Vladimir the Great
Vladimir I Sviatoslavich or Volodymyr I Sviatoslavych (Old East Slavic: Володимѣръ Свѧтославичь, romanized: Volodiměr Svętoslavič; Christian name: Basil; c. 958 – 15 July 1015), given the epithet "the Great", was Prince of Novgorod from 970 and Grand Prince of Kiev from 978 until his death in 1015. The Eastern Orthodox Church canonised him as Saint Vladimir.
| Vladimir the Great | |||||
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Vladimir's effigy on one of his coins. He is crowned in the Byzantine style, holding a cross-mounted staff in one hand and a Khazar-inspired trident in the other. | |||||
| Grand Prince of Kiev | |||||
| Reign | 11 June 978 – 15 July 1015 | ||||
| Predecessor | Yaropolk I | ||||
| Successor | Sviatopolk I | ||||
| Prince of Novgorod | |||||
| Reign | 970 – c. 988 | ||||
| Predecessor | Sviatoslav I | ||||
| Successor | Vysheslav | ||||
| Born | c. 958 Budnik near Pskov (modern Pskov Oblast) or Budiatychi (modern Volyn Oblast) | ||||
| Died | 15 July 1015 (aged approximately 57) Berestove (now in Kyiv) | ||||
| Burial | |||||
| Spouse |
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| Issue among others | |||||
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| Dynasty | Rurik | ||||
| Father | Sviatoslav I of Kiev | ||||
| Mother | Malusha | ||||
| Religion | Chalcedonian Christianity (from 988) prev. Slavic pagan | ||||
Vladimir of Kiev | |
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| Equal to the Apostles | |
| Born | c. 958 |
| Died | 15 July 1015 |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church Catholic Church Anglican Communion Lutheranism |
| Feast | 15 July |
| Attributes | Crown, cross, throne |
Vladimir's father was Sviatoslav I of the Rurik dynasty. After the death of his father in 972, Vladimir, who was then the prince of Novgorod, was forced to flee abroad after his brother Yaropolk murdered his other brother Oleg in 977 to become the sole ruler of Rus'. Vladimir assembled a Varangian army and returned to depose Yaropolk in 978. By 980, Vladimir had consolidated his realm to the Baltic Sea and solidified the frontiers against incursions of Bulgarians, Baltic tribes and Eastern nomads. Originally a follower of Slavic paganism, Vladimir converted to Christianity in 988, and Christianized the Kievan Rus.