church. On 9 March 1917 after the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II, Synod addressed the people with the words: "God's will has been done. Russia has embarked on a new state of life.

At the same time, the provisional government felt gloomy. According to its members, the excessive activity of the church could undermine the authority of the government, which was extremely dangerous in an era of political instability, so the government tried to limit the influence of the church.

Among the first documents passed was a decree on freedom of conscience, which resulted in the Orthodox Church losing its privileged position. The next major step in limiting the influence of the church was the transfer of parochial schools to the Ministry of National Education, and the abolition of the school subject of the Law of God. This was a significant blow for the Russian Church.

It was becoming clear that there would be no more unity between the state and the church. "This is the unbaptizing of a Russia that was baptized 1,000 years ago." These words became the leitmotifs of the century that followed. Nevertheless, the Church continued to attempt to strengthen its position in society. A Local Council was convened to address the role of the church in the state. Representatives of various social groups attended it, and more than 500 people were concerned about the future of the Russian Orthodox Church. However, the position of the Provisional Government is fragile. It was not possible to realise the transformations that society had craved.

The situation was exacerbated by the ongoing World War II, in which Russia was involved. The Provisional Government began to lose its grip on the country and the army. The soldiers fleed the battlefield and rioted. Against this background, the Church once again, almost a thousand years ago, tried to assert its consolidating (unifying) role in society. The clergy appealed to soldiers to unite and continue to fulfil their duty to the Fatherland and fight the enemy army. Many church ministers assisted the wounded and were regimental priests. In this way the church expressed its support and showed that it even Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)However, these efforts were in vain, as the October Revolution of 1917 led to the overthrow of the Provisional Government and the establishment of the Soviet government, which was officially atheist and hostile to religion. In the years that followed, the Russian Orthodox Church faced persecution and repression, with many churches and monasteries destroyed or converted into other uses.

Despite this, the church continued to exist, albeit in a much reduced form, and gradually began to recover some of its influence in the decades following the fall of the Soviet Union. Today, it remains one of the most important institutions in Russia, with millions of adherents and a significant role in society and culture.

In conclusion, the history of the Russian Orthodox Church is complex and fascinating, marked by both triumphs and tragedies. While it has faced many challenges and setbacks over the centuries, it has also shown remarkable resilience and ability to adapt to changing circumstances, and continues to play an important role in the spiritual and cultural life of the Russian people.

evertheless, in 1925 Patriarch Tikhon was elected - the first in 200 years.?However, the provisional government was overthrown and the Bolsheviks came to power. This was a point of no return for the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1918, the Decree on Separation of State from Church and Church from School was passed, according to which all church rites were equated with hostile revolutionary acts and priests were declared counter-revolutionary.

The priests were subjected to mass persecution and shooting, and the church lands were seized. In appeals to the Russian people, Tikhon called these grim times "the year of God's wrath" and called them to pass all trials with dignity. The tension reached its breaking point. After Tikhon's death in 1925, Bolsheviks hoped for the fall of the Church.

The Soviets forbade the election for a new patriarch. Tikhon's successors tried to negotiate with the Soviets and recognise their supremacy over the church, but the Bolsheviks were adamant. In 1929, a decree on church associations was passed that remained in its basic form until 1990.

Under this decree, all religious associations are banned. Churches, monasteries, icons, and church books were closed and destroyed en masse; bells were removed; and church utensils were scrapped. Surviving churches were replaced by workshops, warehouses, and clubs, while monasteries were replaced by colonies and prisons. During the late 1920s and the early 1930s, a wave of explosions swept through Soviet Russia.

The largest occurred in 1931 on Volkhonka Street in Moscow.??

Between 1937 and 1940, an "anti-religious raid" was conducted during the Stalin era, leading to mass arrests and shootings of priests and believers, the closure of more churches and monasteries, and the destruction of valuable church artefacts.

In 1943, the Council on the Russian Orthodox Church was established, which led to the gradual easing of the persecution of the church and a gradual revival of religious life in the country.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the restoration of the Russian Federation, the Russian Orthodox Church became one of the most influential and widespread religious organisations in the country.