Vladimir the Great and Islam... It something incompatible and unimaginable for one’s mind and ear. Only one assumption that Vladimir could be a Moslem for representatives of Orthodox faith borders on blasphemy. Probably that is why domestic historians who both ethnically and confessionally were patriots of their fatherland and keepers of its spiritual tradition never supposed the opposite. Besides, traditional sources of data on that epoch were the annals written by Orthodox monks after one and a half century.
In the course of time the image of Vladimir as a prelate of Russia was canonized. And on a question concerning his connection with Moslem religion there were no disagreements among domestic authorities of historical science, whether it be Karamzin or Tatischev, Kostomarov or Solovyov, Grushevsky or Grekov, Tolotschko or Rybakov, and even once "disgraced" Goumilyev. None of them questioned historical reliability of the theory rolled by centuries about a choice of the state religion that Vladimir the Great made. And only in 1992, in the edition "The Chronicle 2000" a well-known Turkist O.Pritsak (we shall note that this Canadian scientist of Ukrainian origin is independent of dictatorship of authoritative opinions in domestic science) has published the work "Origin of Rus" where he openly states that during his reign in Novgorod Vladimir was a Moslem. And in 2000, in the 47-th issue of the newspaper "Nash kray" A.Zhelezny, while analyzing historiography and sources concerning christening of the Kiev Rus, comes to the conclusion: "During his Novgorod reign Vladimir converted to Islam, then, in 988 he was baptized and brought Christianity into Russia, and in 1014 Bulgarian kagan persuaded him to return to Islam again ". O.Pritsak refers to the work of an Arabian historian Al-Marwazi dated approximately 1120, and a source which specifies A.Zhelezny is the code of Bulgarian annals "Dzhagfar Tarihe" dated 1680 which became accessible to domestic researcher only in 1994 (published in Orenburg). After similar publications appears a set of ambiguous questions, and that is why this issue demands precise research.
In the given article we do not deny the traditional historical view of the specified problem, we just give brief analysis of separate moments in the history of the Kiev state of times of Vladimir the Great and his successors, and on the basis of it we suggest the ground for further researches.
The century tradition represents the Great and Saint Vladimir as "Vladimir Krasno-Solnyshko". Some historians call this time "epic". In this occasion a well-known classic of Ukrainian history N.I.Kostomarov wrote, "The history about the times which preceded converting to Christianity is dark and filled with legends behind which it is impossible to recognize doubtless reliability. That is because the first chroniclers wrote about it not earlier than second half of the XI century and only about the events happened in their fatherland in the IX and the X centuries, except for few Greek events; they had no other sources except for oral national legends which were exposed to fictions and changes". To this opinion hold many other historians.
So, about the times of Vladimir I from Rurikovitsch dynasty and about his history at our disposal is only the data from monastic annals, and everything connected to Islam could not be preserved because of probability of church censorship and religious cleanings. But if these data was filtered through, let's try to consider events of that "epic" time not from the point of view of the chronicler monk, but from an alternative point of view.
So, who Vladimir Svyatoslavovitsch "Krasno Solnyshko" was? From the annals it is known that in the picturesque Lubitsch which protected northern approaches to Kiev lived once Malko Lubetschanin whose daughter Malusha was a housekeeper of the princesses Olga, and his son Dobrynya served the prince. From bylinas about Dobrynya came the information that "he was the groom and the gatekeeper" at the prince's court and later he became not just a servant, but a courtier, - "he was a stolnik for nine years". B.A.Rybakov basing on these annals, writes the following, "Malusha Lubetschanka became one of Svyatoslav's concubines and their son Vladimir was born who later was reproached for his origin. He was called "robichich", "hlopysh", villein. If not a special luck the son of the housekeeper could get lost in a crowd of "adolescents" and servants in a princely court yard. But his uncle Dobrynya once has taken advantage of refusal of lawful sons of the prince Yaropolk and Oleg to go to far northern trading station of Rus – Novgorod, and suggested to send there his nephew. So young robychich Vladimir became the deputy in a small town on a coast of the lake Ilmen".
In those days pagan Scandinavia exercised cultural influence on Novgorod from the West and the Volga Bulgaria with already well developed Moslem culture from the East. The annals could not mention this influence from the East, for in the Middle Ages the opposition between the Islamic and the Christian world intensified. We do not know, whether Vladimir converted to Islam during his reign in Novgorod, as it claims O.Pritsak, and we can only assume it.
However, the version about Vladimir's conversion to Islam does not agree with Moslem dogma. From the point of view of Moslems, one of the basic incongruities here was the following: on winning the fratricidal war and becoming the prince of Kiev, Vladimir has carried out the first religious reform to unite the tribes around Kiev, and the state religion became paganism with the main idol Perun. But, perhaps, it is also a trick of Christian chroniclers of the later time? Perhaps, they have created a legend to hide something more serious? So, if goodwill of the prince-baptizer to Moslem faith is impossible to prove for now, it is, however, possible to assume the following: in order to hide Vladimir's conversion to Islam, the chronicler monks made everything that not a single mention about the "busurman" past of this saint confuse the descendants only for patriotic reasons. It is possible that it was made due to the personal instruction of one of the advocates of Christianity from among the nearest Vladimir's successors or descendants, for example, Yaroslav the Wise. But it is still unsubstantiated.
Further, it is well-known, that Vladimir struggled for the authority in Kiev with the eldest son of Svyatoslav - Yaropolk, who was the Christian and headed the so-called Christian opposition, and as a result was defeated by Vladimir's Varangians. Later the annals will show that Vladimir as a sign of “gratitude” to Varangians for their help in the dynastic war sends them on service to the Byzantian emperor without paying them for the capture of Kiev. However, we can observe here the facts' incompatibility again. So, when Vladimir became the only governor of Rus he did not need Varangians any more, and he sent them to "The Land of Greeks". Then why does he need a religious reform which has placed in the head of the pagan pantheon Perun - an idol of Scandinavian origin?! In fact for the deduction of authority one needs something else: power and popularity. He proved his power, but he lacked popularity! According to L.Goumilyev, this reform was directed on becoming popular. But popularity is out of the question, since Perun demanded human victims from the Kievans, i.e. local residents. Perhaps, it is again a deliberate editing of history by chronicler monks? Everything is possible, though domestic history treats Vladimir's pagan reform as an indisputable fact. Karamzin considers the following, "Vladimir strengthened his power in Kiev with the help of Scandinavians and gave them in their management the cities where they could get a tribute with the help of their armed forces". Hence it becomes clear why for the unification of the state Vladimir has carried out the first religious reform on Scandinavian way - having ratified the pantheon of pagan idols. And only then - when he regulated the "machinery of State" - he sent Varangians to Byzantium.
Proceeding further, we shall recollect the chronology of historical dates: in 985 there was a war with the Volga Bulgaria. It is curious that some historians consider it unsuccessful for the Kiev prince though after the contract with the Volgians Vladimir got married to the Bulgarian princess, the great-granddaughter of tsar Almush. This tsar in 922 made Islam the state religion which has already deeply rooted among common people of the Volga Bulgaria and its ruling circles. Everything seems quite natural, but according to Moslem doctrine it is forbidden to marry a Moslem woman to a non-Moslem man, especially to a pagan one. Here follows such a question: What reasons could force a Bulgarian kagan Muemin II to marry his daughter to a pagan? This issue makes think about reliability of the message of Al-Marwazi to which refers O.Pritsak. It is possible that by then Vladimir already converted to Islam. We know that he had more than one wife whence follows that he preferred polygamy in matrimonial relations. And it is typical only for Vladimir, as other princes from Rurikovitsch dynasty may have practiced it, but not openly. It is curious that the elder son of Vladimir Svyatopolk who was the heir-at-law, was the son of the Greek nun who was captured by Svyatoslav, was married to the sister of the king Boleslav I, and was not loved by Vladimir, though he was born during the life-time of Svyatoslav Igorevitsch (his favorite sons were Boris and Gleb who were born by his Bulgarian wife). Though Svyatopolk was older and he was born by a Christian woman, the old prince entrusted Boris to command the army in 1015 against Pechenegs.
The facts about the Bulgarian princess (Vladimir's wife) and their "beloved offspring" Boris and Gleb let to assume (but not to assert) that by the end of life Vladimir could change his religious views in favor of Islam. We do not cease to repeat that the information concerning the "epic time" was "scooped" by the domestic historical science exclusively from church annals, and the first chroniclers were the most educated people of their time who displayed history in that way how they wanted it to be transferred to their descendants.
Religious life became more active during the reign of Vladimir's offspring. It was time of erection of a building of the national church which foundation was laid by outstanding religious figures of the Kiev state: the first Slavic metropolitan Illarion, "Nikom the Great" and Saint Antoniy and Feodosiy. From the Soviet manuals on history we learn that at the times of annals' compiling Christianity still had not fully won a victory over the territory of this shaky confederation of the East-Slavic tribes, for even in the middle of the XII century in some parts of the state took place revolts where victims of national indignation quite often were Orthodox priests. Therefore, the duty of an Orthodox scribe consisted not so much in reliability of the transmitted (let even with bias) actual material, as in the proof of their creed's validity.
Let us assume, that the Orthodox monk of the XII century gets the annals of the previous chroniclers where it is said that Saint Vladimir at the end of his life became a Moslem. What actions will he undertake? Clearly, that if he will not correct it by himself, he will consult the authorities and as a result something will be changed, copied in the necessary channel, and "the paper which contains heresy" will be destroyed. That is why more or less full - and finally edited - descriptions of this time could be kept only in the annals of the XII century, i.e. in one and a half century. How the history can be altered in conditions of ideological dictatorship and totalitarianism and as leaders are created we already know from our recent, less than semicentenial, history when people perceived what the "party" wanted, and all the state worked on those stereotypes which were necessary for realization of its authorized positions and strategic plans. Almost the same could occur at these distant times.
But we shall return to the last years of Vladimir's life. If to refer to A.Zhelezniy's publication in the 47-th issue of the newspapers "Nash Kray" and "Dzhagfar Tarihe", Bulgarian tsar, kagan Ibrahim promised to name Vladimir tsar, i.e. kagan, if the prince accepts Islam. Whereas metropolitan Illarion in his work "Sermon on Law and Grace" calls Vladimir kagan, he became a Moslem. When his son Mstislav learned about it, he killed his father and fled to Byzantium. The traditional historiography tells about it the following: During Vladimir's life his elder son "Svyatopolk, his wife, the daughter of Boleslav Polskiy, and a Catholic bishop Reysbern (a Christian) took part in conspiracy against him". A question arises: maybe and this is because the old prince wanted to become a Moslem? But he suddenly dies. In "Dzhagfar Tarihe" is said that Mstislav Tmutarakanskiy (his son) kills him, having found out that he wanted to renounce Christianity, and subsequently annals will represent Mstislav as a hero similar to his grandfather Svyatoslav, "He is the same bellicose, courageous and strong person". And, perhaps, the chronicler monk has glorified him because of a religious feat - a murder of his father - an apostate? As to the princedom of Tmutarakan, it was the territory of the Kiev state which was the nearest to Byzantium where Tsargrad could strongly affect the personality of Mstislav, having installed in him Orthodox patriotism which induced him to an act which is similar to a religious feat. And what if Mstislav was saved in Byzantium from the favorite son of Vladimir, Boris, who came back from the campaign against Pechenegs?
It is also known that before his death Vladimir wanted to bring to obedience his son Yaroslav who reigned in Novgorod and refused to pay tribute to Kiev. And his son Boris headed the Kiev army in the Pecheneg campaign. Thus, Boris and Gleb, Vladimir's favorite sons and children of the Bulgarian princesses were the only supporters of their father. Personalities of these children are covered with secret and glory of the first Russian saints. However, one fact cannot be argued about - they are the grandsons of a Moslem tsar Muemin II, the governor of The Volga Bulgaria, the children of a Moslem woman who most likely has brought the up in accordance with her tradition, for Vladimir had many children and did not engage himself with their education. So, they could be Moslems and supporters of their father in his religious decision to become a Moslem, too. But both of them were treacherously killed by their elder brother Svyatopolk (a Christian, again), who received a nickname "The Damned". Further events have no special value for our topic, and it is only possible to say that the victory in this fratricidal war gained Yaroslav, who was nicknamed "The Wise" who promoted the development of Orthodoxy in Russia. As it has already been mentioned, during his reign lived and worked a well-known chronicler Nikon, whose works were not preserved, a metropolitan Illarion, and also Feodosiy Pecherskiy, canonized as one of the first Russian saints. During his lifetime Mniha Iakov wrote his works “Memory and Praise to Saint Vladimir” and "The Legend about Boris and Gleb" which are full of deep patriotic feelings and touch upon rather sharp questions.
The Greek metropolitans for a very long time opposed to canonization of the first Russian saints - Vladimir, Boris and Gleb. It is possible that this resistance of Byzantian church hierarchs resulted from Greeks' uncertainty in confessional belonging of these Old Russian princes.
At the end of the article we would like to remind once again that we intended to consider the personality of Vladimir the Great and his attitude to Moslem faith from an alternative point of view - grounding on the data of Al-Marwazi and the arch of Bulgarian annals "Dzhagfar Tarihe". Having analyzed the above-stated facts, all the same it is possible to assume that these sources mentioning about Vladimir's conversion to Islam are absolutely not unfounded. And if it is truth, it is hidden under a cover of a centuries-old ideological struggle between the East and the West, between Moslem and Christian faiths.
On the materials of newspaper "Arraid"
