The religious scholar spoke about the main consequences of the Baptism of Rus

The baptism of Rus led to a large-scale transformation of society and gave rise to a unique synthesis of the Byzantine heritage with local traditions, which determined the further historical path of the country. Nikita Pavlov, a religious scholar and researcher at the Laboratory for Research on religious Factors of Structural change in Modern Society at the ISD FNSC RAS, told Izvestia about this.

"The Baptism of Rus is one of those historical events, the significance of which goes far beyond the actual church history. In terms of its civilizational scale, it is comparable to the major turning points of the Russian past, since it affected almost all aspects of society.: public administration, law, culture, international relations, family relations and the value system. However, it is important to understand that the Baptism of Rus is not a one—time act of 988, but a long and complex process of Christianization that has been going on for many decades," the expert explained.

First of all, Pavlov pointed out the difference between the perception of the Baptism of Rus by ordinary people and historians: if in the mass consciousness the event is usually associated with Prince Vladimir and the baptism of the inhabitants of Kiev, historians have long considered the Baptism of Rus as a set of processes that resulted in the spread of Christianity first among the ruling elite, and then among the majority of the population of the ancient Russian state. Like any major religious transformation, this process was accompanied by the adaptation of new norms and values to an already existing cultural environment.

"One of the most interesting consequences of the adoption of Christianity was its influence on the development of law and ideas about justice. The chronicle tradition has preserved a remarkable episode related to Prince Vladimir. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, after converting to Christianity, the prince refused to apply the death penalty to robbers, fearing sin. However, the increase in crime has forced us to reconsider this decision. Especially revealing is the fact that the need for stricter punishment of criminals was supported by representatives of the church hierarchy, proceeding from the need to maintain public order," the religious scholar added.

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Pavlov noted how difficult the process of introducing new religious and moral principles into the life of medieval society was. Christian concepts of mercy had to be combined with the tasks of governing the state, ensuring security and maintaining the rule of law. As a result, a new legal culture was formed in which religious norms gradually became a part of public life.

"Equally important was the influence of Christianity on the institution of the family. Along with the new faith, new ideas about marriage, marital duties, kinship and parenting came to Russia. Gradually, the church gained a special role in regulating marriage and family relations, which led to significant changes in the daily life of the population. Many norms that were later perceived as traditional for Russian society were formed precisely under the influence of Christian culture," Pavlov emphasized.

At the same time, the historian stressed, it would be a mistake to present the Christianization of Russia as a quick and conflict-free replacement of one religious system by another. Archaeological materials and written sources indicate a much more complex picture. For a long time, Christian beliefs coexisted with elements of pre-Christian beliefs. That is why researchers talk about the phenomenon of double faith, a peculiar combination of new and old religious practices.

"Many folk rituals, calendar holidays and ideas about the structure of the world retained traces of more ancient traditions, while at the same time acquiring Christian content. Such coexistence should not be seen as a failure of Christianization. On the contrary, the ability of the new religion to adapt to local cultural conditions largely ensured its successful spread. It is thanks to this process that the unique cultural synthesis that has characterized the Russian religious tradition for centuries has emerged," the expert explained.

The international significance of the Baptism of Rus should not be underestimated. The adoption of Christianity of the Byzantine tradition meant the inclusion of Russia in the space of the largest civilization of Eastern Europe at that time. Along with the new faith, written culture, book culture, new architectural technologies, icon painting tradition and developed forms of church education came to Russia. The appearance of stone temples, the spread of literacy and the development of chronicling are largely related to the consequences of Christianization.

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"Modern researchers are increasingly moving away from both purely confessional and overly simplistic secular interpretations of the Baptism of Rus. Today, it is viewed primarily as a complex and multilevel historical process that cannot be reduced solely to a political decision by Prince Vladimir or solely to a religious event. We are talking about a large—scale transformation of society that has changed the nature of government, law, culture and public relations," said the religious scholar.

Pavlov also spoke about the political results of the Baptism of Rus. The adoption of Christianity strengthened the international status of the Ancient Russian state, contributed to the development of diplomatic relations and the expansion of cultural contacts. Russia became a part of the Christian world, which opened up new opportunities for political interaction and cultural exchange.

"At the same time, the consequences of the Baptism of Rus cannot be assessed solely in terms of progress or solely in terms of civilizational choice. This event gave rise to a complex and distinctive development model that incorporated both the Byzantine heritage and local cultural traditions. It is this combination of universal and unique that has largely determined the further historical path of Russia," concluded Pavlov.

Previously, he was the head of the Department of Cultural Studies at MGUTU. Razumovsky, PhD, told Izvestia about the main myths about the Baptism of Rus.