Kieven Rus’


In the ninth century AD, Kieven Rus’ was a pagan state with no official religion. Its ruler, Prince Vladimir, reigned for almost twenty years as a devout follower of Perun – the most important god in the Slavic pagan pantheon. The Primary Chronicle, a glorious weave of mythology, legend and history, tells the story of how Christianity came to Russia. This record, sometimes translated with more […]

Christianity comes to Russia


It seems strange to think that the historic heart of Russia was once Kiev, a city that is now the capital of an independent Ukraine. The Rus’ people had pushed south from their heartlands in Novgorod to reach Kiev in the ninth century. Kievan Rus’ became the centre of a golden age for Russia. Given the central role of Kiev in Russian history, the etymology of […]

Living on the edge