The historical documentary-drama movie "The Baptism of Rus" tells the story of an event in our country’s history whose significance cannot be overstated—the adoption of Orthodox Christianity. The history of the Baptism of Rus began in Novgorod, where Vikings led by King Rurik arrived. After Rurik’s death, Helgi, later known as Oleg the Prophet, began looking after his son Igor. He succeeded in capturing Kyiv and uniting the Novgorod and Kyiv Slavs. Having grown up, Prince Igor organized a campaign against Constantinople, but was killed in his homeland as a result of the Drevlians’ betrayal. His wife Olga avenged the prince—she became the first Russian ruler to adopt Orthodox Christianity, while her son Svyatoslav and her subjects remained pagans. Christianity was brought to Rus by Olga’s grandson, Prince Vladimir, who seized the throne after an exhausting struggle with his own brothers, Oleg and Yaropolk. The adoption of a new, unified religion was dictated in part by economic reasons as well: Vladimir planned to trade with wealthy Byzantium. The prince, later called the Red Sun, chose Christianity for the country, and in 988 the Baptism of Rus took place.
