Evgeny Lyulin: "The Baptism of Rus' determined the fate of our people for centuries"

      July 28, 2025, 13:32

      [134]

      Politics

      Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Yevgeny Lyulin, reminded of Prince Vladimir’s role in the Christianization of Rus’ and his influence on the country's cultural identity.

      “As a matter of course, we today perceive Rus’ as an Orthodox country. No one even considers that it could have been otherwise. Yet, in our history, there was a crossroads, where the decision of the head of state determined the future of our people. Today, July 28, the Orthodox Church commemorates the memory of Saint Apostle Prince Vladimir, who in distant 988 baptized Rus’, setting its destiny for centuries,” wrote Yevgeny Lyulin on social networks.

      “The ‘The Tale of Bygone Years’ by Nestor tells us about the complex choice the prince faced between Orthodoxy, Islam, and Judaism. There is an opinion that the decision in favor of Orthodoxy was political—to strengthen ties with Orthodox Byzantium. Be that as it may, since 988, the Christianization of Rus’ began—churches were built, and pagan idols were sent flying into the Dnieper,” noted the Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      “Over centuries, the Orthodox faith has become embedded in the blood and flesh of the people, part of their cultural and even genetic code. How many great saints shone on Russian land! Hundreds of peoples have disappeared without a trace since then, but the Russian people endured despite endless attempts to break, subjugate, or assimilate us. Orthodox faith has become the ‘immunity’ for Russians. It is precisely its values that have preserved us from the distortions of the West, aggressively imposed in the 1990s,” continued the regional parliament speaker.

      “If you are at a church today, don’t forget to light a candle for Saint Prince Vladimir and thank the Baptizer of Rus’ for his foresight and perceptiveness,” concluded Yevgeny Lyulin.

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