This episode looks at Vladimir’s reign from the baptism of Rus until his death. Did he manage to do anything else noteworthy?

What happened at the baptism of Rus, and inventing St. Vladimir/Volodymyr from the Tale of Bygone Years to Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir continues to expand his territory and to consider the role of religion in his kingdom.

The death of Svyatoslav found Rus unprepared for the succession. The three sons he left in charge of Kyiv, the Drevlians, and Novgorod, soon turn to fighting among themselves.

In the late Soviet period and in post-Soviet Russia, Lev Gumilev’s passionary theory of ethnogenesis and pseudo-historical ideas of a Jewish-Khazar chimera gained enormous popularity, leading to elaborate conspiracy theories of shadowy forces behind contemporary events. Read the blog post at: https://therussianempirehistorypodcast.com/blog/133-135-imaginary-khazars Subscribe on Patreon, Spotify or Apple Podcasts for exclusive member episodes.