Anna of Byzantium - Grand Duchess of Kievan Rus. Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir and Princess Anna

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Anna of Byzantium (963—1011/1012) born in Byzantium. She came from the Macedonian dynasty, whose representatives ruled the country for more than two centuries. Her father, Emperor Roman II, died young, leaving two minor sons Basil and Constantine and a daughter.

The Byzantine historian John Skylitzes wrote that the death of 24-year-old Romanos II was caused by “exhaustion of the flesh by the most shameful and voluptuous acts.” There were rumors that he was poisoned.

After Roman's death, Anna's mother, Queen Theophano, was proclaimed regent for her young sons; but soon the commander of the troops of the East, Nicephorus II Phocas, took possession of the imperial throne, and immediately married Theophano.

Just six years later, a conspiracy was formed against the stern Nikephoros, led by Theophano and her lover, Nikephoros' associate John Tzimiskes. Nikephoros was brutally killed, and Tzimiskes took possession of the throne.

However, contrary to Theophano’s expectations, Tzimiskes did not marry her, but sent her into exile, where 6-year-old Anna probably followed along with her mother.

Only after the death of Tzimiskes in 976 did Anna’s matured brothers begin to rule themselves, becoming co-emperor emperors, and went down in history as Basil II the Bulgarian Slayer and Constantine VIII.

After the accession of her older brothers to the throne, Anna became an enviable bride, whose hand the rulers sought neighboring countries. In particular, historians mention among her suitors the heir to the Holy Roman Empire Otto III, whom Anna was 17 years older than, the son of the French king Hugo Capet - Robert II, as well as one of the Bulgarian princes. By various reasons these unions did not take place.

In 988, after the Russians captured the Greek city of Korsun (Chersonese) in the Crimea, the Russian prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich demanded the hand of their sister from the Byzantine emperors, threatening to take Constantinople by storm if they refused. Frightened by this demand, Vasily and Constantine agreed to the marriage, but on the condition that the prince accept Christianity and provide military support to the empire.

“Let those priests,” replied Grand Duke“Whoever comes with your sister will baptize me.”

The oldest chronicles describe in sufficient detail that at first Anna, who was already 25 years old at that time, categorically refused to marry a barbarian. She begged her brothers to let her die in her homeland. But they said that God places it on her great mission- convert an entire pagan country to the true faith.

Princess Anna, with great reluctance, went by sea to Korsun, where the Grand Duke was. According to legend, at this time his eyes became very sore. Anna advised him to be baptized in order to be healed of his illness. Vladimir fulfilled his bride's wish and suddenly regained his sight.

After the baptism, the marriage took place immediately - according to the Christian rite. Having returned Korsun to Byzantium, Prince Vladimir and Anna returned to Kyiv, where they began the mass baptism of the people.

According to some historians, it was thanks to Anna that the construction of the first stone church of the Old Russian state began - the majestic Kyiv Cathedral in honor of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, later nicknamed the Church of the Tithes, since it existed on a tenth of the prince’s income.

The chronicle says that Princess Anna became the sixth wife of Grand Duke Vladimir and that she gave birth to a daughter, Maria, who later married the Polish king Casimir I.

Anna of Byzantium died in the year 6519 from the creation of the world according to the Byzantine calendar, which corresponds to 1011/1012 AD. Her tomb was in Tithe Church in Kyiv next to the tomb of St. Vladimir the Baptist, who died 4 years after the death of his wife.

What is she famous for?

The wife of the Kyiv Grand Duke Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the baptist of Rus'. Many historians claim that she played a decisive role in Vladimir agreeing to convert to Orthodoxy and that it was Anna who convinced Vladimir Svyatoslavich to become a Christian. The 11th-century Syrian historian Yahya of Antioch wrote that Anna diligently participated in the spread of Orthodoxy in Rus', “building many churches.” The church charter of Vladimir says that the prince consulted with his wife in church matters: “having told my fortune with his princess Anna.”

According to Karamzin, the educated Byzantine princess had to perform a feat in the name of her homeland, and also take on the mission of enlightening the “lost pagans.” As a result, “Anna was an instrument of heavenly grace that led Russia out of the darkness of idolatry.”

What you need to know

The marriage of a Byzantine princess to a “barbarian” was considered blasphemous and unacceptable. Back in the middle of the 10th century, Anna’s grandfather, Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, wrote for his son a treatise “On the Administration of the Empire,” in which he expressed the attitude of the rulers of Byzantium to dynastic marriages with the barbarian northern peoples, including the Rus: “If ever a people one of these unfaithful and wicked northern tribes asks for kinship through marriage with the basileus of the Romans, that is, either to receive his daughter as a wife, or to give your daughter, either to the basileus as a wife or to the son of the basileus, you must reject this unreasonable request of theirs […] Since each nation has different customs, different laws and regulations, it must adhere to its own rules, and enter into and create alliances for the mixing of lives within the same people.”

Constantine Porphyrogenitus made an exception only for the ruling houses of Western Europe, the “Franks”. However, circumstances nevertheless forced his grandchildren to enter into kinship with their “barbarian” neighbors.

Direct speech:

About marriage:“I’m walking like crazy, it would be better for me to die here.”

Arab historian of the 11th century Abu Shoja ar-Rudraweri on the role of Anna in the baptism of Rus':“The woman refused to give herself to someone who disagreed with her in faith. Negotiations began about this, which ended with the entry of the Russian Tsar into Christianity.”

6 facts about Anna of Byzantium

• Anna was born 2 days before the death of her father, Emperor Roman II. It is thanks to this that the exact date of her birth is known.
• Anna's mother, Feofano, was of humble birth. According to Leo the Deacon, this “most beautiful, seductive and sophisticated woman of her time, equally distinguished by her beauty, abilities, ambition and depravity,” was the daughter of a Constantinople tavern, in whose establishment she worked as a prostitute. Having seduced the young heir to the throne, Roman, she eventually became queen.
• Anna was called Porphyrogenitus - that is, born in crimson swaddling clothes. The scarlet color was considered imperial, and a child born during the reign of his imperial parents had an undoubted right to the Byzantine throne.
• Contemporaries gave Anna the nickname Rufa (Redhead). Although no descriptions of Anna’s appearance or portraits have been preserved, she most likely resembled her half-brothers Vasily and Konstantin. They were blue-eyed, fair-haired, short in stature, but beautifully built.
• According to N.N. Nikitenko, the secular frescoes of the two staircase towers of Sophia of Kyiv, leading to the princely choirs, tell about the marriage of Prince Vladimir and Princess Anna.
• Anna of Byzantium is one of the notable characters in the historical novel “Dove over Pontus” (“When Chersonesus fell”) by Antonin Ladinsky.

1055 years ago, on March 13, 963, a girl was born high class and tragic, according to compatriots, fate. She was given in marriage against her will, but that's not so bad. Anna, and that’s what the newborn was named, in 25 years she will become the wife of a Russian Prince Vladimir.

The fact that the marriage between a Russian prince and a Byzantine princess became a big event is probably known to everyone. In the end, the charming cartoon “Prince Vladimir” ends with a touching scene of absentee matchmaking. The stately, tall Anna of Byzantium receives a pitiful pipe from her Russian groom and is imbued with the lyricism of the melody. Brown eyes a strand of hair the color of a raven's wing twitches, a strand of hair the color of a raven's wing gracefully falls back... Everything is very beautiful, but in no way corresponds to the truth.

Is Red-Red a dangerous person?

The first question that gossip-hungry gossips ask as soon as they hear about a wedding is: “Well, is the bride at least beautiful?” Let us ask ourselves this question too.

And you will immediately have to tense up. The fact is that a description of Anna of Byzantium’s appearance has not reached us. However, it is still possible to find out something. Anna was the sister of the reigning emperor Vasily II Bulgarian fighters and his brother-co-ruler Constantine VIII. What these representatives of the Armenian dynasty looked like is known very well.

The height is below average, but the physique is harmonious and graceful. Eyes gray or blue. The hair is light, but not whitish, but with a thick golden tint. Very white skin. It is possible that with freckles, as is often the case with fair-haired people with a slight red streak. Most likely, Anna had freckles - the only more or less accurate indication of her appearance was the nickname given to the princess by her compatriots. Rufa. That is, “Redhead”.

"Anna of Byzantium". The series has 12 episodes. The main character is at the center of intrigue, wars, and redistribution of territories pic.twitter.com/jmiUMuL1bH

— ISUE Library (@biblio_ispu) June 9, 2016

In crimson and gold

In addition to appearance, as a rule, the bride’s family is also of interest. Anna was fine with this. Belonging to the Byzantine imperial dynasty is the highest test of birth for the Middle Ages. It is simply impossible to find any higher - any representative of any royal house of Europe was, in comparison with the Byzantine dynasty, not even a commoner, but yesterday’s monkey, which barely climbed down from the tree.

However, Anna stood out even in her family. She was purplish. This is a special category of representatives ruling house Roman Empire.

Porphyrogenites - this is the name given to the emperor's children born during his reign. All of them were born only and exclusively in the Porphyry (Crimson) Hall of the Great or Holy Imperial Palace, which was founded by the Constantine the Great. During the first year of life, they were swaddled in matching purple swaddles. For 1 kg of fabric for such diapers it was necessary to spend 200 grams. purple dye. That is, 30 thousand purple mollusks, from which this rare paint was extracted. For those who are not convinced by this figure, let us convert it into money. 1 silk diaper, dyed purple, cost up to 30 thousand solids. Or, if you prefer, about 6 thousand current dollars. Truly - golden children.

But that’s not even the main thing. And the fact that such a child was considered blessed. Simply for the reason that his parents were bearers of divine, sacred power.

Who needs a mare as a bride?

Of course, such children were protected more than their eyes. There was no talk of giving the purple-born princess in marriage to some barbarian.

In any case, this is what our heroine’s grandfather, the emperor, ordered Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus: “If ever the people of any of these unfaithful and wicked northern tribes ask for kinship through marriage with the basileus of the Romans, that is, either to receive his daughter as a wife, or to give his daughter, either to the basileus as a wife or to the son of the basileus, you must reject this unreasonable request of theirs.”

There were exceptions, but extremely rarely. Of all the Europeans in Byzantium, the family of the Frankish emperor and the house of the Bulgarian kings were considered more or less human. It was still possible to become related to them. The rulers of these states were called “bright archon” in diplomatic correspondence, which was significantly higher than just “archon” - something like a “tribal leader”.

But marriages were not always concluded with them. I was wooing the same Anna founder of the French Capetian dynasty, Hugo Capet— he wanted to marry his son to a Byzantine princess. And he was refused. We don’t sell Porphyrians in Europe.

Russian variant

This elite club of European rulers also included Russian princes. Which, of course, is surprising. Both the Franks and the Bulgarians were at least Christians by that time, but Rus' remained thoroughly pagan. However, the “bright archon” was also called Oleg. The same one who, according to legend, “established a shield on the gates of Constantinople.”

However, Anna Porphyrogenitus, according to contemporaries, having barely learned that the kind brother-emperors had betrothed her to the Russian “bright archon” Vladimir, was, to put it mildly, dissatisfied: “I’m going to Rus' like crazy, it would be better for me to die here.” .

Yet the brothers knew what they were doing. An ally like Prince Vladimir had to be valued. By and large, the brothers paid their sister for the Russian military assistance— Vladimir sent 7 thousand soldiers to suppress the rebellion within Byzantium. In fact, he saved the throne for the dynasty, and the dynasty itself too. According to work and reward.

Which immediately brought Rus' to first place in Europe. The Porphyrogenitus princess went to a Russian, who just yesterday was a pagan and was baptized only for marriage - this is unthinkable. This is an insult to all European ruling houses proud of their origins.

Unfortunately, Vladimir was unable to derive full benefits from this marriage. He and Anna only had one common child- daughter who died in infancy. If there were more children in this marriage, things would have gone differently. Each child born from Porphyrogenitus could, with a successful combination of circumstances, lay claim to the throne of Byzantium. Since the Armenian dynasty came to an end in the 11th century, the only legitimate contenders for the throne of Constantinople would be the descendants of Vladimir and Anna. Now imagine a united Orthodox power - from the Baltic to the Mediterranean Sea.

ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE BYZANTINE PRINCE ANNA IN THE BAPTISM AND CHRISTIANIZATION OF KIEVAN RUS

Anna of Byzantium, a princess in Constantinople, set the condition that Vladimir Svyatoslavich, who chose her, and all his people should be baptized before marriage.
(Armenian dynasty, Vasiliev dynasty) - imperial dynasty in Byzantium from 867 to 1056. Historians call this dynasty the Armenian, Macedonian, because during its two centuries in power (from 867 to 1056), almost all Byzantine emperors, military leaders and major officials were Armenians. In the history of Byzantium, the Armenian dynasty is considered the most famous. Over two centuries - 20 emperors. During the Byzantine Empire, the majority of the Armenian elite of that time became close to the Greeks, forming a special group of the Byzantine population, which simply dissolved over time.

In the year of the Baptism of Rus', in 988, Byzantium was ruled by Vasily II the Bulgarian Slayer (976 - 1025) and, as was then customary, his brother-co-ruler Constantine VIII (976 - 1028). The father was Roman II, and the mother was Feofano. Although Roman was the son of Emperor Constantine VII, he married a completely unknown girl, the daughter of the Constantinople tavern owner Krotir, a native of Armenia. As for ignorance, I don’t think there were any problems. The founder of the dynasty himself, Basil the Macedonian, who came from a peasant family, managed to rise to the rank of groom, but attributed to himself that he was a descendant of the Arsacids, just as the Bagratids attributed to themselves that they were descendants of the biblical king David. What kind of emperor would write in his “questionnaire” that he is the son of a peasant? so Anastaso was turned into Feofano, and the origin was corrected, closer to the royal one. But now her daughter is already the porphyry-born princess Anna. It’s hard to imagine, but all are Armenians. Anna was born just 2 days before the death of her father, the 24-year-old Emperor Roman II, and therefore a porphyrogenete. He reigned for 4 years and was rumored to have been poisoned. Thanks to this recording by the Byzantine historian John Skylitzes, the exact date of Anna's birth became known - March 13, 963. So the significant date of the Baptism of Rus' is 1030 years anniversary and for Anna it is 1055.
After the death of Romanus II, the commander of the troops of the East, Nicephorus II Phocas, became emperor, who married Anna’s mother, Empress Theophano, who then overthrew him and elevated him to the throne of John I Tzimiskes - (Chmshkik, Shoe), despite the small sprout, which glorified the empire with victories over the Arabs, Bulgarians, Phoenicians. And only after his death in 976, the matured Vasily II and Constantine VIII were proclaimed co-emperor emperors.
Having buried Princess Olga, Svyatoslav sent his sons to reign independently. The eldest prince Yaropolk received Kyiv, the second son Oleg received the Drevlyansky land. The bastard son Vladimir inherited Novgorod, since his mother was not a Varangian, but a Slav. But her position as a housekeeper was akin to that of a butler and treasurer; all the storerooms, cellars and even the treasury were at her disposal...
Of his wives, we will focus on Rogneda the Polovtsian and Anna, there are similarities and differences.

Polotsk was a very profitable city for the Novgorod prince, since it was located on important trade routes from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.
Wanting to find a faithful ally in his future father-in-law, Vladimir sent matchmakers to his daughter. However, as the chronicles tell, proud Rogneda answered Vladimir with a decisive refusal. In the Laurentian Chronicle, her words sound like this: “I don’t want rozuti robichich (i.e., the son of a slave - L.M.), but I want Yaropolk.”
Having learned that his bride rudely refused him and wants to marry his enemy, the Novgorod prince gathers a large army. It included: Varangian mercenaries, Slovenes, Krivichi and Chud, i.e. those tribes that united in an alliance under Rurik. Polotsk was captured, the ruler's family was captured. Rogneda fell into the hands of Vladimir, who forcibly made her his wife in the presence of her parents, and killed her parents themselves.
In general, in the chronicle of Nestor (according to Morozova), Vladimir is presented as a great woman lover: “Volodimer was overcome by female lust, and he had a wife: Rogned..., from her he fathered 4 sons: Izeslav, Mstislav, Yaroslav, Vsevolod, and 2 daughters; from Grekine Svyatopolk; from Chekhine Vysheslav; and from the other Svyatoslav and Mstislav and Stanislav; and from Bulgarian Boris and Gleb; and he had 300 concubines in Vyshgorod, and 300 in Belegorod, and 200 in Berestov.”
He took the pregnant Greek woman of Svyatopolk, whom he killed, along with the treasury. The prince married a Bulgar woman, apparently, in 985, when he made a successful campaign against Volga Bulgaria. Perhaps she became the real mistress of the Kyiv palace, since Vladimir loved her sons, Boris and Gleb, more than other children. Rogneda's humiliation forced her to take a desperate step - to kill Vladimir. It seems that for Rogneda, ending her hated marital relationship with Vladimir and moving to Izyaslavl was the greatest blessing. At home, she finally turned into the sovereign mistress of her own destiny. Having strengthened the power of her son, she then zealously set about spreading Christianity in the Polotsk land. Polovtsians remembered her for a long time from generation to generation. Character + later Christianity.

And Vladimir already wanted to reach the world level, that is, the European level. And he began to try on the crown. The crown could have been worn in Byzantium. Among European sovereigns, they still occupied first place. All the kings sought to become related to them. However, Vladimir undoubtedly knew about sad experience his grandmother, Olga, who was unable to baptize Rus' for fear of becoming dependent on either Constantinople or Rome. Therefore, it was important for the prince to become a true relative of the Byzantine emperors and enter their family on an equal position with them. Marriage to the sister of Vasily and Constantine, who ruled at that time, provided such a chance. Obviously, it was precisely these considerations that Vladimir Svyatoslavich was guided by when he wooed Princess Anna Romanovna. Undoubtedly, the bride was superior to the groom in many ways: in origin, education, upbringing, and general cultural level. After all, she grew up in the cultural capital of all Europe and Asia Minor - Constantinople. In addition, she herself and many generations of her ancestors were Christians, and Vladimir was a pagan. Despite all the undoubted merits that Anna Romanovna possessed, Russian chronicles contain very little information about her, more in Byzantine and Arab chronicles.
And he decides to send matchmakers to Constantinople.

And then Vladimir got lucky.
Bardu Phocas rebelled against the co-rulers Basil and Constantine, declared himself emperor and also marched on Constantinople. Also of Armenian clan-tribe, but of Cappadocian origin, nephew of Nicephorus Phocas, lover, then husband of Theophano, mother of the emperors and Anna.
Varda Phokas captured almost all of Asia Minor... The situation became especially critical in September 987, when the rebel troops approached Chrysopolis, separated by the Bosporus Strait from Constantinople. There was a threat of capture of the capital of Varda by Phocas. Because the own strength Vasily and Constantine had little, they turned to neighboring countries for military help. Vladimir, apparently interested in rapprochement with the Byzantine emperors, was one of the first to respond.

Of course, he heard about the campaigns against Constantinople by both Oleg and Igor, his grandfather. I knew about faith, because Olga converted to Christianity. He understood that a single god was needed for everyone, because even then there were many different tribes and nationalities in Rus'... It was especially important to monotheize the pagan squad. An equally important incentive to abandon paganism was the fact that the rulers of other states did not recognize the idolatrous prince as an equal.
He promised to field a squad of 6,000 warriors of different tribes. But for his help he demanded the hand of Princess Anne.
Negotiations began, after which an agreement was signed that first the Russian prince would be baptized, then receive Anna’s hand and marry her according to the Christian rite, and immediately provide military assistance to his new relatives in the fight against the rebel.
On April 13, 989, Varda Foka was defeated in the battle of Avidos on the Asian coast of the Dardanelles by Emperor Vasily II, to whom Prince Vladimir of Kiev sent a 6,000-strong army to help, which played a decisive role in the battle. In this battle Varda Foka died.
But the brothers were in no hurry to fulfill their promise; Anna cried and begged “not to send her into captivity to the Tauro-Scythians.” The violation of the treaty was not the result of only the whim or arbitrariness of Emperor Basil II. Prince Vladimir had several wives and ten sons from them, who laid claim to the Kiev throne.

The emperor did not want his sister to join the harem of the pagan prince. He could release the princess to Kyiv only under one indispensable condition: all previous marriages of Prince Vladimir must be dissolved, so that a Christian marriage would be recognized as the only legal one, which was unacceptable for Vladimir: the eldest sons were the pillar of his power. Negotiations regarding the marriage contract apparently reached a dead end, after which the alliance with the empire was broken. Prince Vladimir, suspecting the Byzantines of deception, at this critical moment acted decisively and quickly: a large Russian army moved to Chersonesus, a Byzantine possession in the Crimea.
But along the way, Vladimir managed to lust after the daughter of the city mayor, either as a joke or in earnest, he wooed the daughter of the ruler of Chersonese, they sharply refused, then he besieged Chersonese. A traitor among the residents of the city, a certain Anastas, shot an arrow with a note that it was necessary to dig up the aqueducts and deprive the city of water. A terrible massacre and fires began; in my opinion, the fate of Rogneda befell both the unfortunate girl and her parents. From here he threatened the Romans - I will take you too!

The brothers thought, it was unlikely that the threat was real, but Chersonesus is also its own city. Yes, and the agreement must be fulfilled. It’s better to be friends, especially since I agree to accept their faith, and they again began to persuade their sister to agree. Of course, they didn't want to either. They really didn’t want to: he was a pagan, a barbarian, and by Byzantine standards he couldn’t give birth... They delayed as much as they could, they even wanted to send another girl who looked like the red-haired beauty Anna.

Now the bills had to be paid.
The most ancient chronicles describe in sufficient detail how Vladimir besieged Chersonesus (Korsun), how he conducted new negotiations with the emperors about the speedy arrival of the princess. They emphasize that at first Anna categorically refused to marry a barbarian, believing that she would be captured by him. She begged her brothers to let her die in her homeland. But they declared that God entrusted her with a great mission - to convert an entire pagan country to the true faith. At the same time, she will save her relatives from a cruel enemy. The decisive argument for Anna was the words put into the mouths of the brothers by the chroniclers: “Perhaps through you God will turn the Russian land to repentance, and save the Greek land from a terrible war. Do you see how much evil Rus' has done to the Greeks?”
According to the chronicles, Anna sacrificed herself to high goals, not hoping to find happiness in a foreign country. But she had already come to terms with her missionary fate. This characterized her as a very pious, highly moral and patriotic woman.
Thus, by marrying Princess Anna, Vladimir managed to avoid dependence on the Byzantine emperors and the Greek church.

Preparations began for Vladimir's baptism and wedding. The prince was promised royal regalia along with the high title of Caesar, which introduced him into the imperial family. Both events took place in the Church of the Holy Mother of God. In honor of these events, the Tithe Church, also the Mother of God, was later built in Kyiv. Under her, the celebration of the Dormition of the Mother of God became the favorite for the Russian people. At the same time, no one remembered that the Byzantine princess Anna Romanovna was the first to install it in Rus'. And the Church is silent on this matter.
Closer to autumn, the baptism of Russian people began in the main cities. Baptismal shirts, wooden crosses... for free. We came in several times, so the freebies came from there. They burned and destroyed pagan idols, and forced them into rivers for baptism.
In the Byzantine chronicles it is noted that Anna built many churches in the Russian state. The Church of the Tithes in Kyiv was built by Anna, Vladimir was busy with defensive structures. I went on hikes for several years.
“The Tale of Bygone Years” describes how baptism and marriage to Anna turned the dissolute Vladimir into an exemplary family man. Having become a Christian, he frees all his pagan wives and concubines. But he calls the doctor and tells him: “I want to have many sons, I need this. But do it so that you are not drawn to fornication.” He is even considering abolishing the death penalty.
Because the prince cared for the poor, widows and orphans, and often sent ordinary people treats from his table, the people loved Vladimir and called him Red Sun.

Anna Romanovna undoubtedly fulfilled the behest of the brother-emperors and became the first educator of Rus'. Karamzin writes that “the princess had to perform a feat in the name of her homeland, and also take on the mission of enlightening the “lost pagans.” As a result, for her descendants, “Anna was an instrument of heavenly grace that led Russia out of the darkness of idolatry.”

Sources report that Anna “built many churches in the country of the Rus,” testifying to her generous donations to the sacristy of the Church of the Tithes. There are records of Anna's participation in state life: she was Vladimir’s co-author in drawing up the church Charter-legal code “Behold, Prince Volodymyr, having foretold thee with his princess Anna and with his children...”, she personally received foreign ambassadors. The clergy around her taught the Russian people the basics of the Christian religion and trained local priests. For this purpose, most likely, a special school was created. The icons and church utensils brought by the princess turned into standards for copying by local painters and artisans. They were sent to newly built churches in all cities. And what, undoubtedly, should be noted is that together with Anna, many Armenians and Greeks arrived in Kyiv: artisans, craftsmen, builders, craftsmen.
Anna herself took up educational activities in the grand ducal family and among the nobility. It is known that all the numerous children of Prince Vladimir readily accepted Christianity and spread it in their domains. Even the former wives of the Kyiv ruler turned into zealous Christians, especially Rogneda. Following Anna's example, she began Christianization.
The Byzantine princess was married to Prince Vladimir for 22 years, but no source contains information about her children. We can assume that he fell in love with her for her remarkable intelligence and Christian meekness. Otherwise, he would not have kept the childless woman with him for so long, and after his death he would have bequeathed her to be buried nearby. This is Love.

The assumption that her sons were Boris and Gleb does not stand up to criticism. They were older. During the capture of Kyiv by the Polish king Boleslav in 1018, 9 daughters of Prince Vladimir were captured. It is unknown who their mothers were.
Although after the death of the princess, Prince Vladimir married again, he ordered himself to be buried next to Anna. But she herself and all her merits were very quickly forgotten, not only ordinary people, but also representatives of the church.
During Batu's invasion, not only was her tomb lost, but her missionary activity was also forgotten; it was not described in the most ancient chronicles or any written monuments, since the Orthodox clergy were interested in presenting Vladimir Svyatoslavich as the baptist of Rus' and belittling the importance of the Greeks in this process and in Russian chronicles there is very little information about her.

The reason for this, apparently, is that their creators did not want to pay tribute to a foreign woman who played a big role in the baptism of Rus' and the spread of Christian culture and ideals on its territory. This trend was started by Metropolitan Hilarion, who wanted not to depend on the Patriarch of Constantinople and therefore argued that Russian state Prince Vladimir himself baptized without any participation of the Greeks. There is little information about Anna in Byzantine sources, since her main activities were carried out in Rus'. However, this does not mean that it is not at all. Eat as much as you need.

Anna strongly opposed marriage to an unbelieving pagan (as Russian and Eastern sources agree on), but she had to submit to her brother’s will. But this marriage played an exceptional role in the history of Rus' and had a significant impact on the history of Byzantium; It is not surprising that a number of sources report about him - both Russian (chronicles, various editions of the Life of Prince Vladimir) and foreign (Yahya of Antioch, Abu-Shoja al-Rudraweri, Ibn al-Asir, Skylitsa, Thietmar of Merseburg, etc.) .

According to the Tale of Bygone Years, as well as the Life of Prince Vladimir, it was Anna who finally convinced Vladimir to accept Christianity. Perhaps, charming Vladimir with his unprecedented beauty and manners. According to an Arab chronicler of the 11th century. Yahya of Antioch, Anna built many churches in her new homeland. The church immediately after the baptism of the Kievites was the Church of St. Basil. in Vasiliev the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Church of St. George the Victorious in Kyiv, built after Vasilievskaya in the same year, and many more that have not survived.
Little of. The missionary activity of Anna of Byzantium and the huge role in the baptism of Rus' allowed Vladimir, who converted to Christianity, to isolate Rus' and protect it from the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, tore it away from Mohammedan and pagan Asia, bringing it closer to Christian Europe, which predetermined the special Orthodox path of Russia...

Play "THE PRICE OF FAITH" by GoharRshtuni

Kievan Rus and the Byzantine Empire on the eve of fateful events. This article will talk about things that have happened for a long time days gone by, which, however, had a huge impact on Russian history for the next millennium. Let us remember the undeservedly forgotten Byzantine princess Anna, an Armenian by origin, who became the beloved wife of the great Kyiv prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. About how, thanks to the clever and beautiful Anna, in 988 Vladimir baptized Kievan Rus. And their children Boris and Gleb, who suffered martyrdom, were proclaimed the first Russian saints in 1021. IN end of XII I - early XIV centuries, Prince Vladimir was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church with the rank of Equal-to-the-Apostles. The day of his veneration, July 28, is the Day of the Baptism of Rus'. This is a new memorial date established on the day of the repose of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. On June 1, 2010, the President of the Russian Federation signed the federal law, according to which Russia celebrates July 28 as the Day of the Baptism of Rus'. “The establishment of Christianity in Rus' contributed to the unity of the state, its prosperity, and also had a great influence on preserving the integrity of Russia in difficult historical periods,” the Federation Council of the Russian Federation emphasized when deciding on a new holiday in 2010.

On July 28, 2015, Russia solemnly celebrated the millennium of the repose of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, who baptized Rus' 1027 years ago. The Church equates the activities of Vladimir, the baptizer of Rus', with the acts of the apostles of Christ. On this day, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, a gala reception took place in the Kremlin. The reception was attended by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', the highest hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church, the head of the Russian and New Nakhichevan diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Ezras Nersisyan and other honored guests. It was noted that baptism radically transformed Kievan Rus and became historical event in the destinies of the peoples of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. On November 4, 2015, a large monument to Prince Vladimir will be erected in the center of Moscow, commensurate with what he did. But, unfortunately, nowhere in Russia is it mentioned that Christianity in Rus' was adopted precisely at the insistence of Anna and her royal brothers. So, let's see what role Princess Anna played in all these fateful affairs.

To do this, we will take an excursion to Kievan Rus and the Byzantine Empire in the 10th century, on the eve of 988. It is known that Kievan Rus received new faith- Christianity in the form of one of its movements - Orthodoxy, from Byzantium. The Byzantines began to communicate with the Slavs even before the arrival of Rurik and the Varangians, with the emergence of Kyiv, the “mother of Russian cities,” 1500 years ago. In the 9th century, the formation of the ancient Russian state began, where Rurik’s successors began to establish relations with Byzantium. True, along with cooperation, the Russians and Byzantines often fought with each other. During the period in question, the Grand Duke of Kyiv was Vladimir, nicknamed the Red Sun - the grandson of Grand Duchess Olga, the son of Grand Duke Svyatoslav and the slave Malka (Malushka). Back in 955, Vladimir’s grandmother, Grand Duchess Olga, visited Byzantium and converted to Christianity. She was baptized in Constantinople in the Hagia Sophia. And Anna’s grandfather, Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, who ruled the Byzantine Empire for 46 years, baptized her. Together with Princess Olga, who took the name Elena in baptism, her retinue was also baptized. But all Olga’s attempts to spread Christianity in Rus' did not yield any results.

Now let's talk about Byzantium. Let's see who ruled Byzantium during this period. These were representatives of the so-called Macedonian dynasty of Byzantine emperors, the ancestor of which was Basil I the Macedonian, an Armenian by nationality, descended from a family of Armenian kings originating from King Trdat, who were called the Armenian Arsacids. Historians call this dynasty the Armenian because during its two centuries in power (from 867 to 1056), most of the Byzantine emperors, military leaders and major officials were Armenians. In the history of Byzantium, the Armenian dynasty is considered the most famous. Records of the genealogy of Vasily (Barseg) have been preserved in Byzantine chronicles. And Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus wrote that the ancestors of his grandfather Vasily moved from Armenia to Byzantium in the second half of the 5th century and settled in the vicinity of Andriapolis in Macedonia. Thus, the Macedonian dynasty received its name because it began its ascent to imperial power from the Byzantine province called Macedonia. It is interesting that, having become the full-fledged sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire, Vasily I came to the Armenian provinces of the empire located in Asia Minor and was baptized in Armenian Church according to Armenian customs. This was the time of the greatest prosperity and power of the empire.

His descendants and successors continued his work with dignity. The godfather of Grand Duchess Olga was Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, endowed with a literary gift, the author of treatises “On the Administration of the Empire”, “On the Ceremonies of the Byzantine Court”, “On Themes”, as well as on history, medicine, agronomy and the lives of saints. Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, or Porphyrogenetus, was born in crimson swaddling clothes in Porphyra. Another Armenian emperor, John I Tzimiskes (Chimshkik), defeated Vladimir’s father, Prince Svyatoslav, in the Balkans near the Dorostol fortress.

In 988, Byzantium was ruled by Vasily II the Bulgarian Slayer (976 - 1025) and, as was then customary, his brother-co-ruler Constantine VIII (976 - 1028). And they had only one sister - Princess Anna. They were Armenians. Their father was Roman II, and their mother was Feofano. Although Roman was the son of Emperor Constantine VII, he married a completely unknown girl, the daughter of the owner of one of the taverns, who was a native of Armenia. Feofano's baptismal name was Anastasia. The choice of the future emperor fell on her because of her beauty. Anna was born just 2 days before the death of her father, 24-year-old Emperor Roman II. He reigned for 4 years and was rumored to have been poisoned. Thanks to this recording by the Byzantine historian John Skylitzes, the exact date of Anna's birth became known - March 13, 963. The fact that Anna was born during the life of her father, the emperor, means that the birth took place in the Porphyry Chamber - a special room in the imperial palace in Constantinople, where only children of the ruling emperors were born. This was considered a special honor and those born there, like Anna, were proudly called Porphyrogenitus or Porphyrogenitus.

And after the death of Romanus II, the commander of the troops of the East, Nicephorus II Phocas, became emperor, who married Anna’s mother, Empress Theophano. Then she overthrew him and installed John I Tzimiskes on the throne. And only after his death in 976, the matured Vasily II and Constantine VIII were proclaimed emperors and began to rule themselves. From that time on, the grown-up Porphyry Princess Anna became one of the most enviable brides in Europe, whose royal hand was persistently sought by the rulers of neighboring countries. The Germans, Franks and others wooed Anna. The Armenian historian Stefan Taronsky (Asohik) writes about the matchmaking of one of the Bulgarian princes to Anna in 986.

Not everyone, even a noble applicant, could count on Anna’s hand. Her grandfather, Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, in 949 wrote for his son a treatise “On the Administration of the Empire,” in which he expressed the attitude of the rulers of Byzantium to dynastic marriages with the barbarian northern peoples, among whom he indicated the Rus: “If ever a people from these unfaithful and wicked northern tribes will ask for kinship through marriage with the basileus of the Romans, that is, either to receive his daughter as a wife, or to give your daughter, either as a wife to the basileus or to the son of the basileus, you must reject this unreasonable request of theirs, since every nation. has different customs, different laws and regulations, it must adhere to its own orders, and enter into and create alliances for the mixing of lives within the same people.” Konstantin Porphyrogenitus made an exception for ruling dynasties Western Europe and the Franks. And the 11th century chronicler Thietmar of Merseburg mentioned that, it seems, Anna had already been betrothed to the heir to the Holy Roman Empire, Otto III. But this was not destined to come true.

Vladimir's matchmaking with Anna.

Anna was distinguished not only by her nobility and a rich dowry, but also by her intelligence and excellent upbringing and education. And also the beauty that she inherited from her mother. Contemporaries gave her the nickname Rufa, that is, red-haired. Seeing all sorts of advantages of their sister, the brothers wanted to use Anna as a major trump card in the political game, given the great interest of European monarchs in marrying the Byzantine princess.

Information about Anna's virtues was obviously so widespread that it reached Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. Married according to pagan customs to Rogneda and who, according to information that has reached us, had many more wives and hundreds of concubines, Vladimir by that time began to show interest in Christianity and also heard about the famous “royal bride” Anna from Constantinople - cultural capital throughout Europe and Asia Minor. And he also decided to woo her. Ancient sources brought to us information about this matchmaking. At the beginning of 987, Prince Vladimir turned to the Byzantine emperors Vasily II the Bulgarian Slayer and Constantine VIII the Porphyrogenitus to marry their sister Princess Anna to him. The marriage of the Porphyry-born princess with a “barbarian pagan” was considered blasphemous and unacceptable. And it is not surprising that this proposal long time no consent was given.

Anna herself was then against this marriage and refused to marry a barbarian. But her brothers looked at this issue through the prism of geopolitics. The Byzantine emperors found themselves at this moment in an extremely difficult situation as a result of the outbreak of riots, and then they decided to ask Prince Vladimir for help. Vladimir promised to help, but demanded the hand of Princess Anna in return. He soon helped the Byzantine emperors suppress the rebellions. After this, in order to speed up the arrival of the bride and the marriage, Vladimir began military operations in the Crimea against the Byzantine city of Chersonese, or Korsun, as the Rus called it. Chersonesus was located on the site of modern Sevastopol. There you can still see its ruins on the shore of Quarantine Bay. And Crimea was also called not Crimea, but Taurida or Gazaria, which reminded us that the Khazars ruled it for some time. In those days, there were no Polovtsy or Tatars there yet. The capture of Chersonesos gave Vladimir control of the Black Sea. From here, from the southernmost port of the peninsula, Russian boats could travel from Sinop to Constantinople.

This is how these events are described in the ancient Russian source. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, in the summer of 988, the great Kiev prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich with his large army besieged and soon captured Korsun (Chersonese) and sent a message to the Byzantine emperor threatening to take Constantinople, or Constantinople, as the Rus called it. “I have already taken your glorious city; I heard that you have a sister, a maiden; if you do not give her up for me, then I will do to your capital the same as to this city.”

As the chronicle says, the brothers turned to Anna in alarm with the following words: “Perhaps through you God will turn the Russian land to repentance, and save the Greek land from a terrible war. Do you see how much evil Rus' has done to the Greeks?” Remembering the raids of the Russians, Anna, “desiring peace for the Greek kingdom, exclaimed: May the will of the Lord be done.” Vasily and Konstantin told Anna that God was entrusting her with a great mission - to convert an entire pagan country to the true faith.

Then Anna set her firm condition before Vladimir: he had to reject pagan idols, be baptized, become true Christian and give up your old riotous habits. Vasily and Constantine answered him like this: “It is not proper for Christians to marry their wives to pagans. If you are baptized, then you will receive her, and you will receive the kingdom of heaven, and you will be of the same faith with us. If you do not do this, then we will not be able to marry your sister to you.” Vladimir accepted this condition. Thus, two years of negotiations were completed and an agreement was finally reached. After receiving his consent, the emperors persuaded Anna to go to the “Tavro-Scythians,” as the Byzantines called the Russians. And Anna had to submit to the will of her brothers and submit to fate. With tears, the princess said goodbye to her loved ones, saying: “I’m walking like crazy, it would be better for me to die here.” The Arab historian of the 11th century, Abu Shoja ar-Rudraweri, in his chronicle, speaks of the decisive role of Anna in the baptism of Prince Vladimir: “The woman refused to give herself to someone who disagreed with her in faith. Negotiations began about this, which ended with the entry of the Tsar of the Rus into Christianity.”

At the insistence of her brothers, young Anna, accompanied by a large retinue of close associates and priests, went by ship to Chersonesus to meet her groom. It is noteworthy that Anna in Russian chronicles is called the “Greek princess,” and this corresponds to her Byzantine identity, but we emphasize once again that Anna and her brothers, the Byzantine emperors, were Armenians and she was accompanied to Chersonesos by Armenian clergy.

The wedding flotilla arrived in Chersonesos. Prince Vladimir came ashore to meet the bride in an embroidered golden robe and with a crown on his head. He immediately liked the beautiful Anna. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, as well as the Life of Prince Vladimir, it turns out that soon after Anna’s arrival in Chersonesus, Prince Vladimir’s eyes hurt and he could barely see. And then it was Anna who convinced Vladimir to accept Christianity, promising him healing after he was baptized. “If you want to get rid of this illness, then be baptized as soon as possible. If you do not get baptized, you will not be able to get rid of your illness.”

Soon, in the main temple of Chersonese in the Church of St. Basil, Armenian priests from Constantinople baptized the Grand Duke of Kyiv Vladimir and gave him the Greek name Vasily, which translated means “lord.” The priests simply translated his pagan Slavic nickname. But it is also possible that Anna asked the holy fathers to name the groom after her older brother, the ruler of Byzantium, Vasily. Following this, Vladimir’s squad began to be baptized. As soon as Vladimir was baptized, a miracle immediately happened! He regained his sight and hugged Anna. The chronicle reads: “After Vladimir’s baptism, the queen was brought in for the marriage.” The marriage of 33-year-old Vladimir and 25-year-old Anna was solemnly performed according to all the canons of Christianity by Armenian priests in the Church of St. Basil, standing on central square Chersonese. The baptism of Vladimir and his marriage to Anna were described by the chronicler of the Laurentian Chronicle and a number of sources, both Russian and foreign.

This is a curious fact. Vladimir ordered all their wedding gifts to be sent back to the brothers-emperors, asking them to tell the basileus that the most valuable of the gifts - the beautiful Anna - was enough for him. The chronicles indicate that after baptism and wedding, the prince returned Chersonesus to Byzantium. In addition, he returned the bride price to Vasily and Konstantin. Vladimir also transferred 6 thousand Russian soldiers to Vasily II and Constantine VIII, who were stationed in the Armenian fortress of Baberd and used by the emperors to fight external and internal enemies. This is how highly the beautiful Byzantine woman was valued. This is what an invaluable gift the Armenian princess Anna turned out to be for Rus'! And in memory of his baptism, the prince founded a temple in Chersonesos in the name of St. John the Baptist.

This marriage immediately put Vladimir in the first rank of European rulers, and the influence of Kievan Rus increased significantly. The marriage with the princess significantly elevated Vladimir himself in the eyes of the international community. In some foreign chronicles, the Russian ruler began to be called the tsar. This marriage played an exceptional role in the history of Rus' and had a significant impact on the history of Byzantium. From that moment on, Kievan Rus was Christianized and entered the community of advanced European countries, and the ruling circles of Rus' became related to the rulers of one of the most powerful powers in the world. After this, Vladimir began to be called the Baptist, and subsequently he was canonized - he became a saint. By marrying Anna, Vladimir Svyatoslavich managed to avoid dependence on Constantinople after baptism. The Russian Church, most likely, began to submit at this time to the Metropolitan of Chersonese, who in turn was subordinate to Princess Anna, the ruler of Chersonese. That is, power over the Russian Church remained in the hands of Vladimir.

Anna's stay in Chersonesus is described in the Tale of Bygone Years. Anna is the only Byzantine queen whose stay in the Crimea (and, moreover, in Chersonesus) we know for sure. It must be said that Anna in Russian sources was not called the Grand Duchess or Princess, but rather the Queen, preserving for her the dignity of a member imperial family. Although it is known that queens, in the usual understanding of the title as the wife of the king, appeared in Rus' only under Ivan the Terrible. “And after,” the chronicle says, “Vladimir took the queen, the priests and the relics of the saints, taking with him church vessels and icons for blessing, and, accompanied by his squad, boyars and clergy, moved towards Kyiv for the baptism of the entire people.”

Great deeds of Anna and Vladimir.

Returning to Kyiv, “the mother of Russian cities,” Grand Duke Vladimir ordered the destruction of the old idols that had previously been worshiped in Rus' - some to be chopped and others to be burned. Perun ordered to tie the horse to the tail and drag it from the mountain to the Dnieper. Then Vladimir appointed a day for the general baptism of the people of Kiev. This event is believed to have occurred on August 1, 988. He sent messengers throughout Kyiv with the following words: “If someone does not come to the river tomorrow - be it rich or poor, or beggar, or slave - he will be my enemy!” Hearing this, all the people came to the Dnieper. “The next day Vladimir went to the Dnieper,” the chronicler describes the prince’s arrangement of the baptism of the Kievites, “and countless people gathered there. They entered the water and stood there, some up to their necks, others up to their chests, and some holding babies. And the priests performed prayers, standing still."

Under Vladimir, in addition to Kyiv, Chernigov in 992, Smolensk in 1012 and other cities were baptized. Thus, thanks to the Armenian Anna, in 988 Vladimir committed a historical act - with the participation of Armenian priests he baptized Kievan Rus! Having converted to the faith of Christ, Vladimir renounced all his previous numerous wives and concubines. He set them free, and married some of them to his confidants. After the baptism, Vladimir ordered to build churches throughout the country, appoint priests in them and bring people there for baptism. Then Vladimir sent to collect children from the best people and send them to book education.

The famous Ukrainian writer and journalist Oles Buzina assesses Vladimir’s transformation this way. In his political and human growth, Prince Vladimir passed long evolution from a semi-savage to a humanist who doubted even whether it was worth executing the robbers if Christ said: “Thou shalt not kill!” While the prince was pondering this theological question, there were so many murderers that it became impossible to get to Kyiv. Then real politics prevailed, and the robbers who interfered with civilized business were killed without mercy. The priests managed to convince the prince of the need for this. Non-resistance to evil and violence is not a method in the fight against lawlessness. The state is an apparatus of violence. But the main thing is that it be a reasonable device.

Oles Buzina believes that Vladimir accomplished an incredible amount, like no other ruler of Rus' before him. But there is a gap in the chronicle from 997 to 1014. It turns out that the prince did nothing during the last seventeen years of his reign? No! His affairs were simply peaceful. He built a lot all over the country. And not only the defensive ramparts and the Tithe Church, but, apparently, also the St. Sophia Cathedral, which is incorrectly attributed to his son Yaroslav. The deeds of Saint Vladimir were so great that they aroused envy in Yaroslav. Yaroslav the Wise even had to “rewrite” some of his father’s achievements for himself - to cling to someone else’s glory, Buzina is sure.

The 11th-century Syrian historian Yahya of Antioch noted that Anna actively participated in the spread of Christianity in Rus', “building many churches.” This was quite natural, since back in her homeland the princess agreed to take on the mission of enlightening a pagan country. She understood perfectly well that without building churches and training priests, it was impossible to Christianize a large state. Some researchers believe that Anna helped Vladimir in creating legislation concerning the legal status of the Russian Church. They were prompted to this conclusion by the following phrase from the “Charter of Prince Vladimir”: “Having said fortunes with my princess Anna.” This is direct evidence of Anna’s real participation in the drafting of the church charter under Prince Vladimir.

Representatives of the clergy who surrounded Anna taught the Russian people the basics of the Christian religion and morality, and prepared local priests for church service. For this purpose, in all likelihood, a special school was created. Having converted to the faith of Christ, Vladimir renounced all his previous numerous wives and concubines, he set them free. And the former wives of the Kyiv prince turned into true Christians, especially Rogneda. Following Anna's example, she took up Christianization Polotsk land. Then she founded the first convent and became its monk. It is also known that all the numerous children of Prince Vladimir readily accepted Christianity and spread it in their domains. The icons and church utensils brought by the princess turned into standards for copying by local painters and artisans. They were sent to newly built churches in all cities of Rus'. Anna was engaged in educational activities in the grand ducal family and among the nobility. She also took care of the poor people of Kyivians and contributed to the opening of hospitals and almshouses for them. For this, the common people loved her very much.

It was on Anna’s initiative that in 989 the construction of the first majestic and extraordinarily beautiful stone church began in Kyiv - the Church of the Tithes. She became a role model for the construction of stone cathedrals in many large Russian cities in the 11th - 15th centuries. The chronicles note that the Tithe Church was built by Greek craftsmen invited by Prince Vladimir. However, archaeologists who studied the ruins of the temple discovered features characteristic of Armenian buildings in the features of its foundation. So it turns out that Armenian craftsmen and architects were invited to lay the foundation and build the Church of the Tithes and other buildings in Kyiv. Vladimir often had no time to monitor the construction of the temple in Kyiv. Therefore, Anna Romanovna was mainly involved in this. She also monitored the construction of other Christian churches.

Anna decorated the Church of the Tithes with beautiful icons. The icon of the Vladimir Mother of God began to be especially revered. It was used during the celebration of the Dormition of the Mother of God. Since this church was dedicated to this holiday, Anna introduced the annual celebration of the Day of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary into church use in 996, when the construction of the Tithe Church was completed. Then similar Assumption Cathedrals were erected in all major cities, where the princely residences of Vladimir’s sons were located: Rostov, Vladimir-Volynsky, Tmutarakan and others. The holiday of the Dormition of the Mother of God was warmly received both in Kyiv and throughout Rus' and over time became the favorite for the Russian people. So Anna’s merits should also include the adoption of this holiday. It’s a pity that later no one remembered that the first to install it in Rus' was the Armenian princess from Byzantium, Anna Romanovna.

Although the Church of the Tithes has not reached us (it collapsed in 1240 during Batu’s invasion), archaeologists were able to reconstruct it appearance. It was a very impressive structure, 27.2 meters long and 18.3 meters wide, with three naves, three apses and inside with three pairs of pillars to support the vaults. It was crowned with 5 large domes. On the southern and northern sides the temple was surrounded by lowered galleries with pitched roofs. Since there was no marble or jasper in the Kyiv area, they were obviously brought for the temple from Crimea by order of the princess. The Tithe Church was given a special elegance by the frescoes and mosaics that decorated the entire top part walls and dome. The church was richly decorated with marble.

The custom also arose of decorating other temples and palaces with wall paintings, mosaics, carved stones, and inlaid the floors with multi-colored tiles. The craftsmanship of all this came from Byzantium. The mosaics were made of multi-colored glass, which at that time began to be produced in Kyiv itself. In addition to mosaics, square and round window glass in buildings was made from it. In addition, dishes, bracelets, beads and rings were made from multi-colored glass. Russian women especially loved jewelry. Archaeologists have found them in almost all female burials of the 11th century. Obviously, Anna also introduced the fashion for glass jewelry in Rus'. Byzantine luxury and sophistication began to penetrate more and more into the life of the nobility, this was especially noticeable in clothing and jewelry.

The name of Anna can be associated not only with the construction of the Tithe Church, but also with the magnificent princely residence located nearby. It was a luxurious palace complex consisting of several stone structures located next to each other. The Greek-style courtyards of the palace may have been decorated with ornamental plants and flowers. There have never been such magnificent ensembles in Rus' before. It arose, undoubtedly, on the initiative and with the active participation of Anna Romanovna. Under the influence of his wife, Vladimir apparently arranged for himself a country residence in Berestovo with a wooden palace and a stone house church in honor of the Transfiguration of the Savior. Anna made many changes to the life of the Kyiv prince. From that time on, Vladimir began to build powerful stone defensive structures similar to the Byzantine ones. Brick construction is also beginning to develop in Rus'.

So, as we see, Anna Romanovna honorably fulfilled the behest of the brother-emperors and became the first educator of Rus'. During her lifetime, Anna was properly revered. And then her popularity began to decline. Unfortunately, with all the undoubted merits that Anna Romanovna possessed, and all her numerous services to Russia, Russian chronicles and other written monuments contain little information about her. Her glorious life has not been properly described. And during Batu’s invasion and after it, her enormous missionary and educational activities began to be forgotten.

The reason for this, apparently, is that the Orthodox clergy were interested in presenting Vladimir Svyatoslavich as the baptist of Rus' and belittling the importance of the Armenians and Greeks in this process. The authors of the chronicles did not want to pay tribute to the foreign woman who played such a large role in the baptism of Rus' and the spread of Christian culture on its territory. This trend was started by Metropolitan Hilarion, who wanted not to depend on the Patriarch of Constantinople and therefore argued that the Russian state was baptized by Prince Vladimir himself without any participation of Armenians and Greeks. There is little information about Anna in Byzantine sources, since her main activities were carried out in Rus'.

The famous Ukrainian scientist, philosopher and Armenologist Irina Gayuk, author of the “Encyclopedia of Armenian Culture in Ukraine”, researched this topic. She emphasizes that Princess Anna’s Armenian roots are beyond doubt. In her opinion, the problem here is not only in silence, but also in the lack of understanding of the issue of her activities. This is on the one hand, and on the other hand, all issues related to poor coverage of Armenian topics are directly related to the deplorable state of Oriental studies in Ukraine. Besides this, there is another reason for silence Armenian origin Anna is purely political. People occupying a high position in a state, as a rule, are representatives of the interests and will, first of all, of the given state, and not of the ethnic group or nation to which they belong. Irina Gayuk emphasizes that with baptism a radical turn was outlined in the history of Kievan Rus. A change of religion meant a radical restructuring of the entire life structure of the peoples inhabiting these lands. And if the official baptism of Rus' took place under Anna, then with her official representatives of the church, which became the state, arrived in Rus'. And since Anna was an Armenian, it was most likely with her that a large number of Armenians arrived in Rus'.

According to Professor Yaroslav Dashkevich, it was the Armenians who could have brought eastern calendar systems with them to Rus', which was also reflected in Russian chronicles. And as for the cult of saints Gregory the Illuminator and the Virgin Hripsime, so widespread in Kievan Rus, then, although they were and are pan-Orthodox saints, their widespread veneration in Rus', as well as their iconography according to the canons of the Armenian Apostolic, and not the Byzantine Church, are also associated with Princess Anna and those priests who arrived with her in Kyiv.

The outstanding historian Nikolai Karamzin also researched this topic and tried to recreate the historical portrait of Princess Anna. To do this, he studied all the surviving ancient chronicles. According to Karamzin, Princess Anna had to accomplish a feat in the name of her homeland, and also take on the mission of enlightening the “lost pagans.” As a result, for posterity, “Anna was an instrument of heavenly grace that led Russia out of the darkness of idolatry.”

Death of Anna and Vladimir.

The murder of Boris and Gleb. The Byzantine princess Anna was married to Prince Vladimir for 22 years. And they lived all this time in love and harmony. Anna died in the year 6519 from the creation of the world according to the Byzantine calendar, which corresponds to 1011/1012 (the New Year was then counted from September 1). "The Tale of Bygone Years" reports Anna's death as follows: "Vladimir's Queen Anna passed away." Anna Romanovna was only 48 years old. The exact cause of death is unknown. Perhaps her health was affected by climate change or some kind of epidemic. This happened 4 years before the death of Prince Vladimir.

For Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the death of his beloved wife was a heavy loss. Therefore, he ordered a luxurious marble sarcophagus, decorated with beautiful carvings, from Armenian stone cutters from Byzantium. To perpetuate the memory of the princess, by order of the prince, it was installed inside the Tithe Church. It should be noted that in Byzantium, even the emperors, the viceroys of God on earth, were not given such an honor. They were buried outside churches. Only in Western European countries was there a custom to install the tombs of rulers inside temples. Thus, they were equated with saints. Anna was awarded special honors for her great deeds, for the fact that, together with her husband, she baptized and enlightened the Russian people, and also built churches. Although after the death of the princess, Prince Vladimir married again, he bequeathed to bury himself next to Anna, in the same white marble sarcophagus. Before the destruction of the Tithe Church in 1240, the remains of Anna and Vladimir were especially revered by the Russian people. Anna was treated like a saint!

As the German chronicler Dietmar of Merseburg reported, in the first half of the 11th century he saw the tombs of Anna and Vladimir standing next to each other in the Tithe Church in Kyiv. exactly as St. Vladimir the Baptist bequeathed. Karamzin investigated this issue in more detail and in the “Historical Description of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra” he discovered information about the discovery in 1636, during the dismantling of the Tithe Church, which collapsed in 1240, and the sarcophagi of Vladimir and Anna. For some unknown reason, only the prince’s skull was transferred to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, and everything else was buried again. At the end of the 30s of the 20th century, excavations were carried out again in the area of ​​the Tithe Church, and a cache with fragments of white marble lids was found under the floor. During the research, it was possible to find out that they were previously decorated with crosses and bas-reliefs. In all likelihood these were fragments of the lids of the sarcophagi of Vladimir and Anna.

Vladimir Svyatoslavich, popularly nicknamed Vladimir the Red Sun, had 12 sons. But his favorites, of course, were Boris and Gleb, whom the Byzantine princess Anna gave birth to to the prince. They were also the favorites of the whole people. At baptism, Boris received the name Roman, and Gleb the name David. The first-born Boris, born around 990, most likely received his baptismal name from Anna’s father, Emperor Roman II. And Gleb, born around the year 1000, received his baptismal name in honor of the biblical King David, revered as an example of a Christian ruler. The people of Kiev wanted the eldest of the two brothers, Boris, to become the Grand Duke of Kyiv after his father. There is no doubt that he would be a wonderful heir. But, unfortunately, this did not happen. On July 15 (28), 2015, the Grand Duke of Kiev died. And power in Kyiv was seized by force and deceit by the eldest of all sons - Svyatopolk, whom even Vladimir himself could not stand.

Having ascended the throne, Svyatopolk began to cajole the people of Kiev in every possible way. But they unanimously declared decisively: “We want Boris, the son of Princess Anna.” Then this vile murderer sent to his stepbrothers Boris and Gleb murderers. Having learned about this atrocity, the people called Svyatopolk the Accursed. The sadness of the people was great. Princes Boris and Gleb, sons of the Armenian Anna, were proclaimed saints by the Russian Orthodox Church. Moreover, they became the very first Russian saints. Celebrating the memory of the innocently murdered brothers on July 24 began shortly after the construction of the first church in the name of Boris and Gleb in Vyshgorod in 1021. Having expelled his monster brother Svyatopolk from Kyiv in 1019, Yaroslav the Wise became the Grand Duke. Paying tribute to the baptizer of Rus' Anna, he also named his daughter Anna.

It should be said that despite the evidence, some historians are trying to cast doubt on the fact that Vladimir’s sons Boris and Gleb were born by Anna. Irina Gayuk gives a clear argument on this matter. Firstly, such outstanding Russian historians as Vasily Tatishchev and Sergei Solovyov wrote that Anna was the mother of Boris and Gleb. Secondly, attention is drawn to the fact that the sources of that time talk about the pilgrimage of Armenian merchants to the Vyshgorod church-tomb of Saints Boris and Gleb. Thirdly, it was the life of Saints Boris and Gleb that was translated from Old Russian into Armenian. And finally, it was “The Life of Saints Boris and Gleb” that around the 30s of the 13th century was included in the Armenian “Cheti-Minea” and remained in them to this day. So the increased attention from Armenians to Saints Boris and Gleb since their murder is not accidental, but is explained by their Armenian origin.

In 1056, the Macedonian, but in fact the Armenian dynasty in Byzantium left the historical arena. Constantine Monomakh came to power, and in Kievan Rus, through his grandson Vladimir Monomakh, the Monomakhovichs. But Orthodoxy, brought to Rus' by Princess Anna, remains. In the chronicles, Anna is called “Greek princess” or “Greek princess”, since Byzantium subsequently fell under the blows of the Turks in 1453 and “shrank” to the borders of Greece, and the archives were thoroughly “cleaned up”. Unfortunately, Anna and her brothers Vasily II the Bulgarian Slayer and Constantine VIII the Porphyrogenitus, descended from the Armenian Arsacid family, were unfairly forgotten. Although it is to them that Russia, as well as Ukraine and Belarus, owe the adoption of faith in Christ in 988.

Justice requires recognizing that the image of the Byzantine princess, and then the great Kyiv princess Anna undeservedly remains in the shadows, while Grand Duke Vladimir, in connection with the baptism of Rus', was declared a saint. His grandmother, Grand Duchess Olga, who had previously failed to persuade her grandson Vladimir to accept the Christian faith, was also canonized and buried in the Church of the Tithes. Subsequently, during her excavations, Olga’s sarcophagus was found, made of Volyn slate by Armenian craftsmen and decorated with Armenian ornaments.

But it was Anna who persuaded Vladimir, who suffered from eye problems and was almost blind, to hasten the baptism, and after baptism he recovered. Oles Buzina writes: “The image of a royal young Armenian woman from Constantinople, who left for a foreign land to fulfill her Christian duty - the baptism of a pagan country, where dangers, misunderstanding, hostility, and indifference to Christian shrines awaited her, perhaps because her feat was accomplished modestly and in ordinary everyday life, is not only not appreciated, but also consigned to oblivion..."

The beautiful Anna, whose image was preserved on a fresco in the St. Sophia Cathedral, undoubtedly accomplished a feat by going to distant Kyiv to attract Grand Duke Vladimir and all of Kievan Rus to the faith of Christ! As one of the chronicles says: “Anna sacrificed herself to high goals, not hoping to find happiness in a foreign country. This characterized her as a very pious, highly moral and patriotic woman.” The bright image of the Byzantine princess, and then the Grand Duchess Anna of Kyiv, should be appreciated and should sparkle in all its glory. And if Vladimir is called the Baptist of Rus', then Anna can rightfully be called the Baptist of Rus'! After all, it is primarily thanks to this wonderful Armenian woman that Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians have been Christians for 1027 years. And who else but Anna should be declared a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church for this! I would like to hope that at least in a thousand years justice will prevail.

Information flashed in the media that a twelve-episode film about Anna of Byzantium, the wife of Vladimir, the Grand Duke of Kyiv, was being filmed in Russia together with one of the American film studios. The topic aroused interest, especially since Armenian blood flowed in Anna’s veins.

BYZANTIUM WAS A MULTINATIONAL STATE, ON whose TERRITORY Greeks, Slavs, Armenians, Georgians, and descendants of the ancient Thracians lived. The ethnographic mixture was cemented by Orthodoxy, and the international language was Greek.

The Greeks inhabited the lands of the Peloponnese and Hellas, and the other part (the Balkans) was inhabited by the Slavs, and part of the Balkans and Asia Minor by the Armenians. And because The Armenian population of the Asian themes (the military-administrative district of the Byzantine Empire) was imbued with the Greek spirit, they were called Romans (the self-name of the inhabitants of the Byzantine Empire). Each of these peoples contributed to the development of the empire, and the Armenians, of course, were not the last among them. There are many factual examples of this.

But let's return to Anna of Byzantium.

In Russian chronicles she is called a Greek princess, referring to her Byzantine origins. Meanwhile, Anna and her brothers, Emperors Vasily II and Constantine VIII, are of Armenian origin. As is known, Byzantium was most powerful during the reign of the Macedonian (Armenian) dynasty, the founder of which was Basil I (Barseg I), who came from a family of Armenian peasants in Thrace or Macedonia.

Anna was porphyritic or purpuric. According to the ideas of the Middle Ages, this made her almost a celestial being. The emperor's children, born in scarlet swaddling clothes, were called purple-born, and this color was considered imperial; their children had an undoubted right to the imperial throne. Empress mothers gave birth to children in a special Crimson (Porphyry) hall of the palace, the walls of which were made of porphyry stone brought from Africa. They were swaddled in crimson swaddling clothes, which cost a lot of money, because... dye. purple shades were obtained from needle shellfish, and to dye 1 kg of thread you needed 10 thousand of them.

Anna Romanovna was distinguished not only by her nobility and wealth, but also by her beauty. Contemporaries called her Rufa (Redhead). The princess was fair-haired, beautiful, smart, educated. She inherited her natural intelligence from her grandfather Constantine VII, who left behind a number of treatises on medicine, history, astrology, and other sciences.

AT THAT PERIOD, BYZANTIUM WAS A CENTER OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE. By the way, in the middle of the 9th century. Empress Theodora Mamikonyan donated the Magnavra Palace for the university building. Her brother Vard Mamikonyan founded Magnavra University, which was considered the first university in Europe. Lev (Levon) Mathematician (or Philosopher, as he was called) - an Armenian by birth - was appointed rector. Levon's grandfather was a gifted military leader in Armenia.

Lev the Mathematician was an inventive person, and the authorship of the “light telegraph” (in modern language) belongs to him. He came up with a system of mirrors, stations and beacons that made it possible to transmit a light signal warning of an alarm from Constantinople itself to the borders of the Caliphate in less than an hour. And if we take into account the threat that the fast-moving Arab cavalry continued to pose to the Romans (the inhabitants of Byzantium), it is difficult to overestimate the invention of Leo the Mathematician. He also designed a throne with golden roaring lions and singing birds, and at the press of a button, the throne would rise to the ceiling, leaving the guests in amazement and bewilderment.

The university also taught the scientist John the Grammar (Hovhannes Kerakan), who contributed to the opening of the University of Magnavra, as well as the astronomer Bagrat (Pankratos) - also of Armenian origin, etc...

Let's return to the reigns of Basil II and Constantine VIII. In 987, unexpectedly, the military leader Bardas Phocas proclaimed himself emperor and took possession of Antioch. The threat of the capture of Constantinople was imminent. Vasily II turned to Prince Vladimir for help. He promised his support on the condition that Vasily II and Constantine VIII give him his sister Anna Romanovna as his wife. But Vasily II and his brother were in no hurry to marry their sister to a pagan. Then Vladimir besieged the city of Korsun (ancient Greek Chersonesos). The city surrendered, and the prince threatened to besiege Tsargorod (Constantinople) if Anna was not given in marriage to him. The brothers, after thinking, gave their blessing, but only if the prince accepted baptism and married her according to the Christian rite.

The prince agreed to convert to Orthodoxy, saying that this faith was to his heart. Anna's brothers persuaded her, saying that by becoming a Christian, Vladimir would turn Rus' to repentance, and Byzantium would get rid of the terrible war. Wishing peace, Anna resigned herself to fate.

In the wedding cortege, Anna was accompanied by Armenian clergy and teachers to quickly master foreign language, healers, spinners and musicians, clerks, librarians, several thousand guards... Engineers, stonemasons, graphic designers, tilers, bell casters, architects and other builders went with her from Byzantium and Armenia to Kyiv.

SOON IT WAS DECIDED TO BUILD A TITHE CHURCH IN Kyiv (now the Church of the Assumption Holy Mother of God). It was called that way because tithes of the prince's income were used for its maintenance. Anna allocated a large donation for its construction, which Vladimir proudly mentions in his Church Charter. By the way, he always consulted with Anna in all important matters. Well educated, she invariably commanded respect from her husband. Anna could even personally receive foreign ambassadors and, together with Vladimir, formulate government documents. She and her husband adopted the Church Charter - the first legislative code of the Kyiv state.

The church built by Anna Romanovna and Prince Vladimir was similar in image to the Pharos Church at the Great Imperial Palace in Constantinople, to which Anna loved to go to prayer services.

The Tithe Church began to be built in 989 and was built long years, but during the invasion of Batu Khan in 1240 it was burned and destroyed. Surviving fragments and descriptions from contemporaries indicate an elegant and beautiful structure with five large domes 27 m long and 18 m wide with multi-colored frescoes and mosaics made of glass and jasper. By the time of the construction of the Tithe Church, Armenian architects had already built such masterpieces of world architecture as domed churches and the basilica of the Armenian monasteries of Hripsime, Astvatsatsin in Armenian Talin, the Cathedral of St. Hovhannes (Bagavan), Zvartnots and others.

The church was decorated with beautiful icons and frescoes on the dome and in the upper part. By order of Anna, icons and church utensils, as well as the Lives of the Saints, were delivered to Kyiv. At the same time, special institutions for training clergy were opened. Anna also cared about the establishment of hospitals and almshouses, taking care of the food of the poor people of Kiev.

The beauty of the Church of the Tithes can be judged by the Cathedral of St. Sophia of Kyiv, which Prince Vladimir began to build and was completed by Yaroslav the Wise. There are 22 graffiti in Armenian preserved on the walls of St. Sophia of Kyiv. The sarcophagus of Yaroslav the Wise (XI-XII centuries), made of white marble, is a unique monument of the St. Sophia Cathedral. There are floral and geometric images carved on it, which are found on some monuments of Armenian architecture (Zvartnots, Makenotsats, Talin monasteries). A careful study of the geometric signs of the sarcophagus shows that some of them are similar to Armenian letters and are probably the signs or initials of Armenian craftsmen.

Later Anna built many churches. And, of course, the cultural contribution of Anna Armenian is truly invaluable. She also gave birth to the fashion of wearing jewelry made of multi-colored glass. Craftsmen who melted glass for stained glass windows gave the waste to craftsmen who turned it into jewelry.

DURING THE RULE OF THE MACEDONIAN (ARMENIAN) DYNASTY, THE strong influence of Armenian art on Byzantium was noted. According to Joseph Strzygowski (Polish and Austrian art critic, specialist in the field of Byzantine art), during the reign of the Macedonian (Armenian) dynasty, the direct influence of Armenian art on the art of Byzantium can be traced. A huge number of architects and artists created their masterpieces in Byzantium (the new church in Constantinople, the Church of Santa Maria antika in Rome, and best work Macedonian Armenian revival, according to Strzygovsky, Hagia Sophia in Kyiv...). Many other Russian churches belong to the “Byzantine” tradition of the era of the Macedonian (Armenian) emperors.

The role of Anna of Byzantium from the Armenian dynasty was very important for Kievan Rus. By marrying Prince Vladimir, Anna of Armenia not only contributed to the spread of Christianity in Rus'. The adoption of Christianity consolidated Rus' and contributed to the transition of appanage principalities to the Russian Empire. Anna also brought with her many Armenian-Chalcedonian nobility (relatives of the princess herself), monastic scribes, astronomers, cartographers, artists, architects, and doctors. Maps of the world order (ashkharatsuyts), rare for that time, began to be used, calendar systems, rare medical literature– clinics.

But, unfortunately, while Prince Vladimir and his sons (Gleb and Boris) were elevated to the rank of saints, Anna was undeservedly forgotten (she was not canonized). Anna died at the age of 48. Perhaps the cause of her death was an epidemic. Prince Vladimir ordered a luxurious, exquisitely carved marble sarcophagus for her from Armenian stone-cutters from Byzantium and installed it within the Tithe Church. Later, in the same Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, another sarcophagus appeared - that of Prince Vladimir. Then even the Byzantine emperors were not awarded such an honor...

After Prince Vladimir, some Russian princes married Byzantine princesses (of Armenian origin). Thus, the mother of Vladimir Monomakh, Vsevolod’s wife Maria (Maryam) was the daughter Byzantine emperor from the Macedonian (Armenian) dynasty (Constantine IX Monomakh). Born in 1053, Vladimir (father of Yuri Dolgoruky, the founder of Moscow) received the nickname Monomakh from his parents.

After the adoption of Christianity in Rus' at the end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th centuries. a commonality of views among Armenian and Russian artists, architects, and artists gradually formed. These traditions were subsequently developed by new generations.