The Baptism of Rus Was Not the 'Baptism of Russia'

Where Did This Myth Come From?

In 1988, the USSR lavishly celebrated the “1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus” — but the celebrations were centered mostly in Moscow, not in Kyiv, where the baptism actually took place. The main ceremonies were held in Moscow churches under the auspices of the Moscow Patriarchate, which claimed to be the sole heir to the Kyivan ecclesiastical tradition.

Modern Russia continues this line. Putin has repeatedly used the Baptism of Rus as an argument for the “unity” of Russians and Ukrainians, calling Kyiv the “mother of Rus cities” and the “spiritual cradle” of Russia.

Facts of the Baptism

Where, When, and Who

988 — Prince Volodymyr Sviatoslavych (the Great) was baptized in Chersonesus (Crimea) and baptized the people of Kyiv in the waters of the Dnipro or Pochayna in Kyiv.

Key geographic facts:

• Chersonesus — the territory of modern Ukraine (near Sevastopol)
• Kyiv — the capital of Rus and the site of the mass baptism
• Moscow — was founded only in 1147, that is, 159 years after the baptism

In 988, the site of the future Moscow was forests and swamps. Talking about the “Baptism of Russia” is as absurd as talking about the “discovery of America” while meaning the United States — the country simply did not exist.

The Primary Chronicle

The main source of information about the baptism is the Primary Chronicle (early 12th century), compiled at the Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery. The chronicle describes the baptism as a Kyivan event:

“And [Volodymyr] ordered that people be baptized in all cities and villages. And they came to Kyiv, and gathered at the Podil, and Volodymyr ordered the priests to baptize the people”

The chronicle makes no mention of any “Muscovite” context — it simply did not exist.

The Metropolitanate of Kyiv

After the baptism, the Metropolitanate of Kyiv was established — the main ecclesiastical center of Rus:

• It was directly subordinate to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
• The metropolitan’s residence was in Kyiv
• The Church of the Tithes (989) — the first stone church of Rus, built in Kyiv
• Saint Sophia Cathedral (1037) — the main cathedral of Rus, in Kyiv
• The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (1051) — the most important monastery, a center of learning and culture

All these spiritual centers are located in Kyiv, not in Moscow or Vladimir.

How Moscow “Seized” the Church

The Metropolitan’s Relocation (1299/1325)

Moscow’s claim to the ecclesiastical heritage of Kyiv is based on the relocation of the Rus metropolitans from Kyiv:

• 1299 — Metropolitan Maximus moved from Kyiv to Vladimir (due to the Mongol devastation)
• 1325 — Metropolitan Peter moved to Moscow (at the invitation of Moscow’s Prince Ivan Kalita)

However:

• The metropolitans continued to be titled “of Kyiv and all Rus” — that is, the title preserved its Kyivan connection
• This was an administrative relocation, not a transfer of spiritual heritage
• Kyiv and the Ukrainian lands continued to maintain their own ecclesiastical life

The Creation of the Moscow Patriarchate (1589)

The Moscow Patriarchate was established only in 1589 — 601 years after the Baptism of Rus:

• It was created at the initiative of Moscow’s Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich with the consent of Ecumenical Patriarch Jeremias II
• It was a political project to elevate the status of the Muscovite state
• The Ecumenical Patriarchate initially did not fully recognize this self-proclaimed autocephaly

The “Annexation” of the Kyivan Metropolitanate (1686)

In 1686, Moscow secured the transfer of the Kyivan Metropolitanate to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate:

• This occurred under pressure from the Muscovite government and conditions of political dependence
• Ecumenical Patriarch Dionysius IV signed the charter under duress and in exchange for a bribe
• In 2018, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew recognized that the 1686 charter did not envision a full and final transfer, but only a temporary right
• This decision became the basis for granting the Tomos of Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (2019)

Tomos 2019: Restoring Justice

January 6, 2019 — Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presented the Tomos of Autocephaly to the newly established Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU):

• This decision recognized the right of Ukrainian Orthodoxy to independence from Moscow
• The Ecumenical Patriarchate confirmed that the Kyivan Church never canonically belonged to Moscow on a permanent basis
• The OCU is recognized by most autocephalous Orthodox churches

For the Moscow Patriarchate, this was a blow, as it undermines its claims to “canonical territory” in Ukraine — claims based on the dubious 1686 charter.

Why Does This Matter?

The appropriation of the Baptism of Rus is not merely a historical dispute. It is part of a broader strategy:

1. Spiritual legitimization of aggression — “Kyiv is our holy site; we have a right to it”
2. Justification for ‘unity of peoples’ — “we were baptized together, so we are one people”
3. Control through the church — the Moscow Patriarchate as an instrument of influence in Ukraine
4. Denial of Ukrainian identity — if the baptism is “Russian,” then Kyiv is “Russian”

The historical truth is simple: the Baptism of Rus took place in Kyiv, for the Kyivan state, 159 years before Moscow was founded. Russia may honor this event as part of a shared East Slavic heritage, but it has no right to claim it as exclusively its own.