I was a beast, but I became a man. Holy Equal to the Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir
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Exactly a thousand years ago, Prince Vladimir died, who is known primarily as the Baptist of Russia and bears the affectionate popular nickname "Red Sun". Today the prince is revered by the church as an equal to the apostles saint - that is, as a person who made a contribution comparable to the apostles to the spread of Christianity.
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However, the path to canonization was thorny, and the ending as a saint at first was not even visible - after all, before turning to the one God, Vladimir behaved in full accordance with the medieval order established in Ancient Russia. The cruelty of the young prince was sometimes such that the popular TV series "Game of Thrones", against the background of his deeds, looks like a harmless fantasy from the 6+ film category. And therefore the story of Vladimir the Baptist is not so much a living as a story about a chance for enlightenment and salvation for anyone, even if he surpasses the entire Stark family put together.
The path of the great warrior and lover
Among the three sons of Prince Svyatoslav, Vladimir was the only illegitimate child - his mother was only a housekeeper for his grandmother, Princess Olga. At first, he lived separately from his brothers, in the village of Budyatina. But even when he moved to Kiev, from time to time he was reminded of his origin, and because of this the prince felt flawed. Some researchers believe that the roots of his subsequent vengefulness and cruelty originate precisely from childhood humiliations associated with princely inferiority.
When the father distributed the roles between his sons, Vladimir got the role of a secondary Novgorod prince. Soon he had the first, as they say now, "conflict of interests" with his brother Yaropolk (reigning in Kiev). Both he and the other got married to the daughter of the Polotsk prince Rogvold.
Prince Vladimir woo Rogneda
According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Princess Rogneda was a written beauty. However, in the Middle Ages, they married not for love, but for calculation: by becoming related with Rogvold, one could significantly strengthen their positions within the country.
Having received two offers, the Polotsk princess preferred Yaropolk, along the way, mortally offending Vladimir with a remark that she did not want to marry the "son of a slave". Insulted in the best geopolitical feelings, the Novgorod prince led his troops to Polotsk. The city was taken, and the whole family of Prince Rogvold was captured. After that, Vladimir exponentially took possession of the bride of his own brother in front of her family, and then executed her father and brothers.
Soon, Vladimir had a chance to sort things out with Yaropolk, whom he mercilessly killed during the princely civil strife. Fratricide, terrible in itself, was not such a rarity in Ancient Russia - before dying at the hands of Vladimir, Yaropolk himself managed to kill another brother - Oleg. So Vladimir got all the lands of the brothers, and he himself reigned in Kiev.
At the same time, Vladimir made the pregnant wife of the murdered Yaropolk, the Greek woman Julia, his concubine. The future baptist of Russia was generally known as a "great libertine" - only there were six official marriages in his life (in which more than 20 children were born), and the number of concubines went beyond all reasonable limits.
"If you believe the chronicles, he had 300 concubines in Vyshegorod, 300 in present-day Belogorodka (near Kiev), and 200 in the village of Berestovo. Every charming wife and girl feared his lustful gaze: he despised the sanctity of marriage and innocence. In a word, Chronicler calls him the second Solomon in love for women ", - wrote about him Nikolai Karamzin in" History of the Russian State ".
In addition to sex and various fornication, wars were another favorite pastime of Vladimir of that time. The prince fought with Poland, then suppressed the rebellion of the Vyatichi, and then conquered the country of the "wild, but courageous Latvian people." As a result, in the northwestern direction, he expanded his possessions to the Baltic Sea, and in the south, he conquered Korsun and even threatened to seize Constantinople.
From paganism to the true path
At the moment when Vladimir came to power in Kiev, paganism was widespread in Russia, which is a motley set of beliefs and teachings in half with magic and other cults. The new prince tried to somehow unite these beliefs by installing statues of various deities on a hill in Kiev, headed by Perun, revered as a princely god.
To appease the gods, the Slavs regularly made sacrifices - including human ones. The story is known when Vladimir ordered to find another sacrifice for the gods among the inhabitants of Kiev, and the choice fell on a certain John, the son of a Christian. His father Theodore refused to give his child to the princely warriors, saying before his death: "You have not gods, but a tree; now you have, and tomorrow they will rot ... God is one who created heaven and earth, stars and the moon, and the sun, and man."
According to legend, the dying words of Theodore made Vladimir doubt the correctness of the bet on paganism. He gradually began to search for another religion, considering various options. Muslims were among the first to propagate their faith.
"The description of Magometov's paradise and the blooming houris captivated the imagination of the voluptuous prince; but circumcision seemed to him a hateful rite and the prohibition to drink wine was a reckless charter. Wine, he said, is fun for Russians; we cannot be without it," Karamzin states the results of their visit.
After carefully listening to all possible options, the prince consistently refused the Jews and Catholics, but became interested in the Greek (Byzantine) faith. Soon, Vladimir also had a proof of the fidelity of his choice - just before the baptism of the prince, his eyes hurt badly, he almost stopped seeing. But as soon as he was baptized, the illness went away, which made a strong impression on both the prince himself and his inner circle.
"I was a beast, but I became a man"
Orthodox sources say that after holy Baptism, Vladimir also ordered the destruction of pagan idols throughout Russia, and established an ecclesiastical diocese. On his initiative, Christianity was actively spreading in Russia. At the same time, the prince finally abandoned excessive cruelty, showing mercy and compassion. So, he did not persecute those who wished to remain pagans or professed a different faith, unless they raised an armed revolt against the reforms of Vladimir.
In addition, the prince repented of his sins and freed all the concubines. He baptized his sons, and allowed his wives to marry at their discretion and gave them a dowry.
After years of debauchery, Vladimir finally embraced the true family values now known as traditional. In a Christian marriage, he was with the Byzantine princess Anna, and after her death in 1011 he married again. In 1015 he died after a long and prolonged illness.
Prince Vladimir was buried in Kiev, in the Church of the Tithes he built, in front of a huge crowd of people. The whole city mourned him. “And the boyars cried about him as the intercessor of the earth, the poor as their intercessor and breadwinner,” says the testimonies of that time. Several centuries later, the prince was canonized and canonized.
There is a well-known phrase of Vladimir, uttered by him after his baptism: "I was a beast, but I became a man." Indeed, in his younger years, the prince showed more animal than human. But the fact that one of the most cruel and depraved rulers of the Middle Ages became the Baptist of Russia has its own symbolism. After all, the darkest hour is, as you know, always before dawn.
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“I was a beast, but I became a man” - this is how, some time after the acceptance of holy baptism, Baptism, the holy Prince Vladimir, equal to the apostles, said about the changes in himself. These words of his did not become self-praise or boasting, but to a greater extent, perhaps, even a joyful surprise at how only one movement of the soul, one step towards God, albeit through doubts, search and long reflections, can change not only life, everyday life , attitude towards oneself and towards others, but also the person himself. Total. You can become a Man forever only by truly realizing how invaluable and important the life of each of us is for God. You can become a person by seeing a person in another. And not just a person, but also his human dignity. But this skill must be learned, studied seriously, without differentiating people according to only one of us understandable subjective criteria. All of us, regardless of origin, gender, social status, characters, positions and salaries, are actually very similar in the most important thing: we are born and die. Yes, between these two points, we are very different, we go our own way, unlike anyone else, but in the most important and mysterious moments of life we are not at all different from each other. These two important days in the calendar are completely dependent on God. And what will be between them and the years we are entitled to, largely depends on us. The world is dominated by a consumer attitude towards everything and, alas, towards everyone. This means that a person himself often sees and evaluates another exclusively in the light of material usefulness or uselessness. A person becomes profitable, he is important as long as he has connections, means, the ability to influence. Behind youth and beauty, they also sometimes do not see and do not want to see a person, looking at him like a wrapper. And many suffer from this, but the scary thing is that there are those who use it successfully. And everywhere there is only a call to take, find, buy, eat ... Earn to spend? And then earn again? And if there is no opportunity to earn as much as you would like to spend? Credit, and already work for it ... And then the person slowly disappears. First, as part of society. No money, lost his home, drank himself to death. Where is he? No, not in the trash, but just outside of our attention and interest. But this is a man whose most important dignity has never been taken away from him. And it will not take away, because it is dear and important to God. This is its main advantage. Therefore, it is so sad that he was not noticed by us. But meetings with such people are sent to us precisely so that we do not forget about it. No one will ever give any guarantee that extreme need will not visit us. Is this the kind of insight we want? The truth of Christ revealed to Prince Vladimir the truth about his former life. The truth about how many people were overlooked; about what was obtained by sword and force; about what lust and greed, anger and cruelty led to. The prince's life, overwhelmed by passions and instincts, was devoid of human dignity. And now, under the influence of the grace of God, he gained the ability to see everything that was unattractive in himself and to repent, to change his life. And this is a very important step on the path of becoming a person. It is very scary to lose a person in yourself. This loss is irreplaceable. Christianity teaches that the guarantee of human preservation is the ability to think not about oneself. Better yet, don't think about yourself. Even in the smallest everyday situations, which, unfortunately, we rarely succeed. Christianity teaches sacrificial love, that is, such love for one's neighbor, when you just forget about yourself for the sake of another. All this was learned by the Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, when the teaching of Christ became the main measure of his life. PRIEST ANDREY MIZYUK | JULY 27, 2015
Holy Equal to the Apostles Prince Vladimir
On July 28, the Orthodox Church celebrates two major holidays at once - the memory of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir and the Baptism of Rus, which is inextricably linked with him. The Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir the Great is an exceptional, fateful, cornerstone personality in history. Through him, the Lord showed Russia great happiness - the Orthodox faith, and the prince himself, having taken Christ with all his heart, courageously led the peoples who inhabited ancient Russia to the light of God.
The future Baptist of Russia was born around 960 in the marriage of Prince Svyatoslav with Malusha, who was the housekeeper of Vladimir's grandmother, Princess Olga. He ruled first, from 970, - in Novgorod, then, from 978 and until his death in 1015, in Kiev.
Before the adoption of Christianity, Prince Vladimir was a cruel ruler who relied primarily on pagan traditions. The prince, who before baptism carried all the ailments of the people's soul. In lust he is insatiable, he is not indifferent to drunkenness, in anger he is terrible, in selfish deeds he is cunning. This is a portrait of a genuine pagan, a son of passions and a servant of demons. Such a person is not ashamed of sin, but only weakness and failure, he hates enemies with all his soul, does not deign the weak with a glance. He cherishes his passions, and, looking at him from the outside, you won’t know what should happen for this dubious "child of nature" to change his way of life for the better. However, after personal baptism, he changed internally, which also influenced his external activities. The cutting blade is Christ's grace received by man. And here it is already important to understand that truly holy is not the one who has been blameless since childhood, but the one who, after accepting grace, did not allow himself to return to what was “before”. Vladimir did not return back. Vladimir is holy.
Prince Vladimir was baptized in Korsun (Chersonesos) in 988. This event divided his life into two halves, strikingly different from each other. He himself spoke of it this way:
"God! I was like a beast, I lived like a bestial, but You tamed me. Glory to Thee, God! ".
Returning to Kiev, Prince Vladimir with the Greek priests who arrived with him baptized the inhabitants of the city, after which the baptism of the rest of Russia began.
An unforgettable and unique in Russian history morning of the Epiphany of the Kievites in the waters of the Dnieper has come. On the eve of Saint Vladimir announced throughout the city: "If someone does not come to the river tomorrow - rich or poor, beggar or slave - there will be my enemy." The sacred desire of the holy prince was fulfilled unquestioningly: "at one time all our land glorified Christ with the Father and the Holy Spirit."
It is difficult to overestimate the depth of the spiritual upheaval that was accomplished by the prayers of Saint Vladimir, Equal to the Apostles in the Russian people, in his entire life, in his entire worldview. 
In the clean waters of Kiev, as in the "bathhouse of pakibity", the mysterious transformation of the Russian spiritual element, the spiritual birth of the people, called by God to the exploits of Christian service to humanity unprecedented in history, took place.
After the adoption of Christianity, Vladimir himself completely stopped military campaigns against his neighbors, he lived peacefully with all peoples, fighting only with nomads - Pechenegs, who constantly disturbed the borders of Kievan Rus. He released all his former wives and concubines, uniting in a Christian marriage with the Greek princess Anna.
The prince completely abolished the death penalty and did not want to punish even murderers and robbers. Only at the request of the Greek bishops, concerned about crime in Russia, did he reluctantly reintroduce the death penalty.
Access to the princely court was open to all the poor and needy. Vladimir distributed food, clothing, money to people, ransomed debtors from bondage, returned freedom to slaves and prisoners. Also, the prince ordered to deliver and distribute food and drink along the streets of Kiev.
In addition, Saint Vladimir was a gifted ruler who not only successfully defended his native land, but also engaged in the development of education in his principality.
Prince Vladimir not only played a role in the acquisition of Orthodoxy by Russia - he was a man who did not abandon the concern for his personal salvation. 
Concern for personal salvation for a Christian is not an egoistic feeling, but a guarantee of any good deeds. Therefore, the Monk Seraphim of Sarov asserts: "Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands will be saved around you"
... Inner peace and love is an indispensable condition for the possibility of some kind of external changes both in oneself and in others. If a person inside is amazed, ruined by sin, then even if he wants to do something bright, it will still not work.
The image of Prince Vladimir is very important as an example of a person who could radically change. What does it mean? After all, coming to faith does not change, so to speak, the psychotype: talkative people do not become silent, and reserved people do not become overly sociable. What happens then? The assessment of one's actions, the look at oneself, changes. The words of the Equal-to-the-Apostles prince: “I was a beast, but I became a man” - evidence that he was able to evaluate his inner and outer life differently, and this change allowed him to help other people as well. After his conversion, Prince Vladimir, as far as can be judged from reliable sources, sincerely and persistently tried to live according to the Gospel. He became a different person. We know from the history of the Church that this is possible if, as the Apostle Paul says: “ I do not live, but Christ lives in me " (Gal 2:20). And Saint Paul had every right to say so: after all, his life is the clearest example of how a person from a persecutor of Christians turns into an apostle of faith. Anyone who is able to understand the invaluable importance of a good change that has taken place in a person once and for all, he will never doubt the sanctity of the changed person. It doesn't matter what sins this person was covered with earlier.
It may seem to many of us that the example of Prince Vladimir is not for us. We are not in a situation of reign, we do not have eight hundred concubines, to kill - they did not kill anyone, Russia has already been baptized, etc. And yet, each has its own "beast", from which it is necessary to pass to the person. To abandon the old person in oneself and to nurture a new person in oneself.
In a sense, the story of Prince Vladimir is a model of Christian life. Yes, we did not make human sacrifices, but did we not offend our neighbors - with deeds, words, thoughts, finally? Isn't this an attempt on the image of God, both in another person and, by the way, in oneself? The life of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince is a vivid example of the need to judge oneself, the importance of changing one's own soul. If we understand this, if we are ready to humbly admit Christ into our hearts, then, probably, then we will be able someday to repeat after Prince Vladimir: "I was a beast, but I became a man" .
The order of services in St. Nicholas Cathedral
Stakhanov
| 27 thursday |
14:00 - Vespers |
| 28 friday |
7:00 - Matins 9:00 - Liturgy |
On July 28, Russia celebrates the 1000th anniversary of the repose of Saint Prince Vladimir, Equal to the Apostles.
“I was a beast, but I became a man,” so some time after the acceptance of Holy Baptism, the holy Prince Vladimir, Equal to the Apostles, said about the changes in himself. These words of his did not become self-praise or boasting, but to a greater extent, perhaps, even a joyful surprise at how only one movement of the soul, one step towards God, albeit through doubts, search and long reflections, can change not only life, everyday life , attitude towards oneself and towards others, but also the person himself. Total. Forever and ever.
You can become a human only by truly realizing how invaluable and important the life of each of us is for God. You can become a person by seeing a person in another. And not just a person, but also his human dignity. But this skill must be learned, studied seriously, without differentiating people according to only one of us understandable subjective criteria. All of us, regardless of origin, gender, social status, characters, positions and salaries, are actually very similar in the most important thing: we are born and die. Yes, between these two points, we are very different, we go our own way, unlike anyone else, but in the most important and mysterious moments of life we are not at all different from each other. These two important days in the calendar are completely dependent on God. And what will happen between them and the years we are entitled to, largely depends on us. And here it is obvious that the life given to us must still be something more than an ordinary line between the dates on the monument. How to do it?
The world is dominated by a consumerist attitude towards everything and, alas, towards everyone. This means that a person himself often sees and evaluates another exclusively in the light of material usefulness or uselessness. A person becomes profitable, he is important as long as he has connections, means, the ability to influence. Behind youth and beauty, they also sometimes do not see and do not want to see a person, looking at him like a wrapper. And many suffer from this, but the scary thing is that there are those who use it successfully. And everywhere there is only a call to take, find, buy, eat ... Earn to spend? And then earn again? And if there is no opportunity to earn as much as you would like to spend? Credit, and already work for it ... And then the person slowly disappears. First, as part of society. No money, lost his home, drank himself to death. Where is he? No, not in the trash, but just outside of our attention and interest. But this is a man whose most important dignity has never been taken away from him. And it will not take away, because it is dear and important to God. This is its main advantage. Therefore, it is so sad that he was not noticed by us. But meetings with such people are sent to us precisely so that we do not forget about it. No one will ever give any guarantee that extreme need will not visit us. Is this the kind of insight we want?
The truth of Christ revealed to Prince Vladimir the truth about his former life. The truth about how many people were overlooked; about what was obtained by sword and force; about what lust and greed, anger and cruelty led to. The prince's life, overwhelmed by passions and instincts, was devoid of human dignity. And now, under the influence of the grace of God, he gained the ability to see everything that was unattractive in himself and to repent, to change his life. And this is a very important step on the path of becoming a person.
It is very scary to lose a person in yourself. This loss is irreplaceable. Christianity teaches that the guarantee of human preservation is the ability to think not about oneself. Better yet, don't think about yourself. Even in the smallest everyday situations, which, unfortunately, we rarely succeed. Christianity teaches sacrificial love, that is, such love for one's neighbor, when you just forget about yourself for the sake of another. All this was learned by the Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, when the teaching of Christ became the main measure of his life.
In today's world, more and more often, a movement is noticed that is opposite to the one about which the holy Baptist of Russia spoke - a movement from man to beast. And this movement does not surprise anyone, and, what is especially sad, does not frighten anyone at all. Maybe because we are used to seeing a person more and more often only in the mirror?
Many talk about this, they ring the alarm, but sometimes they do not see what to catch on to, what to look for salvation from this pernicious movement, which way to rush away from the edge of this abyss. And the path has long been indicated by Christ, and the truth of this path has been attested by the host of saints, whose example each of us is called to imitate.
Moreover, Christianity also teaches that a person must develop his virtues incessantly, that is, the most important aspiration of a Christian is not just to become a good person in the generally accepted sense, but to regain the image and likeness of God. Christ took upon himself human nature, as if appropriating it to Himself, so that through Him this nature would receive the ability to return the image of God lost by Adam. Christ opened this path for everyone. The civilizational choice, as they say now, was made for our country by Prince Vladimir. And whether to follow this path, whether to rise to the title of man and from man to the image of God - the choice is ours.
"Saratov regional newspaper" No. 108